elmer240 Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 So as you can see from my join date I have been a reefer from back in the day and had a build thread from 2006 that can be seen HERE. Well since then life has moved a little crazy in 2008 we moved (major downside of an in wall build and the in wall tank was taken down to put in a pantry. With a move to a new state, new job and another child on the way my reef dissolved and I sold the goods. Fast forward 8 years later and my kids are older and now we have begun a family adventure and the bug has bitten again. When I left, I left, no articles, no nano reef and my how things have changed. Leds What? when I left T5s where still questionable. Powerheads that work on the outside crazy! You mean you can control your reef and monitor from your phone this is insane. So Ive spend the last few months catching up but at the end of the day its always the same Water quality, light, and flow. Started by finding a sweet rimless and stand on craigslist for $100 the tank is 30"x22"x13" hand made with 3/8" glass, crazy thick for the size. It has a eurobrace in the bottom of the tank. I then ordered dry pukani from BRS and went to auquascape ideas as the material started coming in. New FTS SEPTEMBER 16th, 2014 NEW FTS AUGUST 24, 2014 Nah not this one, looks like a bunch of softballs. Ah yes this one with some arches, void in the middle and some overhangs. Now it was time to settle on equipment after the power bills on the last nano wanted a low energy tank. No more MH, no more chillers, etc. So the list is as followed Artificial Sun- AI Hydra 52 controlled by AI Director Artificial Waves- Vortech mp10es x2 Artificial Nutrient Control- CSS 125 heavily modified (left over from last tank) Sump- 3 chamber 29gallon it goes Skimmer, Return, Fuge Return pump- Jebao DC3000 If I learned anything the last time around it was be patient. So in May I began curing and cycling of live rock in a rubbermaid tub. Accomplished with a sacrificial shrimp from dinner one evening. Actual used lighting during this process and got through the diatoms, and then seeded with a small piece of Live Rock. After week 4 coralline began to grow on the sides of the tub and we were in business. Thus began the process of getting the display ready. Ran for 2 weeks longer before livestock and here she is. Sorry for the bad pics, led is impossible to capture with my phone. We then added our first livestock (well not first cleaner crew was first but they don't count) it is a Starcki Damsel with beautiful coloration but extremely camera shy so when I can Ill post a picture. TLDR- Back in the game from 2006 and feel like Marty Mcfly in Back to the Future 2 Link to comment
KP_Reef_Tank Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 Looks like you're off to a great start, elmer! Link to comment
D Z Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 I dig it man. Good score on the tank. Pretty cool looking shallow tank. Great start...keep up the good work! Tagging along. Link to comment
Veng Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 Welcome back to the addiction! Err, I mean hobby! Link to comment
elmer240 Posted July 31, 2014 Author Share Posted July 31, 2014 Thanks for the comments. Veng "Welcome back to the addiction! Err, I mean hobby!" Pssh this is no addiction I am completely in control (just got back from the LFS to look around) Forgot to mention in post I am using a BRS 5 Stage RODI for water. Ordered a Phosban reactor and some High Capacity GFO from BRS as well as an Apex Jr. Any advice on the Phosban 150 would be helpful as these weren't a thing back in the day. I plan on plumbing it into my return line in between return and refugium. Phosphates aren't too high considering the Pukani, hovering around .2 but the plan is that this be mostly SPS tank so want them as low as the tank will allow. Oh and I'll post the results of the LFS trip later.... completely in control, completely in control. Link to comment
TigerLily Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 Hi Elmer! Great score on the tank! I see you've got some of those fun new toys Link to comment
elmer240 Posted July 31, 2014 Author Share Posted July 31, 2014 Hi Elmer! Great score on the tank! I see you've got some of those fun new toys Ha yep couldn't resist! Link to comment
NorthGaHillbilly Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 GREAT dimensions for a reef IMO. looking forward to seeing where you go with this one. Link to comment
elmer240 Posted August 1, 2014 Author Share Posted August 1, 2014 Alright so after a day of acclimation the new additions from the LFS are in the tank. They are labeled Vivid Ocellaris Clowns. In all the time I've owned reefs Iive never owned a clown, kinda against the Nemo grain I guess, but with children this happens. These two were paired up in the store and looked very healthy. Here is what looks to be the female with traditional coloration. And here is the male with a really neat looking black spot in front of the front fins. Top Down Doing great so far and the larger female is almost eating out of my daughters hand already. Link to comment
lilmatty5dimes Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 Awesome tank and a killer deal on the tank. I'm sure this would have brought a ton of people back into the hobby. Looks like your off to a great start from being out so long. Your going to love the apex. Link to comment
elmer240 Posted August 1, 2014 Author Share Posted August 1, 2014 Awesome tank and a killer deal on the tank. I'm sure this would have brought a ton of people back into the hobby. Looks like your off to a great start from being out so long. Your going to love the apex. You know I waffled on the Apex for a while but now that its on the way I've got a lot of uses in mind. I'm sure Ill hit up the Apex threads for some programming help but with fusion things look to be fairly simple. I'll probably maintain control of the Hydra52 with the director however as that is a pretty sleek OS. Other than that may eventually get a vdm for the dc return, Ph module, and ALD for the leak detection. All down the road of course. Link to comment
lilmatty5dimes Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 Lol. You'll be getting it sooner than later. Link to comment
JR! Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 what a cool tank man. gonna be watching this one close Link to comment
Curry02 Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 Looks great! I love shallow builds and your lighting. You'll love the apex as well as all the add ons and ease of use. ALD is going to be my next purchase. Link to comment
1.0reef Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 Nice! Your Occy clowns may be the "Vivid Fancy Ocellaris" variety, which is a simple, old, and beautiful morph! Link to comment
elmer240 Posted August 1, 2014 Author Share Posted August 1, 2014 Starcki came out his hole for a bit. He is the most timid damsel ever. http://s1256.photobucket.com/user/ther3v/media/IMG_20140731_194954_zpsbb746bf4.jpg.html'> Link to comment
elmer240 Posted August 1, 2014 Author Share Posted August 1, 2014 Nice! Your Occy clowns may be the "Vivid Fancy Ocellaris" variety, which is a simple, old, and beautiful morph! Yep I believe you are correct. I like the classics, haven't gotten the designer clown bug yet, call me a traditionalist. When we were in the store picking them out the guy bagging them said he had driven 9 hours to Indiana to pick up some Davinci Clowns the day before and my wife gave me a look that said "If you ever..." Link to comment
elmer240 Posted August 2, 2014 Author Share Posted August 2, 2014 Fed-ex showed up today. Got the auto top-off running this evening. http://s1256.photobucket.com/user/ther3v/media/IMG_20140801_134734256_HDR_zpse85d2200.jpg.html'> Link to comment
lilmatty5dimes Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 love it when trucks show up and Christmas is in august. lol how is the acropower? Link to comment
elmer240 Posted August 2, 2014 Author Share Posted August 2, 2014 So no sps in the tank yet... Planning ahead. Heard good reviews about acropower so I thought I'd give it a shot. May wait a few more weeks until I try some frags. Headed on vacation next week. On my last tank I bought a frag pak before I went out of town and left the tank with a sitter. You know how that turned out. Tested with the red sea kit results Calcium-350 Alk- 9dkh Magnesium-1500 I know I've got to get calc up a little above 400 and stable. Magnesium is high for coralline growth from Kent Purple Tech. But 1500 may be a little too high. Im gonna slowly get that down to 1300-1400 over the next 2 weeks. Link to comment
elmer240 Posted August 2, 2014 Author Share Posted August 2, 2014 Ahhh my filter bag holes are too large for purigen. Have to pick up some smaller bags. Also the family has a conundrum. I have told the children they could all have one fish in the reef so pick carefully. The clowns belong to my youngest two. My oldest daughter is eyeing a Randall Goby pistol shrimp pair but my son is struggling. He being the only boy has placed his only requirement that the fish looks mean. He gravitates towards lions and anglers, stuff that will not play nice. Any ideas on a mean "looking fish" I've tried to sell him on a Bangai Cardinal but he's not sold. Link to comment
TigerLily Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 My kids want a shark.. What about a firefish? Not a big fish but sleek and fast looking. I can't remember, do you have a lid? Link to comment
elmer240 Posted August 2, 2014 Author Share Posted August 2, 2014 Yep he "kinda likes" fire fish so we'll see. No lid but thinking it may be inevitable in the near future. Link to comment
elmer240 Posted August 3, 2014 Author Share Posted August 3, 2014 So this morning spotted pyramid snails one of my Astraea this morning. I can see about six of them on the bottom of his shell. Ok so what's the protocol. I know they cannot be freshwater dipped but any ideas to get the off him. Man I went dry rock to avoid this stuff and one little harmless snail brings it along. Link to comment
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