Origami

I'm in trouble. I haven't made a deliberate attempt to clean my sandbed in the 12 years that this tank has been set up. I just adopted a rather large engineer goby from a friend who is moving. He's been busy turning over the sanded at one end of the tank. No issues from his efforts, either. Though I now have nice white mounds of sand that he's cleared from the tunnels he's excavated. There are certainly issues with some deep sandbeds accumulating detritus or, worse, pockets of hydrogen sulfide. But I wouldn't be too quick to come to that conclusion. Sent from my Note 10+5g using Tapatalk

Off hand, it sounds like you both have been stung. My guess, in that case, is the torch coral. Especially if the bumps are localized. If each bump is at a hair follicle, though, it may be a bacterial infection. Were often pretty cavalier about reaching into our tanks and simply drying off. However, bacteria can thrive in the water column - and some can be rather harmful. For example, look up mycobacterium marinarum infections for an example. I believe John from BRK had an issue with it many years back. I may be misremembering, though. But somebody here did suffer from it. This is a good reminder. We all should consider washing with soap and water after reaching into our tanks. Sent from my Note 10+5g using Tapatalk

Looks like diatoms. Most all new tank setups go thru this phase. Normal. Sent from my Note 10+5g using Tapatalk

I like your concept of floating the tank in the wall. When I built out my basement, Phase 1 was my fish room. Priorities, you know. I tied into a wall that I built, with intentional reinforcement of the 2x4 wall structure to bear part of the tank weight. This framing serves as a sill allowing the front glass panel to lay flush with the wall. Someday, when breaking the system down, I'll have to pull some decorative trim on the room facing side and remove two 2x8's that jut out into the fish room (serving as side rails supporting the tank) before drywalling the opening closed. All of my equipment is in the room. None accessible from the front. However, I do leave openings in front above the tank to feed the fish from the front to make it easier to watch them eat. I plan to create doors for the openings but, years later, still haven't. My wife still occasionally asks me about it, though. Sent from my Note 10+5g using Tapatalk

Funny that you mention National Harbor. We looked at that, too, in 2015 and it was the most expensive venue of them all. I don't think that Tysons has the exhibition, banquet, and meeting floor space that's needed in any one facility. I could be wrong about that because so much has changed since I worked right in that area. Metrorail access to Dulles, National and DC make Tyson's a viable alternative if the floorspace and economics worked. If, after recent events, MACNA has to scale back and, if they bring back club competition/hosting, then perhaps DC would be viable again. After all, we're a premier tourist destination and that helps traveling attendees justify the trip, tacking on a few extra tourist days. We'll just have to see what a "re-architected" MACNA might look like in the future.

I'll give you my opinion as somebody pretty close to the planning of these events and some of the issues that surround it. The simple answer falls in the range of unlikely to no. The reason is convention-center economics. First-tier cities (e.g., NYC, San Francisco, Seattle, and, to some extent, DC) are very expensive. When we hosted the event in 2015, we explored using the DC Convention Center but, between the cost for the venue, hotel, and the food-and-beverage commitments, we deemed it prohibitively expensive to go there. Instead, we took the show to the Marriott Wardman Park near the National Zoo and used all three of their exhibition show rooms for the exhibitor show floor. We had low ceilings, carpeted floors, and the floor plan was complicated by having to subdivide into three very large rooms, some of which were oddly shaped, but we managed. In addition, this club really turned out to support the event with a greater base of MACNA volunteers than I have ever seen at MACNA. People loved and raved about how we were easy to find (volunteers wore a bright red t-shirt identifying them) and everywhere. So labor costs were limited to union-support for certain trades and for event security. And it was, at that point in time and perhaps even now, the largest, most-attended, and economically most successful MACNAs ever. But the convention-center model is a slightly different beast and, with relatively little competition in DC, still remains expensive. The event has, under the MASNA-managed model (in place since MACNA 2018) has relied somewhat less on local volunteers and filling some positions with paid, short term staff. These all increase costs that have to offset revenue. To close the gap, in a first-tier city, you have to rely on higher hotel costs, higher ticket prices, and higher exhibitor/sponsor costs AND increased attendance/foot traffic. It's difficult to do all that and that's the reason for why I think it would be unlikely that it would come back to DC proper (in the near term) using the Convention Center as the venue and the current MASNA-managed, convention center model. Again, just my thoughts.

I can still picture you at the volunteer coordinator's station in your red t-shirt. Thanks. Your effort and that of so many made the 2015 show a record-smashing success. Sent from my Note 10+5g using Tapatalk

That's coming. Ticket sales for 2023 have long been closed as what to do was considered. Similar for booth sales. Sent from my Note 10+5g using Tapatalk

Ha! The dangers of typing on my phone! Corrected. But 2014 (Denver) was definitely a success. As was ours in 2015. Sent from my Note 10+5g using Tapatalk

Let's bypass the rumors. For now, let's just say that success was looking very difficult to achieve in 2023. And, after 2 years of cancelations for the in-person event, and an underperforming Milwaukee event, that it is time to regroup and see if the next MACNA can return to meet it's high standards as well as attendee and exhibitor expectations. Pittsburgh wasn't looking like it could do that so, rather than further damage the brand, it was canceled and a new effort is being launched to make 2024 an unqualified success. Sent from my Note 10+5g using Tapatalk

Just out: The MASNA Board regrets to announce the cancellation of MACNA 2023 in Pittsburgh, PA. The Board is working on bringing MACNA back in 2024. Stay tuned as we re-craft the premier hobbyist-driven marine aquarium show in the US. Sent from my Note 10+5g using Tapatalk

By the way, the above quote is the voice of experience. I once had an acrylic 180 with eurobracing (like the tank in your picture but in standard 180 dimensions. When it came time to move, I couldn't get some of my larger colonies out of the tank (intact). So, knowing that I wasn't going to keep the tank anyway, I braced the top of the tank with wooden beams and bar clamps and, using a circular saw, cut most of the eurobracing out. Pretty extreme, but it worked.

A standard 120 is a better fit. But, if you're up for it, either get it with external overflows or drill and install them yourself. Depending on where you live, a member here may be able to help you with this if needed. Sent from my Note 10+5g using Tapatalk

I didn't realize that the 36-inch dimension on the acrylic tank was height. That tank is unsuitable for a reef in my opinion. The euro bracing on top leaves little room to move stuff in and out (especially if you have colonies growing on rock one day in the future) and will block a lot of light. Also, more depth means more water for light to have to penetrate. Plus, unless the light is fairly directive, you'll lose a lot of light to spillover. No, hard pass on that tank, too. Sent from my Note 10+5g using Tapatalk

Having owned both acrylic and glass displays, I'd never go back to acrylic. The main reason is keeping the panels clean and clear of coraline algae. If you're not on top of it all of the time, it's a royal pain to be armpit-deep with a hand scraper chipping away using a plastic scraper. However, on the plus-side, it's clearer and a lot lighter. And the tank you cited is 36" front to back, that gives a lot of room for aquascaping. Make sure that the panels are of an appropriate thickness or braced, otherwise the acrylic can bow outward. Flat bottom means putting the tank on a sheet of foam to distribute weight evenly. I prefer glass but the dual corner overflows take up too much space in the tank that you mentioned. It's also just 18" front to back. I wouldn't go for anything less than 24" front to back and definitely would prefer an external overflow box so I'm not taking up a lot of space with top-to-bottom overflows. Honestly, my thought here is to wait for something better in glass. But if you're set on one of these two, I'd go with the acrylic simply because of the extra front-to-back space. Just know that, with this tank, you'll have to really stay on top of the display-panel maintenance.

Moved topic to the ERC forum since (monkiboy/ERC) status has changed to Platinum Sponsor.

Big thanks to ERC for rejoining the WAMAS family as a Platinum Sponsor!

Got it. I think you do, too. Good luck battling the dinos.

Kaiser, simply put: When the sample tests within the range of the meter without dilution, use that measurement. So, trust the 1.40 ppm measurement. But, also realize that the 1.40 measurement has an accuracy error associated with it. That same sample in another meter or with another reagent might measure out to 1.30 ppm or 1.5 ppm. Same sample, different readings. But ALL within the accuracy specification of the device. Only use the diluted sample if your undiluted sample exceeds the range of the meter. The instructions for that meter say you'll see a blinking "5.00" if that's the case.

Let's see what the results are. You should also send in a sample of your mom's tank water to note any differences that might be playing into this. It's odd to have two tanks, both being run the same way using the same water and stuff and to have one losing its residents, most notably, right after a water change. Reef Crystals is a good product. Most all RO/DI have carbon chambers. It's there to reduce membrane-damaging clorine. If you're using the same water for your mom's tank and yours, then I can't see how your RO/DI would have anything to do with it. Or your salt mix. Salinity shouldn't be an issue either as long as the same topoff approach is being used in both - that is, topping off with fresh (not salt) water. If your equipment isn't the problem and your water's the same, then it's a bit of a mystery. ICP-OES analysis will not tell you, however, if you have organic toxins, pollutants, etc. in your water because the process will break molecules up into their component elements and ions.

A pH probe taking a static (single) measurement would not give you any real hint of reduced alkalinity. However, one that plotted the alkalinity measurement over time (e.g., hour to hour, day to day, and week to week) can give you an indication that alkalinity is decreasing. Aquarium controllers like the Apex collect and display this sort of data. It's one of the ways I can tell if the CO2 in my calcium reactor cylinder has emptied. (I could look at the gauge, of course, but I can't tell you how many times it took looking at the pH curve to tell me that I needed to swap out cylinders.) pH has a daily diurnal cycle that rises during the day as CO2 is consumed by photosynthesizing zooxanthallae in the coral flesh. At night, photosynthesis shuts down and the coral polyps go into respiration mode - that is, they breathe oxygen and release CO2. The increase in CO2 causes the pH in your tank to drop overnight. Thus, a plot of tank pH over time looks like a sine wave of sorts, bottoming out in the early morning before the lights come on and peaking sometime during the day when the lights are brightest (typically close to when the lights go out). If alkalinity were relatively constant in your tank, this rise and fall (i.e., diurnal variation) would oscillate around a horizontal trend line. But, when alkalinity falls, the trend line of the diurnal variation is downward (toward more acid). Likewise, if alkalinity were accumulating, this trend line would be upward (toward more basic).

Assuming that you followed the dilution instructions correctly, your "before dilution" reading is more trustworthy. This is because of the specification for the Nitrate LR checker which Hanna specifies as follows: +/- 0.25 ppm +/- 2% of reading at 25C (undiluted); and +/- 2.5 ppm +/- 5% of calculated reading using dilution. So, from the first, undiluted, sample, your nitrate range is 1.13 ppm at the low end to 1.68 ppm at the high end. And, from the second, diluted sample, nitrate range is 1.14 ppm at the low end to 6.51 at the high end. Dilution is probably something you'd only do if your (undiluted) nitrate measurement exceeded the range of the meter (that is, 5.0 ppm).

The Spring Meeting date has shifted out to May 6, 2023. The Summer Meeting date has been brough in by one week to July 15, 2023. Speaker for the Spring Meeting is Marc Levenson (of https://www.melevsreef.com). Speaker for the Summer Meeting is Sanjay Joshi.

Because you seem to be tying fish symptoms to water changes, I'm concerned with your storage container (hyper tough you called it). I'm unfamiliar with that particular trash can, but if it's leaching plasticizers into your change water, you might see something similar to what you're experiencing. In the past, many of us limited our mixing and storage containers to the gray-colored Rubbermaid Brutes. Some other trash cans were known to be problems and were to be avoided. Today, I mix and store in 75-gallon food-grade HDPE containers, so I've not kept up on the trashcan scene. Perhaps somebody else can comment on this hyper tough can. Sent from my Note 10+5g using Tapatalk

Nitrates and phosphates aren't high enough to be a problem for fish. How long before a fish starts exhibiting symptoms (from the time you put it in the tank)? What are the symptoms (e.g., fast breathing, uncoordinated swimming, lethargy)? Any signs of discoloration on their bodies or gills? Some discoloration might look like bruising, or flecks of salt, or even like a coating of powdered sugar for example. Marine velvet, for example, can obliterate a tankful of fish in a matter of days. How often do you feed? Is it all consumed, or does waste settle onto the sand and in the corners? You have a lot of algae growth in some pics. Do you have any inverts living/thriving in the system (snails, crabs, etc.)? If the fish start exhibiting problems fairly quickly after being put in the tank, please test for ammonia and nitrite. I think somebody suggested you take a sample of your water to an LFS for testing. I'd do that soon. See the other unanswered questions in previous post and respond as quickly and as accurately as you can. Some key questions whose answers should be easy remain unanswered. Sent from my Note 10+5g using Tapatalk