Office Aquarium system build - in over my head maybe?

planereefer · Dec 1, 2012

illdoya said:
thank you for the reality check everyone! Validated my mounting anxiety..

I've thought long and hard about how challenging this will be, how failure may look in the eyes of my bosses and how if I don't succeed it could end poorly. BUT - so what?? I love this hobby, and I have an opportunity to learn and experience more than I thought possible. I'm going for it. Would you not?

Go for it!!

Sometimes the bigger the risk, the bigger reward.

Good luck and keep us updated!

illdoya · Dec 1, 2012

Hey everyone - sorry for the long delay in posting an update. We got the budget approved. Went with the JBJ pro LED 28g cube and a 90g show tank. We set up th cube last night and waiting for some deliveries to set up the large tank. Ill post pics of the cube this afternoon

SeahorseKeeper · Dec 1, 2012

That's great. I can't wait to see this come together.

revhtree · Dec 1, 2012

Awesome news!!! Keep us updated with the build!

illdoya · Dec 23, 2012

Tanks up and running!

Hey everyone! Since the last update the 2 tanks have been installed and things are going pretty well! big thanks to some local reefers for their critical guidance and instruction, as well as to all of you for the help through the months!! I definitely did not do this alone

We have had them up and running for awhile now. The cube went cloudy for a week but nothing seemed stressed and made it thru, things are nice and clear now. In the big tank, we stocked it a bit faster than i thought was ideal, but everyone seems healthy and happy. Corals all fully opened, fish & coral all eating heartily. We plan on more fully stocking over the next year, with new editions periodically as the tanks and budget allow

I've been keeping tank journals and parameter logs to be able to track the tank and really get a better understanding of what is going on in there! I started this project really nervous about how it would all turn out (im still nervous lol) - but the tanks have been installed, filled, and initially stocked - so I'm feeling a bit better.

I'm glad I just dove in here - learned so much more than I would have had the chance to on my own. There is still alot to do, and it has been much more work than I initially anticipated...But I'm still stoked on the opportunity and plan to have as much fun as possible doing this!

Here is where we are at - I'll post more pictures before Christmas

Big tank:

Specs:
90g RR rectangle tank 48x18.5x25
36in stand/12in canopy
Kessil tuna blue 350w (x2)
eshopps RS-100 sump
-eshopps PSK-100 skimmer
-10lbs rock rubble
-GFO & Purigen
-Bio-pellets (a few bags made for an AC110)
-Filter floss in Filter Sock
2 koralia 750's w/ hydor wavemaker

Livestock:
1 blue tang
4 blue/green chromis
3 bangaii cardinals
1 pajama cardinal
1 Solar fairy wrasse
1 lubbocks fairy wrasse
1 bicolor blenny

chalice 1 - 4"x6"
chalice 2 - 5"x4"
big pipe organ colony
1 acan colony - 25 heads
candy cane colony - 10+ heads
frogspawn - 6 heads
Hammer - 5 heads
big toadstool leather - 5-6" across
AOG palys - 4 heads (quarter size each)
big blue gonipora colony
Lobos - 3 heads (3" across each)
5" zoa colony (random assorted)
yellow plate coral - 4.5" across
Mushroom rock 1 - 20 blue mushrooms
Mushroom rock 2 - 6 green mushrooms

20 assorted snails
25 assorted hermits

Small tank:

Specs:

JBJ 28g cube - Pro LED model
20lbs live rock
30lbs live sand
filter floss/carbon/bio-pellets in filter media sleeve for now
wavemaker

donated from home tanks..
-yellow damsel
-spotted mandarin
-small false perc
-1 firefish
-GSP frag
-Kenya tree
-Pulsing xenia

Also has a big zoa colony in the back of the rock scape up high (7-8" across, at least 100 polyps, grey w/ red skirts)

SeahorseKeeper · Dec 23, 2012

The tanks are looking good!!!

illdoya · Jan 26, 2013

hey everyone! Had some ups and downs at the office tanks lately. lost some fish

4 chromis
1 blue tang
1 Solon fairy wrasse

all over 2 weeks just died or vanished...

Im convinced we stocked the tank a bit too quickly which is a bummer..

otherwise - things are good - all the corals are looking great. we had the opportunity to pick up (IMO) some incredible pieces. Its still a work in progress but its been a blast so far. I'm glad I charged ahead

here's today's FTS shot:

jlbzixxer · Jan 26, 2013

hey nice update on the show tank, i got some nice piece of coral FS that will make your tank look nice

where in santa cruz are you?

Ares · Jan 26, 2013

Looks good and glad you decided to do it.

I have a 100 gallon in my office with a 55 sump. Wish I had done some things differently but was fun learning as I went.

One thing that didn't work well was an external pump. Just made too much noise for a quiet office setting, keep that in mind before going bigger in the future if your boss requests it.

Keep up on water changes and keeping everything in great condition. Nothing looks worse to a client than a dirty unmaintained fish tank.

illdoya · Jan 27, 2013

thanks for the advice! One of the setups i looked to buy had an external pump, and I knew it wasnt what would be ideal. I think (never say never) ill always have an internal pump in the sump if there is room.

I stay really up on the maintenance for just as you say - it's a bad reflection if dirty. but even more so, for the corals and fish - I keep my living space clean, its only fair to keep theirs tidy too. and for the most part people are stoke on the tanks and I want it to be as pleasurable an experience as possible.

water changes moved to friday afternoons so I could cut 1 extra trip to the office down per week lol.

We will be slowing stocking over the next 6 months while trying to maintain and log water parameters.