Xxero's 65

[Xxero]

It appears that Photobucket is no longer a free image embedding service. Unfortunately, all of the pictures in my tank journal thread were posted through Photobucket, and I am not willing to pay for a service that I can get for free. That being the case, I have decided to begin a new tank journal thread starting at the one year mark.

Basic Information:

System Start Date: May 29, 2016
Display Tank: 65g Marineland Reef Ready Corner Flow - 36 x 18 x 25
Macro Algae/ Refugium: Aqueon 15g Tower - 14 x 14 x 25
Sump: 40g Breeder
Lights: 36" 6 Bulb ATI SunPower High Output T5 Fixture
Total System Gallons: 96

 

[Spunky Bob]

Hey mate, looks really nice.
What skimmer are you running? Is it a JNS C01? If not looks similar.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

 

[Xxero]

ThanX! :bigeyes:

The skimmer is an SC Aquariums-301. It's leftover from my previous build, so it is very undersized for this system. The skimmer's been going strong for over 2 years now though, and it still pulls out a lot of junk. I would definitely buy another, but I would go with the SCA-302 below:

http://www.scaquariums.com/SCA-302-180-Gallon-Protein-Skimmer-p/sca-302.htm

 

[Xxero]

:bigeyes: Picture time:

 

[Xxero]

Skimmer Upgrade.

Skimmer Upgrade.

Recent skimmer chatter has inspired me to finally make an upgrade that I've been procrastinating:

SCA-302 180g Protein Skimmer :bigeyes:

I gave it a vinegar bath rub-down, and plugged it right in. The new skimmer fits great in the sump, but it looks HUGE compared to my last one!

 

[Fandel]

That's a very nice tank setup you have there. The blue glow is mesmerizing.

 

[Xxero]

That's a very nice tank setup you have there. The blue glow is mesmerizing.

ThanX! :thumbsup:

Yup, lots-O-blue! It's also bulb change time, so that was a recent purchase as well:

I will change out 2 bulbs per week for the next 3 weeks so as not to disturb the inhabitants. :bigeyes:

 

[Arnallop3]

Beautiful build. Nice corals as well. How if he. Do you change your t5s? How much $ is a usual change of bulbs?

 

[Xxero]

Beautiful build. Nice corals as well. How if he. Do you change your t5s? How much $ is a usual change of bulbs?

Thank you! I really enjoy this hobby. :bigeyes:

In regards to T5 bulb replacement, I have read many different things-

I have read:
* that the bulbs should be replaced anywhere from 8 to 18 months. Well, that's a 10 month differential!
* that the way the bulbs are cooled has an influence on bulb life.
* that if they are run in conjunction with metal halides, the excess heat can shorten T5 lifespan.
* that the health of the fixture's ballast(s) can also influence the longevity of bulb life.

I could go on and on, but that's way too many "X" factors for me. I change my bulbs every 12 to 14 months. Bulb length determines bulb price, so my 36 inch tubes cost about $20 x (6)=$120'ish annually.

I figure every 12-14 months falls safely in the middle of the replacement recommendations. Without the aid of a PAR meter, it's all guesswork in my opinion. A good indicator to me is a sudden increase in green algae film on the glass. That usually tells me that the bulbs are going out of whack, and I should replace them soon. :thumbsup:

 

[Xxero]

I have a little 20 gallon sidekick tank that I find very interesting to look at. It's a simple set-up that I toss macro algae clippings into, and I just kind of let it do its own thing.

20g long:

The tank is full of various pods and Mysis shrimp, and it is the home to only one inhabitant:

White Spotted Hermit Crab (Dardanus megistos)

He's really intelligent and surprisingly brave, and in addition to the pellets that I feed him, he keeps the macro clippings nice and trimmed.

Happy hermit :bigeyes:

 

[bk.]

This is a really cool setup. I like how you have the macro algae in an actual tank as it's own display.

That hermit and 20g is a great setup as well.

 

[Xxero]

This is a really cool setup. I like how you have the macro algae in an actual tank as it's own display.

That hermit and 20g is a great setup as well.

Thank you!

I like the macro-tank as well. It was initially set up as a display with hopes that it would also help with nitrate removal. It has a 4 inch deep sandbed with around 5 different macros, but I don't think that it does much for the nitrates.:hmm2:

I believe the problem is the use of the various macros. If I only had Chaetomorpha growing in there, it would probably be an excellent tool for nitrate removal. But the various macros compete with one another, which I feel stunts the growth/harvest rate. I harvest enough to fill a very large salad bowl about once a month, but if it was Chaetomorpha alone, I bet that I would reap twice that amount.:thumbsup:

Here's a pic of when the Bryothamnion was really going off:

 

[Xxero]

Weekend Goodies

Weekend Goodies

Brought a few things home from the LFS last weekend:

Green Birds Nest:

Stylophora:

Derasa Clam:

Pagoda Cup Coral:

Beautiful specimens. I hope that I can keep them happy. :bigeyes:

 

[Xxero]

Proliferation - 6 Weeks

Proliferation - 6 Weeks

I will be cleaning up the 20g tank tomorrow, but I wanted to show the 6 weeks difference before I did. The proliferation has been interesting:

AUGUST:

TODAY:

Speaking of growth...
AUGUST:

TODAY:

I named him Hellboy because of his beg, red whomper! :bigeyes:

 

[James404]

Very cool tanks, I like the macro tank a lot. Do you have any plans to add anything else to it besides the hermit?

 

[Xxero]

Very cool tanks, I like the macro tank a lot. Do you have any plans to add anything else to it besides the hermit?

Thank you! :bigeyes:

I currently do not have any plans to add anything else to the macro tank. That Hermit is a cold-blooded killer! I specifically set up the 20g just for him, and to grow out some of my macro trimmings from my main system.

 

[Xxero]

Happy Corals

Happy Corals

I looked at the tank this afternoon and noticed that my corals look especially plump and happy today. So I thought that I would take a few pics:

Toadstool Leather:

Upskirt shot:

The new Pagoda Cup is doing well:

You can see an Emerald Crab helping me with my Turf algae:

Kenya Tree:

The new Stlyophora has acclimated well:

The Derasa already has at least 1/4" of shell growth:

 

[Xxero]

Shave and a Haircut

Shave and a Haircut

The macro-fuge needed some trimming :bigeyes:

BEFORE:

AFTER:

 

[Xxero]

I finally got around to cleaning up the 20g, and I also decided to add some sand:

I pulled out a lot of macros. This is a 10g plastic tote container:

Hellboy is enjoying the new sand. He really loves digging around in it:

:bigeyes:

 

[Xxero]

Show and Tell

Show and Tell

I just felt like posting a few photos and talking a little shop. My system has been in a treatment phase of sorts, so I haven't really wanted to take any pictures lately. I've been dealing with Turf Algae, Bubble Algae, and Aiptasia, but things are finally turning around.

None of these uglies got too bad to begin with, but I wanted to get on top of them before things got out of control. I thought that I would try a handful of Emerald Crabs for the Bubble Algae. I never saw them eating any of that, but they did seem to like the Turf Algae. For the Turf Algae, I have been dosing with Vibrant Reef Cleaner. It has been a slow process, but I can definitely say that I am seeing results. I am starting week 7 with the dosing, and my rocks are almost bare. The Vibrant product seems to weaken the Turf, and I also noticed that it has a shrinking effect on the Bubble Algae. Both the Turf and the Bubble are almost completely gone, and I can only really attribute it to the Vibrant.

For the Aiptasia, I tried Aiptasia X, which works, but the same Aiptasia seem to come right back after about a week. So a couple of weeks ago I added 10 Berghia Nudibranch, and I am hoping that they go into berserker mode. I have read that going the Berghia route for Aiptasia can take several months, so only time will tell on that one. For the present though, things are looking a lot better:

Rare photo of all 7 of my fish in one pic:

You can see the remainder of the Turf Algae on this rock. It seems to die off and sort of disintegrate:

Stand front:

Simple sump:

I get an "F" for streamlined cord care:bigeyes: