Tank Journal Archive

[DavidS]

So I've been debating setting up this TJ since I ordered it, but I figured now would be a good time so I can do my planning in one spot, and get feedback on things as they happen, and update the details below as things change.​

*This TJ is already incredibly long without the tank being wet, but hopefully it might help illustrate the amount of effort and thought that needs to go in to this - especially if you're on a budget and want to do some DIY.​

Introduction:​

System Objectives: Create an "Oh Wow" factor.​

Type of reef: Probably mixed. Still working on that.​

Display System:​

Initial Fill Date: 2nd January 2012​

Display Tank Dimensions: 4x2x2​

Display Lighting: DIY RapidLED build 48 LED with BoostLED Typhon controller​

Stand: Custom cabinet.​

Hood or Rimless: Crown style open hood.​

Sump Design: 3x1.5x1.5 with 3 sections​

Filtration: The sump. ​

Support systems:​

NSW or ASW: NSW​

Display Water circulation: Tunze 6095 + a JVP (to be upgraded) Originally 2 x JVP 12000l/hr wavemakers​

Return Pump: Waveline DC5000 Originally a Diablo Red Devil D3000​

Skimmer: Bubble Magus BM-150PRO​

Evaporation Top Up: Custom ATO​

Chemical additions:​

Calcium Addition: Randy's Recipe with a dosing dump​

Alkilinity Addition: Randy's Recipe with a dosing dump

Magnesium Addition: Randy's Recipe with a dosing dump​

Prodibiotics Addition: N/A​

Coral Food Addition: Various Brightwell products

*Updated 1st June 2013 to reflect multiple changes​

 

[Jonny Glover]

What type of wavemakers you going to use>?

 

[DavidS]

OK, so for the current status update and plans:

Tank and sump are in build. Should be able to have delivered end of September.

Planning on getting a diablo 3000 return pump and a couple bags of oceanpure salt from Guppys soon. Will probably buy a couple of cheaper JVP or similar wave makers.

Dunno about skimmer yet - may just get a bubble magus or something that isn't too expensive and use that until I can afford an upgrade.

Cabinet build will start in 2 months or so - something simple.

Ideally, once the cabinet is built, I'll throw the tanks on, and fill with RO/DI to test and get water moving properly, test seals, etc.
Add salt, as I can't mix that much water in one go. Once it's dissolved, load with coral sand, and throw in rock - mostly base rock, but some live rock as well to get the life going in the tank.

May try to rig up the 24 LED DIY unit over the top to at least give it some light while the tank does it's thing, and I can save up for more lights. Figuring on letting the tank do it's thing for 3 months or so before I start bothering it with coral or fish - though I will start on the clean up crew when the algae starts.

Once I've burned through the cheap oceanpure (which I actually found fine in my nano), I'll start using something better.

 

[DavidS]

So the questions I have are:

- If the tank is cycling, and otherwise devoid of coral and fish, will it cope with summer temps without a chiller? If can get past this summer without a chiller, I can focus more on spending up on lighting and other bits, then have one sorted next year. It's not likely to be hot here for long, though there might be a week or so of days in the very high 30s. I can, if necessary, use fans and float some containers of ice.

- Lighting - can I get away with fairly limited lighting while the cycle does its thing? I've subscribed to the fact that some light will be necessary, but I'm not sure how much. Hoping that the RapidLED kit might throw enough out to do that job. I'd prefer to use my T5, but not sure 2x24w T5s are going to be remotely close for it. I like the 3 month wait, and I figure with a lot of base rock in there, the longer I leave it the better anyway.

 

[slin1977]

Good luck with it mate,
You have plenty of time to soak that baserock even before it goes in the tank.
Get an RODI , unless you have NSW :)

 

[DavidS]

Good luck with it mate,
You have plenty of time to soak that baserock even before it goes in the tank.
Get an RODI , unless you have NSW :)

Had an RO/DI for months, so that's all good.

Prob I have with soaking rock is I really don't have anywhere I can do it (at least if I do it in salt water). I might try to buy some and get it soaking in advance - might dump water from my nano into it as well. At least that'll increase the amount of "live rock" I have in the tank when I wet it. I won't be able to do that to all of the rock, but even if I get 10kg or so done, that should make a difference.

 

[slin1977]

Hey Buddy, the reason I soaked them was to get rid of excess phosphates, I did this in RODI for about ten days,
The phosphates were still too high for me so I gave my rock an Acid bath in hydrochloric acid, then I soaked them again in RODI
My phosphates were dramatically reduced. And then Nilsinki was pleased.

I think then you should seed your rock as you say....
Just buy some 35 liter buckets from bunnings for ten bucks to soak yer rocks

 

[DavidS]

Hey Buddy, the reason I soaked them was to get rid of excess phosphates, I did this in RODI for about ten days,
The phosphates were still too high for me so I gave my rock an Acid bath in hydrochloric acid, then I soaked them again in RODI
My phosphates were dramatically reduced. And then Nilsinki was pleased.

I think then you should seed your rock as you say....
Just buy some 35 liter buckets from bunnings for ten bucks to soak yer rocks

I have a 60l tub floating around I can probably use. Did you run light on the rock while you do an RODI bath?

 

[slin1977]

I bought my baserock from Age of Aquariums, mine is Tahiti (i think cant remember) they sell Tonga Baserock too. I got a 20 kg box
I left it on the balcony,in RODI no light etc
AS it is baserock and not liverock it comes totally dry. I seeded it in my tank after building my structure.
I built my structure after drying out the rock for a few days dry and let it set for a few days too.
Food for thought....you have plenty of time to do this tank right.

 

[DavidS]

AoA was where I was planning on buying the rock from as well! :D

 

[DavidS]

Progress slowly. Ernie tells me that the tank was scheduled to start getting built yesterday, so that's a good sign. I've also paid for half of it now, so that's a plus.

Ordered a few bits this week - a couple of VP202 12000l/hr wave makers. They were cheap, and should hopefully do the job when the tank cycles until I can afford some decent units. They were $15 each, so I got a pair, and some coral tongs as I suspect they could come in handy.

Also ordered a 20kg container of Tetra Marine Salt Pro, which most people probably hate if I vaguely recall something I read somewhere else, but it was $65 from AoA, so it ships cheap. I'll give it a go when I try to cure the first batch of rock, and for the nano as I'm almost out of salt for that. Whatever's left can go into the new tank while it cycles along with whatever other salt I get at the time.
I grabbed a Hydor THEO 300w heater as well. I had planned on getting a box of base rock, but given the cost of the salt, I decided that the rock can wait a bit longer.

 

[MTG]

Looks like it is slowly coming together David, what other gear are you planning on buying for it?

 

['vspec']

- If the tank is cycling, and otherwise devoid of coral and fish, will it cope with summer temps without a chiller?

Not a problem. If your timeframe isn't rushed, just let it hit its own equilibrium.
I'm actually of the opinion of maintaining some load on the system, as I believe healthier numbered populations gives a buffer when you add livestock.

- Lighting - can I get away with fairly limited lighting while the cycle does its thing? I've subscribed to the fact that some light will be necessary, but I'm not sure how much.

.

In my opinion, you dont need any. Once you get past the "whole bowl of wrong" and out the other side, then you can fire everything up!

Hey Buddy, the reason I soaked them was to get rid of excess phosphates

Sound advice! Just make sure your container is potable grade.
There is also nothing like sun bleaching at the early stage. Quite effective. , Which gives weight to a pre soak.

As a side note : We should get a poll happening to find out peoples salt branding I believe.

Lets delve into your product choices a little more. You have some time, so take us on your research journey bud.
Its always great seeing into the mind of a mental patent, just dont forget your slippers..lol

 

[DavidS]

Heh - time is something I have a lot of. Money, not so much :D
Sun bleaching sounds good. Gives me an excuse to do this outside.

Interesting you mention potable grade containers - I was out trying to find a couple of 100l water containers and was having the discussion about food grade containers with my father, who pointed out that his understanding was the biggest issue is recycled plastics, and those not being "food safe", where as the translucent/opaque containers aren't recycled, and are what most "food grade" water containers are made with.
Unfortunately, I had no luck, and can't find anything bigger than 30l. I may have to rethink the strategy I had - this may not be such a big deal. At least at 30l, they're easily moveable.

 

[DavidS]

Looks like it is slowly coming together David, what other gear are you planning on buying for it?

Need to sort out a skimmer soon so I can use it when I start trying to cure the rock that I don't have yet. Was thinking maybe a Bubble Magus or Marine Sources - something that won't break the bank from Guppies. I dislike ordering from Andreas given the shipping costs, but I'll order an ATO relay, return pump and a few other bits at the same time to make it worthwhile.

Between that, some base rock, a few kg of live rock and another bag of coral sand, I think I'm getting close to having enough sorted to think about the tank getting wet.

Ideally, I'd like to have the rock soaked, phosphates out of it, then starting to cure by early October. Cabinet could take forever to get built at this stage - honestly doubtful that I'll have it here before Christmas. That might give me some time to put in another order to Rapid LED and maybe get a 48 LED kit from them. I reckon that plus the existing 24LED kit should be enough to light this sucker up.

Then it'll be time for some new wave makers. Then assuming everything else is working fine, I might need to consider some toys for it. Then some livestock.

 

[MagicJ]

Nothing like having a plan David - all you have to do now is stick to it :)

 

[VaultBoy]

Looking good mate, so close I bet you can smell the salt in the air!

 

[DavidS]

Looking good mate, so close I bet you can smell the salt in the air!

Yeah - so close yet so damned far. It's only gonna get worse when all of that glassware is sitting dry on my kitchen table while I wait for the cabinet build.
I've never coped with having empty tanks - let alone that big.

 

['vspec']

Plastics unlimited or Bunnings could assist.
Bunnings from memory had those large green round water containers with lids, few hundred Lt for a reasonable price.
Dont have to fill it to capacity obviously.

Have not heard anything about the recycled plastics. Interesting to find out.
Shouldn't be overly concerned though, with bountiful chemical cocktails they put into everything, i'm surprised we're not mutated already, let alone our animals.
Even natural ingredients might be of concern, I'm sooooo waiting for people to have a reaction to corn one day, cause its in almost every product to some degree.

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Marine Sources profile is harder to track due to a downed site.:(

Factory address: Building 18, Fengshan Industrial Zone, Cuijing Road, Qianshan District, Zhuhai City, Guangdong Prov. China
Company address: Avenida do Coronel Mesquita No 16 r/c Edif.”SENG FU” Macau
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[DavidS]

Was thinking a BM-150-Pro - has an Aquabee pump built in or a Marine Sources RDC850 internal with a red devil pump.
Both are fairly low power consumption (this is something I find important), and are fairly inexpensive which is another consideration initially. If it doesn't do the job long term, then I can always upgrade - hopefully by which point I'll have determined specifically what I need and have a more reasonable budget to throw at it.