Zegg's 115g Build/Log

[Zegg]

LET THERE BE LIGHT!!!!

LET THERE BE LIGHT!!!!

Well got them running,

pics only 5 minutes after turning on... turning a little bluer as minutes pass. And all I can say is WOW!!! I might have to move my desk away from these things or mght get a sunburn

also grabbed a zoa and paly colony.

Palys Pink with green center

Zoa colony is actually 2 colonys... purple with pale green center and purple with a bright purple/reddish center.

 

[Zegg]

The zoa colony open..

 

[Zegg]

Closer shots of my new Zoas and Plays now that they are settled.

50+ polyp rock of Palys

Now this one theres to many to count but theres 100's of each it seems. as these are the ones posted in previous post

 

[Zegg]

just checking links

 

[Zegg]

Well finally got a decent pic of the foxface, hes always on the move. and white spots you see are on the front pane of the acrylic not the focface himself.

He has been very good so far with the LPS and Zoas, but I also feed him twice a day and keep algae sheet for him though out the day to keep him happy.

And my acans are settling in quite nicely. after upgrading from 260w pc fixture to 3x250w MH

 

[Zegg]

Test Results from this morning
Salinty 1.025
Nitrate 0
Alk 6.0 dKh
PH 8.0
Mag 1300
Calcium 400

I raised Alk to 9.0 wih a slow drip of baking soda(not baked) going through the JG fitting in the skimmer before I left to work.
Tonight
Alk 9 dKH
PH 8.2
Adding a little more calcium to bring the number around 425 or so using calculater online - Using Kents turbo calcium

Thinking of switching to Kalkwasser as 125g 2 part dosing might be a little costly over time.

 

[Zegg]

Well got some new frags tonight.

Sun Polyps from the DBTC http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1619852

Which are already opening up just hours after putting them in my tank.

Also got
-micro frag
-4 other zoa frags
-Clam
within the last few days got
-small pinksbirdnest "nub"
-brown with green polyp cavricornis
-red monti cap frag that keeps getting knocked down, need to glue it but cant decide on placement.
-little acro frag, red/maroon with blue tips.

I think thats it, lol. Will post pics and if i missed anything after lights are on.

Also since updating last picked up a couple orginal Vortech MP40's with stabdard controller in a trade and looking at upgrading to the mp40w driver's for these. Both had new "wet" sides.

 

[Zegg]

Lots a pics

Lots a pics

Well heres a few pics of everything I added.

 

[Zegg]

DBTC Frags

Frag/growout side of the tank

Update on Xenia which have climed up the wall and Grapes of Wrath favia or something almost complelty covering skeloton from being fragged.

Foxface as happy as can be, comes and stairs at me begging for food, eats from my hands already.

 

[Zegg]

Well temp just went over 81 degress so turned the lights off as it just kept rising, so far it has never gone over 79 degrees until today. I know 81 isnt a huge deal but it will get warmer as summer approaches. Consistently was running at 76.5-78.5 But I can tell these last few days being 95+ and not running AC im probably going to need a chiller, which i figured i would need anyways once I started running more than 1 halide at a time, But looks like thats not the case cause even with just one Ill most likely end up with heating issues.

 

[Zegg]

Didnt realize the pics were so large next time ill post them so they wont take so long to load.

Anwyays I added another 20g rubbermade container.

The only thing in it right now is my skimmer, pump is in the original"return" rubbermaid container pumping to the skimmer... which this new container overflows back into the the "sump"

Main reason for doing this is to help with rising temps but more importatly giving my skimmer a constant water level to help run at peak performace.

Plus now I dont need to top every few hours before noise from splashing occurs.

This weak will be working on getting a kalk drip started using a 5g jug.

Anyone know if using a aqualifter pump would add to much kalk solution to quickly? Would like to put it on a timer but dont have the funds for a parlistic pump at the moment. Have to many other things I am looking into and have been manually dosing for years so parlistic pump isnt on top of my list. As I will more than likely be going with a calcium reactor in the future.

MP40w controller and sump and a clip on fan are on top of the list of stuff I need to find.

 

[Zegg]

Looking into upgrading my tank... AGAIN lol. This wasnt the most ideal setup to begin with. Its a 115 Uni acrylic tank. Guess previous owner used it as a frag tank and its covered in DEEP scratches which i couldnt remove. Plus I am a fan of glass.

The new tank is actually going to be 2 tanks.

Display Tank - Pennisula Style GLASS 60"x24-30"x17-20"
Frag Tank- 30x30x10-12" or 24"x24"x12" depends on the dimensions I get for the DT tank.

With this size tank I will be using ALL the light these pendants/lights have to offer. Currently half the light is being wasted atleast thats what it seems. But this upgrade wont be happening anytime soon just keeping an eye out for a good deal if i see one.

 

[Zegg]

Added a Yellow Coris Wrasse


helped a friend rescape his 24g nano....

Ended up with 2 frags 4 heads each of frogspawn

Tons of GSP gotta make sure I isolate it

Coral Banded Shrimp

Tahitian Butterfly

Blue damsel which is in the rubbermaid with the protein skimmer until I can figure out what to do with him.

Colt coral

Think thats about it.

Keeping an eye out on the butterfly but was good in my friends nano so hopefully now that he has room wont start going for my zoas... arleady decimated tons of Aptasia.

 

[Zegg]

Well took the butterfly out, Need to take out 1/2 the rock but I got him. Took him out cause I didnt need him anymore because he did his job and did it well. No aptasia and dont want him to get to confortable in there.

I am going to have to readjust some of the rock once I have light again... as I liked most of the rockwork... just needed a little adjustment. But now th part I liked really needs some work lol.

 

[Zegg]

just another upgrade.

My AquaC EV was being powered by a rio3100 pretty much same as the mag7.

I decided to replace the RIO3100 with a RIO32HF to see if it really makes that big of a difference. All I can say... AGAIN.... is WOW!!!

No longer the days or having the bubble colum collaps when I cook, of feed the tank. The column collapes but comes right back in 5 mins.... anyone with reccomended pump volume AquaC EV series skimmers knows that normally takes 45 to an hour and sometimes half the day to start producing skimmate after you even touch the water(from the oils on your hands). Its producing a much more uniform bubble, and way more stinky skimmate.

Since after cycling only been producing about a cup of skimmate a day... looks like yesterday along produced 1/2 gallon of nasty stuff whille see if this continues but definently have no plans on chnaging the pump as it works WAY better than before I loved it then.

 

[Zegg]

Well another addition...

had him for a little while Freshwater dip and QT for about a week.

Very active and out immeditly after putting him in the tank. Eating Very well.

added 4/28/09

 

[Zegg]

Well got a notice from management for my apartment complex that they will be entering my apot for any necessary or agreed on repairs... To bad I didnt need any repairs nor agreed to anything but also includes "upgrades" as well. They are prolly just checking the place out to see if anything major needs to be repaired.

Now the problem.....

I am only aloud to have a 40 gallon tank. I have 115+ 30 gallons sump volume. So Guess we will see what happens tomorrow...

I was going to drain it half way and run it with 40 gallons or so but decided its not worth the effort. If I cant have it the way it is supposed to be then why have it at all.... Ill just have to order a frag tank and make it an extreme shallow reef/tide pool tank? lol we'll see.

I did remove my skimmer and extra sump as it was in the open and didnt look to great. Also tucked in all wiring. To bad I didnt have enough time to skim the top to hide the lights as I know they are going to say FIRE HAZARD as I have lights hanging over a nig tank of water... To bad my AC unit is a fire hazard as well and have een trying to get that thing replaced for 4 months. Something is fried in the unit which melts the cord and then the socket its plugged into... they just keep replacing the socket since the ac unit turns on.... if it runs its fine as what they tell me.

 

[Zegg]

Update

Update

Everything is looking good. Management decided to let it the tank slide.

Also now that the bulbs are burned in its defiently not the blue I was looking for. Just doesnt have enough pop/blue for me. but thats what I expected with pheonix 14k bulb. So now deciding on Ushio or XM 20k bulb.

Battleing with temps a little, have a fan blowing on tank whenever a light is on to keep it around 79-80.

Test Results yeasterday

PH 8.1
Alk 9

Amm - 0
Trite - 0
Trate - 0

Calc - 420
Mag - 1350
Phos - .01 cant really tell for sure but nearly undectable and no algae.

Now for some update photos.

 

[Zegg]

 

[Zegg]

Night shots

Night shots

Got bored took some pics at night, 17w 6100k blue coral life actinic Normal output bulb thats atleast 10 years old just had it sitting on a closest.. Gives me the effect of what those LEDs key chain giveaway from MAX.

The following were just in the dark on the other side of the tank away from the light all together