Will's 240 IM INT

[William Sharkspeare]

Hello. It has been 19 years since I had my last tank. This is my midlife crisis. Other people may buy a car or a boat or a third wife. I went with this.

It is an Innovative Marine 240 INT with a white stand. 83 x 30 x 22 I opted for their complete system which comes with sump and plumbing. This plug and play is what sold me. I have a slight regret on choosing the INT over the EXT, but space is limited. Also, If I were to do it again, I would look more heavily into custom brands, I have a few gripes but I won't go into those.

Tank will be a mixed reef, with more focus on fish and critters. If I end up with just zoas and shrooms I'd be happy but I am planning on some LPS and hopefully a Monti.

Lighting may be a little unconventional. 3x 66" AI Blades suspended from the ceiling on 2020 aluminum and custom fittings that allow me to angle the light as I see fit. The center is facing straight down and the outsides are angled in slightly.

Sump: IM's rfs 50 with their MIghtyJet xl return pump

Skimmer: RO Regal 200 INT

I managed to snag 2x MP60s for about the price of one. One is brand new in its box. One was used for about a month.

Heating: 1300w total. 700w (2x350) is IM's Helio PTC heater/controller and 600w BRS titanium on an inkbird.

I used about 1.75 bags of dry special grade and 40lbs of TBS sand. Currently have 100lbs TBS rock with plans to add a bucket or two more.

For water making, storage and mixing I have a 6 stage from BRS and 2 55 gallon drums from uline on heavy duty steel dollies. Went with the heavy duty (2000lb) vs regular (1000lb) dolly for the extra wheel. 5 vs 4. I do not want these things tipping over. You could kill a man with one of those casters or at least break a toe if you dropped it.

I used TM pro reef to start the tank but I am not liking the low alk. I have some BRS soda ash in transit. I am considering using their classic salt. Why would I use "pro" over the classic?



Haven't had a tank since 2007. Exciting!

 

[ChrisfromBrick]

Thats an awesome setup. The blades are really nice lights. I never bought them because they are so expensive. The more I see these bigger tanks, the more I regret not going bigger than 100.

The pro salt beefs up your elements and alk. However, if you end up going heavy on SPS, that wont matter much because you're going to end up dosing anyway just for alk demand.

 

[William Sharkspeare]

Pro has low (7-8) alk compared to classic (9-10). Pro's Ca and Mg are slightly higher.

 

[William Sharkspeare]

Among the hitchhikers that came on my TBS rock were:


3 mantis which I donated to a LFS. I think I have another one in there. Someone is making noise.
A very elusive shrimp. Not sure if its a pistol or not. I've only caught glances of it. I believe it has "fan hands" to catch particles in the water column. Do pistols have these?
At least 6 juvenile urchins - PM me if you are near Philly and want one. Most are about the size of a dime, couple nickels, one quarter.
Couple hidden cup corals
another coral, maybe a smooth star
couple ceriths
couple crabs. One is tiny.

I have added 5 chalk bass from Dr Reef. I feed them PE mysis.

Ran my lights last week. Nothing in the tank that really needs them, just coralline and whatever else may have come in on the rock. Just 6 hours a day with a 2hr ramp up/down. Royal, blue, and white all at 50%. Does the white spectrum do anything other than make the tank look better to my eyes? Will it promote algae?

Diatoms have started to show up on my rock and glass. I was hoping to order a CUC this week but its going to be 100 degrees so I won't be able to get them until next Friday. In the meantime, the three ceriths that came in on the rock have plenty to eat. I also saw my limpet the other day. Haven't seen him since I first put my rock in. I also think I have a mithrax/clinging crab (Mithraculus forceps) hard to get a good look at it. Pretty sure it is reddish in color though. I don't know if urchins eat diatoms. Debating whether or not to keep lights going. Maybe every other day at most.

I have 40lbs more TBS rock scheduled for 7/24. Once that is in I'll make a true aquascape and get to work. I also ordered a foxface from Dr Reef along with those chalk bass. Thinking of having him ship it to me end of July, after the rock.

I am in no rush with this tank. Slowly brought my alk up over the course of a week. Went from 6.5 - 9.3

Saturday's Numbers

Salinity (TM) - 1.0264
Alk (Hanna) - 9.3
Ca (Salifert) - 425
Mg (Salifert) - 1350-1380

 

[CoralHole]

I really like your custom light mounts to the extrusions. Could you share your design?

 

[William Sharkspeare]

I really like your custom light mounts to the extrusions. Could you share your design?

Unfortunately it is not my design. The owner of my LFS set me up with them. He and a buddy of his designed it.

 

[William Sharkspeare]

Tank is doing well.

5 Chalk Bass
3 Biota Pink Square Anthias
1 Biota Yellow Tang
All doing amazing. I have an Avast Plank running for 30seconds on the hour 4x a day. Its got Calanus, Mysis, TDO, NLS algaemax and probiotic.
Frozen morning and evening. LRS, PE, Mermaid.
I try to put nori in everyday, don't always.

I occasionally to often feed more than this but I have a sizable CUC and a fuge with chaeto. I struggle to keep nutrients up and will occasionally dose NO3 or turn off the fuge. Today's numbers were .04 and 3.7
I try to keep alk around 8.5. I dose BRS soda ash if needed.

Lights are at 70%, white 75. Top of rock is ~300par. Danoplus v3.
Corals are monti cap, leptoseris, fungia and quite a few corals from the TBS rock. The hidden cups are my fav.

Surprisingly, the only thing I've lost are three very small jawbreakers. They were fine for a couple days but then shriveled and never recovered. I moved them a couple times but they were never happy. So I guess I this hobby is not for me. The shop will replace them

The octopus is still alive. It eats my snails and I think has started to prey on my hermits. Hoping she eventually takes out the mantis.

I've given 12 urchin hitchhikers away and still have 5 plus a pincushion also a hitchhiker.
The ruby crab was a hitchhiker.
Several porcelain hikers.

In two weeks I will be away for two weeks. When I get back I plan to add a foxface and a hammer and/or frogspawn.

 

[William Sharkspeare]

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