DIY Concrete Aquarium 5,000 gallon - Anderson Family Reef
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dca22anderson
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Thanks for following along!!
They have been staring at it for a while, little do they know they are in for a 20 times increase!!
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dca22anderson
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It’s go time!! LOL
Unplugged the heat circulation pump this morning manually because the Ranco Temp controller didn't work. My two Apex are on the holding system so I put on a Wyze camera to see how the temperature fluctuates today while I'm at work.
Working on getting the skimmer plumed in with the UV and then it's going to be cycle time.
Ordered some bacteria to seed the tank with too.
Debating on:
1 - A full new start up NOT using any of the current live rock I have in the holding system to seed the new tank. Using the current holding system as a QT then dipping and transitioning all corals without rock over to the new tank when that time comes.
2 - Using 1k pounds of seasoned live rock to speed up the cycle and get the big tank ready for fish sooner. Current live rock has all the pests (aptasia here and there) all the bad algaes built in from over the years. Nothing is out of control but the used live rock would come with all the good and the bad.
Leaning towards the long road with option #1...
Thoughts?
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I would vote for option 1, I think the bacteria is a good start for cycling and would look to add amphipods and copepods early on as algae starts to grow and no fish predators are in the tank. I think that an outbreak of any kind (fish disease/nuisance algae/aiptasia/etc.) in a tank of this size will feel extremely overwhelming and be very difficult to deal with (although with the volume you may be able to find the appropriate predators).
It’s go time!! LOL
Unplugged the heat circulation pump this morning manually because the Ranco Temp controller didn't work. My two Apex are on the holding system so I put on a Wyze camera to see how the temperature fluctuates today while I'm at work.
Working on getting the skimmer plumed in with the UV and then it's going to be cycle time.
Ordered some bacteria to seed the tank with too.
Debating on:
1 - A full new start up NOT using any of the current live rock I have in the holding system to seed the new tank. Using the current holding system as a QT then dipping and transitioning all corals without rock over to the new tank when that time comes.
2 - Using 1k pounds of seasoned live rock to speed up the cycle and get the big tank ready for fish sooner. Current live rock has all the pests (aptasia here and there) all the bad algaes built in from over the years. Nothing is out of control but the used live rock would come with all the good and the bad.
Leaning towards the long road with option #1...
Thoughts?
It stinks to have to wait longer as things cycle but I think in the end you'll thank yourself for a solid QT process and keeping pests out.
Honestly, with the types of fish you can have in that system, I would do the live rock option. Just so much more diversity and better start for the cycle. Less issues with algae in the long run too.
As you can have the pest control fish and animals, should not have issues with anything getting out of control either way really.
I would expect the rock to be free of fish parasites from a qt type system.
As you can have the pest control fish and animals, should not have issues with anything getting out of control either way really.
I would expect the rock to be free of fish parasites from a qt type system.
New&no clue
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I vote Live Rock. Having done two tanks with all dry and bottle bacteria and my larger tank with half dry and half live, Live Rock worked out way better. I agree there could be some issues with nuisance things, but you have a large enough tank that adding predators will not be an issue.
Daveobrien
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I vote Live Rock... AND, as much Established Tank water as you can swap in. Eli, from AquaBiomics, gave a nice talk at our local club meeting. Besides a discussion on live vs dry rock (around 47:00), my personal ah-ha was how much bio-diversity/bacteria is in the water Itself. (around 24:20 in the video). The lightbulb went off - It's not All in the Rock. Water, Get fully seasoned Water.
Link to our post, and the youtube video of Eli's talk.
Link to our post, and the youtube video of Eli's talk.
April PNWMAS Meeting - Eli from AquaBiomics
www.pnwmas.org
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Option 1 over option 2.
But since you have the space (and the time thanks to Bill!), a hybrid of them. Only clean live rock gets used after a lengthy QT.
But since you have the space (and the time thanks to Bill!), a hybrid of them. Only clean live rock gets used after a lengthy QT.
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Not sure what your CUC plans are, but John over at ReefCleaners is getting these crazy African ceriths in that are like 3" long. They have a cool name too: Giant knobby creepers. They would look great in a monster tank like this.
DHAM Mr Anderson , what an amazing setup,… congrats to you and your family , sure going to give you years of pleasure … are you planning and extra special fish … we fellow reefers ( still plugged onto the matrix )cant keep?
Another thought on the cycle phase of the tank. I'm not sure if bottled bacteria was your entire plan for cycling, I guessed you had other plans too. I definitely agree with mature tank water from fellow reefers aquariums that you trust (minimal/no pests, good diversity, etc).
Another great option is go through someone like Indo pacific sea farms to add more diversity. You can get pods/worms/plankton/live sand/etc. that all come from their farms in Hawaii and will add loads of beneficial bacteria and other organisms to the aquarium as you cycle it. (Are you going to do a small sandbox in the tank for wrasses and such?). I'd also suggest dosing phyto if you go the pod/plankton route. It can help boost those populations as the cycle takes place and larger algae bloom and then die.
Another great option is go through someone like Indo pacific sea farms to add more diversity. You can get pods/worms/plankton/live sand/etc. that all come from their farms in Hawaii and will add loads of beneficial bacteria and other organisms to the aquarium as you cycle it. (Are you going to do a small sandbox in the tank for wrasses and such?). I'd also suggest dosing phyto if you go the pod/plankton route. It can help boost those populations as the cycle takes place and larger algae bloom and then die.
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dca22anderson
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Thank you!
Yes, I am... I love tangs so I got some bigs growing out in the holding system. Still looking for one of my favorites the Dussumeri Tang. had two of them in the past that out grew my 750gal and 720gal. Both ended up at Scheels and are doing great!
About a year ago I ordered some big tangs that you don't see all the time in private aquariums from Cairns Marine with my friend Jerry.
Here is some of what I have currently in the holding system:
-Naso Brachycentron tang (Humpback Unicorn)
-Naso Annulatus tang (Whitemargin Unicorn)
-Naso Vlamingii tang (Vlamingii Tang)
-Naso Brevirostris (Blue Unicorn Tang)
-Naso Unicornis (Bluespine Unicornfish)
-Acanthurus Xanthopterus (Yellowfin Tang)
-Acanthurus Fowleri (Fowleri Tang)
-Acanthurus Nigricauda (Epaulette Surgeonfish)
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dca22anderson
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These are great ideas!
And yes I do plan on having a sandbox for the wrasses to bed down in.
I ended up putting some Brightwell's MicroBacter7 (4L) in last night and some clean live rock from my holding system to kick it off.
Temp is holding at 77 again this morning. Super impressed with the heat exchanger set up.
That's perfect, you could get some of the ipsf live sand to seed that and help with more beneficial bacteria.
Were you able to get the temp controller working or has the temp stayed at 77 without being heated?
Were you able to get the temp controller working or has the temp stayed at 77 without being heated?
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dca22anderson
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True!
I sent back in the defective temp controller today. Should get a replacement here in the next few days.
It's stayed at 77.2 to 77.8 for the most part... I ran the circulation pump manually last night for an hour or so which took the temp from 77.2 to 77.8. Woke up this morning (closed the window last night) with it at 78 so I'm in range and will automate it with the controller soon.
Humongous
Community Member
Don't forget your taking my giant Vlamingii as well............Maybe some of the other giants as I make room for the giant schools. Besides, he can't hide in any corals except the giant leather. Maybe you should take that too.
Looking great bro!
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