therootcause's Waterbox Reef 180.5 and Fish Room Build

[therootcause]

Duplicate post - mod, please delete.

Edited August 3, 2023 by therootcause
Duplicate post - mod, please delete.

[therootcause]

Duplicate post - mod, please delete.

Edited August 3, 2023 by therootcause
Duplicate post - mod, please delete.

[therootcause]

Here are the PAR meter readings as of 8/1/2023. I noticed fading and loss of flesh in the green slimer and fading in the montis, so I turned down lights and took readings.



There are some typos but you get the gist. Ranked by highest par at current settings. Values for the top 10 corals were 25% higher before turning down the LED light to current settings. Yikes.

[Aquastudent]

I appreciate you sharing your PAR measurements and coral locations. This is helpful for those looking to get into the hobby by fixing them concrete data to compare. 

 

It's also admirable how you've been overcoming the recent setbacks. Keep up the great work!

[therootcause]

I appreciate you sharing your PAR measurements and coral locations. This is helpful for those looking to get into the hobby by fixing them concrete data to compare. 
 
It's also admirable how you've been overcoming the recent setbacks. Keep up the great work!

Thank you. I’ve since reduced the PAR further as some of my SPS was bleaching out and the birdsnest has polyps bailing. I’ll take more measurements tonight and post them this week.


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[therootcause]

This is also a “fish room” build thread so let’s have a look at that.

I got the old cabinets and countertop from a kitchen remodel at work.

The peg board I got from a building demo, and the rest of the wood was leftover from various projects.

The basement ceiling will stay open and accessible in this room, plus there was already plumbing so I installed this macerator pump to lift the sink water up to the drain. I have another one of these VEVOR pumps on the other side of the basement and haven’t had problems with it so I decided to use the same pump for the fish room.

I have white LED panels to install overhead but haven’t gotten to it yet. I also have to run the permanent electrical for the macerator pump. There is currently an extension cord taking it to an outlet.

I mounted a power strip and an air bank for bubbling pods, artemia, and baby peppermints. The coral QT tank has been running for several months, and I have cabinet storage underneath to keep chemicals away from the kids. On the far right I have the air pump, which will also need an outlet if I decide to keep it there.










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[therootcause]

I was finally able to plumb water to both of the sinks in the fish room. Lots of pex ring crimping. Both drain into the same macerator pump.

Our contractor is working in the basement today so the tank has been given the serial killer bed sheet. 🫣






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[therootcause]

Yesterday I welcomed two new pajamas, a starry blenny, and a second fighting conch. Acclimated everyone for 20 mins and dumped them in. I’ve learned nothing and have chosen to forego QT, again. Praise be to UV

The pajamas immediately fell into the school with the other five. They are really a delight to watch when gathered together. The blenny found the perfect cave within 30 seconds and I may only see his head for the next few days.

Blenny in cave…





I’ve lost some acros. The lights were too hot (PAR) and so I raised them a few inches and turned them down. The softies have long stalks and are reaching up for the light now. I’ll have to find a balance. This week I’d like to mount a few pieces that I have on islands in the back and also cut the tips off of my burnt acros. I’ve also lost the birdsnest colony.

My gorgeous nem also split. It has the most exceptional bubbles. It’s bubbles even have bubbles. I couldn’t be happier with this $5 nem from the last frag swap at TFP.



A few more updates on sponges and corals. The neptheas are pinching off lots of babies that are collecting in one area of the tank and even attaching to the back glass. It’s my favorite coral in the tank and is pictured as the last photo in this post so to have more is a win.







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[nburg]

oooooo that last leather coral pictured is awesome. Blue capnella?

[therootcause]

oooooo that last leather coral pictured is awesome. Blue capnella?

I got it from Randy B. in Severna Park. I think he got it as a wild coral from Soheil.

I call it the “Randy B. Rare Neptheidae” aka “RBR Neptheidae.” I haven’t tried to narrow it down from there but the lack of sclerites, the lines along the trunk, and the random babies twisting off I’d guess a capnella.

Two of my RBR’s are 10+ inch corals and they drop babies at the same time then stop for a month or two.

A baby from the same coral is pictured center (leaning right, to the right of the pajamas).



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[therootcause]

I’ve been driving pH higher with a homemade CO2 scrubber and Kalkwasser since last week. I moved the probe two nights ago and everything went haywire. I recalibrated with 7.01 & 10.1 solution and the results remain unchanged. I’ll need to test pH manually and compare. I also bought a new probe from BRS as the current probe is 5 years old. Alkalinity remains at 8.4 dKH.

The CO2 media looks good but I picked up a new reactor today from a friend.



Yesterday I plumbed up the frag tank, adding about 40-45 gallons to the overall water volume.




I’ve been dealing with this fish injury/illness the past couple of days. On Saturday afternoon I noticed a curvature in the mandarin’s spine and odd swimming behavior. A few hours later it was spiraling ipward into the water column.

Here is the R2R thread.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/seemingly-healthy-mandarin-now-swimming-in-spirals-has-lost-control-of-its-balance-buoyancy.1005777/#post-11716690


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[RW09903]

Speaking about a nice design! I like the concept of having viewable panels that are not obstructed by equipment/pumps. Do you have any flow issues on the left side of the tank? 

[therootcause]

On 9/22/2023 at 6:18 PM, RW09903 said:

Speaking about a nice design! I like the concept of having viewable panels that are not obstructed by equipment/pumps. Do you have any flow issues on the left side of the tank? 

 

Not yet.There is an MP40 on the far right side and also a couple Jebao powerheads on the back that you can't see.

[therootcause]

Last week I was in Orlando and visited WWC and Top Shelf Aquatics.

I ended up getting several pieces from TSA shipped home.

Blue & Green Sympodium
TSA Grizzly Galaxea
No name acro
Finger leather
Turbinaria Heronensis (Hero Coral)
2 x D. deformis anemone hermit crabs
8 x blue/green chromis

I combined my selection with a friend and TSA shipped everything home at no cost after our trip. All items were expertly packaged and arrived exactly as they appeared in the shop.

10/10 would recommend TSA.

 

Edited September 27, 2023 by therootcause

[ArmyVetReefer]

Still looking good man! Just picked up my new tank sunday. I might start a build thread

[therootcause]

1 minute ago, ArmyVetReefer said:

Still looking good man! Just picked up my new tank sunday. I might start a build thread

 

Do it!  What did you get?

[ArmyVetReefer]

1 hour ago, therootcause said:

 

Do it!  What did you get?

I ended up getting a custom acrylic tank built 

 

48x24x18

[therootcause]

4 minutes ago, ArmyVetReefer said:

I ended up getting a custom acrylic tank built 

 

48x24x18

 

Awesome.  I look forward to seeing that build thread.