JBens 90g

[JBen]

Thought I'd start a thread, it will be fun and interesting tracking progress over the next year.

90g (48x24x18)
8x54 T5HO
1 48" LED strip
20g Aqueon proflex sump.
SWC Skimmer
1 MP40..Currently set on Lagoon
70pds LR and 30pds Dry.
RODI

Possible/probable growth.
Phosban unit...due to space limitations in it's current room I don't see a refuge as feasible, and even the Phosban will be tight under the cabinet but I believe I want something. Sump is configured Berlin, evap at a gallon a day was dropping water level in third chamber too fast and dangerously close to return pump daily. An ATO is likely as well if I can figure out space limitations

The goal in maybe a years time is to build towards a mix reef by starting out fowler. Once everything is stable, including myself I'll think about adding corals., basically letting the tank tell me when it's time. Right now just waiting for it's cycle, it's like watching grass grow. Near term first additions will likely be a small CuC (cleaner or blood shrimp desired at some point), a pair of clowns for first fish, then add some more Cuc as needed and then from where I'll see what the tanks saying.

After 6 day Chem is holding steady.
Sal 1.025,
Am, NO2 and NO3 all reading nil
PH 7.8 to 8.1,
Alk at 12
Calc at 450.

First scape, not entirely happy with but it's close. Goal is for two sided viewing due to room layout with the second side the right end of the tank, so I don't want to block too much of this end, and am looking for a gradual buildup towards the left end. Any comments welcome

On the photography side, I'm really looking forward to playing with this and trying some different things with various pieces of equipment. For now just trying to dial in my WB under different lighting.

FTS...lol thats all I can do atm
http://jbenphotography.ca/img/s11/v35/p98354470.jpg

Under the LEDs
http://jbenphotography.ca/img/s11/v36/p505365116.jpg

From the end of the tank
http://jbenphotography.ca/img/s11/v35/p218666853.jpg

Quartering away
http://jbenphotography.ca/img/s3/v38/p149389936.jpg

[NastayNatron]

Looks good so far! Just a thought here - I would put your heater in the overflow. That way you don't have to look at it in the tank. I have both of my heaters in the overflow on my 125g and they have been working flawlessly! Looks great though :mrgreen:

[JBen]

Looks good so far! Just a thought here - I would put your heater in the overflow. That way you don't have to look at it in the tank. I have both of my heaters in the overflow on my 125g and they have been working flawlessly! Looks great though :mrgreen:

Im chalking that one ( and a couple other wrinkles ) to things you learn after the fact. Skimmer and return in the 3rd chamber so middle could be used a refuge was one. Too much displacement, not enough cushion for overflow, 1 gallon daily evap was resulting in about water level change of 1 to 1.5 inches daily. Had to move the skimmer to the center chamber, equlaise water levels in the 2nd/3rd chambers and increase surface area to resolve that. :(

The sump I have (Aqueon Proflex 3) was measured to give me room under the cabinet. Its fair size but the middle chamber is 18 high and 14(?) wide. While setting the tank up, and filling, my smaller heater was left on the coffee table, and when we moved that, it fell and shattered on the tiles. The LFS guy helping me replaced with the pictured 22 inch eheim gratis, wasnt about sqwuak when it was as much my fault. By the time I got it home I realised it was about 4 inches to big for the sump. So for now its there, and may buy something smaller for the sump and keep that as reserve. Really dont like the idea of a rock falling and possibly cracking it, not to mention the esthetic.

I'm sure there will be more. :)
Thanks.

J

[parkinsn]

Looks good so far! Just a thought here - I would put your heater in the overflow. That way you don't have to look at it in the tank. I have both of my heaters in the overflow on my 125g and they have been working flawlessly! Looks great though :mrgreen:

Looks like you have a great start. You will never be 100% happy with your scape, at least I'm not. You think its great and then you add some stuff and go "I wish I would have done this like that....." ATO will be the best money spent. Keeps your tank more stable and if your gone for a day you dont need to have some come over to top up for you.

I would put the heater in the sump not the overflow. When you shut your return off the you will have to unplug the heaters everytime as your over flow will drain. Where as in the sump you don't have to unplug them at all. Maybe this is an old school way of thinking and new heaters can be on in the free air, but I would never let my heaters be on while not in water.

[JBen]

Sorry I wasn't very clear.

I don't mean "the" overflow, I was referring to the sumps 3rd chamber being fairly small and with both the skimmer/return in there, the displacement was such that I couldn't fill it with enough water so that daily evap wouldnt be a risk, and still leave 3.5 inches cushion to prevent overflow in that chamber.

Issue two with the sump, is the LFS help replaced my broken heater free of charge with the 22in Eheim Jagger, how ever its too large for the sumps 2nd chamber. Being free I wasn't about to "sqwuak" so I'll take and use for now, will buy a smaller that will fit in the sump and keep the no cost 22in Eheim as a reseerve/backup or incase somewhere down the road I "Upgrade"..Also why I went with the 8x54 T5HO instead of 6.

[parkinsn]

Why not stand it up in a chamber that will remain at a constant level? Have a look at the heater and there will be a water line on it, it wont have to be fully submerged. With vortechs not having cords on them you would get a cleaner look as well if the heater was not in the dispaly.

Also, just a thought. Not sure what your water level is in the sump but you might want to bring your returns closer to the surface of the water to reduce the ammount of back syphon. If you have lots of room for the extra water then no worries. Looks like your about 1.5" under the water. With your footprint your looking at about 7g of water. Or drill a small hole just below the water surface in them.

[bignose]

Welcome to Canreef. Nice tank your off to a great start. What kind of sand did you use it looks like a nice size?

[JBen]

Thanks Big nose :)
For sand I went with 60 pounds of Argonite and tried for a fairly even spread of about 1.5inches across the board.

Have done a lot of FW over my life including a 3,000g Koi pond and I had tried salt many, many years ago and the mistakes and head aches I learned from that should have atleast prepped me this time. When I first started thinking about it back in December and started doing some reasearch I was pretty surprised at many of the advances/changes in thinking etc. So I gave it a fair bit of thought, tried to figure out where I could go for function and improve on later as well as area's where I could grow in/up to should that arise as well. And yet still seems like not a day has gone by when I havent thought...Ooops should have thought of/realised that sooner....and still so much to learn. Hoping in a years time I have the beginnings of a nice mix reef but will always be more fish oriented..Its in my blood.

[NastayNatron]

http://i1234.photobucket.com/albums/ff418/NastayNatron/125TankBuild083.jpg

Here is mine. I did not mean the sump overflow I meant the overflow in your display. It depends what kind of overflow you are using if it will work or not but if my return pump were to fail my overflow will not drain below the acceptable water line on my heater. If the power goes out your heater wouldn't run anyways but if your return pump fails you must make sure you know how far down your overflow will drain. Just test it and make sure the heater is below the final water line when the return pump is off. Just an idea

[Leah]

Welcome to Canreef. :biggrin: A great size to start off with.

[JBen]

Thanks Nastay, that helped :).
Now that I see what you mean, it might be doable, I'll check the syphon breaks, and see where the water ends up post power outage/failure.

J

[NastayNatron]

Right on. Tank looks great!