Reefing for Sanity

GreensoldierUSA · Apr 1, 2017

Hello to all. Lurked around the forums for a number of years and decided last year to makes dreams a reality. Well our dream started off pretty much a roller coaster of emotions. I waited about 20 years for this dream and the day we brought home our 240 gallon tank the bottom panel exploded and that was that.

After about a day of beating myself up my wife and I decided to give building a plywood bottom tank a shot. Well. all I can say it took a lot of work and much patience on my wife behalf but the tank was built and to our surprised held water and has done so for over a year now and counting. That being said it was only the beginning of our journey into reefing and here are some pics to show our progress thus far. I will also throw up an equip list for those who dig that kind of thing. I will add more photos later and need to take a more recent one but this is after the actual build and the grass shirt hood.

Mahalo to all and thanks for stopping by.,

Koa · Apr 2, 2017

wow this tank looks great! my name is actually Hawaiian so I like it even more!

GreensoldierUSA · Apr 2, 2017

Hello Koa. My Son's name is also Hawaiian its Keona. We just moved from Hawaii a few years ago and I had to bring the reef with me too.

GreensoldierUSA · Apr 2, 2017

I am still trying to get my lighting schedule and % situated. Made alot of changes in that department and it is rather pieced together which makes it much more difficult lol.

GreensoldierUSA · Apr 2, 2017

Equipment info:
Tank: 240 gallon plywood/glass 96x24x24
100 Gallon Refuge, 30 gallon bucket for protein skimmer, 30 gallon bucket for return
Protein Skimmer: ESkimz SM251
Return Pump: Reeflo Suntail 4100 GPH
BRS GFO & Carbon reactor
TMC 110watt Sterilizer
2 Maxspect Gyre 250 and 2 rosemount power heads.
Lighting:
2 Ocean Revive Led fixtures
2 AI 5250 fixtures (non HD)
4 48" ATI T5 Bulbs.

Koa · Apr 2, 2017

Whats stocked in the tank?

GreensoldierUSA · Apr 2, 2017

I will post another pic of it tomorrow as I do not have a recent full shot however my fish list is as follows:
Yellow Tang
Naso Tang
Foxface
2 green chromis
5 blue damsels
1 Engineer Goby
2 clowns (1 midnight, 1 Gladiator)
1 Molly
1 dwarf angel

GreensoldierUSA · Apr 2, 2017

I went through a major tank crash aprox 8 months ago and these are the fish I have left. A biopellet reactor malfunctioned (horrible point of sale from the start) and caused the beginning of the problem and my nem decided to crawl into my large elegance which ticked it off and sent it strangely up the glass and into the powerhead. The rest of the coral did not care for ground up nem and basically kicked off a warfare in my tank that killed most of the coral. The same day this all happened my 75 gallon sump I had at the time cracked when my wife was doing something (still not 100% on that one lol) all the while I was in another city actually buying a boatload of coral. Well it worked out in the end and equipment was upgraded (although DYI) and we all gained some knowledge.