Ace's 55G Build Thread
- Thread starter Ace25
- Start date
So I had to do an emergency transfer last night.. I had 5 anemones in my 29G tank (green ones kept splitting) and for the past week they were walking all over the tank making me check on them every 5 minutes to make sure they didn't get into a power head.. well.. yesterday morning I noticed my other corals starting to really suffer/die from lack of flow so before I left for work I plugged the power heads back in... I got home from work to 2 blended anemones and a milk white tank. So instead of wasting 20+ gallons of new saltwater on that tank I decided to just move everything over right away. One of those "which is the lesser of 2 evils". Also had to make a ghetto cover for the led light (black duct tape LOL) because even with optics the light was blinding me when sitting on the couch. I still have 1 Rose Bubble tip anemone left in my 29G tank I need to get out but it is stuck to the top corner glass and won't budge and I hate trying to pry anemones off of glass. I was hoping it would walk down to a bare rock in the tank but so far no luck so that tank is still running although with minimal rock and no light.
So here it is now.. still going to clean up the aquascaping in the next few days as well and clean up all the wiring for the lights. I was in panic mode yesterday and wasn't too concerned about the looks at the time.
So here it is now.. still going to clean up the aquascaping in the next few days as well and clean up all the wiring for the lights. I was in panic mode yesterday and wasn't too concerned about the looks at the time.
I think something settled in a little too well last night. Just minutes after the lights went out I looked over at the tank and it was cloudy.. I was like WTF not another anemone/powerhead. So I looked and looked and nothing lost.. couldn't find the source but it appeared something in the tank spawned right after the lights went out. So far everything seems to be doing as well as can be expected. Nothing seems to be suffering or dying.. just need to get placement right for the corals to make them all happy. Some are getting too much flow/light while others that need that are not getting it. That will all be resolved this weekend. I so rarely get to use my PAR meter for what it is best at, which is finding best placement in the tank for corals (also taking flow into account).
I did some PAR tests on my light... it is ok but I do need to upgrade it. Last 4" on either side of the ends of the tank are getting very low PAR #s at the sand bed (under 100). I knew that would happen though.. my plan is to buy a longer heatsink and 12 more LEDs to give me 36 LEDs on a 55G which I think is the perfect # for this tank. Also an interesting little bit of info, even cleaned the center glass brace knocks the PAR down by 100 under the brace, so if it is 800 right next the the brace at the surface it is 700 PAR under the brace.
I did some PAR tests on my light... it is ok but I do need to upgrade it. Last 4" on either side of the ends of the tank are getting very low PAR #s at the sand bed (under 100). I knew that would happen though.. my plan is to buy a longer heatsink and 12 more LEDs to give me 36 LEDs on a 55G which I think is the perfect # for this tank. Also an interesting little bit of info, even cleaned the center glass brace knocks the PAR down by 100 under the brace, so if it is 800 right next the the brace at the surface it is 700 PAR under the brace.
Updated shots.. rescaped a little and cleaned up the wires. Still slightly clouding from moving everything around and blowing out the rocks with a turkey baster. I think the aquascaping came out really good. Lots of holes and cave areas on the bottom. There are a ton of different zoas in the tank but most haven't opened up yet. In the closeup pic of the left side the big rock, the entire front of the rock is covered in zoas that aren't open yet. I got the rose anemone out of my 29G as well so I was able to shut that tank down.
Last edited:
opcorn:
No, just have no spots for them on the rocks.. lol.. actually, top of tank seems to bleach more SPS corals than grow them. Putting my SPS corals on the bottom they seem to not bleach and regain colors more. The tank, stand, sump were free, clowns were free, live rock was free, sand was free, and just about every coral in the tank was free, and 90% of them came out of Guillo1's tank and where just frags laying on the ground in his tank, or in his sump 1/2 dying. It was either let them die completely in his sump or just take them and toss them in my tank and see what happens. So far none have died although they have been through a lot. All I have into this tank $ wise is 2 pumps, 1 for return, 1 for the ATS, the ATS parts ($10), screen top, heater, 2 powerheads, light holder and LEDs, so less than $300 total for everything you see in the pictures.
