Maintenance

Here is a versatile nori-feeding clip that I "created" out of a MagFloat cleaner and a normal suction cup feeder clip.

I'm now feeding a mixture of Ocean Nutrition Prime Reef Flakes and Inochi Dainichi Reef Veggie FX daily and dried nori on a feeding clip twice weekly. I've run out of DT's Phytoplankton and have stopped addding DT's Oyster Eggs and Argent Cyclo-Peez as I have no more strictly non-photosynthetic corals.

I replaced the pads on two of my Algae Free magnet cleaners and I've noticed that they move a lot smoother now.

I've changed my schedule a little and am now feeding phytoplankton and oyster eggs only on twice a week. I've also started adding 1/4 teaspoon Argent Cyclo-Peeze twice a week.

I have switched from using Reef Nutrition's Oyster Feast to DT's Oyster Eggs. It turns out the Oyster Feast is basically shredded oyster muscle. In comparison, Oyster Eggs are just that - actual eggs.

I'm adding 1.25 ml (1/4 teaspoon) thawed in tank water every other day. The eggs have to be thawed in salt water or they'll burst open.

Here you can see one of the challenges with using DT's Oyster Eggs: the container basically holds a large chunk of ice containing the eggs. However, it's fairly easy to scrape some off with a metal teaspoon. It's not nearly as hard as an ice-cube.

Here you can see the large container of DT's Phytoplankton I'm currently using.

With the calcium reactor in place and a large number of new gorgonians, I have modified my schedule.

• Daily:
• Feed the fish Ocean Nutrition Prime Reef Flakes in the morning.
• Feed the fish Inochi Inc. Dainichi Marine Reef Veggie Fx in the evening.

• Every Other Day:
• Add 1 tablespoon of DT's Live Phytoplankton Reef Blend directly to the refugium in the morning.
• Add 1 tablespoon of Reef Nutrition Oyster Feast directly to the display tank in the evening.

• Weekly:
• Empty and clean the skimmer collection cup.
• Fill the freshwater reservoir with RODI water and make-up some new RODI water.

I've decided not to include things like tuning the calcium reactor, re-calibrating the probes, changing out the carbon, etc. in the schedule because I do these things as needed and when time permits rather than on a regular schedule.

I've stopped using Cyclops, as both Anthias have perished. I've also stopped using Phytoplex, as I've been advised that none of my gorgonians utilize food of that particle size.

• Daily:
• Feed the fish Ocean Nutrition Prime Reef Flakes.

• Weekly:
• Empty and clean the skimmer collection cup.
• Fill the freshwater reservoir with RODI water and make-up some new RODI water.

• Monthly
• Replace the carbon in the media reactor.
• Clean and calibrate all monitors.

Still no calcium reactor, but I've made a slight change in the feeding schedule to accomadate some new specimens.

• Daily:
• Feed the fish Ocean Nutrition Prime Reef Flakes and 1 cube of Cyclops.

• Twice-Weekly:
• Add one tablespoon of Kent Marine Phytoplex to the tank.

• Weekly:
• Empty and clean the skimmer collection cup.
• Fill the freshwater reservoir with RODI water and make-up some new RODI water.

• Monthly
• Replace the carbon in the media reactor.
• Clean and calibrate all monitors.

Now that I have some livestock again, I have adjusted my maintenance schedule:

• Daily:
• Feed the fish Ocean Nutrition Prime Reef Flakes.

• Twice-Weekly:
• Add one tablespoon of Kent Marine Phytoplex to the tank.

• Weekly:
• Empty and clean the skimmer collection cup.
• Fill the freshwater reservoir with RODI water and make-up some new RODI water.

• Monthly
• Replace the carbon in the media reactor.
• Clean and calibrate all monitors.

Because the only calcium-demanding organism I have in my tank right now is my Derasa clam, I have temporarily halted dosing calcium and alkalinity. I hope to get a calcium reactor up and running soon in any case.

Because I no longer have any fish or coral, my maintenance schedule currently looks like this:

• Weekly:
• Dose an equal amount of both Kent Marine Tech CB parts A and B until the pH reads at least 8.1.
• Empty and clean the skimmer collection cup.
• Fill the freshwater reservoir with RODI water and make-up some new RODI water.

• Monthly
• Replace the carbon in the media reactor.
• Clean and calibrate all monitors.

It will likely change when I get my calcium reactor setup running and then again when I begin to add livestock.