The Beginnings!
Introduction:
Guess what guys and gals, it's here! After a few months of sorting out permissions and getting the tank ready, it's in and it's wet!!
The very first thing I want to be noted about this build is the insurmountable amount of gratitude and thanks to Andrew :) Not only has the poor sod put up with my constant texts and questions but he was also crucial to this build as, well, this glorious tank some of you might recognise. I am completely over the moon with tank and I'm going to do everything vested in my reefing powers to make this a stunning tank filled with life (and no algae... lol)!
I'm still amazed this didn't happen sooner, I came close a few times to going bigger but now that I'm finally out of home and was actually in need of moving the tank I guess there's no better time than the present! :) I'm really looking forward to what all the extra space is going to bring and the fish it opens up to me as there's a few I'll finally be able to cross off my list now!
System Objectives:
What we all really want, a glorious tank thriving with life and of course amazing acro's!
System Type: SPS, SPS and a few more SPS!
Display System:
Strike up Date: Today :D 7/06/16
Display Tank: 1000x600x450mm or 40x24x18" for some of our metrically challenged friends across the big lake. 250L or 65g :)
Display Lighting: 2ft Hamilton Cebu Sun. 250w Radium + 4x24w T5's
Stand: 1000x600x100mm (40x24x40")
Hood: Hoodless, lights will be hung from the light hanging kit as I want ease of access and don't mind being able to see it all.
Sump: 1000x500x350mm; ATO, frag section and the rest! Final design yet to be revealed.
Refugium: No weeds here!
Support systems:
System Water: Blue bucket, don't mess with success!
Display Water circulation: A duo of RW-8's to start with and a 6025.
Return Pump: Waveline DC6000
Skimmer: RLSS R6-i
Evaporation Top Up: ATO, Kore 5th or Tunze. Not sure yet.
Chemical Support:
Good old tasty 3-part with some koral colour and maybe a little replenish.
Planned Water Chemistry:
Nitrates: 0-5ppm
Phosphates: 0-0.05ppm
Alkalinity: 7-7.5dKH
Calcium: 420ppm
Salinity / Specific Gravity: 35ppt
Magnesuim: 1200ppm
Potassium: 400ppm
Equipment Plan:
With a new tank comes a new excuse to buy more equipment ;)
The most immediate upgrade or purchase for the tank is the new sump that's currently in the design phase :) I have the dimensions for it 1000x500x350mm and the sections are going to include a frag section, an ato reservoir and then the usual's with the filter socks being before the return and not at the overflow input for ease of sump cleaning and no dead friends if they go over into the plumbing!
The next set of upgrades I'm making are to the return and the flow! I want to get myself a really solid and reliable DC return and so far the winner of that race is the M1 Vectra. The other water moving part I would like to add to the tank is a XF150 Gyre to get some nice broad flow going, combined with a couple of other powerheads on the back of the tank.
I want to do some pretty big overhauls on the lights but that's a while off! Get a 3ft Cebu Sun unit, add a 400w Radium to it and then get myself two of those really nice 3ft Reefbrite XHO blue strips to just finish everything off to perfection!
Scaled Friends:
Now this is where the real fun begins as I've leaped forth in tank size and it opens up a world of new possibilities for whom I will be able to keep! My current friends will be coming across:
- Female Bellus
- Kole tang
- Black ear wrasse
- Possum wrasse
But these guys are going to look vveerrryyy sparse in such a nice big new home for them :) They're not going to know what to do with themselves! This of course means they'll be getting some new buddies! I have a few thoughts on this but there's still a few gaps in the complete fill in:
- Half a dozen anthias or so, p. lori or p. flavoguttatus or even p. pulcherrimus. Something nice from Deer park either way!
- Another bellus would be really nice.
- I'd love a mystery wrasse but I don't think that will bode well with my black ear due to some vague similarities but we'll se.
- There is one fish that will definitely be happening and that will be the show piece of the tank! It will be in the form of one of two species of roap butterflies! That's one fish family that I've always wanted and the specific species are c. tinkeri or c. mitratus! These are a very long time want of mine and I will definitely be adding one of these gorgeous fish down the line, the polyps won't be happy but are they ever really happy on the reef? lol
- No other thoughts yet.
I suppose I better cut the rambling and start with some pictures ;)
I think the hardest part has been organising and moving all the crap I need lol it was a bootful and then all the other dozen trips of bits I'd forgotten lol
10L of matrix including! I cannot wait to get that rumbling!
I've done some playing with the scape and I'm starting to get an idea of what I'm after. The height is definitely right, it's not taller than 6" as I want to keep it low to allow for the fish to have plenty of open swimming space :)
From the doorway
Right side from above, the scape is a little unusual as I want to include lots of swim throughs that turn to caves once the acro's are in and growing.
And now we're getting salty! Still needs a little more water but that's coming in tomorrow :) Of course I'm running sumpless for a little while till I have a sump but that's no drama :)
One amazing aspect of the many about this build is the size of the cabinet... "there's so much space for activities"! The shelf will be holding my doser, dosing containers and of course the two 8 socket PDU units :D oh my oh my!
And finally, just the amazing view right from my desk :eek1:
Guess what guys and gals, it's here! After a few months of sorting out permissions and getting the tank ready, it's in and it's wet!!
The very first thing I want to be noted about this build is the insurmountable amount of gratitude and thanks to Andrew :) Not only has the poor sod put up with my constant texts and questions but he was also crucial to this build as, well, this glorious tank some of you might recognise. I am completely over the moon with tank and I'm going to do everything vested in my reefing powers to make this a stunning tank filled with life (and no algae... lol)!
I'm still amazed this didn't happen sooner, I came close a few times to going bigger but now that I'm finally out of home and was actually in need of moving the tank I guess there's no better time than the present! :) I'm really looking forward to what all the extra space is going to bring and the fish it opens up to me as there's a few I'll finally be able to cross off my list now!
System Objectives:
What we all really want, a glorious tank thriving with life and of course amazing acro's!
System Type: SPS, SPS and a few more SPS!
Display System:
Strike up Date: Today :D 7/06/16
Display Tank: 1000x600x450mm or 40x24x18" for some of our metrically challenged friends across the big lake. 250L or 65g :)
Display Lighting: 2ft Hamilton Cebu Sun. 250w Radium + 4x24w T5's
Stand: 1000x600x100mm (40x24x40")
Hood: Hoodless, lights will be hung from the light hanging kit as I want ease of access and don't mind being able to see it all.
Sump: 1000x500x350mm; ATO, frag section and the rest! Final design yet to be revealed.
Refugium: No weeds here!
Support systems:
System Water: Blue bucket, don't mess with success!
Display Water circulation: A duo of RW-8's to start with and a 6025.
Return Pump: Waveline DC6000
Skimmer: RLSS R6-i
Evaporation Top Up: ATO, Kore 5th or Tunze. Not sure yet.
Chemical Support:
Good old tasty 3-part with some koral colour and maybe a little replenish.
Planned Water Chemistry:
Nitrates: 0-5ppm
Phosphates: 0-0.05ppm
Alkalinity: 7-7.5dKH
Calcium: 420ppm
Salinity / Specific Gravity: 35ppt
Magnesuim: 1200ppm
Potassium: 400ppm
Equipment Plan:
With a new tank comes a new excuse to buy more equipment ;)
The most immediate upgrade or purchase for the tank is the new sump that's currently in the design phase :) I have the dimensions for it 1000x500x350mm and the sections are going to include a frag section, an ato reservoir and then the usual's with the filter socks being before the return and not at the overflow input for ease of sump cleaning and no dead friends if they go over into the plumbing!
The next set of upgrades I'm making are to the return and the flow! I want to get myself a really solid and reliable DC return and so far the winner of that race is the M1 Vectra. The other water moving part I would like to add to the tank is a XF150 Gyre to get some nice broad flow going, combined with a couple of other powerheads on the back of the tank.
I want to do some pretty big overhauls on the lights but that's a while off! Get a 3ft Cebu Sun unit, add a 400w Radium to it and then get myself two of those really nice 3ft Reefbrite XHO blue strips to just finish everything off to perfection!
Scaled Friends:
Now this is where the real fun begins as I've leaped forth in tank size and it opens up a world of new possibilities for whom I will be able to keep! My current friends will be coming across:
- Female Bellus
- Kole tang
- Black ear wrasse
- Possum wrasse
But these guys are going to look vveerrryyy sparse in such a nice big new home for them :) They're not going to know what to do with themselves! This of course means they'll be getting some new buddies! I have a few thoughts on this but there's still a few gaps in the complete fill in:
- Half a dozen anthias or so, p. lori or p. flavoguttatus or even p. pulcherrimus. Something nice from Deer park either way!
- Another bellus would be really nice.
- I'd love a mystery wrasse but I don't think that will bode well with my black ear due to some vague similarities but we'll se.
- There is one fish that will definitely be happening and that will be the show piece of the tank! It will be in the form of one of two species of roap butterflies! That's one fish family that I've always wanted and the specific species are c. tinkeri or c. mitratus! These are a very long time want of mine and I will definitely be adding one of these gorgeous fish down the line, the polyps won't be happy but are they ever really happy on the reef? lol
- No other thoughts yet.
I suppose I better cut the rambling and start with some pictures ;)
I think the hardest part has been organising and moving all the crap I need lol it was a bootful and then all the other dozen trips of bits I'd forgotten lol
10L of matrix including! I cannot wait to get that rumbling!
I've done some playing with the scape and I'm starting to get an idea of what I'm after. The height is definitely right, it's not taller than 6" as I want to keep it low to allow for the fish to have plenty of open swimming space :)
From the doorway
Right side from above, the scape is a little unusual as I want to include lots of swim throughs that turn to caves once the acro's are in and growing.
And now we're getting salty! Still needs a little more water but that's coming in tomorrow :) Of course I'm running sumpless for a little while till I have a sump but that's no drama :)
One amazing aspect of the many about this build is the size of the cabinet... "there's so much space for activities"! The shelf will be holding my doser, dosing containers and of course the two 8 socket PDU units :D oh my oh my!
And finally, just the amazing view right from my desk :eek1:
