And we are off.. Slowly

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

Got my tank filled with water, got the sump cleaned out today, Got the plumbing mostly done today (looks like abstract art you'd complain about on someones front yard, might have to touch it up a bit, but it should function as intended.)

SG is just a hair under 1.026 (Refractometer, Used 53ms(1.026) fluid to calibrate it) Want 1.025
PH of just the water is 8.2 (IO salt)

Picked up AP test kits (Saltwater Master & Reef)

Because I'm stubborn, I won't be getting the LR until the end of January/beginning of February. I asked for the 130lbs of rock to be uncured (right off the boat so to speak) rather then getting partially cured rock that just has to be cured again. Of course I had already started mixing the water when I found out about the date. At least the water will be mature.

My tank has so far been the water mixing vessel, next it will be a LR curing vessel. 120Gal is a lot to work with, I don't know how people with 200Gal + cope.

Sorry for any delay in the pictures loading, Fedora 7 & Apache aren't playing well together, or I'm just having hardware issues.

This was my tank before the Val took over and smothered most of the other plants.

This is what it looks like now (the wires, heaters etc. will be moved to the sump later, when the rock is going in, don't want to overflow the sump with displacement, so I've left it dry for now). The tank doesn't have that haze to it, the camera I have mounted looking at it doesn't like the actinic light (only 1, 40w 50/50 bulb on at the moment, no point running the 4x65w bulbs on a tank full of water.)

Still deciding on Substrate, pretty sure I'll be going with Seachem Meridian.

Haven't taken any other real readings because there is little point ATM, the substrate and rock will alter the calcium and most other levels.

I'm certain I'll have questions as time goes on.

 

[Zagz]

Well what a change that is going to be. I am excited to see how you make out. It will certainly be different than a planted FW tank.

 

[Ziggy953]

Awesome! Believe me if I had the chance, the room and the money I would have as large a tank as I could get through my door! I would love to have a 500g reef display tank with heaven only knows how many gallons behind the scene! One of these days!

 

[Devilishturtles]

Cool, can't wait to see how this turns out

 

[melosu58]

Looks like you are off to a good start.

 

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

So, my sump was designed for FW (Max Filtration).. I finished replacing all the baffles and this was what I came up with.

Top down drawing.

A picture of it done (yes both heaters are attached to glass, but you can't see glass )

The plan is to have a skimmer at the left, A fuge in front of the pump. I need to add a peice of eggcrate at the right side (the wall there is 5" high, need to crate it up to 10")

I may have 1 or 2 issues, but I'll resolve those as I go.

 

[melosu58]

Good Luck with it. My Rio 14HF`s didnt last longer than a yr. I now have two mag pumps for my return. What kind of overflow system do you have?

 

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

2 x 1.5" pipes drilled into the back of the tank. They come together and down in a 2" pipe. Right now they are just 1.5" stacks. I might revisit that as well as time goes on. (they will have mesh zip tied around them so no one goes for a ride..)

My Mag 7 lasted a year and then it started putting a very nice ambient current in the tank. The kind that leaves you with that tingly feeling..

 

[roka64]

Hmmm, I'm not sure if you want your pH meter in there. I think you would get a more accurate reading if it is in the main. If your sump is on a different lighting schedule than your tank, this might not be accurate.

 

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

Perhaps over by the pipe from the main then? The idea is to keep as much as possible out of the main tank.

The turnover in the sump is 29x / hour.. Not sure how much fluctuation there would be in any part at any given time..

 

[roka64]

I think the light timing between your fuge vs. the lighting of the main. Most folks (depending on the macro algae) will run their fuge lights 24x7 and the tank lights will be on their separate lighting schedule. Remember pH fluctuates, being lower after lights off and higher after lights on.

 

[cmor1701d]

There may be a difference between a true fuge and the main, but not between the sump and the main. A true fuge has slow water movement through it. The lighting of the fuge on an opposite main tank schedule is supposed to even out the pH swings. Lighting it 24/7 will have no effect. When the main lights are on the pH will rise and when they are off it will fall.

However, I do have my pH probe in the main, hidden behind the rock.

 

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

Well, got the rock in this AM, had to pick it up at the airport. The box was a bit heavy having 140lbs in it (I ordered 130). This gives me about 150lbs in the display, and the other 3 in rubble in the fuge..

Still a slight haze to the water from all the stirring. I moved the sand forward and placed the rock directly on the glass, then moved the sand back. I think I'll need another powerhead or 2..