New 55 gal reef setup journal w/pix

madreefer14 · 11/15/2007, 03:57 PM

Finally after nearly 4 years in the planning stages the tank is filled. I filled it on 11/05/07. Here are the tank stats: The stand was built by my father in 1990 anlong with the hood. The tank is a wally world 55 gal tank. The sump is home made and holds a total of 40 gal full with a 12 gal refuge. Lighting is 4 T5 lights as follows from front to back 54w super actinic, 54w actinic+, 54w 10000k, 54w actinic+ ran off an Icecap 660 ballast. The fuge lights are simply perfecto lights 30w of wich one is a dayglo and one is a marineglo. the lighting is on a reverse cycle. The moon light is home made with LED lights hooked up to a radio shack transfomer which allows me to be able to dim them creating a "moon phase" effect. The skimmer is a via aqua 388. ( they recently came out with an upgrade for a needlewheel wich I will be ordeing). Return pump is a quiet one 4000HH tee'd off back into the sump for water level control with a ball valve. 300 W heater in the fuge. The power center is a coralife dual power strip. The overflow box is home made and will be replaced soon with a more efficient design with the help of Melev's Reef site with the goal of increasing the flow in the tankto about 950 gph Plumbing was all diy with pvc pipe from home depot or lowes. In the tank itself I used coralife salt set at a SG of 1.025. The water is ro/di with a catalytic carbon stage as my city uses chloramine. There is 50 # of home made rock in the tank with another 50 # cureing. I just started cycling the tank on Wednesday and baseline water chem as follows: temp=79.4-81F, SG=1.026, Ca=400, pH=8, dKh 5.8 and Mg=1140. Sooooooo here are some pix. Let me know what you think or if you have questions. As the tank matures and livestock is added I will be posting more pix. Thanks for your input and support. feel free to give any tips you might have.

Slice of Ocean · 11/15/2007, 04:12 PM

Good luck! It looks great.

jubjub · 11/15/2007, 05:43 PM

oooh looks like your off to a good start

Mikeylikesit · 11/15/2007, 06:43 PM

looks great...Keep up the good work and keep us posted .

mg426 · 11/15/2007, 08:12 PM

Nice looking start.

stuccodude · 11/15/2007, 08:19 PM

AND THE MADNESS BEGINS, GOOD LUCK! SKYS THE LIMIT

MR PALM BEACH · 11/15/2007, 09:56 PM

Correct me If Im wrong but looks like you have a glass top up top. IMO you might run Into some higher temps do to It keeping In extra heat and also you will probably be dealing with alot of salt creep. All In all Its just a pain In the a$$ to work around aswell. Looks like your off to good start, keep posting the progress pics.

madreefer14 · 11/15/2007, 10:18 PM

I have two 12v computer fans running one on each end to cool things down and the back is open. I havent uploaded them to my gallery yet and forgot to include them in my description. Yes they are glass tops. I thought since the lights are only 3-4" from the wate surface that it would be best to keep them on plus it would keep any jumpers from meeting an early demise.

weaselslucks · 11/15/2007, 10:24 PM

the glass top will also cut down evaporation drasticaly

madreefer14 · 11/15/2007, 11:03 PM

that's pretty much my thought too. Though the sump is open.

11/15/2007, 03:57 PM	#1
madreefer14 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Iowa Posts: 345	New 55 gal reef setup journal w/pix Finally after nearly 4 years in the planning stages the tank is filled. I filled it on 11/05/07. Here are the tank stats: The stand was built by my father in 1990 anlong with the hood. The tank is a wally world 55 gal tank. The sump is home made and holds a total of 40 gal full with a 12 gal refuge. Lighting is 4 T5 lights as follows from front to back 54w super actinic, 54w actinic+, 54w 10000k, 54w actinic+ ran off an Icecap 660 ballast. The fuge lights are simply perfecto lights 30w of wich one is a dayglo and one is a marineglo. the lighting is on a reverse cycle. The moon light is home made with LED lights hooked up to a radio shack transfomer which allows me to be able to dim them creating a "moon phase" effect. The skimmer is a via aqua 388. ( they recently came out with an upgrade for a needlewheel wich I will be ordeing). Return pump is a quiet one 4000HH tee'd off back into the sump for water level control with a ball valve. 300 W heater in the fuge. The power center is a coralife dual power strip. The overflow box is home made and will be replaced soon with a more efficient design with the help of Melev's Reef site with the goal of increasing the flow in the tankto about 950 gph Plumbing was all diy with pvc pipe from home depot or lowes. In the tank itself I used coralife salt set at a SG of 1.025. The water is ro/di with a catalytic carbon stage as my city uses chloramine. There is 50 # of home made rock in the tank with another 50 # cureing. I just started cycling the tank on Wednesday and baseline water chem as follows: temp=79.4-81F, SG=1.026, Ca=400, pH=8, dKh 5.8 and Mg=1140. Sooooooo here are some pix. Let me know what you think or if you have questions. As the tank matures and livestock is added I will be posting more pix. Thanks for your input and support. feel free to give any tips you might have. __________________ And the corals sang praises unto me Shouting "You are my sunshine, my only sun shine."- me Current Tank Info: 55 gal reef tank filled 11/05/07 t5 lights w/2 actinic+, 1 10000k and 1 super actinic on 660 IC, 40 gal home made sump, 4000HH return pump and via aqua 388 skimmer w/ 1200gph CPR overflow, Koralia #4 PH. Tank to be mainly sps

11/15/2007, 05:43 PM	#3
jubjub Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: vacaville, cali Posts: 2,698	oooh looks like your off to a good start __________________ "The world holds two classes of men - intelligent men without religion, and religious men without intelligence." - Abu Ala Al-Maari

11/15/2007, 08:12 PM	#5
mg426 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: maryland Posts: 6,923	Nice looking start. __________________ I found a way to make a small fortune running a reef tank. Start with a large fortune. Unofficial President of the SEACLONE haters club Current Tank Info: 125 mixed reef 110 lbs LR, 1x250watt XM 20K MH 2x175watt XM 20K MH on Magetics 2X96 watt actinic PC, 220 watt VHO actinic, 30 gallon refugium, closed loop system powered by Sequence Dart MSX 200 skimmer 38 gallon sump, Oceansmotions squirt

11/15/2007, 08:19 PM	#6
stuccodude Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: sanger Posts: 1,040	AND THE MADNESS BEGINS, GOOD LUCK! SKYS THE LIMIT __________________ fear the wrath of patrick willis!!! no offense is safe. Current Tank Info: 240 all the goodies,hydra 26 led lights, chiller etc

11/15/2007, 09:56 PM	#7
MR PALM BEACH Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Jupiter, Fl Posts: 802	Correct me If Im wrong but looks like you have a glass top up top. IMO you might run Into some higher temps do to It keeping In extra heat and also you will probably be dealing with alot of salt creep. All In all Its just a pain In the a$$ to work around aswell. Looks like your off to good start, keep posting the progress pics. __________________ And I thought buying an puppy would be to expensive! Current Tank Info: 23" LCD with Windows Aquarium screen saver.

11/15/2007, 04:12 PM	#2
Slice of Ocean Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Reno, NV Posts: 145	Good luck! It looks great.

11/15/2007, 06:43 PM	#4
Mikeylikesit Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Austex Posts: 3	looks great...Keep up the good work and keep us posted .

11/15/2007, 10:18 PM	#8
madreefer14 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Iowa Posts: 345	I have two 12v computer fans running one on each end to cool things down and the back is open. I havent uploaded them to my gallery yet and forgot to include them in my description. Yes they are glass tops. I thought since the lights are only 3-4" from the wate surface that it would be best to keep them on plus it would keep any jumpers from meeting an early demise. __________________ And the corals sang praises unto me Shouting "You are my sunshine, my only sun shine."- me Current Tank Info: 55 gal reef tank filled 11/05/07 t5 lights w/2 actinic+, 1 10000k and 1 super actinic on 660 IC, 40 gal home made sump, 4000HH return pump and via aqua 388 skimmer w/ 1200gph CPR overflow, Koralia #4 PH. Tank to be mainly sps

11/15/2007, 10:24 PM	#9
weaselslucks Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Oxford,Ct Posts: 1,393	the glass top will also cut down evaporation drasticaly

11/15/2007, 11:03 PM	#10
madreefer14 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Iowa Posts: 345	that's pretty much my thought too. Though the sump is open. __________________ And the corals sang praises unto me Shouting "You are my sunshine, my only sun shine."- me Current Tank Info: 55 gal reef tank filled 11/05/07 t5 lights w/2 actinic+, 1 10000k and 1 super actinic on 660 IC, 40 gal home made sump, 4000HH return pump and via aqua 388 skimmer w/ 1200gph CPR overflow, Koralia #4 PH. Tank to be mainly sps