Zarathustra2 Posted August 6, 2009 Share Posted August 6, 2009 Figured since I just locked a deal for my 90 and it is becoming a reality I would go ahead and start a tank blog on the setup. I have three main goals with this tank. I want an all natural reef. No skimmer and only minimal mechanical filtration will be used. To accomplish this I am using two deep sand beds. A very oversized refugium and oversized algae scrubbers. My stocking goal starts with keeping a pair of mandarins happy. Secondary is a good amount of filter feeders ranging from clams to non photo-synthetic corals to sea squirts. Ideally I want a feather star to be happy. If the claims of the algae scrubber people are true I should also be able to keep SPS as my phosphates and Nitrates will be taken up by the algae scrubber while leaving the food in the tank needed for filter feeders to stay happy. I have plans for a continous feeding system to allow filter feeders 24 hour access to the foods they need and alive just like they need them. I am using DIY and second hand materials as much as possible. I want to keep my build budget in the 1200-1500 dollar range to get me to the point where I am adding livestock. I think this will end up being quite a challenge considering that I am including my liverock and sand budgets in this. I do think it will be doable with patience and good buying decisions. The tank is a 90G i got off a package from craigslist. I pick it up on Saturday. There are a lot of items I won't need in the package so expect a sale soon. I'm paying 600 and there is about 400 worth of items to part out I won't need. So I figure I'm at $200 for a drilled tank, 80# of live sand, an extra sump I will either convert to an algae scrubber or use as my quarantine tank and a 50GPD RO/DI kit. Also all the powerheads I will need are included so I think I am off to a good start on the budget. The next step is to work with my buddy (Gonzobob, thanks so much for your offer of assistance) to build the stand. I also need to get the tank I will be using as a refugium (primary filter and food producer.) This is so I know how big to make the sump area on the stand. I'm thinking a 5' 90G or 120G would be perfect. I'd prefer the 120G but that puts the display tank pretty high up in the air. That being said I am willing to make that sacrifice for more refugium space. I'm also looking for the right light set. 2x 250W MH should do the trick pretty nicely. I want to thank everyone in this community for all the help I've already gotten and all the help I will get in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesL Posted August 6, 2009 Share Posted August 6, 2009 Wow. I like the goals you have for this tank. Definitely have put a lot of thought and research into it. The basket starfish would be awesome! Looking forward to watching this progress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zarathustra2 Posted August 6, 2009 Author Share Posted August 6, 2009 Went to check out the tank after work today. Just fantastic. I might even alter my plans just to keep the stand as it is just beautiful. Might be cheaper to do a custom sump that will fit in this stand than to build a new stand for a standard 5'. I'll lose some space but it will probably make the GF much happier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OgreMkV Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 Sounds like fun. If we can help, let us know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zarathustra2 Posted August 8, 2009 Author Share Posted August 8, 2009 I'm so happy I can hardly contain myself... SQUEEEEE Pics later today Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesL Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 Pictures, pictures, pictures!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zarathustra2 Posted August 12, 2009 Author Share Posted August 12, 2009 So went down to Profs and picked up 80 pounds dry rock for aquascaping. Going to go with a PVC frame as I want a really open aquascape with lots of bridges but I also want a stable frame as I plan on getting a Goby/Shrimp pair and probably a jaw fish. Heck, I'm getting a DSB so I should take advantage of it. Also picked up a bunch of rubble that I want to encrust the overflow with so that is not visible. Worked out the sump with prof and going for a two part with a spill way between them. This is followed by an overflow region so I can run the sump with a high water level. He had a great idea to keep the algae scrubber in the sump area and I think I'm going to go for it. Basic Idea is to use vynil rain gutters in a V formation. Pump water up to one side then it goes down both sides of the V back into the sump. At 4" by 40" each that is 320"sq of turf scrubber. Should just require one or 2 36" shop lights to run then throw another two on hangers below it for the actual refugium section. So far at 600 for tank setup buy. Sold $80 worth of stuff. Bought $180 in dry rock. So at $700 for budget. Still have a skimmer up for sale. Also waiting on the camera and will have a 150W MH clip on and a 175W MH Pendant for sale. Pictures will come when the girlfriend remembers to bring the camera over to my house. Also have a bunch of TVs and other misc. stuff that we don't need while moving in together. If anyone here needs a TV just ask. Willing to trade for LR or Sand!!!! Edit: Forgot to add one other thing. For my livestock budget i'm quitting smoking. Since it is day 3 now (after midnight) and I smoke american spirits I have $18 of livestock budget. W00t! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robb in Austin Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 Sounds great. Start a build thread, with pics of course. Good for you on quitting smoking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesL Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 That is great incentive for stopping smoking Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zarathustra2 Posted August 13, 2009 Author Share Posted August 13, 2009 Yea, I thought it was a great idea. Just remind myself every day that that is $6 to stocking up the tank... Figure after 2 weeks for the build then a month cycle and another month of lying fallow ... 74 Days * 6$ a day = $444 for my initial livestock buy!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhart032 Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 wow i didnt think about how much more coral and fish i could buy if i quit smoking.. congrats on it all coming together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roy V Posted August 15, 2009 Share Posted August 15, 2009 i've been looking for some nice LR. where did you get your rock...Profs? what is the full name of the store? How much per pound? thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zarathustra2 Posted August 16, 2009 Author Share Posted August 16, 2009 i've been looking for some nice LR. where did you get your rock...Profs? what is the full name of the store? How much per pound?thanks Prof is the owner, propieter and only employee of Epic Reef. One of our sponsors. On top of that he is a great guy and has cool goats. Not to mention I'm trying to get the best price on a sump I'm having him make. All kidding aside, he really has great frags, live and dry rock for the best prices in town. His dry rock is 2.50 a pound with volume discounts for even lower. Bulk Reef Supply (a low cost online vendor) has a best price of 2.79. And they are the cheapest I have seen on the net. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zarathustra2 Posted August 16, 2009 Author Share Posted August 16, 2009 Put a post for my aquascape up. It was more difficult and took more time than I thought it would but I really like the effect. Build and pictures available http://www.austinreefclub.com/topic/7627-pvc-aquascaping-structure/ I also just got my Metal halides. I ended up getting a fantastic deal. Also picking up some live rock and around 300 pounds of live sand. So we get water in the tank this afternoon. Just wish my RO/DI was running faster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+dapettit Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 Nice start there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zarathustra2 Posted September 3, 2009 Author Share Posted September 3, 2009 Got the nice dusting o' diatoms and starting to get some corraline growth. Have been adding 2 cubes of frozen cyclops a week and seems to be working very well. Been lazy about testing for cycle since I had so much time but need to start just to make sure. All in all... seems to be cycling well. Still have some good life from the rocks and sand in there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zarathustra2 Posted September 8, 2009 Author Share Posted September 8, 2009 So, Remember that i don't have any "Purposefully put in" life so far. But with my live rock and sand I have: Lots of little tube/filter worms, probably 3 species that I have seen. Lots of spionid worms (two feelers.) Mini astrea stars Mini Bristle stars Several cerith snails several mini turbo snails Several blue legged hermits Several little flatworms Some sort of polyp (closed up) 3 colors of sponge (1 may be a carnation coral as I think I see polyps) 1 mushroom Lots of various algaes from multiple colors of coraline to gha. Some macro algae. Gracilera and Chaeto identified. I love the live rock. I just do. After doing some research on the flatworm I am pretty sure it is a harmless aceola that feeds on copepods. As I will have mandarins I can't have too many of them but if I can get thier population nice and high then I can get a velvet nudibranch which is a little creature I have wanted for some time now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+ACampbell Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 Never knew what those were called. (spionid worms) I've got a bunch of those. Always wished I had a bigger population of mini brittle starts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prof Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 My sixline wrasse loves flatworms! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
420reefn_it Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 sounds good so far, post pics sometime soon. oh yeah and mandarins are also known to eat flatworms as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zarathustra2 Posted September 8, 2009 Author Share Posted September 8, 2009 yep, as soon as I get my real sump and can put all the rockwork and macro how I want it there will be another set of pics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Eckreef Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 Where did you get your LR/LS from? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zarathustra2 Posted September 9, 2009 Author Share Posted September 9, 2009 Live rock i bought from 420reefn who got it from the frag tanks at RCA which is perfect for biodiversity. The live sand I bought from 3 different tanks and plan on adding from as many others that I can find. Starting with some mineral mud I am getting from reefcleaners. After that I'll be asking anyone on ARC who has a dsb and wants to let me borrow a cup of sand. Also will be sedeing if I can get something from the live rock displays of our fine LFSes. RCA has been nice enough to offer up thier gunk for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhart032 Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 astrea stars will eat coral and coralline algae!..i leave them alone in the fuge but if i see them in the display tank i grab them and toss um in the fuge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zarathustra2 Posted September 14, 2009 Author Share Posted September 14, 2009 Just corraline. I've never seen one bother a coral. The one exception is the "vampire" type which is brown and munches on zoas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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