Sniperhank's UPGRADED 55 gal Build

[Bearchumjs]

Originally Posted by Sniperhank

Radions and new dual reactor for carbon + PFO

FTS

Cycle Progress...way to slow...stupid nitrites

Awesome new stuff! Love the tank! I know you are waiting for the cycle to finish. When ammo is 0 it is a milky white color?

[Sniperhank]

Not quite. It will be milky yes, but a light yellow. Not sure what is going on with my ammonia/ammonia test. Keeps showing this white rather than yellow and 30 min later having a light green tint to it. After work going to test both tanks for ammonia and see if they give the same result or if my 36 will actually show yellow. Might be my test went bad.

[Bearchumjs]

Originally Posted by Sniperhank

Not quite. It will be milky yes, but a light yellow. Not sure what is going on with my ammonia/ammonia test. Keeps showing this white rather than yellow and 30 min later having a light green tint to it. After work going to test both tanks for ammonia and see if they give the same result or if my 36 will actually show yellow. Might be my test went bad.

I'm interested in the result of your test. I think I'm rooting for a the test going bad since its been so weird with the results. It's probably easier to replace the testing liquid than try to figure out what on earth is in your tank that is making it act all weird.

[Sniperhank]

Ok. Finally got around to testing today. Also tested the ammonia in my 36 gal since the 55's tests have been odd. Pretty much stated that I still have ammonia in the 55...just not sure why it takes so long to test positive when the 36's water is an instant negative.


Threw in a handful of LR rubble and 3 smaller rocks from my 36 to try to help it along. Had a diatom bloom while I was at work yesterday as well. Not too concerned about that, it will be easily fixed once I can move the powerheads from the 36 over.

[Bearchumjs]

Looks like its moving along!

[Sniperhank]

I wish. Havent had a change in ammonia or nitrite levels in a long time. Hoping the seeded lr and cup of sand will help...

[Bearchumjs]

Originally Posted by Sniperhank

I wish. Havent had a change in ammonia or nitrite levels in a long time. Hoping the seeded lr and cup of sand will help...

Oh. I thought the nitrites had changed. That stinks that it seems to have stalled out. The live rock and sand has got to help it! When are you going to test again? Can you post a picture of your 36?

[Sniperhank]

I prob wont test again til monday at the earliest. With it moving this slow im def not testing daily like i did on my 36. The additional rock should help. Ome of them is covered in dead zoas so that will add some fuel if needed.

[Sniperhank]

And the 36.

[Bearchumjs]

Originally Posted by Sniperhank

And the 36.

Nice! What are the white things by the royal gramma?

[Nu-Nu the eel]

Looks like a happy candycane coral

[Sniperhank]

A bleached and mostly dead blue trumpet coral.

[Nu-Nu the eel]

Hahaha dead? Wow i have seen some awesome candycane corals that look that. What was its origional color?

[Sniperhank]

Blue. Below it is a frag thats doing great. So idk what happened.

[Sniperhank]

Well, tested tank again. Still no progression. Small amount of ammonia, high nitrites, and middle of the road nitrates. It needs to get a move on. Ordered a TON of pods, chaeto, open brain, green slimer, and a tuxedo urchin from reefs2go yesterday. I'd like to have it into the 55 when it arrives...but looks like that is going to be far from that so I will acclimate everything into the 36.

[Bearchumjs]

Oh man! I really hope your 55 decides to straighten up and quit being stubborn! Let me know how the urchin does. I've thought about getting one when I get my salt tank set up.

[Sniperhank]

Ok, picked up 2 peppermints and a cleaner shrimp today. Also got a really cool elephant ear. Only downfall with the elephant ear is that it came from the tank covered in macro algae. They pulled most of it off, but I found more. Will be taking it off tomorrow and putting into my fuge along with the chaeto and 3000 pods. Will post pics tomorrow since I'll have the open brain and green slimer too.

[Sniperhank]

Elephant ear, small sad looking open brain, and green slimer. Sorry, lights off atm.


And... PODS

[Sniperhank]

More troubles today. The elephant ear disintegrated while I was at work. What a mess...That is the last coral I ever buy from my LFS. Just didn't learn my lesson. Did a huge water change. I had uninstalled my skimmer yesterday so I could have my fuge light on. Because of today's mess, I took my HOB filter off and reinstalled the skimmer after a good scrubbing of it. I also turned up the power on my return pump to make up for the lack of HOB filter and raised the water level in my sump.

Elephant ear's corpse moved into the cycling 55 gal. Open brain looks well, no longer any skeleton showing, fully inflated. Green slimer was moved up to the top of my tank. It seemed content with the move as I saw some polyp extension prior to heavy work to clear up the water.

[Sniperhank]

Just a quick update. Came home from work last night and the 55 is filled with algae to the point there is some floating around on the top of the water. I unplugged my radions and will clean the mess up tomorrow since it is my day off. Pretty happy about this though, really hoping my nitrites are done with and I just need to do a large water change and switch my livestock over to the 55.