Restarting a 40 pillar reef.

[ThatGuy]

So I decided to be a one tank person and turn my 40 pillar into a reef and break down the 75 with all the problems. (Deal I made with the wife so I can get a BIKE )

I figured I would start fresh. So in one swoop I Sucked out all the sand and water, left the LR in there and put all New SW in there. I also added new sand. I added Fiji Pink Live sand, and it clouded the tank just like dry sand(didn't expect that). Also added some bacteria to speed any cycle that may happen up.

As far as equiptment, I am going to run this with no sump(for now depending on how it goes) and just use the remora skimmer and one or two reactors. For light I ordered a LED light fixture with 90degree optic's from reefbuilders and got a email saying it was shipped today.

I'll post pic's as soon as the cloudiness goes down.


On a side note forgot about the fact that the water has nowhere to go when you don't have a overflow. I almost had the water overflow the sides when adding the sand. LOL

 

[ThatGuy]

Here is a quick cell pic of the rock work. Still have a little rock work to do. Figure I'm going to glue/appoxy some rubble rock to the spots where the pvc shows through.


Also did a quick test
Nitrites-0
Nitrates-0
Ammonia-0
kH-11
Cal-460
Phos-1.5
pH-7.8
Sal-1.024

Gonna hook up a reactor to help with the phosphates that I'm assuming is leaching from the rocks.

 

[matt2939]

Nice. What's your plan for livestock?

 

[ThatGuy]

As of right now 2 YWG that I already have. Still in the planning faze of other fish as I want to do a bunch of small inverts and don't want them being tasty snacks.

 

[NikkiT]

Looks good!

 

[ThatGuy]

There is actually 3 shelves but you cant really see the depth from the angle I took the picture.

 

[ThatGuy]

Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa


Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa



DaaaDaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa




First LED's. Dance

 

[redfishbluefish]

You will be very happy with this light. I have the same one over a JBJ28.

 

[ThatGuy]

I like it already.

Any idea how high off the water this should sit?

 

[redfishbluefish]

12 to 18 inches is what the "book" says. I've got mine at 15. But really it boils down to how large an area you need to cover. Realize with 90 degree optics your "spread" is twice the height of the light. So if you're 12 inches up, any one LED is filling a 24 inch diameter circle. I hope that makes sense.

 

[ThatGuy]

Quick Video of the tank all set up.

http://youtu.be/f3Zwl5ENGf4

 

[R&R Aquatics]

Nice set up, the tank looks great!

 

[ThatGuy]

Nice set up, the tank looks great!

Thanks

 

[ThatGuy]

Well, I had a mini disaster. Something knocked my undata off and onto my lobo(was super glued to the rock). Looked like goo was between the two. Looks like I'll lose half of the undata.

 

[ThatGuy]

Nevermind

 

[ThatGuy]

Well my tank is slowly filling with inverts. Even if you cant find them

I have
3 porcilain crabs
2 pompom crabs
1 peppermint shrimp
1 ghost shrimp
bunch of PITA hermits (keep knocking things off of where they are superglued)
1 Long spine urchin
1 Short spine urchin
tons of snails
1 minimax nem
1 rbta
1 serpent star
1 candycane pistol shrimp

 

[SirFragalot]

Well my tank is slowly filling with inverts. Even if you cant find them

I have
3 porcilain crabs
2 pompom crabs
1 peppermint shrimp
1 ghost shrimp
bunch of PITA hermits (keep knocking things off of where they are superglued)
1 Long spine urchin
1 Short spine urchin
tons of snails
1 minimax nem
1 rbta
1 serpent star
1 candycane pistol shrimp

Hermits should not be able to knock stuff over if it's superglued. Sure it's not one of your urchins?

 

[ThatGuy]

Hermits should not be able to knock stuff over if it's superglued. Sure it's not one of your urchins?

If it is I don't know how. I've had to use ALOT of glue. LOL

 

[ThatGuy]

So far so good. Just running a ramora and 1 reactor.

 

[ThatGuy]