Dolphins and Rainbows (Cade 1800 S2, aka Bacon Reef)

[Paleozoic_reefer]

Gorgeous tank!! Just one question, won’t it be hard to access the window behind the tank? Best of luck on your salty journey!

 

[Bacon and Eggs]

Gorgeous tank!! Just one question, won’t it be hard to access the window behind the tank? Best of luck on your salty journey!

It’s actually in front of exterior doors! I live in this beach house where almost every wall has doors in the main floor. I thought I didn’t have a place for a tank this size, but I blocked these redundant doors to the side of the house that no one uses making it look like windows. Fortunately, there is very little light that comes in there. I can access the back of the tank via the doors if needed too. It worked out.

 

[Paleozoic_reefer]

It’s actually in front of exterior doors! I live in this beach house where almost every wall has doors in the main floor. I thought I didn’t have a place for a tank this size, but I blocked these redundant doors to the side of the house that no one uses making it look like windows. Fortunately, there is very little light that comes in there. I can access the back of the tank via the doors if needed too. It worked out.

That is awesome! I would love to have a door to the back of my tank!

 

[Bacon and Eggs]

That is awesome! I would love to have a door to the back of my tank!

My house doesn’t have a lot of natural places for tanks, but this actually works out very well and is still aesthetically pleasing. There is also a little Harry Potter style closet under the nearby stairs. I think I’ll actually utilize that closet for gear and eventually maybe put a mixing station in there for automatic water changes. I’m not in a rush to do all that though. It’s a lot of freaking money getting things started from zero.

 

[Bacon and Eggs]

Trying to post a vid of my first hitchhiker. Doesn’t seem to work? Edit: This was a gecko that I found swimming in the tank. Came in on the rock work.

 

[Bacon and Eggs]

1. The aquascape was created over the course of about 4-5 weeks using a combination of Marco rocks, epoxy, mortar and super glue.
2. Tank (Cade 1800 S2) was filled 12/31/23
3. Cycle started Wed 1/4 using Dr Tim’s. Currently Day 3.
4. No refugium or skimmer yet. No media in the sump.
5. Yet to purchase or install the 3rd AP9X.
6. Much more to purchase, but I have everything needed for this stage. Starting from zero.
7. This will be a mixed reef. Focus will be on corals and smallish fish. You’ll see I did not take take a minimalist approach with the rock work. Although it’s definitely NSA and less rock than you would think at 1st glance. Next post I’ll discuss some preliminary fish stocking I’m considering and entertain some new ideas if anyone cares to share their likes.

 

[Bacon and Eggs]

A few with the lights out. Lights were just on for the pics.

 

[Bacon and Eggs]

+ 1

 

[Bacon and Eggs]

Notes:

12/31- tank filled with water and dry rock

1/4- live sand, special grade. Dosed with Dr Tim’s and ~1 ppm with Dr Tim’s Ammonium Chloride solution. No measurements.

1/6- total ammonia ~1ppm. Dosed some more Dr Tim’s this time ~ 2 ppm of the ammonium chloride solution

1/7- total ammonia > 2 ppm, ph 7.8 (Red Sea for all). Started daily dosing of microbacter7.

1/8- total ammonia ~ 2 ppm, nitrate 1 ppm

1/10- total ammonia 0.2 ppm, nitrate 5 ppm. Fish ordered. ~ 20% water change.

1/11- total ammonia < 0.1 ppm, nitrate ~ 3.5 ppm. I deemed “cycled”. Microbacter7 bottled finished.

1/12- 2 clownfish arrived and put in DT. Others in the initial order delayed until next week.

1/13- total ammonia 0, nitrate 2

Things going smoothly so far. Retrospectively, probably would have dosed even less ammonium chloride in the beginning after reading this guys (brandon429) posts and my own research as I cycled. ~30 lbs of premium live rock TBS coming at the end of the month. Wish I could have done more live rock, but the flexibility of aquascape design with the dry rock pushed me down that road.

 

[Bacon and Eggs]

The first visible inhabitants.

 

[Bacon and Eggs]

The first visible inhabitants.

They came from different distributors, but seem to really like each other. Captive bred and probably the nicest tank they’ve seen. Let’s hope they don’t think it’s all theirs.

 

[Bacon and Eggs]

 

[Paleozoic_reefer]

Amazing rockscape!!

+ 1

 

[Bacon and Eggs]

Amazing rockscape!!

Thanks, I had about a month of waiting on the tank. Took me that much time. Tank is coming together. 3 steps forward, 1 back, repeat.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Loving all the fish in there!

 

[Bacon and Eggs]

Loving all the fish in there!

Thanks, lost a couple, but mostly good luck so far. I’ll try to get some better quality shots when I can. Stocking up on some CUC the last couple of weeks, which I’ve been deficient in. Mostly inverts, but also got.a Lawnmower Blenny which is in a 10 QT. He just arrived at the lfs the day before I purchased. He’s a bit shellshocked. Trying to get him to eat.

 

[acroslayer]

Congratulations on the cade isn't it heavy! My God anyways you'll love the 1800s I have the same tank

 

[Bacon and Eggs]

Congratulations on the cade isn't it heavy! My God anyways you'll love the 1800s I have the same tank

Awesome, clean tank man. I threw my first few coral frags in the sump last week. How long you had yours?

 

[acroslayer]

Awesome, clean tank man. I threw my first few coral frags in the sump last week. How long you had yours?

I bought it from a guy local was running a year so. I threw all my coral in it from my other tank been up a month or so

 

[Bacon and Eggs]

I bought it from a guy local was running a year so. I threw all my coral in it from my other tank been up a month or so

Nice. Up and rolling quick.