Tom's 75 reef build

[Jaftica]

Just use half of what the recommended amount of gfo is, and each time you change it add a little more, too much at once will drop alk, and strip the water too fast and your corals will probably bleach

 

[TommyP]

Oh ddamn, I'm going to need to do that when I get home then. I put 4 Tablespoons in. It said to do that for 80 gallons. I probably have 90 or so in there with the sump and everything.

 

[Jaftica]

A 75 gallon tank with all the rock in it, and being reef ready, rr overflows take away alot of volume, your probably more like 50 gallons, plus whatever gallons are in the sump

 

[TommyP]

A 75 gallon tank with all the rock in it, and being reef ready, rr overflows take away alot of volume, your probably more like 50 gallons, plus whatever gallons are in the sump

That's true I forgot about that. It's not reef ready and filled to the top but the rock and 1-2'' sand bed takes up some space for sure.

 

[TommyP]

Turbo snails keep knocking over some of my SPS corals. It's really effin annoying. Every day I have to play around with it. Hope to come home and not have anything thrown off the rocks. Will glue them down eventually but wanted to make sure they're happy where they are first, and am not accomplishing much this way. Threw 2 of them in the sump already. I think I have 5.

 

[Jaftica]

Turbo snails are known bulldozers

 

[nuch]

Ordering

Hey Tommy, when ordering try out Dr.foster & smith I usually get all my dry goods & equipment from them. Any orders over $49 is free. Besides shipping cost there prices r also very good.

 

[TommyP]

Turbo snails are known bulldozers

That's for sure. I used to have a couple turbos in my old set up but they were much smaller than the one's I picked up from Tropical Island. These one's are huge and just bulldoze everything lol.

 

[TommyP]

Hey Tommy, when ordering try out Dr.foster & smith I usually get all my dry goods & equipment from them. Any orders over $49 is free. Besides shipping cost there prices r also very good.

Thanks Nuch. I have ordered from them in the past - totally forgot about them. For now I believe I'm done with equipment. I have everything I pretty much need now. I'm going to look into Hanna Checkers for Alk, Cal & Mag if they're available. I feel if it's more easier to do, I will do it you know.

 

[Jaftica]

I'm going to look into Hanna Checkers for Alk, Cal & Mag if they're available. I feel if it's more easier to do, I will do it you know.

The Hanna calcium test is a pia IMO , the alk is simple, but it test a little higher than salifert, and Red Sea pro. I have both of you wanna try em before you buy em

 

[TommyP]

The Hanna calcium test is a pia IMO , the alk is simple, but it test a little higher than salifert, and Red Sea pro. I have both of you wanna try em before you buy em

Thanks. I just tested my tank. Last time I did a water change was right when I posted up those results before I got the phosphate reactor (which didn't seem to bring them down at all yet)

Here are the results
phosphates 0.22 = using Hanna checker
pH 8.0 API
Ammonia 0 API
trites 0 API
trates hard to tell about 30-40ppm API
mg 1200ppm Red Sea Pro
alk 7.8 DKH Red Sea Pro
cal about 450ppm Red Sea Pro

I want to do a water change so bad right now to get those trates down but it's going to take a while to mix 20 gallons of saltwater up. Then lug them up the stairs. My gf wants me to pay attention to her now so... I'll do it when she goes to bed lol

Surprised I didn't see a noticeable difference in the phosphates. I'm going to have to shine a light and make sure they're still tumbling. Not sure how much gph I have pushing through it but I'm using the mj600 dialed back a hair.

hmm... will test after my next water change. (hopefully tonight if not Thursday)

 

[TommyP]

Just got done cleaning up. I did a 10 gallon water change on my tank tonight. My corals weren't looking so happy assuming from the .22 phos and high nitrates. It's a pain in the butt lugging 5 gallon buckets up and down the stairs from the garage. Really wish there was an easier way lol.

My wall hammer coral? seemed to have brown jelly disease after I googled it. Not sure why this happened, it's one of the first corals I got back in November when I started my 55. During my water change I siphoned all of it off, I hope it fights to the end and makes it. I don't have any revive or anything to try and treat it.

That's about all the updates so far. Kinda of getting upset about the whole thing because obviously when I first set this up it looked SUPA clean because it was brand spankin new. Started to get some detritus settling on the bottom of my sump in my refugium area. There's no sand in there - should I put some in? Since the sump is on the floor how can I siphon that garbage out?

Thanks, keep the comments and advice coming. I love this forum.

 

[Jaftica]

Buy a bucket head vacuum from Home Depot, great for cleaning sump.

 

[lnevo]

+1 on bucket head. Add filter socks if you aren't already. I just added the plumbing and external pump to my mixing station, so no more lugging buckets from downstairs. I definitely feel your pain. For the phosphates did you start with full dose? It does take some time for them to drop but you want to do it slowly.

 

[BaaMNYC]

2-5 gallon buckets isn't so bad. I got lazy because sometimes I do 15-20+ Gallon water changes. I just bought a mag9 and bought 50' ft of tubing and attached a ball valve on the end. so i just run the tube from my basement to my first floor and close the valve when i filled the tank to where i need it.

i do have to make a few trips to turn on and then off and put the tube back but its easier than lifting full buckets of saltwater.

 

[lnevo]

I was doing ~17g per week but essentially did what you have..4 trips up and down the stairs plus all the pieces i need and cleanup, plus lugging the old water to the bathroom...now i run a tube from the basement and another right to the toilet and start my change hands free till the new water runs out!

 

[TommyP]

Good idea on the bucket head vac. Didn't even know it existed and its affordable. Will do that. I've always ran socks on my old set up but in the new sump with the skimmer and pump and mj600 in there there's no room for the sock in the first chamber. Can I run the phosphate reactor in the last or fuge area instead? That may free up some space.

 

[Jaftica]

You can put the reactor anywhere you want

 

[TommyP]

You can put the reactor anywhere you want

Thanks

 

[TommyP]

So my corals aren't opening up properly so I'm doing another water change now. 20 gallons this time. Will test Sunday night or maybe later when things get mixed up. Trying to get these levels down.