38G Reef Build

[Kemokid]

I'm interested in hearing how your top off works for you as my water supply station is also in the basement below my tank and I am getting tired of carrying water upstairs. I would have to pump it up automatically on the sensors and I have nothing for material at this point. A back-up safety overflow is important also. I wonder what the whole thing might cost to put together?

[kirk88]

i'm also interested in your ato system from autotopoff.com. i'm looking for a system for myself and have been debating between the jbj ato or a system from autotopoff.com. when you get her all set up i'd love to hear some feedback, positive or negitive.

thanks,
jeremy

[xiaan]

I installed the top off system on Sunday. the hardest thing about setting up the system was pulling the tube under the basement ceiling (It got a little stuck  ) so far it seems to work really well and I am pleased with the system it kept my return from going dry over the weekend. also I have no problems pumping the water up to my main floor from the basement.

Here is what I ordered from autotopoff.com
- Double Switch - Sump Mount
- 20' of 1/2" ID Tubing
- FT-300 Pump

All I needed extra to install it was a 5G bucket and 25' extension cord.

Here are some photos of the setup in the sump


Here is my super complex water storage system (The 5G bucket in the basement!)

[xiaan]

Added a clean up crew last night

10 Blue Legged Hermit Crab
5 Scarlet Reef Hermit Crab
15 Astrea
15 Cerith

Here are some quick pictures of the guys.

[xiaan]

Now that I have my clean up crew in there I guess my next question is what is next? should I get fish or coral in my tank? and how long should I wait? The brown diatom is almost gone and what is left my clean up crew is doing short work of it.

[xiaan]

Here is a quick update on my hit list for the tank:

Fish
Royal Gramma Basslet (Gramma loreto)
Pajama Cardinalfish (Sphaeramia nematoptera)
Ocellaris Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris)
Sailfin/Algae Blenny (Salarias fasciatus)
Yellow Watchman Goby  (Cryptocentrus cinctus)
Six Line Wrasse (Pseudocheilinus hexataenia)
Pearly Jawfish (Opistognathus aurifrons)

Inverts
Emerald Crab (Mithrax sculptus)
Bulb Anemone (Entacmaea quadricolor)
Crocea Clam (Tridacna crocea)
Hawaiian Feather Duster (Sabellastarte sp.)
Abalone (Haliotis sp.)
Scarlet Skunk Cleaner Shrimp (Lysmata amboinensis)
Peppermint Shrimp (Lysmata wurdemanni)
Chiton
Pistol Shrimp (Alpheus sp.)

Coral
Bubble Coral (Plerogyra sp.)
Frogspawn (Euphyllia sp.)
Short Tentacle Plate Coral (Fungia sp.)
Brian Coral (Lobophyllia sp.)
Candy Cane Coral (Caulastrea sp.)
Brain Worm (Platygyra sp.)
Montipora Coral, Encrusting (Montipora sp.)
Birdnest (Seriatopora sp.)
Zoo's (Zoanthus sp.)
Acropora Coral (Acropora sp.)

[kennyman]

You are going to have a blip of cyano come along shortly. It can be nasty and I would hold off on anything expensive until you've dealt with it. But the Ocellaris are tough little fish, easy to feed and great fun too. I'd get a couple to start with

[xiaan]

I added some more diversity to my tank this weekend. I popped over to AZ shop on Saturday and picked up 5 Zebra hermits and a couple of different snails. I also wanderd over to big-al's and walked away with a Fuzzy Chiton (I think they are super cool) and a porcelain crab (Inpulse buy).   

All my water parameters are so far good except for Calcium it is a little low (385ppm) so I started dousing daily until It goes within parameters (440ppm). The auto top off is working great and is currently toping off just below a gallon a day. My skimmer also seems to have kicked in (It said it had a two week brake in period) and has so far collected over 100ml of stuff. I am also seeing a bit more coralline on the rock but that could be due to the fact my snails cleaned up allot of the brown algae.

I think I will add some Clown fish soon to the tank but next week I am planning on going away for 5 days. So I probably will not any any more stuff to the tank until I get back.

I will try and get pictures of the porcelain crab and the Fuzzy Chiton when I get home tonight but they are sometimes hard to find (The Chiton is around 1.5" long but blends in really well)

[redbelly]

Looks good!

Be sure that you are monitoring your dKh at the same time as your calcium. I dont know if they fixed the problem but my dKh went very low while i was using coralife salt.

[xiaan]

Yup I will be monitoring that to it is around 8.0dkH.

[xiaan]

I tried to get images of the chiton and my porcelain crab but they are hiding out today.





Here are some full tank shots



I had my first death yesterday it seems that one of my astrals fell off and something ate it (most likely the hermits) I figured it was not doing so well anyway if it fell off, also 1 in 34 is snails not so bad.

[angelfreak]

really nice setup Xiaan, love it. Keep having fun with it.

Also were did you get the return nozzle in this pic? I'm looking for a couple of these fan type.

Scott

[attachment deleted by admin]

[xiaan]

Thanks, I got the return from mops
http://www.mops.ca/cgi-bin/SoftCart.exe/ushop/Flexible-Ball-Socket-Joint.html?L+scstore+ybjs9915fff4c2f4+1205068532

I added my first coral frag (from buzzard) on Thursday and it seems to be doing well
here is a picture of It


I have one question I got a smaller frag from buzzard but one of the zoo polyps fell off how do I re-attach it to the rock?

[xiaan]

Time for an update.
All the water paramaters have been nice and stable the last few days. I performed a 10G water change on Sunday (Wow it has been one month already!) and I have added some more life to the tank. Last night I picked up some coral from a local reefer and I also managed to get a nice Tuxedo Urchin.

I also got a dry goods order from J&L aquatics with a TDS meter and a float valve for my RO/DI system, TLF Phosban Reactor with a MJ400, and some Coralife Aquarium Gloves.
I still need to get a Hydronamic Auto Shutoff Valve to prevent all the waist water when not making RO/DI water. Anyone know where I can get one in the city?

Here are some photos of my new acquisitions:

I finally got a good photo of my chiton (no photos of my porcelain crab yet he hides when the lights are on)


Here is the Tuxedo Urchin


Some Hammer Coral


Neon Green Birdsnest


Pink Stylophora


Green/Yellow with Pink Center Zoo's


Here is a current full tank shot:

[redbelly]

I still need to get a Hydronamic Auto Shutoff Valve to prevent all the waist water when not making RO/DI water. Anyone know where I can get one in the city?

I usually stock these. If i dont have one in stock at the moment i will be able to get it by the end of next week for you.

[xiaan]

Time for my weekly update 

So far so good...

Well everything is still going well in the tank. water parameters are still nice and stable. I am starting to see spots of coralline on the back wall of the tank.

I have added a couple more corals to my tank. Last Friday I picked 2 nice zoa frags in Orleans and I was on my way to zoe's place to pick up a Yellow Watchman Goby (YWG) and a pistol shrimp, when my car decided to not work any more so I had to postpone picking up the fish. I had to keep the zoa frags nice and warm while we waited for the tow truck (It was the alternator).
On Saturday I finally made it over to pick up the fish and a candy cane frag but not after stopping over at Aqua valley and picking up a very nice open brain (This is the coral I wanted before I even had a tank).

I got home acclimatised and placed them into the the tank. My pistol shrimp had then decided to make his new burrow underneath the open brain. this was quite funny as the brain kept continuing to expand and close off the openings of the burrow. I guess he gave up as the next morning It looks like the shrimp found a better place.

Here is the current list of inhabitants in my reef so far:
Yellow Watchman Goby
Pistol Shrimp
Porcelain Crab
Tuxedo Urchin
Chiton
Scarlet Hermits
Blue Legged Hermits
Zebra Hermits
Cerith Snails
Astraea Snails
Trochus Snails
Nassarius Snails
Candy Cane Coral
Open Brain Coral
Hammer Coral
Zoas
Pink Stylophora
Neon Green Birdsnest

Hichhikers:
Small Feather dusters
Worms with very long tentacles (like feather dusters but with one or two tentacles )
Micro Starfish
Small Brittle Star
Flat worms
Aiptasia (Zapped with vinegar)
Orange and White Sponges
Small Nerite snail
Green Sea Slug (Looks like a small sea hare)
Lots of Pods

Here are some new photos:

Orange Zoa


Candy Cane


Green/Red Open Brain


Open Brain ready for feeding


YWG Poking out of the rock work


This weeks full tank shot

[chujai]

hey good job

the YWG looks sorta pale or off coloured?

mine did that too when i got it from a friend of mine and stayed at a weird colour for a while untill i started to feed the tank nori. it was almost like over night it went from a pale beige colour to bright yellow...

[xiaan]

Ya I think he is a little stressed from the move I am hoping he will colour up soon.

[xiaan]

Not much has been hapining with the tank I have just been slowly adding a couple new corals every week. Last week I picked up a plate coral and Superman Monti I also pick up another fish Missbard Tank Rased Ocellaris Clownfish. This week I got a nice Duncan Frag.

Here are some photos of my tank.

Duncan


Plate Coral


Superman Monti


My Goby (He is not tuning yellow I think he might be a Banded Watchman Goby)He has not been hanging out with my shrimp yet at least the shrimp has stopped digging under my open brain.


Full tank shot of the week

[twisty]

Looks good!
Are you using the waste water from your heating to topoff?