GrenDeL's 45g Project

[Grendel0501]

I figure I just need some......

 

 

 

 

Does anyone know where I can find some?

[BLoCkCliMbeR]

they dont sell that stuff anymore...everyone wants a instant reef tank now so they make expensive equipment to make that happen....

 

there is a diy recipie....

[Grendel0501]

Added a lawnmower blenny today. A local reefer sold him for $10.

 

He's not doing so well though. The dominat damsel won't leave him alone and has him pinned in a corner , fearing for his life. I doubt he'll make it will all this stress.

 

I tried to catch the damsel again with no luck. I'm hoping that fish trap gets here monday or tuesday. As soon as I get it I plan to bait it and put it in the tank. That damsel is getting fed to the lionfish at the lfs. :mad:

[Grendel0501]

Still battleing the hair and slime. The hair is definatley thinning , it could be gone in a week.

The slime , on the other hand , isn't going anywhere. It shrinks alittle at night and thickens back up in the day.

Everyone else runs a 12hr cycle with no problems. :confused:

Going to get some new bulbs and ballast in a month or two to see if that changes anything.

 

 

The fish trap and the phosphate reactor are still somewhere in the mail. Wishing they would hurry up and arrive already , I want to get that damsel out of the tank.

The blenny comes out occasionally , just to be chased back into his barnacle home.

 

My bday is coming up , the gf picked me up two peices of coral , that I had been eyeing at the lfs. 3 pinkish orange rics and what looks like devil's armor zoas.

[BLoCkCliMbeR]

still messin with the tank like a crackhead i take it? the more and more i think about breakin mine down, the more i want to try to just stay put instead of taking a new duty station...

 

hopefully you got those damsels out of the tank...i know they can be a pain....but i happen to like damsels....if thats the only fish im keepin

[Grendel0501]

My birthday is coming up and I plan to get some stuff for the aquarium.

And I know I need a better sump to get the skimmer working right. (the constantly variying water level causes the skimmer's water level to lower and all the gunk gets stuck on the neck instead of inside the cup).

I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to get a custom sump. The area under my tank is something like11W and 32L , which most prebuilt sumps won't fit.

 

I know there are some individuals/companies that make custom sumps on here , but for now I am going to get a quote from a lfs to see if I can save the large shipping costs.

[Grendel0501]

Or , I could just get a ATO and avoid paying out the ass for a custom built sump. Geez I'm a moron.

[BLoCkCliMbeR]

Or , I could just get a ATO and avoid paying out the ass for a custom built sump. Geez I'm a moron.

 

an ATO was one of the best investments for my tank. it has allowed me to be extra lazy

[Grendel0501]

an ATO was one of the best investments for my tank. it has allowed me to be extra lazy

 

 

Which one did you get? I'm still trying to decide between getting one of the setup ATO kits and making my own.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The tank is doing pretty good , I added 10 Magarita snails and over the course of a week the slime has slowly disappeared. Its almost gone now.

 

I bought a fishtrap today , going to try and get the damsel and peppermint out of the tank.

I figure now that my algaes are under control I can get the the damsel out and then I can stock the tank as I want to.

Yay.

 

Thinking about a regal tang or a flame angel. Though I think my tank is alittle small for the tang.

[Grendel0501]

I finally caught Brain , the dominant damsel.

 

 

It took awhile of trickery though. I put the trap into the tank yesterday. It is so big I didn't have much of a choice of where to put it , so I took one of the Koralia magnets and stuck it to the back wall of the tank. Then I baited it. Problem was the baiting tube easily let food out into the water where it floated out of the trap. So I took the hook and line I had been using earlier to try and catch him. I took the baiting tube out and lowered a baited hook into the trap. I left it there for 2 days , randomly baiting it , and leaving it for Brain to find and eat. Basically getting him comfortable with the trap. Then once he got use to it having food inside , I added the door and got his ass.

 

Debating on what to do with him , I guess I will take him to the lfs tommorrow. They will probably throw him into the tank with the lionfish where he will be promptly swallowed.

 

 

 

The only thing left to get out of the tank is the peppermint shrimp. Not sure how I am going to get him. If I could get enough room to get the trap on the sand bed it would work , but I think I am going to have to make a DIY trap with a coke bottle or something.

[MGDMIRAGE]

Yeah those little damsels are demonic, yours had his convict stripes for a reason huh.

 

Tank is looking good

[Grendel0501]

Almost as soon as he was out of the tank , the other two fish , who had been terrorized for months. Came out of the corner they usually hid in and started exploring the rest of the tank.

 

 

 

 

Finally I can work on a stocking list.

1.) 1 Coral beauty or a flame angel. Hoping the odds are in my favor and I get one that won't pick at my corals.

2.) 1 Blue or Yellow tang , I'm thinking my tank is too small for one of these , thoughts?

3.) 3-5 chromis , school fish

4.) 1 Clownfish , maybe a Clarkii

5.) 1 Psuedochromis or Royal Gramma

6.) 1 Wrasse or Anithas, unsure on the type

7.) 1 Mandrian Goby

 

I figure I can't get them all. Probably have to cut the tang first bc of size.

[MGDMIRAGE]

Very possible list minus the tangs, way too small of tank for a blue or yellow tang.

 

The pseudochromis may end up being a bully like your damsel was they are very ballsy fish.

 

The schooling chromis idea is cooler than reality, they typically end up killing each other eventually setting up a pecking order.

 

Also make sure you don't combine any pod eating wrasse with a mandarin because it will out compete the mandarin big time.

[Grendel0501]

Well with time comes coraline , lots of it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I havn't changed much over the last few months , added afew fish , got a monti-cap from a buddy.

The monti-cap isn't doing so well , I think it is bc my bulbs need to be replaced.

 

I intend to upgrade to a Ice Cap ballast and Phoenix bulb sometime in the next week. I also intend to upgrade the CF ballasts if I can find a quality replacement that fits in the same place the originals go.

[BLoCkCliMbeR]

you try lowering that monti yet? you might be burning it with your lights...

[Grendel0501]

you try lowering that monti yet? you might be burning it with your lights...

 

I'll move the mounted peice down to the bed and see if it help.

[Grendel0501]

 

 

A small video of daily life in the tank. Click on the pic to see it.

[Grendel0501]

 

Upgraded lighting , replaced stock Odyssea ballast and bulb with Ice Cap 250 and Phoenix 14k.

 

Still looking into upgrading the CF ballasts.

[Grendel0501]

Like with any hobby, I am already planning my upgrade.

It is my opinion that my crappy sump config and sub par HOB skimmer are the reasons for continuing my slime and hair problems.

 

All of my equipment except for the lighting is used, so I feel I got a good year's worth of use out of it, learned alittle, and now have a better idea of what I need to have a properly functioning tank.

 

I plan to save up $1200-1500 to upgrade to a something like a 90g, I also intend to but the bulk of the funds towards a large skimmer and sump to accomidate it.

Still debating on the skimmer, maybe something in the $300 range, maybe a Octopus or Reef Dynamics....

 

I figure for the upgrade I need,

A.)90g tank, stand and canopy (CHERRY!!) w/ drilled overflow

B.) Large sump , maybe the ADHI model 30 or 45

C.) Large skimmer, unsure on model

D.) 2 more Koralia 1400gph powerheads

E.) Larger return pump, planning for a 1200gph rio pump

 

For the lighting I will get by gutting my Odyssea fixture and fitting it into the canopy, this will give me LED moonlights, 1x250w Halide and 2x96w PC's.

[Dnic]

Any updates? I plan on upgrading to a 75 or 90 soon. Perhaps even a 100.

[Grendel0501]

Any updates? I plan on upgrading to a 75 or 90 soon. Perhaps even a 100.

 

Besides adding two lyretail anthias, no new changes.

I'm trying my best to fight the instinct to buy anything new for the next few months.

I'm saving as much as I can for my upgrade.

The upgrade sadly keeps snowballing. I figure I need about $2000 now.

I intend to try and completely fill the recess where my current tank is now, with the new tank. So something like 46x24x24. I also intend to build a faux wall infront of the tank to give it added depth and make it blend in with the living room wall.

 

Should be done saving by this summer. Then UPGRADE!!!

[Go Tigers!]

Cool Tank bro ! good job !

[Grendel0501]

Tigers, you should come by sometime and see the new tank I am setting up. The 45g is in the process of being taken down and will soon be replaced with my new 120g. I got awhole bunch of goodies on the way to set it up.

 

And when Kessil release the a350w LED's I wil get some of those for lighting.

[Go Tigers!]

Tigers, you should come by sometime and see the new tank I am setting up. The 45g is in the process of being taken down and will soon be replaced with my new 120g. I got awhole bunch of goodies on the way to set it up.

 

And when Kessil release the a350w LED's I wil get some of those for lighting.

Sure thing bro ! message me ur number i lost it when i trashed my phone . Would love to help u out

[Grendel0501]

Sure thing bro ! message me ur number i lost it when i trashed my phone . Would love to help u out

 

 

I found your number, I'll hit you up sometime soon.

 

 

 

I'm going to run fallow for a month to get the ICh out of my old tank.