40 Gallon Custom LifeReef

watdachuck · Mar 7, 2014

Soooooo, like many Reefers this is my first aquarium using LED's and it has been somewhat frustrating for me. My water parameters have been on point since the beginning of the set up, I have great flow through the tank, I feed my fish heavy and occasionally spot feed my SPS. The lighting was the last component but mostly I have been shooting from the hip. Finally with the advice of my LFS I sent Ecotech and email with my tank specs and asked them what I should do. (Duhhh - Brilliant!!!)

After a simple email, based on my specs, they recommend the 'Radiant Color' preset at about 45% intensity. I switched from my current "custom" program to their suggestion, and bam....a world of difference. The polyps couldn't wait to shoot out, and the colors are already looking much better.

Moral of the story here....just ask!!!!!

Davesgt · Mar 7, 2014

Very nice tank!

watdachuck · Mar 10, 2014

Thanks Dave! Here's a little behind the scenes...its a pretty simple set-up...except for the skimmer which is taller than the tank

watdachuck · Mar 14, 2014

Two Vortech's is better than one!! I added a second MP10 in anti-sync on either side of the tank. I turned the output down under halfway on the master though...

Windsor · Mar 14, 2014

Been following for a while and I really like the tank. I hope you don't mind, but I have been working on a design to ask Jeff at Lifereef to build for me and it's based completely on your design. I've been out of the hobby for about 15yrs and now have two young daughters who are very interested in fish so I thought it was a great time to start back. I love the simplicity of your setup it reminds me more of how it was done 15yrs ago -- the new lighting technology is nice though.

I was planning on changing the dimensions some to 36"L x 24"W x 24"H.

Other than that I really just wanted to ask you if you had it to do over again what would you change?

Thank you for the inspiration!

watdachuck · Mar 14, 2014

Thank you! There really isn't too much I would change, except bigger is always better!! I went with the smaller footprint as it is likely I will have to move again in a couple years. I have moved 4 times in the last 8 years for work and each time I was selling my tank and starting over because they were too big to move. I think with the dimensions you have in mind you might be able to fit some type of refugium in the back which would be the only other thing I would add. At 36" long you could probably rock dual Ecotech Radions, just make sure to start on a lower intensity to avoid bleaching. Those things have quite the kick!

Windsor · Mar 14, 2014

That's great to know! You've given me a real head start with some of the lessons you've learned and shared about. THanks again and I'll be following along during the long wait for Jeff to get to my build -- worth the wait I know. Really glad I found Lifereef early on.

watdachuck · Mar 17, 2014

Meteor Shower

[video=youtube;TjipsVwyM-o]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjipsVwyM-o&feature=youtu.be[/video]

SeahorseKeeper · Mar 17, 2014

The meteor shower looks awesome! Any tips or tricks for them?

watdachuck · Mar 17, 2014

It gobbles down the Marine Cuisine when I feed the fish. Other than that it seems to enjoy some solid flow and moderate lighting. The tank is 20" deep and its on the bottom having a pretty good time

Radion Pro is at 45% these days in Radiant Color mode. With the instruction of Ecotech I'll be ramping up to %60 over the next three weeks.

watdachuck · Mar 22, 2014

Corals are really digging Ecotech's "Radiant Color" program...up to 50% now.

[video=youtube;Q2U_0aatzy4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2U_0aatzy4&feature=youtu.be[/video]

watdachuck · Mar 25, 2014

Spring Cleaning!!! I pulled the old ATO container I used to use out of closet and decided to do a large water change over the next several days. This will be roughly 50% of the total volume compared to the 12% weekly changes that have been standard. Something about giant tanks of water that makes me smile!

watdachuck · Mar 26, 2014

Winning!!!

watdachuck · Mar 29, 2014

Updated full analysis of water samples taken immediately prior to my weekly water changes. Most notable is that I have been dosing Magnesium which is now holding higher, and I am using 9 Tsp of Kalk per my 10 gallon ATO which last about 10 days. I am going to add 2 more Teaspoons to the next mixture to help maintain Calcium levels above 400. Other than that, pretty fantastic water quality I would say!! PH holding steady between 8.23 and 8.34 per my Pinpoint PH monitor. Temperature is 79.0 to 80.3 on a daily basis.