Upgrades... Sand and Vortech!

[Incredible Corals]

I finally bit the bullet and bought Vortechs. I went with two MP10w ES and the battery backup is in the mail. I also had enough with the bare bottom (sooo ugly) and added sand! The frag rack on the right will hopefully be gone once I sell all my frags.

 

I'm in the love with the Vortechs and the fish seem so much more active and look so much more natural in the tank. Every polyp on every coral is moving now. Before I had some SPS that I couldn't hit but now with the random flow the polyps are blown in all different directions. The current settings are random mix of Reef Crest and Lagoon. I'm still paying around with the Ecosmart settings. I would love to have the short pulse setting on but the pumps are a little loud when they pulse for the wave.

 

 

Quick shot of the tank

 

[epleeds]

That looks awesome

[Incredible Corals]

That looks awesome

 

 

Thanks, I also only added about an inch of sand overall. I might add some more becasue I only used about 10 lbs out of a 40lb bag.

[BowieReefer84]

Thanks, I also only added about an inch of sand overall. I might add some more becasue I only used about 10 lbs out of a 40lb bag.

 

Looks good. I would not add anymore. You don't want to be in that 2-3" no mans land with your sand bed. Not deep enough for deep, but too deep for shallow.... I like it.

[epleeds]

It's the perfect depth. I would not add more

[gmubeach]

Woohhooo what a pretty tank:)

[Incredible Corals]

Thanks guys. I'm glad I shouldn't add any more because rinsing the sand with RO/DI is a pain in the butt. I use 40 gallons or RO/DO to clean that sand.

[Vadim]

tank looks great. any trick you used to clean the sand? or anything you'd do differently? afte you cleaned it is the sand going to cycle or i guess the bacteria in the tank would take car of that.

[epleeds]

I use tap water. Never had an issue with it

[BowieReefer84]

Yea, I stick a garden hose in the bucket until it runs clear.... You are nuts to rinse with ro/di

[Incredible Corals]

tank looks great. any trick you used to clean the sand? or anything you'd do differently? afte you cleaned it is the sand going to cycle or i guess the bacteria in the tank would take car of that.

 

I would use a wooden spoon next time to mix the sand in the cup when rising. I was using my fingers and it was like a digging a hole in the sand on the beach as a kid. Everything is cool until a grain of sand jams it self under you finger nail.

 

 

I use tap water. Never had an issue with it

 

Everything I read online said not to use tap water because of all the phosphates and other chemicals/crap from the tap would be trapped in the sand bed and cause algae problems down the road.

 

 

Yea, I stick a garden hose in the bucket until it runs clear.... You are nuts to rinse with ro/di

 

That would have been much easier. :(

[gmubeach]

I took a bucket cut 3 holes in the bottem lined with NONMETAL screen and ran a hose after I got it clean I rinsed with di/ro water.

[zygote2k]

I just dump it in carefully in a corner then spread it around. If you're careful, it won't cause a big cloud.

[Prunfarm]

That is one sharp looking tank. Well done.

[LanglandJoshua]

That tank looks beutiful, I can hear angels singing.

 

I think I saw on another post that you were going to sell the blue hippo once it got too big. If no one else has claimed it. I have a 75 gal tank, that is getting upgraded. I love blue hippos, and would love to buy it from you. Just to make sure it has a guaranteed home. It would eventually outgrow my tank as well, but if you dont have someone with a larger tank I could buy the fish some time. And would love to have it!

[lowsingle]

Nice looking tank.....I too may go from a bare bottom to a sand bed......keep us posted if you run into any problems........

 

thanks,

Darren