insane
Member
LOL. Yeah right. Kind of true in a way but not like a noob would do it. I have been out of the hobby for 3 years.
Long story short, but still kind of long, I bought my sisters 180g reef and most of what all was on it. I moved it 90 miles and had two 100g stock tanks set up and tied together with a 72" 2x400w SE MH+1x250w SE MH+2x96w PC actinics overhead. A magdrive 9.5 pumping water to the upper stock tank which had an overflow skimmer that drained to the lower stock tank. I had this set up and ready for a month before I did the move. Had a protein skimmer & heater in it as well.
She had a 6" DSB which did not have any hydrogen sulfide gas in it. I researched DSBs before attempting to move it. I think they are ugly in a DT so I didn't plan on setting it up the same way. I screened the 500lbs or so of sand and kept anything that was over 1/8" in size giving me a 2" SSB. Before I pulled that DSB I took off the top 1" and kept that in the holding tanks to put back in the DT on top of the sand I cleaned.
Once I got the 300+lbs of rock (I weighed it when moving it to the DT), some soft corals, an LPS and a few SPS in the holding tanks, I set up the DT with the sand and let another protein skimmer work on cleaning it along with an ATS/surge device. It sat that way for about a month. In the holding tanks there are no fish and only a few crabs that were in the LR.
A few days ago one of my old 400w MH magnetic ballasts decided to catch on fire. Luckily I was home when it happened but it has forced me to get everything into the DT sooner than planned. (Reef in one day) My light for the DT is a 72" 3x400w Belize and I wasn't about to rig it up over the stock tanks. So two days ago I moved almost all of the rock over after firing up a DIY sump for the first time with my Octopus Extreme 250, 800w heater and Rio HF32 return pump. I am using a CPR CS150 HOB overflow that can handle 1,600gph. They claim it has a 1 ½" bulkhead but it actually has a 2" bulkhead. Never buy one without buying the lid for it or you will regret it! Imagine a high powered toilet flushing constantly!
Originally I had planned on working on the aiptasia problem while the rock was in the stock tanks and I was using a propane torch to cook them as I saw them but now things have changed a bit. I wanted to kill as many as I could see then use peppermints in the DT once things had stabilized. Now I will use Joe's Juice on the big ones and then use peppermints to get the rest. I had no plans on adding any fish until I had the aiptasia under control and the water is ready. That is still the plan. My sis had about 1 aiptasia per pound of rock. She kind of let it get out of control.
The long ways down the road fish will be a small school of Heniochus Diphreutes (Schooling Bannerfish) along with a school of Apogon Leptacanthus (Threadfin Cardinalfish). I am still building my stock list and researching everything. Once fish stocking is complete and water chemistry balanced, then I will start adding corals. Mainly SPS with a few select LPS and no softies. I arranged my LR to have tons of swim throughs for large fish, ledges and overhangs. I have to create shaded spots to protect LPS from the 400w MH's. It is not my first time at the rodeo but it has been awhile.
In setting up the DT and adding the rock and other stuff I have been mixing the water between the stock tanks and the DT to equalize the chemistry. I had been keeping the SG and temps the same as well.
My spikes haven't been too bad since I kept all of the LR and sand submerged during the move from my sister's house. I really didn't want to throw this together as fast as I have over the past two days but I didn't want things to sit in the dark with only the PCs on it.
I didn't even get the chance to run my two dedicated electrical circuits to the tank yet so I now have 3 heavy duty extension cords running to the tank from three different rooms in the house. My lights and heater take quite a bit of power and I check my extension cords often to see if they are getting warm or not.
Even when you think that you have the best laid plans, leave it to Mr. Murphy to prove you wrong and change them. It is so frustrating to plan to take things at a snails pace then be forced to hurry up and do this and that. The best advice I give to anyone about reefing is to take things slow and then when it comes to me doing just that, it won't let me. I just have to modify my plans and try to keep as much of them as I can. At least I know now that nothing can make me add fish sooner than planned since I have no fish and will buy no fish until it is time. Now I have a floor covered in extension cords, ballasts, wires, timers and power strips since I wasn't ready to fire up the Belize on the DT. The ATO and Kalk stirrer are not set up either so now I have to top off manually. I think I will do the ATO first then mount the ballasts later.
My equipment on hand:
"¢ 180g DT (standard 72"x24"x24")
"¢ 55g DIY sump
"¢ Rio HF32 return pump (1,920 gph @ 1ft) to an over the top 7 way manifold w/6 hydor flo
"¢ CPR CS150 overflow (1,600gph)
"¢ Octopus Extreme 250 protein skimmer
"¢ Dump bucket style ATS w/two 65w 6700k PC on reverse cycle & Magdrive 3. Dumps 2g in 2 seconds into DT every 30 seconds 24/7.
"¢ Rio 2500 w/Loc-line circle flow
"¢ 2" SSB
"¢ 400lbs LR
"¢ 72" 3x400w 14k DE MH + 2x80w T5 420nm actinic + 4x1w LED Belize Sun (7.5w per gallon)
"¢ 72" 54 blue LED strip
"¢ Aquamedic Kalk Stirrer with peristaltic ATO
"¢ 800w Finnex titanium heater + controller
"¢ 6 x 3" 12v fan bank
Lighting schedule:
10pm "“ 9am LED + ATS 130w PC
9am "“ 10pm 160w T5 Actinic
11am "“ 6pm 400w MH Left
12noon "“ 7pm 400w MH Center
1pm "“ 8pm 400w MH Right
Pics to follow. Be forewarned, I take bad pictures!
Long story short, but still kind of long, I bought my sisters 180g reef and most of what all was on it. I moved it 90 miles and had two 100g stock tanks set up and tied together with a 72" 2x400w SE MH+1x250w SE MH+2x96w PC actinics overhead. A magdrive 9.5 pumping water to the upper stock tank which had an overflow skimmer that drained to the lower stock tank. I had this set up and ready for a month before I did the move. Had a protein skimmer & heater in it as well.
She had a 6" DSB which did not have any hydrogen sulfide gas in it. I researched DSBs before attempting to move it. I think they are ugly in a DT so I didn't plan on setting it up the same way. I screened the 500lbs or so of sand and kept anything that was over 1/8" in size giving me a 2" SSB. Before I pulled that DSB I took off the top 1" and kept that in the holding tanks to put back in the DT on top of the sand I cleaned.
Once I got the 300+lbs of rock (I weighed it when moving it to the DT), some soft corals, an LPS and a few SPS in the holding tanks, I set up the DT with the sand and let another protein skimmer work on cleaning it along with an ATS/surge device. It sat that way for about a month. In the holding tanks there are no fish and only a few crabs that were in the LR.
A few days ago one of my old 400w MH magnetic ballasts decided to catch on fire. Luckily I was home when it happened but it has forced me to get everything into the DT sooner than planned. (Reef in one day) My light for the DT is a 72" 3x400w Belize and I wasn't about to rig it up over the stock tanks. So two days ago I moved almost all of the rock over after firing up a DIY sump for the first time with my Octopus Extreme 250, 800w heater and Rio HF32 return pump. I am using a CPR CS150 HOB overflow that can handle 1,600gph. They claim it has a 1 ½" bulkhead but it actually has a 2" bulkhead. Never buy one without buying the lid for it or you will regret it! Imagine a high powered toilet flushing constantly!
Originally I had planned on working on the aiptasia problem while the rock was in the stock tanks and I was using a propane torch to cook them as I saw them but now things have changed a bit. I wanted to kill as many as I could see then use peppermints in the DT once things had stabilized. Now I will use Joe's Juice on the big ones and then use peppermints to get the rest. I had no plans on adding any fish until I had the aiptasia under control and the water is ready. That is still the plan. My sis had about 1 aiptasia per pound of rock. She kind of let it get out of control.
The long ways down the road fish will be a small school of Heniochus Diphreutes (Schooling Bannerfish) along with a school of Apogon Leptacanthus (Threadfin Cardinalfish). I am still building my stock list and researching everything. Once fish stocking is complete and water chemistry balanced, then I will start adding corals. Mainly SPS with a few select LPS and no softies. I arranged my LR to have tons of swim throughs for large fish, ledges and overhangs. I have to create shaded spots to protect LPS from the 400w MH's. It is not my first time at the rodeo but it has been awhile.
In setting up the DT and adding the rock and other stuff I have been mixing the water between the stock tanks and the DT to equalize the chemistry. I had been keeping the SG and temps the same as well.
My spikes haven't been too bad since I kept all of the LR and sand submerged during the move from my sister's house. I really didn't want to throw this together as fast as I have over the past two days but I didn't want things to sit in the dark with only the PCs on it.
I didn't even get the chance to run my two dedicated electrical circuits to the tank yet so I now have 3 heavy duty extension cords running to the tank from three different rooms in the house. My lights and heater take quite a bit of power and I check my extension cords often to see if they are getting warm or not.
Even when you think that you have the best laid plans, leave it to Mr. Murphy to prove you wrong and change them. It is so frustrating to plan to take things at a snails pace then be forced to hurry up and do this and that. The best advice I give to anyone about reefing is to take things slow and then when it comes to me doing just that, it won't let me. I just have to modify my plans and try to keep as much of them as I can. At least I know now that nothing can make me add fish sooner than planned since I have no fish and will buy no fish until it is time. Now I have a floor covered in extension cords, ballasts, wires, timers and power strips since I wasn't ready to fire up the Belize on the DT. The ATO and Kalk stirrer are not set up either so now I have to top off manually. I think I will do the ATO first then mount the ballasts later.
My equipment on hand:
"¢ 180g DT (standard 72"x24"x24")
"¢ 55g DIY sump
"¢ Rio HF32 return pump (1,920 gph @ 1ft) to an over the top 7 way manifold w/6 hydor flo
"¢ CPR CS150 overflow (1,600gph)
"¢ Octopus Extreme 250 protein skimmer
"¢ Dump bucket style ATS w/two 65w 6700k PC on reverse cycle & Magdrive 3. Dumps 2g in 2 seconds into DT every 30 seconds 24/7.
"¢ Rio 2500 w/Loc-line circle flow
"¢ 2" SSB
"¢ 400lbs LR
"¢ 72" 3x400w 14k DE MH + 2x80w T5 420nm actinic + 4x1w LED Belize Sun (7.5w per gallon)
"¢ 72" 54 blue LED strip
"¢ Aquamedic Kalk Stirrer with peristaltic ATO
"¢ 800w Finnex titanium heater + controller
"¢ 6 x 3" 12v fan bank
Lighting schedule:
10pm "“ 9am LED + ATS 130w PC
9am "“ 10pm 160w T5 Actinic
11am "“ 6pm 400w MH Left
12noon "“ 7pm 400w MH Center
1pm "“ 8pm 400w MH Right
Pics to follow. Be forewarned, I take bad pictures!
