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View Full Version : my first big reef. 90 gallons.



peterluber
01-12-2005, 03:11 PM
this thread is a zombie. i just brought it back up from the dead. i didnt post on it for months, but now that the tank is almost finished, i feel i should post some full tank shots. fooray for full tank shots!

Checklist:
I still need 3 more bulbs
2X96W fixtures
a fitting for my overflow?
live rock
I have tank, 90 Gallons, drilled, overfloe
stand
canopy
4X55W PC's
mag 7
mag 18
rio 2100 for in tank circulation
20 gallon sump
1 bulb



i bought a 10 gallon nano, and it is cool, but it is so hard to take care of sometimes. everybody said go big, and i was thinking 40 gallons first. then 55. then 60 from OG. then 80, so i could keep a mandarin and tang. i was going to buy new, but it was my birthday and christmas, and my parents had been looking too. on www.craigslist.com, they found a 90 gallon tank. It came with the tank, stand, canopy, 300 watts of lighting, skimmer, UV sterilizer, built in overflow, sump. i knew it was a fixer upper, but the price was just too good. new, that stuff would run over 1000, but i got it for $399. the killer was going to be cleaning out the dry skimmer. i had been stalling on cleaning out the tank when my dad met the owner of AquaC protein skimmers, www.proteinskimmer.com . he said he wanted me to come over and look at his 400 gallon reef and he'd give me a cosmetic defect skimmer. the birch aquarium at scripps uses these skimmers and highly reccomends them. i haven't been over there yet, but i am going to soon. that takes care of the skimmer, so i scraped all of the black paint off of the back of the tank, took it outside with a shop-vac, spray-hose, some sponges and rags, scrapers. i scoured it and wiped the reflector in the hood and vacuumed out the stand. i checked the bulbs, and i need a few new ones. i will probably just buy them all new, just in case, and so i know their life. i checked all of the pumps, and most of them didn't work because they had been dry for so long. i need to get new pumps for it, too. anybody who has any spare pumps would be greatly appreciated. i need little ones, too. within the next two weeks, i should be getting pumps. then im driving up to frag farmer in LA and getting two 45 lb. cases of fiji LR. that plus the 10 pounds i have now will be 100 pounds. i only weigh 80 :eek: . i already have 20 lb.s of aragonite live sand (probably why my 10 is so hard to take care of, you wouldnt believe the dsb i have right now) i will probably buy 20 more (its cheap. i got the 20 lb. bag for 25 bucks from AW. see they can have good prices) and spread that out and see the coverage. i might buy another bag or mix it with crushed coral or something like that and seed it with the 40 i'll have. so, buy two weeks it'll have started it's cycle. then, buy mid february, it'll be ready for some hermits, etc. then give it another week or two and ill get a damsel and maybe a clown or some shrimps. then, i'll add some more fish and buy st. patrick's day it should have corals, fish, a reef. also, does anybody want to buy a serpent star. he's pretty small, but i don't want him to eat any of my stuff. i have heard things. he is really cool though if you don't have anything that will get eaten buy him. it is awesome to watch him grap the cyclopeez. everything will be out of the little tank, so i'll do a 100% water change and pop in a damsel just to make sure the little tank is always livable as a quarantine. if anybody checks in, I'll just pop him in the big tank. it will be all very peaceful fish, so it should be fine. then, just keep adding frags and fish. i want to grow all of my sps (montis and stuff only. i don't have the lighting for acros or anything like that) and polyps and stuff from frags. then, by next september, I'll have a mandarin, my ultimate goal. i will post pics later. sorry if i bored you.

MrKrispy
01-12-2005, 04:03 PM
all that and no photos LOL

REEFWAVE
01-12-2005, 04:10 PM
sounds like you have a nice prodject in the works. looking forward to pics. also how much is a 45 lb case of LR from frag farmer.

peterluber
01-13-2005, 04:30 PM
maybe a week ago it was really cheap. i forgot how much, like 109 or something. now theres only 2 kinds of live rock, tonga branch, an 88 lb. case for $256.50, and "Live Rock" for $285.50 for 88 lb.s. they both have the same picture though. :confused: thats so wierd.

sdwrx
01-13-2005, 05:07 PM
Sounds like a good project...

You can find LR for less $$. You can get a 45lbs box of Fiji LR for $99 from reefermadness.us if you go pick it up

colindoug3
01-14-2005, 01:39 PM
i agree. if you are headed up to LA anyways, check out reefermadness. 99 for a box is great. plus the rock JeromeBaker had from there looked absolutely superb! if you havent already, post your serpeant star in the for sale or for trade forums. there is a market for those little guys. i like mine. having a damsel in a 10 is fine, but dont think you can switch him into the big tank and move him back in the 10 when youre ready. they are hard little buggers to catch. anyhow, good luck with your project! id also like to see pics when youve got them...

peterluber
01-19-2005, 07:30 PM
pictures. finally.

peterluber
01-19-2005, 07:31 PM
stand and hood again

peterluber
01-19-2005, 07:32 PM
20 gallon sump

peterluber
01-19-2005, 07:33 PM
tank and overflow

peterluber
01-19-2005, 07:33 PM
box of misc. pumps, etc., skimmer, UV sterilizer.

colindoug3
01-20-2005, 12:52 AM
looks good, cant wait to see it running. took me a moment to realize the tank is upside down. i was going to ask about your overflow design.

peterluber
01-20-2005, 08:57 PM
haha yeah its upside down to let the water drip off from cleaning it

peterluber
01-27-2005, 04:10 PM
im thinking of getting metal halide once my tank is set up. mparkis has them for pretty good prices, but the ballast is the expensive part, right? if i already have a big hamilton ballast, though, would it work just to take off the PC's and put the MH on there. im thinking one 400 watt or two 250's or something like that.

ricestudios
01-27-2005, 04:29 PM
hey peter, whats the measurements of your 90?

peterluber
01-27-2005, 05:53 PM
its regular size, about 48 long by about 25 high by about 18

ricestudios
01-27-2005, 06:30 PM
nice! then you and i are in the same boat but mines an 80.

peterluber
01-27-2005, 08:43 PM
cool. i cant wait to get mine set up.

peterluber
01-30-2005, 08:14 PM
i painted the back of my tank today (dark blue) and stained the scratches on the stand and finished the stand and canopy. tomorrow night the tank is going in my room. Tuesday night it will be running with SW and have all the pumps and lighting, so wednesday night, the live rock goes in and it will start cycling. im stoked.

peterluber
01-31-2005, 09:51 PM
today i put the tank, stand, sump, and hood in. tomorrow i am getting new bulbs and pumps. i need a mag 7 and either 9 or 12. where can i get them the cheapest? i also need live rock. www.reefermadness.us seemed like a good deal, but when you factor in the cost of driving up there, it ends up costing more than the $3.50 a pound at AW. I think i might end up just doing that unless i can find a better deal around here. I solved my lighting problem. the lighting i have now is 220 watts, but i am adding two 96 watt fixtures for $100 a piece to fit in there so I'll have 400+ watts. it's not even a huge tank, but it is pretty big. i cant wait for it to be cycled.

obarrera
01-31-2005, 10:54 PM
YGPM about the Mag pumps.

colindoug3
02-01-2005, 02:35 AM
what do you drive? it seems like you would be spending a significant amount on gas money for that not to be worth it.

peterluber
02-01-2005, 03:10 PM
new pictures of the tank in my room.

peterluber
02-01-2005, 03:12 PM
tank

peterluber
02-01-2005, 03:13 PM
stand

peterluber
02-01-2005, 03:15 PM
a little bit of a delay. i will order the bulbs and pumps today, but they won't be on for a little bit. I am going to big sky, montana tomorrow :confused: haha i just found out this morning. it's awesome because there will be great snow and stuff, but it willslow down the fish tank process.

SDMike
02-01-2005, 08:24 PM
Yeah, what is it yer driving? I go up to Jeff's and back on less than half a tank in my BMW...

IIRC its a little over 1/3 tank there and back but its been awhile since I've gone.

M

peterluber
02-01-2005, 08:45 PM
well i dont drive yet so it'd be my parents driving me and they drive a durango. they said something about overall life of the car or something, i don't know

colindoug3
02-03-2005, 12:08 AM
i like the lizard light switch. the tank looks like a winner. i wouldnt mind a bigger set up some day. youre right, the durango will suck gas. i would get it locally if possible, or from someone who is going up there anyways(?)

peterluber
02-06-2005, 05:05 PM
i just got back from montana and found out about custom aquatics in vista. im almost definitely getting it there. $2.29 a pound.

colindoug3
02-06-2005, 11:37 PM
i thought they just sold dry goods. good to know.

peterluber
02-07-2005, 02:56 PM
jwelch? is going up to LA. says he has a wholesalers liscense or whatever to get it straight. he said hed look into getting some for me. that would be cool

peterluber
02-14-2005, 03:24 PM
well, last night i ordered 200 dollars from marinedepot. a mag 18 and a mag 7 and one of my bulbs. free shipping. i am soon ordering 3 more bulbs, and getting my live rock. i am getting it from custom aquatics in vista. if anybody needs me to pick anything up from there, i could probably do it. im so stoked, because in a few days, my tank will be filled with water, and by next week, it will be cycling ! ! !. one question, though. the mag 18 pumps 1800 gph out of a 3/4 inch outlet. the hole in my tank looks like over an inch, but with a black plastic thing in it that makes it 1/2 inch i think. Is it okay to just pump through this, or should i remove it and place a 3/4 inch thing there? if so, how would i do this and where would i get it?

thanks in advance
peter

peterluber
02-15-2005, 04:58 PM
the pumps and one bulb came in today. a mag 7 and a mag 18. wow, those are heavy pumps. the bulb is a hamilton 55 watt 10,000K and i still need 3 more, plus 2X96W fixtures. if you plugged these into a ballast and a bulb, would they work?! if they are, then ill just get some of those for the rest of my lighting. $6, wow. heres the link. .http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idproduct=CP5313

also, for the overflow, im still wondering, do i leave the smaller fitting on there? are these what i need? .http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_plumbing_parts_fittings_2.asp#bh (http://) do i just put them on, or is silicone or something neeeded. sorry for so many questions, just i want to make sure i do everything right.

colindoug3
02-16-2005, 12:11 AM
yes, bulb, ballast, those endcaps, and wiring and powercords are all you really need. if i were to do a retro kit, i would contact David M, he does it all for a dollar a watt. (it sounds like you havent bought it all already)
as for the bulkhead, yes, i would replace it with a 3/4 inch fitting. since the pump is rated at this diameter, there is no sense bottlenecking its output with a smaller fitting.
good luck!

treylane
02-16-2005, 01:39 AM
If a 3/4" bulkhead will fit in the hole in your tank, go ahead and use that. In case it doesn't fit, you can just get a 1/2" -> 3/4" adapter to put somewhere in your return plumbing line. If your pump is pressure rated, it shouldn't be a problem ... but I don't know much about flow rates vs. plumbing diameters.

Bulkheads don't need to be siliconed into place - they come in two parts: a tube with a collar on one side, and a threaded ring. The collar side of the tube goes on the inside of the tank and has a rubber seal between it and the glass that keeps it from leaking. The threaded ring screws on to the tube on the outside of the tank. Screw it on pretty snug, but don't get out a wrench and tighten it as hard as you possibly can - you'll put too much stress on the glass.

colindoug3
02-16-2005, 03:30 AM
if he went with the 1/2" the rated flow would be cut (not sure by how much), and the pump would be strained a little.

peterluber
02-16-2005, 03:12 PM
thanks guys. i will probably go with david m later for that lighting then. i only have 220 right now, so when the tank starts it will only be softies and stuff, but then as soon as i get the upgrade, ill have some sps like monti caps and digitata.

peterluber
02-20-2005, 08:46 PM
okay, so this is where im at. today, i went to AW and picked up all of my plumbing stuff, overflow stuff, bulkhead fittings, return pipes, floatswitch. drilled my sump for the floatswitch and everthing, so in 2 days? it should be filled with water. then i am getting my AquaC skimmer :D thanks jason and the live rock.

btw, AW sells skilters. im getting one :p

Not.

peterluber
08-17-2005, 09:09 PM
im going to stick pictures on the zombie.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b377/peterluber/fulltankshot.jpg

theres a full tank shot.

colindoug3
08-17-2005, 09:35 PM
nice revival from the dead!!
i am looking forward towards updates in the future, with livestock...

peterluber
08-18-2005, 10:44 AM
i will be getting the first fish (pair of clowns) next wednesday. then corals a few days after that, so you dont have to wait too long.

peterluber
08-19-2005, 07:29 PM
i used an oil based paint i got at HD. i didnt end up getting the rock from custom aquatic.

peterluber
09-04-2005, 05:19 PM
i got the clowns and they are awesome. i am getting some frogspawn soon, and then getting a bunch of sps frags at the next SDMAS meeting. it is going to be sort of a miniature reef, sort of like a bonsai reef, because it will be mostly tiny fish with a few medium sized fish. the tiny fish will represent the medium sized fish on a full scale reef, and the medium sized fish will represent the large fish. the stocking list will be something like this.
2 clowns
4 Gobiosoma cleaner gobies
1 cherub angel
1 yellow eye kole tang
1 stonogobiops yasha
1 stonogobiops nematodes
1 mandarin (eventually)
1 barnacle blenny
1 yellow watchman goby
1 yellow clown goby (gobiodon okinawae, not gobiodon citrinus)
2 red firefish
maybe a female lyretail. will it become a male if it's by itsself? because that sort of makes it dominant, you know...

16 fish in a 90 sounds like a lot, but it is heavily skimmed and almost every one of those fish stays under 2 inches, a few get up to 3 inches, and one might get 5 or 6 inches. that is way different from having 16 fish like 3 tangs, an angel, a big wrasse, etc. i am going for a look where at first glance it will seem understocked, but then once you look closely you will see little fish in the rockwork.