45ZoaGarden’s JBJ 45

[45ZoaGarden]

I’ve been asked by a few people for a build thread so here it goes!
My experience in the hobby started out when I was a child, my dad always had an aquarium, fresh or salt. Back in 2010 I started my first reef tank. I got a 24 gallon Jbj nano cube and have been hooked ever since. The tank had been up and running for 8 years when I decided I needed more room.
so in January of 2018 I decided to get my JBJ 45. After researching what I wanted for months, I settled on my current equipment list (which is still growing to this day ) I received the first tank in April. After receiving 3 broken tanks, I finally got JBJ in one piece at the end of May. The tank went up pretty fast, getting filled with rocks and water within the week. Here are a few pictures and stories about my progression. Hope you enjoy

 

[45ZoaGarden]

Here is when the tank upon arrival, setup and filled with water and rocks

 

[45ZoaGarden]

the Uglies... I fixed the problem by dosing 800mg of fluconzanole and waiting...

 

[45ZoaGarden]

After that, everything went smoothly up until November when I had a Dino outbreak. Pics before, and during outbreak

 

[45ZoaGarden]

I tried to solve the problem many ways. I tried a uv sterilizer, no water changes, cheato reactor, And starving the dinos but they just kept coming back. This April I finally had enough. I dosed the tank with Dino x. After the full treatment, ALL of the dinos were dead.( Knock on wood) they haven’t come back. I also changed the rock work in April...

 

[45ZoaGarden]

since the dinos have been gone, I’ve been adding corals since. Pics at the beginning of November

 

[45ZoaGarden]

Here are this months pictures. I sadly had to get rid of my big RBTA because it got a little bit too big

 

[45ZoaGarden]

And of corse a current equipment list
Tank: JBJ45
Stand: Jbj stand
Lighting: Hydra 26hd with mounting arm
Skimmer: tunze 9004
Wave maker: eco tech mp10qdw
Heater: cobalt neotherm 200w
Carbon reactor: aquamaxx frs
Gfo reactor: aquamaxx frs
Cheato reactor: aquamaxx frse
Uv sterilizer: IM aqua shield 11w
Ato: Neptune atk
Controller: apex El
Dosing: 2 Apex Dos units
Testing: apex trident
Feeder: Neptune afs
Ato container: IM hydrofill
Wxm

 

[45ZoaGarden]

Rodi system is a custom 6 stage aqua fx system

 

[45ZoaGarden]

Current stock list:
Percula clown
Diamond goby
Tuxedo urchin
Sally light foot crab
Handful of snails
Mangrove

corals:
Purple tip stag
Neon frogspawn
Bicolor hammer
Duncan
Micromussa (Green splatter)
Purple tipped indo torch
Rainbow bubble tip anemone
Gsp
Xenia
Utter chaos zoa
Sunny d zoa
wwc Mohawks
wwc Purple monsters
La lakers
Miami vice
Wwc mambo Jambo
Rastas
Radioactive dragon eyes
Fruit loops
Red hornets
Wwc bloodsuckers
Whammin watermelon
And some red, yellow green chalice I don’t know the name of

 

[Letterkenny]

Nice build! Do you always run the carbon and gfo? Picked up the same two reactors during Black Friday and haven’t decided what to run except thinking one will be biopellets.

 

[45ZoaGarden]

Yes, always running carbon and gfo. I’m going to get another reactor (probably an im midsize) for biopellets. I changed out the aquamaxx’s sponges for sponges that are much more coarse because the ones that come in it are VERY fine and clog up easily. When they clog up, they push all the way to the top and the media gets out. I love having carbon and gfo, they both help a lot.

Nice build! Do you always run the carbon and gfo? Picked up the same two reactors during Black Friday and haven’t decided what to run except thinking one will be biopellets.

 

[45ZoaGarden]

Yes, always running carbon and gfo. I’m going to get another reactor (probably an im midsize) for biopellets. I changed out the aquamaxx’s sponges for sponges that are much more coarse because the ones that come in it are VERY fine and clog up easily. When they clog up, they push all the way to the top and the media gets out. I love having carbon and gfo, they both help a lot.

You don’t really need biopellets unless you’re nitrates are high. I want biopellets because my nitrates tend to stay around 15ppm and I want it down to 5ppm

 

[Letterkenny]

You don’t really need biopellets unless you’re nitrates are high. I want biopellets because my nitrates tend to stay around 15ppm and I want it down to 5ppm

Yea my nitrates are always at an estimated 15ppm (Red Sea test kit between 10-20) which is why I’m thinking of running it. Part of me doesn’t know if I care too much since all my corals are happy.

 

[45ZoaGarden]

Ain’t broke don’t fix it

Yea my nitrates are always at an estimated 15ppm (Red Sea test kit between 10-20) which is why I’m thinking of running it. Part of me doesn’t know if I care too much since all my corals are happy.

 

[Schnizzle]

Nice tank! I was stuck between this and my 90 long when determining what to get. I ended up with the 90 for the water volume being a noob. More room for error.

 

[45ZoaGarden]

Nice tank! I was stuck between this and my 90 long when determining what to get. I ended up with the 90 for the water volume being a noob. More room for error.

Hahaha yeah. It’s easier to keep things stable with more water volume though