Charlie97L's 40 Breeder System

[Charlie97L]

Hey guys, it's been awhile since I've been around here... work has been crazy, and my mother has been having some health issues. So, I'm moving home in August to help her out some... She's just having post-op cataract issues, nothing serious (like heart/cancer serious or anything) but she's very restricted physically in what she can do (like no bending over) and lift, so I get to go be the parent for a while until she's totally healed! Wooo! I can't wait to boss her around. Heh.

:wit: KIDDING! (about the bossing)

Of course, I can't take the 90 with me. She said no to that much water (my total system is around 150g with frag setup). So i'm going with a 40 Breeder, with my trusty 20H acrylic as a frag setup, plumbed to the same sump.

I'm sadly, selling both my tangs, as the yellow and kole have grown quite a bit, and they're the only two fish I haven't sold in my tank. No one was getting along, and I had a bunch of jumpers. I'm also dropping all SPS except for a few frags to propagate, the main display will be softies, a couple gorgs and some LPS.

Anyway. The setup...

40g breeder drilled (x2 1.5") with custom acrylic overflows in the corners
-Return is an eheim 1262, 900 GPH.
-Custom 2x4 stand
-30 Long sump with 10g ATO reservoir
-Deltec AP500 Skimmer (on 60 gallons of display... i know, right?)
-WavySea return
-AquaController Jr.
-200W Heater in sump
-Aquactinics 36" 5x39w T5 fixture
-CPR AquaFuge, if I can get it to fit. I think I should be able to on the sump.

20H frag setup, custom acrylic, external overflow
-Custom 2x4 stand
-Not much else... haven't decided on the return pump, and I may put a SCWD or something of that ilk on the two returns. (I may see if the eheim can handle all of it by itself. Not too sure of that. it might be able to do it.)
-24" PC fixture (until i get the cash for a 24" aquatinics t5 fixture, which should only be a few weeks).

There will be no equipment in the tank at all, other than the wavy sea, and some locline in the frag system. I'm going for simplicity here, and I think the AC Jr, with some reconfig, should be able to handle everything.

I'm going to run BB in the frag system, and sand in the main display.

Livestock that will be coming over
Assorted zoanthids
Micromussa
Acan Lords
2-3 SPS frags (for propagation)
Frogspawn
Open brain (not doing so well ATM, hope it makes a recovery)
Fungia
Leathers (Sarcophyton, Sinularia, and Pulsing Sinularia)
Amazing GSP
Any of my photo gorgs that survive the trip
Assorted Ricordia
Cleaner shrimp, blue linkia sea star (again, if it survives the trip), and cleanup crew, with NO CRABS

I may go totally fishless, I'm not sure yet. Not may options for a 40g... maybe a pair of GSM clowns or something that's a low jump risk, I've lost too many fish to that already. Makes me sad.

I should have some pics this weekend. Tomorrow I'm going to set up the 20

 

[Charlie97L]

I got my t5 fixture this morning, and bulbs should be here this afternoon.

i'm also snagging a 1/10 hp chiller from a local club member for a great deal... i'll see how that works for me as far as stable temps, and if i need to upgrade to a 1/5, i will do so.

I'll throw up some pics of the t5s when the bulbs get here!

 

[blue_eyes53813]

I dont know how I missed this Charlie. Im sorry to hear about your mom.. You are a great son to move and take care of her. Your tank sounds like it is gonna be awesome.. Good luck

 

[Charlie97L]

Thanks Vicki! I'm excited that I'll get to spend more time with her as well as taking care of her...

I'm looking forward to having a 100% thought out, simple tank for once, that (crosses fingers) will do everything i ask of it.

 

[Charlie97L]

okay! t5 pics!

1) bulbs in the fixture... i went with the following

2 ATI Aquablue+ (11000K)
1 UVL Super Actinic
1 Geisemann Pure Actinic
1 Geisemann 6000K Day bulb

I love the look so far... can't wait to get it over water!

2) fixture with protective covers on reflectors

3) my 20g holding tank with remora and heater for placing the coral in that will be going to the 40 g

4) fixture on

5) look at those reflectors! way brighter than the sunlight supply/tek reflectors.

that's all for now!

 

[Charlie97L]

Planned fish stocking list for the 40:

Flameback Pygmy Angel
Blue Flavivertex Pseudochromis
Pair of Clowns (undecided)
Yelllow/Citrinis Clown Goby (or other perchy fish, suggestions?)
Blue Neon Goby

Any suggestions on the clowns? I'd love a pair of GSMs, but honestly, i'm afraid of them terrorizing everything. i'm not even sure i'd want clowns in there, but I'm considering.

there will be no fish in the frag tank, so i'm working with 75 gallons of volume.

 

[Charlie97L]

Well, I have the 20g holding tank set up and ready to go... 10 new gallons of SW, and 10g of water from the 90.

i moved a few frags over last night to see how they would do, and this morning they're happy and open. I'm going to move more over tonight... hopefully by the end of the weekend, i'll have the whole bunch over.

also sold my kole and yellow tang, but they're both going to the same tank, so that makes me happy, as they are very friendly.

i'll snag some pics of the holding tank tonight. sorry about the general lack of pictures so far, the new tank is coming together slowly, and there's not much to see right now.

tomorrow i'm picking up my pacific coast 1/10 hp chiller. got a great local deal on it, and i'm determined to keep this tank temp solid. 78 degrees or bust!

 

[Charlie97L]

Ok, here are some pics of my highly stressed blastos, micros, and an acan.

there are a few zoas in the tank, too, but they're closed right now.

*sigh*... i feel i got off lucky on my air conditioning disaster/mini-crash (happened 2 weeks ago), i lost obviously all my sps except for 2 frags, most of my snails... but it's stressed some of my prized LPS guys, and they went from 20 polyp colonies to 4-5 hanging on for dear life.

i think the open brain is a goner. i dipped it and moved it over after lights out on the holding tank. i'm going to give it until morning. i think my sarcophyton is giving up too.

my water is still good in the 90, no Am spike, i pulled the gorgs the minute they started necrosing. surprisingly, my linckia and cleaner shrimp are doing well. my huge frogspawn is doing well too, that would kill me if i lost it, i've had it since 1 head, and now it's about 8.

i'm at a loss to explain. i should have the 40 start cycling this week with cured LR, so i'm hoping for a quick cycle, then i can get all the coral over.

 

[Charlie97L]

everything live is over into the holding tank after a salt-filled afternoon!

my tangs have gone to their new home in a local guy's large sps reef, they went together, so i feel good about that. they have a gorgeous new home.

i finished cleaning out the 90 of animals, and moved a few pieces of LR over to the 20.

the rest of the LR is sitting in the 90, waiting for me to tear it down. i have done a 20 gallon water change on the 90, and added the aiptasia covered LR that i purchased last week. i'm getting some pepps and i got joe's juice, a syringe, and kalk paste today to start the elimination process.

the pieces of coral i added to the 20 earlier this week are almost 100% recovered, which makes me very happy. the zoas are going to take a while, i can see, but they'll pull through.

my shrimp and linckia also successfully made the transition. YAY!

now to get the 40 set up and cycling, and we'll be good to go!

 

[Charlie97L]

well, i shot some pics in the holding tank to tide you all over... (i know SOME people are reading this, even if no one is posting. ).

i couldn't get the white balance right... i got a new camera and am still working things out. some of the shots are very indicative of the coral color (frogspawn) under the t5s, but the whole tank atmosphere isn't that blue in general.

most of my lps is happy in the holding tank now. the aussie duncan i scored for 20.00 the other day is still being pissy, but it's probably due to the reduced photoperiod i have going right now due to the rest of the coral being polyp-shocked.

my zoanthids are also looking well, i have 7 colonies/frags that i know will pull through, and 1 i'm not sure of. the blasto that was gaping and looking bad the other day looks much better, but i couldn't get a good picture of it.

micromussa almost 100% recovered from the earlier pic, as you can clearly see. duncan is still not too happy, but looking fine, considering.

frogspawn... lost 1 head, but have many more popping out around the base.

both blasto colonies that looked terrible... now much happier

wider shot

and another with a different focus

that's all for now!

edit: i lost the sarcophyton, the pulsing sinularia, and the open brain, which made me very sad. i gave em a chance, but they didn't look good and smelled like death.

 

[AQTCJAK]

Nice shots the corals are looking really good

 

[Charlie97L]

dang it... well i woke up this morning and my fungia had moved on top of one of my acan frags. looks like it's gonna die. all but one half of one head is left.

gar!

on the upside, i've ordered my overflows, and am picking up the 40g and the live rock for it this weekend.