Wieloch’s 150 Reef build

[Wieloch89]

Sweet bro! Can't wait for more updates

Speaking of which I need to update mine, but I've been lazy... lol

Haha! Too busy cracking down on sales posts!

 

[Wieloch89]

I guess it’s story time again... so I was struggling with the lighting issue. I had to have bought 5 T5 light fixtures and re-sold them because I couldn’t decide what I wanted to do. That or I would think I got a solid light and research a little further and find out that while it may be a quality light, it wouldn’t do the job that I wanted it to. I landed on a 6 bulb T5 light fixture with built in LED’s as moon lights. I wasn’t extremely happy with the choice but the LED options that I was interested in just seemed too expensive for a beginner that may not even make it past the cycle. Then I hit a homerun!

 

[Wieloch89]

Again, I was perusing the inter webs looking at equipment for sale, and I found the lights that I wanted but didn’t want to pay for. I contacted the lady and she knew exactly what the lights were and what she paid for them but she was just looking to get the stuff out of here way. She told me to bring $200 the next day the 3 XR30 Pro’s gen 3’s were mine! So I obviously jumped all over it. To my surprise, when I arrived, there was an extra freebie. She didn’t have anything to cut the zip tie holding all of the wires together and couldn’t be bothered to find them, so she threw in 2 MP40’s for the price of FREE!

As I said earlier, I wasn’t sure if a beginner should spend the money on high end lights right away, I now think differently. With all of the things that can derail you in this hobby, don’t let your equipment work against you. These have been incredible lights and I can’t see having an aquarium without them.

 

[Wieloch89]

So here she is in all of her glory!! The calm before the storm. I remember having a million questions, and I turned to a friend who recommended joining a local club in Pittsburgh, The 3 Rivers Marine Aquarium Society. Probably one of the best decisions that I made.

 

[ReefQueen]

Again, I was perusing the inter webs looking at equipment for sale, and I found the lights that I wanted but didn’t want to pay for. I contacted the lady and she knew exactly what the lights were and what she paid for them but she was just looking to get the stuff out of here way. She told me to bring $200 the next day the 3 XR30 Pro’s gen 3’s were mine! So I obviously jumped all over it. To my surprise, when I arrived, there was an extra freebie. She didn’t have anything to cut the zip tie holding all of the wires together and couldn’t be bothered to find them, so she threw in 2 MP40’s for the price of FREE!

As I said earlier, I wasn’t sure if a beginner should spend the money on high end lights right away, I now think differently. With all of the things that can derail you in this hobby, don’t let your equipment work against you. These have been incredible lights and I can’t see having an aquarium without them.

Man that is an awesome deal! I would almost feel bad paying so little for all that fancy equipment...almost lol.

 

[Wieloch89]

Man that is an awesome deal! I would almost feel bad paying so little for all that fancy equipment...almost lol.

I did feel bad!! I made sure she knew what she had and it’s value and she asked if I brought $200. I did, so she gave me the equipment and I never turned back!

 

[ReefQueen]

I did feel bad!! I made sure she knew what she had and it’s value and she asked if I brought $200. I did, so she gave me the equipment and I never turned back!

Well she obviously didn't mind, your win lol.

 

[hybridazn]

Haha! Too busy cracking down on sales posts!

Lol, when duty calls hahaha

 

[acer]

Wow- that is a deal alright... soemtimes it happens that way. Cant wait to see more updates.. toward present time.

 

[Wieloch89]

I guess is better get to updating right? My cycle didn’t take very long. Maybe 6 weeks, but I let it go 8 just in case. I was ghost feeding, and dose two bottles of Seed. I didn’t read the directions and just dumped it in... oh well. Didn’t seem to hurt anything. But it was time for my first livestock!

 

[Wieloch89]

4 electric blue damsels!!! I know... I made that mistake. I’ve also made trap, after trap, after trap trying to catch these things and they just aren’t having it. They are kind of pretty though as far as damsels go and haven’t gotten aggressive yet in the tank so I just let them be after a while.

 

[Wieloch89]

One of snail traps... I mean damsel traps ;Bored

 

[Wieloch89]

Tank had been up and running for a little while at this point and I decided it was time to add a few more friends for the damsels.

A bonded pair of yellow tanks that @JaimeAdams kindly sold me

A Halloween pincushion urchin that @BIGGUN “kindly” gave me. He’s really cool and everything but I’ve learned the expensive way that they have zero room in a reef tank!!! I have a free urchin by the way for anyone who is looking!

And then a completely I’ll advised purchase of 2 flame scallops not knowing at all what their delicate requirements were. That being said, they’re both still alive and doing well and are really cool to watch.

 

[Wieloch89]

Just a few of my first corals and a few full tanks shots. Up until this point it’s been all soft corals and a couple LPS like acans and favia. Most soft though. This is where the urchin comes in to play and I have to glue everything down!

 

[Wieloch89]

A couple of new acros, a duresa clam... which I was very excited about as it’s one of the bigger reasons why I decided on a reef tank and not a Fish only, couple of anthias and a cleaner wrasse from a guy breaking his tank down, a neon green leather and a frogspawn

 

[Wieloch89]

Another HUGE reason that I got in to this hobby was the magnificent foxface! I landed a BEAUTIFUL one and not only was it pretty, but it was actually Antonio Browns Fish from the show tanked! I had the option to purchase so I did. It’s a sad story however , I introduced him to the tank after a stent in quarantine, and visually acclimated him. One of my yellows become uncharacteristically aggresive and was really bullying him for a few days. I watched closely and they shared food no problem and eventually separated and the tank calmed down and they were both doing great. Fast forward a few months and my adopted blue hippo was ready to be visually acclimated after quarantine, I fully expected a fight, but to my surprise they all got along immediately without issue. That is until the foxface developed ICH. I pulled him from the display immediately and back into QT treating with copper. He healed up great and after a few more weeks he was ready to go back. Visually acclimated again and the yellow again, became aggressive. This time VERY aggressive. I should have pulled him from the tank but I figured it would all blow over but that simply wasn’t the case. I came home to a dead fish burrowed into the rock structure. I felt horribly about it because I should have pulled the fish and rehomed him but I didn’t. That was a huge hit. I considered getting rid of the tangs but they are beautiful Fish and only acting on natural instinct so they’re still around and 2 of my favorite fish. Anyway here of a few pictures of Fish and a few corals.

 

[Wieloch89]

And these pictures bring me pretty much current!! I’ve had a few issues recently with clogs, equipment that was turned off and never turned back on, an overdose of Alk, and cyano. I’m battling through it all and now am looking for options to make my system more efficient and consistent. Mainly in the means of a dosing pump and ATO. My plan is to buy a new Apex after the wedding in October with all of the bells and whistles. We’ll see what I can get away with!

 

[hybridazn]

Wow nice update haha

Everything looks happy! Sucks about the foxface, that is a fantastic fish. Don't worry I won't tweet AB and let him know you killed his fish lol. Is his tank still up?

 

[Wieloch89]

Wow nice update haha

Everything looks happy! Sucks about the foxface, that is a fantastic fish. Don't worry I won't tweet AB and let him know you killed his fish lol. Is his tank still up?

Hahaha I’m pretty sure he knew it was dead when I asked him to autograph it after practice. And yea it’s still up, they packed the thing so full of fish so fast though that it was ammonia city. From what I hear from the guys who have the contract to clean the tank, it went unfed because he fired his assistant for like 2-3 weeks and no one had keys to let them in for maintenance so it had major issue. He just whipped out cash and restocked it though lol.

 

[hybridazn]

Hahaha I’m pretty sure he knew it was dead when I asked him to autograph it after practice. And yea it’s still up, they packed the thing so full of fish so fast though that it was ammonia city. From what I hear from the guys who have the contract to clean the tank, it went unfed because he fired his assistant for like 2-3 weeks and no one had keys to let them in for maintenance so it had major issue. He just whipped out cash and restocked it though lol.

Dang, spending that big extension money hahaha