90gal mixed reef - new beginning

[4kidsandapug]

Alright, here goes nothing...

After 16 years away from the hobby and 4 kids later, I’ve finally decided to pull the trigger on a hobby I’ve missed greatly. I just have to say - WOW things have changed! The new tech is incredible and overwhelming to say the least. I come from an old school process of very frequent water changes and using dechlorinater on tap water ‍. I’d like to think I was semi successful but life just got too fast for me back then.

This next foray into reefing will incorporate lots of new gadgets to help make things “easier” for me. I also plan to use it as a brief introduction to responsibility, biology, and chemistry for my kids.

 

[4kidsandapug]

After months of research and reading I’ve settled on the following:

• 90 gal “cube” from SCA aquariums (24x24x36) starfire glass, center overflow
• DIY stand
• Fijicube 30 sump
• Red Sea RSK300
• Reef Octo Varios4 return
• Reef Octo Pulse 2
• Maxspect xf330 gyre
• Icecap 4K gyre
• Kessil AP9X with kessil spectral x
• Eheim Jager 200W (x2) heater
• HYDROS control 4
• HYDROS wave engine
• HYDROS ATO kit
• IM refugium LED light
• 15gal cube ATO Tamco tank

I’ll be starting with Tropic Marin Syn- biotic salt blend.

40lbs of Fiji Pink aragonite
40lbs of special grade aragonite and mixing both for a nice suitable grain size.

 

[4kidsandapug]

I slapped together a mixing station in the back half of my laundry room with close proximity to a utility sink and the DT.

Excuse the mess. Still waiting on some peg board and organizers to clean things up a bit.

I have the mixing station run by a DCP 5000 Jebao DC pump. And a spare for whatever I come up with.

I’m also using a BRS 100 GPD 4 stage RODI with TDS meter. So far, incoming TDS is reading 20-30 with outgoing at 0.

 

[4kidsandapug]

I built my stand from a mix of 4x4 and 2x4 with 3/4” maple plywood. Then used a waterproof black paint.

It stands at 40”Hx 48”W. I wanted some width on both sides of my tank which will be centered.

Trying my hand at plumbing. A diy manifold for future use and a Spears gate valve for the drain.

 

[4kidsandapug]

Oversized yoga mat finally came and I got the tank up on the stand. Slowly working on the plumbing before a leak test!

 

[lpsouth1978]

Looking good so far! You are off to great start.

 

[4kidsandapug]

Looking good so far! You are off to great start.

Thanks!

 

[4kidsandapug]

Just placed an order from gulfliverock for 50lb primo deco rock and 40lb coralline base- should arrive midweek

 

[Zach B]

Great build! Following along

 

[4kidsandapug]

Did a leak test and have some leaky bulkheads. After some research and because I don’t exactly have the space to adjust things - I decided to make a fair amount of 2 part epoxy and fill the overflow with a shallow layer of epoxy mix. Knock on wood that it fixes things or I’m SOL and back to square one.

 

[4kidsandapug]

Been awhile since I checked in. I received 2 of 3 boxes from gulfliverock and got it cleaned and ‘cycling’. There must’ve been 6 or so bivalves that survived transport but unfortunately didn’t last long.

 

[4kidsandapug]

The 3rd box was damaged in transit and a replacement box is finally on the way. I’m the meantime, I bought some cured rock from my LFS to enhance my scape. Also, double dosed fritz turbo 900 and am deep into diatom stage already.

 

[4kidsandapug]

I’m waiting on an @AlgaeBarn shipment of an ultra refugium starter pack - 2 more bottles of fritz, chaeto macro and 5280 pods. I’ll have to get fuge pics and side views of the tank to show my aquascape. I’m very happy with it.

 

[PanchoG]

The cycling is taking place, it always challenges our patience.

 

[count krunk]

How do you like the hydros controller?

 

[4kidsandapug]

The cycling is taking place, it always challenges our patience.

Isn’t that the truth! I did do another dose of fritz. Nitrites are at 1ppm. Nitrates 10ppm. And ammonia is now at 0. I’ll give it the weekend and test again with a water change and probably place an order with DrReef for cuc and some clowns to start.

 

[4kidsandapug]

How do you like the hydros controller?

As a first time user of any aquarium controller, my basic answer is I really like it. However, I don’t have anything to compare to I.e. Apex, reefbot etc.

On one hand, it is super user friendly and the setup page on hydros is quite detailed. But the more I’m acquainted to the interface, it was challenging to understand it. I had to reach out to Carlos at coralvue to setup “presets” and “triggers” even though it’s obvious after the fact. I was having trouble getting my pumps to work on auto but it’s because I didn’t have triggers or presets setup correctly. Overall, it has definitely made my life easier than 15 years ago when I did everything manually with multiple power strips.

 

[4kidsandapug]

Been awhile since I posted an update. The cycling completed a few weeks ago and the diatoms seem to be gone but had some pesky hair algae. The hair algae seemed to disappear overnight after a WC and with pumps turned off, it looks like my pods have started take off as I can see them in the water column.

I ordered a few soft frags last week from Jason fox and everything seems to have adapted to tank placement, all is open and gorgeous.

I have been dosing every night with phyto and just started broadcast feeding reef chili. Colors are great and everything seems good. I had also placed an order with Dr Reef and part of his quarantined packs for a CUC, 2 peppermint shrimps, a yellow watchman goby, tiger pistol, a pair of black ice clowns and a pair of black/white clowns. They arrived today in great shape and colors. I’ll attempt to feed tomorrow after they settle in.

 

[4kidsandapug]

I’ll follow up with pics tomorrow along with my reviews of both places. Stay tuned!

 

[4kidsandapug]

Alright. Here are some pics I took with my old iPhone. Apologies in advance for glass angles and algae.

I tried to get a front shot and look through the tank from both sides. Any thoughts on my scaping?

Also, my clowns keep photobombing me when trying to take shots of the corals from Jason fox: haunted house Xenia, deep galaxy star polyps, green hammer, Mohican sun zoas and alittle purple polka dot shrimp at the bottom. Things seem to be open and flowing.