Atomic's 800g In-Wall with fish room.

[atomic081]

Today I got my package from @GemsAreAGirlsBestFriend! These corals are truly amazing. I cant say enough about her professionalism through this process!

TSA Fruity Pebbles
SC Orange Passion
CB Valhalla
Ultimate SSC
Bill Murry
JF Jolt
JF Homewrecker

 

[Linkfalcon]

Update: Setbacks!! All ive been doing the last 2 months is putting out fires (figuratively speaking)

My grand idea of using my smart home switches backfired after I added a 5th Metal Halide. I didnt even think that the switch could not handle the watts. The first one lasted a month and luckily I had a spare. That one lasted 3 weeks before it pooped out.

So I decided to put all my on my Apex, and i got a 2nd Energy bar.
I had the 2nd energy bar 2 days when the original energy bar crapped out. Apex replaced under warranty, but it took 3 weeks.

Finally i got the lights working properly and My solenoid on my co2 for my Calcium reactor fails. (under warranty also!)
The calcium reactor is way too small for this system (Geo 618) but it was working.
Then I was in the LFS and I see a gently used Geo 818 and jumped on it

So while im trying to get my parameters back in check, I run out of Alk 2 part. Did anyone know its sold out EVERYWHERE. So my son and I made our own. Cross our fingers this works

It should make 3 gallons and cost me under 2 dollars. Ill never buy alk buffer again.






Lastly ive been working on a Automated way to keep my PH and Alk up. Im trying to build a kalkwasser reactor using a 55g barrel that I have a sealed lid on. Here is my idea....cross fingers!!

Im going to have the 55g barrel with 10lbs of Mrs Wages pickling lime in it and RO water
The water will be oversaturated, but will dose as needed daily to keep Alk in check.
The 55g Barrel will be hooked up to the RODI float and as soon as its dosing, the barrel will fill back up to full.
Then the apex will kick on a pump that I made to stir the new RO/OLD Kalk/Old Lime. The pump will run for 5 min and shut off until after the next dose, Leaving roughly 4 hours for everything to settle before it starts dosing again.

Combine The Kalkwasser reactor and the new Calcium reactor and I should be set for a LONG time fully automated.
Time will tell how well it works!

can You give more detail about this alk You are making
love this build

 

[atomic081]

can You give more detail about this alk You are making
love this build

I took down the Alk reactor that I created. Instead I got a bigger Calcium reactor and just let it run more. The main reason for the Kalk reactor was to raise my PH. I've added more air flow to the room and I'm getting up to 8.1 daily. I'm happy with that!

 

[kylef]

Just spent the last 5 hours reading through this thread, amazing build! Hope to see more updates in the future

 

[atomic081]

Just spent the last 5 hours reading through this thread, amazing build! Hope to see more updates in the future

Thank you so much!!! Im very proud of the tank and Im really getting to a point that its pretty easy to maintain.


Basically the tank is going to be on cruse control while things grow out for the next year. So if I don't post as much, its because I'm just letting the corals grow. Im 90% full on corals in the display but a lot are small acro frags. Maybe with a little luck and a year or 2 and this tank will be full of SPS.

While the display tank grows out, I want to get into the fish breeding and keep selling corals out of the frag tank!!

 

[atomic081]

2 Years old!!! This past week my tank hit the year old mark of being cycled. I'm very happy with the progress made so far.

Its been a month since I updated this because I've not a lot had happened on the tank. I added the Unicorn tang with success and all my corals seem to be looking good!

I have started a small venture with a few local buddies called "Rush Reefing". I've always sold frags out of my basement and recently it has made enough to pay for my maintenance and enough to reinvest back into some fun frags! This venture is a way to advertise via Facebook easier and it gets my buddies involved. Our plan is to also setup at some of the local Midwest Frag swaps! I'm super excited about this as the swaps have always been my favorite day of the year.

Pictures!!!

New Swap setup!



New Gopro 7 setup for our upcoming trip to the beach....Videos in a few weeks!


Coral Pictures!!:

 

[atomic081]

Teaser pictures of my new additions!

 

[atomic081]

We went on a little trip a few weeks back and I did some diving. Here is a video of our trip. If you have never been to Roatan Honduras, I highly recommend it. The diving is a solid 7/10, but the snorkeling just off our resort is a 12/10. Literally 50 feet from the front of our resort. Saw, tons of fish, Turtles, cuttlefish, Eagle rays, big Grouper, flounder and more just off our resort. I could spend days snorkeling there. Its very safe and has a full range of restaurants that are within walking distance (reasonably priced). I don't think I wore shoes all week!

 

[atomic081]

Update time! (sorry no pictures for now, but I will try to get some tonight!)

The tank has been on autopilot for the last few months. everything seems to be growing well. I'm really ramping up for the INDMAS frag swap in less than 2 weeks. The frag tank is packed full! I have a few other swaps around the Midwest I plan on attending also!


A few problems/changes will be happening in the next few months though:

1. My Calcium reactor was setup on a PH controller and Solenoid. When the Co2 runs out the Solenoid gets shot. So I Invested in a Carbon Dozer and I'm going to get a 2nd PH probe for the Apex to monitor the PH in the Reactor.

2. The breeding system is never going to happen. I may dabble with breeding clowns as my pair in my display spawn regularly, but I'm never going to invest the time to do it more than for fun! So I will be taking down the breeding system.

3. I'm starting to propagate Zoanthids in the frag tank. Because of this the frag tank is 100% full. I will be replacing the breeding system with a 60g low boy tank that will be more of a grow out tank than a frag tank. Everything will be placed on tiles.

 

[Smarkow]

Pics or it never happened

all jokes aside though, what did you mean re your solenoid breaking when the CO2 ran down? Did water get into it or something else entirely? Just curious

 

[atomic081]

Pics or it never happened

all jokes aside though, what did you mean re your solenoid breaking when the CO2 ran down? Did water get into it or something else entirely? Just curious

It's almost like when the solenoid isn't used for a few days it gets gummed up and won't open and close. Maybe I got water in it at some point. This happed to me the fist time my co2 ran out. I cleaned it out good and it works now, but I dont want to risk it happening when I'm on vacation.




A few pictures: I'll try to get a FTS soon

New swap tank!

Zoanthids propagation!

Phytoplankton!

I'm attempting to collect the baby clownfish tonight. Wish me luck! Also my new great white scraper!

 

[chizerbunoi]

Maybe you can use the breeding setup in the future for some other purpose.

 

[Smarkow]

It's almost like when the solenoid isn't used for a few days it gets gummed up and won't open and close. Maybe I got water in it at some point. This happed to me the fist time my co2 ran out. I cleaned it out good and it works now, but I dont want to risk it happening when I'm on vacation.




A few pictures: I'll try to get a FTS soon

New swap tank!

Zoanthids propagation!

Phytoplankton!

I'm attempting to collect the baby clownfish tonight. Wish me luck! Also my new great white scraper!

Great setups.

what you are describing happened to me with my last CaRx setup. I think the CO2 abruptly ran down to a pressure where the valve no longer opened. And the passive pressure suddenly went away, caused reflux of saltwater into the tubing. Saw on apex that the reactor pH had suddenly equalized with the tank and found a bunch of water in the tubing. I also switched to the carbon doser after that, have been bery happy.

Your frag setup looks great! I’m a big fan of those frag plates as well, but haven’t ever tried to saw through them once fully encrusted... curious if you have?

the great white magnets are the best!! I’m never going back

 

[KingTideCorals]

WOW WOW WOW.....

That is all I can say. I am drooling over here, this is a thread I could 100% get lost in and just continuously enjoy it. Thanks for such a great write up!

Epic Build Thread right here!

 

[atomic081]

Maybe you can use the breeding setup in the future for some other purpose.

I'm actually going to give it to a good friend that got me into the idea of breeding. He will put it to good use!

Great setups.

what you are describing happened to me with my last CaRx setup. I think the CO2 abruptly ran down to a pressure where the valve no longer opened. And the passive pressure suddenly went away, caused reflux of saltwater into the tubing. Saw on apex that the reactor pH had suddenly equalized with the tank and found a bunch of water in the tubing. I also switched to the carbon doser after that, have been bery happy.

Your frag setup looks great! I’m a big fan of those frag plates as well, but haven’t ever tried to saw through them once fully encrusted... curious if you have?

the great white magnets are the best!! I’m never going back

My hope with the tiles is that I can use a razor blade to get the zoanthids off. I hope I never cut them, but I'm sure they would cut easy.

WOW WOW WOW.....

That is all I can say. I am drooling over here, this is a thread I could 100% get lost in and just continuously enjoy it. Thanks for such a great write up!

Epic Build Thread right here!

Ty Ty Ty

 

[atomic081]

So quick update on the Breeding (even though I stated yesterday im taking down the breeding system). I caught 3 (maybe more) of the hatched clownfish. Now I just need to get them to eat!

 

[Smarkow]

So quick update on the Breeding (even though I stated yesterday im taking down the breeding system). I caught 3 (maybe more) of the hatched clownfish. Now I just need to get them to eat!

You and breeding:

 

[ihavecrabs]

It's almost like when the solenoid isn't used for a few days it gets gummed up and won't open and close. Maybe I got water in it at some point. This happed to me the fist time my co2 ran out. I cleaned it out good and it works now, but I dont want to risk it happening when I'm on vacation.




A few pictures: I'll try to get a FTS soon

New swap tank!

Zoanthids propagation!

Phytoplankton!

I'm attempting to collect the baby clownfish tonight. Wish me luck! Also my new great white scraper!

I just had some clownfish hatch in my display. Do you have a link for that device? I’d love to look into that further.

 

[atomic081]

I just had some clownfish hatch in my display. Do you have a link for that device? I’d love to look into that further.

Larval Trap Aquatics

If you have ever tried collecting fish larvae in an aquarium it is a time consuming tedious task, that will usually require you to stay up late at night after the lights go out with minimal results. The Vossen Larval Trap is a very simple and easy to use for fish fry and larvae. The included...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

Its easy to catch them, The hard part is raising Phytoplankton and Rotifers to feed them in the first few days. I've also got the TDO breeding pellets to feed after day 4, they are expensive, but worth it!

 

[Smarkow]

Hey @atomic081, one of the reasons I follow your build is bc I am doing my own plywood right now. Like literally RIGHT now haha. (View from inside)

I wondered, did you do anything for corner bracing? Like I actually installed these today at potential stress points:

Any advice for further reinforcement?

I’d love it if my build is half as nice as yours at the end hahaha