Ivan's 90 gallon Build (Upgrade)

[igazoo25]

I have been off of work since Tuesday. I'm a teacher just waiting to see when we will have to make up those days. One snow day and two (electric company didnt know how to handle this) days.

Anyway, on the brightside it gave me time to really work on moving over from a 55 fish only tank to a 90 gal reef.

[mistaflicksta]

Show us some pics dude

[psuedopimp]

Ivan, it was good to see you again, and meet your wife. i can't wait to see this tank up and going. post as many pics as you can.

[igazoo25]

I forgot to take pics of my old 55 gal tank, so here it is emptied
http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k481/igazoo25/Fish%20Tank/101_1871.jpg

This is the picture of my fish's temporary 10 gal home
http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k481/igazoo25/Fish%20Tank/101_1877.jpg

And here is the picture of my new 90 gallon, half full because my RO/DI system doesnt produce huge quantities of water and most of El Paso is out of water. Hopefully i will have it full by Monday night.
http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k481/igazoo25/Fish%20Tank/101_1884.jpg

[igazoo25]

This is my sump/refugium, the hanging clear hose was being used to transfer water
http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k481/igazoo25/Fish%20Tank/101_1861.jpg

My plumbing job
http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k481/igazoo25/Fish%20Tank/101_1864.jpg

Skimming some nasty crap already
http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k481/igazoo25/Fish%20Tank/101_1863.jpg

Better picture of my fish's temporary 10 gal home
http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k481/igazoo25/Fish%20Tank/101_1855.jpg

[igazoo25]

I would like to thank Daniel at the Coral Reef for all the help and stuff he has provided.

Justin thank you for the rock.

Also thanks everyone who has offered helped and support here on STARS and Reef Central.

I will post more pics as I build up my tank!

[jtinoco]

Looking good. Really like that the plumbing is on the bottom of the tank. Makes it easier to plumb the overflow. :)

[psuedopimp]

when i first got in this hobby i started with a ten gal with a clown and a neon dotty back. he is a cool fish.

[igazoo25]

So I filled up my tank on Monday afternoon. Then I got a leak on my bulkhead drain. I had filled up the overflow before with no leaks, but i guess the movement loosened it, more than likely I did not tighten it as much as i should have.

So i spent the next three days after work trying to tighten the bulkhead with no success, damn overflow is a tight space, and the 24 inch height on the tank did not let my 27 in arms do a lot of work.

Long story short, Friday night Daniel hooked me up with another bulkhead. Got it tightened correctly redid some plumbing and the system is finally running the way it is supposed to.

So here is the updated picture:

http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k481/igazoo25/101_1888.jpg

I did my first tests and the results were not to bad considering, Here is what I got:

PH - 8.0 a little low
Ammonia - 0.25 a little high but not as much as I expected
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 80 high
Phosphate - 0.25 a little high but not as much as I expected
Calcium - 460
Alkaline - 11 dkH
Salinity - 1.026

I am gonna test for the next couple of days, and will probably do a water change on Saturday, to get all the levels where they are supposed to be.

I will post as I go along.

[jmait769]

Looks great! :thumbsup:

Jay

[mistaflicksta]

Is that Marco Rock? It looks sweet. I might just get rid of my rock and get some Marco rock.

Looking good Ivan

Erik

[igazoo25]

The white rock is Marco Rock, and that shelf rock also.

[psuedopimp]

looks good. can't wait to see some fish and corals in there!

[igazoo25]

Ok, first off sorry no pics, my computer is still down.

I came home today and my very active neon dottyback was missing. For a little bit I thought my new bristle starfish ate him, but was not convinced. So I check the overflow and there he is. Was not able to get him out with a net because he hides behind the pipes. Any suggestions on how I can get him out, without having to empty overflow?

[mistaflicksta]

Do you have a wide gauge hose? You could syphon him into a bucket then put him back in your tank. Or you could do like VonFinger and just let him live there, He has some fat happy clowns living in his overflows.

[igazoo25]

If anyone can send me the names of all the corals I have that would be great. I will number my photos to help out. I got a lot of these before I got really serious in the hobby and now I am trying to find out all I can about my new system, and so I can start trading with you guys in the future.

Fish: 4 purple firefish, percula clown, 2 bangai cardinals, yellowtail blue damsel, neon dottyback and a lawnmower blenny, peach colored serpent star, tuxedo urchin, and spiny urchin.

Full tank shot
http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k481/igazoo25/IMAG0035.jpg

1) The frag eric gave me, next to my wifes favorite.
http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k481/igazoo25/IMAG0039.jpg

2) Two different kinds of mushrooms
http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k481/igazoo25/IMAG0019.jpg

3) My new spiny urchin
http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k481/igazoo25/IMAG0012.jpg

4) Two more corals
http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k481/igazoo25/IMAG0009.jpg

5) Tuxedo urchin, lawnmower next to another coral
http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k481/igazoo25/IMAG0003.jpg

6) Kenya tree (reproducing like crazy, this is a smaller one i have), and a bright neon yellow dont know what but they are spreading quickly and look cool.
http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k481/igazoo25/IMAG0001.jpg

I hate asking for the names, but like I said these corals used to be in a 20 gallon before I got really serious, any help on the names would be appreciated. I have seen some of them in books and websites, but just double checking and some I am completely lost on.

[ahlebik]

Looks great. The neon yellow stuff looks cool.

[mistaflicksta]

Hey Ivan, on the first pic you have you have 4 red fire fish, on the pic numbered 1, the frag you got from me is a Tyree neon toadstool. pic 2) left are brown mushrooms, right are green striped mushrooms.pic 6) are very nice Colony Polyp, Yellow

your tank is looking nice man

[fn1]

Your tank looks good....I like the rock work

[stvguerrero]

Nice looking tank great improvement also That's a nice yellow color did anyone have the name for it

[jmait769]

Ivan looks great! I love the shelf on the right side. What skimmer are you using?

Nice looking tank great improvement also That's a nice yellow color did anyone have the name for itEric mentioned them above: Yellow Colony Polyp (http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=597+599+675&pcatid=675). I had them in my old tank but sadly they melted away for some reason. :(


Jay

[puffin04]

Ivan looks great! I love the shelf on the right side. What skimmer are you using?
Jay

I believe that is a Coralife Super Skimmer Needle Wheel! I would like to say it is the 125 model but they make 65 and a 220 gallon.

Steffen Sparks

[igazoo25]

Steffen is right, it is the Coralife 125 model. It is working good so far, it is very tempermental on water level, I just have to make sure to keep it as constant as possible. My project for the summer is to build a small side cabinet to store my auto top of system.

Thank you for the comments on the rock work. I will give credit where credit is due, my wife did most of that aesthetic work.

Sad news to report, went to Phoenix for a long weekend. Left Friday. On Sunday my uncle calls me to tell me that one of my cardinals is swimming funny. I told him to check on Monday morning and let me know. Monday morning he calls me and tells me he can't find him, but that my star fish is double the size. CIRCLE of LIFE I guess. Kinda sad to see him die, but if you are an optimistic person at least I dont have to feed my starfish for another week.

If anyone wants kenya trees, let me know. I will give them free. My tree started reproducing again. If no one lets me know they will get donated to the Coral Reef.

Thanks

Ivan

[jtinoco]

Oh man! That sucks on the cardinal. It's sucks when you're away and come home to missing fish. Happened to me on the firefish that jumped out.

What kind of star do you have?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[igazoo25]

I have a peach colored serpent star. Very active, during fish feeding times on occassion it will climb to the top of the rocks. I have seen it steal food from corals and from fish. I feed it a piece of shrimp at least once a week. It is very fun to see that thing eat. I will try to get some pictures of it at a later time.

[mistaflicksta]

Please update, last time I went to your house your tank looked 10x better than that.

[pnavarro170]

bump

[Sinclair81]

I am looking to upgrade from a 55 to a 90, soon. How does your tank look now?

[igazoo25]

Sinclair 81, follow the link where I posted pictures about 1 month ago

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2071468

[igazoo25]

I will update with some pictures soon.

Plans for the summer:

Build a bigger stand for my 90 gallon, so I can fit a larger refugium/sump.
Upgrade some equipment.
Setup an ATO.

I am really trying to make it out their on the 31st. Hopefully my schedule allows me to do so.

Most of the work on my tank happens in the summer, cause of my occupation, so this summer since there is budget cuts and their appears to be very limited summer school, I should have plenty of time for (Honeydoos first of course) then time for my always frustrating yet fulfilling hobby.

[igazoo25]

Dont have to much time for descriptions but I will post some pics in the meantime. I just got a new camera and still getting the hang of it. The lighting is my main issue, any advice for which setting to use, what lights to have on, etc...

http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k481/igazoo25/DSCN0117.jpg
http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k481/igazoo25/DSCN0118.jpg
http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k481/igazoo25/DSCN0120.jpg
http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k481/igazoo25/DSCN0133.jpg
http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k481/igazoo25/DSCN0135.jpg
http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k481/igazoo25/DSCN0137.jpg
http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k481/igazoo25/DSCN0140.jpg
http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k481/igazoo25/DSCN0141.jpg
http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k481/igazoo25/DSCN0142.jpg
http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k481/igazoo25/DSCN0145.jpg

[igazoo25]

http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k481/igazoo25/DSCN0146.jpg
http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k481/igazoo25/DSCN0147.jpg
http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k481/igazoo25/DSCN0148.jpg

[igazoo25]

Erik your tyree is doing great. Thanks for that. Your old tank is almost being finished being set up, I will post pictures of those when my buddy finishes it up. Hopefully before the end of the month.

[jtinoco]

Looks good!! That's one huge urchin! I like it.

[pnavarro170]

bump

[pnavarro170]

did you ever get erics 90 up for your buddy ?

[igazoo25]

yes I did, havent had a chance to go to his house and get pic though, I'll see if he is off this Saturday maybe we can make the meeting

[pnavarro170]

sweet man, thanks