RobR

Very nice addition there Ty! That thing looks like a monster, are you sure you have room for it??

Is it a bounce Walt Disney colony?

How many fish do you have in the tank Rob? That could be part of the "pale" SPS issue. If you don't have enough fish waste, then your NO3 won't be above 0. Any algae?

Right now there's only 5 fish in the tank, so that could definitely be it. I do feed pretty heavy, and try to feed 2-3 times/day when I'm home. Days that I work the little buggahs only get fed once. The tank was stocked a bit heavier before, but I never really checked nitrates until recently. Corals have always been kinda pale. I am working on adding new fish, they are in qt now and still have a few weeks to go.

As for algae, there's not a ton but I do have some red turf algae growing on the rocks. I also get some cotton candy algae that grows in the overflow that I clean out once a month or so it doesn't clog the drain, but it's not and insane amount...

The tank is looking good Kim! What kind of acro is that you got form Juiceman? It's a really good looking piece of coral. Great looking gorg and rastas too. Did you decide on a tang yet?

Thanks Ty, gonna take you up on that red planet and SSC. I mixed up a 3 liter solution of the spectracide tonight but still haven't dosed any yet. Gonna try one thing at a time and see how the tank reacts, wanna take it slow so that I dont shock anything.

If I can find a chaoti I think I just may do it... Just Reef had some about a month ago but they're all sold. If he gets some more in maybe just maybe....

Yeah that does suck when that happens. That happened to the sand in my old tank. I remember reading somewhere that it happens for one of two reasons. Either alk and calcium are precipitating and turning it into a cement block. Or there is a bacteria that secretes substance that binds the grains.

Forgive the terrible lighting but here's a glimpse of my new fish being QT'ed right now.

Beautiful fish Ty!! That potters wrasse does look like he's a beast. That male flame looks like he's pretty big as well. And that achilles, wow!! Thanks for sharing!!

So is the biggest issue you have with sand keeping it clean and white? or have you had other bad experiences?

Been awhile again since I updated this. My cirrhilabrus earlei has settled nicely into the display tank, and is now the only wrasse. Going to take the tank in a new direction and really go wrasse heavy concentrating on mainly fairy wrasse and flashers. Maybe a leopard, we'll see. Every time I see the chaoti leopard at the dome.... Right now have a Hawaiian flame and rhomboid wrasse in qt and though their first round of prazi.

As for corals things have been growing pretty well. Picked up an Oregon tort frag and Hawkins form Ty and they are doing well, but are losing some color. Still looking for a red planet frag, and maybe a SSC. Eventually got to get a couple of Millie's too. Been reading up on dosing the spectracide stump remover to increase nitrates, but have been kinda gun shy on starting that. Readings as of tonight:

Alk 9.6 salifert

Cal 460 salifert

Mg 1350 salifert

Phosphate 0 on the Hanna ULR- think the algae is sucking it up don't have a lot but it's there so phosphate is too I believe...

Nitrates I guessing around 0.25 theyre detectable but the nyos kit I have been using goes from 0-1, then 3, then 5 so kinda a weird range, may have to pick up a Red Sea kit to get some lower readings.

Future plans are to try and dose some of the spectracide to raise the nitrates. Hopefully that will bring some deeper colors to the corals. Would also like to try the hw marine mix reefer salt that BRS sells. It has gotten really good reviews, and the parameters mix up a lot closer to where my tank runs, not the 13dkh of RSCP. As for stocking my the next wrasse on my list are the diamond tail flasher and eight line flasher. Then after that maybe a leopard like a chaoti or potters. I also plan on adding a tomini tang to help with algae control, but will probably try to add last so the wrasse can get settled.

FTS! FTS!

My view from the couch taken with a iPhone.

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Tank is looking great Rory! How's the black tang doing?

Glad to hear you got the powder blue and Achilles in! Can't wait to see some pics, also looking forward to seeing that potters wrasse, definitely some nice fish you got there Ty.

Yeah, I'm super excited that the PBT and achilles aren't trying to kill each other! This gives me hope that if they don't do that in a 40-gallon tub, chances are when they get bigger that they won't do it in a 215-gallon tank.

The potters wrasse I got is huge! Like 4-5"! I sure hope he makes it through QT but he's doing the weird leopard wrasse thing where they just lay there until they get used to the time change and feel comfortable enough to explore. My current leopard wrasse came out like 10 times in 3 months while in the tub... They are just odd little creatures.

I hope to get some pictures when I swap the tub again for TTM tomorrow. I would have done it the first night but the shipment got delayed and I wanted them in new water ASAP!

Sounds like a good start for the PBT and Achilles. Did you end up getting the PBT from RCA? I saw they had a few for the first Friday sale the other night.

That potters sounds like it's a beast, leopard wrasse can def be finicky and weird. But they are cool fish for sure.

Yeah Rob, I got the PBT that was in the top tank. He was perfectly small, healthy, and ate mysis at the store so I couldn't pass him up. The achilles is so much bigger than him that there wasn't a battle at all. It's like me picking a fight with Shaq...

The potter's wrasse is ridiculous. He makes the 4" achilles look small! I sure hope he makes it through QT. If I didn't have an ich free tank and just an ich-maintenance tank, I would have tossed him into the main tank already. They don't do the best in QT.

I actually ordered an extra fish of everything I got with this batch of fish. Unfortunately, they ran out of an extra potter's wrasse so he's my only hope!

Well guess the Achilles is gonna be the boss there. Maybe you should name him shaq, and you can name the potter's wrasse obi wan, since he's your only hope Sorry had to.

On the reals though I hope the potters makes it for you, is he really blue and yellow like the pics?

Glad to hear you got the powder blue and Achilles in! Can't wait to see some pics, also looking forward to seeing that potters wrasse, definitely some nice fish you got there Ty.

Yeah, I'm super excited that the PBT and achilles aren't trying to kill each other! This gives me hope that if they don't do that in a 40-gallon tub, chances are when they get bigger that they won't do it in a 215-gallon tank.

The potters wrasse I got is huge! Like 4-5"! I sure hope he makes it through QT but he's doing the weird leopard wrasse thing where they just lay there until they get used to the time change and feel comfortable enough to explore. My current leopard wrasse came out like 10 times in 3 months while in the tub... They are just odd little creatures.

I hope to get some pictures when I swap the tub again for TTM tomorrow. I would have done it the first night but the shipment got delayed and I wanted them in new water ASAP!

Sounds like a good start for the PBT and Achilles. Did you end up getting the PBT from RCA? I saw they had a few for the first Friday sale the other night.

That potters sounds like it's a beast, leopard wrasse can def be finicky and weird. But they are cool fish for sure.

Well, I guess since I got all of the equipment for free, I could buy a pair and still come out ahead?

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How about one peppermint angel instead?

And a few bubble mushrooms for it to snack on?

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Expensive snack for an expensive fish, talk about ballin...

Chris congrats on winning this bad boy!!! This is really gonna be quite the build can't wait for this to come together. Any word on the tank? I'm gonna have to agree with Ty you should go with a nice wrasse dominated tank [emoji12]

Hey Rob. Good to hear from you.

The tank is done. It's the sump and stand we are waiting on. I think the sump will be done next week. Not sure about the stand. Maybe another week or so.

I'll need some recommendations on the wrasses.

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That's great Chris, you must be stoked to get it all setup. I've heard nothing but great things about the reef savvy tanks so it sounds like it'll all be worth the wait in the end. I'll definitely do my best to recommend some wrasses.

You could always start things off right with one of these image.jpeg

Nice looking fish Rob. Care to fill me in? I'm sure it is a million dollar wrasse?

They got it anampses feminus (blue striped tamarin). They come around a few times a year on divers den and usually sell for around the $900-$1100 range. Which is a lot of $$$ for a fish, they are quite striking though. You would def be ballin if you got one of those guys, would need a sand bed though as they are sand sleepers.

Glad to hear you got the powder blue and Achilles in! Can't wait to see some pics, also looking forward to seeing that potters wrasse, definitely some nice fish you got there Ty.

Dang man sorry to hear about all the issues. That's crazy that you have not been able to get those nitrates down. Definitely sounds like a lot of work pulling all the rocks and soakin them. Just out of curiosity what salt mix are you using? Could it have been the alk was too high in the new salt water? I have been using RSCP and tested the alk on a fresh batch last week and it was 13 dkh, which is way to high for my liking.

Chris congrats on winning this bad boy!!! This is really gonna be quite the build can't wait for this to come together. Any word on the tank? I'm gonna have to agree with Ty you should go with a nice wrasse dominated tank [emoji12]

Hey Rob. Good to hear from you.

The tank is done. It's the sump and stand we are waiting on. I think the sump will be done next week. Not sure about the stand. Maybe another week or so.

I'll need some recommendations on the wrasses.

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That's great Chris, you must be stoked to get it all setup. I've heard nothing but great things about the reef savvy tanks so it sounds like it'll all be worth the wait in the end. I'll definitely do my best to recommend some wrasses.

You could always start things off right with one of these ??

Chris congrats on winning this bad boy!!! This is really gonna be quite the build can't wait for this to come together. Any word on the tank? I'm gonna have to agree with Ty you should go with a nice wrasse dominated tank ?

Hey Ty it's an earlei fairy wrasse. You don't see them all that often, as they are a deep wear wrasse that's found in the Marshall Islands.

Taking a picture of the Black Tang was a pain in the Blank.....!

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The Sohal and Achilles gave him a really hard time when I let him loose, and the Red Coris Wrasse is giving him a hard time today......

Interesting that the Purple Tang and Yellow Tang (which should be the most aggressive) aren't almost at all.

He's starting to come out but hasn't left his "side" yet.

Man Rory that's great lookin fish!!!!

Been a long time since I updated this thread. Just thought I would share a short video of my new addition. My dream fish in QT. thanks to Rory (Juiceman) for getting the order together, and Ross at picturesque aquatics. After a bit of madness with UPS, we got our box and everyone was ok!!!

12 Hours after I was supposed to get him....

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Glad to see he is finally acclimating, and getting ready to go to his new home!! Smh what a fiasco.

Lol, yeah school has kept me busy the last few months. I will get an update posted here soon.

The growth from the pics above is outstanding. I am really surprised because I always thought the the 10k would be waaaaay to yellow, but they look really nice. You can def tell a difference, especially that cap on the right hand side of your tank.

Congrats on the new addition!!! Tank is looking great too btw!!!!

How is everything adjusting to the new lights? What kind of photoperiod are you running and how are you ramping eveththing up to acclimate?

So far so good. I have the actinics running for 10 hours right now and the halides on for 6 so far everything seems to be tolerating the lights well. Most of my sps that are frags I removed form the rocks and have the, on the sandbed. The ones that are encrusted on the rocks are doing well too. Then I will slowly move up to their final places. Some of my zoas still seem to be upset but they are slowly opening up. I plan on maybe ramping up to an 11 hour photoperiod total with 11 hours of actinic and 7 hours of halide.