Ken & Jen's 10x2.5x2.5 project.
Hi all,
We started this TJ on another site last month, I've just done a copy and paste into this site as this seems like a nice place to settle back and look around. Hope it keeps some of you amused and others in shock :D
We have only been "reefers" for less then a year. Some of the things we come up with go against the norm. I don't get carried away with the advanced side of things. My belief is "It's only as hard as you want to make it" When we first made the jump from topical to marine we started reading as much as we could. God! it was so intimidating! Finally we got our heads around the concept. It wasn't that hard if you take out all the million dollar toys, don't try to keep up with the neighbors, don't tinker when it aint broken and basically KISS!
You need a tank to hold water and livestock, live rock to filter the crap, a skimmer to take the crap out, power heads for flow, a heater to keep it all cosy, pumps to fill the skimmer and return , a few good test kits to keep things under control, some decent lights and if you have a phosphate problem, maybe a FBF.
Of course your going to run into problems, that's just life, but nothing you cant over come by doing some homework and asking for opinions from others in here. You don't need a dosing pump, calcium reactor, Co2 bottle under your tank an all the rest of the brand name gear. Of course its nice, and its cool toys, but really, you cant dose your tank once a week? Ahhh, but wait, IF you get all the biggest and bestest toys, you can help fuel the next "in" thing and have followers :D
But I digress, as I say, I'm not politically correct, that's just me, on with the project.
=====================================================================
This was first posted Wed 06 Jul, 2011 10:22 pm
Morning all,
Everyone seems to enjoy a Tank Journal so "welcome to our nightmare" (thanks Alice)
If you go back 4.5 years ago, I knew nothing about fish. If you told me you kept fish, I would have said "you got a fish & chip shop?" Then I meet Jen who had a little 4ft tropical tank. She has always loved fish so I brought my 2ft out of storage for her to play with. Then we brought a 6x18x18 to play with. I found out fish tanks = toys! We then found a 8x3x2.5 that's now a tropical tank used as a room divider. Lots of toys and plumbing on that one! :) Next was a three tier stand with 2x1x1 tanks. Then we found a 6.5x2x2 Jebo tank with the "Coburg" built in trickle filter at the rear, this was our first marine tank. After that was a 6x2.5x2.5 I couldnt pass up cause it was cheap, it's still sitting in the garage waiting for something.
So here we are, a 10FT hunk of glass sitting at the front door. I enjoy looking at the fish, but I seem to get slightly more enjoyment in setting a tank up. The novelty wore off on the other tanks so this is the next and final project I'm taking on. The things we do to make the women folk happy! I blame Jen for my toy addiction, "it's all for your tank Peewee, I'm getting them for your fish!"
If you like pics, then we will have lots to amuse you. Some may offend, but no one will be harmed and all will remain fully clothed. (we hope)
You may not have noticed, but I tend to prattle on a bit, and I'm not the most politically correct guy in the room. I will add a few comments above each photo to help the story along.
System Objectives: A pretty fish tank! with lots of really neat toys with lights and buttons and beeps and power cords to keep me amused. I LIKE toys, Jen does not seem to be as enthralled as I though.
System Type: Mixed Reef with all the usual, would like lots of color and movement
Display System:
Strike up Date: Purchased the tank 14/05/11. Got the tank home on the 19/06/11 so I guess strike up would be 19th
Get wet date: August 2011
Display Tank: 10x2.5x2.5 made using see through glass
Display Lighting: DIY LED - 208 Cree's, 52xRB, 52xB, 52XCW, 52x NW, Typhon controller.
Stand?: Well its not going straight on the floor now is it. That would just be lazy.
Hood?: Nope, Jen prefers a nice cap. Hoodies are so last year.
Sump: 6'x2'x18" made this one out of that see through glass too!
Refugium: Built into sump. 1x2x6" Miracle Mud, some green weeds on top of the mud. 22Ltr's of mud.
Refugium Lighting: 2x 3FT T5's under the cabinet above the sump
Support systems:
System Water: Natural Saltwater - IF we can find someone who delivers out this side of town or else it will be lots of trips to LFS!
Poor old ute didn't know what hit it with so much weight on its back. Water in large volume = heavy!
Display Water circulation: 2x Tunze 6305's, 3x Tunze 6105's, 1x Polario 1500M
Return Pump: Hailea 9000L/h
Skimmer: 2x Reef Octopussy Beckett 2000's (BK-250-800) Each supplied by a Sicce 5800ltr pump.
Evaporation Top Up: Auto top-up (When I remind Jen to do it!) :p Soon to be installed firechild Custom Industries ATO System
Chemical Support:
Calcium Addition: Aqua Medic 4 head pump
Alkalinity Addition: Aqua Medic 4 head pump
Magnesium Addition: Aqua Medic 4 head pump
Other Chemical Maintenance:
Carbon: Deltec FR1020 reactor, Sicce 4000ltr pump
RowaPhos: Deltec FR1020 reactor, Sicce 4000ltr pump
Current Water Chemistry: N/A
Nitrates: N/A
Phosphates: N/A
Alkalinity: N/A
Calcium: N/A
Salinity / Specific Gravity: N/A
Magnesium: N/A
Images:
Moving day is here
Yes, he is a big boy! not smart, but damn he can lift heavy things! :D He's a great guy, I'm only picking on him, it's a bad pic I know.
Did you notice Jen in the truck "supervising" Hands in pockets working hard
Time to get it off
Had to remove all the trim and doors to get the bloody thing through our front door, oh yeah, we had to take that off also!
Now the hard part
Now this don't look pretty, if you have a weak stomach, look away now
Looking mighty pretty now!
Damn he's a big lad
Hmm, what now?
My view from the couch
Almost done lining the cabinet
I wont line the ends of the cabinet just yet
Sump installed
Installing the Skimmers
We started this TJ on another site last month, I've just done a copy and paste into this site as this seems like a nice place to settle back and look around. Hope it keeps some of you amused and others in shock :D
We have only been "reefers" for less then a year. Some of the things we come up with go against the norm. I don't get carried away with the advanced side of things. My belief is "It's only as hard as you want to make it" When we first made the jump from topical to marine we started reading as much as we could. God! it was so intimidating! Finally we got our heads around the concept. It wasn't that hard if you take out all the million dollar toys, don't try to keep up with the neighbors, don't tinker when it aint broken and basically KISS!
You need a tank to hold water and livestock, live rock to filter the crap, a skimmer to take the crap out, power heads for flow, a heater to keep it all cosy, pumps to fill the skimmer and return , a few good test kits to keep things under control, some decent lights and if you have a phosphate problem, maybe a FBF.
Of course your going to run into problems, that's just life, but nothing you cant over come by doing some homework and asking for opinions from others in here. You don't need a dosing pump, calcium reactor, Co2 bottle under your tank an all the rest of the brand name gear. Of course its nice, and its cool toys, but really, you cant dose your tank once a week? Ahhh, but wait, IF you get all the biggest and bestest toys, you can help fuel the next "in" thing and have followers :D
But I digress, as I say, I'm not politically correct, that's just me, on with the project.
=====================================================================
This was first posted Wed 06 Jul, 2011 10:22 pm
Morning all,
Everyone seems to enjoy a Tank Journal so "welcome to our nightmare" (thanks Alice)
If you go back 4.5 years ago, I knew nothing about fish. If you told me you kept fish, I would have said "you got a fish & chip shop?" Then I meet Jen who had a little 4ft tropical tank. She has always loved fish so I brought my 2ft out of storage for her to play with. Then we brought a 6x18x18 to play with. I found out fish tanks = toys! We then found a 8x3x2.5 that's now a tropical tank used as a room divider. Lots of toys and plumbing on that one! :) Next was a three tier stand with 2x1x1 tanks. Then we found a 6.5x2x2 Jebo tank with the "Coburg" built in trickle filter at the rear, this was our first marine tank. After that was a 6x2.5x2.5 I couldnt pass up cause it was cheap, it's still sitting in the garage waiting for something.
So here we are, a 10FT hunk of glass sitting at the front door. I enjoy looking at the fish, but I seem to get slightly more enjoyment in setting a tank up. The novelty wore off on the other tanks so this is the next and final project I'm taking on. The things we do to make the women folk happy! I blame Jen for my toy addiction, "it's all for your tank Peewee, I'm getting them for your fish!"
If you like pics, then we will have lots to amuse you. Some may offend, but no one will be harmed and all will remain fully clothed. (we hope)
You may not have noticed, but I tend to prattle on a bit, and I'm not the most politically correct guy in the room. I will add a few comments above each photo to help the story along.
System Objectives: A pretty fish tank! with lots of really neat toys with lights and buttons and beeps and power cords to keep me amused. I LIKE toys, Jen does not seem to be as enthralled as I though.
System Type: Mixed Reef with all the usual, would like lots of color and movement
Display System:
Strike up Date: Purchased the tank 14/05/11. Got the tank home on the 19/06/11 so I guess strike up would be 19th
Get wet date: August 2011
Display Tank: 10x2.5x2.5 made using see through glass
Display Lighting: DIY LED - 208 Cree's, 52xRB, 52xB, 52XCW, 52x NW, Typhon controller.
Stand?: Well its not going straight on the floor now is it. That would just be lazy.
Hood?: Nope, Jen prefers a nice cap. Hoodies are so last year.
Sump: 6'x2'x18" made this one out of that see through glass too!
Refugium: Built into sump. 1x2x6" Miracle Mud, some green weeds on top of the mud. 22Ltr's of mud.
Refugium Lighting: 2x 3FT T5's under the cabinet above the sump
Support systems:
System Water: Natural Saltwater - IF we can find someone who delivers out this side of town or else it will be lots of trips to LFS!
Poor old ute didn't know what hit it with so much weight on its back. Water in large volume = heavy!
Display Water circulation: 2x Tunze 6305's, 3x Tunze 6105's, 1x Polario 1500M
Return Pump: Hailea 9000L/h
Skimmer: 2x Reef Octopussy Beckett 2000's (BK-250-800) Each supplied by a Sicce 5800ltr pump.
Evaporation Top Up: Auto top-up (When I remind Jen to do it!) :p Soon to be installed firechild Custom Industries ATO System
Chemical Support:
Calcium Addition: Aqua Medic 4 head pump
Alkalinity Addition: Aqua Medic 4 head pump
Magnesium Addition: Aqua Medic 4 head pump
Other Chemical Maintenance:
Carbon: Deltec FR1020 reactor, Sicce 4000ltr pump
RowaPhos: Deltec FR1020 reactor, Sicce 4000ltr pump
Current Water Chemistry: N/A
Nitrates: N/A
Phosphates: N/A
Alkalinity: N/A
Calcium: N/A
Salinity / Specific Gravity: N/A
Magnesium: N/A
Images:
Moving day is here
Yes, he is a big boy! not smart, but damn he can lift heavy things! :D He's a great guy, I'm only picking on him, it's a bad pic I know.
Did you notice Jen in the truck "supervising" Hands in pockets working hard
Time to get it off
Had to remove all the trim and doors to get the bloody thing through our front door, oh yeah, we had to take that off also!
Now the hard part
Now this don't look pretty, if you have a weak stomach, look away now
Looking mighty pretty now!
Damn he's a big lad
Hmm, what now?
My view from the couch
Almost done lining the cabinet
I wont line the ends of the cabinet just yet
Sump installed
Installing the Skimmers