finally starting my new tank setup (pics)

sjm1978 · #1 11/23/2007, 06:03 PM

i bought everything for my new tank about 5 months ago. i was gonna move to colorado but i got a house in mesa area again so i stayed here in Az.

i am setting up a 29g lee-mar tank with overflow and it will have a 20g sump/fuge. when i bought the tank i had lee-mar drill it for me and i made my own overflow. i bent the acrylic for the overflow when i was living in queen creek. today i cut the teeth into it and siliconed it into the tank. i also snapped one of the teeth off of the overflow right after i made them but weldon fixed it right up

im also gonna mount the ballast/the reefkeeper 2 to the stand today. im also gonna drill the hole in the top of the stand so the bulkhead can go thru. im looking to be water testing the tank in a few days. also when the silicone on the overflow is done drying im gonna painting the back glass black.

my equipment list that i have for the tank sofar is:

Aqua Medic Ocean Light 150W HQI with phoenix 14,000k bulb

ReefKeeper 2 with a pinpiont ph probe

2x Hydor Koralia 1

return pump is Ocean Runner 2500

skimmer is ASM MINI-G

i still need a few things like heater/ATO/fuge light

heres some pics of todays progress

overflow in silicone drying

heres the parts for Hofer Gurgle Buster http://home.everestkc.net/jrobertson57268/HGB/

sjm1978 · #2 11/23/2007, 07:56 PM

ok i got the hole drilled in the top of the stand and the reefkeeper 2 all mounted and the light ballast mounted.

truthdesigns · #3 11/24/2007, 01:21 AM

nice!

sjm1978 · #4 11/24/2007, 07:10 PM

i got the back glass of the tank painted today. i used flat black spray paint i did about 4 coats.

Philwd · #5 11/24/2007, 08:31 PM

That's going to be nice.

sjm1978 · #6 11/24/2007, 09:53 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Philwd
That's going to be nice.

yea i hope it is.

crrichey · #7 11/25/2007, 10:35 PM

Depending on what you are going to keep in this tank you may want to replace the Koralia 1 pumps with either #2 or something else (they won't move much water near the bottom).

sjm1978 · #8 12/10/2007, 09:25 PM

i had today off work so i decided to plumb my tank and get the light hung. im testing it with tap water rightnow. theres no leaks and i also did the adjustments on the drain i did the Hofer Gurgle Buster and i tell you this thing is silent its great. when i first went to turn on my ocean runner 2500 pump it wouldn't do anything so i thought ok bad pump

and thinking i was gonna have to call Paul. well i pulled the impeller out and put it back in then plugged the pump back in and it started up

im also gonna take the 2 Hydor Koralia 1's back to paul and pay the difference in price to get the #2's instead. well heres some pics

FTS bad pic

Hofer Gurgle Buster drain setup

sump / fuge i went with a 10g instead of the 20g i didnt want to cut up my new stand to fit a 20g tank.

sjm1978 · #9 12/11/2007, 12:10 AM

there was no leaks so i drained the tank and sump and dried them both wow was that fun work.

sjm1978 · #10 12/29/2007, 05:01 PM

the tank is now filling with ro/di since this morning. once it and the sump are full today im gonna get the temp up then mix in my salt. then tomorrow morning im gonna goto AZSB and get my rock and sand.

Helfrich’s Chic · #11 12/29/2007, 05:42 PM

YEA! Congrats on the new tank. Nice and clean looking. Just a suggestion for when you pick your rock, take a towel with you and design your scape on the floor at the store. They might look at you like your nuts but everytime I have done this I came home and set it up and loved the aquascape. Good luck!

sjm1978 · #12 12/29/2007, 05:54 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Helfrich’s Chic
YEA! Congrats on the new tank. Nice and clean looking. Just a suggestion for when you pick your rock, take a towel with you and design your scape on the floor at the store. They might look at you like your nuts but everytime I have done this I came home and set it up and loved the aquascape. Good luck!

thanks ill be getting the LR from Paul at his store. i cant wait till this tank is cycled and ready for FL Rics and zoos again i my 24g aquapod was getting full of them.

JeffKirk · #13 12/29/2007, 08:21 PM

Nice Setup, I cant wate to get mine filling.

sjm1978 · #14 12/29/2007, 11:48 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by JeffKirk
Nice Setup, I cant wate to get mine filling.

thanks Jeff hows the clowns doing?

sjm1978 · #15 12/30/2007, 07:33 PM

ok i got my LR and sand today. i got 30 pounds of sand and 40 pounds of some really nice fiji rock. ill get some pics of the tank once the water clears from the sand.

Chorethorious · #16 12/31/2007, 10:08 AM

Ok! Lets see this rock. Also, have you played with the rock any to get the feel for your aquascaping?

sjm1978 · #17 12/31/2007, 12:16 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Chorethorious
Ok! Lets see this rock. Also, have you played with the rock any to get the feel for your aquascaping?

the tank is still real cloudy from the sand. im gonna have to get a filter sock i think to help it clear up faster. i just sat the rock in the tank for now.

sjm1978 · #18 12/31/2007, 08:00 PM

ok i got my test kits today

Dec 31

Ph = 8.2
Ammonia = 0
Nitrite = 0
Nitrate = 5>
Calcium 430

sjm1978 · #19 01/01/2008, 03:52 PM

no pic of the tank yet its still cloudy. i got a aquaclear 50 filter from a friend im gonna hang it on the tank and put some filter floss in it to help the tank clear.

Jan 1

Ph = 8.2
Ammonia = 0
Nitrite = 0
Nitrate = 5
Calcium 430

i still haven't seen any ammonia,nitrite its been about 3 days now. i bought cured live rock and it took only about 30 minutes for me to get it home and in the tank. im not sure if there is gonna be any ammonia or nitrite ill keep testing tho.

sjm1978 · #20 01/02/2008, 08:35 PM

still no ammonia or nitrite and the nitrate has dropped to zero. i still haven't aquascaped the tank has been to cloudy i tried moving some of the rocks around today but it just created a cloudy mess again. im gonna try to scape alittle bit at a time.

Jan 2

Ph = 8.2
Ammonia = 0
Nitrite = 0
Nitrate = 0
Calcium 430

am i cycled?

i put a aquaclear 50 hang-on filter on the tank for temp usage and put 6 layers of blue/whit bond filter floss its clearing the water nicely.

at 10:00am this morning after i tried to move some rocks around.

at 6:20pm tonight

30reef · #21 01/02/2008, 10:10 PM

Looks good. Resist the urge to stock it right away. It will pay off in the end. Have patience my friend.

sjm1978 · #22 01/02/2008, 10:14 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by 30reef
Looks good. Resist the urge to stock it right away. It will pay off in the end. Have patience my friend.

yea im not planing on putting anything until after the brown diatoms etc. just a clean up crew once needed.

heres my 24g aquapod at 1 year old right before it was all sold.

30reef · #23 01/02/2008, 10:21 PM

Cool featherdusters. I like them when they get about as big as a quarter.

JeffKirk · #24 01/02/2008, 10:23 PM

Clown's are doing great.

The male has been playing a bit in the frogspawn but not hosting yet.

I just took some pics, I'll have them posted in another thread later tonight.

God luck with the new tank.
I guess I should start a thread of the 90g build.

sjm1978 · #25 01/07/2008, 07:37 PM

heres a small update tank finally clear with the help of a aquaclear 50 filter and blue/white floss. i got the rocks arranged now. i took the ps75 skimmer off its junk. im gonna buy a Tunze Nano DOC Protein Skimmer 9002. i might also buy a 3rd koralia #1 or just buy two #2's.

test results

ph 8.0 api test and reefkeeper 2 using pinpoint ph probe
ammonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate 0

some pics