Atomikk's 65 Reef

Not really if it is a resilient fish. I have done a cycle before with fish who have strong immune systems and haven't had a fatality. I will see if that is the case with a Green Chromis. I didnt intend to buy a Chromis to kill it within the cycling process. I know that I could have simply put in any organic matter to start the process, BUT I wanted to see how strong these fish really are (and also how stable of a setup it really is).
 
Ok today I added 2 Astrea Snails and a LR with Caulerpa attached on it. I dont have adequate lighting as of today BUT I did place the Caulerpa next where sunlight hits the tank. I also bought a Ammonia indicator, which I may add works really well. So far no ammonia :cool:
 
Ok to continue with my progress on my DIY Hood here are some pics...

HoodVentHoles.jpg

I Drilled some vent holes. I didnt make them big since there will be two (one on each side), plus there is spacing between the planks covering the top of the hood.

HoodDoorFinished.jpg

Hood door is done, ready for the final stain.

StainedHood.jpg

The rest of the canopy hood is ready for the final stain.

FinalStainJob.jpg

Final Stain is DONE! Pheeew.
 
Ok the stain dried and I got the finished hood pics..

FinishedHood2.jpg

FinishedHood1.jpg


Next is to buy two Radio Shack fans... PC and MH (400watt) retrofit kits..
 
Ok Tanks first tests..

Ammonia : Safe (Indicator that has Safe, Alert, Alarm and Toxic, makde by Seachem)
PH : 8.3
Nitrite : 0 ppm
Nitrate : 0 - 5 ppm
 
Nice job on the hood. But, may I suggest you make the side holes bigger for some 3 or 4 inch fans? If you go with the 400 wt MH you will need some stong air flow to keep things cool.
 
SaltyMember said:
Nice job on the hood. But, may I suggest you make the side holes bigger for some 3 or 4 inch fans? If you go with the 400 wt MH you will need some stong air flow to keep things cool.
Click to expand...

I might have to do that once I see how the gaps in the hood work. I designed 1" gaps so that the air can escape to the top and out the back.
 
TRIUMPH!! I defeated the microbubbles!! I bought a sheet of eggcrate and cut it to fit the return chamber's depth. I lined both sides with air filters used for a/cs. I put it in before the return and.... no micro bubbles!!
 
Well, that bubble trap only worked a bit, so I had to install another piece. And that didnt work as well... soooo.... I ended up using the prefilter for the mag 7 pumps to limit the bubbles that were coming out of the skimmer and overflow. To my amazement it worked!! I will post pics soon..

And also today... and I know you guys will ***** since its going out of the ordinary BUT.... I got 1 Margarita Snail, 3 Tricolor Hermits, 3 Small Nassarius Snails and 1 more Green Chromis. Along with the bioload I managed to scoop up 10lbs of LR!! I will post more pics.

Here come more pics
...


SumpAtWork2.jpg

Sump at work..
PrefilterOverflow.jpg

The prefilter I used to remove microbubbles... what it does it combines microbubbles to create bigger and bigger bubbles which exit the prefilter and pop.
FilterBaffels.jpg

The filter pads collecting gunk!
July2005SideTankShot.jpg

Side shot from a week ago. The tank's life is... 3 weeks old..
 
Ok the Nassarias Snail is actually Mouse Cowrie.. so I have 2 Blue Legged Hermits, 1 Turbo Snail, 1 Margarita Snail, 3 Mouse Cowries, 3 Tricolor Hermits, 2 Astrea Snails, and 2 Cerith Snails.
 
Well, in the last couple of days I have been noticing a lot more life than usual. For instance, I noticed more and more pods. Then my scarlet hermit (or tricolored) switched shells on me.. he currently resides in a conch shell LOL. And then I noticed my first 'coral'.. a small Aiptasia. I dont know should I be happy or sad...

I am wrong to be thrilled that something is growing in my tank, especially if it is an anemone that everyone hates? Is it safe to say that my water quality is a par? Or is it that Aiptasia can grow anywhere under any conditions?

Here is the funny pic..

HermitConch.jpg


He is just chillin..
 
Use a filter sock to get rid of the bubbles. I have my return going directly into a 1 micron filter sock & the return pump is right next to the sock (rubbing against each other).

I have very limited space in my sump & could not do the baffle setup.

1 micron filter socks = Bubble Terminators
Plus you have the added bonus of filtering out your water & running carbon in the sock. Return flows right into it, so no additional pumps, chambers, reactors, & etc..
 
FastUno said:
Use a filter sock to get rid of the bubbles. I have my return going directly into a 1 micron filter sock & the return pump is right next to the sock (rubbing against each other).

I have very limited space in my sump & could not do the baffle setup.

1 micron filter socks = Bubble Terminators
Plus you have the added bonus of filtering out your water & running carbon in the sock. Return flows right into it, so no additional pumps, chambers, reactors, & etc..
Click to expand...

how often do you need to replace the micron filter?
 
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