90 gallon future mixed reef

AlbertK

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Tank:​

90 gallon rimmed. Dimensions: 48x18x24 with built in overflow box.

Equipment:

Lights:
Prime 16 HD LED Reef Light - Black Body - Aqua Illumination (2)
48" Hybrid T5HO 4x54W Fixture - Aquatic Life (54W 48” T5 Blue Plus - ATI x 3, 54W 48” T5 Coral Plus - ATI x 1)
Waterproof 10000K LED Fixture 8821.00 - Tunze (Refugium light)
Sump: Sapphire Sump 26 - Trigger Systems
Powerhead: VorTech MP40mQD
Protein skimmer: eSsence S-130 Internal Protein Skimmer - Reef Octopus
Return pump: VarioS-4 Controllable DC Pump (1050 GPH) - Reef Octopus
Heater: 300W Titanium Heater Element - Bulk Reef Supply
Heater Controller: WiFi Aquarium Heater Controller - Ink Bird
ATO: Osmolator Universal 3155 Auto Top Off - Tunze
UV: Emperor Aquatics Smart 25 Watt UV Sterilizer (24x7)
Reactors: BRS GFO & Carbon Reactor - Single with Sicce Syncra 1.5 Pump
Controller: Neptune Apex Pro

Fish​

Clownfish: 19 years
Six Line Wrasse: 3 years
Tomini Tang: 1 year
Spotted Cardinalfish (2): 11 months
Flame Hawkfish: 8 months
Royal Gramma: 7 months
Lemonpeel Angelfish: 6 months
Niger Triggerfish: 6 months

Corals​

Mushroom Coral: 1 year
Green Star Polyp: 10 months
Rasta Zoa: 4 months

Maintenance​

Water change: 10 gallons once a week
Filter sock change: twice a week
Skimmer maintenance: once every three months
Pump maintenance: once very three months
Sump: once a month (one chamber at a time)
Power head: once very two week; deep clean once every two months

Refugium​

I have had several attempts to grow macro algae, but it is always overtaken by nuisance algae, so I use it as scrapper - let nuisance algae to grow and scrape it every three weeks

Parameters​

Temperature: 78F
Salinity: 1.026
Alkalinity: ~8.3dKH
Calcium: 425-445 ppm
Phosphate: 0.06 - 1ppm
Nitrate: 3-4 ppm
pH: 8.2

Testing:​

Alkalinity: daily (Hanna)
Calcium: twice a week (Red sea)
Salinity: twice a week (Milwaukee MA887 Digital Salinity Refractometer)
Phosphate: once a week (Hanna)
Nitrate: once a week (Hanna)

Dosing​

All-For-Reef - Powder Mix - Tropic Marin: 30ml once a day
Lugol's Solution: 3 drops, once a week
Vibrant: 10ml once a week (temporary, until bubble algae is gone)
NeoNitro: 4ml once a day (unless Nitrates are above 4


 
Last edited:
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AlbertK

AlbertK

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The biggest current issue right now is my Zoas are not doing well.
After initial acclimation (about two weeks) I saw very healthy growth, but few weeks ago they closed for a couple weeks and has never looked healthy again:.

Timeline highlights, which are possibly related to the problem:​

  • Jun 02, 2022 - Installed PM40 powerhead
  • Jun 26, 2022 - Added Zoas
  • Jul 01, 2022 - 6 heads
  • Jul. 07, 2022 - Added two T5 bulbs (front)
  • Jul 12, 2022 - 7 heads
55DACACD-02AB-4474-8CB6-A1B7F6F1E798.jpeg

  • Aug 02, 2022
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  • Aug 15, 2022 - 8 heads
  • Aug 20, 2022
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  • Aug 30, 2022 - 10 heads
  • Sep 13, 2022 - Log entry:
Zoas have been closed for a few weeks now. Started searching the internet and found a video where a person was having the same problem. He fixed it by temporarily switching off his MP40 and gradually dialing it back up.
  • Sep 17, 2022 - Log entry:
Right now:
1. MP40 is down to 5%
2. No dosing of any kind
3. The first water change after stopped dosing
  • Sep 26, 2022
A37B55CD-2639-4704-952A-1522A26DD32E.jpeg

  • Nov 23, 2022
1FF7562C-BD2F-4DAB-8EFA-6C9D2EBF89C3.jpeg
 
Last edited:

dschuffert

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Nice! I look forward to see how your tank evolves.
 
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AlbertK

AlbertK

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Designing and building your own stand​

When I decided to upgrade my aquarium, I had two choices: buy an all-in-one system or build my own. All of this was happening in the middle of the pandemic. I worked from home and had some extra time, so I decided to build my stand even though I had no experience in carpentry.
I had a friend who helped me to select the required tools and get me started.
Here are some pros and cons of doing it yourself

Cons:​

  • Unless you are a seasoned pro, you will not be able to build a stand that will look as good as a manufactured by the Red Sea, for example.
  • The initial investment in tools might be significant.
  • This project might take a long time to complete.

Pros:​

  • Initial costs are high, but the following projects will be significantly cheaper because you get to keep your tools.
  • You are designing your stand, so you can customize it as much as you want. For example, I designed mine to match the style of my house. You can make sure your stand can hold the equipment you currently have and accommodate future upgrades.
  • You have the freedom to add something in the future. Initially, I did not plan to have a canopy. However, my lights were too bright for the surrounding room, and it became apparent that I needed to cover them somehow. I was able to build a canopy that matched the stand with minimal cost and time.
  • You will get great satisfaction from the fact that you did it yourself.
  • In my opinion, the most significant advantage is the future upgrades of your tank. When my tang and triggerfish grow bigger, instead of finding a new home for them, I would like to upgrade to a bigger tank. Building a bigger stand and canopy will not be an expensive endeavor.

Progress​

Design​

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Actual Progress​

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Final Product​

F01D8A6A-AAC4-4EE9-951E-271C5D1E63A3.jpeg
 
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AlbertK

AlbertK

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Lightning Schedule​

48" Hybrid T5HO 4x54W Fixture - Aquatic Life

LED​

This is a sligtly modified schedule from David Saxby.
5FFCBC5A-3303-4C5B-93AF-048D14E21D39.jpeg

If you have an AI lightning product, I highly recommend to check Signature Series page.

T5​

From front to back:
  1. 54W 48” T5 Blue Plus - ATI
  2. 54W 48” T5 Coral Plus - ATI
  3. 54W 48” T5 Blue Plus - ATI
  4. 54W 48” T5 Blue Plus - ATI
Schedule:
  • Front: 03:30PM - 09:00PM
  • Back: 03:00PM - 09:30PM
 

Attachments

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Mastering the art of locking and unlocking water pathways: What type of valves do you have on your aquarium plumbing?

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