pyronus Posted September 15, 2010 Share Posted September 15, 2010 FTS Progression: September August July: Contents: Drilled!The First Scape and CoralNew Acan FragsRebornThe Main StageThe First Colored SticksBecoming A ProblemUp Close SPSClowning AroundThe Long WayColonize the Red PlanetFatalitydivecj5 StyleNot So ReefyGetting Clammy History Lesson: I neglected this tank for about 6 months. It went without a water change it grew all kinds of cyano and GHA all over the place, it was pretty disgusting. Seeing as its pretty much the first thing you see when you walk through my front door I decided it was time to either restart or break it down. I couldn't handle the thought of not having a tank and selling off what little coral I do have. All my corals lived in a rubbermaid for a few weeks while I re-cycled the tank with some BRS dry rock seeded with my old rock. I put everything together about 2 weeks ago and things are doing okay for now. Equipment: Marina Rimless 20H with black silicon ATI 4x24 Sunpower T5HO Glass-holes overflow and return kit Eheim 1260 return pump SWC 120 Cone skimmer 15gal Sump with a refugium RKL DIY dual optical switch ATO Link to comment
Dasani Posted September 15, 2010 Share Posted September 15, 2010 Sounds sweet. Got any pics? If I were to re-do my 20H, I would have added a skimmer, chemi-pure elite, and phosban. I have tons and tons and tons of hair algae in my 20g. I can't keep my phosphates below .5 so I have a hard time keeping SPS. I would reccomend a strong CUC from the start. Check out Reefcleaners.org. The 20g CUC is only $19 shipped and you get 40 snails. I know an all time favorite nano skimmer is the Tunze 9002. I know Bubble Magus and Reef Octopus are big favs too. Just keep your nitrates and phosphates down, your calcium, magnesium, and alkalinity levels correct (I use the Bulk Reef Supply kit, but I rarley have to use it b/c Reef Crystals salt seems to be keeping them at the right levels.) also keep up with the weekly waterchanges. Do all that and you will have a happy,healthy, thriving reef tank Link to comment
pyronus Posted September 15, 2010 Author Share Posted September 15, 2010 Original First Post Old tank shots: This is old stuff, dont have to read, I just didn't want to delete Alright so, I've decided to make a tank thread even though there really isn't much to my tank at the moment. I'm working on it! In march for my son's birthday we decided to set up a tank. The plan was FOWLR and collect the parts to set it up as a reef as time went on. I started with a Hagen Rimless 20H, got some sand, LR and a heater. Went home that day and set up a tank! I was terribly excited about it, I haven't had a tank since college when I was heavily into planted FW. So the tank in that incarnation was a pretty basic setup. I hadn't done enough research and I was just winging it. We threw the stock filter on the back, put the hood and stock single bulb light on the top of the tank, and watched the algae start to grow. The girlfriend came home with a fish about 2 weeks later he is a blue fin damsel and I didn't know better than to say no. I tested the water and the parameter's looked alright to add the fish so we kept him. Fast forward to today: I have been diligent in my upkeep of the tank, I haven't had any major issues with it so far and I have been collecting the equipment to get it reef ready for 7 months and I will be coral ready by the end of the month. So I'm moving at the end of this month. When I break down the tank for the move, I will drill it and get everything plumbed in the new place. Then the real fun begins. I wanted to get things started here, because there are lots of things I haven't figured out yet. Like should I buy a skimmer for the sump or can I live without one and just use the sump for carbon, ATO, equipment hiding etc, and use the majority of the space as a display refugium. Thanks for looking. I've been using reef crystals salt since day 1 and its been good to me. Water changes are keeping everything in check for now. My one fish is really killing me on the bioload, you know. Coraline is growing everywhere, I'm really excited to get some other inverts and corals in this thing. Link to comment
Dasani Posted September 15, 2010 Share Posted September 15, 2010 I've been using reef crystals salt since day 1 and its been good to me. Water changes are keeping everything in check for now. My one fish is really killing me on the bioload, you know. Coraline is growing everywhere, I'm really excited to get some other inverts and corals in this thing. Looks nice. That damsel is beautiful That mp20 may be to much for a 20H. I will trade you a mp10 (reg) that has been used for about 48 hours for it. haha Link to comment
Arkayology Posted September 16, 2010 Share Posted September 16, 2010 Can't wait to see what you do with this. Link to comment
pyronus Posted September 16, 2010 Author Share Posted September 16, 2010 Can't wait to see what you do with this. Heh, me neither. I was over at the LFS yesterday and found out that jjjo got his branch for his rimless branch reef from one of their tanks. This place is a pretty awesome LFS. He said he would put together a nice frag pack for me when I got things up and running. I did get one half of my LED's running tonight. Link to comment
opy01 Posted September 16, 2010 Share Posted September 16, 2010 Very nice! I am not looking forward to my next LED build. Of course it will be for a 150G tank lol. Yours look sweet though! Are you running all 12 of those on one driver or are you going to connect all the blues up to one and white to the other? If you need help with the ALC just let me know. I've had mine for over a year . Link to comment
pyronus Posted September 16, 2010 Author Share Posted September 16, 2010 Thanks for looking Opy. The LEDs are running off of two different Meanwell's at the moment, one for each color. I just had them hooked up to a 10v supply to take the picture which means full brightness. I accidentally looked at the lights and I was blind for a few seconds afterward it really surprised me how intense the light was. I got the LEDs on the other heatsink last night for a total of 24. I have a feeling its going to be light overkill with 2 T5s. Link to comment
opy01 Posted September 16, 2010 Share Posted September 16, 2010 Thanks for looking Opy. The LEDs are running off of two different Meanwell's at the moment, one for each color. I just had them hooked up to a 10v supply to take the picture which means full brightness. I accidentally looked at the lights and I was blind for a few seconds afterward it really surprised me how intense the light was. I got the LEDs on the other heatsink last night for a total of 24. I have a feeling its going to be light overkill with 2 T5s. lol maybe a bit of overkill. I have 26 LEDs on my BC29. I decided to max it out with 13 per driver. Let me tell you, all 26 at one time on a test run blinded me for more than a few seconds . Link to comment
pyronus Posted September 17, 2010 Author Share Posted September 17, 2010 Short story, pet smart sucks. 15Gals are not $1/gallon. I guess I'll have a 10gallon sump. Also to skim or not to skim? Link to comment
got2envy Posted September 17, 2010 Share Posted September 17, 2010 It's Petco that has the $1 per gallon sale tank looks nice..I <3 that damsel Link to comment
pyronus Posted September 17, 2010 Author Share Posted September 17, 2010 It's Petco that has the $1 per gallon sale tank looks nice..I <3 that damsel Whatever they are called, they all suck! I guess I should have remembered how wide I made my stand anyhow, the 15gal wouldn't have fit. Yea, that damsel, my son named him Harry, eats out of my hand and is friendlier than my cats. Link to comment
Markushka Posted September 17, 2010 Share Posted September 17, 2010 The tank looks nice! i really like the minimalist scape. Link to comment
Arkayology Posted September 17, 2010 Share Posted September 17, 2010 Also to skim or not to skim? skim! Link to comment
pyronus Posted September 17, 2010 Author Share Posted September 17, 2010 A Bubble Magus NAC7 is way overkill isn't it? Link to comment
Dasani Posted September 17, 2010 Share Posted September 17, 2010 A Bubble Magus NAC7 is way overkill isn't it? I would go with a 3. What kind of damsel is it? Link to comment
pyronus Posted September 17, 2010 Author Share Posted September 17, 2010 The damsel is a bluefin, or bowtie. Yea, I think I'm going to order the NAC3 tomorrow along with my return pump. Link to comment
opy01 Posted September 17, 2010 Share Posted September 17, 2010 I only go to petsmart or petco for salt or a heater or something like that. The only reason the petsmart near me doesnt suck is because several of the employees always recognize us and treat us well. I'd say skim but only 3 of my 6 tanks have skimmers and they only get emptied once a week at most lol. Link to comment
pyronus Posted September 18, 2010 Author Share Posted September 18, 2010 Something is acclimating I'm also cutting heatsinks to fit in the middle of....an FNI 4x24 fixture. GOGO LEDs Link to comment
Dasani Posted September 18, 2010 Share Posted September 18, 2010 Something is acclimating I'm also cutting heatsinks to fit in the middle of....an FNI 4x24 fixture. GOGO LEDs I wanna see this.... Link to comment
pyronus Posted September 21, 2010 Author Share Posted September 21, 2010 I'm in the middle of packing up my house. We are moving so I am making slow progress. I decided to keep the FNI fixture stock and upgrade its bulbs. I'm going to use that while I fab the housing for the LED light. I'm throw a sketchup of what it will look like later. I bought some .050" 5052 Alu the other day. I scheduled some time on the sheet bender and the TIG at work. I am basically going to build a TEK knockoff with 2x 80mm fan holes and room for 2 8x8 heat sinks, 24 LED's and 2 T5's light overkill? Sammy, I saw that you were doing a single red LED. How is that working with your corals and the colors? Have you given any thought to the Cyan movement? I'm still waiting for the bulbs to come in, Blue +x2, GE 6500k, and an Indigo Sun. Also in that same order are an Eheim 1250 return pump, Bubble Magus NAC3+ and some other stuff I needed. Link to comment
pyronus Posted September 24, 2010 Author Share Posted September 24, 2010 I think I blew up 6 CW Cree's SWC 120 on order. Link to comment
sammy113 Posted September 24, 2010 Share Posted September 24, 2010 I'm in the middle of packing up my house. We are moving so I am making slow progress. I decided to keep the FNI fixture stock and upgrade its bulbs. I'm going to use that while I fab the housing for the LED light. I'm throw a sketchup of what it will look like later. I bought some .050" 5052 Alu the other day. I scheduled some time on the sheet bender and the TIG at work. I am basically going to build a TEK knockoff with 2x 80mm fan holes and room for 2 8x8 heat sinks, 24 LED's and 2 T5's light overkill? Sammy, I saw that you were doing a single red LED. How is that working with your corals and the colors? Have you given any thought to the Cyan movement? I'm still waiting for the bulbs to come in, Blue +x2, GE 6500k, and an Indigo Sun. Also in that same order are an Eheim 1250 return pump, Bubble Magus NAC3+ and some other stuff I needed. Nice, looking forward to the housing. It's been very little time since I have the red LED but so far I'm liking the color render. Gives a warmer/ purple look when mixes with royal blues. I'd like to try some Cyan but still haven't got any time to read a bit more and see whats available. What brand makes them? I think I blew up 6 CW Cree's SWC 120 on order. That sucks happened to me a few weeks ago. Link to comment
pyronus Posted September 29, 2010 Author Share Posted September 29, 2010 So I moved. I was going to drill the tank and get the sump set up last weekend but moving is terribly stressful so I didn't have the time. This weekend we will be drilled and ready to rumble. Link to comment
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