drummereef's 180g in-wall build

yoccm said:
Thanks for the input - I have actually followed both of the threads you mentioned. I did think about doing custom order with them especially after seeing what happened to Mike's first tank from them - makes the extra eurobracing sound like a good idea!!! From everything I have read and in my efforts to get a custom quote from them it is difficult and a very long process.

To your point, my drains will be behind a wall and 3 feet back from the front display. My LFS said his distributor has 50+ starphire 300g dd tanks in his warehouse and is pricing it for me at under $1,500 because they are so overstocked.

Think I will give it a shot - can always convert to bean animal system if necessary.

Thanks again and grats on hitting 100 pages - your build has been a real inspiration.
Click to expand...

No problem. Glad to help. My experience getting a custom quote from Marineland wasn't that bad. I just upgraded the front panel to Starfire and had them do black silicone where you could see it. Bottom and top is clear. That quote sounds awfully enticing though... Hope it all works out for you, good luck! :)

prop-frags said:
Just saw your index... Awesome! :D
Click to expand...

Ha! Thanks Mike!! :)
 
UPDATE:


Might have had a breakthrough tonight... After further research of the brown algae that has plagued my system and others', I believe this algae is definitely a variant of Cyano. It's a filamentous Cyano called Lyngbya sp.

If anyone has experience with this specific kind of algae please post with any info you can provide. Thanks! :)

Known
Grows in nutrient poor environments (including natural reefs)
Grows best in high flow areas
Mexican Turbos graze on it
Reacts negatively to Pohl's Coral Snow
 
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drummereef said:
UPDATE:


Might have had a breakthrough tonight... After further research of the brown algae that has plagued my system and others', I believe this algae is definitely a variant of Cyano. It's a filamentous Cyano called Lyngbya sp.

If anyone has experience with this specific kind of algae please post with any info you can provide. Thanks! :)

Known
Grows in nutrient poor environments (including natural reefs)
Grows best in high flow areas
Mexican Turbos graze on it
Reacts negatively to Pohl's Coral Snow
Click to expand...

Get a lawnmower blenny, sea slug or small tuxedo urchin. These guys all love various algae's. I bet they make quick work of it. Pick which you like best or try 2 of them.

I had something similiar a few weeks into my cycle and added a lawnmower & urchin & it was all gone w/in a week. Both make cool addition to a reef tank! The lawnmowers are so cool to watch the way the swim & perch & move their eyeballs!
 
I agree with 110.

I have a lawnmower that absolutely grazes all day long on my algae that is the same as yours. My 4 tangs destroy the stuff as well constantly. I have 0 snails in my tank at the time as well.

Lawnmower is still my favorite fish too. My brothers 3 year old calls it "the old man".
 
+1.....ime tuxedo urchin do a number on algae on rocks. Unfortunately, my orange spotted gobie beats the crap out of blennies. So lawnmower blennies and sand sifting gobies are out until I can trap my orange spotted guy and get him out of the tank. Two tuxedo urchins will make quick work in a 180-gl.
 
Haha guys! Decisions, decisions... :D I really like urchins but I'm afraid of them starving over time if the algae issues for some reason decide to go away. I could also see myself getting a lawnmower blenny as well, I do like those fish and my LFS usually has 1 whenever I'm in. Good suggestions guys!

What do you feed the lawnmower and urchin in an algae depleted system?
 
drummereef said:
Haha guys! Decisions, decisions... :D I really like urchins but I'm afraid of them starving over time if the algae issues for some reason decide to go away. I could also see myself getting a lawnmower blenny as well, I do like those fish and my LFS usually has 1 whenever I'm in. Good suggestions guys!

What do you feed the lawnmower and urchin in an algae depleted system?
Click to expand...

the LMB will eat some fish foods, at least mine did, but mostly he seemed to just go after the slime algae on the glass

I had a pencil urchin in my 300g and it did no thave the algae issues I'm having on the 110, but between the urchin and tangs they may have beaten down any algae before it became an issue (or took care of it before it grew to visable levels)

I've heard that urchins will also chew on coraline
 
drummereef said:
Haha guys! Decisions, decisions... :D I really like urchins but I'm afraid of them starving over time if the algae issues for some reason decide to go away. I could also see myself getting a lawnmower blenny as well, I do like those fish and my LFS usually has 1 whenever I'm in. Good suggestions guys!

What do you feed the lawnmower and urchin in an algae depleted system?
Click to expand...

I have really never had algae in this current setup or past setup. I had an urchin for years in the last one. I think they find whatever they need where ever and do fine. Mine never ate anything I feed. But they do seem to pooo lots of rock dust & fines. So they must be munchin some

As for the LM...mine has yet to eat anything (that Ive seen) I feed. He is usually just picking at rockwork or the back glass.:dance:



This is my first LM blenny, but i'd assume if he was hungry he'd eat something fedd like the seaweed i feed tangs. At least some of the pieces that break off & float around. But he hasn't. And if a piece breaks off the feed rock, my fish fish won't touch it....weird!
Oh & always hear they eat coraline, but in our size tanks I don't think you can ever notice. My last tank had more coraline than I could handle!
 
psteeleb said:
the LMB will eat some fish foods, at least mine did, but mostly he seemed to just go after the slime algae on the glass

I had a pencil urchin in my 300g and it did no thave the algae issues I'm having on the 110, but between the urchin and tangs they may have beaten down any algae before it became an issue (or took care of it before it grew to visable levels)

I've heard that urchins will also chew on coraline
Click to expand...

110galreef said:
I have really never had algae in this current setup or past setup. I had an urchin for years in the last one. I think they find whatever they need where ever and do fine. Mine never ate anything I feed. But they do seem to pooo lots of rock dust & fines. So they must be munchin some

As for the LM...mine has yet to eat anything (that Ive seen) I feed. He is usually just picking at rockwork or the back glass.:dance:



This is my first LM blenny, but i'd assume if he was hungry he'd eat something fedd like the seaweed i feed tangs. At least some of the pieces that break off & float around. But he hasn't. And if a piece breaks off the feed rock, my fish fish won't touch it....weird!
Oh & always hear they eat coraline, but in our size tanks I don't think you can ever notice. My last tank had more coraline than I could handle!
Click to expand...


Good info guys. :) Maybe I'd be safer getting a Lawnmower then. I'm afraid as much as I like urchins a 180g just isn't big enough for one, size and nutritionally. Unless there's a variety that stay rather small-ish.
 
drummereef said:
Good info guys. :) Maybe I'd be safer getting a Lawnmower then. I'm afraid as much as I like urchins a 180g just isn't big enough for one, size and nutritionally. Unless there's a variety that stay rather small-ish.
Click to expand...

get a blue tuxedo or colored pincushion urchin.....they stay about the size of a golf ball, and they can be easily picked up by your hand & moved.

They have pointy spines, but they dont poke you if you grab them slowly & gently.

Get the lawnmover for sure! you like it either way and no issues.
 
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Brett....I have had a pincushion in each of my 180's for several years with no issues. Actually it is recommended to have two in a tank this size, but I have always got away with one. The one I have now just roams around slowly eating away GHA on my rockwork and sometimes on the walls, but rarely. He stays on rockwork most of the time.

IMO, if you frags are mounted nicely they will not move them and, from my experience, do not harm sps frags in any other way. I really enjoy viewing them in a reef environment.

I believe the Royal urchins/Mespilia spp. stay the smallest, followed by Tripneustes spp.

HTH
 
tegee said:
Brett....I have had a pincushion in each of my 180's for several years with no issues. Actually it is recommended to have two in a tank this size, but I have always got away with one. The one I have now just roams around slowly eating away GHA on my rockwork and sometimes on the walls, but rarely. He stays on rockwork most of the time.

IMO, if you frags are mounted nicely they will not move them and, from my experience, do not harm sps frags in any other way. I really enjoy viewing them in a reef environment.

I believe the Royal urchins/Mespilia spp. stay the smallest, followed by Tripneustes spp.

HTH
Click to expand...

Great info tegee. :) I'll be on the lookout for a blue tuxedo/pincushion. :)
 
the blue tuxedo also seem to have very short & almost soft spines, the pincushion are a bit longer & spikier. I have had both. I really prefer the BLUE tuxedo's for their colors unless you can find some cool colored pincushion urchins. My LFS had one that has a deep green sections with white & orange spikes. So i added him to my tank! Neat colorings opposed to the typical bland pincushion
 
110galreef said:
the blue tuxedo also seem to have very short & almost soft spines, the pincushion are a bit longer & spikier. I have had both. I really prefer the BLUE tuxedo's for their colors unless you can find some cool colored pincushion urchins. My LFS had one that has a deep green sections with white & orange spikes. So i added him to my tank! Neat colorings opposed to the typical bland pincushion
Click to expand...

Cool! I think I'm heading to the LFS today and see what they have. I think they have a Lawnmower for sure but I'll report back. :)
 
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