75 gasp with a canister! build

[jft]

I have run multiple reef tanks with Eheim 2217 canisters ALL were GREAT successes. 35 years Experience in reef keeping so it can be done.

 

[Extremeengineer]

OK, need some opinions or guidance. Here’s what I’m thinking for equip. positioning. FX6 intake to far right, return offset to left of center, directed down to right along back of potential aquascape and towards left front corner. One MP10 on right, front top to create surface movement. One MP10 to left, down and back from center to move water along lower aquascaping. Skimmer to left rear corner, MP10 and half of FX6 return should direct surface flow into it. Redundant heaters along rear beneath aquascape. Aquascape I’m thinking probably high on right, angular valley through middle going front right to back left, triangular shape for both features, if that makes sense. How does this look?

 

[Extremeengineer]

Up and running! So at the end of the day there was no perfect live rock solution, I chose the LFS wet live rock from 2 different stores, started with 45lb., will need to add probably 25 more. I chose the I know what I am putting in route vs. the ocean route. I will say Eric Cohen and also KP Aquatics were awesome to talk to, very helpful, and I was really on the edge, so in the event I change at some point, I will definitely go with one of them.

Used the Aquavitro Seed as well, tank started producing Nitrates immediately, never had an Ammonia or Nitrite spike, Ammonia has stayed at 0, nitrites never above .05, Nitrates go above 2, but never quite to 5 on Red Sea kit, have done a couple of 20% water changes, brings it back down below 2.

I have a tiny Black Snowflake clown, like maybe 1", a small lyretail Anthias and a small Coral Beauty. All started eating right away, the Anthias like a pig, and have eaten varied foods. Started with live brine shrimp as that's what they were eating at lfs, also mysis shrimp, Marine One mini pellets, Emerald Entree and frozen brine shrimp.

 

[Extremeengineer]

Notes on the Tunze 9004 skimmer. For anyone using this on a framed tank, be VERY careful if you intend to use the magnet extensions. Tunze tells you to pry up on the magnets to remove them. Even being extremely careful to only apply a perpendicular pulling force, 3 of the 4 miniscule tabs that retain the magnets (and thus the extensions) suffered stress fractures. I mean these things are tiny. As a result the mounting becomes unstable. I contacted Tunze, and they are sending me a new rear housing, which will have new tabs, and I am going to try to make it work without the extensions.

The air control is incredibly touchy, the slightest of movements will make a huge change to the level of the bubbles in the cylinder. If I don't keep the bubble level up around 3/4 of the way up the cylinder I get a very aqueous solution, very quickly. If I keep it at 3/4, I get a more concentrated skim, with my tank relatively new it is never the really gunky stuff yet. I still have microbubbles coming from side seams, around slats on intake and from the back of the unit, Tunze tells me that usually goes away after a few weeks, we'll see.

If the microbubbles continue I may look for another option. I have read here to put the motor cover piece in to make the skimmer surface only, but with the aquarium frame I'd have to drop my water level below where I want it to get a waterfall down into front of unit, so I have not decided what to do yet. After I get the replacement housing I am going to try the motor cover when i dismantle, so I'll see how that impacts things.

 

[Extremeengineer]

Yes, I need another 45# of rock, but off to a good start.

 

[Extremeengineer]

Tank is doing well, up to about 50# of live rock, I did the take what the rock gives you Lego method of Aquascaping. I’m happy with it, everyone has a cave to sleep in, and I’m planning 3 more pieces in specific places to give another good size cave, read on for the why, a bridge piece between the 2 structures, and an out front piece eventually for corals.

With the live rock from 2 LFS, tank was a skip cycle, have been continuing 20% water changes just to keep phos and nitrates in check and control the uglies. By holding off on corals I’m able to run Radions at 40%, no reds or greens, for only 4 hours a day. Very minor diatoms, I’m thinking a small tiger conch to control that, I really don’t like snails.

Current residents, male lyretail anthias, coral beauty, black ice clown, tomini tang and fire shrimp. So the added rock to create another cave would be for a 1.5” juvenile majestic angel. Where tank is will easily house a 180, so that’s the plan.

 

[MDReefguy]

Tank is doing well, up to about 50# of live rock, I did the take what the rock gives you Lego method of Aquascaping. I’m happy with it, everyone has a cave to sleep in, and I’m planning 3 more pieces in specific places to give another good size cave, read on for the why, a bridge piece between the 2 structures, and an out front piece eventually for corals.

With the live rock from 2 LFS, tank was a skip cycle, have been continuing 20% water changes just to keep phos and nitrates in check and control the uglies. By holding off on corals I’m able to run Radions at 40%, no reds or greens, for only 4 hours a day. Very minor diatoms, I’m thinking a small tiger conch to control that, I really don’t like snails.

Current residents, male lyretail anthias, coral beauty, black ice clown, tomini tang and fire shrimp. So the added rock to create another cave would be for a 1.5” juvenile majestic angel. Where tank is will easily house a 180, so that’s the plan.

Great start, tank looks awesome. I'm currently running a 75 with an fx6. Couple things have made things easier for me. I run live rock rubble, just pulled my sponges from the canister at 12 months. The filter (or dry rock, or whatever) started kicking up phosphate. Pulled the 1 sponge in there, and switched from chemipure blue to elite, and things came in line quickly. I also added a seachem tidal HOB filter, and set it to max surface skim, and change filter floss in it weekly. Also helpful for nutrients and keeping the surface clean. I run my chemical filtration in the tidal so I can change it easy and keep the FX 6 untouched. I've also never run a skimmer, and am currently at 15 Nitrate and .15 Phosphate. Upgrading to a sump this week so I can monitor it and travel, but canister is totally fine, just find your balance with it! Good luck!

 

[Extremeengineer]

@MDReefguy thank you, I’m pretty happy so far. I started with chemipure blue and Seachem matrix carbon in my bottom tray. I used RODi, but knowing i was bringing rock from multiple unknown water sources I suppose I went overkill. I’ve thought about going the rubble route, did you pull the trays and literally just have rubble, or did you keep some pads?

I’m hoping the Tunze skmmer settles in soon, I want to run a skimmer, but not a lot of in tank options, which I like from an overflow issue doesn’t end up on LR carpet perspective. I may look at the Tidal or similar alternatives if the Tunze proves tempermental after break in.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Tank is doing well, up to about 50# of live rock, I did the take what the rock gives you Lego method of Aquascaping. I’m happy with it, everyone has a cave to sleep in, and I’m planning 3 more pieces in specific places to give another good size cave, read on for the why, a bridge piece between the 2 structures, and an out front piece eventually for corals.

With the live rock from 2 LFS, tank was a skip cycle, have been continuing 20% water changes just to keep phos and nitrates in check and control the uglies. By holding off on corals I’m able to run Radions at 40%, no reds or greens, for only 4 hours a day. Very minor diatoms, I’m thinking a small tiger conch to control that, I really don’t like snails.

Current residents, male lyretail anthias, coral beauty, black ice clown, tomini tang and fire shrimp. So the added rock to create another cave would be for a 1.5” juvenile majestic angel. Where tank is will easily house a 180, so that’s the plan.

Love the anthias that is in there!

 

[Extremeengineer]

Love the anthias that is in there!

Thanks, funny story with that, my 7yr. old daughter and 12 yr. old son wanted to each choose a fish after I picked the clown that went in first. I was worried that would be a struggle, and nearly was, as my son picked a grouper as his choice... fortunately he's a Jeremy Wade fan, and he remembered the episode with a grouper, so while not the same exactly, it saved me as he accepted that lol. My daughter saw a group of 4 lyretail anthias, and she picked the biggest one, all female we were told. After about 5 days at home, he popped up his dorsal fin while feeding, and clearly did not seem to be a female any longer. There was a slight purple cast, but in the last 2 weeks the coloration hasn't really changed any more. So it is like he began the process, but once removed from the group of females the process just stopped. So it will be interesting to see how that goes. I've wondered if I added a couple of females if the color change would resume, or speed up, but stocking wise that wasn't really in the cards, so for now we are just watching and waiting.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Thanks, funny story with that, my 7yr. old daughter and 12 yr. old son wanted to each choose a fish after I picked the clown that went in first. I was worried that would be a struggle, and nearly was, as my son picked a grouper as his choice... fortunately he's a Jeremy Wade fan, and he remembered the episode with a grouper, so while not the same exactly, it saved me as he accepted that lol. My daughter saw a group of 4 lyretail anthias, and she picked the biggest one, all female we were told. After about 5 days at home, he popped up his dorsal fin while feeding, and clearly did not seem to be a female any longer. There was a slight purple cast, but in the last 2 weeks the coloration hasn't really changed any more. So it is like he began the process, but once removed from the group of females the process just stopped. So it will be interesting to see how that goes. I've wondered if I added a couple of females if the color change would resume, or speed up, but stocking wise that wasn't really in the cards, so for now we are just watching and waiting.

I would be curious to see what would happen if you added females, too!

 

[MDReefguy]

@MDReefguy thank you, I’m pretty happy so far. I started with chemipure blue and Seachem matrix carbon in my bottom tray. I used RODi, but knowing i was bringing rock from multiple unknown water sources I suppose I went overkill. I’ve thought about going the rubble route, did you pull the trays and literally just have rubble, or did you keep some pads?

I’m hoping the Tunze skmmer settles in soon, I want to run a skimmer, but not a lot of in tank options, which I like from an overflow issue doesn’t end up on LR carpet perspective. I may look at the Tidal or similar alternatives if the Tunze proves tempermental after break in.

I kept the trays, and the bottom outside sponges, but put rubble in the outside of the trays, and matrix in the middle portions. Chemipure and purigen in the HOB Filter. No pads anymore, but I kept one in for a few months.

 

[Extremeengineer]

Well, did first cleaning of canister. I had not had any parameter issues, but just was curious how everything was inside. Swapped out the pads, intention is to clean them with bleach, soak in Prime'd water, and RODI rinse and dry so I can just rotate pads. I am sure I could have left the filter for a LOT longer, but curiosity got the best of me. Swapped out the Seachem Matrix bag, will bleach that for re-use too, and I swapped the ChemiPure Blue for ChemiPure Elite. After all of the horror stories about Carib-Sea rock I can't help myself from thinking about phos. lol

Have not added any corals yet, still running lights at 5 hours total including ramps. Diatoms came on, now have subsided largely, so I think at 2 month mark I'll start increasing lighting, and run at full lighting for a month before adding coral. That way if I get an algae outbreak, I'll be able to use light control as a limiting factor without having to consider corals.

My wife and kids say I need more fish, so the white tail tang and regal or majestic angel may be coming sooner than I planned!