Soulpatch's 150 SC build

[timfederwitz]

Originally Posted by soulpatch

I need to make a habit of getting pics monthly so I can better see growth. With the tank still being so empty any growth I experience is easily unseen.

Yes, it is great to go back and look at pics from different times to see the evolution of the tank.

I think you said you use Adobe Lightroom, but many photo library management applications have the tagging functionality. I tag my various tank pictures, like FTS, GSP, Nem, Clowns, etc., so I can easily pull up that group of photos without having to put them into specific folders. Then you can see the progress over periods of time.

[soulpatch]

My nem decided to pop back up today. He is on the back wall where he had popped up before so he must like that area. I will let it be at this point and see what he decides to do to settle at.

[soulpatch]

Poor cell pics but you get idea of new guys. I need wife to break out the dslr.



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[soulpatch]

Well apparently my tusk is not looking so well in QT. Not sure what it is but he was apparently eating yesterday and today was found laboring some in the tank. I know how my LFS QTs so I am not worried about his methods but being a store he is only there so many hours a day.

So should the tusk not make it I will order in another and QT at home. I will do one final batch of fish with my final 2 tangs, tusk, and my clown pair and QT them all together. I need to stop at Petco and grab 2 20 gal tanks so I can have larger tanks for the TTM and I will probably use my biocube for the month long QT tank after TTM.

This of course sets my stocking back and sets me back some coin but again I would rather this happen in QT then in my actual tank. Now I just need to find someone with a LA coupon code or place an order for some more CUC before I order my fish so I can get another coupon.

[timfederwitz]

Man... seems like you have been having terrible luck with livestock. Bummer. :-(

[soulpatch]

such is life. Just like 300 worth of fish gone. Rather it be spent now while in QT then when ti drags down a lot more in the tank...

[timfederwitz]

Hey, I've been meaning to ask you... how are you liking the WAV pumps? Pros/Cons? Would you buy them again if you were starting over?

They seem like they would be nice, but definitely interested in hearing the opinion of someone who owns them.

[soulpatch]

I really like them. For the cost they have everything I want without having to buy additional modules to hook into my apex like I would with MPs.

Cons are their size I guess but the pros far outweigh that IMHO

[soulpatch]

So another 500 in fish and inverts. Another tusk on the way with a powder blue and bristle tooth. I will qt these at home and worry about a blonde naso later. I will ttm then the biocube should be back up and running to serve as the qt for the following month.

The next month is going to be packed.

Kitchen remodel, new sump to be plumbed in, and new fish to ttm and qt.

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[homer1475]

Loosing livestock is never fun, and can get quite expensive depending on the livestock. On the bright side, at least it's during TTM or QT, and not while they are in your DT killing everything else too!

Glad all that hectic worrying is on you and not me.

Went through the whole remodel thing a couple years back. We bought a "fixer upper", gutted it, added 2 additions, entirely new roof(including all new trusses), and added a 24x16 covered deck. I never want to live in a remodel project again!

I'm pretty sure if I had a reef tank going at the time too, I would have either neglected it, or broke the tank itself somehow. Stressful times when you don't have a kitchen to cook in, no roof over your head at night, or even running water to take a shower!

[soulpatch]

Yeah I have redone most of the house already including manifolds for my plumbing so I can turn off one bathroom to work on it without killing the rest of the house. The kitchen, my daughter's bathroom, and the master flooring is all that is left to redo in the house. Kitchen and master flooring will be done this year and the bathroom probably next spring. Then I will probably pay someone to come in and repaint all of my walls and ceilings. I cant get the crispest lines and some of my ceilings need a new skim coat. Easier to pay someone to come do all that and make it look good before we look to list the house. Then the dream tank build will commence...

Well as for today I need to hit up petco as I want larger tanks for the QT. I am not sure I want to QT a 6 inch fish in a biocube so I will go get myself a 20 or 40 gal tank tonight at petco with the $1 gallon sale. I figure they should be fine in a smaller tank for the TTM though...

[pelphrey]

How much evaporation are you seeing on your setup. I am trying to determine if two 40 gallon containers will work (1 for RODI, other for salt). Or if I need to get a bigger container for RODI water.

[soulpatch]

I go through anywhere from 10-15 gallons a week in evap.

[pelphrey]

Thanks! I may get one 40 gallon and the other slightly larger just to be safe. Going to get them from rural king since every other site wants to charge $100+ in freight!

When are the fish coming in?

[timfederwitz]

Originally Posted by soulpatch

I go through anywhere from 10-15 gallons a week in evap.

Damn! It takes me about a month to go through 4 gallons on my BC29! I guess that hood is good for something. Then again, the cooling fans haven't had to be on since it's been cooler, but now I have to replace those fans with something and evap will go up... but even when the fans were on I don't think I went through more than 4 gallons every two weeks or so.

[homer1475]

I'm surprised in the BC your not going through more evap then that.

My topless 80 is going through nearly identical amount of evap as my biocube, roughly 5g a week. I've even decided I can continue to use the Tunze nano ATO seeing as its nearly identical and the nano keeps up just fine.

[soulpatch]

Originally Posted by pelphrey

Thanks! I may get one 40 gallon and the other slightly larger just to be safe. Going to get them from rural king since every other site wants to charge $100+ in freight!

When are the fish coming in?

My fish come in on Saturday. I need to be home for them and couldn't stay home from work. Though my wife is sick and at home right now she wouldn't know how to take in the fish so with the money involved it is much better that I am home to ensure it all goes well.

Originally Posted by timfederwitz

Damn! It takes me about a month to go through 4 gallons on my BC29! I guess that hood is good for something. Then again, the cooling fans haven't had to be on since it's been cooler, but now I have to replace those fans with something and evap will go up... but even when the fans were on I don't think I went through more than 4 gallons every two weeks or so.

Being in my basement it is drier then typical especially with my air handler in the next room. I run a heat pump and as such I think my house runs drier then most. I should hook my humidifier back up to the HVAC that I never knew I had until recently but I am not sure I trust it after it has sat for 8 years. Plus I dont know how to do it. LOL.

That said with the biocube I was going through a minimum of 1/4-1/2 gallon a day. That was fully open top though whereas this is a larger tank so the evap is not too bad. I am not sure if going AWC will help anything on that regard but honestly RODI is cheap so no worries on my end. I have a minimum of 25 gallons made at all time as I keep my RODI unit on constantly and allow the float to handle on/off for me.

Originally Posted by homer1475

I'm surprised in the BC your not going through more evap then that.

My topless 80 is going through nearly identical amount of evap as my biocube, roughly 5g a week. I've even decided I can continue to use the Tunze nano ATO seeing as its nearly identical and the nano keeps up just fine.

The pump is exactly the same. It is just a different controller and I believe the switch in the base of the pump toggled to the higher speed setting. Otherwise identical.


As for the tank updates I dont have much at this point. It is a waiting game for the new equipment to come in. I should have the sump sometime in May. The new 75 gallon drum should be about the same time. I still need to order in a DOS unit but no rush at this point and after spending over 1K on the tank in the last week I want to rebound some before the wife starts to notice. I still have to pay for my clown fish pair so that is another 110 spent on those after my credit taking back my current black ice clown.

The new clowns are already bonded and look great though. They are ice mocha which is kind of like my black ice but with a richer black and a slightly more vibrant orange I guess. Just more contrast. They have been at the store for some time but not in QT so I will bring them home Saturday and they can go through everything with my other fish.

I will be grabbing some tanks tonight from petco. I wil be sending a 6.5" tusk, small bristletooth tang, powder blue tang, and those 2 clowns through TTM and QT together. I will split for the actual QT so that I dont have so many fish in one tank. Either way I will probably pick up a 40 gallon and 2 20 gal tonight at Petco. I will use the 20s for TTM then put the larger fish in the 40 for QT. The smaller guys can go in the biocube. I need to clean it out this weekend and give it a good vinegar bath but it will be ready to go.

My poor water station is going to be going nuts the next few weeks to keep up. I shoudl order in some more salt as I will easily be going through 70 gallons of SW a week for a while...and durig the 12 days of TTM I will be closer to 110 gallons a week....

[soulpatch]

I can't get the powder to stay still for a pic but here is the tusk and bristle tooth. I will do tank shots tomorrow.




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[soulpatch]

As in the pics above I did get the petco tanks. I have a new screen top coming today for the tank so I am covered should a fish like the looks of the carpet...

The tusk was eating from my hand last night as I was giving him some krill. Tonight will be some shrimp or a silverside so I will try to take some pics of him feeding. Also trying to get the powder in a pic.

Tonight is water change night so will be doing the first TTM tank switch using water from the DT in the next tank and refilling the DT with water from the mix station. I need to shoot some video for the one BRS thread as well showing the connections BRS just started to sell.

I can not wait till I get in my new 75 gallon tank. It will be much easier to do smaller water changes OR basically ignore them and just step up the DOS water change schedule to change more water daily. Especially in the summer when I spend a lot of time at the beach house on weekends. Tank will probably go on autopilot in a few weeks once that equipment comes in. Super excited for it if you can't tell!!!

[ReefWreak]

Fish is beautiful! Can't wait to watch them on the full reef tank!

It sure sounds like auto water change replacement is the way to go... Sounds simple enough and really stable which won't stress any corals.

[homer1475]

Wow, nice looking fish!

[soulpatch]

Thanks guys. First TTM tank transfer done. Few more to go then QT period in the larger 40 gallon.

I am doing a few 2 day transfers this week as I need to change tanks on Friday afternoon before I go away for the weekend.

I also need to set up feeder cups for the wife so she can feed over the weekend and hopefully she is comfortable pulling out an uneaten krill if needed.

[ReefWreak]

Ate you feeding krill for size /convenience, or for grinding his teeth down?

Do the tusks have teeth growth issues like the puffers do?

[soulpatch]

Both to be honest. The tusk does like and need to have some ruf***e if you will in his diet. The teeth on the front are not only for decoration though it is not as much of a concern as with a puffer. That said he was also fed krill, silersides, mysis, and such at the divers den so I am looking to mimic that to ease transition.

He did not eat last night as I made the mistake of moving tanks first so he was stressed but tonight he should gulp down a few bits.

[soulpatch]

Woo-hoo got the new water tank in today. I will worry about hooking it up later as I need another pump, some fittings, and a dos to set everything up.

It's so pretty...


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