90 Long Build! The Wait is Over!

[ReefQuestCorals]

Okay so I am at the point I'm starting to think heavier on what equipment is remaining and the route I would like to take going forward. I will be going with no mechanical filtration other than protein skimmer, and using rock in my first chamber where return flows into. If you cant tell I love running Jebao pumps and have always had great success with that brand

- Tek 8 Bulb T5 Fixture w/5 ATI Blue+, 3 ATI Coral+ (have fixture just need new bulbs)
- Jebao DCT12000 return pump (had my old pump from last tank, currently in use)
- Jebao SCP-120 Cross Flow Wavemaker (already installed)
- 1 or 2 Jebao DLW-20 Wavemakers
- Hydro Fill ATO (already purchased just need to install)
- Ranco ETC-111100 Temp Controller
- Finnex 800w Titanium Heater
- Reef Octopus Classic 150INT Protein Skimmer
- Debating on a A3 Apex Jr for monitoring temp, ph and leak detector. Maybe add an energy bar later to control heater controller as a 2nd fail safe. Redundancy is key
- Calcium Reactor (will come later after demand is needed)
- Auto Feeder (plan to keep Anthias and want several feedings a day)

Anyone have suggestions or questions feel free to comment! Always open for discussion

 

[Tinnerito]

Okay so I am at the point I'm starting to think heavier on what equipment is remaining and the route I would like to take going forward. I will be going with no mechanical filtration other than protein skimmer, and using rock in my first chamber where return flows into. If you cant tell I love running Jebao pumps and have always had great success with that brand

- Tek 8 Bulb T5 Fixture w/5 ATI Blue+, 3 ATI Coral+ (have fixture just need new bulbs)
- Jebao DCT12000 return pump (had my old pump from last tank, currently in use)
- Jebao SCP-120 Cross Flow Wavemaker (already installed)
- 1 or 2 Jebao DLW-20 Wavemakers
- Hydro Fill ATO (already purchased just need to install)
- Ranco ETC-111100 Temp Controller
- Finnex 800w Titanium Heater
- Reef Octopus Classic 150INT Protein Skimmer
- Debating on a A3 Apex Jr for monitoring temp, ph and leak detector. Maybe add an energy bar later to control heater controller as a 2nd fail safe. Redundancy is key
- Calcium Reactor (will come later after demand is needed)
- Auto Feeder (plan to keep Anthias and want several feedings a day)

Anyone have suggestions or questions feel free to comment! Always open for discussion

I'm curious, why no mechanical? It's been the only important form of filtration in my hardware in all of my tanks. Since bio and chem filtration can be achieved in the display.

 

[ReefQuestCorals]

I'm curious, why no mechanical? It's been the only important form of filtration in my hardware in all of my tanks. Since bio and chem filtration can be achieved in the display.

So I'll be using rock in my first chamber and allow the tank to naturally break down any waste, and the protein skimmer will remove orangics from the water.

If you follow @Perry on YouTube he speaks about natural biome of the tank. I was taught you had to use filters, or some sort of mechanical filtration to catch particles or your detritus builds up and causes increased live and dead organisms, uneaten food, fish poop, etc.. which in return will increase nitrate and phosphate.

But what if that's exactly what my system needs? I will be heavily stocked sps dominate system, some have sucess with heavy import and heavy export but imo that's riding a fine line and more work than required. I will be looking to dose small amounts of bacteria weekly to help my microbiome, introducing several different pods from algae barn, and seeding my sump with established rock from my nano for other organisms such as sponges to just further diversify my microbiome.

 

[Perry]

Following :)
Thank you!

 

[ReefQuestCorals]

Following :)
Thank you!

Thanks for the follow!

Iv watched probably 20+ of your videos so far your concept on the natural microbiome of the system and approach to handle nutrients i enjoy. Iv always taken a similar approach but without using sources of bacteria or removal of filter socks.

I always wondered about using crush coral for adding elements to the tank, it made sense to me but I never attempted to add any crush coral (I love the look of finer sand) so awesome job

 

[ReefQuestCorals]

Tek fixture is hung! Lights will stay off until nitrates come down to a lower level once cycle is completed, this should help combat the new tank syndrome

Test kit will be in on Monday so I can test my ammonia, i will be redosing to bring ammonia up to 1ppm then testing again 24 hours late to ensure bacteria are established and consuming ammonia as needed before fish are ordered and quarantined which i will be using MicroBacter7 to continue to help that new tank syndrome and furthuer build the biome

 

[Tinnerito]

Tek fixture is hung! Lights will stay off until nitrates come down to a lower level once cycle is completed, this should help combat the new tank syndrome

Test kit will be in on Monday so I can test my ammonia, i will be redosing to bring ammonia up to 1ppm then testing again 24 hours late to ensure bacteria are established and consuming ammonia as needed before fish are ordered and quarantined which i will be using MicroBacter7 to continue to help that new tank syndrome and furthuer build the biome

Looks like a swimming pool :face-savoring-food:

 

[ReefQuestCorals]

Looks like a swimming pool :face-savoring-food:

I have always wanted a swimming pool as my reef don't let me ever come into money

 

[ReefQuestCorals]

Tested ammonia, nirtite and nitrate to see where I am at in the cycle.

Ammonia - 2ppm+
Nitrite - 1ppm+
Nitrate - roughly 10ppm

 

[ReefQuestCorals]

Sooo.. On top of my 40 lbs and Fiji Pink sand i have added 32lbs of AF Bio Sand and i really love the look of this white larger particle sand! Should be plenty deep for my gang of wrasses I plan to add

Also ammonia is around the .1-.2ppm mark today before adding the sand and bacteria included. I went and dosed another round of ammonia chloride but at half dose for something the bacteria can consume, and will retest tomorrow. Also get a picture of the sand tomorrow, it was hard to see today with the little bit of cloudiness after rinsed and added

 

[Tinnerito]

Sooo.. On top of my 40 lbs and Fiji Pink sand i have added 32lbs of AF Bio Sand and i really love the look of this white larger particle sand! Should be plenty deep for my gang of wrasses I plan to add

Also ammonia is around the .1-.2ppm mark today before adding the sand and bacteria included. I went and dosed another round of ammonia chloride but at half dose for something the bacteria can consume, and will retest tomorrow. Also get a picture of the sand tomorrow, it was hard to see today with the little bit of cloudiness after rinsed and added

I just noticed the rocks on the right have a lot of potential. You should add some of your smaller sps toward the front than larger ones in the back-right of that structure to add a lot of depth and make it look really cool. Just a suggestion though if you ever are thinking about coral placement.

 

[ReefQuestCorals]

I just noticed the rocks on the right have a lot of potential. You should add some of your smaller sps toward the front than larger ones in the back-right of that structure to add a lot of depth and make it look really cool. Just a suggestion though if you ever are thinking about coral placement.

Yes that rock formation in particular was built for a place where the wrasses and anthias could swim through or hide for protection, you cant see it very well but I built a lot of small caves and overhangs throughout the whole piece!

And great ideal for sure! I was thinking more of the plating type acros be towards the front and create some overhangs plating out into the sand with the taller acros being in the back. Great minds think alike ;)

Also on that same formation at the right side in the sand you can see I added a small flat piece coming up out of the sand. Any ideals for coral placement there? It would be a lower par area seeing its off to the side and at the sand bottom

 

[Tinnerito]

I think I'm seeing it. You should keep it looking like a cave, but maybe have some encrusting and plating corals over top, and keep the opening the way it is. I think the more things you have around the outside, the more "cave-y" it'll look. Try some branching varieties on the far right nearer to the glass. A smaller one by the opening of the cave to make it look more enclosed, and a larger growing one toward the back right and as it grows it'll tower over the structure along with the hill of plates and other corals going down the hill. I'm glad you like my placement advice! I don't have much experience with placing coral, but I think like this a lot when placing plants in fw tanks and terrestrial enclosures.

 

[ReefQuestCorals]

I think I'm seeing it. You should keep it looking like a cave, but maybe have some encrusting and plating corals over top, and keep the opening the way it is. I think the more things you have around the outside, the more "cave-y" it'll look. Try some branching varieties on the far right nearer to the glass. A smaller one by the opening of the cave to make it look more enclosed, and a larger growing one toward the back right and as it grows it'll tower over the structure along with the hill of plates and other corals going down the hill. I'm glad you like my placement advice! I don't have much experience with placing coral, but I think like this a lot when placing plants in fw tanks and terrestrial enclosures.

Here is a better picture of that side, you can see to the right of the cave there's a small flat spot i had created coming out of the sand then a small overhang behind it.

I was also thinking encrusting or possibly a goni or torch in that spot?

And of course, even though i have an ideal or been doing this for a long time I always appreciate others advice and maybe hear an ideal id like better

 

[ReefQuestCorals]

Today's update

Here is a picture with lights on and off to see the difference in the sand added and a close up of the separation between the 2. I'm really digging the AF Bio Sand @Aquaforest

Also tested ammonia after adding half dose of the ammonia chloride and it has raised my ammonia by 1ppm, so I will test again in 24 hours to see how the bacteria are handling the added ammonia.

 

[ReefQuestCorals]

Roughly 13 hours later and ammonia has already dropped 1ppm! I can safely say we are getting to the end of the cycle

I'll test nitrite and nitrate later and see what those are looking like. I'll be adding livestock before you know it

 

[Tinnerito]

Roughly 13 hours later and ammonia has already dropped 1ppm! I can safely say we are getting to the end of the cycle

I'll test nitrite and nitrate later and see what those are looking like. I'll be adding livestock before you know it

Do you know what livestock you're going to get first?

 

[ReefQuestCorals]

Do you know what livestock you're going to get first?

I'll be ordering 5 lyretail anthias next week that will be put through quarantine.

So this is kind of my list so far. The anthias and purple tang are 100% not changing. All fish will be grouped together when introduced. So anthias then tangs then wrasses so that hopefully introducing in groups it will cut down on aggression

- 5 lyretail anthias
- purple tang
- chocolate tang
- dusky or black leopard wrasse
- leopard wrasse
- maybe some type of carpenter or flasher wrasse?

 

[Tinnerito]

I'll be ordering 5 lyretail anthias next week that will be put through quarantine.

So this is kind of my list so far. The anthias and purple tang are 100% not changing. All fish will be grouped together when introduced. So anthias then tangs then wrasses so that hopefully introducing in groups it will cut down on aggression

- 5 lyretail anthias
- purple tang
- chocolate tang
- dusky or black leopard wrasse
- leopard wrasse
- maybe some type of carpenter or flasher wrasse?

Is this in the order that you're getting them in? I've read that purple tangs are some of the most territorial tangs over their home and food, and should be added at the very end.

 

[ReefQuestCorals]

Is this in the order that you're getting them in? I've read that purple tangs are some of the most territorial tangs over their home and food, and should be added at the very end.

Yeah ill be adding in that order. The purple tang size id be looking at would be 1"-2" mark which usually they are territorial when larger. By the time the wrasses are introduced i don't feel the tang will be an issue. Looking at about 4 weeks in between groups which is enough to source the fish and get them through quarantine