400 gallon first reef build super newb

[W31Olds]

I made a tank divider out of a 4'x2' sheet of eggcrate from home depot. just cut it out and divide your QT tank in half.

 

[ReefMagicMan]

I made a tank divider out of a 4'x2' sheet of eggcrate from home depot. just cut it out and divide your QT tank in half.

I'm just wondering why should I divide my quarantine tank it's a 40 gallon breeder completely separate from my show tank

 

[W31Olds]

I use it when I suspect fish aggression in a QT Tank. Say your Tangs were fighting. I only use my divider once in a while, mainly because I have 5 QT Tanks that I can set up if needed. As your finding out, big Tanks need more support equipment.

 

[ReefMagicMan]

I use it when I suspect fish aggression in a QT Tank. Say your Tangs were fighting. I only use my divider once in a while, mainly because I have 5 QT Tanks that I can set up if needed. As your finding out, big Tanks need more support equipment.

OK gotcha great idea before things get too messy
That would be easier to do than doing more tanks
thanks for the tip

 

[ReefTankENG]

Just started following along. ReefMagicMan you have the biggest CAJONES ever! Going that big with that many rocks and "holy grail" for a first time reefer, amazing! The build looks awesome, but you dove in the deep-end without swimming in the shallow. Best of luck to you! One thing a fear for you is: algae - I have a 200 gallon "similar" tank and have been battling green hair algae - it showed up after about a year. I can reach all of my rocks for "toothbrushing", I can't image dealing with the issue in a tank as big and deep as yours. So if you see any algae issues, take care of it right-away before it gets out of control.

 

[ReefMagicMan]

Just started following along. ReefMagicMan you have the biggest CAJONES ever! Going that big with that many rocks and "holy grail" for a first time reefer, amazing! The build looks awesome, but you dove in the deep-end without swimming in the shallow. Best of luck to you! One thing a fear for you is: algae - I have a 200 gallon "similar" tank and have been battling green hair algae - it showed up after about a year. I can reach all of my rocks for "toothbrushing", I can't image dealing with the issue in a tank as big and deep as yours. So if you see any algae issues, take care of it right-away before it gets out of control.

Thanks for watching and guess what I'm starting to see it everywhere but I turned down the white spectrum so it's minimizing and now my baby yellows are eating it a lot which is helping out and I have a cleanup crew coming from reef cleaners on Tuesday so hopefully that's gonna do something for me
Go big or go home

 

[ReefTankENG]

maybe I should try that (reducing whites). I just like the look better with them. What did you have them at and what did you reduce them to (% wise)?

 

[ReefMagicMan]

maybe I should try that (reducing whites). I just like the look better with them. What did you have them at and what did you reduce them to (% wise)?

My mentor turbo5150 on this site is the mastermind of my tank
It was his ideas
I have the XR 30 LED lights on Mobius and the whites are brought down to almost nothing I'll see if I can screenshot it

 

[ReefMagicMan]

maybe I should try that (reducing whites). I just like the look better with them. What did you have them at and what did you reduce them to (% wise)?

 

[ReefTankENG]

Thanks!

 

[Jimbo327]

When you start stocking your tank, I would suggest to go slow and see how starter corals and fishes react. I also got a HG when I first stocked my tank, and it was painful to watch it melt away because my tank was just not mature enough. General rule is that it takes about 1 year for a new tank to stabilize, uglies to resolve and get into a groove. Hence, so many new reefers quit after 1 year because they are stocking too fast and then having to deal with uglies, dinos, cyano, pests, (which is common nowadays starting with dead rock/sand) I felt it took my tank 1.5 years to get it dialed in. Obviously, it can be much shorter if you have another established tank and transfer live rock / coral colonies.

 

[Turbo5150]

That was rough. 17 Acans in a 36” deep tank

 

[Turbo5150]

Oh, his ugly stage is just starting and ready to Explode. We've had the lights turned down and on a shorter schedule. Just Zoas and Acans for now so we can keep the power down a bit but it's definitely time to get Ben over 2x a month for major cleaning

 

[ReefMagicMan]

When you start stocking your tank, I would suggest to go slow and see how starter corals and fishes react. I also got a HG when I first stocked my tank, and it was painful to watch it melt away because my tank was just not mature enough. General rule is that it takes about 1 year for a new tank to stabilize, uglies to resolve and get into a groove. Hence, so many new reefers quit after 1 year because they are stocking too fast and then having to deal with uglies, dinos, cyano, pests, (which is common nowadays starting with dead rock/sand) I felt it took my tank 1.5 years to get it dialed in. Obviously, it can be much shorter if you have another established tank and transfer live rock / coral colonies.

Well I dove into the deep end again and place 17 acans around the lower section of the center column and a few here and there
Relocated a torch and going to pick up my yellow tomorrow because I want a trio
Also putting a mustard and purple in next week

 

[ReefMagicMan]

When you start stocking your tank, I would suggest to go slow and see how starter corals and fishes react. I also got a HG when I first stocked my tank, and it was painful to watch it melt away because my tank was just not mature enough. General rule is that it takes about 1 year for a new tank to stabilize, uglies to resolve and get into a groove. Hence, so many new reefers quit after 1 year because they are stocking too fast and then having to deal with uglies, dinos, cyano, pests, (which is common nowadays starting with dead rock/sand) I felt it took my tank 1.5 years to get it dialed in. Obviously, it can be much shorter if you have another established tank and transfer live rock / coral colonies.

I would never bought those expensive corals but they were half off it was only 100 bucks for the holy Grail so I'm like OK let's do it see what happens
Also gonna get hooked up with a professional maintenance guy so that's probably gonna help me out for success I would hate to abandon ship

 

[Turbo5150]

Gar, well mate deserters be hanging by the gallows

 

[Jimbo327]

Well I dove into the deep end again and place 17 acans around the lower section of the center column and a few here and there
Relocated a torch and going to pick up my yellow tomorrow because I want a trio
Also putting a mustard and purple in next week

LOL. You missed the memo about going slow. Hey, I get it, it's a huge tank and 17 little acan frags doesn't even look like much. I would say if you are going to try torches again, make sure you have cipro on hand for a quick dip if anything looks like it's going to melt.

 

[ReefMagicMan]

LOL. You missed the memo about going slow. Hey, I get it, it's a huge tank and 17 little acan frags doesn't even look like much. I would say if you are going to try torches again, make sure you have cipro on hand for a quick dip if anything looks like it's going to melt.

LOL. You missed the memo about going slow. Hey, I get it, it's a huge tank and 17 little acan frags doesn't even look like much. I would say if you are going to try torches again, make sure you have cipro on hand for a quick dip if anything looks like it's going to melt.

Yeah I think I read that after I already purchased them online and waited for the delivery but anyways everything is seemingly looking OK Fish look happy corals are colorful and I'm putting in a baby purple and mustard tang over the weekend
I plan on getting some green chromis about two dozen and put them through a 60 day quarantine what's your thoughts on that

 

[Jimbo327]

Depends on what you are doing for in the QT. And how strict you are to QT and DT?

Are you just doing observational QT? This basically you are just watching the fish to see if they come down with disease and no medication. And only treat when you see some disease.

Or are you going to proactive, and treat with medication right away (copper for ich, and metro/formalin for brook and uronema)? And probably some prazi for worms.

That's a lot of fish to be QT'ing at once in a single tank. Some fishes will take certain medication better than others, and so it's hard to generalize. You need to look at the fishes you are planning to bring in, and plan accordingly.

And did the other fishes you put into the display, were they all QT'ed? It all depends on how much risk you want to take. Ich is not the end of the world, so that's not going to wipe out your tank if you practice ich management (UV, good food, etc.) But brook/uronema/velvet, those are the ones you need to really worry about because that can wipe your whole fish population.

That's why you have to go slow in this hobby. Plan your fish list.

 

[Turbo5150]

Chromis need the nuclear option unless you want to wipe your tank again with a Uronema outbreak. Those would be the last fish I put through a QT system as you will need to sterilize everything after due to the nature of Uronema