Restarting the Passion, Coming back to the Hobby!

Agreed.
I like them both individually but stick with the current trend and open that up on the left. I've gone even more minimal and love all the room... so do the fish.
 
Thanks for the advise about the aquascaping, Ive decided to eliminate the tonga plate completely, it doesn't jive well with the pukani and it throws me off, plus its extremely heavy and difficult to hold/maneuver.

The selected pieces are cooking (OUTSIDE!) in RODI water with a powerhead for circulation.

NOTE: DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CLEAN/COOK/WASH dried rock inside your home!!!!
I originally had the 20gallon rubber made inside and I came home after being gone all day and most of the night to find it smelled like a .... lets just say it smelled real bad ... :face palm:

So I moved the rock outside on the balcony to be cleaned/soak and so it shall stay until deemed ready.

I got the tank plumbed and have begun the leak test tonight.
I still am waiting on a skimmer and lighting until I decide I will go ahead and cycle the tank without these pieces.

I am going to do a fishless cycle this time using raw shrimp or something...
Any suggestions welcome. I am using live sand as a bacterial source, and assuming the leak test is good I will simply add salt to the aquarium until my target salinity of 1.026 is achieved.

As far as the aquascaping goes, here was what I was thinking (or something similar) on the left side, since I removed my tonga plate... opinions please...
photo1-1.jpg


Background installed ( I used black kitchen cabinet liner originally).
NOTE: The liner was okay, but I didn't like that it didn't contact the surface of the glass enough, so I did something really crazy that a friend in the hobby once told me. He said to take KY gel (yes lube), and smear it on the back of the background and glass then using a credit card work out the bubbles and secure the back... I must say it works! :lol:

photo4.jpg


Stand with filter sock assembly, media reactor, and return pump in place.
photo3-1.jpg

Yes I did my own sump baffling again, and had a mishap in the center and got silicon all over the middle inside glass, oh well its cured and works thats all that matters.
 
Born a new reef!

Born a new reef!

So, After playing with the rock work for several hours and not being able to get the rock work back to the same orientation that I was previously able to, I chose the layout below. Its similar, and I like it so far, any suggestions and thoughts are welcome. I am also VERY happy with the livesand I chose this time, fiji pink is really cute, bits of pink here and there. It adds some depth to a otherwise boring white sandbed.

Soaked the rock in rodi for 2 weeks, changing out the water every couple of days, the end batch was fairly clear water, not completely clear but far better than at first, I also saved water from the last rinse in a vial to insure that I was able to leak out as many phosphates as possible.

I figure I will use seachems purigen bags for water clarity and polishing instead of carbon. How many of us use this product?

photo3-2.jpg

photo4-1.jpg

photo2-1.jpg


Ignore the SEIO 1500 in the back, that will be replaced once I get my MP10. Its just there for extra water movement for now.

:D
 
All I can say Is that looks absolutely fantastic!!!!! I think you've really done a great job with the rock you've got currently:). Keep up the good work, I'll be following along:D
 
Really it looks great. Actually my favorite out of the other aqua scapes you've posted. Have turned started your cycle yet?
 
Thank you! The cycle started today. Added two raw shrimp in the system (stuck in the rocks). So the ball is officially rolling, in the meantime Ive got to decide on a skimmer and exactly what I want on the lighting.
 
I sent you a pm about the par meter, but just found your build thread here. I'm running a 40br in Hoover, and have gone through everything you are, having taken time off from the hobby as well. I've gone through every kind of lighting and have plenty of t5 and diy LEDs around if you want to try some out or need suggestions. My reef is far from where I want it to be, but I'm all about comparing notes and helping out.
 
Also, despite all the new techniques and additives, I would stick with the way you were running your 75. Those pics look great!
 
Thanks Stancfii,

The 75 was ran about the same way I will be running this one, monitoring, mechanical filtration, light carbon use, purigen, good skimming, good lighting, and fish poop.

The only real difference will be in the equipment and the fact that this system has a biopellet reactor on it from BRS.

Since you are a BHAM native, where do you shop most at? I have checked out Reef Life Aquariums over here on 280, and Reef Revolution so far.



As far as skimming goes, I am leaning more toward the octopus needle wheels....
suggestions for which model to go with anyone?

These are my ideas so far... choosing is always the hardest part:

Reef Octopus NWB110 4” Pinwheel In Sump Protein Skimmer

Reef Octopus Classic 150 Space Saver Protein Skimmer

Vertex Omega 130 Protein Skimmer

Bubble Magus BM-NAC7 Cone Protein Skimmer

I feel like any of these choices will be sufficient but opinions and advice are welcome.
 
I have bought coral from RR, love the store and selection, but it is a long trek from my side of town. I usually order all food and dry goods online, and fish I get from aquarium imports.

I like 150ss, but I dug deep in the used section and found a vertex in-80 skimmer body for $35 shipped, and slapped a dc-3000 skimmer pump on it and love it. I'm a huge fan of reef dynamics. Expensive, but if you could find a ins-80 used on here, I'd buy it in a heart beat and put a DC or bubble blaster on it. As far as new goes, people seem to have great luck with the sca skimmers from ebay. The em200 might be overkill, but is a beautifully designed skimmer as well.
 
I have bought coral from RR, love the store and selection, but it is a long trek from my side of town.
Click to expand...
Yea, he had some really nice zoa frags and SPS colonies, other than the fact that a few were STN/RTN'ing due to some ALK issue he had recently...

Its a ways from me as well, I'm on 280.

Ill check out ebay, didn't think about that.
 
A Bacterial Reef

A Bacterial Reef

A lovely note, and albeit not one of my proudest, is that in my excitement I somehow overlooked the specific instructions for Biopellet dosing and was using 500ml of them in my 40B...

Needless to say I have noticed a cloud since the first few days, and the fact that the tank smells ...
It suddenly dawned on me last night that I may not have needed to use that many biopellets in this tank so i posted a query on the lighting filtration and other equipment for to confirm my suspicion and sure enough this morning I removed all but 3/4 cup of them!

HEADDESK! :headwally:

SO, the shrimp are still rotting, now I have only 3/4cup of biopellets tumbling in the reactor and the tank is cycling.

I also need to decide on a skimmer and employ the use of carbon to polish things up quickly!

Here are my options I am thinking:

EITHER:

Reef Octopus Needlewheel 110 4" in sump

Reef Octopus Needlewheel 150 6" in sump

Reef Octopus Classic 150 Space Saver

Vertex Omega 130

Bubble Magnus NA3.5 cone

Bubble Magnus NAC7 cone

Thoughts?
 
Not the exact same skimmer, but I do love my Reef Octopus Classic 110 Space Saver. It's pretty consistent, pump uses only 9 watts for low heat transfer (I needed), and it's smaller to use in my ~14g sump. So far it hasn't skipped a beat. When I first got it and turned it on I thought for sure that my pump was seized, but it is actually that quiet. The skimmer air intake was just the slightest bit louder and with a door closed on the sump area you'll never notice it. Also it's pretty easy to adjust, with the new wedge valve there is no drain noise or water spill.

All are great skimmers, the only other input I can remember is that some people have trouble with the vertex omega 130. They say the pump is too good for the skimmer body and seems to have trouble keeping a good skimmate head in the neck. That's all I remember but still a beast of a skimmer for sure.

Hope this helps:)
 
Thanks for that info. I really like the reef octopus line, they make good quality skimmers at very good prices it seems, and a lot of hobbyists use them.

Anyone else want to help ?
 
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