Trod
The indecisive one
Cor that certainly was a bargain I paid twice that for 40kg 
Barney And Lyn's 5Ft Reef Tank (150G(Uk) System)
- Thread starter xxBarneyxx
- Start date
OP
OP
xxBarneyxx
Fish Aficionado
No it was really good quality LR, loads of life on it and tons of leather corals as well. The only draw back was I had to pick it up right away.
Had a bit of a nightmare though, added it all to the tank and now I have an ammonia spike. Either the LR wasnt cured (which I dont think was the case) or there was some fairly substantial die off in the 2-3 hours it took for me to get it home.
Have had to put polyfilter on the tank and im doing water changes as quickly as I can get a decent amount of RO made up. Was up to 0.5ppm yesterday
Strangly enough though the corals seem to be doing ok.
oh yeah I hate the scaping on it, was kind of a case of "I have had enough, lets just get it in there"
Edit: Some good news, Lyn just tested the water and said that ammonia and nitrite is back to zero again so hopefully all sorted now. Going to do another water change when I get home and will leave the polyfilter in there now until it looks like it needs to be removed.
Had a bit of a nightmare though, added it all to the tank and now I have an ammonia spike. Either the LR wasnt cured (which I dont think was the case) or there was some fairly substantial die off in the 2-3 hours it took for me to get it home.
Have had to put polyfilter on the tank and im doing water changes as quickly as I can get a decent amount of RO made up. Was up to 0.5ppm yesterday
Strangly enough though the corals seem to be doing ok.oh yeah I hate the scaping on it, was kind of a case of "I have had enough, lets just get it in there"
Edit: Some good news, Lyn just tested the water and said that ammonia and nitrite is back to zero again so hopefully all sorted now. Going to do another water change when I get home and will leave the polyfilter in there now until it looks like it needs to be removed.
OP
OP
xxBarneyxx
Fish Aficionado
Well brief update (will get some pictures on here soon)!!
Ammonia and nitrite levels have remained at zero but have had a massive algae bloom (the fun never ends).
I'm going to have to put the fish back in again soon though as they are not getting on well in the QT and its getting to the point where the risk of getting whitespot again is not going to be as bad as them killing each other off (they have been in for about 4-5 weeks which isnt really long enough to kill off any that is in the display tank but all fish are clear of it for now).
Almost all the leathers I got on the new LR are open now (there are loads of them) and other corals are doing great except for one frag of my candy cane which isnt opening properly (going to try moving it to another spot). Also some of my zoas are getting covered in algae so need to give them a clean off.
Going to rescape the LR as well as I want lots of caves and open areas and at the moment its just a wall of rock. Going to try using the acrylic rod and hole method to build it up.
Will be glad when everything settles down in the tank and I can just sit back and enjoy it.
One thing im going to have to do is read up on dosing calc and mag as I dont plan to do many water changes on this tank (it costs enough just making the RO for topping up at the moment).
Ammonia and nitrite levels have remained at zero but have had a massive algae bloom (the fun never ends).
I'm going to have to put the fish back in again soon though as they are not getting on well in the QT and its getting to the point where the risk of getting whitespot again is not going to be as bad as them killing each other off (they have been in for about 4-5 weeks which isnt really long enough to kill off any that is in the display tank but all fish are clear of it for now).
Almost all the leathers I got on the new LR are open now (there are loads of them) and other corals are doing great except for one frag of my candy cane which isnt opening properly (going to try moving it to another spot). Also some of my zoas are getting covered in algae so need to give them a clean off.
Going to rescape the LR as well as I want lots of caves and open areas and at the moment its just a wall of rock. Going to try using the acrylic rod and hole method to build it up.
Will be glad when everything settles down in the tank and I can just sit back and enjoy it.
One thing im going to have to do is read up on dosing calc and mag as I dont plan to do many water changes on this tank (it costs enough just making the RO for topping up at the moment).
OP
OP
xxBarneyxx
Fish Aficionado
Brief water stat log (mainly so I can look back here in a few weeks and check it ).
Ammonia: Zero (thankfully)
Nitrite: Zero
Nitrate: 10ppm (######!)
Phosphate: 0.2ppm (double ######!!)
PH: 7.8 (low but was done late at night, need to retest during the day)
Alk: (need an alk test kit....)
Mag: 1340
Calc: 420
SG: 1.026
Temp:27°C
Really happy about the calc and mag, using the red sea pro salt now and it seems to be much better than instant ocean which I used before (which always had low calc and mag levels).
The phosphate and nitrate levels are a worry. I still have polyfilter in there which i think is supposed to remove phosphate and nitrate. I'm waiting on some macro aglae as well which should help and I think I will get some phosban and nitrazorb at the weekend and run that for awhile in a canister filter.
Thinking that a remote DSB might be worth setting up as well (if I can cram a bucket in the cabinet).
I want to try and make it as maintaince free as possible but without lots of expensive kit so Im thinking:
Deep sand bed
Lots of macro algae
Big DIY skimmer
Auto top up (already set up but have to change the RO container all the time, going to get a long bit of tube for ro unit so I can fill the container in the cabinet).
Any other ideas for cheap, easy to run solutions?
).Ammonia: Zero (thankfully)
Nitrite: Zero
Nitrate: 10ppm (######!)
Phosphate: 0.2ppm (double ######!!)
PH: 7.8 (low but was done late at night, need to retest during the day)
Alk: (need an alk test kit....)
Mag: 1340
Calc: 420
SG: 1.026
Temp:27°C
Really happy about the calc and mag, using the red sea pro salt now and it seems to be much better than instant ocean which I used before (which always had low calc and mag levels).
The phosphate and nitrate levels are a worry. I still have polyfilter in there which i think is supposed to remove phosphate and nitrate. I'm waiting on some macro aglae as well which should help and I think I will get some phosban and nitrazorb at the weekend and run that for awhile in a canister filter.
Thinking that a remote DSB might be worth setting up as well (if I can cram a bucket in the cabinet).
I want to try and make it as maintaince free as possible but without lots of expensive kit so Im thinking:
Deep sand bed
Lots of macro algae
Big DIY skimmer
Auto top up (already set up but have to change the RO container all the time, going to get a long bit of tube for ro unit so I can fill the container in the cabinet).
Any other ideas for cheap, easy to run solutions?
TigerIssey
Queen TI
As you have recently added new live rock, I would not be too worried yet about the Nitrate. It will go down as the lr matures in your tank. Obviously the Chaeto will help a great deal there, I would run phosphate remover all the time though.
Sure someone else will add to this.
Sure someone else will add to this.
ben1987
Fish Aficionado
barney if you go down the DSB route then i would suggest you do it so it can be easily removed. In a bucket or bin. They lose ther effectivness after a perios of time and need to be replaced. You dont want to have to rip the sump out to do this
OP
OP
xxBarneyxx
Fish Aficionado
Yeah I was going to use the bucket method for it. Didnt know they lost effectiveness over time though. Do you know why this is?
Nobody really knows the science of "why" they loose effectiveness over time, but most people who use them for long periods initially experience success, followed by decreasing performance over the months/years. Some mention success in mitigating the decline by stirring the sand bed periodically. Many also claim that the bed gets too "full" or "clogged" with detritus.
Like Trod, I too wouldn't be very worried about that level of nitrate. The phosphate is a little troubling, but it could easily be just really hard to read down below 0.5ppm. I mean, think about how small an amount that really is. Liquid test kits realy struggle with measuring that minute a value, especially with the small sample sizes. Now, if you had something like a Hanna photometric phosphate sensor, I'd believe it
. In reality though, if your corals look OK and you're not having nuisance algae blooms, it's probably not a big problem atm. That can always cahnge as things change/adjust/cycle from the move.
OP
OP
xxBarneyxx
Fish Aficionado
Thats interesting to know about the DSB, hadnt heard that before.
I do have a big algae problem at the moment (I have seen worse but its not great) but my corals are all doing ok so it cant be that bad (it is very hard to read the colour on it as well which makes it even more inaccurate).
I put some cheato in last night so hopefully this will help. I was going to clear the algae off the back wall as well but thought i would leave it on as it might help remove the nitrate and phosphate from the spike.
I do have a big algae problem at the moment (I have seen worse but its not great) but my corals are all doing ok so it cant be that bad (it is very hard to read the colour on it as well which makes it even more inaccurate).
I put some cheato in last night so hopefully this will help. I was going to clear the algae off the back wall as well but thought i would leave it on as it might help remove the nitrate and phosphate from the spike.
OP
OP
xxBarneyxx
Fish Aficionado
Text update - Fish out of QT, new livestock and lots of algae.
Fish are all now back in the tank - Hasnt been 8 weeks yet but there where some serious aggression issues in the QT and I just didnt have space for 2 QT or a bigger QT. They are all looking healthy again though (except for the odd bit of missing fin from the fighting).
There has also been some new additions, 9 Blue-green reef chromis. I never really liked chromis to be honest but since getting them I can really see the appeal. They always shoal together and are always out whenever the lights are on. Adds a lot more movement and interest to the tank and their colours are really very pretty. The clownfish hates them but because there are so many she soon gets bored of trying to chase them.
I have finally got round to putting the other set of lights over the tank but im only using 6 tubes (to try and save electric mainly, plus I don't really have any high light demanding corals in there). I had to use one of my tubes for planted tanks (6500k) which I thought would look really rubbish but it actually works really well with the other tubes I have. I get some great colours as the lights come on in sequence going from blue to pink then to your standard marine colour temp.
I have some cheato in the sump now and getting some more phosban at the weekend. I have a fair amount of algae in the tank unfortunately but this is starting to die back now after the ammonia spike. The algae was bad before i added the planted tank tube to the lights and havent noticed any extra growth in it since then so think this will be ok.
Switching to the red sea coral pro salt was a good call. Much, much better than Instant Ocean which I was using before.
Corals are doing ok, all the leathers that came with the LR are opening well except one which will sometimes open and other times sulk. My metalic GSP is sulking at the moment after I moved a powerhead but should pick up in a day or two.
My zoas are the only ones im worried about as they are getting covered in algae. I keep cleaning them off but they arent as open as they used to be. I might move them to a lower light position to try to slow the algae growth.
Still haven't rescaped the tank yet. I think I will give everything a chance to settle a bit and then go to work on it in a month or two before I add anymore livestock. Going to go with drilling and acrylic rods.
I have added cheato to the sump as well and have it lit on a reverse cycle.
Major things I need to do now are:
With regards to more livestock, I really want to get two more anthias but I'm worried about them getting on with the one that is already in there. I think Im going to give it a try though and will just have to be prepared to
move them on if it doesnt work. If I get two more smaller females hopefully it will be ok.
Other than that we just need a lot more CUC right now (no more hermits, going for lots of snails). My astrea snails seem to be breeding a lot as well (there are at least 3 batches of baby snails in there ranging in size from about 5mm to 1.5cm).
Sorry for the long text only post, we will hopefully have internet back at the new house within a week so then I can stop droning on so much and start posting lots of photos again will try and get some photos tonight and see if I can upload them tomorrow.
Fish are all now back in the tank - Hasnt been 8 weeks yet but there where some serious aggression issues in the QT and I just didnt have space for 2 QT or a bigger QT. They are all looking healthy again though (except for the odd bit of missing fin from the fighting).
There has also been some new additions, 9 Blue-green reef chromis. I never really liked chromis to be honest but since getting them I can really see the appeal. They always shoal together and are always out whenever the lights are on. Adds a lot more movement and interest to the tank and their colours are really very pretty. The clownfish hates them but because there are so many she soon gets bored of trying to chase them.
I have finally got round to putting the other set of lights over the tank but im only using 6 tubes (to try and save electric mainly, plus I don't really have any high light demanding corals in there). I had to use one of my tubes for planted tanks (6500k) which I thought would look really rubbish but it actually works really well with the other tubes I have. I get some great colours as the lights come on in sequence going from blue to pink then to your standard marine colour temp.
I have some cheato in the sump now and getting some more phosban at the weekend. I have a fair amount of algae in the tank unfortunately but this is starting to die back now after the ammonia spike. The algae was bad before i added the planted tank tube to the lights and havent noticed any extra growth in it since then so think this will be ok.
Switching to the red sea coral pro salt was a good call. Much, much better than Instant Ocean which I was using before.
Corals are doing ok, all the leathers that came with the LR are opening well except one which will sometimes open and other times sulk. My metalic GSP is sulking at the moment after I moved a powerhead but should pick up in a day or two.
My zoas are the only ones im worried about as they are getting covered in algae. I keep cleaning them off but they arent as open as they used to be. I might move them to a lower light position to try to slow the algae growth.
Still haven't rescaped the tank yet. I think I will give everything a chance to settle a bit and then go to work on it in a month or two before I add anymore livestock. Going to go with drilling and acrylic rods.
I have added cheato to the sump as well and have it lit on a reverse cycle.
Major things I need to do now are:
- Build/buy a bigger skimmer (a nano skimmer on a 150g tank just doesnt work to well )
- Set my ATU up properly and plumb the RO unit in directly to the RO reserve bottle (trying to talk Lyn into letting me drill more holes through the walls ).
- Get some phosban and nitrate remover to sort out the algae.
- Get some better water movement - I have tons of small powerheads in there at the moment which isnt the most efficient way of doing things. Cant really afford a large wavebox or similar at the moment but with the way the tank eats electricity it would probably pay for itself within a month anyway (thats my excuse anyway ).
- Build a hood to cover the seriously loud overflow and hold the lights (still resting on a couple of bits of wood!).
- Rescape the tank - I REALLY want to get this done but everytime I think about doing it I think how much of a PITA its going to be.
- Start some pod cultures - I dont seem to have much pod life in the tank right now so I want to give it a jump start. I'm going to start culturing pods and rots after reading about the many of you doing it on here.
With regards to more livestock, I really want to get two more anthias but I'm worried about them getting on with the one that is already in there. I think Im going to give it a try though and will just have to be prepared to
move them on if it doesnt work. If I get two more smaller females hopefully it will be ok.
Other than that we just need a lot more CUC right now (no more hermits, going for lots of snails). My astrea snails seem to be breeding a lot as well (there are at least 3 batches of baby snails in there ranging in size from about 5mm to 1.5cm).
Sorry for the long text only post, we will hopefully have internet back at the new house within a week so then I can stop droning on so much and start posting lots of photos again
will try and get some photos tonight and see if I can upload them tomorrow.
seffieuk
I used to be indecisive but now I'm not so sure!
Good update - I was wondering how your tank was doing 
Look forward to the photos at the weekend
Seffie x
Look forward to the photos at the weekendSeffie x
OP
OP
xxBarneyxx
Fish Aficionado
lol was really busy over the weekend so didn't get chance to take any photos. We did get a lawn mower blenny over the weekend though (now called Benny the Blenny.. ). We almost got a green clown goby but it looked like it was almost starved to death (which is odd as I thought they where supposed to be fairly easy to feed).
Have put some phosphate remover on the tank now so hopefully that should bring it under control.
Will have internet at home by the weekend so if I don't manage to get photos up before then there will be some once we get back on the web again.
). We almost got a green clown goby but it looked like it was almost starved to death (which is odd as I thought they where supposed to be fairly easy to feed).Have put some phosphate remover on the tank now so hopefully that should bring it under control.
Will have internet at home by the weekend so if I don't manage to get photos up before then there will be some once we get back on the web again.
kj23502
lazy dayz
Sounds good Barney. Can't wait for the full pictorial update.
OP
OP
xxBarneyxx
Fish Aficionado
And finally.... Some photos! No brilliant as they where quick so hadn't set my camera up properly. Also most of the corals are closed as I had just moved a load of them around.
Blue-Green Reef Chromis (AKA the Bob's)
Benny the Lawn mower Blenny
Pulsing xenia
Leathers (had loads of these on the LR)
Purple firefish, since putting in more LR I rarely see him
More Xenia
Group shot
Chromis
FTS 1
FTS 2
And finally a video
Blue-Green Reef Chromis (AKA the Bob's)
Benny the Lawn mower Blenny
Pulsing xenia
Leathers (had loads of these on the LR)
Purple firefish, since putting in more LR I rarely see him
More Xenia
Group shot
Chromis
FTS 1
FTS 2
And finally a video
Trod
The indecisive one
That video is brilliant 
really shows everything well.
Benny looks soooooo sweet perching on the thermometer
and the shoaling chromis amazing. Is that an Anthias too?
Love it
really shows everything well.Benny looks soooooo sweet perching on the thermometer
and the shoaling chromis amazing. Is that an Anthias too?
Love it
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