Your thoughts regarding my first Sw setup

[T3hFu><0R]

If you can make straight cuts on a table saw some 5/8 plywood with a small cleat will be way stronger than a 2x4 frame. my 120 came with a "beefy" 2x4 frame and it jiggles way more than the cabinet I put together for it. Ask a cabinet maker what is strongest. There is a reason all those cabs from stores are built the way they are. It works. Use a higher grade material and magical things happen. At a fraction of the cost. It's just having the table saw that makes the difference. A plainer for making some cleats helps too.


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[VIPER006962948]

It's majorly overstocked & underfiltered currently, and that will still be the case when you transfer everything to the 55 gallon.

Here's what I would advise you to do:

• Ditch the three damselfishes
  • Removing them will help to get your bio-load at a somewhat acceptable level for the current aquarium
  • Your bio-load will be just fine for the 55 gallon if you remove them
• Get the skimmer up & running
  • Great choice of skimmer; that one is more than big enough (which is a good thing)
• Use regular aragonite sand in the 55 gallon
  • Aragonite sand is preferable over the crushed coral
  • You will only need enough to make a 0.5-1.0" sand bed
  • Don't make the switch now; it's safer to do it in the other aquarium in order to avoid starting a new cycle
• Get some high quality dry rock for the 55 gallon
  • Honestly, your current rock mustn't be that great if it weighs as much as you say it does
  • Generally, big rock & low weight = high porosity therefore more room for beneficial bacteria; small rock & high weight = low porosity & BB
  • Dry rock is way cheaper than live rock, but your cycle will take longer
• Set the 55 gallon up as previously instructed & let it completely cycle before transferring anything
  • The new sand & rock will need to colonize with BB
  • The filter, powerhead, & other equipment can be transferred when you transfer the fish after the cycle is complete

Let us know if you have any further questions.

Btw I already have my live sand &cushed coral waiting to go back into the 55 gal (being stored in a 25 gal tote with a air stone, powerhead, and piece of raw shrimp to keep bb alive, the rock, water and livestock will be transfered at the same time to the 55. According to you im overstocked my tanks water parameters says otherwise my #s are GH 180, KH 120, PH 8.2, AMMONIA 0, NITRITE 0, NITRATE 10 (BTW 5 PPM OUT OF TAP) with that in mind ill be transfering my existing setup excluding my current substract straight into the 55 I personaly like a cc& sand mix with shells. The live rock is not a low quality just large amounts worth arranged and orginized to fit into the current tank.
Ty for your oppinion, however in my oppinion I feel you may be wrong on a few things that you want me to do. Ty

 

[Otherone]

A few things here -

Crushed corals are a form of Aragonite (calcium carbonate - CaCo3) Aragonite is measured in grains. Aragonite sand I've never heard of but would just be smaller grain particals of aragonite not sand. The smaller grains are more friendly for sandsifting goby's and jawfish no real issue for most of your fish - exception may be the Eel's belly but admittedly I have zero experience with morays.

KH of what ?? I had to pull out some old arse test kits to find that value - most reefers prefer dkh not ppm or meq/l . Your DKH is in the 6-7 range very good for fish, for future reference I keep my reef @ 10 DKH or 179 ppm if your hobby evolves.

1,400 GPH is alotta flow - kudos! most ppl skimp - I'd rather see 2x 650's on opposite sides of the tank, it'll give you betterin-tank agitation, but that's just me.

10ppm Nitrate is also extremally good for a newer tank - keep monitering it and don't be suprised if the nitrate builds in time, it happens - too aviod that issue you could use Purgien or Chem-pure in your HOB.

5 Damsels/clowns - I wouldn't do it but if it works for ya - at least the snowflake has future fresh food swimmin' around

I also question the LR pounds too - it doesn't look like 70lbs to me either, maybe 20-30 lbs tops might want to re-scale them prior to the 55.

 

[VIPER006962948]

A few things here -

Crushed corals are a form of Aragonite (calcium carbonate - CaCo3) Aragonite is measured in grains. Aragonite sand I've never heard of but would just be smaller grain particals of aragonite not sand. The smaller grains are more friendly for sandsifting goby's and jawfish no real issue for most of your fish - exception may be the Eel's belly but admittedly I have zero experience with morays.

KH of what ?? I had to pull out some old arse test kits to find that value - most reefers prefer dkh not ppm or meq/l . Your DKH is in the 6-7 range very good for fish, for future reference I keep my reef @ 10 DKH or 179 ppm if your hobby evolves.

1,400 GPH is alotta flow - kudos! most ppl skimp - I'd rather see 2x 650's on opposite sides of the tank, it'll give you betterin-tank agitation, but that's just me.

10ppm Nitrate is also extremally good for a newer tank - keep monitering it and don't be suprised if the nitrate builds in time, it happens - too aviod that issue you could use Purgien or Chem-pure in your HOB.

5 Damsels/clowns - I wouldn't do it but if it works for ya - at least the snowflake has future fresh food swimmin' around

I also question the LR pounds too - it doesn't look like 70lbs to me either, maybe 20-30 lbs tops might want to re-scale them prior to the 55.

Ty I just found out what was going on with my protien skimmer so ill be adding the reef octopus bh-300 to the tank tonight. Just did a 20% wc. And will remove the filter when I add the skimmer. Ty again for your advice.