The little winding up and down of the motor in a quiet room bother you at all? Almost sounds lik a cell phone vibrating.

To be honest, it is pretty damn quiet. My TV easily drowns out any sounds from the tank. In fact, if my computer is on (which is across the other end of the room on the other side of the tank) I can't hear anything but the computer with the TV off. If I pay really close attention, I can make out the pulses but it is still pretty faint. It took me a few tries to align the wet and dry side to get it to be that quiet.

I also have it run on night mode when I go to sleep which eliminates any chance of hearing any sound come from it during the night.

Acropora1981 came by the other night and seemed to be fairly impressed with the absence of noise coming from my system.

Yeah agree here. Also running night mode. Tank is in the living room and if the TV is off and someone is sitting close to the tank they comment, others in the room don't know what they are talking about.
My son was the one who came up with the "is that someones phone vibrating". No one else in the room knew what he was talking about because they could not hear it.

Looks great TJ!! I'm assuming you probably haven't set up your dosing pumps yet?

Thank you sir!

No auto-dosing yet; manual dosing until I get the controller which is not in my budget at the moment.

Probably will set it up next month.

Alright folks, one of the biggest updates yet!

I transferred the livestock I plan to keep (less two pieces of rock and a rainbow monti) into the 30br. I had my doubts about how happy things would be post-transfer since the tank is still so sterile and new. Clearly there were no issues, and everything seems to be happy as a clam! (Especially the clams - How's that for corny Rockfish? hahaha)

The only clean up crew that I brought home are a small spiny urchin that came as a hitchhiker, its dome is the size of a nickle, a purple brittle star, and a black mithrax crab that lives in the fuge (he has never hurt anything, but he is a big brute and tends to knock things over).

I took some photos pre-transfer, and some right after (night shots). Then I took some when I woke up today with the Solaris on.

I might go coral shopping today - get a nice brain or chalice or something. We'll see. I know I want to pick up a trio of peppermints, and maybe a couple fish to get some nutrients going in the system (clams and xenia need it).

Anyways enjoy my progression! lol...

Very cool mang...

Thanks,

I actually just went out a blew some coin on a couple SPS, a Duncan, a really cool Donut coral, a couple peppermint shrimp, and pair of orange skunk clowns!

Figured some photos would be appreciated.

FTS


Skunks (not so much in focus... Rushing FTL!)


Pink Table


Blue Acro


The Duncan! (You don't want to know what I payed for this... I can't wait to get a shot with the polyps out, they are really green!)


Pink/Red/Yellow mouth Donut Coral (I really love this piece)

I thought I stocked fast...yikes! I hope it works out

Well, this is going to be it for a while...

Kind of had one of those "dammit, I can't pass that up!" moments lol. I just need to grab some good foods and starting feeding. My fear isn't water quality being poor - its actually that there will be a lack of nutrients causing some corals or even my clams to starve. Feeding will fix that. In proper proportions of course!

I will be testing water daily to ensure that everything is in check.

Fantastic TJ! I love it.

where did u get the sea fan? tanks lookin great.

Thanks! Let's cross our fingers and hope I am as good at this as I am supposed to be lol



Got it from my LFS (BA's Mississauga & Oakville) about a year ago. Been in the Solana. It has grown quite a bit, but also had some die off where it got in a fight with a frogspawn. Overall a good photosynthetic gorg.

man i wish they were more avalible but u can not take them out of the water here in florid even though they are every where.

what if you accidentally catch one fishing?

good point but they would still probably fine me. so i'll on them and use the cover of darkness.

that 40 breeder was very nice, can't wait to see where this one goes

I <3 your tank. Looks outstanding. Canadians do everything better

I really hope your tank doesnt crash. That sounds like way too much stuff to be adding days after a cycle in my opinion.

Great pieces though! I like the skunks and the blue acro! I'm going to get some SPS tomorrow... maybe a new fish too.

Tank looks great. Always wanted one of those fans but heard they were a ##### to keep alive.

What cycle?
LR and ~40% of the water is from the Solana which had been set up for over a year.
I doubt I will have a problem with ammonia or nitrate - it's easily fixed regardless. I am more worried about the lack of nutrients in my system.



It's photosynthetic.





Current levels:
Alk = 9-10
Cal = 480
Mag = 1300+

I will be bringing home the rest of the LR and finishing up the majority of the aquascaping tonight. So far params are stable and the corals are all open and feeding. The clowns are courting already... kind of rediculous since I just got them but I doubt it will go anywhere.

I will try to throw up some photos tonight when I am done.

I like the Donut Coral and I really like the Orange Skunks!
Nice Digi Colony as well.

As soon as I work up the energy I'll go grab some rotifers for us in Newmarket...blah...

Thanks buddy, I needs them!

Oh lol I thought it was a fresh tank when I read the thread the other day.

The donut is really nice. I am not a massive fan of that type of coral, but it's colors were such that I could not just let it sit there and have it snatched up by someone else



lol thats cool - I would have had the same reaction if that were the case hahaha.

Didn't get a chance to deal with the aquascaping, so I took some night photos instead!

Solaris moonlighting is so damn nice! These photos are so close to the actual color it's ridiculous.

Good news,

My defective SCWD unit is being replaced by the retailer this week. I luckily will not have to pay any sort of shipping for the replacement, and they are sending the replacement first so I am not stuck without a SCWD on the system.

Tank is looking sweet man!

Your video has further inspired me to play with my MP10 some more!

LoL Awesome!

Your tank looks to be doing well, very nice purple digi! I want to get a purple/blue/green/pink digi to grow on the same rock with my orange

Wont be adding anything or taking pics for a couple weeks while everything settles in.

This tank makes me go . Then I look at my tank and I'm like .

Thanks man! I just got a wave going in it last night. I'd like to get some more colors of digi too. I'll trade you a frag of purple for a frag of orange

If I wasn't in Canada I would have taken you up on that

Glennnn!!!

Just noticed your post

Don't be too down - my tank has diatoms right now! lol... Sandbed is just starteing to get a baterial bloom. Hopefully it will be done shortly.

How is your 20L? New pics?

TJ,

I have a question regarding the Herbie method. I will be using it on my 40 breeder and just need some clarification real quick.

I was reading somewhere that when the level drops in your return section of the sump, the level in your overflow drops. That makes no sense to me so I thought I would ask you.

I have my main drain and an emergency drain along with the return all in my overflow box. It will look nice and clean. Anything I need to know before I plumb it up? I know I need a good gate valve on the main drain along with some netting and a strainer to keep it from getting clogged. Any other advice?

Thanks and the tank is looking awesome!

Firstly, thanks for the kind words!

Secondly - I have not experienced a drop in the overflow when the return portion of the sump drops in either one of my systems using this method. The one thing I can say though, is that if the drain tube is not submersed far enough into the water in the sump, it can cause the box to purge, draining the overflow box into the sump. I recommend that the drain into the sump be submerged at leased 6" (mine is currently around 8").

That being considered - you sound like you have the right idea.
You are more than welcome to PM me a photo of the plumbing prior to gluing it together so I can see exactly how you have done it and make sure you won't run into any issues.

Alright thanks TJ! I hope to have the plumbing done this weekend. I just need to find a gate valve locally if possible.

I had to order mine online because locally it was around $80. Online I paid $25 shipped.

Where did you order it online?

PM'd you.

Got it ! Thanks and replied

Np

The 20 was severely neglected for about a month and then moved (long story) so it's not looking too hot right now. I only suffered minimal losses (faded SPS and my plate coral looks just about dead). However, my rainbow monti has never looked better, go figure. I've also reluctantly switched from the dual 150's to a sundial T5 fixture. My wife was cool with the hanging pendant in our bedroom, but now that the tank is in our living room it's a different story. Obviously I don't really want to post pics of an unhappy tank, but I'm hoping to have it back in shape very soon.

sweet setup, TJ...
absolutely love it.
will be watchin' this evolve!
how loud is your overflow set-up?

Understandable,

I am looking forward to seeing it at it's best soon - I kind of tried to "race" you before with the 40br lol... Used you and bdare as competition so to speak - form of motivation I guess

So get your sh!t together so I have a challenge again



Thanks, it's dead silent - and that is not an exaggeration.

Wow, that's actually kinda flattering and that's not the whiskey talking. Ben's tank was great, I can definitely see how it could give someone something to strive for. And any tank you touch basically turns to gold. I was never all that satisfied with my 40g. It was never really much more than an overstocked (with corals, not fish. I figured I'd clarify that for the masses, I know you and I are on the same page in that department) tank full of a ton of frags.

I will very likely have to move the 20g again in as little as 1 month, but maybe not for another 6 months (I'm waiting on a job), but I hope to be able to keep this one long enough to mature to its full potential. It's only 20g, it shouldn't take long to reach that point, lol.

your tank is amazing

I was wondering how you get such get good color from your night shots?
I get some color, but a lot gets lost