CADLIGHTS 34 GALLON REBOOT (recent chaetomax install)

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Just a short explanation on the reboot before I get into the tank thread. I few years ago I got into collecting chalices , zoas, palys, and sps. I mean a lot of us have at some point right or we wouldn't be here. Well with changing jobs, changes in life, and moving several times it was hard to keep a large reef tank going the why I would like. I am sure plenty of us have been here as well. I downgraded to a small AIO and the only kept a few things, my fish and my Colorado Sunburst nem I purchased from cherry corals when macna was in florida. Well finally got situated where I could reef again and I am itching for a larger tank once again but first wanted to get my poor AIO which had been neglected to be a nice mini reef before beginning another project.

Many livestock photos will come in time to catch up on what I have in here but for now here is current equipment list and a progression of tank shots to catch up on where I am at now.

Lighting: Ecotech Radion Gen 1 ( this is from my old setup and on my list to upgrade I did some mods upgraded the lenses, pucks, diffuser but Gen4 pro is THE next upgrade.

Filtration: I have setup up Biological, Mechanical, and Chemical.
Biological: I have an intank media rack that is now just full of chaeto lit with a IM Chaetomax.
Mechanical: I have a Tunze DOC 9004 skimmer.
Chemical: I have a IM minimax midsize.

Flow: return is a rio 6hf and a mp10

Dosing: calcium and alk by a grotech doser that I won at the macna raffle
control: apex jr with an old eb8 that I had from an old apex lite.
ato is a tunze osmolator.

Feeding: For the fish PE mysis or Rods food. For my coral I used to used fauna marin chalice and zoanthus buy I recently started reefroids from polyplab and love the stuff I also started dosing their genesis as well.

OK, picture time. Now keep in mind that the first pics didn't really have any of the current filtration that I have now.

I had to dig through the phone for this I kept 2 clowns my sunburst and a banggai cardinalfish from my old setup and that was it for livestock. Didn't even bother to take a decent picture back then either and the first several pics demonstrate that.

After some time the ability to enjoy the hobby the way I like started to improve and hey I started looking at REEF2REEF again and what do you know? I live sale was going on and I couldn't help to buy a few additions.

Well at this point I started taking better care of my tank and I added the tunze skimmer.
I don't know if this caused the split but now I had two sunbursts again.

Well this made me want to add more livestock and it just so happened a friend of mine was breaking down a tank and gave me a few frags. Nothing fancy just some frogspawn and candycane coral. I was happy just wanted a nice looking tank. I was telling myself I wont collect again ......

 

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Dog pic to break the FTS monotony

 

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Well now I am kinda looking at the past pictures I have taken and said jeez I think I put a little effort into them. still nothing too fancy though.
The frogspawn from the livesale

A chalice from the live sale (now this kinda got my collecting bug going again

 

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Check out the bubble algae on this poor dude. My whole rockwork was infested at one point with it. I read some threads on here about vibrant and gave it a try. It worked, it caused some cyano, but it worked.

Hey seems he is amazed by the sunburst almost as much as I am

Well maybe not lol

 

[Sully32]

This is crazy! I can relate to this on so many levels. I just recently downgraded to a small AIO to keep just my clown pair and a sunburst anemone. We will be moving and this seemed like a viable option. I also have a pit that looks like a mix of the two on the right in your picture. Good luck with your tank progress!

 

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Well back to a few more progression shots

I know this isn't too detailed but you can see more and more frags are starting to litter the sand. Then I think hey I wish a could add another structure but I don't want to bother my corals or throw off the water chemistry.

Then low and behold I came across STAX and went to work adding a structure that didn't disturb anything.

 

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And now the bug has bitten and that obsession to collect has begun once again. Chalices, Z&P's and a few other LPS are what I want to focus on.

The most recent FTS. A few of the bells and whistles aren't on this one but they'll be on the next lol.

and a glimpse at the guts (Oh how I hate the wires!!!!!)

 

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This is crazy! I can relate to this on so many levels. I just recently downgraded to a small AIO to keep just my clown pair and a sunburst anemone. We will be moving and this seemed like a viable option. I also have a pit that looks like a mix of the two on the right in your picture. Good luck with your tank progress!

That is really crazy, sounds like the same story lol. That is pretty crazy about your dog as well, Those from left to right are Arya, Khaleesi, and Fiona. I rather have a tank then no tank at all ;Happy. And thank you, same to you as well.

 

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Ok almost caught up and here is the chaetomax install.

I placed the light drew an outline around it, then I used a pretty decent box cutter to cut the lines. Then I used a razor blade to peel off the backing. You can see the chaeto and media bag in the cut.

 

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installed:

Let it Shine

Took out that media bag and the middle bracket and its just all room for chaeto now.

and now moved the chemical filtration to the new reactor

 

[ReefKeeper09]

I'm looking to add the ChaetoMax light to my IM Drop-off fuge... I'm anxious to see how yours does.

 

[915MANG]

Hows everything going now.

 

[ranchhand02]

How's the light working?

 

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I’m sorry I haven’t updated in awhile . The light is growing chaeto well . I’ve moved and have had to setup once again I’ll have to get some new pictures but for now here is a few .

 

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A current fts