Chasdb Starfire 225g economic stimulis build

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13339617#post13339617 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Eels&Lions
Charles any new updates?

I moved some fish out of quarantine/ Cupramamine treatment and moved them to the 225. My Blonde Naso , Hippo Tang, 3x Dispar Anthius, 2x Purple Queen Anthius, 3 Green Chromis, Neon Goby, and Purple Fire Fish seem to be doing well. I lost a Dispar, my original male that I had for 1 1/2 years and 2 new Hawaiian Bicolor Anthias :(
 
Charles! Thanks so much again for the stands! You did one hell of a job. Now I can some what start my build thanks to you. Once again thanks!
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13348309#post13348309 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Eels&Lions
Oh man that sucks! I hate losing fish or corals.
Do you think they perished because of the Cupramamine treatment?

I probably should have taken it slower with them. Maybe left them in QT and fattened them up and get used to captivity before stressing them with the copper treatment. I thought it was good to have them with the other Anthias shoaling together instead of hiding on the bottom of the tank.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13348309#post13348309 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Eels&Lions
Charles! Thanks so much again for the stands! You did one hell of a job. Now I can some what start my build thanks to you. Once again thanks!

Your very welcome!
 
Happy Halloween......Ok updates.... The fish have been in the tank for about 45 days. There is a little ich so I was unsuccessful at eliminating it from the tank. I purchased a small black tank a while back and was going to add 'em before I put in the others Tangs but he didn't make it to QT. I was bummed and didn't feel like updating the thread. I finally built my light rack lift about 2 weeks ago. I was going to do steel with a plywood mounting area for the lights but decided to go all wood since I haven't used my tablesaw in a while. This is just the substructure which will get skinned and doors once I get caught up on my to do list, too many promises too little time! Jason aka naz420 pushed me to get off my butt and build it, even helped hang it (and move some more frag tanks I had to buy). Thanks bud! I used some 300lb ball bearing drawer slides I had laying around and an actuator from FA actuators http://www.firgelliauto.com/product_info.php?cPath=77&products_id=50
got it 2 days after order was placed, I bought a 4 amp power supply and a 2 pole on-off-on switch locally.

Enjoy the pics:D

Back mounting plate
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plate elevated
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rack fully raised
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rack down and WE HAVE LIGHTS!!!
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I am going to lower the lights 5" once the corals need a little more. I built the box taller so I could change to the full size reflectors or have clearance to reduce my power consumption and only run 2 lights with a light mover. I have 4 36" T-5 super actinic that I have to set up also, plan to run them before and after the MH comes on, not to supplement as I really like the color of the Radiums.

The fish are doing well. Stock list so far: Blond Naso, Hippo, Achilles, 2 false Percs, Flame Wrasse pair, Yellow Corris Wrasse pair, 2 Leopard Wrasses, 3 Dispar Anthias, 2 Purple Queen, 3 Chromis, Neon Goby, BlueSpot Jawfish, Purple Firefish

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The bad news......I have AEFW in my frag system where I was keeping all my corals. I lost a couple ultimate stags from Greg and a Pink Lemonade and Paletta Pink Tip from Hugo and didn't put it together until I finally noticed bite marks on an Oregon tort. I got all the SPS bugs last year after RAP, red bugs, AEFW, and monti nudies. I lost about half last time so I went to war with guns a blazing. I did an interceptor treatment because I think the corals like the beef flavor, naw I got some new frags at this years RAP (couple weeks ago) and wanted to do a RB treatment as a preventative measure. I used Revive, for the majority of the dips for the AEFW. I tried Fluke tabs but didn't like it as it left the water so cloudy I couldn't see the fw fall off like the Revive, I couldn't even see the bottom of my 1/2 filled 10g tank. Any piece that had signs of fw got a second dip. Every piece was gone over with a 10x magnifying glass. If there was a dead spot in the middle of a colony it was fragged so I could see every branch for possible eggs. All frags were glued on new discs. After 2 days of checking finally every piece had been moved over to the new tank. I may not have killed them from last years attack as my wrasses may have picked off the larger fw before I could see the big bite marks. I was fishless in the frag system as I treated the fish all in separate system and moved them to the new tank. The numbers on the 225g tank were good so the sps have a fighting chance. Salinity 1.025 ph 8.19, Dkh 9, Ca 430, Mg 1275, No2 0, No3 25, Po4 .18 I also moved the sump under the tank because I don't know when I will make time to build a shed for it as nights are sometimes in the 50s and the Santa Ana Winds can't be helping the system with the dust all. I was using 4 250w heaters and 3/4 foam insulation to help with the cold. I figured I had to sterilize the sump, skimmer, and all reactors, so I might as well move it indoors for now. I also used camel shrimp to remove fw eggs. I unfortunately lost them all. Stupid mistake. I dipped, fragged, swished in rinse and then let the camels clean it, but either the fluke tabs or the Revive residue did them in:( good soldiers. I moved some ringed pipefish from another tank and will add some dragonface pipe fish as soon as I find some. Along with more dips/ treatments and the wrasses/pipefish I hope to beat these pests.

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With some color in the tank, not great color after the cleaning but better than rock!
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Left
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Center
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Right
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I need to keep up on this thread, catching up after a month and a half is too much work, too much to remember. I lost one of my Leopard Wrasses, they weren't paring up and were really aggressive towards each other after settling in and way too fast and smart to catch.

Ok I've got some shout outs:

I got a BEAUTIFUL BLACK LONGNOSE TANG from bwbixby but my Achilles doesn't want to play nice so he is off to the sump. I will need to find a new home for 'em, had that fish since Feb. There is a pic of the Black Longnose in the center tank pic above, he's on the left, the black stealth fish with a white barb. Thanks Bryan

I got a pair of the new Tunze 6105 streams and put them in the tank, it's good as another of the 6101 is acting up and my 2 6025 Nano Streams have loose shafts so I will be down a few gph. They need to go visit Tunze USA for a tune up :hammer: I'm very happy with his quick turn around time. Thanks in advance Roger, Rodney and Co.

I changed my 2 Lumenarcs for 3 Lumen Max Elite to better cover the 30" depth. I also picked up an AC3 controller with a DC8 and DC4HD and really like it. I was going to get the RKE but didn't want to wait for new modules to come out. I picked up some float switches and a mini did plug to set up the ato. I got to thank Tom for stocking all the good stuff at his store.

I picked up a Milwaukee Phosphate color meter so I can get more consistent test results too. Thanks Jose for the demo.

Thanks to Freddy for letting me use his big bad Deltec to run on my frag tanks during the change over.

hope I didn't miss anybody :wavehand: I don't know what I would have done with out the support.
 
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Charles,
I’ve been subscribed to your build for a while and man your tank is coming along very nicely. That lighting system is unbeliveable, inventive and very forward looking. Your build thread shows that when you have skills and imagination you can do it right! Keep posting (more often).
 
oh man, you have an achilles and a black tang, very nice, Ive always wanted an achilles. too bad your in cali. great looking tank. thinking about putting any actinics in there?
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13660512#post13660512 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by DanW
Charles,
I’ve been subscribed to your build for a while and man your tank is coming along very nicely. That lighting system is unbeliveable, inventive and very forward looking. Your build thread shows that when you have skills and imagination you can do it right! Keep posting (more often).

Thanks for the support, I will keep up the work and posting. My wife doesn't know what to think about the lights.
 
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