Tanks:
Main Tank: 50 gal, 39"W x 13"D x 24"H
Sump: 20 gal.
Filtration:
70 lbs LR, 4-6" deep LS
Protein Skimmer: in-sump
Refugium: None yet, but planning a 10-15 gal in November
Pumps:
1100gph main, return from sump through 2 loc-line outlets directing flow behind LR
oscillating RIO 400 in-tank
RIO 400 through chiller
Lighting:
1 - 36" 96W blue actinic, on 12 hours
2 - 36" 96W 6700 ultra daylights, on 10 hours
Most Recent Chemistry:
81 degrees F, chiller maintained within 1 degree
Ammonia: 0 measured at night, shows very slight reading in AM
NO2: 0
NO3: <10
pH: 8.6 in the PM, 8.4 in the AM
Alk: 3.2
Calcium: ~300 (adding a calcium reactor this weekend)
Livestock:
3 or 4 blue damsels
1 brittle star
1 small sand-sifting white star
1 sand-sifting tiger-tail cuke
10 very small blue-legged hermit crabs
1 small red-legged hermit crab
10 snails
Food:
½ of small block of
frozen brine shrimp daily for damsels
History:
Tank has been up 10 weeks
First 4 weeks, LR and LS only, with lighting added during 4th week.
Observed first nitrogen cycle during this time.
At 5 weeks, amm./nitrates down to 0, added snails, crabs, brittle star, damsels
Next 4 weeks, observed second nitrogen cycle, amm. & nitrates went up and have come back down to 0.
Got first bloom of dark brown-green algae soon after adding livestock; this slowly went away and then immediately got bloom of
bright green algae, but that also has abated to the point the snails can keep up with it.
LR has sprouted some growth, most notably a dull orange thing that is sort-of like a mushroom w/ an inverted cap.
Lot of difficulty maintaining pH, alk, and calc balance; adding reef buffer as needed for alk & calc, reef builder for calcium only. Haven't added any corals because of this, am finally adding a calcium rector this weekend (at 10 weeks).
