Build thread - converting 75 gallons fresh to salty

[Idech]

The tank has been cycled for a few days now. It took 16 days. There was never any nitrites, and there are no nitrates for now.

I ran out of ammonia tests so I ordered on Amazon and got it today. All is well so tomorrow I’m going to buy some fish. The store I usually go to has sold me a clown with brook and I lost 2 clowns and my blenny is in a hospital tank.

So I’m going to a different store that I trust. They don’t have a lot of fish but they keep them in observation before selling. They have clowns and also a Bangai cardinal I’d love to have. The bangai is almost twice the usual price because it’s bigger. I’m trying to be reasonable but it will be hard.

The filter wasn’t doing a great job at picking up tiny particles. I aimed a powerhead at the surface and now it’s doing a good skimming job. It seems it needs water agitation; the water movement creates a a vortex near the intake. The resulting trickling noise is half annoying, half soothing. I hope I get used to it.

 

[CanuckReefer]

I added a few small rocks to the scape.

But most of all I worked on the lid. I bought some 5/16 mesh netting from an online fish store. Then I tried to make it fit on the egg crate with tie wraps, after removing the inside and keeping just the sides. That sort of worked but it didn’t fit very well, too light, and it was leaving gaps.

So I bought a mesh screen kit with spline and the necessary tool to assemble it. I’ve watched a video where the guy said it took him an hour. Well, it took me the whole day. Between the dremel needing to recharge, and me taking my time so I didn’t mess it up, it took a lot of time.

I decided to leave a bit of egg crate on the back side, where the equipment go. Because egg crate is a lot easier to cut and deal with, so if I add more equipment, it won’t be too hard to make it fit.

And also because the lid wouldn’t have been as sturdy with all those corners added to accommodate the extra holes.

I will buy those little handles made for aquarium glass lids, so it’s easier to open.

So here it is. It’s been cycling for 11 days. I was hoping for an instant cycle but it’s not happening, so I’ll be patient.

L

The scape is outstanding imo. No joke. It's exactly what I would have done 25 years ago, but to be totally honest it wasn't thought about so much back then as it is now. It's one of those things thats come more to forefront in terms of natural design, which is a great thing. One day maybe I will tear mine apart, and re-do it. I like how you have 3 different sections. It looks like a few real shallow reef bommie as they are known . Reminds me of diving shallow Bahama reefs are similar. Nice work. Also it allows you flexibility of putting more invasive species if you choose on their own little island.

As for your LFS, PM me ( I see you are a Canadian) and let me know your local area, some I trust here in my neck of the Country others not so much.

Continued success, it will be growing pains dor sure, but it goes UP from here!

 

[Idech]

The scape is outstanding imo. No joke. It's exactly what I would have done 25 years ago, but to be totally honest it wasn't thought about so much back then as it is now.

Thank you so much for the compliment ! I’m pretty happy with what I’ve done, and it’s a rare thing, lol !

As for your LFS, PM me ( I see you are a Canadian) and let me know your local area, some I trust here in my neck of the Country others not so much.

I will PM you right now.

So Saturday I went to my trusted LFS that had a few fish. I decided to go with 1 bigger black oscellaris clown, 1 smaller orange oscellaris clown and 1 big banggai cardinal.

3 days later the clowns are just starting to get out of the corner. They are eating a little bit.

The cardinal is mostly staying close to the bottom of the filter, in the back. Not too far from the clowns. I’ve tried pellets, flakes and frozen mysis shrimps. I feed 2-3 times a day. He sometimes takes a mysis shrimp in his mouth but spits it out. I target feed but he has no interest.

It’s quite ironic to have a relatively big tank that you tried to make as inviting as possible, only to find all three fish all squished in one corner, barely moving.

I was getting nervous with all the food not being eaten and falling on the substrate with no crew to clean it. So I ordered 3 x nassarius snails, 3 x banded trochus snails (have little algae so I will give them algae wafers) and 2 x scarlet hermit crabs to pick it up.

Since you pay a lot for shipping, I made it more worthwhile and got 2 types of GSP. I’ll see how they react to the tank and if they’re happy, I will find a nice island for them to stay on. I’ve also bought tiger pods.

I also ordered a dozen empty shells for the crabs on Amazon. Unfortunately, almost all of them are too big for the crabs. I was amazed at how small they are; the shell is the size of a dime. I’m going to have to find new ones.

Everyone has been acclimated, the GSP’s have been dippped, the snails and crabs are moving about (except two trochus stuck together that won’t budge) and the pods have been fed with plankton and added near the rocks at the other side, where there are no fish. Lights are out and so are the pumps, for 1 hour.

I‘ve done all I could to give the tank a good start. Now I’ll let it mature a bit.

It’s a good thing because there is no more money in the piggy bank…. Moreover, Christmas is coming and I have to fight my addiction if I want to be able to buy presents for my family…

 

[CanuckReefer]

Thank you so much for the compliment ! I’m pretty happy with what I’ve done, and it’s a rare thing, lol !


I will PM you right now.

So Saturday I went to my trusted LFS that had a few fish. I decided to go with 1 bigger black oscellaris clown, 1 smaller orange oscellaris clown and 1 big banggai cardinal.

3 days later the clowns are just starting to get out of the corner. They are eating a little bit.

The cardinal is mostly staying close to the bottom of the filter, in the back. Not too far from the clowns. I’ve tried pellets, flakes and frozen mysis shrimps. I feed 2-3 times a day. He sometimes takes a mysis shrimp in his mouth but spits it out. I target feed but he has no interest.

It’s quite ironic to have a relatively big tank that you tried to make as inviting as possible, only to find all three fish all squished in one corner, barely moving.

I was getting nervous with all the food not being eaten and falling on the substrate with no crew to clean it. So I ordered 3 x nassarius snails, 3 x banded trochus snails (have little algae so I will give them algae wafers) and 2 x scarlet hermit crabs to pick it up.

Since you pay a lot for shipping, I made it more worthwhile and got 2 types of GSP. I’ll see how they react to the tank and if they’re happy, I will find a nice island for them to stay on. I’ve also bought tiger pods.

I also ordered a dozen empty shells for the crabs on Amazon. Unfortunately, almost all of them are too big for the crabs. I was amazed at how small they are; the shell is the size of a dime. I’m going to have to find new ones.

Everyone has been acclimated, the GSP’s have been dippped, the snails and crabs are moving about (except two trochus stuck together that won’t budge) and the pods have been fed with plankton and added near the rocks at the other side, where there are no fish. Lights are out and so are the pumps, for 1 hour.

I‘ve done all I could to give the tank a good start. Now I’ll let it mature a bit.

It’s a good thing because there is no more money in the piggy bank…. Moreover, Christmas is coming and I have to fight my addiction if I want to be able to buy presents for my family…

Great start! Don't worry too much if you dont get new shells for the hermits right away, they'll need new ones eventually but not next week or anything. Also anything you do buy shell wise rinse well in Rodi, a light scrub and then rinse again. 75 g I would also consider ordering a few more hermits or pick up at LFS, maybe 6 or so being a 75g ? They are little workhorses you'll need in the coming months.
Also the Banggai! One of my fave fishes. Had one for years. Don't be alarmed at the spit out, they play this game all the time, store it for a few seconds, spit it out, then will go back and pick it up later. Fussy buggers. But hardy ones. Good choice there....

 

[Idech]

75 g I would also consider ordering a few more hermits or pick up at LFS, maybe 6 or so being a 75g ? They are little workhorses you'll need in the coming months.

I’ve been debating having crabs or not, after reading they can sometimes damage corals, even eat them. I really wanted some, so I figured I would have just a few for now, and if I like how they behave, then I’ll add more.

I’d really like some blue legs as well. Maybe 3 blue legs and 1 more scarlet ? We’ll see.

There will be a lot more snails as well, when the tank has enough food for them. And other members of the CUC that I’d like to get to know. I don’t know which ones yet.

This is fascinating !

 

[Idech]

The cardinal banggai started eating yesterday, a week after being introduced. I noticed he was a different fish at night, after the lights were off, so I tried feeding him then and the second night, it worked ! This morning he ate too, so I think now he can do with a regular day feeding schedule.

I went back to the store yesterday to get the exact food he was fed (which is a major reason why he ate too) and saw a Allen’s neon damselfish, which I had researched prior and found it so beautiful I decided to buy it. It’s a very active and bold fish and after less than 1 hour in the tank, it was already eating. It seems to want to establish territory in the rocks so I won’t wait too long to finish stocking the tank.

Today I saw a Kole tang at the same store and after researching again, I decided this fish was mine, to become my centerpiece fish. I didn’t want anyone to steal it from me so I called the store and bought it. I will go get it next week-end, as I don’t want to increase my bioload too fast.

Current stocking :

Fish
2 x oscellaris clown (1 black, 1 orange)
1 x banggai cardinal
1 x Allen’s neon damselfish
1 x Kole tang (next week)

CUC
2 x scarlet hermit crabs
3 x banded trochus snails
3 x nassarius snails

Corals
1 x GSP
1 x unique GSP

 

[CanuckReefer]

The cardinal banggai started eating yesterday, a week after being introduced. I noticed he was a different fish at night, after the lights were off, so I tried feeding him then and the second night, it worked ! This morning he ate too, so I think now he can do with a regular day feeding schedule.

I went back to the store yesterday to get the exact food he was fed (which is a major reason why he ate too) and saw a Allen’s neon damselfish, which I had researched prior and found it so beautiful I decided to buy it. It’s a very active and bold fish and after less than 1 hour in the tank, it was already eating. It seems to want to establish territory in the rocks so I won’t wait too long to finish stocking the tank.

Today I saw a Kole tang at the same store and after researching again, I decided this fish was mine, to become my centerpiece fish. I didn’t want anyone to steal it from me so I called the store and bought it. I will go get it next week-end, as I don’t want to increase my bioload too fast.

Current stocking :

Fish
2 x oscellaris clown (1 black, 1 orange)
1 x banggai cardinal
1 x Allen’s neon damselfish
1 x Kole tang (next week)

CUC
2 x scarlet hermit crabs
3 x banded trochus snails
3 x nassarius snails

Corals
1 x GSP
1 x unique GSP

Nice! Things are progressing gradually. With the extra bioload coming both now and down the road consider that serpant or brittle star in the near future. Will help munch up any leftover food that makes its way into hard to reach places and help clean under the rocks...

 

[Idech]

Nice! Things are progressing gradually. With the extra bioload coming both now and down the road consider that serpant or brittle star in the near future. Will help munch up any leftover food that makes its way into hard to reach places and help clean under the rocks...

I will definitely put that on my list. Any inconvenients or things to be aware of about this little creature ?

eta : they scare me though because they look like spiders. Anyone you recommend that doesn’t look like one ?

 

[CanuckReefer]

I will definitely put that on my list. Any inconvenients or things to be aware of about this little creature ?

eta : they scare me though because they look like spiders. Anyone you recommend that doesn’t look like one ?

Hmmm.... not sure if there is that much variance in looks between them in terms of the spider reference. So maybe best to avoid lol...
No real inconvenience in these creatures. They tend to leave corals alone and are rather sedentary. You won't really often see them, usually hiding under the rocks, might slink out during tank feeding or at night.

 

[Idech]

All 4 fish are doing really well and eating with gusto. The only problem is they really love the frozen food but don’t touch the pellets much. They’ll nibble a little bit on the flakes. I need them to eat dry food for the occasional times I have to go away for a few days. I will keep trying different foods.

2 days ago I setup my Tunze comline 9012 DC skimmer. It’s breaking in so I’m adjusting the flow slowly. I’ve read the foam should ba at about mid-height of the cup, so that’s where I keep it. When it goes down, I turn it up a little. The only problem is it was fine at 20%, but now at around 35%, it’s noisy and causing ear fatigue.

I’m trying to buy the new Tunze silencer that came out in May but no store seems to be carrying it.

In 2 days I’m getting my Kole tang. I can’t wait ! Apparently the same day it arrived at the store it was eating like a pig already so fingers crossed it does the same at my house.

I’ve also started researching automated testing / dosing systems more seriously, because they are expensive and I need to budget for them.

 

[CanuckReefer]

All 4 fish are doing really well and eating with gusto. The only problem is they really love the frozen food but don’t touch the pellets much. They’ll nibble a little bit on the flakes. I need them to eat dry food for the occasional times I have to go away for a few days. I will keep trying different foods.

2 days ago I setup my Tunze comline 9012 DC skimmer. It’s breaking in so I’m adjusting the flow slowly. I’ve read the foam should ba at about mid-height of the cup, so that’s where I keep it. When it goes down, I turn it up a little. The only problem is it was fine at 20%, but now at around 35%, it’s noisy and causing ear fatigue.

I’m trying to buy the new Tunze silencer that came out in May but no store seems to be carrying it.

In 2 days I’m getting my Kole tang. I can’t wait ! Apparently the same day it arrived at the store it was eating like a pig already so fingers crossed it does the same at my house.

I’ve also started researching automated testing / dosing systems more seriously, because they are expensive and I need to budget for them.

If its the air intake, which I suspect it might be, you could try a cheap and easy DIY silencer. Worked wonders for me when I used to run one.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/simple-diy-protein-skimmer-silencer.374815/

As for the food which pellets have you tried?

 

[Idech]

If its the air intake, which I suspect it might be, you could try a cheap and easy DIY silencer.

That’s a good idea but there is already this same thing on the skimmer. The new silencer is supposed to be a lot better.

This is a picture I found on the internet of my skimmer.

As for the food which pellets have you tried?

My pellets are Northfin marine 1 mm pellets. It‘s premium quality food made in Canada and that’s what the fish were fed at the store where I bought them.

I guess now that they get plenty of frozen, they won’t make an effort to eat pellets.

Do you have something to recommend ?

 

[CanuckReefer]

That’s a good idea but there is already this same thing on the skimmer. The new silencer is supposed to be a lot better.

This is a picture I found on the internet of my skimmer.

My pellets are Northfin marine 1 mm pellets. It‘s premium quality food made in Canada and that’s what the fish were fed at the store where I bought them.

I guess now that they get plenty of frozen, they won’t make an effort to eat pellets.

Do you have something to recommend ?

These are the ones I have used occasionally for the last few years successful. However I don't feed them often, only after I run out of homemade frozen or if away for a few days, they seem to gobble them up.

I like the fact you are feeding made here, and a quality line, so imo, stick with it, they will eventually adjust imo after awhile.

As for the skimmer, hmmm.... ok I'll throw a shot in the dark here, to @Sleeping Giant another Canadian reefer from Thunder Bay. He has a setup which imo may be close to what you are trying to achieve, and I believe has made some adaptations to his skimmer. Perhaps he has an idea about the noise increase?

The Kole Tang.... I'm excited for you! They are a beautiful fish when you look closely at their markings , and a great workhorse to clean up the tank a bit. I had one that lived about 5 years with my current Yellow Tang. They got along fairly well for two Tangs. Then I had a mini crash and I lost the Kole. Sad day. Anyway, the fish are eating well frozen, and things are adjusting nicely, exception the high skim rate noise, this can be solved. Well done!

 

[Sleeping Giant]

The noise might from it being broken in, it might take a couple of days. If there's lots of air bubbles I find the skimmers will be louder until they disapate

 

[Idech]

The kole tang is in the tank; it took about 5 minutes and it was already looking for food on the rocks.

What an absolutely beautiful, amazing fish ! The way his fins move independently gives him a cartoonish look that I love. At first the Allen’s damsel wasn’t sure and staying away but now she seems okay.

This time I made sure to buy exactly what he was eating, and more. I bought frozen krill, some more frozen spirulina/brine shrimps, some nori and a clip to hang it on the glass.

I fed mysis/brine/spirulina and it went for it right away. I also fed some spirulina flakes, that he seemed to like even more. Finally, I tried some nori that he obviously had no idea what it was. I saw him take a bite 5 minutes ago but he didn’t come back for more. The nori has been 4 hours in the tank and it’s starting to shred. I guess the crabs and snails will appreciate it.

Having a skimmer gives me peace of mind about all this food going in the tank. I still have my freshwater reflexes about too much food causing nitrates. I have 0 nitrates in this tank…

 

[Idech]

The tang is too cute…. When the « sun » started to set, he booked a room in the rocks and when to bed !

The Allen damsel does the same. He had to change rooms though because the tang stole his, lol !

 

[CanuckReefer]

The kole tang is in the tank; it took about 5 minutes and it was already looking for food on the rocks.

What an absolutely beautiful, amazing fish ! The way his fins move independently gives him a cartoonish look that I love. At first the Allen’s damsel wasn’t sure and staying away but now she seems okay.

This time I made sure to buy exactly what he was eating, and more. I bought frozen krill, some more frozen spirulina/brine shrimps, some nori and a clip to hang it on the glass.

I fed mysis/brine/spirulina and it went for it right away. I also fed some spirulina flakes, that he seemed to like even more. Finally, I tried some nori that he obviously had no idea what it was. I saw him take a bite 5 minutes ago but he didn’t come back for more. The nori has been 4 hours in the tank and it’s starting to shred. I guess the crabs and snails will appreciate it.

Having a skimmer gives me peace of mind about all this food going in the tank. I still have my freshwater reflexes about too much food causing nitrates. I have 0 nitrates in this tank…

Right? They are a beauty fish when you look closely and see all the blue lines that get camouflaged by the brownish overall colour! Don't get too hung up on the Nitrates at this point, you will IMO need some ( yes not too much lol) down the road to keep your corals happy. My system was zeroed for years and the growth stunted because of it.... enjoy your new pal!
Oh, and the krill I am a fan of in general, I haven't bought in a while, but the fish tend to go nutz for it. I utilize it as a nice treat for them.

 

[Idech]

Don't get too hung up on the Nitrates at this point, you will IMO need some ( yes not too much lol) down the road to keep your corals happy. My system was zeroed for years and the growth stunted because of it.... enjoy your new pal!

Yeah, I know. I’d like to have a little nitrates but it’s just not happening. Not even in my Evo 13.5 that’s been running for 7 months.

How did you manage to finally have a little bit of nitrates ?

 

[CanuckReefer]

Yeah, I know. I’d like to have a little nitrates but it’s just not happening. Not even in my Evo 13.5 that’s been running for 7 months.

How did you manage to finally have a little bit of nitrates ?

I ended up getting rid of my skimmer.... not advisable in your situation current ,but mine really wasn't pulling too much skimmate anyway. Bumped me up to a steady 10-15 area.
Its the long time rock in my system that does the heavy lifting. I'm one of those guys that decided after long haul less was more.... as I say, I wouldn't recommend my methods to a newer reefer, stability early is needed. But I would recommend further down the road, for those adventurous to try it....

Get us all a picture of your new friend tomorrow, and post it . Would love to see !

 

[Idech]

I can’t get pictures of the tang because he is too skittish. I’ve done a video as close as I could. You can see how much he likes going in his cave for comfort.