grassi Posted August 29, 2009 Author Share Posted August 29, 2009 eheheh.. that's the way I started. just leave the water there a little bit more, add rocks and lights and wife wont even notice the change lol ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CA2OR Posted August 29, 2009 Share Posted August 29, 2009 I do have a 96w PC light that I was thinking of using. I basically want to have a small tank to store the frags for GOC and possibly the prizes. But I know those lights wont support the prizes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Posted August 29, 2009 Share Posted August 29, 2009 I do have a 96w PC light that I was thinking of using. I basically want to have a small tank to store the frags for GOC and possibly the prizes. But I know those lights wont support the prizes. I can set you up with a 400w ballast and maybe a bulb if it is specifically used just for the GOC but it is probably overkill. Get someone to donate a 36" x 18" x 24" (I think thats about 65 gallons) then the light should keep any prizes alive. Or even 36x16x18 may be okay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CA2OR Posted August 29, 2009 Share Posted August 29, 2009 Hmm....that is a good idea. I think you are right on the overkill if that goes over a 20g. I was thinking of a 150w 20k.....I will see about getting a tank that size donated...might be a hard one though. I keep kicking myself for getting rid of my 150w 20k to COReefer, but it was a good trade and I think he is happy too. Sure would have helped out now though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grassi Posted August 29, 2009 Author Share Posted August 29, 2009 I have a 150W on a 10g. I thought it was overkilling and it is for some corals, like zoas. But it is great for hard corals and clams. And with some good landscaping you can create spots for low-light specimen. I started with a 20k then moved to a 14k phoenix. Believe or not the 14k phoenix it is more blue than a ushio 20k. I think that the sizes that Rick suggested are perfect for a second tank. A 20g, especially if it is the long version, it is too small as propagation tank. I started the 100g rubbermaid as a propagation tank. The original idea was to have it connected to the display tank as many other configuration I have seen. But at the end I went for 2 separate systems. If something goes wrong in one tank you can always move corals into the other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grassi Posted August 30, 2009 Author Share Posted August 30, 2009 As the wife, I have to intervene (yes we share the account! lol) The 100 gallon rubbermaid was bought as a sump only for curing the dead rock we got from DJ Giantti.. not as a tank or a prop tank!!! Suddenly it's a "tank" not "sump" and today I come home and there's my favorite fish in it... how can I fight against it now.. They're tricky, these italians (scratch) -Jamie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grassi Posted August 30, 2009 Author Share Posted August 30, 2009 Tomorrow I'm gonna put some pizza and a mandolino inside it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CA2OR Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 lol.....that is funny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grassi Posted October 24, 2009 Author Share Posted October 24, 2009 The new toy I was finally able to add a controller to the 65 gallon. Mostly for when I will be leaving the tank alone for one month in december (going back to Europe for holidays). I got the new Neptune Apex with lab grade ph probe. So far I like it a lot, even if the user interface is kinda weird. Somehow is much easier to go advanced and program it just with the code. At now I'm controlling: main lights (I switch from Halides to T5 recently, just to give them a try) fuge light return pump closed loop skimmer kalk reactor moonlights Heater and fan will be added later, they are the most dangerous.. I'm monitoring temperature and ph and I'm satisfied to see how the ph curves are stable even during the night (probably for the frequent kalk stirring). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smann Posted October 24, 2009 Share Posted October 24, 2009 Very Nice, you'll like the controller alot!. Do you have it hooked up to your network yet, I found programming thru the computer alot easier and you will be able to monitor your tank remotely while you are gone. I just returned from three weeks away, is someone going to house sit for you?. If you come to the meeting we can talk about things that have come up on our trips, this time I did hire someone to come by once a week, clean, test, change media,etc and I had them come the day I was returning to have it clean when I got home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grassi Posted October 24, 2009 Author Share Posted October 24, 2009 Updated tank pic from last night! We're slowly moving over stock from the 10 gallon (was really packed!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CA2OR Posted January 16, 2010 Share Posted January 16, 2010 got any updated pic's of your corals and such? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grassi Posted January 16, 2010 Author Share Posted January 16, 2010 Yes both corals and equipment. I will update with pics soon :-) Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CA2OR Posted January 17, 2010 Share Posted January 17, 2010 nice.....looking forward to that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grassi Posted January 19, 2010 Author Share Posted January 19, 2010 Some updates Updated FTS in the first post. In 3 months I've noticed a good growing rate on both soft and stony corals. Tank was unattended for about a month in december. Mostly was done with the help of the Apex controller, a not expert friend and, when all failed one day... with some great people from the forum (mytshall, thanks again!!!). I had a little algae bloom, similar to some I experienced in the past in other tanks I started here in the US. In Italy we use to start/cycle the tanks in the dark for 1 month. I always felt that procedure not useful and boring, but I think that next tank is gonna follow the old school. I added the ORP probe and I noticed my Mv a little down. So I re-planned a little bit the flow and filtration and in one week I'm already seeing good results. Let's hope :-) Some pics: First shows some improved flow, the sump and the tank full opened. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grassi Posted January 19, 2010 Author Share Posted January 19, 2010 and some corals, some new, some growing from frags: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smann Posted January 19, 2010 Share Posted January 19, 2010 Looks good, filling up nice with some good sized corals. So what have you been doing to get things going well, list some details Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grassi Posted January 19, 2010 Author Share Posted January 19, 2010 Yes, now we are mostly filling with some medium-size sps. We also moved some soft corals from the nanos. But I'm gonna move them in the new setup I'm planning, as soon as is ready. The 65 is gonna be sps only. I added some flow other than the return and closed loop. I'm still running your gen-x in the CL :-) I just added a modified Maxi Jet with the 1600gph impeller. Then I added a double media reactor loaded with GFO pellets and large lignite. I added the DI to mi RO. Fastly the reading on the ORP are going to the right numbers, if we can say that. Algae are disappearing, water is cleaning up and corals looking even better. I keep adding just kalk on the top-off with the reactor, stirring accordingly to the ph with the Apex. I don't have a need of more calcium at now. I have the opposite problem, that's why I keep some cactus algae in the tank and sump. I added some fans near to the lights and switched to T5 from MH. With the help of a little heater I can keep the temp in a range of half degree. So in general I'm working on equilibrium and seems to give some good results. I started adding just some vitamins, amminoacids and garlic for both coral and fish. Every once in a while, not following a schedule. I keep adding iodine as a prevention for diseases (rtn, bugs and so on). Until now I used to do 1 water change per week, about 10%. I'm gonna try with a monthly water change + daily tiny water changes, like somebody used to do back in the days. I'm gonna see if is gonna work better, mostly for the fact that is also a way to add nutrients, trace elements and so on every day, and not all at once. If it is gonna work I will find a way to automate it, generating some sort of over-skimming and saltwater top-off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stylaster Posted January 19, 2010 Share Posted January 19, 2010 tank is looking good, looks like the corals are really starting to take off! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grassi Posted April 9, 2010 Author Share Posted April 9, 2010 Just added some tech info in the first post Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moto826 Posted April 9, 2010 Share Posted April 9, 2010 you have a nice set up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grassi Posted April 9, 2010 Author Share Posted April 9, 2010 Thanks moto! I'm trying to make it better. I'm tagging along your zoas posts. I have some nice rare zoas growing, maybe we can trade one day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grassi Posted April 9, 2010 Author Share Posted April 9, 2010 Some corals I got this week Got this beautiful monti form Miles (impur) and he was so nice to add a free frag! I got this from a friend: Some nice zoas: pearl lime lavender carlgreni Orinia torpida st thomas 2 polyps of Purple People Eaters: grean grape lotus eater palys Aussie Hammer Not the best pic of a Scoly A local shop sold me a goniopora as a beginner coral when I was a beginner. This is my revenge: I want see if I'm able to keep it now I love capricornis. This is my new green with purple ring, thanks to reefnjunkie A big chalice that imo is gonna color up well My caleidoscopic cloves are growing fast, for the people who asked me a frag of it: I also got a beautiful yuma and a chalice that were not doing well and I'm gonna try to bring them back to life. Or I will just organize a coral funeral Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgf86123 Posted April 9, 2010 Share Posted April 9, 2010 Jamie/Alex, would you mind telling me where you got those purple PE's from as well as the green grape lotus eater? TIA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grassi Posted April 9, 2010 Author Share Posted April 9, 2010 I can tell you... but then I would have to kill you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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