65g build thread (kinda)

[Cwentz758]

So I came to this forum just a month or so again and have learned a ton. Unfortunately I don’t have much of a step by step build but I can show you the slow evolution over the years and where I currently stand. The next step is the 750XXL or a Mode Infinity 135g.


Started off fresh water then jumped head first into salt. Fell on my face a few times definitely made mistakes especially with fish selection. My first two-three years I tore down and put up three different tanks and moved three different times. I finally upgraded from a 10 and 30g to where I’m at now with my 65g tank. I’d like to say I know enough now to be dangerous but I am finally settled down and can dedicate full attention to my tank now that it’s back in my care! Here’s some pics from over the years (yes I do know some with the tangs were just part of being a noob and not understanding what they really need). Pics go from new to hobby to current setup. That said the yellow tang is a beast and are probably the hardiest fish and they all kicked butt through rough times.
Here is also some of the equipment being run:
Somatic 60 sump with Somatic 60 skimmer
Vectra S2 return
BRS mini reactor 50/50 carbon GfO mix
Tunze ATO
2x tunze nanostream powerheads 475gph
Ecotech battery backup
2x Red Sea ReefLED 50’s
All plumbed with 3/4” pvc

Current livestock
3x Clowns (I thought all were ocellaris but now ones huge another is tiny and one turned mostly black) all are 3-4 years old
1 yellow tang (hes
2 Chromies
2 yellow tail damsels
1 Neon Dottyback (kinda wanna get rid of)
1 pink spotted watchman goby with a pistol shrimp buddy
There some turbos and CUC in there

1 Australian hammer coral
1 large GSP colony
1 small pulsing Xenia frag

 

[Flippers4pups]

@Cwentz758, outstanding tanks! I'm jelly! Lol

Beautiful!

 

[Cwentz758]

Quick update

My tank is deciding to act brand new. When I moved I lost my coralline algae and haven’t gotten it back. My sand has the “new tank blues” with the dirty looking sand. Ordered some coralline in a bottle from Algae Barn hopefully this with boost the coralline growth and out compete my nitrate producing bacteria I currently have. Other than that the rank is doing well my hammer is sprouting new hammers and I recently added two MP10s to the tank!

 

[Cwentz758]

Update here’s where my parameters have been sitting. Need to get the phosphates down. Recently added some purple helix to jump my coralline algae. I also moved my MP10s and adjusted their mode to adjust flow on my lone SPS. (Did this on March 6)
Now today after coming come from being gone a few days. I’m happy to say or atleast it looks like my corals all responded well to the addition of the stuff in purple helix and the change in flow. My GSP looks fuller my hammer looks great and my SPS frag looks the fullest I’ve ever seen it! (I think)

 

[Cwentz758]

I’ll try to get a good pic of the SPS tomorrow the one I took is drowned in blue light. Guess I neeed to invest in some lenses

 

[Cwentz758]

So plans are in store. Currently measured out the room where I can upgrade and move my tank. Luckily it’s only 6ft from my current tanks spot. I think I have committed to going with the MODE135g with the black stand. Also with that I plan on purchasing their 50g stand only to put side by side with this tank for extra under space. What am I going to do with that extra space? Well let me tell ya! Under it I plan to buy This! it’s a controller cabinet/wire system. I plan to have it customized when the black version comes out. It’ll have the Pittsburgh “P” on it will the yellow glow like These custom ones. Hopefully I can find a way to covent or make the from door glass with magnets to fit like the rest of the MODE stands. This leaves room on top of the stand for a possible frag tank? Not sure but gives some options! Here’s a sketch of the room with some measurements. With both the tank and stands I get about 3/4 of an inch gap from window ledge to the wall.

 

[Cwentz758]

Update. No longer going with a Mode tank, decided to go 100% custom. 60x26x18 shallow tank. Got some estimates out with a few companies will see how that goes.
As for my current 65g, it’s chugging along all is well. Still dealing with the brown sand I can’t get rid of. All parameters are in check PO3 hovering between .15-.20 which is a pain. Nitrates are between 2-5 ppm. Today Alk dropped to 7.6 so I’m going to start dosing BRS two part and slowly bring it up to 9dkh. Moved my MP10s up higher and across from each other pointed at my only SPS coral and it’s looking good/better, very extended and green.

 

[Cwentz758]

Update

Added some new corals today.
parameters have been steady phos is stillup and down between .09-.20
Raised Alk from 8 to 9.5 DkH

still fighting the brown sand

 

[Cwentz758]

got the DKH up to 10.0 and the Phosphates to 0

 

[Cwentz758]

Some new additions. Still fighting brown diatoms.

 

[Cwentz758]

here is a look of my Sand rinse/RIP clean. All went well. Here’s before and after. No loses, yet and I hope there won’t be. Corals responded well all are open and full.
Any questions how I did this ask!

 

[Cwentz758]

Tanks doing well after the clean. Phosphates shot up after it. Corals and fish seem well. GSP is dwindling away though, just won’t sick to the rock and more. Assuming is the Asternia starfish eating the coralline and being on the GSP. We have removed close to 100 during and the days after the clean. Hoping to see improvement in the GSP, the rest look good.

 

[Cwentz758]

Monthly update not much has changed. Brown sand is back, looking into UVs next if dosing MB7 doesn’t help after a month or so. Corals are doing fine, GSP still having its issues not encrusting. SPS look good.

 

[Cwentz758]

Added a 15w Aqua illumination HOB UV today did a water change and some toothbrush rock scrubbing to get all the algae floating. Hopefully this will clear the sand. Other than that the rank is doing swell, parameters are in check. Actually for the first time calcium was down and Mg was up a little than normal but still in the higher range.

 

[Cwentz758]

Some corals are poppin tonight.
The UV has been in 24 hours water looks good. Sand we will see I stirred it again to get stuff in the water.

 

[Cwentz758]

Been awhile. The Dino’s took off, UV didn’t work as I have large cell dinos.

I’ve been doing what I didn’t want to do is dose all kinds of stuff, such as good bacteria from algae barn, Neo nitro from Brightwell, then to silicates. Dosing silicates gave me a huge diatom bloom. The bloom has been going about two weeks and I’ve noticed some change in the appearance of my sand. Unfortunately some of my corals have suffered from the Si to included all my SPS, I’ve lost one birds nest and some others arnt happy. My plate coral isn’t to thrilled. But my hammers, gsp, and zoas seem ok.

in other bigger better news. We have decided to remodel/repair the basement floor. This will give me the opportunity to hopefully order my custom lagoon tank in the near future! I plan on having the big sump in the basement so this new basement floor is a must.

 

[Cwentz758]

Not much new to report. Dino’s are still a thing, stopped dosing silicates about 2 weeks ago since it started killing my SPS.

Diatom bloom was huge and hopefully it’s starting to put do the Dino’s as the sand is changing browns slightly.

I’ve done some small water changes to help my corals as they didn’t like the bloom. I did lose all three of my SPS sticks, the hammers and zoas seem fine.

Ive also got a clownfish with black spots Which I don’t believe are burns, someone mentioned black spot disease which is some type of flatworm. Did a freshwater dip didn’t see anything, so far he’s acting just fine.

 

[Cwentz758]

Dino fight update. Front of the tank looks good, back side is still ehh

Learning the fight with them is have stable numbers! I got my NO3 up to about 8-10ppm (Was 0) my P04 down to around .08-.16

hopefully this is the cure as the silicate wasn’t, it gave me diatoms but killed all SPS In the process

 

[Daniel@R2R]

@Cwentz758 beautiful tank! Any new updates?

 

[Cwentz758]

well the good news is Dino’s are gone. Silicates made diatoms which eventually killed off the Dino’s. Unfortunately it killed my hammers and SpS. Coralline isback on the rise and everything is turning purple again. The GSP is starting to encrust and the Xenia is doing it’s thing. Zoas seem to be doing ok the cry babies are taking off while the watermelons haven’t really grown out but haven’t looked bad. I added some WWC twizlers and blondies they are still starting to grow. Was given a green slimer to test if I can do sticks again. Idk why but any new stick or hammer don’t do well. All parameters are stable and in good order minus the phosphates at .26 on the Hanna LR Alk sits around 8.5.