Back in Hobby with a 65g Peninsula !

[FishTrader]

Finally settled into our new home in the PNW and ready 2 get back 2 reefing
I have had various sized tanks before, from 10g frags to a nice 265. Getting back into things with my first ever peninsula!
Follow my journey.

 

[MnFish1]

Congrats!!!! Keep everyone posted

 

[FishTrader]

I ordered a new tank from waterboxaquariums.com. Aside from thinking I was getting a sump with this setup, I was very pleased. The tank is very good quality and the staff turned out to be very nice. It'll be challenging trying to fit everything into an AIO but I will make it work.
I decided not to return the tank.
This will work out.

 

[FishTrader]

I decided to go with dry rock from Liferock and cement from Aquaforest.

 

[FishTrader]

For lighting I saw nothing changed in the 4 years I had been gone. Like the Hatfield and McCoy is still LED/T5/MH.
I found a hybrid light from Aquatic Life , DX 18 and a few G6 XR15 from Ecotech Marine. The problem was that it being a peninsula there wasn't a decent mount for it which kept the end free, so I made a hinge support system that rested on its own in both the upright (for maintenance) and down positions. I added a cable for extra support in the down position. Also leveled it with a smart level.

 

[FishTrader]

Time for water. Caught a nice deal on a BRS 75gpd RO/DI unit and salt from IO. I figure this'll take a while so why not wire up the components. I am using a Reef Octopus VarioS-2 return pump, Gyre XF330 for flow and Tunze 9004 Skimmer. BRS was out of heaters so looked on Amazon and found a Helio 200w with temp probe that'll get me started. I preferred to use a few heaters on low settings, but with an AIO there are space constraints.. so I ordered a backup and will use 1 at a time.

 

[FishTrader]

OK, time to cycle. I'll be using an fishless pure ammonia-based cycle and will follow up afterwards.
In case you're wondering for the next 6 weeks I am looking forward to breaking down ammonia, building up coralline algae and adding copepods.

 

[radfly]

Don’t get caught up with coralline algae, that will take eight months or more. Focus on keeping ultra stable parameters after the ugly stage is over, in about six months.

 

[nuxx Verified Sponsor]

Looking really good so far

 

[Hemmdog]

Nice set up! I love that rock against the AIO chamber, it looks so natural, that’s going to be epic one day covered in coral!

 

[FishTrader]

Thank you! Exactly the plan.

It's worth noting that hidden beneath the sand I established a pretty solid footing for all the rock out of the extra AF Cement. I recalled how snails would vandalize my loose rocks plus I want to put a jawfish or 2 in here and don't want them to undermine anything.

 

[kevgib67]

Great build, I look forward to seeing it full of life.

 

[Devaji]

nice tank and scape. it's a bummer that you thought it was a sumped tank.
AIo are nice tho, make us keep it simple. how big are the back chambers?

if and I say a big *if* down the road you must have a sump. you could always get the life reef HOB overflow. its the only overflow I would trust.
do I think you need it NO just an idea if you find you need more robust filter systems.

I like what you did with the lights! looks like L brackets with hinges on it? can we get a close up? is there a fail save to keep it from crashing down on your head?

is that the carib sea rock? it look good.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Can't wait to see what it looks like finished!

 

[FishTrader]

I like what you did with the lights! looks like L brackets with hinges on it?

Yes. The L-brackets gave me the clearance from the wall I needed and the hinges are heavy duty for gates and they don't open past 180*.

it's a bummer that you thought it was a sumped tank

I was going to use the sump in a very different manner than what you might expect. I'll save the idea for my next build

 

[FishTrader]

Update: Dosed an exorbitant amount of Dr Tim's Fishless Cycle Dec 24th and API Quickstart Marine Version,, ammonia was off the charts, but as of today I have:
0.0 Ammonia
0.0 Nitrites
50 Nitrates
I added Aquaforest Pro Bio S & F to the tank this morning and will wait to see what it does to the nitrates. (My skimmer has been running)

 

[Devaji]

Update: Dosed an exorbitant amount of Dr Tim's Fishless Cycle Dec 24th and API Quickstart Marine Version,, ammonia was off the charts, but as of today I have:
0.0 Ammonia
0.0 Nitrites
50 Nitrates
I added Aquaforest Pro Bio S & F to the tank this morning and will wait to see what it does to the nitrates. (My skimmer has been running)

cool let us know how it goes. I was unaware of that product had to look it up.

 

[FishTrader]

I have been dosing AF Pro Bio S & Pro Bio F every day and:
nitrates have gone from 50 to between 2 and 5 per Red Sea Tests.
0 nitrite and ammonia.
9.5dkh alkalinity
1.025 spg
I haven't performed a water change yet. Water seems good. Added few coral.
Orange frogspawn, rainbow australomussa (now classified as "parascolymia") and a red bowerbenki. I dipped them in Coral RX then rinsed them off before I placed them in the tank.

 

[sinisterreef22]

Looking great so far! Can’t wait for more updates!

 

[FishTrader]

Added some items to the tank area.