90 Gallon SPS Tank Build

[Derek Hill]

I wanted to start with a clean slate/new thread for this build. Below are the details of the current state of the tank. I will update the picture of the tank as much as I can.

In the second post I will show the progress of equipment, fish, corals, the good AND bad details...etc...hope you enjoy!

Tank - 90 gallons (3x2x2)
Sump - Eshopps ADV-200
Skimmer - Hydor Perform 505
Lighting - ATI 6 bulb (blue plus, blue plus, purple plus, atinic, blue plus, blue plus)
Water movement - Apex WAV (2)
Controller - Apex neptune with Wav, Dos, and Par (ordered)
Doser - Apex Dos with Dos Container
Return pump - Syncra Silent 1.5
Reactor - 2 part BRS (running carbon & GFO)

Dosing - B-Ionic Calc, Alk & Mag
Salt - Red Sea coral pro salt (need to change this soon, too many high alk tests)
Water changes - 18 gallons once or twice a month
Other weekly maintenance - blow off rocks once a week, vacuum bare bottom, scrape glass

Current Fish - hippo tang, salfin tang, yellow tang, melanarus wrasse, leapord wrasse (soon to be added from QT), one spot fox face, saddle back puffer, 2 spot hogfish/wrasse, purple tilefish, black ice & naked clowns

Inverts - 10 nas. Snails, 10 large Mexican snails, 10 hermits, 2 cleaner shrimps, 1 linckia star fish, 1 orange/red star fish (unknown)

Corals - way too many to list...all SPS except 4 chalices and 1 nem

 

[Derek Hill]

When I got the tank home. Also about 1/2 way done with the stand.

A few of my favorite old fish, most didn't live through the ich break out early last spring.

The awful rock wall - causing the most dead spots a tank could ever have!

Then we had the algae break out #1 - the most out of control my tank ever got. I was so frustrated at this point with the hobby, I almost through in the towel.

 

[Derek Hill]

So after that, I decided it was time to make this tank pretty again and fix the algae issue (dead spots). I also upgraded from an MP10 and 2 Hydors to a MP40 and a stronger return pump.

Little side **** action lol

When the tank finally started coming around, right before my insane Alk spike...

 

[chimmike]

Do you have a refugium or any other nutrient export/neutralization other than the skimmer?

 

[Derek Hill]

About the only picture during the Alk spike - lost probably close to 10-15 frags within two days. Alk was at 14.3...Took nearly 4 weeks to slowly bring the alk down without shocking the system.

This was post Alk spike, the slow recovery and adding of coral again. Got the Alk down to 8.9-9.1

Addition of some new pieces, as well as old pieces looking good and healthy. This was about 2-3 weeks after the levels came down to normal.

 

[Derek Hill]

Do you have a refugium or any other nutrient export/neutralization other than the skimmer?

Yep I'll get to that shortly

 

[Derek Hill]

One day I asked myself, why the heck I didn't have the stand skinned yet...so off to Home Depot I went!

I was in a spending mood that day, so I picked a few other things up. Home Depot ironically is right down the street from my LFS...

 

[Derek Hill]

About 3 weeks ago, I had a dream about my grandma, who passed about 3 years ago. My grandmother had an AWFUL scratch ticket addiction. So the next morning I was buying an energy drink at the gas station and said "why not" and bought a scratch ticket. What would ya know? I won almost $2000

So I treated myself...errrr...tank?

I purchased the Apex Neptune Lab Pack, as well as the Wav. Ordered the Dos and Dos Reservoirs (was not in stock).

And everyone was looking happy

 

[Derek Hill]

The next day I went back to the LFS and decided to do some more upgrading.

Out with the old...

AND IN WITH THE NEW BABY!!!

Eshopps ADV-200 sump & Hydor Perform 505

 

[Derek Hill]

Also picked up some new frags this past week, got some awesome pieces...

 

[Derek Hill]

And finally...the most current FTS!

 

[ethridge78]

Nice build thread

 

[Derek Hill]

Nice build thread

Thanks! More to come

 

[Derek Hill]

A little late night shot - running only my "sundown lights" - purple+ and blue+

 

[Derek Hill]

Picked up a couple cool frags tonight from my buddy. A "raspberry shortcake" and 2 wild Aussie acros. Doing a big water change so I'll snag some pictures tomorrow!

 

[Derek Hill]

Oh yeah! And my green tenuis is starting to show some color and a LITTLE bit of polyps

 

[Derek Hill]

Hopefully getting this bad boy set up with my Dos today!

 

[Derek Hill]

Dos still has not come in...EXTREMELY disappointed with Apex/Neptune. I have been waiting over 3 weeks now for my Dos to come in. You think when you spend over $2000 on a kit, you would get at least an email...or tracking...or something saying that "your missing piece is on its way". Both myself and my buddy, have gotten the run around from them

 

[Derek Hill]

Oh look what finally arrived, 3 weeks later! Although bummed it took so long, it's here and working flawlessly the last 12 hours

And the collection...whoops

 

[Derek Hill]

SSC finally starting to gain some color after almost 5 months!

Pocilipora growing like a weed...lol

Aussie milli I just picked up last week, starting to show some cool colors already.

Lime In The Sky with some decent polyp extension.

No idea what this piece is, but it just started showing some deep reds and greens over the last few weeks (has been in my tank for almost 4 months).

Another random piece I got last week...looking like maybe a green tenuis?