Rainbow Archipelago 1.0 Reef Journal

[naterealbig]

Hey guys, between a week long vacation at the beach (which was terrible because it rained the entire time, and there is absolutely nothing to do with 2 kids on Anna Marie Island except the beach) and work, I haven't had much free time. The few extra minutes I have,I have spent fooling with the tank..... I have fine tuned my lights, but still need to get the vortechs hooked up to the wxm, trim and organize my electrical cabinet, program my apex outlets, and do a water change.

I've got a few fish in the mean time, all who are doing great; Small mimic Eibli Tang, the blue and gold Midas Blenny, Royal Gramma, and Long Noise Hawkfish. I can't seem to find sprinkles anywhere!

I'll snap some pics of as soon as I have some time.

Originally Posted by biggles

That blenny looks all snobby the way he's looking at us, i think Mr Peabody would be a good name for him.........

Are you going to get some fairy wrasses Nate, they sleep in the rocks so sand isn't an issue and the colors to pick from are crazy

Hey Biggles, I like the name.... Peabody it is! I think I might go for a fairy wrasses or two, I'm just not sure which ones. I love the McCoskers of course, but love the Hawaiian Flames, and several others as well. I'm sure I'll find the perfect one or two, and I'll let you know when I do. They are definitely some beautiful fish

Originally Posted by CichlidMan@<3

Yeah man... throw some possum wrasses, cryptic wrasses, geometric hawk. Just some of my faves! Can't wait to see it in person

Hey Chris, sorry it took so long to respond. I have never seen a Cryptic Wrasse until I looked it up just now.... Very cool fish! A Possum is definitely on the list, and the Geo Hawks are very cool as well - I bet they all have awesome personalities!

I've got to set aside some time for you and Danny to come over so we can talk shop and have a beer (or 7)

Originally Posted by reefmutt

Yes!! What he said!! Some of my faves as well.
Great small fish, all of them.

Hey Matt, I'm going to make another stop this weekend, and see what I can bring home

Originally Posted by SPS_77493

Oh man glad to see this tank again. He was such a great guy. We miss him in our local reef club.

You know he started the rimless club.

Yes, this may have been one of my favorite tanks of all time. The thought and effort that went into his lighting alone was very impressive. I followed his thread till the sad end.

Originally Posted by Cdodge1

My tank is doing well for the situation it's in. I moved recently (Carrying that whole setup down 3 flights of stairs was a pain) and I'm currently awaiting a new sump for it.

As far as my experience with the Radions:

They are a lot more powerful than they seem. I keep mine at 55% for 7-8 hours out of a 11 hour cycle. I'll show you a chart when I get a chance. Even at 55% I could probably lower the intensity even further. I think the trick to success with Radions is the acclimation cycle.

I've caught up with your thread so far and I'm glad to see that this build is getting the attention it deserves! You've attracted the attention of some international reefers from the UK to Australia, Canada...I could probably list a few more!

How's the APEX system holding up? gotten a chance to hook it up yet?

Not sure if you mentioned this, but I see you have an XR30 mount on your tank...I think that'll be a perfect fit for your tank dimensions. Just big enough to cover the whole tank, with no dark spots...but not so much that there's wasted light. I'd say use the wide angle lens if you didn't plan on that already.

Looks good Nate, keep it up

P.S. The Blenny looks incredible! I'd be partial to Delphin as a name...

Here's something that might help with some names

Hey bro, so happy to see you checking in!! Right now I have my lighting cycle (XR30W Pro with the wide angle lenses) set for super conservative... There are only 2 hours at 40% at peak - the rest is a long ramp up and then down. I'm still a ways away from coral, but I'm acclimating myself as well as the fish to it now.

It took me a while (and a lot of help from Danny) to get it hooked up, but it's running with a few outlets programmed already. I still have a ton of work to do on it though still. The next thing I'm going to get online is my ATO. Thanks a million for the Apex and all of your feedback! You need to get some updates shots of the tank and your new custom sump! I can't wait to see it

[neuwave]

Your tank is looking great. Rimless clean lines with minimal rock. I assume SPS dominated based off your inspirations? I liked you first post in the thread. That it does take a artistic view to aquascape a tank. I'm curious to what you create. Also do you think you'll ever add sand in the future?

[sh8g8delik]

Love the minimalist look! Also the BB is the way to go. After my last tank crashing from moving 3 different times and stirring up the sandbed, that i never stirred, I will probably never go back to sand. The only issues im having is the starboard used to look kinda like sand when it was white but now is getting covered with coraline. I also didnt silicone the starboard to the bottom of the tank since it looked like nothing was going to be able to get underneath it with all the rocks i have on top of it. Can't wait to see what your tank is going to look like with corals covering those three rocks and fish swimming around it.

[Cdodge1]

Originally Posted by naterealbig

Hey bro, so happy to see you checking in!! Right now I have my lighting cycle (XR30W Pro with the wide angle lenses) set for super conservative... There are only 2 hours at 40% at peak - the rest is a long ramp up and then down. I'm still a ways away from coral, but I'm acclimating myself as well as the fish to it now.

It took me a while (and a lot of help from Danny) to get it hooked up, but it's running with a few outlets programmed already. I still have a ton of work to do on it though still. The next thing I'm going to get online is my ATO. Thanks a million for the Apex and all of your feedback! You need to get some updates shots of the tank and your new custom sump! I can't wait to see it

I guess I'm gonna re-evaluate my radion. It's only XR15, but I guess without a par meter I'm just estimating...

You're welcome on that Apex I guess you're going to get the XMS module? I can't wait to see the vortechs and the radions all hooked up to it!

Whats left for the ATO? Breakout box and some sensors? Will you have leak detection sensors as well? What kind of fail-safe features do you have? Besides the dual return. Redundancy is key lol

Can't wait to see more progress and I'll get some pics up on my thread asap. Perhaps you can come visit some time take some pics with the cannon

[plyle02]

Nate, I am getting all giddy about the tank, I always love seeing the plans come together, what is in store in the near future is going to be awesome!!!

[dantdodge]

This is coming together nicely. We do need to schedule some beer time!! Are you kidding 7? With Chris and I there lol we might have to triple that. How has fusion been treating you I know everything has not been up for long. I need to come over and see a visual update. Is this thing ready for coral yet!!?

[naterealbig]

Hi Everyone,

I'm really sorry for not replying sooner, there have been many very large changes in my life in the last couple of weeks. Some have been good and others, I am sad to say, have been bad. In light of sharing both (and not just the "perfect shots") in this journal, here is an updated shot of the tank, in its new home and on it's new stand.

Originally Posted by neuwave

Your tank is looking great. Rimless clean lines with minimal rock. I assume SPS dominated based off your inspirations? I liked you first post in the thread. That it does take a artistic view to aquascape a tank. I'm curious to what you create. Also do you think you'll ever add sand in the future?

Hi neuwave, thank you for the compliments, and your assumption about SPS domination are correct. I will likely have a few LPS and clams, but they will be chosen very carefully. I don't think that I will add sand in the future, as I prefer the look of my aquarium the way it is, and I need fewer processes and equipment to keep it in good shape. Perhaps when I upgrade to a 180g (distant future) I will have sand. Although it will be only because I couldn't keep the bottom scraped easily on such a large tank.

Originally Posted by sh8g8delik

Love the minimalist look! Also the BB is the way to go. After my last tank crashing from moving 3 different times and stirring up the sandbed, that i never stirred, I will probably never go back to sand. The only issues im having is the starboard used to look kinda like sand when it was white but now is getting covered with coraline. I also didnt silicone the starboard to the bottom of the tank since it looked like nothing was going to be able to get underneath it with all the rocks i have on top of it. Can't wait to see what your tank is going to look like with corals covering those three rocks and fish swimming around it.

Thank you sh8g8delik for the kind words - we both appreciate simplicity, with regards to aesthetics as well as reefkeeping methodology! I don't think that the silicone was necessary, I just wanted to fill in the gaps around the edges, and I wasn't completely sure the rock would hold the plastic down. Eventually Coraline Algae will begin to grow on the bottom of this tank, however I plan on scraping it weekly to keep it nice and white. I can't wait to get some corals in either. The move has set me back a couple weeks, and I still have a few fish to buy. After this, I will establish a Calcium and Alkalinity demand by adding some clams, and adjusting my parameters to where I want them. (Alk ~ 8.0, Calcium ~350, and Mg ~ 1300. After this is complete, I should have PO4 and NO3 in the ranges that I want to keep, and I will begin adding corals.

Originally Posted by Cdodge1

I guess I'm gonna re-evaluate my radion. It's only XR15, but I guess without a par meter I'm just estimating...
You're welcome on that Apex I guess you're going to get the XMS module? I can't wait to see the vortechs and the radions all hooked up to it!
Whats left for the ATO? Breakout box and some sensors? Will you have leak detection sensors as well? What kind of fail-safe features do you have? Besides the dual return. Redundancy is key lol
Can't wait to see more progress and I'll get some pics up on my thread asap. Perhaps you can come visit some time take some pics with the cannon

I wouldn't re-evaluate your Radion settings necessarily - do what works for you! I do have the WXM module which will control my Vortechs and Radion, although it is not connected in its current state.

I have the breakout box, sensors, and wiring, I just need to connect them. For now, I don't have any leak detectors, but I will be getting some, especially now that I am in a 2nd floor apartment!

Hopefully I can find some time soon to come up and take a look at the tank, and see your new place. Still don't see any updated pics on your thread........

Originally Posted by plyle02

Nate, I am getting all giddy about the tank, I always love seeing the plans come together, what is in store in the near future is going to be awesome!!!

Hey Perry - man what a let down . I'm hoping I can get things back together here in the next couple of weeks. With the new stand I have a larger area underneath, which means a bigger sump (Thank you Danny for the 40b !!!). Here I will house some extra LR that I have been keeping cycled, and which will allow much more room for buffering capacity and of course, tinkering.

Now that I am getting settled in, I will have some more time to keep the thread updated. Hope you keep checking back!

Originally Posted by dantdodge

This is coming together nicely. We do need to schedule some beer time!! Are you kidding 7? With Chris and I there lol we might have to triple that. How has fusion been treating you I know everything has not been up for long. I need to come over and see a visual update. Is this thing ready for coral yet!!?

Hey Dan, thanks for helping me move the tank, it would have been impossible without you. Yes, I need to get you, Chris, and Christian over for some beer time - but gotta get something for you guys to sit down on first! Fusion is awesome, but I haven't had much time to customize. Over the next couple of weeks, I will be able to get things adjusted and fine-tuned.

[reefmutt]

Sorry to hear (and see) the turmoil..
I hope you get things sorted out and keep the tank going..
Good luck with everything!!

[sahin]

Hey man, sorry about the bad turn of events. Good to see you've held onto the tank and will keep it going in the new place. Best of luck with things. Keep us updated with regards to the tank.

[plyle02]

Nate,
Sorry to hear about the "Life Changes", I hope your tank gives you inspiration to push through any personal concerns. I am sure you will have things back on track in short order, best of luck my friend!

[biggles]

Bummed for you Nate, great to see you were able to keep the tank running mate.
I'm really glad you have some good mates that helped you out when you needed it

[naterealbig]

Originally Posted by reefmutt

Sorry to hear (and see) the turmoil..
I hope you get things sorted out and keep the tank going..
Good luck with everything!!

Thank you for your kind words Matt. Thins hear are pretty rough right now - dealing with a lot of issues - not the least of which is my tank! I've got a plan, it will just take time to get everything in motion. I of course, will keep the thread updated as I have time. Hopefully some good pics and new coming soon!

Originally Posted by sahin

Hey man, sorry about the bad turn of events. Good to see you've held onto the tank and will keep it going in the new place. Best of luck with things. Keep us updated with regards to the tank.

Thank you for your sentiment Sahin. I gave up my 150 a couple of years ago (~ approximately $8k invested) for literally pennies on the dollar. I will not make that mistake again! The tank and the hobby are the only things keeping me in good spirits. I'll post as soon as I have an update.

Originally Posted by plyle02

Nate,
Sorry to hear about the "Life Changes", I hope your tank gives you inspiration to push through any personal concerns. I am sure you will have things back on track in short order, best of luck my friend!

Hey Perry, thanks so much for checking in on the thread. I should have things running well in a couple of weeks. I need to reinforce and add a couple of sides to the stand. Once this is complete, I can add the new larger sump (40 breeder), and the remaining LR that I have been saving.

Originally Posted by biggles

Bummed for you Nate, great to see you were able to keep the tank running mate.
I'm really glad you have some good mates that helped you out when you needed it

Hey Andrew, thanks for checking in on things, and of course your valued sentiment. I am very happy that keeping the tank is in the cards for me, and yes, I had a great helping hand - no way I could have done it without him. I'll post some pics and what-not once the tank is presentable. Thank you again for the kind words.

[naterealbig]

So I'm currently dealing with at least 2 sick fish. The problem started out on the Mimic Tang, and looks like it has spread to at least the Royal Gramma. I have started a thread in the Fish Disease Forum, and am looking for a bit of help.... Below is a quick shot of a couple of the fish; not the blotches and reddening on the Mimic Tang and the Royal Gramma. If your interested, you can take a look at the thread here:

Sick Fish Thread





One good thing that came out of my move is that I now have the space for a QT/Hospital tank. The fish were moved over to the new tank today. If I don't hear back from the pro's on my Sick Fish Thread, I will begin treating them tonight with a few concoctions I picked up from the local PetSmart.

I decided that I don't like the current configuration of the tank, and am going to flip it around 180 degrees on it's stand. This means drilling more holes in the top of the stand. I figured while I was at it, I would "shore up" the stand a little. I'm going to add 2 plywood sides to it, and move the top shelf to make the third side. On the third side, I will attach all of the electronics.

I started painting the wood (I'm going to try to antique the pieces I bought similar to the rest of the stand to help it blend in a little). Once this is completed, I will install the new 40B for the sump, and complete the plumbing. By the time it is all done, the fish should be finishing up their treatment, and can be introduced into the display again.

[naterealbig]

On the 24th, I set up a hospital tank, pulled the fish out, and began treatment immediately with several medications. Within 3 hours the tang was dead, the next day my baby Foxface was dead, and today I came home and found my Long Nose Hawkfish dead. A really bad part about this is that the Foxface and Hawkfish had absolutely no signs of disease when I placed them in the tank. I think the medication was so rough that it actually killed them. The worst thing is that my Royal Gramma which was the only other fish showing signs of disease has actually gotten worse. I'll put money down that he's dead by tomorrow, but either way, I am putting the 2 Blennies back into the display. I'm currently filling the display up now.





While I had the fish out of the display, I figured I would take some time to "shore up" the stand, and add some sides to it, so I had places to mount the pipe hangers.

I pulled the top shelf off of the stand, cut it, and turned it into one of the sides. On the outside of this side, I will mount all of the electronics, so there will at least be some separation between them and the sump area.





I also added a second beam behind the front support beam, and then ran 2 extra perpendicular support beams.




I then turned the tank 180 degrees, so you aren't facing the overflow when you walk into the room. I used green paint as an undercoat, so that I can sand (read antiqued) it to match the original hardware. I have some of the shelf that I removed, and I am going to use it on the outside of the left side of the tank to "artsy" it up a little bit. I'll take more pics as I get it done. Here is the semi-finished product, which is currently being filled with water.

[reefmutt]

Sorry about the fish... Moving is stressful all around!!
I really like how the stand looks!

[sahin]

Awwww...sorry about the fish death. That sucks.

I really like the stand. Nice work on that. I think thats a good idea to switch the tank around.

Well, good luck with everything, hope you can report all good news on the next update.

[Cdodge1]

Any updates? You have coral in there yet?

[naterealbig]

Hey guys, sorry for waiting so long to post an update....

I've been working on things just a little bit at a time, as work has been insane, and I'm still trying to adjust to my new schedule. Right now, I've got more fish and some corals that I got from my little bro. The frags are adjusting to the LED's, but they're not melting, so I'm happy!

Here I'm starting on the plumbing.....





Done with the plumbing..... My brother had an extra 40B that he is letting me borrow, so I utilized it for a larger sump. I ordered some glass panes, and am going to build a sump from 3/8" glass. I haven't started building it yet, so I'll post an update when I do. While I was treating the sick fish, I moved all of my spare live rock to the display, and what-do-ya-know, the cloudy water cleared almost immediately. Because of this, I removed the UV unit from the hard plumbing. Here's a pic under the hood.... Not very impressive, but once the rimless sump is in there it will look sharp .





First pic with equipment back on line....





Some pics I took a few days ago.

[naterealbig]

Fish:

Kole Tang
Thread Fin Cardinals (3) (adding 6 more when I can find them)
Tail Spot Blenny
Jaguar Blenny
2 Oscellaris Clowns (mated pair)
Lubbocks Wrasse
Royal Gramma

This puts me at BFC of 1.5, with an anticipated BFC of 2.5, once I find the threadfins! I'm taking Sahin's advice, and feeding a ridiculous amount of food.

[reefmutt]

Hey Nate, nice to see the great update!
Glad things are progressing well.
Nice sump and great plumbing!

[dantdodge]

Nice update! The plumbing and stand are exquisitely pleasing. Can't wait to see this tank fill out with your dream corals keep us posted. I'll be by the house to check up on the tank

[naterealbig]

Ok, so evidently the tank is not ready for ridiculous amounts of food. I have 2 corals stn'ing.... Checked parameters and nitrates are 25ppm and my s.g. Is 1.024. Mixing up some salt water now, with a wc and detritus cleaning scheduled for tomorrow morning.

[plyle02]

Nate,
IME as long as your water is equal or better than the tank it comes from, frags usually will have few problems. Glad you caught your culprit, I am sure things will turn around soon.

[reefmutt]

My 2 cents.. I think you might be pushing things a bit.. Give the system a little more time to mature in its new configuration...
Good luck with the wc and clean up!

[sahin]

Wow, I really like the look you pulled off. Sorry about the STN on some of the SPS.

Tank will look great in a few months once growth and colour takes off.