[Mnemic]

I am migrating back to TRT, since I have always felt the knowledge of the people (willing to post )here is incredible, and learned most of what I know from various TRT articles.

I first started trying to do a Tank in 2003. At the time, I was only able to do a 5 Gallon nano, which taught me a lot, but never had either the time, or funds to do up a proper tank. In 2008, I picked up a tank, stand, and canopy from someone getting out of the hobby, and I've finaly got it to the point where I can say I have an aquarium

While I have a lot of things to do still, the basics are in place.

Equipment List:
75 Gallon Tank, That I've drilled RETURNS and OVERFLOW
STAND with a 4" Mechanical chase behind the tank.
CANOPY is 16 1/2" Tall
Two 175W Ushio Metal Halide Lights
Two 65W DUAL ACTINIC 420/460NM SUNPAQ
~38 GALLON SUMP, with 6 baffles total, making 3 chambers.
Octopus Extreme 160 SKIMMER (Mesh not done yet)
Ehime 1262 Pump for Return (its too big, will downsize it later)
Koralia 3 and 4 in Main display
Around 90# Live Rock sitting on a 3/4" 12"x4' Sheet of HDPE that I've drilled to put acrylic rock lifts in.
Soon to be included in the mix is a Reefkeeper Elite, with NET module.

So As of right now my tank currently is in day 2 of cycling, and here is the First FTS of it.


Challenges Conquered

• RODI installation with PEX plumbing
• Microbubbles from Sump
• Return pump to big for sump
• Noise from Sump where overflow exits
• I'm sure there is more!

Challenges Remaining

• Buy new Doors & refinish them to match the stand better. (Required for Wife Acceptance Factor)
• Find cabinet to put next to tank to house all electronics, and Store Water-change and topoff water.
• Organize Wires and cables in the tank.
• Increase flow to 3000-3500 GPH in Main Display, with some form of wavemaker.
• Cycle the Tank!
• Decide on what I want to keep in the tank. (Rereading my Marine Aquarium books)

Got lots more pictures here if anyone is interested:
My Photo Album

So I'm back, and thought I would share

 

[odie]

nice!!! setup!! you make the stand.

Love the band Mnemic!!

 

[Loverotties]

Wow rock levitating!I wonder if Crescan can do that!

 

[Doug1]

Looks Good mnemic, Welcome back to TRT and looking forward to watching the tank come to fruition

 

[Doug1]

Wow rock levitating!I wonder if Crescan can do that!

The amazing Kreskin?

 

[Loverotties]

The amazing Kreskin?

Thats how you spell his name thanks!It does look Nice!

 

[Mnemic]

Already on my next challenge....

So I came home from work yesterday to find my skimmer wasn't doing anything.
I know it was working in the morning when I left for work, but when I got home, no bubbles. I had though I didn't have it turned on at first, but it was. After unplugging it, and plugging it back in, no dice.

So I removed the skimmer it from my sump. (its a moderately tight fit, not fun)

I took the pump off the skimmer, submerged it, plugged it in, and it was fine.
put the pump back in the Skimmer, plugged it in, nothing.

Took the skimmer back out again, took the pump off, removed the impeller housing and everything, and everything looked fine.
Put it all back together, in the skimmer, stuck it in the sump, and so far its behaving to the best of my knowledge. I've turned it off and on a couple of times, and its powering up each time thus far.

I then dialed it in, and then the first time I turned it off, and back on, it immedately started producing a LOT more bubbles, which flooded the collection cup. It didn't level off, so I had to dial it in again. I did this test again, and I have not had to dial it in again.

So I've emailed PremiumAquatics if I should be concerned, or what I need to do. I ordered this thing on 3/19 did a test run in the garage, and just got it going in the main tank a few days ago. I left it off overnight until I hear back from PA.

Fun fun.

 

[Mnemic]

Updates... had a Vball tourny in FL over the weekend, so forgot to update all my threads

PA got back to me said, skimmer is likely ok, and to keep an eye on it. So far its been running just fine.

I installed my RKE setup on a shelf to the right of the tank. I have not found a nice cabinet yet to store all the stuff yet, but the shelf works for the moment.

Even wrote a php script to read the RSS feed for the Unit and make a nifty little Picture...

Need to configure the Switch A to trigger my Auto Topoff still.

I tested Ammonia last night, and it was .3 or so according to the IA test kit. 30-40# of rock had sit in my garrage cooking for the past 9 months, (with minimal waterchanges ) and then 50# of new MarcoRock went into the display with the cooked rock. I'm really not sure how long it will take to cycle, but I'm going to wait out any algea blooms before I start sticking anything in the tank. Going to drop a small shrimp in it for 24 hrs to get a good ammonia spike and then just let it sit.

----
Question, will I still see a lot of algea blooms during the cycle period since I have nothing but cooked, and precured dry rock in the tank?

The skimmer is pulling out some gunk, which I'm just letting go right back into the watercolumn (running it wet), in order to keep the organic matter in the tank for the purpose of cycling.

 

[scoop]

I had a similar bb set up when i started and also cooked all the rocks. I never got any hair algae as part of the cycle, but i did have diatoms for over a month. It is amazing what comes out of the rocks, even the 'pre-cured' rocks. I've been set up now for almost 1.5 yrs. and i am still seeing new stuff growing out of the rocks, sponges, bubble algae (grr!), ect.