Tank Progression: 60 gallon

[*GSP*Fan*]

I've asked a few people I've met who have amazing corals, and none dose with vit.C. It is best to not mess with too much. I've learned this from someone with tons of experience. Sometimes with good intentions, you can end up causing massive death, by trying things that are "recommended". Let your tank get settled. Don't get more corals. Try to find them from established tanks. I have great success with SPS. The only corals I've learned that like "dirtier" water is pulsating Xenia's, which I've got. They are still pulsing, just a bit weaker. I still have 0 nitrates, even though I'm feeding daily. Monti caps are easy, and a good suggestion I have one in a purple color and one red.

Give it time

PP actually doses with Vitamin C, it was suggested earlier in this thread and information back a few pages. Since then I've done searches and found others who've done so as well. I mean its not like its chemicals going into the tank, that I'd worry about.

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=13501

The only real issue I have had with the corals is the hammer, obviously. Yes my nitrates are higher than I'd like them but I am getting them down. Also, the other corals are fine so I don't believe it was anything with my water parameters or tank that caused the issue with the hammer. I have no idea what caused its decline but the last head looked fine earlier so I'm hoping it will hold on. I have more corals that will be coming the end of next week, none any 'harder' than the ones I have currently (LPS,softies.

I mean I have a very simple set up with just the 60 gallon, using live rock, powerheads, and skimmer for my filtration. I have not added anything to my tank as of yet, in terms of any chemicals or supplements, just food for the fish every 2-3 days. I know I'll have to dose for alk,cal,mag at some point and thats a given with a reeftank. I'm sure you may very well have to at some point, if you're not already. I don't see any difference in dosing vitamin C for the tanks inhabitants over supplements for cal, mg, and alk. I have no intention of adding any other products that are in market for reef tanks because I don't see the reason. I truly believe most of that is just for making money rather than necessity.

I've looked but have not seen one add on craigslist, or anything of that nature, of anyone breaking down a tank and selling corals. I've look in my state (not just city) and even in VA. I found a reef club that isn't too, too far from me so I am hoping that may help at some point when it comes to getting corals. I don't have anything against ordering online. I do a good bit of online ordering for that matter.

Xenia is nice looking but I've avoided it because it can spread quite fast it seems.

I do like the Monti caps and if/when I decided to try SPS those will be my first addition. Not now, sometime down the road.

[Pufferpunk]

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod ... pcatid=460
If it's still alive in the spring, You can have my red one for $50.

I've always got plenty frags of red monti, too.

[*GSP*Fan*]

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod ... pcatid=460
If it's still alive in the spring, You can have my red one for $50.

I've always got plenty frags of red monti, too.

Great!

So long as my current corals continue to do well (not including the hammer in that exaclty), especially the open brains and such I'd definitely like to add one.



I shouldn't have any issues with space adding another sand bed coral.

Question though, those aren't in the same family or something as the brain corals are they? They do remind me of the open brains but I hadn't seen any mention of 'brain' in any of the common names or descriptions. I haven't exactly tried to see what all corals are infact labeled as brain corals.

Also, since you said 'if its still alive' and the issues you've had with the brain corals it made me wonder.

So long as things are going well with the tank/corals, parameters (more so the nitrate) is staying where is should then I'd say I'd give SPS a shot at the same time.

Oh, guess I should add, as long as the puffer hasn't developed a taste for corals as well. I certainly hope thats not the case and will set up a tank for the corals.

[Pufferpunk]

They are in the category of LPS & are in the family of "meat" corals. Cynarina are not the same family as Trachyphyllia.

Here are a few things I have FS:

Anthilia (makes for great coverage of your back wall)


Orange/green cloves (look spectacular under blue lights)
Daylight:


Blues:


Devil's hand leather (parent)


Sm Frag


Lg frag


You've seen the green Tyree leathers already. I also collect high-end, named zoas. They are Quite $$$ but worth it (to me) for their colors. Here's a few examples:

Purple Death


Rhastas


Here are some cheaper unnamed ones


I have many, many, many more!

[Pufferpunk]

I do have a very nice HOB sump/fuge/skimmer FS (no pump):

[*GSP*Fan*]

I did a few tests on some of the water parameters last night, here are the results.

Mag-1320
Ca-450
Alk-10.6

I believe I have the hang of these tests now and feel better about these results over the last. I'm also happier with these results, it seemed the alk was on the higher end last time. I had been 4 days since my last water change, around 15gallons. I performed another water change last night to further bring the nitrates down. Its also the easiest time for me to feed any corals that benefit from being fed.


Since the vitamin C came in I was going over the dosing chart. I'm thinking it'd be best to start out at 5ppm? If so I'm getting 1135.2mg as the dosage for 60 gallons. Since this is just over 1/4 tsp, I'm thinking dosing 1/4tsp would be fine?


When I fed the wellso and hammer last night I set down a formula one pellet in the same area to keep the swarm of snails and hermits from aggravating the coral. This was about about 7-8 this morning I believe and my puffer had got up about this time. Well she noticed the small group of snails and hermits all huddled up and definitely showed some interest. Got a few pictures, quality isn't the best though.






She's showing her true self

She never actually did any harm but did bite at them a couple times.

They are in the category of LPS & are in the family of "meat" corals. Cynarina are not the same family as Trachyphyllia.

Ah, okay. I had read/heard the name meat coral. They just look so similar.

I know I've seen tank shots at some point online with Anthilia covering the back wall.

Those clove polyps do look great under the blues!

I do like zoas. The center rock structure I had planned on, and have started, with zoas and similar. I think it'd look nice once the different varieties grown in and fill it in. Also where I have the one leather placed and where I plan to place the toadstool I'll be getting later this week. I definitely want more variations of zoas to have more of a variety of colors, there certainly are plenty to choose from. I've seen the purple before, I've came close to ordering it.

I'm thinking now I need more space/rock for corals

I spent a good bit of time looking at the tank last night/this morning trying to see what I could do. I'd like the rock taller but I do like the look of the 3 separate structures versus a wall of rock. Though once corals grow in I doubt that'd make much of a difference. Either way, I was thinking about maybe getting 25lbs of the dry rock from Macrorocks again...

Well a bigger tank would solve my problem as well, last I heard there is someone I know that has a 90 and stand for sale (haven't seen it in person yet). I'd love to get it but I know it would cost me more than just the tank itself (more rocks, powerheads, more corals ). The biggest thing is that I really hope to be moved this year, or the next if that doesn't work out. I'm afraid to make it even harder on myself when it comes to moving the tank. Ugh, decisions

[Pufferpunk]

They you reply with my quotes could you please remove the pics? It's really taking up a lot of bandwith from the forum, posting all those pics twice!

If you're gonna upgrade, get a drilled tank with an overflow. You should be able to buy a used RR tank (RR = Reef Ready) with sump, stand & canopy included, for around $600 or less.

[*GSP*Fan*]

They you reply with my quotes could you please remove the pics? It's really taking up a lot of bandwith from the forum, posting all those pics twice!

If you're gonna upgrade, get a drilled tank with an overflow. You should be able to buy a used RR tank (RR = Reef Ready) with sump, stand & canopy included, for around $600 or less.

Yeah, I can do that, didn't think about issues of that sort.

That would make more sense and at some point that was my thought as well. Don't know why it hasn't come to mind again when it came to the 90. I would want a sump with a larger tank and just doing it over again anyway. I'd also prefer it be drilled versus having more HOB equipment.

I know this one isn't, it was used for freshwater, some sort of catfish I believe. He was asking $250 I think for the tank and stand. I had intended on offering less (maybe $200)depending on the shape it was in. Just know I'd like that extra space, and more so the depth when it comes to the dimensions. I don't much care for the 12" depth of my 60, it made aquacaping harder.

Edit: Do you know, roughly even, the dimensions of the sump/fuge/filter? Something like that might be worth going through the trouble of moving the tank forward a bit. Or maybe even use it in place of my current skimmer (depending the rating of that one and such) if it'd fit on the side? I'd hang on to the skimmer of course for when I do upgrade, as I'm sure I will. Even picture of it on tank would be great.

Also, did my statements about the vitamin C sound correct?

[Pufferpunk]

Oh yeah, forgot to reply to your VC query. Yes, start with 1/4 tsp & do 1/2 tsp next week. Place it under your skimmer cup.

The sump is a little under 5" wide (I'd think you could keep the tank 5" from the wall) & around 21 1/2 " long. Weighs about 15lbs.

[*GSP*Fan*]

Oh yeah, forgot to reply to your VC query. Yes, start with 1/4 tsp & do 1/2 tsp next week. Place it under your skimmer cup.

The sump is a little under 5" wide (I'd think you could keep the tank 5" from the wall) & around 21 1/2 " long. Weighs about 15lbs.

Great, thanks! Seems simple enough.

I have been reading through the thread on RC about the vitamin C dosing and a few comments brought something up I hadn't even thought about. Since the vitamin C dosing would lower nutrients it makes sense that cheato wouldn't exactly thrive. If the vitamin C works well for my tank then I'm thinking now that a fuge may not exactly be beneficial. For now it makes sense to me to see what the outcome of the dosing would do before adding any more equipment. If this dosing doesn't work/help for any reason then my next step would be a HOB sump/fuge, to help with nutrients more than anything. It'd be some work but I could drain the tank down to move it forward some, definitely too long for side of the tank. It'd just need to be moved forward about 3 inches or so. I'm barely short the space to put the skimmer I have on the back, I hate that.

I'll definitely have at least a sump, for the additional water volume/space for equipment, on a tank larger than the one I'm running currently. I actually found a 90g drilled, with sump too I believe, on craigslist. It may have more, I forget exactly, the same seller also has a 125 or something that was used for freshwater. The post wasn't very well written and there wasn't any prices mentioned, pictures, or an email, just phone number. Since I saw the post at about 9 tonight I didn't want to call. I'll try to tomorrow just to see at least what they're asking.

[Pufferpunk]

Yep, all my cheato disappeared. But I've got plenty of other macro algae thriving in my fuge.

[*GSP*Fan*]

I just got off the phone with the guy that posted the add on craigslist about the 90gallon. He's a high school student who doesn't have the time anymore for the tank, said it was up and running for over a year. Also talked about how his dad either used to or still does keep saltwater tanks.

It is still up and running with some live rock, sand, some CUC, and two fish. I didn't expect to find one up and running so that brings up some more issues I hadn't thought about in terms of getting it moved. As a plus though, there will be more live rock without me having to purchase more. I have 85 in my tank already plus what is already in the 90g, he wasn't sure how much he had. I'm waiting right now for him to send me a picture of the tank/stand and all.

It is predrilled but had a wet/dry filter under the tank and not an actual sump. Now I know nothing about wet/dry filters. I'm waiting on a photo for that as well. Is there anyway a wet/dry could be used as a sump? I figure this is either a no or it will depend. He has bioballs in it now, which I would toss, and the pump is a RIo, don't know more than that. He also has metal halide lights, I didn't ask much about them, but figure I can sell them. He also has a few bags of unopened Instant Ocean salt, powerheads, and a heater. I believe thats it.

He's asking 600 for everything.

Definitely appreciate some comments here. The main thing that concerns me is the wet/dry and anything of that nature. Since I haven't dealt with a sump, the plumbing, or anything similar I'm afraid I may overlook something that would be of importance.

I'll upload the pictures as soon as he sends them.

Edit:

[Pufferpunk]

$600 is what I paid for mine, with 90g tank, wood stand, canopy (no lights), 20g sump & G-3 ASM skimmer.

Is there a skimmer? W/D filters are very old school--nitrate factories. You could possible make it into a sump but maybe not a refugium. BTW, my fuge is plumbed in separately, next to my tank:. I'd post you a pic but Photobucket is down. :/

[*GSP*Fan*]

$600 is what I paid for mine, with 90g tank, wood stand, canopy (no lights), 20g sump & G-3 ASM skimmer.

Is there a skimmer? W/D filters are very old school--nitrate factories. You could possible make it into a sump but maybe not a refugium. BTW, my fuge is plumbed in separately, next to my tank:. I'd post you a pic but Photobucket is down. :/

The photos are added. Odd photobucket just worked for me

No canopy, which I don't care about but I do want to make sure it is a fair price. Its also about an hours drive from me. I've also got to see if it'll fit in my car, I'm thinking I may have to make two trips.

That was my thought as well about the wet/dry, because of that I have never looked into them and don't know anything about them.

That is my concern. I don't want to have to buy a sump on top of this setup not to mention what all I already have in my 60. I just don't know what to look for to even know if it could be used as a sump. He said it could be and mentioned removing the bioballs etc. but I don't feel comfortable going by his word.

No skimmer. Anyway my hang on the back skimmer could work in a sump, or a wet/dry converted sump (if thats possible)?

[Pufferpunk]

I think that should work as a sump/fuge. You'll have to alter it a bit, by adding baffles.
Do you have a skimmer large enough for a 90g now?
You can certainly build your own canopy.