Sandman's 187g Tank Build

that looks awesome. I really like the lights.

Looking good man. Can't wait to see it in person.

Looks great! How high are the AI over the water? Also, did you consider Radions and what made you choose the AIs?

reefer87 wrote:Looking good man. Can't wait to see it in person.

Come on over and check it out! Im home alone tomorrow all day long.

nikecivic wrote:Looks great! How high are the AI over the water? Also, did you consider Radions and what made you choose the AIs?

Thanks, and the lights are about 9" off the water. The recommendation is 12-15", but this wouldn't be possible unless I had a very tall canopy, or hung them from the ceiling. I am going to switch out the optics to all 70".

I did consider the radions, and they seem to be good lights. What kept me from the Radions is their performance in tanks deeper than 20". AI's out perform Radions in this regard hands down as PAR is concerned. I also took into consideration that the cost of the Radions was not worth it when the AI is a stronger focused light that will give me the same results for half the price.

Thanks for the info! I have seen Jeff's (Jabel on RC and SFVR) tank using AI's and his tank its really AWESOME especially its SPS dominated. Just wondering if you were referencing the Advanced Aquarist article for the comparison of Radions to AIs.

nikecivic wrote:Thanks for the info! I have seen Jeff's (Jabel on RC and SFVR) tank using AI's and his tank its really AWESOME especially its SPS dominated. Just wondering if you were referencing the Advanced Aquarist article for the comparison of Radions to AIs.

The thread I am referring to is this one. I have not found anything else where people are actually talking about how they program the timers. If you know of any, please post them.

Thanks I'll check it out...

I was refering to this article that paul posted on this site

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2012/3/aafeature

Thanks, interesting article.

I haven't updated in a bit so here is a FTS from today.


I'll be gluing down stuff this weekend.

Lookin' good!

Thanks, I am really happy with how the rock work turned out. I built it with the placement of corals in mind, and I already have where each type of item that I want will go. Now I just need to fill it up.

Looks awesome!! Curious to see how the LED's work out for you..

So nice, a lot more room for coral

So far everything is looking good! I'll be increasing the % of power this weekend.

coryg wrote:So nice, a lot more room for coral

Oh ya, lots more. And good depth too!

Yea are you gonna go mixed reef?

Today I received my 70 degree optics for the AI Led fixtures. I have been running the 40 degree's and dealing with spotlighting. If I could have hung the lights 15" off the water I would be ok, but that isn't an option unless I hung them from the ceiling.

Thanks to help from a reef sanctuary thread I found out that it tanks a 5/64 allen wrench. You would think AI would send instructions...





The most difficult thing to do was get the cover back on without moving the optics off the LED's.


Before


After Still a bit of spotlight visible but much better.

Nice! Lookin good!

wow that looks really good

I bet the picture doesn't do it justice. I can see that the light is a lot more blended with the 70's. which if looking at them in person, it would look even better.

Your right, the picture doesnt represent the way it actually looks. The rays of light are much less visible, and the tank looks much more fluid as far as light.

So, I haven't updated in awhile so I wanted to upload some pics I took over the weekend. I have added a few corals and the tank is starting to get into a nice groove.

Tank:

Right Side:

Left Side:


Corals/fish/etc.
The beginning of my Zoa/Paly garden
-Rasta's
-Blue Hornet's
-Wow Paly's
-Green Bay Packer's


SPS-
Tri-Color Valida:


RR Snow Cap Tenius:


My browned out ORA Joe the Coral:


My Aussie Reef, or Reef Aussie--Can't Remember which

RBTA & Clowns--Recently Split!:

New Locations...


And Last but not least, my Bristle Tooth Tang


I just reached my target levels in Mag, Cal, and Alk last week. I have been seeing an improvement in my Rainbow Pocillipora (yellow and pink tips returning). I will update with more pictures when the tank presents an interesting update.

I am now dosing B-Ionics- 50ml of Cal and Alk, and 30ml of Mag daily by hand. I was using Brightwells Reef Snow, but had a Nitrate spike after the first use. I will continue in a week or so at a lower dose. I am currently not using any Carbon or GFO. I run a skimmer 24/7, and have Chaeto growing at a good pace in the refugium.

Any feedback is always welcome!

looks great! Are you target feeding your corals?

are you planning on eventually running GFO/carbon?

coryg wrote:looks great! Are you target feeding your corals?

Thanks! I target feed with Rotifers twice a week, and broadcast Oysters twice a week. I am thinking about using Coral Frenzy too. I have used Reef Snow, but had a Nitrate spike. I will be starting that up agian slowly starting tonight.

dwolson2 wrote:are you planning on eventually running GFO/carbon?

I am eventually. I wanted to let the tank mature a bit before I began to export nutrients at the rate a GFO and Carbon reactor would export from the water column.

I have considered Bio Pellets too, but I am unsure about those and still doing research. I plan to start with the reactors in the next two months as the tank will be up for almost 6 months at that time.

Sandman wrote:

coryg wrote:looks great! Are you target feeding your corals?

Thanks! I target feed with Rotifers twice a week, and broadcast Oysters twice a week. I am thinking about using Coral Frenzy too. I have used Reef Snow, but had a Nitrate spike. I will be starting that up agian slowly starting tonight.
[

Nice so have you cut down on feeding since we moved Jimmys tank? Any change in your nitrates since then?

I was feeding half a cube of frozen at 9am and 5pm with pellets at noon. That was a few weeks ago when I had a spike in nitrates, although that could have been residual affects of the cycle too. I cut back on the noon feedings, did a big water change, and haven't seen an issue since; this doesn't mean that it was because of the feeding though. I am assuming it was, and will continue to skip that feeding or maybe start it again but less pellets.

My nitrates are down to 20ppm as of last week, and I will test again tomorrow. My goal is less 5, but I will settle for 10 at the moment. I am trying to find the sweet spot for SPS, LPS, and zoa/paly's. My zoa/paly's are taking off with growth, probably due to the amount of nutrients in the water. What I want most is constistency.

I am sure once I add a carbon reactor and GFO I will see a decrease, but as another reefer put it, "those are bandaids."

Update: I was able to get my nitrates down by cutting out the noon feeding. I am going to purchase a red sea Nitrate kit that will measure smaller amounts of nitrates more accuratly than the API. I now have 2 RBTA, although I really only want 1. If I am able to get one onto a rock Im will to part with then Ill put one up for sale. I am still increasing my lights slowly; 5pts per week, although only the midday light cycle.

I don't think I am going to run gfo or carbon. I am going to look into vinigar dosing as a carbon source. Ill let you know what I decided when it happens. If anyone has any experience with this, let me know.

In a few week ill post some updated pics.

I have experience with carbon dosing and I love the results the maintenance is not bad at all.

I would be careful with vinegar dosing. It can really lower your PH if your not careful.

I thought Sister presented Carbon dosing at a meeting before....

I would start dosing Brightwell MB7 with Vodka.

I think that was before he started showing up. Luke, if you ask jimmy he could give you the powerpoint he made.

The reason why I prefer vodka over vinegar or sugar is because vodka has very little if any impurities in it. It's triple distilled and much better choice.

Vinegar and sugar don't offer that type of purity.

Plus if u get thirsty...

clownfish14 wrote:Plus if u get thirsty...

although some are required to use vinegar since they arent old enough to purchase the better media

Im sure they would let me buy it if i told them it was for my fish

Thank you all for you comments and advice, I wont be using Vodka so I want to find the best method of dosing Vinegar. I have not even begun to task of researching yet, so I am not much for conversation at this point. I am trying to gather as much knowledge on past experience as I can.

Sister- The impurities will have to be dealt with somehow, not sure how. I wonder if there is another form of vinegar that is better? When you say sugar, are you referring to glucose?

Why wont u use vodka?

yep regular old sugar, from sugar beats or cane.

Just got my doser from China today!

I am going to try to get this set up this weekend. I have to build a shelf over my fuge to set this on.

If u dont mind me asking how much did you pay for that?

And where did you get it.

I bought it off of ebay for $150. It has a temp probe too. After researching, I couldn't find enough benefits to go with the BB that would make it worth spending 2x the amount. If I could have purchase a BB for around the same price I would have, but sense that wasn't an option this seemed like the best choice.

When you write BB, do you mean Bubble Magus?

nikecivic wrote:When you write BB, do you mean Bubble Magus?

Ya, I meant BM..

can you post up the link for that doser? Also, if you need biopellets(if you choose to go that route) both nick and I have bags and we will both give you a good deal if your interested

Any updated photos?

I bought nicks

Marine Magic on Ebay

Their official site

Sorry D, no pics. Nothing has changed yet. My Joe the Coral and Purple Plasma still have receeding color on the base, although the polyps are out so I am giving them time.