A Reefaholic's 1000+ Gallon Mixed Reef System Build
- Thread starter Dustin1300
- Start date
sawcreatives
Member
Absolutely beautiful- an inspiration.
Dustin1300
Reefaholic
Sunday I have some free time, I'll snap a pic and get some updates up! [emoji6]
reeftanknewbie
New member
Can't wait to see some updates.....
Dustin1300
Reefaholic
I honestly don't have to heat much. Between pumps and lighting in winter heaters (3 x 300 watt) kick on just a few times a day. During summer I actually kick on fan or closed loops turn off to keep between 78-79. (Fan at 78.5, closed loop pumps start shutting down at 79). With humidistat in room temperature of room stays between 74-78 which also helps regulate temperatures.
Dustin1300
Reefaholic
I appreciate all the kind words from everyone, and am trying to get things ready for pictures. For the past year I've been slammed at my job and my tank has been on cruise control, without the automation it'd look like a swamp. Recently I've been gaining some more life/work balance and the tank is getting more work done that was well overdue.
Problem 1: Algae Growth and Bubble Algae
Remediation 1-1: Add a BioPellet Reactor
In the past week I've plumbed the BioPellet reactor in minus one piece I forgot to grab. Going to run to Lowes and will likely be bringing the reactor on today/tomorrow. My nitrates are not showing high (5 ppm) and phosphates (.03-.06 ppm) but I'd assume the results are masked by some of the algae growth. I'll be needing some help on what I should do with a large tank as I've seen some different approaches/opinions.
I picked up the largest reactor from Triton Aquatics: http://tritonaquatics.com/bluefinreactors.aspx
Remediation 1-2: Get some natural means of control!
I picked up three magnificient foxface, they've done a great job of starting to tackle the bubble algae in the past couple weeks but did lose one. They've really cut down on the bubble algae and would say 80% of it is gone and I've remediated this problem naturally. Remediation 1-1 will also help in preventing the nutrients that feed those annoying weeds!
Remediation 1-3: Refresh CUC
I picked up 40 emerald crabs, 50 trochus snails, and 100 cerith snails. They've been doing a great job of bringing the rock back from under the thin 1/4" "sheet" of algae. I'd expect in 2-4 more weeks the rock will be much more cleaner and the coraline algae can thrive again. These all have been helping to do the additional cleanup that the foxface are not able to easily get in the deeper cracks. I'll reassess in 2-3 months if this crew needs to be expanded on based on food supply available to them.
Problem 2: My frag tank is a wreck
Remediation 2-1: Put some manual work in
This weekend hope to empty frags into DT/Sump, then completely clean out the frag tank. I'm considering just yanking everything out, draining the water off, and scrubbing but wife is going to work tomorrow so not sure I'll be able to do that deep of a cleaning with the kiddo. (Maybe a 5 hour miracle nap will happen?)
Remediation 2-2: Get a new frag tank plumbed In
This is more long term but really hope that this summer/fall I can take some time and tear down the current frag system. I'm thinking the following would be a great option. http://advancedacrylics.com/collections/frag-tanks-1/products/white-48x24x12-60-gal
This would be great because of the white refraction and the tank is shallow for easier maintenance and fragging! I hate the 18" depth in my "frag tank", it's more like a 140 gallon DT with frag racks.
Problem 3: My coral QT sucks!
Remediation 3-1: Get/Design a new one!
Just ordered a nice frag tank and frag buckets from Aqua Box. They've got some really slick tank that is perfect for my QT and taking to frag swaps that's a bit more modular and rugged with acrylic only being on the front pane. This is a picture of something like I'm having designed but mine will be 30X24X10 with the filtration/pump on the backside. This will be MUCH better than my 15 gallon frag cube and depth is really shallow, I'm expecting the tank to be delivered mid-March.
Frag buckets are slick. I was going to take some time and develop a system myself but these are perfect and picked up a couple of them. Footprint of frag tank is designed so I can easily yank these racks out of my system, into bucket, into frag swap tank, back into bucket, and back into system. This should make for much easier setup and teardown and I can do a few swaps a year clearing out my frag inventory
I need to source some nice jugs for water that are stackable so if you have any recommendations please share!!!
This is my drawing, they'll just be building like the picture above with the aquabox "flair".
Problem 1: Algae Growth and Bubble Algae
Remediation 1-1: Add a BioPellet Reactor
In the past week I've plumbed the BioPellet reactor in minus one piece I forgot to grab. Going to run to Lowes and will likely be bringing the reactor on today/tomorrow. My nitrates are not showing high (5 ppm) and phosphates (.03-.06 ppm) but I'd assume the results are masked by some of the algae growth. I'll be needing some help on what I should do with a large tank as I've seen some different approaches/opinions.
I picked up the largest reactor from Triton Aquatics: http://tritonaquatics.com/bluefinreactors.aspx
Remediation 1-2: Get some natural means of control!
I picked up three magnificient foxface, they've done a great job of starting to tackle the bubble algae in the past couple weeks but did lose one. They've really cut down on the bubble algae and would say 80% of it is gone and I've remediated this problem naturally. Remediation 1-1 will also help in preventing the nutrients that feed those annoying weeds!
Remediation 1-3: Refresh CUC
I picked up 40 emerald crabs, 50 trochus snails, and 100 cerith snails. They've been doing a great job of bringing the rock back from under the thin 1/4" "sheet" of algae. I'd expect in 2-4 more weeks the rock will be much more cleaner and the coraline algae can thrive again. These all have been helping to do the additional cleanup that the foxface are not able to easily get in the deeper cracks. I'll reassess in 2-3 months if this crew needs to be expanded on based on food supply available to them.
Problem 2: My frag tank is a wreck
Remediation 2-1: Put some manual work in
This weekend hope to empty frags into DT/Sump, then completely clean out the frag tank. I'm considering just yanking everything out, draining the water off, and scrubbing but wife is going to work tomorrow so not sure I'll be able to do that deep of a cleaning with the kiddo. (Maybe a 5 hour miracle nap will happen?)
Remediation 2-2: Get a new frag tank plumbed In
This is more long term but really hope that this summer/fall I can take some time and tear down the current frag system. I'm thinking the following would be a great option. http://advancedacrylics.com/collections/frag-tanks-1/products/white-48x24x12-60-gal
This would be great because of the white refraction and the tank is shallow for easier maintenance and fragging! I hate the 18" depth in my "frag tank", it's more like a 140 gallon DT with frag racks.
Problem 3: My coral QT sucks!
Remediation 3-1: Get/Design a new one!
Just ordered a nice frag tank and frag buckets from Aqua Box. They've got some really slick tank that is perfect for my QT and taking to frag swaps that's a bit more modular and rugged with acrylic only being on the front pane. This is a picture of something like I'm having designed but mine will be 30X24X10 with the filtration/pump on the backside. This will be MUCH better than my 15 gallon frag cube and depth is really shallow, I'm expecting the tank to be delivered mid-March.
Frag buckets are slick. I was going to take some time and develop a system myself but these are perfect and picked up a couple of them. Footprint of frag tank is designed so I can easily yank these racks out of my system, into bucket, into frag swap tank, back into bucket, and back into system. This should make for much easier setup and teardown and I can do a few swaps a year clearing out my frag inventory
I need to source some nice jugs for water that are stackable so if you have any recommendations please share!!!
This is my drawing, they'll just be building like the picture above with the aquabox "flair".
Dustin1300
Reefaholic
So....Now's when I poll the audience. If you have a large tank, share how you brought on the biopellet reactor and your success with it.
BRS and many others recommend dumping in all of them and then leaving it alone for 6-8 weeks. I've seen for many large tanks to start off with 1/4 of the recommended dose, observe parameters and then after a month add more until you see that the carbon and Ns/Ps reach an equilibrium. I do have Bactiv8 NPX and will be dosing this on a regular basis through a doser automatically too.
BRS and many others recommend dumping in all of them and then leaving it alone for 6-8 weeks. I've seen for many large tanks to start off with 1/4 of the recommended dose, observe parameters and then after a month add more until you see that the carbon and Ns/Ps reach an equilibrium. I do have Bactiv8 NPX and will be dosing this on a regular basis through a doser automatically too.
muttley000
MTS Sufferer!
Can't give you advice on the pellet reactor but thanks for the nice update. I am always appreciative of people that will talk about the problems and solutions instead of only updating when everything looks awesome.
Dustin1300
Reefaholic
I'm human and definitely make mistakes! After all, sharing screw ups is the best way someone else can learn from my mistakes.
Dustin1300
Reefaholic
Today I got frag tank swamp cleaned up. Took all frags out, put them in my Cardinal breeding tank and in sanded of my dt. Completely drained frag tank and put in some muriatic acid....Scrubbed, scrubbed, scrubbed, and SCRUBBED! Things are coming around and plan on working on things much more this week.
reeftanknewbie
New member
agreed. I appreciate guys like you who don't pretend to be experts or perfect. Mistakes happen along with Murphy's law. I love this site for the people who share their experiences, both successes and failures, along with the help people are willing to give you. This is why I love the hobby so much....
IUfan
Member
For water storage containers that are easy to transport and are stackable.
I like these: http://beprepared.com/aqua-tainer-7-gallon-water-container.html
I like these: http://beprepared.com/aqua-tainer-7-gallon-water-container.html
Dustin1300
Reefaholic
Overdue Cleaning
Overdue Cleaning
Past couple weeks I've been trying to get my tank squared back away. Last weekend cleaned the overdue skimmer cleaning and cleaned out the frag tank. You know I love pictures, so here goes!
About 4 weeks of skimmate and at about a gallon a week.
Some nasty wipers!
Top down shot of neck I take off to clean:
"Underbelly", for size reference the gasket is over 12" in diameter:
And DOWN the drain, this is the last thing I do before leaving my fish room for a couple hours :wacko:
Close up for the skimmate lovers!
Cleaned up afterwards!
I'll post some pics of the frag tank later
Overdue Cleaning
Past couple weeks I've been trying to get my tank squared back away. Last weekend cleaned the overdue skimmer cleaning and cleaned out the frag tank. You know I love pictures, so here goes!
About 4 weeks of skimmate and at about a gallon a week.
Some nasty wipers!
Top down shot of neck I take off to clean:
"Underbelly", for size reference the gasket is over 12" in diameter:
And DOWN the drain, this is the last thing I do before leaving my fish room for a couple hours :wacko:
Close up for the skimmate lovers!
Cleaned up afterwards!
I'll post some pics of the frag tank later
Dustin1300
Reefaholic
LOL. Well....I work at a software company and am no longer customer facing in my newest role so I gave up on shaving and going for the bearded look this winter!
Dustin1300
Reefaholic
Frag tank looked like a swamp, one of the WP40s died, and cyano was building due to lack of flow. *Put new one in, drained tank and moved over good frags to DT sand and started cleaning away.
*
*
Drained
*
CLEAN AGAIN! *Muriactic acid wash FTW!
*
Water mixing W-F and Friday night opened valves back up to main system.
*
That was a bit embarrassing but things are clean again!
*
*
Drained
*
CLEAN AGAIN! *Muriactic acid wash FTW!
*
Water mixing W-F and Friday night opened valves back up to main system.
*
That was a bit embarrassing but things are clean again!
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