Still alive, working on 90

[WVfishguy]

Like the title says, I'm still alive and HAVE ACTUALLY MADE PROGRESS ON 90 gal. REEF TANK! (gasp!)
Last week I put together a sump from a 75 gal. tank. Glued in the baffles, made areas for live rock ('fuge) skimmer, pumps, etc. with bubble traps and all that good stuff. I have terrible arthritis in hands, so there's silicon everywhere (looks like it was glued by an orangutan) but I don't care. Running two Supreme Mag 9 pumps (lots of water movement).
Believe it or not, when I filled the tank & sump, everything went as planned. I still can't believe it.
Unless I get sick (again) I should have the tank set up by next week.
I'll work on photos as I go.

[Orr2003]

I just got back into reefkeeping this year also. Time to bring this board back to life. There are a few people in the Huntington area still around. What kind of reef are you planning? Softies? SPS? Mixed? LPS? I am in the growout phase currently but when you are ready I will have many frags available. Good luck with the system!

[package]

I have a 265 mixed reef, mostly LPS. I have many hammers that need to go if someone is looking for some.

[WVfishguy]

I finally got the 90 gallon setup and filled with salt water. A few PJ cardinals, marine betta, chalk bass (pair) and a fat powder brown tang.

I transferred the live rock & sand from the long-term quarantine tank to the current setup, so there was no problem with cycling.

There was a lot of built-up phosphates in the old rock. I had a reading of 2 ppm when it was full.

I did a 90% water change after the first two weeks, brought the phosphates down to 1 ppm. Not enough, but I'm running phosban in a HO filter.

Skimmer is skimming along nicely. I'm using an ancient ASM in the sump. I'm going to put a HO skimmer on the main tank as well.

Brown algae looks like hell. New tank syndrome - only have two 175 halides on it, with room to put a 250 HQI in the middle (it's ready to install, sitting on workbench). I'm afraid the fish will freak out with that much light, so I'm going to wait.

I was amazed at all the equipment I had. I don't know where I got the meters and test kits I have. And overflows, skimmer parts, uv equipment, etc. I guess years of setting up tanks finally paid off.

I got a few frags from a LFS, but if anyone can spare anything I'd appreciate it. The frags are doing well, but they are tiny.

If anyone wants some African cichlids, let me know. I have far too many Crytocara moorei, yellow labs, and albino bristle-nosed plecos.

I also have a butt-load of potted aquarium plants, mostly crypts.

[WVfishguy]

Originally Posted by package

I have a 265 mixed reef, mostly LPS. I have many hammers that need to go if someone is looking for some.

I love hammers.

[package]

Originally Posted by WVfishguy

I love hammers.

"My tank is two weeks old", I could probably help you out when your tank has some age on it.

[WVfishguy]

Originally Posted by package

"My tank is two weeks old", I could probably help you out when your tank has some age on it.

Actually, the live rock has been in my 75 gal quarantine tank for 20+ years. I even transferred some old aragonite sand to the "new" tank as well.

I think the brown dino is a result of phosphates/nutrients leaching from the old rock, and the presence of halides. Phosphates are a little less than 1 ppm in the water, but I'll bet there are phosphates deep in the rock.

Nitrites, ammonia, etc. are all 0. I'm going to test for nitrates within the hour.

When I first set this tank up, I got a LOT of foam (skimmate) where the return water crashes into the sump. As of two days ago, the only skimmate is in the skimmer. This is also after I did a 90% water change.

It would be a good idea to see how things work out before place a bunch of inverts in there.

Edit: Nitrates: 0.20