Tenchi's Tank

[Tenchi]

Hey There,
Like many, I'm coming back to the hobby after a long break from it. Hopefully this time (with the help of everyone here :wink: ) things will go easier.

Anyway here's what I got going so far:
Tank started 6/21/07

~72 gallon bow front aga reef tank
~55 gallon glass sump in basement
~about 150lbs of live Fiji rock
~6" Coralife sand bed (bottom 1" is crushed coral from an existing tank)
~2 400watt metal halides with 10,000K bulbs in home made hood with 6" fan
~ETS Evolution 500 skimmer
~Phosban reactor
~IWAKI water pump 1/8hp (returns water flow back upstairs, through skimmer, through Phosban reactor)
~2 Taam Rio 3100 water pumps for inside the tank (hidden behind rocks)
~Kent Marine RO/DI unit

 

[Tenchi]

Here's how it started:

 

[Tenchi]

and then..

 

[Tenchi]

still more..

 

[mr_X]

hey..welcome neighbor!
planning on sps with the 400 watters?

 

[Tenchi]

Thanks.

Yeah, I wanted to keep SPS before but light was always an issue. So this time I went all out.

I've been following your thread X. The tank is very impressive.
Nice work.

 

[Tenchi]

8/15/07
Since June, I've had some problems and some losses. It's hard to be patient in this hobby.
I had a HUGE hair algae outbreak when I dosed too much vinegar with Kalk wasser. After that I had dinoflagellates taking over. Alot of snails/hermits and a couple of days with a blanket covering the tank cleaned that problem. I lost some corals due to either: too quick of an aclimation or a bad transfer bucket that I thought was safe. I've also lost snails and copepods due to too quick of a salinity change. (I'm still waiting to see copepods again).
I've also had things go well. Like, coraline seems to be spreading. My water levels and temperature remain consistent. And the fish love all the rock.

 

[Tenchi]

8/15/07