Soulpatch's 150 SC build

[soulpatch]

Tonight i set the Coral Box QP16 Pumps up into anti sync. Not a huge fan and preferring the reef mode as it is much more chaotic.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

[mav3rick478]

Just watched the last video, thanks for your review. I definitely will consider purchasing the Coral box powerheads now. I think the only other option for me would be Tunze but like you there are other things I can spend my money on like corals or salt or lights.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

[soulpatch]

Very cool Mav thanks.

Getting a ton of pe with these pumps...



Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

[soulpatch]

So everything with the Coral Box QP16 Pumps has been going so great I decided it was time to yank out the wav. I need to send one in anyway but the other was an eye sore with it not running. I even redid my apex control center and wired in the pumps.

Nitpick of the qp16 though is that I wish the cord to the controller was longer. I got it to work but I now need to disconnect it if I want into the back of my apex cabinet to redo wiring.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

[soulpatch]

Talked to Eric at Fish Street today and he linked me to the line extender and the AP1 for apex control. Now need to wait till after Christmas for some more funds to get the Apex connection up and running. I don't really go crazy with flow patterns but I do like to turn down the intensity some during the night.

All in all VERY happy with my purchase of the Coral Box QP16 pumps. All of my nitpicking issues have been handled quickly by Eric and I can't say enough how great Fish Street's communication has been through this whole order and testing. I had a ton of initial questions and they were lightening fat to follow up.

[soulpatch]

Here are some top down shots I took while mall pasting some aiptasia. Have a copperband going through qt to aid as well.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

[cincyjim]

Very nice looking!!! I've always enjoyed the pics of your tank and equipment.

[soulpatch]

I really need to break out the dslr to really see detail and color pop. That bubblegum milli I have (small pink and green nub) is stunning in person and I am looking forward to it growing out. It has more color then my Disney which is kind of awesome and yet disappointing at same time.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

[soulpatch]

I will do a much better write up this weekend but it is amazing that my tank is now 2 years old. It has had its ups and downs which are all documented in this thread. I have lost thousands in fish and coral from various mistakes, bad salt, and disease. It has been painful at times to trudge on especially when I lost my prized acans and at other times has been one of the most enjoyable aspects of my life. My daughter can name all of our fish, understands the plumbing and what items like the skimmer do. Weirdly she can walk a stranger over the plumbing and how the calrx works which says a lot when a 4 year old can understand it but many of the rest of us (myself included) need to draft up diagrams and spend a day thinking it over.

As it stands now the tank is doing ok. I am fighting a war against the rebel aiptasia in my tank. It is basically Vietnam all over again where I scorch an area with kalk paste and they retreat into their hideouts only to come back again. The fight goes on though and i have a CBB hitting the water tonight to hopefully put me ahead.

In the 2 years since setting up I have swapped from a doser setup to a calrx, changed sumps, lost a WAV and replaced with QP16, needed to add a chiller, replaced my Kessils with a Reef Brite strip, set up an AWC system, built an electronics cabinet, and extended myself into SPS corals. I have started to sell corals as I need to frag items to have them play nicely, been to a few more reef shows/swaps, and met numerous other reefers that are now some of my better friends.

So tonight I will clean the glass, add my CBB from QT, take some pics, and raise a glass for 2 years down and hopefully numerous more to come.

[mav3rick478]

Congrats, so awesome watching your journey!

This year I should have my newer bigger tank (wife went off at Christmas and really wants the tank up and running instead of just sitting in the game room) up and running so we can try shipping to the West Coast.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

[soulpatch]

Yeah just let me know. I have a ton of SPS that I am cutting quite often and have various LPS that I cut at times as well.

[cincyjim]

Can't wait to see those pics!!! I'm glad you hung in there with the struggles you had!

[homer1475]

Glad things are finally going good for you. One of these days I'll make out to see you, and maybe pic up some of those frags you keep telling me you have.

Can't wait to see some actual DSLR pics!

Happy 2 year anniversary. Coming up on my 2 years as well.

[soulpatch]

Well not so good Homer. My copperband did not make it. He made it into my DT last night and promptly died. It was weird. He had gone through TTM and an additional week with no signs of anything other then very limited eating. So sad to say I was not in the mood for pics last night.

I will do so this evening as I need to turn off flow and nail some more aiptasia anyway. Likely place a divers den order here soon for another copperband and try from them instead as I need some more CUC anyway.

I also need to take some pics of my fuge as I used to have chateo in there but it is now a wonderful jungle of culpera, GHA, and some other type of macro. I yank out handfuls once a week or every other week.

Perhaps a new video tonight walking through everything will be ont he docket...

[homer1475]

Be careful yanking out the nuisance algae from the fuge. My problem got much worse when I cleaned out the fuge. Should have just let the GHA grow in there then yanking it all out and it taking over the display.

Weird it died in the display after going through TTM and QT. I feel your pain, I definitely know what it's like to loose some fish.

I can certainly understand not wanting to take pics last night also. I have on many occasions had a hammer in my hand, and thought "Man it would be super simple to just put this through the glass and be done with this god awful hobby". But I can not for the life of me kill living things purposely just to be done with a major headache.

I then remind myself it will get better..... eventually.

[soulpatch]

I would have QUITE the insurance claim should my tank go in my basement. would be a decent trip and some workout equipment at a minimum as if this tank went for whatever reason I am out of the hobby for quite a while till I move to new house.

I do not pull out all of the algae in the fuge. I yank a decent portion of it as it starts to overgrow iteself allowing sufficient behind for export control. I run sockless for the most part and the fuge is a serious form of mechanical filtration for me.

I was just on LA and they have some fish for sale I am interested in as well as a CUC so who knows when I pull that trigger. I have to clean out my current QT tanks first and prepare for new fish. Also likely need some more salt...

[soulpatch]

Here is a link to a google drive with some images....

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Uh9BEKzPb6vDxC8L2

[ReefKeeper64]

Nice tank shots!

[soulpatch]

Made a ton of cuts for this weekend as I am going to sell at a local frag swap. I have perhaps 30 different frags and I would say 20 are already spoken for. I will be able to throw some of the unsold wares in a friend's frag tank set up. I am trading some items as well so will have some new goodies by end of weekend. I already got some kracken zoas, ora chips tort, and a nice new chalice to grow out as i traded away a UC SSC and a WWC Yellow tip frag.

This weekend I should have a minimum of a gold torch, rainbow acan frag, and likely a couple other types of zoas coming home. Cash from sales will be spent on either more goodies but more likely on boxes of salt and some frozen food as the swap is at the local large pet store of That Pet Place (though I will not be buying corals or fish from them...)

I had a copperband in QT that died almost as soon as it went into my DT (still no clue why) so I have another LFS who has one in their coral tank for a few months willing to part with it. It is eating well so should be good to go. I will need to grab it this week and throw it through QT as well. I need to hurry as I am going on a work trip middle of Feb and dont want the wife dealing with a QT tank...

In other items my CO2 tank was out when I went to look at the calrx on Friday. likely been out for a week or so at this point though nothing seems upset in the tank. I got it refilled and slowly bringing the calrx back online. I now need to start testing to get the tank to 8.3 and stabilized again.

[soulpatch]

Got in 100 sterile sample cups from Amazon the other day and did not tell my wife they were coming. She was very perplexed when I got home as to why I had a ton of urine sample cups come to the home. I had to play her for a while stating that I was going to start selling my pee so others could use it for their pee tests to pass when they had drug screenings coming up. Had her going for quite a while too.

But alas I eventually had to tell her it is to package my corals in when shipping or selling. Being able to glue a frag plug to the lid and ensure no damage to the coral is main reason. Plus just overall easier packaging to deal with as bags deform and leak.

[soulpatch]

First "big" sale for me was a success. I sold all of my corals I had cut save for 1 bubblegum digi. The proceeds paid for 2 cases of salt, treats for my dogs, a fully quarentined Copperband (which my powder blue does not like), 2 new acans, some rasta zoas, and a 3 head gold torch. Pics likely coming tonight when I get the chance.

Pretty stoked about it all. Next up I made contact with a local guy who has some HIGH end corals like homewrecker and other rainbows so I will be visiting him sometime soon to pick up some other goods and see what I can start to grow out in my tank for more gain. Likely start to replace some of my more common items like my pink milli, garf bonsai (sorry Reef but if I can put a homewrecker in my tank it goes in that spot), green slimer and other basic corals.

I also need to rescape a bit this spring so that I can more easily remove some of my rocks with acans and such on them to cut at a later time. Going to add a few spots for my zoas to grow out as well as I have been making decent money off of my utter chaos as I sell it for dirt cheap....whatever buys me salt and such and keeps my tank running. So outside of food my tank has now basically become free to run for the next 3 months with the salt I grabbed from sales...

[cincyjim]

Glad to hear everything was successful for you! It sounds like you need to expand

[soulpatch]

Originally Posted by cincyjim

Glad to hear everything was successful for you! It sounds like you need to expand

Been thinking about a frag tank for some time. My concern is how I would plumb it into the system as I dont have much room and dont really want to drill holes into the side of the stand (though I could cover later with a fan grate I guess if needed)

I would like to start cutting frags and letting them grow while keeping favorites in my main tank and allowing them to grow into colonies. There is a large initial cost however in that I would need a frag tank and lighting. If it is an AIO then I need other equipment which is even more expense.

I need to pay for a few things this year in other areas and look at my budget plans. I still want to move and most likely will decide to "struggle" as is till I have more room and a more dedicated space for a frag shop.

[cincyjim]

That's true about the expense for a frag set up. I watched a Jason Fox video a couple of weeks ago and couldn't believe how many tanks, lighting, etc he had for his frag shop. Just setting up one would be almost like setting up a full new tank.

[soulpatch]

If I tie it into my main tank then I only need a tank, powerhead (likely a cheap jabeo or gyre), and lighting. The rest would be handled by the main tank filtration and calcium reactor.

I have reached out to Ben at BAO about building me something already though. Also likely have a lead on some older radions or AI Primes. It is just a pain to get through the setup and get everything plumbed in properly. I could do 1/2" plumbing and tie it into my manifold perhaps to simplify things and just have it be soft tubing to get around all the bends and such.