First time Australian reefer - My build

[NigelRichardson]

Ok, so lets raise the curtain on the project and record the journey - warts and all...

First venture into reefing after a year of freshwater (all-in-one tank) experience. I swore I'd never go marine (Far too complicated), but figured I'd be brave and give this a try... What could possibly go wrong? [I've read enough to know the answer to my own question - everything!]

Tank and Sump - Custom by https://www.starfireaquatics.com.au (Slightly longer than 4ft display - a somewhat "unique" depth and height based on restrictions of my house / where tank is located)
Return Pump - Vectra S2 (Or rather it will be when it turns up - currently running on a loaner pump - thanks local store!)
Flow - AI Nero 5
Lights - Currently 2 x AI Prime; Will go to 3 soon (Reasons why are a whole other dramatic story which will follow)
Sand - Paleo sand
Rock - Marco Rocks
Skimmer - Reef Octopus Essence 130
Heater - Aquael Gold 500w
Heating control - Inkbird
Cycling - kick-started by Dr Tims One and Only

Local support (And lots of it!) by https://www.rgaquarium.com.au

 

[KWT]

Welcome to R2R, build on fellow reefer

 

[NigelRichardson]

First fish and corals went in on Saturday

Foxface (Seems to be acclimating well, though pretty shy so far)

Darth Maul, Cookies and Cream and Toxic Green Star Polyps (which Mr Foxface has munched his way though already)

24 hours into livestock in the tank and I'm onto my first "unplanned excitement" already!

Obligatory 2 x clowns to go in in 6 days - final days of quarantine in fish store then we're officially up and running!

 

[ScottR]

Nice. Don’t forget to post pics when you get a chance. We love pics.

 

[NigelRichardson]

Just about brave enough to attach first photo, though there's clearly a technique I'm missing since there's no way its this blue in real life...

Spread of lights isn't this obvious in real-life, though this does show why I think I'm right in saying I need to spread the current 2 x AI Primes wider and get the 3rd one for the middle of the tank...

(You can see from photo why my setup - slotted in under overhead cabinets means I have some lighting challenges - impossible to raise lights off the water as much as I would like while still allowing access to cabinets above)

2 x clowns doing well, first corals slowly acclimating, first torches snails having a great time ...

Its a start !

Thoughts / suggestions (As long as you remember I'm a newbie to this, so go easy on me) welcome!

 

[DeniableArc]

Nice tank, I think running those primes that close to the water you will have large hot spots but I guess it all depends what you grow. Have a look at brs YouTube video on the primes. I would suggest 4 for a 4ft tank turned somewhat down because of distance to the water. I run 4 prime 16 on a 3ft tank at 70-80% with very good coverage. Happy reefing! Aussie Aussie Aussie

 

[harley32907]

Welcome to R2R and following!

 

[NigelRichardson]

Nice tank, I think running those primes that close to the water you will have large hot spots but I guess it all depends what you grow. Have a look at brs YouTube video on the primes. I would suggest 4 for a 4ft tank turned somewhat down because of distance to the water. I run 4 prime 16 on a 3ft tank at 70-80% with very good coverage. Happy reefing! Aussie Aussie Aussie

Thanks for sharing pic of your tank - looks stunning, particularly against the brick backdrop - Nice mix of the natural world and the industrial world, or something like that...

I have 3rd AI Prime on Order (CV-19 lockdown has messed up every supply chain in this part of the world) - will add that and re-assess (Targeting softies and LPS to start with - I'm the new guy - I figure there's more than enough ways to get myself in trouble without even mentioning SPS!)

Unfortunately because of cabinetry there's no way I can fit the lights where I'd ideally put them - they're currently about 5 inches from water surface which is waay lower than recommended... (Small house and taking into consideration kids and dog - not to mention Mrs R - this was the best / only spot for a tank)

P.S. What's the secret of taking a tank photo turning down the blues so photo actually represents how it really looks? Every photo I take just shows a sea of blue right now...

 

[DeniableArc]

Thanks for sharing pic of your tank - looks stunning, particularly against the brick backdrop - Nice mix of the natural world and the industrial world, or something like that...

I have 3rd AI Prime on Order (CV-19 lockdown has messed up every supply chain in this part of the world) - will add that and re-assess (Targeting softies and LPS to start with - I'm the new guy - I figure there's more than enough ways to get myself in trouble without even mentioning SPS!)

Unfortunately because of cabinetry there's no way I can fit the lights where I'd ideally put them - they're currently about 5 inches from water surface which is waay lower than recommended... (Small house and taking into consideration kids and dog - not to mention Mrs R - this was the best / only spot for a tank)

P.S. What's the secret of taking a tank photo turning down the blues so photo actually represents how it really looks? Every photo I take just shows a sea of blue right now...

I’m sure you will do ok with 3but I would just be mindful what you put directly under the light at that height. As far as photos most reefers use some sort of orange/yellow filter I think polyp lab sells filters that clip on mobile phones. As for me I got some 3D reefing glasses a while back and I simply hold them up to my mobile

 

[Tankkeepers]

Looking good and mine always photographs bluer then what it is have to turn the blues off to get a decent pic

 

[NigelRichardson]

6 months in and I'm still here - Much to my surprise...

Like everyone I've had moments where I've seriously considered throwing in the towel (Diatoms, Cyano, Algae, Aiptasia outbreaks to name but a few), but I'm determined...

On the positive side...

- Alk now stable at 9.0 (I never expected to need to dose an LPS tank)
- 3rd Prime makes the lights slightly less laser-ish (Its way less obvious in real life than in photos)
- Coral collection is growing - and I haven't lost anything (yet) - Yes I know my Scolly doesnt look the best, but its on the right track.
- Fish collection is growing - and I haven't lost anything (yet) - even though they're mostly camera shy
- My wife hasn't sold the Yellow Tang - which I understand is now worth more than my house.
- Snail collection appears to be keeping algae under control now
- Haven't managed to kill myself (unlike when I dropped a LIVE 240v power board in the tank as I was filling it)

Long (long) way to go, but slowly feeling slightly less like a fish out of water (pun intended)

What's next?
- Left hand side of the tank needs more flow - Thinking Nero3
- Battery backup
- More corals!
- Dosing pump (Manual is ok for now, but the novelty is already starting to wear off)
- Bunch of Hanna checkers. As above. I hate reading colour changing liquids.

 

[ShepherdReefer]

Super nice, great start.

 

[NigelRichardson]

Just past the 2-year mark and (amazingly) I'm still here !

What's gone well?

• Tank parameters are pretty stable (though it chew through Magnesium like mad) - Dosing pump works really well
• No significant algae issues (Please don't punish me for saying that by turning my tank into an algae field)
• Corals are growing well - Even the (easy to keep) SPS that I've added
• Lights are still so close to the water service they're like laser beams (Unfortunate side effect of where I decided to put my tank - beginner mistake) - but I guess things adapt, so surprisingly tank looks ok

What's gone wrong?

• Why oh Why did I add a 6-line so early in the piece? Banana Wrasse bullied to death instantly. Peppermint Shrimp vanished immediately
• Rose Bubble Tip Anenome was an expensive mistake. Buried himself under a rock shelf and my attempts to coax him (her?) out didn't end well
• Aiptasia, Aiptasia and more Aiptasia. They haven't taken over the tank thanks to regular treatments of Aiptasia-X, but the approach seems to be more of a "Don't lose the battle" approach as opposed to "Win the war"