build of a 180ltr clown/reef tank

[Andy Bliss]

Hi All!

So main tank is a 180ltr bow front 40” long, it has an overflow i built into corner with a 40mm downpipe and 20mm return pipe, sump is a 39” plain glass tank with divisions cut and sciliconed into place, downpipe has a sock, first chamber has the heater and skimmer, Bubble Magnus curve 5, 2nd has live rock and an ex hitchhiker (gorilla crab), third chamber is a 1000ltr ph pump (to be upgraded to a low voltage variable as it is too noisy) and the last chamber is a top up resevoir with a low voltage pump wired to a float switch in the pump section.

Light in sump is a 6500 led and lights in tank are 2 x flouresent, one aquarium daylight and one blue tinic.
Daytime lights on from 11.00 to 21.00 and sump light on from 21.00 to 04.00.

 

[Andy Bliss]

Hi all,

Sorry for the lack of updates but I’ve been on holiday, the tank has settled and doing really good, ammonia and nitrate/nitrite dropped to zero about 4 weeks ago and i put in the following:

• 2 hermits crabs
• 1 peppermint shrimp
• 2 feather dusters
• 2 blue/yellow damsels
• 1 kenya tree

I had a small rise in ammonia but that receded within a week, nitrates/nitrites stable at 0, ph keeps dropping to 7.8 so been adding stabiliser and salinity is stable at 1.025, all inhabitants are doing well so plan to add 4 percula clowns and 2 anenome’s at the weekend, skimmer has settled down now and is really working

 

[Jon Fishman]

If you just had an ammonia spike, I’d be concerned about the tank’s cycle, and definitely cautious about adding a couple anemone to the tank. You don’t want to start over

 

[SPR1968]

The tank looks very nice so far and great pictures!

Anemones require pristine water conditions and are generally recommended for mature tanks of at least 12 months old

I would also look to raise your nitrates a little otherwise you could risk various types of unwanted issues such as cyno bacteria etc

Your pH is fine at 7.8 as well so I wouldn’t mess to much with that

And keep the pictures coming Andy!

 

[Andy Bliss]

How it all looks today ( the other pics were weeks old!)

 

[Andy Bliss]

If you just had an ammonia spike, I’d be concerned about the tank’s cycle, and definitely cautious about adding a couple anemone to the tank. You don’t want to start over

The tank looks very nice so far and great pictures!

Anemones require pristine water conditions and are generally recommended for mature tanks of at least 12 months old

I would also look to raise your nitrates a little otherwise you could risk various types of unwanted issues such as cyno bacteria etc

Your pH is fine at 7.8 as well so I wouldn’t mess to much with that

And keep the pictures coming Andy!

Hi Jon/SPR,

My goal with this tank was to have percula’s and Anemones, so much so that my lfs have both in a tank to try and get them hosted before purchase, i understood from them that live rock/sand, skimmer and the set up i have would give me the conditions i needed to do this inside 2 months.

Are there exceptions to your advise or have i been misled?

I was reluctant to purchase the clowns without the Anemones as i thought it would be harder to get one to host the clowns later.

If my advise or plans are floored i would be happy (if dissapointed) to hear yours and others views.

Andy.

 

[Jon Fishman]

You need to figure out water-stability before an anemone. I’m not big on “minimum tank maturity times” necessarily, but you still have questionable things going on, that you need to figure out first.


Them getting it to host before purchase isn’t really necessary. The clowns could be all cozy in it, and ignore it once moved

 

[SPR1968]

Hi Jon/SPR,

My goal with this tank was to have percula’s and Anemones, so much so that my lfs have both in a tank to try and get them hosted before purchase, i understood from them that live rock/sand, skimmer and the set up i have would give me the conditions i needed to do this inside 2 months.

Are there exceptions to your advise or have i been misled?

I was reluctant to purchase the clowns without the Anemones as i thought it would be harder to get one to host the clowns later.

If my advise or plans are floored i would be happy (if dissapointed) to hear yours and others views.

Andy.

I would just do some research on anemone care and then you can make an informed judgement and decide if your system is ready.

There is also a forum on R2R which may help as well

https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/anemone-clownfish-discussion.182/

 

[Andy Bliss]

Hi all,

Having a problem with maintaining a stable temperature at the moment so have put a hold on introducing more corals/fish until i have it sorted.

Problem:
The tank temp keeps on rising to 28/29c, i don’t seem to be able to stop it despite changing out my flouresent lighting for LED and introducing a supply and extract pc fan in the hood.
Part of my problem maybe i wanted the tank and sump to be glass covered as i have always done with my freshwater tropicals so i don’t get loads of evaporation but that has never been a factor in those tanks so don’t think it is here either, I know i can blow air across the water surface but that defeats my evaporation tactic so don’t want to do that.

Possible issues?

1. I am using a 240v pond pump as a return from my sump, do they really run that warm?
2. Same again for my in tank wave maker, 240v again, do they really run that warm?
3. Ambient temps are the same for my FW & SW so don’t think thats a problem.
4. Skimmer?

Possible solutions?

1. I have a husky drinks cooler so i rigged up a plastic coil in it and pumped water around it but doesn’t seem to be doing much, probable getting a bad heat transfer because it’s plastic even though i have a reasonably slow flow and have just connected it to my top up water to test it. (Maybe 10ltrs top’s)
2. Install a chiller - Why?, my FW aquarium doesnt need one?
3. Blow air across the surface, (covered above)

I cant see the wood for the trees atm so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Andy.

 

[Andy Bliss]

Hi all,

So i have some additions to the tank (see below pictures)

Let me know what you think!

Andy.

 

[Andy Bliss]

12 hours later and the nem seems to have settled down now, looking much happier!

 

[Andy Bliss]

So, just as an update, i have upgraded some of my equipment as per the below as well as my lighting to VIPARSPECTRA Timer Control 300W LED.

I am still having issues with keeping corals alive and am currently treating with couprisol to remove any traces of copper but any corals or Macroalgae i have added has eventually died, i am hoping it may be copper or the lighting but at the moment am on pause untill i can get a grip !