Matt's Elos 120xl

[Mattres]

I'm just starting my build and you will see we have at least one thing in common besides good taste! Anyway, will be following this build closely. Really excellent start so far!

Haha I actually just bookmarked your tank! Sounds like you had a long wait to, it makes it all the more sweeter when it's finally set up
I really like all your ideas/philosophies your implementing in your build.
That "Made in Germany" can only mean one thing.. haha

 

[choss]

There will be a German theme for sure. I'm going to be catching up on your mini thread tonight. Will you be keeping it going in its current location?

 

[Mattres]

Unfortunately I'll be taking the mini down. Two tanks will just be to much work for me I reckon.
I'll put it in storage so who knows one day it might pop up again.
Thanks for checking it out

 

[choss]

That is too bad. The mini is a beautiful little setup. I'm sure you'll find a great reason to set it up in the future.

 

[Mattres]

Just a quick update

The MP40 arrived on Saturday and I did the transfer from the mini on Monday. There wasn't really much to bring over but I spent ages making sure no vermatid snails made a sneaky entrance.
When I was moving over the birdsnest it somehow came loose and fell to the floor.. made about 30 frags.. haha. But actually didn't fair to bad.

I didnt end up bringing any of the zoanthids over, down the line I'll find some new varietys and add them.

It's good to see the fish under the halides, gosh they look good under them. So much brighter.

Its quite funny how little space the corals I added take up. I haven't placed the corals in there final locations yet. Gotta think about placement a bit.
I'll give everything a couple weeks to settle in and let the tank catch up bio load wise then the shopping can begin!

Thanks for looking

 

[reefwiser]

Looking good looks like that wall cleat needs to be painted.

 

[HolisticBear]

Looks great, the clowns must be loving all the extra space.

Tomini or kole tang
Purple tang
Clownfish pair
PJ cardinal
Bicolour Blenny
Black spot angel pair
Yellow pyramid butterfly
Royal grammar
Dispar anthias

Cool fish plans. What are you going to add first?

 

[Janci]

Nice update.
Your scape and system looks very clean. I like that a lot. Sometimes I think I have too much rock in mine.
Just a question about the flow. Do you now have a circular flow with the 2 MP's positioned like that?

 

[choss]

I don't recall if you treated your rock in any way before adding to the tank. Any algae issues so far?

 

[Jerel]

System looks quite modern at that color temperature, nicely done !

 

[Mattres]

Looking good looks like that wall cleat needs to be painted.

Thanks! I thought a lot about painting it white to blend with the wall but decided to use some dressed oak timber. It matches the decor of the apartment as we have some timber around the place. But in a photo of just the tank, maybe not so much haha

Looks great, the clowns must be loving all the extra space.



Cool fish plans. What are you going to add first?

Thanks mate, they sure are!
I'd love to grab the two black spot angels but it just dependeds on what the LFS has got in. They can order fish in for me but they can be a bit unreliable in that regard.

Nice update.
Your scape and system looks very clean. I like that a lot. Sometimes I think I have too much rock in mine.
Just a question about the flow. Do you now have a circular flow with the 2 MP's positioned like that?

Thanks buddy! Scapping is always a hard decision. At the end of the day I think every scape looks amazing when covered in corals!
I love the look of a small reef bommie in the ocean. So that's what I'm "kinda" trying to replicate with a fair bit of open sand area.
Yea I do get a circular flow, it kinda depends on what mode their running at though. I need to grab a reef link so I can control the modes during the day a bit more but I'm hoping I can have both pumps on high flow for that circular motion, then occasionally alternate each pump being strong flow and low flow to change the direction of the flow a bit.

I don't recall if you treated your rock in any way before adding to the tank. Any algae issues so far?

Yup I did, I got advice from a mate and all I did was soak in RODI water for a couple weeks. For the first week the water was changed every couple days then every 4 days during the second week.
I had diatoms which I expected but thankfully I haven't had any other algae at all yet (touch wood) haha
Very happy with the rock so far!

System looks quite modern at that color temperature, nicely done !

Thanks bud! I like how it looks with all bulbs on. However I'd like it a little more blue when the MH's are off.
I've just realised my order was actually different to what I received. I ordered 2x Actinic Blue but received 2x Super Actinic.
I'll have to grab a couple and play round a bit.

 

[Mattres]

Update

Well its been almost 3 weeks since the transfer and everything seems to be going well. I had a nice neon green tint cover the sand bed a couple weeks ago which is still there but looks to be slowly going away.
Last week i got went past the LFS to grab some more AF supplies and saw a beautiful yellow eye kole tang. Being on my list i happily snapped her up and she's settled in quite well now. I also picked up a couple corals, a SSC frag and what i think is a purple tipped browned out A. efflorescens.
Although my joy of bringing these home soon turned to heartbreak as no more than an hour after i added them i went to check on the tank and saw my bicolour blenny violently pulsating in the front of the MP40... He didn't make it unfortunately. He had always had a love of eating the algae on the MP10 in the mini and i guess this time the extra flow of the 40 did him in. He didn't go through it, i expect he got his head in thought the front and then the flow forced his body onto one of the front bars where he was bent around and trapped.

 

[Mattres]

 

[Mattres]

And an early pic of him and a sign of thins to come i guess..

 

[choss]

Sorry to hear about the blenny. I had the same fish in my 40 gallon tank. He was really fun to watch & healthy. One day I came home and he was being eaten by the clean up crew. He was fine the day before. I wonder if my MP10 did him in. The new fish looks awesome and those coral shots are inspiring. Keep up the good work!

 

[Mattres]

Sorry to hear about the blenny. I had the same fish in my 40 gallon tank. He was really fun to watch & healthy. One day I came home and he was being eaten by the clean up crew. He was fine the day before. I wonder if my MP10 did him in. The new fish looks awesome and those coral shots are inspiring. Keep up the good work!

Thanks mate. That sucks about yours to.
These guys become part of the family and always hurts when something bad happens to them.
Thanks for the kind words.

 

[Janci]

Sorry to hear about the blenny, Matt.
I love blennies too. They are not always the nicestfish, but they do their thing all day long without any care about the other fish mates.
Loosing a fish is never good news.

I also see that we share a love of buying a coral that might have potential. LOL.
Looking for frags or corals that are browned or pale, but have some kind of sign of the possible beauty they can become one day, is always a good reason to go to the LFS and have a look around.
Mostly it are left overs that nobody is interested in... But they make a good deal in the end.

Great pictures as always!

 

[tacosricos]

Wow, that is nice. Love your setup man!

 

[Mattres]

Sorry to hear about the blenny, Matt.
I love blennies too. They are not always the nicestfish, but they do their thing all day long without any care about the other fish mates.
Loosing a fish is never good news.

I also see that we share a love of buying a coral that might have potential. LOL.
Looking for frags or corals that are browned or pale, but have some kind of sign of the possible beauty they can become one day, is always a good reason to go to the LFS and have a look around.
Mostly it are left overs that nobody is interested in... But they make a good deal in the end.

Great pictures as always!

Thanks mate, they certainly have a lot of character!

Haha yes we do! Its fun trying to work out what pigments might come out if its bleached or browned out.
I dont get to the LFS very often so it forces me to look very hard at some of the frags or left over colony's.

 

[Mattres]

Wow, that is nice. Love your setup man!

Cheers buddy! Thanks for looking