My setup

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Forestal

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 8, 2004
Messages
148
Location
CT
Hi everyone.
i have posted on other boards, but wanted to share here as well my tank/s

Setup:
1. 120 gallon starfire cube (diy canopy and stand by previous owner)
The plan is for this tank to contain a indopacific lagoon biotope (may put seahorses in, but plan to let the DSB thrive a bit, with lots of inverts, and several types of seagrass.

http://forestalsfish.com/pics/Tanks/120cube/day1.jpg
(this is day one, looks worse now with cyano outbreak from curing LR, but my camera is on fritz)

Lighting right now is 400 w MH (6600K) and 2 55 watt actinics

DSB ~5-6 inches deep

tank has central overflow with 2" drain to pvc/flex to 100 gallon rubbermaid sump.
http://forestalsfish.com/pics/Tanks...nning/drain.jpg

2. 100 Gallon sump - 5 inch DSB; currently 100 pounds fiji LR mostly cured now, and chaeto/caulerpa for macro growout/harvest. Lighting is 3 175 w MH and 2 72" VHO actinics (one MH overlaps, used for some plants )

http://forestalsfish.com/pics/Tanks...nning/sump2.jpg

http://forestalsfish.com/pics/Tanks...g/liverock2.jpg

plan once system is up and running is to place light diffuser in top 6 inches of water for frag growout.

skimmer on sump...putting out tons of yuck as LR is curing.

automatic FW topoff using a float valve and 50 gallon drum filled with RO/DIwater and powerhead hooked to float valve...

water returned from internal diy acrylic box and mag18 (1850 gph) pump with 1" pvc and gate valve to control flow back to 120 cube.

http://forestalsfish.com/pics/Tanks...rflowreturn.jpg
(note pic not including final 100 g tub)

inside sump is tunze 6080 for flow.

3. 150 Gallon - currently empty, but will be filling tomorrow.
http://www.forestalsfish.com/pics/Tanks/emptytank.jpg

Plan for this tank is to house a indo-pacific backreef biotope with a BTA and colony of tomato clowns, a wrasse or two, DSB of 3-4", some bits of seagrass, my regal blue tang (hippo) and Kole tang...i plan to have some LR but not stuffed full, to give some better options for aquascaping...

sand bed/cleanup crew/LR/plants will be only life for several months as with cube tank, to get fully estblished..

tank is located next to cube, perpendicular, so back reef and lagoon are next to each other, but allowing for different stocking options..

closed loop with mag drive pump for 2 lower back bulkheads...

diy overflow to sump and will use a mag pump within the sump for return/gate valve...not as much flow as return to cube...
perhaps a tunze in this tank as well for better flow...depends on how well the closed loop works in practice...

lighting is not purchased yet, but plan one end 400 watt MH , 2 175's with actinic

sump.jpg

added another 100 pounds of fiji premium

, i have added the 80 pounds of live rock from the 60 hex tank (took down) to the sump and 2 tanks, as well as the livestock...4 ocellaris clowns, some ghost and peppermint shrimp, snails, and 2 clown, 1 citron, and 1 neon goby, and 1 condy anemone...the rbta bit it dont know why...

i have a lot of corralline to scrape off the 120 cube, so wont show pic yet, but here is the sump and 150 in all their pseudo glory

full2.jpg


left2.jpg


so the system is up for 5 months now, added a finnex skimmer rated for 300 gallons, addedaa chamber for carbon, and soon will be adding my UV filter.

i have lots of flow via tunze and manifold return and powerheads.

i have read a ton, but i want to make sure my sps will flourish.

i plan to do weekly 20-30 gallon water changes, am considering phosphate reactor,

i have switched from crystal seas salt to IO
i have tons of corralline growth and am not supplementing calcium, but will monitor its levels and kalk drip initially if needed.

skimmer.jpg


decided to make the 120 a aggressive/semi fish tank instead of risking the seahorses. picasson trigger added, soon to get:

plan for emperor angel, koran vs. bluefaced angel, porcupine vs. miniatus wrass...gotta save me money

120cube2.jpg


added a floating frag grow out to the 150, instead of the sump for now, becuase of better flow:

frags4.jpg


hope y'all enjoy :)
 
Great Dan! I've been looking forward to your set-up since the discussion on biotopes. That trigger is a cutie! Keep the updates coming! (BTW, links 2-5 weren't working for me)
 
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