RocketEngineer's 75g/125g Setup

An update for everyone.

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Notice the feather duster growing out of the middle of the rock.

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This sponge is gradually taking over the rock at the end of the tank.

Enjoy.

RocketEngineer
 
Greenmaster,

Its actually about a 40/60 split with 40% LR with most of that coming from the 30g and the rest dry rock. You can actually pick out the dry pieces as the ones with no coralline algae on them. I just covered the dry rock with piece of live rock in the hopes that the coralline will eventually cover everything just given time.

RocketEngineer
 
Awesome progress so far! I myself have just gotten a 75 gallon tank and will basically be going through the same process as you. How much DR and LR do you have in there? Any plans for your lighting?
 
Great progress so far. That 75g looks small on that big stand lol, but the room underneath has to be nice. I just downgraded from a 75 to a 40 and I miss the 75 already.
 
apfroggy0408,

<img src="/images/welcome.gif" width="500" height="62"><br><b><i><big><big>To Reef Central</b></i></big></big>

I figure I have 20-30#s of LR in there and 50#s of dry from Bulk Reef Supply.

The lighting plan is a IC660 driving (4) 4' T5 bulbs in a custom hood but that is still a good ways down the road.

DIYnitemare,
Since I only have a double T8 fixture, no corals for a good while. Once the lighting is where I want it, then will probubly start with some LPS.

SaltieG,
I LOVE the room underneith since everything I use every day goes under the stand while the stuff I use on occasion goes into the closet and its all out of site.

RocketEngineer
 
><((((o>,
Its a matter of planning and taking the time to fixture things. If I were to do it again, I would change very little. I would use a Kreg's pocket hole jig instead of the mortice & tenon setup and I would have made the stand just a little deeper front to back. Most of the tools I used are pretty common: chop saw, table saw, router, pneumatic brad nailler. The mortice and tenon jig is a specialty setup but there is nothing to say another method wouldn't have ended in the same results. A circular saw could have replaced the chop saw and table saw easily. Patience and making sure everything is right. If you cut corners, you will get bit.

RocketEngineer
 
Did a little cleaning up of the wires. The ATO wires and tubing now run around the sump lip out of site.

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Oh, and I removed two big bunches of cheato from the sump. Wonder how long it will take for the cheato to fill it back up again.

RocketEngineer
 
thats a great looking stand. abit big for the tank though. i wish i had the proper equipment to do such a thing. i build my stand caveman style and it took 17 hours on an off
 
An update for everyone.

018.jpg


020.jpg


010-1.jpg

Notice the feather duster growing out of the middle of the rock.

007.jpg

This sponge is gradually taking over the rock at the end of the tank.

Enjoy.

RocketEngineer

I love looking at the photo with the cabinet open. That is the perfect picture for someone who wants to start in the hobby lol. If they are really dedicated, they will continue the endeavor.
 
I have the same thing in my sump and fuge. I havne't seen a single one in my DT due to the constant foraging of my yellow coris wrasse. I bet he has the same thing going on. I thought about treatment, but I didn't want to risk a tank crash. Now would be the time to do it in this tank though. You have a lot less to lose than you would when it's packed with coral.
 
beex215,
I was going to go with a smaller stand but as I started designing in everything I wanted to hide, I quickly ran out of room. The plan is to have a full blown reef with calcium reactor and still have everything fit.

mullinsd2,
I set up my 30g with the intension of eventuallly having the 75g set up as a reef. That was 2.5 years ago. Now I have plans of setting up an even bigger tank but for now I'm going to behave and get this one going as a full blown reef.

AD87,
I'm not 100% sure where they came from but they were also in the sump for my 30g. The yellow coris wrasse seems to have kept them in check as I had some in the display before I moved the fish but haven't seen any in there since the move. Wait and see at this point.

cody6766,
I have thought about doing something. I even bought the Flatworm eXit. But since they are only in the sump, I think the wrasse is more than capable of keeping the numbers in check.

Paul_TheOctopus,
I used what I had. I bought the 75g when I was still an apartment dweller for african cichlids. I broke it down not long after I bought my house and drilled it last summer. Building the stand took a lot longer than I originally planned but the results are well worth the wait. If I do any upgrading it will be to a 125g.

RocketEngineer
 
inlandreef,
The sump is a 40B and the water level in the return section sits about 1/4" below the last baffle. This gives a volume of ~3.5 gallons but due to the return pump intake, I only really have a 2 day window before I have issues. Thats why I have the ATO. Should have made it an inch taller.

RocketEngineer
 
NEW FISH!

Tonight I went to Pacific East Aquaculture after some algae eaters. While oggling over Dr. Mac's new stock in the greenhouse, I noticed a Kole tang in one of the coral tanks. Getting said fish out of the tank involved removing the racks of corals to another tank, chacing the tang from one end of the tank to the other several times (speedy little guy), loosing the tang in the algae section (sneeky sneeky), catching a wrasse by mistake (diversionary tactics), then finally corning the tang and finally netting him (no where to run muahahaha).

Hopefully tomorrow evening I can post some pics.

RocketEngineer
 
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