The McKay build thread.

[Steve McKay]

Charlie and I were talking,he asked me if I had a build thread.I said no.
So I'm starting one,good time to start one.I just upgraded my tank,30 to a
50.But I'll start from the beginning,it hasn't been that long ago I started
my 30.Here is the 30 not too long after it was setup.You will notice the
first mistake,crushed coral.The second,filters with bio-wheels in them.

[Steve McKay]

If you look closely at the purple rock on the right,on the left,middle of it there is a very large aiptasia.I bought Peppermint shrimp and they took care of it and its offspring.

[Steve McKay]

Here are the last photos of the 30,at this time I had a Blue Damsel,Six Line
Wrasse, Yellow Watchman Goby,Coco Worm,Lettuce Sea Slug,Orange Sun Coral and various Brittle Sea Stars and snails.

[Steve McKay]

A few weeks before setting up my 50,I removed the bio-wheels to strengthen the colonies of bacteria in the LR.At this point I moved my animals and LR into plastic containers.I had already bought 70lb.of Fiji LR,Which was already cured but I cured it again in a separate container.To go with the 30lb.of Pohnpei LR that I had.I bought more equipment,A Red Sea C-Skim 1200 skimmer and a Coralife dual 96 watt pc to go with my single 96 watt pc.I also had bought a Eshopps Wet-Dry long before I knew about the bio-ball problem.So I decided to use it as a sump (no bio-balls).Anyway here are photos of the 50 being setup.

[Steve McKay]

And a couple more.

[Steve McKay]

As you see I added two K2s,and I threw the Prizm on because I didn't have my sump or new skimmer setup.I distill my own water and had planned on a couple days for the sand to settle,giving me time to make more water.But as you see in the above photo,I used the bags the sand came in as a mat.There was no dust storm,so I had to wait. The two rocks you see in the last photo were two of the new rocks I decided to use in the display,the rest of them and one old one I used for foundation rocks.

[Steve McKay]

There was no cycle because I cycled the new rocks and had planned the timing just right,with a bit of luck.I was checking for ammonia,nitrite and nitrate quite often.Anyway here are photos of the 50 all setup and done.

[Steve McKay]

Here are a couple of the sump and skimmer,more on the skimmer later.

[Steve McKay]

Obviously I went with sand,Carib Sea Aragamax Sand.Oolitic sugar sized sand,I decided to go with 5"for nitrate control mostly and that would also give me a shallow tank.Which would bring everything closer to the light especially with pc lighting more on that later.All the animals survived and in one of the next photos you will see that my Sun Coral is buddind profusely I feed it every other day.

[Steve McKay]

Now we get to the skimmer the Red Sea C-Skim skimmer,I'm very disappointed with it.It started up great had the best foam I've seen,then it started leaking at the outlet.Finally found out that the fitting was lose my fault,you have to tighten it past what you think will break it.I turned it off later so I could turn down the flow a little to it,big mistake.In the manual nowhere does it talk about having to turn on the aspirator pump before you supply water.If that would even help.When I turned it back on both the air and water at the same time,I got water but no air.Not only that it had started leaking again in the same spot.Some how,some way it floods itself internally,I took it and dumped the water out.I then took it apart made sure there were no blocked pathways and put it back together,I let it sit overnight cause I was ******off. I put my Prizm on the tank before I went to bed,didn't want to be without a skimmer.The next day instead of setting it up next to the sump (externally mounted) I set it up where I could work with it,without being on my knees bent over.Well it worked,I turned it off and connected it to the pump in the sump again.I turned it on and no air or foam again and it was still leaking.So I repeated the process several times and no go.Conclusion if I could get it to work I might have siliconed the leak but it is going back I'm *********.No more Red Sea for me,no thanks not even for free.Help need skimmer I can mount sump externally with just pump in sump.

[Steve McKay]

Lighting,I know I just bought a new double pc light fixture to go with my single which gives me a total of 288 watts.I'm sure it would work for most corals given my water depth and if placed correctly.But I'm making the giant leap to T-5 HO lighting,I have learned thanks to the forum that T-5 is much better and rivals MH especially if you have good equipment,enough lamps and individual reflectors.Of course good lamps are a must,ATI has the most PAR output but I'm going with Giesemann lamps.I'm going with 4 aquablue + and 2 actinic +,for now.I didn't mention I ordered the Tek 36" 6 lamp light fixture,I'm also taking my glass canopy off.It will increase the light and decrease the heat.

[Steve McKay]

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the forum for its support,without it I would not be on my way to being as successful as I am or will be.Thanks to Charlie,TimH07,Parrothead,zhenya, reefhead728,ReefDaily,Burbarry,ricksreef,kevinpo,r aul leon,lionman1006 and special thanks to Ninong without his help I wouldn't be starting the greatest adventure of having my own reef.

[Steve McKay]

I decided to do some night photography,I have only taken one night photo before tonight.It's posted in the usual places.First here's a few starlight supported by a inferred beam.I don't think I caught any monsters lurking about.

[Steve McKay]

Here's a couple more.

[Steve McKay]

Now here's a few inferred shots,they aren't that good because the battery was low and that affected the shutter speed.I also need more experience.

[Steve McKay]

One more.

[charlie]

Burned a little midnight oil on this one, hey Steve!!!

Looks good, this is exactly what I was asking about. Now you got some place to document stuff and take a bunch of garbage from us idiots.

[Steve McKay]

I sure did,I ordered those lamps.I still need a splash guard for the Tek though,I can use my pc lighting till then.I had my C-Skimm skimmer just high enough for the outlet,would the water level have any affect.The sump is 16",the water level might have been around
5",6".I don't see how this could affect anything but I'm no expert.

[charlie]

Some in sump skimmers are definitely affected by the water level. you may want to get in touch with the manufacturer and see what they say!!
I have no experience at all with in sump skimmers, I have always run external.

[Steve McKay]

You can use it internally or externally,I was using it externally.What kind do you have? I want to have mine next to my sump.