Adam's 450 GALLON REEF TANK BUILD!
- Thread starter Adamc1303
- Start date
It's been a while since I updated this thread. I had a mini crash a few months back and lost most of the SPS corals in the tank. I think it was due to the tank just not being mature enough at all for sps. I started mainly collecting LPS coral which were all really thriving until 2 weeks ago. I got a wrasse that looks like a cleaner wrasse except it's yellow not blue. I don't know the scientific name but it was sold to me as a "yellow cleaner wrasse". I added the fish to the tank I didn't really feel that a cleaner wrasse needed QT. I noticed that some of my prized welso's were dying for some reason. LPS brain corals dying? Everything else is fine, doesn't make sense! Anyway I spotted this SOB fish eating the corals! by the time I realized what was happening and got my hand on a fish trap he was onto acans as well! I pulled out 14 dead pieces this morning. It took me 5 days to get a trap and 10 min to catch him. Really weird. He's in my overflow box now. I'll take him back to the LFS. The fish may look like a yellow cleaner but after closer examination it looks to be similar to a coris.
On another note over the last few months I basically swapped out almost every piece of equipment I had. The following changes took place.
I switched out my vho's for 2 72" build my led actinic strips and they are absolutely awesome! Really bright. Anyone looking for great led's should check this site out. They are also controllable via APEX and a few others. I also got rid of the 250w HQI fixtures and got 4 PFO mogul pendants. These are monster reflectors. I'm running 4 x 400w 20k Radiums on M135 pulst start ballasts and I love them! I took par readings and you can grow sps anywhere in the tank hands down. I added an MP60 and finally got my stand skinned and canopy done. I also started using the new aqua trend doser which is phenominal and got rid of my calcium reactor. Now that I have all that extra room I am waiting for a BK supermarin 250 from another member and custom king fuge I ordered. When it does I will rip put my fuge and run it externally and not in my sump to make room for the BK! Oh I also got 2 huge GEO reactors for my carbon and gfo. I hated the ones I had they were really annoying to clean out. I'll post pics of the filtration when it comes in and I redo it. Here are pics of the stand and new lighting. Still waiting for one missing panel on my stand to come next week to cover the right side.
All and all it's been quite a ride with this tank from the start and things really took shape. I don't even care about the hungry wrasse incident i'll replenish in the next few weeks.
On another note over the last few months I basically swapped out almost every piece of equipment I had. The following changes took place.
I switched out my vho's for 2 72" build my led actinic strips and they are absolutely awesome! Really bright. Anyone looking for great led's should check this site out. They are also controllable via APEX and a few others. I also got rid of the 250w HQI fixtures and got 4 PFO mogul pendants. These are monster reflectors. I'm running 4 x 400w 20k Radiums on M135 pulst start ballasts and I love them! I took par readings and you can grow sps anywhere in the tank hands down. I added an MP60 and finally got my stand skinned and canopy done. I also started using the new aqua trend doser which is phenominal and got rid of my calcium reactor. Now that I have all that extra room I am waiting for a BK supermarin 250 from another member and custom king fuge I ordered. When it does I will rip put my fuge and run it externally and not in my sump to make room for the BK! Oh I also got 2 huge GEO reactors for my carbon and gfo. I hated the ones I had they were really annoying to clean out. I'll post pics of the filtration when it comes in and I redo it. Here are pics of the stand and new lighting. Still waiting for one missing panel on my stand to come next week to cover the right side.
All and all it's been quite a ride with this tank from the start and things really took shape. I don't even care about the hungry wrasse incident i'll replenish in the next few weeks.
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Newbie Aquarist
Reefing is my middle name
Nice update. Didnt know coris wrasses ate corals but then again any animal will eat corals too. I thought they were used for AEFW or other types of worms?
Steve! Long time no speak! How's the family doing? I hope you guys are happy. I also hope the house build is progressing? No updated here. I have been really busy, I just did a 20% water change after not doing one for 8 weeks while officially being on a 10% every other week schedule and having a gensis to do it. Anyway I am getting a BK super marin in 2 weeks from Mike Shur. Once I get it I will add a the custom refugium I got from Custom King to my sump and change allot of things up. I also want to get a few shelf pieces of rock and take everything out and redo the scape. I'm going to change out all the sand becaus ei really don't like the brand and texture. I may run the old sand remotely and slowly get rid of it. I want to go 80% LPS and my current aquascape is more for SPS. I just don't have the time for SPS like I used to with 3 kids and business to run. I need corals that will look great even after some neglect. The tank is really nothing to rave about right now but I will bring it back! Last time around with the old tank it was half the size, I had no kids, and I was working for others. Don't get me wrong I love where i'm at in life, but when I retire I am opening up that LFS I told you about that and will solely be for fun and won't need to make money, that way I know it's stays open lol. I will update when I get the skimmer and make all the changes I am anticipating.
Thanks for the shout out,
Adam
Thanks for the shout out,
Adam
Newbie Aquarist
Reefing is my middle name
Opening an LFS just for fun sounds cool. Glad you and your family is doing OK or I was going to put an RPB(same as APB) on you.
S14Swap240sx
New member
can you show us some more pictures on the construction to that new stand? I really love the look!
SPotter
Active member
Everyone is happy and doing great here in SC! House is coming along slowly but surely. We have our pre-electrical walk thru on Monday so I am trying to estimate my total amp needs for the new tank. Im sure you will get the tank on the right track again! I leaning towards lps is a good idea as they are a lot more forgiving than sps. I hope your family is well and definitely post some pictures when you get a chance!
I'll get some more pictures this week.
Here's a picture of the old filtration system. I spent yesterday taking the fuge out of my sump and installing a new external fuge. Now I have room for a internal skimmer.
BEFORE PIC
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AFTER PICS
The the new skimmer will go will go where the old fuge was (a few piece of extra LR in there now) and the GEO reactors will go where the external skimmer is now. I have them temporarily in front the fuge for the time being.
The the new skimmer will go will go where the old fuge was (a few piece of extra LR in there now) and the GEO reactors will go where the external skimmer is now. I have them temporarily in front the fuge for the time being.
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Finally got the long awaited BK SM250 today! It's running for an hour now. I purchased a used one from a friend and spent about an hour scrubbing it clean after having it soak in vinegar. I am impressed with how simple it was to dial in. I wonder if the skimmer being used helped the no break in period or if they are so easy to dial in right out of the box. I have used allot of different skimmers this one was so easy. I didn't take the lf skimmer off yet so I now have 2 skimmers on the tank. Here are some pics of it running for about 10 min.
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Nothing to really update except that my 3rd dc pump failed on me last week. The good news is that the the Speedwave, RLSS, octopus and Jebao are all 100% the same! I got my self a Jebao now. I keep saying I need to change all together but I have it all plumbed so swapping is so much easier now. As far the BK skimmer there is nothing like it.t, i continues to amaze me how much gunk and how well this thing operates. I've owned my fair share of skimmers, many of them were higher end and expensive, this BK is just amazing. Here are pics 2 days after cleaning the collection cup. I can run it super dry too.
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Newbie Aquarist
Reefing is my middle name
Man that skimmer is pulling some major tea out. Are you going to keep both running or eventually remove the original?
I removed the original one and I have so much counter space now in my very small fish room. I'm thinking of adding a frag tank or just swapping out the refugium for a frag tank. Local guys keep telling me I don't need the fuge but I have always ran a fuge with great results so i'm not really sure yet.
Newbie Aquarist
Reefing is my middle name
There is a saying that if it ain't broke, don't fix it. I'd do the fuge.
The octopus is a great skimmer. I need an internal skimmer to get more counter space in the filter room and I came across a used BK so I went for it.
