Buffy's 1st Ever SW Build - Reef Tank

[needmorecowbell]

Reefcleaners.com sells pretty cheap. Same with reef2reef.com

 

[Buffy]

Uploading Pics

For some reason I really like this first photo, I think it's because of the depth.

 

[Buffy]

More pics

Here's the corals I bought. I just posted the Mandarin and Randall Goby, the other two gobies are hiding under a rock and I can't get a pic of them, however the guy called them a yellow headed something.

 

[Buffy]

Another pic or two

So my rockwork on the right side still needs some adjustment. Started cycling yesterday morning. Hopefully won't take too too long.

Here's the rock with the pvc, and then with water & cycling. It's getting there, am now out of space and can't post anymore pictures. grr

 

[needmorecowbell]

I love the pics first an last ones are my favorite!

 

[Buffy]

Thank you, how's your tank going?

 

[needmorecowbell]

It's doing really well. Now that I have a sump and a Beast of a skimmer, everything is fine. Now that it's stable I'm upgrading to dimmable led

 

[Buffy]

Awesome, I don't have the sump yet, I have the tank, silicone, baffles need cutting and from there I'm toast. I'm still trying to figure out how to make it and how to do the piping. Just gonna use my fluval 405 for now.

What skimmer did you get?

 

[needmorecowbell]

That's cool. I got the Berlin classic triple pass skimmer. It's rated for up to 250 gallons so it's zeroing me out in everything. Corals are doing great because of it!

I used nylon hose with clamps and it made the whole piping system really easy.

 

[Buffy]

Would you mind posting a pic of your "piping"?

 

[spoonman]

Look at the link in the vendor spotlight on the right side of this page. The one that says "cheato and pods". Seems like a good deal to get both. The cheato will give the pods a place to hide and reproduce in the sump!

 

[Buffy]

Thank you, I didn't see that before. Looks like it's time to spend alot of time on u-tube so I can get the sump done.

 

[needmorecowbell]

Check out my account through the link in my signature. It has an episode of the piping and everything. I think it is the update and finished product one.

 

[Buffy]

Thanks I will check them out. Still reviewing u tubes LOL. I think I can handle the piping part now, just wondering what section is for what and why does it matter where that section is?


Anybody mind explaining this for me please? I've seen so many different setups (not as many as the seasons experienced pros though), that I'm am toasted and confused. Thanks everyone

 

[needmorecowbell]

Alright, so here's the basic setup.. Three sections, one intake, one refugium, and one output. The intake is where you put your skimmer and the end of the overflow. You put your skimmer there because that's where the most gunk will be. The overflow mixes all the oils and water which is what your protein skimmer loves. Next comes the refugium. In there, add the macros and whatever else you want. You'll need to have a light over it, preferably 6500k. I don't have sand underneath mine, but you can have it. I have chaeto, dragons breath, live rock rubble, and my drag plugs down there. It's output is at the end and is the most filtered water. It has pods in it, and is ready to go into the dt. You put your pump in that section along with a heater but you can also put the heater in the intake. And that's basically how a sump works! Here's a pic of one..

1 tip that helped me is to keep it simple. I used nylon tubing and a directional u-tube to follow that.. Works very well.

 

[carey]

Here are some pictures of my sump on my 125g and my 90g. The intake is to the left, middle is refugium or skimmer section and the far right is fpr the return pump. Crappy pictures but maybe they can help

 

[Buffy]

Thanks, those pictures and description help a great deal. I'm gonna copy and paste so I don't lose the info.

Gotta delete a few pictures....then I have a couple of pictures of my new fish, that finally came out from under the rock into the open when I fed today. WOOHOO they are soooo cute.

 

[Buffy]

2 newbies

Here are the pics of the 2 newbies that I bought last week on my fishing trip. I don't know what they are, I looked on a few websites but can't quite match them up.


Well never mind on the pictures for now. It's saying my browser is sending a bad request and that the server doesn't understand. Ugg.

 

[redsea]

For some reason I really like this first photo, I think it's because of the depth.

Sorry, I haven't been on this thread for a while...

Is that a Red Mandarin? It looks beautiful, I think that is the kind I would like to get for my 125g.

Nice Goby too!

 

[Buffy]

update

I dont't know if it is a red mandarin,I believe so, at least it waas when I first got it. Where the red would be has lightened up and looks like it is changing colors. He appears to nibble but not much else. He does move around.

My 75 gallon is still cycling. I have a bloom of diatoms starting. Salinity 35ppm, amm >8; no3 > 5ppm; no2 = 10.

Everyone is doing good in the temp 20g. The 2 black blobs are in fact sponges, they have grown some, I now have 2 red mushrooms, the one was so big I though it would cover everything up near it.

No casualities other than in the beginningnwith the 2 corals. Fire Shrimp still greedy and bold as ever. I have to keep moving the corals as they end up too close and I can see their slimy stuff that it looks like they thrown up when stressed. What is that stuff called?

The two gobies haven't come out again. They remind me of the Dracula Goby by their colors. Oops gotta get busy, am at work, breaktime is gone.