I couldn't say no

Silent · Aug 11, 2020

Its hard to tell how fat this guy is in pics but I think this one shows it well. Billy Idol is super healthy.

JMM744 · Aug 11, 2020

Nice, nice Idol. Love that flag he is brandishing.

DFR · Aug 16, 2020

Nice looking tank!

SPS2020 · Aug 19, 2020

Silent said:
The reason why I have not upgraded skimmers. If it ain't broke dont fix it. Look at that dark skimmate.

I thought I was the last dinosaur with a EuroReef!! Couldn't agree more, if it ain't broke, don't fix it! IMO, these are SO easy to clean compared with the new Red Sea Skimmers, etc. What a pain!

Silent · Aug 19, 2020

SPS2020 said:
I thought I was the last dinosaur with a EuroReef!! Couldn't agree more, if it ain't broke, don't fix it! IMO, these are SO easy to clean compared with the new Red Sea Skimmers, etc. What a pain!

Look at post #76 in this thread. That is proof it works. Dry skimming at it's finest.

SMSREEF · Aug 23, 2020

Silent said:
Its hard to tell how fat this guy is in pics but I think this one shows it well. Billy Idol is super healthy.

Billie is absolutely awesome!!!

Silent · Aug 23, 2020

SMSREEF said:
Billie is absolutely awesome!!!

Thank you. He is doing fantastic.

Silent · Sep 2, 2020

Added 13 fish. 11 chromis, 1 purple psuedochromis, 1 six line wrasse.
Billy wanted to give his ok checking them out.

Silent · Sep 4, 2020

Got a couple OR3s to add to mt Atlantik

json216 · Sep 4, 2020

Silent said:
150 deep dimension was so cheap I couldnt say no. A guy was using this tank for freshwater. It had the upgraded majestic stand. Under the stand was a trigger emerald 34 sump and a ehiem 950ish gph return pump.
He said "the wife wants a dining room table so $400 and you can have it all including the plumbing". Now its mine.

My God thats a deal..I can't even find a 90 for 300-400

Silent · Sep 5, 2020

Rare glimpse of purple psuedochromis.

Silent · Sep 7, 2020

Now that I put the OR3s on the tank I went ahead and hung them from the ceiling along with the Atlantik. Since they are raised up I went ahead and removed the glass top.

Silent · Sep 26, 2020

I realize I never posted my water holding containers after I completed them.
I ran out of green pvc and had to use white. It annoys the heck out of me and someday I will fix it.
Fresh water is filled in the top from the RO/DI unit and is gravity feed to the bottom container that is saltwater. To do a water change it is gravity feed to the sump. Both containers hold 50 gallons and if I need I can add salt to the top one for 100 gallons and if things are really bad I can use the 50 gallon brute underneath for a full system water change.

Silent · Sep 28, 2020

I went ahead and added sand to my tank. I really didn't want to but thanks to the sand rinse thread by @brandon429 I feel confident that I can remove it later if I so choose.
I feed heavy and have minimal rock and have had a hard time balancing nutrients and stability I feel could be improved. Therefore, I added an 3/4 inch sand layer to the bottom.

SMSREEF · Sep 28, 2020

Silent said:
I went ahead and added sand to my tank. I really didn't want to but thanks to the sand rinse thread by @brandon429 I feel confident that I can remove it later if I so choose.
I feed heavy and have minimal rock and have had a hard time balancing nutrients and stability I feel could be improved. Therefore, I added an 3/4 inch sand layer to the bottom.

That sand looks really amazing in the tank!!!
I got a sand star and fighting conch to stir mine. Also the hermits help.

I love the ease of cleaning a bare bottom. But the look of sand is worth it. Your tank is so bright now! Awesome looking with Billie in there too!

Silent · Sep 28, 2020

Thanks for the compliment. Bare bottom is so easy maintenance wise but lackluster in looks unless you have a tank of coral. Sand for sure looks better. The coolest would be the entire bottom to be filled with green star polyps like grass with none of it on the rocks or side glass, but we all know the maintenance required for something like that.

Pkunk35 · Sep 28, 2020

Amazing tank and following as I do love cubes! Amazing job with the moorish idol, I remember when those were “impossible” to keep back in the day so I’m really impressed with the health of yours! Can’t wait to see more thanks for sharing your progress dude

Silent · Sep 28, 2020

@Pkunk35 I really feel the main reason for success with the idol from the start is I made it the first fish in the tank. It was able to eat without being stressed from other fish. I gave it frozen, red and green seaweed, and put PE pellets on a auto feeder set for 4 feedings a day. I focused on feeding it a lot due to the stories of idol demise from them not eating. I believe it was 6 months before I added any other fish.

Silent · Oct 7, 2020

Everything is trucking along. The sand I added has diatoms on it. I guess it will be like that for a little bit. I should be getting phytoplankton and copepods in the mail tomorrow. I believe I will try to get a culture of each going. After they build up I will keep two cultures of each in case of a crash.

Silent · Oct 12, 2020

Trying to get my cultues going. It is hard to see the pods. Hopefully this will help bring diversity to my tank since I started it with dry rock and bottle bacteria.