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[jenajet]

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[jenajet]

Okay so here we go in my first tank build. Driving to Atlanta on Sunday to pick up my new 90 gallon aga reefready tank with 30 gallon sump and 10 gallon refugium. I will be using a MR-1 skimmer with mag 12 and a mag 9.5 for the return. I ordered new bulkheads and vinyl pvc because the current setup used pvc ran thu his wall. Of course already there is a problem. I was supposed to get a 3/4 inch bulkhead and a 1 inch bulkhead as well as 10 feet of both 3/4 inch and 1 inch vinyl pvc. What I got was 2 3/4 inch bulkheads and 10 feet of hard pvc! Yikes that won't work. Replacements should be here Monday. In the meantime I take the stuff from the refugium and put in rubbermaid with powerhead and the lights. The canopy comes with 500 watts mh. I will post pics of the plumbing process, should be interesting cause I've never done it before. My husband used to be a pipe fitter so he promises he can help me out. Oh I will be ditching the sand except a small amount to seed the new sandbed. Now this weeks extra cash is spent so rock will come next week. Planning 50-60 lbs base and 50-60 lbs live depending on size of rocks. We will also be doing pvc risers for the rock. Hope to have pics of the empty setup Sunday to show how it starts out and go from there.

[jenajet]

Okay went and got the tank today. Yeah! Had lots of coraline on the glass. So far scraped off all the coraline and cleaned the stand. Waiting on hubby to come home so we can set it on the stand. Hopefully parts will come tomarrow and can get it plumed and running. couple of before and after pics of the cleaning.

[jenajet]

one more Couldn't get the coraline and stuff off the overflow but the glass turned out great.

[jenajet]

So last night we painted the back glass black after a good cleaning. Then brought it inside and sat it on the stand. Called it a night. The fun but nerve racking began today. I finally got the rest of my plumbing so it was skimmer time. MRC sent me the instructions for installation. Might has well been in japanese cause I was lost. I called the guy who sold it to me and he walked me thru in easy to follow steps how to hook hit up. Thanks Clay. So that was done. Put my sandbed in and a few rocks from my other tanks filled it up and started up the skimmer. It works! Next came lighting. My hubby rewired the ballast to make it more for our setup. They used to be in seperate room with sump and now the sump is under tank so we didn't need the extra wiring. Had a little overflow with the collection cup because for a while no bubbles then bam bubbles galore and the cup couldn't keep up. Hopefully the drama is done for the night. Waiting to see if skimming at a good level. Tomarrow will post some pics when lights come on. I do have to get new bulbs. They are mh but I think different bulbs. One is very blue and the other has yellow tint. I have a two tone tank!

[jenajet]

Tank is still cloudy beginning to wonder if it will ever clear up. I took a few pics but the didn't turn out. Hope to get better onces when the tanks clears! Hooked up auto top off this morning.

[jenajet]

Not sure if the auto top off is working. May need to lower it in the sump some more. The mag 9 return was creating some micro bubbles, I used some acrylic and made kind of a buffer from the water coming in from the overflow and skimmer. Havn't notice anymore micro bubbles so fingers crossed. I think I finally got the skimmer dialed in. It is producing skim without filling the collection cup up to fast. Took three of my damsels from the fowler and put in there to get some waste going. So far no ammonia is registering on the test. All of the rock was from existing systems and about 1/2 the water as well. The refugium is going but got to hook into the return with a gate valve so it has some water flowing in it. Need more parts. On the to do list for the weekend.

[jenajet]

oh yeah more pics

[jenajet]

Had to go ahead and add the snowflake eel, he was becoming a problem. I also redid the rock so he has lots of caves to play in. I will do my rockwork from left to right instead of bottom to top. I went to pick up more lr and was dismayed to find they were out so he said he is placing an order for it Wed.
Pic of new rockwork.

[jenajet]

Okay really getting peeved! This sand is so fine it fly's everwhere. I am finally getting a little cyano but even that doesn't hold it down. No I don't want the cyano and I think it is only growing cause the bulb needs to be replaced on the right side of my tank. That is the only side with the cyano. That I know will go away but how long do I have to deal with the sand storm? Right now the water is aimed to the top of the tank to lessen it hopefully it will settle soon.

[jenajet]

Okay so the rock is in. Tank looks much better. Also got a dwarf lion fish who I adore. I still need to replace the bulbs hope to do that this payday. Anyway here is how the tank looks now.

[jenajet]

Been a while since last post. The cyano is gone thank goodness! Got some new bulbs but are really blue. My inhabitants are Volitan Lion, Fuzzy Dwarf Lion, Figi Foxface, Blue Velvet Damsel, Snowflake Eel, Green Brittle Star, Condy, haitian. Some corals I fragged from 24 pod: green ric, branching hammer, gsp. I moved my cabbage leather and green button polyps as well. I tried putting frags of my torch and xenia in there but the ****sel started biting them. The lion and I both have tried to catch him with no luck! On that note I almost lost my maroon. He tried to eat him but couldn't swallow I grabbed the net and started chasing the lion, he spat out my clown sweeped him in the net and returned him beaten but okay to the pod. He has made a full recovery and is now in love with the other maroon that he once hated, now they bully the clarkii's. Clarkii's will need a new home soon! Oh redid my sump and am much happier. Turned the skimmer to face away from the rest of the sump, totally eliminated micro bubbles and less debri gets in the area of the return. Guess thats it in short. Pics in a bit.

[jenajet]

okay here we go

[jenajet]

Okay some of the quest's of my little creation

[jenajet]