1 Gal. short of a "Big Boy" Tank... Joe's 100g tank build

Joe

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I have been in the hobby only for about 2 and a half months. My first tank was a 55g that I got from a buddy who's wife said the tank had to go, now that there is a baby on the way.  Some of you might have seen that I overdosed on NoPoX.... So for a while, I had a second "Trash Can" tank.... (Pictures Below)With all that being said, since I had all of my fish moved to a "QT" tank anyway, I thought it was a great excuse to upgrade to a larger tank. I know I was hooked and I didn't want to keep buying equipment for a smaller tank that I knew I was going to eventually upgrade from. So I've purchased a 100g DSA tank, with a sicce 5.0 return pump, Trigger Ruby Sump, and my OCTO 1000 "HOB" skimmer. I've added a plate of Marine Pure to the sump, as well as 12 smaller 2'' by 2'' blocks. You can see in the pictures I added the filters and bio wheels from my old hob filter. I thought at least for a while this would help keep the bacteria levels up until the new rock and MP is fully covered.We added our fish from the old tank. 4 Clowns and 4 Firefish (we had one casualty when one firefish jumped out of the Trash Can tank. I had taken the top off to feed and while I was in the other room it jumped out.... didn't see it until it was too late.)  All of our clean up crew survived. Including one Margarita snail that had gotten left in the 55g tank! Hoping to get this stable and eventually add a Tang, Yellow or Purple. Thinking about down the road adding a sand sifting Goby, fire hawk fish, royal gramma, or mandarin dragonet.Not sure when to add some Chaeto to the refugium. I would love to try and keep some copepods and see if it would be possible to keep a community large enough for the dragonet.I can't tell if I am having trouble with micro bubble, bacteria bloom, or if the debris from the marine pure is causing the what looks like dust in the tank. I hope to add my first soft coral in a month or so! Well I'll try and keep this updated. Thanks for any feedback, tips and tricks!   P.s. I am using a Marine Current LED 48'' to start off. View attachment 896
 
Looking good, I like the rock scape you havc. I'm not sure if it's the lighting or not but, that is a lot like the way my tank looked when it bloomed.  Give it a little time before freaking out like I did.If it's not any better tomorrow I would almost for sure say it is a bloom.
 
Here is a video close up.... You can see the "dust" a little bit better. Videohttps://youtu.be/0ABDmIpwOf4 
 
Looking good Joe.  When you're ready to add softies let me know.  I'll hook you up with a couple of babies to get you started.
 
Mike,Maybe I have missed it. Do you have a thread for your tank? I would love to see it! 
 
Wanted to give a little update. Today I bought an in sump Protein Skimmer!  It is a [SWC 160 Cone Skimmer. (purchased off of the DFWMAS Forums)]Since I was messing around in the sump anyway I took the opportunity to try and adjust the plumbing some. Some of you saw on another post that I was having trouble with the return plumbing gulping and shooting water into my sump quite a bit. So I moved the sump over as far as I could and made it so there is as little of a bend in the piping as possible. I thought I had solved the problem until I turned my return pump up to help break the water surface in the display tank a little more.... This raised the level in the overflow area... and it started gulping again.... I turned it down, but it's still doing it now.... So close, yet so far....The Skimmer seems to be working well, I think I've almost got it dialed in already. I guess that is a perk of buying used. You don't have to wait for the oils to clean out of it.... Or so I hear. hahaI feel like other than getting a power head that I've about got all the main parts in place. I'd love to get a Gyre.... but it will have to wait until some more funds come in. I'm going to be cleaning up and selling my 55gal tank and hob skimmer, so that will help point me in the right direction. :)P.s. Also added some more Clean up Crew. A few more Turbo Snails and some Nassarius Snails.View attachment 982View attachment 980
 
Looking good!  You'll be much happier with the in sump skimmer.  It will do a much better job of removing organics.
 
Sooooo..... A lot has happened since I last updated... An attack of Velvet killed all but 3 of our fish... We took all of the fish out, left the tank fallow for at least 6 weeks. During the end of this, I also took the rock out of the display and cured it (I had never done this when I started).  I had a block of marine pure in the sump that I kept going to keep the bacteria going. Cleaned up the Sump and then set it all back up.....I redid the Sump area by replacing the buck with my freshwater top up with an old 10g aquarium.  I've also added a Maxpect Gyer 250 pump.... which is great! .... maybe just a little overpowered for a 4 ft 100g tank.The best thing I've done though.... Is adding the Kessil H380 and Cheato to the sump.... Our NutrientsView attachment 3127 have been super low! View attachment 3125
 
Well.... VERY excited..... In theory... IF all goes right.... in a few weeks, I should finally have a REEF tank!!!!  .... and not just a FOWLR tank.  There has been a lot of learning to do... and yet to do, but we are QTing our first coral and are super excited to add it to the display tank soon. It is a little colony of Mango Zoanthids.  Going to start by adding a few softies and see if we can keep those alive! hahaOne Small Step for an Experienced Reefer, One Giant Leap for the Begining Hobbyist! :D  View attachment 3137
 
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