DennistheMenace
Community Member
I am currently cycling my new 180 gallon reef. It has been wet for about 2 months. I don't know exactly what I am going to keep in here. I already have a 125g Fish Only predator tank, and a 165g mixed reef, that has been up for about 18 years, I also set up a 25g nano, that has 4 anemones and some zoos. I am trying to do a fishless, dark cycle this go around. In fact, to avoid temptation, I haven't even ordered the lights. Current equipment:
Marine Land 180 72x24x24
DIY Canopy
Triton 39 Sump
Hydor Seltz D 3200 Controller Aquarium Pump(Set at about 50%)
IceCap ATO - Inexpensive little unit, but it has worked well on my 165, My refill reservoir is a 5g bucket from Lowes.
120lbs of Caribsea Arag Alive Fiji Pink Sand
230lbs of Dry Rock - No Live
Maspect X350 Gyre Pump
Neptune Systems Apex Wave Pump Wavemaker Starter Kit
Monster SM201 Internal Protein Skimmer
500W True Temp Titanium Heating System
Apex Jr (Used) Controller - Just runs the Wavemakers, Skimmer & Sump for now.
I cycled the tank in about 3 days, by taking some of the biocubes from my existing sump on the 165 and putting them with new ones in here. Once the nitrogen cycle was complete, I transferred some of the Sea Lettuce and Chaeto from the refugium on the 165. I am currently dosing phyto daily and ghost feeding 2 extra large jumbo "stinky" shrimp in a nylon for a week at a time.
The skimmer is on its regular schedule, to shut off for 8 hours overnight and seems to have "seasoned" well. I have not installed the filter socks as of yet, and I normally run a carbon chamber in the drip after the refugium before the return, but I am not doing that as of yet.
I test each week along with my other 3 tanks, to make sure it is stable and ready to go when the lights come on.
Current readings: SG 1.0255, PH 8.10,dhk 8.0, Calcium 450, Mg 1380, Temp 75, No Ammonia, Nitrite, or Nitrate, or Phosphate. I will probably push the Mg to 1440, the dhk to 9, before adding any animals.
I am looking at trying the ReefLED 90s by Red Sea(4). I am going to mount them inside the canopy. I built it 18 inches tall with a venting slot to accommodate heat transfer. It is my intent to mount them to the hinged top shown in the pic, so I can get to them easily, if I need to. The canopy has enough room to mount additional lighting, or fans, if needed.
I don't know what corals I am going to keep as of yet. The only SPS I have kept in my mixed reef with success are Montipora, I am not sophisticated enough to work with dosers, or reactors so I think that sticks are out of the question, and I definitely love the flow of LPS. I know that my fish population will be tang heavy, with a couple of wrasses, but definitely no damsels or psuedochromis(they are killers). I have one in my 165 that wants to fight everything, and kills every wrasse I have tried to slip in, and my damsels don't like when I place something new in their territory. Here are some pics:
Marine Land 180 72x24x24
DIY Canopy
Triton 39 Sump
Hydor Seltz D 3200 Controller Aquarium Pump(Set at about 50%)
IceCap ATO - Inexpensive little unit, but it has worked well on my 165, My refill reservoir is a 5g bucket from Lowes.
120lbs of Caribsea Arag Alive Fiji Pink Sand
230lbs of Dry Rock - No Live
Maspect X350 Gyre Pump
Neptune Systems Apex Wave Pump Wavemaker Starter Kit
Monster SM201 Internal Protein Skimmer
500W True Temp Titanium Heating System
Apex Jr (Used) Controller - Just runs the Wavemakers, Skimmer & Sump for now.
I cycled the tank in about 3 days, by taking some of the biocubes from my existing sump on the 165 and putting them with new ones in here. Once the nitrogen cycle was complete, I transferred some of the Sea Lettuce and Chaeto from the refugium on the 165. I am currently dosing phyto daily and ghost feeding 2 extra large jumbo "stinky" shrimp in a nylon for a week at a time.
The skimmer is on its regular schedule, to shut off for 8 hours overnight and seems to have "seasoned" well. I have not installed the filter socks as of yet, and I normally run a carbon chamber in the drip after the refugium before the return, but I am not doing that as of yet.
I test each week along with my other 3 tanks, to make sure it is stable and ready to go when the lights come on.
Current readings: SG 1.0255, PH 8.10,dhk 8.0, Calcium 450, Mg 1380, Temp 75, No Ammonia, Nitrite, or Nitrate, or Phosphate. I will probably push the Mg to 1440, the dhk to 9, before adding any animals.
I am looking at trying the ReefLED 90s by Red Sea(4). I am going to mount them inside the canopy. I built it 18 inches tall with a venting slot to accommodate heat transfer. It is my intent to mount them to the hinged top shown in the pic, so I can get to them easily, if I need to. The canopy has enough room to mount additional lighting, or fans, if needed.
I don't know what corals I am going to keep as of yet. The only SPS I have kept in my mixed reef with success are Montipora, I am not sophisticated enough to work with dosers, or reactors so I think that sticks are out of the question, and I definitely love the flow of LPS. I know that my fish population will be tang heavy, with a couple of wrasses, but definitely no damsels or psuedochromis(they are killers). I have one in my 165 that wants to fight everything, and kills every wrasse I have tried to slip in, and my damsels don't like when I place something new in their territory. Here are some pics:
