Back to the hobby 75 gallon build.

Salt Creep · Mar 29, 2023

Troylee said:
Loving it!! I’m all about the diy! Great job thus far!

Thank you! I’m all about DIY too . If I don’t know how to do it I can learn how to do it. Last year around this time I built a few retaining walls for the first time after going to YouTube university for a couple months.

I have to almost always have a project going on…

dstockwell · Mar 29, 2023

Lookin good !

Salt Creep · Mar 29, 2023

Mounted an unused iPad on the wall for monitoring and controlling the Apex. Also… first livestock going in is here!!!

Salt Creep · Mar 29, 2023

Got a group of chromis. My tank was processing 2ppm ammonia within just over 12 hours so it was ready. The bio load should be fine. I was very lightly ghost feeding while ammonia dosing and these fish are tiny. I’m feeding them about an 1/8th of a cube from a blister pack and plan to do that twice a day switching up the foods. Going to try and stay away from any mixes that have larger pieces like mysis because they are too small for that and I don’t want it rotting in the tank right now.

These being the first fish I added them to the display right away to observe before adding anything else. I ordered the rest of what I need for the QT tanks today so those will be set up for the next additions. The place I got these from had them for two weeks, they are all active and eating, and I didn’t see any visible issues on these or the other fish in the system.

I’d say today is the day this tank has officially started!!

CWalters · Mar 30, 2023

Im invested in this build. I have pretty much the same setup. Been up and running for 8 months now.

Looking forward to watching it as time goes on. What are your coral plans?

Salt Creep · Mar 30, 2023

CWalters said:
Im invested in this build. I have pretty much the same setup. Been up and running for 8 months now.

Looking forward to watching it as time goes on. What are your coral plans?

Do you have a build thread? I’d like to check out your tank. I searched your posts and didn’t find one.

For coral, I’m addicted to sticks. This is going to be primarily SPS with maybe a few LPS low in the tank.

CWalters · Mar 30, 2023

Salt Creep said:
Do you have a build thread? I’d like to check out your tank. I searched your posts and didn’t find one.

For coral, I’m addicted to sticks. This is going to be primarily SPS with maybe a few LPS low in the tank.

I don't have a build thread... I really should put one together. I slacked at taking pictures during the process, but would still be nice to document it.

Salt Creep · Mar 30, 2023

Got some PAR readings on the tank tonight. These are at 15% intensity.. I think I need a much deeper tank!

had to do top down pics for the back.. looking at the pictures now I might just complete the top down with the front too. I like that view better.

This is not the spectrum I’m running, just better looking pics this way with the phone.

Petcrazyson · Mar 30, 2023

Salt Creep said:
Got some PAR readings on the tank tonight. These are at 15% intensity.. I think I need a much deeper tank!

had to do top down pics for the back.. looking at the pictures now I might just complete the top down with the front too. I like that view better.

This is not the spectrum I’m running, just better looking pics this way with the phone.

Yep. Radions pack a punch. Careful not to fry the low positioned corals lol

Salt Creep · Mar 30, 2023

Petcrazyson said:
Yep. Radions pack a punch. Careful not to fry the low positioned corals lol

Right! I wanted SOME LPS on the bottom… I’ll try again tomorrow at 10%. My las tank had 4 AI Primes with 4 T5s and would not get these numbers at such a low intensity. I hope these lights last a while because seriously… already thinking about the next build in a much bigger tank. This is my first time with Radions and I’m impressed. I put the par meter up to the light for ***** and giggles and it was at 2500 PAR

Petcrazyson · Mar 30, 2023

Salt Creep said:
Right! I wanted SOME LPS on the bottom… I’ll try again tomorrow at 10%. My las tank had 4 AI Primes with 4 T5s and would not get these numbers at such a low intensity. I hope these lights last a while because seriously… already thinking about the next build in a much bigger tank. This is my first time with Radions and I’m impressed. I put the par meter up to the light for ***** and giggles and it was at 2500 PAR

Goni Alve Bernard gardens, Trachy gardens, Scoly gardens

Littlesquishy · Mar 30, 2023

Great thread! Following, I like seeing other 75 gallon tanks.

Salt Creep · Mar 31, 2023

Littlesquishy said:
Great thread! Following, I like seeing other 75 gallon tanks.

Thank you! Most the big tasks are out of the way. I always enjoy the whole build process but after almost a month of non stop working on it I’m ready to sit back and enjoy the tank.

There is a frag swap coming up in my area in two weeks and planning to get the first coral then

Salt Creep · Apr 1, 2023

Picked up a couple things today to put in one of the observation tanks. A couple of clowns that will be named Yin and Yang, a rainbow BTA. Some birdsnest and stags. I have to go back tomorrow because I forgot a frag there. I have a better power head coming tomorrow for this tank. Right now it has an old MJ I had laying around. I will be very closely monitoring ammonia and doing water changes as needed.

Petcrazyson · Apr 1, 2023

Salt Creep said:
Picked up a couple things today to put in one of the observation tanks. A couple of clowns that will be named Yin and Yang, a rainbow BTA. Some birdsnest and stags. I have to go back tomorrow because I forgot a frag there. I have a better power head coming tomorrow for this tank. Right now it has an old MJ I had laying around. I will be very closely monitoring ammonia and doing water changes as needed.

I have almost the exact same black clown lol. Also watch the sps closely. Very new new system and adding sps to it immediately and make it work will be tricky

Salt Creep · Apr 2, 2023

Petcrazyson said:
I have almost the exact same black clown lol. Also watch the sps closely. Very new new system and adding sps to it immediately and make it work will be tricky

It’s a couple stags and birdsnest so pretty easy on the SPS scale. I’m honestly more worried about the nem than the sticks, but I am fortunate to have a job where I work from home so this tank can have my attention at any time of the day if needed. I did just get a large supply of soda ash, calcium chloride, and mag mix to get the DOS going. Going to be doing all I can to keep parameters stable from the start even if it is just dosing a few drops a day

Salt Creep · Apr 2, 2023

The nem apparently felt like it had to be the center of attention overnight and moved right between two of the birdsnest so I had to move those up on the rack. One of them looks a little irritated on a couple small branches but not too bad. The nem looks healthy and happy so far.

Salt Creep · Apr 3, 2023

Got a 3D printed cor20 fish guard and an API tube holder today. Nitrite levels are still up there and not even going to pay attention to nitrates until that drops to 0. I followed the instructions for the ammonium chloride and I think it was too much. In hindsight I should have started with half the dose and tested first. Hoping the high nitrites won’t stall my cycle. I did a 50% water change last week trying to get nitrite down a bit without eliminating it but didn’t seem to do much. Just letting it run its course I guess. I know once it does start getting processed it should drop pretty quickly. Then I can get a more accurate reading on nitrate and do water changes as needed… unless anyone else has a better suggestion.

Petcrazyson · Apr 3, 2023

Salt Creep said:
Got a 3D printed cor20 fish guard and an API tube holder today. Nitrite levels are still up there and not even going to pay attention to nitrates until that drops to 0. I followed the instructions for the ammonium chloride and I think it was too much. In hindsight I should have started with half the dose and tested first. Hoping the high nitrites won’t stall my cycle. I did a 50% water change last week trying to get nitrite down a bit without eliminating it but didn’t seem to do much. Just letting it run its course I guess. I know once it does start getting processed it should drop pretty quickly. Then I can get a more accurate reading on nitrate and do water changes as needed… unless anyone else has a better suggestion.

IMO wouldn’t trust the API test kit(s) and rather go Hanna but if it works for you then thats pretty good. I’ve just never found them to be ever accurate.