ReeferFulton's most SPECTACULARLY AWESOMEST tank build(s) EVAHHH!!!! [Archive]

reeferfulton

02-05-2013, 01:14 AM

Well Hello everyone

This will be my first time ever doing a build thread and posting pics.

Little back story .

My wife and I have kept FW tanks for the last 12 years . They were all below 75 gallons . We kept a cichlid tank for around 5 of those years . Our maintenance was very simple , weekly water changes and filter cleans .. thats it.
I have never tested a single water peramater etc . Cichlids were having babies like crazy , and we never really lost any fish on any sort of large scale .
Then one day in Calgary we noticed a small setup and running 12 gallon JBJ Nano .. Came complete with some coral and rock etc .
So we scooped that up .
Having no idea what we were doing , I took to the forums and learned what I could .

I didnt get to serious into the SW hobby then. Again maintenance consisted of weekly 10 percent water changes.THATS IT. Never tested anything. My coral was growing out of control to i might add . GSP Basically took off lol .

I kept that tank for about 8 months . then sold it prior to our move to Victoria BC..

here she is in here glory
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_2599.jpg

with a close up
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_2592.jpg

had a couple of clowns and a yellow watchman gobbie .

going to end this post as a test to see if the pics worked ..

more to come :biggrin:

reeferfulton

02-05-2013, 01:43 AM

awesome pics worked , now I am motivated to keep going.

One thing I have come to love is viewing all the amazing build threads online.
so i would like to share my simple one .

Anyway . We sold off all our tanks and loaded up the uhall and headed out west to Victoria .

We bought a house oct of 2011 . And life went buy .
Then in late December of 2012 I got the urge to have another SW system . So on A tight budget i began scouring the classifieds. I came across 110gallon semi cube that had been converted into an all in one .

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG-20121222-00166.jpg

this tank had on overflow built into it that was the width of the tank and 10 inches wide .
inside that area was a 9" tall baffle for a skimmer , then a secondary area for whatever .then the return area about 7" tall , 4 " long .. Held about 1.8gallons of water ..
In this return section there where also 3 holes drilled for 1" bulkheads :smile:
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_0342.jpg

so at this point the tank had usable area of 26x28x25h

So with the tank came the following
Mag 9.5 return
older reef nwb-oct150 skimmer ( was very clean)
hydro power head 2
1 heater
and a lumentek 250/400 ballast and lumen max 2 reflector . with 250mh bulb

Now I have never even seen a mh bulb up close .. Crazy big . I had also never heard of a skimmer lol

But with the wife and myself convinced i had everthing i needed I told her it would be up and running in a matter of weeks ............

Thats when I jumped back online and began reading and reading and ......

To my surprise lol i realized the tank was not set up how i wanted it ..
AND thus begins the tank build .

I started with removing the existing in tank overflow and baffles .
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_0349.jpg

there ! one Big tank .. looks way bigger now .
That took 5 hrs by the way ..... found out that the really small thin exacto blades work best .

Took the previous glass wall down to the glass shop and had them cut to 10" wide peices for me ..
and created this
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG-20130106-00180.jpg

was happy , started to look like a proper tank again . I was really pleased with my self.
I let this cure for 7 days before filling it up and testing for leaks ..
here we go no leaks woot
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG-20130112-00194.jpg

reeferfulton

02-05-2013, 02:07 AM

So when i maintained the JBJ in Calgary i was told by the previous owner to use only RO water from the grocery store .. AND I did religiously .

Yet somehow when I got this tank I totally forgot about that. Low and behold what is the first thing I read for newbies setting up tanks ....... GET AND RODI.

Now this began a week long hunt and stress out over which one was the right one .. There is so many reviews and opinions on what one to get .. It seems there are too many options lol . I would have been so happy if someone had just said there is only one kind for reef tanks and this is the price .

anyway . i ended up buying a MAXCAP 90. with dual TDS meters buy spectrapure.
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG-20130108-00185.jpg

showed up a week later and i could hardly wait to hook it up !
I wanted so bad to see what my tds was coming into the house lol ..

Turns out that after all that my tds coming in is a whopping 17ppm...
needless to say it is still a necessary step in the right direction

so 17 in , 0 after RO , and 0,0 after DI .
GOOD start .
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG-20130108-00186.jpg

All i can say is wow these things make water so slooowwwwww.

reeferfulton

02-05-2013, 02:27 AM

forgot to add some info on the tank .

IT is half inch glass all the way around . with 2 panes on the bottom. 1" thick totall . Not sure why it was done this way . maybe someone on here knows.

so afterI made the overflow around the three existing holes i started to research proper quiet drain setups and sumps.. again back online .. must have read 30 hours alone on drain designs !!

What i decided was a Herbie design extactly .
So i ordered 3 new double threaded 1 inch bulkheads. I wanted to be able to remove everything in the plumbing as I had no idea what i was doing.

Okay i wont explain the herbie , but simply put . I have 1 drain 6 inches long straight up open ended . This goes straight into the sump. no bends or turns. It is controlled by a spears 1" gate valve ...(pricey little bugger.)
second pipe goes right to the top about 1/4 inch below the bottom of the wier. this is the back up drain
third is the return , with a couple of 45's and some flex makes its way to the tank and straight up and into a 3/4 loc line Y fitting . which splits into two 3/4 loc line runners into some flared nozzles .
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG-20130204-00245.jpg

and
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG-20130204-00246.jpg.

so i got this all fired up and tested to find out that i had too big of a weir in my tank . I could not raise the water level of the tank high enough with the output my pump was giving me . ( I had 20 inches of wier with 2" deep teeth).

So I added some more acraylic behind the teeth to raise the water level . problem fixed . Now when the tank is running the water level is just above the start of the tank trim . Then flows over the weir and drops about 1/2 inch . and remains stable .. Super quit . i do not even hear the water at all ..!

so far so good
I am getting my build thread out of order .. doh ,, i will add the steps in a bit lol

reeferfulton

02-05-2013, 03:04 AM

well since i decided to use the 3 bulkheads that meened i needed to learn about sumps .

What i found was a 36x16x16. previously a turtle tank with a ramp.
I took the ramp out . peeled out all of the internal silicon and bleached the tank.
then washed the tank with vinegar . then rinsed and rinsed . and rinsed http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_0368.jpg

I decided on a simple 3 compartment sump design .. tank drains into first section . with skimmer . then an over under over bubble trap . then a middle section and then a return section .

I made the return section fairly large , as I learned with is where all the systems evaporation will be seen . http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_0371.jpg

Had the glass shop cut me all the baffles , i siliconed them in and resealed the inside of the tank .. 5 days later .. leak check time .
I leack checked each individual compartment. all was good
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_0378.jpg

hope someone like this thread lol

mrhasan

02-05-2013, 03:22 AM

Wonderful build :D I should be able to learn about sumps from here :)

Keep up the elaborate explanations :D

Rice Reef

02-05-2013, 03:27 AM

Welcome and it is nice to have another member on the Island. Tagging along to your build. What are your plans for the tank?

reeferfulton

02-05-2013, 03:31 AM

another thing i wanted to do before i got this tank up and running was complete the stand the a presentable level for viewing in my house.

before
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG-20121222-00166.jpg

basic simple 1" tube frame supported in all corners by little gussets. I wanted to add an additional vertical support on each side in the center. I aslo wanted to add a horizontal brace around where the holes are drilled through the tank.

I am not sure if this was necessary but felt like doing it anyway.

now Due to the fact that i have 22 foot high ceiling about the tank , i did not have the option of hangin my light from the roof .
So I came up with my own light stand based on ideas i have found online .

I went to the local metal shop and bought 9 feet of 1 1/4 inch stainless steel boat hand rail .
Then i took this to a metal fab shop and hand them bend a perfect 90 degree bend on one end.

what i did next was find some seamless steel pipe with basically the exact inside diameter of 1 1/4 inch . My plan was to weld a bracket onto the back of my tank what would except my stainless light holder into it . this would then give me the option to rotate the light stand 360 degrees if i needed .

some pics
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG-20130105-00172.jpg

with light stand
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG-20130105-00175.jpg
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG-20130105-00176.jpg

after then stand was welded up I screwed 3/4 plywood to the top and bottom of the stand. and proceeded to try and figure out how to wrap this metal contraption in wood lol

reeferfulton

02-05-2013, 03:56 AM

sorry for the sideways pic..

Well I would like to do alot of LPS and softies and some fish etc .

I have spent so much time building and researching the tank that i have not spent much time deciding what to put in it ..
I do know that i want a minimalist look with a simple 2 island rock scape .
I will be doing a thin 1 inch sand bed on the bottom . ( like the look)

back to the stand

I am not a wood worker ... lol I have a skill saw , compound mitre and a jigsaw ...and no skill ..

I wanted to make the stand open up completely. I did not want to be hindered when trying to work in the sump .
My thoughts where to have the sides hinge off the back 180 degrees . and the front to pop of with the use of magnets ..

I Welded on a pair of hinges on each back side. to these i screwed 3/8 good one side pine plywood . . then i trimmed the plywood with 2 x 1/2 pine tight grain wood .

Stained this all with ebony 1 step stain .. love the look
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG-20130119-00216.jpg
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG-20130119-00215.jpg

some stain added
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG-20130119-00218.jpg

I added some generic magnetic latches to the ends that close . they are pretty weak , and would like to upgrade those in the future . For now the front section just pulls off and I move it aside
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_0856.jpg
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_0857.jpg

1 more
we are really happy with the way the wood looks once it was stained ..Really though i just looks like a military crate lol
should put a skull and crossbones on it . or a poison symbol
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_0858.jpg

ensquire

02-05-2013, 04:53 AM

Great job so far. Only thing I would have added would be a sheet of styrofoam under tank.
Looks like you have another interesting project going on in your garage ?

reeferfulton

02-05-2013, 05:49 AM

under the tank is a 1/4" thick yoga mat style of foam ..

you spotted my other passion which i have taken a 6 month break from

My father and I are hot rodding A 56 chev big back window,

Full accuair air ride suspension . chev 350 , front clip . lots of mods etc
would like it to warm up outside so i can go work on it again ..
here is a pic for you car lovers out there

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG-20120428-00527.jpg

ensquire

02-05-2013, 08:39 AM

You will have to update that one as well. Lol.

FishyFishy!

02-05-2013, 01:54 PM

Yeah we should change this title to include regular updates on the truck build as well!!

Very nice lookin truck.....and tank!

reeferfulton

02-06-2013, 12:32 AM

thanks for the nice comments on the tank and truck .

i will keep some pics posted on both . Havent touched the truck in a while , but once this tank is up and running , i will head back out there .

So basically the build is now up to current time . I have been for the last 3 days been adding rodi water to the tank ..
Crazy slow process . lol

I have begun researching quarantine tanks . I will do one . I would just like it to be real small .

Any thoughts on a fluval edge 6 gallon ?
would this house a very small tang for 8 weeks ?

Also is it realistic that the QT tank also have rock and coral ?
I mean if the fish show no issues for 8 weeks then there is no need for meds right .. anyway more reading to do on this

here are a few more pics of the setup .

I have 50lbs of dry ecco-reefer rocks in there ( aka think they are marco rocks)

I did some simple rock scaping .Used some zip ties to hold together some pieces etc
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG-20130202-00233.jpg
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG-20130203-00237.jpg
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG-20130204-00240.jpg

think i have the system about 70 percent full right now .
Was aslo thinking there there is barley any rock in there .. hmmm may have to order a bit more .

I was planing on going all dry rock and sand . And starting the cycle with the old shrimp.
Came to this decision after reading so many posts about unwanted critters .. guess we will see .

slight sand skim will be on the bottom .. aragmax sugar sized .
I still need to rinse this .
I will add the sand after i have filled the tank with RODI and mixed in the salt .

bye for now

mrhasan

02-06-2013, 02:10 AM

I think fluval edge would be way too small for the fishes to be in quarantine; especially since you have a big tank and will be buying some biggy fishes! I am no expert but I think for you tank size, you should atleast get a 20 long or possibly a 40 breeder as quarantine tank.

reeferfulton

02-06-2013, 03:47 PM

Ya i think you are probably right .
I will probably try and find a 10 gallon at minimum . This project keeps getting bigger every time I turn around .. What a huge difference between the workload and system requirments of a freshwater tank compared to a salt water one ..

Well this afternoon my Tank and sump will be entirely full of RODI water .
My first stage sediement filiter (.5 micron) is very very yellow looking .
It has passed about 500gallons through it.So I will be picking some of those up today.
Luckliy there is a place in vic that stocks all sorts of RODI equipment.

So tonight i can finally add the salt .. Damn near a whole buclket i might add..
I need to get a QT tank asap , so i can cycle it and get this party started.

Tank details so far

36x28x25h tank , 110g
36x16x16 sump . 40g
(2) eheim 150w submersible heaters new
(2) hydro evo 750 gph power heads new
reef octopuss nwb-oct150 skimmer used
mag 9.5 return.
couple of temp gauges
vertex refractometer.. neet little trinket
1 250 metal halide setup .. ( likely need a new bulb )
mag float cleaner

Wish list
1.Some sort of controller
2.Auto top off system
3.Build complete RODI / SW mixing and storage setup .
4.Purchase spare (salt, bulbs , return pump, and test kits)
5.LED lights one day
6.Generatot or battery back up one day

And of course stock the damn tank lol

mrhasan

02-06-2013, 05:00 PM

I think for the tank size you have, an ATO is a must! Or you would have to run around with maybe 5-7gallon bucket filled with rodi to top off the tank everyday :P

ensquire

02-06-2013, 11:06 PM

I think for the tank size you have, an ATO is a must! Or you would have to run around with maybe 5-7gallon bucket filled with rodi to top off the tank everyday :P

My favorite piece of equipment also, I have a Tunze and would never have another tank without an ATO.

Bblinks

02-06-2013, 11:22 PM

Nice build thread. Welcome to canreef. Keep those updates coming.

DCDN

02-07-2013, 04:57 AM

Things are looking great. Also great to hear you're doing your research into everything. I look forward to the rest of this build

reeferfulton

02-07-2013, 06:16 AM

hey thanks guys !
nice to see people posting in your thread .. let you know someone is reading :biggrin:

well finally got the tank full with rodi .. its running with my rock in there now ,
I am currently trying to add my salt .

But it seems to just be sitting on the bottom . I never anticipated this . This is the first time i have had to add salt into a tank . Especially this much at one time .

Will it eventually dissolve on it own ? or do i need to get in there and stir up the bottom .

i figure tomorrow i will add a raw shrimp and get this started

mrhasan

02-07-2013, 06:18 AM

reeferfulton

02-07-2013, 06:23 AM

mrhasan

02-07-2013, 06:30 AM

i have both power heads runnning plus the return pump and skimmer . But when you dump a cup in some sink straight down .

I have my rock in there , so i was thinking i dont want to get ahead of myself and end up with salt hiding under the rocks or something

i dont know lol
guess it was a simple oversight . should have mixed it all in a 5 gallon buckets and poured it in that way

I think you might want to keep the skimmer off right now. No use for that and I am not sure whether it will break in without saltwater (skimmer_king should be able to give good insight on that).

Yah mixing would have been easier in a separate bucket.

Maybe use the powerheads for a huge turbulence? :D One shooting at the bottom and one shooting at the top!

reeferfulton

02-10-2013, 03:33 AM

ok , stopped adding salt that night .
It was late and was not the right way to do it .

So the next day i turned off the pumps and removed 1 gal at a time and mixed in about 2 cups of salt mix , then added that to the tank . Kept doing this until SG came up .

I let that circulate for an hour or so , then added my rinsed sand.
which apparently could have been rinsed more .
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG-20130207-00249.jpg

looks like in the end all i added to my tank was around 30lbs . I am happy with the look , its just under an inch thick .

Does anyone see a problem with a sandbed that thin ?

my next concern was my .5 micron first stage sediment filter of my RODI .
My pressure gauge on my maxcap new read about 62 psi . now after passing around 400 gallons through it was down to about 57 and the fist stage looked like this
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG-20130207-00248.jpg
so i panicked and removed it and added a 1 micron that i picked up as some spares.

So i took it too the kitchen sink to investigate , and It is only just the outside layer . literally just 1 millimeter in and its pure white filter again .. o well

How much pressure drop is common before you decide to change out your filters ?

Will after the dust settled , and i cleaned the clay mud out of the neck of my skimmer the tank looks like this .. no light on
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG-20130209-00258.jpg

Then finally came the start of my cycle :biggrin:
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG-20130207-00252.jpg

some for me , 1 for tank lol
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG-20130207-00253.jpg

reeferfulton

02-10-2013, 03:48 AM

so once I got that little prawn tossed in the tank i decided to try my hand at doing my first ever water tests ......

I had picked up an API saltwater master test kit .
So this would be my first test for practice , and I guess set my starting point out .

i know in the beginning there isnt much to test , but wanted to try anyway

results
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG-20130209-00259.jpg

I guess those are all par for the course 1 day after tossing in the prawn lol

.I then went down to the local industrial plastic store to look at foodsafe storage bins .. for my mixing area . And i wanted some acrylic to make a cover for my overflow area.

What i soon learned was 1. food safe bins are not cheap .. 2 . neither is acrylic .
Luckily they had an off cut 1 foot square.

so i took it home and cut this little jobber to fit
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG-20130208-00255.jpg

Then finally yesterday I went to the hardware store and picked up a 20 gallon brute trash can to serve as RODI storage .
I rearranged my little utility room and came up with this
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG-20130208-00257.jpg

notice my LED lighting lol . those came with the tank as moonlighting , but figured they would serve me better in here ...
haha

kien

02-10-2013, 04:21 AM

Looks like you've got everything under control here. Looking good!

fishoholic

02-10-2013, 03:20 PM

Looks good I love cube tanks! Keep in mind when only using dry rock it takes 6months to a year before starting to become live and honestly if you don't have any live rock to seed it with, it will probably be over a year before you get beneficial bacteria growing in/on the rock. The rock acts as a biological filtration system, before beneficial bacteria builds up in the rock, it's the same as always having "new tank syndrome".

I highly recommend adding a few pieces of live rock to seed the dry rock with. Even then go very slow with adding livestock. Basically if you have 20 pounds of live rock then stock the tank how you would stock a tank with only 20 pounds of live rock for the first year. I know a lot of people who have had lots of problems from using mostly or all dry rock. Basically (over the 1st year) every time they added anything to the tank an algae bloom occured and often they noticed ammonia outbreaks which killed a few of the fish they tried adding.

Now I will say I've never started a tank with mostly dry or all dry so I don't have first hand experience but I have had several people who did complain to me about all the problems they had with their tank. Now that being said I've heard there is a way to add beneficial bacteria to your tank and "cheat the system" so to speak, but (from what I understand) it was an involved process that can go badly if you don't know what you're doing.

Here is some science links Albert shared about it
http://www.esajournals.org/doi/abs/10.1890/02-0250?journalCode=ecol

http://jb.asm.org/content/85/6/1413.full.pdf

http://zeovit.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4656

Here is what Albert said about the process
Oooooookay, listen, here's how you do it:

*Disclaimer 1, I do this all the time. But I know what to monitor and have a ton of water premixed in case anything goes south. Proceed at your own risk and don't be a scrub and keep on adding livestock if you are experiencing negative water quality.

Disclaimer 2, if you are a noob, stop reading now and just keep doing what everyone else is telling you to.

1. Set up tank. Make sure you have good equipment and lots of flow (the flow part is important). If you have any real liverock, it would be to your benefit to use it. If you don't, well, you don't.

2. You'll need a substrate for the bacteria. I use a 1:5 mix of Zeovit and Hydroton. Place this into a suitable container (media reactor, canister filter, whatever), you'll need at least 1 liter of this media per 100 gallons of water.

3. Seed the tank with a product like Zeobak or MB7 (I use Zeobak, your mileage may vary with other products) at triple the recommended dosage.

4. Add enough household ammonia (or pee, yes, pee, haw haw haw) until you get an ammonia reading of 0.25-0.50, NO MORE. If you overdose, you will retard and delay this process.

5. Add a DOC source. I use vinegar mixed with vodka and acetic acid (1:1:1 ratio by volume) at the rate of 1mL/gallon. This should cause a bacterial bloom which will cloud the water nearly opaque. Keep your skimmer running and empty the cup as necessary.

6. Continue adding bacteria (normal rate) and DOC (1mL/50 gallons) daily until the bacterial bloom subsides. This can take anywhere from three days to 15 days. Test your ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels daily, twice a day if you're bored.

7. Enjoy your cycled tank. Continue adding bacteria until you run out. Dose DOC source as needed (test your NO3 and PO4 levels to determine the dosing rate).

This method works for me 100% of the time and I can put my money where my mouth is (read: conspic angel and gem tang +++).

Edit #1: I r bad english.

Edit #2: I know this isn't a one-day recipe, but I doubt there is one, short of being plumbed directly into a GIANT water source which can naturally buffer all of the bad stuff (e.g. the ocean).

Edit #3: Clarified the term 'bacterial bloom'.

Proteus

02-10-2013, 05:02 PM

Very nice build. Give me a kick in arse to get mine done

I agree with Laurie. If you can find some live rubble even to put in sump would be benifical.

I too used dry rock but filled sump with live and used water from other tank to fill current one

I prefer to find some from another reefer rather than lfs. Chances of bad hitch hikers would be greatly reduced

reeferfulton

02-10-2013, 06:18 PM

mrhasan

02-10-2013, 09:44 PM

ok , thanks for the posts .
this has triggered another hour of reading the forums in search of ways to cycle the dry rock in my tank ..
few questions .
in tank now . is 50 lbs dry ,

1. Would you recommend adding say 5 pounds of live rock from the bins at the local fish store ?
If so add it to the DT or the sump ?

2. If i add 5 lbs , do i still need to cycle with the shrimp .

3. Is there actually anything Beneficial ..(inverts etc) living on the live rock that fish stores have sitting in the big black bins soaking .. Or is this just rock that is soaking that they call live ..

Ex . Do they feed there live rock typically ?

I am confused all over again lol .. Seems the internet has way to many opinions . and that there is so many schools of thought on how to establish a SW tank.

I need to set up the beneficial bacteria chain in my tank , From what i have learned the only way to do this using dry rock is to introduce ammonia . and wait .

Now if i say spend 50 bucks and go buy some ready to go live rock . I transport it in sw and shove it in my tank, I will have very little die off on that lr .
essentially that one peice of rock ( if they have been feeding it ) should have no cycle ..

So my point is . what did the LR do for my tank at all ? other then introduce microorganisms or whatever people are always talking about .

Or is this LR piece (rubble ) intended to merely seed the other rock ..

Seeding is different then cycling i think ..

errr brain hurts

1. The more LR you use to seed, the faster you will have the tank ready. I won't give any specific amount of week since that varies (some people who starts with matured LR only won't even have any cycle). I personally prefers to get LR from reefers instead of LFS since LR from reefers have a much much less chance of any pest.

2. You would still need to feed the cycle. By adding LR, you are introducing bacteria in the system which will need food to multiply. Without the initial LR (called seeding), you would be starting the system without any bacteria and hence the bacteria will take much longer to appear in your system.

3. LR is only LIVE because of the bacteria. There will possibly be other living stuffs (algae, hitchhiker, pests, etc.) but basically, LFS keep LR connected to their systems to keep them live (generally, not all I guess).

SW do have many schools of thoughts but only few of them are correct. Sometimes, you just have to read through all and be the judge of the correct one yourself. If you read "LR is bad" and another article says "LR is good", be our own judge to see which one sounds "right".

If you transport cured LR from LFS to your home, you will basically have NO dieoffs and the bacteria will be living on it. Uncured ones will have a different stories and I am not too familiar with it. So when you put it in your system, the bacteria will spread over your macro rocks and thus seeding takes place. And then you start cycling with some sort of method (like shrimp) and the bacteria, which is already there, will multiply and BAM! You will have bacteria all over your rocks in....oh well....due time. :)

Tried my best :D

reeferfulton

02-11-2013, 12:02 AM

well i went to the LFS and picked up 3 whopping pounds of LR

i asked a few questions about it . they had it sitting in black tubs . I asked if they feed it . I was told no . die off from new rock into that holding tank kept the rock going .

there was one pump in the tub which seemed to provide some circulation.
we choose a few small peices that looked brown , had some coraline on them and didnt smell
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG-20130210-00262.jpg

placed them in my tank
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG-20130210-00263.jpg
.

kept the shrimp in there as well .
The shrimp still looks eatable lol no signs of decay thus far .

I had to add about 1.5 gallons of top off water yesterday , and again today .
I will see how that trend continues , as i dont even have the lights on yet.
I am quickly see what all the hype is about in regards to ATO units .

I am not in a rush to start this cycle . would be nice to have some CUC in there in say 3 weeks , but will see

reeferfulton

02-12-2013, 05:08 AM

Well my add for some live rock worked out . I met an Awesome local Reefer
RICE REEF.

It was great , looked over his amazing tank ( i mean drooled over ) for at least an hour .
I picked his brain and he was happy to try and help answer my newb questions .

He had a few small pieces of coralline coated rock .. ANd the came with a few surprises attached to them . hope they make it

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_0880.jpg
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_0881.jpg
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_0882.jpg

Man ontop of that he grabbed a couple bristlestars for me too ..

I placed everything in the tank . turned on my lights and all sorts of stuff started appearing .. Now i see why people say that live rock is worth the risk .
So many things to instantly look at .. No idea if they are good or bad mind u .

Also nabbed up some
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_0883.jpg
at the advice of some people . Applied the normal dose for starting up a tank . Turned off the skimmer like it said too .

So i guess now i will run my lights from when i get home from work till bed time . see if any of these corals make it through .

Today I also realized why going Bare bottom is so nice ,
1. i dropped a power head and created a sand storm .
2 i can see some areas on the bottom that have crap settling .. not good
.

anyway Rice Reef gave me a peek into the local group of Reefers , and all i can say is ..... I think i want in lol

gnight

fishoholic

02-12-2013, 01:32 PM

1. The more LR you use to seed, the faster you will have the tank ready. I won't give any specific amount of week since that varies (some people who starts with matured LR only won't even have any cycle). I personally prefers to get LR from reefers instead of LFS since LR from reefers have a much much less chance of any pest.

2. You would still need to feed the cycle. By adding LR, you are introducing bacteria in the system which will need food to multiply. Without the initial LR (called seeding), you would be starting the system without any bacteria and hence the bacteria will take much longer to appear in your system.

3. LR is only LIVE because of the bacteria. There will possibly be other living stuffs (algae, hitchhiker, pests, etc.) but basically, LFS keep LR connected to their systems to keep them live (generally, not all I guess).

SW do have many schools of thoughts but only few of them are correct. Sometimes, you just have to read through all and be the judge of the correct one yourself. If you read "LR is bad" and another article says "LR is good", be our own judge to see which one sounds "right".

If you transport cured LR from LFS to your home, you will basically have NO dieoffs and the bacteria will be living on it. Uncured ones will have a different stories and I am not too familiar with it. So when you put it in your system, the bacteria will spread over your macro rocks and thus seeding takes place. And then you start cycling with some sort of method (like shrimp) and the bacteria, which is already there, will multiply and BAM! You will have bacteria all over your rocks in....oh well....due time. :)

Tried my best :D

Agreed ^ :biggrin:

Glad to hear Rice Reef was able to help you out. There are a lot of good reefers out there that enjoy helping others, it is a wonderful community to be involved with :biggrin:

Aquattro

02-12-2013, 01:41 PM

. There are a lot of good reefers out there that enjoy helping others, it is a wonderful community to be involved with :biggrin:

Personally I think we're all a bit crazy and Jon should run away fast!! :razz:

Aquattro

02-12-2013, 01:43 PM

You should drop by for a visit, I'll give you a whole bunch of pointers on what not to do. lol

reeferfulton

02-12-2013, 02:13 PM

sounds like a plan :mrgreen:

learning from others mistakes is always easier then from your own ..

and less costly lol

reeferfulton

02-13-2013, 05:33 AM

Whiston

02-13-2013, 12:33 PM

It happens to everyone. To this day, I still just fill containers in my laundry sink to minimize problems.

fishoholic

02-13-2013, 01:24 PM

Personally I think we're all a bit crazy and Jon should run away fast!! :razz:

:lol: Well I guess there's that too :razz:

well I told myself it would never happen to me lol hahaha

Let me RODI run today with a timer to remind me to turn it off ..

ran about 15 minutes onto the floor under the stairs ... o well

Consider it a right of passage :lol: as it happens to everyone!

kien

02-13-2013, 02:11 PM

RODI overflow does seem to happen to a lot of people but is totally (well, almost totally) avoidable. Look into getting one of these Kent Float valves for your RODI container. It would have saved your bacon ;-)

http://www.kentmarine.com/products/float-valve-kit.htm

If you get one, keep in mind that you should not use it as a primary shut off. You should still shut off the primary source water goig into your RODI unit when you are done making water. If you souly rely on the float valve you will get frequent on/off cycles from your RODI (from evaporation of your reservoir) which will prematurely exhaust your membrane.

reeferfulton

02-13-2013, 02:17 PM

Hey right on .
I meant to say that i " did not have a timer set "

I didnt realize that the float valve setups where purely mechanicle . SO this kent float valve will actually shut the supply off completly to the RODI unit . Or does it just block the RODI water (after filtration) into the brute can, yet continue to put wast down the drain..

Thanks on the info . when i do get this . I will use it as a safety backup. ANd still try and remember to turn off my manual supply valve to the whole unit.

Reef Pilot

02-13-2013, 02:28 PM

Haven't had a spill again since I started using this.
No more overflow accidents. I just attach my RO/DI tube to this and clip it to the top of any bucket or tub that I am filling with water, and can now forget without any wet consequences.http://www.canreef.com/photopost/data/507/medium/0061.JPG

reeferfulton

02-13-2013, 02:34 PM

Ok looks simple . But how does that prevent your house pressure from still pushing throught the rodi and out the waste tube ?

or does it just shut of the pure line , and continue to flow out the waste ?

thanks for the pics and input all

Reef Pilot

02-13-2013, 02:42 PM

Just shuts off the pure line. Isn't that what you want so you don't spill? The primary still needs to be shut off manually if you want also want to stop the waste water flow.

kien

02-13-2013, 04:19 PM

I didnt realize that the float valve setups where purely mechanicle . SO this kent float valve will actually shut the supply off completly to the RODI unit . Or does it just block the RODI water (after filtration) into the brute can, yet continue to put wast down the drain..

No, the float value will not shut off the supply/source line to the RO/DI, just the output. This just blocks the RODI water (after filtration) into the brute can. This is enough to prevent the reservoir from overflowing. However, as i said earlier, if you still leave your source water on, evap in the brute can will cause the float valve to drop just enough to cause the RO/DI to kick in again for a very short period of time and this will happen continuously throughout the day which will wreck your membrane. You still should shut off the source water into the RO/DI when you're done making up water.

reeferfulton

02-13-2013, 04:24 PM

awesome .

I completly understand now .
Thanks for the help . everyone

Skimmerking

02-13-2013, 04:25 PM

No, the float value will not shut off the supply/source line to the RO/DI, just the output. This just blocks the RODI water (after filtration) into the brute can. This is enough to prevent the reservoir from overflowing. However, as i said earlier, if you still leave your source water on, evap in the brute can will cause the float valve to drop just enough to cause the RO/DI to kick in again for a very short period of time and this will happen continuously throughout the day which will wreck your membrane. You still should shut off the source water into the RO/DI when you're done making up water.

unless Kien you have a Solenoid for the input of the water coming in.

reeferfulton

02-13-2013, 04:48 PM

kien

02-13-2013, 04:52 PM

well that is what is saw ..

The kent one has a solenoid . is that a means to shut off RODI supply ?

eg , the one Reef Pilot posted . if that is the complete assembly . clearly just shuts off the filtered water

I have the exact same Kent float in my reservoir and mine did not come with a solenoid. I don't have a solenoid on my input line so you can probably install this Kent without it. I suspect they've simply started to supply you with the solenoid in case you want to put it on the input as well.

Reef Pilot

02-13-2013, 04:58 PM

MY RO/DI unit has an Automatic Shut Off Valve, so shuts off the supply water when not in use and saves the membrane. Here is how it works. I have 2 pressure storage tanks, too, so always a good supply of RODI water on hand.

What is an ASOV and what does it do?
Automatic shut-off valve is a must. It saves water, extends filter life, and improves the performance of your unit. As the storage tank fills the pressure inside increases, when the pressure equals ½ to 2/3 your feed water pressure, the water to the system is shut off. No waste. Since you subtract the storage pressure from the operating pressure, the storage pressure needs be limited.
What is ASOV?
The automatic shut-off valve. This valve allows your system to turn off the water supply, using pressure from the pure water side of the system. Then the automatic shut-off valve will turn off the water supply to the unit,whenever there is sufficent pressure on the pure water side of your system.
ASOV - How it works?
The automatic shut off feature works this way. The pure water runs right to left or left to right across the top of the valve, the side with the screws visible. (The right or left depends on how you are viewing the unit) Then the filtered water runs right to left or left to right across the bottom of the valve. When the pressure on the pure water side of the system builds to 60% of your home water pressure a small piston is pushed down and closes off the supply water. The entire unit shuts down shortly. We offer LIFETIME replacement on that part. It is the only real moving part on the system. You need to see if the screws on top of the valve can be snugged up, if that does not cure any the noise we will send a new ASOV right out. System shuts off when the tank is full or the line from the reef line is shut off.
How to Install ASOV?
Looks very complex, but is really very simple. The water is simply traveling across the valve from left to right or right to left depends on how you look at it. Pure water travels across the top of the unit, the filtered water across the bottom. The valve has a top and a bottom. The top is the side with the (4) screws visible. The bottom has no visible screws and is marked in and out. The bottom of the valve is connected between the pre-filters and the membrane. Water from the pre-filters is directed to the ASOV(in). The filtered water continues from the out of the ASOV to the membrane end with only one connection, the membrane water inlet. So the bottom of this valve got in between the filters and the membrane. The top the side with the (4) screws connects across the pure water line, from the membrane pure water outlet. The pure water outlet of the membrane is on the membrane housing end with two connections. One connection goes to drain and the other is the pure water. The drain connection is not the one you want. Once you have located the pure water line, cut it and install the automatic shut off valve. Now the pure water path is interrupted by the ASOV as well.

reeferfulton

02-14-2013, 12:59 AM

Saw a couple nasty worms while looking at the tank with the wife .
so i grabbed the rock and attempted to remove to with tweezers . they broke
turned out that they are just the simple bristle worm . sorry dudes .

Basically had a mini newb panick attack .. life goes on

freezetyle

02-14-2013, 04:24 AM

Just read through your build. It's Jon from Blueworld, we spoke a while ago when you were getting your roots here in town. Build is looking great so far. Looking forward to seeing it running!

reeferfulton

02-15-2013, 12:33 AM

thanks Jon

Water in on feb 8
Shrimp on on Feb 9
Added 3 lbs live rock Feb 10
added 10lbs live rock feb 11

Also started dosing microbacter 7 on feb 11 . 5 caps each day . with skimmer off for following 4 hrs.

First shrimp is covered in a woolly coocon .

Did another water test today .. I think all params are still zero ,Ammonia may be up a wee bit , cant tell .

Feb 14. tossed in another raw shrimp ... what the heck lol

Reef Pilot

02-15-2013, 12:47 AM

Also started dosing microbacter 7 on feb 11 . 5 caps each day . with skimmer off for following 4 hrs.

I know it says it in the instructions, but have never turned off the skimmer after dosing. And I dosed MB7 pretty heavily when I first started with bio pellets. My skimmer didn't act up, and the MB7 still always did its job. But I dose it directly into the display tank, not the sump.

madchild

02-15-2013, 01:08 AM

reeferfulton

02-15-2013, 01:16 AM

reeferfulton

02-16-2013, 10:36 PM

ok
7 days in ,
I now have 2 rotting shrimp ..
Still all readings are zero .. or so close i cannot tell .

I have also been running my light now and my few peices of coral still look great .

Rice Reef

02-16-2013, 10:41 PM

ok
7 days in ,
I now have 2 rotting shrimp ..
Still all readings are zero .. or so close i cannot tell .

I have also been running my light now and my few peices of coral still look great .

Jon, sounds like your tank is moving in the right direction. Btw, your blue led strip can be better used over your tank... You may get a better enjoyment out if your tank and corals. :biggrin:

mrhasan

02-16-2013, 11:19 PM

Those API test kits suck. Its ok for the cycle, but once you get past that, invest in better test kits.

I personally use the Red Sea ones since they've got reagent refills. Salifert and Elos are also really good.

MC

APIs don't "suck". Their ammonia and nitrite are really accurate and that's what any beginning tank needs to be tested. APIs nitrate are also good but not for lower ranges (below 10ppm). I even use their alkalinity and calcium and have never given me any "false" reading :). Yes, may not be as accurate as expensive test kits but good enought o keep things in check.

But yes there are better kits and Salifert and Elos are always clear winners.

mrhasan

02-16-2013, 11:24 PM

thanks for the advice .
Ya i figured i would do some reading on what kits are best once i was done just my cycle ..

on antother note .

REading about this Microbacter 7 stuff.
It clearly says it keeps nitrite, nitrate and ammonia levels low . Can this affect my cycle ..

Guess i am trying to ask . if dosing this like reccommend and all that bacteria is working will i even see an Ammonia spike at all . I know i have die off on my transported LR. as well as i clearly have a rotting shrimp ..

Is this stuff so affective that i will test all zeros . then suddenly start seing Nitrates .

?

Since you do have a big tank along with all macro rocks, it might take a while to even kick start the cycle. With microbacter7, its just going to help you establish the bacterias quicker and depending on your tank's environment, might cut short the cycle (can't comment on how short since that's a tough variable to predict). Maybe the volume of water is diluting the organics from the rotting shrimps and hence you are not getting any reading. Give it some time. When you see the whole shrimp turn into a cotton ball like thingy; you should be getting some spikes!

Reef Pilot

02-16-2013, 11:32 PM

It's been quite a while since I cycled a new tank. But as I recall, the ammonia showed first followed by nitrite shortly after, and nitrates stayed zero for quite a while. But finally when the nitrates started to show, and they showed high, the nitrites and ammonia then went to zero.

So if you have never seen nitrites or nitrates, I would say your tank still hasn't cycled.

It took me a few months to cycle that tank, but that was before I was using MB7, and initially only had dry rock, no live rock.

reeferfulton

02-16-2013, 11:49 PM

YA .
I just have that beginner angst ..
the Two shrimp that are in there are wrapped in an alien cotton cocoon. But I will continue to let them rot .

1 of the peices of live rock i got from Blue world has some really short looking brown hair sprouting on one part of it . in addition to some green leafy nubs on another part .

Today i spent the morning wiping down all the windows in the front of my house . Crazy amounts of moisture building up in my house as a result of this hot tube .. fish tank .

Wayne , was thinking of adding those led strips , but they are all coroded inside and in general are not very attractive .. I think i will just use the MH untill i can afford some nice accent leds to add or switch out the hole Jambalaya to an all LED rig .

It appears this waiting for a cycle thing is easier said then done .....

thanks again for the input everyone
checking Canreef for inputs on my thread is all i have now that the tank has to site haha

mrhasan

02-17-2013, 12:02 AM

It appears this waiting for a cycle thing is easier said then done .....

thanks again for the input everyone
checking Canreef for inputs on my thread is all i have now that the tank has to site haha

Welcome to the fun part ;) I did my cycle in a totally different way and didn't interact with canreef during that time since I was sure to get flamed :lol: Oh wait...I think I never had any major cycle even! Just one tini tiny bit! :razz:

reeferfulton

02-26-2013, 03:02 AM

Another update ..

Been 16 days , I have had a very small brown diatom bloom on the sand and marco rocks .
Little bite of hair growing on some of rock that i got from the LFS.

NOTHING at all as far as ammonia , nitrites or nitrates. Even had the water tested at the LFS.
Almost done my 2 week start up dose of MB7 . there are tons of pods and worms and astrenia stars all over the place . I have added a bunch of Zoas and some Ricordias which seem to be doing very well .

I added 2 generic snails , and 1 hermit crab . they have been in for a week now and still goin .

here is some pics
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_0957.jpg
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_0958.jpg

What did you do MRHASAN to experience no cycle ?

mrhasan

02-26-2013, 03:10 AM

Another update ..
What did you do MRHASAN to experience no cycle ?

I used fully cured live rock and hence no cycle; just a tini tiny (my clown survived through) to adjust the bioload and that's all.

Since you are having algae bloom, that mean's either:
1. The macros are leaching phosphates
2. You are actually at the end of cycle (which I don't think so since you system is mostly dryrocks but then again, I might be wrong since you have used MB7)

reeferfulton

02-26-2013, 03:24 AM

mrhasan

02-26-2013, 03:43 AM

ya , I seem to have a very hard time finding info on new tanks with the use of MB7

Two Large prawns have completely disappeared , rotted away to nothing .
And yet i still test all 0's

I do have about 10 pounds of rock in there as well .. came out of a couple year old tank and where 100 percent covered in coraline. so maybe that helped .

i dont know lol just going to keep putting along . maybe add a fish soon , see what happens

Different tank cycles differently. Maybe you tank is cycled with the bioload you have provided. There's are just lots of possibilities at your current situation.

If you plan on adding fish, don't add damsel :P

freezetyle

02-26-2013, 05:40 AM

I would keep an eye on your po4. I used marco rock and experience a terrible bout of hair algae from them leaching phosphates. So far your planning seems good. Diatoms will go away after the silicates in the sand get used up. As long as you add in your fish slowly. I bet you could add in a hardy smaller one or some more cleaners

Pan

02-26-2013, 11:07 AM

Duker

03-06-2013, 06:08 AM

Mike-fish

03-06-2013, 06:22 AM

I just rigged up a normal closed solenoid valve and a timer today no more floods here :biggrin:

Duker

03-06-2013, 06:29 AM

well I told myself it would never happen to me lol hahaha

Let me RODI run today with a timer to remind me to turn it off ..

ran about 15 minutes onto the floor under the stairs ... o well

So . things on my wish list .
1.Auto top off
2.Apex controller
3. Auto shut off .. need to research this
4. LED's one day
5. Better knowledge of what I am doin :smile:

First of all, welcome and a water alarm works good to for preventing floods. And everyone on here is giving u good advice. I personally would take some water into blue world and get Jon to test it for you, as I haven't had great experience with API test kits, well they suck really. Salifert all the way baby! ATO, Yup a must have, controller-nice but not nessesary, float also nice. Maybe some supplement t5- ATI blue plus bulbs,or led's for the most desirable blue look. And makes the corals flourecense so sweeeeeet! Nice job on the stand to, and the Chev is rad!

reeferfulton

03-06-2013, 06:32 AM

water alarm is not a bad idea. I saw these little 14 dollar jobies today at Van Isle water . the where just self contained things the size of a roll of film .. If you can remember what that is .

To metal contacts on the bottom . when they get wet . buzzer goes off.

Mike-Fish .
thats a simple idea actually . I have been using the timer on the stove but i like that .
Could use that concept for the main feed into the RODI and have a mechanical float in the RODI container as well .

**tank update .

Got a tunze ozmolater hooked up to my tank . Its working great . super easy to install. Now I need a bigger top off water holding container lol .. I am just filling my little one twice a day now instead of the sump ....

Picked up a scarlet hermit , couple more snails and a skunk cleaner shrimp .
Also got a few more peices of really nice live rock from Wayne .. :biggrin:

fish will be soon .. cant wait

mrhasan

03-06-2013, 06:34 AM

Scarlets are awesome IF they are true scarlets. Many stores sells the typical red legged ones as scarlets. They are very mild, don't fight and great scavengers. Sometimes, they just need a little bit of push to work since they are probably the laziest hermits out there :P

Mike-fish

03-06-2013, 06:58 AM

Yeah super simple to do I have the valve on the supply line ( copper valve) hooked up to a timer that's used for lights ( hard wire) unit I also have the power to the ro on it as well to minimize the chance of running the boost pump dry. All the parts probably cost about 100$.

reeferfulton

03-12-2013, 07:28 AM

ok , well Tank has been running smoothly .
Did a few small water changes .. I need to come up with a better way of doing this . I end up with water all over the place lol.

Still doing my water tests .. I have yet to say any ammonia, nitrite , and i think i may have a little nitrate .. still cant tell .
I added a shrimp 10 days back , it is eating well . All my snails are happs , as are my 2 hermits .

The few corals that i added 3 weeks back are doin great . ! .
I Have since just recently received some amazing SPS corals from a good friend . So they got placed yesterday.

I hope to also be getting a few fish this weekend as well .

The BIG news in my build . Is the the following equipment is purchased /.

First
Vertex Libra .. Over the top i know . but sure does look cool .
Full apex controller .. with temp and ph probes .
Picked up a set of test kits , so i can start to watch water prams .
Also got a hanna checker which i try out soon ..
And on stand by i picked up a phosban 150 to put in place if needed ..

Also order my new LED light set up ..
any guesses on what I chose ? ( those of you that know already shhhh?

I would like to thank Spencer at Blueworld Aquariums here in Vic for working with me on my order. Was a good transaction and will be happy to shop there in the future . :biggrin:
Also order my new LED light set up ..
any guesses on what I chose ?

some pics to keep everyone interested
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_00000036.jpg
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_00000034.jpg
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_00000033.jpg
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_00000037.jpg

Things i have learned ..
1. You cant put a new filter sock in the sump ... o my god skimmer went nuts within seconds.
2. My mag drive 9 is louder then i would like .
3. I have to come up with a easy method of doing water changes ..

thats all folks

mrhasan

03-12-2013, 05:21 PM

From all the fancy equipment you are getting; I strongly believe that you bought mitras :P Right? ;)

freezetyle

03-12-2013, 05:52 PM

Your going to jave to come over sometime soon to get a few more things to fill up that tank!

Sent from my SGH-I747M using Tapatalk 2

reeferfulton

03-17-2013, 05:03 AM

well since no one else is playing along ..
Yes Mrhasan .. i did indeed order myself a new black mitras .

So it should be here early this week .. I am excited .

Some news on my vertex libra ..
I opened it up and did a test run on all 3 pumps .. Pump number 1 was very rough sounding .
Took it in to have it looked at and they confirmed the issue and are ordering me a replacement .
Looking forward to getting that back and start watching my water prams .

I need to come up with a small cabinet to place next to my tank to house the doser , controller and doser containers .
I really want to keep all those fancy electronic items away from the humid salty air under the tank..

Anyone have any ideas for a tank side cabinet ?

Duker

03-17-2013, 05:49 AM

reeferfulton

03-22-2013, 07:34 AM

sweeet ghl mitras, i would love to see it. from what ive been reading they are the ****
seems as though everyone is selling their radions and aqua illuminations to get these. Hmmmm glad i waited to go LED. new builds are fun hey? and jon i too still have some sweet zoa frags for sale and quite a bit of sps frags that are ready to go too, to help u fill up ur tank. :biggrin:

I think i will still take you up on a zoa frag . thanks . And I would like to check out your setup as well . everytime i meet a new reefers tank i always learn a bit more . everyone does things a little different ..

So I am due for a little update ..

Ok so , I got my second Vertex Libra .. This one is top notch out of the box . so all is well.
So I gathered up the apex , the libra and quickly realized that i had literaly nor where to put this stuff . lol ..
OFF to the garage to build a mini cabinet to hold the equipment . I wanted something that looked like it kind of was ment to be there . And i wanted it to hold all aquarium electronics . To save them from moisture etc

Took 5 hrs from wood to stained .
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_00000045.jpg
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_00000046.jpg

Then i rushed to drag it into the house too show off to the wife .. Well it let vapours into the air for 3 days lol not cool .

but i got started the next day on wiring everything up .
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_00000048.jpg
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_00000055.jpg

then once everthing was in place .. my struggle began with the APEX networking into my house.
I stayed up till 4 in the morning trying to get the wireless game adapter too even hook up to my router. I gave up ..
Next day went back to future shop .. Bought a netgear wireless adapter and bam .. was hooked up in minutes. I spent the rest of the morning tinkering with the apex online .. I love it so far .. Was so happy i went and picked up and additional ep8 power bar.. For expandability etc.. so far so good.

Then my Mitras came in ... ran to Blueworld at 5 pm to get them.. Got home and had them hung in a matter of 20 minutes ..
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_00000065.jpg
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_00000064.jpg

But my hapiness was quickly met by more software frustrations.. the Mitras will NOT connect via usb to a windows 8 pc .. I tried every darn trick on the net to no avail.
So the next day i sourced a differnt laptop and quickly got into tinkering with the lights .. so far i have no idea what im doing lol .. But i uploaded a light program from Rice Reef .. THANKS buddy for emailing that to me soo quick!

I then moved on to complete wire organization.. i spend hours trying to zip tie and route wires in a clutter free manor , I cleaned up everything under the sump .. I also installed some under counter mount LED lights to the cabinet and sump area so i could see something for once.
Got tired of holding the blackberry in one hand over the water to see lol..
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_00000074.jpg

well I have a whole wack of coral in the tank now .. So figured i should do my first water tests for the big 3..

ALK 7.5
Mg 1050
Ca 350
salinity 1.025

Guess i have work to do !
Will get on a few water changes here to try and raise that .. then decide what and how to dose ! and quick im guessing ..

All the corals are doing great .. Thanks RICE ...

off to bed ..

daplatapus

03-22-2013, 01:12 PM

Looks slick, good job! Is that HLG driver for the Mitras?

reeferfulton

03-25-2013, 01:13 AM

Looks slick, good job! Is that HLG driver for the Mitras?

yes that is the power bar thing that came with the mitras . Do you recognize it for other things ?

well . My wife was tired of seeing wet dish towels all over the place , So i mounted to handles on my stand for hanging them .. Her idea but i like it .
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_00000093.jpg

So did another 10 gallon water change this morning . Then two hours later did a
check of the water parameters .

temp 78.5
ph 7.85
alk 6.5
Ca 350
Mg 1150
Salinity 1.024

So got the doser set up .
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_00000092.jpg

Decided with some guidance to use Randy's Receipe 1. think that in the long run this could save alot of money !.
After about 1 hr of having programming troubles/ finger troubles with the libra i think its finally set up .
Set to dose 24 times in 24 hrs .
for a total of
120 ml of CA
72 Alk
240 Mg

will do this for a few days to play catch up then likely adjust from there .
If anyone has any pointers on this , Would be greatly appreciated . as this was the area I was the most affraid of ..

Sure would be nice if I could find ANYTHING on the net in regards to actually programming and using all the features of the Vertex Libra . All i can seem to find is vertex's own video .. which is not helpfull.

Does have some neet things though .. Tells you when the next dose will be . tells you how much it has dossed etc . kinda neat .

Got my first fishes too .!!! very happy about that . Thanks Wayne !!
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_00000097.jpg
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_00000087.jpg

Beautiful Sail fin tang about 4 inches .. I love it !
A couple of 1.5inch long clowns that always hang out together
and a 4 inch long Lawnmower blenny .. Named JABA ... lol

I would like to hear thoughts on when and how i should run Carbon (GAC) in my tank . thoughts on using a media reactor or just media bag it ..

thanks

freezetyle

03-25-2013, 03:40 AM

vertex has not yet released their stoichiometry software yet. i think they are waiting to release their own set of bulk additives and recipe to take some of the guess work out of dosing.

to hammer down how much of each additive to dose (using Ca as an example)
1)test your Ca level
2) add 20ml of Ca additive
3)wait 2 hours and measure how much that raised your Ca.
4)then you can choose to either dose enough Ca to bump your tank up to the appropriate level or just let it be.
5) the next day measure your ca again around the same time to see how much Ca your tank uses in a 24hr period. Dose accordingly.

usually takes about a week to get the doser dialled in properly.

build is looking awesome so far! going to be a stunner for sure

Rice Reef

03-25-2013, 06:04 AM

Jon,
Tank looks great and glad to see the fish are doing well! The sailfin looks even better in your tank! Sigh, gonna miss him but I know that his new parent will be treating him well!

The two clowns are a couple so don't be surprise if you find eggs on the rocks soon!

Looks like Jaba is liking his new home too! :biggrin:

About that doser, you would have figured after spending that much money they could have at least provided instructions. Vertex can spend the money on a fancy box but could not afford few cents more in printing a page of instructions? :lol: :twised: That is why I used GHL! ( lol just teasing ya)

Skimmerking

03-25-2013, 10:08 AM

Wow looking really good man well done

reeferfulton

06-09-2013, 06:57 AM

well . time for another update i suppose .

Things of been going along really well . I have been doing weekly 10-15g water changes . I test all my parameters once a week.Things have been stable .

I did decide to run Biopellets .So I picked up a Vertex RX-U reactor and a compact 3000. I slowly over a few weeks added in the pellets . Not sure if they work lol But my nitrates are still below 1 on the elos test kit .
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_00000243.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/IMG_00000243.jpg.html)

A few weeks later i picked up the new Omega 150 skimmer . So far i really like this unit . Seems to pull in the gunk very consistently. This has been my first vertex product to work perfect out of the box :biggrin:

I got a new fish from Dan before he left town .. It is doing great
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_00000225.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/IMG_00000225.jpg.html).

The rock is slowly becoming covered in coraline . I have not had any sort of an algae outbreak. not sure if it is due to the microbacter 7 i have been using or if I got lucky with my MARCO rock.
The coral is really starting to take off now . Most are encrusted right to the rock
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_00000242.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/IMG_00000242.jpg.html)
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_00000237.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/IMG_00000237.jpg.html)
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_00000231.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/IMG_00000231.jpg.html)

I had a blast at the Victoria frag swap. Got to meet alot of local reefers . I bought a few coral and was given tons! Much appreciated everyone . thanks
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_00000244.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/IMG_00000244.jpg.html)

So as of last night I have discovered that I have an outbreak of ZOA eating nudibranch. Most of my zoos have grown onto my main rock work so removing to dip is not an option.
So I am manually removing the nudi's with the turkey baster . since last night i have removed 21 little buggers . And today i have added a Yellow Corriss wrasse. So i am hoping that will help combat them .

Im sure i can get a handle on them . I am not to worried about it . I dont want to rip the tank apart or anything.

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_00000254.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/IMG_00000254.jpg.html)

I also added a tunze 6095 to the tank . Linked it to the APEX and got a simple little wave going in the tank. I like it . In a cube tank that is only 36" long it tuff to do anything with the flow . No matter what i do it pushes the sand around and creates bare spots on the tank bottom . i have learned to live with my Half bare bottom , half sand bottom tank lol .

The stepper doser has been working as it should . Currently dossing under 50mls of each alk,mg,ca. I had to increase it a little after the frag swap , but not much.

will add more soon .

reeferfulton

06-11-2013, 04:37 AM

Pulled out 2 more little nudi's today !! any chance I can just manually control these little buggers for ever ?

On a positive note My clowns spawned today . This is a first time in my tank. Wayne had told me they lay eggs all the time in his tank . But , shows they are happy in mine too. they have only been in the tank just over 2 months

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_00000261.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/IMG_00000261.jpg.html)
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_00000271.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/IMG_00000271.jpg.html)

Also looks like my yellow corris wrasse that i just added has eaten all the feathers on my wifes favorite tank inhabitant .. the feather duster..
O well . so much for reef safe ehh lol :neutral:

HaZRaTTy

06-11-2013, 05:08 AM

Dude nice build, You're stumbling into this like a PRO!

At first when I was reading your build and seen you bought a dosing pump I couldn't help but think another poor soul that spent a bunch of money on something he didn't need on the advice of a LFS. Judging by the one or 2 SPS frags you had in the beginning. WELL I was wrong... The end FTS shot awesome - 3 thumbs up!!

Have you dialed in dosing your system yet?

freezetyle

06-11-2013, 05:23 AM

Pulled out 2 more little nudi's today !! any chance I can just manually control these little buggers for ever ?

Your yellow coris should eat those buggers

Sent from my SGH-I747M using Tapatalk 2

reeferfulton

06-11-2013, 06:39 AM

Thanks for the compliments Hazratty.
I knew when i bought that fancy doser that it was over the top but wanted it anyway lol ..
Currently dosing randy's recipe . at 42ml alk , 42 ca , 36 MG
I have been stable at that amount now for around 3 weeks.
Some corals are taking off fast now in the last couple of weeks . others still seem to be slowly encrusting there base still.

Ya Hopefully that wrasse will help . If not guess i will add more wrasse's then ..

lastlight

06-11-2013, 08:12 AM

things are looking great your sps looks happy. my melanarus took care of my monti-eating nudis. prob do the same for those ones if your yellow needs some help eating them.

i can see why you didn't want to suspend your lighting from the ceiling!

reefwars

06-11-2013, 01:18 PM

A wrasse is good but wont eradicate them and do not rally find the eggs, hate to say it but if your finding adults you have babies too. Its a lot of work bur if you want to be rid of them you'll meed to remove them. I have a 3wk schedule that will eliminate them for you completely.

Good luck

FishyFishy!

06-11-2013, 02:52 PM

Do you have lids or a screen on the tank? Might be a good idea if you're planning on more wrasses. They're nutorious jumpers.

reeferfulton

06-13-2013, 04:41 AM

i can see why you didn't want to suspend your lighting from the ceiling!

No kidding eh. think its 22 feet or so .

And yes
the very next day i built a lid ..
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_00000272.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/IMG_00000272.jpg.html)

found bug netting at buckerfeilds.

Bblinks

06-13-2013, 04:57 AM

No kidding eh. think its 22 feet or so .

And yes
the very next day i built a lid ..
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_00000272.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/IMG_00000272.jpg.html)

found bug netting at buckerfeilds.

Look at those Sps growing into colonies in the corner of the picture. I think Wayne needs to come by and take some more shots for you and post them since he is the official photographer for British Columbia region Canreef members.:mrgreen:

reeferfulton

06-13-2013, 04:58 AM

My buddy Wayne came buy last week and took some sweet pics with his telescope!
Thanks Wayne !! your the best

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/20130528-N98A3597.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/20130528-N98A3597.jpg.html)
Thanks for this one Jon !!

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/20130528-N98A3572.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/20130528-N98A3572.jpg.html)

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/20130528-N98A3525.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/20130528-N98A3525.jpg.html)

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/20130528-N98A3522.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/20130528-N98A3522.jpg.html)
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/20130528-N98A3518.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/20130528-N98A3518.jpg.html)
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/20130528-N98A3471.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/20130528-N98A3471.jpg.html)
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/20130528-N98A3460.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/20130528-N98A3460.jpg.html)

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/20130528-N98A3457.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/20130528-N98A3457.jpg.html)

There that should do it

Bblinks

06-13-2013, 05:00 AM

Hahahahahaha, see told you!

reeferfulton

06-13-2013, 05:00 AM

you posted just seconds too soon rich :biggrin:

That Green hammer is doing really well by the way Thanks again

Bblinks

06-13-2013, 05:04 AM

No problem buddy. U should've came over with Wayne, we had a whole bunch of people came by and geeked out on fish stuff. It was really fun. Thinking about a frag swap for lower mainland soon.. Maybe. If I do I would expect you guys to show for support!:wink:

reeferfulton

06-13-2013, 05:05 AM

these look nice in my build thread .. so I felt like adding more :mrgreen:

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/20130528-N98A3444.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/20130528-N98A3444.jpg.html)
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/20130528-N98A3443.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/20130528-N98A3443.jpg.html)
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/20130528-N98A3442.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/20130528-N98A3442.jpg.html)
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/20130528-N98A3425.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/20130528-N98A3425.jpg.html)
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/20130528-N98A3427.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/20130528-N98A3427.jpg.html)

there all done

reeferfulton

06-13-2013, 05:07 AM

Ya i would definitely be in for another trip over to your place . keep me in the loop

thanks

reeferfulton

06-19-2013, 03:24 AM

see these guys all the time in my yard .. no fish related but thought somebody might think there cool . because i sure do
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_00000289.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/IMG_00000289.jpg.html)

guess they are European wall lizard. I must have 50 of them in my yard alone .
story is that they were released from a small zoo or something and grew wildly .

keeps the bugs down in my yard anyway

Rice Reef

06-19-2013, 04:02 AM

reeferfulton

06-19-2013, 05:10 AM

Lol they like to nip. Definitely not reef safe

lastlight

06-19-2013, 05:50 AM

wow that is pretty crazy. wonder what sort of effects they've had since spreading. i'm jealous you live in a place where they'll survive lol.

noy

06-22-2013, 11:05 AM

nice tank and great shots of the corals!

Skimmerking

06-22-2013, 03:52 PM

SPS is looking sweet mango way to go how are you finding the dosing part. is it easy to do? what is the hardest part about dosing? is it the Testing more to find the sweet spot.

reeferfulton

06-23-2013, 05:10 AM

SPS is looking sweet mango way to go how are you finding the dosing part. is it easy to do? what is the hardest part about dosing? is it the Testing more to find the sweet spot.

Thanks for the props . The dosing is going really well. I test alk , Mg , Ca once a week one day before a 10-15 gallon water change . I am still useing Randy's Recipe . I have only made very small adjustments to my dosing amounts. I try not to over react . As long as the parameter tests relatively close to my goal i make no adjustment . If it starts to trend downwards over 3 water tests i bump up my dosing amount by an extra 5mls a day and look for a slight rise on the next test.
I keep a log of all my tests . I also record on that sheet when i make an adjustment and by how much .

So far the only thing that seems odd when following Randy's recipe is i seem to use way more Mg then what randy said i would . Currently i am dosing almost equal parts of all 3. Could be that i am having a boom of coraline growing (since my tank is new there is lots of room for it to grow)
i heard coraline sucks up the Mg i think ?

I think the hardest part is not stressing over the numbers . lol. I keep the Mg at 1350 and higher. I wont make any adjustments to mg unless it hits 1300.

Ca i keep at 400 to 450 ish .
Alk set to 7.5 currently .
Salinity set to 1.026 ish .

If all numbers are low out of the blue i double check my salinity first . make sure its real close . Then the next i would adjust would be to bring up the Mg a very little and then test the following week.

I am still really new at this , and so far my parameters have been really stable , I did notice an increase in demand after adding a dozen frags from the last swap.

nice tank and great shots of the corals!

thanks ! I cannot take credit for the shots . Good ole Rice Reef reef is the island photographer and hes getting good !

wow that is pretty crazy. wonder what sort of effects they've had since spreading. i'm jealous you live in a place where they'll survive lol.

I have no idea . when i first saw one i was blown away lol . apparently they are only found on this part of Victoria . My dog like to chase them around . never catches them though so they are safe . I have been thinking of making an out door terrarium that they can live in if they like ..

Rice Reef

07-25-2013, 03:08 AM

We want an update...

Bblinks

07-25-2013, 05:25 AM

Yes please! Pictures pictures pictures!

reeferfulton

07-25-2013, 05:31 AM

You guys are right.
I will put one together soon.

Thanks for the poke

gregzz4

07-25-2013, 05:45 AM

So far the only thing that seems odd when following Randy's recipe is i seem to use way more Mg then what randy said i would
Forgive me for not reading the whole thread ...

What salt do you use ?

I find with my IO I don't need to dose Mag, but that'll change soon as I'm going to use 2-part very soon, instead of Seachem powders, which have trace amounts of Mag and others

reeferfulton

07-30-2013, 01:28 AM

Forgive me for not reading the whole thread ...

What salt do you use ?

I use IO.
I started with 50 lbs of dry rock so maybe I am still playing catchup .

OK finally an update .
I have had really good growth over the last few months . But I have not had really good colors. Actually really poor color.
I have noticed that I really only get polyp extension on a few of my corals as well.

Talking with Brad and Wayne it seems unanimous that i needed to reduce my feeding to try and color up my sps . Which besides green are all roughly shades of browny red.

So I cut way back on my feeding. Well when i did this I quickly noticed that my flame angel likes picking at almost all of my coral LOL. never spotted it before , but now that he is hungry it was obvious.

Also talking with Wayne I have come to the conclusion that my lighting program on the mitras was way off for optimum color .

So now week 2 after my recent changes I have noticed a slight improvement in color i think.. Some of my browny corals are showing signs of green i think lol. And the new growth tips are a light shade of the right color they are supposed to be .

I have also increased my weekly water changes from 10 gallons up to 20 gallons each week.
I no longer run GFO for the last month . As the biopellets seem to be holding there own on the phosphate front.

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_00000447.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/IMG_00000447.jpg.html)
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_00000444.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/IMG_00000444.jpg.html)
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_00000445.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/IMG_00000445.jpg.html)
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_00000446.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/IMG_00000446.jpg.html)

So I went on the mission to catch the flame angel .. Probably the most shy fish in my tank FYI .
1. Tried just netting him.. .. lol not a chance . cant even look at the net and he would bolt to the back corner.
2.tried the home made trap useing a coke bottle .. Caught my sailfin tang ....
3. Got a really big clear poly back , built a structure out of rodi tubing and sewed fishing line around the edge to form a pull string to sinch the bag up .. Again caught the sailfin Tang.....lol
4.tried moving what rock i could. This damn fish would hide in the most difficult place . i could not even see him..
5. Tried turning the lights on full boar in the middle of the night.. Nope .. didnt work.
6 . Borrowed an official trap from Brad. Day one every fish in the tank was in it but the flame.
day 2 again every fish . multiples at a time even.
later in day 2 , i put in a new era algae grazer on the suction cup.. this peaked his interest at least . all the fish were in and out but him.. Then after around 1.5 hrs . he went in and i was ready ..
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_00000430.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/IMG_00000430.jpg.html)
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_00000434.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/IMG_00000434.jpg.html)

It felt so damn good to finally catch him.. I will be trading him in for a wrasse of some sort tomorrow i hope ..

Noticed as of late (with my reduced feeding ) that my skimmer is pulling in less. infact I have turned it more towards wet as i was no longer pulling anything .. So

I will give it another few weeks and see if my colors continue to improve .
And hopefully i will start to have more PE with the angel gone .
wish me luck

gregzz4

07-30-2013, 01:43 AM

Good luck with the dosing, and great catch
I'll bet if you weren't after him, he would have been in every trap you tried

Rice Reef

07-30-2013, 05:46 AM

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_00000434.jpg[/URL]

Jon, congrats in catching the lil' bugger! After all the headaches and stress I think you should kick back with a nice cold brewsky!

Hope you can trade it in and get a nice fairy wrasse for your tank.

Bblinks

07-30-2013, 05:55 AM

Hey John, great update and i love the pictures. One thing I want to mention about the paleness of your sps is it might not just be you over feeding. I have always believe in feeding, because of my laziness I do it mostly through broadcast and with the amount of fish that I have they also get an alternative "feeding", plus i dose coral aminos when I see some of the more sensitive species becoming "unhappy". if I were you I probably start by checking the 3 parameters and make sure they are in check then move on to phosphate and nitrate. If everything checks out good then I would inspect them for pests, a quick dip or flash light at night will reveal some telltale signs of either red bug or aefw bite marks. Let's just say you are pest free, the third step will be feeding your corals and or dose some sps amino acid to see how they react. Most of the time some amino acid once a week will do wonders for those sticks. Anyways kee up the good work and I'll see you at the frag swap.

Rich

reeferfulton

07-30-2013, 03:35 PM

tang daddy

07-30-2013, 05:56 PM

I recently started to dose amino acid from salifert because I had some left, you get good polyp response from the sps and the feeder tends to stay out longer. I was speaking to Wheelman Jess and he dosed his tank with the zeovit Lps amino and his Zoas and palys were healthy and big, also all his Lps were super puffed up. I took the plunge and got some zeo Lps amino, I notice all the corals in my tank react well to it when dosed and when I feed the tank I turn off the return pump, dose the zeo then feed the fish and corals at the same time. I usually leave the tank for 3 hrs with the powerheads circulating the food. I do this 2 x weekly and the rest of the week just feed normally. I don't know if there is a real difference for Lps amino versus regular amino but the sps seem to like it too. The reason why I keep the return off is so there is time for the Lps amino to interact with the corals rather than just going into the filter sock and maybe being skimmed out. I also use brightwells reef snow and phyto gold, phytoplankton and another one at the same time as the amino.

I strongly suggest trying the zeo Lps amino if you're going to get amino. Btw I only use this zeo product for now and no others because of costs, but may try a few others later on once I burn through my 10 bottles of brightwells....

Bblinks

07-30-2013, 06:31 PM

thanks guys

Rich
Do you have a specific amino acid supplement you would reccomend . I have never really done any reading on the matter.

.
current stock
sailfin
yellow tang
2 clowns
yellow corris wrasse
lawnmower blenny
shrimp

Is there any wrasse that would NOT be reccomended for my tank

thanks

I like the zeovit stuff but its not cheap however it does last longer since its concentrated.

I love all fairy wrasses so as long as they are in the fairy family you should be okay.

Bblinks

07-30-2013, 06:32 PM

reeferfulton

07-31-2013, 02:02 AM

traded in the Flame angel today.
Picked up a ruby head fairy wrasse .....i think. lol

currently hiding in the sand bed .
Also picked up some Zeo amino acid. 50ml.. there goes half my birthday money ....

see what happens in the next week.

O I fully plan on being at the swap rich !!!
looking forward to meeting everyone and winning the prizes ...all of them..lol

Rice Reef

07-31-2013, 02:25 AM

traded in the Flame angel today.
Picked up a ruby head fairy wrasse .....i think. lol

Great pick up! I think I have one too. When it settles and is happy in your tank the colors will be very vibrant!

reeferfulton

08-02-2013, 08:49 PM

finally able to snap a pick of the new fish :biggrin:
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_00000478.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/IMG_00000478.jpg.html)

Also its now been a few days and i am noticing considerable improvement in polyp extension. Corals that had never had extension at all are now showing small bits ..
picture time

Also I am really starting to see improvement in overall color. I have been feeding considerably less.
I also change out my filter sock almost daily now.

For the last 3 days i have dosed just 1-2 drops of amino acid ( way less the suggested)

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_00000464.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/IMG_00000464.jpg.html)
Thanks Brad !!

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_00000471.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/IMG_00000471.jpg.html)
thanks Jon!

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_00000466.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/IMG_00000466.jpg.html)
Thanks Wayne !

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_00000470.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/IMG_00000470.jpg.html)

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_00000462.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/IMG_00000462.jpg.html)

reeferfulton

12-30-2013, 04:31 AM

well , maybe time for a bit of an update .

I have had some ups and downs with the tank.

Battled Red Bugs .Interceptor took care of those..

Then battled a Cyano outbreak that slowly took over half the tank.

Had an Alk swing that I believe started STN on a few pieces .

And As of today I have started Dosing the 3 part Tropic Marin balling salts .

Growth over the last few months has been steady . Color has been medicor

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_00000667.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/IMG_00000667.jpg.html)

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_00000668.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/IMG_00000668.jpg.html)

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_00000690.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/IMG_00000690.jpg.html)

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_00000691.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/IMG_00000691.jpg.html)

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_00000692.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/IMG_00000692.jpg.html)

Rice Reef

01-13-2014, 07:46 PM

Hi Jon,
Nice growth! Looks like you need a bigger tank soon!

reeferfulton

01-26-2014, 12:48 AM

Good ole RiceReef and his fancy camera stopped bye .
thanks again . for taking some great pics .
i will try and hide the pics of my super rare brown SPS .:biggrin:

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/N98A8041.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/N98A8041.jpg.html)

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/N98A8039.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/N98A8039.jpg.html)

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/N98A8029.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/N98A8029.jpg.html)

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/N98A8023.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/N98A8023.jpg.html)

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/N98A8005.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/N98A8005.jpg.html)

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/N98A8004.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/N98A8004.jpg.html)

reeferfulton

01-26-2014, 12:51 AM

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/N98A8032.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/N98A8032.jpg.html)

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/N98A8014.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/N98A8014.jpg.html)

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/N98A8009.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/N98A8009.jpg.html)

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/N98A8030.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/N98A8030.jpg.html)

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/N98A8024.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/N98A8024.jpg.html)

Bblinks

01-26-2014, 03:38 AM

Very nice John, wish you were here visiting with Wayne.

reeferfulton

01-26-2014, 06:09 AM

Thanks rich.
Would have liked to come as well. Work schedule didn't allow for it this time around..

Don't eat to much sushi. Lol..

Bblinks

01-26-2014, 08:00 PM

Thanks rich.
Would have liked to come as well. Work schedule didn't allow for it this time around..

Don't eat to much sushi. Lol..

Too late, we ate way too much. Lol and got **** faced too. :mrgreen: next time you have to come. You owe now! Lol

Rice Reef

01-27-2014, 02:53 AM

Jon, stay on course! Your tank is turning for the better! :biggrin:

reeferfulton

02-14-2014, 06:30 AM

well , no year , time for a new tank . :mrgreen:

The last tank was my first real foray in the salt water world. I learned alot , had some good times and some bad..
I learned that there are alot of things about my current tank that i definitely do not like . I need to make things easier to clean .. I AM DONE lugging 5 gal pails around .. My wife is tired of wet socks . So its time to pick up my game. So sick of my giant internal overflow box etc etc .
sooooooooooooo:biggrin:

I Picked up a beautiful 3 sided starfire tank. I am really excited!! . dimensions are 48Lx28x24T. Eeroubraced .I will be placing it on an 8 foot long 38" tall stand.
Underneath will hold 45 gallon water change drum . sump and all equipment.

Also building a new sump . I want this to be very simple and easy to clean.. I am ditching the filter socks. And will be using filter floss in a bubble trap baffle setup.
Sump dimensions are 36x20x14T

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_20140209_152301.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/IMG_20140209_152301.jpg.html)
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_20140212_202949.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/IMG_20140212_202949.jpg.html)
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_20140213_223625.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/IMG_20140213_223625.jpg.html)
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_20140213_224717.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/IMG_20140213_224717.jpg.html)

Aquattro

02-14-2014, 12:19 PM

Congrats! I hear that's Jesse's old tank and it's a beauty! Can't wait to see it set up!

reeferfulton

02-14-2014, 03:00 PM

Congrats! I hear that's Jesse's old tank and it's a beauty! Can't wait to see it set up!

Thanks.
Yes you heard right.I can't wait either lol. Will have to finally have you over for a visit. It's been a long while since I have seen your tank too. I hear you have made some big changes.

Another thing.
No more sugar sand.. what a terrible mistake that was!

Aquattro

02-14-2014, 03:14 PM

I hear you have made some big changes.

Another thing.
No more sugar sand.. what a terrible mistake that was!

Last change I'd like to make is move it to the driveway -lol

Partially due to the aforementioned sugar sand :) As soon as I find a wee bit of motivation, I'm probably removing mine for something a bit heavier :)

Rice Reef

02-14-2014, 05:58 PM

Hurry up and build it! :lol::lol::lol:

Looking good Jon!

reeferfulton

02-18-2014, 05:13 AM

stand is now in the final stages.
2 coats of paint down . 1 more to go .. man o man does bare wood sure suck up the paint.

i devised an built in system to hide all power bars and wiring . will try and get some pics of it .

I am going to install a new breaker and wall GFI dedicated to just the tank.. Breaker box is so close , i figured why not.

I got the tank a cleaned up . Will start the plumbing lay out when i get the stand in the house.

pics
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_20140217_204025.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/IMG_20140217_204025.jpg.html)
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_20140217_204016.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/IMG_20140217_204016.jpg.html)
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/IMG_20140216_215040.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/IMG_20140216_215040.jpg.html)

kien

02-18-2014, 03:48 PM

Nice. Except now your thread title is false advertising. :biggrin:

reeferfulton

02-19-2014, 06:04 AM

Nice. Except now your thread title is false advertising. :biggrin:

Hey. Your right..
I need the title changed to something spectacular to draw in more looky loos.

Third coat of paint done.
Wired in a new 15 amp breaker, got just 1 gfi receptacle.

Maybe move the stand in tomorrow

reeferfulton

02-19-2014, 07:04 AM

Lol sweet.
At first I thought I had stumbled across a new tank build lol..then saw it was mine haha..

Great new name!! Thanks mods lol
Too funny

FishyFishy!

02-19-2014, 01:27 PM

Lol sweet.
At first I thought I had stumbled across a new tank build lol..then saw it was mine haha..

Great new name!! Thanks mods lol
Too funny

Hahaha Awesome title now! Was that Kien???

kien

02-19-2014, 03:13 PM

Hahaha Awesome title now! Was that Kien???

I can't see Brad using the word "EVAHH" and can't really picture Tony or Christy using the words "SPECTACULARILY AWESOMEST" together.. so I'm going to go with, Muck.

Rice Reef

02-20-2014, 01:07 AM

Lol! I love the title!!! How about some glitter and bling bling too?

reeferfulton

02-27-2014, 09:28 PM

been a hella busy last couple of weeks .

rock works is done .
sump is done .
plumbing done
leak check done .
pics below lol
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/20140219_214100.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/20140219_214100.jpg.html)
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/20140220_103100.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/20140220_103100.jpg.html)
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/20140226_133255.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/20140226_133255.jpg.html)
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/20140226_202508.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/20140226_202508.jpg.html)
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/20140227_130831.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/20140227_130831.jpg.html)
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/20140227_141421.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/20140227_141421.jpg.html)

Aquattro

02-27-2014, 09:29 PM

At first I thought you were losing it, making the canopy extra long. Second look, ah, it's a window -lol

reeferfulton

02-27-2014, 09:38 PM

lol ya . does look that way a little .
plan is to for the wife to have mangroves growing in the overflow , infront of that window ..

should be fun

Wheelman76

02-27-2014, 10:09 PM

Looking great Jon , love the aquascape.

reeferfulton

02-27-2014, 10:11 PM

Looking great Jon , love the aquascape.

thanks . I can take no credit . lol
the wife didnt want another pile of rocks like the first tank. So this time she took charge .. i am happy

christyf5

02-27-2014, 10:40 PM

I can't see Brad using the word "EVAHH" and can't really picture Tony or Christy using the words "SPECTACULARILY AWESOMEST" together.. so I'm going to go with, Muck.

Hey now, I would totally use spectacularly awesomest. Clearly you haven't seen some of the earlier TOTM titles :wink:

oh and it says "edited by kien" feb 18 on the first post so you've been outed :razz:

Great thread, I was going to say "how did I miss this?" clearly it was because it didn't have SPECTACULARLY AWESOMEST in the title previously, and well because I've been a space cadet for the past year (yeah i'll admit it).

Anyways, congrats on the new tank, now get moving on it! I've just read a year of updates and like watching a tv series on DVD to the current season, I need to see the new stuff pronto! :razz:

Scythanith

02-28-2014, 03:15 AM

I love the rock work!

reeferfulton

02-28-2014, 06:11 AM

Hey now, I would totally use spectacularly awesomest. Clearly you haven't seen some of the earlier TOTM titles :wink:

oh and it says "edited by kien" feb 18 on the first post so you've been outed :razz:

Great thread, I was going to say "how did I miss this?" clearly it was because it didn't have SPECTACULARLY AWESOMEST in the title previously, and well because I've been a space cadet for the past year (yeah i'll admit it).

Anyways, congrats on the new tank, now get moving on it! I've just read a year of updates and like watching a tv series on DVD to the current season, I need to see the new stuff pronto! :razz:

ya , things are definitely looking up for me since the name change of the thread .. thanks Kien. !
I am moving as quick as i can . i will drain the tank of tap water tomorrow , and slide the stand into its final position, and begin making RO water.

I love the rock work!

Thanks !
We really tried this time around . but with a new tank , new year , had to pull out all the stops and give it go . We used FijiCrete to attach all the rocks together . The arch is actually two freestanding structures that meet in the middle . they are just zip tied at the meeting point just so they dont slide around.

So that being said . No mushrooms in this tank lol . No GSP , no zoos or palys or ricordia on the main rock work.. lesson learned .

Yes Ricereef , i know you told me long long ago ..haha

eli@fijireefrock.com

02-28-2014, 06:40 AM

Aqua scape looks great and hope the FijiCrete (http://m.youtube.com/results?q=fijicrete&sm=3) worked out well for you,...:thumb:

reeferfulton

03-01-2014, 04:48 PM

Aqua scape looks great and hope the FijiCrete (http://m.youtube.com/results?q=fijicrete&sm=3) worked out well for you,...:thumb:

It worked well , thanks for the fast shipping . :biggrin:

Well , starting making RO water directly into the tank last night .. Good grief its slow lol . should be full by sunday night .
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/20140301_093651.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/20140301_093651.jpg.html)

I changed the prefilter and carbon filter on the RO machine first. figured i would start fresh ,
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/20140301_093709.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/20140301_093709.jpg.html)

Took a few pics of my current tank too. new phone camera so why not . Plus when i woke up this morning the tank looked really good .

front shot
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/20140301_093732.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/20140301_093732.jpg.html)

side shot
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/20140301_093746.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/20140301_093746.jpg.html)

todays plans are .

1. Get small black egg crate for overflow .
2. Secure plumbing to stand ,
3. make base platform to hold water change tank
4. Due a water change and tests on old tank ..

hmm busy day . i should get to it

freezetyle

03-01-2014, 05:12 PM

looks awesome! I hate when you have to start filling it with ro. feels like eternity. worth it to start right.

Rice Reef

03-02-2014, 12:24 AM

Looking good, Jon!

reeferfulton

03-02-2014, 01:19 AM

looks awesome! I hate when you have to start filling it with ro. feels like eternity. worth it to start right.

sheesh . lol you got that right . here is an updated pic.. RO water has not stopped since last night .
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/20140301_181243.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/20140301_181243.jpg.html)

Looking good, Jon!

thanks buddy. I will need your help on coral dip and transfer day :smile:

So . today.

did a 10g change on other tank.
tested parameters .
Drove to Rona and industrail plastics .. No one has black egg crate .......
Made a bracket to secure the plumbing.
made the base to support water change water .
painted 1st coat of above items.

time for dinner

reeferfulton

03-02-2014, 01:31 AM

lifereef LCR1
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/sm_lcr.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/sm_lcr.jpg.html)

or

Geo 618 or 612

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/TankBuild021.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/TankBuild021.jpg.html)

or or or ahhhh

Aquattro

03-02-2014, 01:36 AM

Geo looks simpler, probably quieter pump as well. If it's less money, it's an easy choice.

reeferfulton

03-02-2014, 01:41 AM

think they are within 30 bucks of each other .. with the Geo being the cheaper one .

reeferfulton

03-02-2014, 09:11 PM

alright ,
Got the little stand installed for the water change / top off water tank. its a 46 gallon bow
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/20140302_132835.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/20140302_132835.jpg.html)

and . added 3/4 bucket of IO salt
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/20140302_135125.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/20140302_135125.jpg.html)

Also installed the bracket by the spears valve to support the 2 drain pipes .
also drilled a whole through the wall to feed my RO water line from under the sink into the 46 bow

Rice Reef

03-03-2014, 01:51 AM

Guess we are transferring everything over this week....:twised:

reeferfulton

03-03-2014, 02:18 AM

ahh maybe a week and a half lol ... ahh be a bit yet

reeferfulton

03-06-2014, 05:36 AM

well , we are up to temp , and sand is in, salt is in .

mag 9.5 return pump is hard plumbed and is driving me nuts !!!!!
it is sucking in the odd air bubble , and humming like crazy . didnt seem that bad on the old tank .
Anyway , ripped it out today and temporarily tossed in a ehiem compat 3000. way less flow , but so much quieter :biggrin:.

added sand
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/20140303_172448.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/20140303_172448.jpg.html)

all cleared up
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/20140304_165450.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/20140304_165450.jpg.html)

Rice Reef

03-06-2014, 07:52 PM

all cleared up
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/20140304_165450.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/20140304_165450.jpg.html)

looks ready to me:mrgreen:

shrimp

03-06-2014, 08:11 PM

I was expecting to take longer to clear up, looks like its ready for live stock.

reeferfulton

03-11-2014, 02:45 AM

I was expecting to take longer to clear up, looks like its ready for live stock.

getting there buddy .
Today i finally got around to building a light bracket to hold the mitras . I for the next while will be running just the one mitras in the length ways fashion over the very center of the tank.
that should provide the center of the arch perfectly with enough light to grow SPS . on the outsides i will stick with some lps , etc .

Then one day i will add another or different lights all together .

looks like for the calcium reactor it is going to be the GEO 612. Pretty excited. And happy to have made up my mind.

freezetyle

03-11-2014, 03:39 AM

Set up looks dope! let me know if you need help moving day.

Guess we are transferring everything over this week....:twised:

ahh maybe a week and a half lol ... ahh be a bit yet

Are you going to transfer in your old rock to sustain the livestock while the dry becomes live?

reeferfulton

03-11-2014, 04:17 AM

Set up looks dope! let me know if you need help moving day.

thanks , will do . Hows your tank plans coming along ?

Are you going to transfer in your old rock to sustain the livestock while the dry becomes live?

Was not planning on using any of my old live rock , maybe a piece or too. May also grab some from wayne or someone.to help seed .
Doing a start up dose of MB7 o and used all live sand 80lbs lol hahah aha

Aquattro

03-11-2014, 04:53 AM

and used all live sand 80lbs lol hahah aha

Is all that laughing because you fell for the "live sand" deal? :razz:

Rice Reef

03-11-2014, 05:26 AM

Is all that laughing because you fell for the "live sand" deal? :razz:

Lol too funny! :lol:
Glad it wasn't me saying it or I'd be blamed for this too!

reeferfulton

03-11-2014, 05:58 AM

Is all that laughing because you fell for the "live sand" deal? :razz:

lol heeeeelllllll nooooo.
an arrangement was made for dry sand , turns out it showed up wet . so in the tank she goes ..

Live sand is way way better . it is shipped in grey murky water , full of things ..... live things that may or may not survive on the sun , moon, the back of a flat bed truck in 40 below for 3 months ..
everyone knows that is better . lol

reeferfulton

03-11-2014, 06:01 AM

Lol too funny! :lol:
Glad it wasn't me saying it or I'd be blamed for this too!

Its all your fault lol , everything . If i had never met you i would be happily looking at a tank of beautiful gsp , blue star polyps and pulsing xenia .

Instead im stuck in a perpetual cycle of always trying to keep up with the "rice reef's" of this world

your fault . friendship over ,, btw im keeping the maxijets

Rice Reef

03-11-2014, 06:15 AM

Its all your fault lol , everything . If i had never met you i would be happily looking at a tank of beautiful gsp , blue star polyps and pulsing xenia .

Instead im stuck in a perpetual cycle of always trying to keep up with the "rice reef's" of this world

your fault . friendship over ,, btw im keeping the maxijets

So that explains why I can't find them to mix my salt with!

reeferfulton

03-12-2014, 05:41 AM

Ok.
Fabed up the light stand.I will mount it tomorrow.

today I dipped alot of my corals to check for bugs. None found.
so I transferred over about 30lbs of live rock to my new sump.

I did pull the trigger on the geo 612 calcium reactor. So that should be here in a week or so.

Pics tomorrow

reeferfulton

03-14-2014, 03:24 AM

well , decided today to transfer over the bulk of my coral .
i am much much happier already with this tank. the rock work is much more interesting to look at .
I like the tank being higher . so far i am pretty damn happy

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/20140313_201728.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/20140313_201728.jpg.html)

still need to get a new return pump .
Properly hook it up , Get the calcium reactor in ,

The old tank is still running with some rock and all livestock still so the transfer is only partially done

kien

03-14-2014, 03:26 AM

wow.. that rock work does look SPECTACULAR! I love it. It's more the just interesting. Well done!

reeferfulton

03-14-2014, 04:12 AM

wow.. that rock work does look SPECTACULAR! I love it. It's more the just interesting. Well done!

thanks . much . Coming from you thats an awesome compliment.

gregzz4

03-14-2014, 04:19 AM

Kool 'scape Jon !!
Lots of room for growth and swimming

reeferfulton

03-14-2014, 04:38 PM

Kool 'scape Jon !!
Lots of room for growth and swimming

Thanks , Ya the fish will think they hit the lottery with all that swimming room

Rice Reef

03-14-2014, 07:11 PM

Good Job, Jon! Almost there! :biggrin:

Once the corals fill in the rock work is gonna look so purty!

reeferfulton

03-16-2014, 05:50 AM

Good Job, Jon! Almost there! :biggrin:

Once the corals fill in the rock work is gonna look so purty!

thanks bud .

I totally forgotten how much work it was to set up a new tank. Every time i turn around the list of to do's keeps growing..

today the wife and I , Built a new screen top, with acrylic lids on each corner.
We Incorporated a Nori feeding rod that slides into one of the lids from the top. Now i can feed nori without getting my damn hands wet. I was really tired of the TLF algae clip.(hated it )

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/20140315_222747.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/20140315_222747.jpg.html)

Used the home depot DIY screen frames etc. Used netting from buckerfields.
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/20140315_222802.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/20140315_222802.jpg.html)

was our first working with acrylic , was fun.
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/20140315_222845.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/20140315_222845.jpg.html)
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/20140315_222900.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/20140315_222900.jpg.html)

couple of coral shots
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/20140315_223013.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/20140315_223013.jpg.html)
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/20140315_223038.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/20140315_223038.jpg.html)

Anyone ever put any coral in there overflow box ?
I need to ditch my torch coral as it is clearly killing my second clown fish. Wife thought that maybe we could put it in the overflow

Rice Reef

03-16-2014, 06:29 AM

Jon, good job on the screen and I really like that feeder door you made! Excellent ideal! Guess I should just get you do mine. :biggrin:

shrimp

03-16-2014, 07:03 AM

Great job on the screen and I guess it is ready for some fish tomorrow.

Slyguy00

03-16-2014, 08:04 AM

Just glue your torch to the back glass. Thats what I did, looks cool and keeps it away from everything else :mrgreen:

reeferfulton

03-16-2014, 04:07 PM

Just glue your torch to the back glass. Thats what I did, looks cool and keeps it away from everything else :mrgreen:

The issue is , our clown fish is hosting in the torch. He is slowly being stung to death. He is covered in black sting marks. He will occasionally get swollen areas too. We used to have 2 clowns. But came home one day to find the clown sucking on a torch tentacle. He was dead a few days later.

So I need to move the torch out of the tank. Or try the overflow box

monza

03-16-2014, 04:11 PM

Can you get him an anemone to host in?

Aquattro

03-16-2014, 05:37 PM

My clowns host in my torch, no stinging. Maybe it's something else?

FishyFishy!

03-16-2014, 05:41 PM

I had two clowns that hosted a torch. They did get lots of black marks however they lived a long and healthy life.

Are there any other signs of bad health? Or just the black marks?

kien

03-16-2014, 06:24 PM

That rod is awesome! I want one.

I would have thought that an anemone sting was more potent than a torch coral. Certainly in my experience they are. I wonder if one possible explanation is that if your clowns were captive bred that they've mutated and lost their ability to withstand nematocysts stings. Generations upon generations of inbreeding could potential cause this. In the wild if a clown was born with such a defect they would likely perish rather quickly and not propagate the potentially defective gene. But that's just a wild ass guess..

reeferfulton

03-29-2014, 05:53 AM

Well in the new tank the clown has decided he likes the hammer coral now instead. He seems to be slowly recovering which is good.
I have had most of my fish now for 1 full year . The only loss I have ever suffered was the first clown. He died within 4 months of adding the torch.

I have been pretty busy lately. Tank has been running well. Finally plumbed the eheim 1262 return in. Nice and quite.
Picked up the complete ca reactor this week. Filled the co2 bottle. 24 bucks..not bad.

Did the leak check on the geo 612 tonight. All is well.
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/20140320_213429.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/20140320_213429.jpg.html)
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/20140328_212606.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/20140328_212606.jpg.html)http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/20140328_212346.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/20140328_212346.jpg.html)

reeferfulton

03-29-2014, 05:58 AM

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/20140328_212423.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/20140328_212423.jpg.html)
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/20140328_212458.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/20140328_212458.jpg.html)

Need to figure out to add a movie to the thread.
Can it be done with photo bucket? .

reeferfulton

03-29-2014, 06:17 AM

Guess no video allowed ?

reeferfulton

03-31-2014, 01:36 AM

Today. Spent the day tunning around lookin g for fittings to t in the ca reactor into the return line. Finally found some.

Also did a mock water change with my new system. Took 20 mins total start to finsh to change 40 gallons.
I plumbed in a mag9.5 in the water change tank to do rhe recirculating and transfer . Works well. Seems evenly matched with the 1262 return .
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/20140330_182847.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/20140330_182847.jpg.html)

reeferfulton

04-19-2014, 03:20 AM

Update before I go on holidays for a week..

Calcium reactor has been running for 2 weeks now. And I am loving it . Think it was definitely a step in the right direction.
Effluent is at about one drip per second. About 20 co2 bubbles per min.

Have 4 wp40's running now on the new twin controllers. So far I think they are absolutely great for the what they cost.the twin controller is pretty darn good.

The new eheim 1262 has proven to be an excellent choice as well.

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/20140418_195749.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/20140418_195749.jpg.html)

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/20140418_195754.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/20140418_195754.jpg.html)

Also I must say its been great having the apex fusion. Evwr since switching to telus I have lost conection to the apex. But fusion fixed all that.
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/20140418_195815.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/20140418_195815.jpg.html)

Bblinks

04-19-2014, 03:33 AM

Awesome job buddy! Tank looks really well!

reeferfulton

04-19-2014, 03:47 AM

Thank rich. Havent seen you on the boards much, how you doing ? Enjoying the change ?

Bblinks

04-19-2014, 04:54 AM

Thank rich. Havent seen you on the boards much, how you doing ? Enjoying the change ?

Need to get rid of my 300 and get down to about that size like yours. I am missing my Sps! Keep up the good work buds. It's really nice!

reeferfulton

10-12-2014, 07:28 PM

well time for a quick update .

Tank is coming along really well . Its been up and running since march of this year , and I can officially say that setting up this new tank is the only thing that kept me in this hobby.
its ease of maintenance and simple design has brought the joy back for me.

I am loving the Calcium reactor. I do not miss mixing up jugs of bulk chemicals.
I no longer run any phosphate remover.
I run passive carbon.
I no longer run biopellets.

I do large water changes often.

My Corals have never looked better, and they are still improving. hands down the corals are leaps and bounds ahead of my last tank.

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/20141012_101937.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/20141012_101937.jpg.html)
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/20141012_101947.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/20141012_101947.jpg.html)
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/20140902_204117.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/20140902_204117.jpg.html)

Wheelman76

10-12-2014, 07:50 PM

Looking great Jon!!

freezetyle

10-12-2014, 08:52 PM

Holy Crap! less is definitely more!

brotherd

10-13-2014, 12:32 AM

Nice tank and corals! Can you describe the light schedule and intensity?

reeferfulton

10-16-2014, 04:07 AM

Looking great Jon!!

Thanks buddy , The single head of ultra acans i got off you in march now finally have 3 big heads and 3 wee little ones lol. I will have to pick up some more one day from ya

Holy Crap! less is definitely more!
Thanks Jon!
ya , I am trying my hardest to keep from adding to many random additives.

Nice tank and corals! Can you describe the light schedule and intensity?

Thanks .
Light shed is as follows.
Mitras overal set to 100% high output mode.
then the individual colors are
color ramp up peak at ramp down
Blue 7-12 100% 4-10
Royal blue 7-12 100% 4-10
Cool white 7-12 85 % 4-10
RED 7-12 35% 4-6
True green 7-12 100% 4-6
Hyper red 7-12 45% 4-6
yellow 7-12 100% 4-6
Neutral white 7-12 85% 4-6
Hyp vilote 7-12 100% 4-10

hope that helps.
As i feel the need to increase par , i can still turn up some colors i guess. I can then also increas peak duration i suppose

Now as as of today .. TWO MITRAS lol
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/20141015_203644.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/20141015_203644.jpg.html)

gregzz4

10-16-2014, 05:16 AM

Wow Jon, that's lookin' awesome buddy !

Skimmerking

10-16-2014, 03:15 PM

that rock work reminds me a a guy who had this corner tank it was a custom corner amazing with all SPS EPOSER was his username. Brad you remember right alot ofthe oldies would

reeferfulton

11-02-2014, 08:31 PM

Wow Jon, that's lookin' awesome buddy !

thanks .I am definitely having an up moment , and it feels good to be happy with where your tank is at.

So some more improvements to my tank . We finished the stand, got a good deal on some solid maple doors. We skinned the stand in 1/8th birch ply and and stained the whole thing.
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/Mobile%20Uploads/20141025_135508.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20141025_135508.jpg.html)

then the doors went on
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/Mobile%20Uploads/20141026_162645.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20141026_162645.jpg.html)

and here are some more pics of my coral as of nov 1 2014
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/Mobile%20Uploads/20141102_131829.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20141102_131829.jpg.html)
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/Mobile%20Uploads/20141102_131648.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20141102_131648.jpg.html)
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/Mobile%20Uploads/20141102_131704.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20141102_131704.jpg.html)
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/Mobile%20Uploads/20141102_131730.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20141102_131730.jpg.html)

Jaws

11-04-2014, 03:22 AM

Looks wicked man. Nice job.

kien

11-04-2014, 04:06 AM

Tank is living up to its thread title I see. Very nice! :-)

reeferfulton

11-06-2014, 03:34 AM

Looks wicked man. Nice job.

Tank is living up to its thread title I see. Very nice! :-)

thanks guys , Appreciate it . We all know how much damn effort these tanks are .!

Rice Reef

11-10-2014, 10:38 PM

Looking good, Mr Fulton! Two Mitras is definitely better than one! Gonna have to come over soon. :biggrin:

Bblinks

11-10-2014, 11:19 PM

Got the same size tank as yours buddy. It's gonna be a show down...lol jokes.

Tank is looking goo! Now all you have to do is sit back and enjoy the view!

Rice Reef

11-10-2014, 11:32 PM

Got the same size tank as yours buddy. It's gonna be a show down...lol jokes.

Tank is looking goo! Now all you have to do is sit back and enjoy the view!

:fencing:

:pop2:

reeferfulton

11-23-2014, 09:06 PM

Got the same size tank as yours buddy. It's gonna be a show down...lol jokes.

Tank is looking goo! Now all you have to do is sit back and enjoy the view!

Thanks Rich .I Look forward to seeing your new setup !

Looking good, Mr Fulton! Two Mitras is definitely better than one! Gonna have to come over soon. :biggrin:

Ya 48 inch coverage with one mitras definitely does not work for growing the SPS on the outside edges . Now things are growing everywhere .

at the same time i added the light , i also increased tank temperate by 1 degree to 79.5. I have seen increased polpy extension and growth all over lately .

reeferfulton

01-27-2015, 09:53 PM

been 2 months since my last post .
tank has now been running aprox 11 months . I must say that the last three months growth and color are doing better then ever. :biggrin:

I have slowly been turning up my drip rate on the Ca reactor, as the corals grow they definitely begin sucking up more alk and Ca.

I still do not run any GFO, i do not carbon dose.

for last 3 months i have been adding Brightwells Pottasion. 2 spoon fulls at every water change.

i also add a couple drops of Lugul's every few days.

I no longer add aminos or any other additive , I was adding B Balance for around 3 months and noticed no difference when i stopped.

here is a few pics
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/Mobile%20Uploads/20150127_143744.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20150127_143744.jpg.html)
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/Mobile%20Uploads/20150127_143725.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20150127_143725.jpg.html)
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/Mobile%20Uploads/20150127_143641.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20150127_143641.jpg.html)

kien

01-28-2015, 01:14 AM

looking spectacular ! :-)

shrimp

01-28-2015, 05:22 AM

Definitely a lot of growth since I saw it last, must look even better in person.

Wheelman76

01-28-2015, 07:33 AM

Looking great Jon!!

Myka

01-28-2015, 01:14 PM

Lookin good!

lastlight

01-28-2015, 03:55 PM

that arch is filling out really well looks sweet. i can't believe you max almost all your channels on the mitras. i recall that appearing quite pink/red.

reeferfulton

01-28-2015, 05:35 PM

Thanks Guys !

that arch is filling out really well looks sweet. i can't believe you max almost all your channels on the mitras. i recall that appearing quite pink/red.

thanks ,
Since that discussion , I have turned down most of my colors to below 20 percent.
I i know run RB , BL at close to 100 , and CW around 70.
I have also added two 36" t5 ATI blue+ bulbs .

So my tank now has a definite blue tone to it all the time , which i am beginning to really like .

Since turning my leds down , especially ther neutral white and cool whites i have noticed a darkening in coral color which is perfect..

Rice Reef

01-29-2015, 03:49 AM

Time to switch over to full t5s... 😜

Bblinks

01-29-2015, 05:33 AM

I need to come by and raid I mean check out your tank...lol jokes, tanks looks really nice.

reeferfulton

01-30-2015, 01:58 AM

Time to switch over to full t5s... 😜

Nah , mitras make good moon lighting .... lol

I need to come by and raid I mean check out your tank...lol jokes, tanks looks really nice.

Any time , Next time you come to the island stay a day or 2 :biggrin:
Heck if I have anything you like let me know . I will have wayne cut a peice for ya lol hahaha. JK
But that leptastrea you gave me is starting to really grow out so keep it in mind one day ..

Oh and post some dam pics in your thread !

reeferfulton

02-09-2015, 06:02 AM

Well its beenjust a couple of months since i added two t5 blue+.... I will be adding 2 more lol , colors have never looked better . Since adding them and turning the mitras CW and NW way way down. I am havine excellent results ..

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/Mobile%20Uploads/20150208_203015.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20150208_203015.jpg.html)

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/Mobile%20Uploads/20150208_202912.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20150208_202912.jpg.html)

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/Mobile%20Uploads/20150208_202919.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20150208_202919.jpg.html)

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/Mobile%20Uploads/20150208_202928.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20150208_202928.jpg.html)

krazykarl

02-09-2015, 06:12 PM

Hey.

Looks good. I like the color. I run Kessel's and have been debating adding a couple of T5's but have been trying to give just Led's a go. I have only just started to get my Parameters in order so going to wait another month or two.

Looking good keep it up.

Slyguy00

02-09-2015, 07:00 PM

Looks amazing. Glad to hear we have another T5 convert on our hands :wink:

daplatapus

02-09-2015, 08:04 PM

Man, nice colour.

Bblinks

02-16-2015, 09:10 PM

Anymore pics....hungry for more colorful sps.....

reeferfulton

06-13-2015, 07:50 PM

wow , its been months since an update .

Well , besides the pis below ,, what else is new ....hmmmmm

Well i have been eating through Ca reactor media , Also getting close to empty on my first C02 bottle.
Seems the tank is very stable now , just sticking to the same old routine . 40g water changes every 2 weeks.

still running 2 mitras leds , and 4 blue plus 36" bulbs .

On water change day i had 2 tablespoons of Pottassion from brightwell , and every few days i add 2 drops of luguls.

No other dosing products of any sort.

Also been working on my Truck , and shes on the road !!!

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/Mobile%20Uploads/20150527_110832.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20150527_110832.jpg.html)

and tank shots from this week
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/Mobile%20Uploads/20150613_123453.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20150613_123453.jpg.html)

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/Mobile%20Uploads/20150607_131836.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20150607_131836.jpg.html)

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/Mobile%20Uploads/20150607_131905.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20150607_131905.jpg.html)

reeferfulton

06-13-2015, 08:15 PM

video work below ?? lets try

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/th_20150608_174320.mp4 (http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/20150608_174320.mp4)

Aquattro

06-13-2015, 09:50 PM

Yup, it works. Looking good!

reeferfulton

06-13-2015, 11:23 PM

sweet ,
Thanks

eli@fijireefrock.com

06-14-2015, 03:05 AM

Sweet setup and love the video:thumb:

gregzz4

06-14-2015, 05:42 PM

Nice growth!
And I can imagine how happy you are to have the truck on the road

reeferfulton

06-14-2015, 10:07 PM

thanks gregg,
ya after nearly 1 year of work on the truck i walked away from it. Didnt touch it for 2 whole years, then finally in the last 3 months pushed to get it back on the road.. not perfect but just in time for summer at least.

well, had say no to myself today.. blue world aquariums has a really really nice labouti wrasse.. i came very close to buying it. $299.. but decided against it....oh well.
probably best i leave my tank alone... its balanced and all the fish have been getting along for 2 years now

jason604

06-16-2015, 09:39 PM

So was it rly worth it adding T5s to supplement ur LEDS? I'm thinking of doing the same but not sure if it will make a huge diff for growth n color. I'm currently running 2 radions. Can u please post a pic of how ur lights r placed? I'm thinking of 1 single T5 parallel to each side of my radions. Do u run chiller? Does it raise tank temp much?

reeferfulton

06-17-2015, 02:32 AM

ok ,
i initially added 1 t5 parallel to each side of the 2 mitras. I Do think that i saw a difference of color and growth, which is why i added a second set of parallel bulbs.

Growth was to so directional with just leds, before with just the leds it seemed all growth directly pointed towards the led clusters above . Now with the t5's it seems growth is more wide in direction .... if that makes sense ..

As far as color , I had good color from the top down with just leds , but now i feel like I get a more visible color on the corals when looking from the front and sides of the tank as well.

Chiller, no i do not run one, i do believe that the 4 t5's did increase the tank temp , but not much , I had to run a fan on my sump last summer even without the t5's . And again this summer is seem to be getting by with just a large loud honeywell fan. It kicks on around 3pm and runs till about 7 in my house on just the hot days. Tank has not breached 80 degrees yet.

as far as mounting of the t5s , they actually just have brackets that cross over the leds and simply rest ontop of the leds. it is fairly clean and simple.. i took some pics for you .
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/Mobile%20Uploads/20150616_191925.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20150616_191925.jpg.html)

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/Mobile%20Uploads/20150616_191904.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20150616_191904.jpg.html)

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/Mobile%20Uploads/20150616_191851.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20150616_191851.jpg.html)

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/Mobile%20Uploads/20150616_191834.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20150616_191834.jpg.html)

Jaws

06-17-2015, 04:32 AM

Looking great John. What did you end up turning your mitras down to after you added the T5's?

reeferfulton

06-17-2015, 01:50 PM

thanks!

I turned the CW and NW leds down to around 35 percent. I made that adjustment over the course of a few months as i was noticing my corals were getting pale.
i havent made any adjustments to my lights now in a few months and think that it is stable now

jason604

06-17-2015, 02:22 PM

Interesting. Should I start with 1 bulb on each side like U did or just jump right for 2 on each side? My tank is a 110gal I think the width is about 20"

Roskoreef

06-18-2015, 01:15 AM

FWIW i started with 2 on each side of my radions, also sunbrights, and corals loved it but i think it caused a small algae outbreak, next time i would mount all of them and turn turn on half for a while then the rest.

Rice Reef

06-18-2015, 01:51 AM

Looking pretty sweet, Jon!!! Aren't you glad you jumped onto the T5 wagon?

reeferfulton

06-18-2015, 04:15 AM

Interesting. Should I start with 1 bulb on each side like U did or just jump right for 2 on each side? My tank is a 110gal I think the width is about 20"

I Would likely just jump to 2 for each side , 4 bulbs will make a noticeable difference. It will also save you from having to build 2 separate sets of brackets like i did .

FWIW i started with 2 on each side of my radions, also sunbrights, and corals loved it but i think it caused a small algae outbreak, next time i would mount all of them and turn turn on half for a while then the rest.
This is a good plan for sure, I too noticed a little algae outbreak . I guess do to the added light .. I turn 1 set of bulbs on at 11am then the second set at 12. I also stagger the off times .

Looking pretty sweet, Jon!!! Aren't you glad you jumped onto the T5 wagon?

I know Buddy lol ,I am in the LED bandwagon and the T5 wagon. wonder which i will be in longer .....

reeferfulton

07-22-2015, 03:50 AM

photo dump from today. Galaxy s4

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/Mobile%20Uploads/20150721_184558.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20150721_184558.jpg.html)

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/Mobile%20Uploads/20150721_184446.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20150721_184446.jpg.html)

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/Mobile%20Uploads/20150721_185325.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20150721_185325.jpg.html)

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/Mobile%20Uploads/20150721_185350.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20150721_185350.jpg.html)

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/Mobile%20Uploads/20150721_192211.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20150721_192211.jpg.html)

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/Mobile%20Uploads/20150721_192224.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20150721_192224.jpg.html)

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/Mobile%20Uploads/20150721_192123.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20150721_192123.jpg.html)

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/Mobile%20Uploads/20150721_192234.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20150721_192234.jpg.html)

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/Mobile%20Uploads/20150721_192312.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20150721_192312.jpg.html)

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/Mobile%20Uploads/20150721_192247.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20150721_192247.jpg.html)

Myka

07-22-2015, 04:15 AM

Love those big colonies! And wtg Galaxy! ;)

Howie

07-22-2015, 05:22 AM

Tank looks beautiful!! I like the T5 mitras combination, I may need to look at setting up some T5's with mine Lol

reeferfulton

10-11-2015, 06:14 AM

just a photo update
added 2 more t5's to bring the total to 6 now lol. added a dusky wrasse a few months back. very healthy and great addition
will do a better update later
cheers

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/Mobile%20Uploads/20151002_172455.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20151002_172455.jpg.html)

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/Mobile%20Uploads/20151002_172404.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20151002_172404.jpg.html)

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/Mobile%20Uploads/20151002_172302.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20151002_172302.jpg.html)

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/jfulton_bucket/Mobile%20Uploads/20151002_172607.jpg (http://s1023.photobucket.com/user/jfulton_bucket/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20151002_172607.jpg.html)