New reef in the works, 225g

[Dave C]

I'm in the process of putting a new reef together. It's all been ordered and is starting to arrive. With any luck I'll have the complete setup by the end of the month. Here's a list of what is coming.

225g tank, 72Lx30Wx24H, starphire front & sides, center internal overflow
97g sump/refugium, acrylic, 48Lx26Wx18H
Steel stand, 72Lx30Wx40T
Infinity XR4 HQI 3x250w MH, 8x39 T5 lights with ACLS controller
Deltec AP851 Protein Skimmer
Deltec PF600 Calcium Reactor
Deltec KM500 Kalk Mixer
Tunze TS48 - 4 x 6100 stream, 7095 controller
Tonga live rock - 320lbs
Aquatronica controller
Ozotech Poseidon
MTC Ozone reactor
Aqua UV 114w

The tank and much of the equipment is coming from Aquarium Obsessed. I'll start posting some pics of what I've got or have built so far.

[OCDP]

Sounds like one sweet setup :eek: :exclaim: .... looking forward to more.

[Dave C]

It will be bb, so I got some starboard to protect the glass and I think it will look nicer. I come from a Discus background so cleanliness is a requirement and bb tanks look fine to me. I got the starboard in two pieces for easier shipping. It came from the Cutting Board Company.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/dclubine/225g%20Tank/DSCN0120.jpg

[Dave C]

A week and a half ago I got a batch 160lbs of Tonga LR from J&L. It's curing now and this week I should get another batch. Since the tank will be bb I decided not to go with any base rock. Here's a pic of some of the pieces. That carpet tile is 18"x18".

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/dclubine/225g%20Tank/DSCN0150.jpg

[Dave C]

The stand is made of 1.5" tubular steel. I was hoping to have it powdercoated but it looks like I'll be spraypainting it instead. In order to fit it through my office door I had to have it made in 3 sections, 24Lx30Wx40H. They will be bolted together and the entire stand will sit in an aluminum tray with a 4" apron on it. That should keep any leaks/spills from hitting the carpet.

All of the equipment for this tank must fit under the stand. Here's a preliminary plan of how that should fit.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/dclubine/225g%20Tank/stand-1.jpg

Here's how the stand looks so far.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/dclubine/225g%20Tank/DSCN0157.jpg

[Dave C]

Under the stand, and above the sump there will be a shelf, 48"x30". It will sit on rebar that will fit in holes drilled in the legs of the stand. I plan to put all of the electrical / power center up there. It will be isolated from water & salt and should be relatively safe there. I have built a power center for most of the equipment. This will be wired to a DJ power center so I can easily turn equipment off & on. Another DJ power center will be wired to my Aquatronica powerbars so I can override the controller. That will make more sense when that equipment arrives. Here's the power center that I built. It will sit on the shelf to the left facing the length of the tank...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/dclubine/225g%20Tank/DSCN0172.jpg

Yesterday & today I have been priming this unit & painting it with black paint to make it more water resistant. The tank stand will also be painted black as will all of the electrical housings. I will build a skin for the stand and attach it with strong magnets to cover up all of this wonderful gadgetry.

[Dave C]

That's pretty much where I'm at as of today. This week I hope to be finishing the stand, getting the Tunze, Calcium reactor, ozone reactor, sump, aquatronica gear and the rest of the live rock. The rest of the equipment & tank should arrive by the end of the month.

[niloc16]

looks awesome so far buddy, i've definitely taggin along for the ride. those pieces of live rock look nice. i like the dimensions of the tank. i wish mine was 30 wide and 24 deep. mine is 30 deep and 24 wide it makes it a little difficult to reach the bottom of the tank. the power center looks really clean and tidy, i like that. definitely keep us posted

[Johnny Reefer]

Just curious....why are you going with black starboard?

Thanx much,

[zulu_principle]

Saw Aquarium Obsessed's work at MACNA, very impressive.

Your system is coming along nicely, keep us updated.

All the best.


Wendell

[Dave C]

Just curious....why are you going with black starboard?

Thanx much,

I went with starboard to protect the tank bottom. And I didn't want white because I thought it would be too bright. I figured whatever I put down there would be covered in algae quickly anyways and I've never seen black, but I have seen black sand & liked it. So what the heck, give it a try.

[Ruth]

I went with the black starboard also on my 190g - actually exactly the same as you did, cut in 2 pieces and from the cutting board factory. Like you say it soon gets covered in coraline and IMO looks better that say white which would also look dirty with live rock shedding etc.

[Dave C]

Ruth, do you have any pics of what your starboard looked like in the beginning & now?

[Ruth]

I know I don't have any from the beginning and right now it is just - um purple - I think there is a full tank shot in my gallery or photbucket account. Not much to look at really.

[Dave C]

Today I got an ozone reactor, air & water carbon filter from Marine Technical Concepts. It looks really good, well built. It allows me to use ozone without risking my Deltec skimmer.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/dclubine/225g%20Tank/DSCN0176.jpg

[Farrmanchu]

You've got INSANE equipment! Especially for a new Reefer!

[Dave C]

You've got INSANE equipment! Especially for a new Reefer!

Yeah, I know. In the long run it should be cheaper to do it this way rather then to go inexpensive & continually replace equipment to get to this point. Of course, no one say I had to get to this point but past experience helps me choose my equipment.

[dirtyreefer]

Man....Sfiligoi lights??? You lucky bastard! :)

That is gonna be one sweeeet setup!

[Dave C]

The stand is painted and in my house. It sure is tall. I'd measured the area that it would go in before so I had a good idea how big it would be but until you see it you just don't know. Now I'm painting the boards that will form the base, shelf & sit on top of the stand. There will also be 3/4" styrofoam on top of that.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/dclubine/225g%20Tank/DSCN0206.jpg

I got my Aquatronica controller & accessories today too. This unit will allow me to control the temperature, monitor salinity, control the ozone by monitoring ORP, top up the sump with a couple of float switches & solenoids, control my kalkwasser mixer, control the calcium reactor pH and affect any other devices on a timer basis. There are two power bars that will be connected to each other. In the future I may get the calcium probe & dosing pumps. There's also an ethernet adaptor that allows you to check/control all parameters over the net from anywhere in the world. And lastly there's an SMS module that will contact you by text message and allow you to respond to alarms/conditions. Not that I want/need those but it's nice to have the expandability.

Here's the main unit. There's also a PC Interface so all of the programming can be done on the computer and this unit is just used to check parameters at the tank...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/dclubine/225g%20Tank/DSCN0207.jpg

And here's the unit with a power bar connected and a few probes attached. This unit can also be used to control multiple tanks. You can connect up to 10 power bars. With longer USB connectors the tanks can be pretty far away too...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/dclubine/225g%20Tank/DSCN0205.jpg

[Flusher]

In the long run it should be cheaper to do it this way rather then to go inexpensive & continually replace equipment to get to this point.

Dave, it's not the having, it's the getting. If you do it fully, completely, and properly right from the start, you'll have nothing to look forward to. :lol:
________
California Dispensaries (http://california.dispensaries.org/)

[Dave C]

There's always Bubble King skimmers, ha. I only want to do this once, then watch it grow.

[Dave C]

I made some progress this weekend. I have wired one of the DJ panels to my power center. So the 8 switches will control the 18 outlets on the top row of the power center. The bottom row of outlets will plug in to the 3 circuits on the wall. So each DJ panel will have it's own circuit and the last circuit will be for anything I haven't thought about. The other DJ panel will be wired to the Aquatronica powerbars. There is one powerbar in the box to show where it will sit. The other powerbar is on my 67g tank being tested. Pretty cool stuff so far.

I also got my sump from Quinn today. At 48x26x18 it's pretty big. But since it's acrylic I could easily get it downstairs and in position on my own. The tank won't be so easy. The next couple of weeks will be pretty boring as I wait for the tank. All that's left is to finish up the electrical and wait...

Here's the view of the left side of the stand. The electrical is all isolated on it's own shelf. The panel on the left is wired to the power center. The panel on the right will be wired to the powerbars. The ACLS units will sit to the right of the power center.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/dclubine/225g%20Tank/DSCN0221.jpg

The DJ panel box will be covered when it's complete.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/dclubine/225g%20Tank/DSCN0223.jpg

Here's the right side of the DJ box with the Aquatronica powerbar.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/dclubine/225g%20Tank/DSCN0224.jpg

And here's the stand is it is today with the sump and all of the electrical. I'm hoping I've planned for enough room for the rest of the equipment to fit to the right of the sump.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/dclubine/225g%20Tank/DSCN0227.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/dclubine/225g%20Tank/DSCN0229.jpg

[Dave C]

Some more toys arrived yesterday. It's a Tunze TS48 kit, 4 Tunze 6100 streams, a 7095 controller and some magnets. I thought these powerheads would be bigger... these won't be that noticeable in a 6 foot tank.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/dclubine/225g%20Tank/DSCN0260.jpg

[michika]

Cool thread!

I'm interested to see how your controller works out for you!

[WWWD]

How are you going to the get a skimmer and plumbing into the sump with a shelf right over the top? I would be worried about rotting the wood of the shelf it being so close to the top of your sump.

[Farrmanchu]

Ha ha, Skimmer. Dave has it covered, can't wait to see it!

[Dave C]

How are you going to the get a skimmer and plumbing into the sump with a shelf right over the top? I would be worried about rotting the wood of the shelf it being so close to the top of your sump.

All of the equipment will be on the right side of the stand, next to the sump. Check the first page of this thread, there's a drawing of how I hope it will fit. Should be fine.

The wood is treated and should withstand rotting. But if it doesn't I can remove it and replace it. It would be a bit of a pain but I'd only have to remove the electrical boxes for a minute or two, slide out the shelf & replace it. I could always put in a 1/2" piece of acrylic if it's an issue.

[Ruth]

Are you still going with the Deltec skimmer? I see that you referred above to looking at Bubble King skimmers so just curious if you have changed your mind. I know that Aquarium Obsessed is no longer a dealer for BK skimmers and as that is where you said most of your equipment is coming from am assuming that you are sticking with the Deltec - I am interested to see your review of it once it is all set up.

[Dave C]

Yeah, I'm getting the Deltec AP851. I only referred to the BK as something to upgrade to in the future. But I was being facetious. I think I'll be satisfied with the Deltec. I'll let you know how it works out.

[Dave C]

The UV is here. It's a 114w Aqua unit with wipers. It will mount under the shelf on my stand, above the sump. I will run a Mag 5 through the UV and then to the ozone, through the carbon filter and back to the sump.

According to my calculations a flow rate of 250gph will turnover 99.99% of the 325g that are in this system every 12 hours. I'm running a Mag 5 through a Rainbow Lifegard UV sterilizer on my smaller tank and the back pressure from the unit drops the flow from the pump to 250gph so this should work perfectly for both the UV and the ozone.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/dclubine/225g%20Tank/DSCN0268.jpg

[Dave C]

I got the calcium reactor today. For some reason they shipped the PF601S instead of the PF600. That's no problem, so long as it fits under the stand. I assume it will but I won't know until I get the skimmer & kalk mixer. I might have to relocate the CO2 tank, but I was thinking of doing that anyways. This sure is a nice unit, looks very well built.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/dclubine/225g%20Tank/DSCN0271.jpg

[andestang]

Wow, like the progress and equiptment so far ! Where did you get the the DJ center & Aquatronica powerbars. Was thinking of doing something like that.

[Jaws]

What is the price tag on that UV if you don't mind me asking Dave?

[Dave C]

Wow, like the progress and equiptment so far ! Where did you get the the DJ center & Aquatronica powerbars. Was thinking of doing something like that.

The Aquatronica gear came from Aquarium Obsessed (http://www.aquariumobsessed.com/). The DJ center was purchased at ebay but you can buy it direct from the vendor at MacMillan Group (http://www.macmillangroup.com/). It was $49 Cdn plus shipping. Both are Canadian companies.

[Dave C]

What is the price tag on that UV if you don't mind me asking Dave?

What is your salary at your job, if you don't mind me asking? ha ha ha, just kidding. I got it at Marine Depot. Here's a link (http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_uv_ultraviolet_sterilizers_ozonizers_aqua _uv.asp?CartId=) to all of the Aqua sterilizers.

[Dave C]

There isn't a lot of space above the sump for a refugium light. The best I could find is a Coralife 24" Aqualight. It fits perfect, and has two 65w PC bulbs... even a fan.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/dclubine/225g%20Tank/DSCN0272.jpg

The tank is now built, is curing & being water tested. I hope it will ship in a week or so. The skimmer & kalk mixer should be coming soon. The rest of the equipment will come with the tank.

Next week I plan to get most of the plumbing done. The holes are drilled on the tank and I've got the details of where they are, pictures to support it. So I should be able to get the plumbing supplies now. I figure I'll drill the plywood & styro that the tank sits on and then drill the shelf below and just drop the plumbing straight down into the sump. I'll also have to route one pipe over to the skimmer and then to the sump but the returns can come straight up to the tank as well. I want to do this now so I can figure out where I can mount the UV since it will be strapped to the underside of the shelf.

I'm also going to get the wood for the shroud for the tank stand. I'm leaning towards birch plywood. It's very smooth & flat and should look great. I want to have 3 separate doors to the stand, one for each section & two sides. The height of the wood will be 2" taller then the stand so it will cover the plywood, styro and the bottom pane of glass. It will also extend 1" beyond the back edge of the stand to keep my cat out of there. I want to make cutouts on the doors for the DJ panel, Aquatronica controller & Tunze controller. I figure if I don't I'll just be constantly removing the boards to see what's going on.

[Dave C]

Long post here, lots of pics so sorry to dialup folks. I had some time & I wanted to determine whether I could do the aquascaping without PVC, acrylic rods or cement. So I taped off the tank inside dimensions, laid down the starboard and pretended that I had my tank. Call it boredom, planning or just impatience waiting for the tank. Insanity is more like it. I started out wanting a couple of lopsided, different sized islands and ended up with a bit more then that. I'm trying to avoid the "wall of rock" look that I've seen, as well as trying to keep the rock away from the glass to allow cleaning of all sides. I may have come closer to the wall-look then I want but it's my first attempt and I think it's pretty good. This rock will certainly provide a lot of places for coral placement. Unfortunately I don't have that much floor space to lay it out so I am not able to get any pics from the full frontal look of the rock. Here's the best I could do. I'm not tied to this look so feel free to voice your opinions...

Looking to the right side from the front...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/dclubine/225g%20Tank/DSCN0300.jpg

More detail of front, right end...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/dclubine/225g%20Tank/DSCN0301.jpg

Same end, different angle...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/dclubine/225g%20Tank/DSCN0304.jpg

Left end while looking to the right...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/dclubine/225g%20Tank/DSCN0303.jpg

Looking towards the left side from the front...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/dclubine/225g%20Tank/DSCN0308.jpg

Gap between right & left side, might remove the joining rock & leave empty...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/dclubine/225g%20Tank/DSCN0309.jpg

Another angle of left side...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/dclubine/225g%20Tank/DSCN0306.jpg

Left end...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/dclubine/225g%20Tank/DSCN0305.jpg

When it comes to assembling this in the tank I plan to do it this way again and get it the way I want it and then move it piece by piece into the tank room & into the tank. It's much easier to manipulate the rock & find the best fit this way rather then in a glass tank. And this rock fit together very solidly, without anything holding it together other then its own weight. Any comments?

[niloc16]

that looks awesome davec. how sturdy are the pieces togther without using any compound?

[Dave C]

Very sturdy. I tried pushing them over with reasonable force & they didn't budge. Still not sure I'd trust that in a glass tank. I might zip tie the bigger pieces.

[michika]

What type of rock is it?

[Dave C]

It's Tonga from J&L.

[michika]

How many pounds do you have in the pictures?

[Dave C]

That is about 310lbs.

[Delphinus]

Looks awesome laid out like that. How are you gonna get the pieces into the tank? Man, I can't move a rock and then put it back the way it was 5 minutes later, they never fit together the same way! :)

Just curious why you want to run UV, what's the goal behind that?

[Finaddict]

wow nice rocks!! great color on them already.

[Dave C]

Looks awesome laid out like that. How are you gonna get the pieces into the tank? Man, I can't move a rock and then put it back the way it was 5 minutes later, they never fit together the same way! :)

Just curious why you want to run UV, what's the goal behind that?

I put the rocks back into the bins in groups, left island in one box, right in another, middle in another. And I took a ton of pics so hopefully I can recreate something similar.

The goal behind the tank is to keep it clean, low nutrient, disease free, algae free, cyano free. I've had good luck with UV for many issues in the past & it's like a good insurance policy in my experience.

[Dave C]

The stand is done. I used 1/2" MDF with primer & 3 coats of alkyd paint to seal it. It's a nice charcoal grey. The panels are held to the stand with four 1/2" rare earth magnets. There is a slot for the DJ panel to pop out so I don't have to remove the panel to turn on/off devices. I ditched the other DJ panel and will access those devices through the Aquatronica controller, which is also mounted on the outside of the stand. So I can control everything from the front of the stand.

I made the height of the panels 2 1/2" taller then the top of the steel so it will cover the 3/4" plywood, 3/4" styro and the bottom pane of the tank.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/dclubine/225g%20Tank/DSCN0352.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/dclubine/225g%20Tank/DSCN0354.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/dclubine/225g%20Tank/DSCN0351.jpg

[Delphinus]

The grey sure gives it a cool industrial look to it.

Looks really good. Although I can tell right off the bat that you don't have small kids :p Man those are some mighty tempting buttonnnnnnnns!!! And an LCD controller? Total finger magnet! ;)

[Flusher]

That looks well-built and very tidy. I like that the controllers are visible. The magnet idea is awesome, too. Good job.

I can't help but think that it looks a bit like a server, or maybe a smaller version of ENIAC. :lol:

Once the tank is on there, though, it'll look wicked.
________
MAINE DISPENSARY (http://maine.dispensaries.org/)

[Dave C]

The grey sure gives it a cool industrial look to it.

Looks really good. Although I can tell right off the bat that you don't have small kids :p Man those are some mighty tempting buttonnnnnnnns!!! And an LCD controller? Total finger magnet! ;)

Actually I do have an 8 year old boy. But he wouldn't touch any of those buttons, he's as stoked about the new tank as I am.

[Delphinus]

Ah... 8's not too bad though. I was sorta thinking 3 and under. "Ohh buttons and switches." At least that's how it is in my house... My guy is 17 months and I'm sure my neighbours think my house is possessed with the lights turning on and off all the time. I've learnt to live with it ... But it's something that immediately leaps to my attention, those red switches and the controller... right at toddler height to boot. Oh well, don't worry, at least since we're in different cities you're in no danger of us coming over for a visit and rearranging the on-off thingies in your tank :p

[Farrmanchu]

I've got a three year old, and I thought she would sabotage my reef for sure. Instead, she's very into fish and corals, and very respectful of the equipment. If they like reef, they learn fast. Now, if I can only get her to stop eating the saltcreep...........
Once everything is hooked up Dave, I wanna try ALL the buttons and controls:mrgreen:

[Dave C]

Man....Sfiligoi lights??? You lucky bastard! :)

That is gonna be one sweeeet setup!

Apparently you'll be equally lucky very soon. If you get your lights first I look forward to reading about them.

[Dave C]

The tank left Barrie, ON today. Maybe by next weekend I'll get some water in it.

[untamed]

How many circuits do you have there?

[Dave C]

There are 3 15 amp breakers.

[Dave C]

Yahoo, the tank's in place and filled with water... Yeah, right. Ok so it's sitting at Reimer's Express and won't get to my house until tomorrow. But I've got the sump filled and I'm making another 80g of RO/DI water right now so I'll be ready when the tank does get here. This also allows me to test much of the plumbing for leaks. Just have to get the tank connected and make sure the bulkheads don't leak. I'm going to risk it and not do a leak test with tap water. I figure if it leaks I don't have to drain the tank as the tank is drilled only within the overflow box. We'll see if I'm ok doing this. Otherwise all I have to do before moving the tank into place is to get the lights hung.

Since I have water in the sump I was able to connect the Aquatronica and get all of the probes in place and much of the timers/programs setup. So far this unit works great and is very easy to use. It's going to:

- handle the refugium light timing
- monitor the pH in the calcium reactor and adjust the co2 on that basis
- turn the kalk mixer on/off throughout the day
- act as a thermostat for the heater
- handle the topoff of the sump with RO water
- measure the pH in the sump
- measure the salinity of the system
- measure the ORP of the system and control the ozone reactor on that basis
- possibly put the UV on a timer

I've also got the ethernet adaptor on order so I'll be able to monitor/control all of these devices remotely.

[niloc16]

how does it control the co2 for the reactor. is it with a shutoff solenoid or is there an electric regulator setup?

[Dave C]

how does it control the co2 for the reactor. is it with a shutoff solenoid or is there an electric regulator setup?

It's just a milwaukee regulator with a solenoid on it.

[WWWD]

Return that reg now! I have just had 2 fail on me in the last 4 months. IMO they are worthless!

[Dave C]

Yeah, I read about those problems after I'd ordered it.

[Dave C]

Hey, I got my order yesterday and they forgot to ship the Milwaukee co2 regulator. So I cancelled it and ordered this instead...

http://www.marinedepot.com/IMD%5C150%5CCO3117.jpg

While I was at it I got this brass check valve...

http://www.marinedepot.com/IMD%5C150%5CKL3115.jpg

I'm hoping that this equipment won't suffer the same fate as the Milwaukee.

[Psyire]

Awesome Setup Dave,

I look forward to watching it come together! We have some of the same equipment... Ozotech, Aquatronica, Tunze's

Nice stuff! Glad to see you are doing it right, from the beginning.

[Dave C]

Same steel stand with wooden shroud on magnets too.

[Psyire]

Right you are!

[Dave C]

The tank is in place. The lights are up and everything is ready for water & rock. I'll be filling on Wednesday.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/dclubine/225g%20Tank/DSCN0381.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/dclubine/225g%20Tank/DSCN0382.jpg

[littlesilvermax]

You can count on me coming over some day to look at that thing!:biggrin:

[Jason McK]

Very cool High tech look. I really like it. Can't wait to see it full of water.

[Dave C]

Yesterday I half filled the tank and then put the live rock in. Now that is not an easy chore. Between handling the couple of 55lb pieces and not scratching the glass on the way in, positioning them to my liking and making sure that they are solidly in place... that's tough. Then of course after I'm done my wife gets home and asks me to move that big piece over there, shift those pieces over to the gap you just created and move that one on top of that one. She's an interior designer and has a good eye so I'm not going to argue. In the end I'm totally happy with what we ended up with. It's hard to visualize the depth of the rock but it is not a solid wall. There are caves everywhere, fantastic mounting spots for coral and lots of holes, gaps and neat stuff to look at and for fish to swim in. I'm still making water as I don't have enough to fill the sump so the tank is just being circulated by a couple of Tunze 6100s (and boy are they dead silent) and heated by the light. But I did have enough water to overflow the tank for awhile and there were no leaks. I also don't have a skimmer yet, but from what I noticed with my first tank I wouldn't want to be skimming right away anyway as the skimmer goes nuts producing tons of foam and overflows for the first week or so until the saltwater gets "experience".

So here's the pics, hope you like them. If you want me to move anything you'll have to submit your requests to my wife... we'll see how that goes over. All comments are appreciated though.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/dclubine/225g%20Tank/DSCN0394.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/dclubine/225g%20Tank/DSCN0395.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/dclubine/225g%20Tank/DSCN0396.jpg

[Flusher]

That looks great. I have a suspicion that seeing it in person is a totally different experience,though. 225g is a lot to take in. That's even bigger than Quinster's largest display... :lol:
________
Blonde Babe (http://www.****tube.com/categories/309/babe/videos/1)

[Dave C]

Night is falling on the reef. I love this light fixture.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/dclubine/225g%20Tank/DSCN0410.jpg

[woodcarver]

Drooling is a very descriptive word !!!! It may be my advancing years but your tank has this affect :) :)
Wonderful thread with great pictures and oodles of info.
Wow! And to think we had to rely on books in the old days...................
Check in every day to see your progress, cabinet,aquascaping and lighting unbelievable.
Appreciate the time you spend to upkeep this thread.
Thanks................................Dave

[dirtyreefer]

Apparently you'll be equally lucky very soon. If you get your lights first I look forward to reading about them.

Just posted a review on RC, I plan on posting some pics on there soon as well :) I can tell you like yours :D

This is probably the coolest thing for my reef I have ever bought. Most things aren't so exciting since you can't actually see any results immediately after adding (e.g. skimmer, reactor etc), but this is something that you see right away.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=979562

[Dave C]

Ok, here's some shots. I jumped the gun on this tank I guess. I was patient for a couple of months during the build process and when I finally had water in the tank I lost it. The water never did register ammonia or nitrite though it did when I was cooking the rocks. So I assumed they were cured and the tank would be ok. So far that has paid off. There is still no nitrates so I hope I'm right. Either way the fish load is pretty minimal with just the 3 fish (Sailfin Tang, Yellow Tang & Copperband Butterfly). I started by moving some mushrooms & ricordia from my 67g tank to this one. They handled it well and settled in nicely so I moved a few more. Then all hell broke loose and I started buying stuff for the tank. The clams were placed in my 67g tank for a week until I was confident they'd do ok and they are. Most of this could fit back into my 67g if I absolutely had to but it's not been necessary yet. Here's some pics...

Here's my equipment side under the stand. It's pretty crowded but all fits. When I was planning this I didn't account for all of the hoses and the space taken by the hang on recirculating pumps. I might be able to fit a 10lb co2 tank in the middle and that's all I need. Until then the ca reactor sits idle. The skimmer started removing crap the second I turned it on and had 2" of brown/green crap in the cup in 2 hours. It has since settled down.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/dclubine/225g%20Tank/DSCN0524.jpg

Here's an overall shot of the tank.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/dclubine/225g%20Tank/DSCN0522.jpg

And left side closeup.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/dclubine/225g%20Tank/DSCN0525.jpg

Middle.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/dclubine/225g%20Tank/DSCN0529.jpg

And right side.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/dclubine/225g%20Tank/DSCN0527.jpg

As you can see the algae is really rockin'. I'm sure it will settle down in a month or so. I just got the magnets for the two Tunze 6100s yesterday so the ones on the front/sides of the tank are newly placed. All of the 6100s are operating switching from 30% to about 50%. I also have two Nanostream 6025s at the back of the tank on each side of the overflow box pointed straight down. They blow all of the crap out from under the rocks. I was starting to get some cyano back there but it doesn't stand a chance now. I may put the 6025s on a timer and turn them on/off throughout the day and leave them off at night.

[Dave C]

Some closeups...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/dclubine/225g%20Tank/DSCN0436.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/dclubine/225g%20Tank/DSCN0465.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/dclubine/225g%20Tank/DSCN0513.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/dclubine/225g%20Tank/DSCN0500.jpg

[Flusher]

The tank looks awesome. You've got some nice riccs in there.

How well do clams do in a BB tank? I don't know much about them at all, but I always figured they liked to sit in a sandbed.
________
PREGNANT LATINA (http://www.****tube.com/categories/914/latina/videos/1)

[Joe Reefer]

Great tank, I like the kalk reactor stand. :mrgreen:

[Dave C]

The tank looks awesome. You've got some nice riccs in there.

How well do clams do in a BB tank? I don't know much about them at all, but I always figured they liked to sit in a sandbed.

Yeah, I really like ricordia/yuma. The clams seem ok. Even in my other tank that has sand I put a piece of rock under the clam to attach to and these clams are on rocks so i don't think they notice the difference. I assume they'll like the MH lighting better then T5. Everything else seems to.

[Dave C]

Great tank, I like the kalk reactor stand. :mrgreen:

That's pretty ghetto eh? It's all I had. I'd like to get a nice acrylic stand to put it on because I know if I get much water spilled in there the mag box will start to droop. It works for now.

On the kalk subject, that AQT controller sure makes it easy to dose kalk. I have a solenoid on my water top off line and then a T that branches off to my kalk mixer and straight to the sump. Each of those lines also has a solenoid on it. When the float in the sump drops the controller checks the pH and if it's below 8.4 it opens the master & the kalk solenoid, otherwise it opens the master and the fresh solenoid. Now my pH hovers between 8.35 and 8.42 all day long.

AQT is supposed to come out with a calcium probe and that will allow me to do the same thing with my co2 solenoid and the ca reactor. That will be sweet.

[Delphinus]

Looks good so far. Should look really nice once the coraline starts to take hold on the rocks. :)

Why put the calcium reactor on a controller though? I'd just have the thing run all the time. Otherwise you'd also have to have a CO2 controller on the reactor (I'm guessing you probably already have this) but what's going to happen is that it will just be constantly cycling on and off whereas usually it's pretty easy to dial it into a steady-state operation. I don't mean to dissuade you out of buying toys if you really want to buy them :p but I'm just thinking that this is one you don't really *really* need if you know what I mean?

How well do clams do in a BB tank? I don't know much about them at all, but I always figured they liked to sit in a sandbed.

Truth be told, you won't find clams in the sand out on the real reef, at least not maximas or croceas. People like to put them on the sand for a variety of reasons, some of it is aesthetic, some of it is that they can't "fall off" the sand, etc. But in the real reef, these guys live on (or more accurately, "in") the rock of the reef. They actually can burrow into the rock and all you see of them is their mantle (looks a little like a nudibranch until they see a shadow and zip in).

[Dave C]

Why put the calcium reactor on a controller though? I'd just have the thing run all the time. Otherwise you'd also have to have a CO2 controller on the reactor (I'm guessing you probably already have this) but what's going to happen is that it will just be constantly cycling on and off whereas usually it's pretty easy to dial it into a steady-state operation. I don't mean to dissuade you out of buying toys if you really want to buy them :p but I'm just thinking that this is one you don't really *really* need if you know what I mean?

I've been warned by the Deltec folks not to run this reactor 24/7, let alone run it without a controller. But I do have a solenoid on the co2 regulator and since I have an Aquatronica controller it only makes sense to control the solenoid. I figure I can get by without constantly cycling it by increasing the delta parameters i.e. turn it on when pH exceeds 6.5, turn it off when it drops below 6.1. That should take care of it.

[untamed]

I also plan on using the AQT to control the CA reactor. Rather than set a large range for the on/off pH limits...you should be able to set tighter limits. You should be able to control how often the solenoid cycles by adjusting the bubble count.

The bubble count will control the speed that the solenoid/controller can bring the pH down. If the bubble count is high, the reactor will react rapidly and the controller will shut the CO2 down fast.

The flow through rate will control how fast the pH rises back up again...(as well as the amount of Ca/Alk that you are adding)

You get the bubble count (dropping the pH) equal to the flow through (raising the pH)...and the controller won't do anything...except keep control of the entire situation, which is exactly what we want it to be doing.

[Delphinus]

What's different about the Deltec reactors that the recommendation is to not run them 24/7?

[Dave C]

What's different about the Deltec reactors that the recommendation is to not run them 24/7?

Apparently they pump out water at an 80+dKh range and can risk a crash. I'm not that familiar with ca reactors so I'm only repeating what I've heard. It seems other brands of reactors put out a 60dkh flow and lower.

[littlesilvermax]

The best I have gotten out of my home made reactor is 61 dkh.

That is using coral sand and a ph of 6.3.

What ph and what media does Deltec use to get 80 dkh?????:question:



Of course when I measured 61 dkh I had no real idea how accurate it was, but it was Salifert.

[Delphinus]

I see, interesting. Yeah, like littlesilvermax, I too am curious what pH recommendation and media is used on the Deltecs.

With the Schuran reactors I think the recommendation is to use a pH in the 5's :eek: (I could be wrong, it's been a while since I read up on those) and a much larger grained crushed coral as media. Perhaps Deltec's are like this as well. I know Deltec uses the term "fluidized" a lot when describing their reactors and I thought this meant they use an upflow instead of downflow through the media.

[Dave C]

Deltec recommends using Rowlith C+ in their reactors. The pH should be between 6.1 and 6.5. Here's a thread (http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=895631) on RC where the dude from Deltec refers to the 80dkh output. And here's the Delte site (http://www.deltecusa.us/calciumreactors/index.php) where it mentions the same thing. When I get mine going I'll measure it and get back to you. I doubt that they're saying that everyone will achieve that level, rather they are saying it's possible and that is one reason to monitor the output closely.

[Dave C]

Here's another link (http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=6838921&highlight=80dkh#post6838921) referring to this output, and a quote...

"...but that fluidized design on the deltec can give you output readings of over 80dKH!!! Ive seen it. They are John Turner's fave as well (co-founder of ORA and RAS), and he uses them on many of his installs for this reason. No other reactor does a better job of getting the calcium to the reef. You would be lucky to get 2/3 the output with some other brand."

[Delphinus]

One day I'd like to see one of these reactors in person, from the itty-bitty pics you usually see of them I can't tell what they're doing differently. But anyhow they sound like pretty nice units.

[Farrmanchu]

Looks good so far. Should look really nice once the coraline starts to take hold on the rocks. :)

Why put the calcium reactor on a controller though? I'd just have the thing run all the time. Otherwise you'd also have to have a CO2 controller on the reactor (I'm guessing you probably already have this) but what's going to happen is that it will just be constantly cycling on and off whereas usually it's pretty easy to dial it into a steady-state operation. I don't mean to dissuade you out of buying toys if you really want to buy them :p but I'm just thinking that this is one you don't really *really* need if you know what I mean?



Truth be told, you won't find clams in the sand out on the real reef, at least not maximas or croceas. People like to put them on the sand for a variety of reasons, some of it is aesthetic, some of it is that they can't "fall off" the sand, etc. But in the real reef, these guys live on (or more accurately, "in") the rock of the reef. They actually can burrow into the rock and all you see of them is their mantle (looks a little like a nudibranch until they see a shadow and zip in).
They'll attach to the bottom, I wonder if they can bore into starboard at all. Even ones that sit in the sand usually are holding on to some kind of rock or shell, to protect the opening.

[littlesilvermax]

Mine did not really bore into the starboard, but they definitely attahced quite strongly to it.

[Delphinus]

I don't know why this would be but it seems to me that they don't bore into rock in our tanks, just attach. But in the wild they are most definitely enveloped in the rock. I should try to dig up some pictures I have of them on the GBR when I was there a few years back. It's pretty bizarre looking just seeing the mantles out on the reef, no clam shells visible at all.

They'll attach to the bottom, I wonder if they can bore into starboard at all. Even ones that sit in the sand usually are holding on to some kind of rock or shell, to protect the opening.

[untamed]

I think that the rocks actually "grow" around them.

Here's a shot taken in Bora Bora two years ago.

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/119_22A.jpg

[Delphinus]

Cool shot. Wow Bora-Bora, I'd love to get there some day. Been a dream destination for most of my adult life.

[i2ik]

I see, interesting. Yeah, like littlesilvermax, I too am curious what pH recommendation and media is used on the Deltecs.

With the Schuran reactors I think the recommendation is to use a pH in the 5's :eek: (I could be wrong, it's been a while since I read up on those) and a much larger grained crushed coral as media. Perhaps Deltec's are like this as well. I know Deltec uses the term "fluidized" a lot when describing their reactors and I thought this meant they use an upflow instead of downflow through the media.


Hi Tony

Schuran also recommend a pH of 6.5. H&S and Schuran are using the same media for the Ca reactor and it does seem to be working really fine.

I had previously a Deltec PF600S for my 180G tank and it was running 24/7, pH at 6.5 on a controller and i had a very stable water of 450 CA and Alk at around 11.

For my next tank, i will be using the Schuran Jetstream 2 and i hope it will work as good as the Deltec. Reason not going with a Deltec for my next tank is that i am not sure the PF600S will be able to keep up my Ca and alk over my 600G system. Probably the PF1001 but its too big to put under my stand.

[Dave C]

It's all operational now and falling into place. I had a bit of an accident with the solenoids on my top-off leaking when shut off... well not leaking, but letting water get through. So my kalk was running all night and now my alkalinity is a little high. It's dropping with w/c and I lowered the pH threshold for the controller to open the solenoid on the kalk vs. fresh water.

I also got the ca reactor going and broke down & bought a peristaltic pump to feed it. Much, much easier then fiddling with ball valves and now I have complete & accurate control. I think in the long term this is the way to go.

I noticed that as my lights came up to full power (they're new bulbs so I used the "New" function to slowly bring them up from 75% to 100% over a couple of weeks) that my tank temp is getting to 82ºF in the daytime. I decided that that was too high and tried a simple fix to see if it would work. I got two 4" fans and mounted them on the side of the stand that isn't visible, pointed over the sump. The controller turns them on whenever the tank temp gets over 79ºF. It's now 1:00pm and normally the tank temp is around 81ºF but the fans are keeping it low and the temp is currently sitting at 78.9ºF. So that worked great.

Here's a current pic with all of the equipment in place. I managed to squeeze the 10lb co2 tank in the middle of the mess. Even with it that packed I can easily remove the skimmer cup and any piece can be removed pretty simply by taking off the side MDF board. It looks tight but it all seems to fit as if it were planned that way. I need a proper base for the kalk mixer though. An acrylic stand about 5"Lx5"Wx10"T would be ideal.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/dclubine/225g%20Tank/DSCN0588.jpg

Someone asked if I would identify what is in this space so I numbered it here:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/dclubine/225g%20Tank/DSCN0589.jpg

#1 - Deltec AP851 protein skimmer
#2 - Ozone equipment mounted on a board with magnets stuck to stand - Ozotech Poseidon, dryer & Luft air pump
#3 - MTC Ozone reactor
#4 - Co2 tank & m3 regulator
#5 - Deltec PF601S calcium reactor
#6 - Deltec KM500 kalkwasser mixer
#7 - MTC SR7 Carbon water filter (for ozone output)
#8 - Cole Parmer Masterflex peristaltic pump
#8a - John Guest valved previously used for ca reactor

[Pan]

i get a kick out of that mag drive ox every time i see it :) aslo quite the nasty look skimmate...ick

[Dave C]

i get a kick out of that mag drive ox every time i see it :) aslo quite the nasty look skimmate...ick

That's a day's worth of skimmate. It's a pretty good skimmer so far I'd say. I'm liking it and liking the direct feed from my tank overflow.

[Dave C]

The tank is doing fine. I'm just getting the calcium & alk/hardness to where I like it and then the ca reactor & kalk mixer should keep it there. Everything is growing pretty good and coloring up. The rocks are still pretty green and I'm seeing algae tufts in a few places but overall it's maturing. I'm finding it tricky to get the right amount of flow given the soft corals I've got and the SPS I'm adding. It's definitely a bit of a balancing act. I can see why many people go all hard or soft. I've now got a few more fish in there... Yellow Tang, Sailfin Tang, 2 Maroon Clowns, Powder Brown Tang & Copperband Butterfly. Here's some pics as of today...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/dclubine/225g%20Tank/DSCN0634.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/dclubine/225g%20Tank/DSCN0635.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/dclubine/225g%20Tank/DSCN0636.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/dclubine/225g%20Tank/DSCN0637.jpg

[Delphinus]

VERY nice. :)

[golfbomber]

how do you keep the panels on the stand with rare earth magnets? could you explain more, thx

[Dave C]

I used a Forstner bit to countersink a hole in the MDF board. Then I put a bit of wood glue in the hole and dropped a magnet in the hole. The stand structure is steel so the boards stick to the steel very easily. The Forstner bit & magnets are available at Lee Valley.