Tank Journal Archive

Brekel

Member
Jun 8, 2012
273
109
Hobart
Thanks @lorby.
Currently, using one siphon tube and the levels as pictured, I've measured around 700 l/h from memory.
I've only got around a 100mm drop from the current water level in the overflow to the siphon break on the back, so sitting 30mm lower as designed would have the potential to run a fair bit faster. The higher the water rises in the overflow, the faster the siphon drains so it auto adjusts (within limits) to match the return.

Lowering the intake and the siphon break on the back would also increase the available flow rate, so the basic design can easily be adjusted to accommodate what you need.

I have a ball valve in the outlet, and slightly closing that cuts a lot of noise. It will completely silence it, but if you push it too far any blockage will limit the flow.

I'm going to put a cap on the siphon break with a hole drilled in the top, which is suppose to cut the noise level. If it does, it should be pretty quiet.
 

Brekel

Member
Jun 8, 2012
273
109
Hobart
Here's a picture of the siphon when I first built it.
The capped off horizontal pipe down the bottom now comes up over the top for a second siphon tube.

 

Brekel

Member
Jun 8, 2012
273
109
Hobart
Put the drilled cap on today: pretty much silent now. If you're close, you can hear a quiet trickling sound coming from inside the pipework but there's no gurgling/bubbling/sucking sound at all now.

Started up second siphon, so water level in the overflow is slightly lower. Also tidied up the return plumbing and measured the flow a bit more accurately - around 810 lph.
 

Brekel

Member
Jun 8, 2012
273
109
Hobart
The microfauna is loving the fish free tank over the last few weeks. I've always seen a few 'pods around even when the fish were in there, but the population is booming now. Also, the amphipods and baby bristle worms which mainly made appearances overnight can be clearly seen in the open any time of day now. When the fish make it back in, I think there's gonna be some feasting.
Apart from target feeding the corals, I've been giving the tank the odd feed of flake food while the fish are out too. If I turn the pumps down to add it, you see the bristleworms start heading out and scavenging anything that falls. I think my 4 yo daughter's favourite thing in the tank (other than the heliofungia that she sings songs about) is "Mr Bristle" - a worm that we haven't seen in it's entirety, but when it stretches out it's extended probably 12cm into the open plus whatever was still in the rock. When the fish were still in, he'd make an appearance from under some corallimorphs every evening just before feeding time.

Pods on the glass:
IMG_9890.JPG


Some of these are pushing the limits of my 8MP camera, and of my eyes ability to focus accurately! They're probably 0.5mm long:
Copepod.JPG
Copepod2.JPG


An isopod? Maybe Sphaeromatidae family?
MicroBug.JPG

I believe these are ostracods:
OstracodsSide&Top.JPG
OstracodOpen.JPG


And one next to one of the biggest copepods
Pod&Ostracod.JPG


Amphipod:
IMG_0075.JPG


The brittle star's home - you can see the ends of his legs poking out in various spots. There's at least 2 the same colour in this area (unless it's huge and has 7 legs! Not all visible in this shot).
BrittleStar.JPG


Not the best shot, but I've spotted this guy on the back glass a couple of times. I suspect he's a baby eunicid based on the head appendages and band around the 'neck' - doesn't really show in this shot.
Eunicid1.JPG


ForeArm.JPG


MrBristle.JPG


I've been led to believe this bivalve could be a type of oyster. Can anyone confirm this?
Oyster2.JPG
Oyster3.JPG


And a couple of detail shots on some corals to finish up :)
BlastoDetail.JPG
HammerDetail.JPG
 

Attachments

chimaera

enjoy the little things
May 13, 2012
5,473
2,295
Sandringham
Whoa those are some awesome shots!

I have a similar thing with my CUC - I have fish but I guess none of them are much of a threat to bristles or amphipods so both run around during the day particularly when I feed. I have a Mr Bristle of my own ...

alh4.googleusercontent.com__dqbygIsZaD8_UbxXiRwO7aI_AAAAAAAAKj5802d9d804d3e922e941182a54e758c5.jpg


You definitely have a very biodiverse tank going here!

Oh and the bivalve is awesome, maybe @dr_schell can ID (and I am sure he will love looking at all of the critters above :) )
 

Brekel

Member
Jun 8, 2012
273
109
Hobart
Thanks @chimaera! Nice bristleworm.
I think I've just found it: Spondylus, the spiny oysters. You can see the row of blueish eyes just outside the edge of the shell. Cast a shadow over him and he snaps shut. Unfortunately I can't get a side on shot where he is.
 

chimaera

enjoy the little things
May 13, 2012
5,473
2,295
Sandringham
Thanks @chimaera! Nice bristleworm.
I think I've just found it: Spondylus, the spiny oysters. You can see the row of blueish eyes just outside the edge of the shell. Cast a shadow over him and he snaps shut. Unfortunately I can't get a side on shot where he is.
That looks like it - cool little critter.
 

Dr. Schell

The Fuckin' Doc
Jul 12, 2011
1,972
1,228
Brisbane
Whoa those are some awesome shots!

Oh and the bivalve is awesome, maybe @dr_schell can i.d (and I am sure he will love looking at all of the critters above :) )
The bivalve is indeed a Thorny Oyster contained within the genus Spondylus. These organisms are closely related to the scallops and are edible. They are harmless filter feeders.
 

Brekel

Member
Jun 8, 2012
273
109
Hobart
Thanks for the info @dr_schell. Interesting - I'd never considered the edibility of my tank inhabitants!
I don't think I'd get much sustenance from one this size so I'll let him live. For now...
 

Brekel

Member
Jun 8, 2012
273
109
Hobart
I was going through some old photos of critters I found on the rock/in the box when my first lot of live rock arrived about a year ago, some of which I put in the tank and some I left out.
Can anyone (maybe the all-knowing @dr_schell? ) tell me what kind of worm this one is? (the one on the right).
IMG_5206.JPG


And I believe these two are eunicids?
IMG_5195proc.JPG
IMG_5200.JPG
 

Brekel

Member
Jun 8, 2012
273
109
Hobart
The worms are as follows:
...and a worm contained in the Dorvilleidae family on the right.
You are correct, the following 2 pictures are of Eunicid worms.

Look at this website for a quick reference of common hitch-hiker worms:
http://www.chucksaddiction.com/hitchworms.html
Thanks @dr_schell. Chucks addiction lead me off course with this one, ad he said the dorvilleidae were normally very small. He did say there were exceptions though, guess this was one.
Glad I got the eunice worms right - got rid of them.

I don't. Know if that particular spaghetti worm crawled back in a rock and survived or not, but I've got two that actively keep their local areas clean. Fascinating to watch them hauling bits up the rock. In the first tank, there was always a big pile of sand next to the rock one of them lived in, where it dumped it after hauled it up.
 

Dr. Schell

The Fuckin' Doc
Jul 12, 2011
1,972
1,228
Brisbane
I don't mind most, but there are some pretty creepy and downright scary looking eunicuds around on the net.
I have been on a mission exploring the worm fauna of my mature system. Some of the polychetes are downright creep and a few are just really nasty! Have been extracting Oenone fulgida. Catching this species makes capturing Eunicids easy. They produce copious amounts of toxic mucus and move in a transparent mucus (aka snot) tube that they make as they go. They are even more timid than the Eunicids and you have to watch them carefully if you hope to trap them as they are very stealthy.

Although they look relatively harmless (see picture below of one I extracted from my tank), they specifically target snails, clams and other molluscs which they first poison with their slime, and then consume. I have recently observed this species of worm entering the mouth of my bubble tip anemones and sealing the food in their gut. Given that their slime is toxic, I am sure this is not good for the BTAs thus one of the reasons which necessitates their removal.

worm extracted.jpg
 

Brekel

Member
Jun 8, 2012
273
109
Hobart
I have been on a mission exploring the worm fauna of my mature system. Some of the polychetes are downright creep and a few are just really nasty! Have been extracting Oenone fulgida. Catching this species makes capturing Eunicids easy.
Yes, I've been following along on your tank journal. Love the trap with the noose outside. I'll keep this idea filed away in case I spot any large nasties.

... I have recently observed this species of worm entering the mouth of my bubble tip anemones and sealing the food in their gut. Given that their slime is toxic, I am sure this is not good for the BTAs thus one of the reasons which necessitates their removal.

View attachment 16334
Wow, now that is scary. Not something you want to see happening in your tank.