Michika's 28g long nano-esque tank!

[adidas]

no prob. also it looks like a bit of cyano in there, have you ever used Chemi-clean?

[michika]

Nope, no Chemi-clean, I'm afraid of it actually!

[adidas]

Originally Posted by michika

Nope, no Chemi-clean, I'm afraid of it actually!

oh man, its great i used it once and it killed cyano and all other nuisance algae.

[michika]

I think I've terrified myself by reading too many bad accounts of its usage. Its not actually that bad, I just looked at it seems to just be on the tips of that frag and any dead frags that you can see on the background. I should probably take those out now I guess.

[michika]

Quick update;

I now only have two SPS frags that are still alive. Both still show no polyp extension.

I've decided that I won't buy anymore SPS until at least April. I still don't have any clue as to why I can no longer keep SPS. I can't figure out why things were going so well with my frags/colony until a few weeks ago. In the mean time I'm just going to let the tank chug along and see where it goes.

The fish all still seem happy and healthy, same goes for the clams and the few softies/LPS I have. Its a good sign and its something to focus on for the time being.

[michika]

I'm seeing some more subtle transformations and changes within my system. Algae growth on the glass seems to come more frequently, and in a larger quantity. My clams can't seem to get "comfortable", my small crocea, and my large derasa are regularly changing their positions. One day they orient with the MH bulb, and the next they are perpendicular.

I still want to try SPS again, but I am wary. This is the first time in probably 8 or more months in which I've actually had to put out my own money for tank supplies and livestock. My previous cube was self sustaining and I was more then able to buy all my own supplies and livestock. My funds are running out, so I guess I have to start putting my own money into the system if I want to try SPS again.

I figured out why my levels were a bit out on my last reading and I've corrected it. I use Ultra Mag reactor media in my Ca. reactor along with ARM media. The Ultra Mag needed to be replaced, along with my kalk powder in my kalk. reactor. I fixed those at the end of last week, after turning my reactors back online. So a few minor adjustments and now my chemistry is back inline.

I never thought I could go through that much media so quickly, but the last time I dialed in my Ca. reactor was after I had removed all my dead SPS, and sent my clams to a friends for care.

The thicker and more frequent algae growth on the glass was something that happened with my 28g cube. I'm seeing more and more familiar signs and correlations between my previous cube and this tank, its making me hopeful about keeping SPS again.

[michika]

This tank is not making me a happy reef keeper.

So yesterday the Snapper pump started making these squeeking noises. So yesterday evening all the pumps on the system were cleaned and then system went back online. I saw increased flow from the pump, but nothing else happened.

This morning I woke up to a quiet tank, the pump failed. It seized, but since there was no power outtage the back up battery system didn't kick on and the tank was without power and heat for who knows how long. Thankfully there were no deaths, and the temperature drop was minimal, and everything was still within acceptable levels when I noticed it.

I love my battery back up!


So then I had to rush off to pick up a new pump. By the time I'd come home more problems had cropped up. In an attempt to remove the Snapper pump, the sump got cracked.



I came home with a new pump, a Reeflo Dart this time instead of a Snapper. This was not a cost that I really wanted to put out for. The timing of this pump failure is bad. I've sent off an email to Reeflo to see what may be done about the pump, I've heard that their customer service is usually quite good. I hope something of benefit comes out of this.



Pumps side by side, top is the Dart, and lower is the Snapper


Left is the Snapper and right is the Dart


Pump pictured is the Dart, and the grey portion is the Snapper's to illustrate the difference between the two.


So now I'm spending my day supervising the replacement of a my main pump, and I'm hoping very much that nothing else breaks or stops working before I can really afford to make changes or repairs on the system.