Chip's 90-gallon build thread!

[Anonymous]

I'd say within a day to be honest, salt dissolves fairly quickly and should be ready to go within a short period of time.

 

[Anonymous]

You'll want to shoot for a salinity closer to 1.025 if you're keeping LR.

 

[Anonymous]

Okay, Matt, will do. I'll make sure it's close before I add the LR.

Peace,

Chip

 

[Anonymous]

I know it's a little late to be giving ideas, but just as a cool thought since you mentioned not getting exotic with the stonies and keeping it simple, is that with your proximity to the Caribbean it'd be neat to keep a completely localized tank. Even though I'm not a terrible fan of the TBS "aquacultured" rock, you could get your rock from that part, you could get a good range of softies from that area, as well as your fish (maybe not the ones you wanted though).

 

[Anonymous]

Caribbean biotope would be cool. Two of the coolest wrasses out there are found in the Caribbean:

B. pulchellus

and B. rufus

Plus a Queen Angel, shoal of Royal Grammas, and a couple b'flies would be nice. 8)

 

[Anonymous]

Nope. Emperor and tusk are definites, so no Caribbean crap. Lol.

Peace,

Chip

 

[Anonymous]

Went to get live rock tonight! Tank parameters so far are : temp 79 degrees, salinity 1.024.

Lucked into a HUGE awesome branching piece and got a few smaller pieces (grapefruit sized on the left, 8" branching piece on the right) for either side.

The monster piece was a whopping 17 pounds and fit PERFECTLY into the center part of my structure.

Now, to wait a month at least. LOL.

Here it is!

Peace,

Chip

 

[Anonymous]

Cool aquascape. I am just a little worried about the rock is supported on the left. Otherwise it looks great.

 

[Anonymous]

Cool aquascape. I am just a little worried about the rock is supported on the left. Otherwise it looks great.

The long branching piece that everything is resting on has a squared notch that fit right on the top of that dark piece and it doesn't rock or move laterally at all. The weight of the pieces on top of that branching piece (it's actually two branches that meet at both ends but are separate in the middle) is not much, and now with the huge piece in the middle weighing that end down it doesn't move.

I don't think anything will move at all...I tried putting pressure on different parts of the structure tonight as I was adding that large piece and nothing moved save for a few small pieces resting on the apex of the left side.

Peace,

Chip

 

[Anonymous]

Stock list is nearly finalized.

Emperor Angel
Harlequin Tusk
Flame Angel
Black Back Butterfly
Purple Tang or Tomini Tang or Hippo Tang

Thoughts on final choice of tang?

Peace,

Chip

 

[Anonymous]

That is a lot of fish (size wise) to put in a 90g tank.

As to Tang choice... I'd go with purple or tomini since I'm not a big fan of the Hippo at all... the Tomini is a cheaper fish, doesn't quite have the pop off the purple as far as looks though, but they tend to be healthier in general (don't know why but the Zebrasoma tangs often have lateral line disease). Also the Tomini is in the bristletooth family of tangs so how it acts as a cleaner is much different than the Purple (Scraping vs Pecking/Pulling)

 

[Sea Turtle]

I think that I might get drunk and trash my tank (out the window) and start a tank build thread.

 

[Anonymous]

Tomini is a way less aggressive fish than the purple or hippo tang. I would go with a Tomini and let the Emperor be the undisputed king of the tank.

I hope you've got a bigger home for the Emperor in the future...these guys will bust a 90g tank when they're full grown.

 

[Anonymous]

Yeah, by next Christmas I'm upgrading to a 7-foot tank. Where the 90 is positioned I've left room for an upgrade.

Peace,

Chip

 

[Anonymous]

Ordered a black background for the tank, another Emperor 110 (500) and Koralia 4 for the left side, and hopefully am picking up a used dual-strip light this week. If not, I'll either check with a few LFS for a used strip or buy a new one with an actinic bulb.

Two weeks into the cycle so far, and the brown algae bloom is a-happenin'. I'll order my first two fish (black back butterfly and flame angel) next week because the LFS qt's them for a couple weeks.

Temp is holding steady at 79 degrees and salinity is 1.024.

All is progressing well so far!

Peace,

Chip

 

[o1dguardso1dier]

Yeah buddy!!!!

Me too homie! I'm so pumped. I bought all my equipment. I'm just waiting for the time (like I'll ever get it) to hook it up. I'm going to have my sump in the basement and i have to knock walls down so it's going to be a little more extensive, but i'm excited just the same.

I'll keep you informed.

woot

 

[Len]

Has your ammonia and nitrite hit zero yet? The reason I ask is (through personal experience) NH4 poisoning is a horrible way to see a fish die. Slow and steady wins the game.

 

[Anonymous]

Has your ammonia and nitrite hit zero yet? The reason I ask is (through personal experience) NH4 poisoning is a horrible way to see a fish die. Slow and steady wins the game.

Welp, I e-mailed the owner of my LFS with the initial three fish (all 2" or so) on the butterfly, tomini, and flame.

They won't be in his shop until week after next, and then he quarantines for a week after that.

I would have to be cycled after a month and a half, but it'll be a while before I get the water tested anyway.

I'll be getting just a few cleanup critters this week because money is tight what with the transition at work still happening.

However, wouldn't snails and crabs die if the tank was that toxic?

Peace,

Chip

 

[Anonymous]

Quick shot from the phone just now...it's coming along!

Peace,

Chip

 

[Len]

Hehe. I thought you ordered a black background