Back into the Hobby

[jcarlilesiu]

Though I have had an active aquarium over the last 10 years, I haven't been able to dedicate time to really caring for it. Teenagers and starting/running a business stuff. Not to mention I got infested with majanos and lost the battle. I got rid of my 150 gallon reef, started a small 25 gallon during covid, and I am jumping back in to a full reef. I have limited space in my office, but I was able to get the following up and going:

- Red Sea 200XL G2+ (42 gallon display and 11 gallon sump)

Running the following equipment:

- RSK-300 Skimmer
- (2) Reef wave 25 gyres
- 250 Reef Matt
- 4 pump doser
- (2) AI Prime Lights

Amazingly, I was able to get everything to fit under the stand with a little room for the dosing bottles and minimal tools and test kits.

I plumbed to the basement and have two 55 gallon brut cans. One with 4-stage RODI water on a float and the other with heated salt water. I also plumbed the aquarium so that I can pump out water to the basement drain and fill from the salt container in the basement. Water changes should be as easy as controlling a couple of plugs.

The tank was filled this weekend, currently cycling with the Brightwell cycle start system.

It will be SPS only a few fish and inverts. Here is my current list of fish:

Orchid Dottyback

Midas Blenny

Ocellaris Clownfish (2)

Blue Green Chromis (3)

Purple Firefish

Looking for any suggestions. Also looking for a diverse SPS garden with montiporo, branching, plating, and others.

 

[griss]

Looks great. Please continue to provide updates.

 

[Reefing102]

Welcome and looking great!

 

[jcarlilesiu]

I guess I'll turn this into a build thread.

Took a couple weeks to get all the equipment in, organized and finalized. I was able to get the Red Sea Reefer sump, skimmer, Reed matt, return pump, waste Pump, and dosing pumps all up det the stand. All the electrical, three pump controllers, the 4 part dosing bottles, and my testing kits all down there. It's tight! I don't have any room in my office for extra equipment, so needed to really Tetris it.

Cycled the tank with Brightwell XLM start. Took about 18 days from start to finish. Did a water change (simply by pushing buttons for the waste Pump and basement fill pump no buckets!) and added the few live stock I have.

- Midas Blenny
- Snowflake Ocelaris
- Red Blood Shrimp
- Huge Brittle Star

I also added two things of Algae Barns Galaxy Pods since I started this tank with all dry rock.

First clean up crew has been added. Blue leg hermits, margaritas snails, a couple emerald crab, and a orange star.

I've been doing small daily feedings since the tank has little in the way of ecosystem, but monitoring for a nitrogen cycle spike. Heavy filtration and a lot of water changes until it gets going.

Going to let this settle in for a couple of months before adding anymore inhabitants or coral.

 

[Reefing102]

Looks great!

 

[griss]

Nice.

 

[jcarlilesiu]

Tank update. Everything is up and running. Completed the cycle in 18 days and moved my midas blenny, clownfish, huge brittle star, and fire shrimp over. Along with some snails, crabs, and conches.

Everybody is doing great. Had a very small bacterial bloom but that went away in a day or two. I put in some Galaxy pods from algaebarn as well as a small additional cleanup crew.

Just added a few green chromis and what little coral I had left. (a few SPS and a goniapora).

Daily testing and no ammonia or nitrites. Nitrates sitting around 5 PPM.

Letting the tank settle in now, starting to see some dust type algae on rocks and glass but nothing else to speak of.

My skimmer is bubbling, but not really pulling any dissolved organics.

 

[griss]

Looks great.

 

[Reefing102]

Agreed looking good

 

[jcarlilesiu]

Really struggling with this RSK300 skimmer. It's a DC pump, so I set it at 70% per Red Sea. It's fizzing/bubbling but not really producing any foam.

I tried adjusting height in sump, adjusting the pump at various speeds between 30-70, and nothing.

Maybe I just don't have enough dissolved organics or maybe the fleece roller is taking everything out.

Anybody else had this issue?

 

[griss]

Can you post pics if the foam in the neck of the skimmer?

It’s possible you don’t have enough nutrients to skim out. But, I’d like to see where that foam is.

 

[jcarlilesiu]

Can you post pics if the foam in the neck of the skimmer?

It’s possible you don’t have enough nutrients to skim out. But, I’d like to see where that foam is.

Here you go. I actually saw it starting to generate a little but of foam head the other day, then back to nothing.

 

[jcarlilesiu]

Tank keeps tanking.

Getting a bit of diatoms on the sand, but nothing too bad yet. Inhabitants are happy.

I had fishofhex print me a custom tray for my Hanna testers. Thought I would share.

 

[griss]

IMO, everything looks fine. You just may not have enough DOCs for the skimmer to remove.

 

[jcarlilesiu]

Tank update today.

Inhabitants:

- 2 ocellaris clowns
- Midas blenny
- 3 Blue green chromis
- Fire Shrimp
- 2 Fighting conchs
- Various snails & crabs


I moved what coral i salvaged from my last tank over which included a red montipora, strawberry shortcake acropora, and a pink poccilpora.

They have been coloring up well, full polyp extension, and new growth on tips. So I have added a torch, birdsnest, and 3 colors of psammocora.

Still no skimmate, but yesterday's test showed nitrates bottomed out from 5.9ppm. Slowly increasing feeding.

Tried to upload a high res, but it's too big. I'll upload later.

 

[griss]

Looking forward to the pics.