Laguna Matata

[GraniteReefer]

Welcome to the Laguna Matata, I realize that likely translates to the lagoon of trouble but it sounds better than Laguna Hakuna Matata haha
Equipment List
Tank: Innovative Marine 25g Lagoon
Light: Aquaticlife T5 hybrid with 16” decorative end caps supported by the floating suspension kit.
2x ATI blue+, 1x ATI Purple+, 1x ATI Coral+
2x Kessil a80’s with kessil spectral controller
Heater: Cobalt Aquatics Neotherm 75w
Return Pump: IM mightyjet 538gph
Return Nozzles: 4x 1/4” RFG’s
Media Baskets: 2x IM custom caddy (returned intank as it didn’t fit)
Refugium: IM magnafuge paired with an Intank refugium basket(may upgrade to chaetomax but had the magnafuge)
Rock: Pukani, bleached and acid washed, seeded with a single rock from my drop off(very clean system). Rock work held together with Reef Welder, Scapefix, and superglue gel.
ATO: Auto Aqua Smart ATO Micro paired with an IM hydrofill 5g ATO reservoir
Stand: IM stand not the APS but the old particle board one, know the name? Let me know thanks!
Salt Mix: Reef Crystals mixed to 1.026-1.027
Refractometer: Milwaukee MA887
Skimmer: TBD
Lid: IM Aqua Gadget DIY Pro series
Glass Cleaner: IM aqua gadget Micro Mag
Dosing: Jebao DP4 w/ eshopps 2 chamber dosing container and eshopps 5-hole tubing holder. Additives TBD
Misc.: Intank Filtration Cover
self installed handles w/ sliding lock to baby proof
Tons of pipettes and turkey basters



Tank got wet 1/11/20
I mostly will update on Nano-reef but wanted to have a thread here too as it’s local and you guys offer different perspectives in the event I need help resolving issues. Plus I scored this lagoon and stand in the classifieds off @josho923, thanks man tank is awesome! Pics to come

 

[CAPSLOCK]

That's a nice size for a nano. What are your stocking plans?

 

[GraniteReefer]

That's a nice size for a nano. What are your stocking plans?

I have my livestock from my reefer 250 I plan on transferring, though the health of the corals in that system have been rapidly declining due to neglect/an overflown skimmer. My 4 y.o. Clown pair, two spot blenny, green clown goby, yellow watchman/tiger pistol shrimp, fire shrimp and clean up crew will be transferred and I will be rehoming my tang, Bangaii cardinal, and blue chromis. Corals to transfer are my scolymia, wwc blastos, a few struggling SPS( green acro, Hawkins, and a few others I forget!). Some ricordea, white goniopora, alveopora, acans. I may trade in my trumpet colonies as after years of keeping them I’m ready for something more challenging. Trying to steer away from softies, mushrooms, zoas. Keeping my photosynthetic Gorgs. Basically a mixed reef with focus on acans, blastos, leptastrea on the lower parts of the reef, some plates and my scoly on the sandbed, and easier SPS on the upper reef. But as always I get carried away when buying especially with so many fine options at this forums vendors. Also ramping down what was a euphyllia heavy reef and might only keep my frogspawn that the clowns are hosted by, unless my best friend reefer also give me a torch frag haha. Recently lost RFA’s and my bubble tip and likely won’t replace. The reefer really wasn’t a system I was cut out to care for, give me a reefbowl with 100% weekly water changes and I seem to excel though so having a tank were I can easily change 25% weekly and occasionally 100% is the focus of the lagoon. Ditching my liverock that is 4 years old as well due to a losing battle with aiptasia and caulerpa from kp aquatics liverock, sad but in the best interest of the reef I think.

 

[GraniteReefer]

Also I know bioload will be maxed out but I want a fire fish and pink streaked wrasse, if anyone notices the pink streaked wrasse on divers den please let me know!

 

[BiGGiePauls33]

Looking forward to the build.

 

[GraniteReefer]

The Kessil 360we’s are definitely way overkill when combined with the t5’s and will certainly be ramped down. I am considering selling them and buying one more Kessil a80(already have one brand new in box) I just threw it over the tank and it’s spread hits side to side when centered. It also has that 90 bracket that will mount up to the AI mounts for the aquaticlife hybrid. Really I just want the shimmer and the ramp up and down.... so two little 15w lights combined with 96w Of T5 will likely meet my desires. Opinions? I also have a spare AI prime HD that could be centered between the two a80’s if more LED is needed down the line. The reason I am really thinking it makes sense is because the a360we bracket on the hybrid fixture just have the Kessils sit with gravity in the bracket they aren’t actually screwed into the mount. The floating suspension kit I have for the t5 makes the whole fixture tilt at a 45 degree angle for easy access to the display and my main concern is the 360’s will fall out without some kind of reinforcements. Not to mention I have a 3 year old boy and a 1 1/2 year old boy who are only growing rowdier. Whereas the a80’s would be screwed/bolted into place so more reliably fastened IMO. Again am I crazy for thinking this would be preferable, my wife looks at me like I have three heads so I just need a reefers opinion. Thanks

 

[GraniteReefer]

Flashback post to a few weeks ago
Switched my dining room and living room, and consequently moved a massive hutch which left an empty spot that looked perfect for a reef.

first the ceiling needed to be repaired(notice duct tape from previous homeowner) and the walls and ceiling painted. I scored a purple my wife loves in the clearance section of Lowe’s for 9$ a gallon, luckily whoever originally bought it didn’t love it! I had a real professional helping me so it went smoothly, he could hardly reach the high spots though.

I exchanged an old 70’s receptacle with a new 20amp GFCI and put on a weatherproof cover to protect it from the kids.... and water I guess.

Notice it is lockable

Next course of action was installing the aquaticlife floating suspension kit. Luckily the builders actually put studs 16” on center(surprising in this house). Again I had the best in the business helping ensure I didn’t hurt myself.

The tank was then put in place with the intank filtration cover on so I could set the T5 height as low as possible to reduce spill and limit eye damage in my kids(still need a light guard per the wife’s request)

The light was fastened in

The functionality of the hinges tested and confirmed the floating suspension kit was worth the money.(not the finalized scape, just put rocks in for fun). Also notice I added handles to the stand so I could add a baby proof lock.

To be continued

 

[CAPSLOCK]

You're right, that's a reef tank nook if I've ever seen one! Nice lighting set up.

 

[FREAKINRICAN69]

I like the light setup. Looks awesome chief...

Wondering if that setup could work for something else besides t5-led setup. Do you have a link to that product chief?

 

[GraniteReefer]

I like the light setup. Looks awesome chief...

Wondering if that setup could work for something else besides t5-led setup. Do you have a link to that product chief?

Aquatic Life Floating Suspension & Universal/Hybrid System Fixture Hangers, Mounting System Parts, Decorative Endcaps

Description Aquatic Life Floating Suspension Fixture Hanger. This hardware is designed to mount on the wall behind your aquarium and make it easy to hang your light fixture over the aquarium. Compatible light fixtures include the Aquatic Life Hybrid, G2 Hybrid and DX18 models. Light Fixtures NOT...

aquaticlife.com

 

[GraniteReefer]

You're right, that's a reef tank nook if I've ever seen one! Nice lighting set up.

The lighting setup should only get prettier once I get the LEDs in and put on the decorative end caps to conceal the cords

 

[FREAKINRICAN69]

Aquatic Life Floating Suspension & Universal/Hybrid System Fixture Hangers, Mounting System Parts, Decorative Endcaps

Description Aquatic Life Floating Suspension Fixture Hanger. This hardware is designed to mount on the wall behind your aquarium and make it easy to hang your light fixture over the aquarium. Compatible light fixtures include the Aquatic Life Hybrid, G2 Hybrid and DX18 models. Light Fixtures NOT...

aquaticlife.com

aWESOME THANK YOU CHIEF... I'll definitely be getting me one of these. Thanks

 

[FREAKINRICAN69]

The lighting setup should only get prettier once I get the LEDs in and put on the decorative end caps to conceal the cords

That's for sure... I'll be following.

 

[GraniteReefer]

Added the small piece of liverock from my drop off to inoculate the tank with goodies like green film algae, coralline, snails/stomatella, bristleworms, copepods, amphipods, and any other unknown hitchhikers. Here is a closeup of the liverock

Topdown

side view visible as I walk in from my kitchen, my scoly should take up the spot here which will receive nice indirect flow and have perfect viewing

from the front, definitely uglier without the intank filtration cover on.... ewww cords! Also flow is off in all pictures

from the other side which has a 16” space just big enough to squeeze into for viewing and servicing

Ooooh ahhhh 4x 1/4” RFG nozzles!

when laying out the scape a focus was placed on space between each rock making lots of nooks, caves, tunnels , overhangs Etc.. I want the fish to feel like they can swim through the reef rather than around it, plus flow will benefit. The tank has ~10lbs of Florida crushed coral that I used a magnet on and removed about 30 pieces of magnetic materials, sad how humans are ruining the world when clean sand can’t even be sourced. A finer sand will be added to appeal to the pistol and yellow watchman who likes to sift through and eat the goodies within by discharging clean sand out his gills, love watching it.

 

[FREAKINRICAN69]

Looks awesome chief great job on that.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

Nice, you can really see all the nooks and archways you created for fish & flow.

 

[LordSkies]

Great Job

 

[josho923]

Looking great! I'm using those same exact lights (the 61" versions) over my 210 gallon planted Amazonian freshwater tank and also am converting my 125 gallon reef to these (I have the lights already, just haven't switched from my Maxspect Razors yet; I just survived moving the reef cross-state last wkd without any losses, one thing at a time, lol).
It was great meeting you and it looks great so far. Wishing you minimal "trouble" in your Laguna Matata!

 

[GraniteReefer]

5/8” biota mandarin was added 1/21/2020
Firefish about a week later

 

[GraniteReefer]

Sorry for the lack of updates, tank is on cruise control slowly maturing. My SPS frags I transferred initially have regained lost color and begun encrusting and showing some vertical growth so I pulled the trigger on a SPS frag pack from here on the forum.

So many bag floating