Steps to BB?

[hurleycr]

I would love to get a big angel, but everything I find that I like eats or nips at coral and clams.

I've had three chromis for like three years, not issues. Might not be enough to cause an issue.

What else do you consider as a large show piece that is reef safe, I'm going big into the SPS.

 

[King-Kong]

You can always take a risk on the Regal angels.. from what ive heard, most of the risks are associated with LPS/zoanthids, not so much SPS (but its still a risk..)

Also, could look into bannerfish.. a small group would be pretty nice.

..Or some of the triggers are nice (Sargassum)... or even the Genicanthus angels (swallowtail, bellus, etc.)

 

[hurleycr]

So how much live rock you think I should go with? Around 100 - 150 pounds or so?

 

[RichConley]

This is for the 210, right? I think 100-150 is a decent range. If its dry stuff like Marcos, go less.

I think I've got about 40lbs in my 72 right now.

 

[hurleycr]

yeah its for the 210, i'm working on a coral rack that will allow me to build vertical coulmns straight up without a wide base to do so. So I will be able to eliminate a lot of rock to and still get the aquascape i'm lookin for.

Its fiji, and I think a type of Tonga (Kaelini?)

Rich,

what do you think of my skimmer issues. I'm having a really hard time deciding which was to go. I would do the mods to the Octo, but I just don't have the skill to pull it off!! I'm pretty good with wood, but I'm horible when it comes to plumbing stuff. The beckett is an option for me because the elecrical consumption isn't that bad for me at only 12.00 a month.

 

[King-Kong]

Hurley; the weight will depend on the kind of rock, and really depends on individual pieces.

Ideally, the least amount you need to give your corals a proper platform is how much you should aim for.

I would suggest not building very high -- let your corals offer you height. Even if you start with a small frag of some stag, in 1 year, that frag could easily grow 12" vertically, so keep that in mind.

I've got about 45lbs in my 90g. If I could pick my rock over, I would make a base out of thick large coheasive pieces of tonga branch. Then I would lay traditional pieces on top of that. The tonga branch base would be PERFECT for BB because it would allow for the minimal amount of contact points AND tons of area for flow, shade, and caves/routes for fish.

 

[hurleycr]

the coral rack will keep the rock elevated a .5" so I will get a lot of flow under the rock itself. When I say vertical coulmn I don't mean all the way to the top. I plan to have three coulmns in total one in the middle being the highest at about 15" or so and the other two no more than 12" maybe smaller, I invision a ledge connect them in the middle or top. I just havn't figured that out yet. After that very min. rock will be in the tank just enough to fill the bottoms out a little. If its 100 pounds, then I think i'm doing great, if its a little over then its a little over. Still can't see it being more than 150 pounds, really hard for me to see it being over 125 in all honesty. I plan on having some large angels so I want them to have lots and lots of room for swimming. If not angels then multiple tangs.

 

[King-Kong]

Just remember that as your tank matures and your corals grow, they should be the aquascape. They just happened to be attached to rock.

I think far too often, during the beginning times of our tanks (while our corals are still small(er)) we compensate by making interesting and large groupings of rock. Eventually the corals fill everything in, and now it looks like a fruit stand. Just envision what a given rock island or column would look like when that specific frag grows into a colony.

Also, large angels sounds awesome.

 

[hurleycr]

CRAP!!!! I'm installing the lights today in the canopy, and just noticed that the plug is something weird. I think its for a PFO ballast or something. ITs the LumenMax III pendant.

Can I just cut the plug off and use the plug I was using on my other set up?

 

[hurleycr]

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1243250

here is the link to my new build thread where I will be continuing from here.