- Location
- Chelsea, NYC
I have a RSM C-250. I'm using the stock skimmer and return pumps. I've added a Tunze ATO and have replaced the stock lights with LEDs. I mounted two gyre-130s vertically on the rear wall, which provide lots of flow/turbulence. I started off with about 65 pounds of cured dry rock and about 90 pounds of sand varying in grain size of between 0.2mm and 2mm (finer grains at the bottom). I cycled with starter bacteria and ammonium chloride. I then added about 5 pounds total of live sand from a few different sources to seed copepods, amphipods, bristle worms, and other critters. I run ChemiPure Elite and Purigen in the media rack and at the top of the rack I place filter floss, which I replace twice weekly. I do weekly 5-gallon water changes. The tank has been cycled for about 6 months.
My water parameters are currently:
Salinity: 35 ppt
Temperature: 78
Ammonia: undetectable
Nitrites: undetectable
Nitrates: ~15 ppm
Phosphates: 0.06 ppm
Calcium: 444 ppm
Alkalinity: 124 ppm CaCO3
Ph: 8.0
My current non-coral livestock are:
3 pajama cardinals
1 helfrichi firefish
1 yellow banded possum wrasse
1 blue reef chromis
1 gold assessor basslet
1 tail spot blenny
2 fire shrimp
2 porcelain crabs
1 dwarf feather duster
1 sponge
1 crocea clam
clean-up crew:
6 trochus snails
2 Tongan nassarius snails
10 cerith snails
6 blue leg hermit crabs
My corals so far consist solely of soft corals -- zoas, gorgonians, ricordeas, leathers -- and LPS -- various euphyllia, war coral, duncan coral, brain corals, cynarina, and plate coral. I tried an Aussie elegance coral, but I could not keep it alive.
The top portion of my rockwork is bare because eventually I want to put some SPS up there. There is strong light (see the reflection on the rocks from the LEDs) and heavy water movement with the gyres right behind that area. But my nitrates and phosphates are still a bit too high. My problem is they seem to have stabilized at too high for the past month or so. Any ideas on how to get those lower -- below 10 for nitrates and about 0.03 for phosphates?
I only have one picture for now of the front of the tank. I will post more and close ups tomorrow when my lights are back on.
My water parameters are currently:
Salinity: 35 ppt
Temperature: 78
Ammonia: undetectable
Nitrites: undetectable
Nitrates: ~15 ppm
Phosphates: 0.06 ppm
Calcium: 444 ppm
Alkalinity: 124 ppm CaCO3
Ph: 8.0
My current non-coral livestock are:
3 pajama cardinals
1 helfrichi firefish
1 yellow banded possum wrasse
1 blue reef chromis
1 gold assessor basslet
1 tail spot blenny
2 fire shrimp
2 porcelain crabs
1 dwarf feather duster
1 sponge
1 crocea clam
clean-up crew:
6 trochus snails
2 Tongan nassarius snails
10 cerith snails
6 blue leg hermit crabs
My corals so far consist solely of soft corals -- zoas, gorgonians, ricordeas, leathers -- and LPS -- various euphyllia, war coral, duncan coral, brain corals, cynarina, and plate coral. I tried an Aussie elegance coral, but I could not keep it alive.
The top portion of my rockwork is bare because eventually I want to put some SPS up there. There is strong light (see the reflection on the rocks from the LEDs) and heavy water movement with the gyres right behind that area. But my nitrates and phosphates are still a bit too high. My problem is they seem to have stabilized at too high for the past month or so. Any ideas on how to get those lower -- below 10 for nitrates and about 0.03 for phosphates?
I only have one picture for now of the front of the tank. I will post more and close ups tomorrow when my lights are back on.
