Tank Journal Archive

[firebird]

Introduction:​

I had obtained a very cheap AR 620 for an upgrade( firebird's 90l nano) only to discover it was very scratched once I had transferred all the inhabitants and then put on the LEDS. I decided to leave it alone but it kept on festering especially when I took pics or videos because then all I could see were scratches. Anyway kept looking halfheartedly on ebay and gumtree but everyone I messaged admitted to having scratches on the advertised tanks. In addition there were other expenses that needed paying other than fish. Long story short brand new tank 3 footer impulse buy from Le aquatic as was cheaper than anything second hand in early October 2011. Been quietly working on it . Hope to get it wet next weekend​

System Type: Beginner Reef with Softies and LPS​

Strike up Date: Early October 2011​

Display Tank:3 foot Dalbarb​

Display Lighting:​

Aquabeam LED 600 Reef whitex2 and counting-will upgrade again once able to​

Stand:​

hardwood Asian dresser that I had already- hubby assures me will take the weight ( had to assure me many times!)​

Hood: None at present- not sure that I'm going to have one at all​

Sump: Slightly different to most people- I have partitioned a section off for an in tank sump on the one side so that the actual DT section is 2.5 feet long​

Refugium: This was the main reason that I did the in tank sump. I love refugiums and wanted a visible one that I could see from the side of the tank​

Refugium Lighting:​

Still to decide​

Support systems:​

System Water: Natural salt water​

Display Water circulation:​

Tunze nanostream 6045 - also return from pump in tank. May use 2 x6045's​

Will be getting a Spin Stream as well​

Possible closed loop in future plans​

Skimmer: Deltec MCE 300​

Evaporation Top Up:​

Manual top up-will look at automating​

Chemical Support:​

Rowacarbon in filter​

c- balance A and B as needed​

Livestock:-all will be transferred over from my 90l​

Strombolini-my stromb​

1x Coral goby-no name​

2 false perculas-Bonny and Clyde​

1 bicolor dottyback-Dotty​

1 Bicolor Blenny-Benny-( who I think is actually Benita)​

Turbos,nassarius and cerith snails​

small bristle stars -came in the LR​

green bubble tip nem​

Corals​

yellow star polyps​

green star polyps​

Elegance coral​

Green and gold tipped torches​

frogspawn​

Zoas​

Tubipora​

Alveopora​

Anthelia​

A small Acropora which the coral goby lives in​

Goniopora​

Macroalgae​

In display-Halimeda,Halymenia,gracillaria and Codium sp​

 

[firebird]

OK pics

Full tank pic-getting started

first glass wall in place -used glass that I had lying around

Acrylic all marked out ready to go

Man hard at work-I'm not allowed to touch his saws- but swear did all the rest myself
Obviously waited x 24hours for each siliconing job to dry before doing the next bits.

 

[firebird]

Acrylic wall in place Stuck onto glass with titan bond plus. Holes at top cut by hubby with circular saw for overflow from DT into sump and back from fuge part .

From the other side-titan bond dries white so need to make it pretty-acrylic stuck on the other side and 1 acrylic baffle in place at front to act as flow decreaser and bubble trap for fuge.

 

[firebird]

Last wall of fuge in place-also glass covered with acrylic for aesthetics. Don't look at the squew silicone job-don't know how to get into such a small space but won't be seen anyway

Whole compartment here in blue is the fuge
Heater will go into middle compartment
Pump goes in first compartment and then I split it off with a return into the tank and one going into the small compartment before the baffle for fuge flow. This part also will have flow regulated by a ball valve
( Will try to remember to get a pic of the plumbing later)
Can also put the carbon etc in first compartment
Skimmer can also fit in first compartment( hangs over the back)

Got the idea for the filtration from the Finnex type tank-was just what I was envisaging

 

[firebird]

Dogs giving their opinion

More pretty pretty of the pump side-not that I'll really see it

In place today(06/11/2011) Fuge on left and DT on right.
Background-After much thought I decided to paint a piece of board that used to be a poster I made for my daughter when she was little. Turned it round to the other side-always have paints lying around in my house as arty farty things on the go-painted it and attached to wall behind the tank as a background. Then I can always remove it easily as necessary if I tire of it-won't really matter as I hope coralline will cover the back of the tank anyway.( I like this and don't scrape it off the back tank wall)

Hopefully I will be transferring from the 90l to the upgrade next weekend

re my eggcrate dilemma- I am going to be covering the bottom of this tank with an acrylic sheet to protect the glass from the LR. Then LR will be going directly on top and sand will be infilled next.

 

[firebird]

OK-plumbing-will stick the plastic clips on to hold it all in place once I know it works

The pump has also got a flow regulator-can be used externally or internally
( it's an Eden-anyone have any issues with screws on the sides rusting when immersed?)
( I've also ordered an eheim 2000 plus just in case for backup)

Again used some stuff I had lying around from previous tanks

I will be attaching some piping to the return to the DT-spin stream supposed to go on end of this

Other end going down into the small compartment in the fuge-I've attached it to a spray bar at the moment at the bottom of the tubing but I may need to change that depending on flow.

 

[MagicJ]

Interesting design - hope it all works like you planned ;)

Is the tap on your return line sold for irrigation systems?? If so, I found that they leaked a bit when used as intended although that was with mains water pressure - they might be OK with the lower pressure you will be using.

Good luck with the transfer from the nano.

 

[Synodontis]

Looks good firebird, will be interesting to see the finished pics when its up and running. :)

 

[firebird]

Is the tap on your return line sold for irrigation systems?? If so, I found that they leaked a bit when used as intended although that was with mains water pressure - they might be OK with the lower pressure you will be using.

yes it is. Will see what happens. Although I suppose if it leaks it can only leak into the tank!
Change of plan-changing stand- still worried that may not bear the weight. Better now than waking up one night to a horrendous crash!

Starting to stress a bit over the transfer but should be easier than last time as last time the tank had to go into the same spot and this time will be elsewhere in the room.

 

[MagicJ]

yes it is. Will see what happens. Although I suppose if it leaks it can only leak into the tank!

Agree, no major problem except for some potential salt creep :(

 

[MTG]

looking great. one question. what made you go for the weir on the end like that?

 

[firebird]

looking great. one question. what made you go for the weir on the end like that?

because I wanted a visible refugium that I could watch together with the display tank-i'll take a pic once all set up and running-it will look like 2 tanks-that was the main reason.

 

[firebird]

She's up and running!
Had to change background-stupid board kept falling off the wall and pulled paint off(despite me using those sticky things that you are supposed to be able to reapply. So killed 2 birds with one stone- instead of repainting wall where paint was pulled off,painted background directly onto the wall!
Also used another stand instead
Still needs to be zshoozshed(? spellng) up so can hide plumbing etc-also had to redo plumbing- used a smaller output powerhead with 2 returns-one to tank and one to fuge
( Will most likely get a scwd in the future and do closed loop so that I can get all powerheads out of the tank.)

Nem didn't like being moved although I planned the rockscape around him. Sulked-went into hiding-coming out today right next to my elegance so I hope it moves up higher onto the rock

 

[firebird]

Side view

front view

Full tank with fuge on side

 

[MTG]

looking good. may i recommend chucking some carbon in the fuge so that your water gets nice and crystal clear!! i swear by it. changing it weekly/fortnightly when possible i found i get better results using smaller amounts and changing it more frequently

 

[firebird]

Thanks Matt- I always run carbon-agree with you-I usually change once a month but I am going to try your suggestion

Moved the elegance last night after seeing the nem loving that spot. Looks like it may stay there permanently (here's hoping) which is a bit of a pain as the elegance really looked good there

Vid of tank
panting in background= dog-not me(didn't realise it at the time):eek

 

[firebird]

Skimmer being a pain at present-saw other people have the same problem with it-collection cup fills up in half hour or less! Read up on it-? related to new water and surface tension so at present running it without the cup to break it in as such as I can't watch it every half an hour to prevent a flood on the floor. Have tried raising the cup and all the suggestions-same thing happens
Will try again after a week

 

[firebird]

Bit sad -in the move I lost my Acropora and now my big torch has developed brown jelly disease. treating it with freshwater dips and siphoning but may try this
www.reefdreams.de/lang_eng/info_13_eng.html
People seem to have had mixed reports with iodine and vitamin C treatment

?? anyone have any luck in treating this disease

 

[VaultBoy]

Shame to hear about your acro and torch I have not heard of brown jelly disease.... do you have any pics? just out of curiosity:D

 

[firebird]

no pics - it's very obvious-looks like a brown mass floating just above the coral's body-mix of protozoa and bacteria