Newbie launches 90 g dream tank

[Seaspirit]

This all began because we had an ugly brown chair in our living room and wanted to replace it. Have had a lifelong dream of setting up a reef tank and the space was perfect for it so decided to give it a try. That was 2 months ago, and with the help of hours of BRS videos and reading R2R forums I started with a 10g AIO nano “quarantine” tank which was a huge learning curve. Today the Big Momma 90g arrived, installed by LFS owner who has been guiding me along.

I’m not at ALL the DIY type and tried to follow how he put everything together all afternoon (he did a great job!) but must admit it’s overwhelming. Especially when I couldn’t get the Vectra M2 return pump to work right and accidentally bumped the dial up to 8. Sounded like Niagra Falls in our livingroom - TERRIFYING - and then I unplugged it in a panic which dumped enough water into the sump to set off the ATO alarm which sounds like a fire drill. Finally got it reset and stable.

This is a low iron glass Planet Aquariums rimless tank with Tidewater overflow in the back which seemed like a good idea but it is LOUD. There’s basically a waterfall out the back of the tank and we can’t figure out how to make it more quiet.

The lights are Hydra 32’s which I think I’ll love! Mounting brackets are a little flimsy.

The M2 return pump is controlled by the Mobius app and it’s not a bit user friendly, tried to find video or instructions for the app but no luck so far. Tried to manually lock the setting I have it on so I don’t bump it back to Niagra Falls - guide says to press “set” which I did, thing starts to flash all kind of lights and shuts off. WOOSHING WATER and ATO alarm (sigh). I unplugged it and started over, no clue how to lock the setting.

The pics are Day 1 in my nano tank on August 2 (piece of dead shrimp and cloudy tank starting cycle), some other pics of it and then today’s big arrival. Feels like whole different ballgame.

So, hoping it’s ok to love a tank and be freaked out by it at the same time! Day 1 has been a success so far.

 

[MarshallB]

Looking good.

 

[Seaspirit]

Finally got the rocks the way I want them! Dreaming of a torch wall on the left and a monti and softies garden on the right. The flow in Tideline overflow still a problem (loud waterfall), my LFS said he talked to Planet Aquariums and they said to crank my return up to 80%, that the overwhelming water would be quieter. Seems like it will just be a louder waterfall. I’ll try it later when feeling brave.

 

[Seaspirit]

The cleanup crew has arrived! All doing great except the pom pom crab who completely disappeared. $18 for an invisible crab! Love the others - had no idea hermit crabs could be so entertaining.

 

[Seaspirit]

First DT fish, a little crew of blue/green black axil chromis. So exciting when livestock shows up at your door! Also was feeding some Reef Frenzy today and was very surprised to see pom pom crab come CHARGING out of the darkness to grab food, that thing has gotten huge.

 

[MERKEY]

Exciting!!

 

[Seaspirit]

So excited to put my first branching hammer in the DT last night! It's been thriving in my little quarantine tank and it opened right up in the DT. Am going to have a bunch of hammers on this rock, with torches down below them. This pic is from this morning when tank still "waking up," the hammer opens to about 5 inches during the day but I haven't learned how to take good pics under actinic lights yet. I love these corals, right up there with ricordea on my faves list.

 

[jandlms]

Great look! Much better than the chair! One question though. Did you go through a cycle?

 

[Seaspirit]

I did. This is the third tank I've cycled - first was a 10 gallon QT tank BioSpira experiment, the second was a 10 gallon Microbacter7 with Microbacter Quick Cycl and this one cycled with awesome live rock and sand from my LFS Doug Drysdale (Drysdale Aquariums here in Florida). He put the whole thing together for me and did the install. I did the dead shrimp thing to feed the bacteria. Nitrates running around 2 to 5 now (no ammonia or nitrites) so the young bacterial population seems to be functioning well. I know it's still a crazy young tank and my "rookie" mistakes will surely continue.

One thing I learned cycling the second tank with Quick Cycl (which is basically adding straight ammonia to the tank), the Seachem Ammonia badge I was using really didn't work. The ammonia in that little tank was sky high (on purpose) and the color in the "badge" barely changed at all. Won't be using those again, I'd rather just test and get a better idea.

 

[Seaspirit]

It took me 2 days to find a “happy” spot in my big tank (not too much flow but still good light) for my little green finger leather but looks like this is it. Mr. Leatherman is happy and so am I!

 

[Seaspirit]

I have to say there is nothing quite as disturbing as having your wife sit and look peacefully at the tank for an hour and then say, "What the heck is THAT?"

Hopefully one day this tank will get to a point where everything new isn't terrifying and awful. Reading all the posts on R2R I'm beginning to think all tanks crash eventually!

 

[Seaspirit]

Pretty happy about my little hang-on-the-side refugium for my nano tank. Took some work to dial it in but chaeto and red macroalgae are looking good. Snails, amphipods and copepods active. Has stabilized pH in the larger (10 g) tank. Nice biome!

 

[Seaspirit]

My first ever Aussie teal duncan, wow I love these little guys! Want more!

 

[BaysEndReef]

Looking good! Following!

 

[Seaspirit]

Happy to get an FTS today without scaring the daylights out of our chromis fish. Coming along nicely - we have a hammer rock, ricordea rock, gsp rock, acanthastrea rock, zoa rock, soon a duncan rock, and toadstool and green finger leather happy in the back. So gorgeous to watch but still seems like mostly it’s hard work.

 

[Seaspirit]

Happy with the little “testing station” my wife helped me set up. Everything in one location makes the task a little easier, and as the 3 tanks (two 10’s and the 90 gallon) get more stable I can test less and not be so paranoid!

 

[Seaspirit]

New arrivals in quarantine tank today, two adorable very small gold dot maroon clowns. Our adult black and white clowns in the QT next to them look like orcas in comparison and are not at all happy with having neighbors! Hopefully quarantine will run smoothly, the maroons will graduate to DT and the big ones can go back to their lazy existence half asleep hosting my air stone.

 

[Seaspirit]

Full tank shot today! Clowns, cardinals, chromis, blenny, royal gramma, all seem fine so far. Here's what I learned about gold dot maroon clowns - the slightly larger one is the meanest darned fish I've ever seen. She nearly killed the smaller one (they were too close in size) and every time I try to do anything in the QT, she bites my hand. Hard. Repeatedly. Mind you, she's half an inch big. So, to spare my DT inhabitants I am NOT putting maroon clowns in the DT, they can stay in the smaller tanks, separated. My already bonded big sweet black and white ocellaris clowns can have the DT space. Just another frustrating learning experience! All in all guess it's ok for a newbie 6 month old tank.

 

[Canuck007]

hi, did you every get the tidline overflow to become quiet? If so what did you have to do? Just bought a tank with this overflow and I've heard it gets a bit noisy. thanks!