225g Journal, mostly DIY rock (also 55g current tank pics)

[argan]

I got my 225g from surrey yesterday, and had to leave it outside because we haven't figured out where in the house we are gonna put it.
So my first question for the journal is, Has anyone had problems leaving an aquarium out in the cold/outside for the winter before using it?
Glass cracks or silicone faults? The glass is 1/2 inch.

[christyf5]

Don't let it fill with water. If it freezes the ice will expand and crack the tank. I learned this firsthand :neutral:

[argan]

ok so as long as it stays dry it should be ok? and then when i finally do fill it, wait a few days for it to warm to room temp right?

[dsaundry]

If you can find a place inside I would probably move it. It probably wont hurt it outside but you never know when a stray rock or branch gets tossed by wind or punks can come your way. Gosh that sounds pessimistic:biggrin:

[christyf5]

Yeah i'd seriously look at putting it inside somewhere, even if it is just for storage. It would be a shame to have something happen to it, or you get it all filled with water and a seam lets go or something. NOT that that would happen, I'm just sayin, after that kind of investment you want to protect it. Although it would definitely happen to me, I have luck like that :rolleyes:

[argan]

So im just saving money up now, for lights and such. Making more DIY live rock, Planning plumbing and Sumpfugium.
Heres some pics of stuff in my 55g waiting for their bigger tank

El diablo Crabo

http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc71/arganpics/IMGP1540-1.jpg

http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc71/arganpics/IMGP1554.jpg


The Abalone

http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc71/arganpics/IMGP1576.jpg

Humbug and Damsel in the DIY rock

http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc71/arganpics/IMGP1578.jpg

Six-Line peeking out from under a Majano

http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc71/arganpics/IMGP1562.jpg

5 species mushie cluster

http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc71/arganpics/IMGP1580.jpg

Orange leg Hermit in his Wide-load Shell

http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc71/arganpics/IMGP1566.jpg

[argan]

Here's a drawing of my sump plan


http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc71/arganpics/sump.png





Pump is 3600 gph, about 4 ft of head. SCWD's can handle only 1400 gph so im thinking i'll put a 4 way "Cross" PVC fitting instead of the "T" before the SCWDs. So that would make 5 returns so i'll have lot of options for flow.

New equipment i have got in the last month or so,

* 5 250w MH mogul based, with 5 ballasts
* Mag Drive 3600gph
* 2 SCWDs
* Hydor Korallia 4
* 2 Hydor Flo deflectors
* brine shrimp Continuous hatch and feeder
* Lots of pvc fittings, wood, and some aluminum sheet to make Reflectors, light hood, plumbing, and rock structure respectivly.

[argan]

Gonna make reflectors today, and get softener salt and try to do another batch of rock.

[banditpowdercoat]

Softener salt, for water softener?? I read somewhere that that water isnt good for aquariums!??! Love to see some pics of your DIY LR though

[hillbillyreefer]

I'd bet the softener salt is for Diy rock. You put a bunch in and when you cure the rock the salt dissolves leaving lots of nice big holes for the little critters to hide in.

[banditpowdercoat]

Ahh, OK, Cool. makes sense :D

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

I have all my water go through the skimmer box first, before passing through the fuge & then the return pump. Just a thought.

[banditpowdercoat]

Have read that skimmed water isnt allways best for fuge. Alot split their flow, like argan has. I have split flow as well. But, nothing in Fuge yet, need to build fuge V2.0 first.

[argan]

I plan on underskimming quite a bit, so thats why i went with this plan.

and yes, the softner salt is for DIY rocks

[Gools]

Looking good, I tried DIY rock didn't come out as nice as yours looks

[argan]

Here are some pics of more DIY rock, tank ready after soaking in the wash tub
for about 5 weeks.


big flat piece with columns, or legs
http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc71/arganpics/IMGP1974.jpg


http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc71/arganpics/IMGP1975.jpg

http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc71/arganpics/IMGP1973.jpg

http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc71/arganpics/IMGP1976.jpg



Heres a cave i made by leaving an empty pop can in the rock then pulling it out with pliers after it had set

http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc71/arganpics/IMGP1977.jpg




also here is the revised sump drawing with labels


http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc71/arganpics/20080323142732.png

[argan]

forgot to mention that batch didn't have the salt in it. will post those pics tommorow

[argan]

put a salt batch in the sink This morning. I think i didn't use enough cement or make big enough pieces, cause it was very crumbly. pics soon when the salt dissoves.

[argan]

the softner salt dissolved in about an hour, and looks like it worked pretty good. I just have to refine the recipe.

this one has four holes, by fluke they are equally spaced
http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc71/arganpics/IMGP1999.jpg


heres one with a light behind it to show the holes.
http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc71/arganpics/IMGP2007.jpg


gonna do another batch soon i hope

[hillbillyreefer]

Sweet looking rock. I like the porosity you can get using conditioner salt. Are those little round balls perlite?

[Marlin65]

The make SCWDs now that are one inch and handle more flow.
You could run one inch all the way through that way, and you don't have to use hose clamps because they come threaded. Just a suggestion not sure if you knew about them as I don't think they have been around long.
Rock looks great. Looking forward to seeing more.

[argan]

Yea i heard about the one inch SCWDs a few days ago, but i'm happy with these for now. they didn't have any in stock when i bought mine.

Hillbilly, that is sand from a red sea max. got it for a sweet deal cause the owner of the max didn't like the look.

on a side note i was looking at my tank today and saw a baby cerith snail, a baby trochus, and a 5mm sally lightfoot i thought i'd never see again (until it got big that is) also saw some new kind of isopod. i've got lots of little lipmets and astreas but first time seeing trochus and ceriths.

[argan]

Made one of three reflectors today, for the DIY MH hood. I used aluminum flashing and aluminum rivets

A little rough on the corners

http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc71/arganpics/IMGP2045.jpg


http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc71/arganpics/IMGP2043.jpg


here is the light mounted and riveted

http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc71/arganpics/IMGP2046.jpg

I powered up the lamp and got pretty excited. Bright!!

[argan]

some things i have done ramping up to the big tank since last post,

---Went to the frag auction, got 6 frags, 5 sps and a ricordia yuma.
All are doing well, with nice PE. The colors are where i expected they would be with just the PC lighting but i'd rather have Brownipora than Noneipora.
Getting some nice growth from the lavender Digita from JasonMck, and the TOTM stag and hydnophora from TomR :).

---Started putting Nerite snails in my tank after seeing them in a friends tank.
Wow they make all my other snails look like slackers with the way they clean my glass

---Made another batch of rock, one with 3 teirs.

---Started cycling some of the dry Man-made rock in the basement with some seed rock from my tank.




The main reason my tank isnt wet yet is because my brother is living in the future tank room. poor planning on my part but he will perhaps be moving out at the end of august. By then i will have a stand and the hood will be done and most of the rock should be Alive.

[argan]

Long time since i updated, mostly because I was waiting for my bro to move out, and now he has.

So now i have all the DIY rock freshwater cured and saltwater alive. I would guess I made about 150-200 lbs. never bothered to weigh it. 2 big pieces went into my friends tank, but im happy with the amount i have for now.

For the auqascaping i'm toying with a few Ideas:

1) pvc arches and supports like Superfudge's (http://canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=31113&highlight=marc&page=7) and Niloc's (http://www.canreef.com/ftotm/mar08/) tanks

2) Glass bottles and maybe a rock structure that looks like a Ship's bow coming out of the sandbed, for a shipwreck look.
(anyone ever seen a tank like that?) ***Dec. 11, This Idea Dismissed***

3) pondfoam on the back wall, but only on the upper half of it? so i can see behind the rocks

[Parker]

I've debated back and forth on going with pond foam myself, I still haven't made up my mind.

[argan]

For those people who have built walls and/or knocked them down for their Fish rooms, Do we have to worry about building codes or permits?

My brother-inlaw is a drywaller so he knows a bit about framing, should we be able to get by? or should i get a contractor?

[StirCrazy]

For those people who have built walls and/or knocked them down for their Fish rooms, Do we have to worry about building codes or permits?

My brother-inlaw is a drywaller so he knows a bit about framing, should we be able to get by? or should i get a contractor?

if you are not touching electrical, plumbing or structure than no. But if you just do it who will know. :mrgreen: If you are compentent in doing the electrical and plumbing yourself and you know its not a loadbearing wall, you should be able to get a homeowners permit for cheep, but they will want to see drawings of what you intend on doing and may or may not require an inspection. Just go to the city hall and with out givething your name explain what you are planning to do and ask if you need a permit or not.

Steve

[brizzo]

For those people who have built walls and/or knocked them down for their Fish rooms, Do we have to worry about building codes or permits?

Nope, no permit required.

ie; Removing a wall to make 2 small rooms into 1 large room, removing a portion of a wall to create an entry way, adding or relocating wall(s) to create new room space

But of course, unless you come across plumbing or electrical, that is something that someone qualified should handle.

[argan]

The wall to be knocked down has one electrical outlet, but my bro is certified electrician so i'll be ok there.

The one to be built will just be a blank wall basically, maybe with some built-in shelves.

So far for tanks i have the 225g display, 90g sump, 55g refugium, and 33g QT/frag tank. I always wonder if people have their QT tanks plumbed into their main systems, or on its own?
What are the schools of thought on this?

[mark]

Technically changes that effect heating or ventilation as well require a permit

[blake374]

How is your tank doing? Got any pics?

[blake374]

This thread seems to kind of died

[JDigital]

This thread seems to kind of died

Well it hasn't been posted in for close to a year... :lol:

[argan]

yea i put a link in my sig because i was going to put an update, but it slipped down my priority list.

I'll try to get a current stock list and build status up soon. the 225 is still empty
mostly because we decided to move before i set it up. i dont want to build it into a wall, then move and rebuild it.

since may I broke my leg/dislocated ankle, and we just had our 2nd baby so the tank is on hold.

[blake374]

Sounds like you are pretty busy. I would love to see a shot of your current setup when you get a bit if time.

I know how it goes man! I just moved last spring and my fish lived in a big rubbermaid container for three months! They had everything they needed to live, but three months lol.

Man, I love canreef. Its nice to chat with some kamloops reefers. I usually use reefcentral, but there is usually no one in your area on there.

[argan]

Some things im working on right now

--Going to try and make a bunch of frag plugs tonight, like this http://www.coszam.net/plugs2.htm

-- Working on a DIY switching panel, hopefully i will buy some wire and plugs today


Collected and built equipment list is about the same, I lost my K4 powerhead, it just stopped running one day. not sure why.


Currently for livestock in my 55g, i have pretty much the same 4 fish i've had for a long time, that is:

-3" domino damsel
-2 1/2" humbug damsel
- a yellow tail blue damsel
- burt the ocellaris

for solt corals i have
- some kind of encrusting thing, not pretty but came with live rock.
( grown from 7 polyps to over 30)
- Colt coral, hasn't grown in a long time
- pink yumas
- about 6 colors mushrooms
- 4 head frogspawn
- pink trumpet
- couple majanos for fun ( i let one grow and split then i usually kill the bigger half/clone)
- Zoanthids, yellow mouth, pink mouth with red skirt, and peach mouth
- short tentacle toadstool which has bleached a bit under new lights


for SPS i have
- tan with green highlights monti cap
- lavender/pink digi from Jason Mck
- green digi from wolfbluejay
- blue stag " "
- green slimer " "

macro algea
- Caulerpa racemosa (cup variant)
- C. taxifolia
- C. prolifera
- Cheatomorpha

i will try to post some pics soon.


,Ken

[argan]

current tank Half tank shots

http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc71/arganpics/IMG_3304-1.jpg


http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc71/arganpics/IMG_3303-1.jpg



Some Zoas
http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc71/arganpics/IMG_3298-1.jpg

http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc71/arganpics/IMG_2874.jpg


baby yuma

http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc71/arganpics/IMG_3288.jpg

http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc71/arganpics/IMG_3290.jpg

http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc71/arganpics/IMG_3289.jpg

http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc71/arganpics/IMG_3287.jpg


green digi
http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc71/arganpics/IMG_3270.jpg


Slimer
http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc71/arganpics/IMG_3271.jpg

[lastlight]

Really like that green digi. Some good colors in your photos.

How does that 4-stripe behave? What's in the tank with him?

[argan]

Really like that green digi. Some good colors in your photos.

How does that 4-stripe behave? What's in the tank with him?

the 4 stripe is a pretty old fish, i've had him for three years and before me the guy had him for 5 years i think. he is pretty territorial but since the other 3 fish are also damsel types, they don't take his sh*t.
He has probably nipped me about 40 times. some times he sneaks up while im moving a coral :twised: Never hard enough to break the skin.

the domino is now the dominant fish. i added him about 18 months ago and he quickly outgrew the 4 stripe.
He was about the size of a quarter, now about 3 inches long. this guy has never nipped me

also there is a yellow-tail blue damsel and an Ocellaris clown, who are pretty timid.



Tried really hard to get the colors true to life, with white balance and f-stop and iso. the camera is a canon rebel xsi. Hopefully we can get a macro lens soon.

[argan]

This tank build is no more, selling all hardware