new reef tank

[jtrzerocool]

i just started this one on 7-8-2007

here are a few shots of it.it is still cycling(about 4 weeks left) and the anticipation is killing me. it is a 55g acrylic reef ready tank. i dont like the rockwork on the left side yet but i am working on it. i currently have a rio HF20 pump, DIY Skimmer with a rio 600 powerhead, DIY 29g Sump, 85lbs of live rock,200w all-glass heater, modified durso standpipe(had to heat and bend the pvc pipe because the 1" standpipe did not fit the way that i wanted it),Current USA 2X150w 14000k MH's with 18 lunar lights(not shown on tank).like i said, it will be a full reef tank. not sure of stock yet! i will be looking for a pair of clowns with no stripes(i can get them from my LFS for about $30 each) or a pair of black and white perc. clowns. any comments and suggestion are welcome.
thanks for looking
-Joel

 

[steve24]

nice job

i like the rock work, lots of nooks and crannys for your corals and caves for the fish to swim through...

 

[jtrzerocool]

Originally Posted by steve24
nice job

i like the rock work, lots of nooks and crannys for your corals and caves for the fish to swim through...
thank you so much
i tried to get the left side to look "natural", however i still dont like how it looks. i think i am going to move that rock on the top far left to the sump and buy another rock to take its spot. it looks out-of-place there. maybe that is just my pickey side coming out!

 

[jtrzerocool]

partial stock list
CUC
1 cleaner shrimp
1 fire shrimp
30 turbo snails
10-20 nassarius snails
10-20 hermits(in sump)
Fish List
2 black and whith Percs. OR 2 no stripe OR 2 flame Colwns(i'm indecisive)
1 yellow watchman Goby
1 sixline Wrasse
Possibly 1 Foxface
so what do you guys think of my list and the tank?
i am open to suggestions and would love to hear tips on the stock list!

 

[grumpygils]

ANY rock touching the glass will scratch it. You have to be ultra careful with acrylic! Also, one spec of gravel on the mag float will also ding it!
Mc

 

[jtrzerocool]

i know. does it appear that the rock is touching the acrylic? there is no rock touching the acrylic. i had an incident when i was first putting the rock in the tank because one or the rocks was a little too big for the 2 openings on the top of the tank. i had to angle it in wierd directions to get it in the tank. so there are a few minor scraches on the top of the tank but the rest of the rock is not on the acrylic at all.

 

[scotty37]

What causes the water level to be so low? is that how it works over the overflow without flooding the sump?

 

[jtrzerocool]

the water level in the main tank is a bout 1" from the top of the tank. and the water level in the overflow is 3-4" from the top of the tank. the purpose of the Durso Standpipe is to eliminate the "waterfall" noise. it prevents the water from having to travel a long distance before it hits anything. thus eliminating the "waterfall" and you can tune it to your own specs to eliminate the "slurping "noise also. the loudest thing in my tank is the return pump.

 

[jtrzerocool]

as for not fludding the sump, i have drilled a tiny hole in the rear of my return so that the pump will not start a syphon and flud the sump in the event of total pump failure or in the event of a power outage.

 

[jtrzerocool]

anyone have opinions or suggestions on the stock list above?

 

[scotty37]

Do you have a picture of the tiny hole you drilled? Im confused as to how a hole in the return line doesnt force water out of it?

 

[jtrzerocool]

i will take a pic of it tonight for you and post it. i am at work and will be off about 3:30 or so, so i should heve the pic up by 4 or 5.

 

[jtrzerocool]

it does have some water come out of it but all you need to is drill it just below the water line and then as soon as the water line hits that hole it will start sucking air and the syphon stops.

 

[shrimpi]

Here hope this helps.
A pic is worth too many words for me to type! lol.
Its a simple concept, I had no clue what the LFS meant when they explained it to me the first time.

 

[prevwon]

^^That's the return??

 

[jtrzerocool]

Originally Posted by Shrimpi
Here hope this helps.
A pic is worth too many words for me to type! lol.
Its a simple concept, I had no clue what the LFS meant when they explained it to me the first time.

thanks so much for posting a pic
thats exacty what mine looks like.
sorry about not getting a pic but it was a LONG weekend for me.
btw, yes that is the return. it is the part that comes over the edge ot the tank instead of drilling the tank more then it already is.

 

[jtrzerocool]

i took a pic of my return but i could not get a pic of the hole itself. it is behind the tank and i cant get a clear pic of it. however i did indicate where the hole is on the return.

 

[jtrzerocool]

ok since the last time that i posted here i have painted the background blue. i added 3 green chromis. and i also added a Koralia #2 powerhead(the rotating powerhead died on me in about 3 days so i got my money back). i hope you all like the tank.
comments and concerns welcome!

 

[renogaw]

very nice, didn't see this post before.
the fish list looks ok, but wait on the foxface for algae to get established in the tank.

 

[renogaw]

CUCs a little out of whack though.
i'd say about 10 astrea snails
2 mexican turbos
hermits in the DT, keep them fed and with new shells and you'll be fine.
nass snails in both sump and dt, but make sure you get tonga (not ibex) nass. snails.
not sure i'd want a fire shrimp
get a couple emerald crabs or at least one emerald and a sally light foot (awesome crab if you keep it fed)
not sure about a cleaner shrimp, you may want peppermints instead.