Dave's 90gal build

as jeff said if you dont care about the money its ok but realize some stuff is a rip off as far as paying for it. as it can be developed in your tank naturally for free. just beware as the hobby is very very oppinionated and has many rip off ideas. good example is fast start bacteria builders for new tanks. this stuff can work but doesnt work miricles. and the natural proccess is in fact better to establish bacteria. these products sell for high value but with patience you can reach the same results at the same time. most require that if you use it once you must keep it up to keep levels of bacteria
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8521454#post8521454 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by xxxbadfishxxx

Like ReefD said, this is one option you can cut cost on, but you seem to be getting quality equipment, so if you have the $$, by all means. We are just trying to help you save some dough for fish and corals, i just dont want you to take this the wrong way if you know what im saying.

Also, dont waste your money on live sand, hell ill give you all you want. I am moving in less then a month, and usually when you move you are supposed to replace most of the sandbed, so its either garbage or fellow reefers can have some. Let me know if your interested. I dont remember if you said you had sand yet, but Dr. Fosters and smith have CaribSea Aragonite 30lb bags for like 20 bucks, go anywhere locally and its that price for 15lbs.

Jeff
Click to expand...

WOW real nice pics! I'll have to look around for some base rock that I think would look good with some MI mixed in. I think Tony at SB may have had some rock I can pick up. I'll have to jump on the bike and take a ride over there.

As for the sand, I was planning about 100lbs of LS originally. After reading more, I was going to get 1 bag of LS (like 20 lbs to seed) and use some CaribSea Aragonite (like 120-130lbs) all together this should get me about a 3" sand bed.

Oh, I did order a gallon of that miracle mud for my fuge. I have read mixed things about this. But when you put it in the fuge, do you also add a some sand on top of it or just the mud? Did I waste my $$ on this?
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8521529#post8521529 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by xxxbadfishxxx

Dave, if your interested, take a look at my 90 plans, maybe it will help you out. 90 Gallon Plans
Click to expand...

Looks close to mine. I like that, it give me the confidence that I'm on the right track!
 
just add the mud...not a waste as it has many buffering agents which do help stabalize your tank. also contains other elements that will slowly leach into system and do help. . can be duplicated with other established stuff but not a waste of money. just add the mud and let it be. you must keep flow low if you plan on usinf substrate in you sump. i never did...i like liverock only as debri builts up fast and syphoning is hard with substrate . i use rubble and rock as a fi;ltration for sump. also as i have said i use algea scrubbing the most and the algea matts support the same live as live sand does as its so thick its like a substrate. not a waste of money at all but not nessesary as most with successful beautifyul reef tanks never used it,.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8521567#post8521567 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by reefD
as jeff said if you dont care about the money its ok but realize some stuff is a rip off as far as paying for it. as it can be developed in your tank naturally for free. just beware as the hobby is very very oppinionated and has many rip off ideas. good example is fast start bacteria builders for new tanks. this stuff can work but doesnt work miricles. and the natural proccess is in fact better to establish bacteria. these products sell for high value but with patience you can reach the same results at the same time. most require that if you use it once you must keep it up to keep levels of bacteria
Click to expand...

I don't plan on any 'additives' to speed up the process. I actually have time. We are taking the kids to Disney in Feb. I don't want to put anything in the tank till I get back, so by the time the LR goes in, I'll have a solid 10 weeks for it to fully cycle. I did of course have a question about this long period of time without adding livestock. Would this length of time be an issue if for example my numbers read that the tank is ready say 2-3 weeks before we leave? I would expect that the bloom of good bacteria may start to die off without adding live stock. This is way to early to ask, but since I'm on it, if that happens, should I then possibly add a few small pieces of shrimp to the tank to keep the cycle going? (see I read alot!! hehe)
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8521638#post8521638 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by reefD
just add the mud...not a waste as it has many buffering agents which do help stabalize your tank. also contains other elements that will slowly leach into system and do help. . can be duplicated with other established stuff but not a waste of money. just add the mud and let it be. you must keep flow low if you plan on usinf substrate in you sump. i never did...i like liverock only as debri builts up fast and syphoning is hard with substrate . i use rubble and rock as a fi;ltration for sump. also as i have said i use algea scrubbing the most and the algea matts support the same live as live sand does as its so thick its like a substrate. not a waste of money at all but not nessesary as most with successful beautifyul reef tanks never used it,.
Click to expand...

For the fuge section of the sump, I created a spray bar with pvc pipe which will sit below the waterline in the fuge. My intentions was LOW flow through the fuge like 100-200 gph max.


Sumpreturnnfuge.jpg


One thing I have to do is drill one or two more hole in the top of the spray bar, probably one near the end where the cap is, to allow any trapped air to escape.
 
i would certainly add a damsel to support bacteria. just get a few chromis and any that die will act the same as a rotting shrimp but when alive and may stay alive they do the same without a rotting corpse. in any case even without fish the live rock is a bioload it will life and die as such is life ...so in other words if you add rock it will sustain the bacteria after cycle for sure. then you need to add slow so bacteria can catch up. this is the same regardless what you do. bacteria remains but needs time to increase with each addition. i use the two month rule with fish. add it wait 2 months for bacteria to increase before thinking of adding anything else. thats just me.
 
I'll worry about it more when I see my levels torwards the end of January. I also dont want to add anthing that I may not want in the tank and have to go crazy trying to catch it later.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8521767#post8521767 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by archer8681
I'll worry about it more when I see my levels torwards the end of January. I also dont want to add anthing that I may not want in the tank and have to go crazy trying to catch it later.
Click to expand...

yeah in that case, I'd be using chromis instead of damsels...

although I know some people advise against using fish to cycle tanks...

myself however I'd use some chromis.. the food, the fishwaste etc... perfect to get it rolling.........
 
Yeah, i used the fishless method, by buying uncooked shrimp at the fish store. Your liverock will also have die off to get the cycle going. If i were to use fish, i would use chromis over damsels for sure.
 
chromis are sweet hearts and are very passive fish that never create issues. good cycle fish ...MO
 
Today was like Xmas, everything I ordered came in. Got my RO/DI unit, skimmer, power heads, return pump, and I picked up sand and salt. Got all my plumbing done, and now I'm making water to fill the tank. I'll take pics when the tank is full and I get the pumps running. Hopefully I won't have any leaks! Next is LR!

All I'm waiting for is my lights which I ordered from Tony @ SB.
 
Yea, the Outer Orbit HQI/T5HO fixture - 2x 150x HQI, 2x 54w Actinic 460nm, 2x Actinic 420nm, 9/9 Blue/White Lunar LED Lights. Tony at SB hooked me up!


As a side note, the Typhoon III RO/DI seems to work great! I tested with a TDS meter and my tap water read 252 ppm, and the RO/DI water read 0 ppm! Cool stuff.

One thing I did mess up on in my plumbing. I am using a combination of flexible hose and pvc which i like but, three of the clamps need to be replaced with plastic ones. Yea metal + SW = not good. Small oops, but easy to fix.
 
Archer8681, where did you order your lights from? im thinking of getting the same ones for my 90 as well. ive been looking at currents website but i dont think you can order from them. i dont think you will be disapointed with the light. ive had there other lighting and it is well built. definately get your moneys worth.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8562070#post8562070 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rommelgin
Archer8681, where did you order your lights from? im thinking of getting the same ones for my 90 as well. ive been looking at currents website but i dont think you can order from them. i dont think you will be disapointed with the light. ive had there other lighting and it is well built. definately get your moneys worth.
Click to expand...

I ordered them from a local LFS just outside of Albany NY called Swamp Bottom. Probably a little bit of a far drive for you. But I did see them on Doctors Foster & Smith website, although that's more than what I am paying for them.
 
Coming along good so far. Right now tank is about 1/2 way full with RO/DI water (damn making this stuff is slow!!). The filter is set up in my kitchen near my washer/dryer. The tube isn't long enough to reach the tank, so I'm filling a 5 gal bucket, pouring into tank, etc. The tank should hopefully be full by tomorrow night, then salt and sand. Assuming that my plumbing is ok (says a small prayer)

I plan on picking up some LR on Monday or Tues. I did turn on my Tunze's, DAMN they got flow! I can see that they will need to be kept fairly low on the bracket they come with. I may get the magnet mounts for them.

I'll post pics after its full and the pumps are running.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

mixedreeflife
Reefer 250 GEN1 leak proofing...
Replies
3
Views
235
griss
griss
DjPhato
Ready, set…water! 90gal peninsula build
2
Replies
26
Views
696
Patrick Seastar
Patrick Seastar
Anemone
Power Outages
Replies
3
Views
102
alton
alton
M
How everything change and keeps changing
2
Replies
27
Views
1K
MCReef1420
M
N
Is this a design flaw from Red Sea? Please help me with this sump upgrade Max e170 (Sump and tank connection)
Replies
1
Views
472
wvned
wvned
Back
Top