My New Coralife BC29 - I've been away to long!

[Killamanillaman]

Hi Reef Central!

First of all, If it weren't for me stumbling across the Reef Central forums I don't think I would have ever gotten back into this hobby after getting rid of my 70g reef tank about 5 years ago.

Little of the backstory that got me into this hobby that I can't seem to stay away from. When I was 14, I was surf fishing with my dad on the coast of Southern California (Just north of Malibu) when I had managed to catch a smaller Horn Shark about 14 inches in length. The way it was hooked (thru lower jaw and out the bottom of it's mouth) left me concerned if this lil' fella would ever recover. When i tried to release it back into the ocean, It wasn't doing to well and often began to roll to one side and would get washed back ashore with the next wave. I ended up clearing out our 55g ice chest and filled it about half full of water from the ocean with hopes of getting this guy back in fighting shape without having to deal with the stronger current he couldn't seem to get past. Seemed to be doing alright and we were getting ready to leave and attempted to release him one more time, Still no luck...

So what do you do if you don't just want to leave a shark belly up as you leave? Being the persuasive kid I was, I convinced my dad to try and keep the shark. That very night, we managed to make it to a LFS that stayed open late and picked ourselves up a 70g Tank, Stand, Lights.. The works. The main reason I even bothered asking is my father's already existing love for the hobby. We had a 640g Fresh Water tank full of Peacock Bass in the entry way of our home. (Save this story and tank for another time! :D) Anyways, Back to the story, That night we had everything set up for our new arrival. The Shark thrived and recovered and we had him/her for a little over a year when we donated it back to our LFS since a 70g wasn't going to be enough for this Shark in our opinion.

So what do we do with a 70g tank that was essentially Saltwater/reef ready? A reef of course, over the next few years we turned our tank into a gorgeous LPS and SPS dominated tank with all sorts of additional livestock when tragedy struck... While we were on vacation our Chiller stopped functioning and apparently our Central Air in our home was turned off while we were away... When we came home the inside of our house had to be at least 100 degrees or something similar. For any of you people in Southern CA that experienced that triple digit summers back then.. You can understand. More or less everything in our tank was gone.. with the exception of few pieces of livestock. We ended up selling the tank and all of its components later that year.

Flash forward maybe 5 years and here we are! I recently had a BC 29g gifted to me because my father said I work to much and I should find a hobby again. Being excited as I was I quickly started my research as of not really knowing much of the capabilities of the BC 29 and what its capabilities were. (This is where the HUGE thanks comes in to the RC Forums)

Existing Hardware:
Coralife 29g Bio Cube
Tunze 9001 Skimmer (Temporary, was included with the purchase of the BC oddly enough)
I ripped out the exisiting filtration and installed the InTank Media Basket (Floss, Purigen, Chemipure Elite)
Added a Hydor 425 for extra flow
Still contains stock lighting (added all optional LED's for the aesthetics)
Crushed Coral bedding and approximately 30 lbs of live rock (Maybe more, I honestly cant even remember)

Being back in the hobby, and unsure how long I plan on keeping this BC, I'm still torn between upgrading to one of the Retro LED kits or remove the hood and add a different light, Kessil, maybe? Having 3 Labs, Their hair manages to find it's way into every space of our house... and leaves me leaning towards keeping the hood and installing a retro kit. But the Kessil can be used on a larger tank down the road... :idea:

Tank was set up and has been running with only LR and a CUC for about a month. After checking the water parameters every few days i figured its time to bring some life to this tank.

Pair of Percula Clowns
Green Star Poly
Mushrooms

I am thinking of adding some additional live stock in the next few weeks. Thinking about a Xenia, Kenya, other softies and some additional fish. Anyone have luck with Hammer or torch using stock lights?

Constructive Criticism and recommendations are strongly encouraged!

Thanks for Reading!

[rpc07]

Awesome start, I am running the exact setup. Curious what led's you added and how they effect coloration? I know I have 4 open slots in the stock lighting system.

[Killamanillaman]

Awesome start, I am running the exact setup. Curious what led's you added and how they effect coloration? I know I have 4 open slots in the stock lighting system.

They don't do much other than effect color. It's all preference really. I added 2 additional blue and 2 white. Makes for a cool moonlight color when I don't have the PC's on.

[rpc07]

I wonder if adding 4 moon light strips would make the coral colors pop more during the day.
The colors really seem to come alive with the moon lights on at night.

[Killamanillaman]

Added a few more things, Couldn't pass up 40% entire store special at the LFS. If anyone is from Los Angeles you should seriously look at LAX Aquarium near the airport.

Working the hours I have been, My tank lights have been on for at least 12-14 hours a day the past few days. Leaving me a nice amount of Algae... Timers are on the way :hammer:

http://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q681/killamanilla1/Front%20Display%202-1-16_zps8rgdteie.jpg
Front View
http://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q681/killamanilla1/Kenya_zpswzttujws.jpg
Kenya - Not super stoked about this piece, it's attached to a small piece of rock but its growing on top and below it... but hey.. it was only $14 :D
http://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q681/killamanilla1/Duncan_zpsi8yoxbc6.jpg
Australian Duncan
http://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q681/killamanilla1/Frogspawn_zps7c3bfu9p.jpg
Frogspawn
http://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q681/killamanilla1/Hammer_zpsqpgyv3bu.jpg
Hammer
http://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q681/killamanilla1/Neon%20GSP_zps4oopqhed.jpg
And just because i love the look of the GSP under just blue LED

[Killamanillaman]

So I was thinking about getting an ATO - More specifically the Tunze Nano 3152 Auto Top Off. However, Would it be ill advised to just use the 3155 version? Any issues with it not fitting in the rear compartments? I do plan up upgrading this tank in 1-2 years once I get back in the swing of things.

I'm not entirely concerned of cost, rather functionality.

Parameters as of tonight:

pH - 8.2
Ammonia - 0 ppm
Phosphate - 0 ppm
Nitrite - 0 ppm
Nitrate - Between 0-10 ppm - Had a huge spike for a while - up to almost 50-60, seem to have it under control now that I have hidden the fish food from drunken friends who wanted to see the fish eat and would put in huge handfuls 2-3 times a night. (Great company, I know)

Alkalinity - 13 dKH - Little high
Calcium - 440 ppm
Salinity - 1.026

[Killamanillaman]

http://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q681/killamanilla1/Side%20view_zpsossd0hoz.jpg

Male Clown has been loving the Hammer, never leaves except to eat. The pair doesn't really interact much anymore. Female stays on other side of tank w/ Frogspawn. Kenya has opened up and is getting great water flow.

His right side fin is a little beat up, same with a scratch on his cheek, Likely darted under a rock. My Banded Shrimp can be a bit of a bully if you come to his turf (the whole back wall of my tank behind the rock) Will keep an eye on it to be safe though.

[ReefWreak]

I definitely would recommend the upgraded 3155 if you're planning on upgrading tanks in the near future. I'm kind of kicking myself for not going with the larger one to start (even though I have no immediate plans for upgrading).

The main difference you'll notice between the two is that the nano one has a shorter run-timer on how much water it will pump before shutting off (it's only safety valve). The 3155 has a secondary switch that will turn the pump off when it hits that level, plus additional water sensors, but the backup run-timer is much longer. Ultimately I doubt you'll ever use the run-timer, but I did recently with my tank so I'm glad I had it.

Whatever you do, make sure to secure the water outlet towards the top of the tank, so it can't get loose and spray anywhere if you move the tank hood around or pull on wires or anything.

[LQT]

I have the 3155 in my BC29 with no issues. It's in there with my Cobalt Neotherm 100 heater, an Aquamaxx FR-S media reactor and MJ1200 return pump... all in the 3rd chamber. The 3155 has a dial in the controller box for you to adjust the pump speed so it can work very well for a nano. The puck with the optical sensor and backup float is a a little bulky, but not prohibitively so. When I eventually upgrade down the road, I'll never have to worry about an ATO.

[Killamanillaman]

I have the 3155 in my BC29 with no issues. It's in there with my Cobalt Neotherm 100 heater, an Aquamaxx FR-S media reactor and MJ1200 return pump... all in the 3rd chamber. The 3155 has a dial in the controller box for you to adjust the pump speed so it can work very well for a nano. The puck with the optical sensor and backup float is a a little bulky, but not prohibitively so. When I eventually upgrade down the road, I'll never have to worry about an ATO.

I definitely would recommend the upgraded 3155 if you're planning on upgrading tanks in the near future. I'm kind of kicking myself for not going with the larger one to start (even though I have no immediate plans for upgrading).

The main difference you'll notice between the two is that the nano one has a shorter run-timer on how much water it will pump before shutting off (it's only safety valve). The 3155 has a secondary switch that will turn the pump off when it hits that level, plus additional water sensors, but the backup run-timer is much longer. Ultimately I doubt you'll ever use the run-timer, but I did recently with my tank so I'm glad I had it.

Whatever you do, make sure to secure the water outlet towards the top of the tank, so it can't get loose and spray anywhere if you move the tank hood around or pull on wires or anything.

Sounds like the 3155 is the way to go, especially for the added safety measures. Thanks for the additional input.

[Killamanillaman]

How much would switching out my crushed coral for live sand do to the tank? Would I have to let anything re-cycle?

[kmcochran0010]

Looking good !

[ReefWreak]

Switching out sand is always a bit dangerous, but probably a good move to do in this case.

I would remove 25% per week with water changes, then add the sand back once the crushed coral is gone. I would just use normal non-live sand since you'll already be cycled, and ideally you should rinse it before adding (though I'm on the fence as to whether it is useful to have easily dissolvable grains available).

[soulpatch]

agree with Reef. Remove the old crushed coral in chunks with water changes then after it is gone put in new sand. Live or not shouldn't impact cycle too much but for sake of cost non live is better option.

[Killamanillaman]

Switching out sand is always a bit dangerous, but probably a good move to do in this case.

I would remove 25% per week with water changes, then add the sand back once the crushed coral is gone. I would just use normal non-live sand since you'll already be cycled, and ideally you should rinse it before adding (though I'm on the fence as to whether it is useful to have easily dissolvable grains available).

agree with Reef. Remove the old crushed coral in chunks with water changes then after it is gone put in new sand. Live or not shouldn't impact cycle too much but for sake of cost non live is better option.

Awesome, Thanks! So, Pretty much taking the tank to bare bottom over the course of a month? I think it might also be contributing to the nitrate levels a little bit. Also, With the crushed coral as large as it is, It's impossible for any Goby to sift threw it.

[ReefWreak]

Yes to all of those.

[Killamanillaman]

So, I just got home from work and i noticed one of my 2 mushrooms is completely gone, No sign of it.

All I have in my tank is the Percula pair, 1 firefish, 1 CB shrimp, 5 hermits and 5 Turbo snails.

Parameters are still in check, Thoughts?

[Pietro75]

Looks good! I have a bio29 set up for 2 months. Just getting things growing and adjusted.

[soulpatch]

So, I just got home from work and i noticed one of my 2 mushrooms is completely gone, No sign of it.

All I have in my tank is the Percula pair, 1 firefish, 1 CB shrimp, 5 hermits and 5 Turbo snails.

Parameters are still in check, Thoughts?

A lot of times a mushroom will unlock its foot and go tumbling around your tank. Chances are it is some place in the rock or under cover somewhere. Happens to me with my ricordea some as well as my older hairy mushroom.

[ReefWreak]

A lot of times a mushroom will unlock its foot and go tumbling around your tank. Chances are it is some place in the rock or under cover somewhere. Happens to me with my ricordea some as well as my older hairy mushroom.

Yep. Mushrooms are one of the few corals that will just "let go" and ride the flow to a place they find more suiting. Sometimes that means less flow, less light, etc.

If you find it, you can always rubber band it down overnight to try to force it to grow to that new surface (or it may split in 2, 2 mushrooms!).

[sixpackgarage]

that's cool that your Dad called you out on working too much and recommended a hobby for you. Reefing is so damn relaxing, it's unbelievable. Tank looks good. I think the 3155 is the way to go on the ATO.. I bought mine when I had a nano and use it currently on my 65G. Great unit, works flawlessly.

[dabob79]

Nice job so far! If you're looking to do something different with the lighting, check out my brother's build, very slick and keeps the original hood in place!

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2552399

Good Luck!

[Killamanillaman]

Thanks for all of the feedback, It's much appreciated! Still no sign of the mushroom. I did however get some goodies in the mail. I love Amazon, Makes it possible to get things in a day, considering I have no time during the week. Also snapped a shot of "Rico" the fire fish. I was hesitant at first with the fire fish since it could be hit or miss on if they really come out of the rocks. He sits out in the center of the tank swimming with the clown for hours on end.


http://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q681/killamanilla1/Supplies_zpsedwu43dw.jpg


http://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q681/killamanilla1/Firefish%20-%20Rico_zpshyhnwtcu.jpg

[ReefWreak]

I'm glad the firefish is out and about, though honestly I've never seen one just stay in the rocks. I guess if it's perpetually scared, but I haven't seen that consistently before, fortunately.

Also, are you a fellow pc gamer? There's a few of us around on RC and even in the nano forum.

[Killamanillaman]

I'm glad the firefish is out and about, though honestly I've never seen one just stay in the rocks. I guess if it's perpetually scared, but I haven't seen that consistently before, fortunately.

Also, are you a fellow pc gamer? There's a few of us around on RC and even in the nano forum.

I guess that makes sense, After all, When the LFS was getting him out of his tank the other firefish jumped out and hit the cross beam that was about 20 inches above their tank. And of course! I actually used to be a competitive Counter-Strike and Call of Duty player. Keyword being used to lol. Now I just play when I have excessive free time.

Also, Does anyone use a chiller with the BC without needing to add extra plumbing or sump? Is this even possible? Los Angeles summer just showed it's self today, It's going to creep up fast.

[Killamanillaman]

I guess that makes sense, After all, When the LFS was getting him out of his tank the other firefish jumped out and hit the cross beam that was about 20 inches above their tank. And of course! I actually used to be a competitive Counter-Strike and Call of Duty player. Keyword being used to lol. Now I just play when I have excessive free time.

Also, Does anyone use a chiller with the BC without needing to add extra plumbing or sump? Is this even possible? Los Angeles summer just showed it's self today, It's going to creep up fast.

Scratch that, I guess one of the easier and potentially cheaper alternatives would be upgrading to LED as the stock lights run hot.

[soulpatch]

Another great option is a fan on the rear hatch. See Homer's thread for pics when he did it. It blows cool air onto the tank water and speeds up evaporation cooling. LEDs help as well but you will be suprised the temp shift a couple of small fans blowing onto the water can do.

[Killamanillaman]

The exchange from crushed coral to sand has been completed. Havent had a chance to place the corals yet.

I have been researching what option I would like to do for the light upgrade... Although I like the closed top look, I think I might be going with the Kessil A360WE w/ gooseneck and sprectral controller. Although it may be more costly, It should help a great deal with the heat and offer me the first of the lights that I may use once i upgrade to a larger tank down the road.

I was also thinking of getting another Hydor 425 to create a less direct water flow in the tank. Would it be better to have them pointed at each other? Or one in the front, one in the back?

http://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q681/killamanilla1/FTS%202-19-16_zpsn1otbik4.jpg

[NySharkBait]

Howdy fellow cuber! Looking good! I'm actually wondering the same thing about extra movement. So I'll be following along. Also looking at doing a light change to LED.

[soulpatch]

I would put a RW4 in there before a hydor personally. Plus with the RW you can do various flow patterns to keep things variable and tinker the rate of flow as well...

[ReefWreak]

Whichever powerhead you use, I'd recommend either pointing them at each other, or pointing them diagonally towards the front glass, or ideally both to get lots of turbulent flow.

Tank looks good!

If you go open top, just remember that more evaporation = lower temps = more top-off required.

[NySharkBait]

Can you speak on pointing them towards the glass?

[ReefWreak]

I would just angle them at 45 degree angles pointing towards the middle of the glass, so they diffuse quickly, but you can angle them however you want, and you'll likely want to play with them to get maximum turbulence and minimal laminar flow.

[Killamanillaman]

Whichever powerhead you use, I'd recommend either pointing them at each other, or pointing them diagonally towards the front glass, or ideally both to get lots of turbulent flow.

Tank looks good!

If you go open top, just remember that more evaporation = lower temps = more top-off required.

I have my Tunze 3155 ATO :D

[Killamanillaman]

I would put a RW4 in there before a hydor personally. Plus with the RW you can do various flow patterns to keep things variable and tinker the rate of flow as well...

I was also thinking of just getting an MP10, One should be more than adequate for the BC29 right?

[homer1475]

I have 2 mp10wes's and a hydor 240 in my biocube.

The 2 mp10's I have on each side and very low. The hydor nano is on the return side on the back wall pointing upwards to help gas exchange. The hydor I have on a 10 minute timer at the top of the hour, scheduled through the apex so its not always on and disturbing my LPS's with too much flow.

[Killamanillaman]

Anyone familiar with the Ocean Revive Arctic-T247-B Lights? I went by a LFS I haven't been to before and he had these on all of his tanks. Wasn't a whole lot of SPS but he said he recently swapped to these after using Kessil and they only run $199. Doesn't look like the bracket will fit a BC29 but some DIY might make it possible.

http://www.oceanrevivellc.com/goods.php?id=21

[Kolkri]

My leds are very similar to that. https://www.reefbreeders.com/shop/superlux/ They fit and are very bright. Cause I have mostly mushrooms mine are set at 10 percent for daytime lights. 1 for dawn and dusk.

[ReefWreak]

I've seen an LFS using those OR lights, they looked decent. If reefbreeders carries them, then they're probably pretty decent. Basically the value of reefbreeders is that he puts his name on the lights, charges a bit more than the other generic versions of the lights on ebay, but backs them with a warranty. He may tweak them or get the higher bin versions, but as I understand it, that's the difference. Point is if he carries a light and you find a knock off version, the knockoff is probably pretty decent, but it's worth whatever the slightly more expensive version is to buy directly from RB.

[Killamanillaman]

So I am now torn on what route I want to go.. I hear some people say Kessil offers little to no help with SPS growth, The shimmer effect can be to dominant, lots of shadows, etc..

Anyways, while I ponder my decision.. Here is a video of my turbo doing work on my glass. He cleaned the entire front display in a matter of 30 mins.

http://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q681/killamanilla1/th_IMG_0294_zpswqscwgaw.mp4 (http://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q681/killamanilla1/IMG_0294_zpswqscwgaw.mp4)

[ReefWreak]

I think the kessils do shadow unless you raise them higher, but that negates some of the power that it outputs. I guess if we're dialing down LEDs to 50% anyway, then there is power to spare.

I really like the distributed lighting, I do see some "disco light" effect, but I don't notice it, and it certainly doesn't bother me. I think that the more distributed the lighting you can provide with LEDs, the less you'll get shadowing and less complaints about the lights. LEDs are already very narrow lights, and narrowing them more with a spotlight is problematic IMO and makes it harder to keep corals on the sides of the tanks, unless you raise the light really high and run it at a higher power output, which kind of kills some of the efficiency aspect.

[Killamanillaman]

I think the kessils do shadow unless you raise them higher, but that negates some of the power that it outputs. I guess if we're dialing down LEDs to 50% anyway, then there is power to spare.

I really like the distributed lighting, I do see some "disco light" effect, but I don't notice it, and it certainly doesn't bother me. I think that the more distributed the lighting you can provide with LEDs, the less you'll get shadowing and less complaints about the lights. LEDs are already very narrow lights, and narrowing them more with a spotlight is problematic IMO and makes it harder to keep corals on the sides of the tanks, unless you raise the light really high and run it at a higher power output, which kind of kills some of the efficiency aspect.

Do you currently have a kessil? If so, what are you using? The gooseneck or hanging? The 160 or 360?

[soulpatch]

I have a Kessil a360 over my BC29 and have it on the gooseneck.

What Reef is talking about is that any puck style LED is going to have some shadow issues. You have all light coming from a particular source and as such any coral or rock that gets in the way blocks light from getting behind it. With strip lights or other lighting types this is less of a concern.

Nothing wrong with going with a puck style light as I have one but you do need to be aware of placement and such so you can continue to get enough light and not have shadow issues.

[ReefWreak]

Do you currently have a kessil? If so, what are you using? The gooseneck or hanging? The 160 or 360?

No, I have a distributed light arrangement (rapidLED 29g biocube retrofit kit with full-spectrum LED setup).

Soulpatch can definitely speak to the puck and the kessil lights over a smaller tank. He actually liked his kessils so much he's making them the main lighting over his new 150g tank as well, so it's definitely to each their own.

[soulpatch]

Actually the T5 unit is the main light in my 150 and the Kessils are there for some coloring but mainly the shimmer.

I was going to go solely with Kessils on the big tank but would have needed a minimum of 6 units to account for shadowing.

[Killamanillaman]

Gotcha, would something like the new reef breeder photon v2 be more ideal? The shimmer effect is awesome but I don't want to worry about placement all the time.

[ReefWreak]

I don't see any v2 on their website for the product page at a quick glance, but yes, their lights have distributed LEDs. I prefer that over a single point-source light when dealing with LEDs, but just make sure you're okay with a small red spot in your rock here or there, as because they're point-source still, they don't necessarily blend 100%.

EDIT: Sorry, just saw them on their site, at the main banner page (doesn't come up if you just google reefbreeder photon). Looks pretty solid. Nice spread, good quantity and quality of LEDs. I think they did pretty well in their update. There's always better options, or more customizations, but so far this is one of my favorite mass-produced fixtures I think (nanobox isn't "mass produced" IMO, and I haven't seen the new pacific sun fixtures discussed much yet). Pricey though, but I guess they're moving away from "chinese black-box rebadged", which isn't a bad thing.

[Killamanillaman]

I would obviously like a T5 fixture or combo but with the BC29, I don't think there is any smaller lights that would work without massive overspill of the lights. I'm not to concerned with price, just want the best bang for my buck.

[plyr58]

I just installed Steve's LEDs in my 14 cube the other night. I have them turned down to max 35% and from the looks of my corals I may even dial them back a bit more for a week or so. I will add that distributed diodes give the disco ball effect and a single point of light will provide more shimmer without the flickering. All that said though, I couldn't be happier.

[Killamanillaman]

I just installed Steve's LEDs in my 14 cube the other night. I have them turned down to max 35% and from the looks of my corals I may even dial them back a bit more for a week or so. I will add that distributed diodes give the disco ball effect and a single point of light will provide more shimmer without the flickering. All that said though, I couldn't be happier.

I would love the retro kits, but I'm really worried about the heat. I am also trying to plan for lights that could be used with the addition of 1 more etc. for a potential larger tank.

At this point it might be easier for the retro.

[plyr58]

My temps have actually gone down about 1/2 a degree since I put in the kit. Also, there's no reason why you couldn't pull them out of the hood and use as part of a bigger tank in the future. Steve's sells LED kits for up to 72" or 96" tanks I believe.

[Killamanillaman]

No new changes with the tank in regards to stock. However I am in the process of quite a few upgrades and additional purchases.

I got a significant bonus at work, which left me in an awful mindset this weekend.. "Why not just upgrade to the larger tank now?!" This hobby is an addiction, I have had this up for 2 months.. and I find myself already looking at bigger and better... ****, I even thought about getting rid of my couch in the living room to make room. Took a lot of convincing myself to wait until I can do it the right way. So instead, I figured I would hone by skills with the BC.

Still deciding on what LED lights to get, I wont be going the route of retro kits.
I purchased the BRS 2-Part dosing package w/ pumps
MP10WQD will be purchased towards the end of this week


In the process of making a custom stand since it is currently on an Oak end table, It works but there is zero storage and i have everything in a a large brown bin under it. (Looks awful)

Picked up all of the lumber I will be needing this afternoon, only cost be about $70. Will likely start the build later this week or weekend. Dimensions will be approximately 32" x 24" x 36". I wanted some added storage to make sure I have enough room to hide the 5G ATO container, Wires, and now the dosing system.

[Killamanillaman]

Got the frame of the stand done, Went bigger on the dimensions because I want it to fill a certain spot.

http://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q681/killamanilla1/Tank%20Stand%20with%20dims._zpsi5saigwz.jpg

[Killamanillaman]

Been super busy with work, and haven't had a chance to work on the stand again... Still just the frame. :sad1:
But on the bright side, I received some goodies.
http://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q681/killamanilla1/Kessil_zpsxnkskgs4.jpg

[Killamanillaman]

Been a while, Here is a little update!

<a href="http://s1354.photobucket.com/user/killamanilla1/media/IMG_0922_zpsc0acjq9l.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q681/killamanilla1/IMG_0922_zpsc0acjq9l.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_0922_zpsc0acjq9l.jpg"/></a>

<a href="http://s1354.photobucket.com/user/killamanilla1/media/IMG_0923%201_zpspr75xfsh.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q681/killamanilla1/IMG_0923%201_zpspr75xfsh.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_0923 1_zpspr75xfsh.jpg"/></a>

[Killamanillaman]

Some new additions!

http://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q681/killamanilla1/IMG_0945_zpsyghowiju.jpg (http://s1354.photobucket.com/user/killamanilla1/media/IMG_0945_zpsyghowiju.jpg.html)

http://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q681/killamanilla1/IMG_0946_zpsth6u9adt.jpg (http://s1354.photobucket.com/user/killamanilla1/media/IMG_0946_zpsth6u9adt.jpg.html)
Leprechaun Birdsnest

[ReefinChicago]

Have one in the 22. Be prepared to have a much larger version in about a month.......mine has grown a lot in just 6 weeks.

[Killamanillaman]

I have been traveling for nearly 3 months hence the inactivity, However I returned last weekend and have come to find out the feeding schedule of my fish had turned into a buffet increasing nitrate levels so much that it made me sick to my stomach. In all seriousness, I'm surprised the tank didn't crash or get run over by algae. Risk I took leaving.

After getting the nitrates back to a more comfortable level with 2 big water changes and plan on doing 1 more this coming weekend.

Things seem happy with the exception of a nice plague of vermetid snails... :deadhorse1:

Any suggestions on this? I did see some notes about super gluing the hole, breaking off base, etc. However in some areas of the rock, there could be 3-4 in the area the size of a quarter. Even if i can kill or let them die off I figure the tube will still remain which is quite displeasing to look at...

I am even contemplating rebuilding with all new rock or a new build. However, I don't have the room to set up a new tank and get it cycled while this one is up. I have a smaller 20g with a HOB filter that I was thinking of transferring the livestock/coral with some of the live rock into and move over my kessel.

I have heard and seen people using the HOB Filters although it is not recommended outside maybe a QT tank. Would this be adequate to sit in for 4-6 weeks?

I have a friend that has a 90g set-up that I could maybe set the coral in at least, if needed.

[jmcdaniel0]

I hate those little buggers.

I have very little luck with the super glue method. There always seems to be another tube or hole I miss.

I would set up a qt, and do just liek you said, either start from scratch on new rock, or let them dry out and go over them really good with glue.

[soulpatch]

They tend to die off some as you get your feeding under control. I scrap the ones I see in annoying areas but in a lot of other spots the coral or coraline will grow over em. Also they become brittle as the snails die off and as such the tubes dissolve or get bumped by other cuc to go away as well.