oops, forgot about the RKE

I also pre-ordered the ReefKeeper Elite from Digital Aquatics.  This looks to be the be-all, end-all in controllers.  I can't wait!  They had such a huge pre-order that they are already in backorder status.  I ordered within minutes of the pre-order opening, so I must be in the top 20!  It should start shipping in 30 days and the manual will be out tomorrow!!!

New fish, dead fish and the RKE!!!

Well, I have been very busy for the last couple of weeks.  I just changed jobs and that is always a very busy and stressful time.  But, it didn't stop me from making some significant changes in the fish population, mostly because of my sohal tang. 

Well, after he killed off my 6-line wrasse, a royal gramma, a blue/green chromis and a strawberry dottyback (he stressed them to death), he had to go.  So, I spent 2 hours getting him out of the tank and sold him to a fellow reefer.

Then came the task of repopulating my tank.  Here is what I have added in the last few weeks along with the losses I have since suffered:

• 1 male anthias and 2 female anthias (1 female dead)
• 1 medium blue tang
• 1 royal gramma
• 1 purple pseudochromis
• 1 scott's fairy wrasse (completely disappeared, believe he is dead)
• 8 (yes, 8) bangai cardinals in 3 separate purchases form different stores (3 remain)

I hate fish.  I am not sure what is causing their deaths.  Well, the cardinals are hiding out and afraid to jump in the mix to eat.  But, otherwise, I have no idea...

For a while I thought I might have a predator in there, but I keep looking at all hours (even late at night with a flashlight) and I have yet to find anything.

Oh well, the coral are doing well and the remaining fish look good.

Pictures later.

AquaC RX-1 Calcium Reactor is running!

Finally got a chance to try the reactor again.  It turns out I had four problems.  Pay attention if you have one of these reactors:

1. The directions for how to seal the pH probe were not clear, so every time I would get this running, bubbles would get sucked in via the pH probe port and the reactor would eventually drain out.
2. The reactor pump was getting bound up with too much air, so it would not run consistently.  The only way I found to solve this is to tilt the whole reactor until the bubbles clear.
3. In order for the effluent to drain properly the reactor has to be slightly above the sump or else it gets backed up.  Its a gravity issue and I haven't figured out how to alter it yet ;)
4. The fourth issue is new and not yet fixed.  As is common in the AquaC, once in a while a joint is not totally sealed.  It runs out the at the seal from the pump to the output tube.  So, I will have to shut it all down and seal that area at some point soon!

Now the fun starts.  It will take a few weeks to get it dialed in properly and balance the effluent with the CO2 injection, etc.

Calcium Reactor

I spent about 3 hours last night trying to get my calcium reactor set-up without success. So far, the CO2 canister is hooked up with the needle valve, solenois, etc. And it is connected to the reactor, but not on. I rinsed the ARM media and put it in the reactor. For anyone with an AquaC RX-1 reactor, don't rinse the media. The hole on the top of the rector is very small and once the media is wet, it sticks to everyone and clumps. If it were dry I could have just poured it in.

I hooked up the input and effluent tubing next and then, as instructed, I filled the reactor to the very top with water and closed it up. Then I turned it on. It has an Eheim 1250 pump but the pump was not working properly. Water is not flowing through it consistently so it whirls, pauses, whirls, pauses, etc. So, instead of running consistently and drawing in water and passing water out, its not doing that. At one point, I got it to work but only for a few minutes. When it was working there were bubbles in the reactor getting sucked in where the ph probe was and they would get sucked through the pump in an endless cycle. Needless to say I never turned on the CO2 and now I am out of town for the weekend.

I will try again Monday I guess.

Arghhh.... Sohal Tang is Aggressive

So, I got this sohal tang about 3/4 weeks ago.  And, I knew he was active and starting to tick off the orange-spotted rabbitfish.  But, the rabbitfish is as big as he is, so I wasn't worried.  Well, it turns out (and admittedly, I wasn't paying enough attention) that he has been stressing the other fish as well and a few of them were not eating.

In this short amount of time, I have lost four fish.  I first lost my 6-line wrasse and then my royal gramma.  Both of them came form my old BioCube and were over a year old.  Next, I lost a strawberry pseudochromis that I got as a Christmas present.  And then, I lost a yellow-tail damsel just the other day.  This guy came with the tank in September...

I am so bummed.  Unnecessary loss of life!!!  I will be monitoring the sohal closely and if he doesn't straighten out his attitude, I will have to get rid of him.   And, that really stinks.  He is beautiful and was expensive.  I thought that he would be my "show" fish.  But, alas, I may be mistaken....

On another note, the CA reactor arrived and I will be installing it this weekend!!!!

And, since I have restarted dosing 2-part, my SPS are really starting to shine.  They open their polyps during the day and the millepora are getting nice and "fuzzy" again.