Tofu's IOS Peninsular

[tofubox]

When you start to take QT to a higher level. 

The clownfishes are doing fine after the Prazi dose, but decided to do a 70% water change so that i could dose some API General Cure which also include metroplex that helps to fight off internal parasites as well. The clown that had white stringy poop is showing good signs, no more white poop so far. Unfortunately both of them are still not eating, may be due to appetite suppression caused by the anti biotics. Will try again tomorrow and by adding some Metro + Focus + Selcon on their frozen mysis. 

Here is how my QT tank looks:

I understand it is abit overboard, but everything is being staggered. 

Here is my plan:

4 weeks observation: Clownfish goes into DT

Start QT for bristletooth tang, which will go into DT another 4 weeks later. so on and so forth for other fish additions.

Corals will have completed 76 days of fishless QT,  main tank will be established and completed 4 month cycle with cheato also completing the fishless 16 day QT. 

Corals that are added at different dates will continue to undergo the 76 days QT, when time is up, they will be moved to the DT.

Do note, all these procedures are meant only to treat ich or marine fish parasites, it does not cater to coral parasites i.e AEFW, redbugs. (These will be countered by multiple coral dips with Bayer and coral rx at different points or if coral shows signs of infection) 

The fishless coral QT

 

Weekly maintenance is just changing the filterfloss for all 3, and main tank water goes into QT tank, coral QT tank water goes into Fish QT tank. Coral QT does not have any dosing, but once a week i feed reef roids. 

[tofubox]

I found these information useful and handy

Coral and Fish QT and time frames

Author @ Humblefish

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/coral-invert-quarantine-time-frames.334584/

Internal Pathogens

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/internal-pathogens.267419/

Fish Diseases and treatment options

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/fish-diseases-101.189284/

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/treatment-options-102.189658/

Medication Compatibility Guide

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/medication-compatibility-guide.313491/

 

Marine Ich Myths and facts 

Author @ Leebca

http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forum/index.php?threads/marine-ich-myths-and-facts.23132/

 

 

[gerald31]

On 07/04/2019 at 9:35 PM, tofubox said:

Stand is made of aluminium extrusion by Prestech, with 2 x plywood for top and bottom. Workmanship is top notch and will recommend anyone their service. 

 

 

 

Hi 

I am in the planning stage for another tank.  Can you share how much you paid for the Prestech rack?

Thanks.

[sjrng]

Thanks for sharing so much info! Found it very helpful. 

Any review of the Pacific Sun algae reactor?

[tofubox]

3 hours ago, gerald31 said:

Hi 

I am in the planning stage for another tank.  Can you share how much you paid for the Prestech rack?

Thanks.

Pmed you

46 minutes ago, sjrng said:

Thanks for sharing so much info! Found it very helpful. 

Any review of the Pacific Sun algae reactor?

Hi bro, the algae reactor been running for two days. I did an initial nitrate test, will update again after running the reactor for perhaps a week?

[sjrng]

43 minutes ago, tofubox said:

Pmed you

Hi bro, the algae reactor been running for two days. I did an initial nitrate test, will update again after running the reactor for perhaps a week?

Sure, definitely no rush. Thanks 

[Clement Chen]

Thank you for sharing your experience! I'm also setting up a new tank soon and I learnt a lot from your thread. 

[MarCal]

Love the aluminium profile stand and how you create your 'çable management compartment'. Neat and great idea.

[Patrick]

Hi bro you using a Chill Solution CSXC? How’s the experience? Can it chill 60l tank? Is the fan noisy? Thanks


Sent from Singapore Reef Club mobile app

[tofubox]

7 hours ago, MarCal said:

Love the aluminium profile stand and how you create your 'çable management compartment'. Neat and great idea.

Thanks bro 

2 hours ago, Patrick said:

Hi bro you using a Chill Solution CSXC? How’s the experience? Can it chill 60l tank? Is the fan noisy? Thanks


Sent from Singapore Reef Club mobile app

Hey bro, yup ur right, im using the CSXC, my personal opinion is that this chiller only works great if your ambient room temperature is generally cool / windy. For my room, in the day, the chiller has trouble maintaining 26 degrees, it will fluctuate between 26.1 and 26.5, do note i am only using this for a 10gallon tank. My advise if if you can afford the space for a normal chiller, dont bother with the CSXC.

On a side note, I previously bought a 1 year old 2nd hand CSXC from carousell. Worst decision. It was so dusty and the fan was underperforming, it couldnt bring the temperature below 29 degrees (worst than a fan). So my take is this nano chiller will probably under perform as time goes by, and the fact there is no replacement parts available i.e the fan, makes it a bad choice overall. The cleaning is also very difficult. 

[Patrick]

Thank you bro for your very comprehensive advice and it helped me to decide against getting a 2nd had CSXC at $250. Will heed your advice to get a normal chiller.


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[BarelyHuman]

Tank looks great


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[tofubox]

Some updates on the tank. 

One of the clownfish didn't make it , the one that was pooping white stuff. He refused to eat. Other clownfish was still ok throughout the medication process, and he's appetite has since really improved. Sad to lose one of them, but unfortunately i felt the odds of survival was quite low. Tried feeding both frozen, pellets, flakes, almost 7 different types of food, but he didnt even take a bite.

I ordered in prazi pro from hikari. This medication is more widely used and there are better dosage instructions from other users on reef2reef for guidance. Future fishes will be qt with prazipro and then hyposalinity before moving to DT.

Also, did some upgrades on the main display tank.

Converted the overflow weir comb to the DD comb. My conclusion: It helps to overall lower the display tank water height by about 1cm and has improved flow generally. It was easy to install except I had to cut a piece for the side cover. Would recommend this to anyone who uses a IOS system and needs a better overflow to compensate for higher return pump flow rates.

Also finally got about getting my red sea diy net cover done. Someone over on this forum has already posted pictures and steps on how to do it. I wont cover this again. My estimated time to complete was about 3 hours as i had to make couple bends and turns. As mentioned can be tedious, but a good hack saw makes a world of difference.

Corals are also doing very well in the QT, its already been 2 weeks since i started the qt. 

Trying to keep my nitrates at 5ppm, but its tough when going fishless. Will consider starting to dose amino and coral food eventually.

Once I get hold of an orange lens will try to get some pics to share.

[tofubox]

Got some queries on the Chill solutions CSXC-1, I'll just share my own review and opinions with everyone.

The Chill solutions CSXC-1 is ok if your room is generally windy or cool, because it works by a fan. When water temp increases, the fan will kick in. If your room is hot and stuffy, the fan cant draw cool air and will take forever to lower your temp. Basically drawing in hot air is useless to the system.

I.e my room in the day, i set at 26 degrees, the csxc only can maintain 26.5, and will run continuously all day. At night, when i switch on the air-con, it can maintain 26 no problem. By the way, my QT tank is only 10 gallons.

Recommendation is unless u can get a 2nd hand unit that is in really good condition, for a good price, den its worth due to its small form factor. If not a normal 2nd hand chiller will be 10x more efficient. First hand for $400, definitely not worth, go get a Hailea HS28A. 

The unit will require some regular vacuuming and removal of dust (by using compressed air) to really be considered efficient. 

Take note, when you first use it, your temp will take around 24hrs just to reach your set temp. Goes to show already how much time it will require to cool your water. i.e from 30 to 26 degrees. (Specs on manual says it will be able to maintain -5 degrees for a 10 gallon)

Reasons I will use it -

Only if your tank is small

Only if you plan to use it as a temporary solution (I.e its going to only be on my QT). I believe continuous use of the fan, it will eventually become harder and harder for the fan to perform efficiently (mainly dust / wear and tear due to fan switching on and off constantly.) 

 

 

[tofubox]

Got some queries on the Chill solutions CSXC-1, I'll just share my own review and opinions with everyone.

The Chill solutions CSXC-1 is ok if your room is generally windy or cool, because it works by a fan. When water temp increases, the fan will kick in. If your room is hot and stuffy, the fan cant draw cool air and will take forever to lower your temp. Basically drawing in hot air is useless to the system.

I.e my room in the day, i set at 26 degrees, the csxc only can maintain 26.5, and will run continuously all day. At night, when i switch on the air-con, it can maintain 26 no problem. By the way, my QT tank is only 10 gallons.

Recommendation is unless u can get a 2nd hand unit that is in really good condition, for a good price, den its worth due to its small form factor. If not a normal 2nd hand chiller will be 10x more efficient. First hand for $400, definitely not worth, go get a Hailea HS28A. 

The unit will require some regular vacuuming and removal of dust (by using compressed air) to really be considered efficient. 

Take note, when you first use it, your temp will take around 24hrs just to reach your set temp. Goes to show already how much time it will require to cool your water. i.e from 30 to 26 degrees. (Specs on manual says it will be able to maintain -5 degrees for a 10 gallon)

Reasons I will use it -

Only if your tank is small

Only if you plan to use it as a temporary solution (I.e its going to only be on my QT). I believe continuous use of the fan, it will eventually become harder and harder for the fan to perform efficiently (mainly dust / wear and tear due to fan switching on and off constantly.) 

 

 

[tofubox]

Having trouble replying threads on my com, so I’m gonna be using tapatalk

Updates for those who asked about the algae reactor. I think pictures will explain it all.



After harvest:



My personal opinion on this. It does work as advertised. But if I were to choose, I would select a size larger then what is recommended for the tank volume. I Guess it is self explanatory, the larger the reactor, the more cheato u can grow. The lesser u need to harvest over time.

Pros: It lowered nutrients naturally, light encourages good growth in reactor. Good if u have limited space in sump or need an external method of nutrient removal.

Cons: no after sales service, no spare parts available in sg. Slow and takes time to watch nutrients drop due to limited size of reactor I’m using. The lid uses plastic screws to tighten, opening and closing every month may cause wear and tear which may lead to eventual leaks.

Will be nice if any LFS is willing to bring in the paxbellum or the pacific sun reactors. Spare parts should also be made available.

Happy reefing.





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[sjrng]

That's some good chaeto growth! Very much appreciated on the thoughtful review of the algae reactor. Hope some lfs bring it in soon.

Sent from Singapore Reef Club mobile app

[tofubox]

Coral QT tank sprung a leak. Discovered it when i realised the auto top off reservoir was using more water than usual, and the S.g of the water dropped. Emptied and transferred the corals to a spare tank I had put aside. As expected, bottom of the tank was completely wet, but unable to find the location of the leak, it was probably leaking at a slow rate, hence I could not tell sooner.

This was the tank that leaked. I am guessing as I got it 2nd hand, there was some age to it. 

Transferred all the corals to the new tank. It is only a 14 gallon tank, slowly raising the SG back up. Didnt loose any corals, they are growing and encrusting fast. Cant wait to move it to the main display.

Taken under orange lens,  too much exposure, colours dont look sharp. The rainbow stylo turned out white.

Under yellow lens

 

On a side note, started automatic water change on the main display. I am really impressed by the APEX Dos system. It works really well. From what I read online, it says it can manage about 2000 gallons of water before replacing of the pump head. With 30L a week, that equates to couple of years. But I wont push it. System is straight forward, pulls out old water from tank to the waste container and pushes  new water from reservoir to display tank. Would recommand if u already own an apex system

[tofubox]

Came back from a week overseas for work. Everything was doing well, did not lose or suffer any casualties. Parameters were all spot on, plenty of encrusting for the acroporas. However, I am thankful i QT-ed my corals.

I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

Killed off tons of Montipora eating nudibrunch, everything single "brownish spots" are nudibrunch.

No idea how I am gonna deal with this, most of the montipora were affected. I am going to try dipping every 5 days to hopefully get all the adults when they hatch. Lifecycle for egg spawn is 36-72 hours, they grow to adult size and lay eggs around a week old. Hoping to break the cycle. 

FYI, if the corals were in the main tank, reviews on reef2reef showed even keeping the tank empty of montis for 6 months did not work. 

QT saved the day.

 

[MarcoVan]

they said getting Dragon fire and perhaps shards of Valyrian steel will help can battle nudi since they are distant cousins of white walker. I say “aye!”


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[tofubox]

5 hours ago, MarcoVan said:

they said getting Dragon fire and perhaps shards of Valyrian steel will help can battle nudi since they are distant cousins of white walker. I say “aye!”


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

wah bro, u got serious post GoT syndrome. Hahaha 

[tofubox]

Some updates to the tank. Added a Xiaomi home security camera to monitor the tank when I am away. Proved to come in useful when I was away in Sydney for work.

Apex sent me a message tank temperature passed 27 degrees, opened up my camera and noticed the chiller was reading 27, it would cool down, den immediately raise back up to 27 again. I knew right away the chiller wasn't faulty, but the algae reactor must have caused a blockage to the outflow since it was linked together. 

Came back to a temperature of 28.5, exactly as i expected, the algae reator proved to be more efficient than I thought, it was completely filled and blocked / slowed the flow. 

Other alternative was I could have asked someone to just switched on the aircon till I got back, but I knew the corals would do fine till I get back.

Other use for the camera is I can remotely switch off the skimmer through apex when it is full.

 

Added some frags to the main display after a short QT and series of dips Just some photos of some of the frags to share. Taken with iphone with orange DD lens. Sorry for the poor quality. 

 

 

[MarcoVan]

Camera sia... peeping Tom sighted!!!


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[tofubox]

Updates, transferred some more corals from the QT tank. Also some newer additions. 

FTS 

 

Bought an RBTA that free floated and went into the wavemaker. Got half its body chopped. Couldn't do anything as I had to leave for work and only back 48hrs later. Came back and was surprised that everything survived! wet skimming and auto water change saved the day. Pictures were 2 days after the RBTA got chopped. 

3rd round of harvest. Decided to add a plastic mesh to the top to prevent future blockages.

 

Water Parameters have stabalised with the auto water change system running full time.

CA: 440

KH: 8.6

PH: 8.3

MG: 1390

Light Period: 12.5 Hours

Nitrates and phosphates are undetectable. Not what I want, so i'm double feeding now. 

[tofubox]

Decided also to remove the biopellet reactor and just run GFO. My nutrient levels were too low, and my PH swings were too big. In the day, my PH could hit 8.3, in the night it would dip down to 7.7. Its only been a day since i did the switch, but the PH seems more stable in the night. 

Nutrient export at the moment, weekly auto 15% WC, Wet skimming with nyos skimmer, Rowaphos in reactor, Cheato algae reactor. 

Anyone running Biopellets can give ur feedback on PH swings?

Did some Par testing after a kind friend lent me his apogee.