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First salt water tank build (1 Viewer)

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Fjmm91

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Really need to keep up with this build thread, really been neglecting it. So I decided to start a second tank, a 36 gallon I got from cody, in hopes of having a dominant lps tank, and still having my main tank, a 112 g, as a mixed reef sps dominant tank in the future. Soon realized after a few weeks that the smaller tank was being neglected, like this thread, and since I didn't want to buy doubles of everything I had got for main tank, decides to plumb them together to share same sump. That way I can properly monitor both while still being able to have two separate systems without buying double everything.
 

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Fjmm91

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Both tanks have been combined for a few months, haven't had any real issues, other than a break out of cyano, I'm assuming from the rock that I had used that hadn't been treated for smaller tank, but finally got rid of it all after 2 months using chemi clean after replacing my carbon and gfo. The cyano is gone now but now I'm starting to grow algae, but that may be due in part to dosing phyotofeast. Which I am dosing 2-3 times a week for one of my new additions, my wife's maxima clam! She was really excited when we got it and it's been doing fine these past 2 months. Haven't been able to get a good top down photo but the blue is much more noticeable that way. Also added a few frags that I got that have started to grow so that's exciting since I take that as a sign in doing something right lol
 

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Fjmm91

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Here are some of the additions to the lps tank and some updated photos from the old frags. Also added a cool red and green monti spiral i got from a local reefer, a gold with blue tip cristata, and a orange/red acan added to main tank.
 

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Fjmm91

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For fish additions there haven't been too many, I added a cleaner wrasse to join my gs marron in the 36 g, and didn't add anything else until just recently. I was able to take advantage of fjws anniversary sale and pick up a small purple tang to my 36 and after a few years, hopefully add it to my 112. My mom got my wife a coral beauty from fjw as well and a porcupine puffer and those were added to the 112. I've had the puffer for about 2 weeks and haven't had any issues as of yet, and the beauty has been there for 3 days with no issues. Trying to keep them well fed so they don't cause problems.
 

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Fjmm91

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Pulled the trigger and bought 2 ice cap 4k gyre for my main tank, I was getting alot of detritus build up due to lack of flow. Since my tank is a dual overflow, the gyres don't fit horizontally on the ends so I have them vertical with my tunze on the back glass. I had went with the icecap because I'm thinking of getting the coralvue hydros wave engine later on down the road.
 

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I've been happy with my apex classic that I had got a few months ago, but just found out that I was lucky enough to win the fjw raffle for an apex el, so I will be upgrading to that and posting an update once it's all switched over. Not sure if I want to sell the classic and eb8, or keep them as a back up, but I'm really on the sell side. Who knows, might be able to help a newer reefer with a cheap controller, just like I was helped a few months back.
 
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So I finally had my first major loss. First year reefer in a brand new home, didn't know how cold my house got once winter hit. Tank temp dropped to low 70s at night, even with 3 heaters, 25watt, 100 watt and 300 watt. Since my tank had ich after not quarantining some chaeto I had bought months ago, my fish got stressed and had a big ice outbreak. I bought space heaters to help keep the temp higher at night but after a week with no improvements to fish, decided to tear down tank temp to remove all the fish to go fallow and quarantine. Did a fw dip and started cupramime but slowly over the week my tangs and puffer wouldn't eat and slowly over a week lost all 4 tangs and puffer.
 
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Luckily I still have half my live stock, 2 perculas, mandarin goby, red coris wrasse, banggai cardinal, and my gold striped maroon. They've been doing good these past two weeks in treatment so hopefully they all make it though the qt. My next step is trying to prevent ich in the first place with proper qt now that I know everything wet needs 76 days, not just fish, but will also be investing in a uv later om to help if I do screw up, which I'm hoping I don't, so something like this doesn't happen again. I now know why some people leave the hobby after a crash since I only lost half my fish and it felt devastating, but I'm learning from my mistakes and moving forward 🙂
 

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So I finally had my first major loss. First year reefer in a brand new home, didn't know how cold my house got once winter hit. Tank temp dropped to low 70s at night, even with 3 heaters, 25watt, 100 watt and 300 watt. Since my tank had ich after not quarantining some chaeto I had bought months ago, my fish got stressed and had a big ice outbreak. I bought space heaters to help keep the temp higher at night but after a week with no improvements to fish, decided to tear down tank temp to remove all the fish to go fallow and quarantine. Did a fw dip and started cupramime but slowly over the week my tangs and puffer wouldn't eat and slowly over a week lost all 4 tangs and puffer.
How cold is your home getting at night?
 
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How cold is your home getting at night?
When we had that cold front of 40 degrees my living room was anywhere between 65-70 degrees. My tank would drop from 77 during the day to around 71 degrees at the lowest before my lights would turn on and heat the tank back up. Now that I have the space heater I've been able to keep the temp above 76 at night but will definitely be replacing tje 100 watt for another 300 watt to try and keep it stable in the colder weathwr
 
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