Scopus' 65gal Reef Diary

[scopus tang]

65 Gallon Indo-Pacific Reef
(hopefully I'm posting this in the right place, if not, mods feel free to move it)
Been going to do this for awhile, but haven't had time. Some of you I know have seen several of these pictures, but I wanted to compile all of them into a nice diary. It'll take me some time to get everything posted so bear with me.
My goal when I started this tank (my 6th) was to create a Indo-Pacific Reef with a DSB and refugium, with minimal impact on existing reefs (as you will see, I have kind of strayed from my objective)
I've kept saltwater tanks for several years at the high school were I work, but deal with several issues, like limited budgets and summertime heat, so this was to be my very own ~ limited only by my own budget.
First, the tank and equipment list
Aquarium: AGA 65 gallon reef-ready tank
Stand: Custom built-in stand & canopy of aromatic cedar [still not complete]
Light: Coralife Aqualight Pro 250W 10,000K MH w/ two 65W PC true Actinics and two 1W 470NM Blue Moon Glow LED Moonlights
Canister Filter: RENA XP2 (carbon only) [Swapped out for Magnum 350]
Heaters: two Visi-therm 150W heaters
Powerheads: 2 1200 Maxijets w/ Hydor flo deflectors [Swapped out for Hydor korlia #1 and #2]
Sump/Refugium: Orca Eco-series 24" x 10" Profuge Refugium w/ Skimmer [Swapped out for DIY 30gal sump/refugium] [/COLOR[Swapped skimmer for Coralife Super Skimmer 65]
Return Pump: Used mag [Swapped out for a Quietone #4]
Please feel free to comment on what I've done, ask questions, and make suggestions ~ I don't promise to take all advice or suggestions, but I do like hearing them.
After all, its not the endpoint alone, but the journey, as well as what we learn along the way!

 

[scopus tang]

Having kept salt tanks at school for several years, I became frustrated with issues of trying to successfully keep them at school, and became determined to have one at home. In March of 2007, I begin finishing the master bedroom area in our home, and we had designed a library/den area off the master bedroom. I decided (with my wife's permission) to include a salt tank in the area. The tank was going to be builtin and reef-ready. The pictures below show the work in progress.
View from the master bedroom out;

View from the library to the master bedroom

By the beginning of June, the library/stand was semicomplete and ready for water. Unfortunately, I'd been waiting for a manufactored sump from ORCA, which was ordered through my LFS for several months already, and it still hadn't arrived

.

 

[scopus tang]

Finally frustrated with being unable to receive an intact sump through my LFS, I ordered one myself in October. Since the goal for the tank was minimal impact on reefs, I had predetermined that I would be using man-made rock as well. So in early November, with the sump on the way, I ordered my man-made rock.
By November 21st, both sump and rock had arrived, and I was ready to start. Plumbing was completed and the tank was finally aquascaped (or so I thought) and running by Nov. 25th.
Full Tank Shot

Close-up of Aquascaping

The skimmer shipped with the sump begin dripping water in the stand on day one, so was removed at the end of the first week and replaced with the Coralife Super Skimmer 65. Once the tank was running, I ordered LS activator for my DSB.

 

[scopus tang]

Dec. 6th my LS activator arrived, and I began the process of cycling the tank. Because of the activator I didn't have to cycle with either shrimp or a fish. By Dec. 15th, ammonia and nitrites had both spiked, and I'd done my 20% water change to reduce nitrates. The diatom bloom was underway. On the 20th, with nitrates near zero and diatoms receding, I added my first corals; a GSP frag, a Xenia frag, and a hairy mushroom frag, the first members of my clean-up crew; 10 nassarius snails, and my first fish; a scopas tang.

Close-up of Xenia

Close-up of hairy mushrooms

Close-up of Green Star Polyp

 

[alohami]

Wow! I love all the wood. I have a 65g too, so it's nice to see what someone else is doing with theirs.

 

[mr.craby]

that looks so cool ,must have taken along time to build that tank set up ..but it will be well worth it once its done..enjoy!!!!!

 

[scopus tang]

Originally Posted by AlohaMI
http:///forum/post/2605333
Wow! I love all the wood. I have a 65g too, so it's nice to see what someone else is doing with theirs.

Thanks ~ although sometimes its a little too much; wishing I'd done the floor in tile rather than wood. Oh well, just give me a remodel project

.

 

[scopus tang]

Originally Posted by MR.CRABY
http:///forum/post/2605401
that looks so cool ,must have taken along time to build that tank set up ..but it will be well worth it once its done..enjoy!!!!!
Thank you ~ did indeed take some time, but I'm pretty happy with the current results, and once I get the doors on (cut down on noise and light), my wife will be too!

 

[scopus tang]

By December 20th, the nitrates had dropped to zero, and I increased the clean-up crew, adding turbo snails, mexican turbos, a single super tongin, red-legged and mini-blue legged hermit snails. I also added a banded serpent star and a astrea seastar.
Mixed hermits

Red-legged hermits

Astrea Seastar (taken May 12, '08)

 

[scopus tang]

Early in January three of us took a trip to the not so local LFS in Billings Montana. I added two blue mushrooms. Had the worst luck I've ever had getting these suckers to finally attach ~ one disappeared under the rock, so I'm now down to one . The following day, the three of us got together again, and I aquired a number of tank additions from established tanks

. Including; two small colt coral frags, two plating montiporas (one purple, one tan w/pink edges), my purple ribbon gorgonian (Gorgonia pterogorgia), and a coralline covered red mushroom rock ~ which I got to introduce coralline to the system.

Colt coral w/blue mushroom in background

Tan montipora w/pink edges

Coralline covered Red mushroom rock

 

[spiderwoman]

Nice Scopus!! I love all of the wood you have in your rooms. Reminds me a lot of home.
How did the paly's from Steve turn out?

 

[scopus tang]

Originally Posted by SpiderWoman
http:///forum/post/2606682
Nice Scopus!! I love all of the wood you have in your rooms. Reminds me a lot of home.
How did the paly's from Steve turn out?
Thank you Spidey, I love the warm feeling of wood

. My wife wasn't so sure when we started, she was worried about too much (have to post a picture of the finished product, its definitely got lots), but now she loves it. Turned out really well. Palys and zoas from Steve both turned out great ~ when I get that far I'll post some pictures (stay tuned).

 

[myzislow]

OMG your hermit crabs are amazing!!!!

 

[scopus tang]

Originally Posted by myzislow
http:///forum/post/2607691
OMG your hermit crabs are amazing!!!!
Really? Here I thought they were just plain old hermit crabs

?!

 

[scopus tang]

Ok, several of you commented on the woodwork, so here's a couple of shots of the master bedroom, fireplace, and library (99% complete ~ still have to make and hang the trim). Enjoy
Master Bedroom (corner shot)

Fireplace (focal point of the room)

Looking into library from master bedroom

More zoomed

 

[spiderwoman]

Do you have a log house?

 

[scopus tang]

Mid January, I added three new corals purchased from the LFS; a blue bullseye mushroom rock, some Zoas (Armor of God), and a blue-orange ricordia mushroom. Fell in love with both the Zoas and the Ricordia under actinic lights

.
Bullseye

Armor of God Zoas

Armor of God Zoas under actinic lights

Ricordia

Here's the ricordia under actinic lighting

Better image

 

[scopus tang]

Couple days later, we received a large shipment of zoa and mushroom frags from an online company ~ unfortunately, most of the zoas turned out to be only two different color variations (orange w/green skirts ~ dragon eye? and emerald green ~ ?). Mushrooms consisted of a nice green Yuma, a neon red, and a what I believe is some type of green hairy (but not sure). Also added an electric green zoa from the LFS.
LS w/new corals

RS w/new corals

New Mushrooms

Zoa (orange centered w/green skirt ~ Dragon eye?)

Zoa (emerald green ~ name unknown ~ anybody know?)

Zoa (Electric Green)

 

[scopus tang]

Unfortunately within a few days, the scopas tang began eating my zoas and had to be removed ~ went into a similar sized tank at school.
On January 23rd, 2008 I was shown this board by a friend, and I been here bugging you all since!

 

[gatorwpb]

Very nice! I love my 65 too and its great to see how the same tank can be put together in so many different ways!