Step-by-step account of my first reef (with lots of pics)

[Dudester]

Alex - I'm not able to give you any advice regarding lights. I will say this, however. Do not get this tank unless it's something you truly want. Avoid the urge just because it's free. Trust me, to equip this tank with everything you'll want/need will end up costing you a significant amount of money, and a 55g acrylic tank may not be what you truly want. You may end up investing a lot of time and money into this tank, then realize that you really wanted a 75g, or on the other hand, maybe you don't have the resources to maintain another tank or a tank that's larger than your current setup. I'm not trying to discourage you, just trying to make sure you think about it before you take it.

Regarding the HOB skimmer, yes you can use the Remora in the sump, although I'd consider a more powerful skimmer for a 55g tank if I were you. My skimmer hangs on my sump in a compartment that receives "raw" water from the tank. The skimmer compartment isn't otherwise anything special, and the water level isn't higher. The skimmer does have a little plumbing modification so that the MJ1200 powerhead is submerged beneath the water line. My sump was custom made, but I did this because I had a limited amount of space to store it in the cabinet, not to accomodate the Remora.


OK, I have a few questions of my own.

1. Regarding nori and veg for the tang, should I soak this in garlic or Selcon with each feeding (I have both already)?
2. The tang loves my food mix, and this has some macroalgae in it but not much. How often should I feed nori/veg?
3. Still waiting for an answer about how long it's safe to leave a sheet of nori in the tank?

In other news, I started replenishing the Mg in my tank with ESV B-Ionic Magnesium. My level was 1200 ppm. Last night I added 250ml of the stuff, and tonight I'm adding another 200ml. According to Randy's calculator this should increase the level to 350 ppm.

Lastly, I received a new SCWD and I'm going to try to plumb it in this weekend. I solved the loud fan issue already, and replacing my current SCWD should solve the current noise and vibration issue that I'm dealing with. I emailed 3iq (the company that makes the SCWD) 3 times and called them twice, but they never responded. Thumbs down for their current level of customer service. Maybe I should return the SCWD and get an OceansMotions Squirt instead. Hmm, now that's not a bad idea ...

[melev]

Just remember that Nori is a sheet of phosphate. You have a herbivorous fish in your tank that is willing to pick at the rocks. I used to put two sheets of nori in my tank daily for the six tangs, but that just made things worse over time. Now I put in 1/2 a sheet twice a week, at the most. The tangs pick at the rocks and eat dinner with the rest of the fish each night at 9pm.

Don't leave food in the tank for 24 hours. In my case, the tangs eat what is on the clip, and later that day you see nothing but the clip. The next day I'll hold the clip open for Spock, and she'll dart in and pull out the compressed speck of nori that is left over. She loves that treat.

Don't overfeed this stuff, especially in a small tank.

Magnesium - the Mg level should be three times that of the calcium. What is your current Ca reading?

I rarely get any replies from 3iQ. Strange.

[alexk3954]

I kind of feel like I made a mistake going with the 37 galllon. I bought it just because it fit on a stand that I already had. After a while I started to want tangs, but there was not enough room to swim. Then I fell in love with copepod eating fish like the bluestar leopard wrasse, but there was no refugium. THen I really started to like high light creatures that need more than power compacts. Its my birthday and my dad is starting to get into reefs so he said he would pay for a 4x54 t5 light setup, I have spare tanks for a refugium/sump. Then I have some birthday money from relatives to tie up the odds and ends like acrylic for the sump, return pump, and I'm starting a job when school starts, so it shouldn't be too big a problem financially to set up the tank. Then everything from the 37 is going in the 55 so I don't need to buy rock over again. My dad was also fond of the idea of easier maintenance of a larger tank with a refugium, because it's his tank after I go to college in a year. As you can see I have thought about upgrading and am not just jumping into it because of a free tank.


But getting back to your tank, why did you need to replace your scwd? Do they just go bad after a while? I was considering adding one to the 55 for more random flow.

[techreef]

Dudester,

For you, and anyone else who looking at the pics might help out, here are some shots of my closed loop system. I agree that I'm not wild about the Marlin pump being exposed like it is to viewing. I will eventually figure out something to cover it up. It has a neat cooling method which "encases" the hot cylinder of the pump with a wash of air generated by the fan blowing air towards the volute end of the pump, so I think I could enclose it somewhat w/ no negative temp issues.

[melev]

The Marlin pump uses 310w of power. That's pretty significant, compared to the Dart that only uses 160w. Looking at once site, it states the Marlin is a pressure rated pump with 1" in/out, while the Sequence is not but moves 3600gph.

I like the black plumbing.

[techreef]

Yeah, I had originally bought an Iwaki 100RLT, but before even hooking it up I read so many "Jeez, this thing is loud" reviews of it, I called up an online vendor and asked them to recommend an equivalent yet quieter pump to the 100RLT. I described my setup to him, and I forget why he didn't think the Dart would be sufficient. I agree; 310W is a hog. I plead guilty to not understanding "pressure rated" versus not, and frankly, was willing to not educate myself on this aspect of the hobby and just trust someone else's opinion and move on!

Oh, and just in case, the Marlin pump is actually 1 1/2" intake, 1" out. Not sure why most of the online vendors list it wrong, but you can't argue with staring at a huge honkin' hole in the front of the pump when you open up the box.

FYI, Savko sells the black PVC. (www.savko.com) it really is snazzy to use whenever plumbing is exposed. Not all PVC fittings are available in black though, as you can tell from my pics.

[techreef]

Jeez, where are my manners? While I have your eyes here, Melev, thank you very much for all of the help that you've given me by posting so much great info on your website and here on RC. You can tell that my CL is a take on your model. You're a great asset to the reef-keeping hobby!

[melev]

No worries! I was lol-ing over here at your comment about 'the huge honkin' hole'

Pressure-rated pumps are necessary when you have to push water a long way, or into penductor/eductor fittings. The pump is designed to deal with backpressure and plow on as if it was unrestricted.

I think for your closed loop, it will do you a good service, but the cost of running the pump is a negative. I had a Ampmaster 4700 for my return pump originally, and it pulled 384w of power. A nice guy on RC informed me that it was costing me $25 a month just to push water back into my tank. And that was when I was paying .09/kwh. Now I'm paying .14/kwh and every watt counts.

I'm using a Little Giant pump currently, which uses 141w of power. I have a Sequence Dart as my backup pump, for whenever I need it.

Glad my site is helping you, and that you are here on RC where all the action occurs.

[Divetime]

Melev, While not trying to steal this thread I wanted to ask what Little Giant Pump you are using and your opinion on their performance. I've noticed alot of LFS in town use them on their displays but you don't here much about them here on RC.

Sorry for the interuption.......Carry on

[thedude15810]

THIS THREAD IS WORTHLESS WITHOUT PICS Mike!!!

[melev]

Originally posted by Divetime
Melev, While not trying to steal this thread I wanted to ask what Little Giant Pump you are using and your opinion on their performance. I've noticed alot of LFS in town use them on their displays but you don't here much about them here on RC.

Sorry for the interuption.......Carry on

Little Giant Model OPWG-46

[Dudester]

Sorry, everyone, just waking from a long hibernation. I had been quite busy at work, and this week I'm on vacation and have been running around a lot. Just wanted to let y'all know that I'm still here, the tank's looking and running better than ever, and I'll answer questions and yes, even post pics, in a little while. In the meantime, please feel free to continue to carry on without me.

[melev]

So who's got the board games? Checkers anyone?

[madreefer14]

LOOKIN GOOD. Markin this in my favs for Ideas on my tank. Once I figure out how to post a pic I'll start documenting my progress. Just started my tank 2 mo. ago. Just one question. Did you get alot of brown diatom alge every time you added a new coral?

[alexk3954]

welcome to the thread madreefer. We would love to see some pictures of your tank since someone else isn't posting any.

Just a little update on my tank..

I got a T5 lighting system for my new 55 gallon. I also plumbed everything and am waiting for the PVC glue to cure. How long should I wait before transfering stuff from my 37 to the 55? I finished glueing PVC around 8PM on the 17th, and am thinking about moving everything in tommorow morning (18th). I will post some pics of my new setup.

[melev]

I'm guessing you glued all the plumbing and then hooked it up to your system? If so, then you may have released toxins in the water from the PVC cement. This has been known to kill livestock.

Which is why I always recommend rinsing out all new plumbing (garden hose outside; soaking it in a bathtub...) before hooking it up. It is possible to assemble almost everything, saving that one last joint that has to be glued in place.

Since we don't know if you did flush some toxins into the water, I'd move ONE thing tomorrow (fish or a snail) and see how it does for 24 hours. If it seems fine, you can move the rest of the livestock. If you have an extra Phosban reactor, fill it up with fresh carbon and run that on your tank for the 24 hours as well, just in case.

Might as well play it safe now, and protect the livestock in the 37g.

[alexk3954]

All of the plumbing in the 55 is done, but there is no water in it yet. Should I just run it for a while with water from the hose and then dump it all out? Will I then be able to add salt water to it and move livestock?

[melev]

If you can rinse it once with fresh water, mixing in some white vinegar, that would be ideal. Then dump it all out, and move the sand, water, rock and livestock.

[bcoons]

Hello, anybody here? (Sounds of chirping crickets.)

What was that line about pictures and posts?

So, Dudester, just wanted to let you know that the little Monti Cap frag you gave me is beginning to show signs of growth. I noted tonight that the base down near where it is attached to the rock is expanding. I wonder if it knows enough to do that to have the strength in the base before it begins growth out and up? Smart critters, those corals.

[fishypets]

Hey Mike we need some pics man!

[Dudester]

Well, if nothing else, at least I owe everybody a reply, even if it only contains text and no pictures (boooo, boooo, thumbs down for Dudester). I hate to be a poor thread host, which is what I have become, and the reason is truly that I haven't been able to get any pictures of my tank, and all of you loyal followers deserve pics. And I proclaim, you shall have pictures, once my home computer problems are solved. Trust me, it will be worth the wait. The tank looks great and is nicely stocked with healthy fish and corals.

Melev - A while back you asked about my calcium level when I reported my magnesium level. At the time I had measured a Mg of only 1200, and supplemented with ESV Magnesium. I got the level up to 1335, and the Ca at that time was 385. Oh, and thanks for your advice about the nori. I've been tearing off about a 1.5" x 0.75" piece of nori and leaving it on the clip for about 1 hour. Whatever is not finished by the tang gets thrown out, and there's very little waste. Interestingly, the sixline wrasse has even eaten the nori, as have the clownfish on occasion.

Alex - You asked why I was replacing my SCWD. Mine had a horrible rattle that literally shook the entire tank and cabinet. The manufacturers never got back to me, and I ultimately bought another device and plumbed it in ... problem solved. I cut the old one in half with a hack saw to ensure nothing was blocking the inside, and it was completely clean. No calcium deposits, no snails, nothing. To answer your question, no, they shouldn't have to be replaced in such a short time, which is why I tried to contact the manufacturer. I haven't given up on this, and I'm still trying to get in touch with them.

techreef - That closed loop is SICK, sick I tell ya. Nice job. Do you get equal flow out of all of those outputs, or do you find that some put out more than others based on their proximity to the pump? Love the black PVC.

madreefer14 - Welcome to the thread. Trust me, I'm usually a much more attentive host than I have been of late. Regarding your question about the brown diatoms, no, I do not get a diatom bloom after coral additions. In fact, I never had a diatom bloom. This was a result of purchasing top quality, fully-cured live rock. And I added corals slowly (initially, anyway), so the proper balance was never thrown off.

bcoons - Glad to hear that the monti cap frag is settling in and starting to grow. You are correct in that the coral you have will definitely lay out a broad, sturdy base. Once this is achieved, you will then notice outward growth, hopefully in a swirling pattern. Just maintain your calcium and alkalinity and you'll be very happy with your SPS.

fishypets - Trust me, it hurts me more than you that I haven't posted pics in so long. I'm going into withdrawal. I'm especially disappointed that I didn't get any pics of the frags from your tank sooner, as they have all based out quite nicely and are growing pretty well, despite the lack of color that they had while in your tank. As soon as the technical problems at the household are solved, I'll have a monster post.

Just to update you on my tank's progress since my last real post about a month ago, I've seen no flatworms in over a month! There's still a little bryopsis, but the baby nudibranch has grown to an adult and is doing a good job of keeping it under control. I've pruned bryopsis once in the last month, and it only took me 15 minutes. I've actually pulled out a lot of bubble algae (valonia) and I now have 2 emerald crabs. In addition, I got a small tridacna squamosa clam and a medium derasa clam. The derasa will have to be transferred to my 450g office tank eventually, as they grow rather large.

Here are the corals I've obtained in the last month:
green plate coral
fox coral
trumpet coral
cup coral
green star polyps (so green they make my other GSPs look brown)
acropora cerealis
montipora digitata, purple
montipora digitata, rose
montipora digitata, brown (for now, hopefully it will change to something pretty)
green slimer (acropora sp.)

[KAZEKY]

Nice I like the setup!!!
Congrats
KAZEKY

[shoura]

What a fascinating thread for a newbie like me!! I found it yesterday and couldn't tear myself away---for the first time in my life I actually fell asleep in front of my computer!! (it was 1am!)
Looking forward to the promised photos!!

Shoura

[Bax]

"Here are the corals I've obtained in the last month:
green plate coral
fox coral
trumpet coral
cup coral
green star polyps (so green they make my other GSPs look brown)
acropora cerealis
montipora digitata, purple
montipora digitata, rose
montipora digitata, brown (for now, hopefully it will change to something pretty)
green slimer (acropora sp.)"


Your starting to pack'em in in that 30 g!

Thinking about an upgrade much?

[Dudester]

KAZEKY - Glad the setup appeals to you. Any constructive criticism would be welcome, as always. For the first time in nearly a year, I finally feel like I understand ALL of the nuiances of the system, and I'm no longer nervous about floods, total losses, etc. Of course I won't let my guard down, since that's exactly when a disaster could occur.



shoura

To Reef Central

I hope you didn't drool on your keyboard . So nice to have input from folks from abroad, and good luck with your first setup. Let me know if I (or anyone on this thread) can help you.

Bax - Upgrade to say the least. As I mentioned previously, I'm putting a large tank in my new office, and it's been finalized at 450 gallon display with 180g sump/fuge. I've been lazy about starting a thread regarding the genesis of this tank, but when I do I'll post a link. I will also eventually have a much larger tank at home, but we need to finish furnishing the house before my CFO will allow another tank purchase.

My 30g actually looks nice and not overcrowded with the current load of corals and fish. Most of my acro frags are quite small, and I've placed them in locations that will provide room for growth. What I'd like is some more space on the substrate to put some LPS, like a sun coral, a scolymia, and a lobophyllia or similar open brain. I'm actually considering placing a small mound of LR in the right-front of the tank. There I could affix some SPS to the top, some LPS on the sides, and I could surround the base with clams and perhaps the larger LPS corals I had mentioned.

Last night I think I saw one of my millepora frags release some gametes. I just happened to be watching it when a white milky fluid was secreted from one of the branches. It lasted only a second and the substance immediately dissolved into the tank water. Does this sound like a spawning event? This coral is finally happy. It is an ORA acro millepora that I got a few months ago, along with the other group of 8 premium frags I got from a friend (thanks again, fishypets!!). All of those frags based out nicely except for this millepora, which had been constantly tormented by one of those worms that lives in a small tube. The worm secretes a slimy web that attaches to things around it, and I guess plankton become entangled in the web, which serves as a food source. I can't recall the name of the worm, but I have several of these in my tank. I got tired of that worm using the millepora as a lattice upon which to lay its web, so I used some super glue gel to occlude the opening of the worm's tube. I did this to all of the little worms in my tank, and since that time the millepora has had better polyp extension. Hopefully it will lay out a nice base now that it's no longer stressed by that worm.