240G build thread

[keithw283]

love sunset anthias!

Yeah I would have never even considered them if I hadn’t seen them at my LFS. They are awesome! I have been reconsidering my wrasse options too. The price tag of the rhomboid scared me off at first but the LFS had one of those too lol. It also helps that it’s one of the more peaceful ones

 

[keithw283]

As I think I stated in an earlier post, this is the first time I worked on my aquascape dry. Every other tank I just put it directly on the sand and I do it after I fill the tank. So I followed my typical one pound of sand per gallon rule that I always do. I have 80 pounds of sand leftover and this is a deeper sand-bed than I was going for lol. Starting to fill it now. Only able to do 60 gallons at a time so should be full by Sunday. Lets hope everything goes well.

 

[keithw283]

Ran into a little snag. My MP40 falls off as soon as I turn the power on. Even before I turn it on it seems like it would fall if I looked at it wrong. It’s not a huge deal because these are from my 180 back in the day so I didn’t lose money on them. What are my options for 3/4” acyrlic? The 40s say 3/4 but there is just no way this will work for me. I have a dmp 40 that is holding no problem and am thinking about picking up another one of those to go along with my gyre. Just wondering what other options I have. Really not trying to spend $900 on an MP60.

 

[bradreef]

There are larger dmps now that should be similar to the mp60. The mp40 should work without a spacer on the dry side?

 

[Anna K]

I think the rocks look fantastic! Can't wait to follow along with the build :)

 

[keithw283]

There are larger dmps now that should be similar to the mp60. The mp40 should work without a spacer on the dry side?

So I actually grabbed the wrong MP40 that had the thicker spacer on it. Whoops lol. I do have a dmp 40 that is also working fine on here.

 

[keithw283]

I think the rocks look fantastic! Can't wait to follow along with the build :)

Thanks! This was my first attempt at not just stacking rocks in one big structure. I'm happy with it.

 

[keithw283]

The cycle completed yesterday! Did a 25% water change and added these clowns today! As a side note, definitely don’t use microbacter start xlm in a fishless cycle if you have live sand. Dosed to 2.0 ppm ammonia and after 12 days of zero movement on the ammonia I added some dr tims and 2 days later it was at zero. I was using a Hanna checker and API for the ammonia tests.

 

[Anna K]

Looks so nice and clean!

 

[keithw283]

Looks so nice and clean!

give it a few months lol.

 

[keithw283]

Added this copperband on friday along with pods from @Dinkins Aquatic Gardens the day before to help keep up with its appetite. It’s eating frozen like a pig.

 

[keithw283]

Copperband had Lympho when I bought it that has seemed to have gotten worse while I was on vacation. Still eating frozen like a pig though so I'm feeding a little more, adding selcon to the food and monitoring water quality.

In other news, I've been working on my stocking list and this is where I have landed. Do I have too many large fish? (*means I already have it)
Fish/Size

WRASSES

Exquisite/5"
Hooded Fairy/4" Efatensis
Splendid Pintail/5"
Rhomboid/4"
Leopard Wrasse 5"
Dusky Wrasse 6"
Lubbocks/4"

TANGS
*Purple/10"
Blue/12"
Whitetail Bristletooth/7"

BUTTERFLYFISH
*Copperband/8"
2x Pyramid/7"

RABBITFISH
Decorated/11"

CLOWNFISH
*2x Ocellaris/4"

Anthias
5x Sunset/3"

CARDINALFISH
*2x Bangghai/3"

GOBIES
*5x Zebra/4"
Golden Head/6"

 

[keithw283]

Couple new additions to the QT tank today. Was also supposed to pick up a decorated rabbitfish but he just got it in yesterday and he said it hasn’t eaten yet. He’s gonna monitor it for a few days for me.

 

[keithw283]

I bought this red leopard wrasse 3 weeks ago tomorrow along with a flame angel. This thing buried itself in the sand in my QT tank immediately and I saw it for the first time 8 days later. Then it went back in the sand for 12 days until today. The flame angel unfortunately didn’t make it and died last weekend. I assumed this fish had died as well but left everything undisturbed just in case.

 

[keithw283]

Finally have some corals in here. Went about 3 and a half months lights out ish lol. Picked these up during the @TopShelfAquatics sale.
I’m far from a photographer. These are taken on my iphone with a yellow filter for the lense.

 

[JumboShrimp]

Exciting to see things really getting under way!

 

[GoAskAlice]

Following along. This is going to be a beautiful tank!

 

[keithw283]

Exciting to see things really getting under way!

Yes I am very excited! Although I did underestimate how much I would need to dose when I thought I overestimated in my calculations lol. Just saw you had a heater issue. Sorry to hear that. Did it stick on or go out? Do you have plans to get both tanks back up?

 

[keithw283]

Following along. This is going to be a beautiful tank!

thanks I hope so! Based on your experience I am just going with nassarius snails to stir up my sand bed and not the goby lol.

 

[JumboShrimp]

The heater issue was a product of me being over-tired. I went to bed half-way through tank maintenance, leaving the temperature probes hanging in the cold air all night. It sent 'Heat' signals to the two tank and cooked the fish by morning.

Right now all fish are being replaced with Butterfly fish.