SaltwaterandLime's epic adhd build thread....

[SaltwaterandLime]

If you have me on Instagram I just posted a video of he Reefer 250. I feel like I've done something wrong with the plumbing and I don't know how to fix it.

 

[Mschmidt]

If you have me on Instagram I just posted a video of he Reefer 250. I feel like I've done something wrong with the plumbing and I don't know how to fix it.

you trying to get it quieter? restrict the flow on the main drain till it is just barely trickling over the emergency drain. That should fix the noise and the bubbles. If it's not that, I don't know.

 

[SaltwaterandLime]

Conner and I finished up the aquascape today. Right now we are just waiting for more fresh saltwater to mix up so we can start filling the tank.

 

[SaltwaterandLime]

Got the 250 filled up with saltwater and started cycling. Right now the skimmer and reefmat are still offline. We did end up adding a little more rock to the system. I also have a better heater arriving Tuesday and then I'll start working on some better cord management options. Also right now the ato is an extra brute trashcan just sitting in front of the tank. That's going to have to change.

I wish I had taken some more pictures but we also got some more work done on the stand for the 25g. The secret to a shiny final finish is to basically sand off almost everything you paint on in between layers..

 

[SaltwaterandLime]

One step closer to finished on the stand for the waterbox 25 peninsula tank. Had to take a break from aquarium work to watch my son and his girlfriend perform solos at district band competition

 

[Stang67]

Finally caught up things are progressing beautifully

 

[SaltwaterandLime]

Last coat of paint went onto the 25g waterbox stand today. Hopefully I'll have it in the house this weekend.

 

[SaltwaterandLime]

Installed a door activated LED light into the sump cabinet of the red sea 250. It's a simple cheap light from Amazon but it makes a huge difference.

 

[Stang67]

Installed a door activated LED light into the sump cabinet of the red sea 250. It's a simple cheap light from Amazon but it makes a huge difference.

Do you have a link to the light? I have been looking for something like this but not sure what to search for.

 

[SaltwaterandLime]

Do you have a link to the light? I have been looking for something like this but not sure what to search for.

Litever LED Safe Lighting Kit....

 

[SaltwaterandLime]

It still needs the door finished and attached, but I'm loving how it's turned out

Waterbox peninsula 25

 

[Stang67]

Very classy. Nice and clean loving it!

 

[SaltwaterandLime]

I've had rock cycling for this tank for several months now. I know it'll still need some time but I'm hoping it will speed the process up a little bit.

 

[SaltwaterandLime]

I think we are going to end up moving this little island out of the front to make room for the tracyphillia. Originally it was font to go into a different tank but I think I want it in the main system instead

 

[SaltwaterandLime]

Really need to take some updated photos this weekend. We've made a LOT of progress in the past few weeks. The Tideline tank is completely taken down and sitting in the garage for sale. The bedroom furniture has been rearranged AGAIN. I've ordered a new storage cabinet which should be here tomorrow to finally get all of my random water change and testing equipment out of the master bathroom and organized into a single location.

Fish are moved into the new Red Sea and the waterbox 25. The few corals I was able to save are in the waterbox cube 10 and in the 25. Teenagers are coming over this weekend to help organize and move a few more things.

I updated my first post with the current tank builds and stocking lists and Ill include it here also.



Red Sea Reefer 250 G2

Main display and family dream tank

• 2 Ecotech Radion XR15 G5 – hanging from ceiling
• 2 AI Nero 3 wavemakers with nem guards from Kraken Reef
• Innovative Marine Helio Heater and controller
• Sicce SDC 6.0 Return pump
• Dual VCA Random Flow Generators
• RedSea 300 skimmer
• Red Sea ReefMat 500
• Red Sea doser pumps
• Red Sea ReefWave 25 gyre pump
• Red Sea DIY screen net (eventually want another Kraken Reef lid)
• marco rock (scape design by Conner)
• CaribSea Live rock, mix of reef sand and bimini pink
• Tomini Tang (Tom)
• Baby Hippo Tang (Dorinda)
• Fancy Clownfish (Boris)
• Royal Gramma (Gurgle)
• snails and hermit crabs

25 gallon waterbox peninsula

Anenome and softy tank

• DIY stand built by us
• Ecotech Radion XR15
• Sicce syncra 1.0 return pump
• Aquamaxx bullet 2 HOB skimmer
• Innovative Marine helio heater and controller
• XP Aqua Duetto2 ATO
• Lid and filter basket from Kraken Reef
• Marco Rock
• Fiji Pink CaribSea Live Sand
• 2 ocellaris clownfish (Left and Right)
• yellow watchman goby (Frank)
• assorted snails and hermit crabs
• bubble tip anenome
• kenya tree leather coral
• mushroom corals
• zoas and palys
• GSP
• trachyphillia

10 gallon waterbox cube

Coral Quarantine Tank ~ right now holding frags we were able to save from our last tank break down.

• AI prime 16hd light
• sicce syncra 1.0 return pump
• lid and filter basket from Kraken Reef
• innovative marine heater and controller
• 1 Bangaii Cardinalfish (still un-named)
• snails
• hammers, frogspawn, torches
• zoanthids
• mushrooms
• stylocoeniella
• leptoseris

 

[SaltwaterandLime]

We are finally down to only 3 tanks running in the house and I think that's how things are going to stay for now. There is the possibility of that going down all the way to 2 at some point. Ian is a senior in HS this year, and Conner will be a senior next year. Things have just been so busy for us that it's hard to maintain a lot of tasks and give them the effort they really need.

Obviously the Tideline 62 is gone completely. I know a lot of people with the same exact model have been super happy with theirs, but I have struggled with it from the very beginning. Thankfully I never lost any fish, but I did lose a LOT of coral. I just never found a way to keep that tank stable and filtration was almost impossible. For some reason for me, the flow through the back chambers never really balanced out.

I will say, after I broke it down and emptied it out and cleaned it, we noticed that the acrylic piece across the back had completely separated from the glass, and it had accumulated a LOT of detritus between the two panels that was impossible to remove. The silicone across the top was just gone in some places. I purchased the tideline used from a vendor and it had previously been a show/ convention tank so I'm sure it had been moved a lot and maybe that had something to do with it.

The RedSea 250 is up and doing amazing. I love the filter roller and the skimmer. I only wish I still had room in the sump for a refugium. The lights are still off and they are going to stay that way for a while. There are 4 fish and some snails and hermit crabs and everyone seems to be doing well. Dosing pump and gyre pump should be here on Tuesday.

The 25 gallon waterbox is doing good also. It was supposed to be an anemone only tank but I needed a place to keep some of the corals I was able to save so it's also got softys and some frags. My two clowns have ignored the anemone completely and are in love with the tracyphillia instead.

The waterbox 10 beside my bed is currently just holding coral. It's got the euphyllia I was able to save along with a few other pieces. I lost almost all of my SPS and a few really large hammer colonies and all of my acans. I'm not sure I'll be ready to start over again for a while.

 

[SaltwaterandLime]

I can not for the life of me get my skimmer tuned correctly. It's either too low and all the gunk just builds up inside the skimmer neck, or it's too high and I just get this.

 

[Stang67]

I can not for the life of me get my skimmer tuned correctly. It's either too low and all the gunk just builds up inside the skimmer neck, or it's too high and I just get this.

Maybe it's the hight in the water?

 

[SaltwaterandLime]

Maybe it's the hight in the water?

I thought that too, but I've adjusted water height as well as bubble height with no luck. It may just still be too new

 

[SaltwaterandLime]

Conner helped me build a DIY screen top for the red sea tank yesterday. I'm hoping to get the lights hung up over the tank today. The hardest part of building the screen top was keeping the cat from stealing the spline....