Making the best of it...34g LED Solana sps

KEEPonREEFING

KEEPonREEFING

New member
After a recent post in my 150 build thread asking about my 150 that i sold due to moving, i guess i will start a new thread to keep progress on my 34 Solana i have had sitting around for over a year. Every time i get something going something happens. This time i hoping with the size of the tank even a move should be easier and not too much to worry about. i have decided to stick with this size for the next few years and not go any bigger due to that.

So on to the Solana.

Tank: 3 sided starfire AIO Solana
Lighting: AI Vega w/ controller and EXT tank mount
Skimmer: Stock for the time being waiting for a PSK-75 hob to arrive at the LFS
Filtration: Carbon in the second chamber and a TLF reactor with biopellets Powered by a mj600
Flow: mp10 if i need a second one i will deal with that when the time comes lol
Dosing: profilux ghl4 with controller dosing b-ionic 1+2 and mag
ATO: Tunze Osmolator Nano 3152
RODI: BRS 5 stage plus w/ chloramine upgrade
Controlled by a RKL
+- 30lbs of live rock from my 150 and 20lbs of caribsea arag-alive fiji pink sand. I am going to add one more rock of similar size to whats in there now, i just want to keep the scape simple and good for placement of corals.

Some of the equipment i kept off the 150 so i could get this tank up.
I am happy so far with the ease of maintenance compared to the 150. Water changes are much more simple. I make wayyy less water lol. I am waiting on my ext extension so i can actually hang this vega over the tank since it has cycled and been running for a month now. I used the moonlights from the rkl to light behind the fogged glass on the stand since the vega has its own lunar cycle. I added two tank raised clowns today. As of right now i have no quarantine tank which bothers me and is going to have to change. i do not have a lot of fish planned for this build so i may just take my chances.

Livestock plan:
2x clowns
3x green chromis (i hate these fish but I'm hoping 3 won't disappear in this tank)
1x 6 line wrasse

Corals:
SPS dominant (anyone in south florida with frag packs let me know after i get my skimmer ill be interested)
Ricordea mushroom garden
Zoas

some pics:




I am bummed about my 150 that thing was my baby but I'm excited to get this build growing. I am excited to use leds, and to finally know I'm settled in a tank i don't have to worry about getting rid of. I hope to actually be able to share some progress this time. I am sad about my 150 but am really happy and looking forward to this new start and to finally watch a tank grow out.

Thanks guys!!
 
Nice! I just moved to SWFL as well from California. I am also starting a 34 solana build. Subscribed to your thread and looking forward to it.
 
Well finally got my vega over the tank with a director to control it. I've got all my ramps set up and will adjust them from here. Pretty cool to have so much control. My skimmer should be in tomorrow, I went with the psk-100. Can't wait to get some frags in here!
esuma8us.jpg
6u7ajaga.jpg
 
Nice! I am still working on the lighting option for my Solana. Right now I have the stock 150w mh on it but the tank isnt running it yet. Did a water test with all equipment running and all is good to go. Just working on scaping the pukani rock at the moment. Your tank looks great though!
 
Thanks Sahin! Your tank really inspires me. I hope that I can be half as successful.

Thanks raasta! After having 3 250w over my 150 going to led is a big change. The control is awesome, there is almost no heat dissipation which is great. The obvious savings between electric and annual bulb changes. I'm looking forward to seeing your build. I don't know if you have checked out any lfs but in our area IMO the best store around is in Bonita. If you want info on it let me know.
 
I guess I can post a build thread pretty soon also. Besides the 150w mh lighting I am running a tunze 9002 in the first chamber with the InTank collection cup, and in the 2nd chamber I have the InTank media basket which will hold a filter pad, purigen and chemipure. The third chamber will be the return and I have the stock return pump right now but its pretty loud. I want to change it out for something smaller, any ideas? My mp10 is also in the 2nd chamber housed in an acrylic box that came with the gopro camera case. It fits perfectly! I have an IM desktop MiniMax reactor which I am thinking about putting in the 3rd chamber along with the ato switches. Thinking about running GFO if necessary or biopellets the rest of the time.



 
Looks good! I've thought about moving my mp10 to the back wall. I still might do it for the clean look. I just worry about when the corals grow out how the flow will be. My rock work is pretty low so I might be ok. As for the return pump, I'm running the stock one now but am going to upgrade so I can run my two little fishes reactor teed off of it. I've ditched carbon, gfo ect ideas I didn't run it on my 150 so I'm not going to in this tank either. I will run the biopellets. In the second chamber I will most likely just run Cheato. I need to find a light that will work. I use a minimal amount of mechanical filtration. I have a small amount of filter floss in the second chamber to lower the noise of the water flow, that's it. I change that weekly. I figure between the over skimming, biopellets and Cheato I should be good keeping my water clean. I really want to start adding some frags to get things going and get everything in check. I need to find the small syphon valves for my dosing pumps all but three have gone missing during my move. I can't find them anywhere.
 
Just placed an order with brs, the thermostat in my heater took a crap so I ordered a jager 100w, esv two part and mag, jbj nano glo fuge light and a eheim compact 3000 to upgrade my return to tee of for my tlf biopellet reactor. Still waiting on my skimmer, it's on back order.
 
KEEPonREEFING said:
Looks good! I've thought about moving my mp10 to the back wall. I still might do it for the clean look. I just worry about when the corals grow out how the flow will be. My rock work is pretty low so I might be ok. As for the return pump, I'm running the stock one now but am going to upgrade so I can run my two little fishes reactor teed off of it. I've ditched carbon, gfo ect ideas I didn't run it on my 150 so I'm not going to in this tank either. I will run the biopellets. In the second chamber I will most likely just run Cheato. I need to find a light that will work. I use a minimal amount of mechanical filtration. I have a small amount of filter floss in the second chamber to lower the noise of the water flow, that's it. I change that weekly. I figure between the over skimming, biopellets and Cheato I should be good keeping my water clean. I really want to start adding some frags to get things going and get everything in check. I need to find the small syphon valves for my dosing pumps all but three have gone missing during my move. I can't find them anywhere.
Click to expand...


Let me know how it is running the bio pellets on your system. I actually picked some up as well. I'm still maybe a week or so from starting the tank. I started a thread in the nano tank section and i want to use your thread to compare mine to it.
 
raastamon said:
Let me know how it is running the bio pellets on your system. I actually picked some up as well. I'm still maybe a week or so from starting the tank. I started a thread in the nano tank section and i want to use your thread to compare mine to it.
Click to expand...


I ran biopellets on my old system and they were great. Every system is different, so it just depends. Im going to have 7 fish and feed heavy to not starve my corals while still having good nutrient export. I will also run Cheato in the second chamber. I avoid gfo.
 
Do you have your tank sitting on something other than the surface of the stand? foam or something similar? I wanted to do that but because the stand doesnt really have a lip or anything, it wont hide it.
 
The tank is sitting right on the stand, it has the felt material on the bottom. I added 10 more pounds of live rock and re-scapped a little. It's really nice rock covered in coralline. I'll post some pics later on.
 
I got the new return pump installed along with the heater. What a difference with this new pump. It is much more quite. I haven't teed it in yet for my reactor that's my next project. The nano glo is a really cool little light for these aio tanks.
 
You have inspired me to share my 34 Solana. I put a build thread on my reef club forum but didnt here as I was unsure how it would go. 4 months later and I am very pleased.
 
Well the psk-100h is still on back order so I decided to go with the reef octopus bh-90. I've read great reviews and I've always heard great things about reef octopus. I should be getting the skimmer on Friday! I'm going back and forth on building a canopy to help hide the skimmer cup. Wood working may be next on the list for me.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

J
Has anyone used injection molding for a custom part?
Replies
2
Views
85
Joe's Coral Reef
J
S
Its been a while.
Replies
8
Views
304
sleeperls
S
J
Back into it!
Replies
7
Views
424
jtroutt19
J
C
Maxspect jump led issue
Replies
0
Views
109
Cruzersmith
C
Guygettnby
If not for bad luck...
2
Replies
21
Views
737
leebca
L
Back
Top