Ken's 290 Peninsula

[Fiziksgeek]

I also got a shipment from Dr. Reef!

the order was 12 Green Chromis, 1 Purple Dottyback, 1 Yellow Watchman Goby, 1 Diamond Goby, and 1 Exquisite firefish.

Unfortunately, the diamond goby was clinging to life when I opened the box and did not survive past acclimation. The exquisite firefish died 3 days later. It seemed to be eating, so not sure what went wrong. Everything else is doing good. The Yellow watchman isn't particularly yellow, but maybe it will color up with time. The chromis are big and healthy, bigger than I was expecting. Hard to get them all in the shot, but they mostly school together which is great. They eat like pigs. I am feeding frozen mysis and a bit of LFS reef frenzy at the moment. Just added some PE pellets on an automatic feed for some small doses of food throughout the day.

I already placed a second order with Dr. Reef for some some wrasse, and they honored their guarantee and have added replacements for the diamond goby and firefish to that order! So we'll see how that goes!

After that, I am unlikely to add anything more until May or June as we are heading to Hawaii for a couple weeks for spring break! In terms of fish, next up might be some anthias, and them finally a tang gang. In terms of corals, I want to make sure what I already had can thrive!

 

[MikeG]

Yes I have plans to skin the stands...though not entire sure how. Initially I wanted to do Starboard panels. Framingtech used to offer these, but the prices for the starboard got out of control so they stopped. I'd like to do something myself, either plywood or maybe some premade door panels, not entirely sure. I don't expect to have the stand covered up this year.

The profiles are 45x45 and 45x90s.

If you are looking to do plywood skin, I have the same stand. I ended up using furniture inserts with allen screws into the plywood panels held in place by 90 degree brackets in the aluminum frame

Worked well

 

[rocket098]

Tank is looking great. I have the sk60 sump I’m curious how much flow your pushing with the rollers. Also in the return pump chamber of the sump I keep having things floating and collecting there on the surface of the water. Do you have a similar issue or maybe I’m setting it up incorrectly. Thanks for any advice.

 

[Fiziksgeek]

Finally caught him!

 

[Fiziksgeek]

If you are looking to do plywood skin, I have the same stand. I ended up using furniture inserts with allen screws into the plywood panels held in place by 90 degree brackets in the aluminum frame

Worked well

Great job on the stand, looks awesome. I dud purchase a bunch of the Button Fix fasteners with the intent of making removable panels for maximum access. But I do like the idea of having a band around the top of the stand/bottom of the tank that is fixed. So maybe some hybrid of your design and my concept. I am not likely work on the stand until spring, May at the earliest, life is busy!

 

[MikeG]

Great job on the stand, looks awesome. I dud purchase a bunch of the Button Fix fasteners with the intent of making removable panels for maximum access. But I do like the idea of having a band around the top of the stand/bottom of the tank that is fixed. So maybe some hybrid of your design and my concept. I am not likely work on the stand until spring, May at the earliest, life is busy!

My doors are all attached with earth magnets as well, they pop right off

 

[Gumbies R Us]

I also got a shipment from Dr. Reef!

the order was 12 Green Chromis, 1 Purple Dottyback, 1 Yellow Watchman Goby, 1 Diamond Goby, and 1 Exquisite firefish.

Unfortunately, the diamond goby was clinging to life when I opened the box and did not survive past acclimation. The exquisite firefish died 3 days later. It seemed to be eating, so not sure what went wrong. Everything else is doing good. The Yellow watchman isn't particularly yellow, but maybe it will color up with time. The chromis are big and healthy, bigger than I was expecting. Hard to get them all in the shot, but they mostly school together which is great. They eat like pigs. I am feeding frozen mysis and a bit of LFS reef frenzy at the moment. Just added some PE pellets on an automatic feed for some small doses of food throughout the day.

I already placed a second order with Dr. Reef for some some wrasse, and they honored their guarantee and have added replacements for the diamond goby and firefish to that order! So we'll see how that goes!

After that, I am unlikely to add anything more until May or June as we are heading to Hawaii for a couple weeks for spring break! In terms of fish, next up might be some anthias, and them finally a tang gang. In terms of corals, I want to make sure what I already had can thrive!

Love the fish you got!!

 

[Fiziksgeek]

 

[ScottD]

Howdy Neighboor, I’m over in Bethany. Came across your build and thought I’d say Hi and nice looking tank.
-Scott

 

[Fiziksgeek]

Howdy Neighboor, I’m over in Bethany. Came across your build and thought I’d say Hi and nice looking tank.
-Scott

I just checked out your build thread, looks like you are off to a good start!

 

[Fiziksgeek]

Made some food. Frozen Seafood meadly, freeze dreied mysis and brine soaked in selcon, and a coupe sprinklens on spirulina and pearls.

 

[Fiziksgeek]

Been sticking the cubes in the Innovative Marine frozen feeder. Playing aorund with the placement. This may be too close tot eh return, but it certainly spread the food out well. The cubes are also a bit large, dropped down to ~half a cube after this.

 

[Fiziksgeek]

In other news, Herbert, the gorilla crab my son made me keep is living in the sump and has grown...he is ~3" across...

 

[ScottD]

I just checked out your build thread, looks like you are off to a good start!

Thanks, it’s been going a lot slower of a start than I’d like, January was a bad month with family health. Hoping to a better month this month. I like your idea of using the harbor freight lift cart to move your tank into the house. I’ll probably steal that idea when I go to move mine inside. I’ll also have to flip my tank on its side to bring it in so might have to pick your brain a little on that when the time comes.

 

[mandyvan]

Last Chromie standing?

 

[Fiziksgeek]

Last Chromie standing?

Glad to report all are doing fine! Next shipment from Dr Reef might be coming this Friday!

 

[Fiziksgeek]

Frag tank in use. WWC order delivered last week. Everything looks to be doing well, except one. Middle row, second form the left. This is/was a Dark Knight. Pretty much DOA...now I know why it was a $5 frag. Everything else is doing well. Most of it will be remounted and moved up to the main tank over the next couple weeks.

 

[Fiziksgeek]

Been a while since I posted. Life is busy, and tough. Started my mother on hospice care last week.

Anyway, The tank is/was maturing. We went on a 2 week vacation to Hawaii in April. Maui and big island. Did some snorkeling while there, discovered I get sea sick easily. Sooo, I'll still to looking at my tank! Set up an automatic feeder to drop some pellets and had someone come put in a cube on my home made frozen once a day. I got a couple 105gallon tanks for water, had one connected to an Osmolator for top off, worked great. Just had the sitter check the water level every day.

A week or so after we got back, discovered a huge crab lurking in the deep. Also knew we still had some gorilla crabs. Then some bryosis started. So we made a drastic decision. My wife and I spent an entire day taking all of the rock out of the tank. Scrubbing off the bryosis and catching crabs.

This guy is sitting on a 3" frag disk for scale...

Though we have pulled out at least 20 gorilla crabs one or two at a time, we had many more...

 

[Fiziksgeek]

We took every bit of rock out (all 300 lbs) swished and scrubbed it, and places in holding tanks with water. Then of course had to figure out how to put it back. The two disadvantages of line rock are 1. Hitchhikers 2. Not have time/freedom to pre-build the aquascape. It was very hard the first time around because i Was getting back from the airport late in the day and felt like I had to get the rock into the tank ASAP. This time around, I had lots of extra water on hand. Rubbermaid and tanks, and a helper. It was a ton of work, but overall, I like the aquascape better and we purposely made better/flatter areas to put frags. Rich now, all of my frags are on small rocks so I can move them around easily as I try to learn their needs and adjust the placement to best suit them.

Just poor cell phone pics, but here is the new look. Its har dot get a ldea of the canyons and shelfs form the pics, but there is good swimming room. Various heights so I can move corals up and down, left and right to adjust PAR and flow. Getting a little brown algae on some of the rocks, especially thsoe that we flipped completely over in the new scape.

Time to focus of stability and growth. Hard to get the fish in the pic, but I have:

12 Green chromis
1 Yellow Watchman goby
1 diamond goby
1 purple pseudochromis
1 exquisite firefish
1 copper banded butterfly
1 purple tang
1 storm clown

Still looking to add some wrasse and additional tangs.

 

[Fiziksgeek]

Right about the 1 year mark if anyone is still following. Had some set backs, had some forward progress. Had some distractions over the summer as my mother passed away in early July. Replumbed the closed loops and added a 120W UV. Finally feel like I am getting some stability. Recently picked up some Jason Fox frags, some are doing awesome, some need more time to get their colors back. Overall the tank is doing well I think all considered.