my new tank

[Katfsh]

ok i gave up on the 70 gallon tank that was given to me, i just dont like the tank. so on monday i bought a 90 aga 48x18x25 and stand and canopy also got a g2 skimmer a mag 12 return pump and a 20 gal tank to make a sump.
I am going to try to get some pics of it all tonight.
katfsh

 

[blackcloudmedia]

Cool man, my favorite threads to read are build threads. We should have a section speciffically for build threads and nothin else.

 

[Katfsh]

ok fixing to start the plumbing. with only using two returns on the mag 12 will that be to much force, should i come over the back with two more for a total of two??
Also mail order live rock, who do yall suggest?? There is one guy on ebay that is in fl that I have heard good things from. My local places are about 2 hours away and thier live rock never has any growth on it.
katfsh

 

[Katfsh]

here are some pics

 

[Katfsh]

one more of my home made metal halides

 

[Katfsh]

some more pics
the extra valves on the right side are for the refugium and two extras for add ons later.

 

[Katfsh]

more

 

[iseeweed]

Good job!- props for getting so much done so fast!

 

[Katfsh]

thanks iseeweed. I am in the process of making another batch of salt water. Today I ordered 80lbs of live rock, and I already have 25lbs that I will be adding to that to bring me around 105lbs. I also order two reefoptics 250w 14k bulbs for my diy metal halides. I am also watching a 4x96w 48" power compact with lunar lights on ebay. So by wednesday I should hopefully be full of water up and running, and curing my live rock. So hopefully by the middle of may I will be ready to put some fish and coral in this thing.
katfsh

 

[Katfsh]

well last night I order 48" 4x 95watt pc light. I have been looking at those timers than will control different lights, aqualights duals, i think is what the are called. any one use these?
katfsh

 

[trido]

Good choice in dumping your first tank. The dimensions were unworkable for a reef IMO. Two return nozzels will be fine. You may find that you have too much flow in your sump with a mag12 resulting in micro bubbles in the display tank. If so, either get a mag 7-9 or choke back the mag 12 with a ball valve.

 

[Katfsh]

thanks trido yeah i was worrying about the size of the mag 12 after I bought it. I did install the valve to be able to choke it back. one reason I went with the 12 is hoping that it also feed a reactor one day.
well I just added another 30 gal to the tank now im making another batch of ro/di so maybe tomorrow after work it will be full and cranked up.

On a side note tomorrow at work I will be extracting pituitary glands out of catfish heads. Sound fun huh??!!

katfsh

 

[mr_X]

hey katfish. looking good!
i wouldn't worry so much about visible growth on the rock. alot of it ends up dying off anyway. i'd go for the look of the rock, the density(lack of), and the price.
i'd much rather hand pick my rock than mail order it. :wink:

 

[trido]

i'd much rather hand pick my rock than mail order it.

Agreed Or order some for the bottom of the pile and hand select a few pricier ones for show pieces on the top of the rock work.

 

[Anonymous]

I think that on my next tank, I will not worry about ordering 100% Live Rock.

I will get 30-50% LR and get some nice rock from an LFS who has nice "lace rock" and other marine suitable rocks...

 

[Katfsh]

well I went with the mail order for $2.00 a pound. my lfs which is two hours drive away only had about 30lbs at $7.00 a lb and it looked liked base rock no coraline nothing, so I figured even if what i get off of ebay looks like base rock It will be alot cheaper and the 7 dollar rock from lfs. I hate not supporting my lfs but thats just crazy. Using the 25-30 lbs I have now within a few months time It will all look the same anyways. There is one store that is only 30 miles away and i only go in there when it is an emergency! a 50gal bag of instant ocean is 30 bucks there 8O .
Well I got the tank full today and fired it up, much quieter than my 24gal with that loud ass aquac nano remora. The rock will be here tomorrow, and I am going to make me some diy brackets to hold my mogul sockets and some ghetto reflectors. I believe some good reflectors will be my christmas this year. I am going to just cut some metal flashing and bend it in the shape of a reflector for now, have spent too much for now. So maybe tomorrow night I should have pics of my rock and pics of my mh's. Still waiting on the pc and lunar lights, along with my top off kit from aquahub.
katfsh

 

[Katfsh]

My rock came in this morning along with my auto top off. The rock looks pretty good way better than any of the lfs. I just tossed it in the tank and went back to work, busy loading catfish and big head carp all day. I will try to post some pics tonight of the system running and the rock. Now its going to be hard to wait several weeks to start stocking it.
katfsh

 

[pcardone]

coming along nice. I would of like to see a larger sump.

 

[Katfsh]

Got some more pics to post. Been meaning to do it just been busy with work, we are hatching our catfish, have already hatched about a million big head carp and going to select some grass carp this morning to breed. anyways tomorrow will have been a week that the rock has been in the tank and all the parameters are through the roof.
katfsh

 

[Katfsh]

Ok it has been eight months since settting up the tank, and everything is going fine. I have a blue chromis, coral beauty, and a clown, two anemone one sebae and a condy, and a green brittle star. this week I have added a small colony of gsp, several mushrooms, a candy cane frag, and some clove polyps.

here are some pics