90gal Sps And Zoa Garden (pic Heavy)

[scubasteve]

All this talk about tap water quality changing during certain times of year has got me wondering. Perhaps that's why my tanks seem to do fine for the first few months, then seem to gradually start to go down hill for no obvious reason, then start to come back again. Coincidentally, i started my 1st and 2nd tank almost exactly a year apart. Hmmm...

i test my tap water for everything right before i test my tank for everything andi literally mean every test i can get my hands on

 

[jroovers]

so absolutely everyone it seems thinks they have to have a rodi unit to have a successful reef tank. let me tell you it has been almost a year and a half with my 125 gal i am now almost exclusively sps and zoa's all have bright deep colour and nice lineage as many know that have seen it in person. first off i filled my tank with the gardening hose lol pics are way back somewhere of it ever since then i have not added a drop of ro water and only been using good ol cambridge tap water. From previouse experience i know the next couple months followed by a couple in spring are the worst for water quality from the tap so tomorrow after work im going to take a tap water reading to show what it is registering as and remember all i do is use a double dose of prime to treat the water before adding to system.

These chemicals work by using most commonly sulphur sulphate to do what is called molecular binding.... were not making a new atom we are combining 2 smaller molecules to form a larger molecule which makes it very easy for either our bio filter to break down or our skimmer to remove it.

I am truly tired off all the arguements from people on here about how i go about things in "MY" tank so figure i would do this to educate others about how it works and open options for others to try.

After all there is no sure fire way to reefing and right or wrong is measured by success or failure

It is good that you are finding your own path. I think everyone on these forums feel that there is a right way and a wrong way to do things. It is up to you to read through all the advice and opinion you are provided, consider it, but then formulate your own actions and path based on your assessment of all that info. There is a lot of good advice out there, but also a lot of bad. I think many of us fall into the trap of reading about someone elses tank, or taking their opinion as fact, as opposed to critically considering the information and combining it with personal experience and close, daily observation of our systems. There is no right way or wrong way of doing things, and every system is different.

 

[scubasteve]

thats why most my reading isnt done on forums lol you can never have a full perspective of what one person does unless they live next door and talk everyday

 

[sunnykita]

All this talk about tap water quality changing during certain times of year has got me wondering. Perhaps that's why my tanks seem to do fine for the first few months, then seem to gradually start to go down hill for no obvious reason, then start to come back again. Coincidentally, i started my 1st and 2nd tank almost exactly a year apart. Hmmm...

I'm finding it interesting as well that the tap water has issues a couple of times a year.

 

[scubasteve]

it tends to happen with the heavy rainfall and snowmelt periods which makes sense with all the added runoff that probably overwhelms the water treatment process i just add a little extra prime at those times to counter it.... i also add it to the water before putting in my tank to allow it to neutralize the particles then add to the tank and let fuge, algae scrubber, skimmer and bio filter to do its thing.... i only run carbon in my media reactor

 

[scubasteve]

still havnt tested my tap water i calibrate my meters every six months and turns out im in the market for a new tds meter but on the up side took some pics of my tangs.... you would never know the one was so sick it almost died. will have some other pics tomorrow of my score from glens frag run

 

[scubasteve]

thanks glen

 

[scubasteve]

wanna see a grown man cry.... crack the bottom of his dt all but a memory now pm me if interested in any livestock need gone asap people will make your travel worth while luckily got all coral in frag tank on time but with a jump like that in bioload it will turn fast

 

[saltyair]

Omg how did that happen? Issue with the stand? Or did something drop? So sorry to hear this. If I was closer I would hold your livestock till you could fix it.

 

[scubasteve]

dude i totally have no clue everything is level tank filled and stand unfilled both were level on setup put 3/4" plywood on stand then dow foam insulation then tank then inside i laid eggcrate with rock on top then added sandbed and somehow for some reason bottom pane broke...... i assumed it was my re-sealed seam that finally gave but that wasnt the case bottom cracked and slowly dribbled out thank god got most down the drain with buckets but hade 20 min to get everything out before was empty. So far only loss is eel coral banded prob 20 snails but saved the rest will add some pics of destruction soon..... AM SUPER THANKFUL ALL 4 AI SOL BLUE LED FIXTURES ARE IN GOOD ORDER WHEEW

 

[scubasteve]

so heres what im left with .... anyone need any glass? all but bottom are good

 

[scubasteve]

before
3 hours later

not a zigzag big enough in the world to make me smile right now

 

[sunnykita]

oh that sucks ! so sorry

 

[unibob]

not a zigzag big enough in the world to make me smile right now

Zigzag must be empty then. Sorry for your losses.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[scubasteve]

everything in the frag tank is doing ok minus a couple smaller peices. dave is on his way to save my crazy expensive zoas and eric is gonna save my prized sps and lucky him will have two beuty clams the rest should manage and some will get sold.

on an up side got my cleaner wrasse out the rock bin caught him swimming at top this morning was looking a lil weak tho and got my eel out of a rock which i thaught he was a gonner but a tough sob he is. saw a couple crabs but they are hardy and will live ive pulled them out of week old live with zero water many times. Right now im cleaning out qt tank fully to setup guess im down to a 55 long but better than nothing.

ARENT I GLAD SEAHORSES ARE IN LIVINGROOM FINE AND DANDY

so far all electrical works. still gotta check that a few things are dry and working but all the main stuff is good. will be one beefed up 55 system lol

 

[Kevin Tran]

If I can be of any help, just let me know. Be right over tonight after work if needed

 

[scubasteve]

thanks kevin if it wasnt for all the fellow tft members willing to pich in just to save my stuff i would prob not be continuing..... just another example how great this community really is

TFT FOREVER who needs any other forum

 

[Poseidon]

I will sell you a 200g tank for what I paid for it.
( very cheap)
Let me know if your interested Steve

 

[AdInfinitum]

Wow ! That's awful to hear...good that you could save most of the creatures.

I once had the front pane of a 90 gal split across the middle. Same deal...perfectly level newer tank properly set up just an internal flaw in the glass or something. It emptied in a hurry into the apartment downstairs. That experience was a big part of why I went acrylic with my next large purchase...

 

[scubasteve]

ya my glass guy could not believe that it happened wont know for sure till i get it cleaned well but was a great year and a half with no problems since im getting alot of stuff sent to other tanks to help lift the bio load i might be able to get the frag tank as a reef.

i dont really want to start another large tank till i buy a house just to keep the move a little easier but again the offers are very appreciated.... and yes i thaught about a big acrylic my seahorse one i built is a dream