My 90 Gallon FO build

I researched for a month or so then pulled the trigger on a 90 Gallon Aqueon with the megaflow overflow system. After I got the tank home I measured everything up and downloaded Google SketchUp (free software) to design the tank. I then headed out to Menards and picked up my materials to build the tank stand.



After the tank stand was built I did some more researching about what kind of tank I would like to have. After some post, talking to a few members and looking at some videos I had thought reef was the tank for me. However once I started pricing things out and explaining the types of fish I wanted It was not gonna happen :-[. Feeling a little disaapointed I was explaining things to the LFS owner. He recommended I get a smaller tank and make it for reef only. Considering I wanted a smaller tank in the front room this was a great idea. At that point it was decided, my 90 gallon would be a FO tank.

So I went to the LFS and bought the rest of my components which ended up being:
Coralife RO/DI 50 gallon per day
Coralife 48" with lunar lights
AquaPro wet dry sump with bio-balls with rio pump
coralife heater
40lbs of aggregate
50lbs of rock

After two days of running the RO/DI filter to fill my tank the moment of glory had finally arrived, the intital power up. My first thought was you got to be freeking kidding me . This thing was SOOOO noisy I knew something had to be wrong. So I got on the forum and started researching and posting questions. I got alot of good responses and was pointed in the right direction quickly. Taking what I was researching and talking it over with the LFS we decided to try and reduce the drain line from 1 1/4" to 1" which dramatically decreased the amount of noise and made me a happy person.

After two days of running the tank it cleared up and I took some water to have it tested. Test came back good and the LFS guy gave me a Undultaed Trigger to get my tank going. The great thing is I bring him back for a store credit when the tank is stable and put it towards the fish I want.



My list of future fish that I want are:
Coral Beauty Angelfish
Emporor Angelfish
Yellow Tang
Humu Picasso
Flame Angel
Colored Filefish
Porcupine Puffer
Powder Brown Tang
Clown Trigger

Stay tuned, Im gonna post and document everything as time goes on...Jeff

 

Nice start! Keep the pics. coming!

 

very nice

 

Thanks... I am hopping that the trigger will start eating by tomorrow? He has been in there for around 30 hours. I assume he is doing good since he is swimming around even started sucking up rocks and spitting them out to make his den...

 

Trigger has been eating for a couple days now. Took some time for him to get use to the tank I guess. He seems to chicken to come all the way to the top of the tank?

I ordered a test kit and refractometer from Dr. Fosters and had a chance to do some readings today. Gonna keep a log to document everything, (see pic below)... I also ordered a Vertex IN-100 skimmer yesterday ;D...

 

awesome trigger

 

nice.. Although if I can give a suggestion that a powder brown tang, while beautiful is very ich prone.. wait until your tank is very stable about 5 months from now to get that fish, promise me, its worth it..

 

Thats what the LFS guy was telling me :-/, don't wanna see that early on. Thanks for the heads up... Jeff

 

I've never heard of cycling with a trigger, but if I guess it works then to each his own. Sounds like everything is going well for you. Keeps the pics coming.

 

Wait... wtf?
You cycled with a undulated trigger?