How not to start a reef tank, my first reef tank build

Which light should I upgrade to after coral qt is done?

  • 2x ai prime

    Votes: 5 50.0%
  • Reefbreeders 24 in. Photon v2

    Votes: 2 20.0%
  • Stick with current orbit USA marine

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Viparspectra 165w

    Votes: 1 10.0%
  • 2x hipargero 30w

    Votes: 1 10.0%
  • Other

    Votes: 1 10.0%

  • Total voters
    10
  • Poll closed .
OP
OP
living_tribunal

living_tribunal

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 14, 2019
Messages
4,198
Reaction score
12,164
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I messaged the builder that I’ll buy a new tank. It’s the only way I’ll stay in the hobby at this point.

I really can’t keep spending crazy amounts of money like this.
 
OP
OP
living_tribunal

living_tribunal

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 14, 2019
Messages
4,198
Reaction score
12,164
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Don't be afraid to get a $/gallon sale tank buy an overflow box and drill the tank.
I think 55 gallon are $69 and overflow box for anywhere between $120 and $300 depending on brand.

Eh, they don’t have the nice surface area dimensions. That would also involve me having to spend $ on a stand and sump.

With the new jbj, it’s just another $250 and that’s it, I’m ready to go this weekend. If I have to wait another week or so I’ll surely be out of the hobby.

I also feel terrible for the clowns.
 
OP
OP
living_tribunal

living_tribunal

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 14, 2019
Messages
4,198
Reaction score
12,164
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
They'll be ok clowns are resilient fish.

:/

I’ll stop being a baby but I’ve been waiting so long now just to have a simple tank.

We’ll do it right and fork over another $250 and hopefully by Sunday I’ll be watching my clowns swim in 65g.
 
OP
OP
living_tribunal

living_tribunal

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 14, 2019
Messages
4,198
Reaction score
12,164
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
@Why-Me do you think this tank is usable? I think it might be ok.

It seems like they glued it this way and the bottom is perfectly flat. I can’t evenpush it in to make it flush.
 
OP
OP
living_tribunal

living_tribunal

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 14, 2019
Messages
4,198
Reaction score
12,164
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
It looks like the previous owner glued one of the drain bulkheads into the overflow for some stupid reason.

How am I to go about removing it?

CDC5C0B8-F9EF-44FE-85D3-6860A5CA6DFE.jpeg
 
OP
OP
living_tribunal

living_tribunal

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 14, 2019
Messages
4,198
Reaction score
12,164
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Sizing up pvc for fittings is a lot harder than it looks o_O

I added a small platform to effectively elongate the stand as 1/10th the trim was slightly off of the stand from the trim not being fully flush.

In the process, I had to set the tank on the rim of the stand (I’m a one man band here). When I was putting the tank back one side fell down back into its place on the stand. Luckily I had already added the yoga mat underneath. It was maybe an inch fall I’d say.

Knocked out the main drain, I’m thinking the back up will be a piece of cake.

Unfortunately, my 3/4” red pvc won’t be in until Monday so I won’t be able to finish the return until then. Luckily, the previous owners return works great so I can use that to test my drains and get the tank filled.

00A0E726-92D9-4B3D-AA79-34CE2D83F1F9.jpeg
204C518B-28EC-40A9-8A3F-C994FFF1421C.jpeg
1F69C0DD-1F77-4585-AB77-83CF686E6442.jpeg
 
OP
OP
living_tribunal

living_tribunal

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 14, 2019
Messages
4,198
Reaction score
12,164
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Side note: yes... I will be shortening the final drain. Just wanted to have it longer to help with sizing.

You can always remove but you can’t add.
 
Last edited:
OP
OP
living_tribunal

living_tribunal

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 14, 2019
Messages
4,198
Reaction score
12,164
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Made a ton of progress on the tank today, we are still on pace to fill her, and potentially add the fish, on Tuesday.

I was going some work on the frag tank and the bryopsis has completely taken over. I held back intervening as I wasn’t 100% sure it was bryopsis and I didn’t want to agitate the corals.

At this point, it’s very clear that I’m dealing with bryopsis. The growth rate, composition, and bubbles at the top of this algae leave little question.

It’s beginning to agitate many corals both by growing around them and falling on top of them.

I’m beginning a reef flux treatment tonight. Going to turn off the power filter and add 200mg and let it do it’s thing.

A61AF2B8-661A-4ECA-A290-7B66310E0688.jpeg
2E71CC20-8AEA-46E3-B279-4A6F5DE24D1B.jpeg
00304C16-4C52-4D0A-8ACF-7265991B68AA.jpeg
778D0AE4-A262-4B37-A3E8-79C1F4F1059B.jpeg
 
OP
OP
living_tribunal

living_tribunal

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 14, 2019
Messages
4,198
Reaction score
12,164
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Haven't heard from ya in awhile, how are things?


Hey there, sorry for the lack of an update this past week.

Lack of time from work and overall burnout prevented me from making much progress in the tank this week

To be honest, I’m not sure if I’m ready to even test this tank. Feeling like I’ll quit soon.

Here is the mere progress, if you want to call it that, I’ve made in the last 7 days.

Completed plumbing:
7CFBCEAB-C0E2-4550-8C60-038757D1203B.jpeg
44C177A1-CABE-4A98-B2BB-4361373995B4.jpeg


Added a second safety bead of 16mm Momentive rtv 108 to the horizontal seams:
1791F18E-DB03-438A-867F-C6AC431C7F5B.jpeg


Flex sealed the inside of the stand to prevent water damage to the stand and my ego:
A3557B52-085C-465C-9C6C-60F36BCB21F4.jpeg


Purchased and installed a new 30” 25 gallon trigger system ruby sump that I can remove at any time:
EFBC62BA-5B10-4AEA-BC02-3F54434A8E2A.jpeg
08FFC52B-5DF0-4F85-9498-9597C8D54315.jpeg


Told the old tank to kick rocks:
B0C45069-E76F-4067-8BE7-8CE93C1ED17F.jpeg


Setup my new tank, rightfully dubbed “The Alamo”, in its final location:
4C5B1DF0-2DA5-48EF-97B5-164FD6D70E4D.jpeg


Robbed the old red-headed step child tank of its coralline rock structure. It was a bountiful purple pillage ( @purplehelix is no joke):
E116CAF1-3709-45D8-B1DA-ECC8F036DEBA.jpeg
839B7604-907E-4C8E-AE54-F2258CB590FE.jpeg


Garnered many stares at target because Rudy the R.O./DI unit was being slow per usual:
0063AE83-08DC-4DAB-8F93-7F573F6B7A28.jpeg
D3F0999C-3FF0-456F-B3C4-E996D15F8F85.jpeg


Performed the first full water and plumbing test (would show video but the expletives would lead to me getting banned):
C4CD114E-2E0C-413A-A886-463759AB63AF.jpeg


Miraculously recreated my rock structure... kind of:
5D56DC11-2EFB-4557-A8FD-82B12DF30433.jpeg
207635EE-9139-42DC-91E5-3B43B3B17751.jpeg


Removed my redneck rig and setup an official ai authorized hms tank mount:
DD1A74DA-8596-45BD-96EA-BBB4043B0970.jpeg


Currently, waiting:
6F2E084E-9EBB-4CF1-AEA4-C8F73DE4BFC5.jpeg
366BE131-0E70-4A4A-A98E-2A62E78ADB26.jpeg



Is this tank worth completing? Will the fish gods allow my entrance into reef heaven, or will they leave me to battle marine purgatory in perpetuity? How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop?

Some questions will never be known.

Until next time.
 
Last edited:

Why-Me

Been going against the grain since I was a sapling
View Badges
Joined
Jun 4, 2017
Messages
4,495
Reaction score
27,843
Location
Wisconsin/Minnesota Border
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hey there, sorry for the lack of an update this past week.

Lack of time from work and overall burnout prevented me from making much progress in the tank this week

To be honest, I’m not sure if I’m ready to even test this tank. Feeling like I’ll quit soon.

Here is the mere progress, if you want to call it that, I’ve made in the last 7 days.

Completed plumbing:
7CFBCEAB-C0E2-4550-8C60-038757D1203B.jpeg
44C177A1-CABE-4A98-B2BB-4361373995B4.jpeg


Added a second safety bead of 16mm Momentive rtv 108 to the horizontal seams:
1791F18E-DB03-438A-867F-C6AC431C7F5B.jpeg


Flex sealed the inside of the stand to prevent water damage to the stand and my ego:
A3557B52-085C-465C-9C6C-60F36BCB21F4.jpeg


Purchased and installed a new 30” 25 gallon trigger system ruby sump that I can remove at any time:
EFBC62BA-5B10-4AEA-BC02-3F54434A8E2A.jpeg
08FFC52B-5DF0-4F85-9498-9597C8D54315.jpeg


Told the old tank to kick rocks:
B0C45069-E76F-4067-8BE7-8CE93C1ED17F.jpeg


Setup my new tank, rightfully dubbed “The Alamo”, in its final location:
4C5B1DF0-2DA5-48EF-97B5-164FD6D70E4D.jpeg


Robbed the old red-headed step child tank of its coralline rock structure. It was a bountiful purple pillage ( @purplehelix is no joke):
E116CAF1-3709-45D8-B1DA-ECC8F036DEBA.jpeg
839B7604-907E-4C8E-AE54-F2258CB590FE.jpeg


Garnered many stares at target because Rudy the R.O./DI unit was being slow per usual:
0063AE83-08DC-4DAB-8F93-7F573F6B7A28.jpeg
D3F0999C-3FF0-456F-B3C4-E996D15F8F85.jpeg


Performed the first full water and plumbing test (would show video but the expletives would lead to me getting banned):
C4CD114E-2E0C-413A-A886-463759AB63AF.jpeg


Miraculously recreated my rock structure... kind of:
5D56DC11-2EFB-4557-A8FD-82B12DF30433.jpeg
207635EE-9139-42DC-91E5-3B43B3B17751.jpeg


Removed my redneck rig and setup an official ai authorized hms tank mount:
DD1A74DA-8596-45BD-96EA-BBB4043B0970.jpeg


Currently, waiting:
6F2E084E-9EBB-4CF1-AEA4-C8F73DE4BFC5.jpeg
366BE131-0E70-4A4A-A98E-2A62E78ADB26.jpeg



Is this tank worth completing? Will the fish gods allow my entrance into reef heaven, or will they leave me to battle marine purgatory in perpetuity? How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop?

Some questions will never be known.

Until next time.
Great progress, looks good!
"Baby steps, Bob. Baby steps"
 
OP
OP
living_tribunal

living_tribunal

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 14, 2019
Messages
4,198
Reaction score
12,164
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Great progress, looks good!
"Baby steps, Bob. Baby steps"

Doing a quick cycle with 8 oz of fritz turbo start and will hopefully have the fish in 3-4 days and frags in maybe a week.

Only thing I'm concerned with is the frag tank is suffering from dinos, not bryopsis. I'm worried to spread that in the dt.
 
OP
OP
living_tribunal

living_tribunal

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 14, 2019
Messages
4,198
Reaction score
12,164
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I’m happy with how the rock structure came out.

The only thing is I feel like I left too much space between the structure and the back glass.

Debating whether I should dismantle the structure and move back about an inch.
0E821092-3DAD-4DA8-8632-AE96BBB9CF55.jpeg
12FD064A-5ECA-4AA4-BB66-F7DC3800E1DF.jpeg
F1CBC75B-0ACF-41A0-A6A0-566FD027D9E1.jpeg
DF1C6661-222C-4853-8443-0C4092CC70CC.jpeg
 
Back
Top