Magik's 75 gal upgrade!

[magikof7]

got the tap water all drained and cleaned out of the tank and finally have enough saltwater made up and in the Display. Just have to finish getting the Rock cemented together and by late tonight it can go in the tank!
I'm thinking I may have to upgrade or get a new higher GPD Ro/Di unit.

I can't wait to be done this and get my house back in order and cleaned up, I've been neglecting chasing the dog hair tumbleweeds around the house and have fish stuff spread all over

Tomorrow once I am home from the stables I can do the coral transfer and set up the skimmer. Think a Trip to concept is in order too I need a bunch of stuff as always

Right hand structure


Left side in the making.




The Fijicrete has been an experience but by the time We are finished I'll be an expert.
and as a useless side note that everyone knows but it happens anyway.....watch out when you are holding pvc on the output on a mag9 pump in a garbage can to fill your tank...when it slips outta your hand....Everything is getting wet! it was like taming old faithful! Hubby got a SW facewash lmao.

[Madreefer]

Good job on the stand and everything else looks good too.
Gotta love that flexhose. Fish tanks and horses? Pretty expensive hobbies
My wife has a dutch warmblood so she does'nt hassle me too much bout my tank.

[magikof7]

Thank you, Denny, Eli and my hubby have been a big help.

lol Every hobby is expensive believe me I've tried many and have a few lol.
I don't own a horse yet, once we get out of the city we will see. The only Horse that has taken my breath away is a Gypsy Vanner. You don't wanna know what they cost. I'm just learning horsemanship so it will be awhile.

[magikof7]

It's ALIIIVEEE!!!!

The Red Neck light legs will soon be replaced. Will take more pics after it has cleared up. next...Dun Dun DUhhh......Transfer!

[magikof7]

Well, my fingers are red, raw and swollen. my Anemone kicked my ass but, I got it done. Nothing is in it's permanent spot yet except the nems, and probably the hammers.
My only loss so far might be my firefish, I think he was inside a rock I had out on the table trying to get Riccordia off of.

Just have to run over to Concept and get some help getting my Mini carpets off a rock. Hopefully I can grab an MP 40 while I'm there.

Here are some pics. It looks so bare!

[asylumdown]

wow, instant gratification! Beautiful tank, the stand looks great. I love the idea of magnetic doors that just come off.

Can I ask how you trained your mandarin to eat prepared foods (if he does eat prepared foods that is). I picked one up yesterday and I have it down in QT, but it's completely ignoring all dozen foods.

[magikof7]

Thank you I dunno about instant gratification though it has taken forever to get running

I didn't do anything to get my mandarin to eat frozen,(not intentionally anyway.) I don't feed frozen often nor did I need to because I had a crazy pod population in my fuge and DT of my other tank.

I can tell you what I think got him eating frozen...I turn off all flow, power heads and return pump. I fed the carnivore frozen cubes, brine shrimp and or blood worms Mixed together. I also fed frozen mysis shrimp. Because there was no flow the food sat on rocks, substrate, and Corals when the mandarin was over the food his fins would stir up the food and he would eat it when he saw it move. It also has to be very small pieces.
They are such slow hunters, I think the flow is just too much but you turn it off and he can hunt all he wants and his own fins make it move. It has to move and catch his attention but not so fast he can't "hunt" it.
I have seen others use a petrie dish with holes in it filled with store bought pods or frozen foods. Another method I have seen is a baby food jar with frozen food and small pellets, the mandarin can get in the jar but bigger fish can't.

Good Luck with yours I hope you can use something in that novel I wrote

[magikof7]

Picked up a few fish from Concept. They are in QT for the next little while.

2 Yellow Candy Hog fish, a Carpenters Flasher Wrasse and a cleaner shrimp.

[magikof7]

Things in the tank are finally settling down. I have been having a few problems with algea but it is getting much better. I'm just waiting for my reactors to come in so I can runn GFO and Carbon.

Sometimes at night the overflow gets messed up. the return outpumps the overflow. It takes several restarts to get it right again. I'm not sure if there are power issues or what. (maybe at night the power flickers)

Bought a few more corals. I took back the Hog Fish, they were becomming bullies. I had a really neat Goby that is hard to get in and of course it jumped out of the QT between the glass and the filter. Ugh I think the big dog got a fishy treat.









Some of my older corals. they have improved under the T5's

[magikof7]

Well, turns out it is my Pump that is failing. It has only been running for a couple of months.
I can not use my Skimmer or ATO because of the water level getting to high in the sump, the skimmer just overflows and the ATO is screamin in the middle of the night.

I'm rather ****ed off because there is no warranty available unless I go directly to the manufacturer and my emails to them are not getting through.

My tank was just starting to look great and now I'm back to cyano, hair algea and bubble algea. I've been waiting weeks for reactors and supplies to come in. I'm almost ready to quit.

any recommendations for a GOOD return pump please! let me hear it. Speedwave is NOT it!