ZeeSparrow's 75G LPS tank build

I've had the birdsnest and the one monti cap for a while now... Just added the second and torch, the clam and a fighting conch (no picture of him though).

As much as it would be nice to get things from the LFS at cost, I'm glad I don't work there. Having to pay retail makes me really think through my purchases a bit more, I think. Although I stopped keeping track of the expenses. Lol

I want to get a second EB8 for my Apex to add on the dosing pumps I already have. The first one is full and I could use a couple more outlets already! I may have to make do with manual control on a few things for a while though, especially with the holidays coming up.

I am rather stable with alkalinity and calcium now. It will be interesting to see what kind of demand the clam and last two corals add to the daily consumption.


If you have any devices that run at the same times, such as my return pump and skimmer, they can be tied into the same outlet to free one up. My skimmer and return pump both only turn off during feeding or water changes... I just set them on a single outlet and I'm good...
 
With a surge protector or the like right? I'm doing that already with one of the outlets. I have a configuration I think will work but ideally I want another EB8. Or at least an EB4....
 
With a surge protector or the like right? I'm doing that already with one of the outlets. I have a configuration I think will work but ideally I want another EB8. Or at least an EB4....


If your going to drop the change for another you may as well get an eb8 for the extra $40... And yes, using a surge protector.
 
If your going to drop the change for another you may as well get an eb8 for the extra $40... And yes, using a surge protector.

True enough. Maybe I'll get one for my birthday or Christmas. :)

Matt ordered me a tiger tail cucumber last night - should arrive on Tuesday. Also arriving Tuesday is a Hanna checker for phosphorus (ULR, conversion required to determine phosphate level). I'm tired of trying to compare colors from the Salifert test. It was great while curing, as the levels were really high but now that they're lower it's tough to distinguish. Time to change out the GFO though, as it's obvious it is no longer zero.

I added the cardinals to the display this morning. I'm hoping that their added load will help raise nitrate levels just a touch, as they've hovered next to zero for quite a while.

As for corals, I moved things around a little bit last week. I had some issues getting the birdsnest re-situated so it's not looking as good as it was. Hopefully that just needs time to recover from my abuse. :p Also, the duncan isn't happy at the moment. A water change and GFO might be all it needs to perk up. The clam and all other corals are doing great!

The lawnmower blenny has a nice fat little belly, and everyone else gets their share at feeding time. The shrimp are even behaving themselves and not picking on coral anymore (two peppermints helped themselves to the blasto which has since recovered... only one peppermint appears to be left in the tank). I'm excited to watch the cardinals find their place. I see many hours in front of the tank this weekend.
 
True enough. Maybe I'll get one for my birthday or Christmas. :)



Matt ordered me a tiger tail cucumber last night - should arrive on Tuesday. Also arriving Tuesday is a Hanna checker for phosphorus (ULR, conversion required to determine phosphate level). I'm tired of trying to compare colors from the Salifert test. It was great while curing, as the levels were really high but now that they're lower it's tough to distinguish. Time to change out the GFO though, as it's obvious it is no longer zero.



I added the cardinals to the display this morning. I'm hoping that their added load will help raise nitrate levels just a touch, as they've hovered next to zero for quite a while.



As for corals, I moved things around a little bit last week. I had some issues getting the birdsnest re-situated so it's not looking as good as it was. Hopefully that just needs time to recover from my abuse. :p Also, the duncan isn't happy at the moment. A water change and GFO might be all it needs to perk up. The clam and all other corals are doing great!



The lawnmower blenny has a nice fat little belly, and everyone else gets their share at feeding time. The shrimp are even behaving themselves and not picking on coral anymore (two peppermints helped themselves to the blasto which has since recovered... only one peppermint appears to be left in the tank). I'm excited to watch the cardinals find their place. I see many hours in front of the tank this weekend.


Love the progress! When things settle back down send us a FTS.
 
Don't hold your breath for those pictures. Our power has been out for almost 24 hours now, and we do not have an alternative source. :(

I had to go in to work today, where we are running on a generator. I went home at lunchtime and things do not look good. :worried2: I'm just sick.

We haven't EVER lost power for more than a couple hours before. So of course I figured that purchase could wait. If YOU don't have a generator/backup battery/SOMETHING........... please get one as soon as you can afford to do so.
 
Don't hold your breath for those pictures. Our power has been out for almost 24 hours now, and we do not have an alternative source. :(



I had to go in to work today, where we are running on a generator. I went home at lunchtime and things do not look good. :worried2: I'm just sick.



We haven't EVER lost power for more than a couple hours before. So of course I figured that purchase could wait. If YOU don't have a generator/backup battery/SOMETHING........... please get one as soon as you can afford to do so.


Ugh!!! Are you up and running again yet?? How's it look?? We had wind here but nothing compared to what you guys got there.
 
Thanks guys. Power is back on! I was able to borrow a generator from my boss this morning and got a kick start on heating the tanks back up. Reef was down to 54 :(

When I got home from work, the temp was up to 63. My two latest additions did not make it. :( I saw the lawnmower blenny this morning but he scooted back into the Rock when I tried to get him out. I haven't seen him yet so don't know if he's okay or not. The clam doesn't look good but it did close up when I shadowed it so fingers crossed. Corals are seriously mad. Or dead. Not sure yet.

Firefish and clowns are in a 5 gallon tank with about a gallon of water, temp at 74 or so. Going to keep an eye out and put them back into reef once that temp matches. Crossing my fingers they pull through.
 
Temp is back up to normal, clowns and Firefish swimming as if nothing happened. Eating well.

Lawnmower blenny is out and about too! I cannot believe that little guy survived 54 degrees. So tough.

Clam looks bad, and corals are seriously bleached.

I turned down the blues on the lights and will gradually bring them back up. Hoping some of the corals respond positively.
 
Awesome news on the fish!!! Hope your corals come out of it!! Keep us informed. Perhaps some saddening coral pics?
 
Yeah. Got a few of those. First, some before pics from last weekend. I was really quite happy with how everything was doing, other than some of the coral irritation from being recently moved. Things were coming along well.

FTS

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Individual Side shots

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Bad pics of the clam and the red acan

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Center w/firefish, clowns, clam, euphyllia

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And now, a few of the sad after shots.

Left and right sides

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Bleached birdsnest and plate

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Clam :( I just don't have the heart to take him out of the tank yet.... just a matter of time, now.

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Acan!

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You can see in the right side shot that most of the euphyllia doesn't look TOO bad. Hoping they recover well. The acans also give me hope. Not sure about the duncan or candycanes yet.

I'm heating up some water for a WC now, and getting another batch of RODI ready to do another one in a couple days.
 
Stopped in to the LFS yesterday to pick up the cucumber he'd ordered for me. It didn't make it. Though a bummer, I'm actually a little relieved, as I wasn't too sure about adding something new to the tank right now anyway.

As for the tank itself, I removed the clam and torch yesterday. The plate is in the back of the tank now, as it is gone ... leaving it in there for the possibility of reproduction (hey - it could happen). Birdsnest is almost completely bleached but appears to have some very small polyps so I'm still hopeful. Monti cap is completely bleached.. giving it a chance just in case. During the water change and tank cleanup this weekend, I broke one of the candy canes - twice - and had to almost completely rebuild the left rock structure as I wanted to move a rock away from the glass a bit.

The fish are all doing well. :)

My husband suggested I pick up something new when I went to the LFS yesterday but I think I'm going to wait at least a couple weeks. I want to make sure things are stable again. If the birdsnest or monti cap don't show signs of recovery, I'll likely get replacements for them first. At least that's the thought for now...
 
Stopped in to the LFS yesterday to pick up the cucumber he'd ordered for me. It didn't make it. Though a bummer, I'm actually a little relieved, as I wasn't too sure about adding something new to the tank right now anyway.



As for the tank itself, I removed the clam and torch yesterday. The plate is in the back of the tank now, as it is gone ... leaving it in there for the possibility of reproduction (hey - it could happen). Birdsnest is almost completely bleached but appears to have some very small polyps so I'm still hopeful. Monti cap is completely bleached.. giving it a chance just in case. During the water change and tank cleanup this weekend, I broke one of the candy canes - twice - and had to almost completely rebuild the left rock structure as I wanted to move a rock away from the glass a bit.



The fish are all doing well. :)



My husband suggested I pick up something new when I went to the LFS yesterday but I think I'm going to wait at least a couple weeks. I want to make sure things are stable again. If the birdsnest or monti cap don't show signs of recovery, I'll likely get replacements for them first. At least that's the thought for now...


Did you got to Aquatic Dreams or Aquarium Solutions? Do they both have backup power? I was wondering how the power outs affected them. Another thing to consider is how the cold impacted your live rock/sand.. Perhaps a scoop of live sand and a bottle of pods to restart things...
 
I went to both, and neither of them lost power at the stores. Their houses were without, but not the stores. Barbie has a generator at her house but still lost quite a bit. :( She has so many tanks, she was a very busy lady trying to keep everything alive.

As for the impact, from what I've read, the cold temp shouldn't have harmed the bacteria... at least not much. I tested ammonia/nitrites/nitrates on Thursday night when I got home from work (all zero per API... trates have been around 0.2 per Salifert) but haven't tested since. Thanks for the reminder... I'll go do that now.

Ammonia still zero. Nitrates up; hard to tell ... maybe 1? I've been wanting to increase that a bit, though the approach is not what I had in mind. Heh.

I picked up a few turbo snails Sunday, forgetting they're affected by high mag. They hadn't moved all day yesterday, so I put them into the QT tank last night. I'll have to give them some algae to munch on, as they're all moving around. :) Another water change on the DT on Wednesday then I'll test Mg again to see where that's sitting. I expect these guys will have to hang out in the QT for a while...
 
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