Well Carlso, my planned 125 gal build may be bumped up to a 180 gal now! I'm looking at a Koran, or a yellowbar angel, and I'm afraid that they will outgrow a 125 gal so the 180 should be better suited for either. The good news is that the 54 gallon tote should fit under the 180 without a problem. Thanks for your suggestions, I'll make sure to incorporate as much LR as I can afford, especially with the bigger tank. For the use of chaeto in the sump, what are you using for baffles inside the tote to separate the return pump from the refuge area? I know you have the tote within a tote to separate your skimmer, but I didn't think it was possible to put a regular baffle in a plastic tote because of the sides pushing out. I'm really interested in your build because of the budget restraints you have been able to incorporate so far. Also, thanks for the tips on the skimmer mods! I'll be asking more questions if/when I get mine up and going.
Carlso63's 225 Reef Build Thread!
- Thread starter carlso63
- Start date
carlso63
Reefkeeping since 1977
2gen -
Actually I'm not 100% sure what I am going to use to keep the macroalgaes away from the return pump... I have leftover eggcrate and screening from my plenum build, so I will probably try to make some sort of divider or cage to keep the macro from getting sucked into the pump...
I am waiting for my algaes to arrive in the mail (unfortunately, I accidently threw out my huge block of chaeto while doing my tank swap - and didn't realize it until the next day, when I found the it outside in my trash can, all dried out and dead :mad2: )
So, I just ordered some off of eBay. It should be here in a day or 2. When it arrives I'll set up something in the sump and I'll post a pic to show you how I did it...
Actually I'm not 100% sure what I am going to use to keep the macroalgaes away from the return pump... I have leftover eggcrate and screening from my plenum build, so I will probably try to make some sort of divider or cage to keep the macro from getting sucked into the pump...
I am waiting for my algaes to arrive in the mail (unfortunately, I accidently threw out my huge block of chaeto while doing my tank swap - and didn't realize it until the next day, when I found the it outside in my trash can, all dried out and dead :mad2: )
So, I just ordered some off of eBay. It should be here in a day or 2. When it arrives I'll set up something in the sump and I'll post a pic to show you how I did it...
Some people use a rachet strap around the container.
I used one when I was curing my LR in Rubbermaid tubs.
It held the shape of the tub, with little to no expansion of the side's.
You can use eggcrate with screen, or 1/4 ~ 3/8 plexi dividers, with rubber sleeve's on the end's. friction hold's them in place inside the tub's wall. Releasing the tension of the strap, will allow you to adjust or reconfigure your setup. Wal-Mart has a plastic 12 x 12" sheet used for needlepoint, that I attach to my eggcrate (small non metal cable wraps) to help screen out the chaeto from the return. a quick wipe now & then, & I'm good to go once again.
Steve
:smokin:
I used one when I was curing my LR in Rubbermaid tubs.
It held the shape of the tub, with little to no expansion of the side's.
You can use eggcrate with screen, or 1/4 ~ 3/8 plexi dividers, with rubber sleeve's on the end's. friction hold's them in place inside the tub's wall. Releasing the tension of the strap, will allow you to adjust or reconfigure your setup. Wal-Mart has a plastic 12 x 12" sheet used for needlepoint, that I attach to my eggcrate (small non metal cable wraps) to help screen out the chaeto from the return. a quick wipe now & then, & I'm good to go once again.
Steve
:smokin:
Sorry, no pic's of the curing tubs, That was quite a while ago.
I remember a friend using the plexi, with some tubing cut on one side (vertically) that wrapped over the side of the plexi divider.
I think Marine Depot sell's some sort of silicone / rubber edging for sump dividers also. The ratchet strap held it all in place, including the shape of the tub. The eggcrate was siliconed to the top side of the plexi, & the plastic needlepoint screen, was added to the eggcrate as a smaller filter / screen with cable tie's. I'm sure that you could glue some type of plastic slot to the inside of the tub, & then use whatever divider & the strap to secure it all. I would look into some of the vinyl siding "J channel" they use to install soffits, & trim it accordingly. (HD / Lowes)
I'm sure that Bob will come up with something also
Steve
:smokin:
I remember a friend using the plexi, with some tubing cut on one side (vertically) that wrapped over the side of the plexi divider.
I think Marine Depot sell's some sort of silicone / rubber edging for sump dividers also. The ratchet strap held it all in place, including the shape of the tub. The eggcrate was siliconed to the top side of the plexi, & the plastic needlepoint screen, was added to the eggcrate as a smaller filter / screen with cable tie's. I'm sure that you could glue some type of plastic slot to the inside of the tub, & then use whatever divider & the strap to secure it all. I would look into some of the vinyl siding "J channel" they use to install soffits, & trim it accordingly. (HD / Lowes)
I'm sure that Bob will come up with something also
Steve
:smokin:
carlso63
Reefkeeping since 1977
Well I was just informed by the missus that 2 of the 3 macroalgaes I ordered for my fuge arrived today, so I better think of something :lol:
(Hint = Leaning towards building a small eggcrate "cage" for over the return pump and then covering the cage in leftover window screening to keep any stray macro strands out of the pump...)
BTW - I stumbled onto a free!!! Calcium Reactor today, thanks to a local online classified ad
Looks like a halfway decent DIY job; not a fancy highend model for sure - and (of course) no CO2 tank or valve - but, all the tubing, piping, canisters, 2 pumps and even an extra container of media...
And did I mention it was FREE ???!!!
(Hint = Leaning towards building a small eggcrate "cage" for over the return pump and then covering the cage in leftover window screening to keep any stray macro strands out of the pump...)
BTW - I stumbled onto a free!!! Calcium Reactor today, thanks to a local online classified ad
Looks like a halfway decent DIY job; not a fancy highend model for sure - and (of course) no CO2 tank or valve - but, all the tubing, piping, canisters, 2 pumps and even an extra container of media...
And did I mention it was FREE ???!!!
Mixing Salt
In Memoriam
nice
carlso63
Reefkeeping since 1977
Here's the CA Reactor that I scored:
Nothing too fancy - but it was "free" so I can't complain...
Just trying to figure out if I would need anything other than a filled CO2 bottle to set this up, as I have never owned a reactor before.
How do you set a proper rate for the CO2 so that it works properly?
Someone mentioned a "bubble counter"... do I need one of those also; or this one of those things where you run it, test the Ca and / or the dkH / pH level in your water, and adjust the CO2 rate up / down based on the test results?
I'd like to get this thing up and running but don't know enough about the process to feel safe doing so just yet...
Any comments / suggestions?
Nothing too fancy - but it was "free" so I can't complain...
Just trying to figure out if I would need anything other than a filled CO2 bottle to set this up, as I have never owned a reactor before.
How do you set a proper rate for the CO2 so that it works properly?
Someone mentioned a "bubble counter"... do I need one of those also; or this one of those things where you run it, test the Ca and / or the dkH / pH level in your water, and adjust the CO2 rate up / down based on the test results?
I'd like to get this thing up and running but don't know enough about the process to feel safe doing so just yet...
Any comments / suggestions?
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12582828#post12582828 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by carlso63
Not one comment on the CA Reactor ??!!!
OK, no problem....
Anyway, I got my macroalgaes in my fuge and I even put some in the display...
guess that means I'll have to take some pics, right?
What is at the top of it on the left side of the pic.
You can not see that in the pic posted.
Is the Ro container for ARM also ?
Steve
:smokin:
carlso63
Reefkeeping since 1977
WOW - it's been like a month and a half since I last posted on the setup...!
I've been busy; houseguests, housework, vacations, and all - but I have done a little work on the setup. Let me catch up for everyone...
Everything is going pretty good; haven't made any major changes but have done a few smaller things:
- Added a 4" cooling fan inside the stand (fits right in the vent)
- Added (2) 4" cooling fans to the canopy
- Got my macroalgaes for my sump fuge and even put one type in the display cause it looked too cool to hide
The diatom bloom is a thing of the past and I am starting to get quite a few corralline spots on both the 'new' LBTR and the back wall of the tank... purple, green, red, even a little orange coralline here and there
Only bad thing is I lost my Flame Angel 3 weeks back. No idea why. Eating, swimming, looking 100% healthy 1 day - chewed over corpse the next morning.
Haven't done squat with the Ca reactor yet; it is still in the garage.
Mainly because I've been busy this past month...
Sister and family visited from Minn. for a week
Sister in law came from NY for a week
Working on my back yard (which is still somewhat of a mess) in between
Plus, between the Trex deck install and not one but two kids getting braces this past month, paying bills and running up those vacation tabs on the CCs -
= no $$$ left over for the tank until very recently...
So, this past weekend I (finally) had some time to shoot some new pics of the setup, and let you all know how things have been going for the first 2 months of operation...
Here's some data first; pics will follow =
Water Parameters:
Temp = 78.2 (low) 78.8 (high)
SG = 1.0255
pH = 8.0 - 8.1
dKH = 8 - 10
nH3 = 0 / undetectable
nO2 = 0 / undetectable
nO3 = 0 / undetectable
pO4 = 0 / undetectable
Ca = 500 ppm
Mg = 1380 mg
Now, the temp has actually stabilized from where it was on Day One when it would fluctuate from 77.5 (ish) to 79.2 (ish) to the point now where the total daily temp "swing" is only around 6/10ths of 1 degree F - which is pretty darn steady... I'm guessing it is due to the combination of the cooling fans I have installed along with the climate control from the central air (ambient room temp is set between 73 - 75F depending on time of day)...the dual 400w Hydor Theo heaters have been 100% trouble free and dead-on reliable so far.
I am happy with all the other parameter readings except for (possibly) the Ca reading. My concern is that it is not accurate; I have heard that with the API Ca kit I am using, if the reagents are old and go "bad" they end up giving you a Ca reading of around 500 ppm no matter what the true level is... so, I will probably bring a water sample to the local LFS to double check it - and if it is off then I'll just buy a new kit...
In all other respects I have been very happy with the water quality so far. The highest my nO3 ever got to was 5 ppm and then the plenum started to mature and it went right back down to zero, and there it stays this time around I am using aluminum-oxide based Phosguard for pO4 removal instead of a ferric-oxide based media... it has performed well so far but it doesn't seem to last as long as the iron-based media - and you need to use more of it to get the same result. I will probably go back to ordering the iron-based media from DrFosters&Smith (their "store brand" is like $8 for 150g vs. Phosban which is like $15 - $17 for the same amount and the "store brand" works just as well)...
Filtration, Skimming, etc:
Overall, again very pleased with the way things have been going so far... the Reef Octopus NW-200 Skimmer has performed way beyond expectations - the $15 / 2 hours time spent on modding this puppy were easily the best return on investment of any equipment modding I have ever done in all my 30 years of Marine aquarium experience (with the possible exception of plenum installs )... I am so happy with this skimmer that I am seriously considering picking up a second one (a used one since the "new" version of this skimmer will not readily accept the mods) and have even drawn up plans for an altered (larger) version of my Rubbermaid sump with dual skimmers (one for each overflow downpipe) and the fuge and return area in the center of the sump
But that's for somewhere down the line when I want to stock this setup at its absolute max in terms of bioload; right now the load is not even close to capacity of a single skimmer and the current sump design. So we have a ways to go... but I'm always thinkin'...
I did make a change with regard to my 3 Korallia #3 circ pumps... originally I had them positioned low in the tank, behind the rockwork. Looked great (as far as not being able to see the pumps) but didn't work out so good (tendency to blow sand around and the flow was getting blocked and sent in 10 different directions by the rocks) so I relocated 2 of the 3 Korallias to the top of the tank, positioned on the angled portion of the overflow base. Not only did it create a better overall flow inside the tank but now I have more surface agitiation and alot less "film" at the waterline as well as better light penetration down into the water... of course, now they are easliy visibly out in the open; but they don't look too bad - especially covered in coralline and assorted junk.
Alright, that's enough "technical" stuff - let me get those pics ready and we'll continue from there, OK?
I've been busy; houseguests, housework, vacations, and all - but I have done a little work on the setup. Let me catch up for everyone...
Everything is going pretty good; haven't made any major changes but have done a few smaller things:
- Added a 4" cooling fan inside the stand (fits right in the vent)
- Added (2) 4" cooling fans to the canopy
- Got my macroalgaes for my sump fuge and even put one type in the display cause it looked too cool to hide
The diatom bloom is a thing of the past and I am starting to get quite a few corralline spots on both the 'new' LBTR and the back wall of the tank... purple, green, red, even a little orange coralline here and there
Only bad thing is I lost my Flame Angel 3 weeks back. No idea why. Eating, swimming, looking 100% healthy 1 day - chewed over corpse the next morning.
Haven't done squat with the Ca reactor yet; it is still in the garage.
Mainly because I've been busy this past month...
Sister and family visited from Minn. for a week
Sister in law came from NY for a week
Working on my back yard (which is still somewhat of a mess) in between
Plus, between the Trex deck install and not one but two kids getting braces this past month, paying bills and running up those vacation tabs on the CCs -
= no $$$ left over for the tank until very recently...
So, this past weekend I (finally) had some time to shoot some new pics of the setup, and let you all know how things have been going for the first 2 months of operation...
Here's some data first; pics will follow =
Water Parameters:
Temp = 78.2 (low) 78.8 (high)
SG = 1.0255
pH = 8.0 - 8.1
dKH = 8 - 10
nH3 = 0 / undetectable
nO2 = 0 / undetectable
nO3 = 0 / undetectable
pO4 = 0 / undetectable
Ca = 500 ppm
Mg = 1380 mg
Now, the temp has actually stabilized from where it was on Day One when it would fluctuate from 77.5 (ish) to 79.2 (ish) to the point now where the total daily temp "swing" is only around 6/10ths of 1 degree F - which is pretty darn steady... I'm guessing it is due to the combination of the cooling fans I have installed along with the climate control from the central air (ambient room temp is set between 73 - 75F depending on time of day)...the dual 400w Hydor Theo heaters have been 100% trouble free and dead-on reliable so far.
I am happy with all the other parameter readings except for (possibly) the Ca reading. My concern is that it is not accurate; I have heard that with the API Ca kit I am using, if the reagents are old and go "bad" they end up giving you a Ca reading of around 500 ppm no matter what the true level is... so, I will probably bring a water sample to the local LFS to double check it - and if it is off then I'll just buy a new kit...
In all other respects I have been very happy with the water quality so far. The highest my nO3 ever got to was 5 ppm and then the plenum started to mature and it went right back down to zero, and there it stays this time around I am using aluminum-oxide based Phosguard for pO4 removal instead of a ferric-oxide based media... it has performed well so far but it doesn't seem to last as long as the iron-based media - and you need to use more of it to get the same result. I will probably go back to ordering the iron-based media from DrFosters&Smith (their "store brand" is like $8 for 150g vs. Phosban which is like $15 - $17 for the same amount and the "store brand" works just as well)...
Filtration, Skimming, etc:
Overall, again very pleased with the way things have been going so far... the Reef Octopus NW-200 Skimmer has performed way beyond expectations - the $15 / 2 hours time spent on modding this puppy were easily the best return on investment of any equipment modding I have ever done in all my 30 years of Marine aquarium experience (with the possible exception of plenum installs )... I am so happy with this skimmer that I am seriously considering picking up a second one (a used one since the "new" version of this skimmer will not readily accept the mods) and have even drawn up plans for an altered (larger) version of my Rubbermaid sump with dual skimmers (one for each overflow downpipe) and the fuge and return area in the center of the sump
But that's for somewhere down the line when I want to stock this setup at its absolute max in terms of bioload; right now the load is not even close to capacity of a single skimmer and the current sump design. So we have a ways to go... but I'm always thinkin'...
I did make a change with regard to my 3 Korallia #3 circ pumps... originally I had them positioned low in the tank, behind the rockwork. Looked great (as far as not being able to see the pumps) but didn't work out so good (tendency to blow sand around and the flow was getting blocked and sent in 10 different directions by the rocks) so I relocated 2 of the 3 Korallias to the top of the tank, positioned on the angled portion of the overflow base. Not only did it create a better overall flow inside the tank but now I have more surface agitiation and alot less "film" at the waterline as well as better light penetration down into the water... of course, now they are easliy visibly out in the open; but they don't look too bad - especially covered in coralline and assorted junk.
Alright, that's enough "technical" stuff - let me get those pics ready and we'll continue from there, OK?
carlso63
Reefkeeping since 1977
Now let's add some pics to the commentary -
First here's an overall "full frontal"... note the coralline starting to cover the back glass area. (BTW, I used the Kodak 650 on these shots w/o flash; with the 14K bulbs I don't get too much "blue" distortion anymore.)
Oh, and my kids hamster cage has found a temporary home on top of the side table that came with the tank setup...
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here's an underside shot of the sump / fuge and all the mechanicals:
Here's the butt kickin' NW-200 skimmer in action... also, you can see the 4" cooling fan I installed to help keep the sump area cool. Note the skimmers 3/8" air intake line is positioned right at the fan output to take advantage of the cooler, drier air being pulled in from outside the stand
The fuge portion is doing real well as you can see... I have cheato, feather caulerpa, a bit of red grancilaria (ogo), some ulva spp. ("sea lettuce") and even some codium spp. ("Dead Man's Finger") algae in there!
I liked the look of the Codium so much that I even put some of it in the display tank! (more on that later...)
You can see where I hooked up the float valve for auto topoff in this next shot...along with the LOA 65w fixture and the return for the Fluval canister. You can also make out the eggcrate / screen "partition" that keeps the macroalgaes from coming in contact with the return pump and the Fluval intake... in the 2 months so far the macros have each easily doubled in size with all that light - the lone exception being the red ogo which I think this is actually too much light (I've seen it for sale in a local LFS as "Tang Food" and the tank it is in is not as well-lit as my fuge!
Here's that Fluval 404 that is running carbon and Phosguard... uptakes water from the post-skimmer return area and sends it into the fuge area... this keeps the fuge area from getting too "stagnant" and the Fluval output is directed to keep the macros from clogging the screened partition:
The electrical connections are still about as neat and easy to follow as possible under the circumstances... the canopy cooling fans are on a timer to coincide with the halides running; the fuge light is on an 18 on / 6 off schedule opposite the halides, which are on for 13 hours each day (the sump fan is on 24 / 7)...
Here's a couple of "inside the canopy" shots showing the (2) 4" cooling fans I have installed:
First here's an overall "full frontal"... note the coralline starting to cover the back glass area. (BTW, I used the Kodak 650 on these shots w/o flash; with the 14K bulbs I don't get too much "blue" distortion anymore.)
Oh, and my kids hamster cage has found a temporary home on top of the side table that came with the tank setup...
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here's an underside shot of the sump / fuge and all the mechanicals:
Here's the butt kickin' NW-200 skimmer in action... also, you can see the 4" cooling fan I installed to help keep the sump area cool. Note the skimmers 3/8" air intake line is positioned right at the fan output to take advantage of the cooler, drier air being pulled in from outside the stand
The fuge portion is doing real well as you can see... I have cheato, feather caulerpa, a bit of red grancilaria (ogo), some ulva spp. ("sea lettuce") and even some codium spp. ("Dead Man's Finger") algae in there!
I liked the look of the Codium so much that I even put some of it in the display tank! (more on that later...)
You can see where I hooked up the float valve for auto topoff in this next shot...along with the LOA 65w fixture and the return for the Fluval canister. You can also make out the eggcrate / screen "partition" that keeps the macroalgaes from coming in contact with the return pump and the Fluval intake... in the 2 months so far the macros have each easily doubled in size with all that light - the lone exception being the red ogo which I think this is actually too much light (I've seen it for sale in a local LFS as "Tang Food" and the tank it is in is not as well-lit as my fuge!
Here's that Fluval 404 that is running carbon and Phosguard... uptakes water from the post-skimmer return area and sends it into the fuge area... this keeps the fuge area from getting too "stagnant" and the Fluval output is directed to keep the macros from clogging the screened partition:
The electrical connections are still about as neat and easy to follow as possible under the circumstances... the canopy cooling fans are on a timer to coincide with the halides running; the fuge light is on an 18 on / 6 off schedule opposite the halides, which are on for 13 hours each day (the sump fan is on 24 / 7)...
Here's a couple of "inside the canopy" shots showing the (2) 4" cooling fans I have installed:
carlso63
Reefkeeping since 1977
aND Here's that pretty looking side "storage table" that came with the setup... I wonder what's inside?
I built a little shelf to hold the 3 MH ballasts, and added another cooling fan to help keep those ballasts a little cooler... also, plenty of space for storing alot of the other 'crap' that you need for the tank - filter media, spare parts, an extra heater and powerhead, dosing chemicals, you name it it's in there!
I also ordered (3) 6 foot long extensions for the MH ballast wiring so that I could move this table a little further away from the main tank as it is almost butted up against it right now (due to the stock wire cable length); they should be delivered by the weekend...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OK, that's about it for outside updates... let's see how the inside of the tank is looking...
I built a little shelf to hold the 3 MH ballasts, and added another cooling fan to help keep those ballasts a little cooler... also, plenty of space for storing alot of the other 'crap' that you need for the tank - filter media, spare parts, an extra heater and powerhead, dosing chemicals, you name it it's in there!
I also ordered (3) 6 foot long extensions for the MH ballast wiring so that I could move this table a little further away from the main tank as it is almost butted up against it right now (due to the stock wire cable length); they should be delivered by the weekend...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OK, that's about it for outside updates... let's see how the inside of the tank is looking...
carlso63
Reefkeeping since 1977
Here's another front shot, a little closer this time:
Here's a couple of half tank shots... you can see the Dead Man Finger algae in various places among the rockwork. It grows pretty slow (so far anyway) and looks like what you would think a typical "seaweed" might look like... I think it looks cool!
Some Fish Shots
A Cinnamon Tomato Clown guarding his territory over his favorite anenome:
The 6 Line Wrasse scurries about looking for a snack:
The Male Banggai still looks lonely; I wish I could find him a new partner
"Nemo" is every kids favorite (of course!):
The Coral Beauty zooming around
The Naso looking quite content..
Here's a couple of half tank shots... you can see the Dead Man Finger algae in various places among the rockwork. It grows pretty slow (so far anyway) and looks like what you would think a typical "seaweed" might look like... I think it looks cool!
Some Fish Shots
A Cinnamon Tomato Clown guarding his territory over his favorite anenome:
The 6 Line Wrasse scurries about looking for a snack:
The Male Banggai still looks lonely; I wish I could find him a new partner
"Nemo" is every kids favorite (of course!):
The Coral Beauty zooming around
The Naso looking quite content..
carlso63
Reefkeeping since 1977
How about some Corals?
My Green Bubble has gotten huge; it really seems to like where it's at in the 225:
The red Open Brain seems to like it up in the rocks compared to down on the sandbed
You may recall that I "fried" some corals in the old 125 setup when one of the MH UV shields came loose and the center of the reef was baked in UV rays... one of those corals was my 12" wide Orange Monti Cap... I could only save 3 tiny (quarter- sized) frags off the entire piece. Well, the good news is that the frags are steadily rebounding under the AquaMedic / Pheonix 14K combo in the 225. The largest of the 3 frags (shown here) is roughly 2" X 3" now and growing steadily:
(Edit: note the baby Pom Pom growing in the lower right hand corner of the pic)
I got this Trumpet Coral frag right after I set the 225 up. Already went from 5 heads to 6 - and 3 more heads are getting ready to split :
Right behind the Trumpet is the Orange Ric which is also splitting!
My Toadstool Leather (originally 3" across) is now over 7" across and growing like crazy -
A single Green Paly polyp is now 22 polyps and counting; even with BSP trying to overrun it:
Silver Tip Xenia just keeps growing "like a weed"; the main colony (a 1.5" $5 frag a year ago) now covers most of a foot-long piece of Live Rock and has to number over 600 heads - not to mention 2 "daughter" colonies with another 150+ heads total!
The Pom Pom is doing great but doesn't grow nearly as fast - although just yesterday I found a tiny 2-head "baby" attached to the rock where the biggest Orange Monti frag is... in fact, you can see it in the same picture (a few photos up) in the right lower corner; the "shadow" of the Orange Cap makes it appear 'blue'... below is the parent colony:
My Green Bubble has gotten huge; it really seems to like where it's at in the 225:
The red Open Brain seems to like it up in the rocks compared to down on the sandbed
You may recall that I "fried" some corals in the old 125 setup when one of the MH UV shields came loose and the center of the reef was baked in UV rays... one of those corals was my 12" wide Orange Monti Cap... I could only save 3 tiny (quarter- sized) frags off the entire piece. Well, the good news is that the frags are steadily rebounding under the AquaMedic / Pheonix 14K combo in the 225. The largest of the 3 frags (shown here) is roughly 2" X 3" now and growing steadily:
(Edit: note the baby Pom Pom growing in the lower right hand corner of the pic)
I got this Trumpet Coral frag right after I set the 225 up. Already went from 5 heads to 6 - and 3 more heads are getting ready to split :
Right behind the Trumpet is the Orange Ric which is also splitting!
My Toadstool Leather (originally 3" across) is now over 7" across and growing like crazy -
A single Green Paly polyp is now 22 polyps and counting; even with BSP trying to overrun it:
Silver Tip Xenia just keeps growing "like a weed"; the main colony (a 1.5" $5 frag a year ago) now covers most of a foot-long piece of Live Rock and has to number over 600 heads - not to mention 2 "daughter" colonies with another 150+ heads total!
The Pom Pom is doing great but doesn't grow nearly as fast - although just yesterday I found a tiny 2-head "baby" attached to the rock where the biggest Orange Monti frag is... in fact, you can see it in the same picture (a few photos up) in the right lower corner; the "shadow" of the Orange Cap makes it appear 'blue'... below is the parent colony:
carlso63
Reefkeeping since 1977
Assorted Mushrooms all doing well:
And here's my 10" Wall Hammer that is doing OK, but still doesn't extend like it did in the original owners tank (oh, well...):
Inverts & Misc:
Here's my big old 6" + Crocea sitting in the sandbed... even at almost 30" down it looks like the 250 MHs are plenty of light for it:
Here's one of my 2 Deresa Clams - I think this is the smaller one, maybe 3.5" long; the bigger one is almost 5" long now... I got these as $10 under 1" long "babies" less than a year ago:
All 4 of my Peppermint Shrimp survived the transfer to the 225 (as did the Fire Shrimp)... they have all grown to around 1.25" in length now... here's one of the Peps just "hanging around" waiting for a snack:
This one is kind of hard to make out... it is a purple sponge, around the size of a ping-pong ball, and has 6 or 7 holes in it where water gets sucked in / blown out... I actually found 2 of these; the other one is a bit smaller and not so round in shape:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Well, OK, that pretty much does it for new pics ...
So - what's next for this setup?
Well (thankfully) it looks like the cash flow situation may be easing up a bit... so...
- looking to add more fish and corals... like to get another Flame Angel, a few more wrasses, maybe even another Tang... but that can be an ongoing thing; I figure I can add another 20+ fish as long as they go in a few at a time over the next year or so... corals? well, definitely need more Acros and other SPS to replace the ones that got "fried" when the UV glass fell in the tank... I'm pretty much open to any coral as I feel I have adequate conditions to raise pretty much anything now...
- definitely want to add to my "clean up crew"; like maybe another 100 snails and 100 more small hermits... I'd like to get another Fire Shrimp or 2 (they say they come out in the open alot more when they are in a group), maybe a cleaner shrimp or even a Coral banded
- other inverts? a few stars and an urchin or 2, maybe a sea cucumber
- All in all it looks like I'm good on hardware, so now I can splurge a little on "software"
And I really should look into setting up that Ca Reactor, huh? - it's only been in the garage for a month and a half now
(Oh - and water change containers... coming up on WC time very soon!)
I'll keep you all posted!
And here's my 10" Wall Hammer that is doing OK, but still doesn't extend like it did in the original owners tank (oh, well...):
Inverts & Misc:
Here's my big old 6" + Crocea sitting in the sandbed... even at almost 30" down it looks like the 250 MHs are plenty of light for it:
Here's one of my 2 Deresa Clams - I think this is the smaller one, maybe 3.5" long; the bigger one is almost 5" long now... I got these as $10 under 1" long "babies" less than a year ago:
All 4 of my Peppermint Shrimp survived the transfer to the 225 (as did the Fire Shrimp)... they have all grown to around 1.25" in length now... here's one of the Peps just "hanging around" waiting for a snack:
This one is kind of hard to make out... it is a purple sponge, around the size of a ping-pong ball, and has 6 or 7 holes in it where water gets sucked in / blown out... I actually found 2 of these; the other one is a bit smaller and not so round in shape:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Well, OK, that pretty much does it for new pics ...
So - what's next for this setup?
Well (thankfully) it looks like the cash flow situation may be easing up a bit... so...
- looking to add more fish and corals... like to get another Flame Angel, a few more wrasses, maybe even another Tang... but that can be an ongoing thing; I figure I can add another 20+ fish as long as they go in a few at a time over the next year or so... corals? well, definitely need more Acros and other SPS to replace the ones that got "fried" when the UV glass fell in the tank... I'm pretty much open to any coral as I feel I have adequate conditions to raise pretty much anything now...
- definitely want to add to my "clean up crew"; like maybe another 100 snails and 100 more small hermits... I'd like to get another Fire Shrimp or 2 (they say they come out in the open alot more when they are in a group), maybe a cleaner shrimp or even a Coral banded
- other inverts? a few stars and an urchin or 2, maybe a sea cucumber
- All in all it looks like I'm good on hardware, so now I can splurge a little on "software"
And I really should look into setting up that Ca Reactor, huh? - it's only been in the garage for a month and a half now
(Oh - and water change containers... coming up on WC time very soon!)
I'll keep you all posted!
Really Looking Great Bob :bigeyes:
Love the Mini cooling fans, I use one on my sump also.
When I build the "Tub N Tub sump" I was considering using a smaller strainer tub to hold the macro & place the return pump under it.
What do you think about that design ?
Steve
:smokin:
Love the Mini cooling fans, I use one on my sump also.
When I build the "Tub N Tub sump" I was considering using a smaller strainer tub to hold the macro & place the return pump under it.
What do you think about that design ?
Steve
:smokin:
