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Gabe's Mixed 48g

gabe

gabe

Really wish I started this thread back when the tank started. With Covid and me moving at the beginning, its hard to feel like park of any reef community. I don't know a single reefer here despite have the tank up over 18 months! I've had a few different tanks over the past 20 years and always found it easy to connect with people in clubs and with meeting folks at the LFS. So, this is my attempt to connect and share this tank's journey.

This tank has seen bryopsis, two types of cyano, coolia dinos, diatoms, hair algaes, valonia, aptasia, vermatid snails, bristle worms, etc (and yes, I dip with revive, which isn't cutting it now that I just wrote all of those issues out lol). I neglected it a bit mid-2021 when I spent most of my little free time with my other hobby (woodworking if anyone else is interested). I struggled for a long time with bottomed out nutrients (neglecting the tank while keeping filter socks and skimmer going will do that). But am finally getting to a point where corals are all doing well and growing.

Tank:
Reef Octo T90: ~48 gallons plus sump
Lighting: 2xKessil A360Xs
Flow in Tank: 1 x MP40; 1 x MP10
Under the hood: AquaUltraViolet 15w UV; Reef Octopur 150INT Protein Skimmer; Small TLF Reactor for Carbon or occasionally Rowaphos; A couple Reef Diapers weekly. Used to keep some live rock in my sump, really believe in keeping a clean sump now. In the lights out pic below you can kind of see the 20g salt mixing tank that is plumbed to the main sump (tucked nicely below my wife's instapots)
Rock: Dry Rock, Reef Saver and Shelf.
Sand: Caribsea Big grained stuff
Water: Tropic Marin Pro Reef
ATO: Gravity Fed ATO
Doser: Cheap 4 channel doser only using it for Alk/Cal/Mag 3 part.
Other dosing:
I am slowly working my way over to the Moonshiners method. Frequent ICP with very specific correction and maintenance doses of minor trace elements seems logical to me.
Red Sea AB+
Microbacter 7
I use/like a lot of Brightwell product, so most of what I put in the tank is Brightwell when possible. Exceptions are Reef Moonshiners stuff, Seachem Iodine and few other random ones.
Click to expand...
Stocking List:
-Coral... Lots. Haven't had the most luck with SPS, but am slowly getting back into it. Predominantly an LPS tank.

SPS:
-Big R Walt Disney
-TSA Bill Murray
-Unnamed Red Dragon
-A few different encrusting montis, Super Man digitata, a nice orange and blue palawensis.

LPS:
-3 Torches (One indo dragon soul type from ACC; One Indo Gold from Reeftide; and One Holy Grail from Reeftide).
-2 Hammers (One toxic green/blue from WWC that has been in the tank since the beginning that looks like a small frag still; One Golden/orange/pinkish hammer from Manhattan Aquariums that they made me feel guilty for asking for it at the listed price of $100 lol - wth). \
-A few Gonis (favorite is a bernardpora "Combustion Goni" from TCK - had it over a year - growth is really good lately; UC Space Glitter Goni - by far my best growing coral in the tank; other misc red "naked lady goni" and spearmint alveopora both from WWC.)
-Favia/Favites/Etc: I'm a sucker for favites - probably have about 7-8 types in the tank. UC Fascination is amazing; a few JF ones like the Sector 001, Toro Bravo; a GummyBear from Reeftide
-Black Cherry Blastos from POTO
-About 25-30 Polyp frag of Raja Rampage that I've had for over a year
-ReefTide Bahama Mama Chalice
-Insane Space Invader Pectina - about 12 polyps

Mushrooms:
-A couple Sunkist bounces
-Several random colorful ones that I just like
-Eclectus jawbreaker

Zoanthids:
-Yes - maybe 25 different types

Blue maxima
Fighting Conch
Tuxedo Urchin
Peppermint Shrimp (can't not recommend them enough)

I'm missing quiet a bit like my leathers and rock flowers, but the pics should show some of that.

Fish:
B&W Clowns
Strawberry Psuedochromis
Melanarus Wrasse
Lyretail Anthias
Banghai Cardinal

0.jpgold fts.jpg5 snails 1 urchin.jpg66986195409--B47BEDCC-3F45-4844-BF8C-8FEFD4E22F79.jpgcombustion bernanrd day.jpgunnamed.jpg
I'll figure out how to upload some video clips later, but cheers for now!
 
gabe

gabe

myrjon said:
Vermid snails try bumblebee snails. Worked for me.
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Thanks. I did a decent sized reef cleaners order earlier this year. Most everything arrived dead - but there were maybe 3-4 bumble bees that made it through. I haven’t noticed any change to though. Any thoughts on how many I should I try if I order more?
 
Bandito Aquatics

Bandito Aquatics

NJRC Member
I personally don’t trust bumble bee snails. I would go for a yellow coris wrasse plus they are so pretty to look at I would say with your size 15-20 should be fine
 
gabe

gabe

MadReefer said:
i have used peroxide directly and indirectly to reduce the vermatid numbers.
Click to expand...
Peroxide dosing scares me. I go back to the mid-2000s with one of its most vocal supports, Brandon (on all the various forums), and I know smart people recommend it, but seems like scorched earth!
 
gabe

gabe

Went ahead and tested my water on the day I filled my vials for my last ICP test. Results were available overnight. Collected 4/9. Mailed out 4/11. Received and/or uploaded by ATI in Germany on 4/20. Here are the comparisons of what I tested that day.
ati vs test 4-22.PNG

Some thoughts:
I continue to hate all phosphate test kits I have ever tried.
Shame on me for using 18 month old calibration fluid in my refractometer.
I knew my alk was drifting to the lower end of what I was comfortable with, but combined with a rather basic Red Sea test kit that was reading higher than actual, I was surprised to see it so low.
 
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