chimera

approx cost?

"me too"

ditto.

at least you can see them working

not that i have ever noticed. they are great pumps, would be ideal for your setup. if it ever does start causing problems, you can buy impeller separately anyway and replace it. just factor in plumbing costs - even on a tank this size, you will still need ball valves ($30 each), bulkheads (about $12 each) etc. you'd be surprised how quickly it adds up. design first, go get a quote on all plumbing you need + eheim pump + drilling costs. it is definately feasible, you just need to work out whether it's cost-effective.

depending where closed loop re-enters the tank. if near the top, then yes benefits are better aeration - pretty important to keep nutrients down. IMO - i would think in that size tank (2 foot) that two holes in the bottom (one outlet and one spraybar) plus two in the top/back should be sufficient. Make one of the bottom holes 32mm (for a 25mm bulkhead for the outlet) and the other three at least 25mm (for a 15mm or 20mm bulkhead for the inlet). You could get away with an Eheim pump to do the circulation, say a 1060. divide the bottom into 3rd's and put the holes on the bottom on those division points. the ones at the top/back would be in similar position. the only reason I think you should drill a small tank like this is to stealth the pumps yet still maintain good circulation.

cool, i can get an automatic calibrating one for about $100. not sure on quality, but i think it's worth a shot at that price.

show us a shot of your tank at night (actinic blues or moonlights on)

looking awesome as usual reef! good to see it's recovering nicely

how long does rowaphos typically last? (assuming a typical flow rate across it and that there is the right amount of ml's for the tanks volume) good/bad points? i think the outbreak i had of green hair algae was due to a couple of phosphate bags i had in my skimmer that were there for sometime. i forgot about them and i think it released po4 back into the aquarium. doh! removed it now but looking to use rowaphos this time to reduce further. i have 0ppm on my phosphate test kit, but the colours are so hard to see on the salifert test kit. maybe i'm colour blind

in that case don't go 10k either, go 14k or even 20k (radium's) i got 2 x 250W 14k narva's and they are mint. the photo's on this site make my tank look bluer than it actually is (still playing with settings on my digital camera!) I really like the colour now that it's finished.

heheee, i bought all 3 of them like that.

we drilled a 12mm hole through the middle of the plate rock then was going to find a perspex/plastic rod to put through the middle to keep it stable, problem is we could not find one. so, with a bit of kiwi inginuity, we cut a toothbrush end off and used the handle!!! :lol: choice bro! i have since pushed a heap of aquaknead it around the base to secure it. just for anyone else's interest, a "save yourself a few bucks on aquaknead it" tip from jetskisteve, if you buy it go to the warehouse - cost $12.50 for a tube. I went to placemakers just to compare, $19.50!!!! outrageous.

FINALLY, aquascaping finished today - thanks heaps jetskisteve for giving me a hand, much appreciated! here's the final result - i managed to source 4 unique "plate" rocks to give a different look, im really happy with it, just need to allow the coralline to grow to cover the gaps and give it that more natural look.... oh, and of course fill it up with sps frags now! unfortunately the pic's dont do it justice, viewing from the lounge is really awesome!

minimum of 20 for reef. IMO 56 times is heaps - but exactly, so long as the water is kept in the tank!

more concern is with splash over the sides. that works out at 56 times per hour plus return from sump. i want to run about 75 times an hour on my tank (currently about 30 times) lps and softies wont like that flow too much. mine haven't opened up since the new closed loop went in so they went down into the refugium (2 big leathers)

:roll:

lookin' sweet as usual bro. i've been lucky with whitespot - or lack of it. think my tang has had it once since i've had him, and that was when he moved from the 4 to 5 footer. how does your anemone(s) go with all the flow in your tank? has it moved to a "quieter" portion of the tank? mine has gone walkabout since the new closed loop went in. i think he likes the peace and quiet

John, Do automatic calibrating pH meters really exist?

damn westy1, that's wicked. awesome layout - more than happy to pay you for some frags too if you're interested in selling. send me a PM. im aquascaping mine tomorrow morning. wish i had the room to do a similar rock formation as you - but im opting for something a little more unique... photo's will go up once it's complete!

i thought no triggers were reef safe? or is it just a myth?

agree, might try the 20k aquamedic then.... later on of course! capacitor still hasn't arrived :evil: still haven't got loc-line or similar attachments to direct water flow within the tank :evil: anyone know where to get the loc-line nozzles or similar from???

I ended up putting 3 sheets of 12mm plywood ontop of each other for the top of my stand!!! (36mm!!!) When we were doing rennovations, I turned the pumps off and started whacking walls out with a sledge hammer. Not even the slightest ripple in the water!

do or can the brown ones eventually colour up?

2 x 250W single ended M/H's, 14k narva's in each. I think it's too blue - I like the colour of your tank more Brian! What do you have? I need to find a happy medium that is why I was thinking a 400W 10k in the middle.