Moving from a 125g to 180g Journey

[Acronuts1]

When you guys measure Nitrates using Salifert test kit and it is below 10ppm do you guys folllow the low range results, since that is what they recommend?

I have in the past, yes.

Glad to see everything is coming along nicely.

Do you divide by 10 your results?

 

[Acronuts1]

Well guys its OFFICIAL!!! My 180g is now a year old! I did though have some early success but right around month 8 to 10 all hell broke loose. A massive alk spike, out of control phosphates and nitrates.

We are back on track and ready to go on.......!



A couple come back kids....



Superman monti

Just imagine that whole piece was an actual piece of pvc that was covered by it. I almost chucked it but decided not to.





Only chalice left, all died including a 10 eye bubble gum monster! ugggghhhh!

Here are some pieces that were not affected at all!! Thank God!!!



Pearl Berry

Odd angle but pic taken from the top is a sponges monti and my biggest acro, about 8 inches in diameter.

 

[Acronuts1]

Some new additions to the tank.

Picked up at MACNA and can't remember what it is. Not sure if this is a cyphastrea or not what do you guys think?

Ora's Tri color picked up at MACNA

WWC pink red millie, you can't tell from this over head shot but this coral already just two weeks in tank is already showing growth on the base and growth of new coralites on one of the branches. It is an aquacultured piece and still maintaining its color! Looks like it likes my 250 Radium MH's and will be a moderate grower.

Never had a clam in any of my tanks so I thought this would be a good try and keep your fingers crossed it is doing well and my flameback angel has completely ignored it!

 

[Acronuts1]

For my tanks' one year birthday I got it a BIG cake to celebrate!
I bought it a great present that will hopefully allow it to have many more birthdays.
A Reef Octopus SRO 3000 Internal skimmer!
Plan to set it up starting this evening.
Wish me luck!
Any of you have this model skimmer that may give me some pointers?
Thanks

 

[Acronuts1]

Well guys here is the maiden start up video of the Reef Octopus SRO 3000. Man this thing is a beast!!!

10:00am Hookup

 

[Anonymous]

I've only got the smallest one in the line, but it's doing great for me so far. Hope your beast delivers for you!

 

[Acronuts1]

I've only got the smallest one in the line, but it's doing great for me so far. Hope your beast delivers for you!

Not sure why it took me so long to go this route but I know that from here on this skimmer should deliver. Is yours an internal model as well?
Thnks again Tom!

 

[Anonymous]

I've only got the smallest one in the line, but it's doing great for me so far. Hope your beast delivers for you!

Not sure why it took me so long to go this route but I know that from here on this skimmer should deliver. Is yours an internal model as well?
Thnks again Tom!

Yes, mine's the SRO 1000 internal. I don't actually have loads of SPS like you, with a tank that's mostly focused on LPS/softies, but when I was setting up I wanted the flexibility to add a couple of SPS later if I decided to go down that route. Now I know that I can - it's highly effective.

Do you have ATO? A steady consistent water level is important with these skimmers.

 

[Acronuts1]

I've only got the smallest one in the line, but it's doing great for me so far. Hope your beast delivers for you!

Not sure why it took me so long to go this route but I know that from here on this skimmer should deliver. Is yours an internal model as well?
Thnks again Tom!

Yes, mine's the SRO 1000 internal. I don't actually have loads of SPS like you, with a tank that's mostly focused on LPS/softies, but when I was setting up I wanted the flexibility to add a couple of SPS later if I decided to go down that route. Now I know that I can - it's highly effective.

Do you have ATO? A steady consistent water level is important with these skimmers.

Seems like a lot of aquarists use the SRO's.
ATO, a friend of mine actually has been harping on me to get one. He says that the more consistant I am with the level it will also keep my salinity from dropping. I need to find a big 20 or 30 gallon barrel. Have no clue where to by one. The SRO 3000 is in my sump in a section where the water level stays the same. Does your skimmer drop its foaming bubbles when you are feeding the tank?

 

[hitmanhoos]

I use a Brute trash can as my ATO reservoir. 32 gal is around $30 at Lowes.

I also got a ATO at Autotopoff.com For $50. It's worked like a charm for a year and a half now.

 

[Anonymous]

Seems like a lot of aquarists use the SRO's.
ATO, a friend of mine actually has been harping on me to get one. He says that the more consistant I am with the level it will also keep my salinity from dropping. I need to find a big 20 or 30 gallon barrel. Have no clue where to by one. The SRO 3000 is in my sump in a section where the water level stays the same. Does your skimmer drop its foaming bubbles when you are feeding the tank?

I personally like to stick to two basic rules with the tank - keep my hands out of it as much as I can and keep the levels as consistent as possible, particularly the real basics like salinity and temperature. I'm not doing so well on the first at the moment, but then the tank is new and there's some adding, rearranging and such like to do. Once it's more settled, I should be able to reduce the amount of fiddling I do. However, I'm trying to address the second rule by using ATO and keeping an eye on my temperature (I don't have a chiller and unfortunately no space to fit one).

I can't help in recommending somewhere to get a barrel that size in the US, but like hitmanhoos, I actually use a converted trash can (if a lot smaller than 20-30 gallons, given my tank's a lot smaller). However, I use the Tunze Osmolator set up which is a pricier option, partly because I like something that's plug and play and partly because it generally seen to be very reliable.

 

[Acronuts1]

Seems like a lot of aquarists use the SRO's.
ATO, a friend of mine actually has been harping on me to get one. He says that the more consistant I am with the level it will also keep my salinity from dropping. I need to find a big 20 or 30 gallon barrel. Have no clue where to by one. The SRO 3000 is in my sump in a section where the water level stays the same. Does your skimmer drop its foaming bubbles when you are feeding the tank?

I personally like to stick to two basic rules with the tank - keep my hands out of it as much as I can and keep the levels as consistent as possible, particularly the real basics like salinity and temperature. I'm not doing so well on the first at the moment, but then the tank is new and there's some adding, rearranging and such like to do. Once it's more settled, I should be able to reduce the amount of fiddling I do. However, I'm trying to address the second rule by using ATO and keeping an eye on my temperature (I don't have a chiller and unfortunately no space to fit one).

I fortunately have a chiller so my temp stays constant. I cleaned a 2 1/2 gallon jug that I used to dose kalk with and it has a drip line style method. Allowing me to drip RO water should allow the salinity to stay constant.

I can't help in recommending somewhere to get a barrel that size in the US, but like hitmanhoos, I actually use a converted trash can (if a lot smaller than 20-30 gallons, given my tank's a lot smaller). However, I use the Tunze Osmolator set up which is a pricier option, partly because I like something that's plug and play and partly because it generally seen to be very reliable.

Ultimately The right way to do this is to t - off my RO unit and run a line to an ATO, which believe it or not I have a float value in my sump that I have never used. This setup is not feasable for me to do since the main tank is in the formal living area. I'd get killed if I ran a piping line up and down the walls! For me the only way to go is to buy a drum. A nice drum that I won't get yelled at.

 

[dain45yl]

From what you're saying, do I get the impression you're not going to have the same PVC pipes in the new tank? To be honest, I'm not sure they work so well...

 

[Acronuts1]

From what you're saying, do I get the impression you're not going to have the same PVC pipes in the new tank? To be honest, I'm not sure they work so well...

LOL! No actually if you look at the thread from beginning you will see that I did not use any PVC. Instead I used macro rocks as the base and then the remaining live rock from the 125g was used. Actually my superman monti fully encrusted the pvc piece that I had originally glued it on. That is the ONLY pvc that went into the new tank. Well other then piping for over flo boxes.

 

[Anonymous]

From what you're saying, do I get the impression you're not going to have the same PVC pipes in the new tank? To be honest, I'm not sure they work so well...

LOL! No actually if you look at the thread from beginning you will see that I did not use any PVC. Instead I used macro rocks as the base and then the remaining live rock from the 125g was used. Actually my superman monti fully encrusted the pvc piece that I had originally glued it on. That is the ONLY pvc that went into the new tank. Well other then piping for over flo boxes.

Ignore them - it's spam (don't click on the link in their sig!). I did report this post, but it doesn't look like it's been removed by the mods yet. I wouldn't be surprised if they've just taken a bit of text from a post earlier in the thread (that's what they did in my tank thread).

 

[Acronuts1]

So these guys I guess have nothing better to do with there time than to sit there and send bugus posts! LOL! Can't believe anyone would really want to! So sad

 

[Anonymous]

I assume they get paid by the post, though I wonder if they get their pay docked if it's deleted within 24 hours. :wink:

 

[Acronuts1]

I assume they get paid by the post, though I wonder if they get their pay docked if it's deleted within 24 hours. :wink:

LOL! That would be good!

 

[Acronuts1]

Well guys it now has been 4 1/2 months since I added 1 liter of EB to my system. System is now 1 year 4 months old.
Phos are at 0 - salifert test kit
Nitrates are between 0.5 to 0.8 - salifert test kit
Things are REALLY stable with all the other water parameters.
No hair algae or red/green slime algae!
Growth has been very good with my sps's, even the newer pieces. Color is OUTSTANDING!
My sps's that were on the verge of complete extinction are coming back. Even Mike's Paletta's blue monti is coming back from with in the rock it died on!
One other thing I have been doing as well is feeding the tank once a week with Dr. G's decapsulated brine shrimp eggs, oyster magnifique, phytoplankton enriched brine shrimp, copepods,rotifers, and Brightwell's zooplanktos-s, microvore.
I still clean glass about twice a week though.
Skimmer is pulling out a LOT of gunk for sure.
EXTREMELY happy right now with my tank!!!
I'm in the poor house after holidays, but it feels good not adding anything new and seeing what I have grow and prosper!

 

[Acronuts1]

Well guys here they are. I did these rather quickly and I am not too happy with they quality but you can tell what my tank is looking like so far.



FTS

Closer shot of middle of tank

Closer shot of right side

Closer shot of left side

My fav view is the right side panel