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My 300ltr Triton Mixed Reef
- Thread starter jordlr
- Start date
jordlr
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I've had a few water issues of late resulting in a couple of partially stripped Sps but thankfully the stripping has halted now my parameters are back in order and I'm hoping the bare skeleton will get recovered.
I've also increased the brightness of the sun above the tank going from 2 to 3 hydra 26s now. No more shadows and a lovely even colour blend.
A few pictures to keep the thread interesting...
I've also increased the brightness of the sun above the tank going from 2 to 3 hydra 26s now. No more shadows and a lovely even colour blend.
A few pictures to keep the thread interesting...
jordlr
Registered
As normal ive not logged on for ages so thought id update a little as there was a reason for my lack of updates.
Back in September my Yellow tang, Christmas wrasse and Mandarin all died rather rapidly and all with no symptoms. To try and prevent further deaths from the mystery disease i transferred my remaining 2 clowns and the blue eye tang to QT, first treating with copper and than avloclor. The clowns didn't seem to do well under copper treatment but the tang was great. Unfortunately it was the other way round under avloclor treatment and my tang stopped eating and eventually died leaving me with just the clowns left. The reason for this is unclear, and several very experienced reefers have been unable to come to a conclusion of whether it was because there was not enough time between treatments, if the tangs immune system just gave in to the mystery disease or whether the tang is avloclor intolerant.
After the display had been left fallow for 12 weeks, the 2 clowns went back in just before Christmas. In January i added a leopard wrasse and flasher wrasse. I got them both eating frozen mysis in a matter of days but a week later the wrasse became fatigued, laying on the sand and only moving to eat and eventually died too after a few days of this behaviour. Again the reason for its death is unclear. Some think it was a pre-existing condition, some think that prehaps it was stung by the BTA which it had a habit of swimming very close to.
Fast forward 3 weeks and the remaining fish are doing well, eating like pigs and the corals are all colouring up and growing. Growing slowly but they are growing. Im currently only dosing 5ml of triton (original) on a 300ltr system which is unbelievable. I'm still convinced the sand i used is buffering the levels hence the little shift in elements and virtually no need to dose. Ive had a little shuffle around of frags too so will endevour to get a FTS up soon. My setosa frag is doing extremely well having easily quadrupled in size from its original size as has the BTA.
The clowns still show no interest in the BTA so im considering partitioning the tank off when they are sleeping as they sleep in the corner nearest to it, and seeing if they show some interest when they cant swim to their normal cave position.
Thats all for now. Ill post a FTS tomorrow.
Back in September my Yellow tang, Christmas wrasse and Mandarin all died rather rapidly and all with no symptoms. To try and prevent further deaths from the mystery disease i transferred my remaining 2 clowns and the blue eye tang to QT, first treating with copper and than avloclor. The clowns didn't seem to do well under copper treatment but the tang was great. Unfortunately it was the other way round under avloclor treatment and my tang stopped eating and eventually died leaving me with just the clowns left. The reason for this is unclear, and several very experienced reefers have been unable to come to a conclusion of whether it was because there was not enough time between treatments, if the tangs immune system just gave in to the mystery disease or whether the tang is avloclor intolerant.
After the display had been left fallow for 12 weeks, the 2 clowns went back in just before Christmas. In January i added a leopard wrasse and flasher wrasse. I got them both eating frozen mysis in a matter of days but a week later the wrasse became fatigued, laying on the sand and only moving to eat and eventually died too after a few days of this behaviour. Again the reason for its death is unclear. Some think it was a pre-existing condition, some think that prehaps it was stung by the BTA which it had a habit of swimming very close to.
Fast forward 3 weeks and the remaining fish are doing well, eating like pigs and the corals are all colouring up and growing. Growing slowly but they are growing. Im currently only dosing 5ml of triton (original) on a 300ltr system which is unbelievable. I'm still convinced the sand i used is buffering the levels hence the little shift in elements and virtually no need to dose. Ive had a little shuffle around of frags too so will endevour to get a FTS up soon. My setosa frag is doing extremely well having easily quadrupled in size from its original size as has the BTA.
The clowns still show no interest in the BTA so im considering partitioning the tank off when they are sleeping as they sleep in the corner nearest to it, and seeing if they show some interest when they cant swim to their normal cave position.
Thats all for now. Ill post a FTS tomorrow.
Always frustrating when you lose fish for no apparent reason, glad things seem to be getting back on track,
Just in the process of re stocking our tank after an almost total wipeout, (will get round to updating tank thread one day)
Looking forward to a recent FTS
Doug.
Just in the process of re stocking our tank after an almost total wipeout, (will get round to updating tank thread one day)
Looking forward to a recent FTS
Doug.
Looks good, you’ve done a good job of the rock bridge,, BTA looks healthy, it has some nice colours.
steve861uk
Registered
Wow! You now have 2x good sized beautiful nems. Love the tank and have read your thread with interest (have just ventured down the Triton road myself).
The side view with all the snails is great, have increased my snail population last week, but still need more and the first thing I will be doing tonight it to test my RO unit TDS!
It took my clowns weeks to settle in my nem, but settle they did
It also settled smack bang in the centre of my tank and at the front on the lowest rock......so it has become quite a feature .
My clowns totally ignore the Nem since it moved to a different spot.
They were never more than six inches away from it at one time.
They were never more than six inches away from it at one time.
jordlr
Registered
Well the Nem has moved back to its original position now with its new sibling a few inches behind it
Sadly the clowns still arnt interested They have never shown any interest in it at all, except a brief glance when reintroduced after the spell in hospital) Im still considering waiting until they go to sleep and putting a net/egg crate partition across the tank and forcing them to investigate it.
All the snails currently in the tank are captive bred in this very tank. They got jiggy when it was fishless. The sand narssirus snails lay eggs all the time but i have a feeling i clean most of the off spring from the glass when i clean it so i doubt i will ever see any baby ones of those...
Sadly the clowns still arnt interested
They have never shown any interest in it at all, except a brief glance when reintroduced after the spell in hospital) Im still considering waiting until they go to sleep and putting a net/egg crate partition across the tank and forcing them to investigate it.All the snails currently in the tank are captive bred in this very tank. They got jiggy when it was fishless. The sand narssirus snails lay eggs all the time but i have a feeling i clean most of the off spring from the glass when i clean it so i doubt i will ever see any baby ones of those...
jordlr
Registered
Also i received a ICP test back today and other than having trace copper in the tank, potassium being very low and iodine being sky high everything else tested good. Slightly low on Sodium, calcium and magnesium so ive upped dosing slightly. Just need to keep an eye on the Alk make sure it dosnt rise too much.
Just need to find a way of reducing iodine.....
Just need to find a way of reducing iodine.....
steve861uk
Registered
Is your ALK bang on 8 DKh? Mine is hovering around 8.3. I plan to continue dosing elements for another 2 to 3 weeks and then get my first ICP test done
Also.....how is your fuge looking (cheato growth, etc..) and do you use a filter sock (end of questions
)?
jordlr
Registered
Is your ALK bang on 8 DKh? Mine is hovering around 8.3. I plan to continue dosing elements for another 2 to 3 weeks and then get my first ICP test done
Also.....how is your fuge looking (cheato growth, etc..) and do you use a filter sock (end of questions
The last Alk test i did at the weekend showed it was about 7.3dkh (annoyingly triton ICP dosnt test Alk) Cal was 440 (ICP 422) and Mag 1350 (ICP 1332) though the tests i did for Cal and Mag were a few days before the ICP was sent off.
Fuge wise my cheato is real slow growing, non exsistant growth at the mo i would say. Not really sure why but maybe lack of nutrients. Its also a really fine hair cheato not the courser stuff i have normally so maybe the species of algae is also another reason for growth limitation. Ive only got 3 fish in the tank at the moment. A few years ago in my old house i was removing grapefruit sized clumps every weekend but then i was also dosing 100ml a day triton and had 7 fish. The fuge is rammed full of snails and 2 mithrix crabs though too. I thought they were nasty crabs when they appeared on coral frags but they dont seem interested in the snails in their and pick at algae and the fish food that finds its way down so seem quite happy.
Filter sock wise, generally no..... now and then when i think the tank needs a polish i will put a sock in along with some carbon and phos media but on the whole i dont use any of it. I find it slows the flow into the first chamber too much. Obviously its not as the return pump remains unchanged but to my eyes the flow without a sock tumbles the cheato and also injects a lot of air into the water. I feel this makes up for me having covers over the tank.
Dont worry about asking questions, i could talk all day about it
steve861uk
Registered
I always thought the Triton elements were designed to encourage chaeto algae to grow, mine is growing and will soon be stripped back (if I remember to do it ).
Currently dosing 2.5ml of core 7 elements/day in my 250l tank, which keeps my DKh around 8.3, may reduce that to hit the recommended DKh of 8.
I've increased the flow through my sump as I read that it is more beneficial to the system, as it keeps particles suspended and assists with chaeto growth via provision of nutrients (faster turnaround). I also now have my sump light on a reverse cycle (whereas before I left it on 24/7).
My next snail purchase will be for some to go in the sump (in order to try keep the detritus in check). I only have 2x troublesome hermits in there at the mo
).Currently dosing 2.5ml of core 7 elements/day in my 250l tank, which keeps my DKh around 8.3, may reduce that to hit the recommended DKh of 8.
I've increased the flow through my sump as I read that it is more beneficial to the system, as it keeps particles suspended and assists with chaeto growth via provision of nutrients (faster turnaround). I also now have my sump light on a reverse cycle (whereas before I left it on 24/7).
My next snail purchase will be for some to go in the sump (in order to try keep the detritus in check). I only have 2x troublesome hermits in there at the mo
steve861uk
Registered
My Alk has risen to 8.6 to 8.9 so the Triton is on hold for a few days Could be down to the cup of salt that I added on Saturday (my ATU got a bit carried away lowering SG a little!). Once stable/reduced plan to dose only 1ml of elements and see how it goes
Could be down to the cup of salt that I added on Saturday (my ATU got a bit carried away lowering SG a little!). Once stable/reduced plan to dose only 1ml of elements and see how it goes 
