New Tank Build- From Scratch. Step by step. All things considered
- Thread starter skebo
- Start date
[attachment=61179:name]Ok time for an update. Seems I neglected my own thread. Wicked, I don't think you could kill the thread with the S&M after my reference 
I have sand in, though may get 1 more bag. I CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH, when you think you have rinsed your sand clean, double the time you spent, then double it again. And then for good measure, rinse it again. My water was cloudy for days. I engineered some ways to add some blue filter pads into the sump and put a breeder basket I had laying around in front of the pump spicket, then lined the sides of that with some used carbon cartiges from my over the back. Fits like a glove. Rinse those out 2x a day and water cleared. Scrape glass, spread sand out. Repeat.
My 150 is full, and no included in circulation. My amm climbed slightly and my nitrites are at .25 if i recall right. Now have a cinn tomato clown and a few cuc's and all my macro in. Still slowly adding rock and tweeking things. My MH's in my light does not work with the canopy, seems to get to hot and shut off because the fans are on top and its too close. Worked all day with the lights on but no canopy.
I have sand in, though may get 1 more bag. I CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH, when you think you have rinsed your sand clean, double the time you spent, then double it again. And then for good measure, rinse it again. My water was cloudy for days. I engineered some ways to add some blue filter pads into the sump and put a breeder basket I had laying around in front of the pump spicket, then lined the sides of that with some used carbon cartiges from my over the back. Fits like a glove. Rinse those out 2x a day and water cleared. Scrape glass, spread sand out. Repeat.
My 150 is full, and no included in circulation. My amm climbed slightly and my nitrites are at .25 if i recall right. Now have a cinn tomato clown and a few cuc's and all my macro in. Still slowly adding rock and tweeking things. My MH's in my light does not work with the canopy, seems to get to hot and shut off because the fans are on top and its too close. Worked all day with the lights on but no canopy.
all the live rock i own in the tank, spread out while I build up and cycle. All fish are moved but the convicts and crabs and snails. still need tweeking as this pump pulls pretty quick. Seems to start gurgling air every 2 days due to little room for more water in the sump. going to plumb in the 3rd like I was planing just for some additional room for water and hold up the water level above pump return line.
Really worried about my lights though. Not sure this one I am using is going to cut it short term. may need to rehome my corals until I get the lights squared away.
Then I have to sell everything left, to put towards lights. Also not sure the protien skimmer i have is going to cut it. I am not too sure how this thing works, but looks like it would be missing pieces?
Really worried about my lights though. Not sure this one I am using is going to cut it short term. may need to rehome my corals until I get the lights squared away.
Then I have to sell everything left, to put towards lights. Also not sure the protien skimmer i have is going to cut it. I am not too sure how this thing works, but looks like it would be missing pieces?
well i am looking for a ballst and last time i was at your house you had a stores woth lol so when you decide to sell let me know and i can come take a look. Also maybe for sumps you should look into the big stock tanks they hold alot of water. you can get them around 300gallons. you might check with hurrafreak as he did have a 300 not sure if he still has it or not
So I have been missing for awhile. Tank is complete, well as such can be since we are always tweaking, adding and adjusting. I will post some pictures soon. I have quite a bit of equipment I am not using so will have to start a new thread for that after I sort it out.
I am in need of lighting advice. Tank is deep so I am sure I will end up with Mh. I can't figure out if LED's would penetrate to the bottom, as we are fans of annens and carpets and seabays are bottom dwellers. My favorite is the Ritteri which was reclassified but still the magnifica and they go up on rocks.
checked out 20k 400w MH as I like it more blue. These things don't pop corals like you would think. I have to get out and see some tanks and see some lightings. I don't mind supplementing but as it is now I have a 6' combo fixture that does not allow for my canopy to go due to the center brace.
Anyone selling lights, let me know. Anyone need lights, let me know. I have a ton of fixtures, ballasts, drivers, retrofit stuff in all shapes and sizes. Just not what I need. Anyone got recommendations let me know. I’m 8'x2' by 30" deep. However with the return jets and just hanging I will be at about 35". I have electronic ballasts nexgen 400/600w combos so if I can use these and save some money great.
Anyone has any questions about my build please let me know. One serious advantage is the multi-tank setup and how I plumbed it. Effectively my DT is upstairs. It drains to the primary sump and that connects to a return pump. Typical there. However that sump has 2 bulkheads, and the second connects to a secondary sump. The return pump has return lines to the DT, primary sump and a 150g secondary tank. The secondary tank drains to the secondary sump. So with ball valves and gate valves I can close the main pump feed to the 150, and close the connection between both sumps and isolate the 150 completely. Viola, instant qt tank. Just running 2 smaller Protein skimmers in each sump that combined equal what I need for now.
It has been great fun working on this.
I am in need of lighting advice. Tank is deep so I am sure I will end up with Mh. I can't figure out if LED's would penetrate to the bottom, as we are fans of annens and carpets and seabays are bottom dwellers. My favorite is the Ritteri which was reclassified but still the magnifica and they go up on rocks.
checked out 20k 400w MH as I like it more blue. These things don't pop corals like you would think. I have to get out and see some tanks and see some lightings. I don't mind supplementing but as it is now I have a 6' combo fixture that does not allow for my canopy to go due to the center brace.
Anyone selling lights, let me know. Anyone need lights, let me know. I have a ton of fixtures, ballasts, drivers, retrofit stuff in all shapes and sizes. Just not what I need. Anyone got recommendations let me know. I’m 8'x2' by 30" deep. However with the return jets and just hanging I will be at about 35". I have electronic ballasts nexgen 400/600w combos so if I can use these and save some money great.
Anyone has any questions about my build please let me know. One serious advantage is the multi-tank setup and how I plumbed it. Effectively my DT is upstairs. It drains to the primary sump and that connects to a return pump. Typical there. However that sump has 2 bulkheads, and the second connects to a secondary sump. The return pump has return lines to the DT, primary sump and a 150g secondary tank. The secondary tank drains to the secondary sump. So with ball valves and gate valves I can close the main pump feed to the 150, and close the connection between both sumps and isolate the 150 completely. Viola, instant qt tank. Just running 2 smaller Protein skimmers in each sump that combined equal what I need for now.
It has been great fun working on this.
fish order came in. All into QT. lost a little cleaner shrimp and got a credit. Of course nothing the same price was anyting I wanted so had to add some more stuff. It should arrive today. Will post a list of my items if anyone is interested but primary species I ordered was tangs so I could add all at same time. I got the Achilles tang, Tomini tang, blonde Naso. I held off on the powder blue as it is same family as the achilles but more research indicates they tend to get along with good conditions so ordered a pb. I also got some green chromis, already have the hippo and some grag fan, shaving brushes, chili corals and tons of cuc's.
New LED's arrived yesterday and got installed last night. 4x AI sol blue or super blue (same thing). I am on rails 7.5" from water level. God it feels good to have the canopy on and not have to look at that hodge poge of lights all over the top anymore. Had a 6' combo w/ 3x MH 150w and 8 54w power compacts. That did not cover the tank so i had a 3' fixture with 2x 150w mh cocked sideways and a 6 bulb power compact angled sideways. held up with 2x4s to sit on and 1x2's to angle and ARGGG!!
Trying to read on settings for new AI's. Don't see anything much on masc, bigger posts on RC. I have 3 annens that I don't know if they would bleach like corals would under too high an initial setting?
I played with various settings. I can see the corals and hammer flores a bit more, but not like I thought they would. I bought a mind blowing paly from the guy who hosted the barber shop meeting (who was that?). In his tank it was well mind blowing. In mine it seems ah well thats nice. It was more brown under mh. Do corals build up this florence effect in time? What am i missing? It sits on rocks about 10-12" from the bottom The eyes flores a lot more then before under mh, but the tissue around the eyes were so purple in "his tank". an effect I have not yet gotten.
Thoughts?
New LED's arrived yesterday and got installed last night. 4x AI sol blue or super blue (same thing). I am on rails 7.5" from water level. God it feels good to have the canopy on and not have to look at that hodge poge of lights all over the top anymore. Had a 6' combo w/ 3x MH 150w and 8 54w power compacts. That did not cover the tank so i had a 3' fixture with 2x 150w mh cocked sideways and a 6 bulb power compact angled sideways. held up with 2x4s to sit on and 1x2's to angle and ARGGG!!
Trying to read on settings for new AI's. Don't see anything much on masc, bigger posts on RC. I have 3 annens that I don't know if they would bleach like corals would under too high an initial setting?
I played with various settings. I can see the corals and hammer flores a bit more, but not like I thought they would. I bought a mind blowing paly from the guy who hosted the barber shop meeting (who was that?). In his tank it was well mind blowing. In mine it seems ah well thats nice. It was more brown under mh. Do corals build up this florence effect in time? What am i missing? It sits on rocks about 10-12" from the bottom The eyes flores a lot more then before under mh, but the tissue around the eyes were so purple in "his tank". an effect I have not yet gotten.
Thoughts?
Give your corals a couple weeks to adjust to the LEDs. I would probably start those out at a max of 50% and then work your way up from there. Take it slow. Only go up a few % each week so you can see how your corals are adjusting.
Can't wait to see pics of the tank.
Oh yea, would you like me to move this to the build section instead of the Newbie section?
Can't wait to see pics of the tank.
Oh yea, would you like me to move this to the build section instead of the Newbie section?
What ever works for you. Makes no diff to me. I think i put it in the newbies section to give tons of information and steps to help newbies on thier journey.
I will attach some pics next.
Can anemonies bleach out like corals with to high a setting on the leds? As you will see my carpet is already losing colors and I ran the mh longer above him. He is still super sticky but had climbed under a rock and never came back out. I eventually had to move the rocks from over top of him and now have some build up cyno from the changes. He seems healthy but loss of color on 1/2 of him and the other half still seems lighter than it should. I am supplem soaking his food in some protiens and zoanthid stuff from kent.
I will attach some pics next.
Can anemonies bleach out like corals with to high a setting on the leds? As you will see my carpet is already losing colors and I ran the mh longer above him. He is still super sticky but had climbed under a rock and never came back out. I eventually had to move the rocks from over top of him and now have some build up cyno from the changes. He seems healthy but loss of color on 1/2 of him and the other half still seems lighter than it should. I am supplem soaking his food in some protiens and zoanthid stuff from kent.