New to this hobbie, starting with a 175g tank

[Gekko]

Hello all, I just started this hobbie, got a 175g salt water reef tank, bowl front, oceanic with custom stand, canopy that fits into my living room wall space.
A friend send me here telling me people can give great advices here.

I started filling the tank with live sand, live rock, 175g of RO/DI water. (took quite a while). Under the aqurium, I placed Protein Skimmer, SUMP, Coral doser, heater. bought 6 sets of LED light but they are still on route.

On the side I got a QT 14 gallon BIocube from Oceanic, put in small amount live sand, live coral, and again RO DI water. fought 2-3 live crabs (tiny) and 2 hermit crabs and put them in the QT @ the moment.

No fish or coral yet since this only started about 72 hrs ago.

Mike

[joshik]

wow, what a first tank! welcome! i'm new too!

[Gekko]

THanks Joshik.
http://screencast.com/t/vOX7RKlpfca that is the tank with NO lights.
Hoping to get lights within next few days.

[Gekko]

Qurantin Tank: http://screencast.com/t/aaDFTqiYCST

Still researching for what kind of fish, but figure i got min of 3 wks to go. What do people pick as the first fish?

[Gekko]

installation of sump: http://screencast.com/t/J2Vk1AdAx
Protein Skimmer: http://screencast.com/t/UfrdH0LtWMEd
Filling RO DI water with pump http://screencast.com/t/6170Fvww9maf

[Gekko]

QT filled with water....
first resident is two little hermit crab that I found when putting in live rocks...

http://screencast.com/t/2TxvvR2gf7d2

These hermits are fun to watch... very active little fellows
http://screencast.com/t/qsQESPFTZV

[E85GTX]

Very nice looking tank. Fits perfectly there!

[jdyer88]

uhhhh, this might be a silly question, but, you did add salt to the RO DI water right? cool tank, great size, I have a 180 and love it. welcome to RC,....i don't know what you mean when you say coral doser???????

[jdyer88]

now that i looked at the pictures it looks to be an upflow reactor of some sort. Really nice tank, and your skimmer is really nice too. Cone skimmer for a first one, a lot of people wish they started with one that nice

[Gekko]

Thanks... Yes i did add salt! I use refractometer to get the right salinity.
Coral Doser: not sure if i call them right name but it puts in calcium, trace minerals, forgot two -3 other items, since not all the parts are in yet....


http://screencast.com/t/2q18QVzr

that thing in the red arrow is the doser, supposely they will feed the corals...
not hooked up at the moment, waiting for rest of the parts to arrive.

[Gekko]

Regarding the skimmer, it was bubbling over like MAD last night...water kinda splashed out of the collector above and cause a tiny little flood.. tiny.
i cant turn it down anylower, just bubble like mad.

[Gekko]

open this can of nitrogen eating bacteria, the stuff stink like sweage..... not sure i am going to use this shi*T

[joshik]

Go big or go home huh? :d

[msudawgs56]

Very nice first tank.

[cveverly]

Nice starter tank, can't wait until you upgrade.

[Gekko]

Thanks guys for input and response.

First of all, over night, I put a flash light on the tank, and found some strange looking worm of some kind aggrigate over the flash light, looks red and white, pretty strange looking. I dunno what it is, it moves super fast, swims and digs the sand.

http://screencast.com/t/FuEYLurz gross.


I am putting in 6 Halogen lights this afternoon. Bought 6, only recieved 5, one still in shipment.
http://screencast.com/t/RKwHIKEfzN

Got 2 VorTech MP60 for programed water movement.
This one is placed on the left of the tank, a matching one on the right.
http://screencast.com/t/fXCCDlEn9QPj


GOt Bubble Magus tubes for the program coral feeder.
http://screencast.com/t/dlxcfOcwj
The programer doser pulls nutrient from 3 canisters, Calcium, Trace elements, phyto plankton (sp?) for corals.

Put in 3 cabinet lights under the tank for easier inspection and maintnance.
http://screencast.com/t/FgpwZlyso1Y
Got the light from HD for $9.99. Halogen, Got three of them. They are very easy to install.





Also added today is auto top off, put a fresh tank of RO/DI water tank on the left and placed sensor on SUMP, and system will auto add back the water from evaporation.
http://screencast.com/t/lkN2EGc8GDJ

In garage, I setup a RO/DI station, and got 3 garbages cans for Salt water, fresh water, and 1 empty one for weekly water change. (bought them from HD, Brute, 22 gal cans on wheels.
http://screencast.com/t/ryFJo3RhBUg

Aquarium back ground, i used black Paint for back as well as the side since the aquarium fits into a hole on the wall.


More picture coming regarding the Coral Doser pump.... still working on it.

And my secondary tank 14 gallon reading zero ammonia for 4 days with 2 shrimps, 2 crabs, and 2 hermit crab, adding into the tank will be two blue Damsels...
depend on what time i finish rest of the work tonight.


More pictures later.

[stangd1909]

Very nice. Looks great!