wyattray
Active Member
- Joined
- Nov 21, 2016
- Messages
- 200
- Reaction score
- 62
- What state or country do you live in
- South Carolina
I posted a bit of info in my greeting post but I am 90% done with my transition from my 39 to 70 gallon. The reason I made this transition is I was having a hard time achieving what I wanted from a HOB designed tank. I ran a canister filter HOB fuge and protein skimmer. Also my wife hated the look of it, all the tubes in the back and the noise drove her insane. She loved the tank but hated the mess. Ill try to give as much detail as I can but if you want any more info just ask. Also the lessons learned will be at the bottom.
Current Stock
-1 Black & White Ocellaris Clownfish
-1 Hippo Tang (Yes I know, My wife purchased it without discussing it, it will be going to a 300 gallon tank early next year when my co-worker is done setting it up)
-1 Lined Combtooth Blenny
-Pistol Shrimp (Lost the paired Goby in the old tank, no idea how just wasent in there during the transition)
-Skunk Cleaner (Had 2 but one got to close to the powerhead after it molted, my wife cried)
-Bubble Tip (Split into 3)
-Random Zoa and Mushrooms
Tank
I purchased the Cad Lights Artisan II 70 Gallon from Dream Fish tanks at the time it was on sale for 1200, I was weary at first due to the reviews and was going to go with a Red Sea but I liked the size of the sump in the Cad lights. The only issue I have is they sent me a HOB skimmer, I tried to get it to work but it wasent right, I had to purchase plumbing parts from china and It still didnt sit right in my tank. I wanted the internal skimmer and I am still hassling them about getting me it as of right now they are "out of stock" so I am running my old skimmer for the time being.
Before
As you can see it was getting a bit crowded, My conch followed the same path every day.
The tank arrived in 1 week from Cali to South Carolina, I was surprised, and was packaged neatly on a pallet.
After a week or two of setting it up and position it and replacing the outlet with a gcfi outlet I was ready to go. I purchased some new base rock that I wanted placed before the sand went in, I was worried that the goby might of perished in the old tank from a rock shifting and causing a tomb. We also cried a little about loosing him.
I got the sump in and the return plumbing done, we also put some board on the side to mount stuff to, I didnt want to drill directly into the side of the aquarium, you can see what I mean by looking to the left where the surge protector is. It also has a nice two inch gap to store excise cables behind it.
I put an old light on the thank and started cycling, I cycled for about 2-3 weeks but I fed water from the existing tank daily which helped the process go.
Now one of my lessons learned was not purchasing everything I needed first before adding the water, I didn't have the right plumbing parts for the Media Reactors which I was plumbing off the return.
I also realized I didn't leave enough room for a gate valve to control the flow back up but ill explain that at the end. You can also see how I tried to make the protein skimmer work, I had to get a tube from Home Depot and zip tie it to the return, the tube is to big and cause a water fall effect, I ordered the metric plumbing from china but its still not here hence why im using the old one.
I decided to transfer the fish and rocks, after the water was testing the way I wanted it to.
The rest of my parts came the past two days, I am 90% complete with the tank I am still waiting for a new pump, and gate valve. I plan on gate valving using a slip on it will be a tight fit but I should be able to have it sit right out of the water. The rest of the pics are self explanatory and is currently where im at now. I am going to be closely monitoring the tank for the rest of the year, I plan on doing 5 - 10 gallon water changes twice a week to keep any blooms at bay.
Not a Reef but my 5 year old cichlid tank, It will be my last fresh water tank, as I am focusing more and more on salt.
Lesson Learned
- Dont start until you have everything you need. Should of listened to everyone else.
-Check Valve are needed, I didn't run one while I waiting for it to come in, almost flooded the house when I was shutting it off nightly before I had saltwater in it.
- Make sure you have enough salt, I also was 50 Gallons into making the initial set of water and realized I was out of salt. I had to order some more and start over.
- When you buy new RO DI filters, its best to just pick up new fittings, 2 of my fittings went to **** after changing the resin and carbon.
- Dont expect your wife to understand.
- Ill fill this in with more stuff but there is a ton of stuff, im drawing a blank right now.
Planned Actions
- Replace the Pump, the Jebo pump is **** and loud. I have a ehiem 1262 on the way.
- Im going to install a gate valve on the foot of tubing also, it will be a close fit but I think it will work.
- Controller Purchase!!! Im going to go with a apex after the holiday, right now I have a seneye but I want the whole setup. PEACE OF MIND PLEASE
- Expand the Clean up Crew.
- Look into a dosing system after a few months of tracking. My tank right now is not sucking up elements, plus the frequent water changes help even it out. As I expand though I am planning on putting a dosing system in.
- Figure out this protein skimmer situation, hopefully CAD Lights sends me a internal one if not I will look at purchasing one and selling both HOB skimmers.
- Better lighting, looking at getting lighting that has goose necks from the back. My reefbreeders light is fine but I will look at something a bit more powerful later on.
- Re do the return plumbing, I didnt plan in out well at all. Its working but It could be alot better.
- Enjoy it.
PLEASE let me know if you see a major mess up, Id rather you send me message now than me to realize later on.
Thanks, I learned alot anonymously browsing these forums for a year and Im glad I can join in and share this with yall.
Current Stock
-1 Black & White Ocellaris Clownfish
-1 Hippo Tang (Yes I know, My wife purchased it without discussing it, it will be going to a 300 gallon tank early next year when my co-worker is done setting it up)
-1 Lined Combtooth Blenny
-Pistol Shrimp (Lost the paired Goby in the old tank, no idea how just wasent in there during the transition)
-Skunk Cleaner (Had 2 but one got to close to the powerhead after it molted, my wife cried)
-Bubble Tip (Split into 3)
-Random Zoa and Mushrooms
Tank
I purchased the Cad Lights Artisan II 70 Gallon from Dream Fish tanks at the time it was on sale for 1200, I was weary at first due to the reviews and was going to go with a Red Sea but I liked the size of the sump in the Cad lights. The only issue I have is they sent me a HOB skimmer, I tried to get it to work but it wasent right, I had to purchase plumbing parts from china and It still didnt sit right in my tank. I wanted the internal skimmer and I am still hassling them about getting me it as of right now they are "out of stock" so I am running my old skimmer for the time being.
Before
As you can see it was getting a bit crowded, My conch followed the same path every day.
The tank arrived in 1 week from Cali to South Carolina, I was surprised, and was packaged neatly on a pallet.
After a week or two of setting it up and position it and replacing the outlet with a gcfi outlet I was ready to go. I purchased some new base rock that I wanted placed before the sand went in, I was worried that the goby might of perished in the old tank from a rock shifting and causing a tomb. We also cried a little about loosing him.
I got the sump in and the return plumbing done, we also put some board on the side to mount stuff to, I didnt want to drill directly into the side of the aquarium, you can see what I mean by looking to the left where the surge protector is. It also has a nice two inch gap to store excise cables behind it.
I put an old light on the thank and started cycling, I cycled for about 2-3 weeks but I fed water from the existing tank daily which helped the process go.
Now one of my lessons learned was not purchasing everything I needed first before adding the water, I didn't have the right plumbing parts for the Media Reactors which I was plumbing off the return.
I also realized I didn't leave enough room for a gate valve to control the flow back up but ill explain that at the end. You can also see how I tried to make the protein skimmer work, I had to get a tube from Home Depot and zip tie it to the return, the tube is to big and cause a water fall effect, I ordered the metric plumbing from china but its still not here hence why im using the old one.
I decided to transfer the fish and rocks, after the water was testing the way I wanted it to.
The rest of my parts came the past two days, I am 90% complete with the tank I am still waiting for a new pump, and gate valve. I plan on gate valving using a slip on it will be a tight fit but I should be able to have it sit right out of the water. The rest of the pics are self explanatory and is currently where im at now. I am going to be closely monitoring the tank for the rest of the year, I plan on doing 5 - 10 gallon water changes twice a week to keep any blooms at bay.
Not a Reef but my 5 year old cichlid tank, It will be my last fresh water tank, as I am focusing more and more on salt.
Lesson Learned
- Dont start until you have everything you need. Should of listened to everyone else.
-Check Valve are needed, I didn't run one while I waiting for it to come in, almost flooded the house when I was shutting it off nightly before I had saltwater in it.
- Make sure you have enough salt, I also was 50 Gallons into making the initial set of water and realized I was out of salt. I had to order some more and start over.
- When you buy new RO DI filters, its best to just pick up new fittings, 2 of my fittings went to **** after changing the resin and carbon.
- Dont expect your wife to understand.
- Ill fill this in with more stuff but there is a ton of stuff, im drawing a blank right now.
Planned Actions
- Replace the Pump, the Jebo pump is **** and loud. I have a ehiem 1262 on the way.
- Im going to install a gate valve on the foot of tubing also, it will be a close fit but I think it will work.
- Controller Purchase!!! Im going to go with a apex after the holiday, right now I have a seneye but I want the whole setup. PEACE OF MIND PLEASE
- Expand the Clean up Crew.
- Look into a dosing system after a few months of tracking. My tank right now is not sucking up elements, plus the frequent water changes help even it out. As I expand though I am planning on putting a dosing system in.
- Figure out this protein skimmer situation, hopefully CAD Lights sends me a internal one if not I will look at purchasing one and selling both HOB skimmers.
- Better lighting, looking at getting lighting that has goose necks from the back. My reefbreeders light is fine but I will look at something a bit more powerful later on.
- Re do the return plumbing, I didnt plan in out well at all. Its working but It could be alot better.
- Enjoy it.
PLEASE let me know if you see a major mess up, Id rather you send me message now than me to realize later on.
Thanks, I learned alot anonymously browsing these forums for a year and Im glad I can join in and share this with yall.
