Smite's Stout CDA - 205G
- Thread starter Smite
- Start date
Thanks for the positive push, everyone.
@Socal PT
As drexel pointed out my major oversight here was simply not cleaning out the tank. The build thread is pretty long, but at some point I also found that my impeller from the sicce 1.5 pump that recirculated my skimmer had worn down like crazy. It was so evenly worn I didnt catch it the last time I changed media and cleaned the unit. It wasn't until I assembled another sicce 1.5 to feed my UV and Cheato reactor that I noticed the impeller's shaft was supposed to be a uniform width throughout. So that could have been contributing to the issue. I do feel the tin was from the tank itself. That won't be specific to CDA but just a new aquarium in general. It has to do with how new glass is made in general.
Whether this is just finicky sps behavior with an ongoing delayed reaction to that heavy metal issue; or me going overboard stripping metals, possibly along with necessary trace elements, I'm not sure. I'll say once I saw the metals were low/gone I was still having issues but have noticed some improvements since starting to dose my moonshiner correction elements.
There's also the light, that is different as well. I got some high par measurements and didn't really trust them. After talking with a few T5 guys that say the numbers were probably accurate, I've cut the kessils to only before and after the 8 channel of the t5s kick on. Down side is it looks like a t5 tank most the day, the kessils really made it look close to mh. I think eventually, once everything is acclimated and my nutrients are in check I'll be able to turn them on low just for some shimmer. I still struggle with "0" phosphates due to the algae issues.
@Justkeepswimming In my opinion there is nothing like a sps tank. Lots of work and can crash the quickest but that's part of the awe of large colonies. Get it back in check and if my tank's stable I'll cut you some stuff.
Tonight was the first night, granted all blue, I looked top down on my tank and saw some things I liked. SCOP wasn't looking half bad, also a wild tenuis I picked up from tongs about 3 weeks ago is looking happy. Still hasnt' encrusted but has polyps. My TGC went from wierd dull greyish green to full green and has some signs of light orange. Fox flame has some faint yellow tips but only under blues so far. Not quite there yet for daylight, but some stuff is starting to rebound under blues. All said and done, I'll take it, ha!
@Socal PT
As drexel pointed out my major oversight here was simply not cleaning out the tank. The build thread is pretty long, but at some point I also found that my impeller from the sicce 1.5 pump that recirculated my skimmer had worn down like crazy. It was so evenly worn I didnt catch it the last time I changed media and cleaned the unit. It wasn't until I assembled another sicce 1.5 to feed my UV and Cheato reactor that I noticed the impeller's shaft was supposed to be a uniform width throughout. So that could have been contributing to the issue. I do feel the tin was from the tank itself. That won't be specific to CDA but just a new aquarium in general. It has to do with how new glass is made in general.
Whether this is just finicky sps behavior with an ongoing delayed reaction to that heavy metal issue; or me going overboard stripping metals, possibly along with necessary trace elements, I'm not sure. I'll say once I saw the metals were low/gone I was still having issues but have noticed some improvements since starting to dose my moonshiner correction elements.
There's also the light, that is different as well. I got some high par measurements and didn't really trust them. After talking with a few T5 guys that say the numbers were probably accurate, I've cut the kessils to only before and after the 8 channel of the t5s kick on. Down side is it looks like a t5 tank most the day, the kessils really made it look close to mh. I think eventually, once everything is acclimated and my nutrients are in check I'll be able to turn them on low just for some shimmer. I still struggle with "0" phosphates due to the algae issues.
@Justkeepswimming In my opinion there is nothing like a sps tank. Lots of work and can crash the quickest but that's part of the awe of large colonies. Get it back in check and if my tank's stable I'll cut you some stuff.
Tonight was the first night, granted all blue, I looked top down on my tank and saw some things I liked. SCOP wasn't looking half bad, also a wild tenuis I picked up from tongs about 3 weeks ago is looking happy. Still hasnt' encrusted but has polyps. My TGC went from wierd dull greyish green to full green and has some signs of light orange. Fox flame has some faint yellow tips but only under blues so far. Not quite there yet for daylight, but some stuff is starting to rebound under blues. All said and done, I'll take it, ha!
Thanks man, I still have that one really small piece and another decent frag sized piece holding out on the sand bed. I had it sitting right infront of the wave box since that seemed about where it was in relation to my mp40 in my last tank. I'm wondering if I was just hammering it too much with flow. I love that wavebox but it might not work for my scape with how low that outlet is. I may trade it out for a xf350 or something that moves water higher up. If it rebounds I think it will do great under t5, with its compact growth it'll really be able to table out.
I tried to take a video with my new to me camera. That was a massive fail! 
I did get a few top downs. Everything is looking pretty happy during my FluxRx treatment. I'm keeping a close eye on parameters and so far it hasn't skipped a beat.
I'm not sure if all the inhabitants really like the 2xG.Tropics (6500k) lamps but Oregon tort and frogskin just look amazing under them. It really pushes through the blues/purples and greens.
A.Caroliniana hasn't skipped a beat
The piece of Kablowee I managed to salvage. Fingers crossed it keeps holding on:
This really nice wild pink acropora I've been growing for the last few years:
TGC Orange Creamsicle is starting to regain some coloration. Almost as colorful as my LE Blue Bot Bryopsis
The first millepora I ever bought, an unnamed piece from RRUSA when they were close by. It's usually neon pink. I'm glad TheGrun held onto this one for me when I moved and that it's still holding on by a thread now.
Not happy enough to color BUT alive. Hopefully I can get some color back into this one. Minus9's - Valkyrie's Moon (hopefully I spelled that right)
I did get a few top downs. Everything is looking pretty happy during my FluxRx treatment. I'm keeping a close eye on parameters and so far it hasn't skipped a beat.
I'm not sure if all the inhabitants really like the 2xG.Tropics (6500k) lamps but Oregon tort and frogskin just look amazing under them. It really pushes through the blues/purples and greens.
A.Caroliniana hasn't skipped a beat
The piece of Kablowee I managed to salvage. Fingers crossed it keeps holding on:
This really nice wild pink acropora I've been growing for the last few years:
TGC Orange Creamsicle is starting to regain some coloration. Almost as colorful as my LE Blue Bot Bryopsis
The first millepora I ever bought, an unnamed piece from RRUSA when they were close by. It's usually neon pink. I'm glad TheGrun held onto this one for me when I moved and that it's still holding on by a thread now.
Not happy enough to color BUT alive. Hopefully I can get some color back into this one. Minus9's - Valkyrie's Moon (hopefully I spelled that right)
SCOP is the one that gives me the most hope everything is back on track. Great PE and starting to regain it's color. It's getting close to my MH tank and also looks great with the Tropics in the mix.
RRC Hellfire Enchinata. I think I have it in a decent place, it's got a little more orange coming in than it had in higher par in my last system. Glad it hung tight, hopefully it doesn't stay locked up too long and gives me some growth.
TGC Cherry Bomb- a beast never really got pissed off. Went a little bleached but always had polyps out
Vivid's rainbow delight: Like Valkyrie's Moon not color yet but alive I've got a feeling these two pieces have similar tendencies when it comes to color and parameter stability.
A freebie piece I got with a purchase from Coral Euphoria. Blanking the name, it was a signature CE piece.
My plan on taking some abuse off this yellow gig by adding the other seems to be working. This is the healthiest it's looks to date.
Hopefully the flux starts working its magic here soon. I'm on day two. I have a weird dusting of brown on the sand that keeps popping up. Doesn't seem to be cyano, possibly dinos or diatoms? Not sure. I'm dosing phytoplankton and bacteria daily to help combat it.
RRC Hellfire Enchinata. I think I have it in a decent place, it's got a little more orange coming in than it had in higher par in my last system. Glad it hung tight, hopefully it doesn't stay locked up too long and gives me some growth.
TGC Cherry Bomb- a beast never really got pissed off. Went a little bleached but always had polyps out
Vivid's rainbow delight: Like Valkyrie's Moon not color yet but alive
I've got a feeling these two pieces have similar tendencies when it comes to color and parameter stability. A freebie piece I got with a purchase from Coral Euphoria. Blanking the name, it was a signature CE piece.
My plan on taking some abuse off this yellow gig by adding the other seems to be working. This is the healthiest it's looks to date.
Hopefully the flux starts working its magic here soon. I'm on day two. I have a weird dusting of brown on the sand that keeps popping up. Doesn't seem to be cyano, possibly dinos or diatoms? Not sure. I'm dosing phytoplankton and bacteria daily to help combat it.
Yeah the 6500k really cuts through in the mix. I was considering pulling them for a bluish lamp cause PAR was so high, but I've just cut the kessils during the day now and I feel like things look much less stressed. Hopefully I can add them back in once I get some nutrients going, the shimmer really brings it all to life.
