Time to set up my 72x30x30 tank...
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leslie hempel
Member
looking good..
Did some water tests the other day.
calcium at 420-425
alk at 11
magnesium at 1230
Changed 30 gallons of water 10 days ago. My old tank was not doing well since I totally neglected it. But algae is now dying off so I've gotta do some more water changes and removing what the skimmer doesn't remove.
I bought the tank some 9 months ago. But then the economy sucks so I didn't want to plunge in. My college roommate got married about a year ago and bought a house and wanted a fish tank. So he bought my 35 gallon off me and helped fund some of the cost that I've put into the new tank.
Some updates on equipment:
1. I bought 2 used 6105s along with an AquaSurf here on RC. It is working great. Also bought a Tiger Shark magnet from him. I decided to use 2 6105 from the far end along with an MP20. The 6105s are programmed to come on together to provide a surge. On the overflow side, I left 2 K4s that are on constantly.
Anyone think this is a good or bad setup? I asked Roger in the Tunze forum, but wondered if anyone has any other ideas. For the 6105s, should I point them outwards, so that it hits the glass, or should i point them inwards, so they crisscross each other?
2. Bought the NextReef dual Media reactors. I've put WM EcoBak in one chamber and plan to put in BRS ROX carbon in the other. I was going to use separate powerheads to run each chamber, but decided that was too much plumbing and pumps. So I Tee'd the return from my Mag 18 into the reactors. For redundancy I bought a second used Mag18, which I may Tee off to run a frag tank later possibly. But for now both pumps will act as returns and power other reactors as necessary.
3. I bought a used GEO 618 that should be arriving today. I am also topping off with a kalkwasser reactor.
4. Bought a bunch of stuff from BRS through a group buy. Primarily enough carbon to last me a life time. Some MgCl and MgSO4. New test kits since mine are getting old. and Ca RX media.
5. I bought 12 frags of SPS should be getting them this week: pink lemonade, ora red planet, ATL yellow jacket, tyree PM, matrix, ultimate rainbow acro, oregon tort, red robbin, hoc, NorthStars Pink Clathrata, Dales Red Prostrata, paletta baby blue, ultimate Purple Monster. The arrival of these frags is what prompted me to reacquascape so that I have room. Plus when I first filled the tank, it was so cloudy I could not see anything to acquascape.
calcium at 420-425
alk at 11
magnesium at 1230
Changed 30 gallons of water 10 days ago. My old tank was not doing well since I totally neglected it. But algae is now dying off so I've gotta do some more water changes and removing what the skimmer doesn't remove.
I bought the tank some 9 months ago. But then the economy sucks so I didn't want to plunge in. My college roommate got married about a year ago and bought a house and wanted a fish tank. So he bought my 35 gallon off me and helped fund some of the cost that I've put into the new tank.
Some updates on equipment:
1. I bought 2 used 6105s along with an AquaSurf here on RC. It is working great. Also bought a Tiger Shark magnet from him. I decided to use 2 6105 from the far end along with an MP20. The 6105s are programmed to come on together to provide a surge. On the overflow side, I left 2 K4s that are on constantly.
Anyone think this is a good or bad setup? I asked Roger in the Tunze forum, but wondered if anyone has any other ideas. For the 6105s, should I point them outwards, so that it hits the glass, or should i point them inwards, so they crisscross each other?
2. Bought the NextReef dual Media reactors. I've put WM EcoBak in one chamber and plan to put in BRS ROX carbon in the other. I was going to use separate powerheads to run each chamber, but decided that was too much plumbing and pumps. So I Tee'd the return from my Mag 18 into the reactors. For redundancy I bought a second used Mag18, which I may Tee off to run a frag tank later possibly. But for now both pumps will act as returns and power other reactors as necessary.
3. I bought a used GEO 618 that should be arriving today. I am also topping off with a kalkwasser reactor.
4. Bought a bunch of stuff from BRS through a group buy. Primarily enough carbon to last me a life time. Some MgCl and MgSO4. New test kits since mine are getting old. and Ca RX media.
5. I bought 12 frags of SPS should be getting them this week: pink lemonade, ora red planet, ATL yellow jacket, tyree PM, matrix, ultimate rainbow acro, oregon tort, red robbin, hoc, NorthStars Pink Clathrata, Dales Red Prostrata, paletta baby blue, ultimate Purple Monster. The arrival of these frags is what prompted me to reacquascape so that I have room. Plus when I first filled the tank, it was so cloudy I could not see anything to acquascape.
Thanks Lawrence. Yea I don't know if I should do that. My mom loves that toadstool... so I was thinking if it is happy, I can chop it in half a bit later so that you can have a big specimen in your tank. we shall see.
need ideas about my return. I haven't had any salt creep problems with the mag 18, and it feels cool to the touch, should I still just run this internally?
This tank is located remote from where I am. I see it probably 2-3 times a week. With that being said, I thought it was important to plumb a second return pump, so if one were to die, the tank would continue to run. Although powerheads in the system would keep the flow going, having the tank cut off from the sump is still a stress on the system that I'd like to avoid if at all possible. So I bought a second Mag 18 to run as a parallel.
Does anyone run parallel, redundant pumps? Should I get a smaller pump, since I don't think I need that much turnover through the sump. Currently at probably 1200gph with all the headloss + tee'ing off to the media reactors, which is already 4x. Or should I just plumb in the second mag 18, and get a total of about 2500-3000 gph turnover?
This tank is located remote from where I am. I see it probably 2-3 times a week. With that being said, I thought it was important to plumb a second return pump, so if one were to die, the tank would continue to run. Although powerheads in the system would keep the flow going, having the tank cut off from the sump is still a stress on the system that I'd like to avoid if at all possible. So I bought a second Mag 18 to run as a parallel.
Does anyone run parallel, redundant pumps? Should I get a smaller pump, since I don't think I need that much turnover through the sump. Currently at probably 1200gph with all the headloss + tee'ing off to the media reactors, which is already 4x. Or should I just plumb in the second mag 18, and get a total of about 2500-3000 gph turnover?
rethinking my powerheads. I guess I don't yet know how much flow is enough flow. I would rather not use the K4s anymore and would like turbulent flow so that I don't have any detritus build up. For now I am experimenting by moving one of the 6105 to the opposite side, placing them on the back corner and aiming it to the front glass so that it hits about 4 feet away, as suggested by Roger. I also turned off the MP20. Wonder how well this will work...
Anyone with experience this size tank and have a recommendation on what to do for my flow? sell my MP20, K4, K2, + 6025 and buy 2 more 6105 or 1 6205 or 2 6125 or a wavebox? upgrade my MP20 to a MP40ES?
so many different choices, so not sure what to do.
Anyone with experience this size tank and have a recommendation on what to do for my flow? sell my MP20, K4, K2, + 6025 and buy 2 more 6105 or 1 6205 or 2 6125 or a wavebox? upgrade my MP20 to a MP40ES?
so many different choices, so not sure what to do.
Video of the tank I took 2 weeks ago before the reaquascape taken with my phone
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Someone was trying to get rid of their BK 300 Deluxe, and it was a deal I couldn't pass up.
BUT!! To fit it in my sump, I had to remove a baffle. While removing the baffle, I made, what I first thought was, ONE small crack on the bottom pane of the sump... unfortunately, no pictures... Emptied out the entire sump, and looked at where it was leaking. I thought I found the only leak, repaired it by gluing an extra piece of acrylic. And then.... it was still leaking. Then I discovered a second area where it was leaking. Unfortunately, it was near a joint, and I couldn't glue acrylic from the inside of the sump, so I had to do it from below, where it was tough to get the weld-on properly. But managed to do so, but then there was still a TINY leak.
Since it was so hard to work on the sump inside the stand, I decided that I NEEDED to take the sump out so I can fix it once and for all. However, the sump could only come out from the end that is open, which is currently against the wall... so....
out came the enclosed panel on the other side. Was able to get the sump out and now leak free.
Recently got a GEO 618 calcium reactor, and hooked that up tonight. Still trying to dial it in.
parameters currently at
CA 435
Alk 11 (too high?)
mag 1350
Now that the tank is stabilizing, I put some of the corals into position. Although it is a bit crowded right now and this is a pretty bad picture.. no lights on, just flash.
I'll be getting some new sps frags either this week or next week. Excitedly waiting for the my browned sps to come back to life...
BUT!! To fit it in my sump, I had to remove a baffle. While removing the baffle, I made, what I first thought was, ONE small crack on the bottom pane of the sump... unfortunately, no pictures... Emptied out the entire sump, and looked at where it was leaking. I thought I found the only leak, repaired it by gluing an extra piece of acrylic. And then.... it was still leaking. Then I discovered a second area where it was leaking. Unfortunately, it was near a joint, and I couldn't glue acrylic from the inside of the sump, so I had to do it from below, where it was tough to get the weld-on properly. But managed to do so, but then there was still a TINY leak.
Since it was so hard to work on the sump inside the stand, I decided that I NEEDED to take the sump out so I can fix it once and for all. However, the sump could only come out from the end that is open, which is currently against the wall... so....
out came the enclosed panel on the other side. Was able to get the sump out and now leak free.
Recently got a GEO 618 calcium reactor, and hooked that up tonight. Still trying to dial it in.
parameters currently at
CA 435
Alk 11 (too high?)
mag 1350
Now that the tank is stabilizing, I put some of the corals into position. Although it is a bit crowded right now and this is a pretty bad picture.. no lights on, just flash.
I'll be getting some new sps frags either this week or next week. Excitedly waiting for the my browned sps to come back to life...
