65g Corner 1/4 rounds.

[XtraKargo]

So this actually started back in August of '21 when my uncle's LFS was selling some tanks to move and downsize. (I helped him get back into the hobby by sourcing a 29g Biocube used through a friend) And was looking to always get back into the hobby, but was waiting for the right time. With several kiddos, and remodeling an older farm house, the right time found me.

Here they are in the store. There were 3 placed side to side to make a 3/4 circle.

So of course I bought 2! Our future plans is to either have them in there own corner each, or back them up against a wall in a semi circle.

So in the last week of September we brought them home. I was just going to store them both until later, but we decided to at least start one, since it would be a great to already have an established sand bed.

Current Equipment:

2 AI BluSol lights with a controller.
200w Aquatop heater in sump.
200w tetra heater in tank.
2 jets for flow in the tank.
Aquatop 2nd gen replacement skimmer for the RC24ECO. (Motor died on Saturday - replacing it soon.)
ProClear Aquatics sump with bioballs, Chemipure Blue 5.5 oz, Reefspec Carbon, and a return pump.


I updated the firmware on the lights to the current software, and configured them to run for way too long, and had an algae bloom. Was running some Seachem Phosguard for around a month. It is currently removed.

We started with around 30 to 35 lbs of live rock. But with an established sand bed we did not have a nitrogen cycle.

The rock with the mushrooms was a freebie from my uncles tank. He was looking for some more real estate and the shrooms were taking up quite a bit of room. (I have currently removed it from the tank as well, but more on that in a bit.)

We started bringing in our livestock and corals at that point, in the middle of October.

A long tip anemone, a batch of zoas, a cleaner shrimp, a couple of teensie black ice clowns, and a scooter blenny. Along with a few freebies that came in the sand. A clove polyp, nassarius snail, and a conch, and some blue coral that is looks like tiny flowers.

More posts to follow, since I know this is quite a lot to play catch up on. Thanks for stopping by to check it out.

 

[XtraKargo]

My most current adventure has been setting up the Reef-Pi. I'm making this my next update while it is top of mind. I am a tinkerer and love the Raspberry Pi for what it is capable of. I learned about R2R because of this little device and researching reef controller. ( I knew about Reef-Pi before I knew about R2R thanks to the RPI newsletters before even setting up the tank.)

I just implemented it yesterday with the Zero2 and building my own hat. I have to pay respects to the folks who came up with this, and took the time to create a rather thorough guide for us mere mortals to follow along.

I was lurking here and thought I will create a login to save some posts for future reading, then I got hooked on a live sale and made my first posts! (Unique Corals were too tempting ;Woot)

So starting in October I began sourcing materials for the build. I wanted the basics, like controlling my jets, ATO, and temperature monitoring. Plus a way to setup my water changes without having to unplug every single cord.

Please don't do what I do. I assemble things quickly and look for them to work, not look great!

I have a good hand at soldering, and work with wiring data closets and alarm panels, so the hardware side was simpler for me to understand. Here is what my build turned out like. This was 3b for testing the software and getting familiar with the setup.

I switched out for a Zero2 and loaded the 0.deb files. I was able to get readings on the temperature and built the power bar along with the documentation.

Yesterday I found an empty screw bin, and got it installed.

I found a piece of half inch PEX and warmed up the end with a heat gun to set the optical eye into. Then I tied it in at the correct height in my sump. Along side that wire is the temp sensor in the same chamber as the return. ( I was hoping to get the sensor in the tank but the standard wiring is a little short at the moment. One of the side effects of soldering everything straight onto the hat)

I just don't trust my programming skills enough yet to run the ATO with out the original ATO power block setup.

I have also used timers to create a kind of wave maker setup between my two pumps, and that has been working great!

And now I can control most the equipment right from the Dashboard, and I don't have to go hunting for cords.

Future plans for the Reef-Pi will include learning Macros, Testing the ATO Properly, setting up dosers, and possibly 3D printing a case or components along with a camera for checking in on things. Any advice/tips will be greatly appreciated! Thanks R2R!

 

[XtraKargo]

My lovely and her lovely Zoanthids. What can I say. These underwater flowers make her smile, and if she's smiling it makes my heart sing.

I bet we check twice a day to see if any new polyps show up.

Here's the current list and some photos.



We picked these up at our LFS and didn't get a name. It was a large bunch and a good test for our tank. We call them Disappointments 1.0 because the lighting in the store had them looking way better! I have since fragged them and traded them most in for store credit.

Next were the freebies from my uncle's tank. Nightmares 2.0 and Sakura Sunrises. They're coming along great and the Nightmares are still her absolute favorites in the tank.

Then we made a live sale purchase from R2Rs sale with @uniquecorals around Halloween. We both "oooohhhed" and "awwwed" about a bunch of things they had up that evening. And it was fun for both of us!

Miami Vice ( a really cool zoa when all the daylights are up. Grows quickly, and I have already been able to share with my uncle. )

Pink Zippers (Came with 2 polyps, and we finally have a 3rd!)

Aqua Zoas (the ones with pink on the edges are new polyps.)

The rest are from our LFSs in the area. Some we are able to ID or came with a name. Some others we are still guessing on.

Utter Chaos

Rose Nebulas

Gatorades (We think) And they have a new polyp!

Unknown yellow and greens.

Unknown Palies (My lovely has dubbed them Disappointments 2.0, and they are growing like weeds!)

We think we have Scooby Doobies on the left and we aren't certain of the ones on the right. We are making a tie-dye Zoa rock and these along with the Gatorades are the main contenders.

VDM (which has also grown a new polyp!)

Some may say we have a problem, but I know we are always on the lookout for more. We had begun to scape the tank, and realized one rock was a nuisance and needed to cook a while. It had some nasty green zoa/paly that had started with 6 and spread to over a dozen on the one rock. Plus it had issues with growing cyano, and bubble algae. (my freebie live rock from my uncle. )

 

[XtraKargo]

Acans or Micro lords. Whatever there name is I'm really digging them.

I am really intrigued by all the colors they come in.

And watching them feed is quite a site to see!

And these photos were all taken after dark. They don't even look like the same critters!

 

[XtraKargo]

Other corals we have currently. Bound to change I'm sure.

One of our oldest and long time favorites is the Indo Halo Blasto - Another find from the Halloween live sale.

A couple of torches. I had to separate them when the larger kept the smaller one in all the time. One is green tipped, and the other has teal or lighter blue tips, with one or two that glow yellow.

We have a grow out rock started for some encrusting corals. A blue chalice and maroon favia from the Halloween live sale, and a JF Jack-O-Lantern lepto. It absolutely pops in any light, and it gets a lot of attention since it has shown a lot of growth.

Then there is a our orange/peach tipped octospawn. Still on the frag rack until we get the scape figured out. I realized it will not be friendly to the Zoas or Lords this way.

One of the last things we purchased at the Halloween live sale was a triple headed duncan.

And then a handful of freebies.

This one came in the tank. A little clove polyp. That became a colony!
Oct 2nd '21

Jan 11th '22

With an uncle still in the hobby I make my way over now and again just to see his tank and see what's new and how his tank is coming along. Plus it is great to have a chance to speak with him. ON ANYTHING, even if it is the tanks.

These hairy green shrooms have been traded in to the LFS. But this was while they were in my care. The missus and I just didn't seem to care for them as much in the tank. But neither did my uncle!

A couple of SPS frags I rescued from the back of his display when they were knocked loose. We hung them on a frag rack in his tank till we had seen new growth.

A Montipora Confusa

An unknown Acropora (I think)

And then this last one came from him, he just couldn't find a spot for it. So I have it for the time being. Not even sure what it may be yet.

I'm sure they may be a couple of blastos I'm missing, and perhaps discoma shroom bouncing around somewhere. But for the most part these the new frags we are growing out. The SPS are going to be the real test. They have only been in my tank about a week.

 

[XtraKargo]

So not all of this adventure has been great. We made a purchase early on from our LFS that was a learning experience.

We brought home a Long Tip Anemone that was very lovely in the store. Whenever the wife and I both OOOH and AAAH it is typically hard to resist. Plus 2 little clowns were coming home the same day, so we thought they need a place to call home. And for a while it was pretty great.

Here it was in the store.

And the first couple weeks in our tank seemed to go well enough.

We then noticed one day it had up and moved. ( I know, not uncommon for any nem.)

So we tried a few times in getting it locked in with rocks in hopes it would settle into the sand bed.

And it was around this time when we were speaking with a LFS and realized our phosphates were pretty high. I later bought the API Reef Master test kit and some Seachem Phosguard to reduce them. It eliminated them along with the algae. ( By this point our nem friend was already very upset and loosing his colors. )

I would attempt to rehome him per the advice of both LFS I had been to at the time by removing a bit of sand, and scooting a rock up close next to it. Just to later see the same evening it would try to go elsewhere. Into the back of the scape just floating on the sand bed and taking the clowns with it.

One LFS said we should feed it silver sides. The other said they were hesitant to feed them due to infections.

We really didn't know what to think. I even tried printing a dome to hold it in place, since our LFS we purchased it from said each time we would touch it we'd spook it, then it would want to move. It would inflate like a hot air balloon and hit the water column and float away. They finally said it should bury itself in the sand. (similar to the RFAs we have, I thought)

The dome was it's last week in our tank. I did return it to the LFS to see if they had a tank it would be happy in. And I know not every animal will be happy with what we have. We have one bubble tip that is doing great, and has been in the tank nearly as long as the LTA, but it was first by almost 2 weeks. And we have had 5 Rock Flower nems for close to 2 months now. This is the first purchase we both kind of regret, and realize more research needs to be done before bringing them home.

I am curious with your advice would there have been anything we could have done differently? Thanks!

 

[Uroplatus]

Well how long did you have it in your tank?

 

[XtraKargo]

Well how long did you have it in your tank?

90 days.

 

[Uroplatus]

90 days.

How long was your tank setup before you added it?

 

[XtraKargo]

Well it was "up" before we moved it for nearly 10 years. It belonged to the owner of the LFS we purchased the LTA from. After the move we were setup for 3 weeks before bringing home the LTA. We took samples into them for testing and each time the water was fine. ( I later bought a Reef Master API kit and began testing out the water on my own. )

 

[XtraKargo]

Got a new addition this week. We added this magnetic frag rack. Not much, but I wanted to bring my SPS up a little bit, give them a stable spot until I finish rescaping our live rock in the tank, and thought this one looked nice.

Future plans include a WS-1 Aquamaxx to replace my previous skimmer that failed last week. Then build out a screen to keep future inhabitants from making the great escape to the concrete.

 

[Daniel@R2R]

Cool! Following!

 

[XtraKargo]

Cool! Following!

Nifty! Thanks!

 

[XtraKargo]

Well we haven't had an update in a minute. Just a lot of mental bandwidth in keeping the thread going. I suppose I will need to try and link posting with another habit to keep it up. But here is the current status and strife. ;-)

I did get the WS-1 Aquamaxx from InTank online. (I'd recommend them for sure, shipping was very quick and came to the door securely.)

Versus what I had this thing is a dream! I don't have to empty it every day, more like once a week. The only issue I had was that it didn't fit well in the sump chamber, and to get it going correctly I had to mount it in the first return chamber with no wiggle room. It has a water return along the back and it developed a salt creep that I couldn't see. The water then began to trickle out the edge of the sump, and I drained an ATO.

So I built some framing to help keep the tank supported. And built a new sump. (This was complete before I noticed the leak. Since it was part of the plan I already had it in the works.)

Previous water damage to the stand, before I purchased it.

My new support.

My new "SUMP" plus we started a freshwater aquarium for my youngest son's birthday.

Testing the sump.

So parameters are looking great so far. My salinity dropped from 1.025 to 1.0235 when the 5 gallons of RODI was gulped up in one sitting. But we did not lose any livestock.

I had been cooking about 20 pounds of live rock the past 8 weeks in a 5 gallon buck up to clean it up from some nuisance algae and other things. (It came from an established tank with some undesirables on it.) And adding it in to the system as well took up some of the lost volume.

And I had a little dino problem show up, so I ran no lights for 3 days. Monitored nitrates and phosphates. They rose from 1ppm to 2 ish, and just last night to 5 from a Red Sea test on nitrates, with .025 holding steady on phosphates the entire time.

I think along side the dinos in this photo is a wee RFA. But after the lights out we didn't see it again.


New Additions to the tank include a sand sifting star, and I am looking to add a yasha goby and shrimp. Just waiting to build my screen for the top.

And here is the current FTS. Tomorrow I will be doing some more rock work, and I plan to start moving things off the frag rack to more permanent homes. Since one of my main rocks was cooking for so long everything was in a grow out phase.

Thanks for stopping by.

 

[Fernthereefer]

I will be honest...... this dual corner aquarium setup has always been in the back of my mind since starting my own corner tank!

So many possibilities! Different setups in the same vicinity. (example: anemone tank/harem tank and a full LPS tank on the other side, SPS vs LPS, etc! lol

Also, the 3/4 setup is super attractive, but because of the stands seem like a pain to have a proper sump, etc. How is it setup?

Thanks

 

[XtraKargo]

I will be honest...... this dual corner aquarium setup has always been in the back of my mind since starting my own corner tank!

So many possibilities! Different setups in the same vicinity. (example: anemone tank/harem tank and a full LPS tank on the other side, SPS vs LPS, etc! lol

Also, the 3/4 setup is super attractive, but because of the stands seem like a pain to have a proper sump, etc. How is it setup?

Thanks

Good morning, Fernando!

I'll be honest about the stand. I can't "stand" it! (Sorry, bad dad jokes are a hazard around here...)

I had thought the 10 gal tank would just slide right in. But instead I had to cut a channel into the back MDF wall (that was already compromised) and make room for it to sit further back.

But my future for both these tanks will include a new stand that I will most likely build, to house them both, and an open space for a larger sump that I will plumb both these tanks into. I haven't gotten the drawing done up, still kicking around ideas in my head for how big I want/need it to be.

But for now they serve their purpose.

 

[XtraKargo]

So it has been over a year with the tank. We have had some ups and downs along the way, but I think it is still progressing and that's what really matters most.

Here is a few shots to check out.

So I will say one of my recent mistakes was going 5 months w/o a water change. I just did 2 this month back to back each week. My numbers never really fluctuated much, and I was trying to see about getting the nitrates and phosphates up a bit. But in the process some of the zoas thrived while some just receded into nothing. I lost two acans in the process and any larger blastos. The JF Lepto took on a chalice and favites and won the battle. And now I have my octospawns abusing a montipora confusa (which was a pencil eraser sized freebie from my uncle when I got it. Added it to the mix when trying to see if I could support an SPS.)

A few thoughts and questions if anyone has some input.

I'm considering Kalkwasser next. Just adding it as a simple drip unit for now. Adding a PH sensor to the reef-pi to help with monitoring that. And rehoming the RFAs. I have two right up against the front glass and I would like to move em, but not hurt them...

Thanks for looking in! Laters.

 

[XtraKargo]

So I took a leap and purchased a 90 gallon with stand & canopy. Which has the days numbered on the 65s here. I was looking for a way to keep the tanks covered, and even considered building custom tops and a stand to support both tanks and leave space for a larger sump underneath. But I will have them taken down once the 90 gallon is ready to move into their space.

Dad took a look at all of them and mentioned setting up a wall of tanks with the 1/4 rounds taking up the sides and placing the 90 gallon in between. As lovely as that sounds, it will be a lot of work! And part of the decision making process to get the 90 was to see the 65s go up for sale.

But here is some updates. We were having some trouble with bubble algae. Which we removed a bit of manually. But we purchased a sailfin tang to assist us. The evening we put it into the tank we realized he had Ich. So out it came and into a 10 gal QT for the time being. We will have it back into our tank next Tuesday. We have a cleaner wrasse in with it per our LFS guidance, and I have been using some "reef safe" items to medicate them. They are taking food, swimming and alert. So far so good!

The tang has a lot of character already. Watching us almost as much as we watch him.

And here are our recent coral purchases from the cyber Monday sales.

We really enjoy the alveopora and the zoas around here. Looking for space to put them as they grow out.

Later all! Thanks for stopping by.