New Life from disarray - my Upgrade to a 60Gal

[john0087]

Wow, what a weekend.

Let me start by saying hi to all you here. I have been lurking for a couple of weeks and decided to start a tank thread.

I currently have a 37g FOWLR tank that is in disarray (more on that later). I have about 2 years experience with reef systems.

So I spent the weekend in San Francisco moving my sister. Right before we left, the A/C in my house died. The repair man is scheduled to be there today, but I hoped that my tank would survive a couple of days. There has been a terrible heat wave here in Sothern California this week, with outside temps reaching into the 110’s+.

In SF, my sister gave us her very nice, 1 year old sofa and bookshelf.

On the drive home, my wife and I started to mentally re-arrange our living room. We came up with a scheme and also agreed that we now have a nice space for a 48” 60g tank.



So we get back into town on Monday and find out that in addition to the heat wave, there were multiple power outs in So Cali, including at our house. The result – we lost our Coral Beauty and our psudochomis. Hard to take when we were so excited about transferring our fish to a larger home only to discover that they did not survive the heat.

In any case, as the title of my thread suggests, we have purchased a new tank and the 2 remaining inhabitants of my 37g, a yellowtail damsel and a percula will have a new home by the end of the week.

I will post equipment specs and pics of the old and new tank later.

John

[Small Fry]

Sounds good, cant wait to hear the specs and see the pics of the new system

[CarmieJo]

Hi John and to TR.

[Pescaiolo]

Welcome to Talkingreef!

I'm sorry to hear! I lost all my corals and most of my fish to negligence(not on my part!). I also heard about those heatwaves! My fiance lives in San Diego and its been 105 to 110 there for a week! I pray you guys get some cooler weather down there! Can't wait to see pics of your system! Keep us posted!

[john0087]

Josh and Carmie, Thanks for the welcome!!

So we got the tank and stand home and have it set up where it will be. The 37 gal is still running and I am going to keep it running until the new tank is up. Since I will be using the 45lbs LR from the new tank and supplementing with an additional 40lbs of base rock, I do not think that there will be much of a cycle, maybe a mini one at most after I transfer my 2 fish into the new tank.

My new lights are coming today, so now is a good time for the equipment list.

48” PC Current USA Orbit Fixture 260watts
AquaC Remora HOB skimmer
Marineland HOB filter running Activated Carbon
200w heater
SEIO M820 powerhead (820gph)

I know that only running one powerhead create more of a linear flow and not as turbulent as I would like, but I am trying to minimize the amount of equipment in the tank for heat purposes. Also, the Remora is only rated up to 75g, but hopefully by the end of the year, I can upgrade to a sump set up. This should help with heat, flow and skimming capacity.

I also like the look of the tank when I run carbon.

I took some photo’s last night but my internet at home is down for the powerouts, so I can not post pics yet, but they will be up soon.

Thanks all

John

[john0087]

Yahoo!!

I got the tank set up last night.

Instead of purchasing the 40lbs of base rock that I wanted, I ended up finding a pretty good deal on some nice LR. I found two huge pieces, 18lbs and 11lbs respectively and a nice 5lbs piece. I needed the large pieces as a foundation for my structure, so it worked out. All in all, I think I have somewhere between 65-75lbs of rock.

It is only 75% filled with water from my LFS, but since I had the live rock, I knew that I had to get the set up going quickly. I will top off the tank tonight and acclimate my Damsel and Percula. I don’t expect too much of a cycle, but I will start monitoring the params tonight. I need to get the fish into the new tank as I already have the skimmer and filter running as well as most of the old LR. I left a few pieces of LR and a powerhead in the tank for the fish.

I hope to get my internet at home working to get pics posted. If not, I will do something creative to get them up soon.

So now, the dreaded question….I hate asking this and I have never asked it in the past, but I don’t want to get over zealous with the large tank…so……..

HOW IS MY PROPOSED STOCKING LIST (in order of when I plan to add)

1 – Blue-Yellowtail Damsel (already own)
1 – Perucla (already own)
End Sept/begOct – pending params are ok3-5 Green Reef chromis (can I have 5? Will 3 not be enough to shoal and look funny)
Mid Nov
1 – Coral Beauty (not negotiable– my wife wants her back)
Jan 08
1 Goby (maybe)
Mar 08
2 Pajama Cardinals (Possible?)

I am willing to give up the Goby for the PJ’s.

I am not sure if 5 chromis would look to over crowed, but I have never seen a chromis display with less than 5.

I will be going 5gal pwc a week, which is about 8% of 60gal. Skimmer will be running full time as will a filter with AC.

Thanks

John

[CarmieJo]

You are adding about 1/3 more rock and that could cause an ammonia spike as things in it die off. Presumable you are using new sand and so you won't have denitrification there. I would not add your fish until you are sure you won't have them in a toxic environment. They will be much better off in the 37 with LR, LS? and a powerhead.

I think the chromis will look fine in a group of 3. Do you have a sump or is 60 gallons the entire system volume?

[john0087]

Carmie,

As of right now, I do not have a sump set up, but I plan to add a sump by the end of the year. I plan to use a CPR overflow box and an old 20G tank that I have from my childhood. Would that be a large enough sump assuming that it is half full, so holding an additional 10 gallons of water and a stronger, sump skimmer.

I topped off the tank with an additional 10 gallons last night and the tank is now full. I took some photos last night and I should have them posted by tonight.

I did tear down my old tank and added my 2 fish. This morning, I did a water test and i am not happy or proud, but here are the results:

Ph - 8
Amminia - 2.0
Nitrite - 2.0
Nitrate - 10
Phosphate - .5

I have 10 gallons of saltwater so I will do a PWC tonight afterwork and one tomorrow or Sunday. I thoght that, even though I was adding new rock, my old 45lbs would be able to keep up with the die off and keep the system ok. I figured that the die off wouldn't be more "waste" than 2 adidtional fish (Since I had 4 fish with 45lbs and lost 2 prior to the transition)

I knew better but thought that the old rock could support everything. I guess I was wrong. I am already very late for work so I will post an update tonight on how my tank is goings

John

[CarmieJo]

Hi John,
Do you have a QT tank? If you do you could stick them in in QT until the parameters in your tank are OK. Here is an article Reefreaders - Quarantine Now! that will help with how to QT. Otherwise, at this point all you can do is frequent water changes and hope for the best.

Have you ever used any copper based medication in the old tank? If so you would be better buying another tank and just keeping the old one for QT because the copper is really hard to get out.

I stock my tanks lightly but most of the fish on your stocking list are pretty small so with the sump and 3 chromis you would probably be OK. In my 54 I have a 3" maroon clown, sixline wrasse and a firefish. I'm planning on adding a cherub angel and a mandarin and, maybe a lawnmower blenny. My nano came with a chromis and a percula or ocellaris clown and I haven't decided exactly what I am doing with it. If I decide to add the blenny I will probably move the firefish to the nano.

[lReef lKeeper]

Originally Posted by CarmieJo

In my 54 I have a 3" maroon clown, sixline wrasse and a firefish. I'm planning on adding a cherub angel and a mandarin and, maybe a lawnmower blenny.

Carmie, i would suggest NOT adding a mandarin to your corner tank unless you put the six line in the nano. the six line will probably kill the mandarin.

[john0087]

Unfortuanetly, I do not have a QT tank.

I just checked the PH and ammonia and the ph is 8.0 and the ammonia has dropped to somewhere between 1 and 2.

I am going to do a5gal pwc when the loghts go out and another 5g on Sunday morning.

Thanks everyone.

John