Jstan84's 40 Breeder PIC INTENSIVE

[Jstan84]

This is my first real tank thread over here, though I have been on my local boards since 2005 and reefing on and off since 1998.

I am currently running a 40 breeder that was set up in January. My goal is to have a nice grown in SPS reef.

Equipment List:
40 Breeder Reef ready
20 Long homemade sump
maxspect razor 120w 16k LED fixture
2x vortech mp10wes 90% power nutrient transport mode antisync with wave
Eshopps S-120 cone skimmer
nextreef MR-1 media reactor with brs ROX carbon
Finnex 300w heating element
Reefkeeper lite w/ ph probe
autotopoff.com ATO
Bacterial filtration via prodibio method.

Livestock:
Yellow tang
Firefish
Purple Firefish
Longnose hawkfish
Mcoskers flasher wrasse
2 fire shrimp
Cleaner shrimp

Corals:
Ice blue tort
Strawberry shortcake
Pink lemonade
Orange setosa
Hawkins echinata
Blue tenuis
Highlighter acro
Pearlberry
Garf bonsai (unsure of actual lineage to garf)
red planet
Unknown birdsnest
ORA mint green pavona
light green cap with purple rim and polyps

Future equipment:
Auto dosing pumps (probably bubble magus)
Santa Monica HOG.5 upflow algae scrubber
Neptune Apex

Dosing/feeding Regimen:
While I am seeing good encrusting and growth, currently my water changes are enough to handle calcium, alk, and mag consumption with weekly 5 gallon water changes with ESV salt.
Prodibio biodigest every 2 weeks
Prodibio bioptim every 2 weeks
Prodibio reef booster ever 2 weeks
Aquavitro Fuel ever other day (7 ml)
Target feed all sps weekly with reef chili (thinking about trying reef roids)
Feed unwashed mysis daily
Feed 1/4 sheet of nori on a clip every day/other day

Target Parameters:
Calc - 410ppm
Alk - 7.2-7.6 dkh
mag - 1320ppm
Nitrate - 1ppm
Phosphate - .01-.02ppm
Temp - 78.0 +/- .1 degree
Ph - 8.0-8.3

Current Parameters:
Calc - 410ppm red sea pro
Alk - 8.4dkh red sea pro
Mag - 1320-1340 dkh red sea pro
Nitrate - undetectable salifert
Phosphate - undetectable hannah
Temp 78.0 +/- .1 reefkeeper
PH - 8.0-8.3 Pinpoint lab grade probe

This tank has been a lot of trial and error (emphasis on the error). I have had problems that I have never experienced before, nutrients being too low. It took a lot of time and ignoring obvious clues to the point where I nearly gave up, but since discovering the low nutrient problem and constantly working at it, this tank is showing great signs of success. I still have a hard time keeping corals other than sps alive due to high lighting, high flow, and relatively low nutrients, but as long as the sticks are thriving that's all that really matters to me! On to the pictures!

Day 1



RIP, favorite fish. Lost him in an ich outbreak



FTS the day I added the Razor



Sump shot before prodibio and before discovering the RO skimmer was too oversized for the system.



FTS after the rescape when I had to tear apart the rockwork to remove an evil pygmy angel. Lost the midas, gramma, and flame angel to ich. The mcoskers survived somehow though he spent a week laying on his side. This was also at one of my most frustrated points as I kept bleaching/killing corals. That frogspawn didnt look like that for long and eventually shriveled up and bleached. It is now doing great in my office nano, along with a frag of the hammer, and the neon green toadstool from previous pictures.



Current FTS now the tank is doing well


IMG_9652 by jeffstanley1, on Flickr

Some Inhabitants:


IMG_9641 by jeffstanley1, on Flickr


IMG_9666 by jeffstanley1, on Flickr


IMG_9640 by jeffstanley1, on Flickr


IMG_9679 by jeffstanley1, on Flickr


IMG_9678 by jeffstanley1, on Flickr


IMG_9677 by jeffstanley1, on Flickr


IMG_9675 by jeffstanley1, on Flickr


IMG_9671 by jeffstanley1, on Flickr


IMG_9689 by jeffstanley1, on Flickr


IMG_9688 by jeffstanley1, on Flickr


IMG_9635 by jeffstanley1, on Flickr


DPP_0001 by jeffstanley1, on Flickr

FTS with new phone (galaxsy s4)


40 breeder gs4 by jeffstanley1, on Flickr

Video with new phone

[video=youtube_share;9nlCV2fPY1s]http://youtu.be/9nlCV2fPY1s[/video]

Thanks for looking, any comments or suggestions are welcome!

 

[stylaster]

Nice collection of sticks that will look great once they grow out

 

[Jstan84]

Thanks, I have a few more (ok a lot more) I want to add, but I am very quickly running out of real estate to put frags. Definitely want a piece of lime in the sky, superman monti, and maybe a few delicate/thin branched deep water acros. Maybe another cap as well.

 

[Coral Revolution]

Excellent work. I love the dimensions of the 40 breeder, not too big, not too small, perfect for most mixed reef or dedicated sps. I had one a long time ago, it was my first full blown sps reef, I sure miss the old days.

 

[Kylecva]

How much did the entire setup as far as equipment cost you if you don't mind me asking

 

[Nomadic1]

Great photos, as usual, Jeff...

 

[Jstan84]

Tank and stand - $150 (used)
Pair of mp10wes - $570 (actually won an mp10 in a raffle but thats the cost new)
Eshopps s-120 skimmer - $220
Maxspect razor - $510
Oceanrunner return pump - $80
Nextreef mr1 - $30 (used and got a steal)
Reefkeeper lite with extra pc4, sl1, and new probes - $250 (used)
Autotopoff.com ato - $60 with pump
Finnex heating element - $30
Total - $1800

Probably have a few hundred in odds and ends, salt, additives, foods, etc

Also have lost a decent amount of money on buying equipment and selling for a loss to go a different route.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S 4 using Tapatalk

 

[Mrfresh]

Really nice cast up

 

[Jstan84]

Thanks everyone, I am really pleased with the path this tank is on

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S 4 using Tapatalk

 

[revhtree]

Beautiful tank and photos!

 

[Jstan84]

Thanks guys.

Got a few more shots tonight. Finally got one of that pesky Mcoskers


IMG_9777 by jeffstanley1, on Flickr


IMG_9766 by jeffstanley1, on Flickr


IMG_9760 by jeffstanley1, on Flickr


IMG_9781 by jeffstanley1, on Flickr

and some GROWTH!

Got this setosa in In the middle of may



Tonight


IMG_9720 by jeffstanley1, on Flickr

Color is slightly better than the picture looks, but I am working on getting my colors back on several corals as well.

 

[Jstan84]

Cell phone shot update. I added a nice sized colony of green milli from a local reefer


Untitled by jeffstanley1, on Flickr

It was a real PITA to get mounted but now it can settle in. I will get a better picture of it when it settles and gets its PE back. It is a really nice piece.

 

[Jstan84]

I am also noticing the beginnings of some nice colors showing up in my birdsnest, pink lemonade, and pearlberry. Excited to see where this coloring goes.