addict's downsized reef

[addict]

Well, here I am again... I show up every year or so just so you know that I'm still around...

A lot has happened since the last time I was here, but it's nice to know that this place stays pretty much the same (aside from the improvements, of course ).

Anyway, since my wife's and my schedule keeps getting tighter and tighter as the kids get older, we've decided that 120 gallons is simply too much reef for us to take care of (and afford), so we're working on downsizing to something a bit more manageable.

We've chosen to downsize to a 24g Aquapod with the 150w HQI lighting. It's gonna be strange moving down to such a small tank, but we had considered getting out of the hobby altogether, and this seemed like a good compromise. We also may be moving sometime in the near future, and there's no way we could get the 120g cross-country without massive loss of life, so that's also driving our decision.

So far this is the equipment list for the new tank, which should be trickling in over the next week or so.

24g Aquapod with 150w HQI
Tunze 9002 nano skimmer
Tunze 6025 nanostream pump
Ebo Jager 100w heater
Prime Mini 1/15Hp chiller
30lbs. of Carib-sea sand (Fiji Pink and SeaFlor).
Mag Float 30
Hydor Flo rotating deflector (for the return).

I'm also in discussion with Marc over at marcorocks.com to get all new rock, since the rock I have is pretty loaded up and is getting tons of nuisance algaes on it... the sailfin tang is working overtime to keep it cleared, but he's losing ground. A lot of it has also been around since our first reef, and is probably spent by now.

We're not absolutely sure yet what will be coming out of the 120g to go into the 24g, but it will primarily be zoanthids, acanthastrea, caulastrea, ricordia, and probably a few SPS and xenia... oh, and can't forget the clams.

The 120g will then be torn down and parted out... that's gonna be the hard part.

I have absolutely 'zero' photos or even any diagrams at this point, unlike my previous build thread, but I still have to build a stand so I'll post some construction shots of that, and add to this thread as stuff arrives.

When I started the 120g, I was in the zone where I loved 'tweaking' everything all the time, but now I'm in a place where I just want to enjoy it and maybe tweak it every now and then... but we'll see how that goes.

 

[Woodstock]

Sorry for your need to downsize But I am SO glad you're keeping a nano and staying in the hobby and I am even happier that you're back here

 

[addict]

Thanks Doni.

I miss this place whenever I'm away too... there's just so little time in the day to do everything that I want to do, and I've been disgusted with our reef for a long time (I hate to say). It's always one pest problem after another, though thankfully I haven't pulled any more Eunicid's out like the last one.

Most recently it was flatworms... it took an entire bottle of flatworm exit to get them out, which was pretty much a double-dose. We put the recommended dosage in, and the flatworms just gave me the finger and laughed.
They got to be tough little buggers.

Before that it was valonia, then red bugs, and the worm from hell... now it looks like I've got some bryopsis growing and a rogue encrusting gorgonian that's threatening to cover half the tank. I think it's time to nuke it from orbit, just to be sure.

I'm already tossing ideas around on how to build the stand (no canopy this time), so I'll probably have a schematic sometime in the very near future.

 

[Woodstock]

Well, the water changes for the nano will be a cinch!!

 

[blue_eyes53813]

Welcome back addict....I bet the nano will be great.

 

[kathywithbirds]

Good luck on the downsize, it'll be interesting to see the 24g.

BTW, love your avatar!! What the heck is that thing?

 

[addict]

LOL Doni... yeah, it will be a lot easier doing waterchanges with a 5 gallon bucket rather than a 32g garbage can.

Thanks blue_eyes53813, I'm hoping that it turns out good too.

Thanks to you as well kathywithbirds. It's going to be a definite change in mentality going to a nano from a medium-sized reef.

My avatar is a photo of my now-deceased Harlequin shrimp pair. The male was sitting on a blastomussa hunting for stars, and the female is coming up behind him.

They're great little shrimp, but expensive to feed. Unfortunately one day they were just gone... I'm still at a loss as to what happened to them.

 

[cheeks69]

With your DIY skills this Aquapod is going to look fantastic !
I'm glad that your not leaving the hobby and I'm anxious to see the project develop :snshne:

 

[Woodstock]

I was going to ask about your harleys. Sorry they're gone I just bought 3 CC stars for mine yesterday... and yes, the cost adds up especially over 2 years time!

 

[addict]

Thanks Robert. Good to see ya.

Yeah Doni,
I figured that it cost about $150/yr to feed the shrimp, and that was at 1 star every two weeks, as a rough estimate. CC's are about $6.50 here, so about $7 after tax. Two per month x 12 months and it adds up quick.

But for such a unique creature, I found it to be worth it. We may end up with some more sometime in the future, once we get everything figured out.

 

[Woodstock]

I used to want the babies to hatch and thrive but then thought about feeding several dozen of them ....

No thanks! LOL~

 

[addict]

Oh yeah... raising baby Harlequins would be a chore, and would probably require you to be independently wealthy.

Well, stuff is starting to trickle in... the order from Marine Depot came in on Monday evening.

The Tunze 6025 nanostream is on backorder until mid-July, which isn't surprising with how popular this little pump is.

And I got the Aquapod 24 this morning from Dr's. F&S.

The chiller was here too, but for some reason FedEx screwed up the label and the delivery guy said that in order for FedEx to get paid for the shipment they'd have to take it back to the warehouse and relabel it, then it'll be back tomorrow morning.
Amazing that it traveled almost 2,000 miles before they figured that out... LOL.

I'm still waiting on Marc at marcorocks.com to get back to me on a custom order, so there's no development on that end yet. I also haven't decided if I'm going to DIY a stand or take the easy way out and just buy something (I know, I know... blasphemy!).
Just the way my work hours have been lately it's tough to find the time, coupled with the fact that we're in the process of preparing for our trip to North Carolina next month (looking to move), I'm surprised I have time to sleep.
I may just wait to set this up after we get back at the end of July, which would probably be the prudent thing to do, but I don't think that the word 'prudent' has a place in the reefkeeper's vocabulary.
Heck... even the word 'patience' only has a fleeting reference...

 

[boozeman]

looking good :lurk:

 

[cheeks69]

Now the fun part begins :lurk:

 

[vdituri]

This is both a sad and intriguing thread. lol
Sorry to hear you're downsizing.
Keep me on the list when you get ready to tear down.
Where are you in the Sierra Nevada's? hint hint
I'm in Sacramento.

 

[mps9506]

Where in NC are you looking at?

 

[Cassette87]

Sorry to hear you've had to deal with so many issues Hope that the transition goes smoothly! Looking forward to seeing your aquapod come to life!

 

[addict]

Heya Mike,
Well, we were looking in the area east of Raleigh, and were pretty interested in Sanford.

Unfortunately, my wife had to have an emergency appendectomy two nights before we were supposed to leave, so our trip got cancelled. Thankfully she's doing well now, though she's still pretty sore. It came on fast, too... she started feeling some stomach pains on Saturday evening, and by Sunday evening she was in the operating room.

So it looks like North Carolina isn't in the cards right now. At least it held out for our trip to Disneyland last week, and we had a great time there, just the two of us without the kids for a change.

Thanks for the kind words Andy. Here's the first photo of the tank set up, that I was finally able to do today.

It's still kinda milk-shaky, but it's starting to clear up now from when I took the photo. You'll also notice that I cheated this time and just bought an end-table that works for a stand. It's actually the perfect size, too, at 19 3/4" wide, which is the same size as the base of the Aquapod. I picked it up at Target.

I think the sweetest thing so far is that we have a Helfrich's Firefish on hold at the LFS. We had to go get some salt for the tank setup today, and as I was looking around, my wife spotted it over in one of the small cubicle tanks... and she said "Is that what I think it is?" We told them to hold it for us immediately.

It's going to be the centerpiece of the new tank, once it's all together.
Now I just gotta get this little tank up and running. Hopefully it won't take very long since all the rock that's going in it is already cycled.

I gave up on Marco Rocks.com since the guy never could seem to get back to me after I'd send him an e-mail... would always take a week or so, then I'd have to e-mail him back again and then I'd finally hear from him.

This seems to be an isolated incident, however (don't want to bad-mouth him with blanket statements)... most others have had great service and were very happy with their orders.

 

[mps9506]

Sorry to hear about the appendectomy. I had it done when on my 13th birthday. I spent all day fishing, got home felt funny, took some pepto, 4 hours later my mom realized something was really wrong when I wouldn't eat any of the pizzas or cake they had ordered for my birthday. After another 4 hours in the hospital waiting room the doctor put me in surgery within 5 minutes of seeing me. It was an interesting birthday to say the least.

Anyways can't wait to see some of the rock in the unit. I've been thinking of doing something similar so I'll just watch what you do then follow suit