Todd's budget 265 build

[this is me]

Todd,
I'm in the same boat. Not sure if I should start the fuge. I'm just worry that the nutrient is too low to sustain the macro algae. Phosphate testing at 0.04ppm and nitrate testing at undetectable. I guess I will keep running the set up as is until the nutrient no longer tamed by heavy skimmer and GFO. Then I will start the fuge.

 

[toddhgr]

That's what I'm thinking I'll do. Thanks!

 

[G.T]

Don't really know how to take the last comment........

QUOTE]

Its not meant to be nasty in any way, shape or form. But seriously when you go to larger tanks most people have no idea of how much more money it costs, not in just equipment but more power usage etc. I went from a 5x2x2 to a 7x2x2 there difference was huge. Then I went up to a 11x2.5x2.5 and the running costs alone, almost crippled me. Just the statement budget caught my eyes that's all lol

 

[toddhgr]

Gotcha. Thanks for the explanation. The way that I look at the cost of running issue is that I've had the 265 running as a freshwater tank for about 8 years as well as my reef for 10 months. In moving to the 265 I will be shutting down the smaller tank. I'm hoping that the sum of the two tanks is roughly equal to the one. If it's a little more, I'll deal with it. And as far as "budget" is concerned in the title, I'm referring more to the cost of setting it up and how I'll be doing it in stages with multiple small purchases of used equipment rather than buying all new equipment in one shot. Again, thanks for the clarification. Tone quite often is lost in text.

 

[panayiote73]

Nice tank Todd. Let me know if you need Chaeto. I got tons of it. Been giving some away lately. I am a born again believer in having a sump/fuge with macro algae. I went sumpless and skimmerless for a while and tank was fine, it just put more work on me with water changes. That is the trade off.

 

[toddhgr]

Thank you Peter! And I'll be getting in tuch with you about cheato if and when I set up the fuge. For right now, the big thing keeping me from setting it up is lack of space in my stand. But I'll figure that out eventually.

The tank was about 1/2 full when I left for work this morning. It's taking forever to fill it with my small ro!

 

[this is me]

Thanks to Peter with the free Chaeto(a good amount too), I've started my fuge. Still thinking about the sand bed in the fuge whether if I should have a DSB or not. I got the sand but still in bags.

 

[wpeterson]

On the notion of whether to run a refugium or when to set it up - I set up my last tank with the refugium as soon as the Ammonia spike from cycling tailed off. With good lighting and any amount of nutrients the chaeto will live and only grow as nutrients are absorbed.

I don't see any reason not to start the refugium from the first day as soon as the water is good.

 

[toddhgr]

On the notion of whether to run a refugium or when to set it up - I set up my last tank with the refugium as soon as the Ammonia spike from cycling tailed off. With good lighting and any amount of nutrients the chaeto will live and only grow as nutrients are absorbed.

I don't see any reason not to start the refugium from the first day as soon as the water is good.

The big issue I have right now is that I really don't have too much room left under the stand. What I need is a tank that is exactly the same width as a 10 gallon but 3-4 feet long and slightly taller. That's the last remaining spot in the stand with my 55 mixing tank and the 40b sump.

 

[toddhgr]

Finally finished filling the tank last night!! Ended up staying up until 2am doing plumbing (I think..... That's the last time I remember looking at the clock before I woke up next to the tank this morning). Transferred most of the live rock, sand, and equipment today. Fish coral and cuc are currently residing in a tub with live rock, a heater, and an airstone until I'm positive that I'm out of the woods with any mini cycling. Rinsed most of the sand thoroughly but the tank still clouded up bad. I'll snap a few pics tonite and hopefully post them tomorrow when I have 4G LTE service.

 

[this is me]

Todd,
If you need to get a custom tank for the fuge, check these guys out.
http://advancedacrylics.com/
Even though they're in the west coast, their price include shipping and very reasonable.

 

[toddhgr]

And they're fast too! Shot out an email after reading your post and within a few hours I got a reply. Now I have another thing on my wish list..

 

[toddhgr]

Here are a couple shots of the beast so far. Keep in mind that I'm doing this incrimentially. I plan on adding about 200lbs more of live rock as well as 4 more lights.

 

[toddhgr]

And one final shot of the old tank just before teardown

 

[toddhgr]

One more...

 

[toddhgr]

Added about 150lbs liverock last night. Already thinking about rearranging it a little.

 

[toddhgr]

I have a wp60 coming in today. Hopefully this should get things moving around a bit.

A couple shots now that the tank has cleared up.

 

[toddhgr]

For some reason I got home from work last night to find my sailfin tang stuck to one of the overflows..... Can't find a reason. Water checks out, he wasn't being bullied at all, absolutely no signs of infection or irritation, and he was eating well....

 

[G.T]

Sorry to hear about your loss.

 

[toddhgr]

I always hate it when I lose a fish and have no obvious reason. I'd had him for a couple months and from day one he had been very outgoing and buddied up with my copperbanded butterfly. They followed each other round the tank and we're never apart, even at night when they slept in the rocks.