My 125g 3 Sided View Build

[joekool]

I know the waiting sucks but don't just add anything to the new tank.

 

[prsnlty]

I have been getting rid of tanks, too many, not the right type etc... I have 1 10g qt for fish only since it has a regular florescent bulb on it and have a good spot for it. I am temporarily using my daughters 45g corner tank to dip and qt until december but only recently aquired it. Also a 27 hex fish only which was my other daughters - this may be what I'll use for coral qt after she picks up her fish.Or the 30g that I'm currently using as my sump for frags. Just sold a 100g hex w/center OF and a 24g nano that had no canopy. Almost all my rock I bought dry except a few starter pieces to seed the rest. So I do qt fish but had no place for frags with proper lighting. So I only dipped them and Qt'd for 2 days in a bucket with my tank light flooding into it. I would inspect them and put them in the dt on the frag rack if they looked good. If I saw anything that shouldn't be, I would start over. Until the asternia stars showed up I had pretty good luck. Snails on the otherhad I've never qt'd and was told many times to just put them in the tank. So I did after looking them over. But the pyramids we inside the shell where they couldn't be seen. I didn't know pyramids went after snails untill now, I thought only clams.

The aptasia just appeared one day on one coral I had for more than a year and spread. The pyramids came from a new lfs in Brooksville. As far as the asternia, I know where they came from but too late now.

What kills me as that the tank got all of this at about the same time :/

 

[prsnlty]

I have enough rock that I made for the 180. I just hate that I may not be able to use my established rock and all the good within them. Plus not using it will make the cycle in the 180 longer. As it is I have to use new sand. I'll pm my #

 

[prsnlty]

Wc on Monday, tested params today. Huge drop in CA! Mg went up some but that was intended and exactly where I want it. Ca went from 430 to 290 in 7 days. Retested to be sure I didn't mess up the test and still read 290. I rose the mg 50ppm to 1400. That should not have caused this large a drop should it? I also have a TLF kalk reactor set up with fresh supply on ATO.

 

[prsnlty]

I just got a qt/frag tank!!!!! Well actually I pick it up tomorrow. It's only a 20 long on a nice black (real) wood stand but it will be good for my needs :) A local lfs is closing its doors and I got it for $50 tank and stand.

 

[TJ's Reef]

Nice score on the new Frag/QT love the dims of the 20L, perfect for a variety of uses. Your Reef's Calcium consumption is just about par with mine except my Calcium all goes to the Coral which seems to take precedence over the Coraline algae which I have practically none of nowadays. Both good and bad as like purple LR but do not like scraping it off acrylic.


Cheers, Todd

 

[prsnlty]

Thanks Todd :) I have a 24" 250w sunpod mh with blue and white leds. I'm thinking of using over this tank but I'm worried about it being too strong. It will be suspended from the ceiling and will be able to adjust it. I have no idea how far from the water this fixture should be with a 20L, don't want to cook them. But this light will be just untill I can find something a little more appropriate. T5's maybe...

I got the last 2 bottles of kent calcium supplement from the store and adjusted as needed. I really don't know the reason for the sudden heavier use in my tank. I have little coraline left due to the asterina stars. Maybe it was due to bringing the mg up? I bought the jebao doser and thought I would give it a go. I am doing some research right now for which suppliments I'll need and where to get them. Brs is my guess. Everything in the tank, except the tank used to be covered in coraline untill the stars arrived lol.

The 20L is going to have a simple setup. A hob filter, tlf reactor with gfo, powerhead and the light. I doubt it'll need a heater but if it does I have one.

Suggestions are welcome as I am new to this ;)

 

[TJ's Reef]

Hey Jackie, I have the SWC Master Doser X3 and use the following for mixes: 2 cups Arm & Hammer Baking Soda per gallon RO/DI for Alk (Costco 13.5 lbs $9), 5 cups Mg Chloride + 3 cups Mg Sulfate per gallon RO/DI ( 6lbs/1g BRS $20 ea or DRs F&S $16 on Sale each) for Magnesium mix, 2.5 cups per gallon RO/DI Dow Flake/Driveway Heat for Calcium mix (looking for an alternative when I run out as hard to find).

On you frag/QT be sure and use at least some of your old/ nutrient laden water for Coral frags or they will also bleach out due to lack of nutrients. (been there done that) and if it's going to remain running look into getting something a like a small 6-line Wrasse to keep biologically active plus a great Coral pest predator. For lighting I'd look into a Reef Radiance DM-155e or Reef Breeders dimmable fixture, it will pay for itself in a short time from not having to buy T5 replacement lamps.

Cheers, Todd

 

[prsnlty]

Thanks Todd! Good idea using my water and I have a 6 line I can put in there. I guess I should also make a screen to keep him from jumping. For now I'll probably use the sunpak mh and in a month or so I can pick up the led unit. Maybe sooner. Tis the time of year of back to school and all car re-registrations are due. Plus still working on getting that 180 up and running. I was thinking that the mh fixture might be ok 36" above the water surface. It is one very bright (blinding lol) light on a 6-8 hr timer.

That's good info for the mixes :) I may not be able to get Dow flake in Florida but maybe online. I have a 2L bottle of brightwells concentrated magnesion that I used 10ml out of a couple of weeks ago. Can this also be used some how so I don't waste it?

 

[prsnlty]

I know the waiting sucks but don't just add anything to the new tank.

What do you mean Joe? The 45g will not hold everything I have in the 125. I have to break down the 125 in order to move the 180 in the spot where the 125 is. They won't do well in trash cans for several days or more. I was originally going to use ALL my 125 water and then add fresh sw, some of my existing rock and the new rock with new sand. I will be able to put all frag corals and maybe some of the lps in the 20L for now. But my monticap is encrusted on a large rock and I have some zoa and paly colonies on large rocks as well. It is still going to be a few weeks before I'll be ready for the move so with any luck I can work out some of the issues in the meantime. As I have been doing water changes I have been filling the 45g with my old tank water and I'll do the same for the 20L.

 

[prsnlty]

Here's my new frag tank! I still need make frag racks, a screen for the top, thermometer, and a pair of wp10s.

 

[prsnlty]

Should I put a little protein skimmer on the frag tank? I have an old hob IO seaclone just sitting around doing nothing. I know it isn't the best but it works and is rated for 100g. Or am I better off with no skimmer?

 

[prsnlty]

I had a really good idea to save space and reclaim my buffet shelf. I put my 10g fish qt under the frag tank ;) This way, other than the DT, they are together in one place ;)

Now all that's left is to put in frag shelves (making them tomorrow), pick up the powerheads and hang the sunpod 250 mh and it's all set for frags. Then I'm going to use wc water from the DT in the frag tank and my 6 line if I can catch him. Oh yeah, I will also be building a screen for the top tomorrow :)

 

[prsnlty]

So what do you guys think the 2 yr old 125 tank, peninsula canopy and stand, 29g sump and hob dual 1" eshopps over flow w/hoses worth? No pumps or lights. I'm hoping to get enough for an Apex out of it if I can, at least the base setup.

 

[prsnlty]

Jebao 4x dosing pump came! But... I don't have what all I need to set it up :( Looks nice though.

 

[prsnlty]

20L Frag tank with 10g qt below it. Almost finished! I need to get the mesh to make the screen top and put power heads in. Hang the light in the guest room where it's going then put in place and fill it :)

I made 3 levels and the high corner level is also a place for larger corals that need a little more shade ;)

 

[prsnlty]

My fat purple serpent star eating a scallop. His body is a little larger than a golf ball in dia. And legs tip to tip stretches 14"

 

[prsnlty]

So see what's left of the zoa on the bottom right? I caught the asterina star in action D:

Ya can not tell me they don't eat zoas!

 

[prsnlty]

Can't find dowflake in fl without huge shipping charges smh... I am hoping to convince my brother in law to bring some back with him from NJ. If he can even get it this time of year that is.

 

[prsnlty]

Well I think I may have accidentally killed my huge 3 head torch :( It had a monster aptasia stinging it and it was on the same rock it was attached to. I got it with hot vinegar and lemon juice. It was gone and everything looked good untill this morning one head was gone and another 1/2 there. The last head was small and barely inflated. I moved it out to a lower flow area since the flow seemed too much for the shape it was in. So, now I'm just waiting and hoping it'll make a comeback. It was one of my 1st corals 4 years ago so I'm sad over this.