nanoreefer17 Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 Started this project back in Winter 2015, and after about 6 months of planning. I am now one month in to my first reef! 29 Gallon display drilled, with 20 Gallon custom built sump & stand. FTS COMING SOON Hardware: Evergrow 2040 LED light fixture 2x RW-4 Wavemakers Coralife 65Gallon Skimmer Bubble Magus 3 Part Dosing Pump Tunze 3155 ATO 300GPH Sicce Return Pump Magnetic Refugium LED 2x 150 Watt Eheim Heaters BRS Mini Reactor w/ Carbon/Seachem Phosban tumbling Filtration: Coralife 65Gallon Skimmer 2x 4" gravity fed filter socks BRS Mini Reactor w/ Carbon/Seachem Phosban tumbling Refugium with macro algae 25LBs Live Rock 1.5 Inch Sandbed Livestock: Fish 2x Clownfish Possum Wrasse Starry Blenny Baggai Cardinalfish Invertebrates Blue Tuxedo Urchin Red Sea Cucumber Emerald Crab Red Bubble Tip Anemone 2x Sea Slugs 5x White Leg Hermit Crabs 7x Blue Leg Hermit Crabs 3x Scarlet Hermit Crabs 10x Dwarf Cerith Snails 3x Florida Ceriths 5x Nassarius Vibex 3x Nerite Snails 3x Trochus Snails Corals: Soft Devil's hand leather coral Neon green toadstool White toadstool Cream rasta leather Cespitularia Green Star Polyps Pulsing Xenia (In Refugium Only) LPS Branching Duncan Pink No Name Colony SPS Garf Bonsai Cali Tort Pink Lemonade Red Fire Digitata Green Montipora Cap Red Montipora Cap Alien Haystack Paradise birdsnest Hydnophora rigata Red pocillopora Zoas Green/Yellow Fire & Ice Purple Face I would appreciate all comments and feedback on coral placement, aquascaping, livestock choices, ect.... Thanks for looking! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nanoreefer17 Posted October 23, 2015 Author Share Posted October 23, 2015 FTS Build Updates 8/30/2015 9/10/2015 10/9/2015 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeramy Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 Tank is looking good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badxgillen Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 Dang! Thats come a long way fast, looking good so far man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emerald525 Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 Very nice write up on your tank! How are you liking your possum wrasse? I was going to get one for my 20 but got a dwarf eel instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nanoreefer17 Posted October 23, 2015 Author Share Posted October 23, 2015 Tank is looking good. Dang! Thats come a long way fast, looking good so far man. Thanks for the positive feedback! I will keep this thread updated through the holidays with more FTS. I am currently trying to stabilize water conditions and setup dosing pump to maintain these SPS, so well see how that works out! Very nice write up on your tank! How are you liking your possum wrasse? I was going to get one for my 20 but got a dwarf eel instead. Thanks as well, and I love the possum wrasse. Funny story here, I purchased my liverock from a fellow reefer who was getting out of the hobby. So after about 4-5 days of having the live rock in the tank while cycling, one night I see the possum wrasse appear. He was quite a surprise as he had been hiding in the rock though the cycle. He was the first fish added to the tank, and therefore has a very comfortable personality interacting with the other fish, the clowns especially get a long well with him. He spends much time hunting for pods, and diving in and out of the rock work, he hides about half the time which makes his appearances more fun to watch. Definitely my main [language filter], hands down favorite fish in the tank! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spectra Posted October 24, 2015 Share Posted October 24, 2015 (edited) Looking good! Takes me back as a 29 was my first tank when I was a kid many many moons ago Edited October 24, 2015 by spectra Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nanoreefer17 Posted November 10, 2015 Author Share Posted November 10, 2015 Update on my tank. Moved my scape around and built a couple magnetic shelves today. I purchased a small live rock and went to a place that builds granite counter tops and had them cut it in half for me. I then went to my local hardware store and purchased a couple 25lb magnets, of which I will probably upgrade for safety. Mounted a couple pieces of scrap metal I also found at the hardware store to the back of the rocks using glue. And then proceeded to display them! Also got a handful of new corals this weekend so I plan to attach them to the shelves either tonight or tomorrow as they start to open up a bit more! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 That looks really cool, though I'm not sure I'd be comfortable with some steel rusting away in my tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nanoreefer17 Posted November 10, 2015 Author Share Posted November 10, 2015 That looks really cool, though I'm not sure I'd be comfortable with some steel rusting away in my tank. Yeah I initially had the same thought but then did some reading, and I read reports of people having them in their tank for 5-6 + years with no issues. So until I hear some bad experiences I am not too worried. Also, I figured it happens at such a slow rate that wont consistent water changes cycle it out over time? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishmanmike01 Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 Also would be concerned about metal in the display. The salt will rust it faster then a jack rabbit in its prime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nanoreefer17 Posted November 10, 2015 Author Share Posted November 10, 2015 Also would be concerned about metal in the display. The salt will rust it faster then a jack rabbit in its prime. Yeah, maybe some sort of spray paint style rubber sealant or something would keep it from rusting? Any ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 Many rubber sealants have additives to help them stay flexible, and over time they'll leech into the water. I wouldn't trust spray paint to do much more than slow down the rusting, and would be concerned about leeching chemicals there too. You could investigate using an acrylic resin, not sure if they're stable in water over time. You could also experiment with making a tight-fitting acrylic 'box' for the metal, but it'd be a lot of work and really difficult to glue the rock to. I can't think of a cheap or easy solution... salt water is rough on just about everything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nanoreefer17 Posted November 10, 2015 Author Share Posted November 10, 2015 Yeah I have not came up with anything yet either but I am continuously open to more suggestions I am sure there is some sort of sealant that would hold. My Tunze ATO uses a rubber seal around its magnet, but I am not sure how that one is built exactly, and cost is definitely part of the equation. I would be curious what kind of damage the metal can actually do, and in what kind of time frame. Although if I can come up with a worry free fix that would be great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 Steel has many components aside from iron and carbon -- many of them you don't want in your tank in concentration (things like nickel, zinc, chromium, manganese, etc etc) because they're rough on living things. The iron by itself will contribute to excess green algae growth and perhaps cyano. Of course, you're free to set up your tank as you see fit but it won't be long before you have a fair bit of money tied up in beautiful livestock... are you sure you want to experiment with poisoning the lot? I doubt you'll find an experienced reefer who'll tell you to leave the steel in there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishmanmike01 Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 I have to agree with Andy. Even as a Newby, I knew enough that saltwater and metal don't mix. Perhaps encapsulate the magnets in an epoxy or silicone and place the metal on the exterior of the tank rather than the inside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nanoreefer17 Posted November 10, 2015 Author Share Posted November 10, 2015 Alright yeah thanks for the advice I will brainstorm for the next couple days and see if I can't come up with some way to seal it in. I was hoping to not have to silicone the rock to the wall, but I might end up just going that route Sent from my VS986 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Higher Thinking Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 There is definitely aquarium safe epoxy. There was even a thread not too long ago where people were sealing their sand bed in epoxy. I think gluing the metal bar to the rock and then coating in epoxy is the way to go. Without having done much scientific reading on metal in reef tanks, I won't make a blanket claim that it will ruin your tank. I will say, however, that I would never risk that.....ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nanoreefer17 Posted November 10, 2015 Author Share Posted November 10, 2015 There is definitely aquarium safe epoxy. There was even a thread not too long ago where people were sealing their sand bed in epoxy. I think gluing the metal bar to the rock and then coating in epoxy is the way to go. Without having done much scientific reading on metal in reef tanks, I won't make a blanket claim that it will ruin your tank. I will say, however, that I would never risk that.....ever. Okay maybe I will hunt down that then, and then see about getting some larger magnets depending on how it effects the strength. Based on everyone's hesitation of having metal in the tank I will be looking to do this, this week hopefully. Sent from my VS986 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nanoreefer17 Posted November 12, 2015 Author Share Posted November 12, 2015 Update: I removed the metal from the inside, as it had already started to rust pretty good in only 3 days. I simply used coral glue and epoxy to mount it to the wall. Might not be as convenient to move around or remove, but I am happy to be less paranoid. Thanks for the tips, I will keep updates of the tank going as some of the new corals start to open up. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bowen1022 Posted January 1, 2016 Share Posted January 1, 2016 Your tank is great man! Keep up the good work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nanoreefer17 Posted January 3, 2016 Author Share Posted January 3, 2016 Your tank is great man! Keep up the good work I appreciate the positive feedback! Just looked over your build thread as well and have to say the smaller tanks can be quite fun! I am also a college student so I feel your pain on wishing for a larger tank sometimes, but I do love the minimal maintenance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nanoreefer17 Posted January 3, 2016 Author Share Posted January 3, 2016 Hey people, figured I would post an update, and also using this as a timeline myself as well so posting at the start of the year seems necessary! I picked up an apex lite off craigslist, and loving it so far but also feel like I could get more use out of it than I am if I understood all its abilities better. Regardless it is cool, and hopefully I learn more about it with time, tips on it would be great! Also got a new skimmer the Aquamaxx C0-1 after having my old Coralife break on me. I figured a bigger tank will be in the near distant future, so I went a little +1. Its awesome though so far, only had it running two days but seems to be breaking in pretty quick, already pulling pretty dark skim! Got a cleaner shrimp since my last post, who seems to be doing well! Also got two green no-name SPS, and a pink no name SPS who have all been doing relatively well, yet to color up completely but all have great polyp extension. Got a candy cane frag that is already beginning to split, and so far no problems with the homemade shelves, one is simply glued to the wall ,and the other held up by ceramic magnets covered in epoxy. Sadly lost 3 of my initial SPS frags due to shifting water quality when installing the dosing pump, although now have stable Ca around 460, and alk just above 9. Not dosing magnesium, just doing weekly, and sometimes bi-weekly water changes. Also picked up a sun coral a few weeks back, and now realize the difficulty of keeping NPS corals, although he is opening every night I cant seem to get him looking as healthy as I would like, especially given my two week absence on vacation this winter. Hopefully he can pull through, seems to be doing better each night. Sadly also lost my anemone while on vacation, as he crawled underneath some rocks and my sitter was unable to locate or feed it, and still cannot find him, which has been worrying me a bit, maybe someone with experience on this could chime in. Never though a 29g could be such an abyss... Can't seem to keep macroalgae alive, usually just using calerpa, which just dies within 1-2 weeks. Any tips on this, is my tank too clean? Stopped running carbon in hopes to dirty things up slightly, but still tumbling Phosban. Also setup a strict dosing a feeding regiment: Dosing Reef Energy A & B 3x week 2ml each Dosing Coral Colors 2x week 3ml each feeding reef chili every other night, spread throughout Feeding brine shrimp, mysis, and flake on a rotation daily for the fish Feeding mysis to both sun coral and duncan nightly Sorry for the long post, hope someone other than me can appreciate! Happy new year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nanoreefer17 Posted January 3, 2016 Author Share Posted January 3, 2016 Meant to post this, not a double of that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bowen1022 Posted January 3, 2016 Share Posted January 3, 2016 Looking good man Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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