So I had this running in my office for about a year when I changed jobs and started working from home 4 days a week. I broke everything down and cleaned it up and made a few changes. It's been running for about 4 months and nothing horrible has happened so I'd say I'm off to a decent start. Pictures to follow.
Tank Stats 36x16x12 - it was designed to sit on top of a filing cabinet so the overflow is on the left hand side.
Sump 15x15x15 - the sump sat in a corner on its own stand so to make plumbing easy I needed return and drains on the same side of the sump. Overall I'm happy with the sump performance although I'm pretty sure the walls on the skimmer side and return side should be switched, they're off by .5 inch. Built in ATO chamber is nice at home, at work it was too small since I eveap off about .75 gal a day it wouldn't make it through 3 day weekends.
Light - ReefBreeders value LED fixture lights 36" much better than I thought it would
Skimmer - Aquamaxx WS-1 - Really happy with this one, I occasionally get micro bubbles but once I got it dialed in it skims well.
Flow - MP10 good flow every other day I have to fix the sand bed, the tank is just too shallow. Rio return pump that hasn't missed a beat.
Rock - Dry Fiji with the chemical bath treatment to burn off the phosphates (wow did it have leach a lot to start)
Sand - Fiji Pink
Livestock:
Fish
Lemon Chromis (Slushie) AKA the Survivor
Invert
5 Astrea Snails
Coral
Red Acan
Duncan (most Emo coral ever)
Assorted Zoas
Hammer Coral
Yellow Eye Blue Chalice
Green Birdsnest
Unknown Green Acropora
Husbandry:
Daily head count check skimmer and ATO, Feed Slushie, Magnet the glass, reposition sand
Every Sunday - Arm in tank scrubbing, Test Alk, Calc, Salinity and others as needed
Every Other Saturday - 4 Gal Water change
Lessons Learned (Don't be me):
Tank Stats 36x16x12 - it was designed to sit on top of a filing cabinet so the overflow is on the left hand side.
Sump 15x15x15 - the sump sat in a corner on its own stand so to make plumbing easy I needed return and drains on the same side of the sump. Overall I'm happy with the sump performance although I'm pretty sure the walls on the skimmer side and return side should be switched, they're off by .5 inch. Built in ATO chamber is nice at home, at work it was too small since I eveap off about .75 gal a day it wouldn't make it through 3 day weekends.
Light - ReefBreeders value LED fixture lights 36" much better than I thought it would
Skimmer - Aquamaxx WS-1 - Really happy with this one, I occasionally get micro bubbles but once I got it dialed in it skims well.
Flow - MP10 good flow every other day I have to fix the sand bed, the tank is just too shallow. Rio return pump that hasn't missed a beat.
Rock - Dry Fiji with the chemical bath treatment to burn off the phosphates (wow did it have leach a lot to start)
Sand - Fiji Pink
Livestock:
Fish
Lemon Chromis (Slushie) AKA the Survivor
Invert
5 Astrea Snails
Coral
Red Acan
Duncan (most Emo coral ever)
Assorted Zoas
Hammer Coral
Yellow Eye Blue Chalice
Green Birdsnest
Unknown Green Acropora
Husbandry:
Daily head count check skimmer and ATO, Feed Slushie, Magnet the glass, reposition sand
Every Sunday - Arm in tank scrubbing, Test Alk, Calc, Salinity and others as needed
Every Other Saturday - 4 Gal Water change
Lessons Learned (Don't be me):
- Blue = Clean RO/DI water, Red = Feed water, Black = Waste water -- Maybe I'm wrong but in my experience Red usually means bad not feed it was 6 months before I read the instructions. My tank suffered, don't be me, read . (BRS maybe try Green for your untreated water, Blue for filtered and Red or Black for waste. I think that would be more in line with standards.)
- Drip loops are important.
- Interesting fact: The MP10 controller nob turns all kids of colors when exposed to a drop of salt water.
- When someone is watching your tank don't have jugs of top off water co-located with your jugs of 2-part. Unless you plan on tearing down the tank and starting over any way.
- If a snail can fit into something, it will. If you don't think it can fit, it will and you wont be able to get it out. Cerith snails are the devil and are out to destroy every piece of equipment you have and then die a horrible death on your overflow strainer. I use big snails now my equipment is much happier.
- If using tank mounted lights, make sure the cord is long enough to move them when you do maintenance.
- Corollary 1 : If a cord is too short and you try to move something it will come unplugged and fall behind the stand.
- Corollary 2: If the stand is near a wall and something falls behind it, your arm will either be too short or too fat to reach it. Check this before installing tank, don't be me.
- Hermit crabs are genetically predisposed to eat snails. It's what they do, even if they don't need the shell. I've seen some kill the snail, wear the shell for a day then move back. Reminds me about Steve Bucemi's character in Con Air, eww.
- Sand in a magnet can scratch acrylic (glass too). Don't go crazy near the sand bed, and if you do check the magnet before continuing. I personally just suck it up and get my arm wet.
- Bicolor Blennys bite. It doesn't hurt but will scare the poop out of you the first time. Try not to yank your arm out of the tank in fright and fling water everywhere.
- The test fluid for the Hannah Alk tester is child proof. This is important to remember when screwing the cap back on. It might feel closed or like it's becoming snug. That's likely the child safety kicking in, keep going. Child safety only won't prevent leaks.
- Quarantine your fish. But Dad, you say, Nemo is so cute he wants to play with Slushie (I have small kids don't judge) and Little Red. No kids, it's for his own good that we place him in the sterile time out tank until we are sure he is healthy. That will save you from sad conversations and fish funerals on Thanksgiving morning.
- Corollary 1: If a new fish brings in a horrible disease, the least expensive fish in the tank will be the only survivor.
