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Builder building the build (1 Viewer)

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decimal

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After taking a 8-10 year reefing hiatus about 2 years ago I decided to get back into it. I started out with a 10g aio

This was during a micro bloom. Kinda cloudy but I like the aliens scape I had going there.
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and after doing some really pretty dumb stuff on a very small scale, I jumped up to a 20g IM aio.
44847-1b450630c80a1b2ed12c3c4b17687588.jpg

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That tank has been tended to for over a year and seems to be doing pretty well with a list of stuff too long to list. Pretty full no matter which way you look at it.

Then, in a moment of weakness, I did this
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Right now I am just gathering all the pieces to make it into something manageable.

I do know I would like to add a few tangs. A list of contenders.. I’m thinking maybe (5) total? Thoughts?

Naso Tang

Gem Tang

Achilles Tang

Surgeon tang

Desjardini sailfin
 
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decimal

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Yea.. I don’t know if all those will be alright together so I’m not married to it. There are no pictures of 10k worth of bnib reef stuff in this thread. After I get done setting this thing up, I am going to have start out with half a tang.

Just have to decide which half..
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Or

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soymilk

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That’s a nice looking tank. Looks too much like mines tho, so imma have to sue you now.
 
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decimal

decimal

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Oh Please do.. however, please refrain from contacting me directly and forward all subsequent correspondence to my attorneys.

Goldstein, Goldstein and Rabinowitz

They are the best attorneys money can’t buy. I Look forward to discovery, seeing you in court and soon owning your tank too. Have a great day.
 

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That's a very nice upgrade...

Did you stick a piece of ply under the tank? I'm sure it's gonna be fine just curious.
 
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decimal

decimal

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I couldn’t find arm length gloves so a little ingenuity and ducktape did the job.

0F0BBF20-AB37-4719-A52C-9E360967B768.jpeg F03BE9B1-515A-433A-928D-185E0631DC30.jpeg
Acid washed the rock,
3E377ED4-467C-468F-B2E8-89FDFCA28F18.jpeg EE3721F9-CC19-4445-BD3C-CD92E67C8E87.jpeg

then in clean ro water.

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Rinsed and put in the sun for a day and then Fresh RO with bleach for 7 days.

Finally everything is looking pretty clean.

One final rinse / soak in RO water and now to dry for a couple of days.

0C86CC78-451A-4769-910A-76212B03279F.jpeg F4AE1F51-5DA0-416E-A6DB-A1A3753187AB.jpeg
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Moving along… the tank was used and I think it had been sitting for a while. I ran vinegar for 3-4 days just to clean up anything forgotten. Cleaned everything out, rinsed and dried then added another 200g RODI water. Everything is looking pretty clean. Adding salt and started with the scape.
 
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decimal

decimal

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Rock is in the tank and light is hung. Pretty much done. Just need to finish hardware stuff. Skimmer, ca2 Rx, lights and ozone. I’m struggling a little with the light. I have an aquaticlife T5 and RS90 reefled. need to add reedleds but the T5 is going to need a frame or something the light spillage is blinding.
 

soymilk

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I have the same problem with the t5, but I only play to run t5 for like 3-4 hours, and preferably when I’m at work. So it was a non issue ultimately
 
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Funny story.. I bought brightwell quick cycle

and start xlm


along with a marine brick. Well for some reason, I couldn’t find it when it was time to start the quick cycle so I wound up buying fritz turbo start 900

and added that along with daily doses of microbacter7.


Well fast forward a few days and guess what.. the box with the brightwell stuff that I thought I had thrown out accidentally appeared. Having suddenly become available again, I added the quick cycle product because it contains ammonia. Now I was wondering if I should add the brightwell start xlm as originally planned or just leave it and continue dosing the microbacter7.

I’m probably overthinking it. The bacteria is different and the brightwell is more.. idk sophisticated(?) just because it splits the ingredients into 2 separate solutions. i I also have an additional bottle of the quick cycle that I could add.

Edit: I added a small additional amount of the quick cycle and the required dose of the start xlm.
 
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soymilk

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I believe the general consensus is not to mix bacterial additives.

Each product could be a different strain and they could end up competing with each other and perhaps slowing down your insta cycle.
 
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decimal

decimal

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Right that’s why I was hesitant. But info on fritz is kind of weak. I suspect it is just very expensive fish poo. Since I added extra fuel (ammonia) I think/hope the brightwell bacteria will establish itself alongside the fritz. Bio diversity is important. I will also add some Tampa bay rock down the line to increase biodiversity even further.
 

soymilk

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dr.reef did a test with a bunch of them


fun lil read
 
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