LanksTank

Bought the rest of my equipment last week! Just waiting for all of it to get to my house through the mail... I started cycling my dry rock in a 32 gal Rubbermaid thanks to Origami's and Orion's advice. I just received my test kits today from BRS so I've been checking the water parameters and everything is good. Going to speed things up when I pour in some Dr. Tim's I bought at a LFS on Black Friday, only I'm waiting on the ammonia chloride solution to ship since they didn't sell it at the store...

Thanks Orion. I decided to ditch the Pukani and just go with the reefcleaners rock because it has already been cured. I didn't want to deal with any phosphate problems.

As a structural engineer, it worries me sometimes when I see posts like this. Minus some of the assumptions like how big or far apart your joists are, the calculations are fairly easy to do to figure out if your tank will be ok. I came across this article several months ago written by another engineer and it goes in detail about everything you'll ever need to know about sizing up your tank. It gets a little wordy at times and there were two things that I would have improved upon, but overall it is a great article. http://badmanstropicalfish.com/articles/article28.html

Have another question for you. Started cooking everything, but now I'm looking into ordering some Dr. Tim's online and didn't know what size to get. I understand that most of the bacteria clings to the rock itself and not really the water, which sort of confuses me cause they size their bottles by how many gallons are in your tank... If I'm setting up for my 90 gal do I go ahead and get the 8 oz bottle (treats up to 120 gal) or the 2 oz bottle (treats up to 30 gal) since I am cycling the rock in a 30 gallon container. Maybe go with 4 oz bottle?? I don't know if there is a clear cut answer for this because I feel that no matter what size bottle you get, the bacteria should cultivate and multiply over time. It should just take longer with a smaller bottle. Thought I'd see what you did though.

Sounds good, thanks guys! Very helpful. I'll have to start working on this tomorrow.

Thanks, for the advice. I ordered most of my dry rock from reefcleaners.com, but I also ordered some BRS pukani to add some variance. Reefcleaners claims to clean and cure all their rock before shipment. It looks pretty similar to BRS reefsaver, but its a fraction of the price. Should I hook up a media reactor with some GFO to help get rid of the phosphates while curing the pukani? I'll definitely look into getting a bottle of Dr. Tim's to help things along once I know everything has cured.

Thanks Tom. Would 5-10% per week work for water changes? And would I just use standard pellet food for ghost feeding?

Hey guys, I wanted to run something past you and see what your thoughts were. I plan on setting up my 90 gal in my living room at the beginning of next year, and obviously no one wants an empty where everyone can see it for a month or two. I initially thought of using Dr. Tim's One and Only, BUT was turned off by the many posts I've read from people who have been in the hobby for many years and were advising against it. My Solution: I already have my dry rock and 60 gal of RO/DI water in my basement. I was wondering if it would be possible to cycle the rock in my 32 gal BRUTE containers during the next month using a cocktail shrimp, and then transfer the rocks and most of the water to my main display when it is time to set it up. I was thinking that if I already have my rock and 50% of my water cycled by January then I could eliminate or at least greatly shorten the amount of time I have an empty tank sitting in my living room. I would plan on setting up two 32 gal containers with all my dryrock, heaters, pumps for flow, and a cocktail shrimp in each. When I transfer everything over to my display I would mix the remaining 50% of the saltwater and add it in. Thoughts? Advice?

I know I'm a little late but great job on the stand! That is some excellent work. Tank looks great, I will definitely be tuning in.

Ah you're right Tom, I missed that one. I plan on getting an MP40 and a battery backup. I had one that I bought used, but it was broken so I sent it back for a refund.. I plan on running 1 pump initially and then installing a 2nd on the opposite side later on when I start adding corals. The pump used on the skimmer is an EcoPlus 1056, but it was modified by Reef Dynamics specifically for their skimmer. I tried looking into alternative replacements or just buying and replacing the pieces that were damaged, but feared that down the road that may not be the best idea. The motor to the old pump is still in good shape minus a few scratches in the housing for the magnet. I ended up just buying the pump from reef dynamics and now the skimmer runs like it should.. A lot quieter now too lol. I think replacing all the pieces would've been roughly $50 less and therefore I decided to purchase a new pump.

DIY canopy, fish screen, and AI SOL I had some free time at work one day and decided, why not build a canopy?! I used a 3D rendering program called Inventor and designed a set of blueprints to go with my tank, ran to Lowes, and got to work! Basic frame. I used all white pine to help reduce the weight on top of the stand. Unstained finished product. Also had a ton of holes to fill in from nail gun I later added aluminum rails to hold a DIY fish screen I made from a screen kit at Lowes and the clear mesh you can find on BRS. I also added rails along a shelf I put in the canopy to hold my AI SOLs. Because the light fixtures are hanging on a slot along the module it allows me to slide them along the rails and position them where I need to. I have 2 AI SOLs running parallel to the front of the glass approximately 12-14 inches above the water line. Canopy and stand after they were stained. Forgot to add earlier that I sprayed inside of canopy and stand with water resistant exterior spray paint. I know the picture isn't very good.. Lighting wasn't right. That's pretty much up to date on everything! I am currently filling up on my RO/DI in 2 32 gal BRUTE trashcans I bought. I plan hooking some PVC together at some point to make the process more automated. Right now I just have the containers sitting next to each other with my RO/DI system standing up on a file cabinet lol. Expecting my shipment of 100 lb dry rock and 80 lb sand from reefkeepers.com tomorrow. Fingers crossed ... Can't wait to check out the rock and I'll definitely be posting what I think! For $1.8/lb and free shipping, idk if I've seen a better deal. They claim to have already cured the rock after they dug it up so all you have to do is stick it in your tank and let it cycle; same with sand.

Plumbing This past summer I worked on plumbing my tank. I went through some trial and error before I found something that worked. I used both PVC and reinforced flexible tubing to plumb my tank, and connected a Mag Drive 18 for my return. I made 2 DIY dorsal standpipes and put them in my overflow. One goes to my refugium and the other goes to my skimmer section due to the peculiar configuration of my sump. I would've liked to add more valves but the height of my stand sort of limited me on what I can and cannot do.. If you have any suggestions I would love to hear! My return splits off after a check valve and shut off and goes to 2 hang on returns on either side of my tank to provide some variable flow.

Thanks Jenn! I'll definitely let you know if I don't find something. btw love the Einstein quote!

Thanks matt! Sump and Skimmer So in my infinite wisdom as a newbie I prowled Craigslist in 2012 for equipment. I found what I thought was an awesome deal; a Reef Dynamics INS 135 skimmer for $200 ($400 retail)! Reefer claimed it was several months old and in perfect condition. I was like great, so picked it up came back home, plugged it in, and was like great it works. This past summer, I decided to test it out again while I was setting up plumbing and realized something didn't sound right with the pump. I decided to investigate and found the the ceramic rod was shattered and the housing of the pump was completely worn down from the pieces grinding inside.. Not only that, but it appeared that the person who sold me the pump knew about it cause he tried to open the pump with a screw driver and broke a piece off when you were just suppose to turn it... I was played the fool.. A new pump from reef dynamics cost $190 (including shipping); so much for my deal.. Reef Dynamics 135 INS skimmer Ceramic rod and pin wheel My next purchase was a custom Trigger Systems 36E sump I got for a great deal! Or at least a lot better deal than my skimmer . It has a built in refugium, skimmer section, and return section. Skimmer in sump. Tight fit! I want to put a lot in my tank so I wanted a big skimmer. Testing out my Eheim heaters and new $12 aquarium LED I got off eBay for my refugium. Hopefully it will be enough light..

Hi, welcome to the club! I'm a new member too and just joined yesterday. I live in your area. I couldn't help but notice your photo/avatar. Are you currently playing ice hockey? I am looking for an adult league in the area, but right now its hard with night classes for grad school.. Definitely will be looking for a summer league though! I realize that this question has nothing to do with reefing but I couldn't help myself haha.

Added my first post to my reef build! Here's the link. http://wamas.org/forums/topic/62114-lankstank-90-gal-mixed-reef-build/

Hey guys, I am new to the club, and decided to start a build thread on my 90 gal mixed reef tank. I plan on writing a series of posts to lead up to where I'm at now because I've been working on this tank build for a little over a year now in my spare time, and putting all that in one post would be annoying. This is my first saltwater tank and I've learned a lot in the past year. I've recently made the jump to purchase the rest of my equipment this Black Friday and start cycling my tank by the beginning of the new year! I am super excited as I've been waiting for a long time to set up my tank, and when I haven't been working on my tank I've been doing research on the hobby. Please feel free to provide any input you may have! I've made a few judgement errors along the way with planning out my tank, but I am a fast learner. Its definitely true what they say in this hobby, and that is to take your time and don't rush things. The following are my plans so far; 90 Gal Mixed Reef Ordering Black Friday: 2x BRS GFO/Carbon Reactor + Pump All test kits, media, and other maintenance items Refugium Mud Aquascaping Epoxy Refractometer Filter Socks Ecotech MP40wES pump Vortech Battery Backup Neptune APEX Lite controller PH probe VDM Module + AI interface cable WXM Module **Certainly if someone knows any upcoming deals for these items let me know! Already Have: DIY Black Light Canopy DIY Fish Screen Mag-Drive 18 Return Pump 2x AI Sol LED Fixtures Trigger Systems 36E Sump Refugium Reef Dynamics INS 135 Protein Skimmer BRS 4 Stage Plus RO/DI System 90 Gal Oceana Tank w/ Built-in Overflow DIY Black Aquarium Stand Hard Plumbed Sump and Return 2x 32 gal Rubbermaid Containers for RO/DI and Saltwater 2x 200w Eheim heaters 100w Eheim heater 15 inch Refugium LED Light (White) 80 lb of ReefCleaners Sand 100 lb of ReefCleaners Dry Rock Tank and Stand: The following are some pictures of my tank when I bought it summer 2012. The overflow wasn't cleaned after the tank was used so I gave the whole thing a vinegar bath. I also did some demo to the stand, as the front support was annoying and limited my access to the sump. I reinforced the stand, sanded it, and re-stained it. If I could go back, I probably wouldn't stain it black again... wood is a beautiful material and I wish I would've used a lighter stain to really make the grain pop. But.. it was such a pain to get all that black off the first time, so not going to cry over spilled milk. I made new doors as well! Instead of reinforcing the stand I wish I would've just made a new one cause I didn't realize at the time that its a bit on the short side... 90 Gal Oceanic Tank w/ Built in Overflow Demo! Reinforcement and new doors. Completed product with shiny new handles. Also applied silicone to all cracks in the interior to prevent water penetration into wood and light coming out of tank. I cut a rubber mat to put underneath sump to prevent water penetration and to reduce vibrations from pumps.

Yeah, I'll definitely be paying attention to that for sale section lol. I've had some trouble in the last year buying some equipment from other reefers off Craigslist or eBay and it not working properly... I learned my lesson doing that, but I would feel a lot more comfortable in a community forum. I will definitely be working on a build thread soon! I have plenty of pictures haha.

Thanks! I actually just checked out your site today after I stumbled upon it, and I definitely plan on stopping by your store in Manassas sometime soon. I've been looking for a place that sells frags in the area so I don't have to buy them online and have them shipped. My plan is to do a mixed reef. I could look at SPS all day, but I definitely want to add some variety to my tank. Hopefully Incredible Corals can help me out lol.

Hey guys! Just wanted to say hi. Broke down and decided to pay the membership fees.. But knowledge is priceless right? I am 23 and work full time in Chantilly at an engineering firm. I moved back to the area after I graduated with my bachelors in civil engineering from Purdue in May 2012, and I'm currently working on my masters at George Mason in structural engineering. I am new to the hobby and currently in the process of piecing together my 90 gal reef tank. In fact I've been working on it, planning it out, and reading everything I can get my hands on for a little over a year now. I've always wanted to get into the hobby, as I love viewing the fascinating reefs while snorkeling and scuba diving (Although only been diving once). You may ask, why the long wait? Well, after getting my undergrad I moved back home with my parents till I finish up with grad school, to save some money (Which somewhat goes to funding this expensive hobby ). After a year, the suspension is killing me, and I figure why wait till I graduate in 2015... I finally convinced my parents with the art of persuasion (Mostly getting my mom excited about it so she could convince my dad) to let me install my 90 gal as a centerpiece in the living room after Christmas. I have pretty much everything I need to get started and just ordered my dry rock and sand from reefcleaners.com 2 days ago. I plan on purchasing the rest of my equipment, test kits, maintenance items, etc on Black Friday so I can piece it all together and start the cycling process at the beginning of the new year. Thanks for reading my rambles!