I too will be tagging along. I lived in tofino for a few years and spent alot of time in the tide pools, where I would colect water for my tropical system. There are alot of tank worthy specimens in those pools which hopefully I will get to see in your thread soon:)

OH, and of course, love the cheap aproach your taking. Man, people spend WAYYYYYY too much money on this hobby! Do it up!!

Thanks all.
Temperate water tanks can be split into two sub sections I think:

Cold water. These tanks house flora and fauna found at depth in the ocean and require stable, cool temps. Steve Weast of "Oregonreef" keeps such a tank and maintains a constant 55*F.

Tidal or transitional zone tanks. This is what I'm after. These tanks house flora and fauna found on the margins of the ocean (tidal pools, mud flats etc...). While the overall temperatures are much cooler than tropical systems they do vary from season to season and from tide to tide. Some examples of these species are: Sculpins, Tubesnouts, Gunnels, various crabs and snails, Barnicles, Limpets, various shellfish, Pacific anemones, Starfish, various seaweeds and macro algaes etc...
Few people keep coldwater tanks and fewer, tidal zone tanks so this really is a bit of an experiment. My plans are modest for this tank; a few rocks with macro algae, some eel grass and some wildlife. I mainly want to see how all the mechanical components work together and gain an understanding of climate and feeding requirements while I construct a larger tank to replace the 135G.

Here is a sketch of the current plan

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d1...5schematic.jpg

and the tank after cycling for two weeks

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d1...r/100_2709.jpg

Here's the backside (no surge tanks yet). I've removed the workbench for more room. I also need (choke choke gasp gasp) about three more gallons of bio balls!

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d1...r/100_2712.jpg

Here's a close up of the current sump

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d1...r/100_2714.jpg

Notice how it sits on the 2X4's. In my quest to lower the tank temps passively I've decided that the sump should sit directly on the concrete to make use of its (the concrete) natural cooling effect. This sump won't fit between the 2X4's so I've put out my request to the hobo gods and soon expect a 55G. long to magically appear. When it does I will get rid of the temporary submersible return pump as it is adding heat to the system. The permanent return pump will be in line, not submersible. I will also do away with the small skimmer feed pump as it too is adding heat to the system. It will be fed by a line tee'd off of the main return line. Actually, everything will be driven off of one main pump with no additional powerheads etc... I want to reduce my heat input as much as possible to either avoid a chiller or, if neccisary, to use the smallest HP possible.

That pic. of the tank from the front is awsome. I really like how the tank is longer than the hole in the wall, it looks like it goes on forever. I also like the lighting you have as long as your not going to keep light dependant creatures.
What is your temp. running at so far?

Will the capacity of the sump work with surge tanks?

Dale, just to give you a heads up. Certain types of pacific anemones have zooxanthela which feed the anemone through photosinthesis especialy the ones found in the shalow tide pools. Surely they can tolerate many less sunny days than their tropical relatives but might require the same intensity of light just not as often. I would think your different types of algea will require the same intensity of light, again, perhaps not 8 hours a day year round but SOME intence light.

I like your skimmer. thinking about building one like it. How is it woking for you?

I cant wait to see the surge tanks and how all of that functions. Ive always dreamed of doing something like that.

Keep up the good work.

Dale,

I will be selling my 50g sump tank in a week or two. It's 48" long by 12" wide by 20" tall. PM me if you're interested, since you were asking for one in one of your posts.

BTW, what size is your current sump tank? Maybe we can just do a straight swap. Mine has single baffle installed already.

Anthony

Well, my substrate experiment just keeps getting better (not).
Apparently the "green diamond" grit isn't a granitic based substrate at all but Nickel slag!!! Argghhh. A quick check on the www.targetproducts.com website (which I should have done if it hadn't flown under the radar on me) tells me I have a metal based substrate with low to moderate toxicity to fish. It took me by surprise as I never thought that slag would look like that.
So... don't buy that stuff :rolleyes:

Bummer.. it looked so good. :( Oh well, on the bright side, at least you found out now and not the hard way!!

I've got to ask though .. why not just use the real thing? Couldn't you just go to a beach somewhere and dig up a couple buckets worth? Or is there a reason that won't work? (Has to be probably the most economical thing though??)

Well, that took a little while (June 2006 - May 2008)

Here's a shot of the tank now

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d1...r/100_3839.jpg

Hum... It's no longer a 135G. tank. That tank was moved to the rear of the fishroom and now houses my school of freshwater sunfish. In its place I've installed a 75G. display serviced by a 100G. sump.

Here's a schematic of the sump set up:

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d1...pschematic.jpg

The one change is #12 listed as a closed loop feed. The surge from the CSD was a little too much so I had to plumb that line as an additional drain into the sump.

and a shot inside the fishroom:

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d1...r/100_3837.jpg

Everything is a little rough right now. As I decide that each system is working as wanted I will tidy things up (even though, as a hobo reef, the decor could be called "shabby chic"

Here's a shot of my return pump; a modified AC 110 powerfilter. Two of my goals were to reduce power consumption as a whole and to reduce heat inputs into the system (mainly removing submersible pumps that heat the surrounding water). By mounting the sump 10" lower that the display I could use the AC 110 filter as a return. It runs on 14 watts and the pump is external.

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d1...r/100_3731.jpg

Here's the CSD (Carleson surge device). It's basically a three gallon bucket with three bulkheads. One for the surge line, one for the feed line and one for an emergency drain line.

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d1...r/100_3832.jpg

It, the chiller and eventually the skimmer (not the current skimmer) are fed by this externally mounted pump (Pondmaster 250)

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d1...r/100_3838.jpg

Here's a shot of the refugium portion of the sump. It is lit by a Coralife CF unit sitting on the wide center brace. Some additional flow is provided by a small Hydor powerhead with a rotating head. The refugium currently houses three Pacific green burrowing anenomes and a tuft of Macroalgae. There is about 150 lb's of LR in the sump and display and I have used some pieces to make a bridge in and out of the refugium for hermits and other dentrifores. The blue bottle is just being used to trap out some rock pricklebacks that have been attacking the anenomes.

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d1...r/100_3831.jpg

Here's what a prickleback looks like:

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d1...r/100_3717.jpg

They are amazingly curious fish that can last 17 -23 Hr's out of water but they are savages. I originally trapped them out of the display (and put them in the sump) after they began attacking my sun star and now I must trap them out of the sump as well. It's back to the quarentine tank for them!

Here's a shot of a burrowing anenome

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d1...r/100_3649.jpg

and what it looks like when it's had enough

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d1...r/100_3799.jpg