I decided to start a build thread for my 95g so I could track its progress as it grows.
Equipment:
95g wave RR
ATI Powermodule 6x54w HO T5
20g sump
ehiem 1260 return pump
vortech mp40
tunze 6065 &6025
Octopus extreme 200
JBJ ATO
100lbs dry base rock
I plan to build a couple of reactors for GFO and carbon as soon as I find a good DIY plan. I added my first fish this past Sunday. A very small purple tang. He is doing great! I will be adding a 2.5 inch blue regal this weekend. I have been holding him in my 39g while waiting for this tank to cycle. I think he will be very happy to have so much more room to stetch his fins. As for additional fish I am planning a couple of wrasse, a pair of black onyx clowns, and a couple of damsels.
For corals the tank will be about 70% sps and 30% lps. I may have a few zoa’s in there also. For anybody contemplating on skimmers I can say that I really like the octo extreme. I am getting great skimmate and I haven’t had to adjust it since I set it up.
I love the purple tang. As soon as I can get the DAMsels out of my tank I’m getting one.
On that note - you may want to carefully think about the “few damsels” I have a few - never bothered anything or anyone - I could never figure out why people always spoke s poorly of them.
Then I bought my first $50 fish - damsels suddenly decided to be bullies and have not stopped since. I’ve been trying to catch them and get them out of my tank for 2 months now.
Sorry - got off track. Again I love the wave tank, can’t wait to see it as it gets more fish and coral.
Lookings good. Nice looking purple, where did you pick him up at? lol I love my purple tang, currently my favorite fish. Any idea on the type of wrasse you are thinking of going with?
Is that a painted back, background, or does the tank come that way? I think I need to get something on the back of my new 75g display.
[quote=“Gordonious, post:4, topic:792”]
Lookings good. Nice looking purple, where did you pick him up at? lol I love my purple tang, currently my favorite fish. Any idea on the type of wrasse you are thinking of going with?
Is that a painted back, background, or does the tank come that way? I think I need to get something on the back of my new 75g display.
Keep us updated.
Jon[/quote]
Jon, the background is just taped to the back of the tank. I am really bummed out. I went out of town for three days for work and came back to a missing purple tang. He must be dead under the large pile of rocks. He was doing great eating anything I threw in the tank, and seemed healthy so I don’t know what went wrong.
I am going to move some rocks today and see if I can find him. I was going to move my very fat and healthy hippo into the new tank this weekend, but now I am leaning towards waiting another month just in case the purple had some parasites that I missed.
On a happier note, I got my light hood and got it installed last night. It doesn’t look as blue as I would like, but I am sure the lights need to burn in some. I am now waiting for the brown algae to come…LOL…
[quote=“Ento_Reefer, post:6, topic:792”]
I am now waiting for the brown algae to come…LOL…[/quote]
And it will. lol Try running all actinics during that month if you aren’t placing any photosynthetic corals in the tank. It will help grow more coraline on the rocks. I know you aren’t a huge fan of coraline, but it is better then the other options and will make it easier for you’re corals to latch on. In my experience brown, green, purple, corals seems to be part of the sucsession on the reefs.
I think it is time for an update. The tank is coming along nicely so I took a bunch of photos this weekend. I moved most of the sps corals from my 39g over to the 95 last month. They are doing well and starting to show some good growth. Enjoy the photos.
[quote=“a1amap, post:11, topic:792”]
That’s an awesome rock structure. Are you using anything to hold the rocks in place besides gravity?[/quote]
Thanks. Yes there is a pvc frame that some of the rocks are attached to with cable ties. The top rocks are just not attched, but are pretty much locked in place due to there shape.
[quote=“Gordonious, post:14, topic:792”]
Wow, you’ve got some nice pieces in there already! [/quote]
Thanks Jon. How are the frags that I gave you doing? The two tiny ones I got from you are doing well. It will be cool to watch them grow.
I finally took the plunge and bought another fish for the 95. I picked up a little flame angel from DPA today. Wish me luck with it. So far it seems perfect, but I am not going to feel safe until it makes to the two month mark. Hopefully it doesn’t decide to munch on my SPS.
Usually with flames I have heard you are more likely to have missing zoanthids and such then any problems with your SPS. Just keep it well fed.(both so it doesn’t bother your corals and so it stays healthy) I had one once I lost to a hungry snow flake eel. That was just traumatic.
The frags you gave me looked great yesterday, but honestly didn’t get a chance to check on them today. Sorry about the size of the little frags I sent your way. I tried to warn that they were extremely small. Like I said before you definitely have another frag coming your way when I have one ready that you like and I’ll put you front of the line for Anthelia.
[quote=“Gordonious, post:16, topic:792”]
Usually with flames I have heard you are more likely to have missing zoanthids and such then any problems with your SPS. Just keep it well fed.(both so it doesn’t bother your corals and so it stays healthy) I had one once I lost to a hungry snow flake eel. That was just traumatic.
The frags you gave me looked great yesterday, but honestly didn’t get a chance to check on them today. Sorry about the size of the little frags I sent your way. I tried to warn that they were extremely small. Like I said before you definitely have another frag coming your way when I have one ready that you like and I’ll put you front of the line for Anthelia. [/quote]
Not a problem at all with the frags Jon. I enjoy watching my corals grow! I had a flame angel back in the late nineties that was very well behaved so I am hoping this one will be too.
I thought I would post some pics of my new flame angel. It is already nipping at three of my sps corals. I knew the risk when I added him. It is not doing any damage and it seems to me that it is simply investigating. I have my fingers crossed that this will stop after it has figured out the food I am feeding tastes better…
I also picked up a small squammy and a ora rosco frag. I couldn’t get a very good photo of them due to the angle, but you get the idea.
Love your tank. I am setting up a 65g and have my LR curing and I have been playing around with pvc,egg crates and zip tie and I can’t get it right I was wondering how u set it all up and if u had any pics of the process. I have no clue on how I’m going to have lr setup yet. Anyone know a website with layout ideas
lol I love my purple tang, currently my favorite fish. Any idea on the type of wrasse you are thinking of going with?
That was just traumatic.
