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Is this algae build up on the sand? It is closer to the window

Noticed that these patches were spreading over my sand. Is it time for me to get a clean up crew in? And also yesterday’s numbers.

Hi Jiaen, yeah I was not sure I should get the Hanna type testers since each one costs a bomb on their own. To top it off I am partially colour blind so I have to get the wife and daughter to read my readings for me. LOL. I did a test yesterday and the nitrate went through the roof. Will post the results later. I took out some water and will monitor how it goes. Resumed dropping food in. I was wondering if I could start chaeto to manage the nitrate levels a little. My protein skimmer is still off. Hi Rudz, I agree that the cycling is a test of patience. It doesnt help when your daughter asks you daily when you will add fishes in. I think she has not gone through a full tank cycle process because with my fresh water tank, there was an enormous feeder bull frog that she saved from the fish shop that was already in it building the bacteria. Edit : You are running on tap water?

Congratulations on the newborns! Is there a way to sex the cardinals?

My readings seem to be all over the place. I thought it was trending in the right direction but not sure why the readings are such. I did stop dropping fish food into the tank for 2 days so did the bacteria starve?

Work life took over and I left the tank to run on it’s own for 2 days. Noticed this in the sand.

Thanks jiaen I thought it might be bacterial in nature. Tank still looks the same since the last pictures. Post my latest water test results later. My lighting is at acclimate mode and very low till live stock goes in. There is tha grey area in the centre where the light does not seem to reach. I get quite abit of window light though. Was wondering what coral I could place there... also is my water classified as cloudy? I have chemipure blue in the sump since day one. edit added the water test numbers. Ammonia still 1 ppm. Nitrite appears to have gone up. Nitrate remains constant.

Thanks jiaen, I really hope to maximize my light area but now is still the early stages so I will work with what I have. thanks will look out for more dragon sps. :) Now monitoring the stability of the water. Ammonia apparently went down and nitrite went up by a bit. I noticed this white flaky thing on my tank equipment when I moved the wave maker. What is it?

I got a teco chiller during the last sale.:)

Thanks junhui.:) First tank water test. Ammonia is high. Tank has been sitting there for a week.

Look very nice but my tank haven't cycle yet. Next time if I am ready I will look out for this.

Thanks Otaku, I do intend to put a rock on the left side for a zoa island. The dome shape rock was supposed to be more to the right so that I could have a bigger zoa island. I am just disappointed that I can't maximise the lighted area to put corals esp the part in the last picture which is grey and shaded from the light. Not sure if there is any low light coral that I can place there. Don't worry about being artistic, I am also not really there. That's why seeking assurance that I can salvage this.

Details of the tank : Red Sea Reefer 200XL Red Sea Reef LED 90 Jebao MDC 5000 return pump Jebao SLM-20M wave makers on both sides Nyos Quantum 120 skimmer(Not on yet as the tank is still settling) Caribsea rock scape set plus 2kg additional live rock Caribsea Oolite sand. Teco Chiller

Hi all so I finally received my tank and had it set up. Kind of disappointed with the scape. I had wanted more arches and less caves but had to scape with the sand inside(I don't want to talk about why the sand is inside it) so was literally scaping by feeling. Unfortunately had already applied the bonding putty for fear of it toppling and cracking the glass so by the time the water settled the putty had set. I don't intend to take this hunk of rock out now. Hope the gurus can help me work with this. Appreciate my wife and daughter who saw the positive in it. They say they can see a dragon in the rock work and a fortune cat. LOL! The first two pictures are from the side. I was thinking of putting pulsing xenia on the ledge towards the back of the scape and the other side leather mushrooms. I over compensated on the distance between the tank wall and the scape on the left hand side. This is the front of the tank. I am literally face palming as I take the picture.

Yeah I initially thought I would do without a chiller but the past week a few days were very hot so I thought it might be better to have some hardware to support.

@Kenji, wow you have a really blue theme going. Where did you get that frag rack from? I was thinking of selecting a few zoa types and just let them grow inwards and outwards depending on where they are placed. @Willy, nice works! Yes I watched a youtube reefer who suggested using the colour wheel and use colours on opposite sides of the wheel to make the contrast. Just that these zoa's are so colourful that it is hard to match. your zoa rock seems to have have purple as a dominant colour. What are some of the zoa's you have there?

Hi All, After some time my tank is finally going to be delivered today! I know that I am still much ahead of this but I wanted to gather some ideas about creating that Zoa Island I wanted in my tank. I will have a rock that I will have about maybe 4 to 5 types of Zoas on. Looking to everyone to suggest some combinations of zoa types that are good contrasting colours to be included. Some people suggest using a colour wheel but I am partially color blind so this is a problem. Hoping for the ones that are easy to keep, not too expensive. If you can advise on which type of zoa will match best next to which zoa so much the better. I invite pictures of your masterpieces but need to know which Zoa is which so that I can find them. So Excited!

Hi All, thanks I eventually wound up getting a small chiller. now waiting for the equipment to ship to me.

Hi All, gathering equipment for incoming tank. For the Jebao SLW-20 pump, please PM me on how old the item is, how much you are asking for and where we can deal. If you can share pictures that would be nice. I am looking for two of these. For the Chiller, please PM me on how old the item is, is there still warranty left, when was it last serviced, how much you are asking for and where we can deal. If you can share pictures and videos that would be nice. Will be appreciative if the suitable pump comes along with the chiller. Thank you.

Hi all thanks for replying. For he, is the hailea chiller i am aiming for noisy? I Hope to get something with a not so noticable noise level. To evolutionz, i am hoping for something with a small size footprint so that my wife won't kill me.

Hi All, so in recent days I realised that I might not be able to maintain the incoming tank without a chiller to manage the temperatures. So I am looking to get one that is small in size, energy efficient and quiet. Was looking at the Hailea ones, being the cheapskate I am, namely the HC-100A. Can I get some thoughts from the members who have used this model? I am looking to get one for a RSR 200XL.

Goodness! is that a chilling coil in your sump?

Hi All, hoping to start my tank over the next few months. Have a query about RODI systems. I know this is a debated topic but are they absolutely necessary in Singapore since our tap water is actually quite potable? Also my family has been using one of those clamp onto the tap water filters, the device is starting to show signs of age and the filter cartridge is getting harder to find. So there was an idea to get a system that can also serve to provide water to the family. Is there such devices available in the market so I can one leg kick provide water for my tank and also for drinking?

Haiz, now trying to review the price of the tank setup. Thats why asking for inputs on the equipment in another thread.

But I cannot tahan... the pretty colors...