empresto Posted August 11, 2021 Share Posted August 11, 2021 (edited) I figured it was probably time I separated the build threads for my two tanks since they really are separate systems with their own trajectories. This tank, PineReef, was originally set up just to be a designated QT and grow out tank for frags coming into and going out of my other tank which I still consider my main display. My tanks seem to get named based on what wood I build the stand out of, as my other tank has been dubbed MapleReef => empresto's 18.1 gallon build - Nano Reef Journals - Nano-Reef Community. Current FTS - July 23, 2022 (not an awesome picture, but it gives the idea...) FTS August 11, 2021 Equipment Tank: 40 Breeder Light: Radion XR30 G5 Pro Sump: DIY 10 gallon Return Pump: Current USA eFlux Flow Pump 1900gph Heater: 2x 75W Eheim Jagers Cobalt Neotherm connected to a BRS wifi Temp Controller Fuge Light: 24W grow light from Amazon Flow: 3x 2x Hydor Koralias 850gph 1x Red Sea ReefWave 45 Gyre Pump Controller: DIY Raspberry Pi + Arduino solution I cooked up ATO Relay controls a TOMs water lifter pump. Fuge light on/off control. Temp measurement via 3 probes - Tank, Sump, Ambient Air Temp Relays control have control of heater circuit and can switch on a fan. Auto Water Change made possible with a second water level sensor. Basically I can hook up the pumps to the respective buckets for in/out, press a button on the RPi UI, and it changes a set amount of the water in the sump. ~2 gallons as I currently have it set. Dosing: Relays control 2x BRS 1.1ml/minute dosing pumps. Settings available via UI on the RPi. All activity and constant temp readings are recorded to a MS SQL database running on my home network server. Built an app for my phone and computer to be able to record other activity not operated by the controller and see current status of peripherals connected to the tank. DIY screen top Contents of the Aquarium Scape ~15lbs live rock 20lbs Caribsea Ocean Direct Live Sand Corals Orange Montipora Capricornus Purple Montipora Capricornus Monipora Danae frag Xenia Polips Astreopora Frags and now Large Colonies Green Pocillopora Frag Purple Pavona Frag WWC Yellow Tip Acro Green Octospawn Fish 6-line Wrasse 2x Yellow Tailed Blue Damsels Tomini Tang Inverts 3 peppermint shrimp Tiger Conch 3x Trochus snails ?x Nasarius snails 2x Turbo snails This iteration of the tank was started on September 2nd of 2020 after the original setup had totally gone green algae carpet (Don't set up a tank and then have a kid 3 weeks later... 😉 ). It lives in the closet off my office, but there is sufficient space for guests to see it too. Setup progression: Sand goes in and fill with sw. The water has cleared. Edited July 28, 2022 by empresto New FTS 4 Quote Link to comment
Murphs_Reef Posted August 11, 2021 Share Posted August 11, 2021 26 minutes ago, empresto said: I figured it was probably time I separated the build threads for my two tanks since they really are separate systems with their own trajectories. This tank, PineReef, was originally set up just to be a designated QT and grow out tank for frags coming into and going out of my other tank which I still consider my main display. My tanks seem to get named based on what wood I build the stand out of, as my other tank has been dubbed MapleReef => empresto's 18.1 gallon build - Nano Reef Journals - Nano-Reef Community. FTS Equipment Tank: 40 Breeder Light: Radion XR30 G5 Pro Sump: DIY 10 gallon Return Pump: Current USA eFlux Flow Pump 1900gph Heater: 2x 75W Cobalt Neotherm connected to a BRS wifi Temp Controller Fuge Light: 24W grow light from Amazon Flow: 3x Hydor Koralias 850gph Controller: DIY Raspberry Pi + Arduino solution I cooked up ATO Relay controls a TOMs water lifter pump. Fuge light on/off control. Temp measurement via 3 probes - Tank, Sump, Ambient Air Temp Relays control have control of heater circuit and can switch on a fan. Auto Water Change made possible with a second water level sensor. Basically I can hook up the pumps to the respective buckets for in/out, press a button on the RPi UI, and it changes a set amount of the water in the sump. ~2 gallons as I currently have it set. Dosing: Relays control 2x BRS 1.1ml/minute dosing pumps. Settings available via UI on the RPi. All activity and constant temp readings are recorded to a MS SQL database running on my home network server. Built an app for my phone and computer to be able to record other activity not operated by the controller and see current status of peripherals connected to the tank. DIY screen top Contents of the Aquarium Scape ~15lbs live rock 2 bags arag-alive special grade Corals Orange Montipora Capricornus Purple Montipora Capricornus Monipora Danae frag Xenia Polips 4x Astreopora Frags Green Pocillopora Frag Purple Pavona Frag Fish 6-line Wrasse 2x Yellow Tailed Blue Damsels I'll add more soon, but need to run to a meeting... Following alooong 1 Quote Link to comment
empresto Posted August 11, 2021 Author Share Posted August 11, 2021 The tank went through a major ugly stage which it is just starting to come out of. You can really see that in the FTS, below. I have found that having an email alert when the ATO runs longer than a minute is really important as that keeps me posted when algae blocks up parts of the overflow. FTS March 2021 Quote Link to comment
empresto Posted October 4, 2021 Author Share Posted October 4, 2021 Not much to report. Algae is still present, but I've found a half inch syphon tube sucks it out with gusto. Just be careful what you get a half inch syphon near when you've got 4+ feet of drop on the out end. 🙂 Corals are doing well. The ORA Pocillopora I have really shows me when nutrients zero out from the algae's consumption. It retracts and looks like it's going to just RTN out of here, but if I add back nitrates and phosphates, it puffs right back up within a couple hours. Nice to have a visual queue when something needs help. Unfortunately, I've acquired some aiptasia in this tank. So far the three peppermint shrimp haven't done anything useful to it. I probably just need to pull out the rock it is growing on and superglue over it. FTS October 4, 2021 1 Quote Link to comment
empresto Posted February 15, 2022 Author Share Posted February 15, 2022 Figured I should add some more pictures of this tank since there is really nothing else to report. If I could change one thing about the tank, I'd have it grow less algae, but everything is doing so well, I'm not going to make drastic changes just for that... 😉 FTS from today GSP and xenia Xenia field Purple montipora Bubblegum montipora digitata Green pocillopora Astreopora 1 Quote Link to comment
dpoltsdsu Posted February 15, 2022 Share Posted February 15, 2022 Colors look solid. The more coral growth you get the less algae you'll have as the corals start to take up more nutrients. 1 Quote Link to comment
sadie Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 I like the look of your tank, it looks like a field of wild flowers!! 1 Quote Link to comment
empresto Posted July 28, 2022 Author Share Posted July 28, 2022 Quick update: I did a thorough tank cleaning, removing most of the algae in the display, cleaned the powerheads, and added a RedSea ReefWave 45 Gyre Pump. The corals have been really happy since the flow upgrade. Fish are doing great. Here's some pics: FTS 7/23/2022 Frag rack full of happy corals. 1 Quote Link to comment
empresto Posted September 7, 2023 Author Share Posted September 7, 2023 Well, I recently moved, and the new house didn't have a place for this tank, so I took this one down and returned the livestock to my LFS. The tank hadn't been the healthiest over the last winter anyway, so it wasn't as hard to do as I maybe would have thought a year ago. So, here ends PineReef. Quote Link to comment
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