|
07/12/2016, 07:39 PM | #51 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Apr 2016
Posts: 315
|
I really like that low profile rock work.
|
07/15/2016, 06:38 PM | #52 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: NOVA
Posts: 774
|
Needed some more negative space but didnt want to make it too artificial looking! I think the shadows created by the overhangs create a lot of depth (doesnt show well in the pictures) and the fish seem to really enjoy hanging out in the shadows to keep an eye on you. They're out and above the structure a lot more then they were previously (current isnt as strong above it now either). Still a little cloudy but I'm liking it.
Last edited by madweazl; 07/15/2016 at 06:44 PM. |
07/16/2016, 11:31 AM | #53 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: NOVA
Posts: 774
|
20g water change completed. Removed optics from LEDs and increased the intensity on the white channel (both channels at 30% now).
Phosphate - .015 dkH - 9 Last edited by madweazl; 07/16/2016 at 11:49 AM. |
07/19/2016, 03:31 PM | #54 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: NOVA
Posts: 774
|
Lost my clown last night. I had literally posted that he was doing fantastic the night before and that he had doubled in size since arrival. Came home from work yesterday to find him breathing rapidly but no other signs of disease, parasite, or abuse. My anthias had ich, no doubt about that but the clown never showed any signs of it (no scratching, no spots, no nothing). I've been doing this 20 years and the only thing I've ever seen take down a clown fast (less than 48 hours) was brooklynella but this little guy was perfect appearance wise and it is easy to spot. The only thing I could think of was that maybe he had been harassed while I was at work and was just exhausted so I moved him to the refugium. The lights come on at 10am and my wife feeds them shortly after but said she didnt observe them because she was busy with other stuff so I dont know at what point what ever happened, began. At 945pm the night before he was doing great (their last feeding of the day).
Water parameters all check out; no ammonia, nitrite, nitrate undetectable, phosphate .015, pH between 7.9 and 8.1 for weeks, dkH 9, salinity 1.0255 to 1.026. I just dont have any theories. The angel and anthias show no signs of labored breathing, the skimmer isnt running abnormally to indicate something ended up in the tank that shouldnt, ATO working like it should. What the hell kills a fish in less than 24 hours with no visible signs? Crappy day! |
07/23/2016, 01:43 PM | #55 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: NOVA
Posts: 774
|
Phosphate up to .021 today. Everything looking good (minus my little buddy).
|
07/23/2016, 08:04 PM | #56 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Renton, WA
Posts: 162
|
Good looking tank! So clean underneath.
|
08/31/2016, 03:09 PM | #57 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: NOVA
Posts: 774
|
I've been out of town the last month so my wife had to step up and take care of everything. She has done it before so I wasnt to worried but she has never messed with a controller so that was a potential issue. Happy to report that everything is looking great though. She has been feeding about three times what I put in the tank (I feed three times a day but she has at least tripled the amount if not quadrupled at each feeding). When she showed me how much, I nearly fainted. The macros in the refugium exploded with growth but did their job admirably. She cleaned the glass a couple of times but even that looked quite good. She didnt clean the back glass but I didnt have much trouble there either (quite a few tube worms had started to take hold but they're gone now). Pod population is a little stronger than when I left (3rd of August I think).
I cleaned the skimmer and carbon reactor today along with the scrubbing and some pruning of the refugium. Mixed up the salt and will change 20g tomorrow. Also added a carpenters wrasse, pajama cardinal, and a single head duncan coral. The wrasse was a little beat up but I had to have 'em; hopefully it comes back strong (already exploring and eating well). The anthias and angel have payed no mind to the new guys and couldnt seem to care less at this point (probably has a lot to do with the enormous feeding sessions they have enjoyed the last month). The angel doesnt look much different but the anthias has gotten huge; she doesnt look much longer but has grown significantly taller and a little bit wider). Wife did a fantastic job |
09/02/2016, 02:48 PM | #58 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: NOVA
Posts: 774
|
Few pictures of the new guys.
Duncan Pajama mid right (been very reclusive thus far) Torch Green polyp toadstool (always been one of my favorites) Hidden tiger... Hermit inadvertently walked over the pistol and scared it half to death so it jump up snapping like crazy which scared the bejesus out of the hermit who beat feat. The pistol took off running and ran right into the the YWG that was just added (must have been fate). Wrasse is still a little stressed but is coloring up nicely. |
09/08/2016, 02:42 PM | #59 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: NOVA
Posts: 774
|
|
09/14/2016, 05:31 PM | #60 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: NOVA
Posts: 774
|
Time for a water change but I might push it off until Monday since we're having a house full of people this weekend and there is lots to do around the house still. It has been two weeks since the last change. YWG has been exceptionally reclusive; was hoping he/she would be a little more adventurous but alas, it is typical. Havent been able to find a Randall's goby in stock anywhere so the wait continues for one of those (they have always stayed out at the entrance to the casa in my previous tanks). Additions arriving tomorrow are: Kaudurn's cardinal, chalk bass, yellowhead jawfish, and some additional members to the CUC (20 snails, cucumber, and a brittle star).
PO4 - .061 dKh - 8 |
09/14/2016, 06:14 PM | #61 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Australia
Posts: 197
|
More photos for the love of God haha, can I see the sump please
|
09/15/2016, 03:46 PM | #62 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: NOVA
Posts: 774
|
|
09/16/2016, 11:22 AM | #63 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: NY,NY
Posts: 78
|
Nice set up.
|
09/16/2016, 03:12 PM | #64 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: NOVA
Posts: 774
|
|
09/22/2016, 05:09 PM | #65 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: NOVA
Posts: 774
|
Had a Randall's goby come in yesterday that was on its death bed. Shipped from Live Aquaria, it arrived with no packing peanuts and an ice pack right up against the small bag. The goby was motionless and not breathing. After about 30 seconds of inspecting the bag I noticed a pectoral fin barely wave. After another five to 10 seconds it gasped for air and then went motionless again. I floated the bag and the goby repeated the gasps for air every 30-45 seconds (no other gill movement what-so-ever). After roughly 15 minutes I opened the bag and used their recommended floating acclimation process. Every four minutes I added a half a cup of water and poured it in from a ways up to agitate the water (the goby was totally unresponsive and just floated upside down). I repeated this process at least 10 times and moved the goby to my sump so I could retrieve the corpse that was inevitable. The goby arrived to my home around 9:45am and by 8pm, the goby was purposefully moving in the sump (this started around 7pm). Breathing was still erratic but it would move a short distance and you could tell it meant to go to that spot. It was able to holds itself upright now. Since the sump lights come on all night for the refugium, I decided to move it to the main tank so it could rest up with the lights out. It immediately found the burrows that the existing tiger pistol had made and dropped down in the tunnels. Fast forward almost 24 hours and I come home to this:
He/she didnt eat this afternoon but is looking much better. I'm actually optimistic that this little guy that was as close to dead as anything could get, will actually pull through. |
09/23/2016, 07:27 AM | #66 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 138
|
awesome. hopefully it make sit through. I have a 75g also. what is your fish list as of now in the tank?
__________________
75 gal FOWLR, HOB Reef Octopus 1000, 2 osc. clowns, 1 yellow and purple wrasse, 1 firefish, 1 cleaner shrimp |
09/23/2016, 08:09 AM | #67 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Champaign, IL
Posts: 13
|
Thanks for such an inspirational build.
You've definitely set the bar high for cleanliness of install and organization of all the mechanical and electrical elements! I look forward to seeing the continuation! |
09/23/2016, 08:31 AM | #68 | |
Registered Member
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Overland Park, Kansas
Posts: 333
|
Quote:
Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk |
|
09/23/2016, 08:33 AM | #69 |
Registered Member
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 181
|
Quote:
That's odd from live aquaria, they usually over pack mine. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk |
09/23/2016, 10:50 AM | #70 | ||||
Registered Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: NOVA
Posts: 774
|
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
|
||||
09/23/2016, 10:51 AM | #71 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: NOVA
Posts: 774
|
Ugh, that time again. I've been lazy and went three weeks this time. I need to build a mixing station here pretty soon. At 20g it isnt bad but if/when I step up to a bigger tank this just isnt going to work.
Using the Hanna ULR: Fresh mixed RC with RODI: .015ppm Aquarium three weeks after previous water change: .01 first test .0 second test (last weekend it was .062 I believe) KH: ~7 If I hadnt been lazy last weekend it probably wouldnt have dropped below 8. Nice to see it actually start to come down though (time for some two part). |
09/23/2016, 02:14 PM | #72 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: NOVA
Posts: 774
|
This little guy is quickly becoming my favorite fish of all time. It has so much character! Always twists its little head observing you and everything else that is going on. It is just like a pug only in the water; I was cracking up the whole time. Was shy at first but is really inquisitive now and wants to see what is happening. Must have for any aquarium!
|
09/23/2016, 03:14 PM | #73 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 1,421
|
I know what you mean. They have so much character. My 4 are my favorite fish.
__________________
"I glue animals to rocks" Current Tank Info: 36 gallon reef, 65 gallon Caribbean Biotope macroalgae and seagrass tank |
09/23/2016, 06:10 PM | #74 | |
Registered Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: NOVA
Posts: 774
|
Quote:
|
|
09/23/2016, 07:24 PM | #75 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: NOVA
Posts: 774
|
When we bought the angel, it dwarfed the anthias. Fast forward roughly three months and she has turned into a bruiser. Colored up fantastic and is growing like a weed. Very mellow mannered but I swear she is part grouper.
The pipe organ that was purchased from a local forum member is opening up nicely (guess it didnt get the memo about being bed time) too. |
|
|