Dracko's 55g Reef

[Dracko]

Setting up a FOWLR tank that may become more as time goes on. The tank is being set up on an old dresser, giving me lots of drawers to hide all my junk.(the wife's words, not mine). It's a good sturdy dresser of solid wood and once held a 55g freshwater tank. Working with what I have so lighting and such will improve as I go. http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=25776&stc=1&d=1415573145

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

nice start - once you get a pic loaded, you can right click on it, copy the image url and add it to this syntax & it will show up

 

[StirCrayzy]

Looks like decent dresser, I'd lay some rubber/plastic sheeting underneath to protect the finish.
What's the stocking agenda? Are you just using the hang on filters for.now?

 

[Dracko]

yes, old dressers are great. Wouldn't trust it for a 100 gal, but for this it's fine. Thought about putting something beneath, but I figured that moisture would be easier to clean up this way. Putting a bead of clear silicone around bottom of tank to keep water from getting underneath. Keeping the hang ons for now so I can spend money elsewhere. Have read a lot about what filter mediums to use, but still a little confused. And I am still not sure if I should use the biowheels. It seems like every subject I study I get both pro and con answers.

Experience is when you get the answer first, so you know what you should have asked.

 

[StirCrayzy]

I run my QT using a whisper hang on with a seeded filter bag, no biowheels and it maintains FOWLR params with 2 fish in a 10g + daily feedings and 25% weekly WC. Scale up to 55g, I can't see it not working.
I know you see a lot of good vs. bad biowheel reviews, but remove the gimmick, and you still cover the basics, Bacterial growth area, and water movement. Generally, the LR is primary filtration, but hang ons do give the option to run media.

 

[Dracko]

Kind of what I thought. I will remove them. Was not sure they would help, but was also not sure they would hurt. It will be about 2 weeks before I can get a skimmer. Maybe more if I get all the rock I want. I hate having to do this one piece at a time, but I am not going to borrow to do it, soooo......

 

[Dracko]

Also got the rest of the sand today. That's 40# live sand + 25# aragonite sand. Put in tank and filled to @4/5 with saltwater 1.013 salinity. When water clears and temp is set I will bring that up slowly to 1.025. I found a small cave like piece of dead rock in the wife's rock garden yesterday. Don't know where that came from, but it just became part of my rock structure. She say's it's one of the rocks they brought back from Yellowstone park?????

 

[StirCrayzy]

I wouldn't sweat the skimmer either, until you start adding corals, or ultra sensitive fish. I only used a skimmer for 2 of the 15 years I've been in the hobby. It sits in the basement collecting dust, awaiting necessity I suppose. Also I've always run my FOWLR tanks at 1.020ish, save a couple lbs of salt here and there if it matters.

 

[Dracko]

Water topped off. Filters running. Will be creating my own live rock. Nitrate 40 Nitrite 3 Ph 8.0 Kh 120 Sa 1.025.

 

[Dracko]

Started experimenting with created rock. Will post progress.

 

[Dracko]

Hello, I'm back. Had some health problems, two more operations on my left leg. Thought I was going to loose it from the knee down, but found an amazing doctor who saved it. Getting stronger every week, I think. Anyway, the sandstone as live rock test failed. Just wouldn't grow anything but black yuck on it. Never got to try the cement version I have read so much about. But I did get some base rock off e-bay. Looks great, 50# for $70. Put in the tank today. When the water clears more I will take some pix. Also have tank canopy lids coming. So the process is started.

 

[cracker]

Sounds like a cool build, Hope You feel better soon!

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

Welcome back & glad to hear you are getting back on top - look forward to the pics !

 

[Dracko]

O.K. This happened before, but I don't remember what to do. I went to photo gallery and created an album but it wont let me upload images. Before I can even get the box that tells it where to find the pic I get a message that I have exceeded the limit. But there are no other pix in the album yet. So what do I do?

 

[cracker]

I think that means the picture is too big maybe?

 

[Dracko]

I never got a chance to tell it what picture to get or from where. As soon as I hit upload picture a screen comes up that says file is to big. ???

 

[Dracko]

Decided to do this through Photobucket. Here is some of my 55g fw tank. I made the stand out of 2x4s with a facade out of 3/4" oak ply. The opening is for all the dogs toys.

 

[Dracko]

Now for the sw tank. What I think I will do is... Frogspawn on one side, Hammer on the other and maybe another softy in the center. Still looking. Taking suggestions.

 

[Dracko]

The thing stuck on the side is a small filter I bought for a ten gal fw tank. It pushes a good water flow, but the filters inside are very small and it did a poor job. I put it in a junk box a few years ago, but now I pulled out all the filter pads and it seems it will work good as a power head for better circulation.

The white thing floating at the top is just there to stop water splashing until my top arrives.
Should I keep water circulating while the tank cycles?

 

[cracker]

Looks good Dracko, Maybe some more rock in the future ? The old filter turned power head is a good use of old equipment. Saving a buck is a good thing!