Ryan's 150g Marineland Deep Dimension!

[epleeds]

I would test all my parameters before I put $500 of coral into the tank if my current frags looked like that. Or all the new frags will look the same.

[Jan]

If you just started using 2 cups GFO and it were me I'd reduce the GFO to 1 cup. Instructions for mine say 1 cup per 100 gallons. I added 2 cups for my 156 and 55 gallon sump. 1 week later SPS started to bleach. I've used 1 cup in the past but couldn't get 0 phosphate and that's why I increased it. I have 0 phosphates now so I stopped the GFO and did a water change. I'm going start back up at 1 and 1/4 cup in about a week.

[surf&turf]

How long have you had those frags? Looks like they didn't grow, encrust, nothing.

 

I would say not enough of something, be it light, food, flow.

 

Did you have these when you were running your tank fallow?

[Ryan S]

I would test all my parameters before I put $500 of coral into the tank if my current frags looked like that. Or all the new frags will look the same.

Eric, I test on a regular basis, and the tank has been stable for many months now. Plus, 25 of the 30 frags I started with are doing fine. If they ALL looked like this, then I would have never added all the new ones, for sure. I don't think the problem is systematic, that is, a major parameter being off, otherwise I would have this problem with everything, not just a couple of the frags. With that said, I would still sleep easier if I knew what happened to these 5. I'd prefer not losing 17% of the new ones either.

 

If you just started using 2 cups GFO and it were me I'd reduce the GFO to 1 cup. Instructions for mine say 1 cup per 100 gallons. I added 2 cups for my 156 and 55 gallon sump. 1 week later SPS started to bleach. I've used 1 cup in the past but couldn't get 0 phosphate and that's why I increased it. I have 0 phosphates now so I stopped the GFO and did a water change. I'm going start back up at 1 and 1/4 cup in about a week.

Thanks Jan. I can always turn the GFO off for a couple months and see how the tank responds. I've seen more than a few posts by folks with SPS tanks that did that and their tanks came back real healthy. On a sidenote, I'd also like to remove the carbon as well, especially after the article that linked carbon with HLLE. On the other hand, I'd lose the crystal clear water that carbon provides. Something I'm thinking about.

 

How long have you had those frags? Looks like they didn't grow, encrust, nothing.

 

I would say not enough of something, be it light, food, flow.

 

Did you have these when you were running your tank fallow?

If you go back far enough in this thread, you'll see when I got them. I'd say about 4 or 5 months ago? They were a large order from Mr. Coral. About 35 or so. 5 died within a week, leaving me with about 30. 25 are thriving in my tank, they are not shown above. These 5 are the weird ones. If you look closely, there is tissue on them that's alive, you can even see PE. But then there are those bare spaces sporadically on them. Back 4 or 5 months ago, they were all tissue with PE, so they have receded, but in a patchy way, not top to bottom or bottom to top. I don't see flat worms, red bugs, or nudi's on them, nor so I see bite marks, etc. I figure some SPS make it, and some don't, and maybe these just aren't going to make it for some random reason or another. I did have them while the tank was fallow. I haven't tossed them yet because they do have the living tissue on them still. Maybe there is a way to save them. Clip off the dead parts, or dip them and keep them on the frag rack and see if they can recover, etc?

[onux20]

I can always turn the GFO off for a couple months and see how the tank responds. I've seen more than a few posts by folks with SPS tanks that did that and their tanks came back real healthy. On a sidenote, I'd also like to remove the carbon as well, especially after the article that linked carbon with HLLE. On the other hand, I'd lose the crystal clear water that carbon provides. Something I'm thinking about.

 

 

I don't see flat worms, red bugs, or nudi's on them, nor so I see bite marks, etc. I figure some SPS make it, and some don't, and maybe these just aren't going to make it for some random reason or another. I did have them while the tank was fallow. I haven't tossed them yet because they do have the living tissue on them still. Maybe there is a way to save them. Clip off the dead parts, or dip them and keep them on the frag rack and see if they can recover, etc?

 

Why would you remove GFO and Carbon? You said the rest of the tank looks okay. I would not change the entire chemistry of the tank becasue of a few frags.

 

Have you dipped them? I would dip them, swish them around and then inspect the frags and water for things that fell off or are visibly PO'd. I found that doing the inspection in a dark room and a flashlight helps pick out the nasties. If you dont see any red bugs (probably free swimming and hard to see) or AEFW, then I would suggest the simplest answer, the frags may not like their current location. Move them to a location with different lighting and/or flow and see how they respond.

 

Good Luck

Ron

[Ryan S]

Thanks Ron. I will try another dip and see if anything falls off. I'm also, concurrently, considering simplifying my system so the removal of carbon and/or GFO would also be for that purpose too. I like having them both, but I've also seen more than a few TOTMs that don't run either (or only run carbon for 2 days in a bag, once a month or something). I suspect the SPS pieces were fresh cut from wild colonies, and just never adjusted to captivity?

[Ryan S]

This is a good opportunity to thank everyone who has viewed this thread, or given advice or recommendations in it.

 

I've had MANY people email, PM me, or talk to me in person about something or another in this thread. That includes good things, as well as mistakes I made that they avoided because they read this thread. So I am glad this thread became so popular. I purposefully chose to put everything that happens in the tank here, good or bad, for the very purpose of helping others with their tanks. Sometimes this left me open for ridicule or teasing, but I think it was worth it. (You added HOW MANY fish at the same time!?)

 

We've now hit 21,000+ views and 900+ replies - which makes this the longest reef-related thread on WAMAS!

 

Furthermore, if you search on google with the following search strings, this thread pops up very high in the results:

"150g DD" - #1

"150g marineland DD" - #2

"150g deep dimension" - #4

"150g marineland deep dimension" - #5

 

So thank you all for your support and interaction.

[Jim]

I suspect the SPS pieces were fresh cut from wild colonies, and just never adjusted to captivity?

 

Ryan, this has been my experience. I think survival of very small frags cut from newly imported wild colonies is hit or miss. I've had very minimal losses from locally aquacultured frags, but lose about 10-15% of small wild frags.

[surf&turf]

<br class="Apple-interchange-newline">surf&turf, on 10 September 2012 - 07:54 AM, said:

 

How long have you had those frags? Looks like they didn't grow, encrust, nothing.

 

I would say not enough of something, be it light, food, flow.

 

Did you have these when you were running your tank fallow?<br style="color: rgb(28, 40, 55); font-family: arial, verdana, tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; background-color: rgb(250, 251, 252); ">If you go back far enough in this thread, you'll see when I got them. I'd say about 4 or 5 months ago? They were a large order from Mr. Coral. About 35 or so. 5 died within a week, leaving me with about 30. 25 are thriving in my tank, they are not shown above. These 5 are the weird ones. If you look closely, there is tissue on them that's alive, you can even see PE. But then there are those bare spaces sporadically on them. Back 4 or 5 months ago, they were all tissue with PE, so they have receded, but in a patchy way, not top to bottom or bottom to top. I don't see flat worms, red bugs, or nudi's on them, nor so I see bite marks, etc. I figure some SPS make it, and some don't, and maybe these just aren't going to make it for some random reason or another. I did have them while the tank was fallow. I haven't tossed them yet because they do have the living tissue on them still. Maybe there is a way to save them. Clip off the dead parts, or dip them and keep them on the frag rack and see if they can recover, etc?

If those are the one's from Mr. Coral then you had about average success from my experience. They may still recover, like Ron said, move them around and try some different locations.

[Ryan S]

I am still thinking about getting a custom stand and canopy. I probably wouldn't make this change until July 2013, when we move to our new apartment/house. Then again, I could do it sooner I suppose.

 

Option 1: Keep the stock Marineland stand and canopy. This stand is 36" long, but only has 30"x30" of usable space underneath (so I have a 20g sump + a 10g fuge). Everything fits, but it's cramped. I will hopefully upgrade to a 300g DD anyway within the next couple of years.

 

Option 2: A custom stand that is 40" long, which could hold a 36" sump (say a 40g breeder). This stand would have a 4" lip around the DT. Would that look okay or silly? The cost of the new stand and sump would be minimal after selling the stock marineland stand, canopy, and my current sump & fuge. Maybe a few hundred tops.

 

Option 3: A custom stand that is 50" long, which could hold a 48" sump (say a 75g). This stand would have a 12" lip around the DT. Would that look okay or silly? The cost of the new stand and sump would be minimal after selling the stock marineland stand, canopy, and my current sump & fuge. Maybe a few hundred tops.

 

Thoughts?

[smallreef]

I think if you do one that has more than a 2 inch lip it needs to have a purpose..like a bar top or something

[Incredible Corals]

Ryan, this has been my experience. I think survival of very small frags cut from newly imported wild colonies is hit or miss. I've had very minimal losses from locally aquacultured frags, but lose about 10-15% of small wild frags.

 

I have had the same experience. I would order 10 small frags from newly imported wild colonies and always end up losing 75% of them after about 6 months. Most turn brown right off the bat or just RTN. The other just never grown while all my other SPS takes off. Don't get it. I like to get my SPS from local people who have had sucess growing them in their own tanks.

[onux20]

I think if you do one that has more than a 2 inch lip it needs to have a purpose..like a bar top or something

 

...or it will accumulate car keys, old receipts, chap stick, WAMAS thongs, etc...

 

I say stick it out with the stock stand especially if you plan to upgrade.

[Ryan S]

9/16/2012 FTS w/ new Lyretail Anthias (1m/5f):

 

Current Fish List

2 Spotted Cardinalfish

1 Tank Bred Banggai Cardinalfish

2 Firefish

1 Tank Bred Blue Neon Cleaner Goby

2 Tank Bred Ocellaris Clownfish

1 Yellow Tang

1 Melanurus Wrasse

1 Royal Gramma

6 Lyretail Anthias (1 male / 5 females)

Edited September 16, 2012 by Ryan S

[smallreef]

Gorgeous tank! Its frag-a-licious!

[surf&turf]

Lookin good!!

[Ryan S]

Thank you. Can't wait for all the frags to actually grow out. I need a couple of 400w 10k MHs up there...

[surf&turf]

Thank you. Can't wait for all the frags to actually grow out. I need a couple of 400w 10k MHs up there...

 

Now your talkin!!

[Ryan S]

Funny timing. Sharkey listed 3 400w 20k MH lumenarcs 10 minutes after you posted.

 

1 of those would light my entire 150g I bet... And all 3 would light my future 300g DD...

 

Not saying they would be better than the radions, but they would be EASIER than the radions, that's for sure. Proven track record, no learning curve, etc. Just sayin'...

Edited September 17, 2012 by Ryan S

[Incredible Corals]

Funny timing. Sharkey listed 3 400w 20k MH lumenarcs 10 minutes after you posted.

 

1 of those would light my entire 150g I bet... And all 3 would light my future 300g DD...

 

Not saying they would be better than the radions, but they would be EASIER than the radions, that's for sure. Proven track record, no learning curve, etc. Just sayin'...

 

Just go with T5's. You know you want to.

[Ryan S]

Just go with T5's. You know you want to.

Will my corals look as nice as yours then?

 

Out of curiosity - how many 36" 39W T5s do you think my tank would need? The tank is 36"x36"x27".

[epleeds]

If you went with a T5 set up, I would personally go 10X24 watts.

[Incredible Corals]

Will my corals look as nice as yours then?

 

Out of curiosity - how many 36" 39W T5s do you think my tank would need? The tank is 36"x36"x27".

 

 

Not sure what it is but thanks

 

If I were you I would go with.

 

ATI 24 Inch 8x24W SunPower T5HO High-Output Fixture w/ 4 Blue+ and 4 aqua blue +

&

2 Reef Brite 24" Blue Leds (bolts right up to the outside of the fixture - one each side)

[Incredible Corals]

If you went with a T5 set up, I would personally go 10X24 watts.

 

I don't think they make a 10x24

[Ryan S]

I think you both mean 39w bulbs (36" fixture)...? As for how many, the canopy is pretty shallow, so they'd only be 8" from the surface of the water... So I was thinking more like 12 or 16 to get full tank coverage? At first my hesitation was the annual bulb cost; but would $240(12)-$320(16) a year, really be that much, in this hobby? That's $20-$27 a month, it's not THAT much. We'll see. As soon as I can get my hands on some 36" T5's to supplement my radions, we'll see how I feel. I just have a feeling I could go 100% T5 in the end. Chris Tran has been Radions+T5 supplements for a while now and he is happy, so maybe that's all I'd need.