Squishie89

Wow. It has been a while. Work took over my life (still has). So progress pretty much stopped. I recently got a bug to work on the tank, which inspired a lot of progress. The tank now has lights (2 radion xr30 pros). Next up is finishing the lids and configuring the controller (upgraded the apex brain to the new one) I also have a mindstream I will be setting up once the tank is running. I still have a temporary system downstairs which has 1 clownfish, 1 gum drop coral croucher and 1 randalls goby (and snails) I'm going to try and get back into the on-line part of the hobby. I miss you all so much.

Not a magnet one, but I like this one for anything calcified or encrusted- https://smile.amazon.com/Kent-Marine-100100979-pro-Scraper-24-36-Inch/dp/B006YFZ6WW/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1522118824&sr=8-6&keywords=aquarium+scraper&dpID=313h2dB46WL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

So I was going to run my Build My LED lights on my new build, but I went to clean them the other day and they are dying. So I need to look into new lights. What lights are you running? Are you happy with them? Please only answer for mixed reef tanks.

This, about maintenance. I hate them because of this. SO MANY PARTS. I am going with vortechs for my new build.

That seems right. I unfortunately haven't gotten it to function yet, nor am I getting any corals any time soon. I was going to use it with a dip. Oh and mine came with the panworld pump, still seems effective.

So for Christmas I got the (small) Coral Typhoon coral dipping tank. I will post my full review when everything is complete. Does anyone else have this?

Well we made tremendous progress this weekend. We finished the majority of the control board and got it mounted to the wall. There is a hinge so I can completely access the back. I also added sand to the tank. Next up is slowly adding RODI water in pre measured increments so I can better tell how much water is in there. Need to build the lid. And of course finish mounting and threading wires and then begin setting up the apex. And I want to change the return nozzles at some point. Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk

I had a polyclad problem. Luckily they were isolated in one rock. I used boiling freshwater and would squirt it in the holes where they lived, then catch most of the pieces that would fly out. It was a crazy few nights doing all that, but it worked. Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk

I use RODI. Just changed the filters today though because they were overdue. During the height of the algae problem I managed to kill a sea hare, urchin, various species of snails. I killed off my 2 hermits and various snails that came from my last tank. Recently killed 2 turbo snails and a sea hare. Only inverts that have lived through this is 1 nerite and a bunch of nassarius snails, and currently 1 white/black turbo snail (2 weeks so far). I am going to add an external filter I have to help filter the water even more.

So I found out the big reason I was having such an algae problem in my temporary tank system (which has been up a couple years now...) and why I couldn't keep any new inverts alive is the phosphates were high. Once I added a filter pad to start absorbing those compounds, algae was slowing down, I even started to see some of the inverts I used to have come back. So I decided to try some new inverts to help with the algae. Well, 3/4 died. I am mostly assuming the phosphate levels are still too high for new inverts, but I had another theory. I know that algae absorbs phosphates. Can the phosphate levels in the algae reach such high numbers that an invert who eats it essentially gets phosphate poisoning?

I would at least get battery powered air pumps. Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk

Do you have another photo? Could you describe what it looks like? Hard to tell what I am looking at in that photo Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk

Could always donate to fragfest =) Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk

That is really interesting, and kind of scary for me because I am doing an all dead rock tank. Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk

Some progress?!?! So today I worked on the control panel. This has been a huge stress-er for me. Nothing is permanent, just trying things out. I have placed 3 extra slots for other apex modules just for flexibility and upgrades (I don't have the modules for the lights yet, and I can't decide if I should). 2/3 of the led ballasts are currently in use so I cannot put them on the board right now. The holes are for cord management, to put the cords out the back so it looks nice. Thoughts?!?!!

Yay! I have wondered about him. Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk

Looks like a type of limpet to me, maybe a keyhole or elephant Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk

I may have accidentally lied. I could of sworn I saw him say he wouldn't make them anymore, but I can't find it. You can always ask him, Scott is a very nice, generous guy.

The amazing gentleman from Alternative Reef made it. I believe this may be the last one he made. It has holes for frag plugs, I plan on using it for corals that have a tendency to spread to try and keep them contained. Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk

Just curious peoples opinions on the best way to cycle a tank that has dry rock and sand WITHOUT using live rock or live sand to seed it? Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk

Here are some photos of what I have got going on. 90g tank with a overflow cover and dry rock Custom sump Huge ATO reservoir Giant cabinet from Ikea (not finished yet, I have lights to install) Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk

I am so thrilled to finally be making progress on this tank. It has been in progress for years. My previous display was wrought with problems, including a heavy infestation of hydroids which ultimately made me tear it down. It was a dark cloud with silver lining, getting the chance to redo the display having learned so much will make such a difference. Well I now finally have done the rockwork which has been a huge obstacle for me since I began working a year ago. Next will be sand, then water then off to the races! This tank will be a mixed reef with a dominance in LPS and soft corals and fish. More later!! Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk

No rocks against the glass anymore. Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk

Redid it. I like it! Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk

Thanks for the input guys, it means a ton! I am coming back to it tomorrow. I will move that rock off the glass and see if I can stack it towards the side. I really love the arches I have going, fish going through tunnels/arches is very cool to me, so trying to keep as many arches as possible. And still trying to avoid deadspots! One of the semi problems I ran into is I decided to dedicate the overflow cover rock thing to corals that like to spread, so I don't want any rocks that touch the main rock system to touch that. Hopefully with some rest and fresh eyes tomorrow I can make it work and not look terrible. I tell myself it will look better when covered with life. Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk