Introduction to my system
Introduction:
Reefing Since:
2000 (ish) - Geez I can't remember back that far - to many drinks have passed my lips since then.
It all started when I caught a few yabbies at a local golf course in 1998. Bought a little hobbie tank. Form there it was only a few months before I decided they needed something a bit bigger and along came a 4x12 x18. This of course got turned into a Tropical FW with the usual guppies, Angels, Mollies, sordtaiols, you name it and it was in there. Wasn't long until I decided I wanted the "awersome looking fish" and bought my first 8x2x2.
System Objectives:
Ideally I want to be able to keep LPS with a lot of Flubber. I like the movment. My favourite "must have" fish I will eventually add will be a Powderblue tang and a pair of Bangaii.
Type of reef:
Softies/LPS.
Display System:
Initial Fill Date:
Lets pretend we are talking about the tank in it's current location - that would be....
I've had this "glass box" since I had an issue with my previous one (which was also my first). It was replaced on ...
When I first started reefing (the rock I have now, some of the corals and believe it or not I still have one of my first fish - a Pyjama Cardinal) the tank was located at my parents house. It has since moved to my house that my wife and I built, was replaced by the current "glass box" (same dimensions so I could re-use my stand), the current glass boxed moved and lived in the garage for about x months while the wall was built until it was finally moved into the position it's in now.
Display Tank Dimensions:
8x2x2 (old school). Euro braced 10mm with 2 additional cross braces. Corner wier with 2 x 40mm down to sump and 1 x 25mm return (through wier). PLumbing is a 40mm with a valve acting as a "tuned drain" and the other 40mm a backup.
Display Lighting:
Currently I am using my 2 x 250W halidea I first started with (new bulbs of course) but the same ballasts and reflectors. Since moving the tank into the wall I have lost my actinic suppliments.
I also have a Fishbowl Moonlight system with 3 Moontubes (and love them ;))
Stand:
Built out of 4x2 as built into the wall as part of the wall (as you can see in the pics below)
Hood or Rimless:
I'm not sure how you can have a "rimless" tank but it has no hood.
Sump Design:
Well this was a screw up to say the least. I have ended up with a 2 sump system.
1 houses the skimmer and reactor, which feeds into the other. The other has the return pump.
Filtration:
KISS. There is a filter sock that filters both the output from the reactor and the input to the skimmer sump - other than that everything feeds straight into the return sump.
Support systems:
NSW or ASW:
NSW stored in 2 x IBC's under the garage. These are hooked up to a Spa pump which is switched via a key lock switch inside. The outlet is a cam lock on the wall which I can attach a hose to and feed into the DT. Pumps around 200 litres in about 40 secs.
Display Water circulation:
4 x 6105's controlled by a 7096 controller.
Return Pump:
Laguna 11,000 LPH (returns about 8,000 LPH when you take into consideration plumbing, head loss, etc. I also feed my reactor off this.
Skimmer:
Tunze 9420 tuned to "wet" skim. Pulls about 500ml per day of tea coloured skimmate.
Evaporation Top Up:
Tunze 3155 ATO. Currently pumped from a 20l drum, however I use about 15-20l per day so I need to look at getting a bigger reservoir.
Chemical additions:
Randies Reciepe #2
Calcium Addition:
Damprid.
Alkilinity Addition:
Baking Soda
Magnesium Addition:
Epsom Salts
Prodibiotics Addition:
Nil
Coral Food Addition:
Nil
Target Water Chemistry:
Nitrates:
Unknown - haven't checked in about 5 years
Phosphates:
0.04 via TLF Phosban 550 running RowaPhos (Hanna Meter)
Alkalinity:
9.0 Dkh (Hanna Meter)
Calcium:
480ppm (Hanna Meter) - this is about 430 on my old Salifert kit
Salinity/Specific Gravity:
1.025 (Refractormeter)
Magnesuim:
1300 ppm (Salifert test kit)
The only stable foods are NLS pallets feed 7 times daily using a Ehiem autofeeder. 2 or 3 times weekly I also feed a sheet of Nori.
Reefing Since:
2000 (ish) - Geez I can't remember back that far - to many drinks have passed my lips since then.
It all started when I caught a few yabbies at a local golf course in 1998. Bought a little hobbie tank. Form there it was only a few months before I decided they needed something a bit bigger and along came a 4x12 x18. This of course got turned into a Tropical FW with the usual guppies, Angels, Mollies, sordtaiols, you name it and it was in there. Wasn't long until I decided I wanted the "awersome looking fish" and bought my first 8x2x2.
System Objectives:
Ideally I want to be able to keep LPS with a lot of Flubber. I like the movment. My favourite "must have" fish I will eventually add will be a Powderblue tang and a pair of Bangaii.
Type of reef:
Softies/LPS.
Display System:
Initial Fill Date:
Lets pretend we are talking about the tank in it's current location - that would be....
I've had this "glass box" since I had an issue with my previous one (which was also my first). It was replaced on ...
When I first started reefing (the rock I have now, some of the corals and believe it or not I still have one of my first fish - a Pyjama Cardinal) the tank was located at my parents house. It has since moved to my house that my wife and I built, was replaced by the current "glass box" (same dimensions so I could re-use my stand), the current glass boxed moved and lived in the garage for about x months while the wall was built until it was finally moved into the position it's in now.
Display Tank Dimensions:
8x2x2 (old school). Euro braced 10mm with 2 additional cross braces. Corner wier with 2 x 40mm down to sump and 1 x 25mm return (through wier). PLumbing is a 40mm with a valve acting as a "tuned drain" and the other 40mm a backup.
Display Lighting:
Currently I am using my 2 x 250W halidea I first started with (new bulbs of course) but the same ballasts and reflectors. Since moving the tank into the wall I have lost my actinic suppliments.
I also have a Fishbowl Moonlight system with 3 Moontubes (and love them ;))
Stand:
Built out of 4x2 as built into the wall as part of the wall (as you can see in the pics below)
Hood or Rimless:
I'm not sure how you can have a "rimless" tank but it has no hood.
Sump Design:
Well this was a screw up to say the least. I have ended up with a 2 sump system.
1 houses the skimmer and reactor, which feeds into the other. The other has the return pump.
Filtration:
KISS. There is a filter sock that filters both the output from the reactor and the input to the skimmer sump - other than that everything feeds straight into the return sump.
Support systems:
NSW or ASW:
NSW stored in 2 x IBC's under the garage. These are hooked up to a Spa pump which is switched via a key lock switch inside. The outlet is a cam lock on the wall which I can attach a hose to and feed into the DT. Pumps around 200 litres in about 40 secs.
Display Water circulation:
4 x 6105's controlled by a 7096 controller.
Return Pump:
Laguna 11,000 LPH (returns about 8,000 LPH when you take into consideration plumbing, head loss, etc. I also feed my reactor off this.
Skimmer:
Tunze 9420 tuned to "wet" skim. Pulls about 500ml per day of tea coloured skimmate.
Evaporation Top Up:
Tunze 3155 ATO. Currently pumped from a 20l drum, however I use about 15-20l per day so I need to look at getting a bigger reservoir.
Chemical additions:
Randies Reciepe #2
Calcium Addition:
Damprid.
Alkilinity Addition:
Baking Soda
Magnesium Addition:
Epsom Salts
Prodibiotics Addition:
Nil
Coral Food Addition:
Nil
Target Water Chemistry:
Nitrates:
Unknown - haven't checked in about 5 years
Phosphates:
0.04 via TLF Phosban 550 running RowaPhos (Hanna Meter)
Alkalinity:
9.0 Dkh (Hanna Meter)
Calcium:
480ppm (Hanna Meter) - this is about 430 on my old Salifert kit
Salinity/Specific Gravity:
1.025 (Refractormeter)
Magnesuim:
1300 ppm (Salifert test kit)
The only stable foods are NLS pallets feed 7 times daily using a Ehiem autofeeder. 2 or 3 times weekly I also feed a sheet of Nori.
