Ale's tax return tank (Red Sea 250)

revhtree · Jul 20, 2020

HAHA! This is already a good thread!

I bought my first reef tank with my tax refund check and look where we are now! HA!

Alenya · Jul 20, 2020

revhtree said:
HAHA! This is already a good thread!

I bought my first reef tank with my tax refund check and look where we are now! HA!

You don’t even sound sorry

Here’s to tax refunds!

Alenya · Jul 23, 2020

Destroying a brand new MP10 before the salt is even in the tank - is that a new record?

I may have slightly forgotten its called a dry side for a reason - I slung it over the back wall of the tank and forgot about it while loading water to level the tank. It's had an unexpected bath for a week! We pulled it apart (my partner got a little overeager and tried to remove the seal without removing the screws, fortunately he stopped to check) and it's drying out. Hopefully all good. We managed not to argue during this. I suspect he's enjoying pulling things apart.

Speaking of levelling the tank, I finally filled the tank completely to check levels. The sump was a little intimidating to work out but I think I got there ok. I also turned off the return to check the sump would hold the excess - it did comfortably. I would like to get the level a bit higher in the tank but not sure how. It's about an inch down the glass. If I add more it runs through the overflow pipe.

I also checked all the equipment was working - it was. I have to still setup the chiller and heater temps, the chiller seems stuck at 25 C.

Leaving this overnight and checking everything again in the morning - then it's time to empty the tank. The seawater arrives tomorrow

Alenya · Jul 25, 2020

Tank is going well

My seawater delivery arrived Friday - the tank was filled along with a new drum out the back, about 200 litres.

I also headed to my LFS and picked up about 20kg of real reef rock including a couple of the nice plate looking pieces. After a bit of back and forth the lads decided 25kg of sand should get me an inch on the bottom.

I also snagged some more RO refills and a glass cleaner with a floaty life jacket - I have a hard time holding the handle with my nails but the jacket was a breeze.

Onto my other LFS to pickup a couple of frags for the new tank. Chatting about clownfish, as I intended to get a pair of orange ocellaris, my regular there said he had something for me. He took off out the back and shortly came back with a bucket. Inside, a beautiful pair of wild caught perculas ❤ <3 He has a particular fondness for these and naturally I had to take these beauties home

I did a bit more maintenance on the tank. The small pump driving water into the chiller was on the fritz so I replaced it with a spare. I also plumbed the ATO in with a temporary tank until I get something suitable. Finally with the ATO I moved the sensor to the return as I realised it wouldn’t detect a water level change in the main sump

I tested the drainage again turning everything off and it was fine. I think the sump has a little too much water and the diaphragm also needs to open a bit more but otherwise it’s perfect. The level of the tank on the carpet is also still true

Tank holding steady at 25 C

The MP10 is working perfectly after its dunking.

Finally water testing: I added a tablespoon of pure ammonia solution (I keep it for starting tanks) to bring the tank to 4ppm. Yesterday I added 120ml of Dr Tim’s bacteria. 12 hours later a slight record of nitrite, tomorrow will be a better assessment.

Now onto building the reef scape

Alenya · Jul 26, 2020

Little update:

Sump water adjusted, diaphragm adjusted, tank is purring like a kitten. ATO is the loudest factor now when it runs so it will need to go inside a box.

I’ll be building the reefscape on the dining table opposite my partner’s computer/work area so looking forward to more arguments about rock design

It was my birthday on the weekend so I was treated to some extra frags and goodies which are tucked away in the nano until the big tank is ready. Amongst them another lovely elegance, some mushrooms, green stem daisy and a local sea star.

Alenya · Jul 27, 2020

Another little update:

Not sure heater is well placed, it’s running at nearly 24 C and I want a steady 25 C. Every time I move it out of its holder it starts up again. Maybe not enough flow.

Turned skimmer back on after 24h as pH was dropping. Ammonia still 3ppm. Hardly any movement on cycle - seems Dr Tim is on holiday.

Setup scape station. I picked up 6kg tub of Aquaforest Stone Fix. For $100 I expected more than a plain looking grey Portland and instructions so small I had to crack out a magnifying glass. No instructions inside either, and an online look limited it to ‘mix some stone fix with water’.

As someone who works in the cement industry I found this ludicrous and expensive. Cement is a precise instrument - you need just enough water to hydrate the mix and the rest is excess. In construction a 5% addition of water is the difference between mortar and soup.

Needless to say it’s going back and I will pick up a bag of cement from work.

Alenya · Jul 29, 2020

Ammonia still 3ppm, pH is going down so cycle is starting

Alenya · Jul 30, 2020

Started building the scape this week! This is the biggest hardscape I have done and the inspiration is maybe 10%. I am confident that as I continue to meccano pieces together that it will take shape

Alenya · Jul 31, 2020

Hardscape starting to look like something. Need something super flash up top haven’t decided what form that will take!

jcolliii · Jul 31, 2020

I like what you've got there so far - can't wait to see the finished rockwork!

Alenya · Jul 31, 2020

jcolliii said:
I like what you've got there so far - can't wait to see the finished rockwork!

Thank you! Hopefully it doesn’t end up a hot mess

Alenya · Aug 1, 2020

Little update:

Small issue with my NSW - just tested it as 1.030. It’s been sitting for a week so I tossed the repaired little pump in to mix it and will retest.

Tank is at 1.027 which makes sense as I had some fresh water left in the sump and overflow when it was first filled.

Have to check my nano’s salinity still; it had been a bit miffed at its last change which was the first time I used the tank of NSW.

In other news ammonia is at 2ppm, pH 7.8, nothing on nitrite or nitrate. Got some brown on the bottom of the tank

Alenya · Aug 1, 2020

More hardscape progress

Alenya · Aug 2, 2020

Into the final stages. Have built the third section for the left side.

Alenya · Aug 2, 2020

I think at this stage the hardscape is done

Quite happy with it and it should look cozy once everything grows in.

Will leave it overnight and check tomorrow that it’s stable and then it can get a thorough hose off and go into the tank! Yippee