Chris' Elos 160 (1 Viewer)
jlanger
@thatfishcookieguy
Lifetime Member
Event Committee
Meeting Host 2020
Meeting Host 2021
Meeting Host 2022
Welcome to the Multiple Tank Club!
When you have one successful tank and you decide to add another tank, you never think that you will be the victim to simple issues. But like you said, you get distracted by one tank and the other one gets pissy and wants your attention.
I have some extra orange Home Depot buckets you can borrow.
And it looks like you didn't learn your lesson. Get that heater mounted correctly so it's not touching the glass! :doh:
Chris, how did you clean the Pukani? Was it bleach AND acid? If so, what ratio and what kind of acid was it?
OP
OP
I soaked all of the rock in bleach, rinsed, and followed with acid. I think it was only vinegar because I did it indoors, but muriatic works quicker if you have the ventilation.
Excellent, thank you. I am doing the 24 hours bleach soak but not sure if I'm going to do the muriatic acid as well. Do you think a bleach only would be enough? And you said vinegar? Did you use vinegar instead of acid? And last thing; when you put together the pvc piping and the upside down triangular rock on the right side of the tank, how far did you drill into the rock? I am going to try something similar but afraid of the Pukani cracking.
OP
OP
A bleach and rinse does a lot of work to remove stuff. If there's any stubborn junk left, an acid bath will help dissolve that top layer of rock and release it. Vinegar is an acid and will do the job, but requires a longer soak time and a lot of gallon jugs. The muriatic acid videos and write-ups are pretty good, although people tend to go a little overboard in my opinion.
I drilled about 8 inches up with one of those hole saw bits. I actually had the same concern and drilled after a soak in water, which seemed to help reduce the brittleness of the rock.
Agreed, not sure if I want to go the muriatic acid approach. I just pulled the Pukani out of the 24 hour bleach/water soak and not much has changed. For example, I used to have the Reef Saver rock and it would come out bright/clean white. The Pukani is still dark in some spots than others. Did I not use enough bleach or did you experience the same thing?
Chris, how long did you wait before adding new fish? I just finished cycling my Red Sea 350 and added two True Percula Clowns. I have a Royal Gramma and cleaner shrimp in a holding tank. Do you recommend putting them in now or waiting? Thanks.
OP
OP
I've gone through a pretty lazy phase with the ELOS for various reasons. Mostly due to being a little unmotivated with the system, various challenges, and being busy setting up the Reef Savvy frag tank.
Now that the nice weather is very much over, it's a perfect time to get back into it. I'll be revisiting some things in the next few months with new substrate, a completely new aquascape, and a sump redesign. The livestock will not change drastically for now, and having a whole lot of empty space in the frag tank should make for a smooth transition for the coral. Things will change, but because the system isn't actually shutting down, the story will continue here in this build thread.
And so... the lights are dimming on the ELOS 160 as it is now, but after 4 years running, it's time to shake things up a bit.
Now that the nice weather is very much over, it's a perfect time to get back into it. I'll be revisiting some things in the next few months with new substrate, a completely new aquascape, and a sump redesign. The livestock will not change drastically for now, and having a whole lot of empty space in the frag tank should make for a smooth transition for the coral. Things will change, but because the system isn't actually shutting down, the story will continue here in this build thread.
And so... the lights are dimming on the ELOS 160 as it is now, but after 4 years running, it's time to shake things up a bit.
OP
OP
But just one more full tank shot for nostalgia.
jlanger
@thatfishcookieguy
Lifetime Member
Event Committee
Meeting Host 2020
Meeting Host 2021
Meeting Host 2022
This system was/is a classic build that inspired many other reef tanks.
Thank you for sharing this version of your reef with us; through photographs, videos and commentary.
I can relate to the feeling of not being motivated and wanting to change things up after a reef has seem to found a rut.
It's a tough decision to make but once it's decided, you'll be energized into creating the new reef.
Best of luck with this next adventure in a new direction!
Thank you for sharing this version of your reef with us; through photographs, videos and commentary.
I can relate to the feeling of not being motivated and wanting to change things up after a reef has seem to found a rut.
It's a tough decision to make but once it's decided, you'll be energized into creating the new reef.
Best of luck with this next adventure in a new direction!
Que the dramatic music....
Can't wait to see whats next. Good luck with the transition!
Can't wait to see whats next. Good luck with the transition!
irish02bk
Senior Member
your not taking that tank down.... its Art...
I don't want to see it go
OP
OP
The last of the original 3 inches of CaribSea Fiji Pink was siphoned out today. I'll be making the switch to Tropic Eden Reef Flakes, which have a larger and more consistent grain size. Although I like the deep look, this will be a thinner sand bed and so the flakes needed to be a bit larger. I'm really impressed by the overall lightness of this sand.
Comparison of brand new CaribSea Fiji Pink and Tropic Eden Reef Flakes, when wet:
Also got things freshened up with the saltwater mixing station and installed an additional canister to the RODI so I can run dual carbon, instead of just one.
Comparison of brand new CaribSea Fiji Pink and Tropic Eden Reef Flakes, when wet:
Also got things freshened up with the saltwater mixing station and installed an additional canister to the RODI so I can run dual carbon, instead of just one.
Last edited:
I believe dual carbon both increases the lifespan of the carbon blocks and is also better for water containing chloramines.
Chris could have his own reasoning, however.
OP
OP
Yeah, not any particular reason to add another carbon stage other than peace of mind with some extra chlorine / chloramine overhead and preserving the membrane a little longer. The upgrade kit was also really cheap during the Black Friday sale
OP
OP
Had to kick some fish out of quarantine earlier than expected as they were doing a little too well and preventing some others from progressing. The first were some Dispars; they're basically Ignitus with a little more size and energy. The red dorsal fins really stand out, hopefully I can maintain the color.
Making friends(?) already:
Making friends(?) already:
