tas5tas' 237g Total System Build

[tas5tas]

I know that I am currently 2 weeks behind my self imposed schedule, but I was able to finish all plumbing today and i started filling the display up around 11:00pm. My ro unit is producing pretty slow right now since ground water temps are still low, but I hope to have everything filled in 40 hours or so. I will post pictures tomorrow of the finished plumbing and overflow boxes I made from $7 mailboxes.


On a side note......how many people are running Zeomag in combination with ARM or GenX media in their calcium reactor?? I have the coarse ARM and was thinking about getting some Zeomag to throw in there as well to keep magnesium levels elevated. I probably won't bring the calcium reactor online though until I have my corals moved over after the tank cycles......same goes for the carbon and phosban reactors as well.

I have decided to run absolutely NO SAND at all anywhere in the system. The refugium will only have small live rock pieces, rubble, and chaeto. I'm hoping that my skimmer will be able to keep the nutrients and nitrates at bay since it is rated for 300 gallons and I'll only have about 235 gallons total once I build my Gulf of Mexico species only tank on the side of the canopy.

Let me know how eveything looks. Everyone's input is greatly appreciated and taken into consideration.

 

[tas5tas]

Here are the pictures as promised last night...

 

[tas5tas]

Some more pictures....

 

[tas5tas]

The tank is up and cycling now. I still haven't finished all of the aquascaping yet as I'm trying to decide what to do with the rock still in my 55g and also the leftover base rock I purchased for the 125g. I will post some pictures tomorrow of the setup with the various lighting stages throughout the day. I'll have to take the pictures today/tonight as the lighting progresses throughout the day. I still need to buy the trim and paint the stand and canopy to match the walls. The trim will be painted white to match the trim and doors in my home. Everything is progressing nicely though in my opinion. I also need to buy a few more koralias for a little more flow in the display...or possibly just save up and buy two Vortechs and remove the koralias all together. I'll have to see what the flow looks like once the aquascaping is complete.

 

[fote03]

Very nice build keep the pictures coming.

 

[tas5tas]

I added a few of my hardier fish to the tank yesterday evening to help start the cycle and to slowly start the transition from my 55g to the new setup. I moved over my ocellaris clown, convict blenny/engineer goby, and my bangai cardinalfish. I'm having trouble taking pictures that represent the true colors of the lighting so it might be a few days before they get posted. I've tried adjusting the white balance and even creating several custom white balances, but still no luck.

 

[tas5tas]

Here are a few pictures with all the lighting on. The colors are spot on what they look like in person. I was finally able to get the white balance set correctly and snaped a few shots. I also finished moving the rest of my fish over except the sixline wrasse and my one green chromis. I will move the rest of my corals over this weekend once I decide what I want to keep and what I want to sell.

Anyways....here are the pictures

Full Tank Shot

Crocea Clam

Zoanthids

Blue Cup Coral Frag

Candy Cane Coral Frag

Orange Montipora Scrolling Cap

 

[tas5tas]

It appears that my tank is definately starting to cycle now as I've got some orangish/brown spots showing up on the rocks....diatoms I'm guessing. Still no sign of any ammonia or nitrates though. I'm guessing my skimmer is pulling everything out of the water column fast enough that it isn't accumulating. I also added a nice size ball of chaeto last night to my refugium to help combat the low pH problem I'm experiencing.(7.92-8.03) Looking forward to moving the rest of my corals over in about 2 weeks so I can shut down the 55g completely. My son wants to use it for his turtle tank. I may have it cut down to 12" tall and use it for a propagation tank. If I do, it will be lit opposite of the display to further help keep pH levels up. That's about it for now.

 

[~sp0ok~]

looking good ...wow nice updates

 

[tas5tas]

Just a quick update......
The diatoms are gone, and here comes the green algae. Definately having a good cycle even though I can never get ammonia to show up. My skimmer is pulling out some nice dark, thick skimmate. I'm still dosing 1ml of vodka daily and may up my dosage when my new test kits come in today and I can finally test for nitrates and phosphate. I love my lighting setup!!!! The corals that I moved over from my 55g are doing great now. Some small frags of sps I had that were browned out have now regained their color and are exhibiting new growth. My zoa colony I had has more than doubled in size in about 2 1/2 weeks. I finally got my calcium reactor dialed in to where my alk is holding rock steady @ 9dkh and will test for calcium later today when my test kits arrive. The only issue I'm having is keeping detritus and debris off of the bottom of the display. I may have to look into getting some Vortechs......not sure yet, may just mod 2 more Koralias. I will posting a full tank shot on the 1st of the month and will do so from there out to show progression.

 

[tas5tas]

Just received test kits and here are the results after running a month....

ph- 7.99
sg- 1.025
temp- 78
amm- 0
nitrate- 0
phosphate- 0
alk- 10dkh
cal- 480

I will be testing on the 15th and last day of the month from here on out and these tests will count as this month's tests on the 15th. I will be trying to bring down both my calcium level and alkalinty level over the next few weeks. I am getting some frags soon so hopefully that will ease the process. My target levels are 420-440 for calcium and 9dkh for alkalinity. Hopefully I'll be able to get a magnesium test kit this weekend and begin testing for it.

 

[tas5tas]

Since all of my parameters were looking great and I received my aquastik epoxy today.....I decided to move over the rest of the corals. I moved over a 15 headed hammer coral, a 95% dead lettuce/cabbage coral, and properly mounted my purple toadstool with yellow polyps that I moved last week but never took to the rock. I also moved over a small rock with some presumed dead yellow polyps as well. They haven't opened since hurricane Ike, but you can still see the polyps and they just appear closed....I'm hoping the bettter water quality and lighting will bring all of my corals back to life. Having my skimmer get fried in Ike took a huge toll on my corals and only a few survived and thrived.

 

[elaw62]

hello neighbor. I'm just up the road. looking good so far on the build.

 

[tas5tas]

Here are the corals currently residing in the tank. Some of them are older ones I had in my old setup......the majority are frags that I just picked up this past sunday....

Hammer Coral

Orange Monti Plate

Blue Tipped Stag

Kenya Tree

ORA Green Monti Plate with Purple Rim

Candy Cane Coral

 

[tas5tas]

ORA Cali Tort

Green Star Polyps

ORA Green Tabling Acro

ORA Green Birdsnest

ORA Tri Color Valida

ORA Bali Green Slimer

 

[tas5tas]

Green Finger Leather

Blue Cup Coral

Purple Green and White Fungia

Purple with Green Center Zoanthids

Pink with Purple Center Zoanthids

Peach with Blue Center Zoanthids

 

[tas5tas]

Crocea Clam and Green Skirts with Orange Center Zoanthids

ORA Green Polyp Toadstool

ORA Purple Monti Cap

I will take a new full tank shot tonight once the sun sets and isn't glaring on the front of my tank.

 

[tas5tas]

Here is the promised full tank shot taken today...


Sunday Feb. 22 @ 7:00

 

[tas5tas]

I'm still battling a small green hair algae issue. My nitrates and phosphates are still measuring 0. I went ahead and increased my vodka dose to 3ml/day to help combat the green hair algae. I've noticed over the last couple of days that my chaetomorpha in my refugium is beginning to die so hopefully that's a good sign. I'm having to empty and clean my skimmer every 3-4days and the skimmate is a nice dark brown color with a pudding like buildup on the neck. My first water change is due to be performed this sunday on March 1st and I will also begin vitamin C dosing sometime next week as well. I plan on staying with a dose of 3ml/day of vodka and a dose of 3/4 teaspoon or 5.34ppm twice daily of vitamin C. I have already noticed my corals starting to show good polyp extension, color and growth. All of my monti plates have grown a little over 1/8" in just a week. The quickest grower in the tank so far seems to be the green bali slimer though as it has grown almost a full 1/4" in a week. I hope to slowly start adding more fish soon, starting with my school of chromis. There is a frag I've been keeping my eye on @ the LFS that I may pickup as well......I haven't been able to properly identify it and the guy that works there during the day can't either.....it looks like a blue tenius though to me.

 

[tas5tas]

Here are a few new additions I added to the tank this evening......a Yellow Eye Kole Tang and an unknown acropora frag that's about 2".