I am getting excited about reefing again

[northbay-reefer]

It has been a long time, over two years, but finally I made my first order with BRS on GFO and supplies to bring my tank back to the way it once was. I will light up my fuge again and add chaeto. Start a regular water change routine and cleaning out my skimmer on a regular basis.

The next big project is finishing up my tank's new cabinet that I started over 3 years ago some of you already know about that story lol.

This is going to be fun .... can't wait to show pictures when my corals fill up my tank.

[santarosasalt]

I'm excited about reefing too. I just bought a new house and that gave me a reason to buy a new tank so I upgraded from a 30 gallon to a 75. I'm loving all that extra room for more corals. I'm just waiting for everything to settle in. All my corals are brown now. But I'm hoping they will color back up. Anybody have any idea how long they will take to color back. I've never moved a reef tank before. My zoos and palys are just starting to open up but I'm worried about my stony corals. They look brown as dirt.

[Grant W]

Well done you guys look forward to seeing and hearing about the progress

[jedheuer]

Originally Posted by northbay-reefer

I used a kill-a-watt and hook is inline to see the draw. I saw some where with a table that shows the wattage of a pump actually draw less wattages with higher head and I didn't belive it so I have to test it out. Low and behold they were right.

Yea, same with putting a ball valve on a pump to lessen the flow. Essentially the pump is doing less work so requires less energy. Counter intuitive though.

[northbay-reefer]

Joe, congrat on your new house and new tank, the corals should recover in about a month or so if everything stay stable.

Grant, thanks, I started cleaning out the garage some more last night and I am begining to see my workshop table again got the unfinished hood on it and will start applying the first coat of stain tonight.

My dual GFO and Carbon reactor will be here next week. Can't wait to hook it up.

On a separate note, did you know that when a pump having to push water higher than the 3' rated height, it runs less wattage? I put killawatt on my Genx4 thinking it should draw higher than the 120watt that was rated, and to my supprise it is only drawing 80 watt ... ssssweeeeet.

[Grant W]

Huh?? that is suprising, how did you guage the draw?

[northbay-reefer]

Originally Posted by Grant W

Huh?? that is suprising, how did you guage the draw?

I used a kill-a-watt and hook is inline to see the draw. I saw some where with a table that shows the wattage of a pump actually draw less wattages with higher head and I didn't belive it so I have to test it out. Low and behold they were right.

[Grant W]

Sounds good, learn something every day and your fragfest with Ken sounds like a party to me

[northbay-reefer]

You are more than welcome to bring corals and join us in our fragfest

On a side note, what is your tank parameter? the last frag that I got from you is not doing too well in my tank. I should have aclimate it much longer.

[northbay-reefer]

Originally Posted by jedheuer

Yea, same with putting a ball valve on a pump to lessen the flow. Essentially the pump is doing less work so requires less energy. Counter intuitive though.

I think it has to spin slower due to the back presure so it uses less enegy ... which is totally oposite of my thinking.

[Grant W]

My alk runs a bit low at about 8,ph 7.9-8.2,ca 475,mag 1350, sg 1.025 and thats about it with a little bit of nitrates about 7-10 that coral was up top about 12" from surface. If you have the fragfest at Ken's you could come by and see for yourself as I live only 2 blocks from Ken

[northbay-reefer]

Your alk is in line with mine, cal calcium is much higher, I run mine at 420 and mag 1300 but that shouldn't be shocking to the coral to much. Maybe I should have mounted it at mid level before moving it up 6" from the top. Part of it is still hanging on so hopefully it will recover. If I come over to Ken then I'll definitely stop by and give it a look.

[Grant W]

Tom you probably have more light than I do, but as I built my own lighting I really need to get a par meter on this tank. I seem to fry some corals that came from brighter tanks and not others.

[northbay-reefer]

First coat of prestain on the hood, tomorrow I'll put on several coats of stain ... I am finally making progress

[Grant W]

Well done Tom, I can't wait to see it. How is your tank going ? any pics of progress?

[northbay-reefer]

I met up with Ken and Grant over the weekend to frag up the bazooka joe, the miami huricane and the darth Maul chalice. Thanks Ken for letting me use the diamond blade, I want one for Christmas Thanks Grant and Ken for sending me home with some nice frags.

After looking at their tanks I found the inspiration that I needed to bring my tank back.

I finally received the BRS dual chamber GFO/carbon reactor and installed it, adjust my alk to 7/calcium to 420, dialed in my calcium reactor. The level is stablized and the new frags are happy.

The cabinet hood first coat of stain is dry, I'll put on another coat tonight because I want it to look like dark cherry red. Hopefully it will be done soon so I can start working on the lower cabinet shell to replace the current shell to match with the new hood. Soon I'll have pictures of the progress.

For now this is what the bare wood cabinet looks like:



The hood will have 4 matching doors

[northbay-reefer]

Some old picture of my tank

[northbay-reefer]

Here you go Grant, you wanted to see it. My home made calcium reactor



I made 4 of them

[elensius]

NICE! I always forget just how much more colors seem to pop in other folks' tanks - beautiful pics, man!

[NeonFish]

Originally Posted by northbay-reefer

Some old picture of my tank
...

Amazing. How long did it take to get your tank to this snapshot?

[northbay-reefer]

Thanks Nate, just give me the corals I'll color it up and you can take it back

Neonfish, it took a couple of years but the tank grew even more couple of years latter to the point of having no more space for the fish and the large clams so I had to give away the clam to my friend.

[northbay-reefer]

finally finish putting on the stains for the new hood. The acrylic finish goes on next.

[Grant W]

Tom sorry I missed your post. The canopy looks fantastic, really professional looking nice job.How many coats to get the color so even? BTW satin polyurethane is what I use on my cabs or conversion varnish with a small amount of the catalyst so the finish isn't so brittle but still super tough. Keep us updated. Thanks again for the frags, the bazooka Joe is doing fine and the Darth Maul is actually growing down the cut sides already. Grant

[northbay-reefer]

No problem Grant, I am using the water base dye stain from home depot, I had to do 3 coat of stains without wiping off to get it dark and even like that. I put on the first coat of acrylic urethane earlier, I'll do another coat tomorrow and then sand or steel wool before adding the third coat.

I am debating about painting the light rack inside the hood glossy blue to get a nice hue from the reflection.

Glad to hear the frags are doing well, cutting them using Ken's method works awesome, I got 100% survival so far.

[northbay-reefer]

Second coat went on today, third coat tomorrow and it is done I wish I can do good finish work like you Grant, but I am not a professional. It will look good but will not be perfect like I had hope. Still have to paint the light rack and then probably spend half a day redoing the wiring for the VHO and T5 and cooling fans.