My build Thread! Cages 50g Reef Tank

[gabrieltackitt]

Dude! Seriously sick tank. You sound like you’ve gotten just about everything figured out, now time to upgrade that 50 to a 150 or something even bigger and fill it with more awesome stuff.

 

[NickCage007]

Dude! Seriously sick tank. You should lien you’ve gotten just about everything figured out, now time to upgrade that 50 to a 150 or something even bigger and fill it with more awesome stuff.

Thanks. Lol. But nah, i knew from the beginning, its tough to pack a tank like this, and if i go bigger, itll be that much more $$ to fill it. Thats why i went with the 50, and packed it, how i saw it in my head. Now i just enjoy watching them grow. And i sell the frags when things get too big.

 

[NickCage007]

Quick update, not sure if ive posted my livestock list, but, we rehomed the lyretails. Was just a single male, and female. They went to a friends big tank.

My current livestock is..

Borbonius anthias
Sunset Fathead anthias
Orchid dottyback
Black and blue snowflake clown
Cherub angel
Tailspot blenny
Catalina goby x2
Fire shrimp
3x peppermint shrimp
Coral banded shrimp
Sexy shrimp pair
Halloween hermit, scarlett hermits
Fighting conch

 

[NickCage007]

Few recent shots in my phone.

Its funny, weve had peppermint shrimp for months, and now that the lyretails are gone, they finally have ventured out. Its like a whole new vibe in the tank. New territorys are being established. Love to watch these things happen.

Were going to add a bit of rock, to create a few overhangs. Some shelf rock, to create a bit of shade, and space. Hopefully this weekend. Ill be sure to update.

 

[NickCage007]

So, brief update. I noticed i was losing a bit of green, in some of the bases of the torches. Nutrients were normal. The only changes, were the lighting additons, but, I realized, after talking with a friend, that I added the reefbrite actinic strip, back in march. And i never adjusted the noops, or the radion, to compensate for that extra "cool blue" it blasts.
I took the cool blue down to half, of what it was, in the radion, and took it completely out of the noops. Royal blue, and violet, from the noops, and my schedule, full spectrum, from the radion. The reefbrite is on an hour after sunup, til 15 mins before sundown.

It seems to have helped tremendously. But, still dont have the "neon" that they once did. Im hoping with more time, they come back completely to their glory.
The dragonball hasnt shown a green base in 6 months, and its now very very green again.

I plan to leave them here, and check color in pictures i just took, to compare.

I dose esv transition elements, so the iron, ect i hear "green" needs, should be there.

Still not positive on which color, or time of the day the green is getting "charged" but, something is working. Lol

 

[NickCage007]

Hey folks heres a link to the original build, that got moved into the 50 gal, eventually! Heres where this build started! Enjoy!

Build Thread - My 10 gal waterBox Cube Reef build!

Hello folks. Im a newb, again, if that's possible? Ok, so I was a reefer for 7-8 years, after college, I had a 14g biocube, got heavy Into it, but never really got my tank right, because I made all the rookie mistakes. So, upon deciding to re "dabble" in the hobby, (sparked interest after my gf...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[NickCage007]

Couple updates, recent pics, ect..lets start with eye candy!

 

[NickCage007]

Lost a few sps. Adjusted my dosing pump to dose alk and cal mainly when the lights are on, since thats when consumption seems to happen, and then another dose just as lights go off, since it seems to really go up, at that point, and then drops off thru the night, (a trend ive noticed watching the kh gaurdian folks, i dont own one, yet, but i follow along, and that seems to be the trend with most tanks) i was dosing around the clock, and i believe the ph swing, thru the evening, was causing some issues, and effecting my sps, esp newer frags.
Lost a beautiful mari colony, and an orange passion.
And about a week later, my ora frogskin. But, things happen. Could have been worse. So far, getting great growth on the rest of the sps, with the adjustments. I try to keep my alk steady at 8.5, and so far, so good.

Current params, since i ran some tests tonite..

8.5 alk
460 cal
1370 mag

Nitrate steady at 10ppm
Phosphate at .015 on the ULR hanna.

Happy with the numbers. But not happy with the sps issues.

I also ran higher nutrients, for a long time. Struggled, as we all do.

My nitrates used to run around 25-30ppm, and my phos used to run closer to .050 before id do waterchanges...

I attribute the lower numbers, to the brightwell export no3, and p04 blocks! I added them about a month and a half ago. And my numbers steady lowered. Almost too fast, at one point.. (possibly the sps issue, also) but finally stopped, where they are, and have stayed here, for about 2 weeks now.

I feed pretty heavily... I like to keep the anthias healthy, and they like small bits, often. So, we feed lrs nano frenzy (no seaweed, and small pieces) 2-3x a day. And tdo pellets or hikari pellets, in place of one of those meals, atleast, daily. I also feed the corals, once, if not twice a week, directly. And broadcast feed like every 3-4 days. (Had some sun corals, and was growing them, but recently traded them into the lfs, for some stuff my gf needed for her tank!)

Also should also add, switched salts. Awhile back now, but im confident in my decision. Started with small buckets, and after the 3rd, bought a big one, because im impressed with the coloration improvements, and the overall health of the tank.

I was a IO reef crystals guy.. it was cost effective. But, ive had my issues with it..

And am now using red sea, blue bucket. Very impressed with it. I tried a few brands, during my quest for a new salt, and this one seemed best for cost effectiveness, vs quality, ect. Happy with it.

 

[NickCage007]

Also using esv two part, not sure if i updated that, was using ati essentials, which is great, but i dont like dilluting, myself. And esv seemed a bit less "powerful" per drop. And is also great priced, so, i have been using it awhile now. Very much enjoy the way its working for me, and also use their transition elements, for the mag and trace.

 

[NickCage007]

Little update.. so, two weeks ago now, I swapped out my display, for a custom tank I had built, to match the same dimensions, but, with an external overflow. I wanted the IM, but they wouldnt budge on price, and I already had the stand, so, I had a 30×24x18 tank made, with an external overflow, and we plumbed it two weeks ago now.
I went with the fiji cube 20 sump. And found a bubble magus e3 converted for sump use, on facebook, so i scooped that up. And so far, so good. Only lost a few sps.. i added fresh media (clear fx) this passed weekend, and did the first waterchange this evening.
I added some new stock, ill explain that in the next post...

 

[NickCage007]

A very good friend gave me some torches to add to my collection, for me to babysit, until she has things setup again down the road, and time to care for them again. So, i added a few that i didnt have, including the traditional hellfire, one of my favorites, and a dragon tamer. Also one i have been after awhile now.
She also gave me a few to sell for her, so if youre looking for one of the brightest dragon souls ive ever seen, give a shout!
Also have a single head NY knicks torch ready to fly! I have plenty of references if needed!
Anyway, heres some pictures of the new stuff!

 

[NickCage007]

Forgot to mention, went with the maxspect jump 6k for the return pump. Absolutely love it! So much power!
As u can see, i was able to use a 3/4 to 1/2 splitter, to bring my locline, and random flow generators over, for a dual output, single return setup, which works amazing, with the 1500 gph coming thru them!!!

The skimmers just about broken in, its been running a week now, with a day down, when i did some work in the sump.

The sump is great, i really like the setup, but im still learning the best way to keep the baffles, for cheato, ect, and decided to "cage" the cheato in a acclimation box. Working great, and brought the refugium light over from the old tank of course.

 

[KWT]

Extremely nice, hoping for half that and I would be happy

 

[NickCage007]

Some pic updates. Incoming!

 

[NickCage007]

Tank is doing well. I lost quite a bit of my euphyllia. Most of it, really, eventually. To some form of bjd, but, nothing like the stuff i have seen before. This was faster, gave little warning, and seemed euphyllia specific... i had a new piece, after not buying for awhile, melt, and because it was rare, i chanced it, like an idiot, and within a week of its death, most of the others were also dead, from the same thing.
Anyway, i went back on the hunt, i called in a few favors, i reached out to friends, and i filled the spots, but with some new stuff. New colors. Didnt want to re create, i wanted to do things different. So, things will look much different, and were still building. But, cant let it discourage you! Have to keep moving forward!

 

[NickCage007]

Some more shots. The borb, photobombing as usual.