5/14/06:

120 Reef: 30 g WC; Specific Gravity: 1.025, Alk = 90mg/L, Ca = 400mg/L, pH = 8.4 , Ammonia = 0.0, Nitrite = < 0.1mg/L, Nitrate = < 5mg/L

May 6, 2006:

took down the anemone tank, put the rock and anemonae in the seahorse tank, only 1 seahorse left, with rockwork, is now lower level for seahorse to stay safe.

Reef tank getting too warm sitting in the window on sunny days, chiller not an option now.
Moved the tank to the wall, since I was doing this, decided to put the MRC sump in the stand, giving more room for live rock and more water; the skimmer is 36x18x18, approximately 40 gallons effective water held. This took several hours, since to get the sump in i had to remove the tank from the stand. now done and looks great, rearranged the rock a bit better, so more open areas, less dead space to flow and less rock in the main tank.
In the process 50 gallons new water added, 30gallons old water discarded.

Seahorse Tank: 10 gallon water change

Anemone Tank: 10 gallon water change

120 Reef: 30g water change

Reef parameters: specific gravity = 1.025, pH = 8.2, Alk = 80mg/L, Calcium = 400mg/L, Ammonia = 0.0, Nitrate = <5mg/L, Nitrite = <0.1mg/L

Tank Maintenance - 3/12/06:

Seahorse Tank: 10 gallon water change

Anemonae Tank: 10 Gallon water change

120 Reef: 40 Gallon water change

Reef Water parameters: Temp 74-78, Specific Gravity = 1.024, Alkalinity = 90 mg/L, Calcium = 400 mg/L, Ammonia = 0.0, Nitrate = <5 mg/L, Nitrite = <0.1 mg/L, pH = 8.2

Tank Maintenance - 3/5/06:

36 Bow:
All is well, 10 gallon water change done

Seahorse Tank:
Doing well, 10 gallon water change done, added some snails from florida pets

120 Reef:
Added a bunch of snails (cerith/nerite/trochus) and some hermits from Florida Pets, another great order from them. The cyano is slowly fading, growth on the sps and lps continues, most of the zo's are looking better.

Tank readings prior to water change: Specific gravity = 1.024, pH 8.4 (hmm - maybe from the reef plus additives over time, or perhaps the carbon change), Alk = 90mg/l, Calcium 400 mg/L (i have cut in half the reef plus to start watching the calcium closer to see when i need to supplement), NH3 = 0.0, N03 = <5mg/L, N02 = <0.1 mg/L

40 gallon water change made with premixed IO and RO (tds 0)

still not getting much out of the skimmer , i am maybe getting a cup/weekof dry nasty stuff.

I decided to use this as a way to track all my tanks happenings.

36 Bow - Anemone Tank:
The anemonae and 2 clowns are doing well. I am feeding mysis soaked with vitachem 3-4x/week , still skimming, not getting much, but thick crud that dries faster in the collection cup than i can drain it. Have a bit of a hair algae issue, but read below on the ro/di aspects to see probably why, as this tank is low nutrient.

2/25/06: 15 gallon water change; still topping off approx. 2 liters/week.

Seahorse Tank:
death of Fleck, he never fed strongly and while shifting rockwork i bumped him, never saw any damage, but i am guessing this shocked him. The others are doing well, and feeding actively on vitachem soaked mysis 2-3 blocks/day split 2x/day. Spike is still releasing approximately 100 fry per 8 week period, altho he does it at 5 am, so many more may be sucked up by the filter.
I notice a cyano problem as this is a high nutrient tank, but usually if i don't do a weekly water change. January only did one water change, but am back on track doing weekly x 3 and already cyano disappearing.

2/25/06: 15 gallon water change, approx. 1/2 gallon topoff/week.

120 Reef:

Lots of changes. First, I decided to improve the circulation, and removed about 40/50 pounds of live rock (placed in the seahorse tank), to lessen dead spots, looking to improve the long term health of the tank. I removed a lot of the softies, zo's, ricordea, mushrooms, and a few big pieces of purple tipped monti. I want more room for the corals to grow out. I like the look of a sparse coral tank, but well grown in. My stony corals are growing nicely. On a frag from last years IMAC of candy cane, 2 new mouths plus a bud that has almost seperated. Acro's and plating monti are growing fast.
I am considering adding another tunze or vortech pump for improved flow. My calculations are currently 4-6x/ tank volume turnover per hour.
I changed carbon and phosban after a month 3 weeks ago, and forgot to soak the carbon in ro water, and since then have had a small cyano and hair algae outbreak.
However, when i went to change out the RO filter membrane, i discovered the extra i had was actually the one i should have installed to begin with--- I have been running DI but not RO and TDS (have been lazy checking since new setup) has been in 20-50 range, so i am sure this is not helping with the algae issue.

2/23/06: 30 gallon water change, cleaned off the pumps (tunze and seio), scraped off a lot of the coralline on sides and edges and scooped with fish net about 2 cups worth of yuck.
I am finally getting the skimmer dialed in better, have added an air pump to improve air bubble volume and use venturi to tune in nice and small.

I am considering addition of ozone in the next year , and if i do, will add this to the current skimmer (as ozone decreases lifespan of acrylic) and get another skimmer to improve skimming.
I am back and forth on importance of skimming as i am doing frequent water changes, but i think it is important.

2/23/06: water parameters: specific gravity = 1.025, pH = 8.2, Temp 74-78, Alk = 100 mg/L, Calcium = 440 mg/L, nitrite = < 0.1 mg/L, nitrate = < 5 mg/L, ammonia = 0.1 mg/L (rechecked and zero, think is contaminant)

Feeding: using 1/4 tsp cyclopeeze, pinch oyster eggs, 3 blocks of hikari mysis, tsp zooplex, pinch of flake, and several drops of vitachem to soak. I also have been using a capful of Seachem Reef Plus additive, and i think there is improvement (from what i can tell), but this has been maintaining Calcium as I seem to use 10-20 mg/L per week by testing prior to adding this. I am not anywhere near the recommended dosing, but since i am not testing mg, strontium, etc, i don't feel comfortable doing so.

2/25/06: 40 gallon water change with REAL RO/DI water, still using IO; approximately 5 gallon fw topoff per week (at least in winter as is dry), decided 40 gallongs weekly will be the goal, i now have a big collection of buckets :)

1/28/06:

15 Gallon Water change performed on the reef and on the Seahorse tank.
New Carbon and new phosban put in sump of Reef.
Reef Parameters: Specific Gravity 1.024, Temp:75-78, pH 8.2, Ammonia 0.0mg/L, Nitrite <0.1mg/L, Nitrate <5mg/L, Calcium 440mg/L, Alkilinity 90mg/L.

It's been 2 weeks since last water change, so perhaps some calcium is leaching from rocks, growth of sps and lps is really starting to take off, needing to clean almost daily coralline on front glass. Odd the calcium staying high...considering another test kit (different brand) to confirm.
Trying to tweak my skimmer on the reef, having difficulty, now the darn thing doesnt work as well as it did.
Going to add the large Finnex skimmer to the anemone tank.