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Author Topic: Trying this again  (Read 1229 times)

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Offline Matpat

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Trying this again
« on: January 15, 2023, 07:29:46 »
I?ve been keeping freshwater aquariums since the early 90?s. In 2000, I set up my first high tech, CO2 injected planted aquarium. Almost 20 years later I made the move to my first reef tank by converting my 125g Cichlid tank into a reef tank Unfortunately, that old 125g tank lost a seal about eight months into being a reef, of course while we were on vacation. I drove home & transferred everything into a spare 75g, but unfortunately, I lost it all. Luckily, it was only a few beginner fish and a few softies at the time.

After 20+ years of going the DIY route for the hobby, we decided to purchase a ?system? instead of cobbling together pieces. After at least 3 months of research into various brands of reef tanks, we bit the bullet and purchased a Cade 1800. Buy once, cry once, right? No complaints at all with the tank & stand combo.

We took it extremely slowly for the first year and now have only leathers and mushrooms after a Kalkwasser overdose in 2021 🙄 Since then we?ve been unable to keep hard corals. Every LPS we put into the tank is plagued with polyp bailout, torches, hammers, blastos, candy canes, you name it. Within 3 months, they all bail.

We haven?t been very diligent with the water changes since ICP tests have shown no pollutants in the tank or anything out of whack. Regardless, we are beginning weekly 10% water changes today to attempt to slowly reset this tank.

EVERYTHING that goes into this tank is quarantined for a minimum of 30 days, inverts, corals, and most definitely fish. LPS seem to flourish in the 40b quarantine tank but after a couple months in the display, they bail.

This isn?t a cry for help with the tank, we?ll eventually get it reset and growing (patience right?) This is simply a lengthy description of our trials and tribulations with our tank(s) and a reintroduction to the group, so hello everyone.


Offline JSellars

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Re: Trying this again
« Reply #1 on: January 15, 2023, 16:39:36 »
Don?t give up just yet. Hopefully you can get it figured out! What process did you do to get the tank started up? Dry rock or live? I?m sure you know this, but consistency is key, do weekly water changes every single week and keep on the same schedule to keep the levels consistent. A couple fellow reefers I know never test water parameters and have had great success. Don?t overthink it.


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Offline Matpat

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Re: Trying this again
« Reply #2 on: January 15, 2023, 17:30:56 »
No sir, I have too much invested (both money & time) to give up & still enjoy it. It?s a challenge that I?ll eventually conquer 😀

I started the tank with dry rock almost 2 years ago. Microbacter 7 at a salinity of 1.012 topping off evaporation daily with 1.026 saltwater for the first month. Supposedly, just like fish (and according to Dr Tim) bacteria grow faster at a lower salinity. Then the lights (three gen 5 XR30s) were turned on. Went through all of the uglies and now all of the rock & back glass is covered in coralline algae. We?ve just had a couple of mishaps, nothing to worry about.

I figured I should reintroduce myself since it?s been a couple of years 😜

Offline Matpat

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Re: Trying this again
« Reply #3 on: January 15, 2023, 17:34:28 »
Purchased an inexpensive torch, some Candy Canes, a Duncan and more softies that?ll go into the display in a couple more weeks. I quarantine EVERYTHING that goes into the display. Hoping a month or so of water changes will work their magic this time 😜

Offline JSellars

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Re: Trying this again
« Reply #4 on: January 15, 2023, 17:46:02 »
Nice! Can?t wait to hear a success story soon! I?m sure it?s not very ?pretty? but, let?s see a current picture so we can keep track of progress as well!


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Offline lazylivin

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Re: Trying this again
« Reply #5 on: January 15, 2023, 23:50:16 »
Welcome to Ohio Reef forum.
Your story, trial and tribulation probably resonates with most of us. Glad you?re sticking with it. Looking forward to see some pics when your ready to post them

Offline Matpat

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Re: Trying this again
« Reply #6 on: January 16, 2023, 14:13:48 »
Thank you Brian.

It?s been a much longer journey than expected! A tank failure (it was over 10 years old so no real surprise there) budget equipment failures (Current USA power heads) and their related flow issues, a manual Kalkwasser overdose in late 2021, have taken their toll on the tank so far.

Im assuming I either don?t have enough posts to add a pic yet or I need to host the pics somewhere first? It?s been a long time since I?ve used a forum 🤔

Offline Matpat

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Re: Trying this again
« Reply #7 on: January 17, 2023, 13:39:34 »

Sunrise in the tank


Full sun.

Im running 3 XR30s on the Coral Lab LPS/Soft schedule. Lights are on for 12 hours with a slow 3 hour ramp up & ramp down at 100% intensity & 45% schedule since its only softies now.

I have a few spots of green hair algea on the substrate but it is clearing up after adding the MP40s. Ill be slowly siphoning the sand through a 100 micron filter sock over the next week or two.

I stopped adding Kalkwasser since ALL of my LPS had polyp bailout in the last year. I do have some inexpensive LPS in quarantine to add in the next week or two.



The rocks are nicely covered in purple & pink coralline algae. The back glass was too but it seems to have a green tint to it now. I assume since some of the coraline is starting to flake off of the back, it may be dying due to the lack of Kalkwasser additions over the last year? Algae isnt supposed to grow on coraline

Ill probably scrape the back glass before I start siphoning the substrate to get rid of what I assume is green algae growing on the dead/dying coraline?


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« Last Edit: January 18, 2023, 05:50:00 by Matpat »

Offline Matpat

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Re: Trying this again
« Reply #8 on: January 17, 2023, 13:52:11 »
Ill increase the whites before I post pics again


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« Last Edit: January 18, 2023, 05:47:32 by Matpat »

 

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