Bills CDA 225 gal 72x30x24 tank upgrade/SPS Dream Tank!!!

[Billldg]

So now, officially, my tank fish list consist of:

Gem tang
Purple tang
D. Sailfin tang
Achilles tang
Blonde Naso tang
Tomini tang
Eightline Flasher wrasse
Orange Back Fairy wrasse
Pintail Fairy wrasse
Yellow Flanked Fairy wrasse
Blue Star Leopard wrasse
4 Blue/Green chromis

 

[Billldg]

About to feed the fish. Dropping 4 cube of Hikari in the tank makes it look like its snowing for a few minutes...LOL!!!

I added 4 1/4 sheets of Nori this morning on 4 clips, and now I will feed 1 cube Hikari Mysis, 2 cubes Sprulina brine, and 1 cube Mega Marine Algae.

 

[Operator Wrasse]

Very nice. Care to share a video? I'd love to see how the tank look with that number of fish. Do you think you're close to maxed or are you going to try some smaller, more peaceful fish like a pair of clowns or gobies? How do you plan on dealing with that if you added your most aggressive fish first?

 

[Billldg]

My fish feeding

 

[Billldg]

Very nice. Care to share a video? I'd love to see how the tank look with that number of fish. Do you think you're close to maxed or are you going to try some smaller, more peaceful fish like a pair of clowns or gobies? How do you plan on dealing with that if you added your most aggressive fish first?

I added the Tomini tang, a Onyx Clown fish, and 4 Blue/Green Chromis first because they were from my previous tank and I wanted to get some load in the tank. I added the other wrasses in any order because I wasn't concerned about aggression. I then added the Achilles because it became available to me and I had to act. I made sure to add the last 4 tangs at the same time because 3 were Zebrasoma tangs. By adding 4 tangs at once the aggression was dispersed and the tank has settled down. Although I feel sorry for my Achilles tang now. I just looked at it and it looks like it ran into a porcupine. It has several scratches across its face. If I add anything else, it will be a few more wrasses, maybe a Supermale Lineatus wrasse or a Supermale Rhomboid wrasse. No more big fish as the ones I have now will grow filling up the tank. I thought about adding a few more Chromis, but I am concerned they will go psycho on me and kill each other. The 4 I have are 2+ years old now. I may add a few Blue Atlantic Chromis. The Onyx clown fish I added decided to go carpet surfing, it was my very first fish I had when getting into the hobby. I will not replace it because all they do is pick a area and stay there, meaning, in a high flow tank they stay in the top corner low flow section and you never see them. If I build a LPS specific tank then I will get some so they will stay out in the open.

 

[Billldg]

Now this is why I wish Marine Depot was still open. I need some Chemiclean to take care of my Cyano issue and if I ordered from MD it would be here Monday or Tuesday at the latest. Now it will be at least Wednesday before I get it.

 

[Operator Wrasse]

Are you going to start with coral after the cyano issue is cleared up?

 

[Billldg]

Are you going to start with coral after the cyano issue is cleared up?

I have several corals in there now, even a few tester SPS. I will start to actually add a bunch of SPS when I feel my tank has settled down from algae issues, maybe a few months after clearing up the Cyano, and after my back account recovers...LOL!!! When I blow off the rocks I see a bunch of coraline algae, so the tank is ready, but I don't want to spend thousands of dollars on SPS only to watch it go POOF. My orders will come from @Battlecorals, @FraghouseCorals, @TopShelfAquatics, and maybe one or two more.

 

[Operator Wrasse]

I completely understand the financial aspect... I'm actually changing careers because I'm tired of being very well educated with a great resume, but being paid barely above a livable wage working in Law Enforcement. I should have stayed in nuclear engineering in college. lol.

For my build, I'm going to go mixed, but LPS heavy. My hope is that I can run the 225G for a little under 10 years until the kids are older and the wife and I build the forever home. Then I get the 225G as a peaceful SPS tank and she gets her 500G+ predator/aggressive/softie tank.

 

[Billldg]

I completely understand the financial aspect... I'm actually changing careers because I'm tired of being very well educated with a great resume, but being paid barely above a livable wage working in Law Enforcement. I should have stayed in nuclear engineering in college. lol.

For my build, I'm going to go mixed, but LPS heavy. My hope is that I can run the 225G for a little under 10 years until the kids are older and the wife and I build the forever home. Then I get the 225G as a peaceful SPS tank and she gets her 500G+ predator/aggressive/softie tank.

First thing, being in Law Enforcement...Truly...MUCH RESPECT!!!.Thank you for serving. I did 8 years in the Navy.

After purchasing the tank, running a mainly LPS will definitely lower the cost on lights, flow, and such. Plus its far more forgiving. Trust me, I love LPS, but having a dedicated SPS tank, it is hard to please the LPS as well.

 

[Operator Wrasse]

First thing, being in Law Enforcement...Truly...MUCH RESPECT!!!.Thank you for serving. I did 8 years in the Navy.

After purchasing the tank, running a mainly LPS will definitely lower the cost on lights, flow, and such. Trust me, I love LPS, but having a dedicated SPS tank, it is hard to please the LPS as well.

I knew you had good taste for a reason! I was a Squid, too. Ended up refusing my commission and that's how I wound up in LE.

I have great faith that you're going to make the tank look amazing in the next 12 months.

 

[Camaro Show Corals]

Now this is why I wish Marine Depot was still open. I need some Chemiclean to take care of my Cyano issue and if I ordered from MD it would be here Monday or Tuesday at the latest. Now it will be at least Wednesday before I get it.

Losing MD was a huge loss for the hobby

 

[Billldg]

You want to know what's funny, out of the list of fish I added Friday, one fish is standing out to me. I added, on Friday, a Gem tang, Purple tang, D. Sailfin tang, Blonde Naso tang, Orange Back Fairy wrasse, and a Eightline Flasher wrasse, and the Eighltline Flasher wrasse is the one fish that I am growing to like the best. It is simply a beautiful wrasse. I am thankful that @tsmaquatics sent me a male, BUT, I am wondering if they sent me a Supermale. The colors are beyond stunning. I can't take a picture that will do it justice at this time. The colors are extremely vibrant, and when it flashes...OMG!!! I will probably have to buy a Canon T6 or above camera to capture the colors as its that beautiful.

 

[Operator Wrasse]

Have you checked out @evolved 's wrasse guide? I spent a weekend reading through his articles and website. I'm amazed at what the common hobbyist can accomplish.

 

[Billldg]

Have you checked out @evolved 's wrasse guide? I spent a weekend reading through his articles and website. I'm amazed at what the common hobbyist can accomplish.

I have his threads saved...LOL!!!

 

[Billldg]

I couldn't wait till Wednesday, so I went to the LFS and picked up some Chemiclean. I just added 25 scoops to the tank.

 

[Billldg]

I looked into the bottom of my mixing station and found that I need to remove the 100 gal tank and clean it. I have a lot of deposits on the bottom. I need to find a better way of mixing the water to prevent this, or at least, prolong it. I will likely do it after I do a 25 percent water change in 2 days after the Chemiclean does what it needs to do. I will end up having to dump 40 or so gals of salt water, but it is what it is. I have had the mixing station up and running for around 6 months now, so its not unexpected.

 

[Operator Wrasse]

I looked into the bottom of my mixing station and found that I need to remove the 100 gal tank and clean it. I have a lot of deposits on the bottom. I need to find a better way of mixing the water to prevent this, or at least, prolong it. I will likely do it after I do a 25 percent water change in 2 days after the Chemiclean does what it needs to do. I will end up having to dump 40 or so gals of salt water, but it is what it is. I have had the mixing station up and running for around 6 months now, so its not unexpected.

What salt mix are you using in your mixing station? I fell for the BRS videos on using TM Pro on my softie 75G. I recently switched to regular IO, but man was the TM Pro fantastic to mix. Water would be clear in 2 hours and I never had deposits.

 

[Billldg]

What salt mix are you using in your mixing station? I fell for the BRS videos on using TM Pro on my softie 75G. I recently switched to regular IO, but man was the TM Pro fantastic to mix. Water would be clear in 2 hours and I never had deposits.

I use HW Marine Reefer Mix, BRS recommended, YEA, I feel it doesn't matter what you use, you will get deposits. I just need to find a better way to mix a 100 gal's of saltwater. The deposits are over a several month period,

 

[Operator Wrasse]

I use HW Marine Reefer Mix, BRS recommended, YEA, I feel it doesn't matter what you use, you will get deposits. I just need to find a better way to mix a 100 gal's of saltwater. The deposits are over a several month period,

I agree with you. Is HW pharmaceutical grade? That's what got me with TM. I have a medical background, so I know how difficult it can be to achieve "pharmaceutical grade". I wouldn't steer you wrong... maybe give TM a shot. It was so worth it in my opinion.