Howaboutme's Return - Waterbox PM15 UNS 75s

[YHSublime]

Pulling some great colors! Keep us updated! 

[howaboutme]

21 minutes ago, YHSublime said:

Pulling some great colors! Keep us updated! 

 

Thanks buddy. I love when you post on this thread because your signature brightens the thread up even more. Sets a good example to follow and reminds me how far I have go! Ha!

[YHSublime]

Just now, howaboutme said:

 

Thanks buddy. I love when you post on this thread because your signature brightens the thread up even more. Sets a good example to follow and reminds me how far I have go! Ha!

 

Ah, well, it's not all sunshine and rainbows over here. I'm actually due for an update, good reminder. 

[howaboutme]

Today:

 

 

See any difference? Me neither.

 

Not much to report, slow growing is all. A few small frags didn't make it but the rest are fine. I think I'm counting growth in the millimeters. I do have some annoying cyano on the sand bed but nothing too bad. One of the RFA decided to walk and is not back facing on the front left corner. I don't mind.

[roni]

I am in the same boat as you.  Definitely not a ton of growth but I think our systems are similar age. I think it really takes until the tank is about a year old for things to take off.. Are you getting coralline but just cleaning it off regularly?

 

Your rock work is great... Almost like the freshwater Iwagumi layouts

[howaboutme]

21 minutes ago, roni said:

I am in the same boat as you.  Definitely not a ton of growth but I think our systems are similar age. I think it really takes until the tank is about a year old for things to take off.. Are you getting coralline but just cleaning it off regularly?

 

Your rock work is great... Almost like the freshwater Iwagumi layouts

 

Thanks Roni!

 

Yes, I'm getting coralline. You can see them if you look closely on the snail shells, overflow box, return nozzle and rocks. I will not let it take hold on the glass so I clean the class off regularly (which is not easy).

 

Freshwater setups were an inspiration. I prefer a minimalistic look.

[YHSublime]

I also once used to try and keep coraline off the glass. It just takes one week, and then it's over. 

 

 

[howaboutme]

57 minutes ago, YHSublime said:

I also once used to try and keep coraline off the glass. It just takes one week, and then it's over. 

 

 

I started as scraping 2x's a week. It is now at 1x a week at my water change. At the end of my scraping, my arms are sore, no joke. But love the clear glass, plus easier to sell later. Always thinking about the future....

[roni]

20 hours ago, howaboutme said:

I started as scraping 2x's a week. It is now at 1x a week at my water change. At the end of my scraping, my arms are sore, no joke. But love the clear glass, plus easier to sell later. Always thinking about the future....

motivated by your example, i started on my tank.  after clearing 6" of back panel, i went back to my coach and watched tv.  

[howaboutme]

18 minutes ago, roni said:

motivated by your example, i started on my tank.  after clearing 6" of back panel, i went back to my coach and watched tv.  

Ha! I'd likely give it up with a tank your size too! I am impressed with @nburg's efforts though. I bet his arm is sore after 6" too!

[YHSublime]

Skipping leg day, cleaning coraline, it's bis and tris day now! 

[nburg]

1 hour ago, howaboutme said:

Ha! I'd likely give it up with a tank your size too! I am impressed with @nburg's efforts though. I bet his arm is sore after 6" too!

lol I usually split it up and only hit the back wall every week or so, thankfully coraline doesn’t grow that fast and the Tunze blade slices right thru what little can grow in a week. 

[howaboutme]

This image popped up as a highlight from years past. This was a picture of my first tank, 9 years ago! Those "starter" corals were all given to me for free by other WAMAS members, including that frogspawn on the right. Some time later, I then gave that same coral (this time bigger, more heads) away to another member. What does that go for now? $100? Boy times have changed.

 

[YHSublime]

4 hours ago, howaboutme said:

This image popped up as a highlight from years past. This was a picture of my first tank, 9 years ago! Those "starter" corals were all given to me for free by other WAMAS members, including that frogspawn on the right. Some time later, I then gave that same coral (this time bigger, more heads) away to another member. What does that go for now? $100? Boy times have changed.

 

Look at all that rock! Times sure have changed  

 

I still give tons of coral away to WAMAS members, and trade. I've been thinking about this a lot lately, Facebook has completely changed the way hobbyists interact with one another. 9 years ago if you wanted more resources you either had to find a LFS, or join a forum. 

 

Don't even get me started on the SWAP program. I've put so much in there that's never made it out to the other side, including hot (at that moment in time) zoanthids and acropora. 

[howaboutme]

Agree, lots have changed. FB is great for certain things (showing off is one). But the platform is not great for knowledge because the content doesn't stay in the same place. You kind of have to get lucky to catch something. But that's not necessarily the hobbyists fault. It's just where we are as a society. Man, WAMAS was kicking back then, so many great conversations and knowledge sharing, not the stream of consciousness you'll get on FB or on R2R. Only well thought out responses. Even now, you get good responses or no response. I'd take that then someone saying, "I have no experience but this is what I heard...."

[howaboutme]

Well, it's been almost 2 months without an update. Wish I had more to update. Things are kind of just rolling along, very slowly. The tank is more or less on autopilot.

 

- Weekly 4 to 5G water changes

- Change filter pad as needed (sometimes a few times a week)

- Dose only Alk on a doser, stable around 7.5 dkh

- Only test the above 1x a week or less

- Occasionally test CA, which hovers around 440 so my water changes are enough to keep this stable

- Feed 1x a day either frozen or dry (flakes and pellets)

 

I've lost a couple of tiny acros and have moved a few things around to try and get some better growth and coloration. Not much of either but steady is okay. I have not added anything for a long time other than some snails a few weeks ago. I think I need way more as I'm still getting some stringy stuff during the day. Some of it flies around in the water column getting on my acros, which annoy me (and them).

 

I'm thinking of playing around with dosing phyto to introduce some extra life. This completely goes against my philosophy of letting it just ride but slow and steady with new things is okay. For the future, I'd love to add a clam in that front and center area.

 

I finally remembered to take a photo after a water change, otherwise the glass is very filmy and I only scrap it 1x a week now.

 

 

Besides the possible claim, the only thing I'm planning on in the future is to do a sump clean. I am 100% not looking forward to this. It does have tons of junk in it. Doing this will also allow me to swap out the return. I have 2 of the same on rotation so instead of not having a pump while I clean it, the 2nd pump allows me to clean the pump at my convenience.

 

Until next time...

[YHSublime]

I really dig the aquascape. I think I’ve said it before, but it’s gorgeous. 
 

I was thinking about dosing phyto a while ago, I did get a clam which has been doing fine. I’ve found the smaller ones to be hardier than the larger ones for whatever reason. 

[howaboutme]

4 hours ago, YHSublime said:

I really dig the aquascape. I think I’ve said it before, but it’s gorgeous. 
 

I was thinking about dosing phyto a while ago, I did get a clam which has been doing fine. I’ve found the smaller ones to be hardier than the larger ones for whatever reason. 

 

Thanks buddy! I'm enjoying the aquascape myself. The only lessons learned is that I do not think NSA works very well, though I hardly have one but I did try (left one).

 

Any opinions on where to get phyto? I think I saw some locally but there's also algeabarn.

[YHSublime]

Do you plan to culture, or just buy and dump?

[howaboutme]

1 hour ago, YHSublime said:

Do you plan to culture, or just buy and dump?

 

If I do it at all it'll be buying.

[roni]

Looking good.   Everything looks so clean! I get from a guy on R2R.  I think there are some folks that also sell locally but he does a subscription and sends me a regular bill, which is probably easiest.  If I wasn't lazy, I would probably culture.  Mine comes about every 10 weeks or so.  Shoot me a pm and I can send you his info if you want. 

[howaboutme]

11 hours ago, roni said:

Looking good.   Everything looks so clean! I get from a guy on R2R.  I think there are some folks that also sell locally but he does a subscription and sends me a regular bill, which is probably easiest.  If I wasn't lazy, I would probably culture.  Mine comes about every 10 weeks or so.  Shoot me a pm and I can send you his info if you want. 

 

Thanks Roni! It's only clean for a few days after I do my weekly maintenance.

 

Will PM you on info. I'm currently in the research stage.

[howaboutme]

Nothing really to report regarding the tank.

 

I did install an in-line TDS meter though! I've had this sitting around for 5 or 6 months and finally installed it today. I find this super exciting.

 

After RO:

 

After DI:

 

Pretty good rejection rate, huh? Tap for me is ~ 130. RO is 1.5 years old. I changed the DI after about a year regardless of the TDS but will now change it based on the meter. I also change the prefilters religiously approx every 6 months with maximum 1 micron (often .5) carbon and sediment block. This keeps my RO clean and long lasting.

[Schg]

Oof, I love this setup! I am debating a UNS 90L or 75S for my next iteration of this build, they really are gorgeous.

[howaboutme]

2 hours ago, Schg said:

Oof, I love this setup! I am debating a UNS 90L or 75S for my next iteration of this build, they really are gorgeous.

Thanks! You can't go wrong with either tank. The 36" er has it's benefits for sure. I just liked the depth of the 75s more.