Bella's Reef Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 So a little background on this build - I have been out of the hobby now for roughly 5 years, I put together a system early last fall & then sold it off before setting up to make a play room/area for my daughter. I started lurking again in January & decided on this setup that will fit our main living room/family area nicely. Equipment ADA / Landen 60P Low Iron Rimless Tank - 23.6" x 11.8" x 14.2" Radion G2 Vortech MP10 Cad Lights PLS-50 Skimmer Sicce 5.0 Return Pump Technical Pro - Power Supply / Switcher Neo-Therm 100 watt heater 10 Gallon Sump 20lbs of Reef Cleaner Rock Custom Built Cabinet / Stand Current Fish & Inverts Picasso Clownfish TailSpot Blenny Yellow Coris Wrasse Randalls Shrimp Goby Pistol Shirmp - He is a monster Green Grape BTA Current Coral Stocking War Coral Purple Torch Frogspawn Sunset Monti Superman Monti Fungia / Plate Meteor Shower Cyphastrea Mummy Eye Chalice Dragon Soul Favia Assorted Ricordea & Mushrooms Blackhole Brain Plan to Add Black Snowflake or Phantom Clownfish Cleaner Shrimp Pom Pom Crab Link to comment
Bella's Reef Posted March 23, 2014 Author Share Posted March 23, 2014 FTS: Top down picture: Link to comment
Chris! Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 Looks like a great start! That scape should give you some nice spots for the variety of corals you're shooting for Link to comment
Bella's Reef Posted March 23, 2014 Author Share Posted March 23, 2014 Thanks Chris! Here it is up & running. I am headed to local fish store for some live rock rubble & salt today. A big thanks to vw4life for all the help with the setup & plumbing! Link to comment
lilmatty5dimes Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 Awesome build. Can't wait to see some life in here. Link to comment
Bella's Reef Posted March 24, 2014 Author Share Posted March 24, 2014 Thanks! I was able to get to the store and add some live rock as well as a cycle kick starter product vw4life let me borrow. I was considering using Dr Tims One & Only - Live Bacteria to help speed things up also, but I may just see how this does. I am planning on picking up some Chaeto to add to the sump during the cycle as well. Link to comment
Bella's Reef Posted March 25, 2014 Author Share Posted March 25, 2014 So instead of emptying the tank of water and pre-mixing salt I just added salt to the tank, figured it wouldn't be an issue due to just starting the tank up. I am now running into possibly not enough flow to mix the salt in the tank and getting inaccurate salinity readings. It was reading high last night 1.30 and then low 1.16 & all across the board. I panicked and added RO. I tried to mix/stir the tank manually as well as scoop & dump water back into the tank for a bit last night. This morning I am getting around 1.16 pretty consistently, so I added a bit of salt. We will see where we are at when I return home. Another issue it seems like the Sicce 3.0 even when the gate valve is full open is not putting out that much flow, I am a little concerned with that & wondering if I need a larger hole in my external durso pipe. Or if I just need to fiddle with it some more. Link to comment
Bella's Reef Posted March 26, 2014 Author Share Posted March 26, 2014 I finally pulled the trigger on a powerhead... MP10 should be here Thursday ... Hopefully parameters are good to go by the weekend to order a cleanup crew from Reef Cleaners. Link to comment
Chris! Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 Hows the salinity doing now, and did you figure out the return pump? Link to comment
Bella's Reef Posted March 26, 2014 Author Share Posted March 26, 2014 I did some more mixing & salinity seems to be around 1.21, I am going to leave things be & add the powerhead to get things stirred up more then see where I am at. Temperature is right around 78 & rocks are showing signs of diatoms / browning & water is clearing up. I am itching to test parameters so I can order a clean up crew but I just want to let it do its thing for a few more days. I put what looks to be a really nice ORA Black Ice Snowflake on hold for $60 at a store that it is mislabeled as a Semi Picasso. It is very active, nice & plump seems to be a very healthy clownfish. I have not been running the light over the tank at all, lightless cycle so far but I am going to program the Radion tonight & get it rocking by Thursday. Link to comment
Chris! Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Sounds like things are moving along nicely. Good score on the clown too can't wait to see it Link to comment
Bella's Reef Posted March 27, 2014 Author Share Posted March 27, 2014 I did not have much time to do major adjustment/setting up of things. I was adjusting the pump as I thought it was turned to full, turns out it was not. The last baffle can not keep enough water in it for the pump when running the gate valve more open, so I have to run it more shut. I may try to adjust pump flow and the gate valve for a happy medium. I think I am going to downsize pumps & may need to remove that last baffle I told myself not to put in, in the first place. Link to comment
Chris! Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 I did not have much time to do major adjustment/setting up of things. I was adjusting the pump as I thought it was turned to full, turns out it was not. The last baffle can not keep enough water in it for the pump when running the gate valve more open, so I have to run it more shut. I may try to adjust pump flow and the gate valve for a happy medium. I think I am going to downsize pumps & may need to remove that last baffle I told myself not to put in, in the first place. Yeah I was wondering if that was the case with the pump not being fully open like you thought, I have done similar more then once myself lol. IMO its better to have the extra power available and not need it, then to not have it and need it. I definitely wish I would have went with stronger return pumps more then once.... Last baffle should be fine as long as the sump can hold more water in the event of a shut off, just add more water to raise the level in the last baffle. The more the pump is pulling quicker the less water will be in that chamber, but you should be able to raise the water level without being much of an issue. Link to comment
Bella's Reef Posted March 28, 2014 Author Share Posted March 28, 2014 I had a good two hours last night for some needed adjustments on the tank. I was able to setup the MP10 and adjust the return pump & gate valve as well as add water and salt. All is running smoothly & hope to test salinity tonight & see it closer to 1.25. I will have the Radion programmed & running tonight and a new refugium light in place - the led light I purchased on here was just to small. Hopefully get the parameters tested this weekend. Link to comment
Bella's Reef Posted March 30, 2014 Author Share Posted March 30, 2014 Back of Stand / Plumbing Sump Link to comment
Bella's Reef Posted March 31, 2014 Author Share Posted March 31, 2014 Picked up 12 blue leg hermits for $12 today & a local reefer gave me about 50 Asternina Stars for free & a tiny frag of GSP for $8. Link to comment
Bella's Reef Posted April 1, 2014 Author Share Posted April 1, 2014 Headed to the LFS to pick up the clownfish tonight and hopefully a tailspot blenny if they have one in stock. I am also possibly stopping by a local reefers to pick up a few zoa frags. Link to comment
Bella's Reef Posted April 2, 2014 Author Share Posted April 2, 2014 A video of the clownfish my wife took. http://s27.photobucket.com/user/SeanPrice2345/media/Salt%20Water%20Tank/49AF2EFB-08B3-438F-9161-B44C75D1FB66_zpstwh66gfy.mp4.html Link to comment
Bella's Reef Posted April 2, 2014 Author Share Posted April 2, 2014 A couple crap photo's I took this morning with the lights out, my 2 year old daughter has named her Elsa. http://s27.photobucket.com/user/SeanPrice2345/media/Salt%20Water%20Tank/902E0831-8449-4CDF-AF75-97ED10E58B22_zpsuq7o1y2y.jpg.html'> http://s27.photobucket.com/user/SeanPrice2345/media/Salt%20Water%20Tank/026C4B77-66D8-40BE-91DE-8E167821F5BD_zpsjlehqtwc.jpg.html'> Link to comment
Chris! Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 good lookin clown man, nice pick up! Link to comment
Bella's Reef Posted April 4, 2014 Author Share Posted April 4, 2014 Finally got the video uploaded and added on here! SUCCESS!! Link to comment
hinnenkm Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 Beautiful fish! I'm curious to know what you did for a cover? I need one on my tank and am not sure how to go about it (I've got the same tank as you). Thanks! Link to comment
Bella's Reef Posted April 4, 2014 Author Share Posted April 4, 2014 I had a guy from my local forums make a screen top with the window framing, turned out awesome. He used the smaller squared clear mesh to prevent jumpers. It cost me $30 shipped & I did not have to deal with building it so I thought it was a good deal. Link to comment
vw4life Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 Beautiful fish! I'm curious to know what you did for a cover? I need one on my tank and am not sure how to go about it (I've got the same tank as you). Thanks! I had a guy from my local forums make a screen top with the window framing, turned out awesome. He used the smaller squared clear mesh to prevent jumpers. It cost me $30 shipped & I did not have to deal with building it so I thought it was a good deal. Tank is looking great! I was thinking of making a DIY topic on this as I found a great, readily available, and cheap substitute for the clear PP mesh that seems you have to order. Link to comment
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