New 210g FOWLR (part of a 2 tank mirror build)

[witchywoman725]

So I’m in the beginning stages of a 2- 210g mirror tank build. The first one is a FOWLR and the second will be a reef. I’m currently cycling the FOWLR tank (I’ll add aquascape pictures below). I have some FOWLR stock already in a 75g that I will be transferring (see below) and I have 2 clowns and a purple firefish to ease into the new tank (post-fishless cycle) but here is what I’m thinking for stocking:

in QT to add in 210g post fishless cycle

• 2 clowns (to be moved to reef tank)
• Purple fish fish

Already in 75g tank to be added slowly after previous:

• stars & stripes puffer (my pride & joy)
• Valentini puffer
• Flaco (flame)hawk
• Bangaii Cardinal x2
• Diamond goby
• Sandsifting starfish

Hopeful additions:

• White tail bristletooth kole tang
• Fox face rabbit fish
• Golden dwarf moray eel (at least 1 year after tank established?)
• 5-7 lyretail anthias

What are your thoughts on stocking (more/less)? The new tank is a Cade 1500 peninsula (210g total/180 display). I have a full neptune control system with dos for AWC, ATK, GRO, COR-20, 2 WAVs, 2 klir filter “socks”, octo skimmer (which I need to update larger but I’m waiting to see how the refuge works before I upgrade). And plenty of live rock in sump too…


My next thread will be a matching Cade as a reef tank… lol… 12’ of marine life *loving the dream* lol!

 

[Dan_P]

So I’m in the beginning stages of a 2- 210g mirror tank build. The first one is a FOWLR and the second will be a reef. I’m currently cycling the FOWLR tank (I’ll add aquascape pictures below). I have some FOWLR stock already in a 75g that I will be transferring (see below) and I have 2 clowns and a purple firefish to ease into the new tank (post-fishless cycle) but here is what I’m thinking for stocking:

in QT to add in 210g post fishless cycle

• 2 clowns (to be moved to reef tank)
• Purple fish fish

Already in 75g tank to be added slowly after previous:

• stars & stripes puffer (my pride & joy)
• Valentini puffer
• Flaco (flame)hawk
• Bangaii Cardinal x2
• Diamond goby
• Sandsifting starfish

Hopeful additions:

• White tail bristletooth kole tang
• Fox face rabbit fish
• Golden dwarf moray eel (at least 1 year after tank established?)
• 5-7 lyretail anthias

What are your thoughts on stocking (more/less)? The new tank is a Cade 1500 peninsula (210g total/180 display). I have a full neptune control system with dos for AWC, ATK, GRO, COR-20, 2 WAVs, 2 klir filter “socks”, octo skimmer (which I need to update larger but I’m waiting to see how the refuge works before I upgrade). And plenty of live rock in sump too…


My next thread will be a matching Cade as a reef tank… lol… 12’ of marine life *loving the dream* lol!

Wow! You are really into saltwater aquaria. Sounds nice.

 

[witchywoman725]

Wow! You are really into saltwater aquaria. Sounds nice.

Thanks, I travel a lot for work so it was important for me to be able to control Any thoughts on the stocking ideas?

 

[Dan_P]

Thanks, I travel a lot for work so it was important for me to be able to control Any thoughts on the stocking ideas?

I have no thoughts there, sorry.

 

[witchywoman725]

So it's been awhile... but so many issues with cycling and establishing this tank! It took 2 full fishelesss cycle kits before we got through a true cycle. We got it up and running with a decent stock over about 6-8 months (stars & stripes puffer, Valentini puffer, whitetail yellow-eyed kole tang, coral beauty angel, blonde naso tang, diamond goby, 2 banggai cardinal fish, 2 clowns) and then our Chaeto died in the refugium (my fault on over lighting) leading to a nasty imbalance in our tank and an algae outbreak. We beat that with some patience, but then a mysterious infection (still unknown source but some sort of bacterial infection) wiped out the whole tank except our diamond goby and blonde naso tang! After several treatments with Maracyn and many, many water changes we finally got it wiped out. We then had a bacterial bloom which took some time to clean up with many many more water changes and bacterial additives (basically a whole new tank cycle). During the whole process we struggled with low pH and we ended up adding a CO2 scrubber to the octopus skimmer. We now have the tank stabilized and we are starting to build it into our original dream of a mirror 6' predator & 6' reef tank display. We now have a new stars & stripes puffer and falco hawkfish. We are hoping it will remain stable and are watching it closely... so we can slowly add a six line wrasse, purple tang, dwarf lion fish & Picasso triggerfish. We nixed the refugium after our failure since I'm not confident enough to risk it again. We are running a mix of GFO/carbon in a media reactor now with double the amount of bio cubes in the sump. But after all that and because we are gluttons for punishment we ordered the other 6' tank for the reef build LOL! Here is a picture after all the trouble we went through with this tank so far...

 

[witchywoman725]

Our mirror 210g Cade peninsula is finally here for the reef tank side of this build. Got it set up and cycling! What do you think of the aquascape?

 

[witchywoman725]

Here's an updated shot of Reef build. It is now cycled and has some fish and corals in it... doing well so far. Ended up going with some different equipment than on the predator tank. I am eagerly awaiting my delivery of the trident, DOS+DDR this week to help get things more stabilized!

Here's what we went with on the 210g reef:
- 150 reef octo skimmer
- 1200 Redsea reef mat
- Clearwater ATS
- 2 Kessil AP9X's
- 2 MP40s
- COR-15
- neptune ATK
- pH, temp & ORP probes
- BRS CO2 scrubber
- Several bio-bricks
- 2 generic sump fans from amazon
- 2 titanium BRS heaters
- DOS for AWC

Stocking:
- foxface
- 2 clowns
- 2 azure damsels
- firefish
- lawnmower blenny
- mystery wrasse
- 3 baganii cardnialfish
- 1 candy cane
- several different zoas
- duncan
- A few ricordea mushrooms
- GPS (on island)
- pulsing Xenia (on island)
- rock flower anemones
- An acan & a chalice out of another tank that needed a new home

Parameters as of today (tank is still pretty new and settling in):
Ammonia: 0
Nitrate: 11.5 (10-15 depending on the day - trying to keep is high enough for the ATS to get running but not high enough to bother the corals LOL)
Phosphate: .14 (.08-.15 Again...depending on the day - trying to keep is high enough for the ATS to get running but not high enough to bother the corals LOL)
Alk: 9.3
Cal: 436
Mag: 1200
pH: daily Avg of 8
Temp: daily average between 79-79.5 F

 

[witchywoman725]

So it's been awhile... but so many issues with cycling and establishing this tank! It took 2 full fishelesss cycle kits before we got through a true cycle. We got it up and running with a decent stock over about 6-8 months (stars & stripes puffer, Valentini puffer, whitetail yellow-eyed kole tang, coral beauty angel, blonde naso tang, diamond goby, 2 banggai cardinal fish, 2 clowns) and then our Chaeto died in the refugium (my fault on over lighting) leading to a nasty imbalance in our tank and an algae outbreak. We beat that with some patience, but then a mysterious infection (still unknown source but some sort of bacterial infection) wiped out the whole tank except our diamond goby and blonde naso tang! After several treatments with Maracyn and many, many water changes we finally got it wiped out. We then had a bacterial bloom which took some time to clean up with many many more water changes and bacterial additives (basically a whole new tank cycle). During the whole process we struggled with low pH and we ended up adding a CO2 scrubber to the octopus skimmer. We now have the tank stabilized and we are starting to build it into our original dream of a mirror 6' predator & 6' reef tank display. We now have a new stars & stripes puffer and falco hawkfish. We are hoping it will remain stable and are watching it closely... so we can slowly add a six line wrasse, purple tang, dwarf lion fish & Picasso triggerfish. We nixed the refugium after our failure since I'm not confident enough to risk it again. We are running a mix of GFO/carbon in a media reactor now with double the amount of bio cubes in the sump. But after all that and because we are gluttons for punishment we ordered the other 6' tank for the reef build LOL! Here is a picture after all the trouble we went through with this tank so far...

As for the predator tank it is stabilized and doing great. We finally have all our numbers under control with our skimmer adjusted and upping the AWCs! With our skimmer running at top speed we were able to get rid of the CO2 scrubber (which we moved to the reef tank build).

Stocking:
- starts & stripes pufferfish
- falco hawkfish
- snowflake eel
- b&w clown fish (moved from another tank due to aggression)
- blonde naso tang (will eventually go in the reef tank build)

We are still hoping to add a dwarf lion fish in the future and a purple tang once the naso tang is moved

Parameters today:
Ammonia: 0
Nitrate: 30 and falling each day!
Phosphate: .02 (thank god for GFO!)
Temp: Daily avg 78 F
pH: Daily Avg 8.28

 

[witchywoman725]

Reef tank is up and running strong! Going through a bit of an ugly phase but otherwise everyone is happy and healthy and striving!

 

[witchywoman725]

It's been a while since I last posted an update, and I've been really focusing on the FOWLR tank since I had a horrible bacterial bloom that ended up taking root everywhere! We swapped out the Klirs for a Red Sea Reef mat (best money I ever spent!) and added UV and ATS to the FOWLR after running a maracyn treatment. So far it's coming back under controlled and thankfully all occupants are doing well. The reef tank is also doing well, fighting with some GTA/GHA due to my over feeding, but otherwise looking great and stable. The reef is LPS dominant, with a few softies and I have a few beginner SPS coming in (montipora digitata, bird's nest and cat's paw).
FOWLR Stock:
- stars & stripes puffer
-Blonde naso tang
-damond goby
-black and white clown
-Falco hawkfish
-Lemon peel angelfish
- snowflake eel

Reef Stock:
- CUC
-mystery wrasse
-tomini tang
-foxface
-2 clowns
-lawnmower blenny
-2 cardinalfish
-2 azure damsels

Reef corals:
-GSP (on island)
- acan echinata
- gonipora
- gorgonians
- duncan
-misc zoas
- 1 large reduce scoly
-2 button scoly
-wellso
-bubble coral
-lobo
-rock flower nems
-BTA
- candy canes
- 3 plate corals
- plating monti
-misc mushrooms
- 3 torches
- 5 hammers
- pectinia
- dragon seal favia
- 2 blastos
coming soon:
- Pavona
-cat's paw
- bird's nest
- monti digi