Planet Aquarium Custom Build

Discussion in 'New Tank Builds' started by graciesdad, Jul 16, 2020.

  1. graciesdad

    graciesdad Treasurer Staff Member

    Actually top one goes back to display. BRS recommend that they go to display. So that's what I did.
     
  2. graciesdad

    graciesdad Treasurer Staff Member

    Well I won a raffle tonight and I'm getting a new Apex by the 12th. So I'll be adding that to my baby soon too.
     
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  3. huntindoc

    huntindoc RRMAS BOD Membership Director Staff Member


    Wow! That's awesome. I really want a new Apex so I can run a Trident but it's hard to justify it when my 8 year old Apex Classic is still working fine.

    This is going to be an awesome build. We need more pictures!!!
     
  4. graciesdad

    graciesdad Treasurer Staff Member

    My lil friend Ocho arrived today.
     

    Attached Files:

  5. huntindoc

    huntindoc RRMAS BOD Membership Director Staff Member

    Beautiful! I'm jealous! I went cheap and bought a juvie 8 line flasher and he has been very slow to transition to terminal male. He just recently started to change. Weird but my female Flame wrasse went from demure female to terminal male in only 4 or 5 months.
     
  6. graciesdad

    graciesdad Treasurer Staff Member

    I think i got lucky. He was labeled as initial phase by LiveAquaria.
     
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  7. huntindoc

    huntindoc RRMAS BOD Membership Director Staff Member

    You did get lucky! That's definitely a terminal male although he may get even prettier over time! They don't usually mess up that much!
     
  8. graciesdad

    graciesdad Treasurer Staff Member

    The apex is installed. Initial setup was a pain. I didn't realize the salinity probe needed to soak in the sump overnight. I fought it for a couple of hours yesterday. I let it soak overnight and it calibrated right away this morning. I have AI hydra hds, so I didn't see the value of plugging them in. They are already automated in the cloud. But the heater and pumps are in there. I'm glad to have the delay on the skimmer. I was having to unplug it each time before.
     
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  9. huntindoc

    huntindoc RRMAS BOD Membership Director Staff Member


    The only probes I'm running are temp and pH. It's way too easy to grab my refractometer. My salinity never wavers and the only thing that would likely change it significantly would be an ATO malfunction and I have some alarms for that. If it really works well though let me know! I might change my mind.

    I agree with not wasting an EB8 outlet on lights! You have those easily controlled already.

    If you have Alexa you may want to connect it to Fusion. It really comes in handy. For instance, if I'm changing my GFO or carbon and forget to turn off my ATO and it starts to run I can say, "Alexa, ask Apex Fusion to turn ATO to off". I also have one of my feed cycles set up for turning off the things that need to be off for a water change (return pump, ATO, skimmer, UV pump/unit, etc). I can just ask Alexa to start Feed cycle B. If I forget to turn things back on it will automatically go back on when the feed cycle ends.

    You can set up "alias" for your outlets so you don't have to say the programming name that's in Apex. For instance my skimmer outlet's name is skmr_3_3 and it's alias is "the skimmer". So I only have to say...turn off "the skimmer".
     
  10. graciesdad

    graciesdad Treasurer Staff Member

    Since I plan to keep so much SPS, I'm adding an AI Nero 5. I will also be adding a CO2 scrubber to combat my low pH. I've had the windows open all day and pH is at 8.2. I've been dipping down to 7.8 at night.
     
  11. graciesdad

    graciesdad Treasurer Staff Member

    I added these two today. I've got one more fish coming. The white tail bristletooth tang might be my prettiest fish.
     

    Attached Files:

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  12. graciesdad

    graciesdad Treasurer Staff Member

    The Moorish Idol is gobbling down brine shrimp. I've had success with keeping them fed with New Life Spectrum pellets before. Hopefully I can train this one to eat pellets. But the brine shrimp is a good start.
     
  13. portereef

    portereef RRMAS Supporter

    I'm very jealous!! I was so close to getting a morrish idol but it didn't make it through the intial QT the vendor had. I can't wait to see this tank grown in!!!
     
  14. graciesdad

    graciesdad Treasurer Staff Member

    I fed the NLS pellets this morning and he ate a few. I'm so glad he is eating. My purple tang was being a jerk. So I put up a mirror on the side of the tank. He is so distracted and trying to fight himself.
     
  15. graciesdad

    graciesdad Treasurer Staff Member

    Moorish Idol is still doing well. He loves nori! I've also added my final tang to my herd, a maculiceps. I picked up a few more wrasses: carpenters, lunate fairy, and a royal Flasher and a longnose hawk. So I think my fish list is complete.

    Tangs:
    Purple, Hippo, White-tail bristletooth, Orange shoulder, maculiceps, and vlamingi
    Wrasses:
    Radiant, mystery, Moyers Leopard, Royal Flasher, Red Sea eight line, red fin fairy, lunate fairy and neon
    Angels:
    Potters and flame back
    Misc.:
    Moorish Idol, long nose hawkfish
     
  16. graciesdad

    graciesdad Treasurer Staff Member

    Here are few pics.
     

    Attached Files:

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  17. graciesdad

    graciesdad Treasurer Staff Member

    Please excuse my ugly sand. I'm trying to not let it bother me. I've kept all my sps going with the exception of the Secale. Otherwise all frags are doing well. Time to grow these out. I can't wait for the top of my tank to explode.
     
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