Reef on... 200G coming along..

SeanySean · 09/15/2006, 03:47 PM

Well fellow reefers this new tank has been a journey I will say the least! This hobby really is one that takes you to each the extremes, unfortunately I have experienced the lower end of the scale because of such unobvious problems like not having shields on my Metal Halide lighting and slowly, one by one losing everything that I had managed to nurture from my year old first tank; a beautiful 55G full reef.
Do I regret taking on such an immense task that is a 200G reef? Never, the things that I have learnt from those types of problems have been invaluableâ€¦. You donâ€™t get caught out twice in this game! Learning from my mistakes which were 1 drop of inexperience combined with 5 drops of impatience, showed problems on the scale!
Anyways, some of you have been following the very slow progress of my aquarium, but today is a happy day, I am sat here with my glass of wine smiling to myself. Not because the girlfriend is out, oh noâ€¦ because today I can finally say I have a reef.

I hope you like the pictures, these additions are new so they are yet to open up and be beautiful. I will post more pictures when the tank is fully up and running

7 months ago minus all the fish but the hippoâ€¦

and today, a lot has gone on so pics are not that great, but will keep all updated

Raibaru · 09/15/2006, 04:09 PM

I'd love to see a front on shot of your tank.

Mind going in a little detail on what all is hidden behind the scenes? Skimmers, sumps, refugiums and tghe like?

I'm eons away from taking on a task this large, but one day I hope to have enough confidence and experience to pull something like this off!

Grats and can't wait to see more.

SeanySean · 09/15/2006, 04:20 PM

will take a front shot tomorrow for you, I have another seio 2600 arriving and a deltec apf650 to go with the 850 when I set that up will take and show, hopefully the corals I got today wll have opened up a little more, I know the leather won't have as the last one took a week...

Thanks for your positive comments,

Sean

BurntOutReefer · 09/15/2006, 05:55 PM

looks good.....full tank photo mate......plz

SeanySean · 09/16/2006, 11:25 AM

Well a night has passed and I have to say that I am very pleased with the results I have seen today.

Arrived today was a second Deltec skimmer to buffer the other one and a Seio 2600 (to remove the 4 smaller PH's that really were not that great to look at). The new seio is massive and very new looking, though I do not think this ill effect will last long, if the other Seio is anything to go by as this is very purple and it achieved this in a short space of time. The suckers for the Seio remain useless so I think I will go out tomorrow and purchase a large mag float and some tubes of epoxy!!!

As promised here are some pictures of the tank's front and some of the setup I will eventually get all the front and bottom panels in pine like the top side shown in the second picture this way it matches the floor but those asthetic changes are low priority at the moment.

And how some of the additions are doing

the ***** coral and toadstall have taken really well

can't wait for the two xenias in the front come out, they have started, maybe tomorrow

leather coral as expected is still asleep, but does look better already

one of the many crabs

SeanySean · 09/17/2006, 01:32 PM

Day 2 the Xenia's have finally opened up, they are looking healthy together so hopefully my idea of a carpet of colour will at last be able to take shape. The leather is still looking the same not much really happening with him at all

drummereef · 09/17/2006, 01:41 PM

Looks nice. Keep up the good work. Reef on!

SeanySean · 09/17/2006, 02:22 PM

thanks drummereef its deff taking shape now

fufi5 · 09/17/2006, 03:19 PM

It's looking good. Keep us posted on your progress

SeanySean · 09/17/2006, 03:52 PM

Will do, I have a few more things that I will be doing to the tank over the next few weeks, so I will keep a running post.

More LR
Will be changing the lighting by changing one of the MH bulbs from a 10K to 20K so that different areas of the tank are lit by different ratings ranging from 10K - 15K - 20K I think this will provide a very natural effect
More fish any people got any ideas what would look nice?

Keep the comments good and bad comming, it is after all you guys that helped make all this possible -- THANK YOU's

Sean

mg426 · 09/17/2006, 06:00 PM

Nice work.

09/15/2006, 03:47 PM	#1
SeanySean Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Manchester (UK) Posts: 885	Reef on... 200G coming along.. Well fellow reefers this new tank has been a journey I will say the least! This hobby really is one that takes you to each the extremes, unfortunately I have experienced the lower end of the scale because of such unobvious problems like not having shields on my Metal Halide lighting and slowly, one by one losing everything that I had managed to nurture from my year old first tank; a beautiful 55G full reef. Do I regret taking on such an immense task that is a 200G reef? Never, the things that I have learnt from those types of problems have been invaluableâ€¦. You donâ€™t get caught out twice in this game! Learning from my mistakes which were 1 drop of inexperience combined with 5 drops of impatience, showed problems on the scale! Anyways, some of you have been following the very slow progress of my aquarium, but today is a happy day, I am sat here with my glass of wine smiling to myself. Not because the girlfriend is out, oh noâ€¦ because today I can finally say I have a reef. I hope you like the pictures, these additions are new so they are yet to open up and be beautiful. I will post more pictures when the tank is fully up and running 7 months ago minus all the fish but the hippoâ€¦ and today, a lot has gone on so pics are not that great, but will keep all updated __________________ _______________ You paid how much for moldy rock!!!! Current Tank Info: 130G http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1042110

09/15/2006, 04:20 PM	#3
SeanySean Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Manchester (UK) Posts: 885	will take a front shot tomorrow for you, I have another seio 2600 arriving and a deltec apf650 to go with the 850 when I set that up will take and show, hopefully the corals I got today wll have opened up a little more, I know the leather won't have as the last one took a week... Thanks for your positive comments, Sean __________________ _______________ You paid how much for moldy rock!!!! Current Tank Info: 130G http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1042110

09/16/2006, 11:25 AM	#5
SeanySean Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Manchester (UK) Posts: 885	Well a night has passed and I have to say that I am very pleased with the results I have seen today. Arrived today was a second Deltec skimmer to buffer the other one and a Seio 2600 (to remove the 4 smaller PH's that really were not that great to look at). The new seio is massive and very new looking, though I do not think this ill effect will last long, if the other Seio is anything to go by as this is very purple and it achieved this in a short space of time. The suckers for the Seio remain useless so I think I will go out tomorrow and purchase a large mag float and some tubes of epoxy!!! As promised here are some pictures of the tank's front and some of the setup I will eventually get all the front and bottom panels in pine like the top side shown in the second picture this way it matches the floor but those asthetic changes are low priority at the moment. And how some of the additions are doing the ***** coral and toadstall have taken really well can't wait for the two xenias in the front come out, they have started, maybe tomorrow leather coral as expected is still asleep, but does look better already one of the many crabs __________________ _______________ You paid how much for moldy rock!!!! Current Tank Info: 130G http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1042110

09/17/2006, 01:32 PM	#6
SeanySean Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Manchester (UK) Posts: 885	Day 2 the Xenia's have finally opened up, they are looking healthy together so hopefully my idea of a carpet of colour will at last be able to take shape. The leather is still looking the same not much really happening with him at all __________________ _______________ You paid how much for moldy rock!!!! Current Tank Info: 130G http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1042110

09/17/2006, 02:22 PM	#8
SeanySean Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Manchester (UK) Posts: 885	thanks drummereef its deff taking shape now __________________ _______________ You paid how much for moldy rock!!!! Current Tank Info: 130G http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1042110

09/15/2006, 04:09 PM	#2
Raibaru Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Maryland Posts: 979	I'd love to see a front on shot of your tank. Mind going in a little detail on what all is hidden behind the scenes? Skimmers, sumps, refugiums and tghe like? I'm eons away from taking on a task this large, but one day I hope to have enough confidence and experience to pull something like this off! Grats and can't wait to see more.

09/15/2006, 05:55 PM	#4
BurntOutReefer Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Granada Hills Posts: 4,376	looks good.....full tank photo mate......plz

09/17/2006, 01:41 PM	#7
drummereef Team RC Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: STL Posts: 14,754	Looks nice. Keep up the good work. Reef on!

09/17/2006, 03:19 PM	#9
fufi5 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Florida Posts: 60	It's looking good. Keep us posted on your progress __________________ It's not a fish tank, it's an ecosystem. I'm Rick James Btch!! Current Tank Info: 20gal (w/softies)

09/17/2006, 03:52 PM	#10
SeanySean Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Manchester (UK) Posts: 885	Will do, I have a few more things that I will be doing to the tank over the next few weeks, so I will keep a running post. More LR Will be changing the lighting by changing one of the MH bulbs from a 10K to 20K so that different areas of the tank are lit by different ratings ranging from 10K - 15K - 20K I think this will provide a very natural effect More fish any people got any ideas what would look nice? Keep the comments good and bad comming, it is after all you guys that helped make all this possible -- THANK YOU's Sean __________________ _______________ You paid how much for moldy rock!!!! Current Tank Info: 130G http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1042110

09/17/2006, 06:00 PM	#11
mg426 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: maryland Posts: 6,923	Nice work. __________________ 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