Geeeeesh the pressure to post!!!!
This Saturday it will be three & a half months since the tank has been running!!!.
Where does the time fly by. If you can believe we have spend almost $5,000.00 already in supplies and livestock in less than 3 months! OMG...thats a cost of $1,666.67 a month on the tank!
So in shock...we decided to slow it down a bit. Well at least in till after Christmas.
Here's the update so far...
Hardware:
-Plumbing was completed and running smoothly without a leak.
(I will post pictures tonight)
-18 watt UV Sterilizers with pump was added shortly after (a surprise gift to me)
(pictures to come)
-My old 220 Coralife Skimmer was a joke for this setup and needed to be replaced. I was working with small space under the stand & in the sump so it made it harder to find a used skimmer that would fit. I ended up caving in and crippling over to buy a new skimmer....the ASM G4 Skimmer (I love it!) (pictures to come)
-Then lights... The tank had been dark for almost two months before I got light! Yup, since the tank is on the main floor I was using natural light... then I realized how am I going to grow coraline algae on my live rock! So instead of getting a 72" light.. I got a 48" light set with 2 - 14,000k MH, 12 moon lights and 4 actinic's. Since I had a change in plans with the fish selection, I didn't need to light the entire tank bright. (Video to come - with song blinded by the light
) My fish must of felt like that when the lights first went on.
Then I bought a 110 gal with stand for a QT tank. I bought a FX5 Canister filter and running it without plumbing. My old style of putting the heater right inside. But its a QT tank, so doesn't matter. This tank went in the basement. The tank finally filled, with sand and is now cycling. Also a holding tank and back up tank for any new fish that need to be removed upon aggression.
The tank stand construction went on hold. Yes, its still the wood look for now. We toy with the idea of just staining it for the time being but it will be a waste since we will be adding the rock later. We originally were going to place real rock all around then decided to look at other options. As it would end up weighting a TON! Especially if we don't stay in Calgary. So we finally found a product that looks just like real stone without the weight! Then deciding on the bar top and light canopy. Tank construction will commence again in the new year. After all, somehow you dont care about the stand when the tank is all running & filled with pretty fish.
Then I started adding livestock...(pictures of each to come)
-Porcupine Puffer (Stewie) - HUGE -8", given to me by a wonderful reefer here.
-Longhorn Cowfish (Luigi) - 3"
-Blue Spotted Boxfish (Dotty) -1.5"
-Volitan lionfish (Chemo) - 3"
-Naso Tang (Luna) - 3"
-Sailfin Tang (Chase) - 2.5"
-Bristle-tail Filefish (Braun) -2.5"
-Lawnmower Blenny
-Orange spotted Goby
- 3 cleaner shrimp
-1 purple lobster
-crabs and snail
Update more later...