Rick's 55g starter

[Rick Mccl]

Hi guys, noob here.

 

I've done freshwater for about 20 years, and the family has pushed me to take the plunge in salt. For me, the saltwater bug started a while back when I learned about refugiums. It really seemed like the hobby had come along quite a bit since the last time I knew anything of it. My daughter's growing interest with invertebrates and biology convinced me that it was a great time try it out.

Starting from tanks and stands I had on hand, I devised an aquarium system with a standpipe overflow drain to a sump, and then used it for freshwater for 2 years. However, in 2012, the suggestions that we would all enjoy a marine tank started up again, and now I am going into action.

 

 

 

the dt: 55 gallon glass, 3" pvc patio drain connected to 1" pvc pipe. the tank was drilled in that spot when I got it. The lighting is a six-bulb T5 HO fixture. 3 10,000K; 3 actinic; 20 'moonbeam' LEDS.

 

 

 

the sump: another 55 gallon glass. acrylic baffles. Coralife 125+ skimmer. not shown: 400w heater. The pump is a water fountain pump of some age and dubious pumping capacity. I had to take the sponge filter off of it so that I could have as much refugium as I wanted. It's not really keeping up with the skimmer! I think it will be the first against the wall when the revolution comes.

 

 

 

 

Since then, I've added water and salt, and joined WAMAS!

 

I'm still practicing with all the equipment and tests and such. once I have the temperature and salinity up to spec & stable I will order live rock and sand. We want to do an invert tank. A few small fishes, eventually; but we are very interested in urchins and crabs.

 

 

thanks for checking it out!

Rick

[Alieu07]

welcome to WAMAS! And nice set up with the big sump good luck.

[dave w]

It looks like you're off to a good start. In my humble opinion most people undersize their refugium relative to their tank. You're doing it right. Urchins require a lot of algae so you may want to get your tank well established before introducing them. Otherwise there's a potential that they run out of food. Welcome to WAMAS.

[surf&turf]

Welcome aboard!! Nice Setup

[Ryan S]

Welcome to Wamas! We'll see how long that 55g lasts you. Most people will upgrade from a 55g once they've been "bitten by the bug"!

[Rick Mccl]

Temps have been 75-77 depending on the weather; salinity finally up to spec; All systems look "go".

 

 

I have a MJ1000 and MJ1200 to provide circulation in the DT (well the 12 is in my water change reservoir for now), a mj600 for utility or circulation in the sump.

the DT holds 50 gallons and the sump holds 30. the refugium area is 26.5x11.75x13, about 17.5 gallons.

 

The best part -- I have placed an order with Tampa Bay Saltwater for "The Package", and I expect to be taking pics of the unboxing tomorrow!

 

Excitedly,

Rick

 

[GraffitiSpotCorals]

Are you getting any micro bubbles from having a single baffle next to your return?

[Rick Mccl]

Are you getting any micro bubbles from having a single baffle next to your return?

 

Well, No, not so far. the skimmer outpumps the return pump, so the reservoir overflows back into the skimmer section. any bubbles that make it out of the foam wash back over the wall. I'm not 100% sure this is the best way to do this but unsure why not. I don't think I have really produced any real foam in the cup, either.

[Rick Mccl]

Got my first shipment installed!

 

 

first bag: just what I wanted to see.

 

 

There's a decorator crab in there somewhere

 

 

FTS

 

The urchin sqeezed into a crack until after dark, then he came out to hang upside-down and check it all out.

We also have a couple dozen feather dusters, lots of small sponges, some sea plants, snails, and crabs. The biggest crab is like 2 inches!

 

thanks for looking!

Rick

[Rick Mccl]

Got a gorilla crab the size of that urchin, and another one maybe 1/2 his size. Last night I saw what looked like a 1cm brittle star, and I also found some tube coral (?).

 

Crab and urchin are... friends? Suspiciously monitoring each other?

 

tube coral?

 

 

Here's that sump with the 'proper' water level, doing what I mentioned earlier.

 

Yeah.. the baffle on the right, not doing very much... Sump!!! Are you sure you're doing it correctly??!? The skimmer started making hella foam up in the cup, and more bubbles come through the output than before, but as mentioned the surface flow is back over the dam. Is this really a bad sump plan?

 

thanks for checking it out!

Rick

[edited to add skimmer comments]

Edited March 15, 2012 by Rick Mccl

[Rick Mccl]

The ammonia's been 0 for 3 days, didnt get higher than .5 ppm. Got part 2 on the way, Richard says "You are going to have a colorful tank tonight" but it will take quite a lot of color to outdo the porcelain crab I found yesterday, what a beauty.

 

1. Can't stop rearranging rocks! What is this, an addiction?

 

2. every time I turn one around, Another Tiny Crab!

 

also, 1/2 inch brittle star is way cute. Wish he was easier to find.

 

"Mister Clicky" is also hard to find, I hope it's a pistol shrimp and not a mantis.