Misfitkris' Average Joe 75g Build

[misfitkris]

So the time has come for me to share with the world my "Average Joe" build. I do not claim to be a carpenter or really that handy of a guy, just average. So in my build below I will just share what I have created using advice on this board, cheap power tools (Ryobi, Makita, RotoZip) and common sense (Probably could have used more of this).

I would like to credit all the veterans in the DIY board and those with similar 4' tank builds for sharing theirs. (i.e. JCPatella, Nanogurl and others) It definitely made mine easier.

I built a 125g reef 5 or so years ago, so I had the experience from that build as well and planned on doing things right, as much as possible, this time.

The total buld will include the following:

Aquarium -75 Gallon AGA Megaflow
Stand - Custom Deep Ebony Color
Skimmer - Octopus NW-200
Sump/Fuge - 40 Gallon Breeder
Return - Mag 9.5
Lights - 2 X 175w Icecap Retrofit 1 x T5 Tek Retro Kit 48in -2 x 54w
Flow - 2 Koralia 4's for now.
Substrate - 75 lbs aragonite sugar sized sand
QT Tank - 20g long
100GPD RO/DI unit

Planned

DIY Top Off and DIY Electrical Stand these will be located on either side of the stand.

100+ lbs of fiji rock

Fish list and coral list to come. Still reading and deciding.


I should have taken more pictures, but I believe these will paint a pretty good picture.

So without further adieu, here it is.


This first shot is after the original 2x4 framing and the 3/4" birch on the sides and top. Overkill, I know. But with me building it, I wanted to be sure. :D

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/TankBuild001.jpg

This is a shot showing some of the framing from the inside.

IMG]http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/TankBuild002.jpg[/IMG]

Here you can see the front piece of 3/4" birch. It is one solid piece of plywood with the center rectangle cut out to match the interior framing.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/TankBuild009.jpg

Another shot from the top showing the corner and how it comes together. I didn't trust myself to cut even 45's to make it flush. It will be relatively unnoticable after staining as well.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/TankBuild008.jpg

Here is the complete stand unfinished. I am pretty happy with it. I test fit all of the hinges and handles to make sure everything looked square.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/TankBuild013.jpg

Here you can see the inside from the back. I am leaving this wide open for air circulation.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/TankBuild012.jpg


More to follow.

Critiques, Criticism and praise all welcome. Even though I have done it before, I am still learning.

Aren't we all? :D

[firsthesitation]

Looking really good so far, I'm following along on this one!

[misfitkris]

Here are some shots after staining and placement.

You can see I am getting anxious, with the water already ready to go. Just waiting for the plumbing to be finished before rock is order.

Here you can see where it will be located and the color of the stain. It is dark. Its called "Deep Ebony" and I used alot of coats.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/ReefTank003.jpg

Here is the stand with the doors open and some of the electrical items in place.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/ReefTank001.jpg

Another shot of the inside of the stand and where the ballasts and power strips will be located.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/ReefTank002.jpg

This is the canopy being test fit. Phew! It fit.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/ReefTank010.jpg

Here is a shot inside the canopy.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/ReefTank013.jpg

And last picture for now. I had to order a 40g Breeder for a sump as I just didn't trust myelf to work with Acrylic and figured the cost to build one would be the same as this $80 breeder when all the tools were set and done. The baffles were free and I had the silicone.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/ReefTank006.jpg

More to come. Tonight I am going to work on plumbing and mounting the lights in the canopy.

Thanks for looking!

[RevHtree]

Sorry but this is nicer than the "average Joe" build. :D

[Reefn00b]

Agree with Rev, much nicer than the average joe :)

[Shekki]

One thing to watch out for is the plywood doors warping. You may be able to minimize this by adding some structural members to the inside of the doors. You may want to do the same thing to the canopy door.

I agree with Rev. You're not Joe Average. Just look at that man garage, complete with pegboard and dartboard! Nice paint and chair rail in the tank room, BTW.

[dvmsn]

Wow, that was fast. Is this the same tank you were picking up on Thursday? I really like the flame maple door panel.

[misfitkris]

firsthesitation, RevHtree, Reefn00b Thanks for the kind words!!

But in a reality anyone can do this. I don't have much if any experience and most of it was learn as I go. Just thought up a plan and put it together. I still need to figure out how I want to mount the lights in the canopy.

Thanks again!

[phenom5]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11886171#post11886171 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Reefn00b
Agree with Rev, much nicer than the average joe :)

Agreed. All the woodwork looks great. If you think your bad at carpentry, you should see my "skills". :D

Now let's get that sucker filled up with some water. :thumbsup:

[BLKTANG]

Very nice job.I myself am no carpenter,so i will ask.Do you think that there should be a center brace on your stand?


Other than that great build,& way more than "average Joe"

[misfitkris]

One thing to watch out for is the plywood doors warping. You may be able to minimize this by adding some structural members to the inside of the doors. You may want to do the same thing to the canopy door.

Very good idea. I am going to have to ponder this one. Now that the stand is finished. Do you think 3/4" ply will warp that bad?



Wow, that was fast. Is this the same tank you were picking up on Thursday? I really like the flame maple door panel.

I was picking up the 40 Breeder Sump that day. I had most of it done before that day. That was the missing link holding up the plumbing.



Now let's get that sucker filled up with some water.

Man, if I had a nickel everytime my fiance has said that!

Very nice job.I myself am no carpenter,so i will ask.Do you think that there should be a center brace on your stand?

I think that with it only being 4' with the top 3/4" ply and the front one piece I will be ok. The corners support most of the weight anyway.


Thanks again for the kind words!

[phishguyatstore]

beautiful stand chris glad that 40 breeder worked out for ya like the way you stood it on its side and cut the peices of wood to hold the baffles in place good idea might have to try that once

[misfitkris]

beautiful stand chris glad that 40 breeder worked out for ya like the way you stood it on its side and cut the peices of wood to hold the baffles in place good idea might have to try that once

Soon I will be pestering you about livestock for my "Pet glass box"! Be ready!

[dvmsn]

I have frags when you need them

[misfitkris]

I have frags when you need them


Awesome! Thanks for letting me know that. I will let you know when the cycle is complete.

[misfitkris]

One thing to watch out for is the plywood doors warping. You may be able to minimize this by adding some structural members to the inside of the doors. You may want to do the same thing to the canopy door.

I got to thinking about this last night while I stared at my waterless box and came up with a question. If it is coated in about 5 coats of stain and 4 coats of polyurethane, would that not keep moisture from entering or escaping the door and in turn keep it from warping?

Isn't moisture what causes warping?


I had another question as well. What is everyone's experience with PH monitors? I don't want a controller, just something I can quick view to see what my PH is.

I was doing some searching and found a company on the dreaded e-bay site that sells pinpoint monitors as well as a "knock-off." Any opinions on which one to buy? I am assuming a monitor is only as good as the probe. No/Yes?

Check these two out:

Aqua Digital Pinpoint PH Monitor (http://cgi.ebay.com/Pinpoint-pH-Monitor-New-Boxed-2-Year-Full-Warranty_W0QQitemZ260213467364QQihZ016QQcategoryZ117435QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem)

Aqua Digital Knock Off (http://cgi.ebay.com/pH-Continual-Monitor-with-replaceable-High-Grade-Probe_W0QQitemZ260213467198QQihZ016QQcategoryZ117435QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem)

What would be the pro's and con's of going cheap here? It does have a one year warranty. It does come with the calibration kit and power adapter.

I'm not one to cheap out in a reef, however, I am not one to impulse buy either. (most of the time, DOH!) But I really don't see the pain in buying the cheaper one at half the price.

Give me some thoughts please!

[dvmsn]

I might lean toward a hand held. http://www.customaquatic.com/customaquatic/subsubcategorypage.asp?subcatindexid=di-hm-ph
They are about the same price as the knock off and you would have the advantage of purchasing from a reputable dealer in the United States.

[misfitkris]

Just wanted to give a few updates on my tank build and process.

Things are getting exciting around my house. We are getting closer and closer to having live inhabitants in the tank.

Hope you enjoy the pics.

Here is a close up of the sump. It is fully plumbed for the most part. I did not glue the very ends of the drains yet as I might want to change them based on noise issues.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/ReefTank014.jpg

Another shot of the sump.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/ReefTank016.jpg

Even better! Preparing for water!

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/ReefTank019.jpg

One thing I didn't show in my other pics was how I allowed room for upgrades when I built the stand. The tank is only 18" deep however the stand can hold a 24" deep tank. If I decided to go wider it would be easy to add length, but depth would be harder. And we all know that upgrades are inevitable. The Canopy is also built the same way.

So here are some shots of that.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/ReefTank020.jpg

And another.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/ReefTank021.jpg

And now you can see we have water! I don't have it completely full yet. The 44 brute is filling up as I write this. Should be it.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/ReefTank022.jpg

More water.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/ReefTank023.jpg


I plan on obtaining rock the beginning of next week and should complete the canopy over the weekend.

Hope you enjoy!!

Thanks,

Kris

[Reefn00b]

Lookin great!!!! Looks like you really planned everything out

[misfitkris]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11903446#post11903446 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Reefn00b
Lookin great!!!! Looks like you really planned everything out

Most definitely planned almost everything out. I cannot say enough to this effect either. I did have experience from a past tank so that helped. But after being out of this hobby for a few years and jmping back in, I still had a ton of research. This site helps a ton.

Thanks for the kind words. I hope my tank looks as gorgeous as yours one day!


Kris

[Reefn00b]

pfffffffft mine? im a noobie but flattery gets you everywhere, looks like u r well on ur way to me

[Shekki]

You will definately slow down the warping by coating the wood but I don't think you will eliminate the chance of it eventually happening. It's just the nature of plywood.

Just keep an eye on it and fix it as soon as possible before it's too late. Those are some beautiful doors and I'm sure you'd like them to stay that way.

Please report about your drain function and volume. Mine's a little noisy and yours looks like a better design. Also, good thinking on the added depth of the stand for when you buy the 90!

[misfitkris]

Well, the tank is full and operational. I'm proud to report no leaks!

Everything works great, I have the Mag 9.5 full blast and everything is very close to silent. When I try to throttle it back with the ball valve it does produce some gurgling, but not a full blast. I hear the skimmer and it's pump over everything else. When I close the doors, I barely hear anything. I hear a little trickle from the water into the overflow, but it is a peaceful trickle, kind of like one of those desktop rock sculptures that have water slow flowing down.

So, being that the skimmer is relatively loud. Kind of like a hum, I can say I don't hear the drains where they enter the sump. There are some bubbles where it enters, but it doesn't gurgle or have surges so it sounds like a fizzing soda. And once again, you don't hear it with the door closes. I am very happy with it, and when the fiance says, "So I thought you said I would be annoyed with the sound." and then immediately states, "Where's the noise?" thats a good sound. On my 125 I had before, I had the drain empty just below the water level into a filter sock. It sounded like a water flow, it was almost a straight drop to from an over flow box with just a pipe and no type of silencer on it. With this design, I decided to have the pipe fall at angles and then hit a T with the hopes that above the T would allow any air to escape before entering the tank. Well, there are still bubbles in the sump, but bubble traps take care of it.

I didn't post any pictures as I did experience a sand storm once it was full and the all the powerheads and pumps were turned on.

There is a ton of flow from the two Koralia 4s and the two locline returns with an estimated 600gph being returned by them. I also have a Maxijet in there temporarily to really keep the water moving and to help in the curing process of the rock when I obtain it. I am guessing I have flow in the tank around 40x or 3000gph. My 125 didn't have that much. So this is new for me. It is also my first time using Sugar/Oolite sand. I love the look of it, I just hope the sandstorms die down. I am definitely glad I didn't do any more than 2" or so.

Thanks,

[Reefn00b]

Dont worry about the sand storm, im runnin 4 or so inches of the same sand you are running and I have a Dart powering my closed loop, if mine settled down urs will too hehe :)

[avp]

I really like the work you've done so far. One question, any worries about the back rim of the tank not sitting on legs or any weight supporting structure? I could be wrong, but it looks like the weight is supported on three sides and the back sits on the plywood top.

The reason I ask is I'm trying to design a stand like this for myself (for a 50 now and a 90 later).


-avp

[misfitkris]

The edges of the tank sit on double 2x4s except for the middle of the back. I thought about that during design. Also, The top 3/4" ply that it sits on rests on all edges on the 2x4s as well.

I think it will be fine. There is no bowing what so ever with the plywood and where it rests.

This stand is so over built, that I could probably drop it out of the back of my truck going 70 and it wouldn't be noticable. Except for some bumps and bruises. The diehard/purist carpenters would probably have a field day with it being so over built.

Thanks for your thoughts though!

[sharuq1]

Can't wait to see it with some rock :)

[alve]

I had the same thought as Avp when I built my stand that is also deeper than the tank itself in the back.
To be on the safe side I did add a 2x4 support under the back edge of the tank but mine is a 156g.
I think you will be fine the way your stand is built.

Very nice built by the way! I will be following along.

[misfitkris]

Ok so after finding out that the stain I used on the stand is no longer sold by Lowes (Olympic Deep Ebony). I had to track some down. (This has been going on for about a month.) I called Olympic, the only place that sold the stain in my area was Lowe's. Great. So I called Lowe's corporate office and was going to inquire about locating it. When I mentioned stain, he stated, "Let me guess, you are calling about Olympic Deep Ebony." I knew that was a bad sign, so after him explaining that he had been checking that for several people throughout the day and knew that no one had it he offered to send my contact info to the GM of my local Lowe's. She called me after a few days and said she located some from a distributor and that I needed to go ahead and order it if I wanted it. So after I ordered it, she stated it would be there in about a week. Well, three weeks later, no stain and they don't know when it will be there. So...I am guessing someone goofed and they won't find it, but I am going to hold out for a bit before exploring other options. It would suck to have to a different stain on the canopy, but if I get it close, it should be ok. At least the tank seperates the two and a minor difference in color should be unnoticable.

So on to better things, being that the stain wouldn't be here over the weekend, I decided I would go ahead and test fit the lighting. (See pics below.) I also wanted to see if I was going to be needing fans in this canopy or not. With the open bottom part of the back and the heigth of it, I wasn't sure if I would need them or not. I did purchase two fans just in case.

Good news: Lights have been on for 5 hours. No temperature increase at all. I am going to leave them on another 5 just to be sure.

Bad news: I still have a sandstorm in my tank. I bought a micron filter bag at Coastline from Steve to try and make a quick fix on the floating debris. (See Pics below)

Here is the pic of the sump with the temporary filter bag held on with zip ties. I am not a fan of these in the long run. Too much hassle with cleaning them. However, it did eliminate every bit of bubbles in my sump and actually slowed down the amount of bubbles in my skimmer. The drain was actually emptying right by the skimmer intake and was increaseing the air intake. I like that little placement bonus. Maybe I won't have to Mod it. It did pull out a cup of skimmate the first two days it was running. Bonus!

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/ReefTank014-1.jpg

Next you can see the whole tank with the lighting system on. 2 175 watt Icecap Retro 15000k Iwasaki bulbs and 2x54 t5 super actinic. I LOVE THIS COLOR! Crisp white with a blue tint and the actinics don't drown too much of the white out.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/ReefTank016-1.jpg


Here are some pictures inside the canopy where you can see how I have mounted the lights and the configuration. I like it. It's perfect for what I want. And no extra heat. Eventually, when the canopy is complete, (stain on outside, white paint on inside) I will clean up the wires even more using cable cover, zip ties and the like. You can see the cable cover in the last few pics over the t5 wiring.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/ReefTank018.jpg

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/ReefTank019-1.jpg

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/ReefTank020-1.jpg

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/ReefTank021-1.jpg



I thought I would show some chemicals, equipment and tools I have purchased at various times while getting in preparation for my tank.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/ReefTank015.jpg

Here you can see with my flow it is turning my sand upside down, I am going to continue to mess with it until I get it right but I want to make sure I have great flow too.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/ReefTank022-1.jpg

Other good news, I ordered rock on Friday, it will be here on Wednesday. The lights might not be completed due to the staining issue, but I think it will be ok. I got a good deal on some Lalo and some Fiji around 80lbs. ( Sorry Steve!! It was too good to pass up and I have been dying to try some Lalo.) :D We will see what it looks like then.

Oh yeah, and the best news. I now support Reef Central!!

Enjoy!

[dvmsn]

Looking good. I would not mount that ballast under the canopy. It will create a lot of heat. I would also be concerned about salt exposure.

[Reefn00b]

I agree with Dave, about the ballasts, i would mount them behind the stand or anywhere else. As for your sand storm, it took 3 or 4 days for mine to clear up, nothing wrong with having a ton of flow, just needs to be directed in a way that its not flipping ur sand, also keep in mind that once ur put ur rock in, ur flow dynamics are gonna totally change again.

[misfitkris]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11921468#post11921468 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Reefn00b
I agree with Dave, about the ballasts, i would mount them behind the stand or anywhere else. As for your sand storm, it took 3 or 4 days for mine to clear up, nothing wrong with having a ton of flow, just needs to be directed in a way that its not flipping ur sand, also keep in mind that once ur put ur rock in, ur flow dynamics are gonna totally change again.

I thought about the placement of that ballast as well, I noticed it gets warm, I just assumed with it being about 16-18 inches away from the water it would not be that much of an issue. Same goes for salt exposure. I don't really have another place for it other than that place or under the stand and then I guess the same issues will arrise. I think what I will do is incorporate it into the power center when I make it. I plan on building two shorter cabinets, one on either side of the tank, to make it look like a wall to wall stand. These will only come to about knee heigth or a little higher and will have pillows on the top for the young one to be able to view the tank from the ends of the tank without the use of a ladder. The right one will contain a power center and the left one will be used for the ATO unit. They will be shaped similar to the stand just a about a foot and a half shorter and a little smaller in width, same style door and stain. (Hopefully.) This is what I planned on doing during the weeks while the rock is curing. When this happens, all electrical components will be moved from underneath the stand.

I just couldn't take anymore nagging from the family on when all this money I have been spending will turn into fish. So the electrical is mostly temp for now.

Thanks again for the comments, it helps a ton.

[misfitkris]

Here is what I was thinking of for a stocking list/wish list. Not all of these will be put in at once or even at all. It will be gradual over the next year. Some of them won't make the cut.

I am looking for opinions on compatibility. I understand the Trigger issue, he would be last, if at all. These are in no order other than what came to my head. I listed colors because I know some fish not only fight with conspecifics but also with similar shapes and colors as well.

I have included various details that I have researched on food so that I don't buy 10 different foods.

Again, I want to stress NOT ALL WILL BE IN THE TANK. These are just what I have narrowed it down to so far.

Tang: Powder Brown Tang, (Brown/Orange/Blue)
Food: Veggie Foods, Spirulina, (Omnivorous)

Trigger: Bluechin Triggerfish (Purple/light blue spots)
Food:Chopped Seafood, Frozen Meaty preperations (Carnivorous)

Goby: Orangespotted Shrimp Goby,(White/Orange) Cleaner Goby, (Black/Bright Blue)
Food: Mysid Shrimp, Frozen Preparations (Carnivorous)

Blennie: Lawnmower Blennie (White/Green/Brown)
Food: Veggie Foods (Herbivorous)

Clown: Pink Skunk (Pair) (Orange/Pink)
Food: Mysid Shrimp, Frozen Preparations (Omnivorous)

Wrasse: Flasher Wrasse (Red)
Food: Mysid Shrimp, Frozen Preparations (Carnivorous)

Anthias: Threadfin Anthias (Pink)
Food: Mysid Shrimp, Brine Shrimp, Frozen foods, (Carnivorous)

Gramma: Royal Gramma (Purple)
Food: Mysid Shrimp. Frozen Preparations, (Carnivorous)

Jawfish: Yellowhead Jawfish (Yellowish blue)
Food: Mysid Shrimp, Frozen Preparations, (Carnivorous)

Cardinalfish: Threadfin Cardinal (White/black)
Food: Mysid Shrimp, Frozen Preparations, (Carnivorous)

Snail 1: Astrea x 15
Snail 2: Nassarius x 15
Snail 3: Cerith x 15
Hermits: Red Leg x 15
Crabs: Emerald x 2
Shrimp: Cleaner
Shrimp: Peppermint
Shrmp: Pistol

So what are the thoughts?

[angel2007]

Nice work.... :thumbsup:

[dvmsn]

The snails and crustaceans will not survive in a tank with a bluechin trigger. I had a niger trigger. He was 100% reef safe with corals and clams, but ate all shrimps and snails within 2 weeks.

[BLKTANG]

Great job,cant wait to see some LR in that bad boy.

[Reefn00b]

FYI on the pistol, I have a tiger pistol and yellow watchman, for the record they may be the coolest additions to my tank ever....But jsut so u know, u need ur rocks to pretty much sit on the glass, if not they will collapse. Ill tell u like a wise reefer (Landon) told me.... if they arent sitting ont he glass, its not "if" ur rocks will fall, its "when".

[misfitkris]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11937087#post11937087 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dvmsn
The snails and crustaceans will not survive in a tank with a bluechin trigger. I had a niger trigger. He was 100% reef safe with corals and clams, but ate all shrimps and snails within 2 weeks.

This is what worries me, even though he is considered one of the most "reef safe." I have heard of success stores with triggers in a reef tank with inverts. Hence, why he probably won't make the cut. If I do try him, it will be way later and I will be patient and get him small. I was going to try and QT him "extra long" and try and train him to eat certain foods. But again, this is all wishful thinking. It may never happen and the trigger would be the absolute last thing in the tank.

I was just hoping to hear a positive story on here from someone regarding their experience as well.

A man can dream right!?:smokin:

[misfitkris]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11937619#post11937619 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Reefn00b
FYI on the pistol, I have a tiger pistol and yellow watchman, for the record they may be the coolest additions to my tank ever....But jsut so u know, u need ur rocks to pretty much sit on the glass, if not they will collapse. Ill tell u like a wise reefer (Landon) told me.... if they arent sitting ont he glass, its not "if" ur rocks will fall, its "when".

Yeah, I am going to take some precautions regarding this. I know most people don't recommend it, but I have always stacked rock against the glass. Never had any issues. The goal is to create an island around the overflow box up against it and then a seperate island on the other side of the tank shaped like a pyramid with some tonga coming out of the top of it. I want to attempt a long piece of tonga with a red monti on the end of it, almost like a flower look. A little bit of a fruity idea, but I want at least something unque about my 75 since this seems to be a very popular size in the hobby. I will probably get some epoxy for building both sections to try to help prevent toppling.

[misfitkris]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11936969#post11936969 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by angel2007
Nice work.... :thumbsup:

Thanks! :D

[misfitkris]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11937584#post11937584 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BLKTANG
Great job,cant wait to see some LR in that bad boy.

You shall have pics of the rock in and out of the tank on Wednesday!!

I'm stoked. I want to see what this Lalo looks like.

[OneReef]

Nice job so far, can't wait to see it with the rock in it....

[avp]

ok, here's the positive experience with a trigger in a reef. I kept a quarter size clown trigger in my 105 reef for 18 months or so until I was forced to move for work. When I had to return him he was roughly 4-5 inches long. He never messed with the tiger tail cucumber, corals, zoas, etc., but he did pick off the occasional hermit or snail. I also had a couple of neon gobies, flame hawk, and a watchman/ pistol shrimp combo in there with no problems.

I'd try a small blue throat or a Pink Tail in a 75/90 if I had enough open swimming room for one. Nigers just get too big for a 90 IMHO.

-avp

[Reeftanks6]

Looks great. I think your fish list looks good. But one thing you have to watch out for is the Powder Brown with ich. They are very known to ich. Just make sure you get a good specimen and feed him Nori soaked in Garlic. Also it would be good to qt him.

[misfitkris]

LIVE ROCK HAS ARRIVED! HOORAH!

So I ordered my rock from Dr. Foster and Smith, I paid for over night shipping to hopefully reduce some die off. Only time will tell with that.

I was very pleased with the Lalo I ordered. The Fiji was so so. I think I got about the same amount size wise of Lalo as I did fiji even though the boxes were 10lbs different.

The Lalo has the most coloration I have ever seen from Live Rock. I hope a lot makes it but we will see. I hear alot of the greens and oranges don't make it. But there was a ton on it.

But without further delay, here are the pics..

I was very stoked about this rock and my fiance knew it, so she offered to snap the pics. So we will blame her for any poor quality. :smokin: :lol:

Here I am like a kid on Christmas

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/ReefTank023-1.jpg

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/ReefTank024.jpg

It was packaged well. No heat packs though. I assumed they would have used some heat packs.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/ReefTank025.jpg

This is the first piece of Fiji out of the box. No smell at all.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/ReefTank026.jpg

Here it is all laid out. Sprite can for reference.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/ReefTank027.jpg

Some more close up of individual pieces.
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/ReefTank030.jpg

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/ReefTank031.jpg

Daphne, our cat gave her approval and sniff test.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/ReefTank033.jpg

[misfitkris]

Now for the Lalo.

Man this is some nice stuff. But the smell was horrid in comparison. There were a few mollusks and inverts that died that created the smell. If you have ever smelled an old clam you know the smell I am referring too.

Some close ups.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/ReefTank035.jpg

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/ReefTank036.jpg

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/ReefTank038.jpg

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/ReefTank039.jpg

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/ReefTank040.jpg

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/ReefTank041.jpg


Very nice rock. Lalo is my favorite so far.

[misfitkris]

First rock in the tank

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/ReefTank043.jpg

Forgot to show this close up in the last post

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/ReefTank042.jpg

Here it all is in the tank again, with another sand storm. Just a rough aquascape. Since it will be moved alot during the curing process. Scrubbed and rescrubbed.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/ReefTank044.jpg

And then this neat little thing that was on the rock, they were all over it in crevices, it was stony like an SPS but don't really know what it is

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/ReefTank045.jpg

Again, I was very impressed with this rock and wouldn't hesitate to buy from them again.

Enjoy! I will post again in a few days when things clear up.

[BLKTANG]

Nice lookin stuff.How many lbs did you get?

[misfitkris]

I didn't weigh how many I actually received. But I ordered 44lbs of fiji and 36 lbs of Lalo.

[Reefn00b]

Looks great! Cant wait to see it when it clears up. Any chance of getting a close up of the stony thing u found?

[dvmsn]

Only a reefer could get so excited about a box full of rocks. That is some nice stuff.

[Shekki]

I just added a small school (7) threadfin cardinals into my 75. They're always in the open and stay close together. I just moved my firefish into the same tank and he's actually joined the school.

I had a sargassum trigger for a year until he jumped. Nicest fish ever and didn't bother any inverts. Only problem is they're hard to find and are very expensive.

That lalo rock is awesome.

[Reeftanks6]

Wow tank looks awesome love the rock. Keep it up and everything in your fish list looks good.

[gmatta]

cool setup, when I am working again I am setting up a 75 with pretty much the same equip. going to follow this thread for sure

[Reefn00b]

Hey was thinkin about ur pistol shrimp again. if you decide to do one, you are going to need more sand.

[misfitkris]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11964331#post11964331 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Reefn00b
Hey was thinkin about ur pistol shrimp again. if you decide to do one, you are going to need more sand.

It is up to 5 inches in some area due to flow. Do you not think this will be enough?

[Reefn00b]

Heres the thing, he will drastically move your sand.... Sometimes i come home and there is a pile of sand stacked way up in the front of my tank with a coral submerged, its annoying at times but worth it because they are amazing. I would say that assume ur sand is totally level, it should have at least a 3 inch thickness all over... He will move it how he wants to, truth is in the end theres notthing u can really do about it. thing is though, if he keeps trying to move sand in one of those spots thats heavy flow u will end up with a sand storm.

[misfitkris]

Maybe he won't make the cut then. Thanks for the input. They are neat critters, I agree. I didn't think they needed three inches all over though.

I'm still having a heck of a time with the sand storm. I'm really wishing I would have gone with a larger grain. With this sand and the flow I have I don't know if it will ever settle it seems no matter what it looks like the Sahara Desert on a windy day. Sand is kicked up everywhere. I have tried many different positions. Still always have sand particles in the water column. Right now especially, since I have the flow blasting the rocks to try and blow all the debris off. I'm starting to think I should have added sand after the rock.

That Lalo is some nasty smelling stuff right now due to all the life on it to begin with. But man are the colors on it crazy.

On a side note, I experienced my first flood last night. So much debris in the water it overflowed my temporary filter sock and water was splashing over the side all night. Woke up to the pump just about out of water. Scary.

I guess that was my welcome back to reefing. :rolleye1:

[Reefn00b]

Sux about the flood. Surprised to hear about ur sandstorm problem, maybe too much flow for that tank? Only reason I say that is a I have a Dart Sequence pump turned wide op and a mag 7 turning my water and the same sand, and mine doesnt do that. sorry ur having a hard time with ur tank, it will get better though :)

[misfitkris]

Came home today, tank was failry clear. Still the sand debris floating around and being kicked up. So being that it was fairly clear, I had to go and mess with everything to stir it up again. :lol:

Oh well, when it is done cycling I will probably throttle down the return and see if it helps.

Good news though. I tested the water tonight. The cycle has begun.

Ammonia = 2 ppm
Nitrite = 2ppm
Nitrate = 5ppm

My other tests just for the heck of it and I needed something else to do to the tank.

Salinity = 1.025
Ph = 8.2
Alk = 8 dkh
Phos = 0ppm
Calc = 400


I know it will get worse before it gets better. I am figuring on three to four weeks for it to complete since the Lalo was uncured and smells so bad. I'm in no hurry though.

I played with the aquascape when I got home today. Here is a pic of it. It will be changing. But it's similar to what I hope to accomplish. I don't want a wall of rock.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/ReefTank052.jpg

Here some shots (pardon the clarity) of the rock and colors under the light.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/ReefTank051.jpg

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/ReefTank047.jpg

And then the obligatory skimmer gunk shot. Hoorah.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/ReefTank053.jpg

What are your thoughts on water changes during cycling?

What are your thoughts on lights during this time? I actually want some algea to grow and don't want some of the cooler colored coraline to die. I was thinking of running them 4 or so hours a day. If algea gets out of hand I will throttle it back.

Enjoy.

[avp]

Well, since you asked...

I run the lights 5-6 hrs. and day like I would if the tank was cycled and full of coral. Gotta keep all the little photosynthetic critters alive. Love me some hitchhiker corals!

As for water changes, I generally don't mess with them unless the tank starts to reek and the girlfriend starts to complain or the tank gets cloudy. Even then, it's a small 10% water change at most.

that's just my opinion.

-avp

[intenseimage]

Looks great -- as for your sandstorm issue -- do you still have the nozzles on the Koralias? If so, try with them off

[chrismunn]

i really like your rock scape!
im looking at your thread trying to find ideas to steal for when i set up my 75g ;)
so far i think the rock cove on the right might be seen in my new tank. :D hope you dont mind?
i was also thinking of stealing your canopy idea, but i think im going to put my tank into the wall?
keep the pics coming! :)

[otiso777]

Great build! I would do water changes in order to keep the ammonia level at or below 2 ppm. This will help keep as many critters alive on and in the rocks as possible.

[misfitkris]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11969450#post11969450 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by avp
Well, since you asked...

I run the lights 5-6 hrs. and day like I would if the tank was cycled and full of coral. Gotta keep all the little photosynthetic critters alive. Love me some hitchhiker corals!

As for water changes, I generally don't mess with them unless the tank starts to reek and the girlfriend starts to complain or the tank gets cloudy. Even then, it's a small 10% water change at most.

that's just my opinion.

-avp


This was my thought. To do maybe a few small ones over the few weeks. Nothing major. Just to try and keep ammonia levels down.

And I agree on keeping anything light dependent/photosynthetic alive!

Thanks for the input!

[misfitkris]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11973061#post11973061 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by intenseimage
Looks great -- as for your sandstorm issue -- do you still have the nozzles on the Koralias? If so, try with them off


Yes I do. And that is a good point. Maybe I will try and do this once the rock has cured. I want max flow for now.

Thanks for reminding me!

[misfitkris]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11973652#post11973652 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by chrismunn
i really like your rock scape!
im looking at your thread trying to find ideas to steal for when i set up my 75g ;)
so far i think the rock cove on the right might be seen in my new tank. :D hope you dont mind?
i was also thinking of stealing your canopy idea, but i think im going to put my tank into the wall?
keep the pics coming! :)

Steal away! I posted here to help others. I have changed the aquascape again for now. I am trying to maximize flow over the rock to help in the curing process and get any dead debris to suspend in the water column and eventually go down the overflow to the temporary sock.

I will take a pic tonight and show what I did this time. I like the cove but I like the way I did the changes last night as well. It's gonna be a tough decision.

[misfitkris]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11974973#post11974973 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by otiso777
Great build! I would do water changes in order to keep the ammonia level at or below 2 ppm. This will help keep as many critters alive on and in the rocks as possible.

Very good point. And I did see my first fan worm last night.

Hoorah!

[chrismunn]

im looking forward to seeing the new scape!

and now that you say its ok to steal your ideas, we'll just call it borrowing ;)

[misfitkris]

As promised, here are the rocks as they are right now. Still deciding on what to go with, although they will be like this for some time. There is alot of movement all around the rocks. I want it this way for curing purposes and for any creatures to come out of the rock if they are in it.

The bottom picture is a close up of one of the "things" I found on the rock. Looks like a hard coral of some sort.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/ReefTank054.jpg

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/ReefTank057.jpg

Enjoy.

[misfitkris]

Oh yeah, sorry for the lighting. I have the canopy off, I am finishing it this weekend.

[chrismunn]

WOW! that sps still has color! you can probably save it! thats a score if you can!

for curing purposes its probably a good idea to have your rocks set up like that to get flow around them, but i still like the other setup better. :)

[austinvanover]

Looking good so far

[Reeftanks6]

man love the rock setup thats really cool looking.

[misfitkris]

OK! Update time.

The canopy is complete.

I did make a few modifications to it. One of them by a suggestion from Dave (dvsmn). Thanks! I moved the ballast to a remote location until I get the power center built. I also moved the ballasts from under the stand as well. These will all be housed with my power center once it is complete. So now it will be on an ugly board for the mean time.

I also added fans to it. Better safe than sorry. And since I had the fans, and an upgrade is inevitable I added them. They are cheapo fans, Coralife, so they are a little noisy, but not in an unbearable or noisy way. About like your computer fan would sound.

I was unable to find the stain I used on the bottom after my search ended with nothing. I had to have some deck stain tinted down to a close match. It's not perfect but it is practically unnoticable.

The tank cycle is coming along and a lot quicker then I expected. With the smell of this rock I assumed it was going to be a long 4-6 week process however after some ammonia and nitrite spikes here are my test results from last night.

Salinity - 1.026
Ph - 8.2
Alk - 11 dkh (I used some buffer to bring this up from about 8.)
Ammonia - 0 ppm
Nitrite - .5 ppm
Nitrate - less than 5 ppm
Phosphate - 0 ppm
Calcium - 420 ppm

I don't know what to attribute the fast cycle too. I have not done a water change yet. (I will be doing one tonight.) I have had the rocks for a week as of today. I have taken the rocks and blown them of with a turkey baster and a power head. Any large dead debris blowing around I have picked out. And I did have max flow for a week. Around 3400gph in the tank.

I am not saying it is done by any means. But with my experience, it seems to be getting close. I am going to do the water change tonight. Check the paramaters tomorrow and let the lights come back in full swing for a few days and see where we are at then.

I don't have a pic included, but I did rearrange my rockscape last night and I think I have settled on a final resting place for them. I will post a pic of it tonight.

But, not to keep you all waiting any longer, here are some pics.

Here is how I installed the fans

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/Reef001.jpg

From the inside

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/Reef003.jpg

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/Reef002.jpg

I tried to make the wire installs as neat as possible

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/Reef004.jpg

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/Reef005.jpg

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/Reef007.jpg

On with the lights

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/Reef008.jpg

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/Reef009.jpg

[misfitkris]

Here is a full tank shot

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/Reef011.jpg

The ugly temporary ballast mounting spot.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/Reef013.jpg


And here is a picture of some wierd pink stuff I found growing in my sump. I do not think it is Cyano as I have experience with it. It is slimy like algea. I guess it is only a form. The wierd part is it is only on the silicone I used for the baffles in the sump. I used All Glass Silicone, so I know it is safe. Also, I haven't been running any lights for a few days and thats when this popped up. Wierd.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/Reef014.jpg

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/Reef015.jpg

[dvmsn]

I like the way you mounted the t-5's.

[misfitkris]

Ok update time.

All paramaters point to a finished cycle as of about 5 days ago.

I have added the Clean up Crew.

It consists of:

20 Nassarius
10 Cerith
10 Asterina
10 Scarlet Hermits

I also added 3 Chromis and a Royal Gramma.

Unfortunately, on Monday, I lost the Gramma. I thought it was due to Ich. I know, QT, QT, QT. Dumb me. Lesson learned. Although I am not entirely sure it was ich. It was fine the first day then the second it was flashing, like fish with Ich do. But after the third when it died seemingly overnight, I saw no signs of ich. The Chromis show no sign of it after 4 days. And are eating healthy. Only time will tell. I did set-up a QT tank now and will be using it. I really don't see it as Ich. Maybe I should have left the bugger with Steve a few more days to make sure he was ok. I think he was only at Coastline for a day or so when I got him. Always a downer when you lose your first fish.

Anyway, paramters are still stable and the same as they have been.

Here are some pics of the rock and its final resting place (Yeah right) and others.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/ReefTank001-1.jpg

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/ReefTank006-1.jpg

A cool pic of a hermit when I was messing around with the camera.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/reeftank0072.jpg

And my QT setup. I have a minicanister running on my sump that will be transferred over when I purchase the next fish.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/ReefTank.jpg

Enjoy!

[bteagle93]

this is going to be great! im following this thread. what do you think your going to do about stocking it?

[BLKTANG]

looks great man,nice job.

[vietcu]

great job, I am going to be following this very closely. Hoping to set up something like that once I upgrade too.

[gmatta]

keep on truckin cant wait for this tank to be full of corals

[ozzman69]

Looks great so far. I am planning a 75 right now, so am following along.

[misfitkris]

Ok update time.

3 new additions.

1 - Lawnmower Blennie
2 - Star Polyps (I know, grows like a weed.)
3 - Some Zoo Polyps

I wanted to start easy.

The Diatoms are in bloom. However, the green algea that comes with it is coming to. Mr. Lawnmower has begun the yardwork. He is leaving his signature kiss marks all over the back glass.

Enjoy the pics.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/ReefTank063.jpg

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/ReefTank065.jpg

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/ReefTank070.jpg

And the gratuitous full tank shot.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/ReefTank073.jpg

[misfitkris]

Just a few updates.....

Performing weekly 10% water changes I have all parameters still in the same place.

Temp - 80.4
Salinity - 1.026
Ph - 8.2
Alk - 11
Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 0
Phos - 0
Copper - 0
Calcium - 420

(I only list Copper and Phos as I have the test kits, so I might as well use them ;) )

Nothing moves ever, ph drops .1 overnight and is back up shortly after lights on. Temp is constant. Even with lights on the only variation I see is ~.2.

The diatoms are receding, there is a few small 1 cm patches of hair algea around on the tank. But that is receding too.

The Cheato in the sump is growing steady.

Skimmer doesn't produce much. Not to say that it isn't skimming. I just think an Octo 200 on this tank can keep up pretty easy with the small bioload that is on the tank. I empty it every water change, it's about half full. It's fun to chase the fiance around the house with it. :lol:

All corals are healthy and thriving. Same with the fish and cleanup crew. One hermit crab death, I believe this to be from shell envy.

Anyway, I picked up a few clowns, a cleaner and a frogspawn since the last post. I can't

Here are some pics.

Here are the clowns. They are starting to think they are Chromis. They even sleep with them.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/ReefTank088.jpg

Here is the frogspawn. It was the size of a baseball when I got it. Within two days in the tank it swelled to the size of a softball. It was open the first night.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/ReefTank098.jpg

I don't know what this is. It showed up over night. Snail eggs maybe? Help?

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/ReefTank097.jpg

Here is another pic of Mr. Lawnmower.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/ReefTank096.jpg

And another full tank shot.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/ReefTank104.jpg

Enjoy!

[dvmsn]

Let me know when you are ready for frags

[Moonstream]

nice! I too am setting up a 75g and I was wondering if you think that a mag 7 would have been okay for the return?

great looking tank!

[misfitkris]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12161135#post12161135 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dvmsn
Let me know when you are ready for frags

Bring em on!!

[misfitkris]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12161303#post12161303 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Moonstream
nice! I too am setting up a 75g and I was wondering if you think that a mag 7 would have been okay for the return?

great looking tank!



It might have been ok. I would say it depends on the size of the sump. Obviously the larger the sump the more movement it can handle or needs through it. I have the 9.5 throttled back just a tad, but only because it was blowing sand around in the tank with the 2 k4s and ~600gph coming through the return. I don't have a flow meter, but I would guess I'm pushing about 500 gph now and I will probably look at getting some locline splitters and just have the flow split out among four returns instead of two.


Thanks,

Kris

[dvmsn]

Send my an email and we can set up a time for you to come get some.

[phishguyatstore]

Hey Kris tanks looks good man

[misfitkris]

So I haven't updated in a while. Here are some pics of the reef 8 months later. I had a battle with Ich where I lost a few fish. I do not know what was stressing them out. However, I left the tank bare except for the chromies, which survived the ich outbreak, for about 2 months. I then decided to try and stock again. So far so good.

Stock list as of now:

1 Orange line Tang
6 line wrasse
2 black clowns
3 chromis
1 pink spotted goby
1 royal gramma
1 cleaner shrimp
1 Orange starfish
2 emerald crabs
several hermits
several nass., astrea, cerith snails
1 BTA
1 Frogspawn
various zoos
various sps

All in all, the tank is stable. I can't quite figure out the coloration of the sps. It's either due to high nutrients or lighting. So I will probably upgrade lighting and then if that doesn't work I will move on to agressive nutrient export. Although I feel that a fuge with Cheato and a TLF reactor with Phosban should be plenty. We shall see.

Enjoy the pics.

Here are some zoos

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/DSC01343.jpg

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/DSC01364.jpg

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/DSC01370.jpg


Here is the RBTA

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/DSC01360.jpg

Frogspawn
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/DSC01362.jpg

[misfitkris]

Here are some of my brownish sps.....it's obviously the sylish or "in" color in my tank. :lol: :lol:

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/DSC01344.jpg

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/DSC01346.jpg

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/DSC01349.jpg

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/DSC01350.jpg

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/DSC01353.jpg

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/DSC01354.jpg

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/DSC01359.jpg

[misfitkris]

And finally some side shot and full tank shots.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/DSC01372.jpg

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/DSC01371.jpg

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb84/kriskuball/DSC01373.jpg