# Duckhams 75G Reef Build - Eurobraced/BeanAnimal



## duckhams

After several years of success, I moved house. . . and my reef has never really recovered. On top of that I have changed tanks 2-3 times in my new place over the last year and a half trying to get things to work and fit in my home office. None of it has really worked very well.

So im setting up a more permanent tank and putting some patience back into practice. Attached is a picture of my current setup, and the *new* setup!

*New Setup Specs: 
Display:* 75 gallon 48x20x20, Eurobraced Starphire, External Beananimal overflow. (all by Miracles Aquariums). 
*Sump:* 30x14x18 Rimless, 3 compartments. Skimmer, unassigned, return.
*Stand:* 48x20x40 for optimal viewing and inside tank reach. (I can touch all areas inside the tank without a step-stool).

*Equipment Plan:
Lighting:* 2 x 150w JBJ Halide lamps / 4 x T5s. (may replace halides with LED's later).
*Return Pump:* Eheim 1262
*Skimmer:* Reef Octopus SRO-2000 or NWB-150.

*
NOTE: *
In my original thread, I called it a 68 gallon tank. Technically, without rocks or sand, and with the overflow operational it will hold just over 68 gallons of water. However, as its outside dimensions are 48x20x20, many generalize this as a 75 gallon, so im just going to go with it. Internally, if it didn't have an overflow cut-out, it could hold 75 gallons, soo . . . . whatever.


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## duckhams

*Sump & External Overflow*

Im going to hard-line a 1" beananimal overflow with 3/4" returns. The removable overflow grate is awesome! It really covers things nicely. 
The external overflow box is rock solid! im really impressed with it.

I also have a BH-1000 hang-on skimmer to get things started.


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## duckhams

*Starting the plumbing*

I cut out the back of the stand on one side to fit the plumbing through. Im going to do the same on the right hand side for the return lines, but much smaller. 
I think this will add some great ventilation too, which will help the skimmer and keep the humidity and temp down. Win win.


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## duckhams

Also just ordered 55lbs of marco rock from Incredible Aquariums ([email protected] on here). But they are waiting for a shipment, so I probably wont get it until next week. 

Does anyone have any dry marco rock, or BRS reef saver rock they want to get rid of?


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## duckhams

Saved for next update.


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## duckhams

Saved for the next next update.


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## duckhams

Piccys will be inserted here! ( im going to try a time lapse of the tank setup once I get it ready to install in my office) .


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## Fish_Man

very nice!


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## sig

duckhams said:


> Also just ordered 55lbs of marco rock from Incredible Aquariums ([email protected] on here). But they are waiting for a shipment, so I probably wont get it until next week.
> 
> Does anyone have any dry marco rock, or BRS reef saver rock they want to get rid of?


SUM have plenty of it

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## sig

I would not go with the Blaster pump and Reef Octopus if you expect quiet system.
I used these and they are noisy. Octopus are best skimmer, but very sensitive to the chemistry (patty, glue, etc) and requires constant water level for good operation. 
As per user guide for Octopus 2000 (which I had), the skimmer output should be above water level and it crates noise from the waterfall. I used Filter Media Bag attached to outlet for noise reduction
but this skimmer is much better than Vertex and also has unbelievable good customer service.

pumps are very powerfull

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## thmh

nice looking tank dude!!!: keep it up and ill be following along to see your progression.


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## explor3r

Elliot thats a very clean set up, is it going to be a mix reef?


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## duckhams

sig said:


> SUM have plenty of it


I know, but its cheaper at IA, and they deliver. Plus I had a bad experience at SUM recently and it kind of put me off buying from them.


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## duckhams

sig said:


> I would not go with the Blaster pump and Reef Octopus if you expect quiet system.
> I used these and they are noisy. Octopus are best skimmer, but very sensitive to the chemistry (patty, glue, etc) and requires constant water level for good operation.
> As per user guide for Octopus 2000 (which I had), the skimmer output should be above water level and it crates noise from the waterfall. I used Filter Media Bag attached to outlet for noise reduction
> but this skimmer is much better than Vertex and also has unbelievable good customer service.
> 
> pumps are very powerfull


My overflow will be silent, so im not going to sweat a bit of noise from the skimmer. But, that is a valid point and good to know about the skimmer output. I might look at the BM Curve 7. I had an RO NWB-110 years ago and loved it.
Ive heard great things about water blasters being quiet and powerful? But maybe a more reliable Eheim 1262 would work better? hmm . . .

As always, thanks for the input Sig!


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## duckhams

thmh said:


> nice looking tank dude!!!: keep it up and ill be following along to see your progression.


Thanks man. Im sure i'll be coming to you to pick up some frags once this beast has cycled!

That goes for you too Alex!



explor3r said:


> Elliot thats a very clean set up, is it going to be a mix reef?


Yes, mixed reef with some serious space for lots of SPS, but I want to get all my equipment in place first and let the tank mature a bit.


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## duckhams

*Corals going into the new setup*

Just a few pics from my 20 gallon of corals that will be going into the new tank once it's cycled.
The green monti is growing crazy fast!


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## duckhams

*Plumbing the Bean*

The bulkheads finally arrived from GH, so on with the plumbing! (not the most professional plumbing mind you).

The unions will help with any future maintenance and/or cleaning. The durso line is spa-flex only because I happened to have it lying around and 1 x 10ft length of PVC just didn't quite do all 3 lines. 
The return lines were kind of a pain to run. They will work, but hiding stuff under the stand requires a few 90's. Running spa-flex would have been easier for these, but im happy with the results. I definitely prefer the hard lined PVC.
The bulkheads for the return lines stick out quite a bit, so when I added the 90 onto it its about 3" out from the back of the tank. I wasn't very pleased with this at first, but it does give me some space to access the union and doesn't really make much of a difference over all. So im good with it. Trying to get all the barcode stickers off is really going to suck.

Im just debating whether or not to spray all the plumbing matt black to hide it better. . . ?


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## fesso clown

Looks great! I know I wished I took the time to paint my plumbing a day or 2 after I filled my tank...


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## duckhams

fesso clown said:


> Looks great! I know I wished I took the time to paint my plumbing a day or 2 after I filled my tank...


I got some matt black spray paint from lowes. Sprayed a test piece, so I'll see how it turns out tomorrow.


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## duckhams

duckhams said:


> Also just ordered 55lbs of marco rock from Incredible Aquariums ([email protected] on here). But they are waiting for a shipment, so I probably wont get it until next week.
> 
> Does anyone have any dry marco rock, or BRS reef saver rock they want to get rid of?


IA still doesn't have the rock in, and there's also a heavy items shipping charge, so im just going to pick some up at SUM as its the same price, but I can hand pick it myself. 
Im also considering ordering some BRS reef saver rock, but its only worth the shipping if I get the skimmer from them too. . . decisions decisions.


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## duckhams

*Plumbing / Paint*

So I got my return lines in. I ended up with an extra 8-9" section that I dont even need! 
I also started cementing and painting the plumbing. I found that when I actually went to fit the plumbing with the primer and cement, I got a better fit. So now I have to add a few inches here and there with couplers because im a bit off on some of the measurements.


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## duckhams

*Beananimal plumbing / tank stand*

I decided to paint the inside of the stand white, it gives it a nice bright look and its much easier to see water spills and 'fugitives' from the display. One more coat and then I am going to seal the edges with caulk to prevent water damage to the stand, saltwater is very destructive. It wont be waterproof, but it will be easier to clean off.

The beananimal plumbing is almost done. Here's a few pics of what ive got so far. Ive tried to follow the direction provided as closely as possible. I will water test it next week to see how it all works, adjustments will likely be needed. I haven't cemented the external overflow plumbing yet, incase I need to adjust things.

Ive ordered an Eheim 1262 (900 gph), hopefully it will be enough for the 7 x 90's, 2 x unions and 8ft of pipe ive got on the returns.


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## rburns24

I think painting the inside of the stand white is a pretty good idea. Going to do that with a stand I am building.


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## duckhams

rburns24 said:


> I think painting the inside of the stand white is a pretty good idea. Going to do that with a stand I am building.


I used a primer and gloss in one, even the first coat has given it an amazingly durable finish. I'm very pleased with it. A small push-start LED from lowes and the inside will be nice and bright.


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## rburns24

Sounds good. What brand did you use?

P.S. Congrats on winning the 2013 CRS Best in Show Contest.


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## duckhams

rburns24 said:


> Sounds good. What brand did you use?
> 
> P.S. Congrats on winning the 2013 CRS Best in Show Contest.


I used this http://www.rustoleum.com/product-catalog/consumer-brands/universal/universal-gloss-spray-paint/ in white. 2 cans covered the whole inside of the stand perfectly. But make sure to do it outside and wear a respirator.

Also, thanks for the heads up on the photo contest! I didn't even know i'd won!


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## rburns24

Thanks a lot Elliot. Will give it a try. With regards to a skimmer-if you can get a Curve 7 for $150, I'd go with that. It should prove sufficient to your needs, whether you stock heavily or not.


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## duckhams

rburns24 said:


> Thanks a lot Elliot. Will give it a try. With regards to a skimmer-if you can get a Curve 7 for $150, I'd go with that. It should prove sufficient to your needs, whether you stock heavily or not.


$150 + shipping and import tax makes it almost the same price as it is here.  I should check these things before I get overly excited. Im holding off on the skimmer for now until I can make a decision, im currently looking at DIY units. One guy even used a traffic cone to build a skimmer! No joke.


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## rburns24

I can really empathize on the getting overly excited part. Purchased two tanks, which if I were to decide about them now, I would give them a miss. I think I've successfully toned myself down somewhat after that.

Yeah, it is surprising what some people can use to build a DIY skimmer.


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## duckhams

*Return Pump & Filter Socks!*

The Eheim 1262 showed up this morning! I also ordered some Brightwell Microbacter7 to assist with the cycle and help the bacteria population. I have used this stuff before and after a few days you can see hundreds of little 'bugs' all over the glass. Its also helped me battle red slime successfully in the past. It's not a miracle product, its just bacteria food. Lots of other products like it.

Also got a couple of 200-micron filter socks to keep things in the sump clean. I'll need a couple more as backups but this will get me going.

The Eheim really is an impressive pump. Its pretty big, you dont really see how big in the pics, but you get the idea. Its not a heavy unit, but it is solid and very well built from what I can tell. I can't wait to see how it runs!

One more coat of paint in the stand and im water testing this monster!


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## TypeZERO

I battled red slime before with micro bactor 7 plus kz coral snow. Good stuff!!


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## duckhams

TypeZERO said:


> I battled red slime before with micro bactor 7 plus kz coral snow. Good stuff!!


I have heard of others using the KZ Coral Snow to beat the dreaded slime, but ive never tried it. I'll keep that in mind. Thanks TypeZERO!


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## fesso clown

I love my 1262! It's quiet!


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## duckhams

fesso clown said:


> I love my 1262! It's quiet!


That was a big factor in my decisions. Reliability and low noise. I dont mind the hum of equipment in my office, but I dont want it to sound like im running a lawnmower in here. I just hope its got enough power for my system. I will soon see. . . .

I finished the 2nd coat of paint on the inside of the stand. It could even use a third, but im going to leave it as is, the coverage is good. I will seal it up with some white silicone tomorrow while I clean the tank up and install the return pump. Once its all cleaned up, I'll fill it and test the overflow!


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## duckhams

The plumbing is done. (not the greatest pics). RODI is on and filling the tank up. The 3rd drain line is spa-flex and not shown in these pics, but it is going in. 
The eheim 1262 fits the sump perfectly. Easy connection to the flex-hose. I also strapped some 1/2" tube to the bottom as anti-vibration feet. So it should be pretty quiet. (one of the pictures has flipped to the side for some reason, sorry about that).


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## rburns24

TypeZERO said:


> I battled red slime before with micro bactor 7 plus kz coral snow. Good stuff!!


Hi Long. What dosage did you use with micro bactor 7. Do you think it is more effective than using Zeobak?


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## rburns24

That's one clean looking sump area.


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## duckhams

rburns24 said:


> That's one clean looking sump area.


Why thank you sir! It wont stay that way for long unfortunately. Ive got an ATO going in there, with a dosing pump shelf, media reactors, test kits etc etc. It's going to fill up fast.



rburns24 said:


> Hi Long. What dosage did you use with micro bactor 7. Do you think it is more effective than using Zeobak?


I know this was in reply to TypeZERO but when I used the MB7 for cyano I dosed exactly what it says to on the label, added some flow to the tank and did a few water changes while stirring and vacuuming the sand/corals as I went. It's a great addition to your cyano eradication strategy. Or general tank health.


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## rburns24

"I know this was in reply to TypeZERO but when I used the MB7 for cyano I dosed exactly what it says to on the label, added some flow to the tank and did a few water changes while stirring and vacuuming the sand/corals as I went. It's a great addition to your cyano eradication strategy. Or general tank health."

Thanks Elliot. I will definitely give it a try.


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## duckhams

*Marco Rock!*

I finally got some Marco Rock. Only about 12 lbs to start, 3 football size pieces. Im very very happy with it. Its very light and extremely porous. Im definitely going to get some more. I have some old dry rock im going to add to it to build a rock-scape. Not sure what im going to do yet. Maybe just one structure so I have space to add another later. We'll see.


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## duckhams

*Water tested!*

I water tested it this morning! Silent and failsafe! It works great! I have a few tweaks to make to get it perfect, but im pretty pleased with it so far.

The EHEIM 1262 is an amazing pump! Very quiet. Just a light hum and hardly noticeable with the stand doors shut. There's a good rush of water in the sump, filter socks are in a DIY egg crate holder (soon to be replaced) and the return flow is amazing from the 1262.

I'll drain it today and get it up into the office this week!


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## duckhams

*Final preparations:*

I bought some composite (plastic) shims to level the tank once I get it up into place. I think im good, but just in case, these should come in handy. $2.45 from Lowes for a pack of 10.
I'll mark them once in place, then take them back out and cut them to size. A capped chisel head and a finishing hammer will tap them into place nicely.

I also dunked all my new marco rock, and some old stuff, in an acid bath for a few hours. It cleaned off the old rock nicely, didnt do much to the new marco rock though. Still some green patches left on the old rock, but nothing that will do any damage. Its been sitting in RO water for 3 days now. Soaking all the fittings and filter socks too, just for good measure.

I just emptied the tank, took it all apart ready to move it all up into place tomorrow.


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## fesso clown

Exciting! Now the fun begins.


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## duckhams

*Installing the tank*

The tank is in place. It was pretty heavy work moving it in, I feel a bit like the squirrel on my deck (see pic). It was pretty level, maybe only 2-3 mm off, but to get it perfect (and on the recommendation of an engineer) I shimmed the front, so now its spot on. I cut the shims with a circular saw after marking and labelling each one and then gently tapped them in with a flat head screw driver just under the lip of the stand, so they are completely invisible.

The external overflow is about 1" off the wall, and I have just enough space to get both my arms up to the unions on the drains if I need to disassemble them. It's wicked tight, but its doable.

Im just taking a break from filling it up with RODI water. I will mix the salt in there once its full later this evening.

*A NOTE ON PAINTING PVC: *
If you spray paint your PVC plumbing, clean it all off with acetone first. You may wish to soak it in fresh water after this, up to you. Then give it a thin FIRST coat just to cover it. The SECOND coat should be the final finish and give it a glossy shine, even if you use a matt-finish paint, it will dry to a matt-finish. 
I only coated mine once and its not held up to the moving around very well. It doesn't look bad, but its not as good as it could be. As I should have, TAKE YOUR TIME.


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## duckhams

The pictures really don't show the size of this thing. Its awesome! I love it so bad, I think I might sleep in it tonight!


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## duckhams

*Rockscape adventures*

Im not quite sure which way to roll here. I have a few rock-scape ideas. . . 
I haven't use acrylic rods or cement in my 'scape. Ive tried to keep as many foreign objects out of the tank as possible. The rocks you see in the pic are really solid and well balanced. Its tricky, but I like the challenge. (its also cheaper!)  Though I will add some putty to give them a bit of stick later on.

I have left some headroom for corals to grow, and tried to create a slight trench between the two structures. The pictures really dont show any three dimensionality, which is unfortunate. But I think im happy with the general idea of whats going on here. The rock in the middle at the front (1st pic) is a platform for a show piece (chalice). Or maybe something else. Who knows!

I think I might remove the rock on the far right (in the first pic) and make a little rubble pile for my rose bubble nem to sit on. That way I can grab him if he tries to move over to another rock with corals on. Has that worked for anyone??

Once corals start to cover this lot, its going to fill in nicely.


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## rburns24

Looking good Elliot. Lots of room for corals and fish. Plus the way you have it set up, it looks like it would be easy to make minor adjustments in the future. If I ever get around to setting up that 55 I got from wickedfrags, I'll try to keep your rock scape in mind, lest I end up building another wall.


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## explor3r

Elliot I love the squirrel picture she looks so tired. Your tank is turning really nice you keep everything so clean Im sure is going to be amazing when it matures. Keep the pictures coming


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## duckhams

rburns24 said:


> Looking good Elliot. Lots of room for corals and fish. Plus the way you have it set up, it looks like it would be easy to make minor adjustments in the future. If I ever get around to setting up that 55 I got from wickedfrags, I'll try to keep your rock scape in mind, lest I end up building another wall.


A wall can look good! But you need lots of front to back space so it's got that three dimensional depth to it. Get the 55 going!


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## duckhams

explor3r said:


> Elliot I love the squirrel picture she looks so tired. Your tank is turning really nice you keep everything so clean Im sure is going to be amazing when it matures. Keep the pictures coming


Thanks Alex! I'm just trying to follow you! I need a few smaller pieces of rock to build the 'scape in. But once I add coral from my current tank it will fill in a bit and give the fish more hiding places.


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## rburns24

"Get the 55 going!"

Yes, sir.


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## duckhams

*Sand*

I put a 40 lb bag of special grade reef sand in the tank last night. Its still clearing up (despite a few days of rinsing with RO). It's about 1.5" deep, which is perfect! If im not careful with the return lines, they blow the sand clean off the bottom. The Eheim 1262 puts out a LOT of flow. Im amazed. It's also near SILENT. The hum from the pump, is about the same as my MP10 on 60%. But its a lower tone, so you hardly notice it. I love it!

Im definitely going to move the rock work around and add more to it. I want to fill it in a bit more so that I can maximize real-estate for coral placements, while allowing room for growth.

Next, LIGHTS!


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## duckhams

*Skimmer!*

I picked up a Reef Octopus NWB-150 skimmer from CRS. Ive run an NWB-110 in the past and liked it a lot. And after reading all the reviews, I know this is a good skimmer, even if the pump could be a bit better. But after opening the box and putting it together, im really impressed at how solid and well constructed this thing is. Its not as 'sleek' looking as some of the other, newer skimmers out there, but this is a really nice piece of equipment. Im super happy with it so far.

For some reason, I love the red lid with the Coral Vue signature on it. I dont know why, its just a nice touch. 
I also picked up a couple of extra pieces of marco rock to fill things in a bit. I will post pics of the new rock-scape. As you know, I love posting pics!

Skimmer is in the sump, but it's a really tight fit. I mean, ive barely got 1/4" each side. Its tight. If I have any problems with the fit, im just going to take the first baffle out. I dont really need it, other than to regulate the water height for the skimmer chamber, but I can also prop it on a stand.


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## rburns24

It's a good choice. Takes a while to break in, but once it does, you won't be disappointed.


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## duckhams

rburns24 said:


> It's a good choice. Takes a while to break in, but once it does, you won't be disappointed.


Thanks! The tank is cycle right now, and I still have a few rocks to add, so ive got time for it to break in. Im not too worried about it. I have to clean off a few powerheads, I use the EzeClean crystals, they melt the corraline right off, so i'll throw the skimmer in with them and let it sit for a bit. That should take the slick off it and get it running sooner.


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## duckhams

*Lighting*

First halide is on. 150w JBJ K2 viper clamp-on lamp, with a 14,000k Phoenix bulb. Im going to run this for 4-6 hours (max) a day while the tank cycles. 
I will eventually add 4 x 54w T5's to the canopy and swap the halides out for LED's (maybe Hydra's, but much much later on), but right now im just using what I have. That keeps it cheap and cheerful! I cant wait to get the new pieces of rock in there and see what 'scapes I come up with! This part is the most fun. I love this stage of a tank setup!

I have to thank many of you here on gtaa too, your tanks and build threads have been a real inspiration and have taught me a lot. Thanks guys!


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## duckhams

*Cycle: Day 1*

I picked up a couple extra rocks and just threw them in. I'll likely play around with the 'scape a bit next week when I get a chance to get in there. But I think I like how its looking right now. I may put the 'hat' rock on the left under the arch to raise it up a bit and give me more room for SPS.

I usually use a chunk of uncooked shrimp, but as I dont have any, I put a few cubes of mysis in to get the cycle going. Im sure the smaller pieces will work just as well as one large one. Im also dosing Microbacter7 daily and reef-roids once a week to feed the 'bugs'.


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## duckhams

*Rockscape adjustment / Day 4 of cycle.*

I changed the rocks around a little bit after a collapse last night. Luckily the glass is 12mm, just over 1/2" thick so it didn't matter. On a standard 75 aquarium, I would have had a flood on my hands.


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## duckhams

*Cycle*

Im almost 7 days in to the cycle. I put 4 cubes of mysis in the sand, rocks etc and made sure they didnt get sucked over the overflow. I have been dosing Microbacter7 since day 1, turning the skimmer off for 4 hours each time. Lights on 4-6 hours a day (mainly for aesthetics).

I just bought API test kits for Nitrite and Ammonia:

*Ammonia:* 0 ppm
*Nitrite:* 0 ppm
*Nitrate:* 0 ppm
*Phosphate*: 0.08 ppm

I can't think that the tank could have cycled so fast. The PO4 is probably from the rocks and sand. But with 4 cubes of mysis degrading in there, I should have some sort of ammonia. Maybe I need to put something larger in there to get a reading? What do you guys think?

(also no diatoms yet, and I don't want to put anything in it until I get the diatom bloom over with).


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## duckhams

Ok so here's the plan. I threw another 4 cubes of mysis in a media bag and stuffed it at the bottom of the tank with a rock to hold it in place. So now I can watch it degrade and check for ammonia as it 'melts' away.  If the tank has cycled by some strange mishap/miracle then I wont register any ammonia, but I will see nitrate/phosphate spike. But this will tell me whats going on in there either way. Here's the pics:


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## duckhams

12 days into the cycle. No ammonia yet. Ive been ghost feeding every day and have 8 cubes of mysis in tank. I have emptied the skimmer cup (half full) 3 times now. Its getting something out, but its very light and wipes off as a brown slime. So ive decided to turn the skimmer off until the tank has cycled. It's pulling out organics needed for the cycle and lots of other good stuff that will have to be replaced through water changes or dosing. So the skimmers staying off. I will let you know if this makes a difference.


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## rburns24

Turning off the skimmer is a good idea. It will definitely help the cycle. The bacteria will have to deal with the stuff the skimmer was pulling out previously.


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## duckhams

rburns24 said:


> Turning off the skimmer is a good idea. It will definitely help the cycle. The bacteria will have to deal with the stuff the skimmer was pulling out previously.


That's what my common sense is telling me, now that im trying to use it. However, I have read some very conflicting ideas on this. My issue is that I have a pretty big skimmer and 100% dry marco rock, I just dont think I need to run the skimmer until I have a few things in the tank. Until then, the denitrifying bacteria and water changes should do it.


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## rburns24

The worst part of this process is trying to be patient. Before I set up my present tank, I read that if you use zeovit, you can cycle the tank in 11-14 days, so I decided that's for me. Next tank won't be zeo, though.


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## duckhams

Yeah, im not very patient with this. I just found what im going to call 'pellet snatcher body sacks' in my rock. So whats happened is pellet food has gotten caught in the rock and covered over in a white sack. Almost like a spiders living in there. So, as im not very patient, I gave the rock a shake to loosen it all off and out. . . . and now the tank stinks. SO bad. Its slowly dissipating, but man did it hum. I probably should of left it alone. Oh well. We'll see what happens next. CYCLE ALREADY!


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## duckhams

*Ammonia test*

 API Ammonia Test Kit: The 2 photos below are the same test. Initially it looks like it reads 0, but if held up against anything other than the check-card it looks like it read 0.25. Im going to read this as 0 and move on, but at 15 days I expected to see some sort of ammonia. Ive been ghost feeding more and more every day for over a week, and still nothing. 7 of the 8 cubes of mysis have completely disintegrated. Im going to throw in a small seed rock from my existing tank (no corals on it) and keep feeding the tank.


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## duckhams

*Cycle finally started!*

The cycle finally started! I cleaned off a bare rock from my 20 gallon to seed it and get things going. I put it on top of the existing rocks and put a direct flow pump behind it so that theres lots of flow going passed the rock, not directly at it. I will be watching closely for unwanted hitchhikers (asterina stars) from my 20 gallon. Slow and steady wins the race.


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## duckhams

*Cycle almost over!*

The cycle is almost over. Ammonia is going down, Nitrites are WAY up and Nitrates are rising. I siphoned some junk out of the sump and tank (left over food still degrading) and changed the filter sock on the main drain line. The cycle really began to speed up, which I attribute to the higher temp of 80F.
I believe that I overfed the tank to get ammonia readings sooner, there really is no rushing the process, I will pay for that later with water changes.










I also began tidying the garage and have accidentally ended up with a frag system/station. I will probably end up selling/trading it all but its nice to have options.


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## duckhams

*Cycle finished!*

*Ammonia 0
Nitrites 0
Nitrates <3ppm.
Phosphates 0.12*

The cycle is finally over! The pics below (are terrible) show the setup and a little hair algae I have growing. I'll run the lights for 4 hours a day now and turn the skimmer on. I'll do a water change at the end of the week and start adding a CUC. Im just waiting for the diatoms now (which I might not get, ive been using RODI water at 003ppm and washed the rock in muriatic acid and rinsed the sand for days, so the silicates should be low). But we'll see.


----------



## explor3r

Looking good Elliot and I dont believe you take crappy pictures


----------



## rburns24

Glad to see that your cycle is finally over. That was a fairly long one.


----------



## Bayinaung

where's the hair algae? doesn't seem like a problem from the pics


----------



## duckhams

explor3r said:


> Looking good Elliot and I dont believe you take crappy pictures


Thanks Alex! Im hoping to head up to you in a few weeks for some zoas.


----------



## duckhams

rburns24 said:


> Glad to see that your cycle is finally over. That was a fairly long one.


Me too! And yes it was. I think temperature was the reason. As soon as I cranked it up to 80F things started to happen much quicker. I put my two clowns and a small CUC in there and all are doing well. Im desperately holding back from putting more in there until next week.

*Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 2ppm
Phosphate 0.1ppm (and dropping)
Calcium 410 (dosing to raise by 20ppm per day)
Alkalinity 7.8 (dosing to raise by 0.5 per day)
Temp 78F *


----------



## duckhams

Bayinaung said:


> where's the hair algae? doesn't seem like a problem from the pics


I wasn't saying it was a problem.  And there's really not much in there, but it is present. I put a few snails on that rock and they are making short work of it. It will be gone in a few days. Just part of the cycle. (it was the only piece of rock from my old tank that I used after a muriatic acid bath, it still has some organic waste material caught in it, nothing serious).


----------



## duckhams

*It's Alive!*

*Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 2
Phosphate 0.08
Alkalinity 8.0
Calcium 420
Temp 78F*

Added a small clean up crew this week. There's really nothing much going on in the tank as far as detritus or algae, so I didn't bonkers on the CUC. First I added my 2 clowns for a few days, fed the tank heavy during the cycle so I eased back a bit on the feeding amount, then over the last few days ive added my lyretail anthias and a few frags. It's hard to get a good shot with the canopy on. Im only running 1 x 150w halide right now, the UV glass on the other cracked yesterday, so im waiting for replacement glass.


----------



## Jaysan

Are those cerith snails?

Love your tank btw. It will inspire me on my next build when I go larger


----------



## duckhams

Jaysan said:


> Are those cerith snails?
> 
> Love your tank btw. It will inspire me on my next build when I go larger


I do have Cerith snails, but the ones pictured are sand-sifting Nassarius snails. They keep the sand bed clean from excess food. Mostly nocturnal.


----------



## duckhams

*Overflows & Snails*

My larger trochus snails have been making there way into my external overflow because i haven't put the black acrylic 'cover' (for lack of a better word) in place. So now I have it in there, but because of the slots in the acrylic, it makes the waterfall a bit noisier. Im going to try and fix this, not sure how, but im going to do something about it. Without the grate in there its pretty silent. 
Anyway, I put an egg-crate grate over the top of the external overflow box to stop any fish that get in there jumping out and snails from getting in. Win win. It also holds the acrylic cover in place much tighter and quiets in down a bit, but still lots of splashing as the water falls through it. . . . . not happy about that.


----------



## duckhams

*Surplus Supplies:*

After another tidy up of the garage, I still dont have space for the car, so with winter approaching, im going to sell off my 'frag station' and supplies. See Hardware and Dry Goods for sale post, or PM me if you want something.

That 10 gallon looks like it has a crack in the picture, but it doesnt, I dont know what that is. ?


----------



## duckhams

*Fts*

A quick update. I made the mistake of putting a montipora in there too soon and it has completely 'white out'. Im really upset that I jumped in too soon with it and am quite disappointed in myself. Other than that, things are looking good. The second halide is up and running and looks great. Heat is an issue, so I keep the top off most of the time unless we have people over (wife's orders). But all in all, im super pleased with it. 
Im going to get a couple of the ATI LET-Miro T5 kits and install 2-4 T5's in the hood along with the halides, that should cut down on the heat as I will only run the halides for 4-5 hours a day, max. Eventually, I'll swap the halides out for hydra's/vega's and keep the hood on 24/7.


----------



## sig

read reviews on hydra's/vega's first on RC.

What I see there, that Generally saying there is no "good" LED on the market in comparison to T5s

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----------



## duckhams

I wouldn't run the LED's instead of T5's, Id run the LED's instead of the halides WITH the T5's. So the LED Vega/Hydra would be on 4-5 hrs a day max, and the 4x54w T5's would be on 10-12 hrs a day (running 2 x actinics and then all 4 etc etc). My goal is to get rid of the heat the halides produce under the hood. (which is off right now). 
I can install fans and an APEX to monitor/control the temp, but id rather buy the LED's first for the colour control and cooler running/cheaper running costs, then by the APEX later for the finite control if I have to. 
I love the halides, but hate the heat issues. Stability is my goal. T5's will kick it old school for my SPS and the LED's will give me a shimmer and some control of the overall colour temp. But im not opposed to running all T5's if the heat is too much of an issue.


----------



## duckhams

*A quick update:*

The 20 gallon is shut down, the corals I am keeping are now in the tank and doing really well. Most have opened up bigger than ever before. I had a small diatom bloom, but with some careful snail placement, they made short work of it. Im running my lights for 8+ hours a day with no problems. The red monti seems to be coming back a bit, if thats even possible at this point, I see polyps trying to peek through, some parts are definitely dead and will be removed, but my green monti has come back and is growing, so I still have hopes for the red.

I have put my RBTA in a breeder net for the time being, I desperately want to keep it, but as the tank is so new, I think it needs to be re-homed. I haven't put up a thread, but if anyone wants it im going to sell it ($60). It's about 6-7" across. I'll just have to get another one later on.

Anyway, a few iPhone pics as a quick update.


----------



## duckhams

*Update: Frags*

Thanks to a quick trade im going to try my hand at acans, and I have a new torch frag! I still have to attach all the corals to the 'scape but its all looking good so far. Hooking up the doser this week, which will help a lot, just need to find a shelf to mount the BM-T01.


----------



## altcharacter

They look great already! They are hungry though so feed them soon. You can see the feeder tendrils coming out on the red one. Glad they have opened up already.


----------



## duckhams

altcharacter said:


> They look great already! They are hungry though so feed them soon. You can see the feeder tendrils coming out on the red one. Glad they have opened up already.


Fed them some mysis, they ate a lot! love these guys! Thanks again. 
I stopped procrastinating and hooked up the dosing pump. Its just sat on top of my ATO container until I get a bracket for it, but that seems to work ok for now. Here's a quick FTS before I epoxy all the corals in place. Oh and I also have another rock to add. 

Now I just have to test test test to get the dosing right. (set at 1ml a day for ALK, CA & MAG right now).


----------



## fesso clown

I could be wrong but I think that after you test- test- test you will find that you don't really need to be dosing anything right now. Water changes will keep your levels stable at ideal alk/cal/mag levels for now until you have enough sps, clams and Coralline growth to warrant dosing. 


Looks awesome BTW!


----------



## duckhams

fesso clown said:


> I could be wrong but I think that after you test- test- test you will find that you don't really need to be dosing anything right now. Water changes will keep your levels stable at ideal alk/cal/mag levels for now until you have enough sps, clams and Coralline growth to warrant dosing.
> 
> Looks awesome BTW!


You are probably right there. Either way, im putting it online, im only dosing 1ml per day. As things build up I will increase it as required. Im just going to start slowly, keep an eye on it and see how things go.


----------



## sig

duckhams said:


> You are probably right there. Either way, im putting it online, im only dosing 1ml per day. As things build up I will increase it as required. Im just going to start slowly, keep an eye on it and see how things go.


he is not probably right - he is definitely right 

1 ml per day is nothing and and I do not see anything in the tank required dosing.

for the 75G with enough SPS and LPS, I would add ~ 50 ML of calcium and alkalinity daily, after all parameters are norm. It will support all levels.

I personally never dose magnesium and somehow it worked fine.

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----------



## duckhams

sig said:


> he is not probably right - he is definitely right
> 
> 1 ml per day is nothing and and I do not see anything in the tank required dosing.
> 
> for the 75G with enough SPS and LPS, I would add ~ 50 ML of calcium and alkalinity daily, after all parameters are norm. It will support all levels.
> 
> I personally never dose magnesium and somehow it worked fine.


I dont disagree. But as you said, 1ml per day is nothing, so im going to leave it up and running and increase as required. The chalice and monti-cap both benefit from magnesium, ive noticed incredible growth spurts from both when dosing mag, so i'll never not use it. The skimmer is a lot bigger than I really need with this bio-load, so even running dry skim, its pulling out a lot of the good stuff too. So the dosing will help stabilize things, even with 1ml per day, in between water changes (10% every 2 weeks at this point, until I add more of a bio-load). Im not over killing it, just pre-empting the real 'need' for it.


----------



## fesso clown

You just want to play with your new toy.  Can't say as I blame you.


----------



## duckhams

fesso clown said:


> You just want to play with your new toy.  Can't say as I blame you.


You caught me.


----------



## duckhams

Some drivers are a real pest. . . . . .


----------



## rburns24

I'm sure he has no idea.



duckhams said:


> Some drivers are a real pest. . . . . .


----------



## duckhams

*What's next . . .*

So, this is where im at. . . things are growing well, all is stable, nothing much going on in the tank with bio-load or demanding corals. Im only running an MP10 right now, which seems enough for the softies I currently have with the return flow from the Eheim 1262 and 2 x 150w halide lamps with 14,000k Phoenix bulbs. So im stuck on what to purchase next:
*1 x MP40* - to increase the flow in prep for SPS in a few months (im inclided to add it to the MP10, rather than replace it)
*1 x APEX Lite* controller - self explanatory (dont plan on LED's at this point).
OR
*4 x DIY LET Miro-4 T5* 48" 54w to retrofit in to the hood. (would be nice to have the APEX before I add these)

I'm just not convinced on what purchase will be of the most benefit at this point. Thoughts?


----------



## fesso clown

Go for the controller. First and most important reason is temperature control. If a heater get's stuck in the on position everything is lost... it happens. 

There are a ton of other great reasons as I am sure you know but it's great to know that if a heater malfunctions your not cooked! 

The new Apex "cloud" interface looks awesome, as a Reefkeeper user I am really considering making the switch.


----------



## sig

duckhams said:


> So im stuck on what to purchase next:
> - Thoughts?


get one of these. I will help you and buy yours 

http://www.livingcolor.com/aquariums/residential-aquariums-2/

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----------



## altcharacter

The one under the stairs is quite impressive!!! Imagine cleaning that thing though


----------



## duckhams

sig said:


> get one of these. I will help you and buy yours
> 
> http://www.livingcolor.com/aquariums/residential-aquariums-2/


Wow, that should be your next project! 2,000 gallons under the stairs!


----------



## duckhams

fesso clown said:


> Go for the controller. First and most important reason is temperature control. If a heater get's stuck in the on position everything is lost... it happens.
> 
> There are a ton of other great reasons as I am sure you know but it's great to know that if a heater malfunctions your not cooked!
> 
> The new Apex "cloud" interface looks awesome, as a Reefkeeper user I am really considering making the switch.


Thanks for the input. You make a good point. I tend to agree. The functionality of the APEX would provide a level of safety and stability to the tank. Im wondering if flow is more important at this stage though.


----------



## sig

duckhams said:


> Wow, that should be your next project! 2,000 gallons under the stairs!


..but first, I should buy stairs like this 

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----------



## duckhams

After extensive reading and contemplating, I went with the APEX lite and WXM module for the vortech's. Hopefully it will arrive tuesday!


----------



## altcharacter

I totally have to come over and see your tank


----------



## duckhams

altcharacter said:


> I totally have to come over and see your tank


I feel a frag swap coming on. Do you need any kenya trees?  lol.


----------



## duckhams

Help a reefer out! Vote for 5!  http://www.gtaaquaria.com/forum/showthread.php?p=347491#post347491


----------



## duckhams

Thanks GUYS! Im setting up the APEX with the WXM. It's a real pain in the butt. The WXM won't upgrade the firmware on the MP10. It downloads the update, but wont initiate on the MP10esW. Ive contacted Neptune support but they are taking their time getting back to me. A bit frustrating. 
Other than that, everything is pretty much plugged in and controllable from my phone, which is awesome! Im still getting the hang of the programming though, tricky stuff. 

Here's a bad iphone pic of my shoddy mounting skills.


----------



## uniboob

duckhams said:


> Help a reefer out! Vote for 5!  http://www.gtaaquaria.com/forum/showthread.php?p=347491#post347491


Oh I see how you won now! Haha only kidding. Nice tank. And you will enjoy the apex for sure!


----------



## duckhams

uniboob said:


> Oh I see how you won now! Haha only kidding. Nice tank. And you will enjoy the apex for sure!


Lol! Thanks! The Apex is a real handful, but it's great safety system.


----------



## duckhams

Tank levels are good, but my chalice are not doing so well. Things have been fairly stable, but still they seem to be receding. Im wonder if the low temp of 76F has something to do with it. Im not sure.


----------



## sig

to much light? very clean water?

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----------



## duckhams

sig said:


> to much light? very clean water?


I suspect very clean water. I have had my chalice under 2 x 150w halides and it goes almost completely purple and grows like a weed, so i doubt it's light. I currently have all 3 of them 24" under the lights (total 300w of 14,000k halides). 
Im going to start feeding a little more and add a fish or two, I think upping the bio-load will help.


----------



## duckhams

*A few pics:*

A few quick pics. I have been told that (pic 3) is a colt coral, but im pretty sure its a kenya tree on account of the 'sprigs' I have floating all over my tank. Someone correct me if im wrong there. 
My one and only hermit crab decided to munch a babylon snail, steal his shell and then victory climb 12" up the silicone. Adventurous little guy. 
And finally 2 quick shots of my father-in-laws 90 gallon Miracles in-wall tank. We just replaced his 25 year old 90 gallon with a brand new one and fitted it with a 40 gallon sump. Pretty sweet setup. Miracles did an amazing job on the tank and even drilled out the overflow holes for him. The giant elegance is my favourite, it looks crazy under the actinics! (first shot is 10,000k halides only, 2nd actinics only).


----------



## duckhams

Just got back from a trip. My hippo tang is not doing so well. I have put him in a hospital tank to recover, I will update in a few days when I know whats going on with him (right now it looks like Flukes/Flatworms and stress). Hopefully he does ok. Im treating with PraziPro.
My chalices are all but destroyed. My jawfish, who is now called Hercules, was able to pick them up (frag plugs and all) and drag them into his hole as a barricade that he covered in sand.  I did a small water change and tried to save the frags. I will update with pics tomorrow when everything settles.


----------



## duckhams

*Pic update:*

A few quick pics of the new additions. The german blue digi has opened up really nicely after just a few hours.  Im hoping that it does ok over the next few days and then starts to colour up a bit better. If I start seeing some growth from it, then I'll begin adding more SPS.
I added an MP40 to the far right of the tank, and put the MP10 on the far left, back wall about 5" below the water line. I dont know how I got by without the MP40.

Things are finally tarting to come together.


----------



## duckhams

*More Pics:*

I had to put the little hippo tang in a hospital tank. I would like to have something a bit bigger for him, but the 10 gallon will have to do for now as an emergency setup. He is already looking better, the 'raised' marks from the flukes are gone and what look like 'exit' wounds are left and all seem to be healing. Even the marks on his head are gradually getting smaller. Im hoping its not MHLLE.

I bought a little elegance frag yesterday. . . it is twice as big as it was in the store. It's really opened up. Im hoping my clowns take to it so I dont have to get a nem, but we'll see.


----------



## Taipan

Those are some great additions and pics. I'm sure your Blue Tang will pull through.


----------



## duckhams

Taipan said:


> Those are some great additions and pics. I'm sure your Blue Tang will pull through.


Thanks, I hope so. I just have to get the little guy fattened up.


----------



## Taipan

Cyclopeeze (everyone likes Cyclopeeze ) feed it separately or soak your food with it.

Dianichi Reef F/X or Veggie F/X baby size formula. Great stuff.

Good Luck.


----------



## smilodon

duckhams said:


> Thanks GUYS! Im setting up the APEX with the WXM. It's a real pain in the butt. The WXM won't upgrade the firmware on the MP10. It downloads the update, but wont initiate on the MP10esW. Ive contacted Neptune support but they are taking their time getting back to me. A bit frustrating.
> Other than that, everything is pretty much plugged in and controllable from my phone, which is awesome! Im still getting the hang of the programming though, tricky stuff.
> 
> Here's a bad iphone pic of my shoddy mounting skills.


Nice thank. Just want to ask how is the WXM doing. I am considering buying one for my setup now. I have APEX and 2 MP10 already. So far there are on master and slave lagoon mode.


----------



## duckhams

smilodon said:


> Nice thank. Just want to ask how is the WXM doing. I am considering buying one for my setup now. I have APEX and 2 MP10 already. So far there are on master and slave lagoon mode.


It's great! I've programmed it to switch between modes throughout the day, for example Nutrient Transport Mode comes on twice a day for an hour to clean the tank up after feedings. You can set it to shut off on feeding schedules and having it cycle through all the different modes means more random flow for your tank, less dead spots and more control. It's great!


----------



## smilodon

duckhams said:


> It's great! I've programmed it to switch between modes throughout the day, for example Nutrient Transport Mode comes on twice a day for an hour to clean the tank up after feedings. You can set it to shut off on feeding schedules and having it cycle through all the different modes means more random flow for your tank, less dead spots and more control. It's great!


Thanks for the tips. what about WXM? Is it working fine with MP10 now?


----------



## duckhams

smilodon said:


> Thanks for the tips. what about WXM? Is it working fine with MP10 now?


The MP10 needs a new RF module (on account of it not having one in the first place! ) . The MP40 connected instantly, it wasn't an issue with the WXM, it was an issue with my IQ.


----------



## smilodon

duckhams said:


> The MP10 needs a new RF module (on account of it not having one in the first place! ) . The MP40 connected instantly, it wasn't an issue with the WXM, it was an issue with my IQ.


Thanks a lot. So I think I need to look for a deal for WXM now.


----------



## duckhams

*Rbta & monti munching nudi's*

A quick pic of my new nem, just added to the tank and still settling in. Im excited for the clowns to have a home again. 
I also noticed a white nudibranch in the tank munching on my montipora digitata. Im hoping it's just a montipora eating nudi and not an acro eating nudibranch. I whipped the frag out the tank, stuck in a Revive dip, scrubbed it with a toothbrush and then superglued the base to cover over any eggs I might have missed. (though I didn't see any). Im going to spot-light search the tank for the next few nights and see if I see any more. My little green acro looks fine. I have NO idea where this nudi came from, he must have hitchhiked in on something else. . . . sigh . . . never a dull moment.


----------



## disman_ca

Nice bta, I hope it does well


----------



## duckhams

disman_ca said:


> Nice bta, I hope it does well


Thanks! I setup a little rock work pier for it to affix itself to (hoping that it wouldn't walk all over my tank stinging its tank mates) and he walked up and plonked himself right where I wanted him!

I find the trick is to give them a secure little cave in the rock work for them to set their foot into. If you place them just below it they'll find their way in. A couple of feedings over the next few weeks and he'll have a spot for life.


----------



## duckhams

*update / tang / pics*

All the fish are back in the display after a dose of prazipro in the QT. The tang is looking good and so far has not been flashing and is much more social and less skittish, so im happy there. He is still under strict watch for signs of something/anything else. But I think a few good water changes, a varied and balanced diet should sort him out long term. 
Things are slowly coming together, the euphyllia wall is growing, the nem has positioned itself perfectly and the jawfish has made a home front and center of the tank. 

I did find something disturbing in the fish food though . . . . you decide what it is.


----------



## sig

very nice tank. why did you install canopy?

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----------



## duckhams

sig said:


> very nice tank. why did you install canopy?


I looks good with the canopy! ? I also have 2 x DIY LET MIRO-4 T5's going in there next week to add some actinic light. So im going to pull the halide lamps apart and mount it all up under the hood with a couple of computer fans for cooling. Ive got the APEX, I may as well put it to work! 

You dont like the canopy? ( I should also add that the Mrs. likes the canopy better than open top. Happy wife, happy life. ).


----------



## sig

duckhams said:


> You dont like the canopy? ( I should also add that the Mrs. likes the canopy better than open top. Happy wife, happy life. ).


that is the most important.

My problem is the noise, because my tanks are located 3' from the sofa which wife uses to see TV and any noise from the cooling vents will finish this hobby 

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----------



## duckhams

You can get silent fans, but I totally get your point. I like the open top eurobrace look too, but I have the tank in my home office and the canopy gives it a nice finished look.


----------



## disman_ca

Wow considering the problems you ran into the tank looks fantastic. I'm jealous it looks do good.

By the way just chime in, I like the clean look of a canopy because it makes it look clean.


----------



## duckhams

disman_ca said:


> Wow considering the problems you ran into the tank looks fantastic. I'm jealous it looks do good.
> 
> By the way just chime in, I like the clean look of a canopy because it makes it look clean.


Thanks, it's really coming together! Im really happy with it. 
Out of curiosity, what problems are you referring to?


----------



## duckhams

*The Biological Weapon!*

I picked up a Haliochoeres Melanurus Wrasse (also called Hoven's Wrasse) yesterday. Beautiful fish! He's my bio-weapon for the reef. He'll eat pyramidellid snails (protecting my crocea), tube worms, flat worms, bristle worms! He's SWAT for my reef. He'll also eat feather dusters and pods, but thats no loss, a small price to pay for such a great fish.

I also grabbed a little blue acro and a bonsai while I was at it. My digitata and the little green acro have been doing very well, so I added 2 more frags to the 'test group' to see how they do. My P04 sits at 0.08, which is higher than i'd like it, so once I get the 2 x T5's up next week with the actinics, im going to add the phosban reactor and i'll see how things progress with colour and growth before adding any larger SPS colonies.


----------



## duckhams

Pics from today. Im pretty proud of my pink acans (Thanks Dave), they are growing really well! The melanurus wrasse is my new favourite fish in the tank, i've got nothing done in the office today from watching him so much. I have always really liked wrasse in general, and as far as reef compatible wrasse go, the melanurus is really an attractive fish. 
Next, i'd like to add a yellow watchman goby when I can find one. And im really hoping the clowns take to the anemone soon. As for coral, I want to get a few zoanthids and then work on my SPS collection. A mixed reef is a tricky thing, but a lot of fun to plan out!


----------



## duckhams

*Acotylean Polyclad Flatworm - CLAM KILLER!*

The last few days have not been the best for my crocea clam. Long story short, it closed up and generally receded. After 48 hrs of this I picked it up for a closer inspection, and found that the foot had turned into a brown soft 'brush' and decayed badly. I pulled the clam out and put it in a bucket to inspect further before deciding what to do. 
After hours of research I could not find a solution/remedy for the poor clam. However, while looking at the debris in the bucket, I saw movement! A very small 2mm at most, brown flatworm. I finally ID's it as an Acotylean Polyclad, a predator of sessile invertebrates, including clams! Unfortunately my clam did not survive the worms.

Im hoping my melanurus wrasse takes care of the flatworms, if any are left. I vacuumed the area around the clam and removed the sand. I have also added my electric blue hermit back from the sump to see if he takes a liking to any tiny predators in the tank. Im going to add a few more crabs, a yellow halichoeres wrasse (as they seem to be good flatworm destroyers) and hope that does it. I have also read that many have success with Flatworm Exit by KZ, so that may be another step to prevent further issues with them.

In the meantime, water changes and careful feedings should keep things healthy and stable.


----------



## altcharacter

so sorry to hear this dude!!


----------



## rburns24

Flatworm Exit is made by Salifert. Flatworm Stop is made by Korallen-Zucht. The Korallen-Zucht product will not kill AEFW or any other kind of worms. It just strengthens the coral to make it less sesceptible to damage from AEFW. The Salifert product is meant to be used to kill the worms. Either way, good luck in getting rid of them. The wrasses sound like a very good idea.


----------



## duckhams

rburns24 said:


> Flatworm Exit is made by Salifert. Flatworm Stop is made by Korallen-Zucht. The Korallen-Zucht product will not kill AEFW or any other kind of worms. It just strengthens the coral to make it less sesceptible to damage from AEFW. The Salifert product is meant to be used to kill the worms. Either way, good luck in getting rid of them. The wrasses sound like a very good idea.


Ahh yes, you're right. My mistake. I'm going to give the wrasses a chance first.


----------



## duckhams

http://fragroup.org/content.php?145-Polyclad-Flatworm-(P-mopsus)-The-Clam-Killer

A good read on the little polyclad flatworms / clam eaters.


----------



## duckhams

altcharacter said:


> so sorry to hear this dude!!


Thanks Dave. Just one of those things. This tank has a few "health concerns", but that just means that I'll appreciate it that much more after all the extra effort that's going into caring for it. My sps are doing well, so that's a plus. Little victories, you know.


----------



## rburns24

It's probably cold comfort, but I'd sooner have Acotylean Polyclad, than AEFW.



duckhams said:


> Thanks Dave. Just one of those things. This tank has a few "health concerns", but that just means that I'll appreciate it that much more after all the extra effort that's going into caring for it. My sps are doing well, so that's a plus. Little victories, you know.


----------



## duckhams

rburns24 said:


> It's probably cold comfort, but I'd sooner have Acotylean Polyclad, than AEFW.


Me too. AEFW would be a much more urgent crisis to deal with. A few wrasse and a couple of extra bodies for the cleanup crew and I should be good to go. I wont be replacing the clam any time soon though.


----------



## duckhams

*Ice Storm Power Outage*

Due to the ice storm and crazy power outages over the weekend I ran and picked up an APC 780watt UPS Battery Backup at tiger direct. A small price to pay as a tank insurance policy. It ran a 10w maxijet to keep the flow going and came with a pretty good charge out of the box. Without it, im sure I would have lost my hammers and elegance at the very least. I can't believe I never had one of these before.  I hope everyone else is doing ok and has power back on now.


----------



## duckhams

*New t5 actinics*

I added 2 x LET Miro-4 Retrofit T5's to the hood. 1 x ATI Blue Plus, 1 x ATI True Actinic. Im loving the actinic night viewing, here's a few pics. I plan to add anther 2 x T5's later on.

Everything is doing well, ALK is being depleted a bit by the SPS, but that's a good thing. All the fish are back to full health, the blue tang is growing well and is really active! Things are building up nicely, I'd still like to add a few more fish, I'd like to get a few more wrasse but we'll see how things go. Everything is growing in really well.

The yellow sponge in the GSP pic is growing really fast, it looks amazing under the halides without the T5's on, it's so bright! I notice that bits of it 'fall' off and it's spreading to other areas of the tank. I've also seen a non-photosynthetic type thats bright pink! But I dont have any of it in this setup (i dont think).


----------



## duckhams

*New wrasse*

Picked up a linespot flasher wrasse yesterday. He freaked right out when I was acclimating him but was out and about first thing this morning eating like a champion. Very colourful fish, and really cool to watch swimming around the tank. Right now he's trying to beat up his reflection in the glass.  He's quickly becoming my favourite fish in the tank.


----------



## altcharacter

Nice wrasse you got there mate!


----------



## duckhams

*Tunze placement suggestions?*

I posted this in the EQUIPMENT forum, but I'll post here too:

I currently have an MP40 and an MP10 in the 48x20x20. The flow is great, everything is growing well and there are no dead spots. But the tank is in my home office and im really working on making the whole system quieter. So I bought a TUNZE 6095 to replace the MP40, or instead of I should say.

I have it hooked up to my APEX, but the question is where is the best place to put it to maximize the available flow in the tank? (see pics of coral placement) 
Side glass? Back wall? 
Top of the glass facing down? Bottom of the glass facing up?

Im selling the MP40esW, and may buy a 2nd 6095, I think this will make flow control and wave creation easier. What are your thoughts?

*Please only respond if you have experience with TUNZE powerheads.*


----------



## duckhams

*Mass snail spawn!*

My nassarius snails covered the underside of one of my montipora last night and when they had all left, it was wrapped in a carpet of tiny snail eggs. Ive never seen this happen before, pretty cool.


----------



## Bayinaung

damn that's awesome. so you also had a milky tank event LOL.


----------



## Tropicana

duckhams said:


> My nassarius snails covered the underside of one of my montipora last night and when they had all left, it was wrapped in a carpet of tiny snail eggs. Ive never seen this happen before, pretty cool.


Damn, now that is one egg mass. I hope you like snails . Nice tank!


----------



## duckhams

Bayinaung said:


> damn that's awesome. so you also had a milky tank event LOL.


I get that with the throchus from time to time. It's pretty awesome, the corals must love it! I try to turn the return pump off if I catch them at it. But the nassarius just laid a carpet of eggs all over the rock, and they would climb all over them without pulling any off. Interesting stuff.


----------



## duckhams

*Vayssierea Felis - Tube worm eating Nudi*

I found a little orange 'dot' on a rock yesterday, didn't think much of it, but it got my curiosity. Then this morning I saw a little orange 'line', about 3mm in length, 0.6mm wide, really really tiny, moving across the glass with 2 little antenna.
The picture below shows it moving across the side glass with the black background of the tank behind him. I adjusted the picture so you can see him better. It's a Vayssierea Felis, a tube worm eating nudibranch. I have at least 7 or 8 of the little guys on the backside of the tank. Apparently harmless to the tank, they're useful little guys, unless you like tube worms covering everything.


----------



## duckhams

*DIY Frag Rack - 2nd Tunze 6095*

DIY'd a little frag rack out of my mag cleaner. A couple of nice mille's and two purple stags.  Just fragged a few days ago, will be for sale soon.

I also picked up a 2nd Tunze 6095. So now I have 2, placed on the back wall of the tank, facing the middle of the front glass. The flow is incredible out of these things., and they are so quiet! Very impressive powerheads. I was scared to death to make the swap from my MP40 Vortech, but now that I have 2 of them running, I couldn't be happier with them.

I just have to figure out all the coding for the APEX to make a wave and get all the profiles set.


----------



## duckhams

*Pink Spot Goby*

Just got this guy acclimated and in the tank today. He wasn't impressed when I put my phone up to the glass to take his photo, made for a good pic though. He needs fattening up a bit.


----------



## liz

Nice shots! Great looking fish too!


----------



## duckhams

liz said:


> Nice shots! Great looking fish too!


Thanks Liz. Not bad for an iPhone.


----------



## sig

very nice. are you still with JBJ Halide lamps or went with T5s completely?

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----------



## duckhams

sig said:


> very nice. are you still with JBJ Halide lamps or went with T5s completely?


Yep. 2 x JBJ 150w Halide Lamps with 14k Phoenix bulbs with 2 x T5 54w AT Blue Plus & True Actinic. 
Im considering going to a Hamilton Cayman Sun DE Reflector with 250w halides or possibly adding 2 more T5's, but im on the fence. The T5's would be cheaper, but I love the look of the halides and the extra brightness would be great for when the T5's are off. (I also looked at the Kessil A360We LED instead of the halides, but they are expensive, and I have more faith in the halides, I dont love LED's).


----------



## duckhams

*DIY LIGHT FIXTURE T5/Halide Combo*

I decided to build a custom light fixture that better accommodated my halide lamps and T5's. New lighting is expensive, so this seemed to be the most cost effective way to fit the LET MIRO-4 4xT5's and the JBJ halide lamps under the hood. I could have made it all from wood, but would likely end up doing it all again in a few years, or less, from moisture damage. This seemed like a more permanent solution. 
I ordered the eztube setup thursday afternoon and it arrived today, pretty quick for a custom order. This stuff is SOLID too, I mean really solid. Im very impressed with it. Pretty much the same price as buying it all from lowes, but its all pre-cut and ready to assembly. 
I laid it out so that I could easily retrofit LED's later on if needed, or swap out two of the outside lengths and have room for halide reflectors if I upgrade to 250w later.


----------



## kamal

looks very slick


----------



## duckhams

*New Light Rack*

After assembling the eztube rack, I used aluminum rivets to attach 2 sheets of 1/4" acrylic to either end for the T5 mounts/end caps. I drilled and (very carefully) tapped each hole for nylon bolts. This should limit any corrosion later on from metal screws etc in the fixture. After I assembled the T5's, I wired everything up, ran some cable conduit to tidy it up and slipped it into the hood. Fit perfectly! The halide lamps sit in there nicely, with room to adjust them back and forth as needed. Im really happy with it.

2 x 150w Phoenix Halides Lamps with 4 x DIY LET MIRO-4 54w T5's (2 x True Actinic ATI, 2 x Plus Blus Ati). The tank looks great! Im really pleased with it.


----------



## duckhams

Recently i've been looking at skimmers more closely. I have an NWB-150 Reef Octopus that's working well. But after talking to a few manufactures about DOC levels and water volume in relation to the neck size of the skimmer, I decided to try a smaller unit, so I bought a Bubble Magus Curve 5.
It's smaller than the NWB-150. It has a 2.25" neck compared to the 3" neck on the Reef Octopus. On first look, I'd say it's too small for my tank, but the 'bigger is better' approach to skimmers has a limit. It's rated for 300 lh air flow and 140G, the Reef Octopus is rated for 420 lh air flow 150G. 
Im going to run them side by side for a while and see how the Curve5 does after it breaks in. The Reef Octopus is definitely much more solid in its build quality and very industrial comparatively. I'll post more pics once the BM gets going.


----------



## rburns24

Interesting experiment.

-


----------



## paulie

Very nice tank, and a good read.


----------



## duckhams

Thanks Paulie.


----------



## duckhams

*A few tank pics:*

A few tank shots. Just playing around with a new lens.


----------



## WiseGuyPhil

What lens/filter are you using. Can you give some insight as to what speeds/iso.. etc that you shooting in?


----------



## TankCla

WiseGuyAquatics said:


> What lens/filter are you using. Can you give some insight as to what speeds/iso.. etc that you shooting in?


I am interested too. 
So sad I missed the underwater photo session at MAST.


----------



## duckhams

TankCla said:


> I am interested too.
> So sad I missed the underwater photo session at MAST.


I used 2 different lenses. The Canon EFS 18-55mm IS II kit lens and a Canon EF 40mm F/2.8 STM lens. No lens filters, straight on the glass, handheld.

*The hammer pic*: 40mm F/2.8, 3200 ISO, f/2.8, 1/2500s - actinics only. 
*The goby pic:* 40mm F/2.8, 1600 ISO, f/2.8, 1/4000s - actinics only. 
Most of the other pics were taken with the kit lens: F/5.6, 200 ISO, 1/20s or 1/30s - actinics only.

Just play around with the ISO until you get a shot/exposure you like. Or setup AES (auto-exposure-bracketing) and take 3 different exposed shots at once to give you an idea of what the shot will look like at different exposures. Just take your time and play around with what looks good to you. You'll soon pickup how to setup the shot you want. (im just starting out too).


----------



## duckhams

As a side point, for those who have been successfully running SPS tanks, how quickly do you think you can safely raise ALK. I just measured 6.2 dKH on a RedSeaPro test kit, and normally read in the 7-8 dKH range. Im thinking of raising it up to 9-10 dKH over the next week to see if I get better growth out of my SPS.


----------



## [email protected]

duckhams said:


> As a side point, for those who have been successfully running SPS tanks, how quickly do you think you can safely raise ALK. I just measured 6.2 dKH on a RedSeaPro test kit, and normally read in the 7-8 dKH range. Im thinking of raising it up to 9-10 dKH over the next week to see if I get better growth out of my SPS.


.5 per day until you get to 7-8 dKH. No need to raise your kH to 9-10 dKH as that could cause more harm than good. We notice in ULNS, common water parameters in SPS systems, that high kH could cause burning on SPS coral tips.


----------



## sig

duckhams said:


> As a side point, for those who have been successfully running SPS tanks, how quickly do you think you can safely raise ALK. I just measured 6.2 dKH on a RedSeaPro test kit, and normally read in the 7-8 dKH range. Im thinking of raising it up to 9-10 dKH over the next week to see if I get better growth out of my SPS.


check your calcium. Low alkalinity could mean high calcium

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----------



## CanadaCorals.com

duckhams said:


> As a side point, for those who have been successfully running SPS tanks, how quickly do you think you can safely raise ALK. I just measured 6.2 dKH on a RedSeaPro test kit, and normally read in the 7-8 dKH range. Im thinking of raising it up to 9-10 dKH over the next week to see if I get better growth out of my SPS.


The safest amount you can raise alkalinity is 1.4dkh/24hrs.

I would keep the alkalinity bellow 9dkh if you are very nutrient poor to prevent the SPS tips from burning.


----------



## duckhams

[email protected] said:


> .5 per day until you get to 7-8 dKH. No need to raise your kH to 9-10 dKH as that could cause more harm than good. We notice in ULNS, common water parameters in SPS systems, that high kH could cause burning on SPS coral tips.


Thanks Bill, that's about what I thought. I adjusted my dosing pump carefully every couple of days and did a water change. It's slowly raising and so far, no ill effects on my SPS.

Thanks for your input guys.

Calcium is 420 ppm Sig, I just added some larger SPS colonies in few weeks of each other and they have all settled in and started sucking the ALK up.  I find the bigger the colony, the quicker it settles in a starts to show growth.


----------



## duckhams

*Update - a few pics.*

I have started to dose Zeovit Sponge Power (2/3 of recommended dose), Pohls Extra (1/3 of recommended dose) and ZeoStart3 (as recommended but in conjunction with Brightwells Microbacter7 on alternating days). I've seen a good change in SPS colour over the last week and a half, especially an increase in fluorescent green and pinks. I have not yet upped or changed the dosage, small changes seem to work best. 
Im also cleaning the glass much less. Every 2-3 days now, instead of every day. The green bio-film that would cover it has reduced significantly. I attribute that mostly to the Microbacter7 as I have had these results with it before, but im sure the Zeovit products are a contributing factor. Overall, the combination of products is working for.

I have had a few losses, a beautiful pink milli and 2 euphyllia, for several possible reasons, but things seem to be more stable now.


----------



## TankCla

Nice colors. I am debating for 2 months now, if I should start dosing zeovit or not.


----------



## Jiinx

Your tank is so beautiful. It looks bigger than a 75 G! I hope mine looks like yours one day..


----------



## duckhams

TankCla said:


> Nice colors. I am debating for 2 months now, if I should start dosing zeovit or not.


Thanks! I only started dosing those specific zeovit products because I wanted something specific from each one. Sponge Power is obvious, I have some yellow/pink sponges i'd like to see more of. ZeoStart3 helps with nitrate/phosphate levels, and the Pohls Extra is helping with coral colour and growth (specifically SPS), but all my corals seem to be doing well with it. Im really getting into feeding my corals. Heavy import / export of nutrients really makes a big difference in coral colour.


----------



## duckhams

Jiinx said:


> Your tank is so beautiful. It looks bigger than a 75 G! I hope mine looks like yours one day..


Thanks for the kind words Jiinx! I really love the dimensions of this tank. The depth (front to back) is awesome to work with.


----------



## duckhams

*more pics*

Ive been having a really hard time getting the copperband butterfly to eat. So far he'll pick at blood worms soaked in garlic, and eats a few, but that's it. Im trying to slowly mix in mysis and brine shrimp, but he's not touching them. He's very very picky. Im getting a bit worried about him. I even tried attaching some different meaty foods to a clam shell, no luck. Im hoping he takes to the bloodworms and starts accepting the mysis soon. 
The christmas wrasse (Halichoeres Ornatissimus) is doing really well. He's the coolest fish to watch swim around the tank. Love Halichoeres wrasse!


----------



## CanadaCorals.com

duckhams said:


> Ive been having a really hard time getting the copperband butterfly to eat. So far he'll pick at blood worms soaked in garlic, and eats a few, but that's it. Im trying to slowly mix in mysis and brine shrimp, but he's not touching them. He's very very picky. Im getting a bit worried about him. I even tried attaching some different meaty foods to a clam shell, no luck. Im hoping he takes to the bloodworms and starts accepting the mysis soon.
> The christmas wrasse (Halichoeres Ornatissimus) is doing really well. He's the coolest fish to watch swim around the tank. Love Halichoeres wrasse!


I see that you tried attaching food to a clam shell but have you tried feeding him actual clam or mussel meat from the grocery store?


----------



## duckhams

CanadaCorals.com said:


> I see that you tried attaching food to a clam shell but have you tried feeding him actual clam or mussel meat from the grocery store?


I've tried to avoid it, as i'd like to have a few clams later on. I might have to give that a go. Great video! Thanks Dan! (or Izzy).


----------



## someguy

Stunning tank man I really love the rockwork. That was a nice video of the clam feeding too


----------



## duckhams

someguy said:


> Stunning tank man I really love the rockwork. That was a nice video of the clam feeding too


Thanks! You're avatar is hilarious!


----------



## rburns24

-

If your nitrates start to go up, you can substitute Food7 or just use MB7, instead
of Zeostart3. It contains nitrates and is used to help keep the Refield ratio in proportion 
in very low nitrate tanks, aside from also being a carbon source.

Wondering if you still running the Curve 5 and the NWB-150.

-



duckhams said:


> Thanks! I only started dosing those specific zeovit products because I wanted something specific from each one. Sponge Power is obvious, I have some yellow/pink sponges i'd like to see more of. ZeoStart3 helps with nitrate/phosphate levels, and the Pohls Extra is helping with coral colour and growth (specifically SPS), but all my corals seem to be doing well with it. Im really getting into feeding my corals. Heavy import / export of nutrients really makes a big difference in coral colour.


----------



## duckhams

rburns24 said:


> -
> 
> If your nitrates start to go up, you can substitute Food7 or just use MB7, instead
> of Zeostart3. It contains nitrates and is used to help keep the Refield ratio in proportion
> in very low nitrate tanks, aside from also being a carbon source.
> 
> Wondering if you still running the Curve 5 and the NWB-150.
> 
> -


Good to know, thanks! The Curve5 is a great skimmer, im very impressed with it. But it's no ReefOctopus. The NWB150 is a monster, it pulls out a lot of skimmate. The Curve5 is doing really well, and im definitely keeping it for the future if my bioload goes up or as a backup to the 150. But I feel the NWB150 is better quality, more solid and produces much denser bubbles and much more skimmate. 
That Curve is almost silent, which is awesome. But even with the noise, what I get from the ReefOctopus makes it the clear choice. The Curve5 is probably best for 55 gallons and under. In my opinion that is.


----------



## rburns24

-

I'm not surprised to hear your summation of the two skimmers, and I agree. The Curve 5 might struggle to 
keep up with a 75 gallon tank, but the NWB-150 would not have a problem.

-


----------



## duckhams

*Chalices*

Im not sure what these are called, I can't keep up with the crazy names that are given to corals. Either way, they're pretty colourful. Both chalice are much brighter in person, the actinics have washed them out a bit, but you get the idea. They have been in the tank for about 4 minutes as these were taken. Im pretty pleased with them. The purple one is about 4" across.


----------



## Tristan

The tank is looking really good Elliot!


----------



## duckhams

Tristan said:


> The tank is looking really good Elliot!


Thanks mate! It's really come together nicely, im really happy with it. I still have a few things i'd like to get, mostly coral, but im pretty pleased with how well everything is growing in!


----------



## duckhams

*Tank update: PICS PICS PICS*

Im in the process of moving some things around and working out the best flow patterns etc etc. But this is where im at to date. Things are doing great, lots of growth, one SPS is not doing so good because I got a bit too generous the AcroPower (that stuffs potent). But overall, things are good. I might swap a couple of anthias out for a wrasse or something, but overall im happy with things.


----------



## duckhams

More actinic piccys: 

Some are edited, some aren't. I have tried to edit them as close to what I actually see with the actinics on, but whatever. I like 'em.


----------



## duckhams

Last few pics.


----------



## duckhams

Current stock list:
3 x Carberryi anthias 
2 x Lyretail anthias
1 x Pink spot goby
1 x Hippo tang
1 x Yellow headed jawfish
2 x Ocellaris Clownfish 
1 x Christmas Wrasse (Ornatissimus)

Plus a fairly minimal cleanup crew, ALL snails (nassarius, margarita, turbo, cerith, astrea, nerite, stomatella). No crabs and 1 x blood shrimp (that I never see). 

I've been battling vermetid snails since the tanks inception, but if im careful not to overfeed and keep up with regular water changes and GFO, they seem to die back, or at least not spread. They dont seem to cause much trouble, I just dont like the look of them and I know how prolific the little buggers get.


----------



## duckhams

Just got a Jedi Mind Trick Monti (Montipora Undata) about 4" across. It looks a bit rough as I just put it in the tank, after it's been dipped and scrubbed with a tooth brush. I fragged a piece quickly for the grow out rack too! If anyone's interested it'll be in the sale forum next week, or PM me.


----------



## altcharacter

I totally need a piece since mine died and I accidentally sold the rest!!!


----------



## duckhams

altcharacter said:


> I totally need a piece since mine died and I accidentally sold the rest!!!


Accidentally sold? Lol! No problem! I'll post a piccy soon.


----------



## duckhams

altcharacter said:


> I totally need a piece since mine died and I accidentally sold the rest!!!


It's about 2"x1" in size. $30. (bad picture though, I'll update the pic later when the polyps are out, they're crazy red).


----------



## duckhams

Feeding my fish this morning, I realized I didn't see my Christmas wrasse come out in his usual excitement for his favourite munchies. . . . 

I found him behind the tank. He must have jumped some time yesterday. He was undoubtedly my favourite fish. Im so gutted. I didn't think i'd be this bummed out. The tank doesn't look right without him cruising around. 

I'm sure I'll have a long search before I find another Christmas wrasse of his caliber.


----------



## kamal

Sorry to hear 

Thought about adding a mesh top? I am putting one on my tank as my Goby jumped once but luckily I found him in time.


----------



## duckhams

kamal said:


> Sorry to hear
> 
> Thought about adding a mesh top? I am putting one on my tank as my Goby jumped once but luckily I found him in time.


Im all over it.


----------



## duckhams

*New Strawberry Shortcake!*

Im really hoping it colours up quickly! It already looks amazing, but im excited to see what it becomes. It's about 4.5" x 3.5". Im super pleased with it!


----------



## rickcasa

duckhams said:


> I'm sure I'll have a long search before I find another Christmas wrasse of his caliber.


I felt the same way about my Clown Trigger that met the same fate. Still searching for a replacement with a calm demeanour and reef safe.

Sorry for your loss but good luck with your search.


----------



## Tristan

duckhams said:


> Im really hoping it colours up quickly! It already looks amazing, but im excited to see what it becomes. It's about 4.5" x 3.5". Im super pleased with it!


That is one nice looking stick. Let me know when your cutting it up.. I will definitely take a piece off your hands.. 


duckhams said:


> Im really hoping it colours up quickly! It already looks amazing, but im excited to see what it becomes. It's about 4.5" x 3.5". Im super pleased with it!


----------



## duckhams

rickcasa said:


> I felt the same way about my Clown Trigger that met the same fate. Still searching for a replacement with a calm demeanour and reef safe.
> 
> Sorry for your loss but good luck with your search.


Thanks! Im hoping to find one soon, you never know.


----------



## duckhams

Tristan said:


> That is one nice looking stick. Let me know when your cutting it up.. I will definitely take a piece off your hands..


Roger that! Im actually considering just cutting it in half, and selling one large piece, but I guess frags are better for most. I dont know yet.


----------



## duckhams

*Pic update!*

A few pics of new additions. The tank is pretty stocked now. Im struggling to find space for anything else. The last few frags on the frag rack will go up this week and then I'll leave it all to grow in. 
Alkalinity is finally up to 8.4 dKh and growth is improving significantly, in the monti-cap most of all!

I just fragged my efflo. One is in place, I have 1 other and the base if anyone is interested. Im looking forward to putting a frag pack together soon.


----------



## duckhams

side shot.


----------



## Tristan

Looking good man! That tabling acro is looking pretty sick.


----------



## noy

tank is looking good - those are some nice pieces you've added.


----------



## duckhams

Tristan said:


> Looking good man! That tabling acro is looking pretty sick.


Thanks pal! it's really colouring up nicely, and has already started to grow well. Im surprised at how quickly it settled in. It's definitely one of my fav's!


----------



## duckhams

noy said:


> tank is looking good - those are some nice pieces you've added.


Cheers! I think they'll colour up well in a few months, im curious to see what they turn into.


----------



## rickcasa

duckhams said:


> side shot.


Nicely stocked! Looks so awesome as it is already. This will fill up very quickly.


----------



## duckhams

rickcasa said:


> Nicely stocked! Looks so awesome as it is already. This will fill up very quickly.


Thanks! It's a bit fuller than I had anticipated having it at this point, but fragging it all back will be fun in a few months, so it's win win really.


----------



## duckhams

*Kessil A360WE LED - INFO/APEX/BRIGHTNESS*

I just replaced my 2 x 150w Halide JBJ Viper lamps with 2 x Kessil A360WE LED pendants. So i currently have 2 x A360WE Kessils and 4 x 54w T5's. I replaced the top bolt on the Kessils and mounted them to a curtain rail track inside the canopy so that I can move them side to side and adjust as needed. It's cheap, but it works well.

*BRIGHTNESS:*
Kessil emailed me and said the A360WE's are more like 250w halides as far as output and brightness. They are definitely brighter than my 150w Phoenix 14k halides and the colour control is amazing! I currently have them set to ramp up to 45% brightness, I'll increase this gradually over the next few weeks. At full brightness, they blow my 150w halides away. I'd say about 45% brightness is as bright as my 150w halides.

*SETUP/HELPFUL INFO:*
Setup info is hard to find. I have them linked together and then connected to my APEX, and mounted them to a custom track in my canopy. Some general helpful info:

- The top centre thread is an M5x0.8. - do not screw your bolt too deep or you'll hit the top of the fan.

- The lights turn off automatically at 'around' 13% brightness to prevent under-driving them and causing damage. (info from kessil). Which means no moonlighting. Though at 13% with 4% blue the tank is a DEEP/DARK LED blue which looks incredible!

- The link cable between lights should not plug ALL the way in, push them all the way in and then pull them back out a notch for them to work. (just my experience).

- When programming the APEX with the VDM module to control the Kessils, the virtual outlets created are VarSpd1 (for COLOUR, 0-100% which is BLUE to WHITE) and VarSpd2 (for INTENSITY, 13%-100%), in this order.

- On a 48" wide tank, you'll need 2 of them at least 5" off the water's surface to get even spread. 9-11" would be ideal for more even spread.

A full spectrum LED pendant that mimics a metal halide with lower running costs, less heat and lower evaporation, whilst providing control over colour and intensity in a low profile, aesthetically pleasing, APEX ready package. I dont know why it was so hard to pull the trigger on these. It's almost a no brainer. We'll see how the corals acclimate over the next few months.


----------



## Bayinaung

That's a nice light combo. should give you great results with corals.


----------



## duckhams

Bayinaung said:


> That's a nice light combo. should give you great results with corals.


Thanks. I think so. The T5's offer some stability while the kessil's break in, as it were, so im going to see how it goes. Nothing is forever in this hobby.


----------



## duckhams

*New SPS*

A few new pieces, yet to placed up in the rockscape. I lost several colonies to a swing in my alkalinity (gutting). Things have since stabilized. Dosing 22ml Alk, holding at 7.3 dKH and 30ml Ca holding at 400ppm. Ive also noticed the coralline really take off again since things stabilized, PE has increased significantly on all SPS and things are growing well again.

*UPDATE ON KESSIL A360WE's: *
The kessils have improved some of the colours on my corals, mostly monti's of different sorts. No really significant colour change in SPS (still running them at 38% power), but growth on all SPS has improved significantly. I attribute this more to stability, but the lights certainly aid the process. Im gradually increasing the power on them and expect great things! Great move from halides. 38% power matches what my 150w 14k Phoenix halides put out. I have not noticed any negative effects on my corals or coralline since the change to LED's. (still running 4xT5's for a few peak hours of light mid day).


----------



## Bullet

Great set up !
I swear by Kessil - awesome lights 
Thanks for posting


----------



## duckhams

Bullet said:


> Great set up !
> I swear by Kessil - awesome lights
> Thanks for posting


Cheers Sam!


----------



## duckhams

*Update:*

A quick update, its been a while since i've posted anything because we've been busy getting BigReefDepot.com setup! I've had some great successes so far in this tank, and some unfortunate losses. 
The hippo tang I had in there, finally outgrew his home and went to another GTAA member with a nice big 180 gallon! (thanks Rich). And I lost a few SPS to an a nutrient overload, which was my fault, over feeding the Reef Nutrition Oyester Feast. I still use it, but on a schedule now so I can keep track of whats what.
The pictures are a bit dark because its early and the Kessils are about 30%. Everything is looking pretty good. A few bubble algae patches, but they've been controlled with low nutrients and a few emerald crabs. They dont spread too badly and very slowly if at all. I actually like them, they look cool and are a great indicator of my nutrient levels.


----------



## duckhams

*New Rockscape (sort of)*

I pulled most of the rock out last week and gave it all a good scrub, replaced half the sand and put things back in (sort of the same place). It doesn't matter how hard you try, it never goes back exactly the same as before. But I think it looks good, and my corals always open up so much more after the change (probably due to a nice big water change too).

I also swapped my 2 x TUNZE 6095's out for an MP40 Quiet Drive to see how the much quieter it really is than the old models. Im pretty impressed with it, it's a big improvement! The wide flow pattern and increased power really does a great job of covering the whole tank, great pump for a mixed reef or SPS dominated tank.


----------



## zk4444

Very nice setup!


----------



## duckhams

*TROUBLE IN PARADISE:*
It's been a few months since my last update. The tank has gone through a few 'events', a big alk swing caused by a dosing tube that popped off, which created a nice slick pool inside the tank stand, a bubble algae outbreak and a small aiptasia infestation. Due to the alk swing I lost most of my SPS and chalices (enter tears here), it's taken the tank a few months to recover but things are finally getting back to normal. 
*WORKING ON A SOLUTION:*
After manually removing as much as I could with a sharpened screwdriver, I added 6 emerald crabs to tank and they've taken care of the bubble algae since. Small bubbles pop up from time to time but they soon disappear. 
Unfortunately, one or more of the emerald crabs took a munching to my german blue digitata and made short work of it over a couple weeks, a trade off I guess. And im still battling the aiptasia, they're not a major problem, but long term they could be an issue.

*TO RESCAPE, OR NOT TO RESCAPE? THAT IS THE QUESTION:*
SO, im toying with the idea of rescaping the tank. The BIG REEF was setup before I setup Big Reef Depot, so im thinking it could be time for a reboot. A Big Reef needs some big rocks, so im cleaning up some Pukani to see how it would look. Still not sure if i'll do it, im going to get it curing in a rubbermaid first, so I have a month or two to decide.
*THE NEW BEGINNING:*
I gave the Pukani a 30 minute, 15:1 ratio muriatic acid bath to 'etch' off the top layer of calcium carbonate which should limit P04 leaching as it cures and remove a ton of organic material. Right now its in a 10:1 ratio chlorine bath until tomorrow to remove any other organic 'mulch' that might be left over. The acid bath produced a nice layer of floating sponges, other critter bits and scum, which should also shorten the cycle/cure time in the rubbermaid too.
The pics below are BEFORE the acid/chlorine bath. I'll post more pics tomorrow of the cleaned rock.


----------



## duckhams

*Pukani Curing in Fresh Saltwater*

The rock came out of the acid bath and bleach soak REALLY clean, loads of sponges and other organic material came off, it was definitely worth it and will shorten the cycle considerably. I let it sit dry for 2 days to allow any remaining bleach to evaporate. Now its sitting in fresh saltwater with a powerhead and heater, ready to start curing.

You can really see the difference the acid bath / bleach soak made in the pictures below. As a quick reference as a few have asked why I did this:

*Muriatic Acid Bath -* Dissolves top layer of calcium carbonate off the rock, removing a lot of the 'locked up' P04 that would otherwise leach back in to the water column while curing.
It does a good job of dissolving organic material too, but this isn't the primary reason for doing it.

*Bleach Soak - *Loosens/dissolves/cleans the rock of dead organic material. A powerhead is required during this stage for it to be really effective.

The results are pretty clear.








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----------



## Sea MunnKey

Hey Elliott,

Does it matter which one treatment comes first eg: *
Muriatic Acid Bath -* 
*Bleach Soak

*and plus do you use protein skimmer to rid of all the dead organics & PO4 or do you soak the rocks in fresh saltwater thereafter?
Thanks


----------



## duckhams

Sea MunnKey said:


> Hey Elliott,
> 
> Does it matter which one treatment comes first eg: *
> Muriatic Acid Bath -*
> *Bleach Soak
> 
> *and plus do you use protein skimmer to rid of all the dead organics & PO4 or do you soak the rocks in fresh saltwater thereafter?
> Thanks


Hey Paul! I find the muriatic acid bath removes a lot of the tougher dead organic material, more than the bleach alone will. The bleach then removes any remaining critters/sponges and other trapped organic material as a final/'polishing' touch to clean the rock and remove those last reaming bits. You'll use a lot less bleach this way around too.

After the acid & bleach baths, I just let it cure with a powerhead and heater in a brute container. There is really no need for a skimmer at this point. The cycle will begin with what little P04/organics are left over, or you can throw a mysis cube in there if you like to make sure it gets going. The rock isn't perfectly clean, so the cycle will start on its on. I prefer not to mess with it too much and just let it take it's course. I'll monitor ammonia, nitrite and nitrate over the next 4-8 weeks or until it's fully cured.

Also, the main point of the acid bath is to remove trapped P04 in the surface layer of calcium carbonate. So I dont worry too much about P04 during the curing process.


----------



## Bullet

Hey Elliott
Great thread - following along 

Question: What is your recommended duration for bleach soak ? Hours ?? Days ? 

Thanks 
Sam


----------



## duckhams

Bullet said:


> Hey Elliott
> Great thread - following along
> 
> Question: What is your recommended duration for bleach soak ? Hours ?? Days ?
> 
> Thanks
> Sam


It really depends on the condition of the rock before it goes into the bleach solution, and the strength of the bleach solution. I acid bath it first, then leave it in a 1 gallon bleach / 10 gallon fresh water ratio bleach solution for 24 hours. You can leave it in longer if you like, bleach is only active for 24 hours (or so it says on the bottle). If you pull it out and think it needs longer, go for it. Just let it sit dry for a day or two so that any remaining bleach evaporates. An RO/DI soak before going into saltwater doesn't hurt, but probably isn't necessary.


----------



## Sea MunnKey

HHmmm ... I'm thinking of doing this same treatment for my overloaded dead & dry rocks (a buddy gave me huge pieces way back). I could just clean everything and either keep or sell 'em ... maybe.

Any idea where I can get *Muriatic Acid *and the *Bleach *as a matter of asking?

Thanks


----------



## CanadaCorals.com

Sea MunnKey said:


> HHmmm ... I'm thinking of doing this same treatment for my overloaded dead & dry rocks (a buddy gave me huge pieces way back). I could just clean everything and either keep or sell 'em ... maybe.
> 
> Any idea where I can get *Muriatic Acid *and the *Bleach *as a matter of asking?
> 
> Thanks


The only place I was able to find Muriatic Acid is Home Hardware.

It's also not kept in the shelf. I just walk to the back counter where the keys are cut and ask them for it. They grab it from the back room.


----------



## duckhams

Sea MunnKey said:


> HHmmm ... I'm thinking of doing this same treatment for my overloaded dead & dry rocks (a buddy gave me huge pieces way back). I could just clean everything and either keep or sell 'em ... maybe.
> 
> Any idea where I can get *Muriatic Acid *and the *Bleach *as a matter of asking?
> 
> Thanks


Canadian Tire has both. I get it from the one of the Queensway near Hwy 427.


----------



## Sea MunnKey

Getting old here ... and I'm assuming it's regular Bleach'll do it ...? 

Thanks again.


----------



## duckhams

Sea MunnKey said:


> Getting old here ... and I'm assuming it's regular Bleach'll do it ...?
> 
> Thanks again.


That's a good question actually! I've used a couple of different brands with no particular concern about what kind of bleach it was. Most recently it was Clorox, and that seemed to do a great job. You can smell the bleach on the rock while it dries. After a day or two the bleach evaporates and it just smells like fresh rock, no hint of bleach whatsoever.


----------



## fesso clown

Just make sure it is pure bleach and no lemon (or other) scents added. 

Looking forward to seeing the revamp!


----------



## duckhams

fesso clown said:


> Just make sure it is pure bleach and no lemon (or other) scents added.
> 
> Looking forward to seeing the revamp!


Good point!


----------



## Bullet

Muriatic acid is available at any pool supply store


----------



## duckhams

Ammonia is beginning to spike already, hopefully the rock will cure quickly! Im just deciding what route to go on the substrate. I currently have 1" deep Special Grade Reef Sand and it's been very forgiving with high flow and my sand sifting goby, but I think maybe 2-3" of Fiji Pink Reef Sand would look better. Maybe adding a couple of inches to the depth of the Special Grade Reef Sand is the way to go for a higher flow tank. Still deciding this one. Any thoughts?


----------



## goobafish

Very cool thread, we have very similar tanks. You've got some great shots in this here, and it was a pleasure looking over the thread.

All the close-up photography I have done in the tank so far have come out noticeably distorted, when the same setup (camera, lenses, lights) were used without experiencing distortion on quite a few other tanks. Looking at your close-up pictures I see many of the same characteristics as the pictures I have shot recently (my distortion is more severe) and was wondering if it might be something that our tanks have in common causing the distortion? 

My suspicion is that the eurobrace is interfering with the lighting, and might be the cause of the distortion. I am not sure how to best test for this, as it cannot be removed, and no matter how much you clean it it is still 1/2" of glass processing the light that is meant for the front of your tank. Have you played around with cleaning the brace or raising the water level while taking pictures?


----------



## duckhams

goobafish said:


> Very cool thread, we have very similar tanks. You've got some great shots in this here, and it was a pleasure looking over the thread.
> 
> All the close-up photography I have done in the tank so far have come out noticeably distorted, when the same setup (camera, lenses, lights) were used without experiencing distortion on quite a few other tanks. Looking at your close-up pictures I see many of the same characteristics as the pictures I have shot recently (my distortion is more severe) and was wondering if it might be something that our tanks have in common causing the distortion?
> 
> My suspicion is that the eurobrace is interfering with the lighting, and might be the cause of the distortion. I am not sure how to best test for this, as it cannot be removed, and no matter how much you clean it it is still 1/2" of glass processing the light that is meant for the front of your tank. Have you played around with cleaning the brace or raising the water level while taking pictures?


Thanks! I've been following your build too, I think your closeups are awesome! But I know what you're saying. I don't think it's the eurobracing though. For me, I find it's the 1/2" thick front/side panels, I have to shoot straight through them with a tripod or I get a slight distortion to the photo like you've experienced. Even a slight movement when zoomed in shooting freehand causes issues. Im also using a cheap stock lens which doesn't help. A decent macro lens would make a BIG difference. But I think its all about the tripod in this case for us because of the thicker glass.


----------



## goobafish

duckhams said:


> Thanks! I've been following your build too, I think your closeups are awesome! But I know what you're saying. I don't think it's the eurobracing though. For me, I find it's the 1/2" thick front/side panels, I have to shoot straight through them with a tripod or I get a slight distortion to the photo like you've experienced. Even a slight movement when zoomed in shooting freehand causes issues. Im also using a cheap stock lens which doesn't help. A decent macro lens would make a BIG difference. But I think its all about the tripod in this case for us because of the thicker glass.


Thanks!

You're welcome to try one of my macro lenses. I have Canon and Nikon. I don't think its the thickness of the glass, mine isn't 1/2 inch. I also use a studio tripod and remote shutter. All these facts lead me even more to believe that the brace is the cause.


----------



## duckhams

goobafish said:


> You're welcome to try one of my macro lenses. I have Canon and Nikon. I don't think its the thickness of the glass, mine isn't 1/2 inch. I also use a studio tripod and remote shutter. All these facts lead me even more to believe that the brace is the cause.


Hmm, interesting. Why not start a thread on it and see if anyone else has some useful input. We've got a few photography experts on here. You might be on to something.


----------



## 4pokguy

Hey Elliot, I have the Fiji Pink sand in my tank. It looks great at first, but the pink bits seem to collect algae on them and they don't as nice as when the tank first started. 
just my 2 cents.


----------



## duckhams

4pokguy said:


> Hey Elliot, I have the Fiji Pink sand in my tank. It looks great at first, but the pink bits seem to collect algae on them and they don't as nice as when the tank first started.
> just my 2 cents.


That kind of what im seeing with Special Grade Reef Sand. Thanks for the input! I really do like the SGRS, so maybe i'll just go a few inches deeper and add to whats already in the tank. Might be easier than swapping it all out anyway.


----------



## duckhams

I setup a small frag tank while I redo the system with a 150watt halide lamp with a 14k Phoenix bulb. I'll likely use this as the QT system for new corals too. Also got some of the new plumbing done. Nice and simple.


----------



## duckhams

*Tank breakdown - bye bye corals.*

Breaking the down this week and selling all the corals and live rock. Lots of frags for sale, rhodactis and some other rare mushrooms. Lots has been sold already so things are starting to clear out. I'll put the remaining livestock in the holding/frag tank while I redo the system with new rock and equipment.


----------



## reefjunkie86

Hey just curious why your tearing it down? I've been thinking of doing the same as I've been struggling with terrible algae.


----------



## duckhams

I've been wanting to change the rockscape for a while, and we got some incredible pieces of Pukani in stock that I just couldn't resist! So I figured that while I was at it, I may as well sell off most of the corals too and restart things fresh. Lower bioload, only a few select corals (mostly SPS), higher flow, higher lighting. We'll see how that plan goes, I'll probably end up with another mixed reef packed to the ceiling, but the goal is to try and keep it simple.


----------



## duckhams

Finally got the hardware in! Im hoping to get the lights installed this weekend while I transfer most of the frags to the frag/holding system and then start work on emptying the tank and swapping out the plumbing. 
*
EcoTech Radion XR15wPRO's:*
Im seriously impressed with the Radions. Their much heavier than I expected too, which I like. You instantly feel the quality of the equipment as you pick it up and unbox them. The colour control and functionality is impressive, with moonlight and storm modes (not that storm mode is important, but it was more fun than I expected! Plus if you initiate storm mode from the app, your phone plays thunderstorm/rain sounds! LOL! Which was cooler than I thought it'd be). The app is great fun when it comes to changing colour modes and intensity, I played with that for a good hour before I settled on a few presets to save that I really liked for the frag system. The colour options are endless! Which is a huge feature for me, because I find my tastes in lighting/colour change constantly. 
Im going to install the 3 x Radion XR15wPRO's on a custom low profile t-track mount inside the canopy so that I can move them length ways across the tank as need with the rockscape/corals/light spread. Im dying to get them all hooked up and get the moon phase settings on. The Radion's are a serious piece of hardware, incredible quality and real PAR monsters! Im really excited to get them running on the display tank.

*ReefLink*
The ReefLink is very compact, only 5" or so across. I have it sat on desk under my screen so I can keep an eye on the indicator ring (which glows blue when all is good). EcoSmart Live is very much like APEX Fusion but for EcoTech Marine products and provides a lot of controllability for the Vortech's and Radion's, it works just as well as Fusion in my opinion, but the app was the kicker for me! I love controlling everything from the EcoSmart app! It's so easy to change settings, save your own presets, it's a lot of fun and really easy to use. 
I've hooked up the reeflink already and put one of the XR15wPro's on the frag/holding system and im super impressed with how easily it all connected, though I did have to hit the refresh button to get the settings to save/load, the page just kind of froze on 'updating settings' and never completed.

*Vectra M1 Return Pump*
I haven't hooked up the Vectra yet. It's not as heavy as I expected, but man is it sold. Watt for watt it's the same size as my Eheim 1262, so hopefully heat won't be an issue. I won't be running it at full power, so im expecting it to be very quiet and have no effect on tank temp. The quality of the pump is impressive, the Eheim feels a little like a toy, but the Vectra feels like a serious workhorse. It will be interesting to see how hot the controller gets with the built in heat-sink and how the beananimal overflow reacts to the feed/surge modes etc. Not having the return pump shut off for feedings, gurgle the house down and then gurgle the siphon back up will be amazing! Im so sick of hearing that twice a day.


----------



## duckhams

*Macro Test Shots*

I picked up a Canon 100mm f2.8 USM Macro lens today (non-L version) in the black friday sales and took a few shots with it, all with a tripod. Im pretty pleased with how they turned out. It does take a little practice to get used to, but I like it a lot.


----------



## rburns24

-
Very nice pics .
-


----------



## duckhams

*Finishing touches*

Things are coming together now. Im mounting the Radions on a low-profile 36" long T-Track (https://www.blackrocktools.com/samona-aluminum-t-track-4-ft-44162.html). This will allow me to move the Radion's from side to side as needed for coral placement, and to move them out of the way when I have my hands in the tank. A couple of M5x20 bolts slide nicely into the T-Track.

Also got most of the plumbing done and started on the wiring.


----------



## Sea MunnKey

Interesting ... I just spoke with an old reefing buddy who has 2 Vectra pumps (never heard of them prior) that he uses for his 8 closed loops system. I was like what is that pump and now I see your thread ....

BTW nice macro lens ...


----------



## duckhams

Sea MunnKey said:


> Interesting ... I just spoke with an old reefing buddy who has 2 Vectra pumps (never heard of them prior) that he uses for his 8 closed loops system. I was like what is that pump and now I see your thread ....
> 
> BTW nice macro lens ...


Thanks Paul! EcoTech just released the Vectra M1, it's brand new. Im about to fire it up right now actually. Im hoping it's going to be quieter than my Eheim 1262. . .


----------



## duckhams

*Quick night time shots*

A few quick evening shots! The rocks are in, Vectra is on and sand is slowly being washed and added. Im still working on the wiring but it's up and running!
The Vectra is insanely quiet, im super pleased with it, but more on that later.


----------



## CanadaCorals.com

Looks amazing. Good job!

We have the Vectra L1 running our entire invert system (8 tanks) including an external Deltec skimmer and its only @ 50% intensity.


----------



## duckhams

Thanks! I love the Vectra M1, it's really really quiet, there's very little detectable vibration, if any, the 3/4" connection to PVC was super easy and I got it dialled into my beananimal overflow in just a few minutes. Start up after shut down is really gentle and again, very quiet. The Eheim 1262 used to pound back on and made a lot of gurgling noise starting up, the Vectra is much more refined in it's operation and it's great to be able to dial the flow in to fit my drain settings on the beananimal.


----------



## Sea MunnKey

I like the design of the Vectra pumps plus it's not coloured in Black but White & Blue ... nice!


----------



## duckhams

*Vectra M1 Return Pump:*
The Vectra is a really solid built pump. The controller is easy to use and makes adjusting the water flow very easy and allows for fine tuning your drains for absolute silence. Im running a beananimal drain with 1" pipe and I can run the Vectra M1 at full power and it handles it nicely. I close the ball valve on the first line slightly and run it at about 60% which gives me good flow through the sump and great surface agitation. The feed mode lowers the return flow to barely a trickle, and im not yet sure if this is going to create a lot of noise in the overflow box as the siphon will pull more than the pump is pushing, but we'll see. Im not overly worried about that feature as the pump has so many other benefits. The soft start and near silence being top among them. 
EcoSmart Live allows you to set flow rates throughout the day, like you would with a Vortech, and set low flow feed modes, night time flow, high flow surge/nutrient transport times etc throughout the day. It's an incredible amount of control over a return pump and definitely adds a new dynamic to the systems return flow. Overall, I couldn't be happier with the it.


----------



## Sea MunnKey

I'm "jealous" ever since my buddy told me about it ...  And now you .. Elliot


----------



## Addicted

Very nice. I thought about going with the Vectra for my build, but the just under $500 price tag ultimately pushed me away. I went with the Fluval SP4 - another great pump, but I do wish I had the ramp up start feature -- when my pump turns on it's a pretty big force, since it puts out well over 1000 gph also. I can imagine it will scare a few fish when there are some in the tank


----------



## duckhams

*NEW SYSTEM! It's ALIVE!!*

Im really pleased with the new rockscape, the high left peak has added a really cool dimension for the fish to swim around and is going to be great for coral placement on both sides. I've still got lots of frags to get rid of if anyone is interested, let me know! The 3 x XR15wPro Radions provide great, even coverage for the tank with the TIR lenses and the corals seem to have reacted very quickly to the added PAR and spectrum. The colour's change throughout the day to make the corals pop in the morning and evenings and then bring out the colours in the fish during the day while im working (3ft from the tank at my desk) with a brighter 'daylight' setting. EcoSmart Live has made controlling and customizing them a lot easier.

A few pics of my new favourite Rasta's too!


----------



## Sea MunnKey

Rasta .. show off ...


----------



## duckhams

Sea MunnKey said:


> Rasta .. show off ...


I couldn't help myself! I got them from Phil (kooka) and I have to say, they are mind blowingly awesome. I'll be giving these little guys lots of space to grow out. I really beat them to death trying to get them off the frag plug too, and they opened right back up, so I have high hopes for them.


----------



## Bullet

Beautiful set up !!


----------



## duckhams

Bullet said:


> Beautiful set up !!


Thanks Sam! Im pretty excited about it. It's been a lot of planning and setup, im glad it's finally up and running.


----------



## jabeuy

Great build, and those are some nice looking rocks lol


----------



## Mikeylikes

Great build there.

I will be coming by to check it out soon bud !!


----------



## duckhams

jabeuy said:


> Great build, and those are some nice looking rocks lol





Mikeylikes said:


> Great build there.
> 
> I will be coming by to check it out soon bud !!


Thanks guys!


----------



## duckhams

A few pics of my fish in the new setup, I also have a pair of clown fish and will try to keep this as my bioload for a while. I've got to get my dosing system online and get the frags up in the rock work. Still lots of work to do!


----------



## saltmeup

Beautiful!!


----------



## duckhams

Just picked this up today. Pink with yellow eyes, blue rim chalice. Its about 5"x5" across, so I will be fragging it.  I'll only cut 3 frags at about 1", so if you want one let me know ahead of time.


----------



## Bullet

You are officially an addict Elliott !! 😜


----------



## explor3r

That Pink spotted Goby is beautiful I always keep one but I never been able to take pics of him. Had one for almost 3 years but jumped out..anyhow very nice fish and your tank is looking great Elliot 
cheers!!!


----------



## duckhams

Bullet said:


> You are officially an addict Elliott !! &#128540;


I just like the pretty colours. 



explor3r said:


> That Pink spotted Goby is beautiful I always keep one but I never been able to take pics of him. Had one for almost 3 years but jumped out..anyhow very nice fish and your tank is looking great Elliot
> cheers!!!


Thanks Alex! He's definitely one of my favourite! He's a bit of an exhibitionist.


----------



## duckhams

Chalice is fragged, and all sold. Thanks guys! That was fast!


----------



## duckhams

This chalice looks awesome under the Radions!


----------



## noy

love the fish shots - very vibrant!
Great setup Elliott!


----------



## duckhams

noy said:


> love the fish shots - very vibrant!
> Great setup Elliott!


Thanks!


----------



## duckhams

*update*

Things are really starting to look good. The difference in growth from the Kessil's (my old lights) to the Radions is very noticeable. My zoanthids are covering over their frag plugs so fast I could frag them all again after just a month. The new pink chalice I fragged last week has already encrusted over and started growing at a shocking rate, possibly rivalling a hollywood stunner!

I got a new chalice that has really interesting colours, it's sort of purple/blue with green dusting and pink eyes, it's my new favourite! The rasta's I got from Kooka (thanks Phil) are already growing fast, 2 new heads!! and an old Seasons Greetings monti is coming back to life and sprouting little red polyps all over the place! I thought it was a goner, but new lighting seem to resurrect it.

Thanks to everyone who's come and picked up some frags and helped me empty the old system. Hopefully I'll have lots of new frags soon!


----------



## saltmeup

Beautiful!!!! 
So on the lights, sounds like you're a big fan of the kessels?


----------



## Mikeylikes

NO .. he is using Radion's !!


----------



## saltmeup

I miss read it!! So radions!!! 
I have not bought lighting yet


----------



## duckhams

louienardi said:


> Beautiful!!!!
> So on the lights, sounds like you're a big fan of the kessels?


Mike's right, im running 3 x XR15wPRO Radions on this setup, but I am a fan of the Kessil A360WE's. I loved them when I had them, I ran them with 4 x T5's and they looked great, but the color options are limited. But im getting much better growth and colouration (probably due to increased spectrum and PAR) with the Radions.


----------



## deeznutz

Sweet, glad those Radions are working out for you.

That seasons greeting monti, is it a cap or encrusting type?

-dan


----------



## duckhams

deeznutz said:


> Sweet, glad those Radions are working out for you.
> 
> That seasons greeting monti, is it a cap or encrusting type?
> 
> -dan


It looks like the encrusting type, but only time will tell. I hope it's the encrusting type. 

- Edit - Has anyone got an ID on this chalice? I think it looks like a hologram chalice, but it's not quite as orange.


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## duckhams

Adding a few SPS now and they seem to be doing well. Scored a nice blue tipped/yellow tenuis and an aussie tabling acro, still working on ID'ing this one. They're big colonies so I'll have a few frags soon.


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## duckhams

*SPS madness begins*

I had quite a specific hit-list of SPS that I wanted to keep in this setup and im pleased to have been able to get most of them. I added a couple colonies this week, which im super pleased with. I picked up an Acropora Microclados which is a pale pink with white polyps right now, im hoping it's a strawberry shortcake, but until it colours up a bit im not sure. It looks awesome as is with the white polyps, so it's win win however it turns out. Here's my current acro list:

*Acropora Yongei* (Bali Green Slimer) 
*Acropora Microclados* (possibly a Strawberry Shortcake, yet to colour up) 
*Acropora Granulosa* (Northern Lights - love this one and its huge at least 7" across) 
*Acropora Tenuis* (Blue Ice Tenuis) 
*Acropora Caroliniana* 
*Acropora Carduus* (Mr. Pacman) 
*Acropora Hyacinthus* (Red Planet) 
*Acropora Secale* (Grape Vine) 
*Acropora Robusta (electric green but instantly browned out in ReVive coral cleaner)
Acropora Plana* (Purple Highlighter)

I accidentally broke a couple pieces off the possible-shortcake and green slimer when cutting the bases off them, so I threw them on frag plugs. They a good 2" too. So they'll be available in a week or so when they start encrusting.


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## duckhams

Im really finding AquaticLog helpful in keeping track of my tank parameters, the app is awesome and really easy to update (I should note that I am not a sponsor of, nor am I sponsored by AquaticLog, I just really like the site and being able to explore other members tank photo's, very inspirational). I know Apex Fusion offers measurement tracking as well, but I really like the photo profile options in AquaticLog. It's a lot of fun seeing your system profile photo log! This is actually where I first noticed Alberts (notclear) tank, it's a pretty awesome system.

My profile link is in my signature below. (http://www.aquaticlog.com/aquariums/darkwingduck/4)


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## Mikeylikes

Wow .. I should get myself on there as well. Just need to get my photography going first ...


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## duckhams

Do it! I want to see those Radions going!


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## duckhams

*Vectra M1 Return Pump / EcoSmart LIVE*

So after running the Vectra for a few months now i've found a few helpful features that fit my setup better than I could have expected. The simplest and most helpful feature is the control EcoSmart LIVE via the ReefLink offers over the pumps flow output. 
*
QUIET NIGHT TIME FLOW MODE:* _(reduces overflow noise and power consumption)_
Through EcoSmart LIVE I can calibrate and reduce the pumps flow so that during the night time hours the return flow slows, which significantly quiets the water noise in the external overflow. And while lowering the water level in the overflow box, it doesn't go slow that my beananimal drain (full siphon) siphons more water than available and gets really noisy. This is huge for me because my tank is in my home office 2 doors from my bedroom and overflow box gurgling is the number one reason I get hit in the face with a pillow every other night. (see graph below, super easy to setup and just)

*Detritus Flush/Feed Mode Cleanup:* _(increases return flow in sync with Vortechs to remove detritus)_
I have only tested this a couple times and haven't yet set it to run daily as i've been playing around with all the other pump features. But you can also use EcoSmart LIVE to set 'points' throughout the day where the calibrated flow raises to full power (which again, doesn't overload you drains because you calibrated it to your system) to flush your system of uneaten food, flakes, detritus etc. When you sync this with your Vortech's (having 2 is really the best for this) you can create a veritable washing machine effect in your tank to clean every available crevice and cranny of detritus, and man does this work well! M1 pump goes into full power, vortech's sync and ramp up and up comes the dirt! At first I was worried about my corals getting bashed around, but they reacted well and seemed fine with the extra turbulence.

*SOFT START: *_(keeps pump/returns quiet on start up) _
The feed mode option is great, but I still get more flow than I'd like since I had to dial it in with my beananimal overflow to keep the overflow running silent all the time. So I just shut the pump off for feedings as usual, and the soft start feature (automatically) gently ramps it up again to get the overflow running, which takes about 30 seconds from start to finish and it's crazy quiet as it gets running (the pump I mean). This is nice, because it doesn't wake me up when it gets running again after a power outage in the night or disturb me when it starts after a feed mode and im on the phone (home office). I can barely hear it.

There are more things I like about the pump, but I won't go on. It's near silent operation is why I got it, but it's proven to be more of a benefit to my system/life than I had hoped. 5/5 from me.


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## notclear

Your pictures are gorgeous!

Note that if you happen to be a MAST member, you have 6 months Aquaticlog Pro membership for free!


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## duckhams

notclear said:


> Your pictures are gorgeous!
> 
> Note that if you happen to be a MAST member, you have 6 months Aquaticlog Pro membership for free!


Thanks Albert! It's tanks like yours that inspire me to work harder at mine. So thank YOU!


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## Rookie2013

duckhams said:


> Im really finding AquaticLog helpful in keeping track of my tank parameters, the app is awesome and really easy to update (I should note that I am not a sponsor of, nor am I sponsored by AquaticLog, I just really like the site and being able to explore other members tank photo's, very inspirational). I know Apex Fusion offers measurement tracking as well, but I really like the photo profile options in AquaticLog. It's a lot of fun seeing your system profile photo log! This is actually where I first noticed Alberts (notclear) tank, it's a pretty awesome system.
> 
> My profile link is in my signature below. (http://www.aquaticlog.com/aquariums/darkwingduck/4)


you are darnnn right..i love Aquatic Log...great site to upload your pics and create a digital signature...I use Aquaplanner on my iphone which helps in tracking my measurements..all in all we have some great resources out there...AND your system is awesome...


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## duckhams

GO AQUATIC LOG!  (loving the enthusiasm)


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## Rookie2013

Lol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## fesso clown

+1000

aquaticlog ftw!

For what it's worth I was a MAST member when I signed up for aquaticlog and payed anyway because it was such a great app (still in it's infantcy then) that I just wanted to support Dmitri in his efforts. It has turned into a very large community and I spend hours just browsing systems... still do.


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## Rookie2013

fesso clown said:


> +1000
> 
> aquaticlog ftw!
> 
> For what it's worth I was a MAST member when I signed up for aquaticlog and payed anyway because it was such a great app (still in it's infantcy then) that I just wanted to support Dmitri in his efforts. It has turned into a very large community and I spend hours just browsing systems... still do.


Likewise 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## duckhams

*Low light coral pics*

Here's a quick pic update. I've been playing around with coral placement a lot, so things still need to settle and grow in, and there's a few corals to place still. But you get the idea of where it's heading, things are really taking shape now. A few corals didn't photograph well in this setting, and there's a few not shown. I'll try to do a full photo list soon.

I've also been battling a major 'brown slime' bloom (possibly dino's) for the last month. Long story short, i've been manually removing them once a week during regular water changes. For the last week i've been using Korallen-Zucht's Coral Snow in line with Brigthwell's MicroBacter7 and that seems to have done the job. Ultimately the algae is using up nutrients, which is a good thing, so I let it run it's course and try not to freak out while manually removing it so that it doesn't negatively effect my corals. In a more established tank, I might do other things too. But as the tank is so new, I let it balance itself out with little to no change in husbandry, accept the addition of the Coral Snow and MB7.

*Feb 15th 2016 FTS*







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*Bali Green Slimer (Acropora Yongei)*







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*Superman/Bullseye Rhodactis*







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*Grape Vine acro (Acropora Secale)*







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*Yellow Highlighter (Acropora Caroliniana)*







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*Mr.Pacman (Acropora Hurlock)*







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*Purple Highlighter (Acropora Plana)*







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*Tear Drop Tridacna Clam*







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*Rasta's (Zoanthids)*







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*Superman/Bullseye Rhodactis*







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*Superman/Bullseye Rhodactis*







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*Mr.Pacman (Acropora Hurlock)*







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*Used to be neon yellow, now neon green (Acropora Vermiculata)*







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*Chilli Pepper Monti (Montipora sp.)*







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*Yellow Nebula Yuma Mushroom *







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## saltmeup

Looks great Elliott!


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## duckhams

saltmeup said:


> Looks great Elliott!


Thank you! It's coming together. Im feeding the tank pretty heavily and starting to see big improvements in growth.


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## Addicted

Looking great Elliot. Love the macro pictures.


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## duckhams

Addicted said:


> Looking great Elliot. Love the macro pictures.


Thank you!


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## Rudy

duckhams said:


> After several years of success, I moved house. . . and my reef has never really recovered. On top of that I have changed tanks 2-3 times in my new place over the last year and a half trying to get things to work and fit in my home office. None of it has really worked very well.
> 
> So im setting up a more permanent tank and putting some patience back into practice. Attached is a picture of my current setup, and the *new* setup!
> 
> *New Setup Specs:
> Display:* 75 gallon 48x20x20, Eurobraced Starphire, External Beananimal overflow. (all by Miracles Aquariums).
> *Sump:* 30x14x18 Rimless, 3 compartments. Skimmer, unassigned, return.
> *Stand:* 48x20x40 for optimal viewing and inside tank reach. (I can touch all areas inside the tank without a step-stool).
> 
> *Equipment Plan:
> Lighting:* 2 x 150w JBJ Halide lamps / 4 x T5s. (may replace halides with LED's later).
> *Return Pump:* Eheim 1262
> *Skimmer:* Reef Octopus SRO-2000 or NWB-150.
> 
> *
> NOTE: *
> In my original thread, I called it a 68 gallon tank. Technically, without rocks or sand, and with the overflow operational it will hold just over 68 gallons of water. However, as its outside dimensions are 48x20x20, many generalize this as a 75 gallon, so im just going to go with it. Internally, if it didn't have an overflow cut-out, it could hold 75 gallons, soo . . . . whatever.


Can you please tell me where you got your stand form?


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## duckhams

Miracles Aquariums made it, and I love it. I had it made a little taller than most tank stands as I like to look up into the tank when im sat in front of it, and I like to be able to see directly in when stood in front of the tank. It's perfect!


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## Rudy

Can O ask how much it cost roughly?


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## duckhams

It was years ago now, prices have probably changed. They should be able to give you a current quote if you call them.


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## MPreston

fesso clown said:


> +1000
> 
> aquaticlog ftw!
> 
> For what it's worth I was a MAST member when I signed up for aquaticlog and payed anyway because it was such a great app (still in it's infantcy then) that I just wanted to support Dmitri in his efforts. It has turned into a very large community and I spend hours just browsing systems... still do.


If we are talking about the same Dmitri, he just won TOTM 

Great write up
http://reefkeeping.com/joomla/index.php/current-issue/article/164-tank-of-the-month


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## duckhams

We are! Thanks for the link!


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## MPreston

duckhams said:


> We are! Thanks for the link!


Sorry to jack your thread Elliot. 
Tank is looking stellar BTW.

I am following along as I have a similar system going.


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## duckhams

MPreston said:


> Sorry to jack your thread Elliot.
> Tank is looking stellar BTW.
> 
> I am following along as I have a similar system going.


Thanks! It's getting there. Im really trying to leave the tank alone and not do too much to it as I want things to grow in. I just fragged the lokani and added them to the frag rack with a couple of green slimers and a microlados that have been healing up that last month or two. I want to get a solid frag rack going and trade for some more SPS/cyphastrea.


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## duckhams

*Radion XR150PRO PAR Readings*

*PAR READINGS NOTE:* *I've read on RB and several other forums that the Apogee MQ-200 readings are up to 25% less than actual PAR from LED's given the meter's fixed calibration settings (SUN or ELECTRIC). So all the above readings could be up to 1.25x higher than shown.*

So this week I switched to the wide angle 120˚ lenses on my Radions. After taking some PAR readings, I switched back to the standard 80˚ lenses as the PAR was so low on the wide angles, even at 100%. As I have 3 x XR15PRO's above my tank, the standard lenses do the trick and I get great coverage and now great PAR too!

Below are my readings/settings. Im running them at 70% right now, but you can see what sort of PAR range I have up to 100% intensity. Obviously there is some variation in the readings as you go further toward the back glass/front glass. But all these readings were taken within the 6" center of the tank (front to back). PAR readings on the Apogee MQ-200 actually read <2% low, according to the manual.

At 70% they are incredibly bright already! I really love the Radion's. Im getting good growth from my SPS and i've kept colouration on 95% of them, but still expect to see improvements in colour as my SPS settle in and light intensity/feedings increase.

I also took a few readings at 100% on all channels just to see what the difference would be. The Radion XR15PRO's put out a LOT of PAR. However, I dont think many aquarists will run all channels on 100% percent as we tend to favour the blue 20,000k look over the bright 5,000k sunshine look. Though for heavy SPS tanks it may be worth ramping up to the 100% on all channels for an hour or so a day just get that extra bump in PAR. How effective, necessary or worthwhile that would be, i don't know. But I like that it's an option.

*70% INTENSITY:*







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*100% INTENSITY:*







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*100% INTENSITY ALL CHANNELS:* - SAME IMAGE AS ABOVE USED FOR TANK REFERENCE ONLY-







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## duckhams

My actinic settings on Radion XR15PRO's. In person the tank is a brilliant blue with serious pop on the coral colours, the picture doesn't really show how bright and blue it is, but you get the idea. PAR readings are low but acceptable given the color spectrum.

With the UV channel set to 0% the sand bed reading drops from 50 to 10. The other readings stay around the same and drop very little.








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## Mikeylikes

How bad of a drop using the wide angle ?

Now I'm thinking of switching back to the originals based on your findings.

I currently have them at 60 max for fear of bleaching to acclimatize. By the sounds of it I can go higher without fear ...


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## duckhams

Mikeylikes said:


> How bad of a drop using the wide angle ?
> 
> Now I'm thinking of switching back to the originals based on your findings.
> 
> I currently have them at 60 max for fear of bleaching to acclimatize. By the sounds of it I can go higher without fear ...


I found my readings cut almost in half using wide angle lenses, but I got a lot more spread which I really dont need given that my work rock is only 12-14" wide at most. My mid-tank 200-220 range readings at 70%, dropped to 130-140 at 80% intensity with the wide angles. I get more shimmer with the standard lenses too, which is a bonus.
If I had 2 x XR30PRO's then I might use the wide angle lenses, or if I had lots of zoas/LPS/softies, the wide angle lenses would be a no brainer. But my SPS love the standard lenses and have coloured up incredibly well.


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## duckhams

*T5 PAR Readings / XR15PRO Radion & T5 PAR Readings*

So here are a couple more readings of 2 x 48" 54w T5's on their own and with my 3 x XR15PRO Radion's.

I expect the T5 readings to be a little better once I have them spilt, front and back but they are pretty close with them both mounted at the back of the tank because the reflectors do most of the work. Anyway, you get a general idea of whats what. You literally just add the PAR of the T5's to the PAR of the Radion's, the increase is pretty straightforward.

With that in mind, I would expect 4 x T5's with the same bulb combo to produce 300 PAR mid-tank and 150-160 PAR on the sand bed. But where the Radion's give you wide variations in PAR numbers throughout the tank based on the lenses used, the T5's provide consistent PAR throughout the whole tank, front to back (only minor changes in PAR).
Adding 2 x retrofit T5's to a couple of Radion fixture's is a cheap way to boost PAR numbers and maximize coverage. Possibly adding improvements to growth and colouration to any SPS that were in lower PAR areas. A T5/LED combo fixture seems to be the fool-proof way to go if you're chasing PAR readings.

I personally love my Radion's and have not yet seen any need to turn the T5's on. Everything seems healthy, growing and colourful and I really like the shimmer in the tank. Though I will run the T5's later in the year for a few months to see if I can actually see a noticeable difference in growth or colouration, just for funzies. 

*T5's ONLY*







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*T5's & Radions*







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*Radions ONLY*







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## duckhams

*Radion Canopy Vents*

I've noticed my Radion fans coming on through the day, so to make sure they get enough effective air cooling I installed a couple of 4" vents right above them. I think they look pretty sharp, and are so low profile they're hardly noticeable when viewing the tank.


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## Bullet

"Cool" looking vents Elliott !!


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## Mikeylikes

Keep this up and I'm gonna have to ask you to build the hood/enclosure for my lights


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## duckhams

Bullet said:


> "Cool" looking vents Elliott !!


Lol! Thanks!



Mikeylikes said:


> Keep this up and I'm gonna have to ask you to build the hood/enclosure for my lights


 I'd love to take all the credit, but Miracles made mine, I just customized it. Im actually thinking of going open-top for a bit and getting the RMS rail for the Radion's. My wife likes the hood though . . . .


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## duckhams

*Update images*

I took my canopy off and installed the RMS rail and I have to say, I really like the look of it. I've been doing a lot of maintenance/'scaping in the tank lately, so having it open like this makes working in the tank a lot easier. I'll put the canopy back on once i've got everything where I want it in a couple weeks. Im interested to see if this increases evaporation. Anyway, things have been growing in nicely, still a few pieces to move to more optimal areas, but im pretty happy with how it's shaping up. Here's a few update pics.








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## Marz

I really like the rail!


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## ruckuss

Looks great Elliott... looks like a different tank now.


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## duckhams

Thanks guys! Things are starting to grow in finally. Im particularly pleased with this little Chili Pepper monti frag. I thought i'd lost it but its starting to come back!








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## duckhams

*Update*

A few update pics. I got an incredible male Potter's Wrasse this week, he's already eating frozen mysis and brine shrimp well but it's early days. I hope he settles in ok, he's pretty skinny. He's quick, so it's hard to get his face in focus!

I'm getting pretty good growth out of my acropora plana, it's encrusting a lot more than it's growing out, but doing well. After turning down my Radion's ive found things colouring up a bit better. Still trying to tweak things to avoid algae growth and get all SPS to colour up and grow. I think I need to move a couple pieces to get better growth, but im hesitant to move them around.

My chalice is exploding! It's defintely one of my favourite pieces. I have a couple frags that are encrusting their plugs nicely. I get a bit of green slime in lower flow areas when I overdose the amino acids. Im still balancing out the tanks dosage and need. I've cut back in favour of over feeding the fish instead to see how things shape up.








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## bluface

That pink SPS is beautiful! Nice tank man.


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## saltmeup

He's a beauty Elliott. Did you end up staying with the canopy off?


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## duckhams

bluface said:


> That pink SPS is beautiful! Nice tank man.


Thanks! It's defintely one of my favourite SPS in the tank. It gets beautiful bright purple tips, it's awesome.



saltmeup said:


> He's a beauty Elliott. Did you end up staying with the canopy off?


He is indeed, I hope he does ok. And yes I did, the canopy is still off. I find it so much easier to work on the tank without it and the RMS system looks really sharp. I want to add a few more corals/frags to fill it all in and then i'll likely put the canopy back on and let it all grow in with the help of a couple T5's too (just because I have a retrofit kit mounted in the canopy already, I may as well use it a couple hours a day to even things out and hopefully improve colouration a bit).


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## duckhams

*Monsters Ink zoa's*

I got a beautiful zoa colony this week. They're sort of a pale purple with a mint green skirt, they look incredible, i've never seen anything like them. Im calling them 'Monsters Ink' zoa's. If anyone has an ID, let me know. I have 5-6 frags already of 2-4+ polyps that I'll post soon, they're just awesome. The green skirt really pops under actinics. These aren't the greatest representations of them, but you get the idea.

DAYLIGHTS 







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ACTINIC LIGHTING 







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## duckhams

*LA Lakers Scroll Coral (Turbinaria Reniformis)*

I just got one of the nicest LA lakers scroll corals (Turbinaria Reniformis) i've ever seen. This pic is just after a good scrubbing and acclimating to the system, so this is the probably the worst it will ever look. Im super pleased with it, i've been searching for one for over a year now. The yellow rim will get a lot brighter as it settles in, and when the polyps are extended the bright green really pops on the purple base. (can you tell im excited about it ) Sadly, because of it's shape im going to have to frag one side of it to place it on my rock-work, im thinking I'll mount the two pieces in different locations and see what happens to colouration/growth with higher/lower lighting.


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## bluface

*Coral*

very Nice!


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## duckhams

After lots of deliberation I decided to downsize and upgrade to a more manageable system. Miracles Aquariums are building me a 36x18x16. Tank transfer and build thread continued here:

http://www.gtaaquaria.com/forum/showthread.php?t=235530


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