KrazyKuch's & Michika's 180Gal Tank Build

[brizzo]

http://www.amazon.com/Freud-LU94M010...ion/B00004T7AL

Aka, Triple chip melamine blade, or negative kerf blade. Store I work in retails them for $114

[michika]

Thanks everyone for the blade recommendations. They helped a lot, and made shopping very simple.

All the clams are happy again. The water change and extending the MH lighting period again seemed to have solved it. I'm returning the MHs back to 7 hours a day.

Kevin has been very good about watching over the tank. I've been really sick for all of December, and unable to do much of anything. I only worked 3.5 days this month for my regular day job. I wished I could have take advantage of boxing day sales, but I'm still mostly house-bound.

I still think that some predator survived the crash. Before we moved I had at least two fish that just vanished without explanation. I think some predator survived because Kevin told me that we have a missing fish. I thought I checked over all the rocks when we re-started after the crash. I guess I missed something.

Until I'm better I'll just keep planning the big tank and living vicariously through everyone else. I think the internet has been the sole thing to accredit for me retaining my sanity through this illness.

[michika]

Lets start with some proof that growth does occur in my tank!

Yesterday:


December 12:


Yesterday:


From Nov. 30th


Some top down action


And where all my x-mas money went, twice over; custom short boots. The pink ones came in too big, so I re-ordered in green. I'm dying to skate on them on Saturday. My beautiful Roll-Line driver plates are being put on them right now. Think of them like the Bubble King or maybe Volcano skimmer equivalents. I also got myself a Crackberry Storm. So voila, my half of the explanation as to why there were no reefy goodies under the proverbial tree.

[Skimmerking]

hey catherine are those the new frags that you ahve there the Pink Styropora and green pocilapora LOL

[michika]

Originally Posted by asmodeus

hey catherine are those the new frags that you ahve there the Pink Styropora and green pocilapora LOL

Yes, they are exceptionally slow growers, taking 4-8 weeks to show up at your door upon ordering!

[michika]

Alright I need to finally make a firm and lasting decision on salt. I used Red Sea Coral Pro very happily until about Dec. 2007. Then I couldn't find anymore after we moved back to Calgary, so I hopped around from Ocean Pure Pro, to Instant Ocean, to Reef Crystals.

I found OPP didn't do anything for my tank overall, I had to fight extra much with Ca and dKH levels when I used it. IO and RC always leaves a lot of crap at the bottom of my mixing barrels. Red Sea Pro left a lot of crap too, but I Ca and Mg. weren't such an uphill battle.

So I'm debating Reefer's Best as my next trial product. I go through about a bucket every couple of months. I do not use any of the bacterial systems, but I hear good things about the potassium regardless of if I'm running a low-nutrient system. I admit I do hesitate at the price.

So I'm not really sure what to do right now, do I switch to trying RB salt, or do I stick with something else? My biggest ongoing issues is, and seems to always have been, low dKH. While I think I might have a solution to the low dKH in the form of a new Ca reactor, I think it would be prudent to maybe find a salt mix that would help solve the issue as well.

[Skimmerking]

i have always used IO and just beef the CAL with calcium additive for my water change Catherine and i have never had a problem since 2002.