My Reefing Journey/Build (Plenty of Pics)

[LuisC]

Originally posted by will16
One more question... do you have the high range or low range kit?

Will I have the low range kit....


Check out this thread, This is the same one I have.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...readid=1182318

[will16]

Originally posted by pmcg
How deep is your sand bed? I am trying to decide what to put in my tank and do not want to risk a crash. Thanks
Pat

In the display I only have maybe 3-4". It's really just for the wrasses to bury. In the refugium I maybe have 5"?

[will16]

Originally posted by Aristotle
One of the few tank threads where I've found myself reading the whole thread to the end. Great tank. You obviously really enjoy the hobby. This images in this thread have put wrasses (particularly the flasher) onto the wishlist I've been putting together while waiting to get started with my first tank.

Thank you. Glad you enjoyed it. Good luck with your new tank!

[will16]

Originally posted by LuisC
Will I have the low range kit....


Check out this thread, This is the same one I have.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...readid=1182318

Cool. Thanks!

[David - Miami]

Just read the entire thread! Beautiful fish and tank.
Any updates for the new year? I was wondering how things were doing with the reactors added?

[will16]

Originally posted by David - Miami
Just read the entire thread! Beautiful fish and tank.
Any updates for the new year? I was wondering how things were doing with the reactors added?

Thank you. Unfortunately I do not have all good news. I have since been laid low by ich I think it got in with one of the new wrasses. I set up a hospital tank and caught what I could out but couldn't catch them all. I don't know if it was all from ich or the stress of catching them or the stress of treatment but the casualties are:

Red Velvet (C. Rubrisqaumis)
Rhomboid
Labouti
Female Hawaiian Flame Wrasse
Diamond Watchmen Goby

The remaining fish in the tank seemed to have fought it off for the moment but I may be in between the life/breeding cycle. For now just watching and waiting to see what happens next. Don't know if I am out of the woods yet. These were big losses for me and am pretty discouraged at the moment.

The reactors have been working fine. Slowly upping the amount of media. N03 and P04 still reading zero as always but starting to get a bit of bryopsis. Been manually removing but just keeps coming back. Next I am going to try the elevated magnesium method to eradicate. Seems like there are a lot of success stories with it. Have a gallon of Tech M on the way. I plan on taking pics and documenting the progress (if any).

I am winning the war against the Lobophora algae with the naso and the urchin. Between the two of them, it is 90% gone. The problem is the bit that is left is in cracks and crevices that they can not get to. If given the chance, I am sure that it would just grow back. Eternal vigilance...

This hobby is full of ups and downs. Unfortunately I am in one of the downs at the moment.

Thanks for checking in.

[MeuserReef]

Hang in there Will! Sorry to hear about your losses.

[David - Miami]

Will,

You are the inspiration for a lot of people with similar size tanks. Just keep your chin up because we all go through ups and downs. Sorry.

[Reeftanks6]

wow havent looked at the tank in a little while. Amazing. That naso is really starting to cleant that rock up. The kole should join in eventually they are great algea eaters. But besides the algea great looking tank. One of the best 90g tanks i have ever seen. I am going to send you a pm about camreas dont want to get off topic.

[spllbnd2]

Sorry to hear about the losses and hope that everything will return to a healthy state soon.

Alex

[will16]

Thanks for the kind words everyone.

Reeftanks6, you mentioned my kole but he had an incident and actually had to go. I posted this on your tang thread already but might as well include it here as well....

Originally posted by will16
Well, I've had a Kole Tang for maybe 6 months now. Suppossed to be one of the more peaceful tangs and on the smaller size. Thought he would be a good addition to my 90. Nice looking fish and to help with algae. At first he was fine. Then developed a hatred for my goby. Would chase him into his hole on site. Poor guy went into hiding for a week at a time and confined only to poking his head out of his hole every now and then. I had tried netting the Kole out at that point but was impossible. Aggression subsided a little but not much. Then all of a sudden in the past week, started hating my radiant wrasse. Started with a little chasing and then all out war. The other day, the kole just snapped went all out after the radiant. Blades came out and put a huge gash in the radiant. Radiant went into hiding. Poked his head out once and was instantly attacked.

Here is the kole with his blades out. The thing on the end are scales from the radiant.


Close up


Here is the wound


The radiant is one of my favorite fish. There was no way I was going to let the Kole kill it. Tried netting him again... pointless. Started putting the net in the tank and squirting food into the net. Just about every fish came straight into the net except the kole... of course. Did this for a few days trying to let all the other fish eat except the kole. Came close but no cigar.

Then, I resorted to this:


My buddy piked up the supplies for me. Crushed the barb on the end so it would come out easily. Baited with some krill at first but too brittle and had to put too big of a piece for it to stay. The kole did go for it a few times but since the piece was too big, he would nibble some off and that was it. I then switched to plankton which is the perfect size. Big enough to hook and small enough for him to swallow. The biggest problem was all the other fish. I have a lot of fast wrasses that would streak in and beat the kole and I would have to pull out the hook. Tried all this over 2 days. In the end, a buddy was feeding fish out of the net on one end of the tank while I was fishing on the other. Twice the kole managed to steal the bait off of the hook but finally got him the third time. After yanking him out, the hook came out easily.

He is banished to the refugium for the night and will be taken to the LFS tomorrow.



Within 30 minutes after the Kole was removed, the radiant came out and the goby was stretching his legs all over the tank. I could almost hear the sigh of relief. Hopefully the radiant will recover. Looks good so far.

If anyone needs to catch a fish out of your tank... fishing works!

[Reeftanks6]

Sorry about that will. I forgot about that.

[awilson500]

how tall is the platform stand that your tank is on?

[will16]

Originally posted by awilson500
how tall is the platform stand that your tank is on?

If I recall correctly, the tank sits at 34". I intentionally made it higher then "usual" to make sure I had enough room underneath for equipment. I also like viewing at that hieght.

[awilson500]

I'm not sure if I want to make mine 36" or a little shorter. Does everything fit ok under your tank. Like your skimmer, does it come out of there ok?

Is there anything you would have done different?

[spllbnd2]

I don't know if you mentioned it before but, what kind of paint or stain did you use on the stand? Also you mention primed, painted and poly? I take it you used a type of clear coat poly over the paint?

Awesome looking to say the least. I hope that my stand can turn out as nice. Thanks,

Alex

[will16]

Originally posted by awilson500
I'm not sure if I want to make mine 36" or a little shorter. Does everything fit ok under your tank. Like your skimmer, does it come out of there ok?

Is there anything you would have done different?

Everything does fit under my tank. I worked out the height after knowing the height of my sump and skimmer. I would recommend you do the same in order to make sure you have enough room. One thing I would have done differently would have been to mount the dj power strip on a hinged bracket. That way, you could flop it down to get access to the plugs in back. Plugging in devices "by feel" is not ideal

[will16]

Originally posted by spllbnd2
I don't know if you mentioned it before but, what kind of paint or stain did you use on the stand? Also you mention primed, painted and poly? I take it you used a type of clear coat poly over the paint?

Awesome looking to say the least. I hope that my stand can turn out as nice. Thanks,

Alex

Thanks. I didn't use any special paint or primer. I think the paint was Rustoleum Painter's Touch. I rely on the poly for protection. I think I used miniwax satin water based poly. I think I have 3-4 coats on it. It's been holding up real well.

[spllbnd2]

Originally posted by will16
Thanks. I didn't use any special paint or primer. I think the paint was Rustoleum Painter's Touch. I rely on the poly for protection. I think I used miniwax satin water based poly. I think I have 3-4 coats on it. It's been holding up real well.

Good to hear that it is holding up well. My wife did ask how the painted cabinet would hold up.

Thanks for the info,
Alex

[docalatamu]

beautiful wrasse pics and excellent craftmanship on the stand etc.

that kole tang is also a beaut, too bad he was so mean for you

[awilson500]

thanks for the input

[awilson500]

Originally posted by will16
Vortechs are cool





I just did a video of a standing wave in my tank... now I just need to figure out how to downsize and post. I'm not a video guy.

Will, did you have to give $500 for this pump?

[will16]

Originally posted by awilson500
Will, did you have to give $500 for this pump?

Last I checked, the going price was $419. They are pricey but I do love them.

[will16]

Originally posted by docalatamu
beautiful wrasse pics and excellent craftmanship on the stand etc.

that kole tang is also a beaut, too bad he was so mean for you

Thanks!

[awilson500]

What is the tool called that makes that countersink like in this picture?