lduncan Posted February 9, 2004 Report Share Posted February 9, 2004 Here's another full tank shot, more in focus and a little less over exposed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pies Posted February 9, 2004 Report Share Posted February 9, 2004 Thats a much nicer photo than the last one. Tank is looking good. What are the Dimensions? Is that a porcelen crab is the sacrophiton on the left? I can see PVC pipes on the left and right, whats going on with them? Do you run a sump? Looks like you are going to need to multiply your water circulation by about 100x! Any more thoughts on the STREAM system or other upgraded circulation yet? Keep the pics rolling in, a pic speaks a 1000 words etc. Ohhh feel like posting your tank paramaters? Calcium/alk/temp/sg/mg/no3 Pies PS: Post your tank pics in the 'tank pics' thread dood. Try and keep the thread together, great place to see everyones tanks, and see updates to peoples tanks. We don't need a seperate thread for each photo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lduncan Posted February 9, 2004 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2004 Don't know about the crab, i've never bothered to find out. It's the exact same one that is shown halfway down this months Reef Keeping mag here http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-02/index.htm The one in the xenia, which incidently is where this guy came from. The xenia has suffered a bit, so he has made his residence elsewhere. Tank turnover is around 15x an hour the water ripples are quite decieving, it looks like a mill pond, but there is reasonable flow. I am definately going to upgrade to a pair of streams soon. The aro's will thank me for it i'm sure. Tank Specs: 180g (standard 6' x 2' x 2') 30g sump (too small for my liking but contrained to something which will fit under the stand at the moment.) The PVC pipes on the left are the returns, pumping out around 4000 l/hr The PVC pipe on the right is the drain. I HATE this configuration, but the tank was ordered BEFORE I found sites like reefcentral.com, and was a result of bad advice from the LFS. I've thought about changing it, but it would require me to completely empty the tank for a couple of days, which I really can't be bothered with. So i'll just wait until I upgrade to my 900g inwall with adjacent fishroom! ;-) Params as of Sunday: SG 1.025 Calcium 460ppm Alk 10 Temp: 26-28 Mg 1100ppm (little low, but getting some MgCl soon) NO3 3ppm (has always been at 0 so looking at ways to reduce it, sulfur nitrate reactor is looking they way to go) PO4 0ppm!! (Salifert low range kit) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pies Posted February 9, 2004 Report Share Posted February 9, 2004 How long have you had the tank running? My No3 has crept up to somewhere between 2.5-5 over the last month. I have a few more fish than before, and been feeding more since the arival of my Anemone which may have an effect. The only other thing I can think of is that I am cycling about 30kg of rock for someone, so I suspect there is so cycle happening. I am desprate to do a water change, but the weather here has been obscene and unless it stops raining for more than 1 day in a row I am going to wait. I would like to do 3 - 4 10% water change over the next week if I can (Flatworm Exit next water change). I know a few people with the sulfur denitrifiers, several of them have removed them and looked at other soultions. I think for me its a bit too much of a gimmick and just another 'thing'. Larger sump (I have purchased a 650 litre sump) and remote DSB (possilby even with plenum) is my current plan. There is little doubt that for stoney corals, 0 nitrate is required for good colour and fast growth. I purchased some Magnesium Chloride Hexahydrate a few months back. $150.00 for 5kg delivered. This is 99.96% pure lab grade. Its the same stuff that Salifert sell as 'Magnesium Salts'. I can give you the companies contact details if required. Beware of the cheaper grades and Magnesium salts (should be slightly finer than normal table salt) often sold in non-refined 'chip' form as they contain phosphate and nitrate. Also watch you levels, anything over 1500 and you are in 'algae city' aparatly. Also you can just use Epsom salt. Contains some phosphate and nitrate (less than 1%) but needs to be added carefully as it effect sg. More information on Andy Hipkiss site etc. Looks good. 1 more question. Only a 900G in wall? You planing on living in a small house? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lduncan Posted February 9, 2004 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2004 This current tank about a year and a couple of months. As far a magnesium goes, i get it from a lab supply company down here myself for much the same price. I used epson salts in the past, but was worried about the build up in sulfates from adding a lot of it. Mg Chloride seems more logical. I decided against the 299,999g system for my next project after seeing this thread http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=268540 ;-) Layton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Posted February 9, 2004 Report Share Posted February 9, 2004 Don't ya just love the replies in Reef Central. What a pack of pessimists. BUT they forgot one thing with a tank that size. The ebbing of the tide. The ends would have to be constucted higher than the centre. Just the simplist of things can ruin a small project. Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pies Posted February 9, 2004 Report Share Posted February 9, 2004 Most reefkeepers are looking at about 25-40x tank volume in water turnover to keep these corals. Thats 12,000,000 gallons an hr of water movement... HAHAHAHaahahahahahaaaa hrmmm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lduncan Posted February 9, 2004 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2004 Yeah, I got streams comming! Layton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pies Posted February 9, 2004 Report Share Posted February 9, 2004 The Tunze Stream pumps are awesome and make my 'best buy' list by far. And even though they are expensive, they are 'by flow' the cheapest on the market to purchase and to run. I assume you are getting the controller too? Did you go for the 6100 or the 6000. Just as a word of advice I run mine at 30%-40% of maximum power, this cuts down their pulse/wave effect as if I do 30%-100% pulse. So 'weaker' pumps would mean more 'variable' pumping. In a lot of ways I wish I had purchased the 6000's. THAT being said, if you are doing JUST sps with no LPS then the 6100s will be fine. I am planing a upgraded tank size one day so wanted them for my larger project. Ideally 4 pumps would provide much better randomness of current. I also use an SCWD and a SEA SWIRL which intersect the Stream flows and actually provide random direction currents and swirling currents. If you can get one buy a sea swirl 9.5/10 these devices provide a great realistic current and look good in the tank as well. Good luck with the streams. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reef Posted February 19, 2004 Report Share Posted February 19, 2004 uptodate tank pic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted February 19, 2004 Report Share Posted February 19, 2004 I want a frag of that red thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pies Posted February 19, 2004 Report Share Posted February 19, 2004 Its a mushroom coral, and there is some VERY nice stuff in that photo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lduncan Posted February 19, 2004 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2004 I like the purple monti, or porities, whatever it is. Layton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pies Posted February 19, 2004 Report Share Posted February 19, 2004 I don't see any purple, are you talking about the one on the right of the photo above the birds nest? If so thats a 'blue coral', really nice and on my 'list' of corals i would like to add. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lduncan Posted February 19, 2004 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2004 that's the one, it looks purple to me though, do you know what it is? Layton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pies Posted February 19, 2004 Report Share Posted February 19, 2004 Yeah likeI said its a 'Blue Coral'. Blue coral - Heliopora coerulea. Really nice, the inside of the skeleton is perfect blue, the outside is is brown/mouve sorta colour, more brown. Its one of those odd corals that breaks all the rules. Reef buliding with a hard skeleton but is actually a soft coral. If you have ever seen a fish only with dead coral in it, you will always see Blue Coral, as its well, blue Pies Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lduncan Posted February 19, 2004 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2004 Yeah I know the one. Interesting coral. Layton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pies Posted February 19, 2004 Report Share Posted February 19, 2004 When I was diving in Malysia, there is a small group of atols just west of Rengis island off the coast Tioman island. Can't rember what the Malay name is but the translation is 'the blue islands'. They got this name as the beaches are a vibrant blue in some places, almost glowing. The Blue Coral is why. Some of the lagoons between these atols were made almost completely of this coral, with blue sand and brown corals sticking out of the water at low tides. UBER. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted February 19, 2004 Report Share Posted February 19, 2004 Somehow I doubt you'd have been allowed to fill your luggage with blue beach sand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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