Hart's 120 3/4" starfire expansion!

[hart24601]

Quick update. The transfer ticked some coral off, but I think most of them are pretty much recovered now. I did lose 2 small frags, but nothing too serious. I used new water, tropic marin pro and some ESV as I ran out of TMP. I had only checked alk before the transfer... my mistake. Ca was 330 and mg 900!!!!!!! I don't normally get too concerned about numbers, but those were way off. A bit scary for 150g of new salt... after I noticed this I got ca up to 450 and mg to 1300, I was surprised with the magnesium, I boosted that over 2 days and I could see a visible difference with the coral, perhaps just correlation and not causation, but it was fast enough to make me wonder.

I picked up the club's PAR meter, so this week I will be making measurements over a photo like I had before. A quick look show the rock in the middle is being hit pretty hard, so I shuffled a few corals around. Picked up some more fish too, few different species of anthias, couple of female lyretails (for the male) along with single specimens of Bartlett's, red-stripe, dispar, and a Carberryi.

The GF also (!) surprised me with an Apex, so that has been fun to play with, wow are they handy, no more timers!!!!!!!!! The control on the phone is nice, can shut down the return and have the skimmer autoshutoff and wait 2 min to restart. I know they can do lots more, but this alone is pretty sweet.

No problems with the gyre since they sent me the new motor housing. I had to order the expensive reinforced magnet, I don't know how they could possibly claim the stock one works with 3/4" glass. No way, not even close. But the new mag is working well and I am running it 50% vertically on the back wall alternating every 10 min. Vertex has let me down, 3 weeks with no new impeller. I was able to rig it up with epoxy so it works, but considering they promised to send a new one out I would have been without a large and expensive skimmer for a long time now.

 

[d2mini]

Alright, so got everything transferred, I didn't finish up, but wow, just getting the livestock and equipment running was enough! I really like the scape, I took a quick dirty pic, you can't see the rock depth or positioning here, but I will work on getting that pic later. Still so much cleaning and cord management to do.

Having just done this myself, I know what you mean!
Looks great though.

 

[hart24601]

Ok, PAR map is done. I originally had 90 degree optics on all 3 unit, with the right two units angled back 10 degrees for coverage, but after getting the par meter that gave coverage that was just too sporadic - 1000 PAR in places and 50 in others. I removed most of the optics and by playing around a bit, came up with a solution that made me happy. For the right two units I put 90degree optics on the front 2 rows of RB blue LEDs only since there are no high light coral in the very front on that side, this gave more punch where I needed it and more spread in the back where the coral are. The left unit is over a rock that is more centered so I put optics on the RB on the front and last row. This combo give coverage that I am happy with, most the acros are 300-400 range with the less light demanding ones are in the 250-300 range with the LPS and softies in the 100 and up. The lower area of the tank does get sunlight this time of year since there are no leaves, but that only adds about 80 par.

 

[hart24601]

1st full day with the lights at these levels, looks pretty good. The left fixture for some reason many of the RB leds have burnt, I noticed this quite a while ago so that side appears a little less blue, but the PAR is still alright so I am just going to leave them. Got some new test kits and still dialing in dosages, I had to cut back the dosing after the move, I guess the coral growth backed off right after the transfer which makes sense, but it looks like they are starting to take off again.

Dosing 40ml 2 part a day:

12-26-14

9.3dkh, 490ppm calcium

1-1-14

8.5dkh, 475ppm calcium
0 ppb phosphorus, 8ppm nitrate - will up the vodka 2 ml/day.

I realize the possible error in hobby test kits, so I will watch the levels the next couple of days just looking for the trends, I want the alk down just a bit before I adjust the 2part amount to keep it there.

 

[hart24601]

I wish I had never added mint pallys, they seem to grow over much prettier zoas, I have been putting aiptasia RX on some of them, I wonder if it's better to inject them with it since it doesn't seem to work well on them, but it does work well on aiptasia, perhaps the nems eat it a bit better. I might give injecting a try, those mint guys really spread fast.

 

[hart24601]

Tired to take a pic to show the layout better. I didn't play with the image any, just straight from the camera. EDIT: they seem to upload a bit dark, but hopefully can still tell the layout. It is hard to capture on camera the depth and spacing between the ceramic rock.

 

[hart24601]

Just got a new bucket of tropic marin pro reef, so after mixing the dry salt for quite a while I made up 20g to 1.025 and tested with new salifert kits. I like to check the levels of each large bucket at least once.

ca 425, alk 6.9 dkh, mg 1300

Pretty close to what tmp lists as their approx numbers. Looks good!

 

[christo203]

Nice build! Would love to stop by and see it in person at some point!

 

[hart24601]

Nice build! Would love to stop by and see it in person at some point!

Thanks! I would be thrilled to have you check it out eventually - hopefully after it settles a bit.

Ordered an majano wand, I do pretty well with using aptasia x, but in my quest to kill mint pallys I will give it a go. I think it should work pretty well for this, I don't think they regrow quite as well as aptasia, so killing most of it and sucking out should work. I removed a good deal today, leaving the large bright green pallys, they don't seem quite as invasive. The rocks of mint ones had already begun to attach on the bottom of the tank!

 

[hart24601]

So I picked up the majano wand mini, you're welcome paulB, :wink:. After using it to kill a few nems and pallys I have to say I am pretty happy with it. I read a few reviews that didn't like it because it took too long, but I didn't think it was bad. Of course you have to be pretty thorough, but it didn't seem hard to get every area. I have had good results from aptasia x and similar products, but when they are attached vertically or upside down they don't work well. So far I am pretty impressed!

 

[hart24601]

Picked up the apex autofeeder. I wanted to put it on the back wall and use TLF floating ring, but it works so much better to mount the feeder on the side above the mp40 for the food to get dispersed. It's really easy to set up, I am impressed and it's nice to only have 1 cord - just to the aquabus - no additional powercable. Set up to feed 3x a day until the fish get used to the dry food.

I bought quite a few anthias from LA. I am not going to mix male and female since there seems to be lots of aggression, but from what I can tell mixing species works pretty well so I am trying that. Feed Rods food several times a day to condition them before switching to more dry.

I had a male lyretail and added Bartlett's, Carberryi, Dispar, Fathead sunburst, ignitus, and a red stripe. Got them in 2 orders, they are doing very well. The fathead and ignitus came last and the fat head hid for several days, but is coming out more and eating! The ignitus didn't look very good when it got here and still hiding, he might not make it. Seems like some of these guys don't ship well. But overall I am pretty happy the rest are acclimating well! I will set the autofeeder up to feed 6x per day, small amounts, once they get weened over from frozen. I will still feed small amounts of frozen and put nori in for the tangs though. I just looked at my purple and white-tail... they are getting really fat! Diet time for them...

There is some chasing, but it's minimal and from the tangs. There is a good amount of depth in the 120 that they seem to use more than the length, I think it also help that the ceramic rock is really open and has areas the smaller fish can dash to that the tangs can't follow.

 

[Paul B]

So I picked up the majano wand mini, you're welcome paulB,

. After using it to kill a few nems and pallys I have to say I am pretty happy with it.

Thanks, I only invent things that work as I invented the thing for myself

 

[hart24601]

With the auto feeder on the side I moved the gyre below it. Originally, for looks I just had the mp40's on the sides and the gyre on the back to not have cords, but that's really not the best way to run it. Changing the rotor back to stock for no longer alternating flow, and on pulse mode - wow. I forgot the flow intensity. Put the vortechs on the back wall, but you can't tell they are running with the gyre 90% on pulse mode. But since the ceramic rock is open it doesn't hurt to have flow rear to front along the bottom. Doesn't break the gyre effect.

I wasn't quite happy with the flow, but this is good. It doesn't really look bad as I was thinking imo either. I was just stuck on the no cord out of tank idea, but it's really not any more noticeable. Lucky I set this up with no lps on the downflow side of the gyre. They wouldn't like the flow, but on the same side the flow isn't nearly as shearing.

 

[hart24601]

I think moving the gyre was the right move. I had to move a few things again, but I noticed greater PE on a few guys that really have not taken off after the move. A few of the guys that browned out are starting to color up again too, nice to see, but I am always surprised how long that takes.

The new ceramic rock now has a nice brown fuzz algae on it, no doubt just part of it being new. I need to keep an eye on it and make sure the CC and others keep it in check. Nothing bad yet though.

 

[hart24601]

So the past few days the pH has been around 7.8 at night and with the greater water movement no longer climbing above 8 during the day. The back room behind the tank is unfinished with the furnace in it along with a small window, so figured I might as well try bringing in some fresh air for the tank. Not too sure how much it will help, I don't have a cover and the gyre makes a lot of surface agitation, but the vertex really pull a lot of air, so why not, under $40 for the parts.

The small window already has a screen, so I cut a small 11"x3" plywood rectangle that will fit between the sliding part of the window and the frame, this allows the window to close (to the pvc) and hold everything in. I also used gorilla tape on the edges to give more of a seal, I can't feel any cold air drafts so I think this will work ok. I used 3/4" PCV from the window down for no kinks into a 5g bucket to allow for any condensation or water. From there 3/4" vinyl line runs into another container where 1/2" leaves through the wall and connects on the skimmer silencer. Figure should I want I can also put soda lime in the 5g bucket (or add another container for the lime) and the smaller container will hold carbon. The large 5g should allow most particulate matter to fall out or if rain gets in before the floss and carbon in the next one.

Last night pH didn't drop below 7.9, so while it's too soon for conclusions it did seem to help, or at the very least, not hurt. I will try out soda lime too and see how long it lasts. I know chasing pH is not good, but figure this was a relatively cheap and easy project and with 4 cats and 2 dogs it sure doesn't hurt to have fresh air.

 

[hart24601]

Nothing fancy, but I am pretty happy overall. It's straight in person, I swear! I didn't notice any reduction in skimmer performace. The skimmer also draws from the ozone unit that is still in the house, but the line is very small so I don't think it could get anywhere near the air it needs just from that. Using 3/4 and 1/2 line give very little restriction from what I can tell, but would be interesting to get an airflow meter, but considering the skimmer is working fine it's not needed.

 

[gettaReef]

Great idea using buckets and such to bring air inside through the window. I also have the Vertex 180i and would like to do the same thing with my downstairs window, which is close to the tank, but am somewhat afraid to due to inexperience with this sort of diy work. I'll give your pictures and description a look over and see if it's feasible

 

[hart24601]

Thanks for the nice words. It turned out pretty well I think. I forgot to say the tubing has to be straightened, from home depot it was coiled and didn't want to be any other way. Tried using a hair drier, but that didn't work well - the smaller line I just ran hot water over/through and let it soak, then stretched it and put outside in the snow straight. The larger one I boiled in a large pot then carefully drained it, pulled straight and tossed outside for a bit making sure it was in a line. It did the trick and both lines are pretty good now. My main goal was to avoid any sharp turns that would cause the tubing to kink over time like 90 degree bends from the top of the bucket - that is why I went out the sides. It does attach to the skimmer at 90 degrees, but I supported the line so there isn't pressure for it to bend over.

Feeding time over lunch, took quick iphone pic of the ORA flowerpot, the transfer didn't seem to stress it out much.

 

[twf0369]

I just ordered my Miracles 72x24x22 last week. Also ordered stand and sump through them as well. I've subscribed to your thread and enjoy your updates. Keep them coming.

 

[hart24601]

I just ordered my Miracles 72x24x22 last week. Also ordered stand and sump through them as well. I've subscribed to your thread and enjoy your updates. Keep them coming.

Will you be doing a build thread? (Or already are and I missed it?) That size is really going to be sweet, if I even wanted to go larger 6x2x2 would be my choice. Hope you put up some pics of the stand, I am really curious what those are like.