setting up a 25g reef

[nathan u]

well here is what I have so far.
tuesday
well I decided to setup a 25g reef tank. the tank was sold to me as a 30g but its a 25 gallon, the garbage can sump is 3g's so its 28g's worth of water.
I am getting 40 pounds of LR from a local reefer tearing down his tank as well as his 2x96w 36" PCs for a deal.
here are pics of the process so far I will post the rest tonight.
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/desk.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/emptytank.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/salt.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/aragonitesand.jpg
rinsed sand, that stuff takes forever to clean but it looks so good.
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/sand.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/sandandlights.jpg

tuesday evening
well here are some pics of water adding process:o really exciting:p .
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/halffull1.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/almostfull.jpg
pic of the sand before i stirred it to release the air bubbles
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/sandbeforestiring.jpg
and here it is after adding salt and stirring sand, I washed that sand for ages and it still clouded
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/saltaddedandsandstirred.jpg
currently temp is 78F and PH is 7.8.
I am getting the liverock and light fixture tommorow at 8:30 I am pumped for that:)

and
now TONIGHT:chatterbox:
woooooooooooooooooooh LIVEROCK RULES, and so does actinic lighting:cool:
well here are some pics the tank is cloudy cause the power got pointed down while i was placing everything and stirred up the sand:mad: .
here are the FTS
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/FTS1.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/FTS2.jpg

now for what i have so far.
GSP
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/GSP.jpg
xenia? I don't know what it is for sure.
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/Idontknow.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/Idontknow2.jpg
Brown button polyps I think.
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/brownbutton.jpg
Red mushrooms:cool:
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/crispmushroom.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/crispgroupofmushrooms.jpg
actinic
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/redmushroomactinic.jpg

I have also found 2 green rics or hairy mushrooms I will get pics once the tank clears up.
there is also a couple kenya trees and a small toadstool, still recovering from a frag so hopefully it makes it.

these where 3 posts on another forum all put into 1.
once the tank clears up I will get some better pics.

and for cost, tank 20$ 3 years ago.
stand free.
salt, 24$
30Lbs aragonite sand. 25$
200w heater. 30$
42 pounds of cured liverock, 280$.
coralife power compact, 36" 2x96w light, 175$
total so far 554$
I am also buying 2 powerheads yet. so another 80$.

and its been worth every penny, I got lucky with a local guy tearing it all down, so I got awsome liverock and a good light for the moment.

[Melody]

That looks fantastic! Thanks for sharing all of the details Nathan - it is really helpful for others considering similar projects.:smile:

[Osprey]

Be careful about placing rock against the glass. It can cause circulation issues. Better to have a few inches inbetween. Looks like a 3" sandbed? How are you circulating the water in/out of the sump?
Looks good so far.:yes: Keep us posted.

[nathan u]

Be careful about placing rock against the glass. It can cause circulation issues. Better to have a few inches inbetween. Looks like a 3" sandbed? How are you circulating the water in/out of the sump?
Looks good so far.:yes: Keep us posted.
Thanks guys.
the rocks have about 2 inches of clearance from the back glass 1 or 2 are leaning against it but there is room for flow between.
its about 2" of sand so not tequnically a deep bed but it looks so nice.
for the sump i am going to be using an aquaclear, I am hanging it off of the container, then running a hose from the intake into the tank.
I got the idea from here http://www.aquariumboard.com/forums/nano-tanks/489.htm
I am hoping it works, hopefully cause I transported the rock fully submerged, there won't be a severe cycle:no: I got a lot of coral that we just couldn't remove so I am hoping and praying that it all survives.
thanks for looking I will keep you guys updated as stuff grows and changes.

[Osprey]

You may want to reduce the depth of your sand bed; 2 inches can become a nutrient sink without the added benefits of denitrification that a true DSB provides.
Quote from WWM:

Actually, there really is little disagreement and a lot of fact on this topic. The rule of thumb with sand is 1/2" or less, or 3" or more. One half-inch of sand is not enough to provide denitrification; neither is anything less than three inches. Sand beds between 1/2 inch and less than three inches are more or less a biological "no man's land", not deep enough to reduce nitrate, but too deep to be aerobic. This will result in the formation of the dreaded "nutrient sink", which has the potential to create long-term nutrient accumulation and the resulting nuisance algae blooms that accompany it. My advice- Go with a 4-6 inch bed.

Obviously, in a smaller tank, you aren't going to want that much sand on the bottom. A half-inch would be easier to keep clean. Your call though, would probably be a pain to change it now.
Make sure your tank can handle the overflow from the sump if the power cuts out.:err:

[nathan u]

okay thanks, I may change the sand depth I will see what I could do.
as for the sump system. the way I am hoping to build it if the power cuts out there is no way for it to flow back into the tank, the aquaclear will stop pumping and the water will stop flowing.
in theory that is I am going to test and experiment, for now I will run 2 AC refugiums as filtration.
I will get more pics sunday when family gatherings are all done:mad:, I miss my tank already, I get about 10 minutes to check on it and then its back to family till sunday evening.

[Osprey]

:laugh: You're telling me! I'm stuck 12 hours away... a friend who can follow directions (but knows nothing about fish) is looking after my tank. I'm a nervous wreck!:twitcy:

[Melody]

:wideeyed: Good luck 2 U both!

[Shelley]

Looks good. You should be ok with the established rock, but die off always happens to some extent. Just keep an eye on your ammonia levels and do water changes with aged water as needed. I have read all the articles on sand beds, and I will not share my opinion. It goes against all the published reccomendations. All I know is how I do it, and it works for me :mad: .

I have had my newest tank up and running for a month now, isnt it exciting!

I read somewhere that a person should plan on a marine tank costing 50$ a gallon MINIMUM initial invesment. I think thats way lowball, but it depends alot on what you use for lighting, skimming, and flow. I just got new lighting for my 50. Its a combo of 2 MH and 4 t5's. And heck that was a grand. Its fun and rewarding tho.

[nathan u]

well I got back today and that tanks looks awsome, crytstal clear water, not even that much evap:yes:.
and everything is looking alive and thriving so far, I just got a new 70-210mm lense with macro so I will try to get some good pics this evening, I leave tommorow for leading a kids camp up north till thursday, and then fri-sat-sun are volleyball practice and a tournament, so updates hopefully sunday,monday sometime

[Melody]

You're a busy guy! I'll look forward to seeing what that camera can do.:yes:

[nathan u]

well so far so good, zero ammonia-nitrites, and barely detectable nitrates.
Everything is looking awsome, my gsp hasn't opened since I got home but that might be because I added another AC for refugium.
here are some pics I took with a new camera lense.
without atinics,
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/anthelia.jpg
with actinics
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/anthelia2.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/anthelia3.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/brownbuttons.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/greenmushroom.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/redmushroom1.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/redmushroom2.jpg

I find keeping busy means not enough time to get into trouble:;):

[Melody]

LOL Idle hands are the devils helper, as they say. Cool shots!

[CACAdmin]

Glad to hear everything seems to be doing well. Beautiful pics. Thanks for posting.

[nathan u]

well I just got back from camp so here is an update.
all my levels seem to be fine and stable, everything has come out, even the dreaded brown algae:mad: .
the toadstool frag is starting to grow really rapidly I can't wait for it to be bigger.
here are pics of everything. some of the pics may be a bit blurry I was expirimenting with different shutter speeds.
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/anthelia-1.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/anthelia2-1.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/buttonsmushroomrocl.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/GSP-1.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/mushroombubbles.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/redmushrooms1.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/FTS.jpg

[Melody]

Looking good!

[nathan u]

tank is doing awsome no nitrates or anything, the GSP is starting to open and the anthelia is doing good which means the water quality is good.
on wensday I am getting some snails and hermits for the algae, I may get some clowns as well, and maybe fingerleather and pusling xenia frags if all goes well.
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/theloneredmushroom.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/redmushrooms.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/anthelia2-2.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/anthelia1.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/GSP1.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/smallGSP2.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/FTS1-1.jpg

[Osprey]

Gorgeous colour on those 'shrooms. Looking good!

[CACAdmin]

Looking Good! Awesome pics!

[Fugu]

Looks great.

Ime loving the natrual rock scaping you have there.No gigantic shrooms or huge corals to make it look like the everey day reef tank.

Nice work

[nathan u]

well in between this update and the last I got a CUC.
5 hermit crabs, 4 fighting conch, 4 margarita snails which I found out later are Coldwater snails so I will see if they survive.
and today I picked up a green open brain and green clove polyps.
here are some new pics
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/Greenbrain-1.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/Greencloepolyps.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/fightingconch.jpg

I used 2 sets of 49mm macro filters held in front of my 52mm lense to get the macro shots, I will be looking for 52mm filters soon.
red mushroom coral.
21.http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/redmushroom.jpg
this is an edge of a green open brain coral
22.http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/Greenopenbrain.jpg

[Melody]

You're having lots of fun with the tank AND the camera! Its cool to see them up close, especially for those of us who don't get to look at them up close in any other way.:yes: Thanks for posting them!

[CACAdmin]

Beatuful shots! Good luck with the snails.... hope they do ok.

[nathan u]

thanks you 2.
melody I am enjoying this tank way to much and well my camera thats also a fun toy:laugh:.
we will get you hooked and setup with a reef tank yet.
thanks cac I sure hope they survive if they don't then I am probably just going to get turbo's-astrea snails instead

[CACAdmin]

I don't know anything about the snails you have but hopefully they are like a lot of freshwater snails and can tolerate a fair range of temps... of course some have a broader range than others. Good luck!

[Melody]

thanks you 2.
melody I am enjoying this tank way to much and well my camera thats also a fun toy:laugh:.
we will get you hooked and setup with a reef tank yet.
thanks cac I sure hope they survive if they don't then I am probably just going to get turbo's-astrea snails instead

One of these days I'll try a reef - the corals interest me and I've always loved Sea Horses. I'd like to try the more rare sea snails too. Room dictates at the moment, however.

The Viv's in freshwater snails prefer it cooler and mine didn't thrive even at room temp, but that could have been something else wrong entirely. Hopefully yours are the type that can adapt. I suppose there are some places in the wild where it never warms up much.

Which reminds me, I have to scoot down to Pacific Aquatics (http://www.pacificaquatics.ca) & snag me some Trapdoor Snails before they're all gone. :wideeyed:

[Osprey]

One of these days I'll try a reef - the corals interest me and I've always loved Sea Horses. I'd like to try the more rare sea snails too. Room dictates at the moment, however.
*grin*
Common misperception. Sea horses and reefs don't really mix. Sea horses and pipefish can't handle the current required by a reef setup; they need a relatively gentle directional flow, while reefs require strong, turbulent current. I've seen some gorgeous 'lagoon' type setups with all kinds of beautiful macroalgae for seahorses though. (and without much of the complicated water chemisty that accompanies reef setups...nudge, nudge) ::D:

[Melody]

I think I just read that recently actually.... can't remember where....lol. I didn't say all in one tank!

<Nice save Melody> :laugh:

[nathan u]

also they can't handle coral stings at all, the only coral I have seen really is anthelia,xenia, and mushrooms, and I don't know about mushrooms cause they kill other corals on contact:mad:

[Melody]

OH dear.... :wideeyed:

Well you can bet before I sank that kind of money into a tank, I'd be doing mucho research, which will include asking constant questions of you people. :Research: I've looked into a bit here & there, but I know myself and if I get really into studying it, I'll have to have it all right now.:GEEK:

[nathan u]

well I went to the SW shop today:spinny:
I was planning on 2 blue neon or yellow clown gobies but he is almost out of fish,, so he had a ton of coral and well. I went for broke
Got some new zoas.
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/FTS-2.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/orangezoa.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/ZOASS.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/crimson_dark/zoassss.jpg

[CACAdmin]

Beautiful. Great picutres. It's neat... I didn't realize that's what they looked like when they weren't 'open'... they look rather like a bunch of blueberries.

[Melody]

Nice choices!