90 gallon future mixed reef

AlbertK · Nov 20, 2022

Tank:

90 gallon rimmed. Dimensions: 48x18x24 with built in overflow box.

Equipment:

Lights:
Prime 16 HD LED Reef Light - Black Body - Aqua Illumination (2)
48" Hybrid T5HO 4x54W Fixture - Aquatic Life (54W 48” T5 Blue Plus - ATI x 3, 54W 48” T5 Coral Plus - ATI x 1)
Waterproof 10000K LED Fixture 8821.00 - Tunze (Refugium light)
Sump: Sapphire Sump 26 - Trigger Systems
Powerhead: VorTech MP40mQD
Protein skimmer: eSsence S-130 Internal Protein Skimmer - Reef Octopus
Return pump: VarioS-4 Controllable DC Pump (1050 GPH) - Reef Octopus
Heater: 300W Titanium Heater Element - Bulk Reef Supply
Heater Controller: WiFi Aquarium Heater Controller - Ink Bird
ATO: Osmolator Universal 3155 Auto Top Off - Tunze
UV: Emperor Aquatics Smart 25 Watt UV Sterilizer (24x7)
Reactors: BRS GFO & Carbon Reactor - Single with Sicce Syncra 1.5 Pump
Controller: Neptune Apex Pro

Fish

Clownfish: 19 years
Six Line Wrasse: 3 years
Tomini Tang: 1 year
Spotted Cardinalfish (2): 11 months
Flame Hawkfish: 8 months
Royal Gramma: 7 months
Lemonpeel Angelfish: 6 months
Niger Triggerfish: 6 months

Corals

Mushroom Coral: 1 year
Green Star Polyp: 10 months
Rasta Zoa: 4 months

Maintenance

Water change: 10 gallons once a week
Filter sock change: twice a week
Skimmer maintenance: once every three months
Pump maintenance: once very three months
Sump: once a month (one chamber at a time)
Power head: once very two week; deep clean once every two months

Refugium

I have had several attempts to grow macro algae, but it is always overtaken by nuisance algae, so I use it as scrapper - let nuisance algae to grow and scrape it every three weeks

Parameters

Temperature: 78F
Salinity: 1.026
Alkalinity: ~8.3dKH
Calcium: 425-445 ppm
Phosphate: 0.06 - 1ppm
Nitrate: 3-4 ppm
pH: 8.2

Testing:

Alkalinity: daily (Hanna)
Calcium: twice a week (Red sea)
Salinity: twice a week (Milwaukee MA887 Digital Salinity Refractometer)
Phosphate: once a week (Hanna)
Nitrate: once a week (Hanna)

Dosing

All-For-Reef - Powder Mix - Tropic Marin: 30ml once a day
Lugol's Solution: 3 drops, once a week
Vibrant: 10ml once a week (temporary, until bubble algae is gone)
NeoNitro: 4ml once a day (unless Nitrates are above 4

AlbertK · Nov 20, 2022

The biggest current issue right now is my Zoas are not doing well.
After initial acclimation (about two weeks) I saw very healthy growth, but few weeks ago they closed for a couple weeks and has never looked healthy again:.

Timeline highlights, which are possibly related to the problem:

Jun 02, 2022 - Installed PM40 powerhead
Jun 26, 2022 - Added Zoas
Jul 01, 2022 - 6 heads
Jul. 07, 2022 - Added two T5 bulbs (front)
Jul 12, 2022 - 7 heads

Aug 02, 2022

Aug 15, 2022 - 8 heads
Aug 20, 2022

Aug 30, 2022 - 10 heads
Sep 13, 2022 - Log entry:

Zoas have been closed for a few weeks now. Started searching the internet and found a video where a person was having the same problem. He fixed it by temporarily switching off his MP40 and gradually dialing it back up.

Sep 17, 2022 - Log entry:

Right now:
1. MP40 is down to 5%
2. No dosing of any kind
3. The first water change after stopped dosing

Sep 26, 2022

Nov 23, 2022

ScubaShane · Nov 20, 2022

Cartoon Yes GIF by SpongeBob SquarePants

dschuffert · Nov 20, 2022

Nice! I look forward to see how your tank evolves.

AlbertK · Nov 20, 2022

Green Star Polyp is doing well.
Shortly after I purchased GSP:

And now

AlbertK · Nov 21, 2022

AlbertK · Nov 21, 2022

Designing and building your own stand

When I decided to upgrade my aquarium, I had two choices: buy an all-in-one system or build my own. All of this was happening in the middle of the pandemic. I worked from home and had some extra time, so I decided to build my stand even though I had no experience in carpentry.
I had a friend who helped me to select the required tools and get me started.
Here are some pros and cons of doing it yourself

Cons:

Unless you are a seasoned pro, you will not be able to build a stand that will look as good as a manufactured by the Red Sea, for example.
The initial investment in tools might be significant.
This project might take a long time to complete.

Pros:

Initial costs are high, but the following projects will be significantly cheaper because you get to keep your tools.
You are designing your stand, so you can customize it as much as you want. For example, I designed mine to match the style of my house. You can make sure your stand can hold the equipment you currently have and accommodate future upgrades.
You have the freedom to add something in the future. Initially, I did not plan to have a canopy. However, my lights were too bright for the surrounding room, and it became apparent that I needed to cover them somehow. I was able to build a canopy that matched the stand with minimal cost and time.
You will get great satisfaction from the fact that you did it yourself.
In my opinion, the most significant advantage is the future upgrades of your tank. When my tang and triggerfish grow bigger, instead of finding a new home for them, I would like to upgrade to a bigger tank. Building a bigger stand and canopy will not be an expensive endeavor.