JORO's 336G Dream Reef

[joro]

It's been a busy week here as the contractors took over to build the load bearing wall, reroute existing electrical, install new 20A circuits, and other miscellaneous tasks! A few pics of the before/during/after are below and while there still is some small work I have to do (e.g. installing shelving, figuring out what to do with some power bricks, etc), it all turned awesome! For those that are interested, our structural engineer's report gave us the option to build a load-bearing wall that spanned the 3 floor joists or install 2 "lolly" columns with steel plate footers. We originally planned to go with the steel columns but after deciding we much preferred the "finished" look of a wall, it was much easier (and cheaper) just to build the load bearing wall instead.



We also had an interesting discovery in one of our walls, a vintage Budweiser beer can which was released at some point in the 80's based on it being an aluminum can. Our house was built in the early 80's so presumably the workers enjoyed it while building which may explain some of the house's "features" like un-level floors



We also have some new inhabitants in both of our existing tanks! As we get closer to the delivery of the new tank, we want to begin stocking up both fish and corals (primarily the latter given size constraints) so we can make some instant impact with the new tank. Our Reefer 170 has the better lights of our existing tanks, so we decided to use this as a coral holding tank and just this week purchased some new zoas and this beautiful short tentacle plate coral which has been on my "wish list" for a while. On the fish front, we found a tiny Hippo Tang at our LFS - probably about an inch long - which we've put in the Reefer temporarily to grow out in the coming weeks before she makes it into the new tank. The first day or two was shaky but since then she's been eating algae off the clip and actively feeding at chow time. I also, unfortunately, haven't been able to get a good pic to date.



One of my "must have" fish in the new tank was a trigger - I've always loved the swimming motion and personality of these fish - and I found a beautiful one on DD which I just had to have. He's a Red Tailed Trigger - AKA Sargassum Trigger - and he/she has been doing great since we go them this morning. The trigger didn't eat tonight - but man is it thick and healthy - so I'm not too concerned with the missed meal tonight. Oddly enough, when I first put it in the tank he went straight to our cleaner shrimp and started getting cleaned (including his mouth ), so hopefully that's a good sign that long term he won't harass the CUC too much.

 

[pdt7361]

Looks good

 

[joro]

Good evening reefers! My apologies for the lack of updates but outside of getting new gear in the past few weeks, there hasn't been much in the way of "major updates" until today Before I get to that, let's talk about what's been going on the past few weeks...

Let's start with our existing tanks. While the new tank will be substantially larger in every way, that also means we'll be getting larger (and more aggressive in a few cases) fish that could cause problems with our current inhabitants. As a result, we've been contemplating the past few weeks on what was going to make the "cut" and we decided that it was best to part with most of the fish in our smaller Reefer 170 setup which were, well, small enough to become snacks for some of the others. Among those we sold to local reefers were two snowflake clowns, a Helfrichi Firefish, and a Male Mandarin. Of these, the Mandarin was probably the hardest to part with. The Mandarin was a Biota Captive Bred who we had since he was tiny - literally a half an inch in length or less - and had grown significantly into a beautiful fish that was eating frozen food regularly. We just couldn't keep in him in good conscience and I'm glad to know he'll go to a local reefer who will undoubtedly enjoy him just as much as we did.



On the equipment front, still a lot of odds and ends coming in every few days but probably the biggest addition is a second DOS / DDR combo set which will allow us to dose 2-part, magnesium, and have a 4th pump for whatever we decide to do with it. I also purchased a Tunze Osmolator though I'm hoping that Neptune releases or includes me in the NSI beta for their Auto-Top Off Kit (ATK) before everything in installed so I can use that (wink, wink @Terence). I'm also contemplating the FMK but still on the fence on whether I'd get much use out of it day to day.



On livestock, we've made made a few coral additions over the past few weeks though unfortunately we've also had a few losses. The challenge we have right now is that we want the stability of the 90G but don't have the quality lighting we have on the Reefer so the latter has become the de-facto holding tank for all coral additions. I will say that the losses have been minimal - a milli and a ricordea mushroom off hand - but the ones that have been stable are impressive. I can't wait to have all these under "proper" lighting and flow in the new system. With the recent downsizing of the Reefer I've also been on the lookout for a few fish I know we want in the new system, particularly wrasses. Nothing has been added/purchased to date but we'll see what happens in the coming weeks



On the new tank, we've been getting shots of the progress and it's making us even more excited for the finished product. We're still looking at a late May ship date which should put it here right before my birthday (June 9) which will be awesome!!!



Finally, and perhaps the biggest news to date, we just received our custom SS-48 sump from Synergy Reefs (@mixer911) and I don't know that words could possibly express how pleased we are with this purchase. First, receiving this shipment today made this whole adventure "realer" than it has been to date which is awesome but second, and not least, the craftsmanship, attention to detail, and little touches are second to none. I now know why everyone sings their praises and I'm fortunate to say I'm part of the "club" now!!! Also, I realized tonight that the sump is the same size as our 90G "big" tank, it's crazy to think that our sump for the new system is the same size as our largest tank today - this was a crazy perspective I didn't consider until tonight when I was admiring it



I'll try to post more updates in the coming weeks but likely it will be a little quiet until the new tank is in, which is of course when all the fun begins! ;Woot

 

[Zachhll]

Epic build Following.

 

[joro]

Just a few incremental updates thus far this week as we prepare for arrival! One of the more pressing tasks was modifying a section of our house's DWV (drain-waste-vent) plumbing with the goal of creating a separate run which I could use to dispose of water I remove during water changes. The job itself was pretty easy but finding ABS plumping was a pain the butt. I ended up having to order it online to get the fittings I wanted but it all turned out alright. I also made a rookie mistake in spilling the ABS Cement and now we have a nice stain on dryer Any tips on how to get it off the dryer (if possible) would be much appreciated!

On a higher note, this morning I received one of the fish I've wanted for a while which is a Red Head Solon Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus solorensis) from DD. This guy is absolutely stunning but unfortunately he looks like he took the shipping a little hard. I'll give him some TLC the next day or so and hopefully it's just temporary stress from the journey. With him arriving all of our current tanks have reached full capacity fish-wise, so no more additions on that front until the new tank arrives and is cycled

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

 

[joro]

Quite a few updates to cover tonight! First, the newly added Red Head Solon Fairy Wrasse has recovered beautifully and is not shy at all. In fact, since he's been out all day, I've seen the other fish out more frequently as well so definitely a win-win despite the initial worries! He's also a little pig at feeding time ;Bucktooth

Since we started this build the house has been a battlefield of boxes, miscellaneous plumbing parts, etc many of which have flooded over the utility room / fish room since then. Last weekend I wanted to get organized once again which included building a new shelving units to replace the larger open rack we had previously but which no longer fit in the space. Everything turned out very well although I still have an extra piece or two laying around which is never good



While the organization was occurring in the basement, I also got the huge order of plumbing supplies in for the main tank. I decided to match the color scheme of the mixing station (red pipes / grey Sch 80 fittings) and then use all gray in the overflow itself. I'm pretty sure a small plumbing supply shop in American shut down the day they fulfilled this order but I figured it would be better to have more parts than not enough, heck I can always return them!



On the equipment front, also got a shipment of 32x brand new filter socks from @Bulk Reef Supply which I'm excited to try out! I put them through an initial two-cycle wash with bleach and they are ready for use once everything get's setup!



This weekend was scheduled for water changes on both of our existing tanks and it dawned on me that this would probably be the final water change we perform on the Reefer 170. As those that have been following this thread know, the Reefer's inhabitants will be the first ones in the new tank after it's cycled. A bittersweet moment for sure, despite me hating the maintenance on such a small tank when it was good, it was really good. Although after carrying 3 5-gallon buckets of freshly mixed water up the stair, that became an afterthought



And finally, I've saved the best for last! The tank/stand cleared US Customs today and is in transit!!!! Delivery is scheduled for next week and it's so exciting to see light at the end of the tunnel at least for everything to be in our house. It came on a good long weekend as well since there is still a few odds and ends that need to be wrapped up, new apex modules installed (including the new ATK!), and of course lots and lots of water to be made. Look forward to sharing some additional updates this weekend as we finalize the remaining components and get ready to put water in this tank!



On a sorta unrelated note, our dog does not approve of all the buckets of water ;Smuggrin

 

[joro]

Sorry for the lack of updates but it's been a busy, stressful, and amazing time getting the tank setup - all in one! We received the tank last Wednesday, May 31st on a huge trailer. While the trailer was huge, the equipment they used - what was essentially a pallet jack - was not and I stood by with anticipation the entire time as I was sure (a) it was going to topple over or (b) all the up/down motion was going to bust a seam or worse break the glass. I was pleasantly surprised after it was down to inspect it with zero signs of damage, maybe I was being a helicopter tank parent ;Woot



Thursday, June 1st, was "the day." We hired our LFS - Capital Aquarium - to perform the install and they did not disappoint. I must have counted 10+ guys here that picked the tank up in what seemed effortless, put it in place, and plumbed it. They did a fantastic job with all components and I was especially impressed with the plumbing where they took what was my chicken scratch diagram and turned it into not only a reality but an improved design!



We started filling the tank using all the RODI we had hoarded in the previous weeks and after a day or so noticed the floor settled, meaning the tank was now unlevel and noticeably so, particularly on the long sides where you could see a visible slant to the water. To compound issues, there was a leak in the main drain line of the bean animal overflow which prevent us from running everything (although not that we would want to with the tank being unlevel). Again, our LFS was amazing to work with bringing out another group of guys and lots and lots of trash cans to drain down the water so they could re-level everything. Despite what turned into a full days' effort, we now have a perfectly level tank and couldn't be happier with how everything turned out!



While all this was going on, I took the opportunity to prepare the tank for the cycle which included installing the final components in the sump (e.g. skimmer, ZEOvit reactor, fuge lighting and algae, etc). I absolutely love the Reef Octopus combo with the skimmer, neck cleaner, and waste collector all working in tandem to reduce the chores. Also, the Kessil H380 is blowing my mind (just looking at the pH stableness the past two nights) and I would say it makes the equipment, piping, etc just glow beautifully when it's on



As part of the preparations, I also released the first "episode" of JORO's Reef on YouTube which is focused on how I rinsed and prepared the dry sand for installation. The results after putting in the tank were pretty incredible, especially as this was my first time using dry sand for a build. I encourage you all to take a look and let me know if there is any other topics you'd like me to cover going forward!



Finally, we're now in Day 3 of the ZEOvit cycle so not much going on. Our LFS - the same one that did the install - is currently QT'ing our batch of tangs (Achilles, Blonde Naso, and Purple) and I'm going to stop by this weekend to check them out. I'll also end by saying that officially it's my birthday and undeniably one of the best with the new tank, toys, and support from everyone! Looking forward to documenting this journey!

 

[joro]

Just got back from RAP NY 2017 and wow, what an amazing time! It was a great opportunity to meet a lot of folks, discuss the hobby, and (perhaps most importantly) see and score some of the hottest corals out there!



I didn't take any photos in the event itself - figured there would be more than enough coverage online - but did focus on getting a select few corals I'd had been looking for. The haul wasn't huge, maybe 10-12 total corals, but I really enjoyed all the pieces we purchased. My wife also got in on the action hunting down a beautiful frag of blastos I've been looking for and what can I say, I'm a lucky guy to have some an awesome wife who enjoys this hobby as much as I do!



In addition, this my first chance to really use the @BuildingAnObsession Frag Transport System and I can't even tell you how impressed I was overall. It's the little things that made a big difference when I got everything home including (a) the measuring lines on the side (so I knew how much CoralRX to use), (b) the space between the rack and the container which made it super easy to mix up the coral dip once I put it in, and (c) the ability to pull out the entire rack which made it really easy to go up/down during the dip to shake critters off. Here are a few pics of me transferring everything over in the hotel. Essentially I had all the corals bagged at the show, transferred them into the BAO (which already had fresh saltwater in it I prepared before heading up to RAP), and packed the entire thing in a nice cooler that I packed with peanuts to retain temperature.



The final haul includes two different blasto frags (with a mini colony), two zoa frags, a bubble colony, an awesome blue/gold torch, a few SPS frags including a green slimer, two gonipora frags, and a very nice carpet lobo! I haven't take any full tank shots today as everything looked pretty unhappy with the dip but with the blues on tonight they definitely started opening which was very nice to see and that blasto my wife found, absolutely stunning even from across the room given how neon it looks. Next projects for this build are the installation of the external pump (tomorrow or Tuesday) and then working on starting to break down the 90G later this week and transferring the corals/fish over to their new home! I also started raising the Alkalinity today from 6.3 dKH to 10 dKH where is what I'm aiming for. Once the level is up where I want it, I'll start dosing Calcium, Alk, and Mag from there on out through the DOS pumps!

 

[joro]

So just a quick update for today - we're officially a one tank family again I spent a good part of this morning/afternoon breaking down the 90 Gallon DT which, among other things, housed the majority of our fish that we're moving over to the new system. I'm glad to report overall the move went very smoothly and I documented (at least the first part of the breakdown) in the second episode of JORO's Reef which you can find on Youtube below! Hint, the second part is going to be pretty awesome (dealing with acclimation) including a clip I might turn into a meme



Despite the breakdown, all the fish we moved over have settled in very nicely and very quickly - I almost think they had a mini reunion since we moved over a few of their tank mates earlier in the week. I had a chance while filming the latest episode today to also take a few quick pics including some of one o my favorite fish - the Cooperband Butterfly. Hope you enjoy!

 

[joro]

Sorry for the lack of updates on this thread but you may have seen (either on YouTube or here) that our Harlequin Tusk came in with Marine Velvet. Through some great discussions with fellow R2Rs in the other thread I managed to get a Hospital Tank set up quickly and save the majority of the inhabitants thus far. Unfortunately through the process we lost the Harley, Achilles Tang, Blue Spot Jawfish, and Red-Tailed Trigger. Everyone else has adjusted pretty well to the HT but it will success will still need to be measured day-to-day. As a result of having to drain most of the tank to catch everyone and leave the DT fallow not much has changed since the last update. The drain did give me a chance to (quickly) rework the scape and I did get a few new corals before hand which I haven't shared previously including two amazing millies - Acid Drop (I think that's what it's called) and a Bubble Gum. Both are doing very well and I'm maintaining the KZ dosing protocol even during the fallow period to keep everyone happy and parameters in check.

I'd love to get your opinions on the new scape and once I get that finalized, I'm going to start gluing down frags (I have about 15 in the frag rack that I just never got around too )