My First Tank Ever Setup In Sept 2016

[EricTMah]

I bought the skimmer based on a few ppl on REEF2REEF I bought the tunze 9004. For lighting I purchased a 180watt maxspect rzr420. I'm still trying to figure out a proper lighting schedule. I've been going to Marinescape in Ottawa those guys have been a great help!


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If you're in need of help with maxspect programming. Shoot me a pm. I work with maxspects weekly and had them on my tank for just under 2 yrs. You can grow anything under those lights. Don't let anyone else tell you differently

Sony Xperia Z3

 

[ColbytheClown]

My girlfriend did it...lol. I've been looking at alot of tanks lately and have a few ideas for the 65. I'm really looking forward to it!


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Hahah lol, it looks great, keep us updated

 

[ColbytheClown]

Keep an eye on the flame angel, known to nip at corals.

 

[Ducati283]

Hahah lol, it looks great, keep us updated

Thank you I will!


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[Ducati283]

Keep an eye on the flame angel, known to nip at corals.

I've heard that and that they may nip at the mantle on the clam also:/. I was told it's a hit or miss with them but I wanted a nice colourful fish. I'm hoping that if I keep him well fed and a seaweed leaf in the tank I'll be one of the lucky ones!


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[ColbytheClown]

I've heard that and that they may nip at the mantle on the clam also:/. I was told it's a hit or miss with them but I wanted a nice colourful fish. I'm hoping that if I keep him well fed and a seaweed leaf in the tank I'll be one of the lucky ones!


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I have corals and I'm might get... so I'm also guilty lol. Yes they're beautiful

 

[Josh]

looking good!
I love how you used the desk as a spot to house your refugium

 

[Ducati283]

looking good!
I love how you used the desk as a spot to house your refugium

Thanks Josh! I actually made the cabinet specifically for the refugium, in hind sight I should have made it 12" longer. I bought a kitchen cabinet at ikea on clearance and got doors on clearance at home depot, cost me $35 total, i have a sawmill and cut the live edge oak top and bottom.


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[Josh]

Yep when i saw that woodtop i was in love with it. We have a table like here but its more like a coffee table.

 

[Ducati283]

If you're looking for or needing any nice lumber check our Facebook pagehttps://www.facebook.com/Ottawa-Custom-Live-Edge-and-Milling-Co-1525733491075299/


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[Ducati283]

Was a bit of a rough day today! I came home at lunch to find a powerhead had fallen and created a huge sandstorm!

I moved a bunch of stuff around put my corals in the sump and hoped all would be okay when I got home from work.
At 6:30 when I got home all had settled so I took the opportunity to move my rock work so I could clean the glass. I have a bit more work to do on it but for now this is it

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[Ducati283]

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[Nicole New Lowell]

Looks great!
I don't name my fish anymore since losing my lion, I get far too attached and I find naming them just makes it worse if they die Besides, I've had my maroon clown Ruby for 3 years and my boyfriend still says, "Who?" lol.
I also love your aquascaping, I was in such a rush to get things going when I started my tank that I didn't plan my rocks very well and I'm always so jealous of everybody else's setups. I'm redoing my tank in a new room soon when we get some more renos done on the house though so I'll put much more planning into the rocks then.
Don't worry about your fish and corals during a sandstorm, they are used to it!
Caution on the anemone, they do best in well established tanks, and have the potential to nuke the tank if it does die.

 

[Ducati283]

Looks great!
I don't name my fish anymore since losing my lion, I get far too attached and I find naming them just makes it worse if they die Besides, I've had my maroon clown Ruby for 3 years and my boyfriend still says, "Who?" lol.
I also love your aquascaping, I was in such a rush to get things going when I started my tank that I didn't plan my rocks very well and I'm always so jealous of everybody else's setups. I'm redoing my tank in a new room soon when we get some more renos done on the house though so I'll put much more planning into the rocks then.
Don't worry about your fish and corals during a sandstorm, they are used to it!
Caution on the anemone, they do best in well established tanks, and have the potential to nuke the tank if it does die.

Thanks Nicole! I'm hoping the anenome moves back up to where it was before I moved the rocks around. Otherwise I've got some figuring to do for coral placement


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[ColbytheClown]

Tank looks great! Love the corals. How did you setup the sump?

 

[Ducati283]

Tank looks great! Love the corals. How did you setup the sump?

I wish I had taken better or more pics of the sump build. I'm not overly excited about the setup though. It's a 20gal long 12x15x30 I believe? Since I had the skimmer already (tunze 9004) and I wanted to have a good size refugium and a media compartment i took the first 6" of the tank and divided it into 5 and 6" compartments. So skimmer is in the back 6x6" compartment with my overflow water draining into it. I made a bubble trap going over from the skimmer compartment and coming up through the 5x6" media compartment where I have filter floss, phosban, purigen, and some rubble rock. That flows over into my refugium wher I have live rock to stop the noise and huge water cascade that disturbs my 2 1/2" sand bed, cheato, and red macro alge. My refugium is 20" long. I put a 3" piece of glass to stop the substrate from goin into my return area. Due to the fact that I don't have an ATO yet my refugium and return chamber are together, separated by egg crate, black plastic needle point mesh, and another egg crate. This helps from having to top off everyday. The return section is only about 4", basically just enough for my sicce synra 3.0 return pump. In hind site and after seeing how the setup works although I like most of the setup I think I would put a 4" section all the way across the back for the overflow where I could put some filter socks and have more area for the water to calm down a bit before it goes into the skimmer. The turbulence in the 6x6 is ridiculous. And the skimmer IMO is not able to work at 100% efficiency. Aside from that I think its a great setup.


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[ColbytheClown]

I wish I had taken better or more pics of the sump build. I'm not overly excited about the setup though. It's a 20gal long 12x15x30 I believe? Since I had the skimmer already (tunze 9004) and I wanted to have a good size refugium and a media compartment i took the first 6" of the tank and divided it into 5 and 6" compartments. So skimmer is in the back 6x6" compartment with my overflow water draining into it. I made a bubble trap going over from the skimmer compartment and coming up through the 5x6" media compartment where I have filter floss, phosban, purigen, and some rubble rock. That flows over into my refugium wher I have live rock to stop the noise and huge water cascade that disturbs my 2 1/2" sand bed, cheato, and red macro alge. My refugium is 20" long. I put a 3" piece of glass to stop the substrate from goin into my return area. Due to the fact that I don't have an ATO yet my refugium and return chamber are together, separated by egg crate, black plastic needle point mesh, and another egg crate. This helps from having to top off everyday. The return section is only about 4", basically just enough for my sicce synra 3.0 return pump. In hind site and after seeing how the setup works although I like most of the setup I think I would put a 4" section all the way across the back for the overflow where I could put some filter socks and have more area for the water to calm down a bit before it goes into the skimmer. The turbulence in the 6x6 is ridiculous. And the skimmer IMO is not able to work at 100% efficiency. Aside from that I think its a great setup.


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Wow great job, sounds like you know what your doing what does filter floss, phosban, purigen, and rubble rock do exactly?

 

[Ducati283]

I honestly have no clue what I'm doing...lol I just ask a ton of questions and do alot of reading. The purigen helps keep the water looking a little cleaner and lower phosphate a little but that's moreso what the phosban is for specifically lowering phosphate. The rubble is just more surface area to house beneficial bacteria...and to hold down the egg create that's on top of the media bags of purigen and phosban. With the flow coming up through there it keeps trying to push that stuff into the refugium


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[Nemo22]

Tank and sump look fantastic. I enjoyed following through the thread. Thanks for sharing.
I too have to change my sump around for efficiency reasons, hindsight sucks. Haha

 

[ColbytheClown]

I honestly have no clue what I'm doing...lol I just ask a ton of questions and do alot of reading. The purigen helps keep the water looking a little cleaner and lower phosphate a little but that's moreso what the phosban is for specifically lowering phosphate. The rubble is just more surface area to house beneficial bacteria...and to hold down the egg create that's on top of the media bags of purigen and phosban. With the flow coming up through there it keeps trying to push that stuff into the refugium
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Same... I am slowly learning lol