TURSTY Posted January 4, 2013 Report Share Posted January 4, 2013 Hey all. We (Myself and partner Stacey) are new to the forum and thought we would post up a thread about our new marine setup as we build it. We have been keeping a 300L tropical freshwater tank for the last year and have decided to switch to marine…..which was always my plan =P We have been looking after a friends (Kris aka 91 Zero on here) seahorse tank since October so have been able to learn the basics with his tank. Our starting base was the Aqua One AquaReef 400 tank which we got for a steal from a local shop. The basics: -10mm Display Tank – 400L -Sump – 55ish L -Aqua One G220 Skimmer -T5 lighting (2 X White, 2x Blue) -2 X 300w Heaters -Moray circulation pump We set the tank up and filled it with about 30kg of Aragonite sand, then water (yeah I know….should have left the sand out till later….but thought it would be too hard to remove the amount of rock we need so put it in anyway). Mixed it to 1.025 salinity and 26*C. We left this for a day to dissolve and settle. Then went in 37kg of live rock (which is pretty much all of the local shops supply) yesterday, and a further 15-20kg today. Giving us a total of about 55kg of live rock…and we added some dry rubble in the sump. So it’s now time to hurry up and wait for it to cycle. The shopping list is growing by the day, but I think the priority list goes something like this: -Water test kits - Red Sea Foundation (cal, Alk, mag) and Red Sea Algae control (Phos, Nitrate) -RO/DI filter -Wave maker -Snails etc (clean up the algae bloom) -Corals/Fish etc I’m pretty keen to grow a really nice reef in this tank with lots of corals, so was thinking along the lines of a Phosphate reactor for phosphate control, and a dosing pump for Alkalinity, Magnesium and Calcium, but welcome suggestions of better ways to do things. Feel free to give me some advice etc =). Anyway, I will keep this updated and include lots of photos etc. Here’s some of it as it stands now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rabid Posted January 4, 2013 Report Share Posted January 4, 2013 How much is live rock per kg at your lfs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F15hguy Posted January 4, 2013 Report Share Posted January 4, 2013 love the setup, and the layout. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AquaFever Posted January 4, 2013 Report Share Posted January 4, 2013 looks like your on track, but if thats 55kg of rock i need to get my scales checked. Dense rock weighs alot more than porus rock and should be avoided if possible IMO and was that 55kg wet or dry? When we set up our Aqua Reef 400 i used 25kg (dry) and then went about removing it as it was too much. Personally, if i were you i would have added the sand last, get your rock work sorted and fill around it. Last thing you want later on is to have a fish or invert dig and burrow under your rock causing a collapse. Move your heaters to the sump, you'll have better control over temperature. The other thing I found is remove the lids from the sump and the glass ones for the tank. you'll evapourate more water and get a little salt creep, but helps with gas exchange and keeping temp down. also, put a layer of filter wool on top of the bio balls. youd be surprised at what that will catch. send me an email if you want some photos [email protected] cant wait to watch this develop into something magical. :thup: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anthony law Posted January 5, 2013 Report Share Posted January 5, 2013 nice one love the big rock peaices..take it slow and youll will get better result and more stable tank,, cant wait to see it in six months time. :thup: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted January 6, 2013 Report Share Posted January 6, 2013 The best piece of advice I can give is "be patient" and "slow but steady will win the race". Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TURSTY Posted January 6, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2013 Hey, thanks for the comments. I cant wait to see it in 6 months either! That's 55kg of rock wet....so nothing like 55kg dry...probably not even half that. AquaFever - You are right...and I'm starting to wish I didn't add the sand.....but then again, when the rock went in, I shuffled it down into the sand so its all pretty much on the bottom of the tank anyway. Will still need to work hard to keep the sand looking somewhat clean now though. I might take that suggestion and move the heaters, I dont really like the look of them in the display tank, but these sumps arn't huge so will be a question of if I can fit them amongst all the glass partitions and the pumps/rubble etc. Same goes for the filter wool....Ill give that a try. I was contemplating removing the bio balls and replacing them with more live rock - thoughts? Things will be slow for the next couple of months as we let it fully cycle etc. I need to go on a bit of a Aiptasia killing spree as some of the live rock had a bit on it from the pet shop :an!gry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AquaFever Posted January 7, 2013 Report Share Posted January 7, 2013 you will have room for the heaters, we have one in the same chambers as the skimmer pump and the other in the very next divider before the bioballs. personally, while im not a fan of bioballs, i would leave them. we still run them and it has not caused us any issues, also, when you need to, they are easier to clean out (dont clean them all at once either). shame about the apistasia, sometimes hard to manage. we have it in ours, however my copperband is limiting it to our sump only. where are you located? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TURSTY Posted January 7, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2013 Easy. Will see how they go for a while with the filter wool and make a call. Im in Pukerua Bay...Porirua, wellington pretty much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TURSTY Posted January 8, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2013 Just brought my wave makers and a auto top off float from Fish pond. I spent a good two hours, and half a bottle of Apistisia X killing off all the nasty things. I think I got most of them and will definitely put a copperband on my list of fish to get once the tank is ready! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TURSTY Posted February 11, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 11, 2013 Right. So the tanks been running for a while now (a bit over a month). There looks to be plenty of life in the tank. Hundreds of little snails and lots of brine shrimp running around. I have not yet won the fight with the Apistisia, but a copperband has arrived at the fish store for me so I hope that will help me out. I have had the water tested at the LFS and also testing it regularly with a crappy API test kit and have just started to register some nitrate. I have started changing water now and have just brought a Red sea test kit to start keeping a propper eye on it. Since putting the wave makers in the tank, the temps have been getting a little high. Its sitting around 27* and has got as high as 30* on a really really hot day =S. Does this mean its time to look at a chiller? I will get the tank stable with no nitrate and then put the copperband and some shrimp in there and take some more pics. =) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reptilez Posted February 11, 2013 Report Share Posted February 11, 2013 This tank is going to come up looking really nice me thinks :spop: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marinefish4life Posted February 11, 2013 Report Share Posted February 11, 2013 nice! looking forward to pics make sure the cbb is eating some type of prepared foods before you buy him :thup: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jono.damo Posted February 11, 2013 Report Share Posted February 11, 2013 We have exactly the same tank as you and are located in upper hut, also had our tank reach around the 30 mark on hot days, we make sure the lights are only on for 8 hours a day and the temperature has regulated out Well. We removed the Bio balls from the sump as they can trap phosphate Tank is looking awesome! Well done on all the work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F15hguy Posted February 12, 2013 Report Share Posted February 12, 2013 chuck an airstone under the bioballs to prevent them trapping phosphate producing material, the more they move the more effective they are.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TURSTY Posted February 13, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2013 Bit more of an update. I turned off 2 of the 4 powerheads for the wavemaker and the temp has dropped another couple of degrees to about a stable 26-27*....which seems to be about room temp where the tank is. We have 4 tanks running in the same room which cant be helping. Two have sold and are being picked up Monday, and the other we are looking after for a friend and should be going within the month so hopefully this will bring the room temp down a bit. My red sea tests arrived yesterday so i tested the tank to see the difference between the API and redsea tests.......it was interesting!!!! API Nitrate = 15ppm Red Sea = 3.5-4ppm Will do about 3 waterchanges this week to get down to about 1ppm or less then go pick up my copperband to start war on the Apistisia =D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
v8jaggy8 Posted February 17, 2013 Report Share Posted February 17, 2013 Hey Sam Bring down a water sample and your fish list when you get a chance and we will compare notes. Looking good though. Hope you have moved the heaters to the sump. Take as much advice as you can get from the guys at Aquafever. They have been in the business for ages. The CBB is eating really well so when your ready he will be Catch you later Graeme Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TURSTY Posted April 1, 2013 Author Report Share Posted April 1, 2013 So thought I would post a bit of an update. I have been concentrating on looking after my friends tank lately so have not really done anything major to mine. We had a CBB on hold but it died at the fish shop after a bumpy delivery trip so are on the look out for another one. The Apistisia has gone RAMPANT!!! There is literally so much of it that I would go through 5 bottles of ApistisiaX and only make a dent. I have had to give up at this stage until I can find my fish. Some of it has got to the size of a 10 cent piece. Im at a bit of a loss as to what to do. Do I wait for a CBB and see what happens, or do I shut down the tank, wait for it all to die, then start again and have to recycle the rock? Ill post up some pics in the next few days. Other then the Apistisia, the tank is looking really good. Some nice colours are starting to grow on the rocks and lots of life in there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marinefish4life Posted April 2, 2013 Report Share Posted April 2, 2013 So thought I would post a bit of an update. I have been concentrating on looking after my friends tank lately so have not really done anything major to mine. We had a CBB on hold but it died at the fish shop after a bumpy delivery trip so are on the look out for another one. The Apistisia has gone RAMPANT!!! There is literally so much of it that I would go through 5 bottles of ApistisiaX and only make a dent. I have had to give up at this stage until I can find my fish. Some of it has got to the size of a 10 cent piece. Im at a bit of a loss as to what to do. Do I wait for a CBB and see what happens, or do I shut down the tank, wait for it all to die, then start again and have to recycle the rock? Ill post up some pics in the next few days. Other then the Apistisia, the tank is looking really good. Some nice colours are starting to grow on the rocks and lots of life in there. just wait till you get hold of a cbb, no point setting yourself back 3 or 4 months by killing all the pods ad bacteria in your rock, aiptisia are a PITA though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TURSTY Posted April 2, 2013 Author Report Share Posted April 2, 2013 Here's some pics Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reptilez Posted April 2, 2013 Report Share Posted April 2, 2013 Wow I se e what you mean by saying that there is a lot of apstasia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marinefish4life Posted April 2, 2013 Report Share Posted April 2, 2013 Yep a bit of aiptasia looks good though, how long has it been running for? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TURSTY Posted April 2, 2013 Author Report Share Posted April 2, 2013 Yep a bit of aiptasia looks good though, how long has it been running for? Its been running for about 4 months now, so should be well ready for some life......if I can get rid of this horrible glass stuff. Might do a bit of hunting for a CBB today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TURSTY Posted April 20, 2013 Author Report Share Posted April 20, 2013 Hey all. Bit of an update. We have managed to sort out a Racoon butterfly to borrow for a week or so that has a serious appetite for Aiptasia, so that should get us back to a controllable level while I hunt for a CBB. We have brought a Blue tank (ya cant have a reef tank without a Dory haha) and a Jeweled rockskipper and a couple of corals (2x leathers and a Mushroom) to get some life in there (will get some more pics). I did some water tests with my RedSea kits and got the following: Temp - 24*C Salinity - 1.025 Nitrate - 0.35ppm Phosphate - 0.06ppm Calcium - 375ml/l Alkalinity - 7.6KH Magnesium - 1000mg/l Am I right in trying to target the following? Calcium - 400-430ml/l Alkalinity - 8.2ishKH Magnesium - 1250-1280mg/l That being the case, do you recomend using the ABC+ combined supliment or should I really be dosing each element seperate in a 400l tank? Heres the rockskipper finding a new home with the Mushrooms Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TURSTY Posted April 20, 2013 Author Report Share Posted April 20, 2013 Actually, one other question...if I start collecting sea water for my weekly water changes, rather then mixing up RO water, what would I likely see in the way of foundation elements in the collected water? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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