New 210g - Portugal

[Joao Monteiro]

Hi there,

I currently hold a 55 gal at home

and a nano in the office

IÃ"šÃ‚´m moving into a new home, which means, of course, a new aquarium

The set-up of the system is the following (hope to get the conversions right):

1 -Display
In-wall with 79"x 21"x 29" (200x55x73cms)

Lights
4x150w HQI (10.000k) + 3x80w T5 (1 of 6.500K e 2 of 20.000 k)

Circulation
Tunze Turbelle kit TS24: 2 x Turbelle 6100 (4 to 12.000 lts/h - 1056g to 3160g) connected with multiciontrolar 7095
Return pump with 8 inflows

Sugarsize Sand bed with 1 to 2"

2- Sump
53"x20x15 (135x50x40cms)
Return pump (to be tested, may be replaced) Pentair quiet one - 6.000 lts/h (1585g)

3- Refugium (above the display)
26 gal
DSB sugarsize - 6 to 7"
Macroalgae: Chaetomorpha (+ Gracillaria, if I can get it)

Live rock: around 440lb (200 kgs)

Heating/cooling: 3 x 300w Jägger / A/C of 9.000 BTUÃ"šÃ‚´s

Skimmer: Schuran Jetskim 200

Kalkstirrer: Deltec KM 500, with peristaltic pump Knop 2,8

Calcium reactor: Schuran Jetstream 1

4 - Q.Tank
24 gal

Some photos:

The works

 

[Joao Monteiro]

The outcome

Collecting 240 gal of natural water (2 trips)

This weekend hope IÃ"šÃ‚´ll finish the pipework and fill it in.
In the end of May will have to move my stock from my old aquarium.

Feel free to comment

Regards
João

 

[NexDog]

Looks great. Love the tank room - very neat! So are you going to use natural sea water all the time? If I was you I'd leave out the macro on the new system. Planted systems belong in the fresh water world.

 

[Joao Monteiro]

Hi there, NexDog

How is your tank doing? Looked great last time I saw it

IÃ"šÃ‚´ve been using natural water for many years but IÃ"šÃ‚´m not shure IÃ"šÃ‚´ll use it all the time in the new tank.

ItÃ"šÃ‚´s going to be filled up with natural, but in the future... I donÃ"šÃ‚´t know.
To carry home 2 jerrycans of 10gal every 15 days assuring 2 weekly water changes of 10% is ok, but carrying 6 is another story.
IÃ"šÃ‚´m not that young anymore and my back complains...

IÃ"šÃ‚´m not planning to use macro in the new display (except, perhaps, halimeda). I do like planted saltwater systems, but in a big aquarium...its too much work keeping them under control

 

[NexDog]

Tank is coming along slowly but surely. I have 10 nice acro colonies in there and some LPS and 15 fish as of this weekend. But I'm going to slow down a bit and let things stabilise.

Looking forward to seeing uopdates to this thread.

 

[Joao Monteiro]

Hi there, IÃ"šÃ‚´m back with some new photos,

The basic equipment is already working (except lights).

The layout is pratically done. Some of the LR of my present tank (but only the part that has corals attached) to be added.


Photos taken with 2 T8 tubes of 40w:

From left to right:

1. the wall

2. "The Bay"

3. The SPS hill - (note that the skull is watching...)

4. The BTA isle

5. The Cliff

A "soup" from the DSB of my old tank

 

[Joao Monteiro]

And now, backstage:

Kalkstirrer (Deltec KM 500)

Discharge of the refugium (grey) and the kalkstirrer in the centre of the display

Skimmer- Schuran Jetskim 200

The sump

And finally the Tunze multicontroller

Hope you enjoy. Feel free to comment

 

[jsweir]

Love the refugium above the tank. Nice progress!

 

[TCU Reefer]

Great aquascaping! I can't wait to see it fully stocked. Keep us posted.

 

[NexDog]

Love the aquascaping.

What fish are going in there?

 

[Joao Monteiro]

ThatÃ"šÃ‚´s a very good question...

I donÃ"šÃ‚´t have a closed stock list, but:
(donÃ"šÃ‚´t know most of the names in English)

-My current ones (all 3 years old) Ã"šÃ‚´

.Zebrassoma Flavescens (YT);
.Premnas biaculeatus - female (Maroon clown?);
.Centropyge loriculus (flame angel ?)
. Crisyptera hemicyanea (yellow tail blue damsel)

- To buy in day 1:

. Premnas (male)
It has to go in the new tank at the same time the female does or sheÃ"šÃ‚´ll kill him.

- To buy later

- 5 Anthias (bartlet or squamipinis)
- 5 Chromis viridis
- Naso lituratus
- A. Achilles or Sohal
- Cnetochaetus hawaiiensis

and...

the big question:

A Pomnacanthus imperator or... brain coral (trachyphillia, lobophillia, cataphyllia, etc, etc, )
I like them both a lot, but will have to choose.

 

[NexDog]

I have an Imperator. I have a brain coral too. He nips at it sometimes but it's okay. I'm conssidering a Chevron Tang (Ctenochaetus hawaiiensis) but they are so bland when they reach adult.....

 

[aynoT79]

Nice

 

[Joao Monteiro]

An update with this weekendÃ"šÃ‚´s work:

To warm-up, a water change of 25 G.

Then, the works began: lighting, 1st part of the cleaning crew and the start-up of the refugium

I confess that photos were not my priority, but I still took a few:

The 4 HQI (MH) of 150w - 10.000k

The total combination of the lights: the 4 HQI + 1 T5 80w of 6.500k + 2 T5 80W of 20.000k. Refugium with 2 T8 of 18w (not yet adjusted in the photo)

Start-up of the fuge: Chaetomorpha and 2 LR taken from the bottom of my old tank

Cleaning crew: 50 nassarius; 35 certihes, 30 white legs, 30 green legs.
Yet to come 7 Lysmata seticaudata (Monaco shrimps) and whatÃ"šÃ‚´s left in my old tank (some nassarius, hermits, ceriths, turboÃ"šÃ‚´s, etc.).

Right after being released in the tank: GERONIMOOOO !!!!

And the final result:

ThatÃ"šÃ‚´s all folks ! :sbSourirb

 

[alien9168]

Looks awsome so far!

Keep it up.
I like how you used the seawater. I dont think I've seen that too often :thumbsup:

 

[TriniReefer]

Cleanin crew

Cleanin crew

Hey there nice tank u got going there. Im goin to start my first one this summer actualy. Your cleaning crew did u catch them urself or buy them? I can catch those in the river. Would it be possible for me to put it in the tank? The river is brakish meening fresh and saltwater mix

 

[Joao Monteiro]

Tks

TriniReefer
I bought most of the cleaning crew but its not difficult to catch them (at least the hermits and nass) here in Portugal.
As regards the river cleaning crew, I think that if you acclimatize them slowly, it might be ok. But I would also quarantine them for a month, or so.

 

[marcelo gomes]

Joao,

Como estas patricio. Saudacoes do Brasil!
Sou brasileiro e tambem cidadao portugues!

In regards of Imperator - or any other large angel - and brains and other meat corals I don't think its a good option
.
I have a Regal angel and I'm thinking seriously in a juvenille Imperator, but my experience with Regal and meat corals aren't one of the best.
After several months living together without any picking at the corals the regal started to eat a large lime green scolymia that i had. I need to put an eggcrate box to protec teh coral but my small ocellearis started to try it as a home. Some months later I lost the coral because of the clown.
After that, the regal started to pick at my red open brain. I choose the fish and sold the coral to a friend.

The Regal angel also started do pick at my large trumpet, but I don't know why he/she stoped to pick at the coral some weeks after he started.

Very beautiful tank you're setting up. Congratulations!

Regards,

marcelo.

 

[Joao Monteiro]

Olá Marcelo,

É excelente poder escrever em português, por aqui, de vez em quando !:rollface:
Grande abraço

Thanks for your kind words.

For me the issue is clear: an Angel vs brains, other meaty LPS corals and clams.

IÃ"šÃ‚´m choosing the Angel. Imperator, E. Navarchus, Pygoplites diacanthus (Regal ?) or Arusetta asfur. Possibly the imperator, but IÃ"šÃ‚´m not 100% sure yet.

Anyway IÃ"šÃ‚´ll wait for a year or so. It will be the possibly by the last fish to go in.

Regards
João

 

[marcelo gomes]

Ola Joao,

Com certeza, mas nao vamos fugir do idioma oficila do Forum!

Not so clear instead, you can have an angel with corals (meat or not) and clams. I have some unusual fish (Harlequin Tusk - Choerodon fasciatus, Regal Angel - Pygoplites diacanthus and a female Genicanthus melanospilos).

I had a large derasa clam with both angels without any issue until I lost it due to an accident with a fan (droped running in the water).

If your option is the Regal put it as one of the first fishes. It's usually non agressive and can have adaptation problems if intorduced after other more agressive fishes.
IMO/ME Regals are really "shy" fish for the first months. Mine (20 months) are still a little reserved.

Juvenille Imperators are awesome fishes. Them and the Regal angel are my favourites!

Regards,

Marcelo.