Backstory, been in hobby for off and on 9 years total over the last 22 years. Moving, having kids, etc. have caused me to sell off old tanks and not enough time to devote to the ones I still have!
Well kids are older now and can help as well.
Had a 15, 20 frag display, and the 57 gallon going for the past 4 years. Had zoas/palys, sps doing well in all of them and then it it all crashed, heater failure in two tanks. Lost all the corals, fish survived but they have since dwindled, due my laziness and them jumping out. Left is a six-line wrasse that came with my 20 frag display (bought it local from another reefer), my first fish into the 57g a snowflake clown, blood red fire shrimp (lost 1 and lost a coral banded), brittle star and numerous clean-ups (snails/hermits).
Well to get to the present! 57g Rimless is only tank with water in it as well as my survivors. I have cleaned it up and have been doing weekly WC. Removed 80% of the rock that was covered with hair algae, rock in it still has some. Did a 50% WC about 3 weeks ago and 20% last week and today.
My phosphate was at 0.14 (Hanna), but after today's WC it was reading 0. Will be checking again tomorrow.
SO for my rebuild, here is what my system is currently (but it's changing!!!!):
57g Oceanic Illuminata Rimless Tank
Aqueon Modular Proflex System 3/mag 9
SWC 120 cone skimmer
2 Avast Reactors (old versions, newer ones look sick!) for GFO and Carbon.
Avast ATO (This ATO with my RKE has never failed (ie. left in the on position and they probably have a better one now!)
BRS RO/DI 5 Stage for home drinking water (not sure they make this anymore)
Radion Gen 1 with TIR lenses (maybe upgrading)
3 mp10 Vortech. (2 i bought for the 57g (WWD) and 1 (ES, came with the frag tank),
Digital Aquatics RKE.
Some pics for you all:
57g
20g Frag Display (needs some TLC)
Sump
So whats ahead:
I've ordered a new sump and fuge from Lifereef. Big enough for 300 gallons, plumbing both the 20g and 57g into it with plans to go bigger.
WC station: 2 x 65 gallon storage tanks, have one, store has to get another one in.
One for fresh and one for salt! No more water on the floor from forgetting to turn my rodi off! Wife=HAPPY
And no more all day WC's, mixing salt heating it up! With the other tank, it will be flawless! Both storage's to get a heater/circulation pump. This is the one thing if you get in this hobby you should do first because WC's will make you hate the hobby! Set up a WC station!
Lighting plan:
LED/T5 hybrid: utilize my Radion (on the fence on upgrading) and some Hamilton T5 retrofits into a hanging canopy above the tank. Going to build the canopy myself.
Circulation:
MP10's, will update the es to wwd, but not qd as i really don't hear them anyway! Tanks behind my gaming computer, which is louder with its fans!
20g frag: still trying to figure this one out, want to plumb to new sump, it's not drilled, but has an overflow box already in it. Never drilled or worked on acrylic before. And what overflow design to use? 57g uses a durso. Bean is too big for the tank without modifying. Herbie?
That about sums it up for now with the "rebuild"! Hope you all enjoy!
Well kids are older now and can help as well.
Had a 15, 20 frag display, and the 57 gallon going for the past 4 years. Had zoas/palys, sps doing well in all of them and then it it all crashed, heater failure in two tanks. Lost all the corals, fish survived but they have since dwindled, due my laziness and them jumping out. Left is a six-line wrasse that came with my 20 frag display (bought it local from another reefer), my first fish into the 57g a snowflake clown, blood red fire shrimp (lost 1 and lost a coral banded), brittle star and numerous clean-ups (snails/hermits).
Well to get to the present! 57g Rimless is only tank with water in it as well as my survivors. I have cleaned it up and have been doing weekly WC. Removed 80% of the rock that was covered with hair algae, rock in it still has some. Did a 50% WC about 3 weeks ago and 20% last week and today.
My phosphate was at 0.14 (Hanna), but after today's WC it was reading 0. Will be checking again tomorrow.
SO for my rebuild, here is what my system is currently (but it's changing!!!!):
57g Oceanic Illuminata Rimless Tank
Aqueon Modular Proflex System 3/mag 9
SWC 120 cone skimmer
2 Avast Reactors (old versions, newer ones look sick!) for GFO and Carbon.
Avast ATO (This ATO with my RKE has never failed (ie. left in the on position and they probably have a better one now!)
BRS RO/DI 5 Stage for home drinking water (not sure they make this anymore)
Radion Gen 1 with TIR lenses (maybe upgrading)
3 mp10 Vortech. (2 i bought for the 57g (WWD) and 1 (ES, came with the frag tank),
Digital Aquatics RKE.
Some pics for you all:
57g
20g Frag Display (needs some TLC)
Sump
So whats ahead:
I've ordered a new sump and fuge from Lifereef. Big enough for 300 gallons, plumbing both the 20g and 57g into it with plans to go bigger.
WC station: 2 x 65 gallon storage tanks, have one, store has to get another one in.
One for fresh and one for salt! No more water on the floor from forgetting to turn my rodi off! Wife=HAPPY
And no more all day WC's, mixing salt heating it up! With the other tank, it will be flawless! Both storage's to get a heater/circulation pump. This is the one thing if you get in this hobby you should do first because WC's will make you hate the hobby! Set up a WC station!
Lighting plan:
LED/T5 hybrid: utilize my Radion (on the fence on upgrading) and some Hamilton T5 retrofits into a hanging canopy above the tank. Going to build the canopy myself.
Circulation:
MP10's, will update the es to wwd, but not qd as i really don't hear them anyway! Tanks behind my gaming computer, which is louder with its fans!
20g frag: still trying to figure this one out, want to plumb to new sump, it's not drilled, but has an overflow box already in it. Never drilled or worked on acrylic before. And what overflow design to use? 57g uses a durso. Bean is too big for the tank without modifying. Herbie?
That about sums it up for now with the "rebuild"! Hope you all enjoy!