Kman's 85 Gallon Reef

[Amps Reef Life]

Hello, everyone I'm going to start a build thread here. I will post as if I just started and bring you up to date at were I am now. Basically moving my thread from another website to here. I've been a member here for a while and well... I have no good reason as to why I haven't started a build thread here.

Here we go....

I Bought this tank used It was only two months old at the time.
Tank - Planet Aquarium crystalline 85
Sump - Trigger Systems Crystal Elite 30
Lights - 2x Radion xr15 pro 1 XR30( Looking into getting more powerful lights or Building a floating canopy for Hybrid T5/LED).
Skimmer -Reef Octopus Classic 150INT
Power Heads - 2x MP 40's
Media Reactor - BRS Carbon & GFO
Controller - Apex Unit

Iv'e got tons a live rock in the garage and a heater. That about sums it up for now. Here are some pictures of the tank when I picked up it and moved it to my garage.

Thanks,

Some of the live rock I used

After being out of town bird hunting and hanging out with the newest addition to the family my nephew Kingston :) I was able to setup the tank :)

I currently have everything running other then the media reactor and my third light the XR30. I will work on both of these over the next few days. Iv'e been focused on getting the tank wet and getting the cycle going.

Here's a few pics of setting up the tank.

Finally up and running!

I think its safe to say the cycle has started!

Pic of the plumbing! Need to do some cable management.

Quick picture of the refugium.
Need to add some chaeto.

Things have changed a lot!!!!!!!
After many hours and a few beers.....

 

[Amps Reef Life]

Update -

The tank cycled in about two weeks very quick! I started with all Live rock some from my old system same with the sand.

I added my fish slowly so the good bacteria could build up.
No spikes at all in my levels through the process of adding my fish.

Current stock and I won't be adding more.

From the old tank my Red Sea Max 250
Blue tang
2x Snowflake clowns - paired and laying eggs.
Scooter Blenny
Blood Fire Shrimp
Pearl Jaw Fish

New Stock I bought
McCosker's fairy wrasse
Leopard Wrasse - (a little soon adding this one but I have Pods everywhere and the rock is aged. She's eating very well and doing great!)
Serpent starfish
Cleaner Shrimp.


I have added lots of coral from my old tank and I have made a few new purchases as well.
With Coral Fest coming up this weekend I will be coming home with lots more!!!! Iv'e already bought several frags that will be waiting for me this weekend at the event :)





Here is my most recent photo. I have moved a lot of coral since this photo.

Mounted some monti on my back wall to :) ( not in photo )

 

[Amps Reef Life]

This is my all time favorite photo so far :)

Here is the Starfish I picked up.
I feel it represents my home state Texas very well :)

 

[Amps Reef Life]

Got my BRS 2 part dosing pumps today need to get these setup ASAP. Got tired of hand dosing and I have vacation coming up something has to dose my tank while I'm away :)

Got the Pumps installed and Running. Stable Tank :)

Still a little messy.

 

[Amps Reef Life]

Just a Quick update. Dosing pumps are working great. I like them so far. Drip nice and slow no back siphon and they are very quiet.

Levels are Steady.
This morning was
Alk - 10.00
Calc 425
PH 8.01

I normally like to stay around 450 calc but I'm slowly adjusting the Calc dosing pump. Gotta find that sweet spot.

Here are a few pics of the sticks I picked up over a week ago at the Coral Fest.

This last weekend a LFS had there anniversary sale 50% off. So I picked up a Starfish :) Couldn't pass up on this sweet mili colony. ( Not my Best Pics ) more coming.

 

[Amps Reef Life]

Well sad news I lost the red Starfish. I have tried one of these in past (In my RedSea Tank) and same thing happen. Not sure if they ship bad or I'm not acclimating them correctly. I'll stick with keeping my serpent star.

I also started to loose the yellow/gold mili colony I bought during the LFS 50% sale. So i fraged the colony before any real lose happen. Not sure why... I'm going to guess for now the colony hand't settled in before selling and had to much stress. I'm sure I caused more stress when I dipped and acclimated the coral. My parameters are in line and all my other sticks are doing just fine including the other colony and acro frags I bought during that same sale. It's all part of the hobby. #$@% happens.

Other then that the tank is doing great. The dosing pumps are doing there jobs. Alk is staying steady at 9.0 and Calcium is staying at 430. I would like to adjust this to 450.

Looking into a nice camera to take picture of the tank with. Working on a GoPro video of the tank :) hopefully I can have that up soon. Time to sit back and let the tank grow out. Here are a few pictures I took with my phone this morning.

New acan colony :)

The other colony from the LFS sale. Camera isn't picking up the colors well. Its white with redish tips.

White with some blue/green on this one. Nothing crazy or special....

Waiting for these to grow out. Starting my second zoa garden lol!!! bowsers, blue hornets, king tut, and captian america. With some others I forget the names...

I'm so anxious to see this Orange Passion Acro grow... Grow baby grow!!!!!

 

[Amps Reef Life]

I will take a picture of the tank tonight. I have changed and moved thing around a lot compared to the first FTS.

 

[Trand1983]

Great Looking Tank!!

 

[Amps Reef Life]

Great Looking Tank!!

Thanks!

 

[Chrisfish]

Awesome tank!! Thanks for sharing it with us, the colors are beautiful.:)

 

[revhtree]

Great looking reef!

 

[Amps Reef Life]

Awesome tank!! Thanks for sharing it with us, the colors are beautiful.:)

Thanks, Chrisfish I appreciate that!!

 

[Amps Reef Life]

Great looking reef!

Thank you very much Revhtree! :D

 

[jsker]

The tank is coming along nicely.

 

[dodgerblew]

The acan is stellar

 

[Amps Reef Life]

The tank is coming along nicely.

Thank you!

The acan is stellar

Thanks, I love it.

 

[Amps Reef Life]

I got a decent photo last night. Here is the tank.

 

[Amps Reef Life]

My current project is making a floating canopy. I'm going to mount my LED's into this with two T5 2x54W fixtures. Going hybrid :)

 

[Amps Reef Life]

Quick update - I have picked up the wood for making the floating canopy... I was getting ready to start the build when a friend of mine tagged me in a post of someone selling a Giesemann 48 inch Dimmable Bluetooth Matrixx II T5 fixture. It's the 8x54W fixture. This fixture was 3 months old and he wanted $500. I couldn't pass as I have a custom Planet Aquarium shallow tank currently being built that I plan on running only LEDS over it. I'm going to switch over to this fixture and move my LEDS over to the new shallow tank when it arrives. The mounting legs should be here tomorrow. I plan on adding a Reef Brite LED strip to this fixture. I must have the color pop LEDS provide I absolutely love it.

I will be making this tank a sps dominated tank. The shallow reef will be a LPS and Zoa dominated tank. I can't wait to get this going. :D

I'm thinking the T5 fixture will be on fine with the leg mounts on this rimless tank. If not I'm going to switch over to the Wall Brackets to hang it over the tank. Hanging the fixture from the ceiling is no an option for me. Any opinions on the weight of this fixture and a rimless tank? Should be fine?

 

[Arron209]

Sweet tank!