Beware the Shallows! An 80g Reef Reboot

[jedimasterben]

Just got back from Home Depot with $114.75 in lumber. What could I be making

 

[jedimasterben]

Pieces are coming together.

Stand bottom will be sealed and will hold several gallons of water if need be.

Tank will fit right inside the gap.

Insert display refugium here.

 

[jedimasterben]

This is what I'm going for:

 

[reefed419]

Are u running a sump with your new beast skimmer or just using the display refugium?

 

[jedimasterben]

Yeah, sump and ATO tank will be behind the fuge.

 

[reefed419]

Ahhh. I got you... should be a sexy set up. What's going in the shallow cube? What size is it? What size is you display fuge?

 

[jedimasterben]

Main tank is still the 80g Deep Blue rimless, the shallow is the Deep Blue 30g rimless, the display fuge is a standard 29g Aqueon, sump is a 20g long, and ATO res is a 10g.


Dunno what will be going into the shallow, or if the fuge will be only a 'macro' fuge or what. I want to keep a pair of harlequin filefish, but I cannot keep them with SPS or acans, both of which I'm planning for the 80, so that leaves the shallow or the fuge. I think the fuge might be a Caribbean biotope with gorgonians, macros, pearly jawfish, neon gobies, rusty gobies, and anything else I can get, so that leaves the shallow tank, but severely limits the type of corals I can keep in it. However, I also really want to get an anglerfish, and I cannot keep it with ANYTHING near its size, so I dunno. I also would REALLY love a Moorish idol, but I don't think my 80 is a proper home for even one that is freshly post-meta (they're about 3.5" at that point).


Stocking is all up in the air, and will probably be for a while. I'm still battling dinoflagellates and now cyanobacteria, and I dunno how much more of a beating I can take.

 

[jedimasterben]

Looks like the SPS curse continues.

 

[nanokeeper]

Main tank is still the 80g Deep Blue rimless, the shallow is the Deep Blue 30g rimless, the display fuge is a standard 29g Aqueon, sump is a 20g long, and ATO res is a 10g.


Dunno what will be going into the shallow, or if the fuge will be only a 'macro' fuge or what. I want to keep a pair of harlequin filefish, but I cannot keep them with SPS or acans, both of which I'm planning for the 80, so that leaves the shallow or the fuge. I think the fuge might be a Caribbean biotope with gorgonians, macros, pearly jawfish, neon gobies, rusty gobies, and anything else I can get, so that leaves the shallow tank, but severely limits the type of corals I can keep in it. However, I also really want to get an anglerfish, and I cannot keep it with ANYTHING near its size, so I dunno. I also would REALLY love a Moorish idol, but I don't think my 80 is a proper home for even one that is freshly post-meta (they're about 3.5" at that point).


Stocking is all up in the air, and will probably be for a while. I'm still battling dinoflagellates and now cyanobacteria, and I dunno how much more of a beating I can take.

The plans look great. I've always thought that a 30 gallon Deep Blue rimless would make a great frag tank to compliment the 80 gallon. Now if I could just find another 4 hours in the day I could make it happen. Thanks for sharing.

 

[jedimasterben]

Psh, frag tank, I wouldn't ruin the beauty of that little tank by having it only be for frags

Plan for that at this time is a couple of bubble tip anemones, larger LPS, and a pair of harlequin filefish, pair of clowns, and probably a pair of pearly jawfish.

 

[hung]

What skimmer did you get?

 

[jedimasterben]

Reef Octopus NWB150 with a Bubble Blaster HY-2000 pump.

 

[jedimasterben]

Ok, so I got my rock from KP Aquatics on Tuesday, and whoa.

The rock had two mantis shrimp, two pistol shrimp, and half a dozen urchins, everything was as alive as could be. One of the pistols popped me on the finger, hurt like a SOB. I'll spare you his fate lol.


The two mantis are awesome. I believe both are Neogonodactylus oerstedii.


This one I'm giving to my friend

And this one I'm keeping. Tossed him in the sump on a rock, he was a happy camper.

I was expecting the rock to be much more dense than it is. Sure, it's not up to snuff compared to pukani or Reef Cleaners rock, but it's actually more porous than I was expecting, and MUCH better than the garbage rock that almost everywhere sells now for $8-15 per pound (KPA sells theirs for $3.50). I got way more than the 10lbs I ordered, too, more like 15-20lbs (basically a large flat-rate box slam full).


Overall, I'm very happy with it. I would consider myself an avid dry rock user - but now, I'm considering stocking my system with this instead. I've still got some cool dry rock I'll be using for some interesting shapes, but this rock is so awesome I can't see myself NOT using it.


I also ordered a Nanobox enclosure to use for lighting for both of the main tanks. They're very sleek and sexy. Only problem is that I do still want to run lenses on my LEDs, but the housing is only like 2" tall, so the reflectors will stick out of the bottom of it. I don't think it will matter a whole lot, though, it will still look great.

Also, got both stands completed and to my house. Was a beast getting the big one down the hallway and into that room, had to take off the door, but I got it finally. It's a little, uh, big for the room, but it'll be fine

 

[revhtree]

Sweet rock!

 

[match69]

Hi Jedimasterben, Forgive this late reply, don't know if you found out the reason for the crash. My own thoughts are that some dealers dose their tanks with copper as a preventative measure in fish only tanks in the store. As you may know copper is a definite no-no in a reef tank. It may have come in with the anthias water.
Regards,
Mark.

 

[jedimasterben]

 

[Pappy]

Sweet! I just picked one of these up TODAY! They're gawgeous

 

[jedimasterben]

That they are. I got a pair of them for $56.

 

[Pappy]

Awesome deal!

 

[jedimasterben]

Well, technically, considering the ease of collection and that hundreds are imported at a time, I actually still overpaid. Places that are charging more than that are insane and preying on those who think these are rare (they aren't, but you'll not see that fact advertised lol).