MedRed's 60 Gallon Solana XL [Archive] - Reef Central Online Community

MedRed

09/19/2010, 10:33 AM

Sooooooooo...

Upon anticipating a move... I broke down my 34 gallon Solana. (http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1659272). I've been tank-less for a little while. Well the itch is back... and I need to scratch it. I've graduated from AIO to a "real" sump! My tank is still on order, and I still have a lot to plan.

2 important things will be covering the overflow in something that can be scraped. My biggest gripe on my 34 gallon solana was the textured back wall. I want no coralline on the glass or overflow. I also need to bring it on this scape. I got a little lazy last time around and ended up with a good scape... This time I want a great scape!

I have a few decisions to make.
1) Do I want to go with 1 MP40, 1 MP40 + 1 MP10, or 2 MP10's. I'm pretty sure an MP40 would be enough flow, but I'd like to do something to randomize the flow more. What do you guys think?

2) Controller/Auto Dosing? I'm debating if I want to add a controller and possibly dosing. I don't know the first thing about auto dosing... so I'm not sure If I'll go this route. The Profilux and Reefkeeper add additional functionality to the Aqua Illumination set. Do I really need thunderstorms? No.. but I want them!

3) Should I upgrade the sump pump? The standard pump is a Quiet One 4000.

4) Livestock plans: I'd like to have a nice pair of Picassos, a pair of Helfrichi firefish, a Tail Spot Blenny, and... I want to have a singular showcase fish. I would do another Blue Spot Jawfish in a heartbeat, but I'm not sure how much sand I'm going to have in this tank. I would like my tank to be as peaceful as my last tank.

Tank: Solana XL 60
Lighting: Aqua Illumination Sol Blue LED 24" w/ Hanging Kit
Skimmer: SWC Cone 160
ATO: Tunze Osmolator
...more to come

MedRed

09/20/2010, 03:01 PM

So minor setbacks...
My LED's are delayed as they are back ordered. It could be up to two weeks.

It also turns out that the company where I bought my Solana from was having it shipped directly from current to me. Because Current is in California, I now have to pay tax on it... *sigh.

No one near me is an aquavitro dealer for seachem. I want to use the new Salinity salt, but NO ONE carries it. This problem is compounded as you can only get it from a LFS. I'm going to have to see if I can have someone order for me.

Lastly I ordered 120lbs or reef cleaners dry rock. and 2 MP10w ES.

MedRed

09/21/2010, 12:31 PM

Another twist... So I will have to wait 2 weeks + for my tank to get here... Sigh... I can. My lights, on the other hand... are on their way to me. MP10's and digital refractometer should be here today.

MedRed

09/26/2010, 12:47 PM

It took me 1 hours and 47 minutes to drive 41 miles to pick up some Salinity (gotta love LA traffic...on a Saturday). I'm mixing my first back of SW, but I haven't tested it yet. One thing that struck me... I have two 32 gallon Brute containers for mixing. I realized after filling up the first container, that it was a lot of water... now I'm going to be doubling that for the show tank... This is my biggest reef ever. I hope I'm up to the challenge! (yeah yeah all of you "large tank" folks pipe down).

I also realized how handicapped my RO system was in Portland. I was lucky to get 25 gallons a day out of my air water ice 100 gpd RO/DI. Now it's pushing water out like nobody's business! I absolutely love having an extra room to store the containters/buckets in. And now the Aquariums have their own bathroom too. whoo hoo!

I need to go out today and get another powerhead for the other container. Any recommendations on a powerhead for 32 gallons? I will probably go ahead and get substrate today so I can wash it and have it ready.

James404

09/26/2010, 12:58 PM

I use 32 gal brutes as well and I use a cheap petco brand pump for mixing. Its the biggest size they had I believe but was pretty cheap. When I am done mixing with it I hook up a vinyl tube to it and use it to fill the tank with about 4 ft of head. A maxijet will get the job done as well.

davocean

09/26/2010, 01:04 PM

MedRed

09/26/2010, 01:04 PM

Hey James... do you know which one you're using? Is it one of these?

http://www.petco.com/petco_Page_PC_productlist_Nav_230_N_24+4294956550.aspx?CoreCat=LN_Shopping_FishSupplies_WaterPumpsan dPowerHeads

Do you mount it as low as you can get it?

allsps40

09/26/2010, 01:07 PM

James404

09/26/2010, 01:07 PM

Its the 40-60g one listed here I believe. The model is listed as King-225

http://www.petco.com/product/109837/PETCO-Power-Head.aspx?CoreCat=LN_Shopping_FishSupplies_WaterPumpsandPowerHeads

I don't mount it I just throw it in the bottom but you can use the suction cups if needed.

davocean

09/26/2010, 01:14 PM

Yeah, I have an old hagen aquaclear 802 for mixing, had it many years now, just drop it at the bottom.
I use that same pump to push the water into my tank too, just slip a hose on it.

MedRed

09/26/2010, 01:14 PM

Ok, I'll help you stop talking to yourself!LOL
Good plan w/ the vorts.
I just switched to aquavitro as well, and so far like it(This was actually given to me by the guys at Current who were having some cyano issues, me too, we were both using same salt before, their probs went away, mine is starting to go away, could be coincidence, who knows)
I TOTALLY recommend switching return pumps, i ran an Eheim 1260 on my 60g solana, silent and worked great.
I was going to use a tile saw and cut LR and attach to eggcrate to hide my overflow, but i decided to condense all my small tanks into one larger for my own personal needs, so didn't get to that, but an option.
As for dosing, that Profilux is expensive, and can be on back order for quite some time.
I gave up after months of waiting for mine, and went w/ Drews dosers, which I highly recommend, cheaper, lil easier to get them, work great.
We have chloramine in our water here in cali, so know that for cartidges, also a booster pump may help you make water faster/more efficiently.
For mixing any PH will do.
My helfrichi's jumped through 1/4" bird net, both of them, so good luck w/ that, cover tank well.

Thanks for chiming in! I realize that until i post picks there won't be much interest. I'll check out that eheim. I like eheim stuff (I came over from the fresh side).

I'm fine with seeing the overflow, I just don't want it covered in coralline. I will probably cover it in smooth black acrylic. I may cover the back wall in acrylic as well. We'll see.

I will probably not go the profilux route. I'm not even sure I want a controller at this point. I'll wait on that as well.

I always use prime with my water, so no worries on that. My RO system is cranking here. I didn't have great pressure in portland, but it wasn't a big deal as I only made 15 gallons or so at a time. The water pressure in my extra bathroom is phenomenal. When I took off the aerator and turned it on I got giddy. I'm happy with the pressure it's giving. I've not tested

I do plan on using a glass top. Part of my reason for going LED was wanting to keep the heat down while using a top. I'll probably only take the top off for maintenance and when taking pictures.

I think I've also decided to go with a bluespot jawfish again. That's a lot of fish in my mind (blue spot, picasso pair, helfrichi pair, and tail spot blenny). I may axe something when the time comes.

I'm interested in this whole bio pellet phase. Is there a good all in one reactor that I could just hang on the sump?

MedRed

09/26/2010, 01:21 PM

Good choice on the 2 mp10s instead of the 1 mp40. I really want a mp10 for my tank but need to save and have to many other projects planed or going. Like my 90-120 in wall build that I want to start doing but is being set back by a hopeful truck project.

Thanks... I'm still concerned with flow as these MP10's are tiny and I've not seen them in action yet. I had an MP20 on my Solana and upgraded it to an mp40. that was a MASSIVE increase in flow. I'm going to mount both mp10's on either side of the over flow. one will be up high, one will be down low. I'm not above adding an mpsomething on the side if I end up needing more flow or to prevent dead spots

Its the 40-60g one listed here I believe. The model is listed as King-225

http://www.petco.com/product/109837/PETCO-Power-Head.aspx?CoreCat=LN_Shopping_FishSupplies_WaterPumpsandPowerHeads

I don't mount it I just throw it in the bottom but you can use the suction cups if needed.

Thanks! I'll pick one up today.

Yeah, I have an old hagen aquaclear 802 for mixing, had it many years now, just drop it at the bottom.
I use that same pump to push the water into my tank too, just slip a hose on it.
smart idea I was just going to use a dipping bucket lol.

davocean

09/26/2010, 01:29 PM

You'll get a WC system down, I make water, let mix overnight, turn off tank w/ light strip switch, siphon w/ hose into my waste brute, match level, then pop that PH on same hose and pump in new water.
I can do this in about 10 minutes now.
Those vorts should work great.

MedRed

09/26/2010, 01:32 PM

awesome! thanks davocean

MedRed

09/26/2010, 04:19 PM

Just picked up two powerheads. I realized I am missing a box of aquarium stuff from my move. It may be buried in the outdoor closet. It has my python and what not in it. Time to go scouting.

MedRed

09/27/2010, 02:30 PM

Lights came in today!

Some of my goodies...
http://i52.*******.com/102mf6w.jpg

I'm almost ready to start... if only I had a tank...

This is where the magic happens... this bathroom is fish only. I've never even used this bathroom before.
http://i56.*******.com/23w1sp2.jpg

I LOVE my digital refractomer. No more squinting and no more uncertainty. This sucker is super easy to calibrate and use.

http://i51.*******.com/21ozf2u.jpg
http://i52.*******.com/16bzdjt.jpg

and the lights... they are well packaged
http://i53.*******.com/2r3xeft.jpg
http://i52.*******.com/6f6oo4.jpg
http://i54.*******.com/2mgl43q.jpg
http://i56.*******.com/11vqoib.jpg
http://i53.*******.com/2z90713.jpg
http://i54.*******.com/7333hs.jpg

These suckers are BRIGHT! the controller is a bit finicky. I love the gradual ramp up and down of the lights. I can't wait to see a sunrise on my tank!

D'espresso

09/28/2010, 11:39 PM

..... Speechless...

MedRed

10/05/2010, 12:38 AM

MedRed

10/07/2010, 05:58 PM

I don't want to get my hopes up... but tracking says the tank should be here tomorrow!

davocean

10/07/2010, 07:43 PM

ha ha D! :P

So my rocks arrived today. Unfortunately, most of them are a lot bigger than I was hoping for. It's going to make it that much harder to pull off a nice scape. I also am new to drilling rocks and connecting with acrylic rods. I've been searching all over for a nice write up or video, and I've not had much luck. The tank should arrive by Friday or next Monday.

Search for "show me your pillars" thread on here for ideas and methods.
I always made a template of my tank footprint/overflow and just stacked for good fit, ledges, caves.
usually takes a few/several tries to find that right look that stacks well and able to drill where you want.
A cheapy HD masonry bit works just fine, I even thought about using a tile saw to make flat sides to fit tank back/overflow better.

MedRed

10/07/2010, 07:48 PM

my drill isn't that great (cheap 18 volt) what's a good drill to get through this rock? I used reef cleaners dry rock

davocean

10/07/2010, 11:41 PM

Go cheap on a drill, cause it's gonna get SW on it.
I've used a cheapo Ryobi and it's lasted a surprisingly long time doing this.
Spaded masonry bit, like $5

MedRed

10/11/2010, 03:08 PM

Ok... So the tank came in late this morning. It was rough work breaking the pallet down in the sun and then hauling everything up to my apartment before cleaning up. I'm taking a breather before I hang the lighting fixtures. I misplaced my point and shoot, so sorry for the iphone pics.

http://i55.*******.com/zus2og.jpg

http://i52.*******.com/9hl8if.jpg

you can see my scape in these pics. I wanted something minimalistic and open to promote good flow, viewable from 3 sides, and ofcourse visually appealing. I hope I accomplished these things!.

There are actually 3 individual spires. It's hard to decipher from these two pics. I'll take more pictures later.

D'espresso

10/11/2010, 05:06 PM

Lord have mercy! That tank so sexy! I like your badazz aquascape, those 3 spine is gonna look hella sick with crazy all kind of sps. Take your time bro everything is looking good and smooth.

MedRed

10/11/2010, 07:59 PM

Thanks D!

no water yet, but all of the fittings are connected. I accidentally broke one of the spires. Off to home depot for more epoxy.

http://i54.*******.com/2vtccqv.jpg

MedRed

10/15/2010, 12:25 AM

So Current uses ABS plastic for the overflow on this tank. It's textured on one side and smooth on the other. I noticed that the plastic was actually pressed against glass. I decided to remove the pieces of plastic and flip them around so the smooth side faced out. So I removed the pieces from the overflow...

http://i55.*******.com/2yulvky.jpg

Here are the three pieces. Textured side...
http://i52.*******.com/2vdpf1g.jpg

smooth side...
http://i55.*******.com/2nvfrzr.jpg

My plan was thwarted when I looked at the smooth side. Whatever was used to bond the pieces to each other either melted the plastic or degraded it at those points. These rough areas will be just as impossible to scrape algae as the textured side... and will look odd.
http://i53.*******.com/4i5w9.jpg

I'm checking with StevieT to see if he can smooth the rough areas, or laminate fresh plastic over one of the sides, that would make the pieces I already have completely viable. Otherwise, I'm checking to see if he can cut me 3 new pieces that duplicate the stock pieces.

moo0o

10/15/2010, 01:13 AM

Can you describe how exactly you use the digital refractometer? i wanna buy one but...i wanna see how it works first :)

MedRed

10/15/2010, 09:49 AM

You calibrate it with by filling the metal well on the right with distilled water and pressing zero. To operate, you just fill the well with your saltwater and hit read. It will display the temp of the water and your reading. The range button is used to cycle between SG, PSU, and ppt. After every reading, you have to rinse the well with distilled water and dry with a soft cloth. It's super simple and a heck of a lot more accurate than reading little lines on a refractometer.

allsps40

10/15/2010, 11:16 AM

Looking good so far. I like the LED lights, I am very interested in LEDs. I have been thinking about trying them on my 6 gallon nano cube. Can I get some info on the lights please??

herostar

10/15/2010, 11:21 AM

looks good

If you run your light fixture cords along the lamp hangers (black electrical tape works well and blends in) above tank will look better/less cluttered...

MedRed

10/15/2010, 11:22 AM

Looking good so far. I like the LED lights, I am very interested in LEDs. I have been thinking about trying them on my 6 gallon nano cube. Can I get some info on the lights please??

Thanks! no problem. Here you go...

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1841197
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2010/5/aafeature2
http://aquaillumination.com/

MedRed

10/15/2010, 11:24 AM

looks good

If you run your light fixture cords along the lamp hangers (black electrical tape works well and blends in) above tank will look better/less cluttered...

my main problem is that the power cables and controller cables still have to hang down.

MedRed

10/17/2010, 01:38 AM

Took some pics tonight. The scape is pretty much what it will be plus a jawfish house. I may rotate and move the scape to the right a little more.

I was wanting to have something minimalistic that would have really good flow. The scape is perfectly viewable from all 3 sides and corals can be applied all around the spires. As soon as I can figure out the overflow... I will fill it with wet water.

http://i52.*******.com/akba5e.jpg

http://i55.*******.com/rwrw9g.jpg

http://i55.*******.com/erigxw.jpg

http://i54.*******.com/egbhpd.jpg

and the jawfish house. It will be buried past the pvc with sand. I wanted to have a more natural looking opening this go around. I applied the rock pieces to the top to help prevent unsightly pvc from showing in case the sand gets blown away and exposes it.
http://i51.*******.com/289iib9.jpg

davocean

10/17/2010, 09:13 AM

Nice, I like the simple/minimalist looking scape, still plenty of frag area, and great job on the jawfish housing.

tecsavi

10/17/2010, 12:49 PM

I use the corrugated tubing they use for car wiring harnesses to hide all of my wiring. It has a slit down the side of it to put all of the wiring inside of it. I am OCD when it comes to wiring dangling all over the place and this stuff makes it look much cleaner.

Your tank is looking great, I like the minimalistic and clean look of it.

MedRed

10/17/2010, 01:28 PM

Thank you for the compliments dave and tecsavi. and thanks for the tip. I'm thinking about painting the back of the tank in black or using a black background to make the overflow less conspicuous. Or I could just leave it clear. any thoughts?

davocean

10/17/2010, 01:56 PM

I left mine clear, expecting coraline to cover, but always wished I would have gone black background from the get go.
You're displaying pretty good patience compared to me on setup.
That's usually a good sign someone will do well in this hobby.
I've read about people using limo tint, though I've never done it myself.
I kinda like the reversable things, cause we all know, gear gets swapped and upgraded, then sold alot in this hobby, though black backgrounds rarely are disliked enough to stop a sale.

MedRed

10/17/2010, 02:44 PM

I hear you Dave. I rushed my 34 gallon Solana a little. I luckily avoided any real issues, but, not everything came out the way I wanted. I got a killer deal on some great live rock, but it was hard to scape as the pieces were too big. I wish I'd have known about the textured background on the 34 as I did not want a coralline background.

I'll fill the tank when I work out the overflow situation. What's probably going to happen is that I'll let the tank go fallow until January. I'm going out of town in December, and would rather just let the ATO do its thing instead of thinking about how to take care of livestock while I'm gone. That should also build up a nice pod population. I may just add an external background and see how I like it. If it sucks I'll take it off. You guys will probably never be able to tell the difference, lol.

Oh yeah... I ordered a Next Reef SMRI bioreactor with 1000ml of Warner Marine EcoBak pellets. It's probably overkill, but I want to be prepared for phosphates and nitrates.

I'm still trying to decide if I want to use a controller. I really don't see a need for one, unless I set up auto dosing.

Rytek

10/17/2010, 04:21 PM

following along!

it all looks good. I want those same LED's now. will be great to see kinda growth you get. Nice Jaw fish house too!

davocean

10/17/2010, 04:41 PM

I'm guessing you mean that tape on stuff, which yeah, usually can't tell, but on the rimless tanks you tend to get salt creep between as opposed to rimed tanks that you can tape below rim to shed water/creep.
Maybe check it that way to see if you like it first, but I'd take care of it permanent or semi perm now(why I like the limo tint idea, press on/peel off, no gaps for creep)
Plus hard to tape it w/out seeing tape on edges.
A panel would be cool too if you can find one, removable for cleaning.

txbonds

10/17/2010, 04:55 PM

Man, that scape looks awesome. :)

What vortechs do you have on the back wall. That's how I was thinking of doing mine on my 58g.

Lurking

10/17/2010, 05:06 PM

Man I really love the aqua-scaping. Now hurry up and fill it with water :) Your build makes me yearn for a new tank. Thanks for sharing this :)

MedRed

10/17/2010, 06:00 PM

following along!

it all looks good. I want those same LED's now. will be great to see kinda growth you get. Nice Jaw fish house too!
Thank you! I think I had them on 80% blue and 50% white for that picture. I just dialed them back to 40% blue and 25% white and they still illuminate really well. I'm sooooooo worried about cooking things from using too much intensity to start.

I'm guessing you mean that tape on stuff, which yeah, usually can't tell, but on the rimless tanks you tend to get salt creep between as opposed to rimed tanks that you can tape below rim to shed water/creep.
Maybe check it that way to see if you like it first, but I'd take care of it permanent or semi perm now(why I like the limo tint idea, press on/peel off, no gaps for creep)
Plus hard to tape it w/out seeing tape on edges.
A panel would be cool too if you can find one, removable for cleaning.

I think the Limo tint idea would be perfect. Do they make a self adhesive version? I'd hate to have to squeegee my own. I'm sure it'd be full of bubbles if I did.

Are you going to the SCRK meeting tonight?
Man, that scape looks awesome. :)

What vortechs do you have on the back wall. That's how I was thinking of doing mine on my 58g.

Thanks txbonds. I have two Mp10s. I have no idea what the flow will be like. They are pretty small compared to the mp20 and mp40 that I had before. Looks can be deceiving as the mp20 and mp40 both moved massive amounts of water.

Man I really love the aqua-scaping. Now hurry up and fill it with water :) Your build makes me yearn for a new tank. Thanks for sharing this :)
Thanks Lurking.

Everytime I think I have loose ends tied up, I realize it opens another door. I still need to find black silicone in a large tube. I'm not sure where to look locally. I was just in Home Depot. I know GE Silcone I is supposed to be ok, but it does say not for aquarium use in fine print. What sucks is I had a large unused tube before I left and I think I pitched it -__-

I also just realized the bioreactor has 5/8" inlet/outlet ports, and the Mag 3 pump I have for it is 1/2". I need to see if there is an available 5/8" attachment or find a reducer for it.

I also just realized that the Solana doesn't come with a light in the stand anymore. picked one of those up at home depot as well.

MedRed

10/21/2010, 03:16 PM

My bioreactor arrived today... but someone forgot to pack my bio pellets with it -___-.

Here are some pictures of my sump set up at the moment. I added a little shop light on the right to give me some light when I'm in the stand. I will probably change out my ATO reservior to something completely clear. Anyone know if they make completely clear buckets with lids?

http://i54.*******.com/sb4zcw.jpg
http://i56.*******.com/2u4sahz.jpg

And here we have my controllers.

http://i53.*******.com/fvzosi.jpg
http://i51.*******.com/8zfg48.jpg

lastly, I wish AI included some sort of endcaps/stops that would keep the lights from sliding off the hanging kit. the body of the light has a screw on top that you slide through this groove in the railing. There's nothing impeding it from sliding right on out if the fixture was tipped in such a way.

http://i54.*******.com/2wppjt5.jpg

rroselavy

10/21/2010, 10:18 PM

Nice setup.

Just looked back at some notes. Here are two reef compatible Silicones that I've seen mentioned:

Silicone GE RTV103 Black
Silicone GE RTV108 Clear

I think GE sold their silicone division to a Momentive, but you can still get RTV103 on Amazon for about $13.

I just use one of those Hedwin jugs for ATO. 2.125" mouth. A bit more compact than a round bucket. Vivid sells them IIRC.

http://www.hedwin.com/images/photo_hedpak56G.jpg

I also bought a translucent 5g Polyethylene culinary bucket (with handle, lid, and quart markings) from Smart & Final here in Los Angeles. Not as stiff as a HD bucket, but I use it for water changes...and it has held up just fine.

http://images.zesco.com/pimages/117/117-d-406.jpg

rroselavy

10/21/2010, 10:22 PM

BTW:

I've been thinking of switching out my MP40W for 2 smaller pumps (Ecotech or Tunze). Curious to see if two MP10W's are enough...

MedRed

10/21/2010, 11:08 PM

Thanks rroselavy. I just raided all of the local petcos for the 3oz all glass black aquarium sealant.

Thanks for the heads up on smart & final. I'll check it out.

I'm thinking that 2 mp10's will be enough now that I've looked over the flow numbers. I had 1 mp20 and then upgraded it to an mp40 in my 34 gallon. The mp20 was too much flow on max, and the mp40 was way too much flow. The mp10 puts out almost as much as 1 mp20, so I think 2 mp10's will be great. time will tell.

MedRed

10/24/2010, 02:36 PM

Stevie T has finished with my new overflow! I should be able to add wet water by next weekend!

MedRed

10/29/2010, 07:35 PM

So... StevieT delivers the custom overflow.

http://i56.*******.com/xpcxz8.jpg

Comparing the old and new... not a good picture... but you get the idea. I smiled when I saw the little clownfish. It totally made my day!

http://i51.*******.com/2mqqdjk.jpg

Installation didn't take very long...
http://i53.*******.com/33y3zly.jpg

More cute clown...
http://i53.*******.com/4tt2rb.jpg

StevieT did an excellent job. I'm going to let the silicone cure for the evening and fill'er up tomorrow. Thanks again StevieT!!!!!!!!

davocean

10/29/2010, 09:08 PM

Nice, that looks SO much cleaner!
Like the clown too.

Highlandjedi

10/30/2010, 09:53 AM

looks good man, seems like alot of light, do you think that one of the ai units would have been enough if they were raised a little higher?

MedRed

10/30/2010, 10:01 AM

Nice, that looks SO much cleaner!
Like the clown too.

Thanks davocean! The clown makes me smile everytime I see it.

looks good man, seems like alot of light, do you think that one of the ai units would have been enough if they were raised a little higher?

I think I could have gotten away with 1, but I'm happy with two. I can't get the lights higher unless I go with a different bracket or mount my bracket to the wall.

Highlandjedi

10/30/2010, 10:21 AM

cool, i was debating 1 over my aquapod 24, or possibly a diy led/controller, looks like you are gonna have an awesome setup going

MedRed

10/30/2010, 11:14 AM

Thanks jedi!

Houston, we have lift off! I'm still cloudy

I had to rotate the scape a lot more than I would have liked to keep it off the glass. I think I'm going to rotate it back and see if I can get it to work

http://i55.*******.com/bi9pvn.jpg

http://i52.*******.com/s13frd.jpg

Right side
http://i52.*******.com/2vtbkup.jpg

left side
http://i52.*******.com/2le44k5.jpg

I also redid the jawfish house to make it less conspicuous...
http://i52.*******.com/2s96akh.jpg

It's also nice to see my controllers on!
http://i53.*******.com/xlcynm.jpg

When I started everything up... it was loud! The pump was touching the glass and vibrating the sump. It took me awhile to get my skimmer dialed in for a dry skim (this thing is a beast!). It was also a little time consuming to get my sump at the right height. Luckily I marked off ahead of time the low and high water level for my skimmer on the tank.

I also had a couple of leaks. The SMR1 Bio reactor was leaking at both fittings. I turned it off and liberally applied silicone. Not sure why it'd leak brand new, but it's fixed at least. Also... my main overflow bulkhead was leaking just after the tank connections. It wasn't a leak, leak. It was not even a drop of water every few minutes. I think the angle I have the tubing entering the sump was the issue. A little silicone there and all is well.

Adding the light in the cabinet was a HUGE help. Cocktail shrimp anyone?

bryman

10/30/2010, 11:27 AM

Wow, I really like your build! Good choice of equipment - I am really interested to see how you like the LEDs. Can't wait to see how this will turn out!

MedRed

10/30/2010, 11:33 AM

Thanks bryman!

davidr2340

10/30/2010, 01:17 PM

Looking amazing Med! Amazing build!!!
Love the overflow... StevieT does great work for sure!

:beer:

MedRed

10/30/2010, 02:35 PM

Thanks David! too bad I don't live close to you anymore. I'd love to get a scoop of live sand from someone with a clean tank.

MedRed

10/30/2010, 08:18 PM

It's been a busy day...

So I decided to cover the back of the tank to hide the vortech wires and make the overflow less conspicuous. I was in Wal-Mart looking at the self tint. Most of it was the water and squeegee type. I actually picked some up, but went back to change the opaqueness. That's when I found some static cling Black Magic Insta-Cling that seemed like it would make life easier. I bought 5% tint.
http://i53.*******.com/nl902h.jpg

Unlike most of the tints that were there. it's 26" long instead of 24" so I had to use a razor to cut the excess. I applied it and noticed a ton of air pockets! I ended up spraying the glass with water and then using a squeegee anyway to get the air pockets out. It works great! I can see through the tank from outside in to align the wet and dry parts of the vortech, but I can not see through the back from the inside of the tank.

I also rotated the scape a little bit. I think it looks much better!

http://i52.*******.com/2n1cllu.jpg

http://i54.*******.com/16h0ntk.jpg

Shrimp anyone?
http://i53.*******.com/2vwv8m8.jpg
http://i51.*******.com/33l2ejl.jpg

I'm using 3 pieces of shrimp (overkill) but I need to keep things going for 2 months. I'm adding Microbacter7 for now and will add Bio Spira when I add the first fish.

I also added my seed piece of Liverock.
http://i53.*******.com/30n9d81.jpg

It's right between the three pieces of LR. I used a CoralRX to dip it. HOLY COW... 2 large copepods, 3 stomatella, and 1 bristleworm ran off in agony. I dipped it for a lot longer than necessary.

bryman

10/31/2010, 11:44 AM

Nice tint job and the scape looks great. But I am wondering why you would dip the seed LR? The stuff that came off isn't necessarily bad and can be beneficial to your tank, right?

MedRed

10/31/2010, 12:42 PM

I want to do my best to keep everything bad out of the tank. I had great LR last go around, but had algae and hydroids that hitchhiked on it. I Scrubbed this piece of rock. I saved the the stomatella, and i'm sure there are some copepods that survived. I mainly needed this piece for corraline, and I'm sure there are things that survived. The zoas on it survived and are opening up this morning.

curlykid

10/31/2010, 12:55 PM

this tank is amazing, but, i have to ask, why two drivers for the vortechs? Can't you just use one and have a master and slave setup? i thought it would be easier that way.

MedRed

10/31/2010, 01:05 PM

Thanks curly
They are on a master/slave set up. You can still control individual flow rates. Last night, the slave was making noise, so I was able to turn it off from the controller without losing its settings so I could adjust it's wetside.

Here is the Aqua Illumination schedule I plan on running.

7:00 am - 30% Blue/30% White
9:00 am - 50% Blue/50% White
11:00 am - 80% Blue/50% White
4:00 pm - 50% Blue/ 30% White
7: 00 pm - 05% Blue/ 1% White
10:00 pm - 01% Blue / 0% White

Jeff_NJ

10/31/2010, 05:26 PM

wickedfish

10/31/2010, 05:53 PM

Not bad for a frsh water guy JK props man looks real clean what type of corals are you gonna be addicted to? I hate you for buying the skimmer now wanna sell it back you can mark it up lol, isnt life funny. Anyways I'm sure I will have some frags when your ready to do some planting.

MedRed

10/31/2010, 06:48 PM

Looking great man... Really makes me want to upgrade from the 34 to the 60.

What do you plan on keeping as far as corals are concerned? Your three spires would certainly make for a nice SPS foundation :)

Thanks Jeff. It will be a mix of Softies, LPS, SPS, and even some NPS.

Not bad for a frsh water guy JK props man looks real clean what type of corals are you gonna be addicted to? I hate you for buying the skimmer now wanna sell it back you can mark it up lol, isnt life funny. Anyways I'm sure I will have some frags when your ready to do some planting.

Before I moved, I was really falling in love with encrusting montiporas. I've had my eyes on mini nems for awhile as well. I am so happy you were selling that skimmer. I couldn't believe it. It was the exact model I was looking for and I didn't have to pay shipping or tax for it! Thanks wicked fish!

bryman

10/31/2010, 09:28 PM

PurpleMonster

11/01/2010, 09:39 PM

Great setup bro!!! congrats :)

MedRed

11/01/2010, 11:16 PM

Wow, that sounds so sweet that you can adjust your color temp like that. It would be really cool to see the transition on video if possible :cool:

Yes sir. I actually posted an incorrect lighting schedule. Here's the real deal
6:00 am - 5% Blue/1% White
7:00 am - 30% Blue/30% White
9:00 am - 50% Blue/50% White
11:00 am - 80% Blue/50% White
1:00 pm - 50% Blue/ 50% White
4:00 pm - 50% Blue/ 30% White
7: 00 pm - 05% Blue/ 1% White
10:00 pm - 01% Blue / 0% White

Great setup bro!!! congrats :)

Thanks man!

afernandez

11/02/2010, 01:16 AM

nice im thinking of of the AI leds also

afernandez

11/02/2010, 01:19 AM

you should put the shrimp in a mesh bag that way when they decompose they wont make a mess

MedRed

11/02/2010, 10:04 AM

you should put the shrimp in a mesh bag that way when they decompose they wont make a mess

smart idea. It might be a little late at this point. They smell terrible

PurpleMonster

11/02/2010, 11:24 AM

Haha funny how fast that gets the stinking! How is the Skimmer reacting to the decomposition :)

MedRed

11/02/2010, 11:30 AM

I've got the skimmer going really dry, but it's doing a very good job at skimming junk out.

PurpleMonster

11/02/2010, 11:45 AM

Good stuff man, I have experimented doing both wet and dry... but i guess i have no real way of knowing which is better since my Nitrates, and Phos are always below measurable. But i do remember reading that wet was better bc it takes out more organics.... hmmm will have to look up that thread again.

MedRed

11/02/2010, 11:55 AM

That's why I'm skimming dry. I don't have any organics in the tank except the rotting shrimp. I want to allow the cycle to do it's thing without me working against it by taking the food out. I should have left the skimmer off for 10 days or so, but I wanted to have everything running so I could fine tune the water level in my sump.

PurpleMonster

11/02/2010, 12:06 PM

True that :) you are on top of it!!! i will check back in about 15days to see how things are doing lol... check out my system when you get a chance :)

MedRed

11/03/2010, 10:56 PM

Here's the tank wearing the wood trim kit. I'll normally have this on to prevent jumping and evaporation.

http://i51.*******.com/2ykkp47.jpg
http://i54.*******.com/2vhxf04.jpg

The water is almost clear. The smell of shrimp is gone! I'm amazed but the shrimp have practically disintegrated. I don't know if it was the Microbacter7 or the bacteria in the liverock, but I did NOT expect this rate of decomposition.

Here's the remainder of the piece on the sand...
http://i52.*******.com/30mmt95.jpg

The other two pieces still are holding their shape, but I can see them falling apart.

These poor zoa's are being subjected to crazy levels of LED and ammonia. I've yet to notice anything else that's alive in the tank. No pods on the glass yet at this point. You can see the inTank clown at the bottom right of the 2nd pick.
http://i56.*******.com/wrgx6q.jpg
http://i51.*******.com/2uztg1l.jpg

My Quiet One 4000 has started to make a racket already. I thought it was vibrating against the glass, but it's making noises even when suspended in the water. I'm going to replace it with an eheim 1262. I also turned my sump back to the original position. It was noticeably warmer in the cabinet. I think blocking the chiller cut out was trapping in heat. I noticed the tank temp dropping during the day.

I also moved the Vortechs up a little bit. They were making bald spots in the sand near the front of the glass. I am NOT adding more sand. lol.

PurpleMonster

11/03/2010, 11:06 PM

rroselavy

11/03/2010, 11:38 PM

You'll get plenty of sump flow (400gph) with a Eheim 1260. A 1262 will probably just give you micro-bubble problems due to excessive flow through the sump - forcing you to bleed/throttle back the flow.

MedRed

11/04/2010, 12:31 AM

Isnt that clown just making you want to get live stock more and more lol... it would start driving me nuts after day 1 of looking at it! not saying its a bad thing at all(looks real cool) just saying i would be pulling my hair out!!! WHERE IS THE AMONIA!!! then where are the Nitrates!!! lmao

Looks good man! i cant wait for ya to start adding some livestock!!

Lol. I'm pretty patient. I'd like to see some of the micro fauna in the tank, but other than that I can wait. I don't plan on adding a fish until January.

You'll get plenty of sump flow (400gph) with a Eheim 1260. A 1262 will probably just give you micro-bubble problems due to excessive flow through the sump - forcing you to bleed/throttle back the flow.

The 1260 looks like it's rated for 636 gph and the 1262 for 900 gph. I was going to go with the 1262 because the stock Quiet One 4000 is rated for 980 gph. I just figured the 1262 would be the most like the stock pump gph wise. I had some micro bubble issues at first, but they've gone away.

i really need to play around with photoshop. the colors the camera takes are not the real colors of the tank. the pictures are coming out way too blue.

rroselavy

11/04/2010, 08:44 AM

Excellent - your baffles must be working very well then...

MedRed

11/04/2010, 09:02 AM

No baffles in the Solana sump :-(

rroselavy

11/04/2010, 09:17 AM

Oops...just went back to page 2 to look at the sump pic. Amazing that such a small sump has no microbubble problem. Are you using the filter sock?

PurpleMonster

11/04/2010, 09:19 AM

Man thats good for you Red, def letting that cycle right!..... I'd get some pods soon as it is cycled that way they can start breeding before the fish get in and munch away at them lol. I did this for a smaller tank i had which was going to keep all pipe fish and worked out great. It was a finnex Mtank way back when kept dragon face, and blue stripes....

rroselavy

11/04/2010, 09:28 AM

LOL. I let my tank cycle for almost 4 months when first established. Would have gone much longer before stocking anything other than pods and critters, except that my family became impatient and wore me down.

IMHO, Medred has some catch-up since he started with dry rock...

MedRed

11/04/2010, 09:34 AM

Oops...just went back to page 2 to look at the sump pic. Amazing that such a small sump has no microbubble problem. Are you using the filter sock?

I am using the filtersock. I have the skimmer facing one end of the sump, and the intakes for the pumps facing another. So far so good.

Man thats good for you Red, def letting that cycle right!..... I'd get some pods soon as it is cycled that way they can start breeding before the fish get in and munch away at them lol. I did this for a smaller tank i had which was going to keep all pipe fish and worked out great. It was a finnex Mtank way back when kept dragon face, and blue stripes....

I'd like to get up a population of foods before anything goes in the tank. I'm thinking about introducing saltwater mysis as soon as the tank gets cycled as well. I had a 5.5 gallon pico that ended up with mysis in it out of the blue during its cycle.

LOL. I let my tank cycle for almost 4 months when first established. Would have gone much longer before stocking anything other than pods and critters, except that my family became impatient and wore me down.

IMHO, Medred has some catch-up since he started with dry rock...

Yes I do!

PurpleMonster

11/04/2010, 09:51 AM

Do you order mysid online? a few years ago i was looking everywhere and i could not find them. I was always told they were canibalist lol and that they not do well yet, my tank always had tons of them whenever i would shine the light at night. I want to start a population of them in the new tank though, i have none and want tons!

MedRed

11/04/2010, 09:53 AM

There was a guy on nano reef selling them. He's not responded back to me though.

PurpleMonster

11/04/2010, 12:16 PM

oh wow, i need to get on that forum then!!! lol

MedRed

11/07/2010, 12:06 AM

Thanks BillCruik!

So in one week's time... My brand new skimmer set to the driest possible skim pulled this out of my tank...
http://i53.*******.com/2eai648.jpg

Granted some of that is fine sediment from new sand, but a lot of that is from the shrimp... it smells terrible.

I halfway cleaned the neck so that you can see how much gunk had already accumulated
http://i51.*******.com/xc81ao.jpg

So I've decided that whenever I empty the skimmer cup, I'm going to replace that water with fresh saltwater. I measured off cups ( I should have measured in mls... oh well) so that I can easily tell how much skimmate I have and what I need to replace.
http://i53.*******.com/11r80hu.jpg

I had to flip my sump back around as it seems turning it across the back was blocking the chiller hole and trapping heat.
http://i53.*******.com/256w70i.jpg

both of my pumps face away from the skimmer and towards the back glass. It seems to have eliminated my microbubble issue. I will be replacing the quiet one 4000 with an eheim 1262 this week as the quiet one has become rather loud.
http://i53.*******.com/30ayjr5.jpg

Some pics of the glass cover and woodframe kit.
http://i51.*******.com/wu4cy1.jpg
The only opening is exactly 1cm wide. I dare a fish to find its way through
http://i54.*******.com/2d0f612.jpg

MedRed

11/07/2010, 12:07 AM

Lastly... I was concerned with the aeration of my fresh saltwater. The petco powerheads I use allow for air induction. I have a piece of airline tubing attached to the air inlet of each powerhead with an airpump forcing air into it. I get a nice fine spray of bubbles ensuring good oxygenation of the fresh saltwater.
http://i56.*******.com/2jv503.jpg
http://i51.*******.com/2iux9wg.jpg
http://i53.*******.com/117cis3.jpg
http://i56.*******.com/25ztkk7.jpg

My water mixing protocol:

Run RO/DI water into container
as soon as there's enough water to cover it, I turn on my stealth heater which is programmed for 78 degrees.
As soon as there's about 6-8 inches of water I turn on the powerhead and air pump.
When the water is about 6 below the top of the handle indentions, I add 10 cups of salt.
When the water reaches the top of the handle indentions, I turn off the RO/DI
I cover with the lid and let mix overnight.
Check salinity (should be 1.026 on the button)
then let mix overnight
remove equipment from container and replace lid.

rroselavy

11/07/2010, 11:17 AM

Potsy

11/07/2010, 11:25 AM

Have you noticed any reduction in lighting with the glass top? Do you have to clean off condensation and salt-creep often?

Nice work and write-up. Thanks.

MedRed

11/07/2010, 12:25 PM

Nice write-up on your procedure. Not many people are this detailed in their threads.

I installed a Kent float valve on my brute bucket so it would shut off the RODI for me. The back pressure causes the automatic shutoff valve (that came with my RODI unit) to kick on, turning off flow to the waste side. I did this because I kept on forgetting to shut of the RODI and then I would come home to a puddle on the floor of my backyard shed. Has worked flawlessly so far.

Thanks rroselavy... I need to do the float valve thing. I have to remember to check on it. What happens to the water once it shuts off? does it flow through the waste water tube?

Have you noticed any reduction in lighting with the glass top? Do you have to clean off condensation and salt-creep often?

Nice work and write-up. Thanks.

Thanks potsy. I've not tested lighting with a par meter yet. However, it's a non issue with LED's. No one is able to crank these puppies past 60% or so without toasting their corals. I'm currently hitting 50% for two hours and that may be too much according to the zoas on my seed rock. If it does cut down on par, i'll just crank the lights a little.

The woodframe kit prevents salt creep. I don't have any splashing from the pumps or anything, so no salt water touches the glass unless I happen to drip some on it. I'll probably take the lid off every now and then and wipe it down.

My 34 gallon solana had a woodframe kit/glass top... and I never had to worry about any glass degredation or anything.

rroselavy

11/07/2010, 12:36 PM

Thanks rroselavy... I need to do the float valve thing. I have to remember to check on it. What happens to the water once it shuts off? does it flow through the waste water tube?

You need two basic things. A float valve and an auto-shutoff valve.

The float valve will simply close the purified water line.

The auto-shutoff valve connects to the RODI unit and will shut off the waste line when it senses that the purified water line is closed.

BRS sells a complete kit (including check valve and tubing) for $25.

MedRed

11/07/2010, 01:18 PM

where does the water go that's coming out of the faucet? will you be at the meeting tonight?

rroselavy

11/07/2010, 03:53 PM

Both the output and waste lines are closed, so the water is stopped even though the incoming line is still open.

I am going to try to make it to the meeting...I've never been a member of any reefing club, so it should be interesting.

MedRed

11/07/2010, 05:21 PM

cool. I'll be attending the meeting. will be nice to meet some local reefers.

MedRed

11/09/2010, 08:44 AM

So... I'm getting diatoms now. My camera has a hard time with the LEDs, so I had to flip it into black and white to get the diatoms to turn out. I actually took this pic this weekend, and the diatoms have spread a little more.
http://i54.*******.com/2n9bxoy.jpg

I guess I should test the water this weekend. I was really hoping that the cycle with 3 shrimp would continue through December. I was being a little optimistic it seems. I have some expired fish food I'll probably start feeding once my ammonia hits zero.I don't know if I should credit the Microbacter7 or the bacteria from the seed piece of LR.

PurpleMonster

11/09/2010, 09:48 AM

nice let the algae begin!!! worst part about all of this lol.

MedRed

11/10/2010, 01:32 AM

I don't mind diatoms, its bryopsis and hair algae I want to avoid.

So I upgraded my Quiet One 4000 to an Eheim 1262 today. The Quiet One was anything but quiet. The Eheim is really quiet. It's a lot larger than the quiet one.

The Quiet One 4000 is rated for 1017 GPH and the Eheim 1262 is rated for 900 GPH. The Eheim is VASTLY more powerful than the Quiet One 4000. The new pump RAISED my tank water volume 1cm (just under half an inch). Not too bad, but noticeably higher. On top of this, it LOWERED the level in my sump by 6cm (2.36 inches).

I also realized I've been using the return assembly in the sump wrong the entire time. It kept trying to float, which prompted me to place a heavy rock over it to keep it down. I realized tonight, that the return is supposed to empty into a cavity, and then overflow that into a filter sock. I'd left the cavity filled with air and was returning directly into the filter sock. I guess it'd be better for pods and livestock to return into the cavity as opposed to the filter sock where they wouldn't have a chance. I'll try it out tomorrow and see how I like it.

solitude127

11/10/2010, 11:27 AM

Lastly... I was concerned with the aeration of my fresh saltwater. The petco powerheads I use allow for air induction. I have a piece of airline tubing attached to the air inlet of each powerhead with an airpump forcing air into it. I get a nice fine spray of bubbles ensuring good oxygenation of the fresh saltwater.

My water mixing protocol:

Run RO/DI water into container
as soon as there's enough water to cover it, I turn on my stealth heater which is programmed for 78 degrees.
As soon as there's about 6-8 inches of water I turn on the powerhead and air pump.
When the water is about 6 below the top of the handle indentions, I add 10 cups of salt.
When the water reaches the top of the handle indentions, I turn off the RO/DI
I cover with the lid and let mix overnight.
Check salinity (should be 1.026 on the button)
then let mix overnight
remove equipment from container and replace lid.
So after the SW is completely mixed you don't run a PH in there until its ready to be used?

MedRed

11/10/2010, 08:40 PM

So after the SW is completely mixed you don't run a PH in there until its ready to be used?

nope. I will run a powerhead (and heater if the water is too cold) the night before a water change, but I don't consistently run a powerhead in the container.

MedRed

11/12/2010, 10:38 PM

After realizing I was using my sump incorrectly... I tried moving the filter sock holder... and broke it

This is what it's supposed to look like (I have it turned on its side)
http://i52.*******.com/2arubs.jpg

It now looks like this...
http://i54.*******.com/1pf2he.jpg

I broke the bottom out applying too much pressure to put the filter sock in... then broke the front panel trying to pull the thing out of the sump http://medredinc.net/forum/Smileys/mrsmiley/blankface.gif

I tried siliconing it all back together, but I didn't do a great job... it leaked like a sieve. I also realized... I didn't like how it's supposed to work. The drain from the tank is supposed to flow into the attached container. That's supposed to overflow into the filter sock. It might be safer for livestock, but I hate the idea that food stuff, detritus, etc. can accumulate in that container without me knowing it. It's kind of tough to take that out with my big skimmer in the way. I'd MUCH rather everything flow straight into the sock so I know that everything possible is being collected there. Plus, it allows for more actual water in the sump.

I decided I'd just go with a filter sock holder. I searched for a long time online to find a filter sock holder that didn't already have fixed tubing. My return pipe is really wide, so the ones offered by CPR and marine depot wouldn't work. I finally found one that will work offered by bulk reef supply.

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/store/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/5e06319eda06f020e43594a9c230972d/m/o/mount.jpg

Here's a picture of my new pump on the right (Eheim 1262)
http://i56.*******.com/161nx4k.jpg

The diatoms are starting to cover everything now. I'll test this weekend to see where I'm at in the cycle.

P.S. I LOVE MY SKIMMER!

P.P.S. is there any a downside to placing the chemipure and purigen IN the filter sock?

wickedfish

11/12/2010, 10:47 PM

PS I hate that I sold it to you!!!!!! ....

I am hoping tomorrow they have one at the marine depot sale!
I like the socks that don't have those hard plastic things at the top, inside. So you can flip the sock inside out. So you can get both sides when spraying it with a high pressure hose.

wickedfish

11/12/2010, 10:49 PM

Are you using the Oceanic salt? I am switching this weekend, torn between that and the coral pro the nEw and improved black bucket, ooooooo.

MedRed

11/12/2010, 11:08 PM

I through my socks in the washing machine... I don't have access to a hose in my apt :-(

I'm using Seachem's aquavitro Salinity salt.

The skimmer is an absolute beast!

MedRed

11/14/2010, 01:42 PM

I just tested for the first time
.5 ppm Ammonia
.25 ppm Nitrite
somewhere less than 5 ppm Nitrate

With my new pump, I can't reach deep into the tank without causing water dribbles on the outside. I have to turn the return pump off in those instances. This was raising the water in the sump high enough to set off the high water alarm. I added a 2nd magnet holder and moved the tunze high water sensor higher in the sump. No more shrill alarm!

I feel bad for those zoas having to deal with all of that Ammonia and Nitrite.
http://i55.*******.com/14kb052.jpg

I've been playing with the white balance. I've gone to the other extreme, but I can show more detail this way. I'll keep playing with it.

Diatoms are in full swing. everything in the tank is dusted with light brown.
http://i56.*******.com/xthf.jpg
http://i54.*******.com/30csoed.jpg

http://i56.*******.com/35ic4ky.jpg
http://i53.*******.com/w21xe8.jpg
http://i53.*******.com/213f3io.jpg

sahin

11/14/2010, 02:40 PM

Looking good. What are your fish stocking plans for this tank?

MedRed

11/14/2010, 04:48 PM

Thanks sahin...
A Tail Spot Blenny
I'm looking at a Bluespot Jawfish
A pair of Ocellaris Clowns (either Gladiator Picassos or Smores Picassos)
Possibly a small group of red spot cardinals
Possibly a pair of candy basselets.

PurpleMonster

11/14/2010, 05:38 PM

Let the party start!!! :) looking good buddy, pretty soon your rocks wont look so white anymore.

DBSAM

11/20/2010, 02:20 PM

DBSAM

11/20/2010, 02:41 PM

Also, at BRS I only saw the CPR filter sock holders, what is the model # or item #?

Thanks

MedRed

11/20/2010, 03:28 PM

Med,

So the filter sock assembly box is easily removable or did you have to remove silicone or something? I am planning on getting a solana 60 and the way I would like to add equipment to my sump I would like to take it out and just use a sock like you are using now...I am planning on using two Nextreef MR1s, one for GAC and the other for GFO and then eventually the SMR1 to eliminate the vodka I dose...

Thanks...and great thread!!

Also, at BRS I only saw the CPR filter sock holders, what is the model # or item #?

Thanks

The filter sock box is separate from the sump, so you can just remove it. I'm really happy I did. I'm digging the extra space.

Be careful with your MR1's... I discovered that my SMR1 is leaking today!

This is the filter sock holder I bought
http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/store/brs-filtersock-mount.html

DBSAM

11/20/2010, 03:35 PM

Why is your reactor leaking? Just the fittings?

Try emailing them about it. I just emailed them today and Dave has responded quite quickly...

MedRed

11/20/2010, 03:46 PM

Yeah it's leaking from a fitting. I just emailed them.

I probably would have bought one of these if they were available.
http://glassbox-design.com/2010/reef-octopus-biopellet-reactor/

BurN

11/21/2010, 08:16 PM

I picked up the same reactor and it leaked at first. I redid the teflon tape and it held a seal. Just make sure you wrap the tape the right way and put a good layer on it.

MedRed

11/22/2010, 12:06 AM

how do you recommend wrapping the tape? I wish the fittings just came with a rubber gasket, that'd make life a lot easier.

saltygeek

11/22/2010, 06:59 AM

Is the overflow quite?

MedRed

11/22/2010, 09:10 AM

YES! I was getting some splashing noises when my overflow as bent to the side. Now it goes straight down into the filter sock and the water level is high enough in the sump to prevent noise

KafudaFish

11/22/2010, 09:17 AM

Just curious but can you see the back left column of rocks straight on?

I do like the rock work.

MedRed

11/22/2010, 09:22 AM

Thanks! Not yet... I have a piece of furniture there that's going to goodwill.

kmu

11/22/2010, 09:49 AM

Very nice solana XL...

I have a solana XL67 at home and really like the design and glass used, the only downside is the sump, its very small, I upgraded it to a larger one because the stock one almost overflows (poor design)

What glass thickness is the solana XL 60?

MedRed

11/22/2010, 10:21 AM

Thanks Kmu. I too would like a larger sump, but the stand for the 60 isn't big enough for an upgrade. your 67 will drain a lot more water with the pump off than the 60 does. I need to ask current for the glass thickness. I thought it was 1/4" but I'm not sure. My LFS has a 67 Solana and it is gorgeous.

BurN

11/22/2010, 01:54 PM

Just don't cross thread it and layer it twice. That way when you screw it back into the reactor it seals nicely.

MedRed

11/22/2010, 01:56 PM

Cool. Thanks!

MedRed

11/23/2010, 02:21 AM

So I seriously screwed up... I caused my cycle to finish a month early. -__-
I'd been dosing the Microbacter7. I just set up my quarantine tank and used some SuperBac to get the cycle in it going. I dumped the rest of the bottle in the display tank. The result... no more ammonia or nitrites... -__-

I decided I'll just start feeding the tank some expired pellet food I have to keep the cycle going.
I just started on my clean up crew. I have 5 Astreas thus far (wanting their covered coralline shells to help seed coralline on the rock). I also picked up 5 nassarius snails to eat the pellet food. I think snail poop will be easier for the system to digest than the unadulterated pellets. I will begin fleshing out my CUC as soon as Donatello lets me know what he needs for his crew. I'm going for diversity this time around. However, there will be no crabs!

Proposed Clean Up Crew
5 Astraea Snails
5 Nassarius Snails
5 Florida Ceriths
5 Dwarf Ceriths
5 Spiny Star Astraea snails
3 Fighting Conchs (1 each Tongan, Asian, and Papau/New Guinea)
1 Fuzzy Chiton

It's kind of a smallish CUC, but I want to see how little I can get away with.

I'm also going to start seeding the tank with the fauna I'm missing from using dry rock. The cheato in the display will be there for the next two months. I'll use it as a bed for the copepods and amphipods I'll be introducing. These will be the things I'll seed the tank with...

Stomatella (already added 5)
Mini Bristle Starfish (already added 2... have a source for more)
Copepods
(https://livecopepods.com/zencart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=3)
More Copepods (http://www.reefnutrition.com/tiggerpods.html)
Amphipods (need a source)
Saltwater Mysid Shrimp (http://www.mblaquaculture.com/content/organisms/live_mysis_shrimp.php)

These pics are taken under the 4% blue 0% white full moon setting for the LEDs.
You can see the diatoms on the sides of the glass. The Astraea are munching on it already
http://i51.*******.com/e7j8kw.jpg

Astraea on the glass, nassarius in the sand
http://i55.*******.com/2qcezxz.jpg

Chateau Cheato... where the pods make babies
http://i56.*******.com/2v27evp.jpg
http://i54.*******.com/wb8o5u.jpg

On a side note... NextReef is sending me a replacement top and fittings.

BurN

11/23/2010, 06:48 AM

Probably the safest bet. Just take precaution when screwing the elbows in, make sure not to cross thread the plastic, it really is fragile.

MedRed

11/27/2010, 05:08 PM

I have seeded my copepods.

I thought I'd share my QT tank
http://i56.*******.com/sqseft.jpg
http://i56.*******.com/2cf48qa.jpg

I use an Eclipse system 5 corner tank with a biowheel (can't beat biowheel for wet dry biological filtration)
Small, so easy to move around, rinse out, use less medication, etc.
Full cover hood, so no carpet surfing fish
No substrate, No Rock (nothing to trap detritus or cover parasites... easy to siphon clean)
I use a small 50 watt stealth heater
I keep a Tetra Whisper air stone going with a small Rena micro bubble airstone (keeps water oxygenated and ready for medicating... some medications can reduce the oxygen content in the water)

The first time I fill it, I use water from the display tank. Water changes there after are fresh saltwater.
Separate siphons, nets, and buckets (orange buckets for quarantine, white buckets for main tank)
Fish are quarantined for 1 month before going in the main tank.
If a fish is introduced any time while another fish is in quarantine, the clock is reset for the original fish.

MedRed

11/29/2010, 03:15 AM

So... Earlier last week I seed my tank with copepods.
These (https://livecopepods.com/zencart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=3) and these.... (http://www.reefnutrition.com/tiggerpods.html)

I'm already able to see pods on the glass! My glass was like a large expansive desert before. I've decided not to see amphipods. I will go ahead with the mysis though. My Astraea snails are eating up the diatoms. They move so slowly though. I'm amazed at how much they poop though. I'm always seeing their poops blowing by in the current. One of them didn't make the acclimation. The nassarius were all over it.

Does anybody know if 2 fighting conchs will be too much for this tank? I don't want them to starve or fight!

I've also noticed a few small spots of coralline. By small I mean minute. This is a good sign as it means it is doing the same on the rocks.

rroselavy

11/29/2010, 09:44 AM

PurpleMonster

11/29/2010, 10:02 AM

I just bought some Tigger pods, and looking at those two links im thining of ordering some of those now too! lol, can never have too much pods!!

MedRed

11/29/2010, 11:47 AM

I have had two Tonga fighting conches in my 55g for the last 2+ years. They do not fight, despite their name. :) They have not grown significantly, often eat side by side, burrow and move sand around. Then again, I have a DSB. Not sure if that makes a difference. I'm a big fan.

Awesome. I thought I read somewhere that the males are the ones that fight. I see that live aquaria has to varieties of fighting conchs. It'd be cool to have both if I can swing it. Will they eat uneaten pellets and food that hit the bottom? My nassarius will probably call dibs, but I don't want them to starve.

http://www.liveaquaria.com/images/categories/large/lg-80499-conch.jpg

I just bought some Tigger pods, and looking at those two links im thining of ordering some of those now too! lol, can never have too much pods!!

ha ha. the other pods would probably be eaten pretty quickly if they don't have time to establish themselves. They are the really small white pods. The bottle wasn't jam packed with them, but you could see a bunch of them there.

rroselavy

11/29/2010, 12:16 PM

Hmm...do not know much about the male fighting thing. They can defend themselves pretty well, using their foot like a club when in need. They do not get preyed upon from crabs like other snails I've had.

I've never seen my Tonga conches eat meaty foods or pellets like the Nassarius...more of a herbivore eating diatoms off the sand bed and lower inches of glass. They never scale the LR, always stay near the sand where they will bury themselves. I cannot say how much impact they make through grazing, but they do move sand, which is always welcome.

MedRed

11/29/2010, 12:25 PM

Thanks for the info. I'll start with 1 and see how it goes.

eplantejr

12/01/2010, 07:35 PM

zmckenzie

12/01/2010, 07:45 PM

Great build I will be following it!

MedRed

12/02/2010, 09:47 AM

Med(Red)... What is the saying about copying and flattery?

So, I am copying your setup, well most of it anyway. I have my Solana on order and my AI lights (which are back ordered). My first question is how did you connect the AI hanging bracket to the Current Arms? I received both Current Arms and the AI bracket today, and I was trying to figure out how to use the cable system that comes with arms.

Also, regarding the MP10s would you still go that route?

Btw, thanks for the amazing posts. It is guys like you that allow people like me get back into the hobby.

Cool! There's a big drawback to the current arms as they don't allow you to mount the LED's very high for optimal light spread. I had to order the AI hanging kit, remove the cables from the Current fixture and thread the AI cables through it.

I'd still go the MP10 route, mounting them on the sides would probably be better than the back wall. Good luck!

Great build I will be following it!

Thanks zmckenzie!

MedRed

12/06/2010, 01:01 PM

I've begun stocking a few inverts. Besides the astraeas and nassarius, I've added 2 sexy shrimp, 1 cleaner shrimp, 1 fighting conch, and 3 ricordeas.

I'm getting a secondary bacterial bloom for some reason (hence the hazy look to the tank) Most of the diatoms have been eaten or subsided. My glass is also NASTY. I don't want to scrape/wipe it until the end of the month to let the pods keep doing their thing. Cheato is growing like crazy, I may have to put the lid on the container to keep it in.

http://i55.*******.com/2ciik41.jpg

Here are my new ricordeas. So far they like the LED's
http://i53.*******.com/2ibyel1.jpg
http://i53.*******.com/o7ufi9.jpg

Cleaner shrimp
http://i54.*******.com/257zrpf.jpg

Fighting conch... I love this guy!
http://i53.*******.com/1269p4i.jpg

I see you Nassarius!
http://i55.*******.com/315ib1x.jpg

Pods and my dirty glass
http://i55.*******.com/25k6828.jpg

What are these called?
http://i56.*******.com/24g36yp.jpg

With the naked eye, I thought these guys were coralline popping up on the glass. Upon closer inspection, they turned out to be something else. Identification?
http://i53.*******.com/nmjc7s.jpg
http://i51.*******.com/5lz9ls.jpg

I'll have to get pictures of the sexy shrimp later. Speaking of them, I noticed predatory behavior from one of nassarius snails. It's a Tongan and definitely not a welk. Several hours after I'd introduced the sexy shrimp to the tank, I had one sitting about 2 inches above the sand on the glass. A nassarius came sniffing around for him. He was waving his nose back and forth like a blind man with a walking cane. The sexy shrimp hopped away when the snout came too close, the nassarius went up the glass and over towards the sexy shrimp. The shrimp hopped onto the sand and the nassarius still went after him. The sexy shrimp went over to the overflow and the nassarius still chased him. The nassarius wasn't moving super fast, but it was obvious what was happening. Finally, the sexy shrimp jumped onto the nassarius's back. The nassarius then stopped and was trying to reach the sexy shrimp with his snout while the shrimp was on his shell. He finally gave up and dug himself into the sand.

When I introduced the cleaner shrimp the next day. What I believe to be the same Nassarius came alive and headed around that side of the tank before burying himself in the sand below the shrimp. I'm not liking this behavior at all. There are 5 nassarius in the tank and I think one may be rogue. With all of the sexy shrimp drama, there was another nassarius buried right there in the sand that didn't care at all about the sexy shrimp. hmmm...

Now I just need some coralline.

rroselavy

12/06/2010, 04:48 PM

Hydriod Jellyfish (Staurocladia oahuensis) and Spirorbid Worms:

http://bb.wetwebmedia.com/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=602

MedRed

12/06/2010, 05:08 PM

That's rroselavy! I knew those were hydroid jellyfish. I identified them in my last tank. I don't know why I had a brain lapse.

I know I said I wasn't going to clean my glass... but I lied. It was bugging the crap out of me.
So now I have clean glass!

I found one of the sexy shrimp... why he's on the back glass instead of the rocks, I don't know.
http://i52.*******.com/10s6ae1.jpg

Stomatella cleaning around the vortech...
http://i52.*******.com/2qt90lj.jpg

Astraea cleaning below the sand line
http://i51.*******.com/2816fl1.jpg

This week should be a big beef up in invert population.
I just ordered:
4 pom pom crabs
2 Anemone Porcelain crabs
4 Porcelain crabs
10 mini ceriths
5 Carribean Ceriths
5 Mexican Ceriths
5 Banded Trochus ( to replace the Astraea since they can't right themselves if they get knocked over)
4 Sexy Shrimp
5 Nassarius Vibex

I'm trying to do my clean up crew slowly so that they don't starve. I'm sure my tank can support 2 fighting conchs and possibly 3 after the tank matures. The one I have seems to love the left hand side of the tank and the front of the tank. He doesn't venture towards the back of the tank at all, even on the sides. That's where most of the detritus and diatoms are. I don't know if it he avoids it because of the flow or the lower light levels. Kind of odd.

So for clean up, I'd still like to add 5 of the star Astraeas, 1 Tongan Fighting Conch, a fuzzy chiton, and maybe a nerite or two. I HATE the eggs nerites lay. If I can be assured of males I'd jump all over them. I love them for being the best eater of pest algae I've seen, I hate them for laying those freaking hard to scrape off eggs!

It's a good beefing up. I'll give my system until after the 1st of the year to catch up to the increase in bio load. I really want to make sure everything is perfect before introducing some of the expensive fish I'm planning.

On a side note:
I've adjusted my process for mixing saltwater. I was getting quite a bit of precipitate. According to Seachem, a lower temperature like 72 degrees and a slower addition of the salt will help reduce precipitate and alkalinity drops. I now heat to 72 degrees and I'm mixing a LOT slower. I'm mixing 2 cups every 2 hours for 30 gallons of water. I'm also peppering the salt into the water which takes several minutes to do. My current batch has zero precipitate.

PurpleMonster

12/06/2010, 08:28 PM

looking good man! progress.... :) your LED's man you got me sucked in, i am torn between ordering a retro from Rapidled, or maybe even going with 2 SOL Blues they are so clean looking!

MedRed

12/07/2010, 01:15 AM

Thanks purp! I haven't seen anything on the rapid led's... but I have to say AI is top notch in product and support. Too bad my camera doesn't know how to deal with the light. The pics come out too blue or come out like there's no water in the tank. The last batch came out better, but those pics are still not true to life...

eplantejr

12/08/2010, 03:45 PM

Med(RED)

Tank still look's awesome. My tank arrived yesterday, they have got packing those things down to a science, I was/am so impressed.

Quick question, How high above you water level do you have your AIs?

MedRed

12/08/2010, 11:09 PM

Thanks eplantejr... I was very impressed with the packing myself. My lights aren't very high. Maybe 6 inches. It'd probably be better to switch to all 70 degree optics for better spread.

PurpleMonster

12/08/2010, 11:12 PM

I can imagine! i mean those AI only have like 74w and par is just incredible!!! goes to show what a little R&D doe to a final product :).

Hopeful that my LED's will arrive by this weekend :)

MedRed

12/09/2010, 01:02 AM

Epic day for Inverts!
This was waiting on me when I got home. LA does a great job with packaging!
http://i55.*******.com/34etcpe.jpg

Before the unboxing begins, I had 3 larger stomatella sitting a top the forward left spire. I don't know what they are doing. Maybe a spawn tonight?

http://i51.*******.com/200bwn.jpg

The snails... banded trochus and mexican ceriths
http://i51.*******.com/1zeau14.jpg

Sexy shrimp... they are small. I guess they won't last too long
http://i51.*******.com/357n2fk.jpg

Anemone porcelain and porcelain crabs. One of them decided to moult in the bag... when you gotta go, you gotta go. One of my anemone porcelains is HUGE. Maybe I have a pair!
http://i54.*******.com/5wkxz.jpg
http://i55.*******.com/aox3qd.jpg
http://i55.*******.com/sysheu.jpg
http://i51.*******.com/14dkhgi.jpg

butt side
http://i53.*******.com/2j2vtx4.jpg
http://i53.*******.com/new94l.jpg

MedRed

12/09/2010, 01:03 AM

Rawr!
http://i51.*******.com/w6uqtk.jpg

pom poms
http://i53.*******.com/i5orxe.jpg
http://i52.*******.com/10yoymg.jpg
http://i52.*******.com/2yoe5pe.jpg

This one is preggers
http://i56.*******.com/2utsy37.jpg

I am certain my Nassarius are exhibiting predatory behavior. As soon as I added the crabs, the nassarius surfaced. After I took a picture of the molted crab, I noticed a few minutes later that he'd dropped a claw and had scuttled onto the back wall. I noticed just in time to see a Nassarius surround the claw. My best guess as to this behavior may lie with the tank conditions they are kept in. The tank the nassaruis came from constantly has an influx of inverts and fish. They have probably learned that weakened fish/inverts are viable as food even if they aren't dead. My previous nassarius never exhibited this behavior. I'm going to pull them and go with a new batch.
http://i53.*******.com/1r6650.jpg

MedRed

12/09/2010, 02:00 PM

Only lost one snail! yay!

MedRed

12/11/2010, 05:37 PM

For those with reclusive pom pom crabs... I found a food that the pom pom exhibited a STRONG feeding response to. I dropped in a Hikari algae wafer just to see what would want to eat it. I immedaitely noticed 3 pom poms come out of the rocks. The cleaner shrimp immediately claimed it as his own. I was scoping out the snails I added and looked over just in time to see one of the pom poms wrestle the wafer away from the cleaner shrimp!

I took another wafer and broke it up into a few pieces. A couple of nassarius came out for it, and one piece landed near the fighting conch. He loves the wafers! Now I know there is something he'll eat if he completely cleans out the sand bed with his future buddies. One of the pom poms took 5 minutes before he decided to meander out and badger the nassarius for the piece he was eating... he picked it up, and I guess he didn't like the slime. He moved over and stole the piece the fighting conch was eating. Poor guy... He's my favorite thing in the tank right now.

I took a video of the last interaction. I'll post it up as soon as it's done.

MedRed

12/11/2010, 09:30 PM

I wish I had the camera on the tank still. After I posted the video I went back to the tank. The vortechs had kicked back on and a piece was wafting under the rock. Two porcelain crabs came out of nowhere and had a really quick and violent fight over the piece. I've only seen them filter feed before! Hikari makes some good ish!

fote03

12/13/2010, 10:01 PM

Great build.

kevantheman35

12/13/2010, 10:48 PM

Just saw the candies sold! was it you?

MedRed

12/14/2010, 01:10 AM

Just saw the candies sold! was it you?

No :-(... I'm kicking myself over not getting them while they were a bargain. I just don't know anyone that could take care of them while I'm away for 2 weeks. They posted a new pair up. I need them to be there when I get home from the Holidays!

Great build.

Thanks!

MedRed

12/20/2010, 12:28 PM

OMG I am SO MAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am out of town for the holidays. This is the ONLY reason I decided not to purchase the DD Candy Basslets earlier.
These Guys sat on DD for months! (http://www.liveaquaria.com/diversden/ItemDisplay.cfm?c=2733+3&ddid=94573) When DD started dropping the price, I wrote DD an email to STOP dropping the price so that some lucky husband would get the go ahead from his wife to buy them for Christmas.

If I knew someone to take care of my tank, I would have bought them a long time ago. I didn't realize that pair had sold until I saw the DD email update had a pair listed. It sucked not getting a few hundred off, but I was pretty sure that at full pop, this new pair would (http://www.liveaquaria.com/diversden/ItemDisplay.cfm?c=2733+3&ddid=106330) would be waiting for me as they old pair at full pop didn't budge for months. To my dismay... I looked this morning to find the new pair gone :-(

These guys were going to be my centerpiece fish :-(. I hope DD has a new pair up soon. I just knew I was going to have these guys for my tank. SUCKKKKKKKKKKSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

rroselavy

12/20/2010, 02:26 PM

MedRed

12/20/2010, 05:31 PM

Sorry dude. You can come over to see them anytime you want.

;) j/k.

Can you buy an (expensive) fish from DD and ask them to hold the fish for a few weeks? Would they do that if you offered full price and/or a holding fee? Just wondering...

I don't have the jones for fish in general. $100 for a fish or $200 for a pair (of whatever) is about as much as I could ever justify.

The CB have stunning coloration. Did I read right that live at depths of 350 - 400 feet and require special equipment and several hours of decompression for diver and fish to collect? Crazy if true.

Gosh I'm soooooo disappointed. Since I borrowed your par meter, I wasn't going to ask you to come babysit a $1,700 pair of fish for two weeks. Candy Basslets command a premium because of all that extra work and danger to to fish and the divers. Getting them just anywhere can lead to an expensive mistake if they haven't been properly decompressed. DD having them for so long meant that they didn't have bladder issues and that they were eating well.

I was hoping there'd be a new pair on the email list today... I saw the sneak peak early today... and unfortunately, there wasn't one :-(

tbettis

12/30/2010, 08:07 PM

update?

sclaussen

12/31/2010, 02:07 AM

Nice build thus far!

MedRed

12/31/2010, 01:06 PM

update?

Nice build thus far!

I've been out town for 2 weeks. I'll update sometime this weekend unless i come home to a disaster!

Thanks sclaussen!

saltygeek

01/01/2011, 12:58 PM

Gosh I'm soooooo disappointed. Since I borrowed your par meter, I wasn't going to ask you to come babysit a $1,700 pair of fish for two weeks. Candy Basslets command a premium because of all that extra work and danger to to fish and the divers. Getting them just anywhere can lead to an expensive mistake if they haven't been properly decompressed. DD having them for so long meant that they didn't have bladder issues and that they were eating well.

I was hoping there'd be a new pair on the email list today... I saw the sneak peak early today... and unfortunately, there wasn't one :-(

I kept looking at those candies on DD (not that I could buy them:eek2:) they are really nice looking fish. Now I understand why the price is so high. Hopefully they get another pair. Im sure they will, I think I've seen a couple pairs posted so far.

MedRed

01/02/2011, 11:32 PM

I hope so saltygeek

Ok... so here's the update as promised...

First the bad news... I can't pick up my jawfish until tuesday or possibly next weekend due to scheduling conflicts.

I also appear to have lost a sexy shrimp. I may have also lost one of the porcelain crabs. There were two small pieces of it in the tank, it may just be a disintegrated moult. We'll see if he pops up.

I meant to take a picture before I started cleaning up. The cheato had grown like crazy. I also noticed some amphipods running around. The biggest thing was the number of hydras all over the glass. There were A LOT.

I'm kind of concerned with the lack of coralline. I have none in the tank at all other than what was on the LR and on the snail shells.

Here is the FTS: The water was still slightly cloudy after whipping up the sand while cleaning the glass and after a water change. It's cleared up now, but I can't take a pic (more on that later)
http://i53.*******.com/6tijb8.jpg
http://i56.*******.com/aaxks2.jpg

Some new corals. These guys were added right before the pic, so they are a little ****ed.
http://i53.*******.com/155guja.jpg
http://i53.*******.com/2qszdeg.jpg

The torch and candy cane were added two weeks before I went on vacation
http://i51.*******.com/2sbl4ev.jpg
http://i53.*******.com/35id9hy.jpg
http://i51.*******.com/33kfa09.jpg
http://i53.*******.com/16l0dmu.jpg
http://i51.*******.com/53qnnb.jpg
http://i51.*******.com/ok4did.jpg

The problem:
I can not get the colors to come out in these pictures. I keep trying to adjust the white balance, but it just isn't working. The tank should look a cool blue in most of these pics, but it's coming out as a warm white. I also wanted to tank some "actinic" pics tonight. The colors of the corals look ridiculous under the all blue LED's. With any of the white balance settings, I end up with corals that look blue. If I do the custom white balance. Everything looks white. This camera is driving me nuts!

MedRed

01/03/2011, 12:51 AM

I almost forgot... i bought a tailspot blenny today! I meant to take a picture of him in the collection cup, but forgot. Here he is in quarantine. You can see him peeking at the bottom right.

http://i53.*******.com/33nwy6f.jpg

rroselavy

01/03/2011, 01:22 AM

Hey Med-

Did you see the Reefbuilder article on Basslet breeding? Perhaps captive basslets will be available in the near future...

MedRed

01/03/2011, 09:12 AM

I did. That'd be amazing! I'm still keeping my eyes peeled!

eplantejr

01/03/2011, 08:02 PM

Med,

Another quick question. My tank is up and running with the quiet one pump, the SWC 160, and (2) MP 10s no lights yet, AI units are on back ordered. I have the glass top on. My temp in the tank is running about 78 degrees. Does that seem right? The ambient temp in the room is about 70.

MedRed

01/03/2011, 11:27 PM

eplantejr... I was pretty sure my quiet one pump was dumping some heat into the tank. Are you running a heater? That's kind of crazy to me that you're holding that much heat with no light over the tank. My tank is at 76.7 degrees with the ambient temperature at 70 degrees and the heaters set for 76 degrees.

eplantejr

01/04/2011, 06:56 PM

Nope, no heater at all. Temp seemed to go up when I started the skimmer. Unfortunately, I put the top on at the same time. I am still getting a lot of micro bubbles, but I assume that will settle down. Btw, I really like my tank, I mean your tank.

MedRed

01/04/2011, 07:32 PM

lol it's your tank. you could try experimenting. Turn your skimmer off for for 2 days and see if the temp goes down. A pump could very well be dumping heat into the tank.

eplantejr

01/06/2011, 12:56 PM

Med. Turned out to be the Quiet One that is dumping all that heat in the tank. I think we may need to come up with a better name for that pump. Thanks for your help, and suggestions.

MedRed

01/06/2011, 09:49 PM

lol no problem. I swapped out my quiet one for an eheim 1262. I could definitely have gone a step down as it raised the water level of my tank and dropped the level of the sump even though it's rated slightly less than the stock quiet one. You can also run it externally for even less heat dump.

Another quick update...

The TSB seems to be doing ok. He's wearing his stress spots, but is moving around and looks healthy. He's not eaten anything yet. I've tried feeding a little bit every other day (twice now) I imagine he'll try something by saturday.

I mentioned I have a crap ton of hydras on the glass... all of my glass looks like this

http://i52.*******.com/2njvczm.jpg
I'm sure the rock work is more of the same. I wonder what is contributing to the population explosion and will it eventually be reigned in.

Also... what are these little brown flatworms? Are they a pest? if so, it's too late to do anything about. I've noticed them here and there on my glass.
http://i53.*******.com/2il0jyg.jpg
http://i54.*******.com/1118su9.jpg

My mini ceriths remind me a lot of Malaysian Trumpet Snails from the FW world. A lot of them seem to bury themselves by day and are more active as the lights dim. These guys spend so much time on the sand bed, I wonder if they are more into detritus than algae.
http://i52.*******.com/2cdaoub.jpg
http://i53.*******.com/25pikhf.jpg

This little guy met an untimely end.
http://i54.*******.com/eu0dao.jpg

Speaking of untimely end... I think my other anemone porcelain crab met his. I suspect he was chopped up by the vortech as he spent his time ON the vortech. Here's the perch for the Big Momma anemone porcelain crab. To the upper left you can see the legs of one of the Pom Pom Crabs. I've had really good luck with the Pom Poms as 2-3 are pretty much always visible. The anemone porcelain crabs stay out in the open, the porcelain crabs hide all of the time.
http://i51.*******.com/kdpi7p.jpg

I also caught one of my sexy shrimp EATING one of my Acans!
http://i52.*******.com/250k1h0.jpg
It wasn't just perched there, it was definitely picking at it. The flesh was pulled in tight. It's been doing it off and on since I added it last Sunday. I fed some frozen mysis today and the shrimp has left the acan alone all day.

That last pic shows part of the problem I've been having. The white balance wasn't great there... but tonight I screwed around and made it worse! All of the other pictures besides the last pic were taken with the worse settings. I can't get it back to being decent! Here's a comparo pic with worse settings.

http://i52.*******.com/6qekd0.jpg

I just want to take pictures that reflect the true color of the tank!

lastly... I can tell my zoas and my Yuma have bleached somewhat. I'm going to be switching my AI fixture to all 70 degree optics. I still need to get a par meter!

MedRed

01/07/2011, 10:10 PM

I dosed flatworm exit for my flatworms tonight. It's kind of a bummer to have these pests since every coral and the single piece of LR all came from the same, reputable store. I dipped everything in coral Rx or revive ( I have both) before adding to the tank. Considering how new this tank is, I'm surprised at the numbers of them them that have died off.

MedRed

01/09/2011, 05:33 PM

Weird things going on after the flatworm exit...

The bristle stars that were all curled up have now stretched their legs and appear unharmed! They've been curled up and unmoving since Friday! My ceriths are all still flipped over and what not, but they do react to having something near them or being moved by withdrawing into their shells. Let's hope they make a full recovery. I will probably add some sort of wrasse down the road after I'm sure my pod population is big enough to survive.

Let's hope for a full recovery!

afernandez

01/09/2011, 06:05 PM

Ohoh ...don't sound too good. Hopefully they all make it then again I've never heard of anyone loosing snails & hermits due to FwE. Good luck keep us posted

MedRed

01/10/2011, 10:17 AM

thanks afernandez

My ceriths are still in a paralyzed state. The Astreas, trochus, and fighting conch are all still doing their thing.

So a wrasse it is then. There are so many really pretty wrasses. I want one that will do the job, be reef safe, and not be a aggressive to everyone in the tank. I'll add a wrasse last. I'm kind of ****ed that I got flatworms in the first place...especially with how careful I've been. It irks me that the LFS had the issue and knew about it.

On another note... I was on my way to pick up the BSJ today and stopped at a not so LFS that has great quality fish. While I was at the store, I received word that the BSJ had carpet surfed out of the sump :-(. So no BSJ for me yet :-(.

I've decided to go with some gladiator picassos if I can find them. These are pics from christosclowns

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp98/Christos_Clowns/58425851.jpg
http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp98/Christos_Clowns/57865846.jpg

I'm surprised that they aren't being sold specifically as such. Who has them? The not so LFS is going to see if they can order some. They don't even have to be picassos... I just want the helmet.

sahin

01/10/2011, 12:18 PM

Cute. They look like gladiator clowns lol.

moo0o

01/10/2011, 12:21 PM

helmet clowns...doni's reef has like 50% helmet clowns.. They're expensive though :)

eplantejr

01/10/2011, 05:42 PM

Med. Where did you get your clean up crew? Also where did you get the Cheato, container?

Thanks

MedRed

01/10/2011, 08:34 PM

Med. Where did you get your clean up crew? Also where did you get the Cheato, container?

Thanks

reef cleaners for my mini ceriths and Florida/Carribean ceriths, LFS for Astreas and fighting conch, Live Aquaria for Mexican Ceriths and trochus.

The Cheato was being held in part of my Reef Gently Acclimate.
http://www.google.com/search?q=reef+gently+acclimate&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a
I got mine at my LFS... I think Marine Depot carries them.

oh yeah... I just made a Diver's Den purchase...
http://www.liveaquaria.com/diversden/itemdisplay.cfm?c=2733+3&ddid=108570&ref=4282&subref=AI&cmpid=E-_-TR-_-DDN-_-PRDCT

afernandez

01/10/2011, 11:08 PM

Those clowns are amazing !! I'm going to with a pair of pecular Picasso or something similar. Btw L.A divers den have Some clowns check them Out ... they are 300+ :(

MedRed

01/12/2011, 03:55 PM

:(

http://i56.*******.com/2s865gh.jpg

SawdustInTank

01/12/2011, 04:57 PM

What's the new addition?

MedRed

01/12/2011, 06:43 PM

A DOA Tanaka's Wrasse :-(

SawdustInTank

01/12/2011, 09:15 PM

O my bad..........Sorry to hear that. Did they pack it improperly?

MedRed

01/12/2011, 09:20 PM

I think everything was packed properly... It just seemed like the water got too cold.

MedRed

01/14/2011, 11:16 AM

Sorry for the crappy picture, but he wouldn't stay still. I ordered him from LA.
http://i56.*******.com/121si7c.jpg

All ceriths are fully functional again. LA refunded me for the Tanaka's wrasse. I ordered the current one. My tailspot blenny finally started eating today.

MedRed

01/15/2011, 02:23 PM

The Tanaka's wrasse arrived today. I opened the box to a familiar feeling... cold water. The BSJ shipped from California and arrived in nice warm water. I pulled the bag out... and looked at it from the bottom. The wrasse was laying on its side :-(.

I tapped the bag and saw movement! I was pretty sure the situation was touchy. I opened the bag, added some prime, and quickly ushered the fish into the acclimate container and started drip acclimation. He was laying on his side most of the time, but would go upright if I moved the container. After 1 hour and 53 minutes of acclimation, he's starting to look lively! Things are looking good!

Pics if he makes it

afernandez

01/15/2011, 05:07 PM

good luck bro! hope it makes it

tbettis

01/16/2011, 05:51 PM

if u could change flow selection... would you have went with the mp 40 instead of the 2 mp10?

MedRed

01/16/2011, 06:19 PM

if u could change flow selection... would you have went with the mp 40 instead of the 2 mp10?

In my 34 gallon solana, I had an mp20 and then upgraded it to the mp40. I was concerned that 2 mp10's wouldn't be enough. The 2 mp10's are great. It helps me avoid dead spots. The flow is definitely enough.

tbettis

01/16/2011, 06:43 PM

one more question because im about to purchase 2. whats the advantage of the wireless models that are 50.00 more? and where did u purchase your from?

MedRed

01/16/2011, 06:50 PM

I bought mine from marine depot. The wireless modules allows the two modules to work together. You can turn them off at the same time, put them into feeding mode at the same time, run them on opposite cycless. They also have modes that control flow based on if they are both on the same wall, opposite walls, or tandem walls.

tbettis

01/16/2011, 06:53 PM

thanks med

joshbryer

01/16/2011, 08:44 PM

Hi Med-

I've been following this and really like your tank....good to see a fellow LA reefer's build thread as well. Our tanks are at similar stages, so I've been following and taking clues from your stocking. I'm curious to see how your BSJ does, I'd really like one as well. Are you building him a jawfish condo and also, what temp are you keeping your tank at? Cheers!

EDIT TO ADD: Hey Med, I just realized we were discussing the BSJ condos in another thread and you posted a pic of one in your 34g, so I figure you'll be doing the same here!

MedRed

01/17/2011, 12:49 AM

thanks med

You're welcome!

Hi Med-

I've been following this and really like your tank....good to see a fellow LA reefer's build thread as well. Our tanks are at similar stages, so I've been following and taking clues from your stocking. I'm curious to see how your BSJ does, I'd really like one as well. Are you building him a jawfish condo and also, what temp are you keeping your tank at? Cheers!

EDIT TO ADD: Hey Med, I just realized we were discussing the BSJ condos in another thread and you posted a pic of one in your 34g, so I figure you'll be doing the same here!

Hey Josh! I did build the BSJ a condo... It's a little more natural than my last one. I'm keeping my temp between 76-78 degrees. My last BSJ lived at 78-81 degrees.

Here is a pic of the current house... it's the hole in the sand...
http://i52.*******.com/2s96akh.jpg

MedRed

01/17/2011, 02:51 PM

My Jawfish is a GLUTTON! He is always hungry! My previous jawfish only seemed interested in food once he realized I was feeding. Not this guy... he shows feeding interesting in anything in his vicinity and is not afraid to travel much further to get what he wants. I feel bad for the sexy shrimp once he goes in the DT.

Not only does he want to eat all the time... He eats pellets!!!!!! I was feeding the tailspot blenny some hikari marine S pellets... and the jawfish was snapping them up! Later I thought... maybe he was spitting them out after... there's no way he eats pellets. I tried it again last night and once again... he was eating pellets! Today I tried some hikari micro pellets, and he ate those too!

tbettis

01/17/2011, 05:00 PM

pm sent

MedRed

01/18/2011, 11:40 PM

confirmed... the little glutton eats flakes as well. My last BSJ wouldn't touch anything if it was rod's food or frozen mysis

MedRed

01/30/2011, 07:05 PM

First... I have coralline! It's just starting out, and you can see it in a few of the pics, but it just appeared out of the blue last week. Most of it's green, but I do have some purple in there too.I seriously didn't have a single speck of it, then it was all over the place. I changed a couple of things that may have contributed, but I'm not sure if some combination of them helped out.

1. Raised SG to 1.026 from 1.024
2. Moved seed rock from the center to the right side, in the path of the return and vortech
3. added a drop of lugol's iodine
4. Started feeding the tank super heavy 2 weeks prior to beef up bacterial count before adding fish.
5. dropped LED intensity considerably.

Take your pick! I also have some light dusting of green algae on the rocks. It's a big change from brown diatoms for sure.

I also switched the optics in my Aqua Illumination fixture from 40 degree optics to 70 degree optics. I need to borrow a par meter again before adding SPS. My bleached corals have made very quick recoveries. I'm surprised with the quick turn around. They are pretty much 80% back to normal.

I added the fish to the tank on Thursday night. So far on the fish count, I've added a tail spot blenny, BSJ, Tanaka's Wrasse, and a pair of neon gobies. I guess one goby decided he likes the blenny better as they hang out together ALL the time and the other neon goby gets chased by his "mate" if he comes out into the open.

The dominant goby is SUPER SOCIAL. He always swims over to me if I come up to the tank, and is all over my arm whenever it's in the tank.

The TSB bounces between spires. He seems to like all of the holes.

The Wrasse is shy, but spends a lot of time around the base of the rocks. He's not shy at all during feeding. The BSJ has to constantly threaten him to stay out of his area, but he doesn't seem to care at all. This is my first wrasse, and the thing that weirds me out is, he likes to sleep in the open! He will often go to sleep on the sand on the back wall, or right under the nook on the sand of the front left spire. This continues to alarm me every time I see it. It seems like the total opposite of what a shy fish should do!

And now for the BSJ... wow! He eats everything! And isn't shy unless something is going on in his area. It seems as if he knows he's secure in the tank and will completely leave his area to snap up food.

I noticed he liked to open water swim right in the middle of the tank. I decided to move his house before he became to attached to his location around the right side of the tank. I scared him into the house, covered the opening with a rock, moved it to the middle, and piled up a lot of sand around it, then removed the rock. Oh yeah... he looks AMAZING under the moonlight LED's! He better not get BSJ disease... and if he does, I'm going to take him to a taxidermist.

He immediately went to work making his new den. I gave him some rubble and just realized today he'd used ALL of it. I just broke up some more rubble for him and added it.

FTS:
http://i54.*******.com/2celp9u.jpg
http://i53.*******.com/2z9a5q1.jpg
http://i51.*******.com/2zfrjpe.jpg
http://i54.*******.com/2dvubgh.jpg

Fishies:

Spot the Blenny? yay for the pun! And this is the best shot I could get of the wrasse. He's shy as it is but he did NOT like the camera.
http://i54.*******.com/2415q1y.jpg

Corals:
I added some Paly's a couple of days ago that decided to melt :-(. They were super pretty. I'm going to try another batch of them and see what happens. The other zoas from the same tank and acclimation are doing just fine.
http://i52.*******.com/av0p35.jpg

These guys were on my piece of seed rock. They went through hell and back. They are still the most bleached coral in the tank, but didn't even open until I lowered my light intensity.
http://i51.*******.com/dy6i34.jpg
http://i52.*******.com/17bo1h.jpg
http://i54.*******.com/50ruat.jpg
http://i53.*******.com/4hqjyr.jpg

MedRed

01/30/2011, 07:06 PM

You'll have to take my word that this lobo is amazingly beautiful. My stupid sexy shrimp picked at it when I bought it Friday and caused it to retract. I'm about ready to murder these sexy shrimp... although I'm positive that it's just one rogue shrimp that likes the taste of coral as I've only ever seen one shrimp eating them. (I have 3 sexy shrimp left).
http://i53.*******.com/35a4uf5.jpg

Here's my new maxima. I love it when a plan comes together. I made the shelf he's sitting on specifically for a clam. He is facing backwards which is an about face from how I positioned him yesterday. Oh well. you win some... you lose some.
http://i52.*******.com/rcsls7.jpg

Kind of hard to make out, but you can see the two Porcelain anemone crabs paired up to the right of the gonoipora! (btw I bought two more Porcelains)
http://i56.*******.com/144b5zp.jpg

This torch was pretty bleached, It's making a nice recovery!
http://i52.*******.com/zpxjl.jpg
http://i51.*******.com/291fgnc.jpg

MedRed

01/30/2011, 07:21 PM

I wonder if the coralline inhibition could have been caused by the flatworms? I did read somewhere that flatworms can eat that algae as well. Maybe their bodies added enough to the bioload to jump start things. After going back and looking at the tank progression pics, I just couldn't believe the difference in the tank in less than a month.

Two weeks in the tank looked like this:
http://i56.*******.com/35ic4ky.jpg

2 months later:
http://i56.*******.com/aaxks2.jpg

less than a month later:
http://i51.*******.com/2zfrjpe.jpg

MedRed

01/30/2011, 09:55 PM

I finally moved the piece of furniture that was on the left hand side of the tank. Now it truly lives in 3 dimensions.

Left:
http://i56.*******.com/1957o1.jpg
http://i56.*******.com/msyixt.jpg

Right:
http://i56.*******.com/24zgf4h.jpg
http://i56.*******.com/dztn2w.jpg

afernandez

01/30/2011, 10:06 PM

nice progress shots i love to see things like that . your doing a great job

MedRed

01/30/2011, 10:20 PM

Thanks afernandez!

wickedfish

01/30/2011, 10:33 PM

Red looking good. Coraline can get bleached. I managed to bleach all of the exposed areas on my rocks in the early days of my led addition. I also melted some sweet zoas, they are recuperating and now have 5 polyps, so leave it if you have non melted ones they will bounce back.

I have all of my zoos at the bottom 7" of my tank so basically about 32" from the light itself.

All in all I really like the way you are sculpting your corals around your rock. Looks like it's gonna be a winner.

MedRed

01/30/2011, 10:39 PM

Thanks Wicked! The zoas that melted are in the shadow of the rock. The par there dips really badly. I would never have known if not for the par meter. I'll leave them and see what happens. The bleached zoas I really don't care about. I just needed the rock they were on. My LED's are cranked way down now. I max at 40% for two hours.

MedRed

01/31/2011, 07:49 AM

Oh yeah... I forgot to mention I ordered a couple of clowns... they'll be here later this week! The 2nd one was not my first choice, but first come first serve, and I missed out on the perfect match. I've been waiting a month to get in on these "gladiator" clowns, and grew impatient.

<embed width="600" height="361" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" wmode="transparent" src="http://static.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vid85.photobucket.com/albums/k56/MrsDoni/1-31-11%20ship%20week/Set_10NET-A.mp4">

<embed width="600" height="361" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" wmode="transparent" src="http://static.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vid85.photobucket.com/albums/k56/MrsDoni/1-31-11%20ship%20week/Set_0NET-B.mp4">

wickedfish

02/01/2011, 12:07 AM

I re-measured my par with a recalibrated par meter and I got pretty good readings with 56 white, 68 blue, and 78 royal blue. In the middle of my tank down 12" I am getting 187-223 par. This was my high point for the past 3 weeks. Only for one hour a day.

I incremented all of my day timers by 10% because it just seemed to low. I am still not convinced how accurate the Par meters measure led lighting???

MedRed

02/01/2011, 12:36 AM

Yeah wicked, I think the par meters underestimate LED lighting. How high up are your lights again? I can only get my lights about 6 inches off the top of the tank.

jonnybravo22

02/01/2011, 01:35 AM

Very nice build thread Med. Enjoyable read (just went through the whole thing at 2am!), good luck with it. certainly looks like you're on your way to a great reef tank

MedRed

02/01/2011, 09:17 AM

Thanks jonnybravo22!

wickedfish

02/01/2011, 10:10 AM

Yeah wicked, I think the par meters underestimate LED lighting. How high up are your lights again? I can only get my lights about 6 inches off the top of the tank.

Mine are at 9" I can only maybe get them to 10" above the water if I wanted. I think 11-12" is ideal but at that height I got the disco effect.

I also have a red led strip on the the two outer modules down the center. I don't know if it's coincidental but my stags that weren't growing started sprouting new branches within 10 days they had above average growth.

I don't like the color they produce but if it's making them grow I could care less. I keep them on with a timer from 2pm-9pm. I bought the reefbrite strips. I wish they had a purple one. I should have measured if they had par by themselves last night. Oh well I will have to hit up the homie again.

Some of the corals that haven't colored up were in the mini hot spots that I get now so I am confident that I have decent settings now. Just need to move 2 mini colonies and I will be good.

The hot spots I am referring to go up about 30-45 par, not as bad as over 120 par with the 40 optics.

eplantejr

02/01/2011, 11:39 AM

Hey Med... Looks great.

I ordered my 70 degree optics today. Have you changed your lighting schedule?

Thanks.

MedRed

02/01/2011, 05:46 PM

Mine are at 9" I can only maybe get them to 10" above the water if I wanted. I think 11-12" is ideal but at that height I got the disco effect.

I also have a red led strip on the the two outer modules down the center. I don't know if it's coincidental but my stags that weren't growing started sprouting new branches within 10 days they had above average growth.

I don't like the color they produce but if it's making them grow I could care less. I keep them on with a timer from 2pm-9pm. I bought the reefbrite strips. I wish they had a purple one. I should have measured if they had par by themselves last night. Oh well I will have to hit up the homie again.

Some of the corals that haven't colored up were in the mini hot spots that I get now so I am confident that I have decent settings now. Just need to move 2 mini colonies and I will be good.

The hot spots I am referring to go up about 30-45 par, not as bad as over 120 par with the 40 optics.
That gives me a good idea. Thanks!

Hey Med... Looks great.

I ordered my 70 degree optics today. Have you changed your lighting schedule?

Thanks.

Thanks eplantejr! I lowered my light intensity. Here's what I'm currently running.
Time: 06:00 am | W:01% BL:05% RY:05% | Ramp Duration: 30 mins | Lunary Cycle: Off
Time: 07:00 am | W:10% BL:20% RY:20% | Ramp Duration: 59 mins | Lunary Cycle: Off
Time: 09:00 am | W:20% BL:20% RY:20% | Ramp Duration: 59 mins | Lunary Cycle: Off
Time: 11:00 am | W:30% BL:40% RY:40% | Ramp Duration: 59 mins | Lunary Cycle: Off
Time: 13:00 pm | W:20% BL:30% RY:30% | Ramp Duration: 59 mins | Lunary Cycle: Off
Time: 16:00 pm | W:10% BL:20% RY:20% | Ramp Duration: 59 mins | Lunary Cycle: Off
Time: 19:00 pm | W:01% BL:10% RY:10% | Ramp Duration: 30 mins | Lunary Cycle: Off
Time: 22:00 pm | W:00% BL:04% RY:04% | Ramp Duration: 30 mins | Lunary Cycle: On

afernandez

02/01/2011, 06:13 PM

i wana see wat you got!! lol stupid videos wont play lol

MedRed

02/01/2011, 06:37 PM

the videos look like they're still working. Where did you get the clowns in your avatar?

rroselavy

02/01/2011, 06:47 PM

Hey Med... Looks great.

I ordered my 70 degree optics today.

Curious. Where do you guys order the optics? Direct from C2 or through a reseller? I have not seen any online store list them...

MedRed

02/01/2011, 08:03 PM

i wana see wat you got!! lol stupid videos wont play lol

try these links
http://s85.photobucket.com/albums/k56/MrsDoni/1-31-11%20ship%20week/?action=view&current=Set_10NET-A.mp4

http://s85.photobucket.com/albums/k56/MrsDoni/1-31-11%20ship%20week/?action=view&current=Set_0NET-B.mp4

MedRed

02/01/2011, 08:04 PM

Curious. Where do you guys order the optics? Direct from C2 or through a reseller? I have not seen any online store list them...

directly from C2. Open a ticket regarding replacing the optics and someone will contact you. changing them out is quick and painless.

bruce922

02/02/2011, 08:37 AM

That is a great looking tank. I like the setup in the stand also.

MedRed

02/02/2011, 11:04 AM

Thanks bruce!

Clowns arrive later today!

afernandez

02/02/2011, 11:21 AM

Those are the clowns u posted up lol I just played with it.

MedRed

02/02/2011, 11:29 AM

lol I realized that... I was just joking ;-)

BeanMachine

02/02/2011, 11:36 AM

Yeah I wanna see the gladiator clowns? Sorry if I missed where you ordered them from?

The rocks are starting to color up. Looks very nice and very unique that is for sure.

My porcelain crab didn't make it for some reason, don't know if someone picked at him or not but I found him in peices a couple of weeks ago. I don't think it was a molt.

If one of my yumas detaches I'll give you one at one of the SCRK meetings for your garden.

MedRed

02/02/2011, 01:10 PM

Hey Bean! I ordered them from Doni's Reef. I didn't know if was ok to post that earlier. I'm happy I finally have some coralline. I have to say, I was getting worried. I went from nothing to BAM! That's sad about your porcelain crab :-(. I have all of my porcelains and my pom poms, but for some reason one of my anemone porcelains bit the dust. I never found it again. The other anemone porcelain made it just fine, so I added two more last week that have paired up. I had another scare this morning as I had nassarius on some pieces of anemone porcelain shell, but it just turned out to be a molt, all crabs accounted for! I definitely like the anemone porcelains better than the porcelains, because they don't hide.

Thanks for the thought! No worries if one doesn't come free.