Sniperhank's Red Sea S-series 500

[Sniperhank]

Here is an example on how light affects corals. This is one of the chalice in the tank. The left side was out and exposed more to the light, where the right was shaded under an overhang.
Both sides are fine, but the shaded is much more purple with less eyes where the more exposed has many more eyes and is a lighter purple.

 

[Autumnsky]

Less light side is more like the one I had way back - it seemed fine and active but it is easy to see how the light makes a BIG difference. I like the example.

 

[Sniperhank]

It's funny, I have an almost microscopic chalice piece I bought offline...it's the same one. Price was exactly the same. And for the record, back in the shade for that guy.

 

[Sniperhank]

Biopellet reactor is up and running off of the old return pump from the 55 system. It is noisy, so I'll have to take it apart to clean it. To get the tumble needed for biopellets, had to turn it up to the level where there was some solid distance of the water being forced out of the holes I drilled at the top. Solved by finding a gatoraid bottle in the fridge. Cut the top off and put it on top of the unit. No glue or anything. Running like a champ.

 

[Autumnsky]

It's Hankgyver!!!

 

[Sniperhank]

Quick picture of the dinos and the reactor.

 

[Sniperhank]

Looks like there has been improvement in things. Growth has slowed and have noticed some hair algae growth on the powerhead.
The foxface is gone as well and the tank is officially fallow. Whatever wiped it out will be gone as it'll be fallow for quite some time, most likely until I get the algae under control.

 

[Chris-Nicol]

Looks like there has been improvement in things. Growth has slowed and have noticed some hair algae growth on the powerhead.
The foxface is gone as well and the tank is officially fallow. Whatever wiped it out will be gone as it'll be fallow for quite some time, most likely until I get the algae under control.

I know the feeling! Very frustrating

 

[Autumnsky]

This stuff happens but it's a hard pill to swallow. Sorry to hear. Is there still a clean up crew to help look after the algae? What is the status of the corals?

 

[Bdonaldson]

Sorry to hear about the foxface. It's very frustration watching that happen.

 

[Sniperhank]

There are still snails and urchin in the tank.
There aren't any issues with the corals. They are doing incredibly well considering what is going on.
Tomorrow will see manual removal during a water change.

 

[Sniperhank]

A full tank shot after today's cleaning. Lots of gunk removed. Building up for another water change and that should be the end of the salt I have on stock currently. Either way, no livestock in the system means no nitrate levels to rise, really. I just keep stirring stuff up and removing it by water changes and cleaning the filter socks. Long way to go, but progress.

 

[Bdonaldson]

Glad the tank is getting better. How long will you wait before restocking?

 

[Chris-Nicol]

No, I have thick carpet in my living room. I just move the can.
As for the ich, the purple was dead this morning and clown is missing. Foxface is fine though.
In other news, it never dawned on me why I couldn't get the Cyanobacteria under control with more flow, water changes, and wouldn't vanish when the lights go out. It finally dawned on me, its dinos. Continuing to remove and do water changes. Will need more carbon due to their toxicity, which might be the issue in general since the tangs were eating the junk, and will be looking into other concepts towards solving.

Looking at my tank I think I might also have a Dino bloom. I thought it was diatoms again but after looking at pictures online I think it more resembles dinos.

I am already running carbon after using the FWE (which worked for some flatworms but I still have after 2 treatments). I have read online to cut the lights? What can I cut it to so that I won't kill my coral? (Frogspawn, acan, ricorea and xenia). I done a water change on Monday and have just started mixing more water for tomorrow.

Is there anything else I should be doing?

 

[Sniperhank]

Heavy skimming. I'm using an algae turf scrubber and a diy biolellet reactor to out compete them for nutrients.
You can cut the lights out for a couple days without issues.

 

[Chris-Nicol]

Heavy skimming. I'm using an algae turf scrubber and a diy biolellet reactor to out compete them for nutrients.
You can cut the lights out for a couple days without issues.

I have been doing a bit more research and saw a post on another forum about trying to raise the nitrates in ur tank to 2ppm and keeping it like that for a few months.

It said that pristine water conditions can speed up their growth. Do you know if this method has worked for anyone else? I have also read to raise the ph of the water but I don't want to mess around with that.

 

[Sniperhank]

I believe that one stops water changes simply because of the nutrients being brought into the system along with the water changes.
Reef builders has a solid article about marine velvet and how it is a dino along with treatment.

 

[Sniperhank]

Sometimes you just need to know how hot it is.

 

[Delapool]

Time for a new one [emoji16]. Just replaced one that floated around and had to wait 5 minutes while it did a 'lap'.

 

[Sniperhank]

That thing hasn't stuck to the glass wall in years. It just goes round and round in the tank. The urchin was going up the back glass last night and must have decided it looked nice.
I'm not a fan of most of the ways we check temp in our systems. I don't have a controller, so probes are out. All glass ones can't use magnets, probably due to whatever they use in them anymore, and suction cup ones never stay stuck.