|
06/16/2011, 07:08 AM | #426 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: LI
Posts: 644
|
The pipefish is awesome! How is it doing with the other fish?
__________________
Student by day, Ninja by night “In the book of life, the answers aren't in the back.” Visit NiNJA's Build Thread on Ninja1's Homepage |
06/16/2011, 08:31 AM | #427 | |
Registered Member
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Durham, NC
Posts: 2,205
|
Thanks guys!
Quote:
Its a great little fish.
__________________
^ Click on my username and 'Visit Taqpol's Home Page!" to view my 220 gallon custom Miracles tank! -Alex |
|
06/16/2011, 08:33 AM | #428 |
Registered Member
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Durham, NC
Posts: 2,205
|
I was about to mention that after my vacation I haven't seen the pipefish... Of course, he could have just gone down the overflow so I'll check the sump when I get home.
They are supposed to be pretty hard to feed. The LFS owner I bought him from suggested I feed phytoplankton daily but I haven't because I was already having a nutrient issue with my mini cycle at the time.
__________________
^ Click on my username and 'Visit Taqpol's Home Page!" to view my 220 gallon custom Miracles tank! -Alex |
07/11/2011, 09:42 PM | #429 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: phoenix, Arizona
Posts: 97
|
Wow. Loving the tank! Awesome corals, and fish. I am going to be borrowing a lot of ideas for my own LED build from you. You have done an awesome job. Subscribed for sure!
|
07/30/2011, 08:29 PM | #430 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 291
|
I am sure there are huge updates
|
08/01/2011, 12:42 PM | #431 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Barrie, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 1,934
|
Alex,
How about a FTS? |
08/01/2011, 01:47 PM | #432 | |
Registered Member
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Durham, NC
Posts: 2,205
|
Quote:
See below. I don't know if you guys would want to see a FTS right now, my corals have started going downhill quite rapidly and a series of events have left me disenchanted with the fish tank right now. Right now I just have the tank on autopilot mode and I've been trying to do weekly water changes to try and get my chemicals back in check. A few of my SPS corals have been receding on the bottom sides where they dont get much light. To rectify this I have switched out all my optics to 80 degrees (up from 60 degrees) and left some LEDs completely optic-less to try to get more light bouncing off the glass and onto the underside of the corals, coupled with slowly increasing my light output up from the 50% power I had them at before. Already some corals started showing negative side effects of too much light (the monti caps) so I am slowing down on that until they get adjusted. Unfortunately I don't believe that my main problem is the lights. When my corals last looked like crap my tank looked pristine and I had zero nitrates. After an aggressive regimen of dosing AA's along with feeding the fish more frozen food all of my corals made a drastic turn around and within two weeks were looking amazing. Their decline from that state has been slow, but it correlates with my increase in nitrates to 10ppm, 15ppm and now even 20 (!) ppm. I've been trying my best with water changes and maintaining a rationed yet healthy feeding regimen, but considering I can't let my alk raise too high without fearing disaster from my bio-pellets I've been limited in the number of 11 dKh Instant Ocean water changes I could do. Given my frustration with the bio pellets obviously not working for me and their restriction on my water changes I have completely removed them. Almost immediately I saw better polyp extension in my corals (especially my acans that looked atrocious), but since then I have not seen a drop in nitrates or the crazy amount of nuisance algae that has popped up. Lastly, and most heart wrenching, has been a series of fish losses. Awhile ago I added a gorgeous and healthy convict tang to the tank. Unbeknownst to me or the owner of the fish store, while an employee was catching him the tang jumped out of the tank and crashed >6' face first onto the concrete floor. The employee thought he looked fine so he bagged him up and sold him to me anyways, without saying a word. The next day I noticed that the tang had a massive infection on his lip and was breathing heavily. By the time I got him into the QT tank he was already dead. If that was the end of it it would have been sad, but two days later my Blonde Naso tang had a cut and infection on his lip. He was so fat I was going to let him fight the infection on his own in the comfort of his tank, but the next day he died as well. Other fish have passed away of mysterious causes since then as well, including one of my pair of tailspot blennies and a rare Kuiteri Leopard wrasse I had picked up along with the Convict Tang. The Naso hit me the hardest, as it would have been one year with that amazingly gorgeous fish in just a few more days.
__________________
^ Click on my username and 'Visit Taqpol's Home Page!" to view my 220 gallon custom Miracles tank! -Alex |
|
08/01/2011, 03:21 PM | #433 |
Love The Fish
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Tucson, AZ
Posts: 5,652
|
Sorry to hear of the bad news, I hope things turn around for you soon man.
__________________
Brett Current Tank Info: Leemar 60x36x24, 8x80 T5/LED Sfiligoi GENESIS Alpha 300 skimmer |
08/01/2011, 08:30 PM | #434 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: DFW Texas
Posts: 5,249
|
ouch!!!
__________________
A smooth sea never made a skillful mariner Current Tank Info: 110g Mixed Reef, LED's & T5's |
08/02/2011, 12:58 AM | #435 |
Team RC Member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: STL
Posts: 14,754
|
Wow, Alex so sorry for all the losses. Can't imagine how you must be feeling right now.
__________________
-Brett 180g Marineland Starfire In-Wall 278 gallon system |
08/02/2011, 01:23 AM | #436 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 291
|
That was a painful story. I am sorry Alex but hope your tank will be better.
|
08/02/2011, 05:54 AM | #437 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: North Bay,Ontario, Canada
Posts: 222
|
Alex I feel for you. So sorry to hear your bad news.
Maik1 |
08/02/2011, 06:52 AM | #438 | |
Registered Member
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Naples, FL
Posts: 549
|
Quote:
I though that you quarantine your new fish before putting them in the display tank? How the Blonde Naso cut himself? against rocks?
__________________
Jonathan Current Tank Info: 75 Gallon Deep Blue Rimless |
|
08/02/2011, 07:53 PM | #439 |
thread reader
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Minot, ND
Posts: 1,639
|
ugh sorry to hear that bro
__________________
You must use "Regular Clorox" Any scents like "New Fresh Scent Clorox" will kill all of your animals in a few minutes (don't ask) "Paul b" Current Tank Info: 84 gallon(60x18x18) tank, 40 breeder frag, 30 gallon lps |
08/03/2011, 01:12 PM | #440 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Barrie, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 1,934
|
Alex,
Sorry to hear about your losses! Don't get discouraged by this. I'm confident that your tank will bounce back and it will be gorgeous again! Are you going to MACNA this year? If so, I'd like to finally meet you, Rob |
08/03/2011, 03:17 PM | #441 | ||
Registered Member
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Durham, NC
Posts: 2,205
|
Than you for the condolences everyone. Its so frustrating because my previous tank was much smaller, less fancy, and way more overstocked, yet the corals grew like gangbusters and looked absolutely gorgeous, even though the tank did start reaching 15 ppm Nitrates near the end due to my slacking on water changes and overfeeding. As of now I'm just trying to return to simplicity. I might even try and do a major 50 gallon water change in the next few weeks to really just kick these nitrates in the shorts.
Quote:
I have no idea how the Naso cut his lips. A rock is quite likely, but the tangs were doing a little bit of scuffling due to the new additions. Quote:
Unfortunately I won't be able to make it to MACNA this year so you'll have to tell me how it went!
__________________
^ Click on my username and 'Visit Taqpol's Home Page!" to view my 220 gallon custom Miracles tank! -Alex |
||
08/03/2011, 07:19 PM | #442 |
SPS Slave
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Richmond, VA
Posts: 3,388
|
Alex, this is terrible news.
We are troubled to hear of this bad fortune. Please let us know if there's anything we can do to help out! Hang in there and don't give up. The community is behind you and we need your wonderful participation!
__________________
- Mike & Terry "Less technology, more biology ... indeed." - Gary White Current Tank Info: 200g temp garage tank |
08/03/2011, 10:16 PM | #443 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Bakersfield
Posts: 280
|
Alex keeping a reef tank at times feels like pushing on a string you try and fix on part and it makes another part worse. The problems never seem to me, to be one dimensional there's always multiple concerns. Having followed you for some time I know you can get your tank back on an even keel. I like your approach of water changes and maybe simplifying some aspects of the set up, good luck in the coming weeks.
|
08/04/2011, 12:58 AM | #444 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 291
|
Are there any new pics for the amazing corals?
|
08/04/2011, 08:53 AM | #445 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Elmont, NY
Posts: 5
|
So sorry to hear about your recent events. I love looking at this tank and using it as inspiration for my own.
|
08/05/2011, 05:18 PM | #446 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: nj
Posts: 224
|
Sorry to hear about the problems your having. Now to be a little selfish I am waiting for my custom miracles tank and was wondering if they gave you the warranty with your stand. I have been in contact with Derek and told him my plans based on Rocketengineers plan. Sorry to ask at this time and I hope this ? doesn't bother you too much. I am sorry for your loss but thank you for sharing. It is good for a newbie like me to know what we're in for reading the experiences you guys have had.
thank you, christine |
08/05/2011, 05:27 PM | #447 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: South Carolina, USA
Posts: 409
|
Alex I haven't been on the forums for a while and one of the first threads I usually catch up with is yours. I am very sorry for the losses you are having. It looks like that sick fish introduced an infection that then affected the other fish. You must feel boomed at this time but keep your wits together fix all the basics and hopefully the tank will turn around.
Sorry again for the losses. Claudio
__________________
Claudio Click on my username and 'Visit jjstecchino's homepage!" to view my 180 gallon reef build thread. Current Tank Info: 180 Gallon Reef in Infancy |
09/25/2011, 01:21 PM | #448 | |
Registered Member
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Durham, NC
Posts: 2,205
|
I'm scared to use a phrase like "things are starting to look good", so instead I'll say "There is a chance that my corals are potentially starting to recover". Still, to try and speed up this process and keep the corals healthy I decided that I might not be giving my SPS the flow they need due to my pump situation in my tanks footprint. To rectify this I purchased two more (four total) Vortech MP40w's, but now I need help deciding how to position them. I posted a thread over in the SPS Keepers forum for their expertise, but here is the gist of my conundrum:
Quote:
__________________
^ Click on my username and 'Visit Taqpol's Home Page!" to view my 220 gallon custom Miracles tank! -Alex |
|
09/25/2011, 04:39 PM | #449 |
SPS Slave
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Richmond, VA
Posts: 3,388
|
I like setup #2, Alex.
But no matter how you choose to go about it, the important thing is to generate turbulent flow around all your rock and corals. We are seeing really nice results with the closed loop outlets (lower third of the height) pointing at the backside of the 'scape towards the front of the tank, and along the mid-front pointing at the sides of the tank and inwards. Then, we have our four stream pumps (upper third of the height) providing flow from the four corners pointing inwards. A picture would be better. I used my awesome drawing skills to show the closed loop flow in red, with the tunze streams in green:
__________________
- Mike & Terry "Less technology, more biology ... indeed." - Gary White Current Tank Info: 200g temp garage tank |
09/25/2011, 07:29 PM | #450 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Barrie, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 1,934
|
I have both the vortech mp40W and the tunze nanostream 6055 both of which are controlable. The vortech is nice however it is only capable of linear flow which can be a major downfall. Tunze stream pumps allow you to rotate and better direct the flow where you want it.
If it was me, I might try and set up all the vortechs on one side and create a true gyre instead of having pumps on both sides. I foresee flow patterns colliding in the center and creating issues such as sandstorms, ect. Using a wave is cool however, how would your overflow do with that? I guess it depends on the size of the wave, but potentially you could see an increase in gurgling from your overflows. play around with it and see what works best for your corals, you may need to relocate some of them as you experiment with flows. Cheers Rob |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
220 Gallon Reef Ready Tank Setup | FREDDY31270 | Tampa Bay Reef Club | 1 | 06/09/2006 10:30 PM |