Reef Central Online Community

Go Back   Reef Central Online Community > General Interest Forums > Tank Journals & Builds
Blogs FAQ Calendar Mark Forums Read

Notices

User Tag List

Reply
Thread Tools
Unread 07/11/2017, 02:06 PM   #1
Xxero
Registered Member
 
Xxero's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Oklahoma City
Posts: 1,054
Talking Xxero's 65

It appears that Photobucket is no longer a free image embedding service. Unfortunately, all of the pictures in my tank journal thread were posted through Photobucket, and I am not willing to pay for a service that I can get for free. That being the case, I have decided to begin a new tank journal thread starting at the one year mark.

Basic Information:

System Start Date: May 29, 2016
Display Tank: 65g Marineland Reef Ready Corner Flow - 36 x 18 x 25
Macro Algae/ Refugium: Aqueon 15g Tower - 14 x 14 x 25
Sump: 40g Breeder
Lights: 36" 6 Bulb ATI SunPower High Output T5 Fixture
Total System Gallons: 96






















__________________
"You Can Lead A Gift Horse To Water...
But You Can't Make Him Look In Your Mouth."

Current Tank Info: 65g Mixed Reef Display - 15g Macro Algae/Refugium - 40b Sump
Xxero is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 07/26/2017, 04:37 AM   #2
Spunky Bob
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Sydney, Australia
Posts: 33
Hey mate, looks really nice.
What skimmer are you running? Is it a JNS C01? If not looks similar.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk


Spunky Bob is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 07/26/2017, 08:16 PM   #3
Xxero
Registered Member
 
Xxero's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Oklahoma City
Posts: 1,054
ThanX!

The skimmer is an SC Aquariums-301. It's leftover from my previous build, so it is very undersized for this system. The skimmer's been going strong for over 2 years now though, and it still pulls out a lot of junk. I would definitely buy another, but I would go with the SCA-302 below:

http://www.scaquariums.com/SCA-302-1...-p/sca-302.htm


__________________
"You Can Lead A Gift Horse To Water...
But You Can't Make Him Look In Your Mouth."

Current Tank Info: 65g Mixed Reef Display - 15g Macro Algae/Refugium - 40b Sump
Xxero is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 07/30/2017, 06:20 PM   #4
Xxero
Registered Member
 
Xxero's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Oklahoma City
Posts: 1,054
Picture time:














__________________
"You Can Lead A Gift Horse To Water...
But You Can't Make Him Look In Your Mouth."

Current Tank Info: 65g Mixed Reef Display - 15g Macro Algae/Refugium - 40b Sump
Xxero is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 08/01/2017, 07:03 PM   #5
Xxero
Registered Member
 
Xxero's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Oklahoma City
Posts: 1,054
Skimmer Upgrade.

Recent skimmer chatter has inspired me to finally make an upgrade that I've been procrastinating:

SCA-302 180g Protein Skimmer







I gave it a vinegar bath rub-down, and plugged it right in. The new skimmer fits great in the sump, but it looks HUGE compared to my last one!


__________________
"You Can Lead A Gift Horse To Water...
But You Can't Make Him Look In Your Mouth."

Current Tank Info: 65g Mixed Reef Display - 15g Macro Algae/Refugium - 40b Sump
Xxero is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 08/02/2017, 01:32 AM   #6
Fandel
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 0
That's a very nice tank setup you have there. The blue glow is mesmerizing.


Fandel is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 08/02/2017, 04:51 PM   #7
Xxero
Registered Member
 
Xxero's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Oklahoma City
Posts: 1,054
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fandel View Post
That's a very nice tank setup you have there. The blue glow is mesmerizing.
ThanX!

Yup, lots-O-blue! It's also bulb change time, so that was a recent purchase as well:



I will change out 2 bulbs per week for the next 3 weeks so as not to disturb the inhabitants.


__________________
"You Can Lead A Gift Horse To Water...
But You Can't Make Him Look In Your Mouth."

Current Tank Info: 65g Mixed Reef Display - 15g Macro Algae/Refugium - 40b Sump
Xxero is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 08/03/2017, 09:30 AM   #8
Arnallop3
Registered Member
 
Arnallop3's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Texas
Posts: 55
Beautiful build. Nice corals as well. How if he. Do you change your t5s? How much $ is a usual change of bulbs?


Arnallop3 is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 08/03/2017, 04:35 PM   #9
Xxero
Registered Member
 
Xxero's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Oklahoma City
Posts: 1,054
Quote:
Originally Posted by Arnallop3 View Post
Beautiful build. Nice corals as well. How if he. Do you change your t5s? How much $ is a usual change of bulbs?
Thank you! I really enjoy this hobby.

In regards to T5 bulb replacement, I have read many different things-

I have read:
* that the bulbs should be replaced anywhere from 8 to 18 months. Well, that's a 10 month differential!
* that the way the bulbs are cooled has an influence on bulb life.
* that if they are run in conjunction with metal halides, the excess heat can shorten T5 lifespan.
* that the health of the fixture's ballast(s) can also influence the longevity of bulb life.

I could go on and on, but that's way too many "X" factors for me. I change my bulbs every 12 to 14 months. Bulb length determines bulb price, so my 36 inch tubes cost about $20 x (6)=$120'ish annually.

I figure every 12-14 months falls safely in the middle of the replacement recommendations. Without the aid of a PAR meter, it's all guesswork in my opinion. A good indicator to me is a sudden increase in green algae film on the glass. That usually tells me that the bulbs are going out of whack, and I should replace them soon.


__________________
"You Can Lead A Gift Horse To Water...
But You Can't Make Him Look In Your Mouth."

Current Tank Info: 65g Mixed Reef Display - 15g Macro Algae/Refugium - 40b Sump
Xxero is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 08/05/2017, 05:02 AM   #10
Xxero
Registered Member
 
Xxero's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Oklahoma City
Posts: 1,054
I have a little 20 gallon sidekick tank that I find very interesting to look at. It's a simple set-up that I toss macro algae clippings into, and I just kind of let it do its own thing.

20g long:


The tank is full of various pods and Mysis shrimp, and it is the home to only one inhabitant:

White Spotted Hermit Crab (Dardanus megistos)


He's really intelligent and surprisingly brave, and in addition to the pellets that I feed him, he keeps the macro clippings nice and trimmed.

Happy hermit



__________________
"You Can Lead A Gift Horse To Water...
But You Can't Make Him Look In Your Mouth."

Current Tank Info: 65g Mixed Reef Display - 15g Macro Algae/Refugium - 40b Sump
Xxero is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 08/05/2017, 05:37 AM   #11
bk.
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 31
This is a really cool setup. I like how you have the macro algae in an actual tank as it's own display.

That hermit and 20g is a great setup as well.


bk. is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 08/06/2017, 06:43 AM   #12
Xxero
Registered Member
 
Xxero's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Oklahoma City
Posts: 1,054
Quote:
Originally Posted by bk. View Post
This is a really cool setup. I like how you have the macro algae in an actual tank as it's own display.

That hermit and 20g is a great setup as well.
Thank you!

I like the macro-tank as well. It was initially set up as a display with hopes that it would also help with nitrate removal. It has a 4 inch deep sandbed with around 5 different macros, but I don't think that it does much for the nitrates.

I believe the problem is the use of the various macros. If I only had Chaetomorpha growing in there, it would probably be an excellent tool for nitrate removal. But the various macros compete with one another, which I feel stunts the growth/harvest rate. I harvest enough to fill a very large salad bowl about once a month, but if it was Chaetomorpha alone, I bet that I would reap twice that amount.

Here's a pic of when the Bryothamnion was really going off:



__________________
"You Can Lead A Gift Horse To Water...
But You Can't Make Him Look In Your Mouth."

Current Tank Info: 65g Mixed Reef Display - 15g Macro Algae/Refugium - 40b Sump
Xxero is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 08/30/2017, 11:29 AM   #13
Xxero
Registered Member
 
Xxero's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Oklahoma City
Posts: 1,054
Weekend Goodies

Brought a few things home from the LFS last weekend:



Green Birds Nest:


Stylophora:


Derasa Clam:


Pagoda Cup Coral:


Beautiful specimens. I hope that I can keep them happy.


__________________
"You Can Lead A Gift Horse To Water...
But You Can't Make Him Look In Your Mouth."

Current Tank Info: 65g Mixed Reef Display - 15g Macro Algae/Refugium - 40b Sump
Xxero is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 09/16/2017, 06:56 PM   #14
Xxero
Registered Member
 
Xxero's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Oklahoma City
Posts: 1,054
Proliferation - 6 Weeks

I will be cleaning up the 20g tank tomorrow, but I wanted to show the 6 weeks difference before I did. The proliferation has been interesting:

AUGUST:


TODAY:


Speaking of growth...
AUGUST:


TODAY:


I named him Hellboy because of his beg, red whomper!


__________________
"You Can Lead A Gift Horse To Water...
But You Can't Make Him Look In Your Mouth."

Current Tank Info: 65g Mixed Reef Display - 15g Macro Algae/Refugium - 40b Sump
Xxero is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 09/18/2017, 08:40 AM   #15
James404
I <3 Acros
 
James404's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Long Island, NY
Posts: 2,523
Very cool tanks, I like the macro tank a lot. Do you have any plans to add anything else to it besides the hermit?


__________________
80g Deep Blue Rimless - http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2651295
225g Reef Savvy SPS Dominant - Retired http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1945361
James404 is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 09/19/2017, 03:53 AM   #16
Xxero
Registered Member
 
Xxero's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Oklahoma City
Posts: 1,054
Quote:
Originally Posted by James404 View Post
Very cool tanks, I like the macro tank a lot. Do you have any plans to add anything else to it besides the hermit?
Thank you!

I currently do not have any plans to add anything else to the macro tank. That Hermit is a cold-blooded killer! I specifically set up the 20g just for him, and to grow out some of my macro trimmings from my main system.


__________________
"You Can Lead A Gift Horse To Water...
But You Can't Make Him Look In Your Mouth."

Current Tank Info: 65g Mixed Reef Display - 15g Macro Algae/Refugium - 40b Sump
Xxero is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 09/30/2017, 05:47 PM   #17
Xxero
Registered Member
 
Xxero's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Oklahoma City
Posts: 1,054
Happy Corals

I looked at the tank this afternoon and noticed that my corals look especially plump and happy today. So I thought that I would take a few pics:





Toadstool Leather:


Upskirt shot:


The new Pagoda Cup is doing well:


You can see an Emerald Crab helping me with my Turf algae:


Kenya Tree:


The new Stlyophora has acclimated well:


The Derasa already has at least 1/4" of shell growth:





__________________
"You Can Lead A Gift Horse To Water...
But You Can't Make Him Look In Your Mouth."

Current Tank Info: 65g Mixed Reef Display - 15g Macro Algae/Refugium - 40b Sump
Xxero is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 10/01/2017, 12:48 PM   #18
Xxero
Registered Member
 
Xxero's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Oklahoma City
Posts: 1,054
Shave and a Haircut

The macro-fuge needed some trimming

BEFORE:






AFTER:







__________________
"You Can Lead A Gift Horse To Water...
But You Can't Make Him Look In Your Mouth."

Current Tank Info: 65g Mixed Reef Display - 15g Macro Algae/Refugium - 40b Sump
Xxero is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 10/06/2017, 09:39 AM   #19
Xxero
Registered Member
 
Xxero's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Oklahoma City
Posts: 1,054
I finally got around to cleaning up the 20g, and I also decided to add some sand:



I pulled out a lot of macros. This is a 10g plastic tote container:


Hellboy is enjoying the new sand. He really loves digging around in it:





__________________
"You Can Lead A Gift Horse To Water...
But You Can't Make Him Look In Your Mouth."

Current Tank Info: 65g Mixed Reef Display - 15g Macro Algae/Refugium - 40b Sump
Xxero is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 11/13/2017, 05:57 AM   #20
Xxero
Registered Member
 
Xxero's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Oklahoma City
Posts: 1,054
Show and Tell

I just felt like posting a few photos and talking a little shop. My system has been in a treatment phase of sorts, so I haven't really wanted to take any pictures lately. I've been dealing with Turf Algae, Bubble Algae, and Aiptasia, but things are finally turning around.

None of these uglies got too bad to begin with, but I wanted to get on top of them before things got out of control. I thought that I would try a handful of Emerald Crabs for the Bubble Algae. I never saw them eating any of that, but they did seem to like the Turf Algae. For the Turf Algae, I have been dosing with Vibrant Reef Cleaner. It has been a slow process, but I can definitely say that I am seeing results. I am starting week 7 with the dosing, and my rocks are almost bare. The Vibrant product seems to weaken the Turf, and I also noticed that it has a shrinking effect on the Bubble Algae. Both the Turf and the Bubble are almost completely gone, and I can only really attribute it to the Vibrant.

For the Aiptasia, I tried Aiptasia X, which works, but the same Aiptasia seem to come right back after about a week. So a couple of weeks ago I added 10 Berghia Nudibranch, and I am hoping that they go into berserker mode. I have read that going the Berghia route for Aiptasia can take several months, so only time will tell on that one. For the present though, things are looking a lot better:

Rare photo of all 7 of my fish in one pic:








You can see the remainder of the Turf Algae on this rock. It seems to die off and sort of disintegrate:


Stand front:


Simple sump:


I get an "F" for streamlined cord care



__________________
"You Can Lead A Gift Horse To Water...
But You Can't Make Him Look In Your Mouth."

Current Tank Info: 65g Mixed Reef Display - 15g Macro Algae/Refugium - 40b Sump
Xxero is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 11/15/2017, 03:01 PM   #21
SFish
Registered Member
 
SFish's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 2,062
Really cool crab.


__________________
“A straight line may be the shortest distance between two points but it is by no means the most interesting.”
SFish is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 11/16/2017, 07:42 AM   #22
Xxero
Registered Member
 
Xxero's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Oklahoma City
Posts: 1,054
Quote:
Originally Posted by SFish View Post
Really cool crab.
Thanks! He was.



I found him just like this about 2 weeks ago. I think that he had an unsuccessful molting. I have read that these crabs grow waAay too fast to be kept in an average home aquarium. I believe it too, because he upsized shells 4 times in 2 months! And big shell upgrades at that. They are really cool crabs, but I do not advise anyone to try to keep one. It's almost cruel because if they eat regularly, they grow really, really fast. And the alternative is to starve them in hopes of stunting their growth rate which is just mean. This is how big they can potentially get:



R.I.P. Hellboy.


__________________
"You Can Lead A Gift Horse To Water...
But You Can't Make Him Look In Your Mouth."

Current Tank Info: 65g Mixed Reef Display - 15g Macro Algae/Refugium - 40b Sump
Xxero is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 01/04/2018, 09:36 AM   #23
Xxero
Registered Member
 
Xxero's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Oklahoma City
Posts: 1,054
Talking Happy New Year!

I've made a few changes, as of late, so I thought that I would post an update. It's also a brand new year, so I will share some of my Reef goals for 2018.

I'm in the process of correcting quite a few rookie mistakes. I removed the bushy Kenya Tree coral that used to sit off to the left side of the tank, and I put the Toadstool in its stead. I really liked the Kenya Tree, but I could see how regular pruning was going to become a factor in the future. I also removed a small rock that had a Yellow Polyp colony growing on it before those got too out of control.

Here is the tank as it sits right now:


My next step will be removing this large rock of Button Polyps shown here:


Believe it or not, this colony started off with this one single polyp:


Over the last couple of months, I have been aggressively ridding my tank of some Nazi Turf Algae from Hell. Well it's gone now, but as an adverse affect, so are most of my Macros. I salvaged what I could, and I cleaned up the little Macro/Fuge over the New Year weekend.

Poor Orbic Cardinal is feeling a little exposed, to say the least:


Now that the deed is done, it opens up all kinds of new possibilities for the tower. I'm going to think on it for a while, but in the meantime I will probably move that big Button Polyp colony rock over to here. Then, I will replace that created empty space in the display tank with the rock that was under all of those Macros.

Dead man's cave:


After the death of Hellboy (R.I.P.), I cleaned out the 20g and turned it into what I call a "Flop Tank". For now just a place to toss random whatevers.

These are the only Macros to have survived the Turf Algae war:


As far as tank goals for 2018, I hate to admit that I am getting yet another upgrade itch. I'm wanting to move up to a 5ft long 150 gallon display tank, but so far, that little voice of common sense and reason is winning the debate. If it happens, it won't be until towards the end of the year, so I have plenty of time to think on things. For now I will just continue to focus on cleaning up my current system, and adding more corals to my little Reef. One thing is for certain...I think I am going to have to reserve the bottom center for my crazy Derasa Clam. The thing has pretty much doubled in size in just a few months:





HAPPY NEW REEF YEAR!!!


__________________
"You Can Lead A Gift Horse To Water...
But You Can't Make Him Look In Your Mouth."

Current Tank Info: 65g Mixed Reef Display - 15g Macro Algae/Refugium - 40b Sump
Xxero is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 03/06/2018, 04:54 PM   #24
Xxero
Registered Member
 
Xxero's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Oklahoma City
Posts: 1,054
March 2018

Picture update:






















__________________
"You Can Lead A Gift Horse To Water...
But You Can't Make Him Look In Your Mouth."

Current Tank Info: 65g Mixed Reef Display - 15g Macro Algae/Refugium - 40b Sump
Xxero is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On



All times are GMT -6. The time now is 05:49 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Powered by Searchlight © 2024 Axivo Inc.
Use of this web site is subject to the terms and conditions described in the user agreement.
Reef CentralTM Reef Central, LLC. Copyright ©1999-2022
User Alert System provided by Advanced User Tagging v3.3.0 (Pro) - vBulletin Mods & Addons Copyright © 2024 DragonByte Technologies Ltd.