crvz's hole in the wall

[prop-frags]

We have had the same issues. These controllers are wonderful for automating our big, complex systems, but when they fail there are a lot of eggs in that basket. We also struggle with that backup decision - they are just too expensive to have a spare sitting on the shelf. Honestly, I think that Neptune should be working hard on a failover system (e.g., a cloud-based configuration backup), where we could drop a new unit in and have it synch up quickly and easily. Or perhaps they could design a lightweight network device that can interface to powerbars and provide essential functions when the apex is down for repairs. SOMETHING is needed besides "buy a spare controller". Heck, even overnight shipping of replacement units would be better than what we have today. /rant

[dave.m]

What would be much better is to replace the entire "black box" with a simple computer interface like USB and run all this stuff off a laptop or PC. That would cut the costs to 25% of current prices for these dedicated boxes.

Dave.M

[maroun.c]

Tank is filling up nicely.
The deapth does show nicely.one thing i have noticed is my tank pics show deapth even more with a clean back glass, still a pain to keep that clean on a deep tank.
Sorry for your issues with the controller, hope it gets fixed quick.

[crvz]

Thanks folks. I've got something in place for now while I wait for mine to get fixed. Should arrive in neptune's hands today.

[crvz]

Who care's about words?

Well that's all I've got for now. The tank is doing well, the fish are certainly thriving and a number of LPS are doing well. And clams (I just got 3 more maximas to go with the 2 squamaso and the single derasa). SPS are still a bit of a bust, but I'll admit (which can also be observed by the participation in this thread) that my time available to execute maintenance and keep up with parameters since my second kiddo was born has been way diminished compared to early days. And he turned 2 last month!

I left a lot of space to have corals grow into the tank, but I'm resigning to the fact that this is an unlikely reality. As such, I'm considering adding more rock to the tank to fill it out. I have a large amount sitting in a curing tank, so I may start doing that soon. I also have a number of fish in QT for one last round of additions (smaller fish, halicheores sp. wrasses and a few others), at which point I think I'll tear down the QT system. It's not ideal and I'd like to use some of the equipment elsewhere. I'd also like to dedicate some of the space for storing and mixing water in order to help automate water changes.

[Newbie Aquarist]

An update is an update is an update. Congrats on the second child. I believe a FTS is warranted since you been kinda MIA.

[veloboy]

thanks for the update Chris. Here's hoping for more success on the sps front but understand the time commitment and importance factor the tank has in competition with 2 kids. I thought you already had automated water change equipment? Get that done for sure-will help free up lots of time.

[crvz]

Alright, I'll bite. Here's a full tank shot without makeup.



Obviously I need to clean the front of coralline, and you can tell where I've got some empty space (on the left, in particular) that I'd like to fill.

Here's a shot of the fish room in all it's filthy glory.



The tank on the right wall is the one I want to do away with (it's completely independent of the other two tanks). It's too wide and tall (30" front to back, 20" tall), the overflow box was an add on and I think it's leaking, and it's got some nice hardware that I'd like to use elsewhere. Ultimately I'd like to build a longer, shallower, narrower tank (something like 90x20x14) for QT and maybe frag grow out, but that's probably a next year task (I've got woodworking and car audio projects in the queue before then).

And here are three maxima clams I got last week in the 40 breeder (which is plumbed into the main display). They look pretty good, I'll probably add them (with that derasa) to the display soon. Just wanted to make sure they were in good shape before doing them (I'm not in the habit of quarantining invertebrates).

[crvz]

And thinking about fish, here's the current list.

Display
Powder Blue Tang
Chevron Tang
Naso Tang
Vlamigni Tang
Hippo Tang
Redsea Sailfin Tang
Foxface rabbitfish
Lamark Angel
Canary Wrasse
Melanurus Wrasse (female)
Christmas Wrasse (female)
Flame Hawk
Ocellaris Clown (2)
Bicolor blenny (2)
Lyretail anthias (8)
Yellowtail damsel (10)

In QT I have 3 more canary wrasses and a fang blenny. I may add a few more fish to QT for a last round before I tear that system down, but we'll see if I make it (I'd like a flame angel and maybe a copperband butterfly).

I'm obviously fish heavy in this system, and we'll see how well they age with the tank (no fish is larger than 5" at this time). So far I don't have any aggression issues and they're getting quite fat. All the tangs pick algae from the rocks constantly, which I'm sure is the only reason I do not have hair algae, and I hope nothing interrupts the current balance (though obviously adding new fish can do so).

[BigAl2007]

That's a VERY impressive system!! Well done

[crvz]

Originally Posted by BigAl2007

That's a VERY impressive system!! Well done

Hey, thanks! When people visit they always want to see behind the curtain, but part of me wants to keep that part a secret (to folks who arent in the hobby). I want people to think it's easy, but that's quite a farce.

[crvz]

Added some rock and and cleaned the glass. You can see deresa clam on the right of the tank which the sailfin tang likes to nip. Not sure how to catch the sailfin, may need to build up a new trap.

[veloboy]

Lookin good Chris-lotta fish!

[Poriferan]

Will the Clam recover if left alone? I have a large clam which had its exhalent siphon "nipped" off leaving a hole. I just wonder if it can recover of if it is doomed now

[crvz]

Originally Posted by Poriferan

Will the Clam recover if left alone? I have a large clam which had its exhalent siphon "nipped" off leaving a hole. I just wonder if it can recover of if it is doomed now

I've never had that kind of damage, this sailfin seems to just nip at the edge of the mantel (probably looking for algae/being over-aggressive while nipping the shell). But it's enough to get the clam to stay closed. When I move the derasa into the 40 breeder tank it opens up the next day and I don't seem to have any long-term issues. This is the second time I've had to move that clam. Oddly (and thankfully), the sailfin does not nip at any other clams in the tank.

[crvz]

Got a text on my phone from the Apex this afternoon, one of the water sensors on the floor around the main display went off. Auto top off, return pumps, skimmer, and calcium reactor all shut down. Not a huge deal that required immediate attention, but I ducked out of the office a little early to go address it. I typically find the skimmer overflowing a bit which triggers this fault, but when I walked in quite a bit more water on the floor then that would have explained. Turns out, there were quite a few snail shells in the return lines (clearly having been there for a while). And then two live ones that obviously had made it in the last week or so such that the drain lines couldnt keep up with the return. Probably had 5 gallons spill over the top of the display, though fortunately it was all contained in the garage and not into the kitchen.

Time to go shop for some mesh to cover up the drain lines.

[gotfrogs]

That is really strange. I had the same problem last week. After 10 years of no problems with the overflow I noticed one night after returning from dinner that the water level in the tank was way higher than normal and really close to overflowing. I removed the drain lines and put them back in place and it resolved itself. Still don't know what happened but it was a little scary.

[dave.m]

Sort of along the same lines, I had a pump that was working way too hard and getting pretty hot. This wasn't a drain so I didn't expect to find a small snail (turbos breed like crazy once they get going) had found itself to be the perfect size to fit into the inlet gap on the penductor at the other end of the pipe but couldn't get out again. Try to get that out in a 36" tall tank!

Now I wrap all penductors with plastic window screening and keep it on with cable ties. Sounds excessive and looks a bit stupid, I know, but it's just one more of those caveats you learn along the way.

Dave.M

[crvz]

I have had the hardest time getting quality Halichoeres biocellatus (red line wrasse). Just got two from LiveAquaria last week and they both already are dead. I have a melanurus wrasse and three yellow canary wrasse in the same tank and all seem to be doing fine, no aggression that I've noticed. the re line wrasses just burrow in the little sand bucket that I've got and then within a day or so I find them laying dead on the floor of the tank. Any one else have these issues?

[dave.m]

If you have nothing else regularly cleaning and disturbing the sand then it is quite probably developing hydrogen sulfide in its depths which will quickly kill just about anything that then disturbs the sand.

Dave.M

[crvz]

Originally Posted by dave.m

If you have nothing else regularly cleaning and disturbing the sand then it is quite probably developing hydrogen sulfide in its depths which will quickly kill just about anything that then disturbs the sand.

Dave.M

They're in a quarantine that I have about 1" of sand in a small plastic container that I just placed in the tank about two weeks ago and otherwise has no sand in it... Just this particular halicheores species has never done well for me.

[crvz]

Well I got another two of the red line wrasses to replace those that died, and these seem to be ok for the week I've had them. They're in quarantine with 4 other halicheores genus wrasses, and hopefully they'll continue to do well. I also got this seafan. I've never had a seafan, liveaquaria claims this one is somewhat photosynthetic, so we'll see how it goes. The wife mentioned that she liked the look of them, so I thought I'd give it a try. Apologies for the dirty glass.



In other tank news, I've been going fishing lately. The sailfin tang nips at the derasa clam. And sometimes one of the squamosa clams (doesnt bother any of the four smaller maxima clams).



A beautiful fish, but I like the clams more, and I'm pretty heavy on surgeonfish otherwise (vlamigni, naso, chevron, powder blue, hippo). So I decided to try and catch him. Enter the fish trap I built.



It's merely an acrylic box with a door that drops down. I took apart one of the solenoids from mcmaster carr that I use on my auto top off (part number 7877k55 if you're interested, though they're currently $60 and when I was buying them they were around $24). Since it's just an electromagnet, I attached it to the ceiling above the tank and tied the door to a screw. Once I plug in the electromagnet, I place the screw in it and it holds the door open. I plug the electromagnet into an outlet on the Apex so I can sit in front of the tank with my phone and kill power to that outlet once the fish swims in the trap, thereby shutting the door.



Unfortunately, the lamarck angel is a bit of a bully on the sailfin, so the sailfin is literally the only one I've not had the opportunity to catch.



The sailfin has been in the trap, but just for seconds and I havent been fast enough on dropping the door. I'll keep at it, though. Hopefully it won't take too much longer.

[crvz]

Well I built a new trap, much larger, and I caught the sailfin, but as I was lifting the trap out of the tank I realized a major design flaw. The trap probably holds 5 gallons of water, and I didnt drill any drain holes in it. As I'm lifting it up, the door bows as the water starts to spill out (which is fine), and of the 4 fish in the trap the sailfin is the only one to find his way out of it. So now I'm trying again, but the fish is rather timid and has only been in the trap for a few seconds at a time (when I'm not ready for it) since the one time it got caught. Here's hoping for some success tonight!

[crvz]

A shot of me not catching the sailfin tang (he slipped out behind the door as I was trying to lift it out of the tank). I decided to give up for a few weeks and see if he gets a bit more bold before reintroducing the trap.



Current full tank shot with the metal halides on. Most of the time I take this with just the LEDs on. This image is a little washed out, but it gives a better idea of what the tank looks like with all the lights on.



Some top down images of the three clams I got about two months ago.







And a few random macro shots and top down pictures.

[prop-frags]

Corals and clams all looking good, Chris!
How are things going with that big QT? Are you shutting it down?