Pressing the RestStart Button: JonezNReef 180g 2.0 (plus 120g breeding system)

[JonezNReef]

Not yet. Just got the tanks in place yesterday

[JonezNReef]

Ok so I decided to give everything a quick test with some freshwater. I just through together some pipes I had sitting around and just pushed everything together. The diy overflow box isn't leaking anywhere. The true test though will be when I get it all plumbed together with the actually return pump hooked up to see if the overflow can handle high flow. For now I have a pump I had sitting around hooked up just to test the gaskets out a little more on the overflow over a little bit of time and also to see how much the stand settles over the next couple of days. Next I need to order the pumps, pipe and fittings, and sand to get the tank up and cycling. Here's the overflow at work

And this is how much space it takes up in the tank

[JonezNReef]

Recently started getting a few things in to hopefully get things started soon
240lbs of sand

I haven't been a big fan of sand since the tank crash of 2015. Of course that was from being new and misinformed without researching on my own. But I have learned a few things over time and plus my family has been requesting it. So I will do a shallow sand bed in both tanks.
Also got my return pump in. Went with the Jebeo DCP 10000.

I tested it out on the temp tank and it seems nice. I didn't run it past 75% since the drains were blocked by things and didn't feel like moving it at the time. I can't wait to really try it out once I get the tanks going.
This weekend I hope to get a few things done like plumbing the drains and return and work on the wall on the bedroom side and get the front of the tank framed in. Hoping to start filling the tank starting Tuesday. Will take about 3 days or so to fill it will 100gpd RODI. All depends on what I can get done with life happening too LOL

[JonezNReef]

Wow it's been a while since I last updated anything. I will get some pictures of some of the things I did when time avails.
So far I have almost finished the bedroom side wall. I framed in tank and planked half the wall. Hope to finish that this weekend. Also I was able to move sump on the 120 holding tank and re plumb it. Then I moved the 40gB sump into place for the new system. Of course that wasn't easy at all. I had to jack up the stand on the 120 and remove the center brace, remove the sump for the 120 and replace with the sump for the new system. But before that could go where it needed I had to cut a part of the stand out of the 120. After I got it in place I put the center brace in and moved the other sump in its new place. That turned into quite the chore real quick but with that finished I was able to get the return pump in place and plumbed, added water, salt, sand.... bought more sand and added that and some new rock I picked up and some rocks out of the holding tank. It has now been cycling just over a week.

In the mean time I will start working on the lights for the bottom 180 soon. Also I would like to get the skimmer in place and running.

For now atleast there is proof of life in the top(there is still a silt layer on the glass since I haven't got around to cleaning the glass 100% since the dust settled)

Here is a rock I bought for the top tank

This is what some of the wood planks look like stained


I will get tank shots up soon

[JonezNReef]

Well I've been feeding the new system for almost 2 weeks at 3 times a day when I feed my fish in the holding tank.
I'm finding more and more micro life in the tank

These guys are all over the glass

And these guys are all over my rocks

[Darthv247]

looks like tunicates and a snail both are good signs. the bristleworms are like unstoppable though, they can sting corals and kill clams.

[JonezNReef]

Yea hopefully the bristle worm doesn't poss any future problems but I haven't had an issue with them yet. I went ahead and tossed in two snails and a hermit crab to clean up some of the food Im feeding the tank. They've been in there 2 days so far. Also all the sponges are still doing good
These are the ones in the cave

These are on the back of my big rock

Here is what the fishroom looks like at the moment

[JonezNReef]

Here is a FTS. I don't have the lights over the tank yet since they are over the holding tank.

The middle rock has tri color valida acro encrusted on it that I hoped was going to die durning the cycle but so far it's still alive. It has been growing like a weed in my tank and already has a rock covered in it and I didn't really want it to take over that rock. In fact when I put it in the tank I broke off all the points and it has grown back... its browner in color due to it getting such little light.

[JonezNReef]

Since the tank is at the end of its cycle I went ahead and a couple of bangai cardinals. The fish store owner and I walked around for a little while trying to determine the gender in an attempt to possibly pair them. Took a minute but we think we found a male and female. So far they are close in the QT.

Also I got a few new inverts for the new system.
Strawberry Conch Snail

Also picked up a Turbo Snail, Sea Urchin and the dreadful SS Starfish.

[JonezNReef]

Also today my new room exhaust fan came in. Hope to install that this weekend.
Here is the old one

And this will be the new one

Also my Ice Cap Gyre came in today. Hope to get that in this weekend and then play around with the settings and see if I like it. If so I will consider getting a second one or even upgrading to a larger maxspect

[JonezNReef]

So I put the Cardinalfish though quarantine and put them into the DT last week. Today I caught all the fish in the holding tank and put them into the DT as well after working these past few weeks at getting matching parameters. Also went ahead and put the skimmer online and put my BM curve 5 skimmer on the holding tank. Now I will observe the DT for a week or two and if all is well I will transfer over the corals and also put the light over the tank.
While I am waiting and watching I am going to work on making a light for the bottom 180. I am trying to figure what macroalgae I want to put down there. Also I am considering buying 100 lbs of live sand from TBS to add to the bottom tank but at the moment life has been quite crazy with a lot of unexpected events and I have a lot more to tend too so I'm sure things might slow down a bit as far as progress. Only time will tell. In the mean time the tank can settle and mature.

[JonezNReef]

Also I have had the IceCap Gyre set up for a little while and really like it. It's been very quiet and easy to program. I don't have it set past 60% and that's almost too much for my sand bed. Can't wait to get the corals in and watch them move in the different currents. I will see how things go and I will either get a second one or upgrade to two Maxspec since they have the option of using on one controller.

[Benson0219]

Nice update! How do you like the Ice Cap Gyre?

[JonezNReef]

Originally Posted by Benson0219

Nice update! How do you like the Ice Cap Gyre?

I really like it so far and would recommend it to anyone wanting to try out a gyre without breaking the bank for a maxspec or wanting to risk trying a cheap Chinese version

[JonezNReef]

So I decided to move my lights above my new tank and transferred most of the coral over. Only thin left in the holding tank is my Malu Seabae and some frags. Plan on doing a large water change this weekend and might move the Seabae over to the main tank and put the frags in the bottom 180 so I can break down the holding tank.

But that all depends because I cracked the heads in my car and will be buying a new engine Saturday and doing a engine swap.

[JonezNReef]

[JonezNReef]

[JonezNReef]

Small Upate
So my new system is doing well. I went ahead and finally transferred what was left in the holding tank which was just some frags and my Seabae nem. So far the nem has been doing well and hasn't bleached any like it did in the past. For the transfer I just got both system to matching temp and parameters and just moved everything over with no acclimation. Right now they are all in the bottom 180 just kinda thrown there. I will take down the 120 holding tank this weekend and see what kind of space I will have in the fishroom and how to best use it.
I know I want a RODI water station of some sort. Also some sort of frag tank or 3. I wish I had the room some where for the 120 but at the moment there isn't a 6' span anywhere I could set it up so I will have to store it for now.

[JonezNReef]

Also my Cardinal fish are a mating pair. The male is currently holding eggs. I am tracking that adventure here
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2635747

[JonezNReef]

Changed up a few things today. I took down the holding tank which was a bit of a pain. It involved draining the tank, then disassembling half the stand so I could lower it down far enough to stand the tank up and get it out. I didn't think about the removal of this system when I put in the 2 180s but I got it out. I then started looking at the sump for the big system and how close to overflowing it is with the system shut down.

So I decided why not use the 120 as a baffleless sump





Excuse the mess and cords every where. I plan on getting to that soon. Also I am hatching baby brine every so often to feed the DT and to be prepared just encase.
Also the male cardinal is still carrying eggs. Plus the nem is happy after the move

[JonezNReef]

Small update
The tank is doing well. Tested the big 3 and all were in check
Alk- 9dKH
Ca- 440
Mg-1400
Still need to buy new testing kits for PO4 and NO3.
I worked more on the fishroom today and installed a stand for a 40g Breeder I will tie into the system and use as a frag tank. It will also house the Seabae which means moving it again but at least it will be moved to a tank tied into everything so it doesn't have to get used to the water. I will also put the same light over it that it has now.
The tank stand is longer than needed to give me more work space. Also I put my 65g tank under it and it will store my fresh water for top off and water changes.

At the moment I am just waiting on the paint to dry

[JonezNReef]

[reefzone123]

very unique perspective. picture frame is awesome. excellent progress.

[Wally.B]

Jonez,
Very nice project.
I really like that one huge rock you got for the right side of tank, it will be great for mounting a ton of stuff.
I see you are taking on quite the challenge to tackle both SPS plus other types of corals in the same system.
Maybe that's been my failure since LPS and other corals are excellent filter feeders. However nutrient levels/water clarity for SPS and non SPS from my experience are opposite extremes (but I have limited experience (since I've never dare mixed the two types)
Will be tagging along. You might convince me to throw some SPS into my mixed tank.

[JonezNReef]

So small update
Tank is going through the ugly algae stage of a new tank. I knew with all the sand and new rock it was unavoidable especially with me feeding like I have been. I have a ATS online now and also been running a little bit of GFO in a reactor. But the coral is all happy and growing. My dendro is the happiest it's ever been and has been growing new heads.
Urchin is happy too


Now for the big update. The cardinal fish male spit out his first baby. My wife and I have been looking into the DT a lot everyday hoping to see one since we couldn't catch him. My wife happen to look up near the overflow and says to me "is that a baby fish!" And right as she said it went right down the drain and into the bottom 180. I ran into the fishroom and shut down the system. Luckily my wife has eagle eyes and found it and caught it in a cup. Now it's in the breeder box with a fake plant it took too instantly. I added baby brine shrimp and it started eating. So I have 1 baby at the moment and waiting to see if he will spit out the rest. It's all wait and see.