ltkenbo
Reefing newb
So I have decided to break down my 55 gallon and rebuild it. So here's the short story:
I started the tank around October of last year. This last March I upgraded my lights to T5 Nova extremes and upon doing so I experienced terrible outbreaks of dinoflagalates. Though they were a non toxic variety they have almost consumed the tank. I tried water changes, removed all my sand, got more powerheads for even better flow then I already have, kalk drips to raise pH, blackouts and though this helped, the dino's inevitably returned. The original tank build can be seen here: https://www.livingreefs.com/ltkenbos-55-gallon-reef-tank-t22448.html
I am also moving into another room in my house so I thought this would be a good way to move the tank also. The room I am building into has 2 closets, one which I will use as a sump room and put the tank against the outside wall.
Since I am starting the tank over this time I am installing a permanent overflow (rather than the HOB I have now) from glass-holes.com, along with 2 returns and a 3 more bulkheads for a possible future closed loop system.
As far as the live rock I have now goes, I am not going to throw it out but I will not be using it for this next build due to any chances of excess phosphates or dinoflagalates spores that could restart the problem. I am planning on making a custom structure out of concrete or something. This will also allow much better flow in the aquarium especially since being a 55 it doesn't have much depth.
Now I am still going to be using my same livestock lol, which includes the following:
2 False Percula Clowns
1 Coral Beauty
1 Blue Spotted Watchman Goby
1 Scopas Tang
Inverts:
Like 3 or 4 Turbo Snails
1 Big Red hermit crab
2 small red hermit crabs
4 blue legged hermit crabs
Like 50 small nass snails
Corals:
Hammer Coral
Frogspawn
Xenia
Two different types of brown Button Polyps (will probably frag these instead of reusing the rock)
Kenya Tree
So I purchased a used 20 gallon tall tank here in town and I will be using that along with a 10 gallon tank to temporarily house the livestock. The goby, tang, and dwarf angel, and inverts will go in the 20 gallon, and the two clownfish in the 10 gallon. I'm using two 2x36" sunlight supply T5 light fixtures that I used before the nova for the temporary tanks.
Here is a small diagram that I made for the new tank. The first picture shows the general connection of everything and the second photo shows the holes I will drill on the tank. The center top hole is the overflow and the others are 1/2" bulkheads for returns and or the CL system.
The equpment I will be using in the "new" tank will include the following (some of this I already have now):
-700 GPH glass-holes overflow box
-Mag Drive 7 Return Pump
-3 Koralia 2 Powerheads
-1 Penguin powerhead
-1 Vortech MP20 powerhead
-Refugium (probably 10 gallons)
-Sump (Probably 20 Gallons using a big tupperware or trough or something)
-Current Nova Extreme Pro 6x48" light fixture
-Bulk Reef Supply Dual Carbon/GFO Reactor
-Probably one of those algae scrubbers posted on this forum
-Custom Live Rock Structure
-Nature's Ocean Australian Gold Sand (Natures Ocean® Australian Gold Sand #0)
-Auto-Topoff system
-Cora-Life 65 Protein Skimmer
-Heater (I forget how many watts)
Like I said I have most of this stuff now (powerheads and reactor and stuff) but just thought I would make a list so you can put it all together.
Let me know what you think! The glass-holes should be here tomorrow or friday.
I started the tank around October of last year. This last March I upgraded my lights to T5 Nova extremes and upon doing so I experienced terrible outbreaks of dinoflagalates. Though they were a non toxic variety they have almost consumed the tank. I tried water changes, removed all my sand, got more powerheads for even better flow then I already have, kalk drips to raise pH, blackouts and though this helped, the dino's inevitably returned. The original tank build can be seen here: https://www.livingreefs.com/ltkenbos-55-gallon-reef-tank-t22448.html
I am also moving into another room in my house so I thought this would be a good way to move the tank also. The room I am building into has 2 closets, one which I will use as a sump room and put the tank against the outside wall.
Since I am starting the tank over this time I am installing a permanent overflow (rather than the HOB I have now) from glass-holes.com, along with 2 returns and a 3 more bulkheads for a possible future closed loop system.
As far as the live rock I have now goes, I am not going to throw it out but I will not be using it for this next build due to any chances of excess phosphates or dinoflagalates spores that could restart the problem. I am planning on making a custom structure out of concrete or something. This will also allow much better flow in the aquarium especially since being a 55 it doesn't have much depth.
Now I am still going to be using my same livestock lol, which includes the following:
2 False Percula Clowns
1 Coral Beauty
1 Blue Spotted Watchman Goby
1 Scopas Tang
Inverts:
Like 3 or 4 Turbo Snails
1 Big Red hermit crab
2 small red hermit crabs
4 blue legged hermit crabs
Like 50 small nass snails
Corals:
Hammer Coral
Frogspawn
Xenia
Two different types of brown Button Polyps (will probably frag these instead of reusing the rock)
Kenya Tree
So I purchased a used 20 gallon tall tank here in town and I will be using that along with a 10 gallon tank to temporarily house the livestock. The goby, tang, and dwarf angel, and inverts will go in the 20 gallon, and the two clownfish in the 10 gallon. I'm using two 2x36" sunlight supply T5 light fixtures that I used before the nova for the temporary tanks.
Here is a small diagram that I made for the new tank. The first picture shows the general connection of everything and the second photo shows the holes I will drill on the tank. The center top hole is the overflow and the others are 1/2" bulkheads for returns and or the CL system.
The equpment I will be using in the "new" tank will include the following (some of this I already have now):
-700 GPH glass-holes overflow box
-Mag Drive 7 Return Pump
-3 Koralia 2 Powerheads
-1 Penguin powerhead
-1 Vortech MP20 powerhead
-Refugium (probably 10 gallons)
-Sump (Probably 20 Gallons using a big tupperware or trough or something)
-Current Nova Extreme Pro 6x48" light fixture
-Bulk Reef Supply Dual Carbon/GFO Reactor
-Probably one of those algae scrubbers posted on this forum
-Custom Live Rock Structure
-Nature's Ocean Australian Gold Sand (Natures Ocean® Australian Gold Sand #0)
-Auto-Topoff system
-Cora-Life 65 Protein Skimmer
-Heater (I forget how many watts)
Like I said I have most of this stuff now (powerheads and reactor and stuff) but just thought I would make a list so you can put it all together.
Let me know what you think! The glass-holes should be here tomorrow or friday.
