Dammit...here goes another build for me! (with update video) (1 Viewer)

[JasonF]

I had a blank corner in my living room, so what else was I supposed to do but start another tank! I had a bunch of really nice equipment in my pet closet so I thought I would put it to good use. It will be SPS and clams.

The tank is a 54 gallon RR All Glass that I paid about 200 on clearance at Petco with stand. Sweet deal. Lighting is a Geisemann Nova II 250 watt with Megachrome 20k kelvin bulb. Return is a Tunze return pump. Circulation is from a pair of Tunze Streams. Top off is a Tunze osmolator. Skimmer is a Euro-Reef CS5-2 that Dennis at FJW sold me for 75. Another sweet deal!

I would love some opinions on calcium. I have a PM kalk reactor that I can run with my top off, and I have a 2 chamber PM calcium reactor. I can run either or even both. What would you do keeping in mind that calcium demand will be high?

Here are my "day one" photos that I just took. I've been reef keeping for years but opinions and advice are always appreciated.

Cheers! J

 

[emixa]

Man, i like. thumbs up dude!!!

 

[flexrac]

sweet setup, I think the kalkreactor will work well with that tank size.
Nice rock work!
what's the fish list going to be like?

 

[JasonF]

Thanks guys. As a general rule in my SPS Systems I stick with tiny fish. I have a mated pair of Ocellaris I am going to move into it with one of my RBTAs as well as a pair of Bangaii's. Other than that just some neon gobies and maybe a six line for the movement.

The open area is left there because that will be clam real estate!

 

[flexrac]

me thinks you are overdoing it with the rbta.
they move around too much for my liking in an sps tank.
i would do a yellow corris wrasse instead of the sixline. goby and pistol shrimp would be cool too.

 

[DHoward]

Nice man! Great deal

 

[JasonF]

Flexrac, I have never had an issue with them. My big tank has five RBTAs with a TON of SPS. I think that as long as you keep them happy (low flow area wth good light and occasiounal feeding) they stay put. It is also important to my girl to have the clown/anemone combos. We share a bank account. Get it???

 

[flexrac]

gotcha!

 

[fishcraze_1]

Jason.

Sweet setup.

What is your big tank now.

 

[fishrme]

thats a nice tank ..i like the corner tanks too ..i thought about getting myself one before too ..but ended up getting an awesome 7o ...ita a pretty cool tank ..it was custon built so there not many out there like this one ..thats why i loved it and it goes great in my living room ..i have victorian type furniture ..hers a pic

 

[JasonF]

Fishrme, That is truly a pimp set up. Nice!

Fish craze, I should say bigger than the 54 not big by some of y'alls standards. Just a 210 and a 90 gallon.

My mission today is to find a top off reservoir. The sump is in place and I am limited to a small footprint of space for the reservoir, but I defininitely want it in the stand. I may have to have custom acrylic done. The dimension that I have is 8X12X26" high. Any ideas?

 

[SaltwaterSilly]

Try a 13 gallon kitchen trash can.

 

[JasonF]

I went to the container store and found an absolutely perfect fitting top off reservoir. It is a sterlite wrapping paper storage container that is the exact dimension and is 28" tall. I tried the trash can first but it was slightly too big. Now to hook up the osmolator.

My plan now is to do a five gallon per day water change for a week or so before starting to add livestock.

 

[JasonF]

The water parameters are perfect so I went ahead and put in most of the livestock with the exception of the SPS and clams that I will be moving from my other systems. Here is the list.

-ORA neon gobi
-Captive bred Bangaii's X3
-Mated pair of ORA clowns
-Tail spot blenny
-Cleaner shrimp
-Fire shrimp
-RBTA's X2
-Yellow finger leather (temporary resident to add color)

That will be it for fish. Now the fun part begins with loading this little puppy with corals! I decided on just running the two stage PM caco3 reactor and leaving off the kalk reactor since I am running a controller. More photos will follow when the tank is worth photographing.

Cheers!

 

[JasonF]

Here is a short video that I just shot with the ipad. It is starting to look like a reef tank!

 

[flexrac]

says video fail

 

[JasonF]

Just fixed it. Thanks!

 

[flexrac]

looks good!

 

[JasonF]

A friend asked me what the LED fixture behind the MH fixture. It is a marineland with moonlight that Petsmart has on sale for $25. I unscrewed the two halves of it and drilled/bolted it to an aluminum bracket that I made and painted the color of my wall. It hides well behind the MH and gives nice moonlight or white light when I want it. I am happy with it.

http://www.marineland.com/sites/marineland/products/Detail.aspx?id=3416

 

[JasonF]

Here is another update video. I think that it is coming along nicely. I have had zero problems which I credit to patience in stocking and quality equipment. I added an MP10 and an actinic Stunner LED strip. Click on the second picture to see the video.