A Golden Reef Tank (v2)

[tripdad]

Vid's are cool, hood mechanism looks good. Your getting closer every day, will be nice to see it filled.

[halmus]

Originally Posted by tripdad

Vid's are cool, hood mechanism looks good. Your getting closer every day, will be nice to see it filled.

Thanks Scott! The tank has water now. It's been on cruise control since August or September. I can't remember that far back. This project has been a non-stop blur of activity. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

I've told myself that after I have the woodwork installed on the hood, I can start adding coral. The tank will have been sitting wet for 5-6 months at that point. The refugium is growing in, coraline is making an appearance, and I have three happy Bartletts stretching their fins in the lonely display.

[halmus]

One last small project for the holiday weekend. I built a holder for some tools with a little drip tray at the bottom. Now, I'm cleaning up the filtration room from the latest round and another major cleaning of my shop to prep for the hood.

[vanburen]

This looks great! I have hooks on my stand door but have been wanting to add a drip cup underneath. I think you just motivated me to finish it!

Love your setup. Reminds me of the nuclear submarine I was on a long time ago, in a good way. Very professional plumbing!


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[halmus]

Originally Posted by vanburen

This looks great! I have hooks on my stand door but have been wanting to add a drip cup underneath. I think you just motivated me to finish it!

Love your setup. Reminds me of the nuclear submarine I was on a long time ago, in a good way. Very professional plumbing!


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Thanks Vanburen. I’m pretty happy with the plumbing. Surprisingly, it mostly works! I have to rework a few of the return lines because they suck too much back into the sump before the siphon breaks. I hate trusting check valves but I have a creative idea to use a check valve that will hopefully be fool proof. I’ll post pictures and details if it’s a success. I’ll forget that I mentioned this publicly if my floors end up soaked.

Not much to update. I’m battling nuisance algeas in the refugium. Seems odd right? Don’t I want algea to grow there? Well, I’d like the more ornamental and attractive algeas to outcompete the ugly slimy stuff and that isn’t happening. Slimy junk is suffocating the ornamental algeas.

I’ve also been back to woodwork finishing the hood facade. Hopefully that will be dry enough to install this weekend. And doors over the dry bar area. They’re a pain but should be beautiful when complete.

[stonecold]

Your setup is THE most slickest that I've seen. AWESOME job!!!

[halmus]

Originally Posted by stonecold

Your setup is THE most slickest that I've seen. AWESOME job!!!

Thanks stone cold!


I did a test run of the hood. I was worried about the added weight of the woodwork slowing down or stopping the automated hood action. Something went right! It still works.

I put one final coat of poly on the hood and now as soon as I can find some extra muscle, I’ll install the hood. My wife is too short and skinny to help lift it. She doesn’t have the table muscle I’ve been growing the last few years.

Pics soon, I promise.

[halmus]

...and in other news, I think the nuisance algea I am fighting is actually Dinoflagilates. (Spelling?)

I’ve been doing massive water changes all along, running GFO and Carbon in separate reactors which each hold a gallon of media. That’s a lot of media!

So, I’m a little surprised to get this problem so early with almost 0 bioload. I know the BRS pukani is notorious for leaching phosphate. But 125 gal water changes every week prior to this even happening?

I suspect that the mangroves or algeas I ordered for the refugium brought in my ReefSTD.

Four days of total blackout wasn’t enough. It came right back. So, I’m going almost entirely blackout on the display and fuge. I’m running Dino X which I found at BRS. I’m following their recommended 20 day schedule. I’m elevating the PH. I only turn the lights on long enough for the poor Anthias to come out and eat twice a day. Otherwise, I’d tarp the whole thing and let it sit for a month.

Early January, I’ll crank the lights back up and see what happens.

[karimwassef]

Dinos are a disease of immaculate reef keepers... check out the big Dino thread...

Basically, with severe constraints on N and P, the normal algae base crashes and the environment regresses to a pre-algae chemistry where dinos flourish and actively use chemical warfare to stop algae from gaining a foothold.

This keeps the tank in a perpetual crashed state and you can't reset without regaining the normal chemical and biological balance with algae. This means adding nutrients to promote normal algae and restart the cycle.

This happens to those of us who are so anti-algae that we keep the water so clean that dinos take over... you're in good company

[lsouth913]

Definitely

[halmus]

Thanks for the input Karim and Isouth!

Everything I’ve been reading has focused on addressing the problem but it’s never been explained how it might happen in the first place. The process you described fits in with what I’m seeing.

I need to review that thread. The big question I need to answer for myself is how to transition to keeping enough nutrients for the macro algeas without feeding a massive explosion of Dino’s once I resume a normal light cycle.

[karimwassef]

the ally you're missing is algae. Get algae to thrive and it will reset the water chemistry so Dinos can't return.

I installed a massive algae scrubber and fed it.. some use tree stump remover for Nitrates and other sources for Phosphates.

I also used a low flow UV sterilizer and went lights out to force them through it. That way I kept the scrubber lit for the algae but killed the dinos with the UV.

[halmus]

Thanks Karim. The problem is that I’m having a hard time growing algea which is probably attributable to low nutrients. Cheato hasn’t done well in the tank. Red algeas like dragons breath were stable but not growing. Mangroves are happy. They’re shooting roots like crazy.

I think I need to have a pee party. Invite the local club over and break out the brew. That will give the tank some ammonia to work with.

[karimwassef]

I would figure out what you're lacking first, N or P... or both.

If you provide nutrients that are off balance for algae, you'll accelerate the dinos.

Also - you don't need macroalgae, they're too picky. You actually want hair in the first stages.

[Blue Tang Clan]

I believe we are due for an update!

[halmus]

Originally Posted by Blue Tang Clan

I believe we are due for an update!

You’re right. It’s been a long time. I’ll try to put something together tomorrow. Doesn’t feel like I’ve made much progress but I’ve been working nonstop. I must be accomplishing something.

[halmus]

Here are some pictures of the finished cabinetry on top of the aquarium

[halmus]

I added flip up doors on both sides and the front for quick access that doesn't require a lot of access into the tank.

[halmus]

The finished "dry-bar" area

[halmus]

The hood extended out so that I can crawl into the aquarium when needed.







automatic feeder hooked up to the Apex



Lastly for the display hood, this is what it looks like laying on the floor staring up at the lights when the hood is extended.

[halmus]

A few shots of the display. There's nothing to exciting here yet. I have three Bartlets, a yellow tank, and a Springeri Damsel.

[halmus]

A few shots of the back filtration room.

[halmus]

And the refugium

[Blue Tang Clan]

Simply stunning! Your build gives me endless inspiration for a fish room!

[halmus]

Thanks Blue!