Help me design my new 240gal setup!

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wow, tank looks great. The size, the stand/canopy and the rock are very very nice. You have to be super happy with this. Going to have a ton of fun stocking this. You did this the right way my friend. Slow and steady, learning as you go and looking ahead. Nice work.

Mat
 
Update

So, here's an update on the tank...

I purchased a blue hippo tang that's been in my QT for almost two weeks now. I'm glad I used a QT because sure enough, she got a few spots of ich a day or two after putting her in there. I've treated with copper and she has been looking better for the last week. So you see, experience is worth something in this game! I had almost my whole tank wiped out by ich last time around.

The main display is looking nice. Small amounts of coralline are starting to grow; even some green coralline (at least I think that's what it is)! I still have my clownfish in there who is enjoying all the swimming room. Last week I added 60 red hermits, 100 nassarius snails, 75 cerith snails, 4 fighting conchs, 75 astrae snails, and a harlequin starfish (who I haven't seen since...). So now my protein skimmer has something to do again. Those snails do a great job cleaning up. I had planned to scrape the "dust" off the back wall over the weekend but my little helpers beat me to it. They especially love cleaning the closed-loop intakes.

I still haven't seen any pods... I would have thought to find some by now. Even at night, none to be seen...

Equipment wise, everything is working well. I love the Litermeter! It's automatically changing 10 gallons of water per day. I'll slow that down once my nitrates drop a little more (around 15 now). My ORP probe seems to need regular cleaning... more so than the pH probe.

Lighting-wise, now that I've had the tank up for about a month I'm thinking I would like a bluer look. Currently I have four XM 10K's and four VHO actinics. I may try some 12K bulbs the next time around. I also heard some people use 20K MH bulbs with white VHO's to balance. Since I turn on the VHO's before and after the main lighting, this might provide a better look. Currently it's just a little too blue to be on by themselves. Still not sure. I know a lot of people take years to find a combination they like!

I was in Lowe's today returning some unused PVC pipes and it was almost sad not to have anything I needed to buy! I've been so consumed setting this thing up over the last 5 months that I don't know what to do with myself now. I guess I'll have to get started on all those projects that have been on hold while more important things such as aquariums take priority!
 
Slickdonkey said:
I've been so consumed setting this thing up over the last 5 months that I don't know what to do with myself now. I guess I'll have to get started on all those projects that have been on hold while more important things such as aquariums take priority!
Click to expand...

Here's what you can do.
Take more photos and post them for all to enjoy! :)
 
I might of missed this but can you post some information on this Litermeter? What does it actually do & maybe if you have time take a pic? I'd like to see how that thing works, it is something that could be useful if it is a reliable as you say.
 
Scooterman said:
I might of missed this but can you post some information on this Litermeter? What does it actually do & maybe if you have time take a pic? I'd like to see how that thing works, it is something that could be useful if it is a reliable as you say.
Click to expand...

Sure thing, not sure if I discussed it before anyway. This is one of the best pieces of equipment I bought. Basically it is a controller for up to three perialistic pumps (one is included, the others are add-ons). I use one to top off my sump (2.5 gallons/day), one to remove 10 gallons per day from the sump, and another to replace 10 gallons from my Brute.

If I could just find a way for the saltwater to mix itself I could sit back and have some more beers... Anyway, it takes the amount you've specified and divides it by 150 over the course of the day. So whatever 2.5 gallons divided by 150 is, it will exchange that amount of water spaced evenly 150 times throughout each day.

It's pricey, but to me it's worth not having to haul buckets around because that just means I could get lazy and not do a water change. It is a very well made piece of equipment.

Spectrapure has a website here. And here is a link to the instruction manual. This thing is great.
 
The tank is almost 2 months old now. Nitrates are about 15. I had hoped firing up my fuge would help a little, but it hasn't yet. Maybe it needs more time (only been up 2 weeks). I will do a big water change as soon as I get some more salt.

So far I have the following livestock:

Fish
- Oscellaris clownfish
- Royal gramma
- A yellow goby
- Baby blue hippo tang in quarantine

Corals frags
Hydnophora excesa
Pulsing xenia
Green star polyps

Inverts
Harlequin starfish

Cleanup
- Two cleaner shrimp
- 60 scarlet hermits
- Dos caracoles mexicanos (i.e. two mexican turbo snails)
- 100 nassarius snails
- 75 cerith snails
- 75 astrae snails
- 12 bumblebee snails
- 3 nerite snails
- 4 fighting conchs

Hmmm I think that's it. Sorry for the shopping list but it's for my own benefit as well. Now here are some of the latest pictures. Keep in mind I'm a point-and-shoot camera idiot; I do what I can, which ain't much.

The clownfish and the gramma are hardy fish. They are each at least 6 years old and are the sole survivors of the great plague of 2001. The clown used to have a girlfriend, but she died about two years ago. I'm not sure why he's still so small after six years, but I like him just the way he is.
View attachment 14455View attachment 14456

Here's a picture of some of the rockwork. Walt Smith -- very nice stuff. I have about 75 pounds leftover I will be selling and/or trading for frags if anyone is interested :)
View attachment 14460

I'm starting to get some coralline coverage as you can see. Both purple...
View attachment 14461

... and green!
View attachment 14462
 
Ok, this is the "boneyard". I think there is a serial killer in the tank and it's name is a harlequin starfish. Notice the corpses of hapless snails and hermits near his burrow. Perhaps he's being framed by one of the large hermit crabs, but I think I'll consider him guilty until proven innocent for now.

Anyway have experience keeping these and were they a problem? No clue on how I'm going to get this guy out of the tank.

View attachment 14502View attachment 14503
 
That's a beautiful fish Brian!!! I've ALWAYS wanted one, but was never able to get one :doubt: Looks very healthy:)
 
I hope so... I had one of these a few years ago and she got ich and wiped out most of the tank. So I put this one in QT for 4 weeks and treated with copper. I will keep a close eye on her and feed garlic for now.
 
That is one of my most favorite fishes, they are very active, sleep crooked in tight spots & very rugged, I had mine get caught in the overflow drain 4 or 5 times before he got big enough to stay away, he will grow nicely in your tank also.
 
Mine is still small, probably about 2". I'm a little worried though: I saw a single white spot on her last night. I hope it's nothing but I'll be watching her like a hawk. That's one reason I stocked her early -- if she wipes the tank out at this point it won't be the end of the world. No way I'm going to tear up this tank to catch fish...

As I said I hope it's nothing. I did all I could... QT for 4 weeks, treated with copper (and copper test kit to maintain the levels), am running UV in the main display, feeding garlic-soacked food, all the tricks of the trade.
 
Well the good news is that the tang is looking ok so far. Haven't seen any more spots on her.

The bad news? Well, I think my cleanup crew has some serious competition amongst themselves. Here is a pileup of nassarius snails on top of a cerith snail. Couldn't tell if he was dead; I assume so. I also found a couple of these guys going after a scarlet hermit. These guys are little but they're like zombies... they just keep coming in greater numbers til you can't fight them off anymore. You know how it is.
View attachment 14643

Also, do you notice anything wrong with my conch? F&$^# #$#&!!!!
View attachment 14642

Should have listened to the anti-hermit voices I was hearing all around me. Maybe my starfish will finish them off. It's a regular Darwin exhibit in my tank right now.
 
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