54 Corner Build

[properbbq]

Figured I’d share where I began and where I go with this build. This thread is focused on what I’m doing now and where I’m aiming to go.

This build was an addition to a basement build out because the previous placement of the tank on a different floor had to much natural light hitting it. Tank is closing in on finishing its cycle any day now. Will update this thread as I get further along in the build out and growth of this, but I’m getting there.

54 gallon corner tank drilled w/ eshopps overflow, over the top return. Eshopps medium cube sump, aquamaxx cone-s skimmer, apex A3, apex ATK, apex dos (auto water changes), 150 gallon a day RODI, one single MP40, 1 hydra 26 and 1 hydra 32, self built aquascape.

 

[afboundguy]

Nice! Like how you framed it in like that looks really sharp!

 

[TPhan]

Nice work!

 

[properbbq]

Nice! Like how you framed it in like that looks really sharp!

Thank you, took quite a few trim pieces to break on me before I got it right!

 

[BiGGiePauls33]

Looks great

 

[properbbq]

Looks great

Thanks, the real test is keeping up with it and making sure it matures and grows successfully.

 

[Cpage101]

nice job!

 

[Reefried]

Looking good. How do you get to the top of the tank?

 

[properbbq]

Looking good. How do you get to the top of the tank?

Around the back side, you access through a storage room.

 

[NeverlosT]

looks awesome! great craftsmanship. Need to scape and populate to maintain easy viewing, love it.

 

[NeverlosT]

If you want some free seeded biomedia just let me know. I am down in RI but come north from time to time.

 

[properbbq]

If you want some free seeded biomedia just let me know. I am down in RI but come north from time to time.

Thanks, I appreciate the offer. I’ve added some live rock and seeded media already, along with new animals and corals. I should add the live rock and media were added well before the animals and coral.

Everything is settling in nicely, but as everything in this hobby it hasn’t come without new challenges. Return pump shitting the bed, replaced it, the new one is giving me trouble now too. It'll all get sorted out soon. Better to have problems at the start up since I'm already paying such close attention to everything.

Don’t worry, just because the thread started April 9th didn’t mean the cycle started that date.

 

[NeverlosT]

which return pump are you using?

 

[properbbq]

A little update on the build, about 3 months into this tank now. Tank is stocked with a Scopa, Hippo, Yellow, 2 clowns, about 10 astraea snails. I've got a stylo, rainbow monti, 2 hammers, playboy bunny zoas, and some aoi zoas. Fought some dynos for a bit, but have them at bay now. Tank is progressing nicely for now, regularly monitoring my alk, nitrates and phosphates, dosing phytoplankton daily. Scopa's and Yellow are having they're typical fights about who the leader is, I suspect it'll subside over time. Mirror trick hasn't worked, rearranging rocks didn't do much, but I'm watching them and they're both still doing well eating and cohabitating to some extent.

Going to swap out the sump and return pump at some point for a lifereef sump with external pump and media reactors when I have some time to tackle that project, but other than that things seems to be going well so far.

 

[Zeefishies]

Looks good

 

[Reefried]

Looking good. Not sure what direction you are heading regarding coral stocking. Nit sure if you know but, be aware that playboy bunnies will grow super fast and possibly take over. If you don’t want them everywhere maybe place them on an island rock.

 

[properbbq]

Looking good. Not sure what direction you are heading regarding coral stocking. Nit sure if you know but, be aware that playboy bunnies will grow super fast and possibly take over. If you don’t want them everywhere maybe place them on an island rock.

Thanks for that info, the rock they're currently on isn't fixed to the structure, so I can easily relocate it away when needed. I'm also not sure which direction I'm heading in regarding my coral stock at the moment.

 

[properbbq]

Bit of an update, swapped out the esopps sump and Aquamaxx skimmer for a life reef sump with life reef skimmer. Had some issues with a blue line external pump ended up going with a Jebao external controllable return pump. Updated the plumbing to accommodate the new system. Next up is calibrating my doser and starting to dose a 2-part. Then onto swapping out the hydra 26 light with a reefbreeder 24”. The reefbreeder will light the front of the tank and I’ll keep the hydra 32 in the back for the SPS. Everything looks decent so far, typical ugly stage nuisance algae still pops up but not bad for a 4 month old tank.

 

[properbbq]

Installed the ReefBreeder 24 and kept the Hydra 32 lot more par on the tank.

 

[properbbq]

Corner build update, just past the 6 month mark. Got myself out of the ugly phase and into a much better place. Coral growth has been slow but steady and is seemingly starting to find a rhythm. My parameters are stable for the most part, but I'm seeing a high consumption rate of Mg which is interesting considering I have no coralline algae growing. I've lost only 2 pieces that I've added due to a large mag sing that went unnoticed longer than it should have.

I've been slowing adding more and more corals to the system, recently added a melanurus wrasse to the tank, one more fish to go in a another few months. I'd like to add a mandarin, but I think I'll wait to the 1 year mark. Pod population is booming, snail's keep reproducing, bristle stars are multiplying as well. It's shaping up to be a nice little system.

Happy Reefing!