New Planet Aquarium 190g tank

[Reefnub]

Ok I've had it sitting here for a little while and figured I could post some pics and start a build thread after the beginning of the new year after the baby has been born. It's a 60x27x27 190 gallon tank, stand and canopy. Thanks to Lois at ER for getting this thing for me and for being on top of things love ER. I can't wait to start buying new equipment and getting it up and running.2260022601226022260322604
So I pulled carpet and installed tile (tired of carpet) and I don't have to worry about water on the floor from hands and arms. The total height of the tank is 6'8", I had the stand built at 42" so when I look in my tank I don't have to bend over and also can see it from my seat. I will have a custom sump 36x23x18tall and will have built in rodi storage. Plan on running refugium with miracle mud, small amount of bio pellets and large skimmer. DC return pump, 4 mp40s, 6 AI LEDs 3 vega and 3 hydra. Vegas toward the front running parallel with tank for depth and the hydras running the same buck in the back won't need as much depth due to rock will be higher. The skimmer will be a Skimz sm-253 DC. Controller will be the apex plus and I will be running a calcium reactor on this tank this time. The tank will be mixed reef with all the fun stuff but will have a decent amount of sps spaced for growth. Lps, zoos, acans couple clams and a few gorgs. Want to keep track of this tank as it goes even after is up and running. Happy reefing!


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[Reefnub]

22606
And this is what I have so far on the sump.


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[Reefnub]

Also will have gfo and carbon running.


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[BBQHILLBILLY]

very nice footprint, should be a fun thread to follow, very nice tile too

[Flyride95]

I agree, I will be following this thread as well. I'm curious on how you are going to set up your rock work.

[Reefnub]

22607
Hopefully it will look like this when I'm done. This is what I'm going for and if I can make it happen I will be happy.


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[alton]

Its going to look great, tile work looks good too!

[Reefnub]

Thanks Alton, that tile kicked my butt.


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[Scuba Sam]

looking forward to seeing it up and running! I am going to get a 190 as well so its cool to see your tank and stand!

[Reefnub]

Glad to help on the visual lol. Thanks it's gonna be a little slow but it will be worth it. Good luck with yours too lots of pics.


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[Scuba Sam]

how about some updates and new pic?

[Reefnub]

Well....,, I have nothing new yet, gonna wait for the new year and start buying for it. Did you buy a new tank yet?


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[Scuba Sam]

Not yet ill be doing that next summer


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[Reefnub]

23603
So my little man Kaiden was born 12/18/13 and with a month of just adjusting to his needs I figured it was time for tank time so the buying for tank stuff has begun.23604
I also upgraded my sol blues to hydras and may upgrade them to hydra 52 later when added to this tank so I will have 5 hydras over this tank. Will be picking up rock and materials to build rock next week. I also changed my design on my sump and won't be running miracle mud23605
This is my rough sketch and is currently being built by Elegant Reef with a few mods or last minute changes with Louis helping me out.
[ATTACH]23606[/ATTACH
The sm-253 Skimz skimmer is on order and should suck all poop right out of the fish I believe. Will be building a light rack to hold all my lights in the canopy today and hopefully finish. Ok thought I would just give a little up date and will have more pictures as the build gets more involved.


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[Reefnub]

Finished my racks to hold my lights and I think it came out pretty good.2384123842238432384423845


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[Reefnub]

23846


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[Reefnub]

The 2nd rack will hold 2 more light and maybe 3


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[Reefnub]

Also got my 80 lbs of rock and 1/2" acrylic rods so I can do my aqua scape23847


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[Reefnub]

Sump will be next so I can put all the plumbing in and wiring then the skimmer and reactors.

[ST3PH3N]

Lookin real good !


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[Big_Pun]

whats up buddy build is looking great, so whats the plan on filtration and dosing

[LuckySingh]

Looking very nice

[alton]

Light rail looks neat, ya better hurry up before number two kiddo comes around.

[Reefnub]

Thanks it's been slow but coming together nicely. The plan for filtration will be a big skimmer and filter socks, 2 reactors with gfo and carbon, I will be using ecobak plus bio pellets. I think that should work nice, easy and simple. Alton, that won't be happening bud lol.


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[Reefnub]

O and I'll be dosing alk, cal, and mag with my doser. Also will start using fuel every week or 2. Will be using reef crystals salt. Haven't decided if I'm going to use brs dosing liquids or bionic like I have been.


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[envy]

Looking good

[Reefnub]

Thanks I'm hopeing to get this right the 1st time and do everything from what I have learned from the past.


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[Reefnub]

Man

[Reefnub]

So here is my rock lay out that I came up with and I'm pretty happy with it. Now I have to glue it together and put acrylic rods in them to hold it together.


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[Scuba Sam]

Looks great, where did you get the dry rock from?


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[Reefnub]

Elegant reef


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[alton]

Tony if you don't hurry up and put water in that thing, your warranty will be null and void

[Reefnub]

Waiting for sump to be built and skimmer to get in then the real fun begins, and I have double lifetime warranty on my tank lol just kidding.


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[Reefnub]

23944239452394623947
Ok minimalist rock scape done and I think it won't be crowded even after sps grow out. I also think flow will be pretty good thru the rock.


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[SABOB]

Sweeeet


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[Reefnub]

Mounted some apex goodies 23973


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[Big_Pun]

sexxy!!
I got on beta for fusion but can't update firmware it's a pain !!

[Reefnub]

Will that be an update for apex later or more money? So you don't like the Fusion or it's just hard to set up? What's wrong with Fusion?Thanks I really didn't know how I wanted to mount it but it turned out good and hope all the rest of the wires come out neat and tidy. I'll probably have Louis come over and help me out on set up cuz what I here he is a pro at setting it up. I still have to wire in 3hydra 52, 2 hydra, skimmer, dosing pump, heater, 4 mp40, and return pump, and light over sump so I can see what I'm doing. I wanna try and hide the wires also but you know how that goes lol.


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[Big_Pun]

it's a cloud version to view all the info from your apex. it's very user friendly and easier to set up

[Reefnub]

2405024051240522405324054
I would like to thank Louis at Elegant Reef for an awesome sump that's top notch bro!
It came out perfect and I think the colors look great.


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[Reefnub]

image.jpg
image.jpg


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[BBQHILLBILLY]

pics didnt go through

[Reefnub]

Yea the last 2 didn't but the other 5 above did.


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[BBQHILLBILLY]

yea I saw. awesome pics. You have an awesome setup.

[Reefnub]

Thanks it's taken some time for sure but getting closer. Next will be the PVC and finish the electrical. Then I should be good for water! Finally


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[Reefnub]

Ok got my Skimz sm-253 skimmer in today and want to show a comparison of the size of the skimmer to my 65 gallon tank http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/04/04/jysy4ype.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/04/04/a7eneta8.jpg


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[Reefnub]

And here it is in place http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/04/04/zyhyzaze.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/04/04/huqydy9u.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/04/04/yqagevej.jpg
23" tall x 10" body but 12"x12" is the space it needs in the sump. I think this skimmer should suck the poop out of the fish lol.


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[alton]

The baby comparison is the best. Too bad kids have to grow up

[Reefnub]

Well I got the return lines and the drains plumbed in and still need to plumb the manifold system for the reactors. Glue smells great!http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/04/07/hybumene.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/04/07/yge7aguh.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/04/07/e7ure4y2.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/04/07/u6ujuna8.jpg
I also started filling the tank which is taking a long time.http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/04/07/my7uberu.jpg


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[Reefnub]

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/06/28/yhe2aha4.jpg
Finished my manifold system and 2 reactors and a bio pellet reactor will be connected to it. Here are the gfo and carbon reactors http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/06/28/uvy5u3ab.jpg


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[Big_Pun]

looking good!!

[Reefnub]

Thanks! Tank is still in algae mode so waiting for that to be gone and then time for corals.


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[Reefnub]

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/06/29/gybyda6y.jpgfricken algae http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/06/29/yzu2esut.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/06/29/ejeqedyr.jpg


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[Flyride95]

I just wanted to comment on your algae problem. I have been fighting green hair algae for over a year now. But I tried out NuAlgi and no lie my aquarium is free of algae. That and Rodi water changes religiously. And when I say water changes I only change my water out once a month. But anyway I have no clue why but it has worked for me.

[Big_Pun]

I hate that stuff, that's why I nuked all my rock from my old tank in muratic acid. then ran tank 2 weeks with no light at begining

[BBQHILLBILLY]

what the nualgi or the algae? lol nualgi sounds awesome

[Flyride95]

No he is talking about green hair algae. I believe he had live rock that easy leaching phosphate.

[Reefnub]

The tank has done its cycle but phosphates must have jumped up and here we go. I also just started my gfo reactor so I will give it some time and let the little critters get it taken care if. I also have ordered ecobak plus bio pellets and a reef dynamic adjustable pellet reactor, so hopefully that will help also. Time will tell, I don't want to put any corals in here until this is done.


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[Big_Pun]

good plan. that stuff was horrible to battle I knocked it out with Red Sea no po x, then other stuff crept up. I had a lot HA so when it died I think it released stuff. my new tank has cycled well, didn't even get diatoms this time.

[Reefnub]

Glad your cycle went smooth, for me this is the worst cycle I have ever had and the longest. The water still has a cloudy ness to it and I'm assuming it's from the free floating algae. Tanks been running 2 months or longer.


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[Reefnub]

Actually it's days away from 3 months running.


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[Reefnub]

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/07/26/yzy4azyh.jpg
Ok I have installed a Reef Dynamics bio pellet reactor and echobak plus pellets and here is what the tank looks like now.http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/07/26/ajytaqy3.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/07/26/puneqypy.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/07/26/8uvymy6y.jpg
Algae is all gone just like that.http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/07/26/y3atyry4.jpg


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[Big_Pun]

no algae!!! nice reactor

[Reefnub]

Nope no algae!!!! All gone and now I'll prolly put a algae sheet in to feed all the little critters in a couple days.


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[Reefnub]

Reactor is adjustable which makes it nice to adjust how much tank water you are cleaning so you don't over do it and actually cause algae growth. It is recirculating reactor also so the pellets stay at the tumble you want even if the return is choked down. Expensive but you get what you pay for.


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[aquasport24]

Any update?

[Reefnub]

My tapatalk is giving me hell and won't post pics. I'll get some up as soon as I get tapatalk corrected.


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[Dean]

I think the last update may have changed it up a little bit. If you want to post pics now I think you have to tap the 3 dots in the upper right corner and select reply. Then the photo options pop up.

[Reefnub]

I had to total start over so my name is Reeftub instead of Reefnub


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[Reefnub]

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/11/02/00a2e341706981bf107c61f1e1948847.jpghttps://vimeo.com/110718252


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[Reefnub]

https://vimeo.com/110718351


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[Reefnub]

https://vimeo.com/110718525


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[Reefnub]

Hopefully these videos come out clear. The video is a little more blue than what it really looks like.


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[Reefnub]

I still need a lot more corals and really need 4 or 5 small tangs.


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[Reefnub]

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/11/02/1f72089f1e8e2b2f5d2732288490c887.jpghttp://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/11/02/372117852d36165a96b4d05b070a8774.jpghttp://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/11/02/fb691c92b23e2f13a683a3e682ec5185.jpghttp://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/11/02/e91e1bba0194937e33e4470f436c985d.jpghttp://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/11/02/cc85d96c53bbdf45da907893876493c0.jpg


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[Reefnub]

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/11/02/cef0f859a28a210a0ddb975248695923.jpghttp://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/11/02/fa23f912d2f22f9c8c9614af8790d2cc.jpghttp://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/11/02/5f7f550083eb4776ace51f134a85efe9.jpg


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[Reefnub]

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/11/02/43c60a0ff5aaf4d6fbfc0bcb88796a7d.jpghttp://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/11/02/29efaf5e31b21f191a175a1c50b0e0e0.jpghttp://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/11/02/7c4e2185103307306a21ba8cb731adb1.jpghttp://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/11/02/e831f1526995c8a63a82568014fbfc4e.jpghttp://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/11/02/116d03e184b3c4b816466a8bd494c170.jpghttp://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/11/02/75801b7d1a197fbffbef9cf114855945.jpg


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[Reefnub]

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/11/02/3d46997411cf37a5179ad17c970f1a1b.jpghttp://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/11/02/cd46b874a6cbb5b3b111de672c6d98d1.jpghttp://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/11/02/0ac3275c1573b336961ab69b170c31ea.jpghttp://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/11/02/94b4ee55b652af6c5e97cfd89e68b744.jpg


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[Reefnub]

I still need to finish the lights, this is with 3-hydra 52 and still need 3 more for the coverage I want. Today I get to add the other 2 mp-40s so total of 4 mp40s and 6 total hydra 52.


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[aquasport24]

Looking good, I really like the rockwork. It going to be awesome with all those 40s and adding more lights. Glad to see another SPS lover here. What is the big purple colony in the middle?

[Reefnub]

Thanks! I'm really bad at keeping track of the sps names so sorry to say I don't know but grew that from a frag the size of a pinky finger couple years back. Yep love sps corals but also will have assorted corals and not all sps this time.


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[Reefnub]

https://vimeo.com/111810476
Just added 4 tangs last night and they are some good looking fish. They also get along pretty good so far.


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[Reefnub]

https://vimeo.com/111926077


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[Reefnub]

https://vimeo.com/111926201https://vimeo.com/111926262http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/11/15/8436a5fd47bf2dedcffc76d00e5d2531.jpg
Don't mind me I'm just documenting


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[Reefnub]

https://vimeo.com/115681037
Update video, lighting not complete and coral stocking is no where near complete. Slow ***** build but building.


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[Dean]

Your tank is gorgeous. Coming along very nicely!

[Reefnub]

Thank u Clownfitch its coming along just not where I want to be yet. Still have 3 more hydra 52 to put up and lots of sps to go. I've seen your tank and its top notch also. I don't understand why people don't post more pic of their tanks. I'll post pics just to post pics lol. Well of my old tank that was grew out anyways.


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[quicksilverz]

Dang that's a lot of room why so little live rock? Anyways sweet set up.

[Reefnub]

I put minimalist rock structure so corals grow out I will still have room for fish lol unlike my 65g I couldn't touch the sand due to sps growth and forced me to upgrade tanks.. Here is my 65g belowhttp://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/12/31/4bb2a9577a613147382e6cc52b83c1b6.jpghttp://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/12/31/fb92cddda252b0f1ea1adc29e9e3cfe5.jpg


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[quicksilverz]

ouch I will be in that same boat. That 65 is sick

[Reefnub]

That tank was lit by led only the entire time here is an old pichttp://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/12/31/3883bde8e082b92fac6f0ec227e5aee2.jpg


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[quicksilverz]

How long was that set up?

[Reefnub]

2 yrs


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[Reefnub]

It was my 1st sps tank and learning curve.


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[quicksilverz]

Well I have a 90 so I hope mine doesn't get that stacked that quick

[Reefnub]

It will eventually and you'll have to trim yo trees lol


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[aquasport24]

Looking good man. How many Hydra you having on it now? I love SPS too

[Reefnub]

Only 3 now but should have 6 when I'm done in a week or so. Thanks Aquasport24.


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[Reefnub]

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/01/17/e6d84b6ff4ba7813b9cdecf5ccf5e38b.jpghttp://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/01/17/89f55a6da1773bb6619b6d9d97e20c36.jpg
Added 3 new sps to the group, a sunset milli and 2 unknown from battle corals. Wife got them for a Christmas present and just got them today.


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[alton]

Way to go Crystal!

[Reefnub]

Yea she did an awesome job, now I only need to buy about 50 more lol.


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[alton]

Right along with the Dodge Hellcat

[Reefnub]

Yep, I can dream. I think I'm going to order me 2 sps every 2 weeks until my tank is full then time to grow out everything into one of those jaw dropping sps tanks. Hopefully anyways!


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[kkiel02]

Good choice. I read on another site how a supplier from overseas said he felt like he got better color out of the hydra 52 over the radion. I know there are soo many settings on each fixture so it would be impossible to use the exact same settings but that is what he felt was best. He said sps hydra 52. Lps he said radion.


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[Reefnub]

Thank you! Yes I read the same thing you did


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[Reefnub]

Just documenting finally got all 6 hydra 52 over the tank and dropped % on lighting to 55 front row and 50 back rowhttps://vimeo.com/118770812
Not to self use HD video camera instead of iPhone and have a steady hand!


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[Reefnub]

Documenting that I added 4 t5 to the mix on my tank 2-blue+ and 2-purple+ and the sps liked it http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/11/14/81e08ee8b9487a4505dc278582413009.jpghttp://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/11/14/fb2c52a9143fff962aeb8c8dc48d23d1.jpghttp://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/11/14/d97909b7ee33d01a28139958c6bd7e93.jpghttp://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/11/14/941449b754d42f9a4cec1a209f47e689.jpg


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[slm222]

Looks good

[Reefnub]

Thank you!


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[quicksilverz]

Holy crap

[Reefnub]

Lol


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[Reefnub]

Yea I know it's a lot of light!


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[Frogman]

Nice!!


It's in everyone's best interest to take care of those who take care of you. Support a local Veteran!

[Reefnub]

Nice!!


It's in everyone's best interest to take care of those who take care of you. Support a local Veteran!

Thank you! I try lol.

[Reefnub]

Some update shots also I added 6255 Tunze power heads which are awesome.http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/01/04/17519b02767c0ffddefa8158ee0568b0.jpghttp://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/01/04/2da326d158c64472a3c95b81efa59b41.jpghttp://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/01/04/e656c23ae1782ec91dc3ec175598bc85.jpghttp://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/01/04/f72cf2d03d42e4c949b64c805de4ceab.jpghttp://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/01/04/ca373ddfa5538b999ff84eba706c8b5c.jpghttp://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/01/04/07a12feecccef46187179a7ac802183a.jpghttp://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/01/04/ad54b37a0d439a4e01b59168f26317f4.jpghttp://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/01/04/99a5d47f6f8eb50e8eea499bef37d054.jpghttp://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/01/04/91c9863978a0b11610ae179184d7e355.jpghttp://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/01/04/630a4226184b161789eae4465b7f6733.jpghttp://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/01/04/b474177e3224f575308d8348e2077601.jpghttp://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/01/04/0dd68b008b6d1926d273f4eb45e2835c.jpghttp://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/01/04/d6549081dd23fca7c361e26dd5b331f5.jpghttp://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/01/04/01a9fd807cb0a1d93c7cfe8e17601be8.jpghttp://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/01/04/b83b66534bf92050a7a2ecc0f55e542f.jpg
And here are some new sps on frag rack waiting to encrust a little before mounting.http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/01/04/bc0a8977b46597cad29c7a4b48116ac6.jpghttp://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/01/04/15852748f56bdd5e8496753e91790650.jpghttp://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/01/04/37053df9b365672c4cb9c61511bc7139.jpg
And lps
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/01/04/9b8bce84f51d14ff013d0cf270161ae9.jpghttp://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/01/04/0bfca87adc613acfe48184b242b28e6b.jpg[IMG]http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/

[Reefnub]

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/01/04/a96971fa5d405826338a93fae6a3b5a4.jpghttp://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/01/04/c120542909b34c903cd2a204f6bd58fb.jpghttp://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/01/04/04ec085478546afc580ae88b0593e2cc.jpghttp://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/01/04/ecc0a634599b9725c154604b4d426b0e.jpg http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/01/04/2937133a5eb19904ccfcd118028968b4.jpg
And I forgot an sps
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/01/04/d9e9df21670f1fe3e34838fe68edf64a.jpg

[Reefnub]

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/01/04/b42896e158b18a9749a88f7b3879bfe0.jpg

[alton]

Tank is looking great and filling in nicely

[Reefnub]

Thank you Alton

[Reefnub]

Top down shots and a short video. Not the greatest pics or video but wanted to update.http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160418/e8720d0cda9131c3b90b894291db817d.jpghttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160418/912d43c72b4d9806e5b28a7cf1728d85.jpghttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160418/1c971ec6b720b31ebb1a367251bf19e8.jpghttps://vimeo.com/163207137

[FarmerTy]

Wow, great tank! The amount of coral cover is impressive! I've never tried taking a video from top-down. I'll have to give that a try myself.

What are your favorite acros you currently have?

[Justin]

Nice colonies man. I love it when the coral is happy and starts to table like yours. I have a tri color that is doing it and its really nice. I lost a couple of my other colonies in an alk overdose a couple of months back so the rest of my reef is still slowly encrusting or shooting up vertically. Hopefully in a years time, they will start to table like yours.

[Reefnub]

Wow, great tank! The amount of coral cover is impressive! I've never tried taking a video from top-down. I'll have to give that a try myself.

What are your favorite acros you currently have?

Thank you! Yea I like the top down views of tanks. As for favorite acro their all my favorite as long as they grow lol. I really don't have a favorite and I really never remember any names of the sps which is sad but if I bought some name brand expensive sps I'm sure I would remember that for sure

[Reefnub]

Nice colonies man. I love it when the coral is happy and starts to table like yours. I have a tri color that is doing it and its really nice. I lost a couple of my other colonies in an alk overdose a couple of months back so the rest of my reef is still slowly encrusting or shooting up vertically. Hopefully in a years time, they will start to table like yours.

Thanks! It's been a 1 year and 5 months from the start of putting the sps in my thank and have grown pretty good. The small frags I added later have started to grow well also. I'm going to have to trim up the larger colonies as they are getting close to touching others and glass. What sucks is I want to add more sps lol so I would have to put rocks on the sand bed as I have no room on the already crowded rock. If there's a will there's a way.

[FarmerTy]

I like the minimal aquascape you have going already. It's tough when colonies start growing out and you want to add more.

I say resist the urge to turn the tank into a giant rock pile just for more space for corals. It looks great as is I think but that's just my 2 cents.

[Justin]

I like the minimal aquascape you have going already. It's tough when colonies start growing out and you want to add more.

I say resist the urge to turn the tank into a giant rock pile just for more space for corals. It looks great as is I think but that's just my 2 cents.

I would agree with Ty. I started out with a nice bonsai look but the wife loves zoas, so I put a couple of small rocks of zoas on sand floor. I personally don't like the cluttered look of the rocks but it keeps the wife happy. Happy wife, means more frags in the future :shades:

[Reefnub]

I love the zoas also but I just put a small plug of them on the sand and they grow out so no rock is added they just grow on the sand. I like my minimal rock also so I may find some low spots on the back of the rock that I can stick some too or even hang the off the ledge prolly. Anyways I have a few to stick that's on the drag rack right now.

[Reefnub]

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160419/6481591e8b9def9f584aee6db2fd5f34.jpgok I lied this one maybe my favorite sps but I also love this one http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160419/0dc7513c07a9b1caf14cb454bcd32614.jpg
O wait this one http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160419/3f6e7f6d4580a2c56d5f374dab8b802b.jpgwell crap I think it's this onehttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160419/f0bff8ce066bf6ec27629e9ca22e5f8b.jpg
Lol

[FarmerTy]

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160419/6481591e8b9def9f584aee6db2fd5f34.jpgok I lied this one maybe my favorite sps but I also love this one http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160419/0dc7513c07a9b1caf14cb454bcd32614.jpg
O wait this one http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160419/3f6e7f6d4580a2c56d5f374dab8b802b.jpgwell crap I think it's this onehttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160419/f0bff8ce066bf6ec27629e9ca22e5f8b.jpg
Lol
I love all my children the same... :p

[Frogman]

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160419/6481591e8b9def9f584aee6db2fd5f34.jpgok I lied this one maybe my favorite sps but I also love this one http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160419/0dc7513c07a9b1caf14cb454bcd32614.jpg
O wait this one http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160419/3f6e7f6d4580a2c56d5f374dab8b802b.jpgwell crap I think it's this onehttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160419/f0bff8ce066bf6ec27629e9ca22e5f8b.jpg
Lol

What's the first one? I like that!


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[Reefnub]

This is what it looked like when I 1st got it and the colors have changed on me but I still like it a lot.http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160603/cbf2d0a1a7a9dcbc829881c3edeb463b.jpg

[Reefnub]

I'll take a pic when I get home of it in a whiter light.

[Frogman]

That's really nice looking.


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[Reefnub]

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160603/d956e73e35e9fb673f2d81907efdc15f.jpg
Hard to tell but it white body and blue tips

[FarmerTy]

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160603/d956e73e35e9fb673f2d81907efdc15f.jpg
Hard to tell but it white body and blue tips
Looks like you scored a nice looking acro! This is one of the main reasons I stopped ordering SPS frags online, all the vendors have turned into mariculture chopshops and sell frags before the final colors have even been achieved.

I'll only order the old school SPS that I already know what they'll end up looking like.

[Frogman]

Looks like you scored a nice looking acro! This is one of the main reasons I stopped ordering SPS frags online, all the vendors have turned into mariculture chopshops and sell frags before the final colors have even been achieved.

I'll only order the old school SPS that I already know what they'll end up looking like.

Yeah, I kinda agree with that, but sometimes it's a pleasant surprise, other times it turns purple or green and that's a real bummer. I bought 1 mariculture piece that was pure ugly brown and now I've got some nice colors coming out. It's taken 5-6 months to grow and start coloring up, but it's on it's way.

I buy what I like, I'm not chasing names (although I have a few really nice ones) I buy for my color palette and my own interests. And as they change, I change them. I'm a huge fan of swapping corals and banking with other people. I wish more people did as well.


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[Frogman]

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160604/98cc5cc521434419868a058bdada1606.jpg

This is the mariculture piece I was talking about. For some reason it didn't post the pic.


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[Reefnub]

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160604/98cc5cc521434419868a058bdada1606.jpg

This is the mariculture piece I was talking about. For some reason it didn't post the pic.


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Wow that's nice! Yea sometimes it turns into awesome piece and sometimes not lol. Here is a better pic of that acro. I'm guessing I have plenty of light if it continues to grow on the floor of the tank. May try to raise it to see if there are any changes. This enchinata has come around also which I thought was going to die in my tank lol.http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160604/eb438683773e18622eede6a03e74adb8.jpghttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160604/fa4ac49708478fc375dd998fedf076dd.jpg sorry for the poor camera skills lol.

[Reefnub]

Your colors are nice! And the polyp ext is good.

[Reefnub]

Biopellets are officially offline now so we will see if there is an improvement of coral health.

[Frogman]

Your colors are nice! And the polyp ext is good.

Thanks man! Appreciate it. I have to give most of the credit to my lights. And being patient for the first year. I tried not to rush it, I think it's paying off. Let me know when it grows out more, we can do a swap of some frags if you want


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[Reefnub]

Thanks man! Appreciate it. I have to give most of the credit to my lights. And being patient for the first year. I tried not to rush it, I think it's paying off. Let me know when it grows out more, we can do a swap of some frags if you want


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Sounds good man

[Reefnub]

Thanks man! Appreciate it. I have to give most of the credit to my lights. And being patient for the first year. I tried not to rush it, I think it's paying off. Let me know when it grows out more, we can do a swap of some frags if you want


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Do you know what par you have running right now with those lights? Mine run at 40% and I have a hair over 200 par half way down the tank and when the t5 kick on for 4 hrs it jumps to 270 par but I know it's prolly higher due to par meter not picking up all the light. I may have to up this as I get nit and phos. I run 6-hydra 52 over my 5' tank and 4-t5.

[FarmerTy]

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160604/98cc5cc521434419868a058bdada1606.jpg

This is the mariculture piece I was talking about. For some reason it didn't post the pic.


It's in everyone's best interest to take care of those who take care of you. Support a local Veteran!
Totally agree. I won't buy little frags promising what they are, like rainbow milles for $40 because I know most likely it won't stay that way.

I will however buy mariculture colonies and watch them morph over the months and see if I find a winner from the batch. It's a new joy for me to take chances on mariculture colonies and see what colors I can pull from them. Like finding a diamond in the rough...

Here's two of my favorites:

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160605/f0c61706342c99a37c0bde3aaa9ca7f2.jpg

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160605/057bda9a5ff05deca7d0d87b9b1dac37.jpg

[Reefnub]

Totally agree. I won't buy little frags promising what they are, like rainbow milles for $40 because I know most likely it won't stay that way.

I will however buy mariculture colonies and watch them morph over the months and see if I find a winner from the batch. It's a new joy for me to take chances on mariculture colonies and see what colors I can pull from them. Like finding a diamond in the rough...

Here's two of my favorites:

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160605/f0c61706342c99a37c0bde3aaa9ca7f2.jpg

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160605/057bda9a5ff05deca7d0d87b9b1dac37.jpg

Wow those 1st 2 are awesome pieces for sure! Yea my tank is full of hey that looks cool and get to watch them change lol. I pulled my biopellets offline for the record and hope it's for the good of the tank. I'm using regular Red Sea salt and want to stick with the parameters of the salt and see how that plays out.

[FarmerTy]

Thanks. Pulling the biopellets may help with acro coloration depending on your nitrate level in the tank. I've found 5ppm to be just about right for good rich colors in my acros.

Watching maricultures change is currently the most enjoyable part of the hobby right now for me.

[Reefnub]

Thanks. Pulling the biopellets may help with acro coloration depending on your nitrate level in the tank. I've found 5ppm to be just about right for good rich colors in my acros.

Watching maricultures change is currently the most enjoyable part of the hobby right now for me.

Everything seems to be alright for now except the cyano seems to be getting stringy and never has done that before http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160605/d92982fda68507ac4f4cf926ae7e1ccb.jpg should I up my gfo some to help steel the nutrients this stuff is trying to grab and suck out as much as I can?

[Frogman]

Ty, those colonies are real nice! Let me know if you're interested in a swap of frags. Especially of that first colony!!


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[FarmerTy]

Everything seems to be alright for now except the cyano seems to be getting stringy and never has done that before http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160605/d92982fda68507ac4f4cf926ae7e1ccb.jpg should I up my gfo some to help steel the nutrients this stuff is trying to grab and suck out as much as I can?
I've found it beneficial to run GFO to lower the phosphates and minimize cyano. Adjusting flow to have more flow over stagnant areas is also useful. If the tank is less than 6-months old, I really don't do anything else and it'll go away with time as the tank matures.

[Reefnub]

I've found it beneficial to run GFO to lower the phosphates and minimize cyano. Adjusting flow to have more flow over stagnant areas is also useful. If the tank is less than 6-months old, I really don't do anything else and it'll go away with time as the tank matures.

Thanks for the info, tank is 2yrs 2months old.

[FarmerTy]

What are you running on the tank currently for nutrient removal? Water change schedule? Any recent changes that may have cause the cyano?

[Frogman]

Everything seems to be alright for now except the cyano seems to be getting stringy and never has done that before http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160605/d92982fda68507ac4f4cf926ae7e1ccb.jpg should I up my gfo some to help steel the nutrients this stuff is trying to grab and suck out as much as I can?

In reading this, I'd ask what the root cause of the Cyano is. Do you have a ton of fish? A huge bioload could cause problems if it's not being taken care of.

Your sump, do you have adequate flow to prevent the huge ditritus buildup that can occur? Also, do you have a wavemaker? If so, do an alternating pulse mode to really shake up the ditritus. (Ty was right with increasing flow rates.) If not, take a small pump or power head and run it over the rocks to knock out the ditritus that accumulated in the crevasses. Also, check very carefully for dead zones and make sure you're getting surface tension being broken to release those gasses.

Lastly, try to add a bacteria to help increase your beneficial and natural nutrient removal. You also might want to up your CUC a little. Adding things like amphipods and Copepods, baby brittle stars, beneficial worms will all help keep sand and rocks cleaner.

You really need to one thing at a time however, this will help you diagnose the true issue and not be putting continuous bandaids on the problem.

Does that make sense? Hope that helps a little.




It's in everyone's best interest to take care of those who take care of you. Support a local Veteran!

[FarmerTy]

Ty, those colonies are real nice! Let me know if you're interested in a swap of frags. Especially of that first colony!!


It's in everyone's best interest to take care of those who take care of you. Support a local Veteran!
Thanks! Next time I'll be in San Antonio is for the SoaSA swap. I'll try to bring a couple frags of each if I can.

[Reefnub]

In reading this, I'd ask what the root cause of the Cyano is. Do you have a ton of fish? A huge bioload could cause problems if it's not being taken care of.

Your sump, do you have adequate flow to prevent the huge ditritus buildup that can occur? Also, do you have a wavemaker? If so, do an alternating pulse mode to really shake up the ditritus. (Ty was right with increasing flow rates.) If not, take a small pump or power head and run it over the rocks to knock out the ditritus that accumulated in the crevasses. Also, check very carefully for dead zones and make sure you're getting surface tension being broken to release those gasses.

Lastly, try to add a bacteria to help increase your beneficial and natural nutrient removal. You also might want to up your CUC a little. Adding things like amphipods and Copepods, baby brittle stars, beneficial worms will all help keep sand and rocks cleaner.

You really need to one thing at a time however, this will help you diagnose the true issue and not be putting continuous bandaids on the problem.

Does that make sense? Hope that helps a little.




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I just shut my biopellet reactor off and pulled it and that was the the main reason I had cyano. It's got a little worse after pulling pellets. I just added bacteria to the tank before I posted and will continue dosing bacteria all week to see if that helps. I run 4 mp40s on almost full blast alternating and have 2 tunze 6055s if I remember right and run those alternating at 80% and there is a lot of agitation of the surface water. I only use gfo in a reactor and a bag of rox Carbon and filter socks to clean the water. They all get changed out every 2 weeks with a 45g water change. I have 5 tangs, 2 anthias, 5 chromis, 1 nemo, 1 wrasse. I clean my glass every 2 days sometimes 3. I feed one time a day or times on the weekend. Fish are fat and healthy. I feed aminos 1 time a week and sometimes reef frenzie. Algae for the tangs 2 times a week. I do need to clean out the sump as I have a little of the bio pellet shavings in there and a little detritus but I think I have pretty good flow in the sump. I'm thinking it may take a month for the cyano to die off but was thinking sucking a lot of it out would help but I have no clue. I have 0 nit and 0 phos per Api and Hanna test kits. I know it's possible to have nutrients in a tank without cyano because tanks prior to pellets were fine. What do you guys think? Aftermath of the pellets that need to wear off? Here is videohttps://vimeo.com/169467974

[Frogman]

Your 0 readings could be false negatives though


It's in everyone's best interest to take care of those who take care of you. Support a local Veteran!

[Reefnub]

Sorry about the crappy video. I'll leave it a week and see if there is any change from adding bacteria to the tank everyday. I think that will be a start of fixing the cyano. Thanks for your help guys! See if we can kick this cyanos butt.

[FarmerTy]

How did you have your biopellets plumbed? How much were you running? What brand? How long have you been running biopellets before you just run them offline? Were they always run concurrently with GFO?

Frogman makes some excellent points regarding detritus and flow management. It seems like you have plenty of flow though.

Hopefully the added bacteria will help balance your system.

[Reefnub]

The pellets have been running the entire time this tank has been up 2y 2m and I had been slowing the out going flow from the reactor over a 2 week time span before shutting them off.http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160606/dd8ef371efe0d5be07bf6a586cb8bea0.jpghttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160606/02d94ab9ae90fba466a700f1173625e7.jpg I was using the full amount required for my water volume of 215g total. These were ran on a recirculating pellet reactor which was rated for 200g and had a adjustable flow on the outgoing side.

[Reefnub]

They were always ran with gfo and carbon. The reactor had its own pump and lines.http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160606/730309de30a324e3f2ddb2e1097bd9b8.jpghttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160606/7282efb5b1d89bd12a679cbad87adb55.jpg

[FarmerTy]

Thank you for the visuals and for being so thorough. Where was the effluent run from the biopellet reactor? Did you run it into the skimmer section of the sump? Was it plumbed directly to the skimmer intake?

Is the amount of pellets in the picture how much you were running? Was your tumble a gentle tumble? Or a quick tumble?

[Reefnub]

Thank you for the visuals and for being so thorough. Where was the effluent run from the biopellet reactor? Did you run it into the skimmer section of the sump? Was it plumbed directly to the skimmer intake?

Is the amount of pellets in the picture how much you were running? Was your tumble a gentle tumble? Or a quick tumble?

The reactor dumped just into the sump over by the skimmer but not close to the intake. The amount of pellets that are in the reactor now is the amount that were used and run. I ran a pellets at a slower tumble but started fast that's why there are a few shavings in the sump over time.

[FarmerTy]

Seems like everything was fine with the biopellet reactor setup. The only thing I could think of is actually having the effluent directly plumbed to the skimmer or at least near the intake to keep the bacterial population being released to the tank to a minimum.

Sometimes some carbon can escape the reactor and cause cyano blooms in the tank due to the excessive carbon concentration in the tank. This really only happens if the tumble is too vigorous in my experience.

I wonder if you can just run some chemiclean and wipe it out. If you are already efficiently pulling out nutrients, then the cyano shouldn't come back. If the problem still persists, the cyano will just come back.

[Reefnub]

Seems like everything was fine with the biopellet reactor setup. The only thing I could think of is actually having the effluent directly plumbed to the skimmer or at least near the intake to keep the bacterial population being released to the tank to a minimum.

Sometimes some carbon can escape the reactor and cause cyano blooms in the tank due to the excessive carbon concentration in the tank. This really only happens if the tumble is too vigorous in my experience.

I wonder if you can just run some chemiclean and wipe it out. If you are already efficiently pulling out nutrients, then the cyano shouldn't come back. If the problem still persists, the cyano will just come back.

I'm going to keep my reactor and maybe go back to ecobak which I had great results in the past with and use less as you suggested. My sps were looking bad and loss of color seemed like no matter how much I fed they would get any better. I'm hoping I can get some nitrate in the tank and I'm going to test with the Red Sea test kit to watch it raise. And then see if corals look better. If the nitrate go above 5 I may put the pellets back online with way less pellets than I did before and see if j can find that happy place. I would also do as you said and plumb the exit line to the skimmer. 30 min after pulling pellets off line I was already seeing better polyp extension and polyps on corals I hadn't seen in a while we're coming out. I almost think the pellets I was using work too good lol I'll give it a week with the bacteria and if that's not working I'll try the chemiclean which scares me lol. Thanks for the all the help and advice. I would love to have a tank like yours with all that color and growth and clean sand bed. You have a awesome tank.
These were the pellets I used for the 1st 2 years on this tank but had cyano with these alsohttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160606/8ca3a8247e7c6eeb43f410041e055fb7.jpg
I believe your right about the amount and being tied into the skimmer but I had thought my skimmer being sized for a 600g tank would take care of it.http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160606/775ab6192cb7c16dc12f11d1cac6c16a.jpg anyways I'll keep updating here as I see positive or negative. Thanks again!

[FarmerTy]

I've actually used the Ecobak pellets for over 5 years now and appreciate the quality of their pellets. I switched to the Plus formula when it came out. I can attest from personal experience that the amount recommended is ridiculous. I use about 1-1.5 cups of biopellets for an overly stocked fish population which I feed ridiculous amounts of food each day and I still barely get 5-10 ppm of nitrates. If I had followed the directions, I would be using 4x the amount needed on my tank.

Our tanks do need nitrates, especially for good SPS coloration. I aim for about 5-10ppm for nitrates and that's where I get my best coloration. I could see your tank being nitrate starved if you were running the recommended amount for your tank size.

Also, wanted to mention that I'm a big fan of the quality of construction of the Skimz skimmers. I had a Monsterz SM-201 skimmer for 2 years and was really happy with it. That being said, the ratings on those things are grossly inaccurate in application. BRS actually has it pretty spot on in my opinion for their actual skimmer ratings on those units. Mine was rated by the manufacturer for 211-528 gallons, according to BRS, for a heavily stocked system, they would rate it at 190 gallons, which actually matched up much better to the performance I was getting from it. I upgraded to a Reef Octopus 5000 and that one is definitely pulling way more skimmate than my old Skimz. Again, I think they are great skimmers, just grossly inaccurate on their gallon ratings. The only reason I mentioned is so that you may be aware that your skimmer may not be as oversized as you previously may have thought so that you can plan your system more appropriately to its actual performance.

Chemiclean is harmless in my experience. This is coming from a guy that has used it twice in two different systems with great success and I have some pretty sensitive corals. I knew I was pulling enough nutrients out of the system but the bacteria in the system just couldn't outcompete the cyano so I dosed chemiclean to tip the scales in my favor in the system. I'd use it again in a heartbeat if needed. Now if you dosed it and the cyano came back, then you definitely have a nutrient issue.

Hope you start winning in your war against cyano. I hope some of my input is helpful. Good luck!

[BBQHILLBILLY]

I ran brs pellets and had cyano. Removed pellet reactor and some sand and cyano gone. Now I run 3 cups of Ecobak plus pellets for one year on a 500 gallon setup and no cyano. I would run more but I'm using a mag 7 on a reef octopus pellet reactor.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Reefnub]

I've actually used the Ecobak pellets for over 5 years now and appreciate the quality of their pellets. I switched to the Plus formula when it came out. I can attest from personal experience that the amount recommended is ridiculous. I use about 1-1.5 cups of biopellets for an overly stocked fish population which I feed ridiculous amounts of food each day and I still barely get 5-10 ppm of nitrates. If I had followed the directions, I would be using 4x the amount needed on my tank.

Our tanks do need nitrates, especially for good SPS coloration. I aim for about 5-10ppm for nitrates and that's where I get my best coloration. I could see your tank being nitrate starved if you were running the recommended amount for your tank size.

Also, wanted to mention that I'm a big fan of the quality of construction of the Skimz skimmers. I had a Monsterz SM-201 skimmer for 2 years and was really happy with it. That being said, the ratings on those things are grossly inaccurate in application. BRS actually has it pretty spot on in my opinion for their actual skimmer ratings on those units. Mine was rated by the manufacturer for 211-528 gallons, according to BRS, for a heavily stocked system, they would rate it at 190 gallons, which actually matched up much better to the performance I was getting from it. I upgraded to a Reef Octopus 5000 and that one is definitely pulling way more skimmate than my old Skimz. Again, I think they are great skimmers, just grossly inaccurate on their gallon ratings. The only reason I mentioned is so that you may be aware that your skimmer may not be as oversized as you previously may have thought so that you can plan your system more appropriately to its actual performance.

Chemiclean is harmless in my experience. This is coming from a guy that has used it twice in two different systems with great success and I have some pretty sensitive corals. I knew I was pulling enough nutrients out of the system but the bacteria in the system just couldn't outcompete the cyano so I dosed chemiclean to tip the scales in my favor in the system. I'd use it again in a heartbeat if needed. Now if you dosed it and the cyano came back, then you definitely have a nutrient issue.

Hope you start winning in your war against cyano. I hope some of my input is helpful. Good luck!

I really appreciate your help for sure! I did use regular ecobak for 2-1/2yrs then ecobak plus on this tank and loved them but the cyano had me change pellets. My skimmer is the sm-253 dc skimmer so it's a little more than the 203 not sure what it's rated for maybe 250g. Let's see what this week brings. Thanks again.

[FarmerTy]

No problem at all. The skimz sm253 is rated by BRS for about 290 gallons for a heavy bioload, which by their description is a majority of the tanks out there. I typically aim to double my total tank volume for my skimmer rating, though I don't think this has anything to do with your cyano. I only mention because I had thought my old Skimz was double my tank volume as well and then realized Skimz over-estimates their ratings and when I got the reef octopus that was rated similarly by the manufacturer, it blew my skimz away. BRS rated it at 400 gallons which is a tad short of almost perfect.

[FarmerTy]

Last thought and I'll leave you alone. ;)

It was just reminded that cyano is a nitrogen-fixing bacteria and can thrive in low nitrate environments. I bet what happened is your biopellets stripped the water of all nitrates and the cyano became the dominant species in the tank to uptake phosphates because the competitive algaes or bacteria require nitrates to grow, whereas cyano can fix its own nitrogen.

So basically, give it some phosphates and carbon and boom, you got cyano, whether there is nitrate or not, as it can fix its own. The usual competitors to cyano have been forced out due to no nitrates and their lack of ability to fix their own from nitrogen.

Now that you've removed your biopellets, your nitrate level should rise again and allow for bacteria/algae to outcompete the cyano. Dosing bacteria will help but if it were me, I'd also run chemiclean to give the competitors a fresh start to beat out cyano this time around instead of starting against an uphill battle with an established cyano population.

[klwheat]

Just a plumbing thought for you. When I had my 250 and then on m 210, I ran bio pellets with great success. I typically used about half the recommended dose. Also, I used a pic "T" in the skimmers intake. One of the 2 parallel holes was into the simmer, one into the sump water, and the perpendicular one facing up with the bio pellet outflow tube stuck into it. Kept all the effluent into the skimmer, but also kept the intake open for all the water it needed.

[FarmerTy]

Just a plumbing thought for you. When I had my 250 and then on m 210, I ran bio pellets with great success. I typically used about half the recommended dose. Also, I used a pic "T" in the skimmers intake. One of the 2 parallel holes was into the simmer, one into the sump water, and the perpendicular one facing up with the bio pellet outflow tube stuck into it. Kept all the effluent into the skimmer, but also kept the intake open for all the water it needed.
Great share! That's exactly what's on my skimmer right now. You can also use a larger PVC elbow. I had to use that once when my sump was a bit too tight for the T fitting.

[Reefnub]

Last thought and I'll leave you alone. ;)

It was just reminded that cyano is a nitrogen-fixing bacteria and can thrive in low nitrate environments. I bet what happened is your biopellets stripped the water of all nitrates and the cyano became the dominant species in the tank to uptake phosphates because the competitive algaes or bacteria require nitrates to grow, whereas cyano can fix its own nitrogen.

So basically, give it some phosphates and carbon and boom, you got cyano, whether there is nitrate or not, as it can fix its own. The usual competitors to cyano have been forced out due to no nitrates and their lack of ability to fix their own from nitrogen.

Now that you've removed your biopellets, your nitrate level should rise again and allow for bacteria/algae to outcompete the cyano. Dosing bacteria will help but if it were me, I'd also run chemiclean to give the competitors a fresh start to beat out cyano this time around instead of starting against an uphill battle with an established cyano population.

I'm scared lol but I'm going to use chemiclean tonight at 7pm and leave it for 48 hrs like it says to help my tank. I'll leave the skimmer running but I'll remove the lid so bubbles can go back into the sump and keep oxygen levels up. When the 48hrs is up I'll do a 20% water change on 200g which is 40gallons and put new gfo and carbon and see how we're doing. Should I dose bacteria in this time period or just let things go?

[alton]

I wouldn't dose anything, I always just dump my skimmer when it gets full

[FarmerTy]

I wouldn't dose anything, I always just dump my skimmer when it gets full
I agree with Alton, I wouldn't bother dosing.

[Reefnub]

Ok it's postponed until later I don't have time with a sick kid so I'll just stick with the bacteria dosing everyday for now.

[FarmerTy]

Sorry, meant I wouldn't bother dosing the bacteria while running the chemiclean.

[Reefnub]

Yea I understood just found out my kid has a virus and it's my wife's birthday weekend so I will have to do it next week I guess when I have more time to mess with gfo, carbon and a 20% water change.

[FarmerTy]

Yea I understood just found out my kid has a virus and it's my wife's birthday weekend so I will have to do it next week I guess when I have more time to mess with gfo, carbon and a 20% water change.
Ah gotcha! Family first! Hope your kid feels better soon!

[Reefnub]

Ah gotcha! Family first! Hope your kid feels better soon!

Thanks! I'll post if any change with the cyano while dosing bacteria.

[alton]

Tony since you didn't add Chemiclean yet, make sure when you do to dilute it in saltwater and add slowly. If a strong amount comes from your return pump it will kill SPS. I use it once a year and have not had any problems since making sure it is well diluted.

[Reefnub]

Ok so if I put into a cup of saltwater from the tank and mix it then shut the tank off and add the solution to the sump and mix with the water that's in there then turn the tank back on will that be ok and not a shock. Does that sound about right?

[FarmerTy]

I think just mixing it with a cup of saltwater and pouring it slowly into the sump will be fine. I don't think there's a need to turn off the pumps personally but maybe Alton can advise better.

I've never had an adverse reaction to it from my acros but I don't think I've ever poured it near enough to one to have an issue. Just probably pure dumb luck on my part as I just poured it in front of a powerhead for quick distribution and mixing.

[alton]

On my tanks I dilute it in a gallon pitcher and then pour into the sump. Years ago I would mix it up and pour using a hose right onto the infested areas. Until the day when I poured it next to an SPS colony. Dead! Since then I started diluting and then into the sump with no issues. I just think if not well diluted, your return pump could suck up a bunch at one time and deliver a lethal dose to an SPS colony?

[Reefnub]

On my tanks I dilute it in a gallon pitcher and then pour into the sump. Years ago I would mix it up and pour using a hose right onto the infested areas. Until the day when I poured it next to an SPS colony. Dead! Since then I started diluting and then into the sump with no issues. I just think if not well diluted, your return pump could suck up a bunch at one time and deliver a lethal dose to an SPS colony?

Gotcha, I'll put it in the sump to dilute then turn on pumps. I have a large water volume in the sump so all should be good. Thanks for the help

[Reefnub]

Ok I did it, I put chemiclean in the tank tonight at 8:50 and will wait 48 hrs and do a 20% water change then add new carbon and gfo. I have the skimmer cup off and bubbles are rollen out the top like a volcano to keep the oxygen levels up. Hopefully I'll be rid of this nasty cyano once and for all and no harm to the reef.

[alton]

I added Chemi Clean to my office tank last Friday with a large water change on Saturday and everything turned out great. I am sure you will have the same experience.

[Reefnub]

I just have flash backs of my 28g tank that I used chemiclean in and it killed all my sps so it's kinda scary to me lol.

[BBQHILLBILLY]

I have never had luck with sps and chemiclean. Following along to see how this goes. I increased flow and removed sand to get rid of cyano a couple years back. I had powerheads everywhere until it was gone. I got cyano from brs pellets. Now I use Ecobak and all is good.

[Reefnub]

Ok I don't see any changes as of yet and here are some pics http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160623/b1ea29b37597b8bae94b48e725720085.jpghttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160623/d4b5271e3e5f4385590fe308e6bcf84f.jpghttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160623/68fc0a6c62374db9a4bbf95c266729e7.jpghttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160623/c19d9e4522b41fe7519fcf47007e39e0.jpghttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160623/d26ec3a1ee57aaec4d79b717a48b814c.jpg
Corals look to be fine so far and bubbles galore in the tank from the skimmer

[Reefnub]

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160623/cca524e9251878a9885dad88794af5cb.jpghttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160623/30bf79c7bc25beaff2ecb28291e2d52c.jpg
Bubbles

[alton]

When you get home tonight you should be noticing the cyano lifting off the substrate. If there is any left tomorrow take a tooth brush along with a hose and syphon the rest.

[Reefnub]

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161216/b6071f3be3d9fd05ff5459bb8d007cfc.jpghttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161216/99305ade21b9b1c9be52ca9b410b73ab.jpghttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161216/1c6cde119823e96732526259f77ee275.jpghttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161216/d88ee01db9cb59162c34abb2f50a5a7f.jpg update pics

[Justin]

Really nice man. What do you have on the frag rack?

[FarmerTy]

Looking good sir!

[klwheat]

Beautiful tank. Can't wait for my big one!


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[Reefnub]

Really nice man. What do you have on the frag rack?

I have some corals that I'm seeing if they will make it thru my struggle with alk lol and some not making it and I don't know names of them. http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161217/aea19478e6d8c665c155b08425ee1548.jpghttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161217/c308555a5773710938715625df4de098.jpghttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161217/675896028cafcc89077e21876d65b2cb.jpg

[Reefnub]

Looking good sir!

Thanks bud it's been better but it's still growing http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161217/6cf8021d1032fceb452131bb2758d49f.jpgthis was taken march of 2015 and now http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161217/091a5cf231d9495a5d361d304f37a02e.jpg so even thru my mistakes they stay alive and grow which I didn't realize until I looked back at some photos and it made me smile.

[Reefnub]

Beautiful tank. Can't wait for my big one!


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Thanks man! This is the biggest I'm going, I made the mistake in telling the wife this was my dream tank and I would get another tank unless this one leaked or whatever. I just knocked on wood!lol

[Reefnub]

I actually have my old 65g running still and thought about marking it a frag tank http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161217/de6a92dd3fc042b439aa96e4f45e8a47.jpgthe only thing living in it is the 3" emerald crab and he come out so I can see him and I feed him every other week

[FarmerTy]

That's some great growth!

[klwheat]

I've got a 215 planned and can't wait!


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[Reefnub]

That's some great growth!

Thanks and now I must get them all back to good health as I feel my phos is higher thank the Hanna says. Need to get my routine back in line and everything should come together.

[Reefnub]

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170308/6c23aaf24f582c9f3efa6cb053441afa.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170308/1097b781821313b780ca351c98185203.jpg

[Reefnub]

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170308/4d1f3b7c784bebfbd03a350a951bec96.jpg

[Reefnub]

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170308/1841801fc8350eca23abbbd745a479af.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170308/e90ee273b17892839506f787b622efdb.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170308/942064719e24b50eb7fa5c9f8a95158b.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170308/b0dd2ab172096def1c9e475f50b82bdb.jpg

[FarmerTy]

Beeeaaauuuttiiifffuuullll!!!!!!!!

[Reefnub]

Beeeaaauuuttiiifffuuullll!!!!!!!!

Thanks! That means a lot from you! It's a love hate relationship lol

[FarmerTy]

Seriously, it looks great! 👍

And I didn't realized you loved and hated me. :p

[klwheat]

😂😂😂😂


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[Reefnub]

Seriously, it looks great! 👍

And I didn't realized you loved and hated me. :p

Lol

[alton]

Looks great Tony

[Reefnub]

Looks great Tony

Thanks Alton

[Reefnub]

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170522/808291cf0aff622133d0100e62815faf.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170522/361c3e658eb6dcd6880eb424d77bd7b1.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170522/a89c24ec00eb8cf21c570659f34a4a2f.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170522/26255874d0976c546d4052dec3dfee95.jpg

[alton]

Tony looking Good! Your Tangs look fat and happy

[FarmerTy]

Fantastic!

[Reefnub]

Tony looking Good! Your Tangs look fat and happy

Thanks Alton, yea those pesky tangs always tell me to feed them.

[Reefnub]

Fantastic!

Thanks FarmerTy. Hope all is good with the baby! And hope you tank swop went ok and all is growing.

[Reefnub]

Alton, how's the tank and let's see some pics and the same for you Ty

[klwheat]

Beautiful tank reefnub. Love the pics!


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[slm222]

Fantastic looking tank!


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[Reefnub]

Thank you! Sorry it's so blue I forgot to turn the blues down for the pics.

[Reefnub]

Beautiful tank reefnub. Love the pics!


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Thanks bud! Looks like your tank is coming a lot nicely. How do you like all that extra room you have for now?

[Reefnub]

Fantastic looking tank!


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Thanks! Time flys and next thing you know your tank is full lol. Just kidding I could fit more coral in there.

[klwheat]

Thanks bud! Looks like your tank is coming a lot nicely. How do you like all that extra room you have for now?

Loving all the extra room. My wife is quickly trying to fill it! Got 18 frags at LMAR!!
Now I just need to get some fish back in it.


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[Reefnub]

Loving all the extra room. My wife is quickly trying to fill it! Got 18 frags at LMAR!!
Now I just need to get some fish back in it.


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The fish will be hard also not to over do because of how many awesome fish there are to choose from good luck and I can't wait to see what you select.

[Reefnub]

Tank has been putting along and doing well but felt like it could use a little unmmffff so I found some kalkwasser I had laying around for years and decided I would dose this in conjunction with Bionic. Tank didn’t like it at all and took it offline but it has already taken a toll on some sps. I thought that this powder would have been fine as it still looked the same. It is about 10 yrs old lol and I guess this stuff does go bad. I mixed up per instructions so it couldn’t have been that. Anyhow I bought a brand new container of kalkwasser and will try again starting today. I will start off slow with about 25ml a day dosed by my dosing unit. Here is some of the mad corals.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171015/1b752a55a021f1ec8482764dd811bde5.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171015/96d61bd5e479de45a1068084476e6ace.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171015/13c2a6bceebc3f3630eeb58ff18f2011.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171015/1daccff5415efb80380266ff123ea5b4.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171015/946c8fc088161008f90ce4b2731adc1a.jpg

[Reefnub]

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171015/46cf4232c84b3cb0d64ed3e04e530caf.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171015/1ec4b8903e03d3dc872680e0e8d3cebe.jpg

[alton]

Wow from your other post from afar everything looked great. Thanks for posting this so maybe others will not make the same mistake. Hopefully everything recovers

[Reefnub]

Wow from your other post from afar everything looked great. Thanks for posting this so maybe others will not make the same mistake. Hopefully everything recovers

Yes do t do what I did lol! I’m sure it will recover with time and if some don’t I guess I’ll have to go get some of Ty’s sticks and restock.

[FarmerTy]

Oh no! The FTS still looked good though so looks like a majority survived it. I'll try to get something organized soon and bring some frags to a meeting or something one day. Tank looks great despite the kalk havoc.

[Reefnub]

Oh no! The FTS still looked good though so looks like a majority survived it. I'll try to get something organized soon and bring some frags to a meeting or something one day. Tank looks great despite the kalk havoc.

Yea most survived and thanks. I have another problem now. My skimz skimmer pimp and power supply took a poop and they say they don’t have a replacement pump for it and skimz is coming out with a new pump so I plan to buy a Deltec for $500 to run on the tank and in the mean time I’ll buy replacement part for the skimz when they produce the parts and use it as a back up. What’s y’all thought on the Deltec skimmers? https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171016/192ed8f6fe68595dc105b3653613064f.pnghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171016/42ec56d0fc8fd889bf73d69ecba18e60.png

[Reefnub]

I know the guy from Battlecorals swears by them and even sold them.

[klwheat]

Not familiar with deltec, but I’ve loved my SRO


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[Reefnub]

So you and Ty have Reef octopuses sro? What size and do they pull nasty crap out of the water. My skimz could never pull dark dark sludge.

[klwheat]

Mine is the sro2000. Pulls out tons. How dark just seems to depend on what’s in the tank and how wet or dry I run it.


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[Reefnub]

Was thinking the sro 3000 but the drain kills me on how high it is and I don’t want to hear splashing as they say they should be at a water depth of 6” to 6-1/2”

[Reefnub]

Was thinking the sro 3000 but the drain kills me on how high it is and I don’t want to hear splashing as they say they should be at a water depth of 6” to 6-1/2”

[Reefnub]

I just saw it goes to regular 1-1/2” pvc so should be fine. Well I guess I’ll be ordering it tonight and see how it goes. I do like that it has a 2yr warranty on the pump and I hope it last longer than that lol. How long has yours been running?

[FarmerTy]

Skimz is like that guy you knew back in school that always bragged he could do more than he really could. Like bench press 200lbs when he really only can do 160 lbs. Solid construction though but overstated performance.

I run the old Reef Octopus 5000. Runs like a champ. Only complaint is the pump is a hair louder than other pumps I've heard but if you get the internal pump models, I'm sure it'll be much more quiet.

[Reefnub]

Skimz is like that guy you knew back in school that always bragged he could do more than he really could. Like bench press 200lbs when he really only can do 160 lbs. Solid construction though but overstated performance.

I run the old Reef Octopus 5000. Runs like a champ. Only complaint is the pump is a hair louder than other pumps I've heard but if you get the internal pump models, I'm sure it'll be much more quiet.

Yea so I’ve read on the skimz they can’t do what they say they can. I was thinking the sro3000 would be a good fit for my tank as it’s a 190g tank with about 20 gallons below in the sump so I would think it should do a great job. I will be running it in the sump so should keep it quiet but I’m really ready to see how much of a difference this new skimmer will make. Thank you guys for the input as I won’t go with Deltec due to worrying about getting parts later. I’ll update later when the new skimmer is in and then when it’s broke in and skimming.

[alton]

Tony if you ever want to go old school I am still using my Aqua C Urchin Pro from 2003 and on its third pump working like a champ.

[Reefnub]

Yea I couldn’t do one of those guys lol. I did buy the sro 3000 last night so I should have it this week. I love new toys and can’t wait.

[Reefnub]

Ok I got the Reef Octopus SRO3000 in and installed it and its not even broke in an pulling crud in 10 min lol. The size difference is crazy as the SRO is way skinnier than the skimz and a hair taller. Time will tell which skimz the most. Check it out guyshttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171019/9827e8328148d70867491d86bb89e683.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171019/109e0793b0fe6ac36844d70f67b2a43f.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171019/75b12b15fa74b68112e9ee2da17a3b1e.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171019/6a2b04f38f2bc6ef6027c052b4867db0.jpg

[alton]

Did you overnight ship that thing? That was quick

[Reefnub]

Yea I don’t like to wait for toys sir!

[Reefnub]

Klwheat and FarmerTy what sump water level do y’all run you SRO in? I have seen on every online site that sells these that they should be in 6” of water but my skimmer came with a paper saying 7.9” to 8.7 so should I run with what the paper says and not what’s online?

[klwheat]

Weird. I run mine in 6.5” I believe.


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[Reefnub]

Weird. I run mine in 6.5” I believe.


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That is what I have seen from everyone online and most forums. Do you think they have it nailed down finally lol?

[Reefnub]

So I fed Coral Frenzy and this guy turned into the brain lol so funny how it’s ballooned up.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171023/10c4514a20817ae764d6092c2a871876.jpg

[SantaMonicaHelp]

I think that's a good look for it, personally.

-Kamran

[Reefnub]

A little update to my 190g, I added a Clearwater algae scrubber to the tank and dropped the bio pellets and gfo. The ats has been on my tank now for 3 weeks and I’ve started seeing some growth on the screen and noticed the algae in the display start to fade a little. I’m also seeing a little more coriline algae growth than before. As it sits now I’m sitting at 0.13 phos and 20 to 40 on nitrates. Should be interesting to see how well this ats will work to reduce these down to. I’ll have to adjust the amount of hours per day and night to find the balance to keep a little nitrate and phos in the tank and to be stable. I was instructed to run the ats 24/7 until it grows in and then reduce hrs as needed. It’s going to be months until the ats is fully operational and running strong. After it grows out I will be scraping the screen every 7 days. I’m excited and can’t wait to see some lower numbers. Does anyone else have experience with an ats and is using one now? I’ll add some pictures here in a few.