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Phox's Aqueon 75G Reef Tank
I started this new tank a few months ago and finally got around to making a journal for it! I'll start with what I'm upgrading from. After many years of freshwater, 3 years ago I on started a small sump-less 26G bow front saltwater tank. It had its ups and downs the first year but solid for 2 years after. Here is a picture before I made it my quarantine tank. I kinda gave up on cleaning it the last 3 weeks because it was on it's last days anyways!
https://www.phoxone.com/imagehost/tj/000.jpg |
So first I needed a stand. So here's some photo vomit.
Some precut wood. https://www.phoxone.com/imagehost/tj/001.jpg Painted it. https://www.phoxone.com/imagehost/tj/002.jpg Put it together. https://www.phoxone.com/imagehost/tj/003.jpg Added some more painted pieces. https://www.phoxone.com/imagehost/tj/004.jpg Interior wall, trim and shelf added. https://www.phoxone.com/imagehost/tj/005.jpg |
And finally the doors and plywood top!
https://www.phoxone.com/imagehost/tj/006.jpg |
Picked up a 30g breeder, made some baffles using glass from an old tank. Now that its running, probably would have done some things differently but it works so I'm happy.
https://www.phoxone.com/imagehost/tj/007.jpg Placed the tank and shimmed the plywood top. The tank I got probably 1.5 years ago from a member on here. Thats how long I've been waiting for this thing to get going! Plumbed the return. Mounted a couple 3rd Gen Hydro Koralia 1350s. https://www.phoxone.com/imagehost/tj/008.jpg Plumbed the overflow went for a herbie setup. The return pump is a Quiet One Pro 4000. I've learnt that it is not so quiet. Not horribly loud and its a little better since it's first started. But if it dies, I wouldn't get another. Skimmer is a Bubble Magus Curve 5. The reactor is an Aquamaxx BioMaxx BioPellet reactor that will be converted to basic reactor. It will run off a Cobalt MJ 900. https://www.phoxone.com/imagehost/tj/009.jpg Filled the tank with sand and water almost to the rim. Used a small HOB filter to clear up the water. https://www.phoxone.com/imagehost/tj/010.jpg |
Had a guy weld me up an aluminum light stand.
https://www.phoxone.com/imagehost/tj/011.jpg Painted it a nice gloss black. https://www.phoxone.com/imagehost/tj/012.jpg Main Crossbar for lights is a U-channel so I could slide the hooks to mount various lights if I please. https://www.phoxone.com/imagehost/tj/013.jpg Mounted thru a slot I made in the stand. Lights off. https://www.phoxone.com/imagehost/tj/014.jpg Lights on. Happy days! https://www.phoxone.com/imagehost/tj/015.jpg |
While my sand cycled...got some rock off a fellow reefer.
https://www.phoxone.com/imagehost/tj/016.jpg Oh so many choices! https://www.phoxone.com/imagehost/tj/017.jpg Semi-final idea.. https://www.phoxone.com/imagehost/tj/018.jpg Scrubbed, bleach and cooking... https://www.phoxone.com/imagehost/tj/019.jpg |
After a bit the rocks finally went in! Oh and I forgot to mention the brand of lights are Viparspectra. Basically a chinese LED box with a build in timer to control the blue and white channels.
https://www.phoxone.com/imagehost/tj/020.jpg |
Twas time to setup my doser. It is an All Blue Titration Pump. I it got off ebay 2 years ago and other than the time shifting a bit its been great! As you can see in the back I also have an Apex Jr which will control and monitor temperature as well as manage the refugium lights. Wont use it for much else atm.
https://www.phoxone.com/imagehost/tj/021.jpg |
Needed some new dosing containers since my previous ones cracked. Got these from Walmart.
https://www.phoxone.com/imagehost/tj/022.jpg Drilled a hole for rigid tubing....see!! https://www.phoxone.com/imagehost/tj/023.jpg Mixed it up and put it in front of my sump. Fit perfect! Also ended up making a small stand for my skimmer which you can see in the back. https://www.phoxone.com/imagehost/tj/024.jpg |
Picked up this PAR38 grow bulb. Spectrum looks about right for algae growth. 75W equivalent so not the strongest but it will be paired with a CAT CT3530 LED work light with an output equivalent of 150W.
https://www.phoxone.com/imagehost/tj/025.jpg Using and old light fixture.... https://www.phoxone.com/imagehost/tj/026.jpg Came up with this genius! https://www.phoxone.com/imagehost/tj/027.jpg Placed the CAT work light in front of the sump to get light at different angles and threw in come chaetomorpha. https://www.phoxone.com/imagehost/tj/028.jpg |
Picked up a Chalk Bass, Tomini Tang and a Talbot Damsel currently in quarantine.
https://www.phoxone.com/imagehost/tj/030.jpg Moved all the corals in and slowly acclimating them to the new lights. So far they seem ok! Also moved in my previous fish, a Clown and an Azure Damsel. https://www.phoxone.com/imagehost/tj/029.jpg Will post more once I get thru all the uglyness of a new tank. |
Looks good. Bleaching the rocks was a wise move. Stand looks solid.
I used one of those hanging shop lights a few years ago, keep an eye on corrosion, especially in the non aluminium parts. Good luck |
Thx!
It's one of those reptile lights. I just took the metal reflector off and left the ceramic socket. I hope it lasts for a year or so. Don't know how well this setup is going to work yet so it might get pulled sooner for something better built for growing algae. |
Rearranged sump. Changed to a Sock Filter instead of floss in media chamber of sump. Changed to a smaller CoralBox Reactor instead of the oversized Aquamaxx to save room. Added a second Feit PAR grow bulb and discontinued the CAT light for the time being. Added a tray to keep Chaeto closer to the lights. Still need to make a proper sized stand for the skimmer so I can move the reactor into the same chamber....for now its with the return pump.
https://www.phoxone.com/imagehost/tj/031.jpg |
I am really digging this build. Thanks for sharing.
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With this tank I am going to attempt to severely cut water changes with a combination of strategies using Chaeto, GFO and NO3:PO4-X to control nitrates and phosphates. These will be put in place and tuned as needed. I will be dosing Trace Elements with Red Sea Coral Colors.
I needed to figure out how much trace elements to dose. I use Reef Crest 2 Part System so I though I'd come up with a number to easily work this out for myself and anybody else who may use Reef Crest and be interested in using RedSea Coral Colors. So far this is what I have come up with. If you see anything wrong with my math, let me know! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The instructions on the RedSea containers say use 1mL of additive for every 20ppm Calcium added per 100L when using 3rd party products. First off, I got a number of http://reef.diesyst.com Reef Calculator that ~0.0139g of Calcium Chloride to increase 1 gallon of water by 1ppm. A bag of Reef Crest Part A Calcium contains 400g of Calcium Chloride. This is mixed into 1 gallon of water which is equal to 3785.41mL So 3785.41mL / 400g is a ratio of 9.463mL:1g RedSea instructions are in Litres so converted 100L to 26.4172 gallons 26.4172 Gallons * 20ppm = 528.34ppm if the volume was of water is 1 gallon. 528.34ppm * 0.00139g = 7.34g of Calcium Chloride used to raise ~26 gallons/100L by 20ppm 9.463mL * 7.34g = 69.5mL of mixture Reef Crest Part A Calcium Solution Therefore if my calculations are correct, for every 69.5mL of Calcium dosed, you must add 1mL of the RedSea Coral Coral Additives when using the Reef Crest 2 Part System. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
Ooh I just bought the Red Sea trace elements on Black Friday but haven’t started yet (mostly because I was too lazy to figure it out). I’m sure your math is better than mine.
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Ugh...was interested in the Red Sea coral colours however my math is no where near yours to figure this out. I also use the reefcrest 2 part! Following along.
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Added a Tyree Toadstool I got from a fellow reefer. Polyps came out after day of moodiness.
https://www.phoxone.com/imagehost/tj/032.jpg |
Changed return. Removed some Loc-line and put outlet directly into water. Planning to make a screen lid so this will be easier to work with. Looks cleaner in my opinion as well.
https://www.phoxone.com/imagehost/tj/033.jpg |
Today my trace elements came in so it's my first dose of Red Sea Coral Colors.
https://www.phoxone.com/imagehost/tj/034.jpg |
Good luck with the Red Sea - it’ll be interesting to see how it works for you. I just started yesterday at 1ml per day
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Added a couple more corals. A Rainbow Lobo and a Rainbow Acan Enchinata. The cell phone camera does not do them justice...
https://www.phoxone.com/imagehost/tj/035.jpg https://www.phoxone.com/imagehost/tj/036.jpg |
Created a screen lid for my tank. Framing from Rona.
https://www.phoxone.com/imagehost/tj/037.jpg Cut some notches for powerhead wiring. https://www.phoxone.com/imagehost/tj/038.jpg Added clear 1/4" mesh I found online. https://www.phoxone.com/imagehost/tj/039.jpg And finally on the tank! https://www.phoxone.com/imagehost/tj/040.jpg |
Fish done their 6 week quarantine! They are the DT! Also added a Bezerko Cyphastrea you can see with the Chalk Bass.
https://www.phoxone.com/imagehost/tj/041.jpg https://www.phoxone.com/imagehost/tj/042.jpg |
And now the 2nd batch of fish are starting their 6 week quarantine. Good luck little fellas!
https://www.phoxone.com/imagehost/tj/043.jpg |
Did you find the 2 way corners (for want of a better word) that you used for the screen at Rona? I've only seen them online and want some to manoeuvre screen top around return plumbing.
Dunc |
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Fish have finished quarantine! Here's a pic of the Yellow Tang. Unfortunately the spotted goby jumped the tank 2 days into quarantine. Had a lid and everything but he managed to get thru a hole near the HOB filter. I replaced him with an Engineer Goby. I'll get a pic of him once he's a little less shy.
https://www.phoxone.com/imagehost/tj/044.jpg |
As for tank progress.. parameters stabilized nicely at 9.3/430/1350. I have seen growth of many of my corals. Acans are loving it. Only corals that have had issues adjusting have been my hammerheads but they seem to be finally coming around. I haven't done a water change since November and have seen no real side effects. Have I little bit of algae growth but it's been slowly reducing in amount as the tank ages and Macro Algae has kept nitrates to an undetectable level.
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Picked up some corals a bit back. Couple where cheapies from J&L. $10 a piece so I couldn't say no! Nicer pieces came from a fellow hobbyist. I'll have growth picks later. Again cellphone picture ain't the best. Sorry!
Some random chalice for $10. Need some time to see if it colors up. https://www.phoxone.com/imagehost/tj/045.jpg Goniastrea Color (Prism) for $10. https://www.phoxone.com/imagehost/tj/046.jpg |
Miami Hurricane Chalice.
https://www.phoxone.com/imagehost/tj/047.jpg Crazy Rainbow Acan. https://www.phoxone.com/imagehost/tj/048.jpg |
Forest Fire Digi
https://www.phoxone.com/imagehost/tj/049.jpg Sunset Montipora (Looking a bit sad but it's colouring up!) https://www.phoxone.com/imagehost/tj/050.jpg |
Leptoseries (Not Sure the Name, Jack-O-Lantern?)
https://www.phoxone.com/imagehost/tj/051.jpg Rainbow Loom Acro https://www.phoxone.com/imagehost/tj/052.jpg |
Here's a pic of my Engineer Goby. He's a bit shy so this will have to do for now!
https://www.phoxone.com/imagehost/tj/053.jpg |
Updated tank shot. Added a couple rocks in today so I can add more coral later! :biggrin::biggrin:
https://www.phoxone.com/imagehost/tj/054.jpg |
I think I read somewhere that you’re dosing Acropower? How’s that going? Curious because 3 doses in and I can already see a bit of cyano:confused:
Brw where did you get that gorgeous Forest Fire digi? Haha |
No, I'm dosing Red Sea Coral Colors. I don't do water changes so I need to dose trace elements. I have heard that Acropower can cause cyano. I was thinking of trying it out but after reading posts about it I started feeding feeding Kent Phytoplex and Reef Roids instead.
Thx for the digi! It's doing great and growing well! |
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