Paulie’s 240g Build

[PaulieReef]

Hey all!

Names Paul, family calls me Paulie, set my tank up a few months ago and think it’s time to start sharing and keeping a little journal of progress!

Quick overview, got a 240g tank ON THE CHEAP and decided to get back into the hobby. It’s been about seven years since I had a fully stocked 75g. Big upgrade and excited for it.

This Christmas brought many gifts and I am excited for some serious coral growth and having a fully stocked tank.

Equipment List:

4 x Radion XR30W Pro Gen 5
2x Ecotech MP60s
Super Reef Octo SRO 5000INT 10”
Kessil – Tuna Flora
Clear Water External Algae Scrubber
Pentair Aquatics - S
Neptune Apex El
Apex Trident
Apex DOS
Apex ATO
Apex Auto Feed
2x BRS Dosing pumps

Current stock -
Powder Brown Tang
Yellow Tang
Sailfin Tang
Hippo Tang
2x Clown Fish
Six line Wrasse
Lawnmower Blenny
Cleaner Shrimp
2x Anthias (had five lost 3 to velvet)

Pictures to come.

 

[Peace River]

#WelcometoR2R!!! It looks like you're off to a good start!

 

[Zach B]

Welcome Paul . This sounds like a killer build!

 

[PaulieReef]

Quick Aquascape

 

[PaulieReef]

Cleaned up the sump a little and build. A shelf In the middle to hold the dos, trident and hold the algae scrubber!

 

[PaulieReef]

So decided since the velvet does not seem to want to go away, we are moving the fish to a quarantine tank. Now to catch all of them.

Got a 72g QT tank, HOB and canister filter. Going to keep the DT hallow for 76 days to prevent ich just incase it does exist as well. Treating with Copper at therapeutic levels 2.5 ppm for 30 days and then clearing out the copper and treating PraziPro for an additional time to handle any unseen issues.

I do not t hink the fish are going to be too hard to catch, more concerned with the diamond goby and the engineering goby.

 

[PaulieReef]

Currently in the process of getting the fish use to the fish trap. In the mean time I have my algae scrubber finally setup so I can lower the phosphates down to an acceptable level.

Shipments for the QT arrive this week and hoping to catch all fish shortly after.

Heading up to LFS this weekend to grab some bacteria to cycle the tank. Have a Fluval 407 canister filter I am putting on the 72 gallon since it’s going to be a heavy bio load.

PS I love my messy sump you won’t change my mind!

 

[PaulieReef]

Well the 72g QT tank is setup, going to let it run for a couple days and slowly move fish over as I got them. I know you are normally suppose to do bare bottom, but I have 2 gobies coming into the QT as well (if I can catch the buggers), so added a bag of sand.

Added 2 rocks from my display tank, although not suggested in some forum posts I found, I needed the extra bacteria to support such a heavy fish load.

As of right now, assuming every fish survives the next couple of days, the QT will have 4 tangs (yellow, hippo, powder brown), 2 clown fish, 2 anthias, 2 gobys, lawnmower blenny, sixline wrasse.

Only things remaining in the tank are all inverts including 2x fighting conche, 3x cleaner shrimp and obviously 100s of clean up crew.

Plan is 76 day fallow, will most likely extend that to 90 days just to be extra safe.

 

[PaulieReef]

So far quarantine, we have caught 2 clowns, powder brown tang and the wrasse. No fish is showing signs of velvet anymore, but still want to fallow the tank.

 

[PaulieReef]

Had a part of my protein skimmer break, fixed it with epoxy, super happy it worked!

6 Fish caught, 6 left (Hippo, 2x Anthias, Blenny, 2x Gobys). QT here we come!

 

[PaulieReef]

So little update, two weeks later still no other fish caught besides the one Anthia, also have a serious algae outbreak and now possibly flatworms.

 

[PaulieReef]

Welp, gave up on QTing for now, couldn't get the rest of the fish and the tank was going down hill quick without the inhabitants. When I move to a new tank (dec this year) I will most likely QT then.