180G Office Reef Tank

[JDigital]

Hey everyone! I'm back.... with a tank!

So about 2 months ago, the owner of the company I work for moved back from Texas to Canada. And with him he brought his 180G fish tank that he had. Not wanting to start another tank he left it at the office, where it has been sitting, while I tried to persuade and convince my manager to setup a Salty tank.

I finally got approval this morning to go ahead with this build so it's time to start buying gear. :mrgreen:

I've got my sump tank quoted already through dave@conceptaquatics which I am hoping to order tomorrow after work as long as he makes it back from Edmonton in time.

The tank I have to work with is a 180G tank with dimensions 60x24x29. This puppy will need to be drilled though as its not reef ready.

This is the only pic I have right now, but gives you an idea of what I have to work with.

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/IMG_0011.jpg

So far what I have planned for this build is:

- 150lbs of Dry "Live" Rock (seeded with 20ish pounds live rock)
- 2x 250W MH (Thanks for GreenSpottedPuffer)
- 40"x19"x16" sump tank seperated into 3 sections
- Bubble Magus NAC7 Skimmer
- Mag drive 1800 Supreme Return Pump
- Korallia Powerheads
- 4 Stage RO/DI
- Herbie Style Overflow


More to come.... It's good to be back! :lol:

[lockrookie]

following along wellcome to the 2012 180 club lol

[Royal Aquariums]

Exciting, so this means you can go all out on equipment then? Lol

[freezetyle]

based on your tanks from the passed, If your in charge of this one, Its gonna be bad ass. Glad to see you building a tank again Josh

[JDigital]

following along wellcome to the 2012 180 club lol

This will be the biggest tank I have had.. Pretty excited, while it is an office tank, I'm making sure that I am the only one doing maintenance on it, feedings.

Exciting, so this means you can go all out on equipment then? Lol

Umm not quite.. I do have to keep the costs down as much as possible. Lighting I am picking up used, because it was far to much new. I'm down Dry rock to save on cost (and hopefully nuisance pests).

based on your tanks from the passed, If your in charge of this one, Its gonna be bad ass. Glad to see you building a tank again Josh

Thanks Jon.. I almost need a refresher course I've been awhile from tanks for so long. (2+ years).

[fishoholic]

The Nac-7 skimmer is rated up to 90g, pretty small for a 180g plus sump. I have a nac-7 running on my 34g cube/20g sump, a bit overkill but I figure if I ever upgrade to a 60g cube I'll be ok skimmer wise.

Also starting with mostly dry rock will take 6 months to over a year before becoming live rock. My advice is to stock the tank like you only have 20 pounds of rock in it or use mostly live rock and only a small amount of dry rock.

[JDigital]

The Nac-7 skimmer is rated up to 90g, pretty small for a 180g plus sump. I have a nac-7 running on my 34g cube/20g sump, a bit overkill but I figure if I ever upgrade to a 60g cube I'll be ok skimmer wise.

Also starting with mostly dry rock will take 6 months to over a year before becoming live rock. My advice is to stock the tank like you only have 20 pounds of rock in it or use mostly live rock and only a small amount of dry rock.

I'm not sure where you got your rating but both Bulk Reef Supply and Bubble Magus' website would seem to disagree regarding the skimmer rating, and every other website I have come across that sells the Nac7.

http://bubble-magus.com/en/productShow.asp?id=972

Meshwheel cone protein skimmer
BM-NAC7
Capability : 500L-700L (130G-185G)
pump:atman ph2500 (made in china)
Pump power: 28W, 220V 50Hz /110V 60Hz
air intake : 500L/H
Dimensions: 240×200×510mm( 9.4" * 7.8" * 20.0 ")
cylinder: Max 9"
Water Level :9.5"-11"

Yes it is still a bit on the low end for this tank, but I have to work with the budget I have unless it comes out of my own pocket.

The NAC77 (rated at 210-315) would be ideal I think, I just don't have room in the budget right now. I may change this or try and persuade an increase in budget but it's not a top concern at this point in the build.


I realize Dry rock will take longer that usual and for most of my tanks in the past, I have usually let the tank sit longer that a normal cycle anyways before any heavy stocking. I haven't even started to think about stocking yet to be honest.

Right now my main goal is to get this up and circulating water and seeding as soon as possible. I can keep the rest of the office staff at bay regarding stocking until its ready as none of them have a clue about the biological cycle/filtration involved in a salty tank, they will just have to be patient and listen to my advise. :)

[JDigital]

Well I am starting to get the ball rolling on this tank.

Went to Concept Aquatics this weekend and ordered my sump tank from Dave. Should be ready for pickup today. I was rather impressed with his baffle design over my old school straight forward "over under over" design I had in mind when I went to see him. I'll get some photos of it when I get it picked up.

Also payed for my lighting this morning. 2x Lumen Bright Pendents with Coralvue 250W Dimmable Ballasts with 2x XM 20K bulbs and 2x Reflux Bulbs (can't recall the Kelvins)

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/photo1.jpg

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/photo2.jpg

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/photo3.jpg


Huge thanks to GreenSpottedPuffer to hooking me up with these. You rock Justin! :mrgreen:


Next on the list is Salt, RO/DI unit, Rock, and Return pump.

[JDigital]

Picked up "sumpin" new for the build last night! :lol:

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/sump.jpg

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/sump2.jpg

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/sump3.jpg

[fishytime]

ok......splain all the fancy cuts in the sump:mrgreen:

[sphelps]

Pretty sure I invented that :wink: use to call them space saver baffles

[fishoholic]

I'm not sure where you got your rating but both Bulk Reef Supply and Bubble Magus' website would seem to disagree regarding the skimmer rating, and every other website I have come across that sells the Nac7.

I bought the Nac7 from Dave and both Doug and him told me up to 90g. So I took their word for it, most sites will over rate their skimmers so it's usually better to go with the low end of the rating. However I do tend to overstock/feed my tanks a bit so maybe they were taking that into consideration when they told me up to 90g.

I realize Dry rock will take longer that usual and for most of my tanks in the past, I have usually let the tank sit longer that a normal cycle anyways before any heavy stocking. I haven't even started to think about stocking yet to be honest.

Right now my main goal is to get this up and circulating water and seeding as soon as possible. I can keep the rest of the office staff at bay regarding stocking until its ready as none of them have a clue about the biological cycle/filtration involved in a salty tank, they will just have to be patient and listen to my advise. :)

Good to hear, I know a few people who go full speed ahead with dry rock and run into lots of issues later, glad you're aware to go slow. Should be a nice tank for everyone at the office to enjoy :biggrin:

[JDigital]

ok......splain all the fancy cuts in the sump:mrgreen:

According to Dave, they are something he has been trying out on sumps to help reduce bubbles/microbubbles by forcing the water to travel the length of the baffle panel. I originally went in with a straight for over/under/over design, but the logic in his idea seemed sound and I don't believe it cost me any extra so I decided to give it a try.

Skimmer will go on the left side (of the first pic), return pump in the middle, and live rock (and possibly a 2nd skimmer on the right).

Pretty sure I invented that :wink: use to call them space saver baffles

I understand the idea behind Daves explanation of this design, not sure how they save space though? Do tell! :wink:

I bought the Nac7 from Dave and both Doug and him told me up to 90g. So I took their word for it, most sites will over rate their skimmers so it's usually better to go with the low end of the rating. However I do tend to overstock/feed my tanks a bit so maybe they were taking that into consideration when they told me up to 90g.:

Even on the low end I am looking at 135G of that rating.. with the opportunity of having a NAC 6 helping out as well (freebie with the lights from GreenSpottedPuffer). I missed out on my chance for a NAC66 yesterday in the marketplace unfortunately! :cry:


Good to hear, I know a few people who go full speed ahead with dry rock and run into lots of issues later, glad you're aware to go slow. Should be a nice tank for everyone at the office to enjoy :biggrin:

The last thing I want is this office smelling like a crashed tank! :lol:

[JDigital]

Picked up a few more things last night from Concept Aquatics.

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/IMG_0184.jpg

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/IMG_0185.jpg

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/Untitled.jpg

This RO/DI unit looks pretty badass! Looking forward to setting it up this weekend.

Water Blaster HY7000 Return Pump
http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/IMG_0192.jpg


80lbs of Sand
http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/IMG_0196.jpg

Coralife Salt. Enough for 300G worth of water.
http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/IMG_0195.jpg

Vertex Refracometer
http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/IMG_0193.jpg

Misc Plumbing:
http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/IMG_0194.jpg


Stopped off at Home Depot tonight and got the rest of my plumbing, a Timer Power bar. Then stopped off at schuns place to grab a Koralia 3 and 250W heater. My ballasts and pendents are somewhere between Vancouver and Calgary according to UPS' shipment tracker (not that I am in a rush for them anyways)

Picking up my overflows tomorrow from Concepts' and hopefully my dry rock if the shipment comes in. Then Saturday it's time to start drilling and plumbing. :razz:

[fishytime]

he gets the green light and its zero to sixty in three seconds flat huh?.....looking good mang!.....you'll be happy with the vertex RO....we have one at RCE and its da bomb....(is it just me, or is kinda dorky to be talkin about a RO/DI unit like that?:mrgreen:)

[lockrookie]

whatever get you wet is a good thing its alll good lol

[JDigital]

he gets the green light and its zero to sixty in three seconds flat huh?.....looking good mang!.....you'll be happy with the vertex RO....we have one at RCE and its da bomb....(is it just me, or is kinda dorky to be talkin about a RO/DI unit like that?:mrgreen:)

I've had almost 3 months to plan this tank since the first day I walked into the office and saw it sitting there empty. :mrgreen: Doesn't take long to drive over to concept aquatics from where I work, bit longer than 3secs though. :wink:

Im definitely impressed with the RO over my last unit I had, and I haven't even ran water through it yet! I'm hoping our flimsy walls can support its weight. :razz:

whatever get you wet is a good thing its alll good lol

Im almost there!

[JDigital]

Went into the office today to do some work on the tank.

Main things I wanted to get done:

- Silicone in my overflows
- Drill the holes for the overflows and returns
- Plumb the tank
- Position the sump and stand where I want them.

I got 2 out of the 4 done, mainly because I got my overflows made to the wrong height and had to leave the the office to get them corrected. I got them made to 28" (30" tank Trim to Trim), unfortunately that left me with 0.5" to the lip of the tank from the top of the overflow, a risk I didn't want to tank. Thankfully Roger and concepts was able to correct this for me today. Still time consuming but I'm in a training class next week, so not sure how much time I will have to work on the tank and really just wanted the overflows done.

I did in the end get the overflows installed and the tank drilled. The sump is in position.

Plumbing the tank I put on hold as I'm debating about adding a blue or black backing to the tank, and the plumbing would just get in the way. I could just let it encrust with coraline I suppose.. Gonna sleep on it this weekend.

Not a great pic as it was with my iphone, but this was basically how it sat when I left the office tonight (minus the frogger tape and dirty glass).

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/IMG_0203.jpg


Oh and one more thing.... I ended up grabbing this little beauty today while at Concepts getting my overflows fixed.

I honestly have NO idea when I will be able to do this tank build as my rental agreement doesn't allow for an aquarium... but it was too nice to leave sitting around the shop. Now it can sit around my bedroom and tease me with idea's of what I'm gonna do with it. :razz:

Apologies for the last picture being so bad.. I got bad lighting in my room and the iphone takes ****ty pics.

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/JDigitals%2062G%20Reef/IMG_0180.jpg

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/JDigitals%2062G%20Reef/IMG_0181.jpg

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/JDigitals%2062G%20Reef/IMG_0206.jpg

[reefwars]

will be following along i gotta say looking killer man:)

id go with the black background over blue:)

[gridley]

This is a looking very good - looking forward to following your build.

[michika]

Looking good!

[Skimmerking]

So you come back in to the hobby, Start up a build and shoot us with all the glory shots of equipment. And its not set up OMG MAN:mrgreen:

Nice tank too.

[JDigital]

Thanks guys. :)

So you come back in to the hobby, Start up a build and shoot us with all the glory shots of equipment. And its not set up OMG MAN:mrgreen:

Nice tank too.

I don't even have the rock man! :lol:

It's gonna be bit slowed down now as my debit card got skimmed (no pun intended) and the bastards stole a large portion of funds from my account (mostly funds allocated for the tank). So until the investigation gets completed and I get my money back, I won't be able to buy anything I need to continue. (Rock, various pumps/heaters, etc) :neutral: I can still do the plumbing and stuff this week, and hopefully have water in the tank by next weekend.

[Skimmerking]

aw man that friggin sucks.

[FishyFishy!]

Thanks guys. :)



I don't even have the rock man! :lol:

It's gonna be bit slowed down now as my debit card got skimmed (no pun intended) and the bastards stole a large portion of funds from my account (mostly funds allocated for the tank). So until the investigation gets completed and I get my money back, I won't be able to buy anything I need to continue. (Rock, various pumps/heaters, etc) :neutral: I can still do the plumbing and stuff this week, and hopefully have water in the tank by next weekend.


I had that happen to me too. It's scary when it actually happens to you. Kinda makes you feel helpless.

The only good thing (I'm with TD), was that they dealt with it very quickly, and I had the funds put back into my account within 4 days of reporting it. They were super good about it.

The bad thing was that I was in the process of buying a new Motorcycle, and it put a major hold on that for a while.

[JDigital]

I had that happen to me too. It's scary when it actually happens to you. Kinda makes you feel helpless.

The only good thing (I'm with TD), was that they dealt with it very quickly, and I had the funds put back into my account within 4 days of reporting it. They were super good about it.

The bad thing was that I was in the process of buying a new Motorcycle, and it put a major hold on that for a while.

It actually happened to 5 of us where I work, and we are pretty confident we know where it happened. We go to a Subway for lunch every monday, and they are continuously changing out there debit keypad. It's the only place all of us ever go to that's the same and we all use debit there. Will be filing a police report (as suggested by the bank).

I was actually able to get an overdraft setup for the amount taken, so I might be able to get some work done on the tank this week, if I can find the energy after sitting in this training seminar all day, all week. :lol:

I definitely need to get a couple arcylic panels siliconed to overflow, so they have time to cure before I fill the tank with water. I'm hoping Dave gets his dry rock in this week too.

[JDigital]

Anyone got any spare 1" strainers laying around?

[JDigital]

I swung by the office last night and tonight, on my way home from a training seminar I'm in all week. Last night I finished up siliconing the acrylic to the overflows, and then spray bombed the back of the tank in black. Which was about all I was able to do as the unbearable air in the office started making me light headed.

Went back tonight and did all the plumbing for the system. This is the first tank I have plumbed that doesn't have a check valve (could not find one) on the return line, which makes me nervous, but I have done the calculations (4x) and based on my numbers I should have enough room in my sump for the water that will drain back down back down from the Display and Overflows. I basically copied fishytimes plumbing (minus the check valve). I went with Herbie overflows as they have always worked for me in the past. Couple ****ty iphone pics.

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/IMG_0235.jpg

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/IMG_0236.jpg

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/IMG_0237.jpg


Next on the list is to order some 1"x1" - 3/16" tubing and get the light stands welded up and installed on the the stand. This needs to be done before I get any water in the tank so I can still access the back.

[JDigital]

Just another day at the Office. :lol:

Swung by Concept again today... Dave is probably sick of seeing me!

Changed up my skimmer choice from the Bubble Magus to this!

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/IMG_0247.jpg

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/IMG_0248.jpg

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/IMG_0249.jpg

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/IMG_0250.jpg

Barely fits in my allotted skimmer section as it wasn't planned for... but it fits none the less.

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/IMG_0251.jpg

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/IMG_0252.jpg

Also picked up 150ish #'s of Dry Macro rock that Dave just got in.. I gotta say, 150lbs of dry rock seems like a lot.. I did a mock up of an aquascape, and I still have a 1 FULL box (out of 4 @ 40ish lbs each) of rock after words.. And I don't even have the live rock yet to seed it. I may just have to keep the extra box of dry rock for myself for the 62G I bought. :lol:

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/IMG_0253.jpg

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/IMG_0256.jpg

[fishoholic]

Looking good! Love the skimmer upgrade, glad it fit, it should work better for your system :biggrin:

[JDigital]

Looking good! Love the skimmer upgrade, glad it fit, it should work better for your system :biggrin:


Thanks Laurie.. I'm definitely impressed with the build quality.. It's no BK, but it is still built extremely well, very solid. My only complaint with it is the twist-locking collection cup style neck..

I still need to decide if I am gonna T off my return pump to feed it, or if I should just pick up a 500gph pump to feed it.

I hope it pays off.. the extra that it cost me came out of my own pocket. :lol:

[JDigital]

@#%^&**!!!! :mmph:

Just finished typing up my update and accidentally switched to youtube to upload the video of the swinging light rack, and lost everything I typed!

So.. attempt #2.


Tuesday I got around to welding up my light racks using 1"x1" steel tubing. Sealed up all the ends to prevent salt creep and corrosion and finally finished with a few coats of black paint to tie them into the color scheme of the tank.

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/IMG_0281.jpg

One issue I came to realize was that with the size of these Lumenbright Pendents, and the annoying glass brace (pictured above) it was going to be a bit MORE of a pain when it came to maintenance on this 30" deep tank. Thus I decided to make it super easy to swing these lights out of my way, freeing up the whole top of the tank for access (except for the brace).

Quick video of how simple it is.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzkff6CLXzw&feature=youtu.be

After that was done I installed the ballasts inside the stand, setup my timers and tested the lights. I gotta clean up the cables a bit. :lol:

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/IMG_0287.jpg

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/IMG_0283.jpg


And finally before leaving for the evening cut out and laid in my egg crate floor. I've never done this before in any of my previous tanks, but figured I would give a try with this, hoping that it provides a sold base for the rock to sit on rather that the smooth glass. We'll see how that goes tomorrow when I mock up an aquascape.

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/IMG_0285.jpg


As much as I wanted to get the RO/DI flowing tonight and start filling, I held off as I wasn't comfortable leaving it running all night without being able to check on it. So I will be into the office bright as early tomorrow after Formula 1 Qualifying to start getting this tank wet! :mrgreen:

[gridley]

Wow! This is looking very, very good. I really like what you have done with the lights.

[JDigital]

Wow! This is looking very, very good. I really like what you have done with the lights.

Thanks gridley! That little trick should save me some pain during maintenance.:lol:

[JDigital]

Well I am back at the office today...... I gotta say, it's not so bad saying that when I'm not actually here for my 9-5 job! :lol:

I finished the aquascaping... and I am liking my first attempt quite a lot.. I was originally worried when I did my mock up (pictured above I think) that I was gonna have a hard time creating a good looking aquascape with such a deep tank... I've never had a tank deeper than 20" before, so this was a bit of a challenge but like I said, very happy with how it looks right now.. Lots of tunnels and passages for the fish.

Couple shots of the aquascape..

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/180GRocks1.jpg

Left side at an angle...
http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/180GRocks5.jpg

Middle at an angle.... I purposely left the middle section of the rock lower due to the fact that the stupid glass bracing that I wasn't able to remove cuts my lights spread through the center of the tank.. So I will use that area for low light coral most likely.
http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/180GRocks2.jpg

Right side at an angle...
http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/180GRocks4.jpg


And the water is flowing!.... Slowly @ 100GPD...
http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/180GRocks3.jpg

[Aquattro]

The biggest regret I have with my build is adding eggcrate like that. I would never do it again. I've always just put the rock on glass, and the egg crate made no difference.
But with the sand moving around, it's exposed and looks like crap. And there's no removing it now. I'd really re-think that before you get too far....

[Doug]

If its bare bottom would that not collect detritus? If covered in sand, {and not exposed as Brad mentioned}, would it matter? Under a sand bed the crawlies can still get in there.

[JDigital]

The biggest regret I have with my build is adding eggcrate like that. I would never do it again. I've always just put the rock on glass, and the egg crate made no difference.
But with the sand moving around, it's exposed and looks like crap. And there's no removing it now. I'd really re-think that before you get too far....

I will be adding a fairly good sand bed... In my experience I've never had sand blow around so much that its exposed any part of the bottom of the tank.. I did find it to be rather beneficial actually while scaping for supporting some pieces that would have otherwise been rocking back and forth.

I'm really liking the rock work as it stands now. I've seen plenty of builds go this route with no issues, so I'll just to live with any consequences which I think will be nil. If the sand is moving around that much, I will be thinking more about altering my flow before worrying about a bit of exposed egg crate.


If its bare bottom would that not collect detritus? If covered in sand, {and not exposed as Brad mentioned}, would it matter? Under a sand bed the crawlies can still get in there.

Certainly won't be BB.. I am waiting to add the sand until I get the salt mixed in, and as mentioned, I'll have a decent depth sand bed for the crawlies to travel through.

[Aquattro]

I've seen plenty of builds go this route with no issues, so I'll just to live with any consequences which I think will be nil. If the sand is moving around that much, I will be thinking more about altering my flow before worrying about a bit of exposed egg crate.


Hope that works out, it sucks to not want it after it's there :) I didn't even have a good reason to add mine, just read about it somewhere -lol

[JDigital]

Me too.. lol

It seems like a 50/50 debate on various forums as to whether to use it.. Mostly varying opinions on dispersing pressure points and whether or not it "traps" nutrients. Personally I think fauna is gonna travel vertically and horizontally through the sand bed, so I hardly see it as a nutrient trap.

I'm obviously on the side that says it doesn't have any/many serious negative side affects to the tank. :razz: but it's also something fairly new to me. Meh!

One argument against it that gave me a chuckle was "Have you ever seen a TOTM with it?" :lol: While possibly true, I wouldn't know as I'm not one to follow every TOTM out there.

[Aquattro]

One argument against it that gave me a chuckle was "Have you ever seen a TOTM with it?" :lol: While possibly true, I wouldn't know as I'm not one to follow every TOTM out there.

Well, let's say I got TOTM....before the pics, I'd cover the exposed area with sand. Nobody would know it was there, and I wouldn't admit it :)

I don't think it traps anything, other than some smaller snails. The bugs and worms seem to move around, although I do notice I don't have the same fauna I used to have with plain sand. I also don't think it's a concern either way with pressure points. If there is enough weight focused to go through the glass, it's going to go through the plastic at the same time. Which isn't likely :)

[gridley]

I realize that I'm a rookie at this, and my expereince is very limited, but I'll add my 2 cents to the conversation as well . . . I choose to use the eggcrate on the bottom before I added rock with the thought that it may keep me from scratching the tank and possibly damaging the tank if I was clumsy and dropped a rock. At the same time I had seen some tanks with exposed eggcrate and I didn't like the look of that. So . . . after the aquascaping was done I took my sidecutters and snipped the eggcrate as close to the rock as was feasible. It took about 15 min of time. My thinking was that if the sand gets blow around there is less chance of having some eggcrate exposed. So far I have not has any eggcrate exposed.

[Aquattro]

the thought that it may keep me from scratching the tank and possibly damaging the tank if I was clumsy and dropped a rock.

Dropping a rock while in water inside a larger tank won't damage the tank. Last time I removed a 1/2" piece of cross brace, I had to whack is 5 times with my framing hammer to actually break it. It's pretty strong stuff :) Conceptually, nothing wrong with that extra layer, and especially a good idea to trim away the excess.

[JDigital]

Dropping a rock while in water inside a larger tank won't damage the tank. Last time I removed a 1/2" piece of cross brace, I had to whack is 5 times with my framing hammer to actually break it. It's pretty strong stuff :) Conceptually, nothing wrong with that extra layer, and especially a good idea to trim away the excess.

I thought about doing that to remove the cross brace on this tank, but was worried that it would put to much pressure on the front and back panes of glass that it's siliconed to and crack them.. Kinda late to do it now as I would have glass shards all throughout my tank now. :lol:

[reefwars]

I realize that I'm a rookie at this, and my expereince is very limited, but I'll add my 2 cents to the conversation as well . . . I choose to use the eggcrate on the bottom before I added rock with the thought that it may keep me from scratching the tank and possibly damaging the tank if I was clumsy and dropped a rock. At the same time I had seen some tanks with exposed eggcrate and I didn't like the look of that. So . . . after the aquascaping was done I took my sidecutters and snipped the eggcrate as close to the rock as was feasible. It took about 15 min of time. My thinking was that if the sand gets blow around there is less chance of having some eggcrate exposed. So far I have not has any eggcrate exposed.


the problem i have with eggcrate is nobody ever keeps their origional rock scape it gets changed a million times everytime a new huge coral or rock is introduced.

like brad said ive dropped some pretty big rocks in my day alot of gasps but not one break.

i dont see any huge disadvantages in using it just unsightly to see, and later your going to have to either move it or remove it:)

[reefwars]

I thought about doing that to remove the cross brace on this tank, but was worried that it would put to much pressure on the front and back panes of glass that it's siliconed to and crack them.. Kinda late to do it now as I would have glass shards all throughout my tank now. :lol:


use a dremel tool to score a line across so that when you hit it it wont break past the score mark:) or just dremel it completely:P

[JDigital]

use a dremel tool to score a line across so that when you hit it it wont break past the score mark:) or just dremel it completely:P

I suppose that's a option.. Will have to give it some thought.

I'm glad I didn't go with a RO/DI that does anything less that 100GPD... I came into office for 9 hours on Saturday to let the water flow, and then it ran for another 8.5hrs on Sunday.. that got the tank to about 55-60%.. It's been running since 7am this morning and I still got about 20% in the DT to fill + the sump.. Glad I only have to do this once!

Patience, Patience, Patience..... :razz:


On a side note...

Does anyone have experience with Reef Lobsters in a reef tank?

My general manager asked me today if he could have a lobster in the tank.. Immediately I was hesitant, asked what kind he was referring too, and told him I would research it as I have zero experience with them.

I gave him two options after browsing Live Aquaria..

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_di...&pcatid=555

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_di...&pcatid=752

Any input would be greatly appreciated before I get myself into something I have no experience with.

[JDigital]

Well the tank and sump is finally wet and circulating (during office hours until I get my check valve from The Reef Shoppe). The sand will be getting added as soon as I get the skimmer online in combination with a filter sock to polish the water after.

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/photo.jpg

Picked up an Ocean Runner 2500 return pump yesterday to use a my feed for the Skimz 202. Unfortunately the seller broke the thread connector on it so I've got to fix that today before I can use it. (At least I got the pump for free because of it)

[sphelps]

I've put reef lobsters in reef tanks before without any issue. Seem to be pretty secretive hiding 99% of the time, so don't expect too much from them. Hit or miss with other inverts like shrimp, personally if you're planning on keeping things like shrimp and decorative crabs scratch the lobster as the risk involved hardly seems worth something you'll never see.

[michika]

I like, I like.

Are you going to get a pH probe for the RKE you just bought?

[JDigital]

I've put reef lobsters in reef tanks before without any issue. Seem to be pretty secretive hiding 99% of the time, so don't expect too much from them. Hit or miss with other inverts like shrimp, personally if you're planning on keeping things like shrimp and decorative crabs scratch the lobster as the risk involved hardly seems worth something you'll never see.

That might just be my reasoning to persuade him to pick something else.. :lol: I'd rather have some cleaner shrimp which will probably be more beneficial to the tank anyways. Especially if we're not gonna see the lobster much.

I like, I like.

Are you going to get a pH probe for the RKE you just bought?

I'm actually buying that for myself.. :lol: Although until I can find a place to rent/own that will allow me to start my 62G I may run it on this tank... but to answer your question, Yes I will be adding the pH probe.. :razz:

[JDigital]

Well it seems like if something can go wrong with my builds it does.. No super serious, but looks like I will have to take my brand new Water Blaster HY7000 pump into to Concepts to get checked out... I fired it up this morning and it was fairly silent, after a few hours I could hear it from my office. Loud humming noise that started to get a bit of a clicking noise that you could hear in the rotation.. unplugged it at that point. :neutral:

Hopefully it is a simple fix.

[JDigital]

Well Dave made my life easy today..

Took the WB7000 back to him.. and downgraded for the 5000. I really think the 7K was too much for this system... I know fishytime is running the 7K on his 260G (+100G sump).. My overflows were getting a ton of bubbles from the flow crashing over...

So I took the WB5000 and a Sedra something-er-rather that I need to feed my skimmer and called it a day.

The 5000 works MUCH better IMO, it's quiet, and the overflows aren't filled with as many bubbles.

The Sedra on the other hand seems to be too much pump for this Skimz 202... It calls for a 500gph feed pump, which the sedra maxes out at, but I am getting MASSIVE amounts of micro-bubbles throughout the sump and returning up to the Display.. So I picked up some plumbing supplies tonight including a ball valve so I can control the flow and dial in the skimmer.


I can't wait to get this thing running smoothly so I can finally work an 8am-430pm shift, instead of the current 8am-8pm.. :lol:

[JDigital]

Photo-dump!

Eggcrate gone.. Sand in..

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/tank1.jpg

After adding the sand in the light from the tank no longer lights up the sump area. Not impressed with that (although knowing it was inevitable), I decided to shed some light on the situation. :lol:

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/tank2.jpg

In a giant box of misc aquarium stuff that came with the tank, I found myself 3 Marineland LED lights. While not powerful enough to use over the tank, I decided that one of them should work nicely in the sump area. Tossed some screws into the stand, a few zip-ties later and voila!

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/tank3.jpg


The Skimmer slowly seems to be breaking in. I was having a **ck of time with it yesterday, overflowed a couple times, I was getting an incredible amount of microbubbles back into my sump/DT.. I turned it off last night when I left the office, however I've had it running the whole time I've been here this morning and so far is seems a better. I don't have the light overs the tank on, so its difficult to tell if I have any microbubbles making their way to the DT.

I'm really not sure if I should even run the skimmer for now as there is nothing alive in the tank yet, I only start adding Zeobak yesterday. Will pick up a few prawns or shrimp today to kick start the cycle. Only reason the skimmer is really running it to break it in, and in combination with a 300 micron sock, try and polish the water after adding the sand.

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/tank4.jpg

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/tank5.jpg

[JDigital]

Well this weekend was a bit of a pain in the arse..

I wasn't sure what my evaporation was going to be like on this tank. This weekend opened my eyes.

I topped it off Friday night before going home, with plans of coming in Saturday anyways to rearrange my office so I actually have a view of the tank. :lol:

Came in Saturday about 10am. And checked the tank, only to realize my sump had dropped by about 1.5" in water level just overnight, and that happened without any lights on. So its obviously dry in the office, needless to say I had to get a ATO sooner than later as I can't be coming into the office 7 days a week. :lol: Although I never budgeted for a $175 Tunze ATO I figured it was time to DIY this part of the build.

Put in an order on Aquahub.com this morning..

http://www.aquahub.com/store/media/TopitOffPremium.jpg

Hopefully it gets here before next weekend, but I'm not holding my breath.

[Lampshade]

I love the build, looks great so far. Dave has a very good idea with the baffles in the sump, one of the biggest cause for bubbles in my tank was the waterfall off my last baffle, this idea fixes that. One thing you could do to "failsafe" your ATO is to have your water enter the sump through a float valve AFTER your ATO setup. Since you won't be around for weekends, it could be very bad to have a switch stick on. Here's what i use for mine http://www.jlaquatics.com/product/ro-kpfvalve/Kent+Marine+ABS+Float+Valve+for+RO+Filters.html Up to you really, most people run just the ATO without problems.

[Duker]

The biggest regret I have with my build is adding eggcrate like that. I would never do it again. I've always just put the rock on glass, and the egg crate made no difference.
But with the sand moving around, it's exposed and looks like crap. And there's no removing it now. I'd really re-think that before you get too far....

Yup, I agree. We had it in the 180 display at proreef (before closing down) and I had a few choice words for the stupid eggcrate. Just put rock inbefore sand...same stability! Also when u decide to up grade to some kick as vortech pumps, the sand could move more water and expose the eggcrate. also love the overflow, very sharp looking. But I think there is one SUPER IMPORTANT piece of equipment you may have over looked.....chiller??? Especially with halides. Also, drilling ur rock can give you more open areas and unique aquascaping options rather than the rock wall or rock pile looks. More negative space is nice for bigger tangs and then u will have more room for SPS ;0)....just saying!

[Doug]

Eggcrate gone.. Sand in..


Oh dandy. :lol: I just did my new 30g with eggcrate and sandbed because yours looked so good.

[Aquattro]

Oh dandy. :lol: I just did my new 30g with eggcrate and sandbed because yours looked so good.

I figured he meant eggcrate gone under sand :)

[JDigital]

I figured he meant eggcrate gone under sand :)

Bingo! I thought about changing it after, but meh...

[JDigital]

I love the build, looks great so far. Dave has a very good idea with the baffles in the sump, one of the biggest cause for bubbles in my tank was the waterfall off my last baffle, this idea fixes that. One thing you could do to "failsafe" your ATO is to have your water enter the sump through a float valve AFTER your ATO setup. Since you won't be around for weekends, it could be very bad to have a switch stick on. Here's what i use for mine http://www.jlaquatics.com/product/ro-kpfvalve/Kent+Marine+ABS+Float+Valve+for+RO+Filters.html Up to you really, most people run just the ATO without problems.

If I only had one float switch on the ATO system I would probably consider the float valve, but this ATO system comes with 2 float switches, the 2nd acts as a failsafe to shut the pump off in case the first one gets stuck in the "on" position. If they both get stuck on, well I'm SOL sorta, but at the same time, my reservoir will be not larger than 5-7G. That is only 2-3% of my total system volume which should never bring my tank out of the 1.022-1.026 range 'safe range'.

[JDigital]

I received the ATO kit from aquahub.com last week, finally got around to setting it up yesterday. Pretty simple system to setup.

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/photo-1.jpg

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/photo1.jpg

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/photo2.jpg

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/photo3.jpg

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/photo4.jpg

Looks like I still have a few zipties/wires to clean up, but the system is working flawlessly.

[JDigital]

Slowly making progress with the initial cycle. Currently dosing 2mL of Zeostart3 daily and 8 drops of Zeobak 2x/week (originally started with 3x the dosage, have been easing off as the cycle climbs).

As of tonight, nitrates are getting up there,
http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/photo-2.jpg

[kien]

Oh my, you've been a busy bee! Love it! Coming together nicely.

[mr_alberta]

Hey that looks like Ken's tank. Isn't he the Mesh Pad guy? If so you should really put some Kenya Trees or Colt Corals in there. He loves those things.

[JDigital]

Hey that looks like Ken's tank. Isn't he the Mesh Pad guy? If so you should really put some Kenya Trees or Colt Corals in there. He loves those things.

Hmm.. How do you know Ken? Mesh Pads and more these days... And yes it is his tank (well, the companies now, ;) )

I actually added a few tester things tonight to the tank after a 50G water change over the past 24 hours.

1 Orange Digi frag
2 Zoa frags
10 Snails
5 Hermits
3 Small Chromis.

[lastlight]

if ever there was a good reason to work overtime this is it lol. excited to see this unfold =)

[JDigital]

if ever there was a good reason to work overtime this is it lol. excited to see this unfold =)

It's not all glitz and glamour.. sometimes I actually have to work.. :lol:

[JDigital]

Tank is doing well, Nitrates are well down from the previous post above. I've made some additions over the past little while.

Hollywood Stunner Chalice:
http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/photo1-2.jpg

Can't remember the name of this piece. Alien something Chalice:
http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/photo2-1.jpg

Ricordia Rock (Blues, Green, Purple/Orange):
http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/photo4-2.jpg
http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/photo5-1.jpg
http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/photo-3.jpg

Wall Hammer Colony:
http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/photo4-1.jpg

SPS Colonies:
http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/photo3-2.jpg

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/photo2-2.jpg

This is the remains of a colony I had to do some emergency fragging of today to save it from some RTN that I noticed last night before it went in. Hoping the rest of it holds on.
http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/photo3-1.jpg

Got 2 of these guys today as well. They looked like a pair at the shop, but not 100% sure. Was only able to get a shot of this one though.
http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/photo5.jpg

[JDigital]

Well it was definitely a bit early for SPS (I kind knew that to begin with) I lost 2 of the 3 colonies I picked up, but on the other hand the shop that I got them from lost eve more than that, so I'm not completely convinced it had a whole lot to do with my system. I still got one colony left, and while it has lost some color (probably to much light right now) it's still kicking.

All of my LPS/Softies are going great though, so I have been slowly adding a few pieces. 6head Torch Coral, 2 heads of Purple Tip Frogspawn (Thanks to lastlight)... And I keep eyeing up Acans, but have yet to pull the trigger.

I've also recently added a few fish over the past couple weeks...

I started off with 3 Chromis after the cycle, lost one for unknown reasons, the other 2 are still doing good (much to my disappointment :lol:)..and I've added in the rest in the following order.

- Female Leopard Wrasse (eating frozen like a champ! thanks Denny!)
- Mated pair of Diamond Spotted Gobies (burrowing caves under EVERY rock in the tank. Not regretting that eggcrate now! smile.gif )
- Pair of Clownfish (Thanks Lastlight)
- One Spot Foxface (just last night)
- Multi-Colored Pin-cushion urhcin (I don't know how my boss talked me into it, but fingers are crossed that I'm not to early with this addition, My parameters are staying pretty stable though so.... The temptation of new additions is difficult, even for a reefer who's been around the block :redface: )

The tank is really coming alive these days though. The Torch, Hammer and Frogspawn definitely add some motion to the system, and with the addition of the current fish stock, the office is at an all time low for productivity! :lol:

Also really starting to like the performance of this Skimz SM202 Skimmer as well.. I was actually starting to get very annoyed with it as I was having a heck of time trying to dial it in. It either wouldn't foam up at all or it would be overflowing the collection cup. In the last week I think I have finally found the sweet spot on the setting, and along with the current bio-load in the tank, it's finally pulling some seriously dark skimmate. Might need a bit of fine tuning to get it to maximum efficiency but glad to see it pulling out the gunk it should.

I'll try and get some pics to follow up this post.

[michika]

Will you be creating a reply of sorts to Dez's skimmate in a bowl post?

Everything else looks great though.

[JDigital]

Will you be creating a reply of sorts to Dez's skimmate in a bowl post?

Everything else looks great though.


Where did you dez post? haha or did you post in the wrong thread? :lol:

[JDigital]

Some photos as promised.

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/gobies.jpg

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/photo12.jpg

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/photo1-3.jpg

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/photo22.jpg

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/photo2-3.jpg

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/photo32.jpg

Blurry pic of the Leopard Wrasse
http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/photo3-3.jpg

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/photo42.jpg

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/photo4-3.jpg

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/photo52.jpg

[kien]

Looking good man. Must feel nice to be stocking up that bad boy after being out of the scene for a while.

[JDigital]

Looking good man. Must feel nice to be stocking up that bad boy after being out of the scene for a while.

Yes, it does, unfortunately. :lol: Especially with the pressure from the co-workers, but now that there is a bit in the tank, and more alive, they've sorta piped down. :mrgreen:

[freezetyle]

Hey Josh.
Hows that ATO working from aqua hub? my jbj kicked the bucket and i was looking into getting one of those

[JDigital]

Hey Josh.
Hows that ATO working from aqua hub? my jbj kicked the bucket and i was looking into getting one of those

Smooth sailing so far! I have had NO issues what so ever with it. I would recommend it to anyone working on a budget.

How's your tank doing?

[JDigital]

Awesome...... Marine Velvet has hit my tank. :sad:

I've lost my Powder Blue Tang, Blue Throat Trigger, Sailfin Tang, and 1 Clown in the last 3 days.

Been reading up on quarantine tanks but keep seeing that I need to run a cheap filter or filter sponge on my main tank for 2 weeks to build up the nitrifying bacteria, prior to getting the QT going.

Any recommendations for speeding up this process? I'd like to get the remaining fish out and QT'd and start some meds ASAP.

[kien]

Awesome...... Marine Velvet has hit my tank. :sad:

I've lost my Powder Blue Tang, Blue Throat Trigger, Sailfin Tang, and 1 Clown in the last 3 days.

Been reading up on quarantine tanks but keep seeing that I need to run a cheap filter or filter sponge on my main tank for 2 weeks to build up the nitrifying bacteria, prior to getting the QT going.

Any recommendations for speeding up this process? I'd like to get the remaining fish out and QT'd and start some meds ASAP.

Sorry to hear josh :(

If you are in a real hurry then you can take some live rock out of your display tank and use that. Sadly the rock will have to be sacrificed if you use copper meds tho.. unfortunately there's probably no good quick solutions to this one. I like to float dish washing pads in my sump for these occasions.

[gridley]

Awesome...... Marine Velvet has hit my tank. :sad:

I've lost my Powder Blue Tang, Blue Throat Trigger, Sailfin Tang, and 1 Clown in the last 3 days.

Been reading up on quarantine tanks but keep seeing that I need to run a cheap filter or filter sponge on my main tank for 2 weeks to build up the nitrifying bacteria, prior to getting the QT going.

Any recommendations for speeding up this process? I'd like to get the remaining fish out and QT'd and start some meds ASAP.

Really sorry to hear about this. I'm far from an expert, but in a situation like this would it not work to do daily water changes in the QT? Running a filter sponge for several weeks is great, but . . . it does not seem like you have many options.

[freezetyle]

lots of brightwell Microbacter 7 could help to skip the wait time for the sponge.

[wmcinnes]

Velvet wiped out my 90g. Its awful! I wish you the best of luck!

[daplatapus]

Really sorry to hear about this. I'm far from an expert, but in a situation like this would it not work to do daily water changes in the QT? Running a filter sponge for several weeks is great, but . . . it does not seem like you have many options.

Agreed.
When I'm doing the tank transfer method for MI, I have no filter for almost 72 hrs but do a 100% WC every 3 days. Depending on bioload in the QT there isn't enough time to elapse for the ammonia levels to reach high enough to be detrimental and definitely not enough time for it to turn into Nitrate. Stick an ammonia badge in there for a bit of safety and don't get complacent with WC schedule and you should be ok.

[JDigital]

Well, just a bit of an update.

The exodus of my fish stopped. The final count was 5.

1x Powder Blue Tang
1x Blue Throat Trigger
1x Sailfin Tang
2x Clownfish (sorry Brett :( )

Everyone that is left in the tank has been doing well ever since. Leopard Wrasse, 2x Diamond Gobies, Foxface Lo, and a Axelspot Hogfish.

The tank has not and will not be seeing any fishy additions until the end of March at the earliest to be certain that the remaining fish are completely in the clear.

I have also decided to setup a 20G Q-Tank for any future additions. 20G High tank, Koralia Nano, Aquaclear 50 HOB Filter and 50W heater.

Besides the fish loss, I have been struggling lately with my Wall Hammer coral. One of the heads has been melting away and recently my Pagoda Cup has started to loose heads as well. It has been a bit confusing as to why, but a couple days ago I realized I had over looked one thing while trying to figure out what could be causing it. My Salinity! I have a feeling my skimmer had been skimming quite wet, which has slowly been taking SW out of my tank to only get replaced with RO top-up water.

It dropped to 1.018 from 1.026. I did a 25G change yesterday which brought it up to 1.021. I also added extra and the evap in the last 24 hours (till the point where my ATO kicked back in, has raised it up to 1.024. Unfortunately I think it is probably too late. The wall hammer isn't look to happy today, and the pagoda is surely on its way out. :(

This tank has been quite frustrating. Of all the tanks I have kept in the past, I've had more things go wrong with this one that all my other tanks combined it seems. I've always read that large tanks are easier to keep/maintain, I'm personally not sold on that idea yet.

On the bright side, I am starting to see a large amount of Pods, Sponges and other various filter feeders growing in my "refuge" on the glass. I say "refuge" because there is no Sand, no Mangroves, No rock really (only small rubble), and a small ball of cheato that doesn't really grow.

Ohhh this hobby!

[JDigital]

April Update:

I still ended up loosing my wall hammer, pagoda cup, and torch coral. I tried to do what I could to save them but it was too late really.

Things have really turned around lately with the tank though. I have replaced the 2 clownfish back in mid march and I've got 2 tangs in QT right now.

I've decided to go down the softie coral route with this tank with coral that is simple and easy to maintain. I had added a large rock of Green Star Polyp, a good size Toadstool Leather, 3 Maxi Mini Nems (came on the same rock as the Toadstool).

Besides those additions, my zoas have been doing well ever since I added them to the tank. Red Mushrooms are getting HUGE too.

I really think the soft coral route is the way to go with this tank. I'm really liking the look of it and the motion it provides is nice. I'll leave the SPS headaches for my tank at home. :mrgreen:

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/photo2-1_zpsb95a719c.jpg (http://s1258.photobucket.com/user/DarkFader10/media/photo2-1_zpsb95a719c.jpg.html)

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/photo1-2_zps5efd511f.jpg (http://s1258.photobucket.com/user/DarkFader10/media/photo1-2_zps5efd511f.jpg.html)

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/photo5_zps8c08cc5a.jpg (http://s1258.photobucket.com/user/DarkFader10/media/photo5_zps8c08cc5a.jpg.html)

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/photo4_zps56bfb433.jpg (http://s1258.photobucket.com/user/DarkFader10/media/photo4_zps56bfb433.jpg.html)

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/photo3-1_zps672b0c87.jpg (http://s1258.photobucket.com/user/DarkFader10/media/photo3-1_zps672b0c87.jpg.html)

[michika]

Sexy! Especially that last photo.

FTS?

[MCC]

don't give up !!!

i agree with you, i kept nano tanks all my life, and now i started a 'bigger' tank - 60 gallons. I know its not as massive as yours, but I been having issues as well.

i guess with nano tanks if you keep up with the water changes then it helps fix whatever problem it is quickly as there isnt much water to replenish/replace.

I have lost some fish/corals too!

but keep at it... i kind of waiting out for my two ich invested tangs to either make a somewhat recovery or die. Either way I plan to stop adding any fish for a while, and focus on corals. I haven't tried sps as i m not confident enough yet to take care of them.

[JDigital]

Sexy! Especially that last photo.

FTS?



Best I can get with my cell phone.

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/photo_zpsace4dc14.jpg (http://s1258.photobucket.com/user/DarkFader10/media/photo_zpsace4dc14.jpg.html)

[michika]

Its coming together well!

Did you ever end up dosing anything for your sponges like the Brightwell additives?

[kien]

great 'nem shot! Tank is coming along nicely. There's nothing wrong with wanting to limit ones SPS headaches. :neutral:

[JDigital]

Thanks Catherine.. The picture does it NO justice. I'm actually quite happy with how things are looking right now. I got lots of space to fill in with corals though. They've got $30 frags (large) of Pulsing Xenia at Big Al's right now, so may have to snag one of those this weekend (or tonight after work).

No dosing for Sponges... My sponge population is getting big in my overflows and sump though. I should start dosing a few things though. (Amino acids, coral snow, etc)

[JDigital]

great 'nem shot! Tank is coming along nicely. There's nothing wrong with wanting to limit ones SPS headaches. :neutral:

I need to get my hands back on a decent camera. It drives me nuts having such crappy photos. :P

We'll see how the headaches go at home.. I just picked the Forest Fire Digitata and Branching Hydnophora last night at Concepts for my home tank.

[michika]

I just picked the Forest Fire Digitata and Branching Hydnophora last night at Concepts for my home tank.

Sweet! I think you got the two that I was eyeballing, but couldn't bring myself to buy.

[JDigital]

Test Results for July 10, 2013:

Mag: 1350
CA: 540
ALK: 7.056 dKH
Phos: 0.32
Temp: 26C
SG: 1.024
NH3/4: 0
NO2: 0
NO3: 5-10ppm

Phosphate reading seems high, but I have no algae issues except for the typical film on the glass every few days. Nitrates seem a bit high too but it is an older test kit so I'm not super confident in the result. I also have a 30G batch of fresh Saltwater for a water-change this week.

I gotta get my CA down too. :eek:

[lastlight]

We need a new fts I think. Glad things are going well with the tank. How the heck did your calcium get that high? Even reef crystals shouldn't drive it up like that.

[JDigital]

We need a new fts I think. Glad things are going well with the tank. How the heck did your calcium get that high? Even reef crystals shouldn't drive it up like that.

Manual dosing without testing. :redface:

Hoping that after my WC it brings it down a bit and then I'll stop dosing for a bit and work on bringing UP my ALK.

Still though the inability to keep even the easiest SPS is bugging me. I thought this was due to poor Mag/CA/Alk levels, but they really aren't that bad right now so my next guess would be the 0.32 Phosphate reading even if I lack any algae could be the issue. I've also had a few different zoos melt away on me recently.

10months old this week.


Current stocking on this tank for fish is:

- One-Spot Foxface
- Sailfin Tang
- Orange Shoulder Tang
- Flame Angel
- Axilspot Hogfish
- Pair of Occelaris Clown
- Longnose Hawkfish
- Mated Pair of Diamond Gobies
- Blue Chromis
- 2 Large Cleaner Shrimp (not fish obviously)

Corals:

- 4x Various Maxi-Mini Nems
- Toadstool Leather
- various Zoa frags/mini colonie
- Large Green Sinularia
- GSP Rock
- Red Mushroom colony
- Pink Zoo Colony
- Green Open Brain
- Acan Colony (I had to save it from my home tank)
- Candy Cane Colony (thought it had died for sure, but a few of the mouths seem to be coming back)
- 1 Head of Purple Mushroom
- Clove Polyp

[fishytime]

Just a thought.... SPS and leathers don't mix very well.... Could be that the chemicals that the leathers release are causing you some issues.... Are you running carbon?.... I'm sure the phosphate numbers aren't helping either ....

[JDigital]

Just a thought.... SPS and leathers don't mix very well.... Could be that the chemicals that the leathers release are causing you some issues.... Are you running carbon?.... I'm sure the phosphate numbers aren't helping either ....

Hmmm.. No carbon, although it's been something I've wanted to add. Good point though, although I was trying SPS before the Leather went it, but that was at a time when I wasn't 100% sure what my M/Ca/Alk levels were at. The phosphate numbers are quite surprising to be honest, considering the utter lack of algae.

[lastlight]

Dosing without testing? Josh!

I'm a big believer in carbon. You should totally slap some in there. Best of all you CAN use it without testing lol.

Nice work on hitting 10 months! Can't say I've done that many times myself.

[JDigital]

Dosing without testing? Josh!

I'm a big believer in carbon. You should totally slap some in there. Best of all you CAN use it without testing lol.

Nice work on hitting 10 months! Can't say I've done that many times myself.

I know, I know!

I have ran it on most of my other tanks, just means I need to spend more money on hardware (or bring in my Vertex Rx from home). Speaking of equipment, there may be a Neptune Apex in the near future being added. :wink:

Thanks Brett.. I can't say I've hit 10months on many of my past tanks either actually. I usually upgraded before reaching this point (and not because I was running out of room, but because I wanted a bigger tank). :lol:


@fishytime - Just to clarify, I am by no means looking to make this a SPS tank. Most of the office likes the soft stuff that blows around in the current and provides a lot of motion. While sps polyps do provide motion it's never quite to the same extent as softies. That being said, if I could keep 2-4 colonies of SPS (Montipora Plate, A. Stag, etc) just to mix things up a bit I'd be happy. So I will keep trying, once i get my Phosphates down.

[michika]

We need a new fts I think. Glad things are going well with the tank. How the heck did your calcium get that high? Even reef crystals shouldn't drive it up like that.

I agree with this. I too want to see more photos!


Also it feels like its been ages since I've seen you Josh. I miss our random weekly get togethers at the store.

[JDigital]

I agree with this. I too want to see more photos!


Also it feels like its been ages since I've seen you Josh. I miss our random weekly get togethers at the store.


Gonna have to crack the whip on Dave and his crew to get the new shop done then! :razz:

I'll try and get a new FTS this week with a camera that is better than my phone. :lol:

[JDigital]

Just ordered some "Top Secret" goodies from Reef Supplies.. Hope to see the order next week. :twised:

[kien]

Just ordered some "Top Secret" goodies from Reef Supplies.. Hope to see the order next week. :twised:

:pop2:

[michika]

:pop2:

:pop2:

[JDigital]

I thought kien had a monopoly on Popcorn. :lol:

[kien]

:pop2:

:pop2:

^
|

synchronized popcorning!!

[JDigital]

Couple photos for you guys.

Still not that great even though I was using an actual camera.

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/IMG_2558_zpsc2fd2b1c.jpg (http://s1258.photobucket.com/user/DarkFader10/media/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/IMG_2558_zpsc2fd2b1c.jpg.html)

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/IMG_2559_zpsc686f587.jpg (http://s1258.photobucket.com/user/DarkFader10/media/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/IMG_2559_zpsc686f587.jpg.html)

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/IMG_2560_zpsb19599c9.jpg (http://s1258.photobucket.com/user/DarkFader10/media/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/IMG_2560_zpsb19599c9.jpg.html)

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/IMG_2562_zps952c4db6.jpg (http://s1258.photobucket.com/user/DarkFader10/media/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/IMG_2562_zps952c4db6.jpg.html)

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/IMG_2567_zpseb07c92e.jpg (http://s1258.photobucket.com/user/DarkFader10/media/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/IMG_2567_zpseb07c92e.jpg.html)


Go ahead... ask me why there is a MOUNTAIN of sand on the left side.. lol

[michika]

I thought kien had a monopoly on Popcorn. :lol:

The empire is expanding!



Go ahead... ask me why there is a MOUNTAIN of sand on the left side.. lol

Why has Mt. Sand appeared in your tank?

Nice! Thank you for the photos!

[JDigital]

The empire is expanding!



Why has Mt. Sand appeared in your tank?

Nice! Thank you for the photos!



I have a Mated pair of Diamond Gobies... and they have setup shop under the rock that is under that pile of sand. I'm not 100% sure on the spawning habits of Diamond Gobies, but the few vids I have found on youtube would suggest this is what they are doing. The Male builds a mountain while the female stay in the burrow.

While very cool that they are spawning.... aesthetically, it drives me up the freaking wall! I typically end up bulldozing it and putting the sand back where it belongs.

Even as I sit here at my desk, I can see the male working away on that mountain, mouthful by mouthful.... :mad:

[michika]

Even as I sit here at my desk, I can see the male working away on that mountain, mouthful by mouthful.... :mad:

Nice!!

He is totally taunting you.

[kien]

Couldn't help but notice Mt. Sand as well. Apparently it's a conversation piece! :lol:

[JDigital]

Couldn't help but notice Mt. Sand as well. Apparently it's a conversation piece! :lol:

It actually is the most discussed thing in the tank with my co-workers.. that and the size of the foxface... They think he is big.. :lol:

[michika]

They think he is big.. :lol:

:mrgreen:

If only they knew!

[JDigital]

Just ordered some "Top Secret" goodies from Reef Supplies.. Hope to see the order next week. :twised:

*Thanks for the package Canada Post* :whoo:

:mrgreen:

If only they knew!

The Sailfin and Orange Shoulder come to mind.. Currently the Foxface dwarfs both of them... We all know that will change. :lol:

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/IMG_1202_zps51ec1d06.jpg (http://s1258.photobucket.com/user/DarkFader10/media/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/IMG_1202_zps51ec1d06.jpg.html)

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/IMG_1204_zps087e543f.jpg (http://s1258.photobucket.com/user/DarkFader10/media/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/IMG_1204_zps087e543f.jpg.html)

Video!
http://s1258.photobucket.com/user/DarkFader10/media/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/IMG_1206_zps8b7063ed.mp4.html

[Magickiwi]

Nice looking tank there. How do you get the foxface to float in mid air like that? Oh wait... There's water in there? ;)

[JDigital]

:shocked!: That face is how it started out when I received my goodies yesterday..

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/photo1_zpsc9aa8cc7.jpg (http://s1258.photobucket.com/user/DarkFader10/media/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/photo1_zpsc9aa8cc7.jpg.html)

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii524/DarkFader10/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/photo2_zpscfa5923d.jpg (http://s1258.photobucket.com/user/DarkFader10/media/180G%20Office%20Reef%20Tank/photo2_zpscfa5923d.jpg.html)

I got around to getting the basics of the install done last night at the office, was there till 10pm on a Friday.. I like to think I'm pretty tech savvy so I was hoping I could set the rest of it up today. The tricky part was going to be setting up the network connectivity as this is a office network and I believe we have DHCP running so that would be a challenge to work around without making any changes to our system.

:mad: This is sorta how I felt after 6 hours at the office today.

Well I put the new bulbs in last night, but didn't get a chance to see them as my lights were off for the night.

Gotta say.. I'm kinda disappointed in the color. I was expecting the 15K to be a bit more blue that what they really are.. Wasn't expecting 20K by any means (nor could I find 20K Moguls in Canada) but these are a lot more white than I was hoping for. Very bright though.

I got moving along with the controller today as well but am also a bit frustrated with it for a few reasons.

1. Being that I am connecting this to our company Network which is setup with DHCP. This is giving me all sorts of headaches trying to even FIND the Apex on the network let alone using the iphone app. Needless to say I gave up on it after about 1.5hrs of playing around. I will have to get our IT guys to give me some direction on this next week.

2. I'm not finding the programming as user friendly as I was hoping it would be. Perhaps it is better to do via the web browser.

3. I'm actually more worried about my temperature now that I have a much more accurate reading. It's getting upwards of 81.2F (when I left the office today.. and likely drops 77 in the evenings. I contribute this ALL to the MH lights. I never expected to have temp swings that large with over 200G in water volume in an Air Cond. building. I think right now my only option it to pick up a couple cheapo fans to mount next to the lights to blow the hot air away from the tank.

On the plus side I am happy I DO have a good idea of what my temps are and I can now shut off certain things (like my skimmer) when temps get high. It's nice to see what my pH is on a regular basis too.

Hopefully I can fix a few of these things that are bugging me and stabilize the daily temp swing.

[kien]

Yup, that definitely sounds a lot better in your thread.. Although the halides would fit in my thread too.

Also, nice toys!!

[JDigital]

Yup, that definitely sounds a lot better in your thread.. Although the halides would fit in my thread too.

Also, nice toys!!

Do you have heat issues kien?

[kien]

Do you have heat issues kien?

Only if my AC is off, or busted like it was last year.. That was part of what caused my wipe out last spring/summer.. we didn't have AC and I didn't have the time to address the heat issue compounded with other issues. Anyway, we finally got a new AC unit last fall and it has kept my temp at around 80 or 81 on most days. 82 on those days where we hit 35 and over. So ya, heat is definitely an issue that needs to be addressed somehow. Mind you, come October it is a total non-issue. Once fall/winter rolls around the AC is off and it is generally cold enough outside to not have to worry about overheating at all.

[kien]

I contribute this ALL to the MH lights. I never expected to have temp swings that large with over 200G in water volume in an Air Cond. building. I think right now my only option it to pick up a couple cheapo fans to mount next to the lights to blow the hot air away from the tank.


My office shuts off the AC over the weekend. When Monday rolls around the office is stinking hot!

My temp swings from 77 to 81 daily during the summer. I keep meaning to bump the low end to 78 or 79 to reduce the swing but I've been too busy (lazy) to get around to that, even though it's a fairly simple thing to do and I could have easily finished doing it in the time it took me to type up this post (that's how lazy I am). I think the important thing is that: 1. the temp doesn't climb too fast, which it typically doesn't. 2. The temp doesn't stay at the high end for too long, again, it doesn't. I hit 80/81 at around 6 or 7pm, and then the halides cut out at 8pm. Anyway, my corals seem to be fine with it.

[JDigital]

My office shuts off the AC over the weekend. When Monday rolls around the office is stinking hot!

My temp swings from 77 to 81 daily during the summer. I keep meaning to bump the low end to 78 or 79 to reduce the swing but I've been too busy (lazy) to get around to that, even though it's a fairly simple thing to do and I could have easily finished doing it in the time it took me to type up this post (that's how lazy I am). I think the important thing is that: 1. the temp doesn't climb too fast, which it typically doesn't. 2. The temp doesn't stay at the high end for too long, again, it doesn't. I hit 80/81 at around 6 or 7pm, and then the halides cut out at 8pm. Anyway, my corals seem to be fine with it.


I actually gave some thought to raising the low end of the temp up as well, but then thought that the temp would actually get higher (82-84) seeing as your starting temp in the morning is already higher.

I'm currently about the same as you. My low temp of 77-78 in the morning (7am) and raises to about 81-82 by around 4:30-5pm when the lights shut off..

[JDigital]

Couple Vids showing off the tank. Taken this morning so some of the corals were still opening.

www.youtube.com/embed/CNZnvry0mFo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhA4ED5dgdI&feature=youtu.be

[JDigital]

Added 2 new fish today to this tank. I didn't get a video or photo of the other one so I will leave it a secret until I can.

This guy is a little shy right now but I was able to record a short clip of him.

http://youtu.be/uRjk6xGvAa8

[JDigital]

Well, here is the "secret" fish I bought. I've already kissed the Open Brain in the tank goodbye. Really it was the only coral that didn't cross my mind when I was pondering the decision in the LFS. Thankfully, its the only coral that she has looked at or picked at so far. *Knock on Glass*!

Queen Angel:
http://youtu.be/fHA9MMd2MYk

And here is another short 1min clip of the tank with the 2 new habitats in there.
http://youtu.be/uCt16q5gBtw



**MODS: Can we embed Youtube on this forum?

[lastlight]

Can we embed Youtube on this forum?

Nope.

[lastlight]

I actually gave some thought to raising the low end of the temp up as well, but then thought that the temp would actually get higher (82-84) seeing as your starting temp in the morning is already higher.

This is true and I know it from experience. Raising the lower threshold 2 degrees made the peak temp the same amount higher. The lower normal temp is like a buffer when the temperature of the room is higher than your tank. The tank's going to gradually get hotter the entire time the lights are on / room heats up. The swing is the same but at least you peak lower if you keep your original lower low temp.

[JDigital]

This is true and I know it from experience. Raising the lower threshold 2 degrees made the peak temp the same amount higher. The lower normal temp is like a buffer when the temperature of the room is higher than your tank. The tank's going to gradually get hotter the entire time the lights are on / room heats up. The swing is the same but at least you peak lower if you keep your original lower low temp.

I actually tinkered around with my lighting schedule on the weekend and changed the low end temp to be lower before the heater kicks on. I've seen a drop in the low end temp over the last 2 days of 1 degree per day, which as of yesterday helped keep my tank below 80 degrees (79.7!) Yesterday actually to my Apex the temp went from 76.7->79.7.

Either way I'm looking to switch to T5s soon.

[michika]

I'm digging all the videos! The Queen is beautiful! Although I did notice how much your Orange shoulder has grown too.

[JDigital]

I'm digging all the videos! The Queen is beautiful! Although I did notice how much your Orange shoulder has grown too.

Thanks,

Yea the Queen is sexy! (When she's not eating my Open Brain) Going to have some amazing color as an adult!

See, I've noticed much more growth from the Sailfin than I have from the Orange Shoulder personally. Although I have noticed the juvenile colors of the orange shoulder are disappearing as he was fairly yellow when I got him and now he's starting to get his shades of grey. I try and use the Foxface as my growth marker as I feel he has slowed his growth quite a bit.

[JDigital]

Big Milestone Today...

The tank is 1 year old today (or possibly tomorrow).. :D I didn't post when I added salt, but the whole system was circulating saltwater on the 13th, which likely means I added it the day before to get it mixed.

I'll add a few updated pics and video later today when I get home.

Really enjoying the latest additions of the Queen Angel and Blue Throat Trigger.. Although their personalities are completely opposite. The Queen will come right up to the glass when I am near or trying to inspect something whereas the trigger is VERY cautious when I am near the tank and still after a few weeks darts for his cave if I make any movement that is too fast for his liking. I'm hoping this will change and he becomes more personable. He is definitely out and about when there isn't anyone near the tank though.

[gqlmao]

Congrats on the 1 year! I wish my office had a tank like that! I would never get any work done though, would be cleaning and looking at the tank all day. :biggrin:

[JDigital]

Quick update video showing off a few of my bigger fish.

This tank is doing better than my tank at home (clearly) but due to the Queen Angel I have been severely limited on what I can put in the tank regarding corals, but slowly trying to add softies that she seems to avoid.

www.youtube.com/embed/kdlkVWEKYsY

[lpsreefer]

So nice! If only my boss would let us get a saltwater reef tank for our office.
The queen is awesome!