My 90 Gallon Build

[Ober_Reef]

Hello All,

After almost two months of waiting we finally got our new flooring installed and I was able to set up my tank. Still
some work to do and some equipment to buy but I am up and running. The goal is for the tank to be a mixed reef system.

Equipment
-New 90 Gallon Corner Flow Tank
-Bashsea BioFuge Sump
-Hydor Seltz D 2400 Return Pump
-BRS 300w Titanium InkbirdSmart Combo(little bummed I didn’t think about doing two150ws after doing some research)

Equipment to Buy
-I’m starting with two AI Prime HDs(unfortunately LFS sold out just before I got there yesterday and I try to support them as much as I can)
-Two AI Nero 5’s
-Thinking about doing a Gyre power head on the back wall as well
-ATO, haven’t decided on which one yet
-Refugium Light
-Reef Octopus 130s Skimmer

Concerns
-Wondering if maybe I went to big on my sump as you can see in the photos I don’t have too much more room and I will be adding an ATO soon. Worried about room for media reactors and dosing in the future.

To Do
-I bought live rock to help jump start my cycle. It’s not actually from the ocean but man made and seeded by the manufacturer, I plan to buy more and have some pieces I’m cycling in my mixing room as well. So I will be building on my aquascape over time
-Reaching out to a local window and door screen company to have them make me screen top fish savers with mesh screen I bought from BRS

That’s all for now, any input and advice on equipment and planning is more than welcomed!

 

[Brian Hall]

Hello All,

After almost two months of waiting we finally got our new flooring installed and I was able to set up my tank. Still
some work to do and some equipment to buy but I am up and running. The goal is for the tank to be a mixed reef system.

Equipment
-New 90 Gallon Corner Flow Tank
-Bashsea BioFuge Sump
-Hydor Seltz D 2400 Return Pump
-BRS 300w Titanium InkbirdSmart Combo(little bummed I didn’t think about doing two150ws after doing some research)

Equipment to Buy
-I’m starting with two AI Prime HDs(unfortunately LFS sold out just before I got there yesterday and I try to support them as much as I can)
-Two AI Nero 5’s
-Thinking about doing a Gyre power head on the back wall as well
-ATO, haven’t decided on which one yet
-Refugium Light
-Reef Octopus 130s Skimmer

Concerns
-Wondering if maybe I went to big on my sump as you can see in the photos I don’t have too much more room and I will be adding an ATO soon. Worried about room for media reactors and dosing in the future.

To Do
-I bought live rock to help jump start my cycle. It’s not actually from the ocean but man made and seeded by the manufacturer, I plan to buy more and have some pieces I’m cycling in my mixing room as well. So I will be building on my aquascape over time
-Reaching out to a local window and door screen company to have them make me screen top fish savers with mesh screen I bought from BRS

That’s all for now, any input and advice on equipment and planning is more than welcomed!

Your set up is similar to mine. I have a 90gal. half moon. I use the AI primes and love the ability to focus the light where I need it. I picked up a Gyre pump and placed on my back wall. It made a big difference with my corals, getting that alternating flow. My sump is crowded. very close to yours, although I made my own out of a 29 gal. I am using a Reef Octopus hang on to give me more room in my sump. The curved front allows me to do this. Jeff at Life Reef can build a reactor to fit your set up. He is very knowledgeable. To get more room for my dosing, I added a frag tank to the display system. I use the reactor pump to supply the water and do all my dosing in the frag tank.

 

[Ober_Reef]

Your set up is similar to mine. I have a 90gal. half moon. I use the AI primes and love the ability to focus the light where I need it. I picked up a Gyre pump and placed on my back wall. It made a big difference with my corals, getting that alternating flow. My sump is crowded. very close to yours, although I made my own out of a 29 gal. I am using a Reef Octopus hang on to give me more room in my sump. The curved front allows me to do this. Jeff at Life Reef can build a reactor to fit your set up. He is very knowledgeable. To get more room for my dosing, I added a frag tank to the display system. I use the reactor pump to supply the water and do all my dosing in the frag tank.

Awesome I haven’t heard of Life Reef before. Thank you!

 

[jstephens1]

i have the same tank and i use the BRS 300wx2 with the inkbird. it's been rock solid . i wanted enough watts that if one failed i could heat with no issues

 

[Ober_Reef]

Quick tank update, tank is running well. All equipment is up and running except the refugium (not really needed yet). Water Parameters are holding stable and I have a few beginner corals in including frog spawn, Kryptonite Candy Cane, Zoas, and Monti caps all doing well. I also tried a neon green birdsnest and lost it, my guess is salt swings because everything else has been good in my weekly testings. Fish wise I have only lost one green chromis (bullying from other two), I currently have two lightening maroon clowns, one yellow faced goby, a royal gramma, and two green chromis as doing very well. Looking to add something else to spice the tank up a little but having a hard time choosing something reef save that works well in this tank ( I would love suggestions). Couple pictures of the tank below, blues are strong due to the morning ramp up.

 

[Ober_Reef]

Tank Update

Tank is running well but I am battling Dinos. I found one aptasia but treated it with F Aptasia and coral putty . More than likely the aptasia came in on a frag from one of my LFSs. I’m increasing nitrates and phosphates, dosed some Dr Tim’s, and running a submersible UV(Aquatop) in my sump to fight the Dinos. I am hoping this works because I don’t really have anymore room for an in-line UV under my tank.

All the coral I have are doing well. Since started this tank I have only lost two pieces, both were birdsnest and I’m not sure what caused the tissue to lob off and finally die all together. I currently have a basic frogspawn, a basic hammer, orange hammer(probably paid too much but I’m excited about it), two mystery (chalices one looks like Hollywood stunner and the other mummy eye), two montipora caps (one starburst and one toxic green), and one mystery montipora stag. I also have four or five plugs of Zoas I have gotten from WWC and Cherry Corals. I would like to find some cool torches and octospawn in the future as well and venture into more branching sps.

As far as livestock everything is doing very well. My most recent addition was one of my favorites a Flame Tail Tomini tang. I think I’m pretty close to stocked on this tank, as my tank gets more established I will add my last fish which will be a mandarin goby.

The main issue with this tank is storage for equipment. Our next house in a couple years will have room for a larger tank that I can plumb to a basement fish room. The only other equipment I plan to buy at the moment is another Vortech MP40. One piece of equipment that has been a let down for me has been my Tunze ATO, it has over filled on me multiple times. I remember having the same issue many years ago on previous tanks.


Still not good at taking photos in this hobby but here are a few.

 

[Ober_Reef]

Tank Update added some more rock for more height to add some pieces of SPS. Photo Dump

 

[Ober_Reef]

Quick Update, everything is growing well. I did however notice a few pieces of SPS turning or staying more green. My parameters have been ok so I have decided to upgrade my lighting a bit with the two Reef Brite XHO-K26s. These units will attach to my AI Hydra 32s and supplement my current lighting with similar to T5 blanketed coverage. I am really hoping this will bring out more color in my SPS and help with growth as well. Just placed the order today so I wanted to drop some before pictures to compare with future shots of the coral after the upgrade.

 

[Ober_Reef]

Just wanted to post another update as it’s been almost a week since I got the Reef Brite XHO add on kit up to 100%. I do believe I am seeing increased growth and coloration. Starting with the chalices all seem to be growing much faster and very happy. For the individual shots of frags I am going to number them for clarity.

Picture 6 is Papa Smurf and it has always had good polyp extension but has gotten even better. It’s hard to tell from my crappy picture but it is encrusting the frag plug more.

Picture 7 is Bill Murray and it’s poly extension has improved, the color is starting to show less green and a bit more red like when I received it, finally the base is encrusting a bit more.

Picture 8 is JF Fox Flame and this piece lost its bright yellow tips sitting on the frag rack. I have since attached it to rock and it is encrusting a lot more. The interesting thing about this one is it is encrusting very fast now and the previous tips aren’t gaining their bright color back yet but I am seeing little spots of bright yellow in the flat part that is encrusting the frag plug. I am guessing these will become new tips as the frag continues to encrust and grow.

Picture 9 is my Forest Fire Digitata and it’s always grown fast and done very well. I would definitely say I see increased speed in growth since adding the reef brites.

Picture 10 is Strawberry Shortcake Acro and it was growing very slow but since the add on of the Reef Brites it has encrusted the entire frag plug to the point some of the skeleton is hanging bellow the plug. The encrusting of the plug has exploded recently and I am hoping it leads to explosion of grow in the branches as well.

Picture 11 is WWC Jello Shot and I am seeing better coloration and faster encrustation of the frag plug.

Long post I know but I mainly created it to help track growth since the addition of the Reef Brites.

 

[Ober_Reef]

Two new corals came in today from a fellow reefer here on R2R, I’m pretty excited about both pieces. Really hoping the GMK flourishes and adds more polyps but also really exciting for the PC Rainbow frag I got for $30. It’s got great color already and I’m trying to figure out where to place it. In most places I am reading the PC Rainbow likes mid to lower light in order to show the most color.

 

[Ober_Reef]

Had the filter out so I snagged a couple fuller tank shots.

 

[Ober_Reef]

No crazy update but the tank was looking good at 830 today so I snagged a few shots. I also connected with a local reefer selling $20 frags in the same city I live in so I snagged a few new pieces. I grabbed a blue candy cane, Red Planet Acro, ORA Cactus Pavona, and Upscales Microlados. Honestly I was most excited for the blue candy cane coral….I know it’s beginner level but I lost a piece of Kryptonite Candy Cane from WWC early on and it has bothered me ever since. I told myself I would get candy cane coral to flourish in the future along with a nice piece of birdsnest if I ever find one(I lost two of these as well). Anyways that’s what I was most excited about until I saw the frags, the red planet looks amazing just sitting on the sand bed so now that is the piece I am most excited about. Never the less cool pieces for a great price from a local reefer in my city!

My pictures are junk because I didn’t feel like busting out the colored lens cover. I like to have them as a point of reference though.

 

[Ober_Reef]

Just wanted to post some coral growth updates. Pictures aren’t the best but I want to drop them before I forgot. I did not but out the filter for these pictures but I think they still do a good job of illustrating growth.

The first is WWC Jello Shot, it’s still a strange dark color from what I can tell but it is showing some promising growth.

 

[Ober_Reef]

Forest Fire Digitata growing like crazy.

 

[Ober_Reef]

WWC Yellow Tip Acro doing well. Lots of good growth not all showing yellow tips yet.

 

[Ober_Reef]

Jason Fox Purple Forest was added at the same time as yellow tips and growing just as well.

 

[Ober_Reef]

My Orange Hammer I have had for a long time now is getting pretty massive. I believe 4-5 heads now.

 

[Ober_Reef]

Not a good shot of my GMK Zoanthids I have had for a month or two but I went from 1-4 heads and I’m pretty happy about this.

 

[Ober_Reef]

Miami Hurricane Chalice almost filled out the plate. Great piece I got for $30 on a mystery rack.

 

[Ober_Reef]

Upscales Microclados, newer piece excusing over the epoxy.