- Joined
- Dec 19, 2019
- Messages
- 128
- Reaction score
- 191
Hello everyone!
Ever since I had to take down my first saltwater tank about 12 years ago I've been wanting to start again, and now that I had a house I had the chance.
I'll try to use this thread as a logbook for the new reef.
Now
Before
Current setup, subject to change. Extra MH is for sure, but 1 or 2?
1x 150w 10k halide
2x Deep Blue 55w T5
2x Reef-Spec Pink 55w T5
The overflow system. 1 main siphon, 1 that takes whatever the siphon does not and an emergy pipe in the middle. Hoping I can get some magrocks to stick to the inside part of the overflow and let it get encrusted by coral. The inner glassbox wasn't supposed to be so big though.
Sump is running 3x filter socks, 2 with floss and 1 with carbon, a skimmer and a main 200W heater in the first chamber. Second chamber is the refugium with a 300W secondary heater and spinning chaeto on for about 10hours/night and it has kept nit and phos at unreadable levels since it was added but it keeps growing so I think nutrients are fine even though they read so low. Third chamber is the return and ATO, going to add a second pump when the budget allows. Lots of stuff to add once the budget allows if I'm to be honest.
**Backstory without pictures**
Before I had this 190g I had an unfortunate situation, hence my username.
I started by pulling out my old 140g tank, hauled it up the stairs and built a stand for it, inspecting for cracks in the seals and bad scrapes etc. I knew I wanted a sump but I didn't dare to drill in the old glass and I chose to go the route of using a HOB overflow to drain the water into a 50g tank in the stand. After being happy with the condition I cleaned my old liverock and ordered some new sand and salt and began the cycling process, added some microbe lift bacterial supplement as well by recommendation of the LFS. Now I noticed pretty much all my old gear was broken in one way or three others. Streamer pumps cavitating to the point of producing microbubbles everywhere and ballasts smelling of smoke to name a few.. Well, no matter. I was ready for broken equipment so I replaced the broken pumps with 2x Tunze 6065, one of my MH ballasts with 4x 55w T5, replaced heaters and bought a new pump for my old Deltec skimmer as well as a new return pump for the sump and got a new RO/DI system. The tank cycled, I added a few chromis and a cleaner shrimp and the ugly phase came and went.
This was now month 4 of the tank and I was beginning to add a few corals and fish to see how they did. Just as everything was going great (rapid growth of the zoas, decent water params, pod population was high and everyone seemed happy) I noticed a small crack in my front glass, and when I looked at the tank from the side the entire front was budging outwards because the brace had rusted loose! I quickly emptied 70% of the water, moved all the coral down on the sandbed and started planning the new tank because I'll be danged if I give up this easy..
Ordered a new 190g euro-braced glass tank with OptiWhite glass on the front and left side, started thinking about different overflow solutions and finally settled on a herbie system on the side of the tank instead of a bottom drilled standard version. I wanted the shadow synergy reef overflow box for the sleek look but it was crazy expensive to get it ordered to Sweden so I figured I'd make one out of glass instead and just let corals encrust over to cover it later on.
The new tank came and the old cracked one was moved out of the way, stand was constructed, overflow boxes siliconed into place and PVC piping done. After a leaktest I moved all of the rocks, sand and living things over to their new home and then just added saltwater gradually until the new tank was full. Somehow that actually worked and all the coral and fish were happy. That was in january 2020 and I've tried to let the tank "settle" during that time without adding any livestock to see if something negative was going to happen because of the move. All I got was a giant diatom/cyano bloom until just a few days ago but now it's clear and the pictures start!
Thanks for reading about my reef in the making and please do say if you see something that's a disaster in the making!
Ever since I had to take down my first saltwater tank about 12 years ago I've been wanting to start again, and now that I had a house I had the chance.
I'll try to use this thread as a logbook for the new reef.
Now
Before
Current setup, subject to change. Extra MH is for sure, but 1 or 2?
1x 150w 10k halide
2x Deep Blue 55w T5
2x Reef-Spec Pink 55w T5
The overflow system. 1 main siphon, 1 that takes whatever the siphon does not and an emergy pipe in the middle. Hoping I can get some magrocks to stick to the inside part of the overflow and let it get encrusted by coral. The inner glassbox wasn't supposed to be so big though.
Sump is running 3x filter socks, 2 with floss and 1 with carbon, a skimmer and a main 200W heater in the first chamber. Second chamber is the refugium with a 300W secondary heater and spinning chaeto on for about 10hours/night and it has kept nit and phos at unreadable levels since it was added but it keeps growing so I think nutrients are fine even though they read so low. Third chamber is the return and ATO, going to add a second pump when the budget allows. Lots of stuff to add once the budget allows if I'm to be honest.
**Backstory without pictures**
Before I had this 190g I had an unfortunate situation, hence my username.
I started by pulling out my old 140g tank, hauled it up the stairs and built a stand for it, inspecting for cracks in the seals and bad scrapes etc. I knew I wanted a sump but I didn't dare to drill in the old glass and I chose to go the route of using a HOB overflow to drain the water into a 50g tank in the stand. After being happy with the condition I cleaned my old liverock and ordered some new sand and salt and began the cycling process, added some microbe lift bacterial supplement as well by recommendation of the LFS. Now I noticed pretty much all my old gear was broken in one way or three others. Streamer pumps cavitating to the point of producing microbubbles everywhere and ballasts smelling of smoke to name a few.. Well, no matter. I was ready for broken equipment so I replaced the broken pumps with 2x Tunze 6065, one of my MH ballasts with 4x 55w T5, replaced heaters and bought a new pump for my old Deltec skimmer as well as a new return pump for the sump and got a new RO/DI system. The tank cycled, I added a few chromis and a cleaner shrimp and the ugly phase came and went.
This was now month 4 of the tank and I was beginning to add a few corals and fish to see how they did. Just as everything was going great (rapid growth of the zoas, decent water params, pod population was high and everyone seemed happy) I noticed a small crack in my front glass, and when I looked at the tank from the side the entire front was budging outwards because the brace had rusted loose! I quickly emptied 70% of the water, moved all the coral down on the sandbed and started planning the new tank because I'll be danged if I give up this easy..
Ordered a new 190g euro-braced glass tank with OptiWhite glass on the front and left side, started thinking about different overflow solutions and finally settled on a herbie system on the side of the tank instead of a bottom drilled standard version. I wanted the shadow synergy reef overflow box for the sleek look but it was crazy expensive to get it ordered to Sweden so I figured I'd make one out of glass instead and just let corals encrust over to cover it later on.
The new tank came and the old cracked one was moved out of the way, stand was constructed, overflow boxes siliconed into place and PVC piping done. After a leaktest I moved all of the rocks, sand and living things over to their new home and then just added saltwater gradually until the new tank was full. Somehow that actually worked and all the coral and fish were happy. That was in january 2020 and I've tried to let the tank "settle" during that time without adding any livestock to see if something negative was going to happen because of the move. All I got was a giant diatom/cyano bloom until just a few days ago but now it's clear and the pictures start!
Thanks for reading about my reef in the making and please do say if you see something that's a disaster in the making!
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