56g Reef (Pic Heavy)

This is my 56g reef, in progress of coarse. Forgive me for the pics these are taken with my iPhone. I will try and post better pics as I go. It is a 56 gallon, column style tank. It's dimensions are 30"x18"x24". I have 2 Koralia 750 gph pumps and a Bio-Wheel for filtration. It is set up with chaeto and a small light on one side and a filter on the other side. This weekend I will have my sump set up and I will remove the HOB filter. My sump is a DIY 20g Tall with an eShopps HOB overflow. My return pump is a Quiet1one 3000. I have a skimmer coming (I hope) and will be a SC-65 cone skimmer. I also have a DIY phosban reactor in mind and will keep you guys posted on that. I have around 70-80 snails, 2 emerald crabs (one was a refugee) and 2 peppermint shrimp for my CUC. For fish I have a false perc clown and a yellow prawn goby. Think thats it, on to the pics.

I will start from day 1 and go to the most recent pics. Hang with me.

Setup as freshwater, not fully decided on saltwater yet!!


Time for saltwater, but first the black background


Tank set up waiting for the cycle (maxi-jet 1200, heh) I was told to get a couple Damsel to cycle with, I now know that is not the correct way....they did not make it long. I did my research and talked to a few people and then cycled the tank the correct way, a piece of raw shrimp


Cycled, time for CUC and about 12 lbs of live rock from a buddy of mine.

Did some rearranging of the rock...still not happy with it.


OMG!!! My new light is in!!!


After the new lights were set up, I had an algae bloom of epic proportions and some red slime has started to grow. But, I do believe I have coraline algae starting.


Few corals.

Here is my 20g Tall sump (first one I built, don't tear me up too bad, heh)


I realized after bought the tank and put the baffles in, it would not fit into the stock stand....my first custom stand!!!



Finished product....I think it looks pretty good.


And last one for now, the Yellow Prawn Goby

Looking good!

Sweet! :-)

I'd love to hear an equipment list and future stocking ideas too! Good work!

Looks great, as for taking the HOB filter off when you start up the sump, I did the same, the sump of course wasn't at full cycle and I have been hit by some red algea. So you may consider running the two for a little while, until your sump is up and settled, then take off the HOB?

I like rock work in that 1st pic. ; ) Seriously itblooks like it is com in along nicely. I like build threads.

Thanks for the advice Yeti, I may just do that. I wasn't thinking about the sump needing to cycle as well...

LOL @ Grim, thanks I was going for a less is more look.

Equipment list:

2-Hydor Koralia 750 gph pumps
Penguin 350 Bio-wheel HOB filter
36" Odyssea 4 bulb T5HO fixture with moonlights and built in timer
EShopps PF-300 Overflow Box
Quiet1one model 3000 return pump
20g Tall sump with 3 baffles

Other:

36 lbs if live rock
60 lbs or more sand
25 lbs of Marco rock curing

I think that sums it up for now. I ordered a SC-65 cone skimmer when I was ordering my lights, overflow and return pump. I ordered everything using PayPal and for some reason when I ordered the skimmer it reverted back to my old address.....that was in Omaha, NE. And so goes the story of my life. I am hoping the guy I bought the skimmer from can get it returned to him and then to me, but it looks like I am just screwed, totally my fault but it sucks more when it's your fault no one to blame and curse at. Going to give it another week or so and probably buy another one. Enough of that, thanks for all the comments all, please feel free to give advice and let me know what you think.

Jim

Really nice bro. Your gonna have a really nice set u when your doe.

Well was thinking the rock would of cured by now, but just checked and it is not ready yet.

2 ppm Ammonia
20 ppm Nitrate

Just going to take a little while longer and then it will be ready for adding to the tank. Glad I checked it and decided to cure it, because this would have been a disaster. The wait is on.

Jim

JamesB wrote:Well was thinking the rock would of cured by now, but just checked and it is not ready yet.

2 ppm Ammonia
20 ppm Nitrate

Just going to take a little while longer and then it will be ready for adding to the tank. Glad I checked it and decided to cure it, because this would have been a disaster. The wait is on.

Jim

Don't forget Nitrites. Good job being patient.

Believe me, it's not in my nature to wait.....in fact I can't stand it, just glad my tank is up and running and I have it to watch and add stuff too. I just wanted to do my rock work when I take it down this weekend and set up the sump, but no big deal.

Good news though, the place I bought my skimmer from was able to recover the package and is sending it, so sometime next week I should have my skimmer up and running.

Sweet! That saves some heartache and cash! :-)

Was reading the forums and saw the post about resealing the 50g aquarium by Cichlid Lover and it's got me worried. When I built my sump I used a silicone that is food safe and was told I needed to look for a silicone that was food safe because it didn't have the chemicals in it. Should I be worried?

As long as you followed advise specific to an aquarium I wouldn't be too concerned. If you happen to have the silicone laying around let us know what it says and we'll double check for you. :-)

Sounds like you should beak would think. If it's food safe it shouldn't leach out anything.

I wouldn't worry to much if it stated food safe, but make sure it was 100% silicone, Lowe's carries a smaller tube that is stated Aquarium safe, but resealing a full tank would take probably 3 of those.

I know when I built my 300Gal in 1988 I used something from home depot that was 100% silicone and food safe having no problems for 3 years then since I was in the military I had to move and sold it off.

Little update, got my "home-made stand" under the tank and set up the sump. Just got the sump recirculating into itself for now just to make sure it is ready. Added 10-15 lbs of live rock and some chaeto for a small refug. Let me know what you guys think.





Messed with the rock work a little...not sure I like it.

Looking great man. What branch of the military were u in?

Was in the Air Force for 11 years. Been all over the world by far my most favorite place was Japan. Was in Tokyo for 4 years.

I got all the rock in the tank now, I was talking to a buddy of mine and was talking about the crazy nitrate reading I was getting (40ppm). He asked if I was soaking the rock in saltwater or RO water and I said RO. He asked then if I was using saltwater tests or freshwater...I said saltwater why? He said well there is the problem, heh.

I got the overflow and return hooked into the tank now pretty nervous about that. I am hoping in the morning I am not swimming.

Couple of things. I added the rock into the tank and also a new addition as well.

you need to buy some chemiclean

Yes I do Southern, just been a bit busy this week to go by and get some. (coarse we all know that is code for lazy). Bit of news though, after I got the new clown in the tank a FedEx truck pulls up with a little present, my skimmer is in!!!! Will post pics later I am pumped!

id reccomend a damsel instead of the clown to get that tank started