Nathan's 93g Tank Build

[n8n]

If all goes well the next batch of fish will transfer around Jan 15. The new screen top should be done by new years I just ordered screen today and need a week with dermel and acrylic to get it perfect.

 

I really want rose bubble tip anemone but want tank mature more. Cycle completed last week nitrates are around 10ppm, ammonia/nitrites 0. Wife is dosing purple up ( she wants purple live rock ). Calcium is to high to dos any more... Hence corals ')

[n8n]

Tonight I got alot more of the top done then expected.  Phase #1 done (constructing the acrylic 2" rectangle) as a drop in replacement to the glass lid of the Marine Land cube glass lid.   I'm debating between either constructing a BRS DIY screen frame with screen that can just lay (or glue) ontop of the tank, or if i'm going to cut out four one inch sections of clear acrylic an then stretch the screen and sandwhich the netting between the acrylic.

 

Looking at the light and the angle, it makes little difference lighting the tank because the angle is so great were the black border would be.   Mainly its a "visual" thing of how much it distracts the rimless look, and also convience.  Do i want something I can just pull off and access the whole thing, and or am i concerned with tight fit.  So far just inverts/snails/wrasse/dotty back to worry about, no eels or anything exotic.

 

Here is what i'm talking about:

 

 

WP_20141222_19_17_04_Pro by n8nreef, on Flickr

 

I also went through and moved around some rock.  I wanted the large swim throughs easier to be accessed by the bigger fish, and also wanted to open it up some.  (suggestions helped convice what i was wanting to do in the back of my mind some but wasn't sure)

 

Anyways, Castle Skeletor...  (keep in my my 1st reef tank) but still totally listening for suggestions.  Not sure if coral placement is right but i'm sure stuff will be moved around.  

 

WP_20141222_14_37_28_Pro by n8nreef, on Flickr

View from Couch

 

WP_20141222_15_33_16_Pro by n8nreef, on Flickr

Full diagnal view.  (the glass sitting ontop of the new frame is temporary.... wife is extremely concerned about her 1" dotty back's olympic skills of jumping 1-2 inches vertical and then 2"s over the lip ....

 

WP_20141222_14_37_08_Pro by n8nreef, on Flickr

Another diagonal / view from other side of cube  (kinda cramped)

 

WP_20141222_14_38_44_Pro by n8nreef, on Flickr

Back view (since christmas tree is obviously watching over the tank.

 

Any suggestions are welcome.

 

Thanks!

 

-Nathan

 

 

 

 

[Shoelace]

I like how you opened it up more. Definitely an improvement!

[n8n]

I got the lid done.  I started with the Marineland Rimless Lid they sell (that is all glass).  I purchased a piece of Acrylic from Home Depot and cut it down to size to replace the center (large) piece of glass.  I then cut out a triangle in the middle leaving about 2" of acrylic around the edges.  The Acrylic purchased is the exact same height (depth?) as the glass so all the original hardware fits on it perfect.  I know alot of people trying to do this rimless have issues trying to figure out the clips.   I found after making the inital piece I didn't like the way it fit over the return.  There was about the same height worth of space over the return and the back sorta sagged a little.  I then cut out a circular piece (its basically a quarter of a circle, I believe its about 8" radius but I would measure yours to be sure.    I used acrylic glue from BRS to glue the return cover to the new lid.  I get some condentation from evaporation over the return (which doesn't seem like a big deal) but the return is super tight fitting, i very highly doubt anything will manage to get into my return unless it can get through the little grates build into the overflow.  The overflow cover was the most detailed piece.  I also had to cut out a section of it to allow for the clip to fit on the main piece, as well as a half a inch wide bevel (kinda what you rotar) the length of it, to accomidate the place the plactic (back part of cover) meets the acrylic.  Lots of work but its done.  The screen is pretty self explanitory, there is a BRS video that explains how to put a screen together.  I got the parts at Home Depot (except the 1/4" plastic screen that came from BRS). 

 

WP_20141224_18_13_09_Pro by n8nreef, on Flickr

 

WP_20141224_18_13_29_Pro by n8nreef, on Flickr

 

I did some more work on the rock-work.  The one side had been opened up, but the other side wasn't quite as open as I was wanting.  I ended up moving two large pieces to the sump.  Anyways from all three sides there are spots where you can clearly see all the way through the tank from side to side. 

 

WP_20141224_18_13_45_Pro by n8nreef, on Flickr

I think this one is about the same as before.  (btw toadstool is happy, i just took pictures in evening when lights were dimming down and toadstool was going to sleep for night)

 

WP_20141224_18_13_18_Pro by n8nreef, on Flickr

This is the area I did the most work on, (the left hand side)

 

WP_20141224_12_18_31_Pro by n8nreef, on Flickr

Here is a closeup from the same perspective, as you can see, the black grating is actually the return on the back of the tank, along with one of my maroon clowns.

 

Thanks, always welcoming advice.

 

My nitrates seem like they stick around 10 and i'm doing large water changes.  I know I'm totally over-feeding them, but is there any recommendations on how to reduce nitrates?  My fugium pretty much is not working out currently.  My second patch of Caulerpa has pretty much fallen apart at the branches.  (perhaps it went A sexual?).  Anyways i'm pretty much thinking I don't want to add anymore and just try to Chado once I can get my hands on some.

 

Does anyone run any of the reactors or anything that says it removes nitrates, or is it mainly just going to be feed less, and getting fugium online?  Skimmer is doint well, its taking a ton of stuff out of the tank every day.

 

Thanks!

 

-Nathan

 

 

 

[YHSublime]

Lid looks good, well done. I also like the more open rockwork. It's hard not to clutter it up sometimes, also, keep flow in mind. When you do water changes in your QT, you are probably familiar with the amount of crap that can build up inbetween waste and food, imagine all those dead zones in your tank.

 

Here is my advice to you, and take it for what it's worth. 10ppm with nitrates is not terrible. Do standard water changes. Don't do huge water changes. Don't overfeed, there is no need. If you can, feed less more often, but still don't use that as an excuse to overfeed. Your tank is brand new. I know that it feels like it's been setup forever, but it's still figuring itself out. You're going to go through alage blooms, diatoms, all part of your tanks natural progression. It is par for the course. There are probably not enough nutrients to keep your cheato or caulerpa alive, and that's ok. Don't look for reactors or things to bring down your nitrates (which are fine,) instead, look for a beer, relax, and enjoy your tank. JMO.

[Shoelace]

instead, look for a beer, relax, and enjoy your tank. JMO.

Truth!

[n8n]

The food thing, I don't actually feed the tank my wife does and now the automatic feeder in mornings and i know left over food means too much. Working in getting the right quantity figured out.

 

On the nitrates however I thought maybe I was doing something way wrong with three small fish in about 100g of water with like 100lbs of live rock and nitrates around 10-12. I've been done two 25g water changes (one each last two weekends) and been scratching my head why nitrates are so high with so much water and so little fish. hopefully it will settle down. As for beer.. Uh yeh drinking mojitos at Cobb theater last night and let the apex feed the fish. That thing is a life saver but need to get it tuned.

 

Thank you so much on advice.

[Reefer_Madness]

Your tank is coming along great.  I admire your attention to detail and research.  Good job so far.

[n8n]

So... I got some more corals at quantum. A little to drunk on makers yo get photos but tomorrow ill post them I think they are mostly torches but might need some help IDing what i put in tank.

 

Cherrs

[n8n]

So i've added abit to my tank, hopefully I'm not going to crazy fast for a newbie, but some of the opportunities i didn't want to pass up...   The fish are still the same in the tank, the rest next batch of fish are sitting in QT waiting...  Any suggestions/tips are welcome.  If you look carefully you should beable to spot everything (or nearly everything) in the first three pics, but closeups below.

 

Here is a nice recent corner view of my rimless tank

 

One of the main views

 

The other main view

 

After the great tips in the forums I had to pay them a visit, they had 25% off everything in the shop, I mentioned an interested in a rose tip, and it was my lucky day they had just frag'd one and ... well i know i have a new tank but i also have heard people give their first born to get one locally...  My maroon clowns started hosting it within about 30 seconds of it being added to the tank.  

 

The ridge coral behind it was one of my first corals from Marine Scene.  Its about 6-8" away from the rose tip, hopefully they are far enough apart, its hard to tell with perspective.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is actually in the center of the tank with the rocks around it.  It gets alot of direct light being in the center of the tank, it does get some movement (you can watch it slightly move) but no where near as much as other corals.  Seems happy but will keep eye on it.

 

Lastly I finially got my refugium online, they had macro algae in manasses!

 

[smallreef]

Looks good! Love the nem!

[n8n]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cgja93_nMig

 

 

Short video of newest addition to tank, some of the fish are still in other tank.