tas5tas' 237g Total System Build (1 Viewer)

[jhand]

It looks great, you must be super excited!

I look forward to hearing how your skimmer performs, it might be what I put on my next tank.

 

[AquaNerd]

hey thomas, i'm currently running zeomag. it certainly does the job, so i'm pleased with it. i've only been running it for about two or three weeks, but i'm testing stuff today and i'll post back here to let you know how well it's keeping up.

 

[tas5tas]

Sounds good Brandon....keep me updated. I just don't feel that the ARM will supply enough to keep levels from droping and I don't want to have to dose from a bottle. Would rather just throw it in the reactor and let it ride. I think Zeovit recommends a ratio of like 85%-95% calcium media and 5%-15% Zeomag in a calcium reactor.

 

[tas5tas]

Here are the pictures as promised last night...

 

[tas5tas]

Some more pictures....

 

[AquaNerd]

i tested my magnesium as promised. i've been running about 20% zeomag in my calcium reactor (a little much i know) for a few weeks and my mag tested out somewhere between 1350 and 1400 mg/L. i used a new elos test kit and their resolution is in 100 mg/L, so that's why i'm assuming a range. not too bad, but a tiny bit on the high side imho. but again, i'm running a little more than i should be.

 

[tas5tas]

Sounds good....I guess I'll have to order some and throw it in there once I bring my reactor online.

 

[tas5tas]

The tank is up and cycling now. I still haven't finished all of the aquascaping yet as I'm trying to decide what to do with the rock still in my 55g and also the leftover base rock I purchased for the 125g. I will post some pictures tomorrow of the setup with the various lighting stages throughout the day. I'll have to take the pictures today/tonight as the lighting progresses throughout the day. I still need to buy the trim and paint the stand and canopy to match the walls. The trim will be painted white to match the trim and doors in my home. Everything is progressing nicely though in my opinion. I also need to buy a few more koralias for a little more flow in the display...or possibly just save up and buy two Vortechs and remove the koralias all together. I'll have to see what the flow looks like once the aquascaping is complete.

 

[slyfox]

what diameter rod did you use?

 

[tas5tas]

3/8" rod from Tap Plastics. I had 18ft shipped to my door for about $17.

 

[tas5tas]

I added a few of my hardier fish to the tank yesterday evening to help start the cycle and to slowly start the transition from my 55g to the new setup. I moved over my ocellaris clown, convict blenny/engineer goby, and my bangai cardinalfish. I'm having trouble taking pictures that represent the true colors of the lighting so it might be a few days before they get posted. I've tried adjusting the white balance and even creating several custom white balances, but still no luck.

 

[tas5tas]

Here are a few pictures with all the lighting on. The colors are spot on what they look like in person. I was finally able to get the white balance set correctly and snaped a few shots. I also finished moving the rest of my fish over except the sixline wrasse and my one green chromis. I will move the rest of my corals over this weekend once I decide what I want to keep and what I want to sell.

Anyways....here are the pictures

Full Tank Shot

Crocea Clam

Zoanthids

Blue Cup Coral Frag

Candy Cane Coral Frag

Orange Montipora Scrolling Cap

 

[Guest]

That is a nice looking setup. Let me know how that octopus is working out for you. Your rocks look like a new pair of white shoes. You need to get some color on those babies.

 

[tas5tas]

That nice bright rock is base rock that I paid less than $50 for 50#'s. I have 150#'s total of the base rock and I moved over about 90#'s of live rock from my 55g. Only two big pieces of liverock from the 55g made it into the display though. The rest is down in the refugium area of my sump. I have roughly 240#'s of liverock in the entire setup with about 100#'s in the display and 140#'s in the refugium. I think the color will come on quite nicely when I shut down the 55g and move over my koralia #3's. They are completely encrusted in coraline algae and I plan on taking a razor blade to both of them and shaving off as much as I can before I give them both a vinegar bath to clean them up and maximize their flow. Also having my calcium reactor going will keep levels steady and allow for better coraline growth....I just got my co2 bottle filled today and will bring it online once I have my alk levels where I want them. Stupid Red Sea Coral Pro Salt only mixes to about 7.5dkh and I want to keep my tank closer to the 9.0-9.5dkh range.

 

[tas5tas]

It appears that my tank is definately starting to cycle now as I've got some orangish/brown spots showing up on the rocks....diatoms I'm guessing. Still no sign of any ammonia or nitrates though. I'm guessing my skimmer is pulling everything out of the water column fast enough that it isn't accumulating. I also added a nice size ball of chaeto last night to my refugium to help combat the low pH problem I'm experiencing.(7.92-8.03) Looking forward to moving the rest of my corals over in about 2 weeks so I can shut down the 55g completely. My son wants to use it for his turtle tank. I may have it cut down to 12" tall and use it for a propagation tank. If I do, it will be lit opposite of the display to further help keep pH levels up. That's about it for now.

 

[tas5tas]

Just a quick update......
The diatoms are gone, and here comes the green algae. Definately having a good cycle even though I can never get ammonia to show up. My skimmer is pulling out some nice dark, thick skimmate. I'm still dosing 1ml of vodka daily and may up my dosage when my new test kits come in today and I can finally test for nitrates and phosphate. I love my lighting setup!!!! The corals that I moved over from my 55g are doing great now. Some small frags of sps I had that were browned out have now regained their color and are exhibiting new growth. My zoa colony I had has more than doubled in size in about 2 1/2 weeks. I finally got my calcium reactor dialed in to where my alk is holding rock steady @ 9dkh and will test for calcium later today when my test kits arrive. The only issue I'm having is keeping detritus and debris off of the bottom of the display. I may have to look into getting some Vortechs......not sure yet, may just mod 2 more Koralias. I will posting a full tank shot on the 1st of the month and will do so from there out to show progression.

 

[tas5tas]

Just received test kits and here are the results after running a month....

ph- 7.99
sg- 1.025
temp- 78
amm- 0
nitrate- 0
phosphate- 0
alk- 10dkh
cal- 480

I will be testing on the 15th and last day of the month from here on out and these tests will count as this month's tests on the 15th. I will be trying to bring down both my calcium level and alkalinty level over the next few weeks. I am getting some frags soon so hopefully that will ease the process. My target levels are 420-440 for calcium and 9dkh for alkalinity. Hopefully I'll be able to get a magnesium test kit this weekend and begin testing for it.

 

[tas5tas]

Since all of my parameters were looking great and I received my aquastik epoxy today.....I decided to move over the rest of the corals. I moved over a 15 headed hammer coral, a 95% dead lettuce/cabbage coral, and properly mounted my purple toadstool with yellow polyps that I moved last week but never took to the rock. I also moved over a small rock with some presumed dead yellow polyps as well. They haven't opened since hurricane Ike, but you can still see the polyps and they just appear closed....I'm hoping the bettter water quality and lighting will bring all of my corals back to life. Having my skimmer get fried in Ike took a huge toll on my corals and only a few survived and thrived.

 

[tas5tas]

Here are some of the corals I picked up this past weekend from Rballjunkie.....

 

[tas5tas]

and some from City Pets....