55g Freshwater style MAKEOVER!!

[SB_805]

So a friend and I, hooked up our buddys tank last weekend. Its a 55g, in the garage, which gets hot as hell!!

SOMEONE ELSE set up the tank originally, and made it look like a freshwater tank...gravel, fake plants, decorations, lights, filter, EVERYTHING designed for freshwater! So we took the challenge of tearing it down (with our friends blessing), and building it back up. Sand, live rock, T5's, box filter, skimmer...100% better. Now all we need is a chiller, to complete the makeover. Heres some pics. Since he already had a few fish, we're using Stability, running the skimmer, and doing small water changes throughout the cycle. Tell me what you think. Complete budget build.

Before

After 9hrs of work

Day3

 

[ReefRiley]

Lookin good!!!

 

[danagui]

I have a cheap 1/5th chiller if u guys want it...for like $120

 

[james-lee]

Yeah that stability is the bomb! I swear if its werent from going from 100+ nitrates to 20 by day 3 I would not believe how well it works myself! Nice make over btw. Is it gonna stay in the garage? Would be cheaper to put into the house as far as chilling and warming goes.

 

[pgr11]

What an improvement. Good job

 

[SB_805]

Yeah that stability is the bomb! I swear if its werent from going from 100+ nitrates to 20 by day 3 I would not believe how well it works myself! Nice make over btw. Is it gonna stay in the garage? Would be cheaper to put into the house as far as chilling and warming goes.

If definitely would be better, but he has a tattoo shop built into his garage. So its kind of gonna be on display.

 

[SB_805]

A couple new pics.

10/7/11

 

[pgr11]

Cleared up real nice. it's a far cry from what you started with. Awesome job

 

[SB_805]

Cleared up real nice. it's a far cry from what you started with. Awesome job

Thanks! Its coming along nice. Parameters are looking good, so far. Performed a 5gal water change yesterday. Trying to ease and stretch out the cycle, since there were fish and few hermits in the tank prior to redoing it.

 

[jhentr]

Nice tank makeover! Add a background to the back and you should be almost complete. ;-)

 

[SB_805]

Latest tank pic. My buddy wanted a canopy to block escaping light, so he made one. Lol, works pretty good!

We got rid of the Clarkii, and added a school of Green Chromis(5), an Ocillaris Clown, a Bi-Color Blenny, and a Yellow Coris Wrasse.

I also fragged some coral out of my tank, and hooked him up. A Blue Mushroom coral, a few Kenya Trees, a Leather Tree, Eagle Eye zoas, Radioactive Dragon Eye zoas, Pyro's Envy zoas, and some GSP.

Flitration is a Rena XP2 canister filter, and (2) CPR Bak-Pak skimmers.

(2) Koralia 750's for water flow

Due to schedule differences, we do a 10 gallon water change every two weeks (I'd prefer a 5 weekly). Because of this, I believe, we had a small hair algae bloom. With a litttle cleaning and replacing of filter media, we got it under control. Besides this, the tanks parameters are perfect, and stays pretty clean.

 

[pgr11]

Looking good. Real nice job!!!!:beer:

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[SB_805]

Looking good. Real nice job!!!!:beer:

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Thanks, man!!

 

[BeanMachine]

Yeah geez that looks very nice... like a completely different tank. Your bro owes you guys some tats for that hookup.

 

[SB_805]

Yeah geez that looks very nice... like a completely different tank. Your bro owes you guys some tats for that hookup.

Haha, hell yeah. That's the plan!

 

[Cgonzalez]

What media are u running in the canister?

 

[SB_805]

What media are u running in the canister?

Filter pads, carbon, and just recently added a bag of Phosguard. Not sure if the Phosguard will make a differenc. But since we just took control of a small algae problem, I figure it might help with any unseen phosphate we may have mistested.

Gonna give it a couple weeks, then switch to Purigen.

 

[Cgonzalez]

Oh ok cool let me know how that works for you since I've been thinking of using a canister on my tank

 

[SB_805]

Oh ok cool let me know how that works for you since I've been thinking of using a canister on my tank

It works. But its maxed out as far as circulation. I think its rated at 75gph. Anything over a 55gal tank, I'd go ahead and get Fluval Fx5. We have one on a 100g cichlid tank, and its a beast. The footprints a little large, but its built great. The return and the intake on the Fx5 are strong and secure. But for a 40gal and under the Xp2 is good.

 

[dorkymk3]

That's an awesome makeover.... nice job!