Apex Neptune Themed/Planet Crystalline Build!

[michealprater]

Yesterday was move day. As expected, I did not get many pics. Only had a few hiccups. Had to fine tune a few bulkheads to fix some leaks. The skimmer is not producing bubbles so I need to tear the pump apart and fix it. Did not get any of the dosing setup or trident going. Here are a few pics, and yes, on that last one there is just a stack of frag plugs sitting in the bottom of the tank. It was pure exhaustion at that point and I needed to stop so I just tossed them in there.

It was a family affair. My wife, son and nephew all helped on this move.

 

[michealprater]

Just a few more adjustments on the hardware side, then I will shift the focus of the thread more to the livestock side. Maybe livestock will garner more attention and activity on my thread? My old build threads back in the day on RC always had tons of input from the users, but here, it just doesn't seem to get the same traction... but I digress. Here are the remaining hardware issues I am working through.

Uv sterilizer- still waiting on a replacement bulb, but my confidence is low, and the unit is very old so I assume its actually the ballast. Not sure if I will try to buy a ballast or just replace the whole unit. Either way, it was not a expense I was prepared for, so it may be a bit.

Heater- as I expected, one 100w heater isn't quite keeping up with double the water demand. Luckily I had an extra controller and the second heater is on order, so that issue should be resolved soon.

Flow- Very disappointed that I ordered a new wet side for my MP40 and it just wont stay attached. With the background of the tank being a matte vinyl, it just wont stay coupled. When it is on, it makes a horrible racket due to what I suspect are bad bearings. This is an older unit so I will probably replace it with two new ones. I really want vortechs, because I hate wires in the tank. I assume the new ones with mobius will work far better than this old one... at least that is the hope. Another big purchase that will be down the road some.

 

[Luckki]

Cool build Man, I just love it when hobbies intersect. I too am a maker, I have so many 3D printed brackets and bits around the house. I really like the hanging holders and the attention to detail. I cannot wait to see the rest.

 

[Kraig]

It's coming along nicely! Love all of your printed parts!

2 years on my 40b and I am just waiting for the right opportunity to upgrade.

 

[TX_REEF]

looks wonderful. Orange is my favorite color

 

[michealprater]

Today is my 46th birthday. I got into saltwater when I was 22. Thank you guys so much for commenting on this build. Here is a list of tanks I kept over the years.

46 gallon corner tank. First tank, was a weird mix of sponges, corals, nems and fish that dont belong together. I learned.
75 gallon. Same as 46, just a size upgrade.
110 gallon. Softie dominant with a nice mix of reef safe fish and shrimp.
150 gallon. upgrade from 110, same mix
240 inwall (400 gallon total) . Was probably my finest tank. mix of large and dwarf angels and tangs. I had what corals they wouldnt eat in the display, and kept the ones they like to eat in a 75 gallon that was an off shoot on the same system.
40 breeder. full reef , low bioload.
And now this 109 gallon total.

 

[Luckki]

Today is my 46th birthday. I got into saltwater when I was 22. Thank you guys so much for commenting on this build. Here is a list of tanks I kept over the years.

46 gallon corner tank. First tank, was a weird mix of sponges, corals, nems and fish that dont belong together. I learned.
75 gallon. Same as 46, just a size upgrade.
110 gallon. Softie dominant with a nice mix of reef safe fish and shrimp.
150 gallon. upgrade from 110, same mix
240 inwall (400 gallon total) . Was probably my finest tank. mix of large and dwarf angels and tangs. I had what corals they wouldnt eat in the display, and kept the ones they like to eat in a 75 gallon that was an off shoot on the same system.
40 breeder. full reef , low bioload.
And now this 109 gallon total.

Happy Birthday!

 

[michealprater]

Wow! This low iron is no joke. Ran ozone last night and ORP is still 355. I can’t imagine what it will look like when I get it to 400. It is so clear!!!

 

[saltwaterpicaso]

nice setup really like all the 3d printed stuff. with uv always a good idea to have the output pointing up so air bubbles can escape

 

[michealprater]

nice setup really like all the 3d printed stuff. with uv always a good idea to have the output pointing up so air bubbles can escape

Yeah, the UV is not in use yet. Just a concept mount. Having problems getting the bulb to fire properly.

 

[michealprater]

 

[michealprater]

Had to do a lot of work on the UV sterilizer. It was a very old model, so with the help of aqua uv's customer service, I was able to get all the components to make it like new again. New quartz sleeve and seal, new end cap and new ballast. Now i am just waiting on some hose and a few fittings so I can plumb it. Should be later this week or this weekend.

 

[kribbz]

Who needs UV anyway! hahah. Here comes the hate

 

[michealprater]

Who needs UV anyway! hahah. Here comes the hate

To be honest... to each their own. I believe the benefits of UV far outweigh the cons.... and I cannot be convinced otherwise.

 

[michealprater]

Thinking about some coral placements. I think I would like sticks where the red Xs are and torches where the yellow Xs are.

 

[michealprater]

Seems like it is very difficult to keep a build thread active. Back in the day, on lets just say, another forum. You couldnt hardly keep up with responses, suggestions and ideas. It was far more interactive. What happened?

 

[michealprater]

Uv sterilizer is alive! Huge shout out to customer service at Aqua UV. Very knowledgeable. It looks like Neptune is going to replace my trident even though it is beyond warranty. I’ve heard so much bad about their customer service, but at the moment it seems pretty good. The replacement ships 1/22/24 so I am looking forward to getting it in so I can properly tune my dosers.

 

[kribbz]

Looking good Mike! Can't wait to see the coral grow out! I love the angels. I've never had the courage.

 

[michealprater]

Looking good Mike! Can't wait to see the coral grow out! I love the angels. I've never had the courage.

It’s a priority thing. I obviously want to be able to keep everything, but sometimes my love for fish allows them to determine what I keep. But with dwarfs… they are just easy. I have never seen occasional incidental nipping kill a coral. Now large angels will just flat out eat them… that’s a whole different story!

 

[michealprater]

Not a lot to report... not sure anyone actually reads this. At least I will have a journal to look back on.

Been fighting low nutrients, to be expected with the large amount of fresh saltwater that had to be added to fill up the upgraded tank. Been feeding it like crazy and plan to increase the bioload significantly.

I made a wish list, might as well post it here.

1. convert all powerheads to Ecotech Vortechs. Like em or not, no cords in a tank is sexy.
2. modify my Kalk doser and convert it to a kalk reactor.
3. after more coral is stocked, use my own bastardized version of the moonshiner program.
4. add 9 new fish.
5. add 4 or 5 exotic sps and a few exotic torches.
6. figure out battery backup for pumps (space is the constraint here, I do have a generator)
7. add an avast plank autofeeder.
8. purchase hanna phosphate and nitrate testers.
9. add Aquawind Eco Chic aquarium fan for summer months
10. add bioballs to my bio chamber.
11. make my own dry food for fish and corals to use in plank autofeeder.