New 100 gallon mixed reef

richarddeweerd · Nov 9, 2020

This weekend I installed the Apex. I also took some time to drill some holes in the backboard of the stand so I could have a better cable routing. I also hang the controllers of all my DC pumps.

Buckster · Feb 18, 2021

Decided to check out your build thread. Time for some updated photo's. Especially the top that couldn't hold back the jumping fish! I'm sure a lot has changed in 3 months.

richarddeweerd · Feb 19, 2021

Buckster said:
Decided to check out your build thread. Time for some updated photo's. Especially the top that couldn't hold back the jumping fish! I'm sure a lot has changed in 3 months.

Here you are

Some recent pictures.

Don't mind the toadstool in the middle, he's going through a molting

So the tank is running for 8 months now and it is time for some reflections and regrets:

As you can see I added a Red sea net cover, it is a pain in the a** to make it, especially with multiple cutouts. It is in 2 parts and on the right side I had to leave a slit for my cooling fan in the summer. This is used by 2 fish to escape, one of them is the miracle bluestreak blenny that was rescued by our cat.

After the install I added a UV filter, a Tunze Chaeto reactor and a Apex.

I'm not completely happy with the tunze reactor. First of all, the pump. It has the inlet on the bottom and no feet to stand on therefor it can't be placed on the bottom of the sync. The second problem that I have with it is that after a while the chaeto stops spinning and therefor grows less than it could.

My biggest regret is the Red Sea Reefer 600 skimmer. After a couple of days it started to skim reasonably, maybe a bit on the wet side, but at that time I only had 3 small fish and a shrimp. But in the last 8 months it has happened 4 times that it started to overflow out of nowhere. The only thing I can do is opening of the valve and let it go back. After a couple of days it is ok.
It is also noisy as can be. So it is on the list of items to be replaced, I definitely go for a DC skimmer next time.

I'm also currently discussing to add a top cover but without the cover

. It will be 6 inches high and it will hide the waterline. But It will be open at the top so I can still use the led lights at 12" from the water level. But on the inside there will be a ledge to put 2 simple square net covers in. They will be out of sight and I can put the auto feeder there out of sight too.

richarddeweerd · Apr 11, 2021

This was personally a big weekend. I got my first SPS frag in my tank

It is a 2" Atlantis Purple Polyp Stylophora and even after a few minutes it opened up his polyps