Magma's 110gal Build

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Thank you, tank looks awesome. Guess I gotta checkout the brands and get one picked out.

 

[Magma]

Yes I would look into a DC pump rather than an AC pump, way nicer and the costs are pretty close but the control is amazing. I have the pump set at "3" out of a possible 6 on the contoller and its pushing plenty of water for me.

 

[Magma]

well I started a transfer today, I moved over some LR I had in the sump of my old tank into the main display on the new tank, along with some critters I had in the sump (few crabs and a snail). Then added a Three Stripe Damselfish which was also in my sump. I moved the live rock this morning and checked the parameters throughout the day to watch for a cycle but all I saw was some NO3 tonight before I moved the fish into the tank.

Plan to upgrade tanks slowly over the course of the weekend as the old tank is only a few feet away from the new tank its just a matter of pulling rock out of one and into the new one

So now I can say officially this is the counter on my new tank.

 

[Magma]

Well its been a long weekend for me, so I transferred all the stock from my old 35gal setup, which has been running for 2+ years. Everything went great minus the loss off 1 clown, 1 emerald crab. I checked the tank and have been all weekend, no cycle happened but the clown wasnt looking so hot when I transferred him. As for the crab, well he got stuck in the sand of the old tank, and I thought I got everything out, but alas I found him legs up not moving when i went to clean the sand out of the old tank.

Here is a shot of the tank with the LED's on about 50% White, 40% Blue

Here is a shot of just the White's on.

So officially this tank is gone

But this one has just started!

 

[Magma]

So its been a long month...most of my corals didnt enjoy the transfer..at all..but the fish are doing great!

Tank levels are normal, I did have a mini spike after I transferred all the livestock over which im pretty sure was what caused all my corals to fade away.

On the plus side...2 new fish! and a few corals were added just recently.


The newest fish and one of the ones I have wanted for years...

Blue Tang

Also added a Blotched Foxface (or a One Spot, whatever you want to call them)

Also scored a great XL Colt Coral from a local reefer which is doing great under my LED's

And I found some pom pom xenia which I added to the tank and maybe just maybe it will actually last this time...

And yes I know it grows like a weed and takes over but I have never been able to keep it longer than a few months without it just wasting away so here is another attempt.

Finally and updated Full Tank Shot.

~~~~~~~~
~Stock List~
~~~~~~~~

~~Fish~~

~Foxface
~Blue Tang
~False Perc
~6 Line Wrasse
~Banggai Cardinal
~Yellow Tail Damsel
~3 Strip Damsel
~Coral Beauty

~~Inverts~~

~2 emerald crabs
~10 hermits
~10 Astraea Snails
~5 Cerith Snail
~3 Nassarius Snail


~~Coral~~

~4 Devils Hand Frags
~Pom Pom Xenia
~Colt Coral
~2 blue/green zoa frags
~Large Purple Acan Frag

 

[Magma]

Well it has been a few months so how about an update and some more pictures.

The tank transfer was just a disaster most of my coral sucked up and fizzled away and now almost 3 months later the corals are just starting to open back and colour up. What a long road this has been.

I upgraded my skimmer and added a Dual Media Reactor which I scored of Kijiji for a great price.

Running a SWC Xtreme 160 Cone Protein Skimmer and I have to say WOW. Before I only been using the hang on back remora skimmers for my old tank but after using this SWC I can see the difference in the nasty paste im pulling out now. Skimmer found here.

Been running GFO and Carbon (BRS media reactor and media), never really run any sort of media before but I did notice the big difference it made within only a day of running it so I am sold on running this for the life of the tank.


New stock list

~~Fish~~

~Foxface
~Blue Tang
~False Perc
~6 Line Wrasse
~Banggai Cardinal
~Yellow Tail Damsel
~Yellow Tang
~Yellow Eyed Kole Tang
~Coral Beauty

~~Inverts~~

~2 emerald crabs
~20 hermits
~10 Astraea Snails
~5 Cerith Snail
~3 Nassarius Snail
~2 Cleaner Shrimp
~GBTA (aprox 5 of the them 2" big each)
~Maxi Mini Carpet Nem

~~Coral~~

~4 Devils Hand Frags
~Pom Pom Xenia (Fizzed up but is coming back)
~Colt Coral
~2 blue/green zoa frags
~Orange Zoa
~Light blue/brown zoa
~Green button polpys
~Large Purple Acan Frag
~small red acan
~3 frogspawn frags
~red mushrooms
~4 Misc SPS frags (testers)


My frogspawn "died" when I transferred tanks, but I left the body in the tank just as a piece of Live rock. Well a few heads broke off the main body and I thought nothing of it. Until about a week ago when i noticed the main colony had a head on it. So I looked at the few heads that broke off and I now have 3 different frogspawn frags starting to grow. One head already has some pretty big heads on it and the other 2 are showing signs of 5 heads each. Once they start to grow more i will try and mount them on plugs. I cant believe that my favorite coral is making a come back when I thought for sure it was a lost cause.


Now time for pictures! (Sorry iphone quality...)

Zoa Garden

More Zoas

More Zoas

Large Acans

Red Acans

Colt Coral

Not so Dead Frogspawn

FTS July (White LED's Only)

FTS July All LEDS

 

[Magma]

August Update!

I have been starting to grow an addiction to Zoa's...Reef Wonderland has not helped this new addiction because Angus is bringing in some awesome frags.

I haven't noticed them growing much yet but I do notice they have really started to get deeper colours under my LED's. Its only a matter of time before they start to spread like wildfire. Currently have 11 different zoa frags in my tank. Few of them are mixed so 2-3 different types on the same plug.

Picture time! (Sorry its an Iphone..)

Also have some bubble tips which my clowns are now hosting.

Of course because you cant post pictures will a FTS. Still fighting some Cyno but its starting to clear up, might do a chemi clean soon to just get it over with.

Don't think I will be getting to many more frags for a while as my wife and I have just had our first baby on July 28th. So water changes and upkeep for a while only. That's ok though as it lets us watch the color we have start to grow out

 

[carey]

Tank looks awesome, what a great job! Congrats on the new baby too!

 

[Magma]

Thanks we are happy about him, hes cute as hell. The wife is just happy I got the tank up and going before he arrived.

Hopefully when hes a bit older he can help me out with doing water changes and feedings.

Tanks is still far from anything special in my eyes, but maybe its because I see all the other members awesome tanks (with way more experience on me as well) and I think to myself how do I get a tank looking that awesome! Love that his hobby is always making you ponder.

 

[carey]

I know how it feels to see other tanks and you look at your own and go man wish mine looked like that! lol From an observer's view like myself, it does indeed look great. Whatever you are doing you've got it right.

 

[Magma]

Not doing anything really. My view of this hobby is keep it simple and cheap.

I run GFO and Carbon (change them maybe once a month). Then 20-30gal water change every month as well.

I also dose "purple up" once a week just to help the coralline grow and spread.

Also added a WP40 wave maker which seems to help when I feed the tank, it really spreads the food through the water very nicely.

 

[obscurereef]

Really like the dimensions and the zoas and anemones are beautiful! Great tank.

 

[Magma]

Really like the dimensions and the zoas and anemones are beautiful! Great tank.

Thanks! I am happy I went with a shorter tank, its way easier for me to move coral and clean up when compared to taller tanks you almost need to climb into to work with. If i was to build another tank I would make the tank wider front to back.

Those nems are all from the same person, he got them as a hitch hiker in his tank and they took over. No word of a lie the mother colony for them was at least 2 feet across. These open up to about 6-8" across during the day.

 

[obscurereef]

I think 24" is the perfect width and makes aquascaping much easier.

That's insane! A hitch hiker that grew 2 ft. I'm trying to visualize such a large anemone. I'd fear for the fish

 

[Magma]

Yes I would say in his 90gal he had easily over 150 nems, ranging from the largest at 2ft wide to the smallest at about 1/2" wide. Most being the size of a baseball (3-4") the fish were doing great.

It seems anytime he would put his hand in the tank the nem would split again lol it was great for anyone wanting nems but sucks for him not being able to keep a reef.

 

[obscurereef]

Yes I would say in his 90gal he had easily over 150 nems, ranging from the largest at 2ft wide to the smallest at about 1/2" wide. Most being the size of a baseball (3-4") the fish were doing great.

It seems anytime he would put his hand in the tank the nem would split again lol it was great for anyone wanting nems but sucks for him not being able to keep a reef.

150 anemones! Yeah I think I'd just stick with 1-2.

 

[Magma]

Right now I have 6 that are about 1" wide, 2 which are 6-8" and a few smaller ones in the 2-4" range so probably 12 nems...all because the wife really likes them

 

[Magma]

Long time no update! So here we go start fresh for 2014. (heavy on the pictures sorry just taken with my iphone)


Lets start with the corals!

Acans

Frogspawn

Devils Hand

Birdsnest (first SPS and It was all browned out when I got it, now its greenish colour)

Chalice Frag (hasnt really grown at all since I got it)

Octospawn

Candy Cane

Leather

Palys/Zoas

Urchin (hes grown so much! he used to be no bigger than a frag disk)

Another SPS

 

[Magma]

Can only post 16 images at once so heres some more..

Frag Rack

Now for some fish/Bubbletip Garden

last but not least...FTS January 2014

*PHEW*

Well thats it for 9 months of work!

Also managed to add a Xmas Wrasse but he only comes out once a week....never see him