My tank reboot log

[Alfredo De La Fe]

So things are running great. However, I plan on doing things different this time so that I don't make the same mistakes of the past. Right now my biggest challenge is paying for it all, but I will do it in stages:

1. Develop an app to manage my regular maintenance routine. I want to have a solid routine that includes little stuff like cleaning out the skimmer and more important stuff like testing salinity and Mg on a regular schedule.
2. Add an ATO. I plan on buying the Neptune ATO so that I can integrate it with the Neptune when I can afford one.
3. Change my LED's to SB Reeflight. (Can't afford more expensive lighting and the SB seem to be really good for the price)
4. Get a Neptune Apex
5. Add fish VERY SLOWLY and either get them from established systems OR quarantine using the Tank Transfer Method with two 5 gallon buckets.

At least all of the major stuff is out of the way. My current lights are "OK", but my controller died and I can't adjust the schedule. Will be borrowing one shortly to see if I can at least change the start/end times.

 

[Alfredo De La Fe]

I have very fine and short brownish hair algae starting to grow. Tested all parameters and everything tests great. Added 3 turbo snails, 8 trochus snails and 5 nazarius snails. Also added a neon orange slipper coral. The algae I suspect is growing because 3/4 of the rock was "dead" and it does not have a bio-coat on it. So getting the snails to work should help.

A buddy is giving me a blue hippo tang he has had for a few years later this week. That should also help keep the algae at bay until the rock develops a nice bio-coating.

 

[Alfredo De La Fe]

My new tongue coral...

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[Alfredo De La Fe]

Opps... Photo posted upside down.

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[Alfredo De La Fe]

So been seeing signs the past few days of new tank syndrome... A light dusting of cyano over some rock and sand... Low, thin hair algae.

The sand sifting star and nasarius snails are keeping the sand turned over fairly well. Thr snails I added are not enough to keep the algae in check... Thursday I am adding a blue hippo tang being given to me from an established system. Hopefully that will really help.

Also will get carbon running in a reactor and also GFO. But all test parameters except for Magnesium (a little low) and Phosphates (.5, so a little high) are spot on. Will add another power head and dose Magnesium tomorrow and manually clean up some rock.

Overall I am pleased, I was expecting it to be worse since 80% of the rock had been essentially dead and 20% was from my old system but had a mini cycle because it was in a tub for a few days and all of the worms died off. (My goal)

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[Alfredo De La Fe]

My angel is: Centropyge acanthops and the common name is African Pygmy Angel. It was sold as a bicolor dwarf angel.

I also now have a blue hippo tang and three percula clowns.

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[Alfredo De La Fe]

Close to a month, figured I would post an update photo. Algae is gone, started dosing ESV transition elements and vinegar and kalk with all top off. But tank looks awfully bare! Coraline is barely starting to grow in spots where it was already there on my old rock.

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[Alfredo De La Fe]

Close to a month, figured I would post an update photo. Algae is gone, started dosing ESV transition elements and vinegar and kalk with all top off. But tank looks awfully bare! Coraline is barely starting to grow in spots where it was already there on my old rock.

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Oh, I do have some cyano on the sand. My the nasarius snails and sand sifting star have neen keeping it in check.

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[vio]

Very nice.

 

[Alfredo De La Fe]

Woke up to find that all of my cyano is completely gone. Same with the hair algae that had started to grow in. Tank is doing very well! Now if only the coraline would kick into overdrive!

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[Alfredo De La Fe]

A long overdue update...

On after many years having major health issues that would send me to the hospital I had major surgery on November 29th 2019. Within two weeks my blood pressure was so low they almost admitted me and took me off of all of my meds. So the surgery was s big success! I have also lost over 120lbs and can now walk a mile without stopping every 50 feet. Also have not had any horrible craps which caused me to tear tendons and I have energy like I used to before my condition got do bad.

Then this COVID19 nightmare turned my world upside down. Two fellow MR friends got me some awesome lights and I have restarted my reboot. I don’t think they realize how much it means to me. After the most horrific month of my life I had something to distract me. Honestly, I think it contributed greatly in me not falling apart from stress and depression. May sound silly, because I basically just have s tank full of rock and water at this point. But taking my time, cleaning things up and planning have been just what I needed.

I have coralline growing all over the place and I will be getting some frags soon. I plan to take it real slow and build my tank up to how my 180 was in its glory days. All small frags! I will be adding the equipment I need little by little.

Here is a photo with the new lights:

I have since tweaked the settings of the different colors and it looks much nicer now. I lost all but one coral and most of my fish after my Pharos lights were finally killed off in full when ConEd blew up their feed going into my building.


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[Alfredo De La Fe]

Picked up about a dozen frags of zoas, a bubblegum monti digitata, xenia, a tiny frag of Fiji yellow toadstool, a small green polyp toadstool and several mushrooms yesterday.

Most are tiny but that’s fine with me! I am patient. Will post some photos later so I can track progress over the weeks to come.


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[Alfredo De La Fe]

My wishlist of fish and the livestock I want:

Fish list:

Yellow tang
Filament Fairy Wrasse (male/2 females)
Yellow wrasse
Red Sea regal angel or Majestic
Flame angel
Wheeler's shrimp goby (with shrimp if the wrasses won't eat it)
3 bangai cardinals
Small group of bright anthias
Reef pipefish
2 percula clowns (have one)

Inverts:

2 Cleaner shrimp
1-2 Maxima clams (Ultra grade)

Corals:

Elegance coral (Australian)
Fox coral
Frog spawn (green and/or blue)
Bright colored slipper or plate coral
Blueberry sea fan
Orange montipora digitata
Tonga Yellow Leather
Colt coral
Red/blue acropora millipora
Plating red montipora
Plating green montipora
Mushrooms - variety of colors

 

[tsouth]

Yayuh! Happy to hear you're in good health! Welcome back!!!!

 

[Ziggy]

Tank looking nice!

 

[delv]

If you come down to Chinatown I can set you up with a nice monti/acro frag pack. Free obviously....Tank looks great!

Drew

 

[Alfredo De La Fe]

If you come down to Chinatown I can set you up with a nice monti/acro frag pack. Free obviously....Tank looks great!

Drew

Thanks Drew! I may take you up on that! Next time we have to go out shopping and need to move the car I may shoot you a PM.

I appreciate it!

Best,

Alfred

 

[Alfredo De La Fe]

Ran out of ESV salt so used the Instant Ocean I had kicking around. Added a bit of Mg, but clearly not enough. Starting to see signs of cyanobacteria, so just blindly dosed Mg. Need to pick up a Mg test kit or take some water to Reef Shoppe. ;-)

 

[Alfredo De La Fe]

Picked up a few things today!

An Apex EL

and a Vortech MP40

Now i know why everyone raves about Vortech! Also glad I waited, was going to get the MP10, the MP40 is a beast!

Also got a replacement RBTA and a few more mushroom types. Will post photos when I have a chance.

 

[Alfredo De La Fe]

NOTE TO SELF: If you ever move and have to redesign "stuff", design the RO unit so that the cut off valve and various cut off valves (storage tank, cut off to DI chamber, etc.) are easily accessible. This is perhaps the #1 headache I have. My RO/DI unit is under my kitchen sink. The cutoff valve for the water line is all the way in the back corner and I have to take everything out from under the sink to reach it and the other valves. I have had all of the replacement cartridges for a few weeks and just can't get myself to start this time consuming headache of a job. It is such a PITA that I am considering buying Natural Sea Water in a box to do my weekly water changes.