Killponds Reefer 170

[sideofreef]

So my mate got me hooked on the idea of reefing...

Got this off eBay, 6 months old with a 4000L pump

Did a bit of a shop for bits...

Now making a mess filling the tank up...

More to follow!

 

[Zach B]

Very cool, good luck with everything and take your time

 

[sideofreef]

Some LED strips so I can see what I'm doing... (Hope they like salt...)

The sump so far...

Previous owner stuck a block of wood on with no more nails. Not sure if I can get it off or just leave it and maybe paint it.

They also replaced the slip valve with a gate valve and added another on the return pipe. Maybe had something to do with the refugium he said he was running.

 

[ShepherdReefer]

Looking good. thanks for sharing

 

[sideofreef]

Been running full on main pump with ATO, MP10 and heater for 8 hours now. Water is still a little cloudy, mainly because like an idiot I forgot to wash the sand before I put it in! Temp's up to 26c.

Today will hopefully get the salt added!

p.s. I also threw in the bio blocks under some egg create and stuck the skimmer on top of it.

 

[sideofreef]

Salt is slowly going in. Don't want to rush it since the water level has raised while adding the salt and I think that will effect the PPT reading on my Hanna.

I have been trying to work out what setting I should have my return pump on...

This is my pump's manual and it looks like 4ft (1.2m) of pipe work drops my 4000 l/h to ~3500 l/h, but I could be completely out?

Minimum return pump l/h...
170 * 5 = 850

Maximum return pump l/h...
170 * 10 = 1700

My pumps performance...
3500 l/h @ 4ft (1.2m)

Setting dial goes from 1 to 20...
3500 / 20 = 175 l/h per setting on the dial

Setting 5 = 875 l/h
Setting 10 = 1750 l/h

Minimum setting = 5, Max setting = 10

Currently been running it at setting 5 and not had any issues.

In the future when I get some coral's in there I expect I would need to increase this, but for the time being do you folks think running it on the minimum is fine?

Cheers!

 

[sideofreef]

Salts in and I have my first fish in there... Say hi to Dave the Yellow watchman goby!

I have a couple of Clarkii Clowns on order also.

Dave seems pretty happy in his new home. He had some brine and he keep going back to his hiding spot under that rock.

I also put in a bottle of ATM Colony Nitrifying Bacteria.

 

[sideofreef]

Got a Seneye for the tank today, really like the look of them! Should be here this week hopefully. It's only a second hand "Home" one but it comes with the web server and wi-fi module. Ordered the 6 months worth of the test strip things you use in it too.

I'd like to get the Seneye Reef for the PAR meter later and can just use the web server with it and sell the Home module. That's my plan anyway

Did my batch of tests today, same as yesterday but dKH went up .3 and PH dropped .1

Temperature: 25.3 °C
pH: 8.2
Ammonia: 0 ppm
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: 0 ppm
Phosphate: 0 ppm
Salinity: 34.4 ppt
Alkalinity: 9.6 dKH

I was expecting at least some Ammonia but it was clear. Not sure if it's going to rise with just one fish on a light feed with ATM or the ATM is just clearing it all out?

Also ordered some other bits and bobs. Floss, Red Sea carbon and a media bag for my media cup I got with the tank. Pull out the filter sock then (Once ATM has run it's course). Got a sand cleaner pipe drain thing off Amazon too.

Dave has taken to his cave now and only comes out to fight his reflection or eat. He's chowing down on a light feed of brine once a day at the mo.

 

[sideofreef]

Today I got the Seneye setup, ready for the slides coming that allow it to monitor things.

Also swapped out the filter bag for a media cup with Red Sea carbon and floss in it.

Also also got a couple of new additions to the tank. A pair of Clarki Clownfish.

 

[sideofreef]

So since my last update not much has changed, just been letting the cycle play out.

The Seneye turned out to be faulty so got a replacement coming soon. Just ordered a new reef kit in the end.

Done 3x 25L water changes over the last week. Starting to see brown patches on the sandbed now. Nitrites are still reading between 2 to 4ppm so it's looking like the cycle still hasn't "finished" completely yet. Ammonia has always tested at zero.

I have been feeding lightly and just letting things play out.

 

[sideofreef]

Wow, it's been an age since my last update.

Got some corals in there now, 3x pajama cardinals a pistol shrip, cleaner shrimp and a collection of cleanup crew.

• Upgraded to a Redsea 600 Skimmer
• Added a "D&D P1 H2Ocean Dosing Pump" and I'm dosing All For Reef
• Added some more sand since the pistol shrimp lovers to make mounds of it in the cave with Dave

Here are some pics of the corals, skimmer and a random copepod.

All in all, couldn't be happier with the progress.

 

[sideofreef]

Video of my tank

 

[sideofreef]

Went to get for food from the LFS and ended up getting this little guy aswell!

New Fish Video

He's a Midas Blenny. I was worried the Clarkii Clowns would pick on him, or the Goby (Dave) but in the end it was the Royal Gramma that has come to blows with him. He's holding his own tho and swims around the top of the tank anyway, out of the Gramma's way.