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180g basement tank


AlanM

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Dave is getting DNA results on what the algae is.  I reduced my light intensity and will just run actinics for a while.  My best guess for what is happening is that I started with totally dead rock that had some nutrient in it to decay.  I put it in the tank and lighted the heck out of it.  There must have been a minute amount of this algae, but since the rock was almost 100% dead it was able to establish a monoculture with absolutely no competition for resources and just run straight over the rocks even possibly out-competing the nitrifying bacteria for ammonia.  The algae is still growing and lush.  It looks pretty, actually.

 

I'm going to try to get some truly live sand from florida or something to add some diversity.  I've added some pods from Aquarium Depot and a couple of rocks from my established tank, but expect them to take forever to "seed" the tank.  In the meantime I'll run fewer lights and keep skimming.  I got some Vibrant from a club member to test out and have put in two doses because it's supposedly just a strain of bacteria with a little vinegar.  Possibly snake oil, but apparently not actually harmful.  So far it isn't doing doodle-squat.

Hey Alan.....yesterday I ordered the freshwater version of Vibrant for two of my fw tanks after seeing the R2R thread, but am hesitant to order the reef version....do you have any thoughts on Vibrant and it's affect on your tank?

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I can't speak to affect on corals or bacteria, but it didn't hurt some hermit crabs and amphipods.  Something caused all of my algae to die, either Vibrant or light cycle or something.  I've never dosed it into a full reef.  All algae except for a tiny patch is gone at the moment.  Kind of amazing.

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In the last few days I am finally getting a bunch of diatoms. After lush algae growing and dying and getting harvested for months, now the diatoms are coming. Totally weird cycle, but seems to be doing stuff. I'm putting a small pinch of dry food in every few days.

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Are you cycling your QT? I can't stress how much easier it is when you're dealing with your new fish. I have used Prazipro, Cupramine and Kanplex, and preserved my biological filter. I purchased General Cure like you since it has metro and praziquantel but didn't use it after all. I have a new box that expires 6/2018 if you want it.

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Yep. The QT has been cycling for a long time. I have a 10g that I keep running as a hospital tank just in case, but will likely get a 20L from petco to use as QT. I will pull out my fish from my existing tank and treat them with cupramine, then remove the copper with water changes and carbon and treat with general cure, just to start the fish load out right. Then in to the new tank. I would love to sell all of the coral in my existing tank in one big chunk, so am asking commercial places if they are interested.

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20L would be good. 10g is too small IMHO for many fish you might want. The size of the tank also determines the number of fish you can get at a time. I don't like to exceed a few fish at a time to minimize loss if something goes south in the QT. Luckily no major issues so far.

 

I usually run the prazi, general cure in your case, first if no ich/velvet shows up. I then do cupramine and take the fish out while copper is still in the water. Copper only affects the free swimming phase of ich's life cycle and prevents the fish from getting reinfected. If cysts take hold somewhere, it is possible it lasts more than 30 days. So if you remove the copper and leave fish in the tank, there is a small chance of reinfection. This is why you should move fish to another tank, after treatment but while copper is still in the water. Just an extra precaution I take and thought you should be aware of.

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I have a new 20L that I bought at petco $1/g sale that I will put my cycled filter and media in and will in the next couple of weeks be looking in to taking down my current tank to start quarantining my current fish, but I'm pushing against some powerful inertia to just leave what's working going, heh.

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  • 1 month later...

Photos of a couple of additions from yesterday's meeting:

 

Got a nice pink pavona from Pacific East:

 

IMG_20170212_123745_zps3pp1xrme.jpg
 
and holding on to a beautiful colony of pectinia for Dave S:
 
IMG_20170212_123729_zps2euq8qgv.jpg
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  • 2 weeks later...

Quick update.

 

The frags I have in there are really showing polyps much better than they did when they were in my tank upstairs.  

 

Maybe it's the lack of fish bothering them?  Maybe it's the T5 lights instead of LED?  Maybe it's the low nutrient environment?  Maybe it's the Vortech pumps?

 

Who knows.  They look totally different, though.  This is a purple stag that had grown great for me in the upstairs tank, but never showed polyps.  

 

IMG_20170225_165018_zpsse6z7nog.jpg

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On the color, I'm seeing way different colors on everything that made the move than I did from my DIY LEDs when using these 8 ATI T5 bulbs (4Blue+,2Coral+,2Actinic).  For instance, what I think is an Oregon tort that was always a deep blue and never grew much is now encrusting more and has kind of electric blue tips with a light blue and green base.  Very amazing looking.  

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I find t5s with lower nutrients really help bring out bright lighter colors on acros. Some of my favorite tanks are carbon sourced heavy par t5 tanks. I think the coverage they provide really helps acros color up well. Especially with half blue bulbs and a good variety of white or daylight bulbs. To many blue bulbs give a washed out look in my opinion. I used to not use actinic but really like using at least one now.

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I have a new set of bulbs coming and some clear netting for screen top building until I can budget for the nice ones from Artfully Acrylic.  

 

I also just did a big water change and started running cupramine at half-strength for my old fish in their QT.  No losses in QT so far, which is good.  Will go up to full strength over the next few days.  It's my first time running copper, so I'm nervous an doing it slowly.

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I have a new set of bulbs coming and some clear netting for screen top building until I can budget for the nice ones from Artfully Acrylic.

 

I also just did a big water change and started running cupramine at half-strength for my old fish in their QT. No losses in QT so far, which is good. Will go up to full strength over the next few days. It's my first time running copper, so I'm nervous an doing it slowly.

I was nervous the first time with cupramine also. Now, no big deal. I have put my 11 fish through it, including flame and bellus angels. Make sure and test prior to additional doses. If you calculate your water volume accurately then you should get to the correct level after the second recommended dose. Do yourself a favor and use the copper reference with the test kit to learn how to test and give yourself a color reference. Make sure and dose new saltwater prior to water changes. You want to ensure that the copper level stays at the therapeutic level the entire time.
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Ok. Thanks for the vote of confidence. I am at 0.2 or below right now as indicated by test. I have a flame angel, royal gramma, fox face, banggai, and two clowns. What level did you run at the highest with your angels?

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I was conservative at first and did around 0.4 mg/L for a few days, but then ended up at 0.5 when I didn't see any stress on the fish. Most of my fish did well over 30 days of treatment. I only saw minor color loss on my last set of anthias at 0.5, but they made it out fine and just got transferred over to the DT today :).

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On the color, I'm seeing way different colors on everything that made the move than I did from my DIY LEDs when using these 8 ATI T5 bulbs (4Blue+,2Coral+,2Actinic).  For instance, what I think is an Oregon tort that was always a deep blue and never grew much is now encrusting more and has kind of electric blue tips with a light blue and green base.  Very amazing looking.  

 

I found that as well when I switched from LED to the T5. It's kind of like moving to ultra hi def.

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When I used to over-light with T5's, my tank had more pastel coloration. Metal Halide gave deeper, richer colors.

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  • 2 weeks later...

A few posts up was a pic of the nice pectinia. This is what they look like when the lights are out and they are hunting. Tentacles all out.

 

IMG_20170309_084619_zps2ant06c8.jpg

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  • 2 months later...

Pectinia continues to do well. Here is a short video of it eating some Fauna Marin lps pellets.

 

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That pec makes me want to set up a tank again. 

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