My lil reef

[jporter17]

Man, what a tank! Great job and I’m jealous of the panta rhei pumps. Would love to have a couple but think my tank may be to small. Can you pivot them at all on their mounts? JP

 

[Rick.45cal]

Man, what a tank! Great job and I’m jealous of the panta rhei pumps. Would love to have a couple but think my tank may be to small. Can you pivot them at all on their mounts? JP

Yes they can be pivoted! (They can also be turned down.) I definitely haven’t regretted buying them. They were expensive, but they are very efficient and have been trouble free.

Thank you for the compliments!

 

[kevlow]

The tank is 60”x 27”x 27” (190 gallon), It’s running on Tropic Marin Balling salts. I do have a CaRX but I haven’t chosen to set it up. The tank is constantly changing its own water (1% of the volume daily). I add some Tropic Marin elements daily and that’s pretty much it. Filtration is some activated carbon changed monthly and a big Vertex Alpha 250 protein skimmer in a sump. 6ml of NoPOx is dosed daily.

The vitals:
Alk 8.9 dKH
Ca 430 ppm
Mg 1440ppm
NO3 5ppm
PO4 0.12ppm

Started following your thread. Pick up on page one and working through. Are these your regular numbers you like to stay around?
Do you know your Par readings?
I have found that the higher the Par, the more important it is to have higher nutrients in the system.

 

[Rick.45cal]

Started following your thread. Pick up on page one and working through. Are these your regular numbers you like to stay around?
Do you know your Par readings?
I have found that the higher the Par, the more important it is to have higher nutrients in the system.

Last time I checked most of the SPS sit in 600+ PAR and the corals on the sandbed sit in about 375-385 PAR. This is definitely a high light tank and when nutrient levels drop the corals definitely suffer! Thank you for tagging along!

Edited to add, those were just the levels that happened to be at that time. I get some fluctuations in levels, right now it’s running a higher alkalinity of 9.6 dKH. 5 ppm NO3 is about the bottom that I feel comfortable with and prefer 10+. Right now the tank is at 15ppm NO3 and 0.24ppm PO4.

 

[kevlow]

Last time I checked most of the SPS sit in 600+ PAR and the corals on the sandbed sit in about 375-385 PAR. This is definitely a high light tank and when nutrient levels drop the corals definitely suffer! Thank you for tagging along!

Edited to add, those were just the levels that happened to be at that time. I get some fluctuations in levels, right now it’s running a higher alkalinity of 9.6 dKH. 5 ppm NO3 is about the bottom that I feel comfortable with and prefer 10+. Right now the tank is at 15ppm NO3 and 0.24ppm PO4.

Awesome.
It is good to see another tank similar to mine.
High light has always worked for me, But it only looks good and healthy with nitrates and phosphates a little higher then most people like. The ulns seems to be for lower par systems.
I have never been quite that high on the PO4, only to about .18. I will never let PO4 drop to zero again. I dose Neo Nitrate already but I am buying NeoPhos this weekend.

I will work my way through the rest of your thread now.

 

[Rick.45cal]

The JF AlterEgo was looking electric tonight!

 

[Rick.45cal]

 

[David D.]

Hello Rick,
My name's David.
Beautiful tank you have there !!!
I see you're from Lakeland, and that's where I live too.
I'd be honored to get some advice and/or help from someone with as much knowledge and artistry as you possess.
Would you be interested in earning some money on the side for coming by my home, checking out my tank, but most importantly for me, could you come by and acclimate some new fish for me that I would like to purchase from Divers Den ?
I'd be willing to pay you by the hour.
Please let me know how you feel about my proposal.
And do you build guitars too ?

 

[Rick.45cal]

Hello Rick,
My name's David.
Beautiful tank you have there !!!
I see you're from Lakeland, and that's where I live too.
I'd be honored to get some advice and/or help from someone with as much knowledge and artistry as you possess.
Would you be interested in earning some money on the side for coming by my home, checking out my tank, but most importantly for me, could you come by and acclimate some new fish for me that I would like to purchase from Divers Den ?
I'd be willing to pay you by the hour.
Please let me know how you feel about my proposal.
And do you build guitars too ?

Hi David!
Nice to meet you.
I don’t really service tanks anymore (I’ve done it a bunch earlier in life). I’ll gladly offer you any advice or answer any questions you may have, you are always welcome to PM me them. I’ve got some current physiological issues that the doctors tell me I shouldn’t “pick things up” so I’m afraid I can’t offer much physical help.

I will tell you, I don’t acclimate fish. I float the bag until the temperature equalizes then they are dumped out into a wet net over a 5 gallon bucket and put in the tank carefully afterwards. I would recommend that you QT your fish, it’s never a bad idea.

I was building some electric guitars that I had designed, even hand making the pickups, but my buddy that was the guitar player stopped coming over so they got put on the backburner.

 

[David D.]

Hi David!
Nice to meet you.
I don’t really service tanks anymore (I’ve done it a bunch earlier in life). I’ll gladly offer you any advice or answer any questions you may have, you are always welcome to PM me them. I’ve got some current physiological issues that the doctors tell me I shouldn’t “pick things up” so I’m afraid I can’t offer much physical help.

I will tell you, I don’t acclimate fish. I float the bag until the temperature equalizes then they are dumped out into a wet net over a 5 gallon bucket and put in the tank carefully afterwards. I would recommend that you QT your fish, it’s never a bad idea.

I was building some electric guitars that I had designed, even hand making the pickups, but my buddy that was the guitar player stopped coming over so they got put on the backburner.

Nice to meet you too Rick.
Thanks for responding, I appreciate that.
I'm also grateful that you offered to answer any questions that I might have.
If you were to come by, I don't need you to do any physical lifting, as I do all my water changes myself, it's just that I still don't feel comfortable handling the livestock.
And with Fish2O closing, I'm not sure if you're familiar with that LFS, I don't have access to Jason coming by anymore.
I've asked Darrell, who also worked there, a.k.a. Elegance Coral here, to come by and acclimate some fish for me, but he didn't seem to eager to do it either.
I know that quarantining the fish is the best and safest way to go, but I just don't have the resources to do that, so I float the bags for a bit, then usually drip acclimate them for maybe an hour.
I've been down to three fish in my 90 gallon tank for awhile now, and I'm just really eager to add a couple more, but feel like I need a little help.
If you change your mind, and want to earn some extra cash, Please let me know, as I'd be excited to add a few new fish.
I understand if you don't want to, but if you change your mind, let me know.
Happy Reefing Rick & Rock n Roll !!!

 

[ccombs]

Nice to meet you too Rick.
Thanks for responding, I appreciate that.
I'm also grateful that you offered to answer any questions that I might have.
If you were to come by, I don't need you to do any physical lifting, as I do all my water changes myself, it's just that I still don't feel comfortable handling the livestock.
And with Fish2O closing, I'm not sure if you're familiar with that LFS, I don't have access to Jason coming by anymore.
I've asked Darrell, who also worked there, a.k.a. Elegance Coral here, to come by and acclimate some fish for me, but he didn't seem to eager to do it either.
I know that quarantining the fish is the best and safest way to go, but I just don't have the resources to do that, so I float the bags for a bit, then usually drip acclimate them for maybe an hour.
I've been down to three fish in my 90 gallon tank for awhile now, and I'm just really eager to add a couple more, but feel like I need a little help.
If you change your mind, and want to earn some extra cash, Please let me know, as I'd be excited to add a few new fish.
I understand if you don't want to, but if you change your mind, let me know.
Happy Reefing Rick & Rock n Roll !!!

I bet if you joined a local reef club you could find some people to help you out with the QT, ect.

 

[ccombs]

Yes they can be pivoted! (They can also be turned down.) I definitely haven’t regretted buying them. They were expensive, but they are very efficient and have been trouble free.

Thank you for the compliments!

I always wondered about your pumps, I have never seen them except in your tank pictures. I figured they might be an older pump you have had for awhile or something. I just looked them up and realized that is like me thinking you can buy a Gucci bag at Walmart lolololol.

 

[Rick.45cal]

I always wondered about your pumps, I have never seen them except in your tank pictures. I figured they might be an older pump you have had for awhile or something. I just looked them up and realized that is like me thinking you can buy a Gucci bag at Walmart lolololol.

Yeah they are pretty pricey, the company is mostly known for making pumps for giant public aquaria. when I got them there was very little information that wasn’t in German. It’s a really clever design and reminds me of “ducted fans” used in RC planes. They’ve been great, and other than being expensive I’ve gotten good value out of them. Every few months I’ll disconnect them and soak them in vinegar, then scrub the coralline algae off and they’re good. I’ll tell you what, they move every bit of water that they advertise.

 

[Rick.45cal]

@David D. I did notice that Fish2O just closed, have you tried down at Nolan’s to see if there’s someone there that would be willing to help out? It’s getting to be pretty slim pickings around here for LFS unless you’re willing to go to Orlando or Tampa. I don’t know of any local reefing clubs in lakeland either. I know there are quite a few people that come to the Florida frag swap when it’s here, I just dont know how many are local aquarists or know any of them personally. (I guess I don’t get out much lol).

The best way to get comfortable with something is to get everything you need set up to do the job and just get “your feet wet”. I’ve dealt with thousands and thousands of fish and have always had the best luck skipping the drip acclimation and going from floating the bag until the temp equalizes then putting the fish in the tank. I can walk you through the process step by step. If you aren’t comfortable handling the fish themselves, there are a few simple things that make it easier on the both of you. Using a big net that has no chance of falling into the bucket when you set it on top of the bucket and dump the fish out of the bag into it, is a big help. I personally get the nets with the very small (usually white) netting, it’s very soft and the holes are much smaller than the green nets so the fishes fins get stuck much less often. To get the fish in the tank you gently and carefully cup it’s body within the net, and you release the fish by turning the net inside out and opening your hand. (Much easier to do than to describe.) The most important thing to remember is not to freak out if it doesn’t go exactly as according to plan (what does in life). If the fishes fins get stuck in the net they can usually free themselves once they are in the tank, occasionally you will have to untangle one yourself. It pretty rarely happens with the fine meshed nets, more often with the larger holed nets, but it can still happen.

I can understand having anxiety about getting new livestock, I still get it when I get new fish, some parts of this hobby are just stressful.

 

[David D.]

@David D. I did notice that Fish2O just closed, have you tried down at Nolan’s to see if there’s someone there that would be willing to help out? It’s getting to be pretty slim pickings around here for LFS unless you’re willing to go to Orlando or Tampa. I don’t know of any local reefing clubs in lakeland either. I know there are quite a few people that come to the Florida frag swap when it’s here, I just dont know how many are local aquarists or know any of them personally. (I guess I don’t get out much lol).

The best way to get comfortable with something is to get everything you need set up to do the job and just get “your feet wet”. I’ve dealt with thousands and thousands of fish and have always had the best luck skipping the drip acclimation and going from floating the bag until the temp equalizes then putting the fish in the tank. I can walk you through the process step by step. If you aren’t comfortable handling the fish themselves, there are a few simple things that make it easier on the both of you. Using a big net that has no chance of falling into the bucket when you set it on top of the bucket and dump the fish out of the bag into it, is a big help. I personally get the nets with the very small (usually white) netting, it’s very soft and the holes are much smaller than the green nets so the fishes fins get stuck much less often. To get the fish in the tank you gently and carefully cup it’s body within the net, and you release the fish by turning the net inside out and opening your hand. (Much easier to do than to describe.) The most important thing to remember is not to freak out if it doesn’t go exactly as according to plan (what does in life). If the fishes fins get stuck in the net they can usually free themselves once they are in the tank, occasionally you will have to untangle one yourself. It pretty rarely happens with the fine meshed nets, more often with the larger holed nets, but it can still happen.

I can understand having anxiety about getting new livestock, I still get it when I get new fish, some parts of this hobby are just stressful.

Good Morning Rick,
Yes, I've already checked with Nolans.
You're right, slim pickings around here, that's why I would buy things from both stores, knowing that it was better for me to have two stores open in town, and not just one.
I don't know of any local reef clubs either.

I know what you're saying about "getting your feet wet," and I've done the net over the bucket method a few times in the past when I was all alone with no help. Even had to untangle a fish one time, I think it was a Fathead Sunburst Anthias.
I've also seen the guys from Fish2O, use their bare hands to pick the fish right out of the bucket after the acclimation process, skipping the use of a net altogether.
But I do freak out when things don't go as planned, especially when I'm alone and there's a lot of money invested in those little guys, and I'm a firm believer in reducing stress and anxiety whenever possible, so if I can make it easier on my nerves to hire someone to help me a little, it's worth the extra money to me.
I do a lot of things in this hobby myself, but I'm not ashamed or afraid to ask for help when I need or want it, and putting in new livestock is still one of those scenarios, so until I can find someone I trust and respect that wants to earn some extra cash, I guess there'll be No New Fish For Me !
Bummer.
Sooner or later, I'll find someone, I hope.

 

[LilElroyJetson]

In honor of “Bump Day” and simply wanting more incredible photos...bump!

 

[Rick.45cal]

 

[ccombs]

Yes! This thread certainly deserves all of the bumps lol.

Sorry if I missed it earlier, what are all of the blocks along the front? They look like marine pure blocks used as frag plugs almost.

 

[LilElroyJetson]

Unreal. Inspiring every time I see it. Thanks for delivering, @Rick.45cal!!

 

[Rick.45cal]

Yes! This thread certainly deserves all of the bumps lol.

Sorry if I missed it earlier, what are all of the blocks along the front? They look like marine pure blocks used as frag plugs almost.

So there’s sand in the tank, but there’s so much flow that it’s all been pushed to the back. At some point I got tired of spreading it out manually and just threw down some ceramic tiles from Alternative Reef down in the front instead. My intention was to be able to remove them and cut them up to propagate some of the corals but some of them are completely grown in by corals. (It’s an ok problem to have). I haven’t tried to remove any of the covered ones so it might not be as hard as I think.

It’s probably been over 2 years since I have had to stick my whole arm down in the tank, I generally use a grabber tool and keep my hands out of the tank if I can. (I’ve gotten quite good with a grabber). This tank is 27.5” deep which is just a little farther than is comfortable for me to reach into. In hind sight I probably wouldn’t go deeper than 24” if I ever “do it again”.