Well not sure how to start but I guess from the beginning. This past summer my work took my away for 4 months. While work these days is a rarity, to me it was a no brainer. Do it! Make money to pay bills and support your addiction.
While away I paid my nephew to take care of the 180 gallon reef tank which had been established now for about 2 years. My nephew took care of feeding, 10 % water changes every other week. I would have him photograph the tank and send me pics via email. Things would look very good, parameters good as well.
At this point you are saying well what the heck happened.
Majano anemones is what happened! In four months I had a massive infestation! I tried using the anaptaiser product but only got a few. I tried picking rocks out and scrapping the suckers off but they quickly came back! I tried boiling
RO water but they seemed to laugh at me!!!
Then I felt I had no choice...... Total tank tear down!!! I hated the thought but it was the only way to get rid these pests!
I had been contemplating making a few changes so I thought this would be a perfect time. I was not thrilled with my aquascape, I wanted to go bare bottom and I wanted to get back to the basics.
Good old time tested techniques!
Kalk additions, monthly water changes, aggresive skimming and carbon filtration.
This is what I know best and what seems to work time and time again.
And so it begins........9-16-2011
Week 1 of tear down
I had to start slowly 25% water change removed 25% of the rock work.
Week 2 of tear down
25% water change and another 25% of the rock removed.
Week 3 of tear down
25% water change and another 25% of rock removed
Week 4 of tear down
Last of rocks removed no water change at this point. Why? I want to keep as much of the old water as possible for the good bacteria in the water column.
The rock is sitting on the side of my yard where I hose it down every couple of days to get rid of any loose dead life. I plan on letting it air out 4 weeks to make sure any possible majanos have completely died.
Here is my tank now with all rock removed and even though some sand is still visable it will be completely gone by this weekend.
As for the corals that were in my tank I have given them away to my fellow hobbists. I kept what I wanted. Like Blue Oregon tort.
Fish are doing well and are feed every other day. Only my mystery wrasse somehow got caught in one of my vortechs. Very strange!
I did not want just glass at the bottom so I opted for "starboard" material.
It is safe and salt water proof. In the industry it is used for boating material.
Several other guys on the forums use it and I know my
lfs uses it exclusively.
World Wide Corals has installed the starboard material on their main display tanks. It allows coralline algae to grow on it's surface and in a short time looks really good.
My tank measures 6 feet long by 24 inches wide. It will take 3 , 2' by 2' square sections. The corners are jig sawed for the corner over flow boxes.
I plan on siliconing the pieces to the bottom of the tank so that detritus does not settle underneath the starboard and the glass.
Well this is it for now guys. I will update soon!
The Rebirth/Rebuild of my 180g sps thread
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