400 gallon project

[untamed]

This is the story of my 400 gallon tank, which is still under construction as of now. That's about 6 months construction time at this point.

Here's how things looked when I started, back in June, 2006.

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0221.jpg

The easy part was destroying the brand newly carpeted room. Once that is done, it provides real commitment to the project!

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0222.jpg
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0224.jpg

[untamed]

With Lino on top of the concrete floor, I started with the stand and walls. Before I started, I positioned the 2 sumps, RO water container and mixer into their rough positions, then built around them.

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0225.jpg
The stand is built with fairly standard 2x4 construction, except that the studs are only 8" apart and doubled up everywhere there is a larger gap. The top of the stand is 2x6's on edge bolted to the frame.
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0226.jpg
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0227.jpg
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0231.jpg

[untamed]

Here's a fun shot of what $2000+ worth of plumbing gets you! (there are three Dart pumps there...) It all looks very small, until you realize that you are looking at the 6' x 4' stand area.

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0435.jpg

[untamed]

I rented a van, drove down to Portland, Oregon to pick up the tank from Envision Acrylics. That was about 5.5 hour drive. It was actually cheaper to rent a van, and stay in a hotel than it would have been to crate the tank and have it shipped...(and I was more careful than any shipper that I've worked with)

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0231-1.jpg

The tank itself is 1" thick acrylic throughout. It is 6 feet x 4 feet x 26" high. That puts it just under 400 gallans. Empty, it weighs about 500 lbs.
We were able to move it easily thanks to some support from a local hot tub company that loaned me their super-dolly.

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0248.jpg

In the end, we just dead-lifted it onto the stand. Perfect fit!
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0442.jpg

[untamed]

Along the way, I became experienced in electrical work. I brought 4 x 15amp circuits directly from the main breaker and run throughout the area behind/under the tank.

Two of the circuits are dedicated to lighting. The other two are fairly distributed along the walls for accessory pumps, computers, solenoids...

In all, I wired up over 30 duplex receptacles and one light with switch. All four circuits are GFI protected.

When I was all done, I had an electrician come in and verify that I was safe. The electrician did the final connection to the breaker box.


http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0444.jpg

[untamed]

Done with being an electrician...I became a plumber! I now consider myself to be quite accomplished at PVC plumbing. Many thanks to the guys at Corix Water Products. I became quite a regular there!

Here's a shot of the two closed loops. (Left and Right) Each consists of a Dart pump connected to an OM-4 way. The outlets from the 4-way deliver water back to the tank in such a way that the water will be "rolled" from the bottom/back across the bottom...up the front glass, then across the top toward the overflows.

I'm very happy with the OM-4 ways. They are completely silent, very well built and Paul is very helpful on the phone. Even though the two loops are almost identical, I experienced some water hammer in the right loop. A quick mod provided by Paul cleared it up easily.

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0449.jpg

[untamed]

I've put considerable effort into designing the overflow system to be quiet.

Suffice to say that water falls through two back overflows. Each overflow has 2 x 1.5" outlets. In each overflow box, one of the outlets is choked back by a gate valve. This turns that outlet into a silent siphon. The other outlet has a durso standpipe, but this outlet is only collecting water that just couldn't go down the primary silent siphon outlet.

Emergency situation water testing confirms that even if one outlet is completely blocked, the other outlet(s) can handle the entire flow.

That's a G6 skimmer sitting in it's approximate final position.

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0462.jpg

[fishface]

lovin' it! looking forward to see how the whole project pans out, keep up the nice work and keep us informed! :)

[untamed]

With the tank in place, I've started working on the overhead walls and doors. This was a lot more complex than I thought at first. I wanted to maintain the clean look of an "in-wall" system, but also wanted front access.

I've decided to build the walls and doors out of plywood. At this point, the doors/walls have been tested, but are not yet installed as I need to finish them up before I hang them. I also need to devise some sort of prop to hold the doors up so that they don't crash down on my head.

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0471.jpg

[MobyDick]

Wowo this looks good!taggin along.

[untamed]

There's tap water in tank. I've been testing the function of my closed loops and chasing leaks. So far, so good. It seems that I will have to make some modification to my gate valves on the overflows....but that's minor.

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0479.jpg

[Midknight]

Looks great so far. Can't wait to see the final product.:lol:

[Tangman]

EXTREMLY well done ! can't wait to see more....

[LostMind]

Wow, very nicely done. So when you inviting all the local reefers over to ooh and ahh ? :P

[Joe Reefer]

fricken EH! I love this tank already!

[Chin_Lee]

Very very well done. I am truly impressed by your foresight and your layout and planning. Love your journal as well with the room layout, then the containers in, then the walls, electrial etc etc.

You mentioned you need some modification to your gate valves on your overflow. Can you elaborate?

Where did you get the 90 degree metal brackets for your front and side ramps?

I see an air duct in ceiling - does this goes into your house's furnace air return? If so, any consideration to venting the air directly out of the house? In my setup, I am looking to install a dehumistat on my fan to vent moist air directly out of the house when the relative humidity gets too high.

great job.

[X-Treme]

Just an idea to keep the doors from crashing on your head....... How bout those hydraulic "struts" that vehicles use to hold the rear glass or tailgates up? (can ya tell I'm a mechanic?)

[Delphinus]

W O W !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Chowder]

Nice Set up..... Can't wait to see it full of life.... Lookin great so far.

[vanreefer]

Looking good man I am awaiting the open house to view the final product

[niloc16]

i'm hooked, definitely along for the ride on this one. very well thought out. looks unreal already. love the tons of pictures too. good job man

[untamed]

You mentioned you need some modification to your gate valves on your overflow. Can you elaborate?

Where did you get the 90 degree metal brackets for your front and side ramps?

I see an air duct in ceiling - does this goes into your house's furnace air return? If so, any consideration to venting the air directly out of the house? In my setup, I am looking to install a dehumistat on my fan to vent moist air directly out of the house when the relative humidity gets too high.

great job.

The photo I posted shows 3/4" gate valves. It turned out that these couldn't carry enough of the flow. I needed the 1.5" outlet to be restricted...but not that much. I've since replaced these with 1.5", which I can dial back as much as required. I tried to save some money, and it cost me more in the long run. Anyone looking for some 3/4" gate valves?

The 90 degree brackets. That project is in my garage. Still top secret that one. The brackets were fabricated by a local metal shop. Cheap and simple.

I should have mentioned the ceiling duct. That vents directly to the outside. I may run it on a humidistat and/or thermostat...or I just might run it all the time. We'll see.

[untamed]

Wow, very nicely done. So when you inviting all the local reefers over to ooh and ahh ? :P

Looking good man I am awaiting the open house to view the final product

I'm figuring summer BBQ at my place. Until then, there won't be too much to see.

[untamed]

Just an idea to keep the doors from crashing on your head....... How bout those hydraulic "struts" that vehicles use to hold the rear glass or tailgates up? (can ya tell I'm a mechanic?)

I checked those out. My largest door only weighs 17lbs and even the smallest automobile strut that I could find was too powerful. There's some math there that I can't get my head around to try to find the appropriate strut and locate it in the correct position on the door.

[more1020]

Very nice tank and neat setup!

May I ask you a question? I just saw you are using two white plastic buckets for your skimmer and as a sump. What are they actually? And how big are they?

Thanks!

[untamed]

Very nice tank and neat setup!

May I ask you a question? I just saw you are using two white plastic buckets for your skimmer and as a sump. What are they actually? And how big are they?

Thanks!

The skimmer is a G6. It may be cheap, but I wouldn't call it a plastic bucket!

There are two sumps. Both are PE plastic. I purchased these from a tank manufacturer and they were shipped from Florida. The larger one is 120 gallons (48Lx24Wx24H)...the smaller is 60 gallons (36Lx20Wx20H). The same shipment also brought the 50 gallon mixer and the 100 gallon RO cylindrical tanks.

I would have been nice to do the sumps out of acrylic, but there was just too much money to be saved doing them in PE since I had to purchase/ship the cylindrical tanks no matter what.

[WWWD]

<borat>wowwowweee</borat>

Wow, sweet looking rig.

[untamed]

Here's a shot of the RO/DI system. It is plumbed directly into the water supply. RO/DI water is collected in the upper 100 gallon tank. RO/DI is float valve controlled to keep this tank full at all times.

The blue line running down into the sink is temporary. That line will eventually be plumbed directly into the drain. Theres also an emergency overflow pipe coming into the sink on the right. That overflow pipe comes from the top of the 100 gallon holding tank and is there in case the float valve fails to stop the RO system.

You can just see the blue 1/4" line that leaves the RO tank on the bottom-left. That runs over to the main sump and delivers water for evaporative control (gravity fed, float & solenoid controlled). This line will also feed a Kalk reactor.

Beneath the 100 gallon FW tank is the the SW mixer tank. This tank rolls on casters and can be pulled out from underneath when I need to mix SW. The mixer has a Mag 1200 pump that will be used to mix, then deliver the SW.

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0481.jpg

[Pan]

I checked those out. My largest door only weighs 17lbs and even the smallest automobile strut that I could find was too powerful. There's some math there that I can't get my head around to try to find the appropriate strut and locate it in the correct position on the door.
What about the thing used on screen doors? you slide the little do-hickey in place and it stays....

[untamed]

It would seem that I neglected to explain my water change system. As it is difficult to show in photographs (and all the Herbie valves create visual confusion), here is a schematic that explains it.

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/waterchangesystem.jpg

[untamed]

This part of the plan started months ago when I purchased two old fir floor joists from a reclaimed lumber business. I had a local cabinet maker cut/joint them to wrap around the aquarium.

Many, many coats of urethane later...the bar finally got installed today. Once they were cleaned up, each piece is about 12" W x 2.5" thick.

As you can see, I immediately served myself a drink!

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0483.jpg

[MoeReefer]

wow, fantastic progress. ive been fallowing this now since the beginning and am a little envious. maybe someday i will have a place to do something like what you are doing. what are you going to put in the corner to the left of the tank there. have you thought of what you may put in the tank once it is ready for livestalk (aqua scaping, corals, fish).
cant wait to see the final, but i guess it will be a little while yet.

cheers

[mark]

A bar around the tank, brilliant (and so everything else).

[Jason McK]

Looks killer Brad. I love the bar. Have you figured out your Lighting yet?

J

[untamed]

what are you going to put in the corner to the left of the tank there. have you thought of what you may put in the tank once it is ready for livestalk (aqua scaping, corals, fish).
cant wait to see the final, but i guess it will be a little while yet.
cheers

That spot to the left is where all the rum goes. I'm thinking of some hanging glass shelves and some wine glass racks. Beneath that, there will be a small fridge/freezer that will hold fish food, mix and ice cubes. (you know, important stuff like that)

I don't have a list of livestock yet, but it's coming. I'm certain that I will use Florida aquacultured live rock, and there will be some transfers from my existing tank.

Have you figured out your Lighting yet?
J

I was really, really tempted by LED...but the cost for 2 - 6 foot fixtures was just too much. I considered 6 x 250W luminarcs with some added T5. In the end I found a great deal on 3 - 4' AquaMedic fixtures. Each has 3 - 250MH and 2 54W T5s. I figure these will be easy to sell in a few years when I finally realize that I should have gone with LED in the first place.

I picked up an awesome overhead track system last week. Once I complete water testing, working on that is the next step.

[untamed]

have you thought of what you may put in the tank once it is ready for livestalk (aqua scaping, corals, fish).
cheers

Oh yes...It will be an SPS dominated tank.

[Delphinus]

I really like the bar idea ... even just as a shelf to plant yer elbows when staring in .. that's awesome.

[Chin_Lee]

Unfortunately I'm going to have to steal that bar idea ..... thanks :mrgreen:

[LostMind]

The bar around the big tank is an awesome idea... I had hoped to incorporate it into my big tank plans here... unfortunately I hit a couple roadblocks on my tank and it never got finished. Now we have gone and sold this house and the new house has no room for a big tank. Oh well!

Cant wait to see what the bar looks like with the tank in operation, Im sure it will be killer :)

[X-Treme]

Kinda hate to be the one to ask.....but........I know everyone else is wondering this as well... Any idea what kinda money will be spent in total? Or even NOT including livestock???


Don't hafta answer if ya don't want. Just curious for future interests. TIA

[Pan]

I bet it runs close to 10k-11k

[Joe Reefer]

I bet it runs close to 10k-11k
I would say double that. Maybe even more. :mrgreen:

[Jaws]

If I had to guess I would say at least 15K to get you going and then up to 5 more perfecting it. Can't wait to see it all set up.

[untamed]

I bet it runs close to 10k-11k

I would say double that. Maybe even more. :mrgreen:

If I had to guess I would say at least 15K to get you going and then up to 5 more perfecting it. Can't wait to see it all set up.

Ok...so we're done with that one.

[Delphinus]

I have a couple questions ...

How is the framing for the top part attached to the ceiling? Just with screws, or ... ?

What are the white tubs you're using for the sump and whatnot, and where can you get those?

Thanks!

Can't wait to see the next round of pics! Also I hope you don't mind but I really, really dig that bar idea and am seriously comtemplating something similar for my 280g, I'm inspired. If not a bar, at least a place to plant one's elbows when staring into the tank. :)

[vanreefer]

Also I hope you don't mind but I really, really dig that bar idea and am seriously comtemplating something similar for my 280g, I'm inspired. If not a bar, at least a place to plant one's elbows when staring into the tank. :)


I think elbow means drink right? :wink:

[untamed]

I have a couple questions ...

How is the framing for the top part attached to the ceiling? Just with screws, or ... ?

What are the white tubs you're using for the sump and whatnot, and where can you get those?


The framing that is above the tank is "1 by 1". It provides the support for the plywood doors that aren't yet installed. It is actually NOT connected to the ceiling at all. It has three sides which are bolted together. The two sides are then bolted to the walls. The frame rests on the tank. There is some sill foam between the frame and the tank to provide some water seal.

The white tubs are polyethelene, roto-moulded tanks. They were purchased from Plastic-Mart.com. You can get them in almost any shape or size. I needed 50 gal and 100 gal cylinders, and 60 gal and 120 gal open top rectangles. The challenge is to find ONE place that has ALL the sizes that you need so you aren't paying multiple shipping charges. They were manufactured and shipped by Ronco Plastic in California.

They are a lot easier to work with than acrylic for hole drilling...although acrylic would look better. Since I needed the cylindrical tanks, it was efficient to get the sumps as well.

[Delphinus]

Thanks for the info. I'm looking at your photos and it's helping me plan out the "corner viewing" aspect I was hoping to acheive with my 280g as well. I wasn't sure if I was going to be supporting the wall framing to the ceiling above, or what. I might need to consult a builder, I'm not sure what's kosher for suspending things on the floor above. I like how you've solved that with the wall flush to the right-hand side tank wall.

A couple more questions.. what's your floor, is it concrete? If so how is the stand attached to the floor at the bottom?

To make the stand open at the back (where the sump is sitting) without a bottom cross bar member (or whatever it's called) did you have to put any diagonal bracing, or additional posts under the middle of the tank or anything like that?

Thanks once again for the info. Very helpful!!

[untamed]

A couple more questions.. what's your floor, is it concrete? If so how is the stand attached to the floor at the bottom?

To make the stand open at the back (where the sump is sitting) without a bottom cross bar member (or whatever it's called) did you have to put any diagonal bracing, or additional posts under the middle of the tank or anything like that?

Thanks once again for the info. Very helpful!!

The tank is in my basement, directly on top of the concrete foundation. I don't know how thick the concrete is...but I'm sure it is enough. I glued lino directly to the concrete, then glued the stand and walls to the floor using construction adhesive.

The stand has 2x6's joists spanning the 4 foot width. These joists run every foot. The vertical supports are only 2x4's. Where I was not able to have a vertical support every foot (like where it spans the sumps), I doubled the 2x4 on either side. There are no centre posts, or diagonal braces...the stand is completely open underneath.

It's basically the same way that you would build a small house. You build 2x4 wall sections...then you build a floor out of 2x6's on edge and screw it onto the wall sections.

That construction is not stable until you screw plywood to the faces. Once the 3/4" plywood was screwed to the front, left, right and top sides it is rock solid. It would be MUCH less stable if I had wanted doors on the front and side.

Maybe I'll post some detail shots of the stand for you.

[Pan]

I would say double that. Maybe even more. :mrgreen:

i was just going based on oregonreef.com what he suggested his setup costs, though it is in american :)

[danny zubot]

Just tagging along. Nice work so far, can't wait to see more pics as you go along.

[untamed]

i was just going based on oregonreef.com what he suggested his setup costs, though it is in american :)

Oh..now that is flattering. To even be compared to that tank... I only hope I get the inside looking comparable. Same tank builder, anyway.

[untamed]

In order to make the overflows run as quietly as possible, I used the following design for both overflow boxes.

Each overflow box has two 1.5" outlets. The primary outlet has a gate valve which chokes off the flow until the water starts to rise in the overflow box. In this way, the primary essentially siphons water out of the overflow box. As no air is drawn into the siphon it is silent. The primary outlet water is released into the sump below the water line resulting in no splashing or bubbling.

The secondary outlet has a stand pipe that is higher than the water level in the overflow box. This outlet is not in use as the primary carries away all of the volume. Should the primary outlet become blocked, the water level in the overflow box will rise until the secondary outlet becomes active. I can simulate a worst case scenario by shutting the primary gate valve off completely. At that point, the secondary outlet carries 100% of the flow and does so with typical noise!

Using this system, the ONLY sound is the sound of the water falling 1-2" inside the overflow box. I can probably muffle that by adding some sponge to the overflow box so the water has a softer landing.

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0484copy.jpg

This is a side view of one of the overflow boxes. You can see how the water level stays well above the primary oulet in the bottom, but short of the secondary outlet standtube in the background. What little noise there is was caused by some of those bubbles you see getting sucked down into the primary. This has since been corrected by adding a layer of foam at the surface above the primary outlet.
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0485.jpg

[Skimmerking]

truely amazing ,but I have to ask why isn't there a euro reef or a H&S or even a Deltec there or even a BUBBLE KING....


sorry man why why why is there a ASM skimmer there :razz:


jk love the plumbing too and its blue too. Why is that a different type

[untamed]

truely amazing ,but I have to ask why isn't there a euro reef or a H&S or even a Deltec there or even a BUBBLE KING....
sorry man why why why is there a ASM skimmer there :razz:
jk love the plumbing too and its blue too. Why is that a different type

ASM skimmer...I bet it works just fine. I built the system to house an in-sump skimmer. If the ASM leaks a bit, it's no problem. If it looks like I spent unlimited funds everywhere, I'll take that as a compliment. Who knows...maybe someday I'll change it.

Plumbing is regular class 160 and 200 pipe. It is just painted blue. This was mainly done because some of the plumbing might be visible through the back wall of the tank and I didn't want it to be distracting. Once I got started, I just kept painting....

[Manny]

Very clean plumbing. You have yourself a great looking set up there.

[untamed]

Progess is steady...but slow. (I suppose it didn't help getting buried by snow this weekend)

I've managed to get the front-access doors installed. The idea behind these doors is to get the look of an in-wall tank, but still have front access when I need it. The doors will be painted to match the beige walls.

Still no high-tech solution to holding the doors up. As you can see, a simple prop actually does a very good job. I think I'll try to make some nice props out of stainless steel or something.

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0488.jpg
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0489.jpg

[MoeReefer]

sometimes simple is best. what are the little white spots in the picture??? or is that jsut me, maybe you need to clean your lens or something, doesnt really matter, everything is still amazingly fantastic. keep us posted

[Tom R]

Hi Brad

This is quite the project. You have done a fantastic job. I am looking forward to the tours. Your system along with a number of other mega tanks in the area give us all something to look forward to.

Tom R

[untamed]

what are the little white spots in the picture??? or is that jsut me, maybe you need to clean your lens or something, doesnt really matter, everything is still amazingly fantastic. keep us posted

Those are probably caused by sawdust particles in the air...

[untamed]

The outside of the tank is really coming together now. The artificial stone has been applied to the lower portion, below the bar. This gives the bar that "floating" appearance that I was hoping for.

I used rounded "stream" stones as I hoped they give the impression of being rounded by water. They actually had a simulated coral stone, which was kind of tempting, but it only came in rectangular bricks...which I didn't like.

For anyone thinking of doing this, it will cost more than you think. Money can be saved by doing the work yourself, or choosing non-round material. The trouble with round stones is that you don't want to cut and chisel much because you loose the rounded look. That means a lot of picking, choosing, planning to ensure to get a nice balanced look. Also, if you want the stones fitting tightly, you'll use more stones than estimated.

Overall, I'm extremely pleased with the result. It's really coming together now.
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0500.jpg
(sorry about the backscatter on the photo, it was a dirty job and I had just completed vaccuuming...)
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0501.jpg

[niloc16]

thats crazy. very very nice work. i love the rock work. i see what you mean the bar seems to be floating. can hardly wait for the open house when it is done :biggrin: . good job buddy, nicely done

[untamed]

Wow...it took me so long to do this that I almost fell off page 1!

The above tank doors/walls are completed. I'm not completely happy with the result, though. I'm willing to bet that I tear that top section out in a few years and try something else.

I was trying to create an "in wall" look, while still having something that I could open. I think I succeeded, but they just look so plain compared to the stone work below. Oh well.

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0503.jpg

[untamed]

Meanwhile, behind the scenes...I finally plumbed up the SW mixer tank. The only tricky part of doing this was to create rigid plumbing that could be disconnected in just the right parts to enable the mixer to be moved around on it's wheels.

One valve directs back into the mixer (for mixing)...the other directs SW into the 2nd sump.

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0502.jpg

[Jason McK]

Look great Brad. Not sure what you could do to jazz up the upper section but I don't think you really need to. Hey you now I could have sold you a used Chemical mixer you didn't have to make your own. that is sweet you should sell the design.

Oh BTW I have a cheap router for sale I hear you may be looking for one LOL

J

[i2ik]

Beautiful!!! I really like it! Great Job there! What a great place to take a drink and talk!

[untamed]

Now that the external construction is basically finished, I figured that it was safe to unwrap! That's a big improvement. Planned rockwork will hide most of the plumbing that you can see through the back wall of the tank.

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0508.jpg

[untamed]

I've done a little work on the sump. The skimmer is in place. I built a small acrylic shelf and set the Ca Reactor down on it. The sump shelf sits just above water line.

That's a PM622D reactor and G6 Skimmer. You can't see the 2nd stage of the reactor in the photo because it is hiding behind the skimmer.

Basically...I'm killing time waiting for my lights to arrive.

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0509.jpg

[Ruth]

Wonderful job - this is going to be a very first class set up.

[mark]

Everytime I look again at your pictures think it's going to fantastic with the front to back depth you have.

Know there's others out there but reminded of Fudge's or http://www.oregonreef.com/sub_aquascaping.htm .

[Samw]

Wow! Amazing. I'll be lining up for the tank tour.

[woodcarver]

Immaculate work. Exciting following along with your adventure.
Many thanks ............................Dave

[SuperFudge]

Outstanding, very nice work.

Marc.

[Pan]

Need More Pictures, Do More Work! :)

[lastlight]

This is really coming together untamed!

If I were you I would skin the entire tank top to match the stain of the bar counter. How heavy are the fake rocks? You could really get ballsy and do the top as a seamless boulder front...

When i saw those pics I was amazed that the rocks were not real. Amazing job laying those out for a natural feel. Do they look as real up close?

And is the tank back going to remain transparent? What about removeable back panels to completely hide the back room?

Keep it up!

Brett

[michika]

Everything looks beautiful.

You've inspired my next tank!

[untamed]

This is really coming together untamed!

If I were you I would skin the entire tank top to match the stain of the bar counter. How heavy are the fake rocks? You could really get ballsy and do the top as a seamless boulder front...

When i saw those pics I was amazed that the rocks were not real. Amazing job laying those out for a natural feel. Do they look as real up close?

And is the tank back going to remain transparent? What about removeable back panels to completely hide the back room?

Keep it up!

Brett

The problem with the overtank wall/door is that it will overpower things if it gets too bold. I actually considered putting rock on it, creating a floor to ceiling rock effect...but the rock is far too heavy. (remember that those doors open) Now that the tank is uncovered, that wall doesn't bug me as much.

The stone looks as real as any of that stuff you see on the outside of houses. Most of that stuff is fake.

The back might remain transparent. The visible plumbing will be directly blocked by rockwork. The part directly between the overflows is the interesting section. There's a plan in place regarding rockwork and mirror that should block any direct view of the back room through the tank.As I intend to be spending a fair amount of time back there, I want to see into the tank from the back.

[lastlight]

You wanna look in from the back huh?

Maybe I'm just jealous since I covered my back with black plexi. Tho I sorta had to since my overflows are external and really ugly to stare at from the front.

We talkin' a mirrored back panel on a hinge system? That'd be pretty sweet!

Brett

[BCOrchidGuy]

Simply amazing, hope you're proud of yourself because you've done a job second to none. Wow just doesn't do it justice.

Doug

[untamed]

Well..not too much to report. I purchased this peristaltic pump and got it into position. It will drive the Ca Reactor. Maximum output on this model is 120ml/min. It is a bit louder than I would have hoped.

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0512.jpg

[Delphinus]

Is it variable flow? I tried a peristaltic pump once but it was one speed and too fast for what I needed. The only way you could control it is with cycling it on or off and that was beyond my capabilities..

[untamed]

Is it variable flow? I tried a peristaltic pump once but it was one speed and too fast for what I needed. The only way you could control it is with cycling it on or off and that was beyond my capabilities..

You nailed it exactly. It is fixed flow. I'll control the amount with a timer function on the controller (Aquatronica).

There are variable rate pumps available but they can get VERY expensive. The least pricey variable rate pumps are really just fixed flow pumps with timers built in.

[Gujustud]

just came across this thread. Wow is all I can say! The planning you've done is really paying off, as it can be seen in your work. Great job, waiting for tank tour day :P Will donate!

[untamed]

What a great tradition! We all know the expression...behind every great aquarium is a really understanding spouse!

Throughout this entire construction, she hasn't complained about anything...sawdust, money, never having access to the computer, drilling holes in our brand new walls and ceilings, spilling blue paint onto our brand new carpet, pending electrical bills, floods (yes, there was one while you were away, dear), filling the entire garage with construction materials, or money (did I already mention that one?)...

...and the topper....she even let me buy an entire brand new house just so that I could build this. What a trooper!

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0511.jpg

[Tom R]

So Brad

When are we putting water into that tank. I am waiting for the tour.

Tom R

[Delphinus]

You told her it was a hot tub didn't you.

[untamed]

So Brad

When are we putting water into that tank. I am waiting for the tour.

Tom R

Well...It is looking like late February before there will be SW in the tank. The lights just arrived this week and I've started to build the lighting system. Just when that is complete, we're going to take a week holidays in the Carribean. I don't want to start up only to leave the tank for a week.

All that diving and snorkelling should get me really worked into a frenzy. As soon as I get back...it's time to get busy!

Tank tour is still planned for the summer.

[justinl]

Holy Cow! that is one beautiful setup man! hahaha, saying your wife is understanding must be the understatement of the century. Great work, keep it up!

[Chaotic Cricket]

Well...It is looking like late February before there will be SW in the tank. The lights just arrived this week and I've started to build the lighting system. Just when that is complete, we're going to take a week holidays in the Carribean. I don't want to start up only to leave the tank for a week.

All that diving and snorkelling should get me really worked into a frenzy. As soon as I get back...it's time to get busy!

Tank tour is still planned for the summer.

How dare you get us all on the edge of our seat and then take off on a vacation. God the nerve of some people. I'm sorry but you can't go until you are finished the tank.:mrgreen:

[Joe Reefer]

HAHA.....she must have been drunk to crawl in the tank with a dress on.:mrgreen:

[RicePaddy]

Love the picture. You should have had your wife dress up in a mermaid costume. Or is that your little secret??

Will

[untamed]

Man, I would love it if someone could provide me with a simpler design to do this... If you think you have it, please keep the following in mind:

1) Move the lower frame straight up the upper frame. Lift must be balanced.
2) There's no available room ABOVE the upper frame. Nothing can pass through the lower frame during the lift.

Here is the draft of what I'm thinking of building to hold the lights. What you don't see in this picture is the linear actuator that pulls on the cables. It will sit horizontally in top/middle of the upper frame.

Lights will be mounted under the lower frame.

The whole idea is to lift the lower frame straight up as much as possible..hopefully right up against the upper frame. (about 30")

It's impossible to follow the individual cables in too much detail on this crudely drawn diagram..suffice to say that as the actuator pulls horizontally, the pulleys translate that into vertical pull on all four sides for a straight lift. I think it will work, but....is it ever complicated!

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/Lightframe.jpg

Anyone know a good supplier of pulleys? How about a favourite aluminum fabricator?

[niloc16]

i would try princess auto for the pulleys. they are dirt cheap and have everything. a good friend of mine is a fabricator and a darn good one. have yet to see anything he cannot build or fix. if you want i can talk to him and see what he will charge to build the frame work. do you have the aluminum already? he live in richmond near the airport.

instead of having 4 points of lift, what if you were to put 2 supports across the middle, spaced out, on the lower frame at equal points. this is really hard to explain without drawing but on each of the 2 supports, had 2 attach points that a 1 cable is attached to. so in other words you would end up with a loop of cable attached at both on ends on one support. you would then only have to have 2 cables come down from the upper frame, attach to these 2 looped cable points and lift straight up. you can always use weights at corners to balance the unit if need be. sorry if this is confusing, i wish i could draw it for you

[untamed]

Like this?

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/Lightframesuggestion.jpg

I think the problem is that the tighter you make the loops (left), the less stability you get. The larger you make the loops (right), the less you can lift the frame because the peak of the loops will hit the pulleys.

[niloc16]

thats true. the is the idea i was thinking of. ok well back to your first drawing why not lift at the corners rather then the middled of the beams. i think that would give the most stability and even lifting

[untamed]

I think that lifting on the corners offers the most stability because it maximizes the distance between the pull points. Unfortunately, getting the cables to the corners would add even more complexity to the design than I've already got (more pulleys!).

Princess Auto was a great suggestion. I've now got the pulleys that I need.

[untamed]

It would say that the tank is "Done"..but I know that is a foolish statement. So I'm going to declare the tank "Ready".

The final big step was just completed. I gave up on being able to design the light lifter so well that I could have some aluminum fabricator build it perfectly....so I built it from 2x2.

Here's the overhead tracks. These allow the lights to slide straight backward into the fish room.

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0078.jpg

Here's the completed frames. This is a picture of both the upper and lower frames with the actuator fully lifted such that the lower frame is squeezed up against the upper frame. The actuator slides 30" horizontally, while the cables and pulleys tranfer the horizontal movement into vertical movement.

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0079.jpg

Here's the end result. Let's just say that the forest behind our house is no longer dark in the evening!

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0082.jpg

[untamed]

Here's some additional shots of the lighting system.

This first one shows how the lights can be lifted straight up by the actuator. A lift all the way to the ceiling takes just under 1 minute. That's the up/down controller that is laying on the bar in the front. I have some plans for that thing...

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0084.jpg

This is a side view showing how the lights can be rolled backward along the overhead tracks. The lights will go back another 2 feet, but the mess of power cords is currently pulling the lights back to this position each time I let go of them. I suppose that is a good indication of how smoothly they roll.

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0085.jpg

All in all...I can't believe that it actually works. I'm no engineer...I just made this stuff up and it actually works.

[niloc16]

that looks awesome. what type of lighting fixtures are those. looks sweet

[Delphinus]

Wow.

[untamed]

that looks awesome. what type of lighting fixtures are those. looks sweet

Those are 48" AquaMedic Ocean Light(s). 2 x 250W MH w/ 2 x 54w T5 Actinics

http://www.aqua-medic.com/products/products.php?category=Lighting&product=Ocean%20Light%20T5/MH%20Combo%20Series

[mark]

so your day job is building rocket ships or nuclear submarines?

[untamed]

so your day job is building rocket ships or nuclear submarines?

This is the first thing I've ever built!

[KrazyKuch]

well you have done a great job\

[untamed]

A bit of progress on the lights. This photo shows the bottom of a wall shelf that holds the three dual MH ballasts and the three wall-mounted timers that control all the lights. One timer is going to do the T5's, the 2nd does 2 of the MH ballasts, and the third does the third MH ballast.

***update 04/10*** After 3 years, the timer responsible for 2 of the MH began to fail intermittantly such that it would NOT shut the lights off properly. That Intermatic (now GE) timer was not rated to handle the load of 4 x 250W MH and has since been replaced with a more industrial timer with mechanical switching.

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0089.jpg
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0090.jpg

There are two dedicated electrical circuits there. One circuit has 2 x 250W MH + 6 x 54W T5....the other circuit has 4 x 250W MH only. Cool, you can almost read my labels...

Notice that three timers are synchronized...Yes, I admit I have a problem.

[untamed]

The tank is almost full of RO/DI water and I've added the salt. This is the salt that I am using. So far, I'm not happy with this salt.

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0091.jpg

Before I added the salt, the tank was full of crystal clear RO/DI water. After adding the salt, the tank is murky. The water is just not clear anymore. The salt has been mixing on the closed loops for 2 days now and seems fully dissolved. Jason, are you still using this salt?

In addition, look at this pile of sand and un-disolved bits (plastic maybe?) that have settled out. That all came from the salt because it wasn't there before.
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0092.jpg

[michika]

Sorry to hear about your salt. Are you going to change to something else?

Your lighting looks very sleek and clean!

[Chin_Lee]

your design and planning is amazing. Nice work. how much rock are you putting in there? aquascaping that monster is going to be fun

[untamed]

Sorry to hear about your salt. Are you going to change to something else?

Your lighting looks very sleek and clean!

Pretty tough to change salt now... Once I get the SpG adjusted, I'm hoping that I can filter to water clear. I'm keen to check the parameters of this salt.

[Joe Reefer]

I had same thing with the reef crystals I used to start up my tank last week. The filter bag was real dirty in less than 2 days. :neutral:

[untamed]

your design and planning is amazing. Nice work. how much rock are you putting in there? aquascaping that monster is going to be fun

I'm not sure how much rock there will be. At least a few hundred pounds, but I'm prepared to leave a lot of room for coral to grow. So I expect that the tank might not look very "full" by most standards.

I'll bring in the rock very slowly. The LR is probably going to be the most expensive living thing in the tank, so I don't intend to use it to cycle my tank with!

Typical of me, I have a plan for the aquascaping that was created as soon as I had the tank dimensions. There's thought put into sightlines and all the bottom bulkheads were actually positioned specifically to the plan. The 4' depth needs to be considered as does the 6' depth (when viewed from the side)

I'm not going to show the plan yet, because I need something to talk about later....

[justinl]

Oooohhhhh he's keeping us in suspense. I love seeing the evolution of this bad boy as it goes.

Why can't you switch salts now? You have nothing but water in the tank right? I mean, i think it would be better to switch to something more reliable now than to kick yourself later when you actually have living things in the tank.

[GrimReefer]

wow, man....WOW. what an amazing design. now hurry up and finish so we can see. :D

[michika]

Are you going to post the results of your tests on the salt? Can I ask why you chose that particular brand?

[Jason McK]

The tank is almost full of RO/DI water and I've added the salt. This is the salt that I am using. So far, I'm not happy with this salt.

Before I added the salt, the tank was full of crystal clear RO/DI water. After adding the salt, the tank is murky. The water is just not clear anymore. The salt has been mixing on the closed loops for 2 days now and seems fully dissolved. Jason, are you still using this salt?

In addition, look at this pile of sand and un-disolved bits (plastic maybe?) that have settled out. That all came from the salt because it wasn't there

Yes I'm still Very happy with the Ocean pure Salt. I continue to recommend it to all. I did switch back to Kent for a short while but found the dirt 100X worse than you have shown pictured above. With Kent I needed to scrub my water change bucket after every water change. I have gone through 3 buckets of OP and my mixing tank is still clean enough. Yes there is some sediment but nothing like Kent. Plus I have found that with OP I'm getting consistently good reading for everything. 470CA 8ALK 1400MG and with Kent I would lucky to get 320CA 4ALK 1150MG

these are just my experiences.


BTW your entire set up looks Fantastic.

J

[untamed]

Why can't you switch salts now? You have nothing but water in the tank right? I mean, i think it would be better to switch to something more reliable now than to kick yourself later when you actually have living things in the tank.

I could, but I have made a sizeable investment into this salt...both in time and money. It's water clarity that I'm immediately concerned about. If filtration clears that up, then I'll be happy.

Are you going to post the results of your tests on the salt? Can I ask why you chose that particular brand?

I will post my test results, as Jason has just done. I picked it based on good feedback from other users.

[Der_Iron_Chef]

Your tank looks absolutely beautiful so far! It's obvious that you've put lots of thought into it.

I used to use Kent salt and now I use OP, and I much prefer the OP! I think your problems will be solved with filtration...at least I hope so!

[untamed]

As of tonight, she's full of SW and running. Heaters are bringing things up to temp.

Since I had SW for the first time, I decided to fire up that G6 skimmer and see how it works. OK, this is going to need a little work. My gate valve mod leaks unacceptably and there are a lot of microbubbles getting into the sump. I'm not immediately sure how to correct this. Possibly a collection of rock rubble between the skimmer outlet and the return pump feed might do the trick.

Should give me something to work on while I start cycling the tank.

[vanreefer]

I put about a roll of teflon tape on before I slipped the gate valve on then I have the outlet plumber with 1 1/2" to my filter bag... no bubbles here....

HTH
Dan

[untamed]

I put about a roll of teflon tape on before I slipped the gate valve on then I have the outlet plumber with 1 1/2" to my filter bag... no bubbles here....
HTH
Dan

I like the filter bag suggestion. I tried it but it didn't seem to work....then I had a "eureka moment".

The G6 has three pumps. I found that I couldn't run all three because the water just goes right out the top of the skimmer. (I need to shorten the high of my gate valve mod) So I was running the skimmer on only 2 pumps.

The bubbles were exiting the skimmer through the pump that wasn't turned on! DOH!!! OK, so maybe it was more of a Homer Simpson moment.

[untamed]

2 x 250W heaters running all night didn't even warm the tank up from 67 F. I cranked the heaters to maximum, added another 150W of heaters, and turned the MHs on all day...

After 10 hours, I'm up to 76 F.

I may need bigger heaters, but once the lights are hitting rock things might behave differently.

[untamed]

Today, I built a black box. (Yes, I know what you are thinking...this just gets more exciting everyday!)

Soon, this black box will actually be interesting because it will house the tank's Aquatronica brain....and I have some pretty cool plans for this...trust me.

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0095.jpg

I think I may just be building stuff for no reason just to avoid taking the possibly heartbreaking step of actually putting life into the tank!

[michika]

Is it an acrylic box?

[untamed]

Yes, smoky black acrylic. I'm no acrylic expert, that's for sure...but it will do the job I need it to do.

[Ruth]

Well that's a darn nice black box:biggrin: Now get on with the process of getting some life in that tank! Why should you be spared the heartache that the rest of us have to suffer through with this dang hobby:mrgreen:
Seriously this is a great thread and your tank is going to be amazing with life in it.

[untamed]

Here's the results of the salt measurements:

Mg: 1350ppm
Ca: 440ppm
Alk: 3.0 meq/L or 8.3dKH

Those are certainly better numbers that I ever got from Kent.

The water is clearing up. Tonight, I added 4 large, very dead, tiger prawns. There is a bucket of bio-balls under one of the overflows. I'm going to cycle the tank using these bio-balls, so that when the LR comes in, there will be some bacterial support for the new rock.

Once the tank is stable following the LR addition, I'll remove the bio-balls.

Meanwhile, I've solved most of my skimmer problems. Capping my gate valve mod made it a lot quieter, and had the side effect of lowering the foam level to the point where the gate valve could now control it. I've never seen it recommended that you cap off the top of the gate valve mod, but it is working perfectly in this case. I'm going to have to glue the cone to the skimmer body because that seal just leaks too much for my taste.

Since I'll have some time to wait, I can start working on that black box...

[justinl]

If you don't mind me asking, where do you get your acrylic from? Do you pay for it or just search in th scrap bins? I ask because I don't live far from you (Port Moody)

[untamed]

The small acrylic work that I've been doing has always been from small scrap pieces. There's an acrylic place on the East side of Boundary Rd...between 1st and Hastings. Sorry, I can't remember what it is called.

They have some nice selection of rods, tubes etc....and they generally have a box of scrap that I've used to find the pieces that I need. They've even cut a couple pieces for me. The scraps aren't free, but they are pretty cheap!

[BCOrchidGuy]

Fiber Tek, just North of Kitchener on Boundary Road.

Awesome looking set up if this is the first thing you've built you're a natural and I know I'm not the first to say it but, WOW you have done an excellent job.

Doug

[untamed]

I've made enough headway on the "Black Box" to provide an interesting update...so here goes.

The box is mounted on the wall above the primary sump. This also helps hide a few power cords for the skimmer, Ca reactor recirc, and light lifter.
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0180.jpg

Inside the box is the main powerbar for the Aquatronica controller. The controller itself is also inside the box, along with all the connectors for pH, ORP or whatever else I may add in the future. For now, there is only a pH reading from the probe located in the Ca Reactor. The flash lit through the smoky black plexiglas and you can see the powerbar inside.
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0181.jpg

The reason that the Aquatronica is hidden away is that I rarely ever have to access it. All the input is handled by a 15" Touchscreen display that is mounted on a swing arm directly in front/below the rear centre viewing area.
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0183.jpg

I won't attempt to turn this into a detailed discussion of the AQT controller or AQT software, but these are the things that the controller is going to be handling for now:

1) Heating/Cooling using 2 x 250W heaters and 4 fans

2) CO2 solenoid based on pH reading from the Ca Reactor

3) Ca Reactor flow rate via control of the Omega peristaltic pump

4) Movement of the lights up and down. (I need to do some more wiring to enable this, but once completed the controller will be able to start the lights in the morning at 2 feet off the tank surface and slowly lower them to the water surface for Noon...then back up again in the evening.

5) Kalk reactor flow rate via another Omega peristaltic pump that I have yet to purchase! (I haven't bought a Kalk reactor yet either!)
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0182.jpg

...Yes, the fish get to watch TV if they get bored.

[untamed]

The tiger prawns have been cooking in there for three days now, and I have yet to be able to measure any ammonia. Typical of this hobby...the one time you want to see ammonia, you can't get it!

The prawns themselves still look pretty normal. They haven't turned to mush or anything like that. Maybe I should have used a dead fish instead...

There is a distinct smell starting to happen...and the tank is getting cloudy, so there must be some progress being made. Sigh...patience....patience.

Does anyone have a Nitrite kit they don't need any more? I don't want to purchase one, but I would like to monitor this cycle. Free, hands on, guided tour to anyone who wants to drop a nitrite kit off!

[justinl]

holy hell! high tech. I got two words for you my friend: "dream tank." and that is one niiiiice black box:biggrin:

I put a dead frozen shrimp in my tank to cycle and i got no ammonia either. I think it may have been a cooked shrimp? By the time it was half decomposed (by half i mean half the body was gone) I just threw in a chunk of squid and a new shrimp that was bigger and uncooked. I also added about 40lbs of cured LR and about 7lbs uncured LR rubble. that got my cycle going.

[Chin_Lee]

I've used pure ammonia from the grocery store to cycle my freshwater tanks before (with a fluidized bed filter). I would start off really small amounts and gradually increase until it was getting so efficient that I could dump in a table spoon of ammonia and get no reading by the next day.

The tiger prawns have been cooking in there for three days now, and I have yet to be able to measure any ammonia. Typical of this hobby...the one time you want to see ammonia, you can't get it!

The prawns themselves still look pretty normal. They haven't turned to mush or anything like that. Maybe I should have used a dead fish instead...

There is a distinct smell starting to happen...and the tank is getting cloudy, so there must be some progress being made. Sigh...patience....patience.

Does anyone have a Nitrite kit they don't need any more? I don't want to purchase one, but I would like to monitor this cycle. Free, hands on, guided tour to anyone who wants to drop a nitrite kit off!

[untamed]

6 days and still no measureable ammonia. That's it...tomorrow the prawns are coming out and I'm going to throw a large dead fish in there!

[michika]

Did the "television" you got for your aquatronica controller come as part of a package or did you have to purchase that and set it up separetly?

[untamed]

Did the "television" you got for your aquatronica controller come as part of a package or did you have to purchase that and set it up separetly?

It is more of a computer monitor than a TV... Aquatronica has an option by which you can connect the controller to a computer. In my case, that computer is an old laptop. That is an option that has to be purchased and it provides the connection cable as well as the computer software. You have to provide the computer.

The computer can be connected all the time, or just intermittantly when you want to make a change or update the firmware of the controller.

The Touchscreen is just an additional monitor connected to the laptop. I'm not aware of anyone else running AQT with a touchscreen...probably because touchscreens tend to be expensive. (I was fortunate to find one at a good deal!)

[michika]

I like the idea a lot. Can I ask where did you get the touch screen?

[untamed]

I'm not going to be much help here....

A friend had piece of equipment that used this touchscreen and he decommissioned the unit. I got to take parts from it! (That's why it looks so unfinished around the edges)

I assume that they could be purchased from a computer hardware specialty company of some sort. Here's the company that made mine.

http://www.elotouch.com/Products/LCDs/default.asp

[michika]

Thank you.
Do you know which model you have aquired? How do you like it so far? Any comments/complaints?

[untamed]

Thank you.
Do you know which model you have aquired? How do you like it so far? Any comments/complaints?

It's a model that has since been discontinued. It's a 1545L. I had to download the driver from their website.

No complaints with the monitor. It works perfectly. The driver allows "double-clicks" and "right-clicks". The only thing missing is a keyboard.

The AQT software wasn't written to be used exclusively with a touchscreen. There are parts that require a keyboard (like setting the temperature, for example). That is a limitation of the software, not the touchscreen. All in all, it is pretty rare that I have to haul up the labtop to input something.

As I get the system fully operational, I'll show some screen shots so you can get a better idea of what the software can do. There are graphs etc.

[untamed]

When you have a big tank, even little problems require BIG tools! It cost me $20 to fix a nagging leak. I would have purchased a larger wrench, but couldn't find one. (If you know of a better place than KMS, let me know)

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0102.jpg

[Delphinus]

Wow that's a big wrench. Whatcha using it on??

[untamed]

...troublesome threaded fitting on a true union valve. I needed a 1-11/16" wrench for a 1" valve. I wouldn't mind finding one for a 1.5" and even a 2".

I looked at an adjustable wrench of that size..$250!!! Awesome tool, though.

There's no doubt that warm SW finds a way out where cold FW can't.

[Delphinus]

Man I see myself just busting the fitting if I tried using something like that. Also broke far too many tanks overtightening bulkheads too (mind you smaller tanks with 1/4 glass .. maybe 1/2" and up is not so delicate). Just a thought, if it's a union that's not sealing, could you see about a new O-ring maybe? (as an alternative)

[justinl]

hahaha that wrench is enormous! you could probably knock out a bear with that bad boy.

[untamed]

Man I see myself just busting the fitting if I tried using something like that. Also broke far too many tanks overtightening bulkheads too (mind you smaller tanks with 1/4 glass .. maybe 1/2" and up is not so delicate). Just a thought, if it's a union that's not sealing, could you see about a new O-ring maybe? (as an alternative)

It's the threaded connection on the union, not the union portion itself. I was concerned about over tightening it, though. This enabled me to give it another 1/4 turn.

In most cases, I've found hand-tightening bulkheads to be sufficient as long as you have a nice smooth, flat surface to seal against. (Use good quality bulkheads!)

[Delphinus]

Oh ok, not the union itself, I see.

And yes, FWIW I agree, hand-tightening bulkheads should be all you need. :) I was just saying, you can crack glass by overtightening those.

However ....

You can still crack open a FNPT to MNPT connection if you overtighten. I was doing the exact same thing as you about a week ago on 1.5" pipe, I just used a pipe wrench, and that "extra 1/4 turn" was all it needed to crack open. Just sharing some experiences... trust me I've found lots of creative ways to break things. :)

[untamed]

Yesterday was a good day. My first shipment of LR and sand arrived in Seattle at about 8PM last night (shipped from Tampa Bay Saltwater). A quick zip down to Seattle and back got the rock into the sump and sand in the tank by midnight.

150lbs of sand...250lbs of rock... Yes, I'm in the tank at this point...
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0103.jpg
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0184.jpg

I threw one particularly large rock into the tank and 2 mantis sprang out. By the time I'm done, I bet there are 12 or more mantis in the main tank. My intention is to keep the mantis, but I may hunt down the crabs. (then again, the mantis might do that for me...)
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0104.jpg

[niloc16]

thats awesome. feels good to finally get stuff in the tank hey. i hated waiting

[justinl]

sweet! something other than people are finally in there!

by the way in case you were curious about an ID of the mantids you have, my guess is almost definitely Neogonodactylus Wennerae. They are very common on LR shipments from tampabaysaltwater for some reason. I can't be surea bout your other mantis(es) but the one in the pic is a classic red morph of an N. wennerae.

Do you have any experience with these guys? I would give each mantis a separate tank. If you don't have room, please sell them, don't kill em.

[michika]

That is cool! What kind of rock is it?

[Joe Reefer]

What... no cloudy tank shot? :mrgreen:

[untamed]

sweet!

Do you have any experience with these guys? I would give each mantis a separate tank. If you don't have room, please sell them, don't kill em.

Thanks for the ID. I've kept a green one in a small 2 gallon system for a couple of years now. I find them so entertaining that my intention is to keep all the mantis I get IN the new tank. Don't worry...I won't be killing them.

What do you think will happen if I have 12 or more in the main display tank? Do they kill each other?

[untamed]

What... no cloudy tank shot? :mrgreen:

You know, there almost wasn't time. I went to bed and by the time I awoke, the tank had cleared.

I meant to post this one, but I forgot. Here is a tank view. You can see that I just tossed one extra rock into the display. That single rock contained 2 mantis. This first load of rock was supposed to be for the sump only, but I needed something to look at. I need a bit more sand, but not too much more since I intend to have the back portion of the tank bb.
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0108.jpg

I have some work to do on the CL outputs. A couple of them are hitting the sand too hard. I need to adjust their direction before I turn on the CLs.

[Midknight]

Dibs on any extra mantis you might end up with. :wink:

And everything is looking sweet.

[digitalsteve]

was there any hassle bringing the rock accross the border?

did you have to pay duty?

i am looking at ordering some rock from those guys... was the shipping price fair?

[justinl]

:biggrin: nice to hear about another mantis lover.

12 mantids will almost definitely not coexist. If you wan't to have coexisting mantids make sure you have lots and lots of holes in your LR (wennerae chill in holes in LR, not sand) of DIFFERING size. The only problem i see you having is the fact that they are wennerae and are one of the more aggressive mantids. Don't expect great results, but in a 400gal with lots of holey LR i expect a few will coexist quite nicely.

Do you mind posting a pic of the green mantis you got in the 2gal? How big is the mantis? No fully grown adult species i know of are recommended in a 2gal.

[untamed]

was there any hassle bringing the rock accross the border?

did you have to pay duty?

i am looking at ordering some rock from those guys... was the shipping price fair?


No hassle whatsoever.

No duty..just PST and GST

My shipment was 300 lbs and cost $200 US to ship.

[untamed]

:biggrin: nice to hear about another mantis lover.

12 mantids will almost definitely not coexist. If you wan't to have coexisting mantids make sure you have lots and lots of holes in your LR (wennerae chill in holes in LR, not sand) of DIFFERING size. The only problem i see you having is the fact that they are wennerae and are one of the more aggressive mantids. Don't expect great results, but in a 400gal with lots of holey LR i expect a few will coexist quite nicely.

Do you mind posting a pic of the green mantis you got in the 2gal? How big is the mantis? No fully grown adult species i know of are recommended in a 2gal.

Who knows how many I might end up with in the next 400 lbs of rock?...If the average is 2 per rock, they must live in tight proximity in the wild. I might never know how many I actually have. There will certainly be lots of holes to occupy.

I doubt that my fellow is very happy in his 2 gallon. He's got enough space to zip around in there, but it must be pretty boring all by himself. He gets a hermit crab for entertainment every now and then. He's very tame, but I'm still not comfortable feeding him by hand.

I got him in March, 2004 in a shipment of Florida LR. He spent the first 6 months in my 30 gallon hex before I noticed him and moved him to the 2 gallon he's in now. Over that time, I think he's grown to be no more than 1.75".

He has tunnelled out a large portion of the rock on the left. His entrance is underneath it.

He'll move into the new tank as soon as it is ready.

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/000_0265.jpg

One of his meals! This was just a terrible thing to watch and listen to. It went on for hours and hours with the mantis slowly whacking this crab into itty-bitty pieces.

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/000_0385.jpg

[justinl]

I is confused. I want to say G. smithii because of the meral spot (white ring with dark purple centre) but G smithii don't live in Florida. Anyways, a full grown G. smithii is rated for 5 gal minimum. At 2 inches, 2 gal is fine temporarily.

Just keep in mind that you may lose him once he enters the battlegrounds we know as "400". i also wanted to point out that at the rate you're getting mantids in the tank and the amount of LR you'll have, you're obviously not going to be able to target feed all the mantids. This is going to cause fierce competition i think. This will lower the survival rate of your mantids in the 400 but i don't know what you could possibly do about it.

for future reference, the general set up for mantids is not BB. they usually need a sand bed, LR and rubble (small rocks and/or shells). wennerae chill in holes in the LR. not sure what G smithii do normally.

poor crabby. some mantids just like to play with their food. hehehe, yeah i wouldn't hand feed any mantis either.

[untamed]

I is confused. I want to say G. smithii because of the meral spot (white ring with dark purple centre) but G smithii don't live in Florida. Anyways, a full grown G. smithii is rated for 5 gal minimum. At 2 inches, 2 gal is fine temporarily.

Just keep in mind that you may lose him once he enters the battlegrounds we know as "400". i also wanted to point out that at the rate you're getting mantids in the tank and the amount of LR you'll have, you're obviously not going to be able to target feed all the mantids. This is going to cause fierce competition i think. This will lower the survival rate of your mantids in the 400 but i don't know what you could possibly do about it.

for future reference, the general set up for mantids is not BB. they usually need a sand bed, LR and rubble (small rocks and/or shells). wennerae chill in holes in the LR. not sure what G smithii do normally.

poor crabby. some mantids just like to play with their food. hehehe, yeah i wouldn't hand feed any mantis either.

Not his best photo. I'm sure he is green wennerae. He hasn't gotten any bigger in quite some time.

You're right, I won't be able to target feed. I'm hoping that they will choose to hunt hermit crabs. It is no problem to dump a few hundred hermits in there from time to time. Combined with the existing crab population, that's my feeding plan. To my knowledge, I don't know anyone else who has tried this.

The 400 will be mostly sandy bottom.

[untamed]

The tank temp dropped to 76.5 last night. Looking at the history, the tank temp has been falling slowly ever since I had to shut off the two CL to prevent sand storm a few days ago.

Clearly, my 2 x 250W heaters can't cut it on their own and need the heat from all the pumps and lights in order to keep the temperature up.

Temperature in the fish room this morning was 68 degrees.

This all bodes well for maybe not needing a chiller...

MHs are going on today for 4 hours or so. It will be interesting to see what affect they have on room temperature.

[Phanman]

More pics man, lol. Im dying to see the progress on this bad boy.

[04scoobysti]

Love the rockwork and bar rail!! I had the same sort of plan for my next tank! You have executed every detail perfectly, im very impressed!

[deep6er]

I think you need to invest in a few more heaters just incase, that big of a tank you don't want to risk anything.

Great work, keep it up.

[untamed]

I think you need to invest in a few more heaters just incase, that big of a tank you don't want to risk anything.

Great work, keep it up.

I just ordered a single 500W Finnex titanium. That will increase my total heater wattage from 500W to 750W.

The good (OK, GREAT) people of JL were able to double-check a water test and they confirmed what I suspected...my ammonia test kit was too old and it simply wasn't working at all. (Thanks!!) I certainly have ammonia present, so my tank cycling is well underway. Yeah!

I did an immediate 40 gallon water change, even though none of the tank's few inhabitants are showing any stress. (Mantis haven't lost their appetite!)

I've also got to find out some way of preventing sand from being sucked up into the CL intakes. It's OK now that everything has settled down, but if any sand gets stirred up, there's nothing preventing it from being sucked into the CL. I've already had one of the 4-ways jam up from getting some sand in it. A 6"L x 4"W x 2"D piece of sponge over the inlet worked well until I just caught one of the sponges before it got completely sucked into the intake. I need some sort of combination of strainer and sponge. Maybe a sponge wrapped around a strainer with zip ties...but I would like something more elegant than that. I've got some new strainers on the way to experiment with.

[honkey sauce]

i have 350gal with 4x250w heaters that work well.Id rather have 1 too many in case 1 fails

[Jason McK]

If you "T" off the intake of your closed loop then each end of the "T" will have less preasure draw. His will help with the sand issue. It's not pretty but it works. Also I had Paul @ OM mod my drum so that the drum was full width on the edges but in the middle it is about 2mm narrower. this way sand passes freely through the unit. I havn't needed to pull my OM 4-way appart in 8 or 9 months.

J

[untamed]

If you "T" off the intake of your closed loop then each end of the "T" will have less preasure draw. His will help with the sand issue. It's not pretty but it works. Also I had Paul @ OM mod my drum so that the drum was full width on the edges but in the middle it is about 2mm narrower. this way sand passes freely through the unit. I havn't needed to pull my OM 4-way apart in 8 or 9 months.

J

I had heard that you had some trouble with sand in your four ways...but never heard your solution. Here's a reason to take your 4-way apart...so you can show me a photo! I'm imagining the drum as a concave shape....From the side, it looks like ")("....?

I had been thinking about the "T" on the intakes...That would really increase the amount of plumbing in the tank. If it all can be hidden behind the rocks, it might be OK.

[Jason McK]

Ya Mine looks like crap but it is nesessary
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g293/Jasonmck/DSCF0005-1Medium.jpg

your right the drum looks like ")(" and works really well. What version are you running? I might have a spare

J

[untamed]

What version are you running? I might have a spare

J

They are version 3's.

[untamed]

With not too much else to look at in the tank, I've been entertained by the two mantis. One larger, red one...and one smaller green one. (same species, I'm sure). Just as I began to think they might actually enjoy each other's company, there was a big snapping tussle and the smaller one took off out of the rock like a shot! No harm seems to have been done....this time.

They still share the same rock. (they don't have any choice, but it is a pretty large rock with lots of holes) It would seem that occasionally they end up in the same place at the same time....

This is the larger of the two. I suppose the most interesting thing about this picture is that it is taken through 1" plexi and 6 feet of water. You can also see a large orange tunicate that probably isn't going to make it...
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/100_0187.jpg

Killing time, waiting for cycle to complete....

[Midknight]

I don't know about having all the mantises that you think in the tank. Best get rid of a few while you can still catch them. :wink:

And I have just the home for big red there. :biggrin:

[justinl]

You'll probably get a few more with the new shipment of LR too. My bet is that there will be a few deaths. A researcher on these guys said that although mantids can live together sometimes in the wild, they're usually different more docile species. N. wennerae are just too aggressive. Still, a couple might decide to live with eachother with only a few ritualised tussles.

[Funkytone]

When you have a big tank, even little problems require BIG tools! It cost me $20 to fix a nagging leak. I would have purchased a larger wrench, but couldn't find one. (If you know of a better place than KMS, let me know)



I'm a little late on the reply but...... Princess Auto has all sorts of tools that you can usually pickup at Home Depot, Rona etc. They're at United Blvd & King Edward. Awesome prices and they've got tons of piping too. Highly recommend them for all sorts of project supplies. The Langley location's closer so I usually go there.

www.princessauto.com

Looking forward to a tank tour if the opportunity comes up :lol: Watching this project has helped me pass the time while I wait to get rock for my 75 Gal.

Keep up the GREAT work,

-Tony

[untamed]

I don't know about having all the mantises that you think in the tank. Best get rid of a few while you can still catch them. :wink:

And I have just the home for big red there. :biggrin:

Ha..ha..duly noted.

You'll probably get a few more with the new shipment of LR too. My bet is that there will be a few deaths. A researcher on these guys said that although mantids can live together sometimes in the wild, they're usually different more docile species. N. wennerae are just too aggressive. Still, a couple might decide to live with each other with only a few ritualised tussles.

Once the rest of the rock starts coming in, I imagine that the little guy will find a safer home. You're next in line to get wayward mantis..es. If you want them...I think I saw over 100 posts from you on the mantis forum of RC!

[kaboom]

I'd really like to see your close loop design, anyway you can post some diagrams/photos? Or perhaps describe the layout, # of intake/outlet, position and gph per outlet. Really admire your setup!

[untamed]

I'd really like to see your close loop design, anyway you can post some diagrams/photos? Or perhaps describe the layout, # of intake/outlet, position and gph per outlet. Really admire your setup!

As the Dart is rated at 3600gph with 0 head, I expect I'm pretty close to 3000gph through each CL depending on friction loss. 2" pipe to the pump, 1.5" output from the pump, 4x1" outlets from the 4-way.

You might refer to page 2 of this thread for more detail, including pictures of the pumps, 4-ways and back intakes/outlets.

Here's a flow diagram of the 2 closed loops. This is a top view, so you can see the position of the tank bottom outlets. Red/Green fire together, then purple/brown. The one grey line coming straight down from the right loop is actually at tank drain. Arrows show direction of flow through the loop..NOT the direction of water in the tank or the direction that the outlets point. Little triangles are union ball valves.

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/CLtopview-5.jpg

As the 4-ways rotate, the 2 back wall outlets all fire at the same time, then the tank bottom outlets fire. This pushes water forward and generally downward, then upward and back toward the overflows. The idea is to create a "rolling effect". It would have worked even better if I had placed the "red" outlets closer to the front of the tank, but I couldn't stand to look at them there.

This also has the effect of blowing the sand/detritus toward the front of the tank...which will keep stuff out from under the rockwork and up front where I can see it and clean it out.

[justinl]

seriously?! thank you so much, I would definitely appreciate some mantids! Actually I owe ticketyboo one. He reserved one for me even though he was looking to get one himself... so now he gets first dibs on anything i find.

lol yeah RC, that's me alright. RC is the best source for reliable mantis info. Dr. Roy is my hero. I felt that after taking so much info from there, I figured i should give back to the community... or something, lol.

[demon666]

hell id take a few mantises off your hands as well... .if youd be willing to ship them to edmonton

[untamed]

Yes... I have Nitrate at a level of at least 10ppm. Isn't that wonderful?!! Yes, it means that my cycle has completed. I'll double check on ammonia/nitrite tomorrow, but I don't think I'll find any.

Two loads of Live Rock, some fish and I'll have the start of a decent aquarium instead of just a big construction project...and...well...a bit of a nitrate hangover...

[untamed]

I got tired of removing the skimmer cup every time it got full....so I put this little modification on yesterday. A little 1/4 inch line with a valve on the end so that whenever the cup looks a little full, I can drain it without shutting down the skimmer.

I'll put one other bulkhead in as an emergency overflow. Emergency overflow will just fall back into the tank. If the cup gets too full, the skimmer starts percolating like a coffee maker.

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0188.jpg

[Norstar]

Brilliant!!!

[Jason McK]

Sorry Brad finally took my OM appart. Been busy helping people move entire stores full of Photo labs :)

Here is my Modified drum
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g293/Jasonmck/DSCF0002-1.jpg

[untamed]

Yes, I can see the difference in that drum. Paul should make that a standard issue. I suppose mine will eventually wear out and I'll have Paul make my new ones with the "McKenzie Mod".

[untamed]

(**UPDATE**) The following mod was later removed from the filter screens because it clogged up nearly every day. Once the tank sand settled, there proved to be no need for these filters in any case. (**UPDATE**)

Here is the result of my DIY solution to preventing sand from going in the intakes of my CLs. I wanted to achieve 3 things:

1) Not make anything that was too ugly
2) Increase the surface area of the intake so as to reduce suction and make the intakes generally safer for critters and fish
3) Prevent sand from getting through

Here's the result. Original intake screen on the left, new modified screen on the right. Now...if only I could find black coarse foam.
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0122.jpg

I'll post more detailed photos on the DIY thread if anyone wants to see exactly how these were made. Here's the link to that thread:

http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=243136#post243136

[BCOrchidGuy]

Oh My GOSH, it looks so amazing. What more can I say, amazing.

Doug

[untamed]

I think that I can now say that I actually have an aquarium. Still no fish, but yesterday was a significant one. Another run to Seattle and I have my first load of real, aquacultured Live rock.

This is about 1/2 of the rock that I will need overall. I haven't done any kind of aquascaping...just get the rocks into the tank so they can recover from the trip.

Here's what the tank looks like as of a few minutes ago. Even with the rocks just laying around the bottom, the tank depth makes it quite visually interesting already. The tall gorgonians help out a lot.
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0124.jpg

Here's a closer shot of one of the rocks. It has a 20"+ coral growing on it. I think it is a gorgonian of some kind.
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0126.jpg

Here's a close up of that branching coral pictured above. Can anyone identify what this is?
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0583.jpg

Here's another shot of another interesting rock. This one has about 15 good sized gorgonians (purple w/white, cream w/gold). They have had polyps extended since the moment they went into the tank. I need to do some research on care/feeding of gorgonians....
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0125.jpg

Finally, identified hitch-hikers included about a dozon large crabs, countless starfish, 1 large hermit and about 6 small ones, at least 3 pistol shrimp, and this porcelin crab. No mantis were seen, but they are being heard!
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0581.jpg

[justinl]

wow, yeah Id say you officially have an aquarium all right! im curious about that gorgonian too... very pretty.

[Skimmerking]

:mrgreen:
Tamed that is looking really awesome man. now you want to get a picture of the misses in the tank NOW!!!!!!!!

[Skimmerking]

you didnt need a permit to bring the rock over the border.

[Liverock]

No permits needed to drive to the US, pick up and drive back across....there are taxes involved, depending on the customs guy.......in the old days they said "what is live rock"?? but these days they have more experiance on the laws...and how to process a border crossing...Brad is the guy to ask!

Richard TBS:smile: :smile: :smile:

[untamed]

It has been my experience this far that they don't really understand what Live Rock is. (Why would they?) Now...I'm not going out of my way to explain it to them, either. I just answer the questions that they ask. "How long have you been in the US, What have you acquired?...How much is it worth?..."

When they ask, I just tell them that it is rock for my aquarium. You're not going to successfully explain how the biological filtration of a reef aquarium works to a border officer in 30 seconds...and you know...they don't really care...Sometimes, they'll sometimes ask a ton of questions, but they don't hear the answers. They just want to hear that you have answers.

They do struggle with how to classify it for importation purposes. The first time, they classified it as "sand" (because I did have some sand, as well). This time, it was classified as "limestone". Next time, I'll be bringing the previous paperwork and I'll be telling THEM how to classify it.

Either way, it is a product of the US and qualifies as duty-free. You pay your 6% GST and 7% PST and be on your way.

It's not the cheapest alternative, believe me...but the best rarely is.

[Delphinus]

Amazing score on those gorgs. If the polyps are brown or tan coloured then they will be photosynthetic in which case you're set. If non-photosynthetic well then you'll have to do a little work finding the right sized foods but if you can find that you should have some success with them.

[Delphinus]

How many lbs of rock is that so far (guesstimated) ?

[untamed]

Amazing score on those gorgs. If the polyps are brown or tan coloured then they will be photosynthetic in which case you're set. If non-photosynthetic well then you'll have to do a little work finding the right sized foods but if you can find that you should have some success with them.

One type of the gorgonia certainly has brown/tan polyps. I sure hope you are right about them being photosynthetic. That would make things much easier on them. I do have plans for this to be a heavily fed plankton tank, but I know that I'll never sustain corals that need to be target fed.

How many lbs of rock is that so far (guesstimated) ?

Somewhere between 150 and 200 lbs. By the time I'm done, there should be lots of free swimming and growth space left.

[Delphinus]

I'm not sure you really need to target feed the non-ps gorgs. I used to think so but now I wonder if as long as the right sized particles are being added to the water, they should be able to catch them.. (?? after all they're not target fed in the wild, but who knows). So you may need to experiment a little, like having a "feed mode" for a few minutes (or more) with subdued currents and so on. I'm just theorizing of course, I haven't had any long-term success with the non-ps gorgs as yet but I do have about 4 varieties of photosynthetic ones that seem to be doing well (I'm always on the lookout for other ps ones).

No idea on the ID of that funky gorg/mystery coral but the others look like they might be Muriceopsis flavida "purple plume gorgonian" (just a guess, I'm no expert).

.. I was going to link in a few pictures of the one I have (purple plume) but apparently my webspace has disappeared off Shaw ?? Weird. Well maybe another time, now I need to figure out where all my pictures I had uploaded have gone to ??

[untamed]

I came to realize quite late that I feeding a tank of this size with DTs was going to get a bit expensive...so, like any good addict, I decided to brew my own.

I rigged up this little baby from an empty salt pail. (in a few years, I might be able to build a garage from empty salt pails, and I'm looking for anyone who has a design to build an automobile from empty salt pails)

The light fooled my camera. It's not really this green. This device could make 6 litres per week of phytoplankton. I'm not sure how much I'll be need.
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/100_0206.jpg

Here's the recipe I've used so far:

1 tbsp of DTs reefblend
2 L SW mixed to about 1.020
14 drops of concentrated plant food
1 ml of Kent essential elements
Continuous gentle bubbling
16 hours of light, 8 hours dark
Brew until dark

My first ever batch achieved this in 6 days. The colour of this photo is very accurate. My first brew isn't as green as I would prefer. On the final day, it began to take on a distinct red/yellow tinge. It is still very dark. It's possible that the colour is simply due to the the specific plankton that happen to multiply best from the DTs mix.
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/100_0207.jpg

I've started another batch, using less plant food. I'm thinking that the first batch may have run out of food, so by cutting the food in half, I should see a dramatic result that will tell me what I need to do.

[michika]

What did you use for food in your culture medium?

[untamed]

What did you use for food in your culture medium?

Schultz 8-14-9 African violet liquid plant food.

8% N
14% PO4
9% K2O (Potash)
.1% Fe
.05% Mn
.05% Zn

Hmmm, you know I just realized that I have an african violet that hasn't been looking too great lately. I think I'll give some to it!

[michika]

I'm using a different product for my culture medium so I was quite curious! Would you be so kind as to continue to update the status of your phytoplankton?

[untamed]

I was doing a bit of gardening on this unusual coral (I still have no id on this, but I suspect it is a type of gorgonian). You can see in the photo below that the coral has some sort of hairy red algae growing in/on it. I was in the process of carefully tweezing that stuff out of there with 2 foot tongs when I found...it...

First, on the extreme left side of the following picture, on the tips of the branches...you can see white blobs. Those are nudibranchs of some kind. It turns out that there are probably 10+ of them on this particular coral. (unfortunately, I suspect they are killing the coral...but we'll see)

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/000_0058.jpg

But have a closer look at that photo. Look directly in the centre. There is a highly disguised ______? (crab?) It has 8 long legs, and no perceivable body. (sea spider would be a good description)

Here's a close up for the hard of seeing....
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/000_0058a.jpg

OK, confirmed that this is a sea spider. Here is an excellent article about them.
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-01/rs/index.php

[Shrimpy]

It looks like a sea spider for sure. Check one out here... http://www.captbluefin.com/mysterious_creatures.htm Kinda looks like the one you have. :mrgreen:

[justinl]

I woudn't describe your "crab" as a sea spider. I would just call it that. sea spiders have some cool biology about them but are generally frowned upon in home aquariums. most feed on corals and or anemones i believe so yes i do believe it is munching your coral there. I read on wiki (how much do you trust that site? lol) that although they feed on anemones in a similar fashoin to a mosquito sucking blood, the anemone will almost always survive unscathed. Don't knw bout corals.

sorry, can't say anything bout the nudis.

[untamed]

I woudn't describe your "crab" as a sea spider. I would just call it that. sea spiders have some cool biology about them but are generally frowned upon in home aquariums. most feed on corals and or anemones i believe so yes i do believe it is munching your coral there. I read on wiki (how much do you trust that site? lol) that although they feed on anemones in a similar fashoin to a mosquito sucking blood, the anemone will almost always survive unscathed. Don't knw bout corals.

sorry, can't say anything bout the nudis.

I'll get a better shot of the nudis. Depth of field wouldn't allow me get both the spider and the nudis in focus at the same time.

I hope that the coral can take his feeding as I would certainly like to keep both in the tank.

Oh...I have a third mantis now. Another large, red, Wennarae. I haven't seen the smaller one now for 3 or 4 days...But I don't consider that to be unusual.

So that's mantis, gogonian eating nudis, too many gorilla crabs to count...and now a blood sucking sea spider. The tank is living up to my reputation nicely!

[untamed]

I spent about an hour observing the nudibranchs on that coral. It wasn't too difficult to see that they were in the process of decimating that coral. The larger of them was easily ingesting polyps at a rate of about 1 every 2 minutes and they were very mobile.

So...spent another hour or so picking them off the coral with tweezers. I haven't tried to exterminate them, but I have removed 6 or 7 of the largest ones.

At the same time, it was convenient to watch the sea spider a bit more. He is also eating this coral, but the pace at which he does it looks much less destructive, so he's going to remain.

It seems that if you stare at anything in this tank long enough, you'll see something new. There are at least 3 of what appear to be mantis fry attached to this same coral.

[justinl]

wow your tank already sounds sweet! i love the weird inverts. never did understand why so many people hated sea spiders. I think they look pretty cool. and that guys camouflage is great too. took me a while to find him in the pic.

hehehe sounds like you've got the beginnings of a mantis community! unfortunately the mantis fry (if that's what they are) will almost certainly die for various reasons. oh well, what can ya do?

are you sure they're not pods? here's a pic of a mantis larvae at different ages...
http://www.imagequest3d.com/pages/current/pictureoftheweek/stomatopod/stomatopod.htm

[Liverock]

wow your tank already sounds sweet! i love the weird inverts. never did understand why so many people hated sea spiders. I think they look pretty cool. and that guys camouflage is great too. took me a while to find him in the pic.

hehehe sounds like you've got the beginnings of a mantis community! unfortunately the mantis fry (if that's what they are) will almost certainly die for various reasons. oh well, what can ya do?

are you sure they're not pods? here's a pic of a mantis larvae at different ages...
http://www.imagequest3d.com/pages/current/pictureoftheweek/stomatopod/stomatopod.htm

That link to the mini mantis is awesome!

looks like something right out of the Alien movie, very cool...

and the spider.....they are only around for about 2 months of the year, early spring, then they disappear, so you got lucky getting one, they are such a cool critter!
Richard TBS

[untamed]

These are certainly not 'pods' as most of us know them. Actually, they look pretty much like the mantis fry in that link. Here's my best shot of one.

They hang onto the branch with their back end. It's pretty much impossible to get a really good picture of one as the coral moves about in the current. In this shot, it is dead centre of the frame, leaning toward 10 O'clock. You can see both of the large raptorial appendages that lead me to believe that is what these are. This critter is probably 7-8mm long.
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/000_0068a.jpg

The sea spider also gave me a better pose. Here it is again.
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/000_0074a.jpg

[Renegade]

I might have missed it but how did you actually transport the rock up here ? was it in water the whole time ? i got the driving it up from Seattle. where abouts is the rock actually from. How did you manage to get the rock without any of those corals breaking off ?

Kyle

[Snappy]

I just picked up on this thread today after someone had asked me if I'd been following along with your progress. I know I will now. :wink: This is a very impressive set up you have and will I'm sure become an equally impressive reef. Well done and good luck. Thanks for sharing.

[untamed]

I might have missed it but how did you actually transport the rock up here ? was it in water the whole time ? i got the driving it up from Seattle. where abouts is the rock actually from. How did you manage to get the rock without any of those corals breaking off ?

Kyle

The rock is from Tampa Bay Saltwater... www.tbsaltwater.com

The rock is packed in water for the entire trip. As for how the gorgonians made the trip, I would attribute that to good packaging, flexibility and an overall short travel time.

[untamed]

I could stand it no longer...I've added a fish. Here is the first fish in the 400 - a Blonde Naso Tang. He (?) has been happily grazing on the plentiful macroalgae and is very adept at removing the grapes from the grape caulerpa.

This is actually a view from the back of the tank. It does provide a first look at where I'm headed with the rockwork.

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0213.jpg

He's about 5-6" long. I thought that was pretty big until I put him in the tank. He looks pretty small in there.

[demon666]

looking sweet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[BlondNasoTang]

Looking really good, your blond Naso will gorw to be quite the large fish in that tank

[untamed]

Looking really good, your blond Naso will grow to be quite the large fish in that tank

I certainly hope so!

[Delphinus]

:cool:

[Justusfish]

I have to say that is the "liveliest" live rock I have ever seen. Quite amazing. Really!!! I'm so used to the local, almost barren live rock you get here.

[justinl]

i got no idea what to make of those "mantis fry". could very well be mantids, but i can't see very well. you know what that means don't you? I have to stop by! *sigh*:biggrin: if only i didn't have finals... stupid SFU, school freakin... *mumble mumble*

[Liverock]

....look at his big fat belly!:biggrin:

Richard TBS

[Joe Reefer]

That rock is awesome, you dont have any room for corals.

[04scoobysti]

:biggrin:

[untamed]

That rock is awesome, you dont have any room for corals.

There's going to be penty of room for SPS. The real challenge seems to be that in order to build up a little height I need to put a rock on top of another rock. Every rock has such nice stuff on it that I can't stand to doom it by covering it with another rock.

[Renegade]

hey just wondering how the tank is any updates?

Kyle

[untamed]

hey just wondering how the tank is any updates?

Kyle

Yesterday, I started in Atlanta. I spend a couple of hours at the Georgia Aquarium. Here's a shot of their famous whale shark display. It's been mentioned before, but 2 foot thick acrylic is pretty impressive!
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0011.jpg

After milling around for a while, I was fortunate enough to go on a behind the scenes tour. Here is a back room look at GA's Reef setup. I believe they said they had 18,000W of MH, supplemented by natural sunlight.
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0031.jpg

Here's a small portion of the filtration system dedicated to the reef tank.
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0029.jpg

You know...for all that money and technology, their reef still has a long way to grow up to. Awesome dump bucket system, though. I was also very surprised by the small size of their coral propagation area.
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0027.jpg
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0042.jpg

The highlight of the tour was the backroom view of the whale shark display. You get to stand on the catwalk that reaches directly over the tank and the sharks swim directly under your feet. Stunning animals...
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0075.jpg
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0077.jpg

I made a note of these schooling fish. Really tight school. Definitely on my fish list now.
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0024.jpg

Finally, I flew from Atlanta to Seattle and met up with my final shipment of rock from TampaBay Saltwater. Some airport delays, 2 hr drive, 3.5 hours to get all the rock and critters unpacked and the end result was a day of about 36 hours with 1 hour of sleep! All worth it though, as you will see shortly...

[i2ik]

Nice pictures! Thanks a lot! What kind of schooling fish is that?

[untamed]

Nice pictures! Thanks a lot! What kind of schooling fish is that?

They were called "pigmy sweepers".

[Paverdude]

Hmmm.. a whale shark aquarium, if i only had a little more room!

[wayner]

In my next life, I want to come back as you. :biggrin:

[Liverock]

Ok wheres the pictures??:biggrin:

[Renegade]

links dead for pics

Kyle

[untamed]

links dead for pics
Kyle

Must have been a temporary problem with Photobucket. Seems ok now.

I've just received my first electrical bill since I fired up the system. It would seem that the tank is "currently" using about $50/month in electricity...actually better than my expectations, although I plan to run the lights for a few hours more per day than I am presently.

[untamed]

I have now seen the mantis within reach of a small fish on many occasions. The mantis has never shown any interest in attack. (Mantis and fish are about equal in size - 1.5") One time, the fish landed right on the back of the mantis. The fish has also evicted the mantis from one of his holes, so it would seem that the fish is the boss.

Last night, I also watched one run right into a group of a dozen camel shrimp. I expected to see some real natural hunting behaviour but....They were nose-to-nose for a few minutes before the mantis decided to move on. The shrimp didn't seem the least bit concerned about him.

I hear them hunting, but I have yet to see what they are eating. I suspect that they are taking hermit crabs and snails.

[untamed]

OK, here's a tank shot to keep people's interest up...

I'm still not finished. I think I'll move a large piece from the right to the left and from the left to the right. If there is anything nice about aquascaping this tank it is that each piece weighs 30lb - 50lbs...no cement required!

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0250.jpg

Soon...I get to add the sponges. Here they are, in the sump waiting.

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0225-1.jpg

[justinl]

tank is coming along quite nicely! so you're one of the few who still use bioballs huh? make sure you rinse those once in a while... though im sure you know that already.

weird about the mantids. do you feed them other stuff intentionally? maybe you just have hippy mantids!

[Delphinus]

Wow that's a lot of sponge! Where are they from? What's their care requirements, I thought they were phytoplankton feeders? Or is it zooplankton?

Nice to see most if not all of the gorgs are still with us! :)

[danny zubot]

You're really going all out with this tank! If you are putting this much into your softies already I can't wait to see what SPS peices you come across.

[untamed]

tank is coming along quite nicely! so you're one of the few who still use bioballs huh? make sure you rinse those once in a while... though im sure you know that already.

weird about the mantids. do you feed them other stuff intentionally? maybe you just have hippy mantids!

The bioballs were placed to create some first bio filtration so that the rock would have an easier time when it first entered. I've actually been removing the bioballs slowly over the past few weeks. As of yesterday, they are all gone.

I do feed the mantis, because it is fun!

Wow that's a lot of sponge! Where are they from? What's their care requirements, I thought they were phytoplankton feeders? Or is it zooplankton?

Nice to see most if not all of the gorgs are still with us! :)

Yes, the photosynthetic gorgs are doing great! I'm less positive about the others...

The sponges are part of the TBSaltwater rock shipment. As for sponge care requirements...good questions that I can't find an answer for. One source suggests that they feed on bacteria. I am feeding a huge variety of phyto, zoo, fine particulate food etc...but the survival rate for sponges of this kind is very low.

[untamed]

Always have a camera ready by the tank...

Last night as I was watching TV, there was some very loud "whacking" and I could see a blur of movement across the front of the tank.

It seems that one of the mantis found a crab and was in pursuit. I managed to snap a couple of photos of the brief battle, which was front/centre of the tank out on the open sand. The crab withstood only 3 blows. The mantis then grabbed his prey up and swam away back to his favourite hole.

Now I know what their primary food is. (This might be a good time to mention that I've also allowed the dozens of gorilla and other crabs to stay in the tank along with the mantis)
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/100_0255.jpg
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/100_0257.jpg


At the end, I shot a quick video. Unfortunately since the Sopranos was on TV, the background audio portion of the video is...well...not postable here....

[Midknight]

I would say the sound track would be perfict for someone getting "wacked" :wink:

[justinl]

hey great pics of the wennie hunting! lol i guess they're not hippies after all eh?

[untamed]

Things are progressing slowly. Today, I added two more fish. The first is a Blue Throat Trigger. He is proving to be difficult to photograph at the moment as he is a bit excited at the new surroundings.
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0266.jpg

The other new fish is a Yellow Tang. Every tank has to have one of these right? Actually, I'm hoping he has more of a taste for filimentous algae than the Naso Tang. We'll see. The Yellow and Naso seem to be quite pleased with by each other's company.
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0275.jpg

[untamed]

Here's an update on my phytoplankton efforts. I think I'm having more success now. This is an example of what I'm currently brewing. This batch has been going for 2 weeks now and still has a rich, green colour. (not the yellow-green that I was getting before).

Although I've played with the recipe, I think the improvement is because of:
1) Daily shaking to prevent anything from settling on the bottom.
2) 2nd and 3rd time using the same bottles. It's possible that the bottles weren't absolutely clean the first time I used them, but now they are behaving better.

I've manipulated the amount of fertilizer in the mix, but get very similar results no matter what I do.
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0280.jpg

[Delphinus]

Aw dude you have no idea how jealous I am right now. Blue throat trigger flanked by those cool gorgs; awesome picture. :cool:

[untamed]

OK...requests have been made for an updated "full tank view". All these close-ups make it hard to see the big picture.

Here's a room view...
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0132.jpg

Here's a shot that is a bit closer, but not too close.
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0136.jpg

Here's a shot of the left side, front view. You can see that I haven't cleaned the left side of the aquarium in a few days.
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0137.jpg

Here's a shot of the right side, front view.
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0138.jpg

If you look closely, you'll see that I'm starting to have a bit of a cyano problem. I'm trying not to panic about that. It is a new tank, so it is likely to go through that "phase". I just have to monitor it to ensure that it doesn't get so bad that it smothers the life out of anything. I am running some phosphate media, maybe I'll add some more or refresh the stuff that is in there.

[Skimmerking]

The tank looks really good IMO I think that it looks more natural then anything.



well done

[Delphinus]

Man alive, look at those gorgs ... I hate you .. oops I mean .. wow, awesome. ;) (Just kidding. I really am quite envious though. Awesome awesome awesome. :) )

[untamed]

Man alive, look at those gorgs ... I hate you .. oops I mean .. wow, awesome. ;) (Just kidding. I really am quite envious though. Awesome awesome awesome. :) )

I use photos to monitor the progress of those gorgs. The large ones..and the golden brown ones are laying down additional body and filling in where they were damaged...so they are going to thrive.

I've not been able to be yet certain if the purple/white gorgs are growing or receeding. I'm sure they don't have xooanthellae, so they are dependent on my feeding. I have some finely powdered sea fan food and I target feed when possible. Jury is out on those ones. Their polyps respond to food, but I can't tell if they are ingesting anything I'm giving.

Meanwhile, the blue throat trigger is fast becoming a VERY friendly fish. I would describe it's behaviour as "begging". The moment anyone is around, he/she swims over and gives you the puppy eyes.

[lastlight]

I second what Asmodeus said.

Truly a very natural looking reef so far. That blue-throat is a an amazing fish as well!

How are you cleaning the acrylic?

Brett

[untamed]

I second what Asmodeus said.

Truly a very natural looking reef so far. That blue-throat is a an amazing fish as well!

How are you cleaning the acrylic?

Brett

I have a Great White Cleaning magnet that does a pretty quick job on the main panels. There are a couple of areas that I have to do with a wand. So far, I've not needed to remove any coraline as the magnet seems to be keeping it at bay. I plan to scrape coraline by hand when necessary.

Here's my rules:
1) Wipe down the outside of the tank prior to cleaning to remove any dust
2) Never leave the magnet inside the tank for storage
3) Never allow the magnet to touch the sand bed
4) Examine the inside panels closely for small snails before starting
5) Use a diaper lubricated with brillianize between the magnet and the outside panels
6) Never allow the acrylic cleaning pad to be put anywhere it could pick up dirt or grit.