250 gallon build thread

[michealprater]

400th Post on my build.

Here is a pathetic excuse for a video, but it does give you a decent perspective of the system

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARjXYyPd_KQ

[michealprater]

[michealprater]

[michealprater]

[Tater11]

tank is looking good

[michealprater]

Thanks for posting Tater. I cant seem to get anyone to participate in this thread. Oh well, I do like to go back and look at the progress. Just makes it more of a journal than a thread. See ya at the swap!

[michealprater]

[michealprater]

[logiktest]

Looks good. How do you like having dawn/dusk lighting?

[michealprater]

I havent setup dawn/dusk yet. I just put the t5s on the lighting controller and left the halide on a timer. I just turn the t5s on when I am viewing. Basically they are just for my pleasure anyway. I will say I love the color of the Giesemanns, but I am really disappointed in the brightness. Of course, I heard that about them. Although I love the purple look, I will definately go with a ATI Superblue next time so they are brighter.

Big news from this weekend. I am going to Chicago the weekend of March 27 to 28 to pick up a 4" Genuine Red Sea Regal that has been in an aquarium for 4 years! I am super excited, and, oh yeah, I will be stopping in at Shedd while I am up there! I may have a PBT from an established aquarium lined up, but I am not sure if it will happen.

[michealprater]

Current inhabitants.
cleaner wrasse
occelaris clown
majestic angel
blueface angel
flameback angel
Coral beauty
hippo tang
purple tang
naso tang
yellow tang

harliquin tusk (in frag tank, not sure if I will keep him long term)

I am considering adding these.
flame angel
powder blue tang
achilles tang
potters angel
adult emperor
adult queen angel
rock beauty

With a 250 gallon display and 380 gallon volume, how badly am I overstocking, if at all? Keep in mind my skimmer is rated at 2000 gallons, and I am running carbon and gfo with frequent water changes.

[Dante_JoseCuerv]

Hmmmm, well you've got some pretty good livestock there. The potters would probably go in without a hitch, my only concern might be the emperor angel, mostly because they just get really big. As for the queen, how can I resist, it just sounds like such a good idea. Especially if you get one like the one in your avatar ;-).

I don't think your bioload is too big, but if I were in your position I wouldn't add too many fish at once (horray for stating the obvious!!!). As long as your nutrient levels are all in check then I think you're ok. I mean just look at cougarman's tank, that thing is crazy stocked but his livestock are all fine.

[michealprater]

So far this aquarium has never shown nitrates since the cycle. I am pretty excited about that. It has to be the skimmer, it pulls a bunch of poo out of the water!

[michealprater]

Just for tracking, page 9 is the first shots of the tank with water. 12/31/09. Making my tank 15 months old.

[Dante_JoseCuerv]

Well in that case, have at it! Good luck!

[michealprater]

COMING SOON.......

[Dante_JoseCuerv]

Beautiful!!!

[oneoffcustom]

tank is coming along good...

[michealprater]

Good to see you on NIck. You need to come see it in person!

[CaptainFlyingFishGuts]

Originally Posted by michealprater

Beautiful fish!

[Last Version]

nice fish... very cute!!

[michealprater]

ttt

[michealprater]

Hopefully next week I will be revamping my QT setup. The 46 has been overkill and I am going to start using a 20 long. I have removed the 10 gallon refugium and place all its contents in the sump. This opened up the space between the frag tank/sump and the sink. I am going to mount the 20 long a little higher than the sink. I plan on having the 20 long with its own heater and its own filter. I wanted a way to keep my QT water exactly the same as the water in the DT. So I decided I will take the drain pump from the sump on my water change system and plumb it to the QT tank. I will install and over flow in the QT and have the water overflow into the sink drain. This way everytime I do a water change on the DT (which is 15 gallons every 3 days) the waste water from the display will go directly into the QT tank and the extra water will just go down the drain. This way the water in the QT will always be consistant with the DT, which will also get large consistant water changes in the QT thus eliminating ammonia and nitrate toxicity.

What do you think?

[panaboy95]

I dont really see a big problem with that. you will have to make sure salinity and other vital parameters stay close so you do not shock the QT when you basicly flush it with display water. i think that just doing a water change of about 50% with display water would work best but i am not sure. just my 2 cents

[michealprater]

I change 15 gallons every 3 days. How much could it possible fluctuate? I always top off daily, and make my water change water 1.025.

Another question.

I dont support the use of UV in a DT, but in a QT I can see some value. What size UV sterilizer would I need for a 20 gallon. Considering I have seen ich in my display, it would be nice to have something on the QT to kill the free floating stuff. May save from having to use copper as much.