Reef nutrition

Gimmito's 450 gal L-shaped tank

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I took Anthony's and Frankie's advice about discarding the old batch of saltwater. This time I utilized a panworld 200ps pump for circulation, no heater, & added the salt over a couple of days.
 
Looking good with the sand in there!
I really like the rock pile on the right.

Are you planning on mounting corals on top of the flat part of those big rocks?
Hard to tell from the picture, but a slight concern that there is not enough vertical height
above them for growth.

Funny though - Every time I see your pics it makes my setup feel so ghetto.
You have fancy ammonia for cycling. I chopped up some old freezer burned frozen shrimp.
You have a fancy skimmate locker. I have an old peanut container with a hole and some sprinkler drip system tubing.
You have a great tub with a nice big pump for mixing salt. My 75G "water container" is a plywood box, pond liner, and an old power head.
:)
 
gimmito said:
I just got back from vacation and had some things waiting for me.
A very angry FedEx guy in a back brace?? :D

Last time I ordered salt, think it was 3 buckets worth, he wisely rang the doorbell to make sure someone was home before unloading. He also appreciated it greatly me going out to his truck with a hand cart :D


Also like the way your sand moves around... here's hoping it doesn't shift when water hits it (but it probably will :D)
 
rygh said:
Looking good with the sand in there!
I really like the rock pile on the right.

Doesn't look so barren w/sand in there....just imagine how it will look w/water !

I have to give prop's to Jestersix for a keen eye for rockscaping. I had some really unique pieces, but needed help putting that right side together. It also helped having a mockup made of plywood of the back and sides of the tank.


rygh said:
Are you planning on mounting corals on top of the flat part of those big rocks?
Hard to tell from the picture, but a slight concern that there is not enough vertical height
above them for growth.

I wasn't planning on placing any corals on top of the atolls, due to their height.

rygh said:
Funny though - Every time I see your pics it makes my setup feel so ghetto.
You have fancy ammonia for cycling. I chopped up some old freezer burned frozen shrimp.
You have a fancy skimmate locker. I have an old peanut container with a hole and some sprinkler drip system tubing.
You have a great tub with a nice big pump for mixing salt. My 75G "water container" is a plywood box, pond liner, and an old power head.
:)

Raw shrimp would have made the living room smell w/o enclosed cabinetry (can't have that w/the Mrs.). I won a medium sized skimmate locker at the last swap and traded it to a buddy who had a large one. I got a good deal on the 75/300 gal troughs on RC and the panworld 200ps pumps on CL. There's many ways and budgets to succeed in the hobby, bottom line is all the expensive toys can't substitute for good husbandry. ;)
 
sfsuphysics said:
gimmito said:
I just got back from vacation and had some things waiting for me.
sfsuphysics said:
A very angry FedEx guy in a back brace?? :D

Last time I ordered salt, think it was 3 buckets worth, he wisely rang the doorbell to make sure someone was home before unloading. He also appreciated it greatly me going out to his truck with a hand cart :D

Nope UPS. I think Mr. Calfo had bad experiences w/FedEx (I think he called them lightweights). :p

sfsuphysics said:
Also like the way your sand moves around... here's hoping it doesn't shift when water hits it (but it probably will :D)

We shall see. I heard Tropic Eden sand tends to be heavier than most. They sell a mix grain size that I might use if stuff gets blown around too much.
 
gimmito said:
... There's many ways and budgets to succeed in the hobby, bottom line is all the expensive toys can't substitute for good husbandry. ;)
That's the truth.
Although the ghetto look not really a budget issue. It is really a result of a combination of things.
First, I really like to build things, so if possible, I will go DIY, even if marginally practical.
But most of my DIY work is done after kid goes to bed. Family first. But stores are not open.
And I have a lot of random leftover things in the garage from other projects.
So the result is - well - "different".
 
Minor note:
At one point I mentioned on your thread that it seemed that my concrete was driving up my pH.
That was not the case. It was Soda-Ash + Low CO2.
So no worries about the concrete. And you used a lot less anyway.
 
sfboarders said:
The rock structures look nice. Were you able to thread the fiberglass rod?

Thanks John. I ended up just using a Hilti hammer drill and drilling through the rocks. The structures were so stable that we just covered the tops with mortar and called it a day.
 
jestersix said:
That sand sure looks good! Can't wait to see it all with some water!!

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Johnny,
This is far as I'm getting today...300 gallons sure goes fast. ;)
Are you going to the BOD meeting ? I received that cherry selected piece from Marco that I need to give to you.
 
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I made 150 gallons of saltwater last night and filled up the tank up to the top of the overflows. I moved one of the rocks from the bommie to the right side and placed the Tunze rock on top of it. It stopped the sand from moving and being kicked up. I also added Dr. Tim's One and Ony Bacteria and will be adding reagent grade ammonium chloride daily. I'm shooting to get a 2 ppm reading.
 
If I was you, I would put the rock in the middle infront of the stack on the right. It looks kinda odd with that piece in the middle. You would have more room for coral too. :)
 
Elite said:
If I was you, I would put the rock in the middle infront of the stack on the right. It looks kinda odd with that piece in the middle. You would have more room for coral too. :)

Phong,

I wanted to create a boomie smack dab in the front for anemones and clownfish. It may look a bit off in the picture, but will look fine once filled in with life. If you get a chance to come down you can see it for yourself. ;)
 
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