I'm new, I wanted to post some pictures of my 125 reef

reefstar22

reefstar22

Member
Hey guys,
I just moved into my new house, and im just now starting my reef yay! its about 6 months old now....and im just starting to get ready to start adding some really nice things. Today I bought my first clam. She is amazing. I dont have a picture of her yet...but let me fill you in on what I have...and what my plans are... hopefully you guys can help direct me in the correct path!

Lights:
2 400 watt MH
4 55 Watt PC
Tank size:
125 gallons
Filter:
100 gallons/35 gallon refigum (deep sand bed) around 90lbs of sand (Un moved)
2 protein skimmers.
1 UV Sterilizer
I use RO DI water ONLY.
Rock:
300lbs
Sand (Including deep sand bed):
130lbs.
Total water displacement:
255 Gallons.
Water Flow:
3600 GPH
Current Livestock:
1 sail fin tang.
1 naso tang
1 kole tang
1 pink spoted goby
1 set of mated clowns (false percs)
1 dusty goby
2 serpent stars
1 sand sifting star
1 cbs shrimp.
Corals:
nothing really, just tons of mushrooms and zoas.
1. clam.
Let me know what you think!... again she is a new tank..so be gental! :)




 
hardcrab67

hardcrab67

Member
Sweet set-up
The only suggestion I have is to put a styrofoam pad between the concrete floor and the storage tank or on a pallet. The heater won't have to work as hard. Don't know how your winters are, but the concrete will hold the cold. I have to keep mine elevated so the heater doesn't have to run constantly in the winter months or even get it to temperature if its really freezing outside temps, but I'm set-up above ground in a pump house. Your's in the basement? I'd still put a 1" sheet of insulation down. Just a thought. Really nice set-up!
 
reefstar22

reefstar22

Member
Originally Posted by Gen1Dustin
Looks nice, that's really neat how the sump & filter is remotely located in your garage.
Its actully in my basement! :) The pipes however run through my garage.
 
reefstar22

reefstar22

Member
Originally Posted by hardcrab67
Sweet set-up
The only suggestion I have is to put a styrofoam pad between the concrete floor and the storage tank or on a pallet. The heater won't have to work as hard. Don't know how your winters are, but the concrete will hold the cold. I have to keep mine elevated so the heater doesn't have to run constantly in the winter months or even get it to temperature if its really freezing outside temps, but I'm set-up above ground in a pump house. Your's in the basement? I'd still put a 1" sheet of insulation down. Just a thought. Really nice set-up!
Do you think it will get cold enough for that? At the moment I dont even run a heater on my tank, My pump/lights....keep it at 76F all by themself. I actully am looking to buy a chiller because sometimes I get up near 79F Mid-Day.
But I can see where your coming from with winter....This is something im going to have to do!
Thank you for the advise...right now..I hope the floor is chilling my tank :) (Cheap Chiller) ..hehe
 
reefstar22

reefstar22

Member
Originally Posted by zanoshanox
Very beautiful, got any closeups? Are those just with the actinic pcs on or are the mh 20k's?

Those pictures were taken without the MH's on. They come on around 1pm. So once they come on today, I'll take pictures for everyone!
I also just wanted to say, thank you to everyone for such a warm welcome!
Other then the set up suggestions...are they're any advised corals that are inexpensive that are really nice? ...or just some really nice corals out there ..that people like?
Thanks!
 
hardcrab67

hardcrab67

Member
Originally Posted by Reefstar22
Do you think it will get cold enough for that? At the moment I dont even run a heater on my tank, My pump/lights....keep it at 76F all by themself. I actully am looking to buy a chiller because sometimes I get up near 79F Mid-Day.
But I can see where your coming from with winter....This is something im going to have to do!
Thank you for the advise...right now..I hope the floor is chilling my tank :) (Cheap Chiller) ..hehe
Actually my 18g totes are on the concrete floor for just that reason, in these 100deg. days its actually keeping the water at 85deg and I bring it to the living room to finish cooling to 78, while I'm cleaning the tank. CHEAP chiller! Last winter I kept 30g of RO in the house and mixed SW by hand then raised the temp in the bathtub. What a pain in the #$%^. So I'm trying to get ready for winter now w/ elevated storage tanks and heaters like I've done in the past w/ FW Discus. My tropical plants have lost their winter home. AHH yet another task, where to put them. I need a basement! WAIT, I have an attic :joy: See we're a big "think tank", you have gave me an idea, Thx!
 
reefstar22

reefstar22

Member
Originally Posted by hardcrab67
Actually my 18g totes are on the concrete floor for just that reason, in these 100deg. days its actually keeping the water at 85deg and I bring it to the living room to finish cooling to 78, while I'm cleaning the tank. CHEAP chiller! Last winter I kept 30g of RO in the house and mixed SW by hand then raised the temp in the bathtub. What a pain in the #$%^. So I'm trying to get ready for winter now w/ elevated storage tanks and heaters like I've done in the past w/ FW Discus. My tropical plants have lost their winter home. AHH yet another task, where to put them. I need a basement! WAIT, I have an attic :joy: See we're a big "think tank", you have gave me an idea, Thx!

I talked to a few people locally they said the basement floor would help keep the tank more stable without having to use a chiller.
Im going to give it a try, at the time it stays around the mid 70's even with the MH's on...so for now its working...only winter will tell! :)
Those white pipes you saw are actully going outside to my garage...in the winter im going to leave that area open...that way it will keep my tank colder...allowing me to leave my MH's on 10-12 hours a day...giving me wicked good growth! :)
 
macsmith77

macsmith77

Member
Reefstar, if you don't mind me asking, with all that light, in a hood, do you have issues with temp? I noticed there was not chiller in your list. I live in AZ, and have about 1/3 the setup you do, with about 1/4 the light and find that my heater has not been on once, we even had to turn the ac up a tic just to keep things under 80ish. Thanks. By the way, that setup is absolutely georgeous, all the behind the scenes stuff out of the way, I love it.
 
trigger78

trigger78

Member
Nice nice very very nice. I need to run my set up to the basement just like that. What size pump do you run for the return and size pipe and head height? Just curious as to what I will be getting into. But very very nice again.
 
reefstar22

reefstar22

Member
Originally Posted by Trigger78
Nice nice very very nice. I need to run my set up to the basement just like that. What size pump do you run for the return and size pipe and head height? Just curious as to what I will be getting into. But very very nice again.

The pump I run is a 1/4HP pump. The pipe size is 1 1/4 (I believe..im bad with sizes).. I have 15 feet of head with 7 elblows.
I do around 3000 gallons per hour ( or so im told ) (I could be wrong)
Thank you for the comments! My girlfriend just think its a fishtank.... doesn't see everything behind it.
 
reefstar22

reefstar22

Member
Originally Posted by Trigger78
oh yeah and i forgot. The abstract work on the right is nice too. Is the artist a listed artist?

Thanks, actully its just something I bought at world market for $50 ;)
 
reefstar22

reefstar22

Member
Originally Posted by macsmith77
OMG, sorry just read the post above, it snuck in there on me. Sorrry everyone, I should pay more attention.

No biggy :)
 
reefstar22

reefstar22

Member
as for cost, my suggestions is to buy everything used! I got the pump used for $150 :cheer: as for the pipes/elbows..etc they cost me around $200
way to expensive if you cost me...but the job is done.
my electric bill because of the tank is around $90 per month.
 
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