180 build from scratch!

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The random zoas are nicknamed Eagle Eyes. I really like that kind and recently got a few frags of them.
 
Cool! I didn't now they had a specific name, since I don't really follow Zoa names etc. I got them probably a year ago now, and they are pretty slow growers, tank drama in November aside.

Thanks everyone for the comments!
 
So my RKE is having some more problems. The enter button stopped working recently, and Digital Aquatics just recently got back to me. They are sending me a new head unit. Thankfully *knock on wood* I haven't been one of those whose unit has shut everything off in the tank.

I am also baking in here today, its 27.4 degrees (which is 81.32 for you Americans) in our place. So lesson learned, no more places with less then one window that opens. I also desire AC in our new place...I need to go buy a new fan.

Just to tide you all over SUMP PHOTOS!
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This is what I frequently see every time I sit down on the couch.
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He needs a girlfriend with some better camera skills! You should see the face he made once he saw that photo.
 
LOL!

Alright so Kevin laid out the glass, cleaned it, and taped it all.
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Then he started to lay down the silicone, and I started to get silly from the fumes
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A few side panes
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Baffles included
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Kevin started to drill probe holders, but the snapped it once he tried to cut the drilled glass.
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Now we are just waiting on either a 2" bulkhead to drill our own hole, and maybe to find the associated hole saw to borrow. This is all that is holding up the rest of the sump assembly.
 
On Friday we had someone over and my urchin started to spawn for the second time.
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Friday FTS
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The green digi is becoming more of a mustard green. The purple cap close to it as well isn't looking as hot as it used to. I really don't care for the AquaConnect bulb. I just don't like the colours it brings out, they all seem very muted.
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Everything else on that side of the tank doesn't grow as quickly, but these look pretty nice so far. The dark purples are still dark, but they seem to be lacking the blue undertone that really makes purples pop.
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Shots from down the left side of the tank
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I would assume so, crap always looks like little pellets.

I need to start finding more SPS to add to my system. I want a few more digis, and some more tabling acros. I'm hoping for a few brighter pieces, I would love a few more blues, maybe some bright pinks, and some reds.

I also found a local store that sells my favorite salt, Red Sea Coral Pro. I don't think I can handle Reef Crystals anymore. I get my levels back up to where I want them, and it takes 2 weeks to do so. Then I do a water change and I'm back to square one. I'm finding that Reef Crystals gives me dKH of 5-6, and Ca of 320-345, which is quite low for my tastes.

I always see the best SPS growth right as I hit my target levels, just before I do a water change.
 
That's so neat that you make your own glass sump. I don't know hardly anyone that will do that.

Yes, that is an urchin spawning. It is a male. Females release a ton of eggs. I'll have to find you a link to a thread with pictures.
 
I wish I knew how to work with acrylic. Once we move into our own house its my goal to try and learn how to work with it. There is just so much you seem to be able to do with acrylic, and it comes in all those fun and pretty colours.

If you find I link let me know. The most I know about urchins & spawning is that one of my Anatomy professors worked with them, and used it them to figure out a few particular cellular functions.
 
WOW, SUPER LINK MARC. Very interesting. Haven't seen that yet in my system. Strange how the sperm comes out of different parts of the body. I am glad we don't do that! :eek:
 
This has happened several times in David's tank, and in a quick search that one thread came up. Fortunately, it was one with images of both going at it. David's music choices surely affect those urchins. :lol:
 
Calcium reactor suffered another blow earlier. I'm not sure what happened but all of a sudden water was leaking from it, and we can't find the leak. Its offline so I guess I will be reverting to manual dosing from now on.

I think our skimmer is maxed out as well. We are running an Octopus DDNW-250, a dual needlewheel skimmer. It is supposedly rated for up to 350g, however it is no match for the poop machine, aka the doctor tang. We saw a raise in nitrates from the water change, we moved from 45 pre change to 58 post change. Our phosphates also barely dropped, from 0.04 pre change, to 0.03 post change. I did however not test the new water we were putting in the tank to see if it had nitrates to begin with. We are doing one more extra water change this week to get those nitrates down asap.

Now turning to information about the big system. I don't think we will be able to make the associated skimmer, kalk. reactor, and calcium reactors large enough and cheap enough. So I think for the first time I might actually have to buy something new.

I like what I've heard about the Volcano skimmers. I know that the guy with the large stingray reef has one, Energy, I believe his name is. Who else does?

I also need to find out who does, or can, build me a kalk reactor and calcium reactor large enough to do at least 2000g, AND will ship up here to Canada.
 
Volcanos are all over now. And Scott can make the reactors too. He is doing all the stuff for reefaquariumnut, so you might want to get in touch with him.
 
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