So it begins, part two (120G)
- Thread starter carb850
- Start date
carb850
New member
This is my quarantine tank. If I need to medicate I will remove the rock, the Midas is ready to move into my 120 just waiting to get my screen tops completed. The last Midas Blenny I had went carpet surfing and I'd like to avoid that again if at all possible. They are such beautiful fish and have neat personalities.
Altpers0na
ARS Caesar
i dont thin i have seen a fish w/ reflective eyes, like a dogs in pics, before...
it looks like the midas is still mad.. the redness should fade from the body when it calms down..
it looks like the midas is still mad.. the redness should fade from the body when it calms down..
carb850
New member
Not much new to report on the tank. I made changes to my mesh tops to allow room for the cables leading to the Tunze. Since the mesh tops are in place, I went ahead and moved the Midas Blenny over also. Fish are all health, tank is staying clean, and the few SPS frags I have are looking healthy. Tomorrow I will be doing my first water change and replacing the carbon. Something seems to be picking off my hermits slowly. Not sure if it is one of the larger hermits, emerald crabs, or even one of my fish.
I'm wanting to start adding more SPS as test pieces but I'm trying to hold off until I get the last few hardware components first. I want to get the 30G cube hooked up (waiting for my stand and return pump), hook up my the Kalk reactor, and replace the MH bulbs in the fixture over the 120. Then, I want to start slowly adding more coral. I also need to get the Tunze 7096 some were in that mix.
While I'm waiting, I fine tuned my potential fish stocking list a bit more.
30G
Purple Firefish
Yellow Watchman Goby w/Pistol Shrimp
Tail Spot Blenny
Ocellaris Clown Pair
120G
Bangai Cardinal (already have)
Bluegreen Chromis (already have)
Midas Blenny (already have)
Flame Angel (already have)
Blue Stripe Neon Goby
Mandarin
Undecided Clown Pair
Undecided Small Tang
Undecided Fairy Wrasse
I think I prefer the Percula Clowns to the Ocellaris but it seems most people think the Ocellaris are more peaceful. Because of the other tankmates of the 30G cube, I want the most peaceful variety I can get.
I picked up a Flame Angel for the 120G which I didn't originally plan but was a fish I always wanted. So with the addition of that guy, I think a group of Anthias will just be too much load so I will replace them with a Fairy Wrasse if I can find one that is colorful and not overly aggressive.
I'm wanting to start adding more SPS as test pieces but I'm trying to hold off until I get the last few hardware components first. I want to get the 30G cube hooked up (waiting for my stand and return pump), hook up my the Kalk reactor, and replace the MH bulbs in the fixture over the 120. Then, I want to start slowly adding more coral. I also need to get the Tunze 7096 some were in that mix.
While I'm waiting, I fine tuned my potential fish stocking list a bit more.
30G
Purple Firefish
Yellow Watchman Goby w/Pistol Shrimp
Tail Spot Blenny
Ocellaris Clown Pair
120G
Bangai Cardinal (already have)
Bluegreen Chromis (already have)
Midas Blenny (already have)
Flame Angel (already have)
Blue Stripe Neon Goby
Mandarin
Undecided Clown Pair
Undecided Small Tang
Undecided Fairy Wrasse
I think I prefer the Percula Clowns to the Ocellaris but it seems most people think the Ocellaris are more peaceful. Because of the other tankmates of the 30G cube, I want the most peaceful variety I can get.
I picked up a Flame Angel for the 120G which I didn't originally plan but was a fish I always wanted. So with the addition of that guy, I think a group of Anthias will just be too much load so I will replace them with a Fairy Wrasse if I can find one that is colorful and not overly aggressive.
drouner
New member
I ended up doing reset on my 58 gallon system, and really liked you stand, so i copied it, expect that mine is red mahogany. I just really liked your stand design.
BTW, I'm doing a mesh top as well and was wondering where you picked that mesh up. I didn't see that size at HD. Maybe I missed it.
BTW, I'm doing a mesh top as well and was wondering where you picked that mesh up. I didn't see that size at HD. Maybe I missed it.
carb850
New member
drouner, I'm glad you liked it. Do you have a photo of your completed stand? PM sent on mesh.
Well, the Osmolator install didn't go too well. I hooked it up yesterday the initial test had the water cutting off exactly were it should. During the night, I awoke to an alarm going off and I knew what it was. Going to my tank in the adjoining room the water was up to the secondary shutoff which stopped the water and triggered the alarm.
I'm all but certain the problem is microbubbles. The electronic eye is covered with them so I believe that tricked the sensor to believe the water was too low. So the Osmolator is back offline until I solve the microbubble problem.
I spoke with phjless this afternoon and had a few suggestions but one I think will work. Installing a piece of PVC pipe and having the water dump into it. I'm stealing an idea from my skimmer and integrating it into this design. Instead of having a simple hole in the bottom I hope to feed a piece of PVC pipe (1" dia) though the side then cutting holes in the bottom of this horizontal piece. That will draw water from even deeper in this PVC pipe hopefully reducing microbubbles even more. IF this works not only will it significantly reduce my microbubbles but it will also but a huge reduction in the salt creep. I hope to get the first mock up some evening this week.
Well, the Osmolator install didn't go too well. I hooked it up yesterday the initial test had the water cutting off exactly were it should. During the night, I awoke to an alarm going off and I knew what it was. Going to my tank in the adjoining room the water was up to the secondary shutoff which stopped the water and triggered the alarm.
I'm all but certain the problem is microbubbles. The electronic eye is covered with them so I believe that tricked the sensor to believe the water was too low. So the Osmolator is back offline until I solve the microbubble problem.
I spoke with phjless this afternoon and had a few suggestions but one I think will work. Installing a piece of PVC pipe and having the water dump into it. I'm stealing an idea from my skimmer and integrating it into this design. Instead of having a simple hole in the bottom I hope to feed a piece of PVC pipe (1" dia) though the side then cutting holes in the bottom of this horizontal piece. That will draw water from even deeper in this PVC pipe hopefully reducing microbubbles even more. IF this works not only will it significantly reduce my microbubbles but it will also but a huge reduction in the salt creep. I hope to get the first mock up some evening this week.
solareclisped
Member
Sorry to hear it didnt work the way you wanted it to. Good luck with getting it fixed.
carb850
New member
Thanks, hopefully the above mentioned device will help. However, the fun continued this evening.
I did my first water change tonight, complete disaster. Things started off great as I got a mouth full of water starting the siphon. Once I got it going the hose came out of my bucket resulting in water spewing everywhere. It soaked the floor pretty good so I had to stop to get it dried up. I finish cleaning the tank bottom on that side then went around to the other. Almost the same thing happened with me stopping to dry the floor again. Then as I'm putting new water back into the sump I found myself trying to hold the hose over my sump and reaching around the stand to plug in the pump I'm using to put the water in. At some point when trying to unplug the pump the hose comes out again dowsing everything one last time. I'd say, I had about a half gallon of water on the floor each time. If I had carpet, this one water change would have ruined it. All in all this water change took me almost 2 hours and I had the water ready to go.
Lessons learned.
(1) Never do a water change alone. Keep someone station on both ends of the hose at all times.
(2) Forget siphoning water out. I have a large mag drive pump to put water back in my tank but it is so large I'm not able to vacuum the bottom of my sump/tank. I need a pump with a hose both on the intake and return so I can use the intake hose as a pinpoint vacuum.
I did my first water change tonight, complete disaster. Things started off great as I got a mouth full of water starting the siphon. Once I got it going the hose came out of my bucket resulting in water spewing everywhere. It soaked the floor pretty good so I had to stop to get it dried up. I finish cleaning the tank bottom on that side then went around to the other. Almost the same thing happened with me stopping to dry the floor again. Then as I'm putting new water back into the sump I found myself trying to hold the hose over my sump and reaching around the stand to plug in the pump I'm using to put the water in. At some point when trying to unplug the pump the hose comes out again dowsing everything one last time. I'd say, I had about a half gallon of water on the floor each time. If I had carpet, this one water change would have ruined it. All in all this water change took me almost 2 hours and I had the water ready to go.
Lessons learned.
(1) Never do a water change alone. Keep someone station on both ends of the hose at all times.
(2) Forget siphoning water out. I have a large mag drive pump to put water back in my tank but it is so large I'm not able to vacuum the bottom of my sump/tank. I need a pump with a hose both on the intake and return so I can use the intake hose as a pinpoint vacuum.
carb850
New member
Picked up the stand for my 30G cube today. I hope to get 3 coats of polyurethane on it this weekend and the light suspended from the ceiling. Photo's will be posted once I get to that point. All I will be missing is sand and return pump. The pump is an Eheim 1250 which is currently on order from a LFS.
So, what do you guys think of this sand?
https://www.marcorocks.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=66
I believe it should be enough to give me a 2" SSB in the cube, I just worry about it potentially blowing around. My alternative would be the CaribSea Seaflor Special Grade Reef Sand.
So, what do you guys think of this sand?
https://www.marcorocks.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=66
I believe it should be enough to give me a 2" SSB in the cube, I just worry about it potentially blowing around. My alternative would be the CaribSea Seaflor Special Grade Reef Sand.
solareclisped
Member
I think the marco sand is nice looking and would probably look great in the tank but I think you would have way to many problems with it blowing around all over the place. It looks really fine and would probably make a mess.
I am slowly taking my sand out of my DT and putting it in one of my 29 gallon tanks for now until I decide what I want to do with it. I might setup a 29 for strictly zoa's and use it in there.
I am slowly taking my sand out of my DT and putting it in one of my 29 gallon tanks for now until I decide what I want to do with it. I might setup a 29 for strictly zoa's and use it in there.
Similar threads
