# SeaHorse_Fanatic's 165g mixed reef - MORE NEW PICS ADDED!!!



## SeaHorse_Fanatic (Apr 22, 2010)

So, after the 220g blew out on Sept. 6th, I now have my most excellent & generous friend's (Chin Lee's) 165g to replace it. Picked it up on Monday and cleaned, painted & resealed it today. Got Pieces & HotRod to help me lift it up onto the stand (with Irene's help) and now it's ready to go. Was going to get a couple of friends over on Thursday but since these members were here to pick up the 220g, they were available to lend a hand tonight.

Will still have to plumb the overflow and return, fill & drain the sump till its completely clean. Pull out the skimmers and clean those up. Then fill with water, add salt and let it run for a bit before adding the sand, and live rock. If everything tests out ok, then I can start the restocking process. Those fish and corals from the 220g are probably sick of being in the 4' 120g for the last couple of weeks so the sooner they can get into the "new" tank, the better.

The dimensions on this tank are 68" long x 2' x 2' so quite a bit smaller than the original 220g but at least I won't have any more wet armpits (30" deep tanks are a PITA to work on). The tank also has an external overflow box that sticks out 4" on the right side. I've painted the back and right end panel the same blue colour as the 220g. I also upgraded the lighting to a 6' Aqualight Pro (150w metal halides with PC actinics and 4 1w blue LED moonlights (again, thanks Chin).

Will post pics later as the tank build progresses. My plan is to have it fully plumbed and filled with sw by the weekend. 

Anthony


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## eternity302 (Apr 22, 2010)

=) Most importantly what you haven't mentioned is how's ur injuries?


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## SeaHorse_Fanatic (Apr 22, 2010)

Still sore and every time I pick up another big tank, it gets sore again. Cuts on thumb & index finger a fully healed though. Thanks for asking


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## Diztrbd1 (Apr 21, 2010)

Glad to hear your a little better, look forward to seeing the new tank as it progresses


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## eternity302 (Apr 22, 2010)

Glad you're getting better! Leave the tank for now and get more rest! Or just slave some BCA members to do the work =) always an idea~


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

Cool. Can't wait to see some pics.  Glad you're recovering.


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## pieces71 (Apr 21, 2010)

your fish was so excited when they see us lifting the their home to be.


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## Smiladon (Apr 23, 2010)

dont forget to call me if you need any help at all.


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## SeaHorse_Fanatic (Apr 22, 2010)

So, as most of you have heard, September has been a very eventful & wet month for me. I set up a beautiful 225g Starphire front tank at the end of August, beginning of September. On Labour Day, the night after returning from a 5 day trip to the interior with my family, the front pane cracked, releasing a literal deluge of sw all over my living room, including wetting my loveseat.

After recovering from the resulting injuries, I started my rebuild.

First of all, need to really thank Chin Lee for his great generosity and friendship. When he heard my 225g blew, he offered to tear down his 165g and give it to me as a replacement tank. With Victor's (Veng68) help, we brought Chin's tank home last Monday (Sept. 20th) but the move reaggrevated my injury so I waited a couple days before starting the rebuild.

Painted the tank blue, cut out the old silicone and resealed the tank on Thursday (23rd). Had a couple guys come by to pick up the broken 225g and so they helped me carry Chin's tank into the house and onto the stand.

Here's a pic of the empty tank:









Started making RODI water over the weekend and added a bucket of IO salt & turned on the Hydor Koralia Magnum8 powerhead to mix it up on Sunday evening.

Finished plumbing the tank on Monday (Sept.27). Had to fill up the 90g wide sump with the hose and pump out the dirty water using a Maxijet. Cleaned out the skimmers. Replaced the return pump with a Sedra9000 off the 120g and cleaned out the external overflow box.

Came home from a BCAquaria staff dinner on Monday night and decided to try aquascaping after having several Sakes and Asahis:razz:

This was the result last night:










Here's pics with my little Felicia to show off daddy's tank:


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## SeaHorse_Fanatic (Apr 22, 2010)

Spent over an hour to wash 100+lbs of sand (mixed aragonite):



















Then after testing the water early this afternoon, I started transferring the fish & corals out of the 120g & 90 refugium into the new tank:



















Since this is a smaller tank than the original, decided on a more open aquascaping with the spare rock in the refugium section of the 90g wide sump I built inside the stand.

Thanks for looking.

Anthony


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## SeaHorse_Fanatic (Apr 22, 2010)

Shot of the tank from my computer desk:










I have since removed the HK4 powerhead since there is lots of flow already.


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## SeaHorse_Fanatic (Apr 22, 2010)

One last pic:


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## O.C.D Fishies (Apr 21, 2010)

Wow looks good Anthony, I like the open space. And there is your bottomless pit smart puffer. lol Felicia looks like she approves of the new one.


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## veng68 (Apr 30, 2010)

Have I been banned from seeing this tank......... seeing as I was the last visitor to see your last tank before it cracked ^_^

Cheers,
Vic


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## SeaHorse_Fanatic (Apr 22, 2010)

I aquascaped down the middle so there is swimming room in front & behind the rock work, as well as in between and through the rocks.


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## big_bubba_B (Apr 25, 2010)

wow looks good to bad about the old tank was so colorful


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## eternity302 (Apr 22, 2010)

That is by far the cutest puffer i've ever seen!! WOW!


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## SeaHorse_Fanatic (Apr 22, 2010)

big_bubba_B said:


> wow looks good to bad about the old tank was so colorful


The old tank is still going strong. It was a new tank I set up at the end of August that cracked after about 10 days.

RIP:


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## SeaHorse_Fanatic (Apr 22, 2010)

Some new pics from today:

More full tank shots:










(You can see the new Yellow & the new white YT in this shot)

Orange shoulder & Vlamingi tangs hanging out:










A "white" yellow tang I just picked up from my friend Mike:










Elongate or A. mata tang:


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## SeaHorse_Fanatic (Apr 22, 2010)

Juv. Emperor angel - so far reef-safe (crossing fingers):










Black Leopard Wrasse - eats pellets & nori & frozen foods:










Regular Leopard Wrasse - also eats everything:










Blonde Naso tang:


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## effox (Apr 21, 2010)

I love that Emperor Angel, Anthony!


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## SeaHorse_Fanatic (Apr 22, 2010)

For all you BCA puffer lovers, here are some new pics.

Poofie the Porcupine Puffer:



















Looks like 75% of the fish crowding into 33% of the tank:










Thanks for looking. Hope you enjoyed.

So this is 58 hours after most of the fish were transferred from the 120g holding tank and everyone looks happy and healthy. Tank is running well & everyone is eating like pigs. Going through about 3 full sheets of Nori a day, plus pellets, dried prawns (for Poofie), and some frozen food.

Added a "white" yellow tang from Mike and a YT and Blue eyed Kole from Scooby  tonight. The white tang was chased a bit by one of the purple tangs but otherwise no problems at all with the new introductions.

Anthony


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## Rastapus (Apr 21, 2010)

Anthony, 
I can see why you are asking about the black tang, you are a tang maniac!


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## O.C.D Fishies (Apr 21, 2010)

I love poofie and his flat mouth, he is such a sweety.


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## SeaHorse_Fanatic (Apr 22, 2010)

Rastapus said:


> Anthony,
> I can see why you are asking about the black tang, you are a tang maniac!


I now have 15 tangs in the new tank and 11 tangs in the 210g reef & 1 yellow eyed Kole tang in the anemone cube tank.

In total, I now own:

11 Yellow tangs
4 Regal/Blue tangs (1 will be going with the 120g when I sell it off)
2 Vlamingi
2 Elongate
2 Purple
1 Orange Shoulder
1 Black Naso
1 Blonde Naso
1 Yellow Eye Kole
1 Blue Eye (Two spot) Kole
1 Black tang
1 Atlantic Blue tang

I have one of your Vanuatu black tangs in the 210g, but thinking of adding one more into the new tank. Whatcha think Grant?

My new motto is "Tangs are like Jello. There's always room for another Tang"

Anthony


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## SeaHorse_Fanatic (Apr 22, 2010)

The fish list for this new tank is (so far):

6 Yellow tangs (1 is white)
2 Purple tangs
1 Vlamingi tang
1 Regal/Blue tang
1 Orange Shoulder tang
1 Elongate tang
1 Blonde Naso tang
1 Blue eye (Two spot) tang
1 Atlantic Blue tang

1 Emperor angel (juv.)
1 Eibli angel

1 Marine betta

1 Black Sailfin blenny
1 Yellow Watchman goby
1 Scissortail goby (planning to get more)
2 Psychedelic mandarin gobies

1 Cleaner wrasse (eats Nori)
1 Leopard wrasse
1 Black Leopard wrasse
1 Yellow Canary wrasse

1 Candy hogfish

4 Blue Eye cardinalfish

1 Lyretail hawkfish

1 Porcupine Puffer


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## jobber (May 14, 2010)

Super Mod...got some really nice pics up. What also caught my eye was the nice wooden stand you have


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## SeaHorse_Fanatic (Apr 22, 2010)

Thanks. I like to build my own stands. That way I know its to my specs (except for this one, which I built shorter to satisfy my wife's request). Shorter stands I find are a PITA to work inside, but at least this one holds a 90g wide sump (4' x 2' x 18" tall).


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## SeaHorse_Fanatic (Apr 22, 2010)

After 4.5 days, the tank is doing great. Everyone is happy & getting along. Really pleased so far with how smoothly the transition into the new tank has been going.


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## tang daddy (Apr 21, 2010)

SeaHorse_Fanatic said:


> The fish list for this new tank is (so far):
> 
> 6 Yellow tangs (1 is white)
> 2 Purple tangs
> ...


wow Anthony, that's a heck of a fish list... I am suprised none of the tangs fight, how do the 2 purple tangs get along?

Another question are those 4 blue eyed cardinals from my 120g over a year ago?


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## SeaHorse_Fanatic (Apr 22, 2010)

tang daddy said:


> wow Anthony, that's a heck of a fish list... I am suprised none of the tangs fight, how do the 2 purple tangs get along?
> 
> Another question are those 4 blue eyed cardinals from my 120g over a year ago?


The 2 purples get along ok. Sometimes chase each other but that's it.

Those are your blue eyed cardinals.


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## SeaHorse_Fanatic (Apr 22, 2010)

Added a nice Atlantic Blue tang to the mix & it looks almost like another purple tang under actinics.


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## SeaHorse_Fanatic (Apr 22, 2010)

New pics of my newest fish. Thanks to Jim & Wendell at Ocean Aquatics for this beautiful specimen of one of my all-time favourite fish, the Harlequin Tuskfish. Haven't been by OA in a while but got a deal that I couldn't pass up. Worth the drive out.

Here's some quick pics:




























And the Money shot:










Jim told me they had this beauty for 3 weeks already & it was eating pellets while I watched, so had to take it home with me:biggrin:


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## beN (Apr 21, 2010)

very nice porcupine puffer Anthony!


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## SeaHorse_Fanatic (Apr 22, 2010)

Are you talking about an earlier pic? These last ones are of a Harlequin Tuskfish.


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