Pies Posted December 27, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 27, 2004 Layton - ALL of my acros are brown except my brihgt purple and a metellic green And because the new tank is under lit by about 600 watts I don't expect it to change until I throw some money and time at it. O-well, at least they are alive. Drifty. 2 of my streams are mounted through the over flow comb, so the maginet holder wouldn't work. I may need a maginet holder for the 3rd stream, depending. I have made one out of a mag float maginet, and will see how it goes. Good feed back thought, what are they worth? Pie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drifty Posted December 28, 2004 Report Share Posted December 28, 2004 $60-70 depends on glass thickness One of the guys who works at hollywoods had a stream in his tank on the normal holders and it came off and wrecked havoc in his tank, think he took the stream out after that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pies Posted December 28, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 28, 2004 The holder is the same on the maginet as it is on the strut thingie anyway. Mine been running for a couple of years so far without issue. $60 isn't too bad. I will hold off until I know exactly where I am putting my pumps though, don't need another gadgit sitting in the drawer. Pie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gregb Posted December 31, 2004 Report Share Posted December 31, 2004 I was looking at the brackett on the tank top & i think it might be a good idea to place a strip of thin rubber between the glass & brackett. Something from an old tyre tube would do. Also leave the nuts just finger tight because the heat from the lights will make the metal expand & contract, It will allow a slight cushion effect, does that sound good to you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pies Posted December 31, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 31, 2004 Gregb - There is 2mm of silicone between the steel and the glass, at no point can the steel every touch the glass. As for heat expension/contraction if the steel is heated between 20-200 degree celcius it will expand less than .005mm according to the spec sheets for the grade of steel. Its marine grade and its the same sort of steel used to make guns, engine parts things like that. So the lights may heat it a little, but not enough to cause any travel. As for finger tight, the nuts a weilded to the frame, its the rods through the middle that are threaded, so finger tight was done (with locktight) when the tank was empty, but now that there is pressure on the thread, it would take some sort of industrial tool to move it. I am very happy with the way its worked out though, would never return to a glass center brace. Cheers for your imput! Pie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gregb Posted January 1, 2005 Report Share Posted January 1, 2005 Show us some updated pics please. I wonder how many psi would be on the centre of the glass? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pies Posted January 1, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 1, 2005 Updated pics of what? It looks the same as it did last time I posted a photo. PSI in the center? Not sure, but not excessive. Infact I would be quite confident in removing the center brace alltogether. When we tested the tank we tested it without the center braces on fill to the brim, didn't move a bit. But the top braces are 15mm glass and running in both directions so there is ample bracing. Pie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kermit Posted January 2, 2005 Report Share Posted January 2, 2005 Hi Pies, tanks looking good can't wait till fully stocked. I've been thinking about your brace for sometime now and have wondered since the metal brace is an "L" shape and adjusted at the top point, wouldn't the "L" braces pivit on the rod and if so the top section of the "L" braces push down on the glass bracing that goes around the perimeter of the tank?, since there would be pressure pushing the side of "L" brace out the brace will pivit on the rod causing the top of the "L" brace to push down hence if there is enough pressure the "L" brace could break the galss bracing, no? You mentioned that you'd need some kind of industrial tool to undo the nuts, which means there must be a lot of pressure on the braces. Is the "L" braces siliconed to the glass or was the silicon cured before the "L" braces were placed?, if so the "L" braces could slip off due to the pressure. Just thought it was something to mention, i could be totally wrong. Regards Kermit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kermit Posted January 2, 2005 Report Share Posted January 2, 2005 Hi Pies Yesturday i went over to Steve's place to pick up some sand and to look at his tank with the new Tunze (looking awsome dude, my opinion of the Tunze may change after all) and the mounting bracket for Tunze use a push/pull adjustment on them, which helps keep the bracket straight and prevents it from twisting, I thought that the same method would work for your centre brace and would stop it from wanting to pivit on the adjustment rods. You'd need to lenghten the vertical adjustment part of the brace were you adjust the tention to accomodate for the rods that will push the top of the brace out to keep the brace straight that way the brace can't pivit on the tension rods and will remain straight with out putting pressure on your glass bracing. What ya think?, is it an idea. Regards Kermit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pies Posted January 2, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 2, 2005 Kermit - I am not sure how it could pivot. Sounds like a sound enough idea, not sure if its really nessessary though, I don't really have any issues or problems with the way it is. Infact if I had to do it all over again I would do it exactly the same way again. Remember it doesn't need to hold the weight of all the water, the glass is doing that, all its doing is helping support the glass. Thanks for the ideas! Didn't quite follow what you were saying about STEVE and the new TUNZE. New TUNZE what? As for your opnion of TUNZE I would say this, they make fantastic pumps (if not well over priced), there controllers, skimmers, auto top off systems are either not very good or just way over priced. But the STREAMS get my endorsement, great pumps. Pie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kermit Posted January 2, 2005 Report Share Posted January 2, 2005 Pies, thought a diagram might help as it is hard to explain. If you have a nut behind the bracket were you adjust the tension it won't pivit as bad but still will put stress on the bracket. Regards Kermit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kermit Posted January 2, 2005 Report Share Posted January 2, 2005 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pies Posted January 3, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 3, 2005 Kermit - My metal brace doesn't go past the brace, so it will connect with the glass after .5mm travel anyway. If you know what I mean? Pie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pies Posted January 3, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 3, 2005 Snaped off a few pics, thought I'd share: The anemone is closing. Not sure why it does this, but every month or so it closes up for a few hours, pisses off the clownfish no-end because they can't get into their home! All fish are accounted for so its not feeding, and its been 3 days since i've fed the tank myself. 2.5 of my 4 clowns live in this anemone, 1.5 live in some clover coral growing on some caulstrea in the sand even though there are 2 other anemones in there. What you doing? Sitting around, having a bud, watching the game. Pie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pies Posted January 10, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2005 Got the first 2 of my 400 watters on the tank in the weekend. I was running 2x 250watt BLV 10ks and 4x 85watt T5s (2x blue, 2x white). The light from the 10k BLVs is a crisp white and the T5s provide some better spread. We got the 2x 400 watters on the right hand end of the tank. The blulbs are Radium 'blues' which are 20k as far as I am aware. What an AWESOME colour, very crisp and 'white', not as blue as expected. An interesting effect is the blues are so crisp, they make the 10k BLVs look yellow and faded. Also the water under the 10ks looks 'dirty' compared to the clean crisp water under then blues. The blues don't show off the bubbles or anything in the water colum anywhere near as much as the 10ks. So I will add and extra 2x 400 watt blues and run the whole tank under these for a while and see how it goes. A friend (Chis D) made me a folded stainless steel hood to mount the light in as a temporary measure, which is working out perfectly and looks quite nice. once I get the 2 extra 400s on the tank, I will be able to decide how the lighting should look. Not 100% yet as may end up with a 5th 400, also may consider going 20k, 10k, 20k, 10k, 20k but time (and coral growth) will tell. Will post some pics in the next few days. Pie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pies Posted January 11, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2005 Things appear to be looking pretty good, coral growth is now evident and several corals are starting to take hold. Still have some stuff to find the right homes for and still have anemones wandering around the tank, but other than that everything looks to be enjoying itself. I have a lot of work to do downstairs in the basement, but I think I will take a few months off and just enjoy the tank before starting to box in the sump room. I have been busy building a Home Cinema room as well which I have just finished, and am keen to get to watch some films on our 3M wide big screen This coral has bleeched and is starting to recover. It is one of many corals that have had serious damage caused by Hynophora: Have been lucky that many of my stoney corals have maintained good colour during the move and the new setup: This is one of 3 budded anemones living on my bommie. Its a stunning little nem, with lime green, brown, purple and dark marone tenticles. This one came from a reefer down here in Wellington, which has budded off several times. This is the middle sized one, about as big as 2 50c pieces, the larger one is fist sized. The smaller one is only a little smaller than the middle size one but is completely white with purple tips! Apparanty they do this before taking on their colour. Odd. If anyone can give me an ID on this anemone please do! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brianemone Posted January 11, 2005 Report Share Posted January 11, 2005 thats a bizzare looking anemone, do have any pics of the other ones? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pies Posted January 11, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2005 The other ones are clones of this one so all look the same, cept one of them is currently white with purple tips. Impossilbe to get photos of the others at the moment, they are camera shy. I think its some sort of beaded anemone, its very pretty and very sticky. Would love an ID. Pie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brianemone Posted January 11, 2005 Report Share Posted January 11, 2005 i agree, very attractive , and different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pies Posted January 14, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2005 Just some photo updates to share: Here is a shot of the tank, I still need to change the pump locations for best effect and aesthetics, but at the moment am just happy to keep my hands out of the tank. Green Star Polyps in extereme closeup. They look great, and don't grow anywhere near as quickly for me as they do for others. Still I have confied them to the bommie just to be sure. Came home and found this starfish crawling around on the glass. It lost a leg a while ago, but its almost completely grown back! The cool think is the leg is still alive and slowly regrowing its body! I've been trying for ages to get my Flame Hawkfish to pose for this shot, finally got him to sit still and look foward with both eyes! This is often my visitors favorite fish, he has real character. Hawkfish are my favorite fish. Removing one of the sumps on Sunday, going to fellow reefer 'Suphew'. Will be a shame to see it go, but I need the space and am happy to not have to pay to heat and run another tank. Am planing on doing a 200L water change this weekend if the weather holds. Pie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pies Posted January 14, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2005 Acropora colony. One of my real acro success storys. This started as a Y shaped branch, it has grown into 3 colonies this large and has been fragged many times. I've had it start to turn greenish or bright yellow, but the photo captures the colour of it accuratly right now. Its been lightening over the past few weeks, be intereting to see how it ends up. How it begun: And now 1 of 3 colonies: Pie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fay Posted January 14, 2005 Report Share Posted January 14, 2005 My God you take good photos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fay Posted January 14, 2005 Report Share Posted January 14, 2005 Don't you just feel like giving that fish a kiss Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucid Posted January 16, 2005 Report Share Posted January 16, 2005 Thats one impressive tank pies, much, much more so than the pics show. I was ipressed with the pics, but having the tank in front of you just blows you away. Awesome Man B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pies Posted January 16, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2005 Cheers B, good to finally meet you and put a face to the name. Glad you liked the tank, always rewarding to hear positive things from people who may a little more attention than the casual visitor. See you again soon I hope, Pie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.