I need some direction...

[iwishtofish]

Help me out! I need a variety of suggestions on the direction in which to take my new tank!

Stats:

It's a 75g peninsula with a 40b sump. I have 50 lbs of Marco Rock Key Largo, about 40 lbs of Seaflor Reef Grade sand, a Reef Octopus XS-200 skimmer, two 300w heaters, and two reactors (currently empty) fed off the Mag 9.5 return pump. Flow is currently two older model K4s, and I'm about to add a Tunze 6065 at the opposite end. Lighting is a Tek 6x39w T5, with two Ecoxotic PAR 38 bulbs over the refugium (empty).

The pics:

I cycled the tank with a piece of raw shrimp and MB7. Never detected a big ammonia spike, but I've been dumping in food for the hermits for quite a while now. I'm still dosing MB7 weekly. I lost my first fish for uncertain reasons. Recent testing showed:

Alk 10 dKH (API)
Calcium 460 (API)
pH 8.4 (API)
Phosphate 0 (API, high-range)
Ammonia 0 (Salifert)
Nitrate 0-2 ppm (Salifert)

I don't know what animals to add next! The tank is so "unestablished" that I don't know what will do well. Will just feeding the 9 or so hermits keep my cycle going? If not, how much food should I drop in?

Thanks

 

[thegrun]

1. I like the rockwork on the right hand side of the tank, I would try to form another arch on the left hand side and get a little more vertical height to the rock.
2. I would add additional rock to the refugium section of the sump and also cheato algae as a nitrate export system. I also like to paint the divider between the refugium section and the return pump section black to cut down on algae growth in the return section. Lower the refugium lights a few more inches also.
3. Looks like you may want to add another bubble trap baffle on the refugium to return pump section side, it looks the the waterfall is causing too many bubbles (it may just be silicone bubbles).
4. You will eventually get rust forming on the clips you used to hold the heater cord in place, find a plastic clip or zip tie them.

 

[iwishtofish]

1. I like the rockwork on the right hand side of the tank, I would try to form another arch on the left hand side and get a little more vertical height to the rock.
2. I would add additional rock to the refugium section of the sump and also cheato algae as a nitrate export system. I also like to paint the divider between the refugium section and the return pump section black to cut down on algae growth in the return section. Lower the refugium lights a few more inches also.
3. Looks like you may want to add another bubble trap baffle on the refugium to return pump section side, it looks the the waterfall is causing too many bubbles (it may just be silicone bubbles).

Thanks for the ideas, thegrun! I have considered adding more rock - I've been concerned that I don't have enough, both for filtration as well as for providing hiding places. The tank is so barren that I'm wondering if I should add live rock, but then I consider that this would defeat the whole idea of pest-control that made me go with dry rock.

I'll add some chaeto if my nitrates creep up. I'm afraid to lower the lights because I may use the refugium partially as a frag tank. The lights are super intense!

No trouble with microbubbles at this point.

 

[ericauch]

what are you wanting to put in the tank?

 

[scottv1025]

If u didnt get a amonia spike that means u probably didnt cycle yet . This is the way i went and it worked good . I put all the rock that i wanted in the tank . I bought10 fresh water mollys (in a 180 gal) . And few weeks later i was cycled then added a few fish . Then slowwwwwlyy!!! Added corals .

What is ur plan for the tank . Reef ? Fish only?

 

[on the spot]

How close to overflow are you in a power failure? I'm guessing quite close...

Any plans for the beneficial organisms from LR? I'd start with that. Maybe some coralline, pods, worms...

What is it that you want to do? mostly coral with few/no fish, or more fish with few/no corals?

Overall, it's a fine start though.

 

[cheeto]

You should add a strainer to the intake of your return pump

 

[disc1]

How close to overflow are you in a power failure? I'm guessing quite close...[/QUOTE


My sump is a very similar design and I'm having that problem. I've been thinking less about whether to rebuild it, and more about how to handle the tank while I have it out. I'm guessing I'm going to have to run the tank on something temporary for a week or so while I wait for silicone to cure and such. I think I'm going to use a rubbermaid and plumb it in through my water change system and just live with the bubbles for a week.

Either way, that thing scares me every time I turn the pump off. I don't ever put more than 2 or 3 gallons in my ATO, because if it ever stuck and dumped in 5 gallons and THEN the power went off, there would be a flood for sure.

 

[iwishtofish]

what are you wanting to put in the tank?

I'm now up in the air about that. Originally I was planning on three or four smaller fish, LPS, and monties. Any suggestions for a high-flow tank such as this?

If u didnt get a amonia spike that means u probably didnt cycle yet . This is the way i went and it worked good . I put all the rock that i wanted in the tank . I bought10 fresh water mollys (in a 180 gal) . And few weeks later i was cycled then added a few fish . Then slowwwwwlyy!!! Added corals .

What is ur plan for the tank . Reef ? Fish only?

Definitely reef. I am hoping for some good variety.

How close to overflow are you in a power failure? I'm guessing quite close...

Any plans for the beneficial organisms from LR? I'd start with that. Maybe some coralline, pods, worms...

What is it that you want to do? mostly coral with few/no fish, or more fish with few/no corals?

Overall, it's a fine start though.

Thanks! I have much more room than I originally feared when the pump cuts off.

I am thinking of adding some live sand, or a little live rock, from a good source to bring critters to the system. It is really barren right now!

You should add a strainer to the intake of your return pump

I wondered if I should...at the moment, there is nothing to suck up!

 

[iwishtofish]

Any other suggestions? Any theories on keeping my cycle going? Or if I even have as much of one going as I think?

 

[greech]

I know someone that started there tank much like yours in an effort to reduce the likelihood of introducing pests. He never had a large ammonia spike despite trying to induce one with several large table shrimp. His tank stayed very clean much like yours. He did some a blip of ammonia now and then and then the trites and trates but no major or long lasting ammonia. I believe he let the tank run empty for well over 2 months. He added a small CUC and a cleaner shrimp and within a couple weeks he had a major bacteria bloom that has gone on for a long time.

I personally feel this is due to the lack or limited species of bacteria that was present buy not using a little LR and or some established sand to help seed the tank and increase the diversity.

I'm not saying this will happen to you and he did not dose MB7 or anything similar but wanted to point this out in case you were still considering a little LR. I think eventually something is going to slip past all of us.

I have seen your tank a few times now and it is really well done and thought through. Love the Par 38s over the fuge. Personally I would leave that area it just how you have it and put those 38s to good use and make that a grow out area for frags. Drill some holes in that big rock for frag plugs to sit in and you'll be all set. You could add some established sand and some smaller pieces of LR to that area though. That way, if you happen to get some aiptasia or some other pests on the LR you add it will just be in your sump and hopefully make it easier to remove them (or the rock itself).

 

[iwishtofish]

Graham, that is some excellent information, and I appreciate it very much. I think that I will take your suggestion and add several smaller pieces of live rock to the sump. That way I can add the diversity and observe the rock as if it were in quarantine. I know it hasn't really been all that long, but I am tired of looking at the moon! :rolleye1:

Thank you for the compliments, as well.