One Standard Deviation

[LBReefer]

After my first foray into plumbing two systems together, I decided to take my adventure one step further by upgrading the 40 gallon breeder to a repurposed 80 gallon that I had repaired. This thread will catalog that journey. I do hope to replace this 80 gallon with a cool lagoon style tank eventually, but that adventure is still a ways off.

The main purpose of the original 40 gallon was to house these guys:

I already had tried unsuccessfully to house two pairs in the 180. I also learned the hard way that migrating anemones, powerful WaveMakers and acros do not mix well.

But then I decided that I really wanted a pair of mandarins, so another upgrade was necessary.


I'm playing catch up, so there will be a lot of posts in the short term.

 

[LBReefer]

Save for current FTS.

 

[LBReefer]

The equipment list is a bit slight as tbh only dedicated equipment for this tank is a pair of a360x tuna blues. I've been a dedicated kessil guy for some time and was able to pick up one from a local reefer who won one in a prize pack and the second during a crazy black Friday sale at LAX Aquarium.

Getting the wifi dongle to work correctly has been a bit of adventure. Nonetheless, I eventually got to the right outcome.

Picture to be added.

 

[LBReefer]

Here's the last FTS I have the 40 gallon before it went the way of the Dodo:

I really liked the dimensions and ease of accessing the tank, I just didn't think I could make two mandarins work in a tank that size, even with the established 100 gallon sump.

I also used it as a poor man's frag tank, which I always hated. The random corals hanging out in the sand bed really failed to complete the look.

 

[LBReefer]

Here's some shots of the 80 gallon in transition.

I learned that scraping the black backdrop was a little too easy.

In addition to not loving the dimensions, I had the center overflow on this tank. It completely disrupts the look and feel of my attempted peninsula.

One of these days I am going to silicone a piece of glass over the bottom opening and drill a spot for an overflow on one of the ends. Or really I should just wait and get that lagoon style tank ...

 

[LBReefer]

I was wrong, I had one more recent FTS of the 40:

And then empty and stinky:

 

[LBReefer]

Finding a way to cut a hole in the top of my homemade tank stand was also a bit of adventure. Woodworker I am not.

Ultimately the rubber mat did not survive this transition. I was impatient and decided that I needed to lift the 80 gallon onto the stand by myself. My lack of woodworking skills are equally matched to my puny arms.

 

[LBReefer]

But I got the tank onto the stand and began to experiment with the plumbing.

I played with incorporating this inexpensive reactor into thr return, but ultimately decided it wasn't worth the headache and or continous leaks.

Eventually I got something in place that will give me some degree of control, should I decide to operate this tank independently.

This last part took a bit of work as the previous return coming from thr chiller had stepped down to a 1/2" and the 80 gallon was setup with a 3/4". Thankfully I'm going low flow in this system for the benefit of the mandarins and nems.

 

[LBReefer]

But I got the tank onto the stand and began to experiment with the plumbing.

I played with incorporating this inexpensive reactor into thr return, but ultimately decided it wasn't worth the headache and or continous leaks.

Eventually I got something in place that will give me some degree of control, should I decide to operate this tank independently.

 

[LBReefer]

The next adventure involved marco cement and my utter lack of artistic vision. After triple checking that thr Marco cement would not nuke my current tank and in fact would cure in water I set out to work.

I'm pretty sure that adding multiple bottles of pods prior to the cement work was probably flushing money down the drain.

I'm not great at getting process shots as I'm a bit apprehensive about getting thin adhesive and/or cement onto my phone.

I hadn't been patient enough to wait and fill the tank after finalizing my cement work so I had to drain 3/4ths of the 80 gallon and relaunch the bucket brigade.

I was also unable to dislodge my existing anemones from the rock work and at least one completely disappeared in the process.

 

[LBReefer]

One of the reasons I expedited this part of the process, I've learned the very hard way that I suck at quarantine tanks. I had issues with my ammonia badges and this unfortunate jumper:

 

[LBReefer]

Despite the challenges, the tank is wet and it was time to start adding corals, fish and inverts:

I've had this guy for a while and the chaos zoas have been growing like wildfire.

I got this guy as part of surprise pack during the @calikidcorals auction. Unfortunately I have no memory of what it's called.

I added a deep sand bed just for this long tentacle anemone. Apparently it wasn't good enough, he has since disappeared.

I decided to move most of my euphylia to the 80 gallon. They really weren't happy with the increased flow in the 180. They also did not appreciate my terrible attempt at fragging off a piece for a local fellow reefer.

Thr ricordia, blast, and zoas seem pretty happy with the new digs. I'll have to take another shot with less blues, these guys actually hold their colors well.

---

These two found their way to the one remaining anemone rather quickly. I do love watching the symbiotic behavior. I will need to do some power feeding to get the anemone back up to size.

I do love watching these guys. I have a fire shrimp and a coral banded in the 180, but I only see them at meal times or when I sneak a pick just before lights out. The cave this guy is squatting in always for a daily check-in with sufficient privacy for him to avoid getting too nervous.

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

When you say things disappeared, you mean just closed up and died?

 

[LBReefer]

When you say things disappeared, you mean just closed up and died?

It shrunk a bit and the next day it was gone entirely.

 

[LBReefer]

The smaller mandarin is looking a little skinny for my taste, so I decided that I needed to supplement the feeding by breeding my own pods and phyto.

I told my wife that I ordered this in my delirious period after my second vaccination. I made another, bigger purchase, but that unveiling awaits a delayed delivery.

I will say that the customer service have been top notch.

I will say that everything was packed really well.

I may not have rearranged this mess quickly enough to evade my wife's suspicious eye. She very clearly asked why do we need this and how much did it cost. I very clearly avoided both questions.

The instructions were great and getting this setup took less than 40 minutes. Now to get these out of the kitchen before I either cross contaminate dinner or the cultures ...

 

[LBReefer]

Exciting news coming down the pike:

 

[LBReefer]

Taking down the same tank twice in a matter of months may suggest that I make impulsive decisions. I choose to think that I my frugal tendencies lead to some short-sighted decisions.

To ensure that I didn't try a third go at it, I listed the tank and stand for free on a local reefing Facebook group.

 

[LBReefer]

The new stand came with what looks like a dent from a forklift, but Steve at SCA took care of me.

Getting the tank in place was a bit more challenging than I anticipated. I had to enlist the help of a buddy to get the tank on its stand.

 

[LBReefer]

The plumbing through me for a bit of a loop, but I think I got it sorted out. This was my first attempt at a Herbie style drain. I think I got it right.

Modifying the plumbing to join into my existing setup worked well, but not without its challenges. Trying to tighten the bulkheads after the tank was wet ... well my two year old may have expanded his vocabulary.

 

[ShepherdReefer]

Awesome, following