Starting @ 40gal Breeder

[glendale789]

Timeline
Started: 7/8/2019
First fish: 8/18/2019 (day 41)
First coral: 12/27/2019 (day 172)
This update: 10/10/2020 (day 460)

Water changes: as needed
Filter sock: Yes, changed M/W/F
Skimmer: Yes
Chaeto: Yes
Carbon: Yes, plus SeaChem PhosGuard

Latest Weekly Testing: 9/5/2020

PO4 - 0.07 ppm (Hanna ULR Phosphate)
NO3 - 10 ppm (Red Sea Nitrate Pro)
ALK - 8.50 (Red Sea Foundation Pro)
pH - 7.95 - 8.07 (Apex)
CA - 450 (Hanna Calcium)
MG - 1400

ICP Results
01/25/2020 link
06/18/2020 link

Pictures
[initial pics Dec 2019]

Sad Update 4/22/2020 - After three months of thriving, I lost the green goni. I did not heed the feeding advice and it retracted 14 days ago and never reopened. FEED YOUR GONIS !!!

Gonis, palys, and zoas. Oh my!

2x Kessil A160 in acclimation mode (5% to 75% over 7 days)

Hmm. What's the extra space for? Oh, perhaps a custom rimless

 

[NeonRabbit221B]

What are your plans? Full tank shot?

 

[Peace River]

Congratulations on taking the next step! The 40B is a great tank that allows for so many possibilities!

 

[glendale789]

What are your plans? Full tank shot?

Thanks for the question @NeonRabbit221B. I have updated the the main thread with more shots. The plan is to go another 6-12 months with this setup and then a Reef Savvy custom rimless of around 100 gallons or so. (Anyone who ever said "buy the biggest tank you can first" never had to save 3 grand for it.) The stand is 60in L x 24in W x 36in H, so anywhere from 100 to 130 seems likely. The 40 will then become the sump for a 120 to 150gal total system volume.

 

[glendale789]

Congratulations on taking the next step! The 40B is a great tank that allows for so many possibilities!

Thank you @Peace River. I was thinking that R2R needed yet another 40g build thread, but you're absolutely right - it is such a great tank to start an addiction!

 

[X-37B]

Thanks for the question @NeonRabbit221B. I have updated the the main thread with more shots. The plan is to go another 6-12 months with this setup and then a Reef Savvy custom rimless of around 100 gallons or so. (Anyone who ever said "buy the biggest tank you can first" never had to save 3 grand for it.) The stand is 60in L x 24in W x 36in H, so anywhere from 100 to 130 seems likely. The 40 will then become the sump for a 120 to 150gal total system volume.

$Exactly$! I took 1 year to piece my 120 together before I set it up. Wanted to have it all before I started. 40 breeder makes a great sump. Mine has no baffles and just a filter sock, skimmer, and now calcium reactor, + heater and return.
Here is a quick pick I just took of the sump.

 

[glendale789]

$Exactly$! I took 1 year to piece my 120 together before I set it up. Wanted to have it all before I started. 40 breeder makes a great sump. Mine has no baffles and just a filter sock, skimmer, and now calcium reactor, + heater and return.
Here is a quick pick I just took of the sump.

Thanks @90's reefer. For me, planning for what is next was/is critical. I also had all of my gear purchased before the tank ever saw water. Some was new and some was used, but nearly 100% is transferable to the big tank when it comes.

Which reactor/skimmer are you using? (I'll check out your thread to see if it is there)

 

[X-37B]

Thanks @90's reefer. For me, planning for what is next was/is critical. I also had all of my gear purchased before the tank ever saw water. Some was new and some was used, but nearly 100% is transferable to the big tank when it comes.

Which reactor/skimmer are you using? (I'll check out your thread to see if it is there)

Tunze 9410 dc skimmer. Tunze 3171 calcium reactor. Tunze return pump. Yea I like Tunze. Ran a coral box skimmer that ran a jebao pump for 2.5 years with no issues on a nano. I need to update my build thread but all equipment is listed there.

 

[esther]

Congrats on the new additions! Exciting stuff.

 

[glendale789]

Congrats on the new additions! Exciting stuff.

It is indeed! Thanks @esther. Just did the scraping and cleaning. Everyone seems happy.

 

[glendale789]

My first (GHA | dinos | cyano)! So excited. I have arrived. Six months setup, added first coral and cranked up the lights 10 days ago...

Water changes: 15% weekly
PO4 - 0.05ppm (Hanna ULR Phosphate)
NO3 - 4ppm (Red Sea Nitrate Pro)
Skimmer: No
Chaeto: Yes

Lights out? Vibrant? Beatles? (let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be...)

Update: My chaetomorpha has begun to die due to low nutrients. A few weeks after this - and gravel maint and water changes - the algae subsided.

 

[Wes10C]

172 days ago I added the water and setup the qtank - yesterday, 12/27/2019, I added corals. NOW it's official

Gonis, palys, and zoas. Oh my!

2x Kessil A160 in acclimation mode (5% to 75% over 7 days)

Hmm. What's the extra space for? Oh, perhaps a Reef Savvy 100+ custom rimless

Nicee

 

[Is this the LFS]

172 days ago I added the water and setup the qtank - yesterday, 12/27/2019, I added corals. NOW it's official

Gonis, palys, and zoas. Oh my!

2x Kessil A160 in acclimation mode (5% to 75% over 7 days)

Hmm. What's the extra space for? Oh, perhaps a Reef Savvy 100+ custom rimless

Woah your build thread has way more responses than mine ;Woot

 

[glendale789]

Woah your build thread has way more responses than mine ;Woot

Hmm. I see what you did there @Is this the LFS At least Yours has clowns so that won't be true for long! Love the QP-5s by the way...

 

[Is this the LFS]

Hmm. I see what you did there @Is this the LFS At least Yours has clowns so that won't be true for long! Love the QP-5s by the way...

Actually they are the ow-25. I actually wasn’t trying to hijack though. How do I get people over to mine though. And did you see the puffer

 

[glendale789]

Going dark to fight the blues... err... red cyano. ChemiClean on deck!

 

[glendale789]

Through a two-step process over the course of seven days, I have defeated cyano... This time.

1. Turned off the lights for three days. I did not feed the fish or zoas for this period to limit excess nutrients. This knocked back quite a bit of the cyano and made the next step more effective.
   
   
2. After three days, I resumed the normal light schedule and I treated with 4 level scoops of Chemiclean mixed thoroughly in 1 cup of tank water. I then waited three more days.
   
   
3. On the 7th day I rested. And did a 25% water change. And turned the skimmer and carbon back on.
   

After three days w/o lights, but before Chemiclean. If you know cyano, then you know it starts to come back as soon as the lights are on...

But after three days of Chemiclean...

 

[glendale789]

Reef Savvy. Trigger pulled. Let the September 2021 countdown begin!