Bills Reborn 120 gal Mixed Reef Tank

[Billldg]

Nice tank..

LOL, thanks, had to rebuild it after crash, but the silver lining is that I get to go SPS.

 

[cleaner72]

i have that same tank..how did you plum inside the overflows...meaning did you do a bean animal,herbie ect?

 

[Billldg]

i have that same tank..how did you plum inside the overflows...meaning did you do a bean animal,herbie ect?

I just used the megaflow drains that came with it, I changed the bulkheads to 1 in slip so I could use PVC.

 

[Billldg]

I told myself that when the SPS frags I got from @Battlecorals started to grow I would mount them, well, the PC rainbow, BC Secale, and the Upscales Microclados r starting to overgrow the plugs. So mounting frags is what I will be doing today.

I will also start to remount some frags that survived the crash as they r back to normal.

 

[Billldg]

Since I installed a Co2 scrubber on my skimmer I have been running a ph between 8.2 and 8.3, as a result I have been steadily raising my alk and cal to keep up, I have seen increased growth rate in my sps and contributed the growth to the higher dosing amounts, then the other day I went to clean my sand and noticed my sand starting to turn to concrete again. Guess what, I am precipitating cal, I haven’t been able to get my cal above 380 and now I know why. As their have already been studies done on this, the higher ph is causing the precipitation. So to stop the precipitation I am allowing my ph to drop back to 8.0-8.1 and stopped my dosing, I didn’t dos for 2 days and then I took readings and my alk is at 8.0 and my cal is at 370. I left my doser off for a 3rd day and I will test again, I will not turn them back on until I see a noticeable drop. Then I will cut dosing amounts in half and start dosing over again so I can get the tank stable and not precipitate cal. If I have to slow down sps growth a little to keep precipitation at bay then I am good with that. I also added reef flux to tank to get rid of bryopsis, 2 weeks in and it is all gone, one more week and then I will do a 50 percent water change, so far the lps and sps is handling the reef flux fine. A month ago I went to my first reef expo in Atl, great first expo, and bought a few more sps frags from @TopShelfAquatics. I bought a Bill Murray, a Bloomin Rose, and a FantasyLand. They r doing good and the Bill Murray and Bloomin Rose look like they r starting to encrust the plugs already. I will have to mount them sooner than later it appears.

Oh, I will still run a Co2 scrubber, but I will install a valve on the air inlet to allow it to open and close to the outside air to meter the ph and keep it between 8.0 and 8.1

 

[Flippers4pups]

Since I installed a Co2 scrubber on my skimmer I have been running a ph between 8.2 and 8.3, as a result I have been steadily raising my alk and cal to keep up, I have seen increased growth rate in my sps and contributed the growth to the higher dosing amounts, then the other day I went to clean my sand and noticed my sand starting to turn to concrete again. Guess what, I am precipitating cal, I haven’t been able to get my cal above 380 and now I know why. As their have already been studies done on this, the higher ph is causing the precipitation. So to stop the precipitation I am allowing my ph to drop back to 8.0-8.1 and stopped my dosing, I didn’t dos for 2 days and then I took readings and my alk is at 8.0 and my cal is at 370. I left my doser off for a 3rd day and I will test again, I will not turn them back on until I see a noticeable drop. Then I will cut dosing amounts in half and start dosing over again so I can get the tank stable and not precipitate cal. If I have to slow down sps growth a little to keep precipitation at bay then I am good with that. I also added reef flux to tank to get rid of bryopsis, 2 weeks in and it is all gone, one more week and then I will do a 50 percent water change, so far low and sps is handling the reef flux fine. A month ago I went to my first reef expo in Atl, great first expo, and bought a few more sps frags from @TopShelfAquatics. I bought a Bill Murray, a Bloomin Rose, and a FantasyLand. They r doing good and the Bill Murray and Bloomin Rose look like they r starting to encrust the plugs already. I will have to mount them sooner than later it appears.

Oh, I will still run a Co2 scrubber, but I will install a valve on the air inlet to allow it to open and close to the outside air to meter the ph and keep it between 8.0 and 8.1

Great observation and reaction to the events and results! Bravo!

 

[Billldg]

Recently I have had to deal with Bryopsis. Started as a little, but quickly became and issue. I kept trying to pull it out and it would just come back quicker and in more places. So I finally took a chance and used Reef Flux. I have a total water volume of around 120 gals with the tank and sump minus the rock. I added 14 capsules, I opened them up and emptied them into a cup of RO/DI water and mixed. Then I put it in the return section of the sump. As the Bryopsis died off it raised my nitrates and phosphates as expected. I didn't run my skimmer for 3 days and no carbon reactor for 3 weeks. After 3 weeks all the Bryopsis was gone that I could see, hopefully it got it all and it will not come back. I did a 50 gal water change, they recommend at least a 30 percent change, so I did roughly a 40 percent change. I turned back on my carbon reactor. While I did the major water change I also did a deep cleaning of the sand bed and broke up the sand that was starting to turn to concrete from the precipitation problem I had. I also mounted all the frags from TSA and a few others, I had to make room for the frags I bought this weekend at the @CherryCorals Live sale. The live sale was probably the best live sale I have participated in, had high quality frags for everyone. I ended up buying a Vivid Confetti, a Walt Disney, a SC Orange Passion, a BC Aquaticman Table, and a CC Pink Highlighter. Pictures are down below of the AWESOME frags I got from Cherry Corals. I can't wait for these bad boys to grow out.

BC Aquaticman Table

CC Pink Highlighter

SC Orange Passion

Vivid Confetti

Walt Disney

 

[Demonic]

Really nice corals

 

[Billldg]

Figured I would download a video to see if it worked for me.

 

[JLee60]

I really like that stand.

 

[Billldg]

I really like that stand.

Thank you.

 

[Billldg]

This week I started to get the materials together to retrofit my tank. I ordered a MP40 that I will install along with a MP10 and a Gyre350. I also picked up another Apex energy bar that will allow me to fully automate everything, right now I have my pumps and lights on power strips and the strips are tied to the apex. I also, after a long and not so fun time was able to catch my Purple tang and remove it from the tank and put in my Gold Rim tang, tank attitude changed instantly. The whole pecking order has to be re-established again. Now my LT tang took the place on my Purple tang and is now the punk in the tank, HA!!!

 

[328 reef]

I wanted a saltwater tank for ever, eventually I was in a position to make it happen. So I started like everyone else and did a ton of research trying to gain as much knowledge as possible going into it. At first I settled on a 90 gal tank, but the more I researched the more I wanted a bigger tank within reason. I settled on a 120 gal tank because I felt I would enjoy the size more due to it being easier to aquascape it and get the picture I wanted. So when tax returns came in I made the plunge and purchased the tank and stand. I settled on a room that I have been wanting to furnish and where I would enjoy the tank, I also had to settle on a place that would handle the weight load since their is a basement below.


The wall you see is on a poured concrete foundation wall and will easily handle the load, though I may put a support wall underneath it for piece of mind. The tank and stand will go between the 2 outlets at the comm port so in the future I can hook up a controller with a LAN line, probably a Apex Neptune controller.



I started making one of many purchases from Bulk Reef Supply, tank came with 1 in drains and 3/4 supply overflows, also came with barbed bulkheads and I wanted to hard pipe the plumbing, so I purchases 4 1 in bulkheads from BRS and when I received them I installed them and started the plumbing. Trying to figure out how to run the plumbing and have it look neat was at first challenging. After a few minutes it started to flow and I was able to plumb the pvc in a clean manner and was able to run it so it wouldn't get in the way of cleaning socks and skimmer.



I purchased a Trigger systems Sapphire 34 Sump as it stays with the clean style I'm going for, and the fact that it looks awesome helps. I also purchased a matching 10 gal ATO Triggers systems Sapphire tank to match. I'm trying to make this as low maintenance as possible. I also purchased a Vertex Omega 180i skimmer and a Sicce 5.0 silent pump to be installed at a later date. I was going to buy a Ecotech Vertex pump, but then realized Apex has a return pump and figured I would buy it instead. I'm not able to buy the Neptune controller right now due to expenses, so I purchased the Sicce pump and will use it as a backup when I purchase the Apex controller and return pump. As it seems the buying never stops, I bought lighting for my tank. This turned into a bit of a dilemma as I started out wanting a fish only tank. As I researched that turned from a fish only tank to a softy reef tank to now what will ultimately be a LPS reef tank. I settled on buying the Maxspect Razer R5 200 watt fixture. I mounted it under a canopy with the suspension kit.



I just made another purchase from BRS. I have my final plumbing parts coming which will allow me to hook up my return pump. I purchased a 1 in hose adaptor that will allow me to connect a piece of hose to the pump. Due to vibration that happens with any pump, no matter how good, I wanted the soft hose to dampen the vibration on the pvc plumbing. I also have CaribSea Special grade sand coming. I ordered 80 lbs so I could get al least a 1 in sand bottom. I already have the rock and when my order arrives I will be able to start to cycle the tank. I ordered CaribSea life rock at an earlier date and started to aquascape it outside the tank, that turned into a pain at first. Nothing seemed to come out the way I pictured it, but once I started to work on it the rock started to flow and I was able to get what I wanted as far as aquascaping go's. I have made a few adjustments to it since the pictures but am satisfied with what I got. The CaribSea rock fit together rather easily I felt.


I added another piece of rock to the left side of the left stack of rock, I didn't like the way it sloped up of the left. I have more supplies that I have not included yet as I will when I install them. The tank will be up and running within the next couple of months. I will post more when I get sand and rock in tank and start to cycle it.

Great start! looks awesome. hope to see more photo's to come.

 

[Billldg]

I wonder where I am at right now waiting?

Open up @WWC, LOL!!!

 

[Billldg]

I keep driving around Orlando and getting lost in front of fish stores, look what I found today, LOL!!!

I have wanted to see @TopShelfAquatics for a while,.

 

[Billldg]

I haven't posted anything on my tank in a little while for 2 reason, 1st was I was dealing with Byopsis which had my nutrients high, and 2nd was that I was to busy spending money on new gear. The Bryopsis is gone, for the 2nd time hopefully and I have been using NoPox to bring down my nitrates, phosphate really haven't been an issue as I have been having to dose phosphate to keep them from hitting 0. Last time I checked, which was last weekend my nitrates were at 20 ppm, which is still high, but my tank hasn't been below 50+ ppm in a few months due to the battle with bryopsis and using reef flux to kill the algae. Now the 2nd reason was the purchasing of gear over time, and I am not done yet, but I do have enough to start. Hopefully this weekend I will be able to start to rebuild my control cabinet and clean it up. This is some of what I will be installing.

I also purchase 18 90 degree 1 and 2 ft extensions, I will plug them in to the energy bars and run them thru the back of the cabinet, then I will plug everything into them and used elec tape to make sure they stay plugged in. It will look so much cleaner and all the different plug styles you get when you plug in pumps and heaters and such. I havent purchased the 350 Gyre or the Cor 20 pump yet, so those will also be replaced.

 

[Billldg]

I ended up getting done with my lawn today thankfully, the don't call it HOT-lanta for nothing, LOL!!! So I started to rebuild my control cabinet. This is what it looked like before I started, I didn't finish it last time because I knew I would change it and I didn't like the way it was looking either.

All the chords were driving me up the wall. So 1st thing I started to do was reroute the wires for the 2 power strips and anything that was connected to them. Then I removed the power strips and hooked everything back up because all my pumps, ATO, and LED lights are on them and I need them to keep working.

After I removed the power strips I installed the new Apex Energy Bar and the I went thru Fusion and programmed the outlets.

Excuse the wires and extension chord as I currently have the power strips running on the apex energy bar. I started to rerun the wires for my lights, ATO, and a few other things. This is were the 90 degree plug extension comes into play. the different plug styles makes it hard to use all of the outlets and it straight up looks UGLY to me, LOL!!!. So I bought 18 of them and I will use them all.

I removed the tags on them and them started to plug them in and run them thru the back of the cabinet. This is were they will plug into the different style plugs hiding them. I will use elec tape to tape up the connections. I have only started to install the plug, but you can start to get a picture of how much cleaner it will look. The energy bar on the bottom only has the 90 degree plug plugged into it.

When I finish all the wholes will have 2 in black plugs. I still have the pumps to replace, which will get rid of the 2nd power strip and the heaters. I will install a Zen Reef 2 heater holder in the sump, it is an awesome looking holder and I will no longer have to rely on suctions cups that never work.

I will continue posting pictures of the change over.

 

[Billldg]

I just tested parameters of my DT, AND FINALLY I AM WERE I WANT TO BE!!!

Alk 8.4
Cal 450
Mag 1500
Nitrates 10 ppm
Phosphates .09

I will tweak the phosphates a little, but I am not going to chase the so called perfect parameters as they don't exist. I will start up my refugium again to take care of the rest. Now I can, HOPEFULLY, start down the road to stability in my parameters. I did install the heaters and Zen Reef rack also.

 

[truetricia]

I ended up getting done with my lawn today thankfully, the don't call it HOT-lanta for nothing, LOL!!! So I started to rebuild my control cabinet. This is what it looked like before I started, I didn't finish it last time because I knew I would change it and I didn't like the way it was looking either.

All the chords were driving me up the wall. So 1st thing I started to do was reroute the wires for the 2 power strips and anything that was connected to them. Then I removed the power strips and hooked everything back up because all my pumps, ATO, and LED lights are on them and I need them to keep working.

After I removed the power strips I installed the new Apex Energy Bar and the I went thru Fusion and programmed the outlets.

Excuse the wires and extension chord as I currently have the power strips running on the apex energy bar. I started to rerun the wires for my lights, ATO, and a few other things. This is were the 90 degree plug extension comes into play. the different plug styles makes it hard to use all of the outlets and it straight up looks UGLY to me, LOL!!!. So I bought 18 of them and I will use them all.

I removed the tags on them and them started to plug them in and run them thru the back of the cabinet. This is were they will plug into the different style plugs hiding them. I will use elec tape to tape up the connections. I have only started to install the plug, but you can start to get a picture of how much cleaner it will look. The energy bar on the bottom only has the 90 degree plug plugged into it.

When I finish all the wholes will have 2 in black plugs. I still have the pumps to replace, which will get rid of the 2nd power strip and the heaters. I will install a Zen Reef 2 heater holder in the sump, it is an awesome looking holder and I will no longer have to rely on suctions cups that never work.

I will continue posting pictures of the change over.

Where did you buy those extenders? Amazon? I have a similar problem, and I like what you've done!

Also, how are your tangs doing in your 120g? I'm considering adding a CB yellow tang and a purple tang to my 120....

 

[Billldg]

Thank you, yea, I got them from amazon, I think it was like 4 dollars for the 1 ft and 9 for the 2 ft extensions. I can’t take credit for it, I actually went to Top Shelf Aquatics farm and saw them there and asked where they got them from and they also got them from amazon. They were all doing great, but I relocated the purple tang so I could put in a gold rim tang. They r doing great.