JJKK

So after visiting different counselors(Nam and other reefing friends), me and my main tank are back in good grounds again. I got the mother CSB colony off the rock and "planted" it in a terracotta planter. I rearranged some ReefSaver branch rocks that have been in a brute trash can for probably a couple of months into the main tank. Added some corals that I got recently and starting to love the main tank again.

I have dealt with the monti rock. About that nem. Did every know that nems can have multiple feet? I didn't. I went to move a rock to assess what I was dealing with and I pretty much ripped the nem almost into 2 pieces. Apparently, one foot was stuck to the rock that I just moved. I can see exposed nem guts so I left it alone overnight and hoped that it would not impact its health. The next day I pretty much manually separated the 2 nems so that I can put the smaller nem with its own rock in the RSM130 to recover. It's been a week later and I am happy to report that the little guy recovered. It has since been traded to a reefer friend.

Ha. Fellow cheatin reefer.

I have already moved the rock with the monti into the RSM 130 and have started to deal with the nem. The equipment that I have for the RSM130 are: 24" AquaticLife T5 Hybrid AI 26HD(need to get a new power brick) Jeboa SLW-10 for flow (should not have sold my MP10) I have moved water from the main tank to the RSM130 from doing a couple of water changes over the last month. Tonight, I hung the T5s for the monti rock.

It's no secret that my main tank(Red Sea Reefer 525XL with a basement sump) and I haven't been doing well lately. There was the early summer NoPox experiment that ended with over 60% of my SPS RTN'd/STN'd. My Regal Angel finally figured out zoas are yummy and have pretty much mowed down all but a small patch of Magician. Now, I have a very overgrown Colorado Sunburst nem and Spogdode monti taking up over 1/3 of my tank. A Red Sea Max 130 was my first foray into the reef life. It was a used tank that I got back in 2015 as my main tank. When I upgraded to a 525XL about 2 years ago, I used the RSM130 as a quarantine tank(no meds). Now that I am pretty much done with adding fish to the 525XL, I am thinking of firing up the RSM130 as my second tank. Not sure what I will do in terms of softies or mixed. Definitely will house zoas as I miss them in the main tank. Below is the main tank with all the issues mentioned above.

I got some from Congressional Aquarium(Rockville, MD) a couple of weeks ago.

Epleeds is just trying to get your fish. He already suckered me into trading my Blue Throat Trigger. But seriously figure out why you want to do this. What are your NO3 and PO4 now and where you want to be? I traded some text with a guy tonight on R2R that has an amazing reef tank. Great colors and growth all the time. He does not know his NO3 and PO4 levels because he never measures them. I went down the path to lower PO4 because I wasn't seeing growth for a long time. I know higher PO4 can inhibit SPS growth. If you are happy with the ways your corals are looking and growing, I wouldn't go chasing #s.

Hi Eric, In May, I was around .22 PO4 and 25 NO3. I added a Tunze MAR 3151 algae reactor and got PO4 around .18 and did nothing for Nitrate. Added NoPox in early June, dosing 5/ml day on a set timer and my #s today are .08 PO4 amd between 5-12(NYOS Test Kit) on Nitrate. So, by the #s, it is working. My corals do not look so hot right now. I lost quite a bit of SPS, including the Jolt I got from you. I am not sure if the #s came down too quickly or not because in Mid-May I decided to deep clean my sand bed for the first time since I started this new tank 16 months ago. That probably caused alot of my STN issues. So, just like most things here, go slow. I am dosing 1/2 of what RedSea recommends. Also, monitor the color/health of your corals while your #s are declining.

Hey. Hope you are going to try to breed them like with you do with the copepods. I have not seen them in LFS. As Lynn mentioned AquariumDepot during their buy 1000 get 1000 sale is probably the best bet. I also have gotten them from FloridaPets, Aquaculture Nursery Farm(via Amazon or rusalty.com) and even had them shipped from Hawaii(Indo-Pacific Sea Farms - ipsf.com). They all look pretty similar though the HI ones were a little bigger. Never could get them sustain themselves in a fuge or DT. Though my DT has a few wrasses, Copperband, and even the Regal Angel that would eat 'em. Hopefully you can be the local source to get amphipods.

Here is my AB+ Schedule on G4 Pro:

I use a Vertx RX-C 6D CaRX + Kamoer FX-STP peristaltic pump on the effluent output line. I have a rock solid 2-stage valve/solenoid that goes from the CO2 tank to the CaRX. For media, I am using Two Little Fishies ReBorn and ReMag. The Apex manages this setup with the PH probe from the CaRX going into the Apex to set the high and the low levels of the PH. At the high PH level, the outlet turns on the solenoid that lets in CO2 into the CaRX. When the PH level reaches the low level setting, the solenoid shuts off. I do have a Trident so I get measurements of ALK 4 times a day and calcium/magnesium 2 times a day. To tune this setup, I set the output of the 2-stage valve to achieve about 2 bubbles per second and make sure that is consistent. Then I set the output side of the peristaltic pump to be a consistent drip(50ml/min for my setup). Once the input(CO2 gas) and the output(effluent) are at a consistent level, you only just adjust the PH probe high and low settings to achieve your desired ALK level. At some point, you may also want to adjust the peristaltic pump output to match the level of ALK/CA/Mag consumption in your tank. Do note, that Vertx is now out of business. And Two Little Fishes ran into some sourcing issue with the ReBorn media. But I think they are looking to get through that by the end of this summer.

It's pretty accurate so far for me. It has helped me to stabilize my system without during a lot of manual testings. Reagent supply is a problem under current COVID environment. Neptune shipped out all they got on hand a few weeks ago and asked distributors/stores to trickle them out. It will be tough getting the reagents in the near future. No one know when the reagents refill will be back as generally available. People are coming up with various strategies(manually testing once per day) to ride through this shortage. Depending on if you also got a 6 month supply(can carry you through the next 8 months), you may or may not want to hook it up yet as there are adverse effects to making the reagents last longer.

The Jebao PP8 interior magnet look exactly the same as the one designated for the outside. You can also vacuum seal if you have a foodsaver,

I have had the same issue a few months back. The Yellow Belly Regal Angel would eat one or 2 bites of the LRS Fish Frenzy or the frozen littleneck clam and swim away. He was very plump when I first got him then I noticed a flattened area where the pectoral fins are, presumably where the stomach is. I did noticed that it would hunt around the live rocks for amphipods throughout the tank. I then Prazipro the whole tank with a full treatment(prazi according to tank volume, 20% water change 4-5 days and Prazi again for another 5 days). Meanwhile getting thousands of amphipods for him to snack on. After the full treatment, he was eating more vigorously. Now I feed it the frozen clam and it would take 15-20 deep bites. I also now feed it Hikari Mega-Marine Angel cubes with forceps and it would take chunks off of that. He then would go after any free floating bits that melted from the cube. I think I am out of the woods as I have had this fish since the end of Jan, but it is not plump. I tried everything else that you feed, including live black worms. It didn't eat until I Prazi. I would suggest you take it out to Prazi or Prazi your DT if it is in there already. I would have also fresh dipped if I could have caught him from the display, but I did not. Good luck. They are beautiful fish.

Thanks for the feedback. Yeah, safer bet is to get a small tank to culture amphipods.

Do you know if the system would also support amphipods culture?

Looks like feather duster/tube worms.

Their facebook post has the latest date(s). A couple of weeks ago it was to be September 4th but when I checked yesterday, it said the 14th.

You can go with AI Hydra HD versions(26 or 52) that connects to APEX without needing any modules. The non-HD versions require the discontinued AWM(AI Wireless Module). You can also go Ecotech Radions. They will require the WXM module to connect to APEX.

I am using Tunze Coral Gum. No smell or residue when mixing the 2 parts. I do also use BtmDweller super glue/epoxy combo method. Either Gorilla Glue Gel or IC Gel for the super glue part.

Looks like some sort of wrasse. But i have not seen that pattern/color combo before.

Have you checked out the AI Signature Series link(http://www.aquaillumination.com/signature/)? Mostly SPS dominated tanks but if you scroll through, you can see some with mixed reefs.