iwishtofish
Active member
I'm glad I don't hear you speaking of a long power failure from the storm. Going on 28 and a half hours here...
RocketEngineer's 75g/125g Setup
- Thread starter RocketEngineer
- Start date
RocketEngineer
Space is big.
I really like LPS espiecially the Acans. I need to put in some LEDs to get the ones I have to flourece more. Feeding the corals specifically helps keep them in top form.
I actually used whats known as 5/4 X 4 pine. A 1X4 is actually .75 X 3.5 inches. A 5/4 is planed to be about 1.125" X 3.5 so its a little wider. Also, the boards I used were clear with no knots. Given how the stand is built, I can eventually upgrade to a 125g using the same setup. Right now, I want to finish the 75g by getting better power heads and eventually replace the T5 hood with one housing LEDs and with a surround that matches the stand. Its a work in progress.
Thats tough. My parents in CT lost power at 5am yesterday. Hope you get it back soon without any losses. At least with the temperature where it is, you are less likely to have problems form the heat or the cold. This past winter I lost power and the tank was in the upper 60s by the time power came back. Good luck.
RocketEngineer
moondoggy4
Team RC
Usually lumber that is 5/4 is bought at real lumber stores that sell to the trade for building furniture they are usually open to the public it is a little overwhelming when they sell the wood by the board foot L X W X thickness but it is cheaper than what HD sells by the foot, I love the real lumber store with all the exotic woods my wife now fears them.
thornious
New member
I just read through your posts man I want to say great work on the stand. I did have a couple of questions what lights did you originally starting growing your macroalge with? I am picking up a set of cheap t5's and I am hoping to be able to grow some red and green under it. Also what light are you using in your sump for the cheto and do you have a powerhead to tumble it?
RocketEngineer
Space is big.
Chris2223,
moondoggy4 got it right. I got mine at a lumber yard that also has a full cabinet shop.
moondoggy4,
The problem with those really good lumber yards is you always seem to walk out with more than was on the shopping list..... Definately puts a dent in the budget.
thornious,
The macro algae in my tank does just fine with the T5 in the display. The refugium light is a pair of spiral CF bulbs that come with their own reflectors. I found them at Lowes after some searching. I think they are 6500K but not 100% sure on that. The return pump supplys all the flow in the refugium but the cheato doesn't tumble because its too big. When I had a powerhead in there, the cheato would break up and get washed into the return pump so I removed the powerhead. I do flip over the cheato ball every now and again but otherwise it just floats.
moondoggy4 got it right. I got mine at a lumber yard that also has a full cabinet shop.
moondoggy4,
The problem with those really good lumber yards is you always seem to walk out with more than was on the shopping list..... Definately puts a dent in the budget.
thornious,
The macro algae in my tank does just fine with the T5 in the display. The refugium light is a pair of spiral CF bulbs that come with their own reflectors. I found them at Lowes after some searching. I think they are 6500K but not 100% sure on that. The return pump supplys all the flow in the refugium but the cheato doesn't tumble because its too big. When I had a powerhead in there, the cheato would break up and get washed into the return pump so I removed the powerhead. I do flip over the cheato ball every now and again but otherwise it just floats.
RocketEngineer
Space is big.
Most people tend to concentrate on the fish and the corals. But there is more to a reef than just the corals and fish. One of the neat things in my tank are the sponges that came as hitch hikers:
Also, I added two relatively large turbo snails to this tank. In my 30g, the snails didn't do very well but in the 75g, these two have been keeping the algae in check and continued to grow.
For those who are worried about keeping the temperature constant, check out this chart:
The temperature in my tank has varied from the low 80s to the mid 70s and nothing has shown signs of stress. This is likely because the changes have been gradual. Sudden changes are problematic but changes over time are well tolerated.
RocketEngineer
Also, I added two relatively large turbo snails to this tank. In my 30g, the snails didn't do very well but in the 75g, these two have been keeping the algae in check and continued to grow.
For those who are worried about keeping the temperature constant, check out this chart:
The temperature in my tank has varied from the low 80s to the mid 70s and nothing has shown signs of stress. This is likely because the changes have been gradual. Sudden changes are problematic but changes over time are well tolerated.
RocketEngineer
MagicReefer
New member
I agree that there are so many things other than the obvious purchases, like the small growths here and there. Me and my daughters can spend hours looking in the cracks and crevices in the rocks and sandbed as well.
I do however despise those sponges. They are not all that bad I guess. They are just a gynormus PITA to me. I had a few special corals that were barely noticable. I babied them for so long and put so much into them just to lose them to a damn overgrowth of a sponge just like the one in the top picture. To this day I try to scrape them off as soon as I see them.
I do however despise those sponges. They are not all that bad I guess. They are just a gynormus PITA to me. I had a few special corals that were barely noticable. I babied them for so long and put so much into them just to lose them to a damn overgrowth of a sponge just like the one in the top picture. To this day I try to scrape them off as soon as I see them.
iwishtofish
Active member
I have some similar sponges growing in my sump now. As long as they don't get out of control, I'll enjoy them! However, if they do get out of control, I'm sure there are some predators that can be acquired.
RocketEngineer
Space is big.
I can understand sponges taking over. Look back at page 9 and you can see the monster piece I pulled of the top of my rock pile. These white ones are seem to prefer being under the rock rather than on top. The chicken liver sponge that I pulled apart likes being out in the open. There are several spots in the tank that it has started to show up again so at some point I will have to do another demolition run to keep it under control.
I use the hand method of removal. The size of the tank doesn't really allow me to house a sponge eater as they would likely run out of food fast. Speaking of hand removal, the halimeda has taken off again without the flatworms covering it so badly. And the flatworms are coming back with fewer to compete for prime realestate. After I get back from a trip for work I will have to fix both of those issues.
RocketEngineer
RocketEngineer
Space is big.
Murphy Strikes Again
On Friday, I came home to no light over the tank. When I inspected the fixture, I noticed that three of the four bulbs looked to be burnt out. No big deal, I purchased new bulbs which came yesterday. Last night I installed the new bulbs, reconnected the fixture, plugged the ballast back in and NOTHING. I checked the fuse, I checked the connections, I unplugged it from the DC8 and plugged it into the wall. Still NOTHING. So a new ballast is on order... It will be a good week and a half with low lighting on the tank. Not what I wanted.
In other news, I got a pair of ocellaris clowns from Dr. Mac a couple weeks ago. The other fish chased them around for a while but it looks like everyone is settling down.
This past weekend I dosed the second round of Flatworm eXit. I did a higher dosage and didn't start the carbon until almost an hour after I dosed the tank. The skimmer pulled out this rust red colored skimmate. I hope I got them all this time.
RocketEngineer
On Friday, I came home to no light over the tank. When I inspected the fixture, I noticed that three of the four bulbs looked to be burnt out. No big deal, I purchased new bulbs which came yesterday. Last night I installed the new bulbs, reconnected the fixture, plugged the ballast back in and NOTHING. I checked the fuse, I checked the connections, I unplugged it from the DC8 and plugged it into the wall. Still NOTHING. So a new ballast is on order... It will be a good week and a half with low lighting on the tank. Not what I wanted.
In other news, I got a pair of ocellaris clowns from Dr. Mac a couple weeks ago. The other fish chased them around for a while but it looks like everyone is settling down.
This past weekend I dosed the second round of Flatworm eXit. I did a higher dosage and didn't start the carbon until almost an hour after I dosed the tank. The skimmer pulled out this rust red colored skimmate. I hope I got them all this time.
RocketEngineer
iwishtofish
Active member
Bummer about your lights. I wonder if you should raise them a bit higher after the repair, for a little while. Your corals might need a little re-acclimation.
Interesting how you pulled orangish skimmate!
I look forward to seeing your new fish.
Interesting how you pulled orangish skimmate!
I look forward to seeing your new fish.
RocketEngineer
Space is big.
I'm going to run them for less time than normal. That way the corals can acclimate.
I have yet to get any good pics of the new fish. They are quick which makes it hard to get a decent picture.
The dog is growing but she is a real couch potato.
Folks, I need an ID:
Any ideas? One of my snails was on the sand bed and hasn't moved since last night. I flipped the snail over to see if it was still alive and found this underneath. Its in a cup for the moment and it will probably go down the drain.
RocketEngineer
iwishtofish
Active member
See if you see it here:
http://www.melevsreef.com/id/flatworm.html
Looks as if it might be a baby of the one to the far right on the page.
It definitely appears that your dog is easier to photograph than most fish.
http://www.melevsreef.com/id/flatworm.html
Looks as if it might be a baby of the one to the far right on the page.
It definitely appears that your dog is easier to photograph than most fish.
Robb in Austin
New member
Big ole nasty flatworm=flush
RocketEngineer
Space is big.
Yup, a predatory flatworm. Down the drain it will go.
RocketEngineer
Space is big.
LET THERE BE LIGHT!
The new ballast arrived and worked great. I still need to wipe off and reinstall the reflectors but for the moment, the tank has lights. Also, the new bulb combo worked out great with the overall effect being much more blue so the blues and greens of the corals stand out. I will post pics once everything is back up and running.
The new ballast arrived and worked great. I still need to wipe off and reinstall the reflectors but for the moment, the tank has lights. Also, the new bulb combo worked out great with the overall effect being much more blue so the blues and greens of the corals stand out. I will post pics once everything is back up and running.
RocketEngineer
Space is big.
As promised, I have pictures:
Candy Cane now has three mouths but hasn't quite finished the split.
Lobophyllia
Finally got a good picture of the Panova
Stylophora
Acan Lord #2
Brain coral
Candy Cane now has three mouths but hasn't quite finished the split.
Lobophyllia
Finally got a good picture of the Panova
Stylophora
Acan Lord #2
Brain coral
RocketEngineer
Space is big.
Acan Lord #3 started as a single polyp but now has 3 new buds.
Montipora
My first acan lord
The acropora has stated to expand onto the LR at the edge of the plug which is very cool.
Branching Hammerhead has been moved. Its much more stable in this hole. You can see the chalice in the background.
And the anemone.
