My First Tank Build, 75g.
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- Thread starter .Marshall
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sexycorals
Bringing Sexy BACK!!
Looking good man. I always wish I can be handy and build stuff. All you builders are super cool.
Looking good, on the nitrites I would say that the cycle is still finishing up. I would just keep an eye on things and continue testing, as your cycle finishes your nitrites will go down to 0. Just continue to take things slowly and don't rush it 
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.Marshall
Well-Known Member
Thank you! Finally got it in the tank and out of my head lol.
Hah Thank you, learned how from my dad, helps that I was able to use his workshop, tools, and his knowledge when doing the woodwork. Soon I will need some SexyCorals!!
Looking good, on the nitrites I would say that the cycle is still finishing up. I would just keep an eye on things and continue testing, as your cycle finishes your nitrites will go down to 0. Just continue to take things slowly and don't rush it
I will be taking it slow from now on lol I kinda rushed the fish in there but no more until its pretty well established! at least another month before I put another fish in i'm thinking!
I know how hard it can be to wait It is a little easier once you have a few fish in there, it its spending all that time looking at an empty tank that is the hardest part 
Sent from my SCH-R720 using Tapatalk 2
It is a little easier once you have a few fish in there, it its spending all that time looking at an empty tank that is the hardest part Sent from my SCH-R720 using Tapatalk 2
SeahorseKeeper
Where's the mysis?
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The tank is coming along nicely. I love the rockwork. I would wait to add anymore fish until your nitrite is 0.
I'll let you in on my big, dark secret. I used IO's biospira when I set up my 55. I used live rock from my other system and added the livestock in stages over a week's time into the new tank. It worked well for me.
I'll let you in on my big, dark secret. I used IO's biospira when I set up my 55. I used live rock from my other system and added the livestock in stages over a week's time into the new tank. It worked well for me.
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.Marshall
Well-Known Member
I know how hard it can be to wait
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Lol yeah its a killer!
I used Bio-Spira when I started getting >1 ppm Ammonia, it brought Nitrites on right away which I thought would subside as quickly as they showed up after I added the BioSpira but that is not the case..
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.Marshall
Well-Known Member
Havn't updated here in a while, so here it goes!
Hey everyone, Added some new corals last week and they are acclimating well.
List of new corals:
ORA Hawkins Echinata
ORA Red Planet
Screaming Blue Tenuis
ORA Green Birdnest
ORA Bali Green Slimer
Still using my crappy point and shoot camera.. still cant get the colors to show up right but oh well I am looking at buying a Canon T3i with a nice macro lens on cyber monday this year, but until then this is the best I can get! On with the show, here are some pictures!
From left to right: ORA Bali Green Slimer, GARF Bonsai, and ORA Joe the Coral (doesn't look very good in the picture as this was the only coral to put up a visual fuss about the Mg and Ca being out of wack for a couple weeks)
From left to right: ORA Green Birdnest, ORA Hawkins Echinata (Slowing moving the hawkins up for high light)
From left to right: Screaming Blue Tenuis, ORA Red Planet
My Royal Gramma is doing great, always out in the open swimming with his tankmates. (ugh I wish I could get the colors right, that hawkins looks terrible in this picture..)
And this is where my girlfriend can usually find me whenever I have some free time
I feel like this is something everyone should do, sit down and watch everything in your tank for a while, I think this is how you really get to know everything about it!
And to top it off a new FTS.....
Thanks for stopping by!!
Hey everyone, Added some new corals last week and they are acclimating well.
List of new corals:
ORA Hawkins Echinata
ORA Red Planet
Screaming Blue Tenuis
ORA Green Birdnest
ORA Bali Green Slimer
Still using my crappy point and shoot camera.. still cant get the colors to show up right but oh well I am looking at buying a Canon T3i with a nice macro lens on cyber monday this year, but until then this is the best I can get! On with the show, here are some pictures!
From left to right: ORA Bali Green Slimer, GARF Bonsai, and ORA Joe the Coral (doesn't look very good in the picture as this was the only coral to put up a visual fuss about the Mg and Ca being out of wack for a couple weeks)
From left to right: ORA Green Birdnest, ORA Hawkins Echinata (Slowing moving the hawkins up for high light)
From left to right: Screaming Blue Tenuis, ORA Red Planet
My Royal Gramma is doing great, always out in the open swimming with his tankmates. (ugh I wish I could get the colors right, that hawkins looks terrible in this picture..)
And this is where my girlfriend can usually find me whenever I have some free time
I feel like this is something everyone should do, sit down and watch everything in your tank for a while, I think this is how you really get to know everything about it!
And to top it off a new FTS.....
Thanks for stopping by!!
OP
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.Marshall
Well-Known Member
Moreee..
I have a couple projects going on with the tank right now and here's an update on them.
First, I am having a friend at our local club build me a custom sump and I cant wait until it's done, I will be much happier with the new sump setup once I get it in! Here's a (almost) final sketchup of the sump.
Second project;
I ordered up a 6 LED Solderless kit from RapidLED for my "Macro Algae Channel" in the new sump, it was a pretty effortless setup, nonetheless it took me a better part of a couple hours to make sure everything was perfect.
5x Solderless CREE XP-E Red LED - 625nm
1x Solderless CREE XT-E Royal Blue LED - 450nm
Heatsink is a Drilled/tapped 1.4" x 12" Aluminum Heatsink
annnd..
Third, I picked up a Tomini Tang from a local LFS He was in QT for about a month and is now in the main DT with everyone else, there was a couple days of aggression issues, and so much so I needed to catch my yellow tang and put him in the acclimation box, all was well after that. I love the coloration on this guy, the yellow and white contrasted by the dark body is wonderful
I have a couple projects going on with the tank right now and here's an update on them.
First, I am having a friend at our local club build me a custom sump and I cant wait until it's done, I will be much happier with the new sump setup once I get it in! Here's a (almost) final sketchup of the sump.
Second project;
I ordered up a 6 LED Solderless kit from RapidLED for my "Macro Algae Channel" in the new sump, it was a pretty effortless setup, nonetheless it took me a better part of a couple hours to make sure everything was perfect.
5x Solderless CREE XP-E Red LED - 625nm
1x Solderless CREE XT-E Royal Blue LED - 450nm
Heatsink is a Drilled/tapped 1.4" x 12" Aluminum Heatsink
annnd..
Third, I picked up a Tomini Tang from a local LFS He was in QT for about a month and is now in the main DT with everyone else, there was a couple days of aggression issues, and so much so I needed to catch my yellow tang and put him in the acclimation box, all was well after that. I love the coloration on this guy, the yellow and white contrasted by the dark body is wonderful
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.Marshall
Well-Known Member
Update!!!
my fingers are salty and pruned..
I siphoned out the rest of the sugar sand bed tonight, I started taking sand out last Sunday evening, tonight I started at around 8:00, it is now 10:01 and I finished about 25 minutes ago. I was trying to limit the amount of time the tank inhabitants went without flow and the benefits of the skimmer and overflow; needless to say I was in a hurry!!
Barebottom Picture!
This is what I used to separate the sand and water, it worked very well and I would recommend this to anyone doing a sandbed removal, the round tub was a perfect fit for a 5g bucket.
All in all throughout the past week and a half I changed out about 50-60g of water, as close to 100% as I want to get for the next couple months, it is something i've always wanted/needed to do but never have and this project gave me the best opportunity to do so.
I added 60 lbs of Tropic Eden Reef Flakes and upon adding to the DT it clouded up in a hurry, I was a little surprised with this because everywhere I looked it said this sand is so clean there is no need to rinse. After about 15 minutes it was noticeably more clear so hopefully when I go down to feed in the morning before work it will have cleared up.
With that, I already LOVE the reef flakes! The sandbed looks exactly how I wanted it to and with the added flow I can generate now, without a sand storm,will benefit all the coral in the tank as well
Picture!
I will cross my fingers tonight and hope none of my SPS corals will take too big of a hit from the change, they wont be able to come back from it.. I reduced my photoperiod as well a bit the last week or so because my Red Planet and Screaming Blue Tenius were losing a little color lately. (it could have to do with the Alk up-swing though too) We shall see in the morning!
ALSO! running straight RO/DI water through the ATO for a day or so to get my Alk down after this big water change, my 60g WC of Red Sea Coral Pro salt added a hefty spike in Alk the last couple days. Is this a good plan?
Thanks for tuning in!
my fingers are salty and pruned..
I siphoned out the rest of the sugar sand bed tonight, I started taking sand out last Sunday evening, tonight I started at around 8:00, it is now 10:01 and I finished about 25 minutes ago. I was trying to limit the amount of time the tank inhabitants went without flow and the benefits of the skimmer and overflow; needless to say I was in a hurry!!
Barebottom Picture!
This is what I used to separate the sand and water, it worked very well and I would recommend this to anyone doing a sandbed removal, the round tub was a perfect fit for a 5g bucket.
All in all throughout the past week and a half I changed out about 50-60g of water, as close to 100% as I want to get for the next couple months, it is something i've always wanted/needed to do but never have and this project gave me the best opportunity to do so.
I added 60 lbs of Tropic Eden Reef Flakes and upon adding to the DT it clouded up in a hurry, I was a little surprised with this because everywhere I looked it said this sand is so clean there is no need to rinse. After about 15 minutes it was noticeably more clear so hopefully when I go down to feed in the morning before work it will have cleared up.
With that, I already LOVE the reef flakes! The sandbed looks exactly how I wanted it to and with the added flow I can generate now, without a sand storm,will benefit all the coral in the tank as well
Picture!
I will cross my fingers tonight and hope none of my SPS corals will take too big of a hit from the change, they wont be able to come back from it.. I reduced my photoperiod as well a bit the last week or so because my Red Planet and Screaming Blue Tenius were losing a little color lately. (it could have to do with the Alk up-swing though too) We shall see in the morning!
ALSO! running straight RO/DI water through the ATO for a day or so to get my Alk down after this big water change, my 60g WC of Red Sea Coral Pro salt added a hefty spike in Alk the last couple days. Is this a good plan?
Thanks for tuning in!
OP
OP
.Marshall
Well-Known Member
Pretty major update!!
I need someone to remind me to stick to the weekends when it comes to major aquarium projects because I am dragging butt today at work..
I got some major work done last night on the tank;
- Removed the old sump
- Removed the old overflow plumbing
- Cleaned the inside of the stand
- Another 50% WC
- Setup and plumbed in my new custom sump from a local reefer!
I will get a before picture off my camera but I took some after pictures on my phone during the process. I was hauling a** trying to get this done all in one night to eliviate as much stress on the tank inhabitants as I could. I started at 6:30 and finished at about 11:30, I am very tired at work today to say the least..
I learned alot of leasons once again while renovating everything.. :censor:
- Always pay attention to which side of the fittings you are priming/cementing
- Always remember to make sure you have the union screw cap on the pipe before gluing the other side of the union fitting
- Make sure you have enough RO/DI water to refill the new sump!
- Flexible tubing and PVC barbs are a PITA!!!!
Now for everyones favorite part, pictures.
One thing I regret is I forgot to take some good pictures of the sump while it was sitting next to the tank waiting to go in. Here is a picture Brian took of the finished product.
After the new sump went in with equipment in place.
I am running my old skimmer while my new Reef Octopus XS160 (Thanks again Jager) breaks in, once I take the old skimmer out I will then replace most of the first area compartment with Live Rock I have been cooking for the last couple months.
Man the Eheim 1260 is quiet! I can't even tell its on! I love it already.. so much better than my Mag 7.
And you can see the flex tube tubockle going in on the return (right) side.. I need to fix that but that is for another day.
Everything operational.
And the mess.. to be cleaned up tonight!
I need someone to remind me to stick to the weekends when it comes to major aquarium projects because I am dragging butt today at work..
I got some major work done last night on the tank;
- Removed the old sump
- Removed the old overflow plumbing
- Cleaned the inside of the stand
- Another 50% WC
- Setup and plumbed in my new custom
sump from a local reefer! I will get a before picture off my camera but I took some after pictures on my phone during the process. I was hauling a** trying to get this done all in one night to eliviate as much stress on the tank inhabitants as I could. I started at 6:30 and finished at about 11:30, I am very tired at work today to say the least..
I learned alot of leasons once again while renovating everything.. :censor:
- Always pay attention to which side of the fittings you are priming/cementing
- Always remember to make sure you have the union screw cap on the pipe before gluing the other side of the union fitting
- Make sure you have enough RO/DI water to refill the new sump!
- Flexible tubing and PVC barbs are a PITA!!!!
Now for everyones favorite part, pictures.
One thing I regret is I forgot to take some good pictures of the sump while it was sitting next to the tank waiting to go in. Here is a picture Brian took of the finished product.
After the new sump went in with equipment in place.
I am running my old skimmer while my new Reef Octopus XS160 (Thanks again Jager) breaks in, once I take the old skimmer out I will then replace most of the first area compartment with Live Rock I have been cooking for the last couple months.
Man the Eheim 1260 is quiet! I can't even tell its on! I love it already.. so much better than my Mag 7.
And you can see the flex tube tubockle going in on the return (right) side.. I need to fix that but that is for another day.
Everything operational.
And the mess.. to be cleaned up tonight!
OP
OP
.Marshall
Well-Known Member
Thanks! It's coming around
Hey thanks for stopping by my build thread!
It always seems to bring people back, glad to hear it!
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.Marshall
Well-Known Member
Update on some tank projects!
Took some time tonight to photograph some of the tank projects I have been busy with lately, and I figured I will throw them up on the thread tonight while i'm watching the SCSU Men's Hockey game and having a couple morgan cokes.
Projects:
- Magnetic On/Off Cabinet Lighting
- Fuge light DIY
- 2 Part dosing
- DJ Power strip
- Tunze Osmolator
- Coral Placement
- Added 1 Black Occ. Clown & 1 Lubbocks Fairy Wrasse
Mounted 2x 6" LED Bars controlled by a Magnetic On/Off switch attached to the cabinet door, works great and was pretty easy to install. Purchased from ElementalLED.com
Switched from Kalk feed through my ATO to 2 part dosing about a week ago, switch over went pretty smoothly and now I can finally put my Tunze Osmolator to good use, set that up as well.
Also, I installed my new Fuge light; it is a RapidLED Solderless LED kit w/ dimmable driver and potentiometer. It has 5 red LED's and 1 Blue LED, nice violet spectrum for Macro Algae growth. Picked up some Chaeto as well, not much growth yet but it will come.
Next Project is to install a DJ Powerstrip, I picked this one up because of the Blue switches, didn't like the usual red switches that you see so much on other builds.
And finally the most recent FTS, all the coral from the fall frag swap are now mounted on the rocks and ALL are busy encrusting! My ORA Joe the Coral acro I got from 90ct about 4 months ago is really "blowing up", it is popping out new branches from everywhere, really fun to watch from day-to-day.
**You can see in this FTS the 2 new tankmates; 1 Black Occ. Clown & 1 Lubbocks Fairy Wrasse. I picked both of them up during the SWE Black Friday sales and both are doing great in the tank. The Black Clown took a pretty good beating getting from the QT tank to the DT because he was sucked up into the 1/2" tubing I was using to drain the tank, I had to cut the tubing to get him out as he squezzed in there pretty tight.. but he pulled through and is now good buddies with the original clown in the tank.
Lubbocks Fair Wrasse on the middle left, and the Black Occ. Clown on the bottom right next to the other Orange Occ Clown.
Thanks for stopping by!!
Took some time tonight to photograph some of the tank projects I have been busy with lately, and I figured I will throw them up on the thread tonight while i'm watching the SCSU Men's Hockey game and having a couple morgan cokes.
Projects:
- Magnetic On/Off Cabinet Lighting
- Fuge light DIY
- 2 Part dosing
- DJ Power strip
- Tunze Osmolator
- Coral Placement
- Added 1 Black Occ. Clown & 1 Lubbocks Fairy Wrasse
Mounted 2x 6" LED Bars controlled by a Magnetic On/Off switch attached to the cabinet door, works great and was pretty easy to install. Purchased from ElementalLED.com
Switched from Kalk feed through my ATO to 2 part dosing about a week ago, switch over went pretty smoothly and now I can finally put my Tunze Osmolator to good use, set that up as well.
Also, I installed my new Fuge light; it is a RapidLED Solderless LED kit w/ dimmable driver and potentiometer. It has 5 red LED's and 1 Blue LED, nice violet spectrum for Macro Algae growth. Picked up some Chaeto as well, not much growth yet but it will come.
Next Project is to install a DJ Powerstrip, I picked this one up because of the Blue switches, didn't like the usual red switches that you see so much on other builds.
And finally the most recent FTS, all the coral from the fall frag swap are now mounted on the rocks and ALL are busy encrusting! My ORA Joe the Coral acro I got from 90ct about 4 months ago is really "blowing up", it is popping out new branches from everywhere, really fun to watch from day-to-day.
**You can see in this FTS the 2 new tankmates; 1 Black Occ. Clown & 1 Lubbocks Fairy Wrasse. I picked both of them up during the SWE Black Friday sales and both are doing great in the tank. The Black Clown took a pretty good beating getting from the QT tank to the DT because he was sucked up into the 1/2" tubing I was using to drain the tank, I had to cut the tubing to get him out as he squezzed in there pretty tight.. but he pulled through and is now good buddies with the original clown in the tank.
Lubbocks Fair Wrasse on the middle left, and the Black Occ. Clown on the bottom right next to the other Orange Occ Clown.
Thanks for stopping by!!
OP
OP
.Marshall
Well-Known Member
Still working with the new camera, I was given Adobe Photoshop Elements 11 for christmas but I think I will go and get Adobe Lightroom as well.
I picked up another Mp40 to replace the 2 Mp10's, still trying to find the perfect spot vertically and laterally for the mp40
I'll try and get more pictures soon, most likely next week sometime whenever my shipment comes in from the Cherry Corals Live Sale
My "scores":
- Hellboy Acro
- Pokerstar Monti
- Sunset Monti
Here's a new FTS.
I picked up another Mp40 to replace the 2 Mp10's, still trying to find the perfect spot vertically and laterally for the mp40
I'll try and get more pictures soon, most likely next week sometime whenever my shipment comes in from the Cherry Corals Live Sale
My "scores":
- Hellboy Acro
- Pokerstar Monti
- Sunset Monti
Here's a new FTS.
