65 Gallon Newbie Build

[WirelessMike]

Yeah I have had this tank for awhile. Last time I had a harem of wrasse. 2 clownfish. And a purple firefish. The way my rock work is so open this time and tons of flow with 2 mp 40s that are cranked pretty high with varied flow. I was thinking about a kole tang. They can be mean tho with other additions tho. I do not like this size tank. It is not long enough and too tall for maintenance.

I get where you are coming from on the size. If I hadn't got such a sweet deal on the tank and mechanicals I was looking at 93 cubes, but I also wanted to start a bit smaller being new to saltwater. I haven't really looked much at the different tangs, but I have seen a bunch of the wrasse and fire fish. I'm trying to not get to far ahead of myself with this project, but I've found that's pretty easy to do. I like the way your rock is setup. I was originally going to do multiple wavemaker, but settled on the gyre and that thing cranks the flow if I dont keep it turned down.

 

[bjc451]

Are you running a refugium

 

[vetteguy53081]

very nice start.
Welcome to the community

 

[WirelessMike]

Are you running a refugium

Yes..... I haven't lit it up yet....that's my next project. I've been following the guidance of my neighbor who has been reefing for a lot longer than me.

 

[WirelessMike]

very nice start.
Welcome to the community

Thanks @vetteguy53081

 

[bjc451]

Yes..... I haven't lit it up yet....that's my next project. I've been following the guidance of my neighbor who has been reefing for a lot longer than me.

I don’t have room in my sump. I was thinking about a hob from aquamaxx but not too many reviews

 

[jmccoy62003]

Im setting up a 65g Deep Blue at the moment and was looking at the Jebao cp-120. How is that pump working out for you? Would you buy it again or go different?

 

[WirelessMike]

Honestly the cp120 is overkill. I have to keep it on the lowest setting. I would look at the 90 if I was doing it all over again. @jmccoy62003

 

[WirelessMike]

So a couple months behind us..... a "stay at home" order......and a great hobby. Ended up making a few changes to my tank over the past couple months and I will list them below and add a few pics.


1: thought i needed more current. (Spoiler I was really wrong!) Ordered a jebao cp-120 because it was controllable, and that thing put out some serious waves and current. #morepower I like the gyre design and performance, but I shouldn't have listened to my newbie ego and instead bought a cp-90. You live and learn. I ended up ordering a Hydor Koralia and life has been great.

2. Added 3 sapphire damsels, 1 melanarus wrasse, and a flame angel. Also added some GSP, a green mushroom, and Pom Pom Xenia. So far all fish have been model citizens and really made the tank a piece of living artwork.

3. Ok........ so I know I might catch some flack on this one BUT please be understanding of the current environment. Added a green bubble tip anenome to the tank. LFS wanted to reduce livestock supply while the store had way less foot traffic. I had been wanting a nem for my clowns for a while and felt like I was helping him out while also getting a really fair deal. So far the nem is happy with the tank and is one of the most fun creatures I have ever watched. Just wish the clowns would cozy up to it. Fingers crossed!

4. Added a canopy with scrap wood from stand and leftover reclaimed wood from accent wall. I originally caught a deal on mounts for my current USA lights. A local FB find made them BOGO. However, in the presence of a stay at home order, and shared workspace with spouse, I decided to do webinars in front of the tank. People loved the active background, but the open lighting would mess with the webcam. Solution: let's build a DIY canopy! (Note to self. Next time dont do it on a holiday weekend. Also, tell the wife it will take longer than you expect. This could avoid a future dog house session.)

Also I have been using the free android app Aquarium Notes. It makes it super easy to track levels, temps, water changes, and livestock. They didnt pay me to say this....just helpful if anyone is looking for a digital way to catalog your tank.

Images aren't all in order and thanks for stopping by! I appreciate the views/likes/comments/feedback

 

[WirelessMike]

Almost forgot. Experimenting with this led light bar and chaeto in the fuge area of the sump. So far it has been really good. Got the chaeto from a fellow reefer on R2R market. I can look the name up if anyone needs it.

Also you will notice I did a macgyver muzzle on the outflow of the skimmer to reduce noise. Had an old powerhead die and the end cap just fit on the outflow pipe. By doing this the water is diverted and broken up upon dispersal. Cut noise by 40%.

 

[WirelessMike]

Noticed the air in the stand was kind of stale....I had a pair of usb laptop fans lying around and a surge protector that had a usb outlet. (Score and double score when upgrades are free!) Since adding them in the stand it seems like the air movement is perfect.

I also had the most minimal buzz from my sump pump. My neighbor, a fellow reefer who has a 30 gallon AIO and 220 gallon custom acrylic, thought I was nuts for even thinking it was loud, but I digress. I read a few threads on R2R and found a genius idea. A silicone hot comb pad from amazon for $9 made the pump whisper quiet as it didnt rub the acrylic sump anymore! Hooray! This is one of the cheapest and best upgrades I have made so far. Aside from the overflow trickle and skimmer trickle this tank is near noise neutral.

Makes enjoying movies on the 75 inch flat screen in this room a good experience again....even when you are in the seat next to the glass. Wife was also glad the canopy tied in the accent wall of the tv. Turned out cool for cheap!

 

[WirelessMike]

Well we are in month 11. So far I’ve battled a nasty algae bloom....had a livestock illness that wiped out everything but a couple corals, and rebuilt with a very slow and deliberate pace. I’ve learned a lot from trial and error. Also soaked as much knowledge as possible from local reefers and forum friends. Upgrade my lighting to Ocean Revive and LOVE them! Also upgraded my fuge lighting and the chaeto is growing like wildfire. The tank has stabilized and I’m working to build out my coral collection. This hobby has challenged me at every angle, but the reward has been worth it.

 

[WirelessMike]

Well tonight we are going to try and add a makeshift diffuser under my new LED. The Ocean Revive is a stellar light for the price. Only complaint is I have some weird coloration from the green LED’s on the sand bed. Hence why I am going to try and add a diffuser under it. See if we can blend the colors better and eliminate any hotspots. So far all of the coral seems to be thriving under the light. Pics to come when complete.

 

[WirelessMike]

What a year! First dip into saltwater and I’m almost a year under my belt. I’ve learned more than I ever thought possible in the first year of this build and can’t wait for what’s to come! Big shout out to all of the fellow reefers who guided me along the way. This forum has been a huge lifesaver in a lot of aspects and also really helped keep me grounded when times got tough. My DIY diffuser attempt didn’t pan out on the first try, so I’m gonna make another run at it soon. Not much has changed recently in my build. Finally got my refugium dialed in and my chaeto is growing like a weed. Even built a chaeto basket from a thread idea I saw on here. Added a few new frags and a rose BTA. Life is good in the 65 and all of the fish seem happy. Now I am tasked with mastering water chemistry as I have lost a few tougher frags from inexperience and impulse buys. Lol On to 2021 where we take it to the next level. Big shout out to @sp1187 for being so willing to help guide me on this journey and all the others who have helped along the way! Happy New Years folks.

 

[WirelessMike]

Met up with a fellow reefer today and got a sweet little piece of sinularia to add to the tank. Also decided to flip a rock around so I could finally admire my BTA. I’m sure it will move back around to the other side to spite me, but at least I got a few hours of pleasure watching it. It way larger than when I put it in a couple months ago.

 

[WirelessMike]

Thought I would put a few shots up. Almost a year under my belt and things are coming together.

 

[WirelessMike]

Nem seems to have finally found its happy place! And it’s in front of the DT now! Yay.

 

[sp1187]

what's goin on down there?

 

[WirelessMike]

what's goin on down there?

Hey partner! Not much going on right now at all. Thought I finally knocked out the honey do list and could focus some energy on the new tank and this one, but I didn’t look at the back of the honey do page! Lol so far everything in the 65 is steady and livestock seems happy. Had a sinularia frag blow off the band and can’t find it for the life of me, but I guess that’s what you get when you’re a rookie aquascaper! How’s everything on your end? Frag tank up yet?

 

[sp1187]

Hey partner! Not much going on right now at all. Thought I finally knocked out the honey do list and could focus some energy on the new tank and this one, but I didn’t look at the back of the honey do page! Lol so far everything in the 65 is steady and livestock seems happy. Had a sinularia frag blow off the band and can’t find it for the life of me, but I guess that’s what you get when you’re a rookie aquascaper! How’s everything on your end? Frag tank up yet?

not even close. work got in the way. 60 hour schedule again. so right now it's mostly a weekend project. have to cover the copper pipes overhead. hoping to have that done this weekend. following weekend start the stand. should go pretty quick after that.