First build 40 gal aio

[fl3xlinton]

This is my first time trying to do a build thread. I currently have a cobalt c-vue 40 gal aio.
its running 2 return pumps that came with the tank and I put seachem carbon and bio media in with a cobalt 150 flat heater.


I am running the current USA marine pro light it’s a little short for my tank but covers all my rocks with light. I will probably upgrade to the hydra64 in the future but I’m currently on a budget.

 

[fl3xlinton]

I started the cycle with two black misbar clowns and fritz turbo start 900. Cycled in about 2 weeks

 

[fl3xlinton]

I had a bad diatom outbreak because I left the light on for way to long. All white barely any blue and simple fix left the light off for 8 days

 

[fl3xlinton]

A buddy of mine who also has a saltwater tank had a yellow watchmen who was getting bullied and was near death. The poor fella lost his bottom lip and a lot of one of his side fins but was still eating. He looks really cool in the blue light.

 

[fl3xlinton]

Went to my local lfs they tested my water and told me I was okay for more fish. I bought a very small cuc 5 snails 5 crabs only got 4 snails and an empty shell out of the deal and one of the crabs went into a cave and I’ve only seen 4 ever since but no ammonia spikes. Sadly the fire fish died the same night I put him in and I think he got bullied because when I found him his whole tail was missing and he still had his eyeballs. All cuc still alive gladly

 

[fl3xlinton]

A few weeks down the road I go to an lfs about an hour away to get my water tested and maybe buy a frag or two. They tell me my ph was 7.7 and that’s possibly why my fire fish had died but they still let me get a frag of some gsp and gave it to me for free. First coral and he’s doing nicely. I have ordered two PH and they are on the way real soon for more flow hopefully it isn’t too much

 

[fl3xlinton]

Currently trying to slowly raise my ph and alk so I can go get some zoas and maybe a mushroom from them all my parems have been stable 0 so I have been patiently waiting

 

[Idoc]

Nice tank... good start! Awesome to rescue the Watchman!!

You might want to investigate a small quarantine tank for your new additions, though. It would be terrible to lose everything due to one new addition that had a disease!

Keep up the good work!

 

[fl3xlinton]

Nice tank... good start! Awesome to rescue the Watchman!!

You might want to investigate a small quarantine tank for your new additions, though. It would be terrible to lose everything due to one new addition that had a disease!

Keep up the good work!

I have a freshwater 10 in the same room it has two baby electric blue Jack Dempseys but I think those will be moving to a better home soon so I’ll have a 10 free. But I will for sure need one because I’m also planning on making my 65 gal cichlid tank into a reef. That’s kinda why I started the build thread so I could get a feel for how one should work! Haha

 

[fl3xlinton]

Nice tank... good start! Awesome to rescue the Watchman!!

You might want to investigate a small quarantine tank for your new additions, though. It would be terrible to lose everything due to one new addition that had a disease!

Keep up the good work!

I got hit with the reef disease and now I can’t stop! Haha thanks for the feedback. Here’s my cichlid tank which will soon be a reef

 

[Redneck19261]

Nice tank... good start! Awesome to rescue the Watchman!!

You might want to investigate a small quarantine tank for your new additions, though. It would be terrible to lose everything due to one new addition that had a disease!

Keep up the good work!

Yea I gave him the watchman. He claimed a spot in my tank and when I put the Royal gramma in it ran him out of his little cave and took I from him. And he insisted he was gonna git it back. Needless to say he had a death wish. So sadly I had to give him up

 

[El_Guapo13]

Yea I gave him the watchman. He claimed a spot in my tank and when I put the Royal gramma in it ran him out of his little cave and took I from him. And he insisted he was gonna git it back. Needless to say he had a death wish. So sadly I had to give him up

At least he went to a friend, and not to the toilet.

 

[fl3xlinton]

At least he went to a friend, and not to the toilet.

I’m surprised he eats and sifts through the sand with no bottom lip! It’s awesome

 

[El_Guapo13]

I’m surprised he eats and sifts through the sand with no bottom lip! It’s awesome

He deserves a cool name!! Scarface comes to mind as the defacto name for any animal with a busted up face area.

 

[count krunk]

I would let the tank mature for another month before you add any more fish.

Is that light power compact?

 

[fl3xlinton]

I would let the tank mature for another month before you add any more fish.

Is that light power compact?

The light is too small but it works for what I’m going to be doing for now. It’s the current USA marine pro

 

[fl3xlinton]

I would let the tank mature for another month before you add any more fish.

Is that light power compact?

I’ll probably get a hydra 64 like I said earlier in the thread

 

[Redneck19261]

I would let the tank mature for another month before you add any more fish.

Is that light power compact?

I started putting fish in mine at 3 weeks

 

[Idoc]

I got hit with the reef disease and now I can’t stop! Haha thanks for the feedback. Here’s my cichlid tank which will soon be a reef

Ahh, poor cichlids are about to be homeless and they don't even know it yet!

 

[fl3xlinton]

Ahh, poor cichlids are about to be homeless and they don't even know it yet!

They will have a home soon enough! The lfs has an empty big tank they’ll probably put them in since they are now too big for the sell tanks some of the smaller ones will probably get stuck in a tank with a bunch of others but I doubt the big ones will