NaClFinatic's 90 Gallon Reef - Page 3

NaClFinatic · 09-01-2007, 11:32 PM

Here's a larger image

NaClFinatic · 09-01-2007, 11:45 PM

I finally setup my auto topoff container, so I will be setting up my refugium soon. I will be by the LFS that carries sugarfine sand this weekend and hopefully they have a bag for my fuge. They are usually out when I'm there. If so, maybe I will try something different for the fuge.

I managed to wedge a much large than expected trashcan next to my sump for the topoff water. I can't fill it all the way or it would start a siphon but I have at least 5 gallons in there which is much better than the little 3 gallon can I thought I would have to use. At least I can be sure it will hold out for a weekend away.

I used two trashcans plus a bag in between because of my previous incident where my large 30 gallon can I mixed water in started to leak. I figure two cans and a bag should be pretty safe!

Coreyz · 09-09-2007, 10:53 PM

Thank you for taking the time to post your story and pics it has been very helpful !

NaClFinatic · 09-17-2007, 12:18 AM

I made if back form MACNA XIX today. I could drive there and my parents are about an hour away so it worked out nicely. I heard some good talks and I did get some good deals on some frags this morning. On friday I got to say hi to Rob and Carmie and Aaron. I missed out on Saturday because I got up a little late and the first two talks were the ones I most wanted to hear for the day. Anyway it was still worth it.

I brought the frags home in some styrofoam coolers to maintain temp as best as possible. I stopped at the LFS on the way home and picked up a 5.5gal tank for the frags. I filled it with some tank water, a heater, and MJ400 (could use a little more flow actually, but I think the 1200 might be a little too much since it moves nicely in my 10gal). I floated them for a while in the bags. I opened the bags and put a couple short rods through the tops of the bags to hang accross the tank. Then I periodically dipped the bags to get a little more tank water mixed in.

One of the frags I got was a piece of frogspawn. It is split in half but wasnt completely separated. I loosely put a rubberband around it for now. Maybe I should try superglue? Or is it doomed? I am guessing that it broke when the vendor broke it off the frag plug. I hope it pulls though because, even though it is a little smaller specimen than I would have preferred, it has really great bright green color. At least the others seem to have opend up.

The frag pics aren't the greatest. I thought I had asjusted the white balance some but it didn't seem to do much. I will try some more pics later while they are still in quarrintine.

V · 09-17-2007, 04:51 AM

good to see you bought on your travels & these events being so close to home, killer!
sweet, you got some rampet growing species my friend, your tank will be cluster ^$%ed in no time! I like the rockwork set-up, works well, ample space on all sides where flow can reach. the rockwork itself as well, some interesting formations. very good bud, your flying!

NaClFinatic · 09-17-2007, 02:06 PM

Thanks for noticing Corey.

V - Glad you like the rock. I'm not so pleased with it now, but I think it will look great when the top half of the tank is full of SPS. And I hope the little frags grow fast. I have a big tank to fill.

**CarmieJo** · 09-18-2007, 10:41 PM

David,

It was great meeting you at MACNA! I didn't buy any livestock, instead I kept repeating "I can't take anything home, I can't take anything home" even on Sunday when everything was super cheap. I don't know what to say about the frogspawn, I think if it was mine I'd just wait and see.

I would recommend doing plenty of water changes and perhaps running carbon in your frag tank. I had QT'd a bunch of frags and they ended up not looking so good due to allopathy. I take the water for the QT water changes from my DT and add the new saltwater to by reef.

NaClFinatic · 09-20-2007, 02:24 PM

I change 20% in the frag tank with water from the main tank every couple days. I try to keep it fresh with all those frags and such a small volume. Also i got another MJ1200 to try and see if it is not too powerful becasue I would like a little more power than the 400 outputs to keep anything in the water suspended better and more surface breakup. Also since there is nothing really in my main tank to ruin, I plan to have them in within two weeks. Any reason I should wait longer if the only things in my tank are rock, snails, hermits, and algae?

NaClFinatic · 09-20-2007, 02:27 PM

I forgot to mention, the frogspawn that is split is open up nice and far. So far it looks OK. I'm just wondering what the long term effects will be. Maybe it could be more prone to catch something with the trunk split open. I'll keep posting the progress.

bubbletip · 09-20-2007, 09:26 PM

You would be surprised how resilient the frogspawns can be. It will form its skeleton in not time and repair itself. No worries IMO. I still have a piece of my frogspawn from my first reef tank that is going on 13 years old - one of the first corals I have kept.

Love the set up - nice work - Definitely like the frag set up as well. I am sure MACNA was incredible. I am going to have to make it there someday. I will be chiming in on your progress - I can tell you are taking things nice and slow

NaClFinatic · 09-20-2007, 09:43 PM

Good to hear you think its tough. Heres how it looks...

NaClFinatic · 09-20-2007, 09:47 PM

I found baby snails? in my frag tank. Very small. The inset one is maybe 1/4 the size of the other one on the eggcrate. The tiny one is very conical. The other is a little more elongated and a little bit flatter. Both very black. Any ideas on what they are? I would try to snag them, but I don't think I could with out harming them. So until I have a reason to remove them they can hang out.

**CarmieJo** · 09-21-2007, 10:32 PM

You want to QT the corals long enough to make sure you don't have any undesirable hitchhikers. They can have zoa eating nudis, redbugs, flatworms, etc all things you don't want to battle in your tank. Of course some times you get hitchhikers that are good like your snails may be. I can't tell what they are, maybe someone else will be able to help. If they were mine guess I would wait and see when they are bigger.

NaClFinatic · 09-23-2007, 02:42 PM

The frogspawn wasn't quite as inflated the last day or two, but now looks nice and full.

MMaz · 09-23-2007, 05:09 PM

Thanks for the great journal. It made me wish I'd kept more detail as I went along. I really appreciated the descriptions of the plumbing. I've got a noisy drainpipe in the overflow and i got some ideas from your experiences of how to fix it. Also just today when I was cleaning the algae out of my overflow i was thinking there must be a way to make a cover for it so the light doesn't get in. Your design is great, i'll see what I can do to replicate.

The coral from MACNA is amazing. I look forward to seeing it grow!

Have fun, Martha