Murdoch's 160G Tank Build

[doch]

Got home last night to disaster!! Could have been much worse, but the was a water spill all around the tank. I checked the actual tank... all seems well and good. Checked the plumbing... dry. The only thing that I can come up with is that the waveboxes started to spash over the edge somehow. I don't understand how, but this is what I came up with. When I set them up, I was getting a pulse that was hitting every 3rd wave. The waves were fairly small, about 1/2"-3/4". The trail of dried up salt was over the one side right beside the wavebox that I've been having some troubles with. I wonder if there was an issue with the wave controller, and the pulses changed giving me a larger wave which spilled over??? Who knows. I wish I had a video camera on there to see what happened. Unfortunately, the puddle of water hit the drivers and the wavecontroller, so I don't know if I have wave boxes at all any more... :-( I'm going to let them dry out for a day or 2, and see what happens. I just wish that my 6105's were not on back order. All I'm running right now is 43 koralias (various sizes up to 750 gph) and my return pump which claims 2100 gph @ 4' - no way I'm getting that out of it. I'd guess that since I've got my 1.5" valve on the herbie choked back... I'm gettting about 1000gph out of it.

In other news, I now have my Zeo reactor running, and the Zeo dosing has begun.

Tonight (assuming that I have no more water on the floor) I'm going to set up my dosing pumps which will be fed from a 5 gallon water jug in order to keep maintenance down to a minimum. I'm hoping that 5 gallons will last me about 6 months. That's likely a little bit of wishfull thinking, but we'll see.

Also, Im' starting to get a little bit of a diatom outbreak. To be expected I guess. I should probably do a parameter check... especially for amonia and nitrites. Maybe on the weekend.

Oh... one more thing. I lost a coral in the switch. My orange M. Cap is on the way out, if not already out. Not really sure why, but it happened.

[doch]

Not really sure how/why I didn't think to put this in here, but here is my current stock list:

Fish
2x Black and White Oscilarris Clowns
1x Regal Tang (not to toot my own horn, but one of the nicest I've ever seen)
1x Purple Firefish
1x Back Capped Basslet
1x Rainfords Goby
1x Tail Spot Blenny
1x Barnicle Blenny (one of the coolest little dudes I've ever seen)
1x Flame Hawkfish (one of my faves!)
1x McKosker's Wrasse
1x Yellow Clown Goby

Inverts
1-2 Small Emerald Crabs
1-2 Pom Pom Crabs (LOVE THEM!)
1-2 Fire Shrimp (have only seen one lately... starting to think the other has died)

Clams
2x 2" Ultra BLue Maximas
1x 5" Golden Teardrop Maxima
1x Purple with unique greyish pattern Crocea
1x Blue mantled Squamosa

Corals
1x open brain
1x Hammer
1x Chalice
4x Really nice Zoa Colonies (don't care about their names)
A whole bunch of various SPS (Milles, Acros, Montis, etc)

And here is what I want to add:

Fish/Inverts
1x Majestic Angel or a Glod Flake Angel (I like the size/looks of the Gold Flake, but the price of the Majestic)
1x Powder Blue or Achilles Tang (can't decide which yet)
1 male, 3 female group of Anthias (likely Lire Tail, Dispar, or Bartletts)
1x Six Line Wrasse
1x Other wrasse (Melanarus, Blue Star Leaopard or Ruby Head)
2x Blotchy Anthias (I prefer to call them 'Punk Rock Anthias')
1x Fathead Sunburst Anthias
1x Venustus Angel
3x Purple Firefish
1x Blue Spot Jawfish (maybe)
1x Pitol Shrimp/Goby I like Yasha Hase, and High Finned Red Banded... we'll see.
1-2 Neon goby
I want a group of 3-4 Fire shrimp (have to add accordingly)
3-4 Cleaner Shrimp

I'd certainly appreciate some input. If you see something that I've overlooked that won't work, please inform me. BTW, I know that the Angels are risky... wish me luck. Also, I'd appreciate opinions as to what to add first and last. To me, the only things that may be an issue are Achiles Tnag and the Angels which I plan to add last. Everything else I think should be ok whenever... Yes?


Oh... and of course I'll be adding whole bunches of more corals!!!

I'll have some better pics coming very soon. It seems that my cell takes better pics than my $400 camera. GRRRR!

[fishoholic]

6-line wrasse will most likely terrorize any other wrasse and probably any anthias you want to add.

[doch]

Thanks Laurie! I definetly missed that one. I'll do some more in depth research on each of the fish on the list and come up with a plan, and I'm sure a few modifications. In light of the six line not working out, I think I'm leaning towards the Melanarus. Teh lost pest control from the six line can hopefully be made up by the Melanarus.

[Skimmerking]

looks good man.

[doch]

Here's the photo's I promised.
Still looks pretty blue, but the colours are better than the other camera.
Here is the little island of rock I talked about earlier... close up style.


And a few coral shots, with some specific areas included.




Evidence of my dead M. Cap...

[Dez]

Looking good there Camino. Man, all of your negative space kinda makes me jealous. The phrase "open water" doesn't exist in my household.