DeepBlueSea 120g

DeepBlueSeaV1 · Aug 28, 2018

Late start building a 'build' thread.
April 2017 - Broke out a bunch of crap from storage and started soaking/re-curing dead rock.

Mid - 2017 Built a stand...

Fall - 2017 Dog had emergency spinal surgery - $10k surgery put damper on fish tank plans. (had pet insurance, so it didn't cost me $10k, but still a hit to the wallet.

November - 2017 - Converted what was supposed to be my quarantine system into a 29g nano.

April 2018 - Nano was keeping my busy and happy to be back in the hobby.

In the mean time, continued with intentions of a larger tank.
Built the sump from a 40 breeder using custom glass cut and polished to order.

May 2018 - Nano still doing great.

June - 2018 - Long time coming... 120, which I drilled and installed 16" modular marine overflow.

June 8 - 2018 - Spent the week plumbing the 120 and then transferred the nano aquarium occupants to the 120g

Aug 2017 - Have been tinkering with the system but still a long way to go...

Aug 27th addition

Aug 26 - Got my temporary quarantine tank setup. Used a rubbermaid trashcan as an overflow box. Attached to side wall with tunze magnets I had laying around. Sponge filter, which has been in the main sump for the past 3 months, running with a power head.

So much to do...
Need more rock.. (thinking 50# reef cleaner rock) in the main display.

Currently breeding aiptasia in a separate 10g system, to feed a Berghia which I'm hoping I can cultivate to feast on the aiptasia explosion I've had in the main.

Eventually, I'll be battling low calcium levels, so a calcium reactor is on the list (in due time, coralline algae not sucking it all up yet, but eventually, we'll get there.

Just plumbed my refugium, so, I have to get my macro algae figured out, reverse lighting, to stabilize pH swings.

Seven months of growth... between the nano and the new 120.

Stay tuned I continue this build.

Geebs19 · Aug 28, 2018

Looks good!

Ruben's Reef · Aug 28, 2018

Great build, Following>>>

DeepBlueSeaV1 · Aug 28, 2018

Did my own thing when it came to a small refugium, inside the sump. Rather than place it in the middle, I placed it on the end. This allows me to have 17"(l) x 8"(w) x 13" high water column, increasing from what would have been 4 gallons to 8 gallons. It's also fed from a dedicated pump, so I can control the flow. Created a custom basket, which is filled with 3l of Seachem Matrix carbon, allowing me to easily remove and rinse the matrix carbon, and vacuum out the bottom refugium, every once in a blue moon. Going to fill it with cheato and possible other macros. I imagine creating some plexi-glass dividers to get my cheato tumbling to maximize growth.

SPR1968 · Aug 28, 2018

Great write up and pictures and thanks for sharing them with us, that’s a very nice system indeed

And welcome to R2R!

NY_Caveman · Aug 29, 2018

Nice detailed thread. Thanks for sharing!

DeepBlueSeaV1 · Sep 16, 2018

Day 100 of the 120g system -

Biggest mistake to-date, added way too big of a clean up crew in the tank. Been experiencing cyanobacteria blooms ever since. Has to be too much death occurring for the new system to handle as there is no way I'm overfeeding 2 little clown fish. (Every other day, 2 - 3 pellets each) I've been watching my elegance coral grab snails as often as they walk by. Any how, I've been diligent battling, replaced all 3 RO/DI cartridges, cleaning the PS skimmer weekly, replacing carbon, 15 gal water changes, trying to siphon out as much algae as possible from the sanded. Really was just a perfect storm... new tank syndrome, low pH, high death rate = high nutrients.

Funny thing...
Salifert test kits results...
Phosphate = 0 (Realize it's all bound up in the cyanobacteria, throwing off test kit results, as there has to be some.)
Nitrates = 1.0 - 2.5

Mentioned low pH (Cynabacteria enjoy low pH), was seeing morning readings as low at 7.5 and end of light cycle only reaching 7.7. System is in the basement, guess, I just don't have enough fresh air (high Co2). Did a calcium test, and with diligent weekly water changes with Reef Crystals, my calcium levels were in the lower range of 370+/-. Coralline algae is growing nicely on the glass....

So... it's time to start dosing kalkwasser via the ATO, combat my low pH, raise calcium and stabilize my alkalinity.
Also installed a fresh air intake to the protein skimmer. I''ve got a 15' foot run to the outside of the house. I used 3/4" PEX tubing, reduced to 1/2 PEX tubing, to 3/8 I.D. flexible tubing, to the intake of the protein skimmer. After a week of dosing full strength kalkwasser via ATO, and the first morning after installing the the fresh air intake, I'm sitting absolutely perfect at a 8.2 pH. Next week, I'll be dialing in on my kalkwasser strength needed to maintain.

Calcium = 430
Alkalinity = 9.0
ph = 8.2
Nitrate 1.0-2.5
Phosphate still zero, but I know that's not possible with the cynabacteria mats I have forming on the sandbed.

Slow and steady, allow the system to mature.

50# of reef cleaner rock being delivered next week.. Stay tuned for what I hope will be my final aquascape and placement of existing corals before I really start filling it up with a few more fish and corals.

DeepBlueSeaV1 · Sep 22, 2018

50# reefcleaner rock added. Still playing around with aquascape. The 50# box contained only 5 pieces, which are nice. If I ever order again I'd request 4-6# pieces to have a little more flexibility with stacking, but with the rock I already have should be able to scape something solid. Trying for twin island with ability to scape all sides of glass. Eventually side view of the tank will be just as impressive as front view. (Not that it's impressive yet.).

DeepBlueSeaV1 · Dec 27, 2018

Five new ‘Christmas’ corals for $105.00. My photography skills don’t due them justice.

Superman Monti

Not sure what this is. ID appreciated

First leather to be added to system. blue polyps haven’t expanded yet.

First Mushroom Coral added

Blurry too down photo. Not really sure what this is either.

DeepBlueSeaV1 · Jan 29, 2019

Never thought I’d add this much rock but it is what it is at this point.

DeepBlueSeaV1 · Feb 2, 2019

DeepBlueSeaV1 · Feb 2, 2019

Finally got my canopy built.

NY_Caveman · Feb 4, 2019

DeepBlueSeaV1 said:
Finally got my canopy built.

Very cool. Nice job.

DeepBlueSeaV1 · Jun 30, 2019

Tank just over a year old at this point. At that point that I’m doing less and less and enjoying it more.

Coupe patches of hair algae. Still have some Cyanobacteria patches but coral growth has been awesome.

Just allowing the system to mature with bi-weekly 10% water changes with severe substrate stirring.

DeepBlueSeaV1 · Jul 21, 2019

DeepBlueSeaV1 · Nov 10, 2019

DeepBlueSeaV1 · Feb 10, 2020

DeepBlueSeaV1 · Feb 10, 2020

Swapped out my 2007 Bermuda Aquatics BPS-3C Venturi skimmer for a LifeReef svs3-24, being run by a EcoTech Vectra M2. 10” extension tube been ordered.

I have some plumbing modifications I’d like to make on this skimmer output. Not 100% sure it will work, but once I have the 10” extension, going to reroute discharge so the skimmer isn’t so sensitive to water level changes in either direction. The Bermuda Aquatics Skimmer allowed me to shut my return pump off and not have to worry about my skimmer overflowing.