Share my tank..help me build

[navychief]

Hello all,

As you can tell, I'm new to the forum and to the saltwater hobbyist life. I've got a good start on a FOWLER with the intention to take it to a reef once I got the system set in place and the water where it needs to be.

Recently I removed the biowheel from my tidepool 2 and used a piece of fitted plexiglass at a 45 degree angle where the bioewheel sits so the water just cascades down into the sump instead of making a loud trickle; I also removed the bio-ceramic since I've read that these to can cause Nitrates. So, with all this being said, heres what I have so far

...72 Gallon Bowfront with crushed coral
...Tidepool 2 with only high grade carbon and poly filter media in two trays
...Euro-reef RS-100 that I'm trying to tweak. Took off air valve
...300W heater in sump
...48 inch Current USA SunPod 2x150W 14K HQI-MH w/ 18 Lunar Lights
...2 HYDOR KORALIA 3 CIRCULATION PUMP/POWERHEADs
...OSMOLATOR UNIVERSAL 3155 (on its way)

Theres only two chunks of live rock and two false clowns in the tank at this moment.

If someone doesn't mind sharing there success with me and helping me step through setting up my tank, I would really appreciate it. Pictures will be provided.


Tony

[jimbo78]

i'd start by add more live rock. alot more! should be about 1-1.5lbs per gallon. you dont need it if your going to do a FOWLR but if you want to have a reef you will definatly need to add more.
next thing to get would be a decent skimmer.

[NYIntensity]

Tony, when did you set your tank up?

[navychief]

I set the tank up about 4 months ago but with no fish or live rock in it at all. I ran a cycle additive. I eventually added the live rock (2 chunks) and two clowns about a month ago. The water is pretty clear and reads pretty good with my SW tests. This Sunday I will take my readings again and post them then. I've been tracking the readings in an Excel spread sheet for history.

Why would I need a different skimmer than the RS-100?

Thanks for the reply. As soon as I figure out how to down-size the pics, I will post.

[navychief]

I set the tank up about 4 months ago but with no fish or live rock in it at all. I ran a cycle additive. I eventually added the live rock (2 chunks) and two clowns about a month ago. The water is pretty clear and reads pretty good with my SW tests. This Sunday I will take my readings again and post them then. I've been tracking the readings in an Excel spread sheet for history.

Why would I need a different skimmer than the RS-100, jimbo78?

Thanks for the reply. As soon as I figure out how to down-size the pics, I will post.

[navychief]

I set the tank up about 4 months ago but with no fish or live rock in it at all. I ran a cycle additive. I eventually added the live rock (2 chunks) and two clowns about a month ago. The water is pretty clear and reads pretty good with my SW tests. This Sunday I will take my readings again and post them then. I've been tracking the readings in an Excel spread sheet for history.

Why would I need a different skimmer than the RS-100, NYIntensity?

Thanks for the reply. As soon as I figure out how to down-size the pics, I will post.

[jimbo78]

sorry i missed that you had a skimmer.

[everl0ng]

you will probably hear that the crushed coral will trap any uneaten food and debris that will cause an elevated nitrate level. i have not used crushed coral so i am just going by what i have read. what kind of corals will you take on down the road? you may want to add a little more flow to help keep everything suspended in the water column until it can be taken out by your skimmer. do you have any pictures of anything so far? it's so exciting to watch the progress of a newly set up tank since it will be your little own ocean.

[navychief]

Ya know. It's only AFTER I spend the money on a substrate and have it in the tank do I find out about a better substrate that's available. I think I will stick with the crushed coral and maintain a regiment in cleaning the tank with my gravel cleaner.

I do have pictures, but I need to size them down. They should be available tonight sometime.

You guys don't think the two HYDOR KORALIA 3 CIRCULATION PUMPs which push 850 GPH each is enough circ? I have a walmart brand aquaclear power head hooked to the overflow box to aid in loss of water flow into the box.

[jimbo78]

i have 2 korila 3's and one korila 4 plus the 1000gph from my return pump in my 90g. your at 23x turnover right now plus whatever your return is adding to your flow. i think your fine with that for now. the most important thing is to get more LR if you want to have a reef down the road

[everl0ng]

ahh...i didn't realize that you had 2 of them. i apologize. i see that they EACH push 850. you should be just fine with that flow. definitely agree with the more rock though, especially for a reef. that will also mean more spots available for coral placement.

[everl0ng]

ahh...i didn't realize that you had 2 of them. i apologize. i see that they EACH push 850, and i also didn't see that you have a #4. you should be just fine with that flow. definitely agree with the more rock though, especially for a reef. that will also mean more spots available for coral placement.

[navychief]

Aye on the LR. I will get more tomorrow. Here's the sump set up...

[navychief]

sorry...here's the tank. Rather bare right now...

[everl0ng]

how are your temps with the glass covers over the tank? it is a bigger tank so you may be ok with the heat issues. i was just worried about it trapping heat, and also the salt creep sticking to it from evap and limiting the light penetrating. i was always having to scrape it off of the lens cover on my sunpod. with it so bare at least you have the background to look at lol.

[navychief]

I hover somewhere between 78-80F. I clean the lid every other week. As far as salt creep, nonoe ever since I made my own spraybar, getting away from biowheel returns at the top. It was a haven for salt creep.

No doubt. At least the background is something to shoot for in the fore-ground! LOL

[everl0ng]

wow, those are great temps for those MHs and those covers. what fish do you plan on adding? is the rock that you plan on picking up already cycled?

[navychief]

I think the reason the tank stays fairly temp stable is because it's on the first floor of a 3 story town house, so it always stays cool. I guess it's easier to heat then cool the water, eh? This summer will be the test.

As far as adding more critters, I haven't come to a decision. I really like Tangs.

The LR is from Petco and it's SUPPOSEDLY already cured. I'm limited to Petco and a LFS since I live in a small town. I went to the LFS that's privately owned, but their prices for LR are really high.

BTW. Should I work on the base for my live rock, or start stacking it? What way is best to keep it all together and not falling down? Wedge it securely?

[EWC88]

Alot of people here on RC will tell you to run 2 heaters instead of 1. So obviously if you running a 300w heater get 2 150w ones. Just in case if it decides to go you don't wipe out your whole live stock since you have basicually a back up.

[navychief]

I think I have a spare heater that's about 150W laying around. SHould I put that in the sump too or mount in the tank?

[navychief]

I'll be gad once the brown algae goes away. As you can see on the pics, It's all over the LR.

[everl0ng]

a lot of people use epoxy to hold their rock together, including myself. it cures underwater also. that way you can make cliffs, overhangs, tunnels, and archways. less chance of a rockslide from it not being as sturdy, or a little sand sifting critter moving a rock on accident and having it all topple over.

[navychief]

I saw that epoxy in my Marine Depot catalog. That's where I bought most of the stuff you saw in the pics. I have a top-off system coming since I'm tired of doing refills on a daily basis.

[jcpatella]

Originally posted by navychief
Aye on the LR. I will get more tomorrow. Here's the sump set up...

In the bottom-right of this pic, is there a metal connection attached to the pump? I'm still fairly new in this game too, but from what I've read, any kind of metal in the water has the ability to cause damage to the tank inhabitants in time.

[navychief]

Actually, yes it is. It's a brass check valve that I bought a long time ago for my FW tank. I'm unsure if this is a bad thing in salt.