Tank Journal Archive
Thanks. For me it was really worth working out what I wanted to achieve & I'm far happier with the sturdiness of this aquascape than any of my previous. There are still one or two spots I want to stuff some marine putty but I'll wait until I have to place an online order, or when I next go to Melb.
There is about 2 inches of rod visible under a rock but I rolled it in silicon then coral sand so you can't really see it. I used the same process with the pavers that are the bases for the rock but I also siliconed on bits of rock, shell etc. Time consuming but worth the end result I reckon. My putty also got rolled in superglue then sand in a couple of spots where I didn't want putty detracting from the aquascape.
I'll find the link for you tomorrow but it was on ebay. I bought 8mm and 12mm. But in the end I didn't use the 10mm, I'm sure it'll be handy for a future project.
Here is the link. You can also often get it at Spotlight stores but ring first to see if they carry the diameter you want.I'll find the link for you tomorrow but it was on ebay. I bought 8mm and 12mm. But in the end I didn't use the 10mm, I'm sure it'll be handy for a future project.
Good luck.
With the help of my teenage son, I've started collecting NSW from Inverloch pier (vic) and thought I'd publish the results for anyone who might find it useful.
Very early water parameters for my DT are all over the place.
PH 7.8
SG 1.025
Temp 28 (hot day here yesterday)
Alkilinity 3
Calcium 420
Ammonia 0.25 (expected start of cycle)
Nitrate 0
Phosphate 0
I'll raise the alk with Seachem PH UP (just because I have it but baking soda would do) and when I get alk right I'll check PH again. No good chasing both as one effects the other plus my tank is hot which also effects PH.
I also picked up a bunch of stuff from Brendan (@Miller) and they're all in Donna's seed tank. Frag racks in there are nearly full and real estate is becoming scarce so I can't wait to start transferring to my tank. Hopefully that will start about late February...
I'll also set up the QT tank soon and document how I do that for anyone new to it.
- Ammonia 0.0 ppm
- Nitrate 0.0 ppm
- PH 8.2
- Specific Gravity 1.025
- Alkalinity 7 dKH
- Phosphate 0.0 ppm
- Calcium 380 mg/l (low)
---------------------
One of the coco worms in Donna's tank dropped a head a week ago and while cleaning her tank yesterday I found it. The dottyback was having a chew on it but even after a week it still had feeder tentacles out. So I threw that in my tank yesterday along with two sacrificial tidal snails from her tank. I figure the coco will grow or die - both acceptable results in a new cycling tank.Very early water parameters for my DT are all over the place.
PH 7.8
SG 1.025
Temp 28 (hot day here yesterday)
Alkilinity 3
Calcium 420
Ammonia 0.25 (expected start of cycle)
Nitrate 0
Phosphate 0
I'll raise the alk with Seachem PH UP (just because I have it but baking soda would do) and when I get alk right I'll check PH again. No good chasing both as one effects the other plus my tank is hot which also effects PH.
I also picked up a bunch of stuff from Brendan (@Miller) and they're all in Donna's seed tank. Frag racks in there are nearly full and real estate is becoming scarce so I can't wait to start transferring to my tank. Hopefully that will start about late February...
I'll also set up the QT tank soon and document how I do that for anyone new to it.
Parameters for ammonia, nitrite & nitrate have hit zero and remained stable for a few days which would indicate the tank cycled in 9 days. That seems about right for a new tank set up with sterile rock seeded with well established live rock & given that it is connected to a sump that's been running a month longer. I also put in about 10kg extra live rock from Donna's tank (which has excessive rock) to help the seeding along. It's just sitting on top of my aquascaping and will be removed in the near future.
I'm thinking I might put two morphs & a frag of fast growing brown zoos in there this weekend and monitor what eventuates. But first I'll be draining the tank & fitting a sheet of black acrylic (purchased on ebay for $8) and the black corner trim on the weir. I'll cover the rockwork with damp (NSW) cloth overnight while the silicon gets a grip. It can then finish curing underwater. Not ideal but should all work out.
The fun part approaches.:D
I'm thinking I might put two morphs & a frag of fast growing brown zoos in there this weekend and monitor what eventuates. But first I'll be draining the tank & fitting a sheet of black acrylic (purchased on ebay for $8) and the black corner trim on the weir. I'll cover the rockwork with damp (NSW) cloth overnight while the silicon gets a grip. It can then finish curing underwater. Not ideal but should all work out.
The fun part approaches.:D
I wouldnt worry about the silicone curing overnight. The "skin" on the silicone forms after about 10 - 15 mins and is then impervious to water and will cure. If you press the cover sheet into the silicone firmly and give it an hour or so then the silicone will have formed a skin and will be adhering as well as it will ever hold (BTW silicone wont bond to acrylic it just sticks like bubble gum) seeing as there is no pressure as such forcing the sheets apart.
I think this will be better than dealing with the die off from the rocks being left out of the water...
I think this will be better than dealing with the die off from the rocks being left out of the water...
My first lot of american chaeto macro algae is ready for giveaway. It grows really well in my sump & I'm not even feeding the tank yet.
Who's first? If you're not sure how this giveaway works, please see earlier entries in this journal.
The Tank: I've modified that right bommie a bit (it was too uniform) & added the first corals. I'll edit this later today & add pics.
Who's first? If you're not sure how this giveaway works, please see earlier entries in this journal.
The Tank: I've modified that right bommie a bit (it was too uniform) & added the first corals. I'll edit this later today & add pics.
Awesome.
I see @VaultBoy is first in line, but I'll put in dibs for second ... or first if he doesn't want.
No worries. Just send me a self addressed express post bag & I'll send it back loaded.
I'm at:
Ian Gardener
PO Box 95
Meeniyan 3956
I'll try to do some tonight.
Finally getting around to an update. Life's been hectic or I've been slack - maybe both.
Firstly I did a quick edit to my previous post in this TJ on building bommies & added some pics. Not as detailed as I would have liked because things got hectic when I was doing it. But if anyone has a question just yell out as always.
I acquired quite a few frags & corals, mostly through members here on these forums & ended up loading up two frag racks in my wife's tank (That TJ updating next). Also picked up what I'm pretty sure is a purple tipped crispa anemone from a member here & a clown, both of which went into Donna's tank after a three hour drip acclimatisation. Unfortunately the only other fish in the tank, a Royal Dottyback, bullied it from the start and we couldn't catch either. The clown was dead next morning. Kama though, the clown must have fought back as the dotty was majorly stressed and developed what appeared to be marine ich (whitespot). Visibly only a couple of spots but it was dead within days & before I could get it down to hyposalinity, despite it eating well on home made marinara & garlic mince plus a daily portion of newly hatched brine shrimp. Although I've had fish with ich before, this is the first time I've lost one to it and I'm a bit frustrated at losing a critter to PITA ich.
On the second day I got the nem to eat a piece of fresh squid but it has rejected target feeding since, however it's thickening up its tentacles and seems to be thriving under the 150w MH light. My tank's still a little young for a nem yet so it won't go in there for a while.
My tank is now fully operational although I don't have the skimmer yet, still saving for that but there's little bioload anyway & no fish yet. Balancing the flow from my weir and my 3500lph return pump is a bit of a trick and as soon as I lose a cm of water to evaporation, the return pump creates a vortex and sucks air - sending microbubbles into the tank. An automatic top up is definitely on the cards.
I do have a T piece on the return above the pump with flow controlled by one of those horrible & useless pvc ball valves but the balancing act continues. With power off I only have a gap of 5mm between the water level and the top of my sump so I can't add more water. The real problem I think is in the sump's first baffle, it reaches to within 2cm of the sump wall height and so that compartment retains a depth of probably 28cm. I'm pretty sure I'll need to cut that baffle down a bit to allow a greater depth in the refugium and return area.
If I remember correctly from my firefighter exams, to prevent a vortex the depth of the intake underwater must be at least double the circumference of the hose drawing water. I'm running 25mm return line but only have about 25mm coverage above the pump at the moment.
I discovered that my moonlight controller & two of the 3 led diode units were dead & in my search for 2nd hand replacements, a very generous person offered me his moonlight system (Fishbowl Innovations - same as mine) as he broke his power cords & hasn't used it for some time. All for just the cost of postage. He, like me, enjoys paying things forward occasionally. So I'm waiting for that and I'll make one up from the two sets. Just a note here: the damage to my moonlights was my own fault, it had nothing to do with quality of the unit, which I'm very happy with. Stupid me forgot it was an american 5V unit & I plugged a 12V power supply into it.:eek
Okay a few notes to myself since my memory is crap (pinching Chimaera's idea), then on with the pics. Today:
Firstly I did a quick edit to my previous post in this TJ on building bommies & added some pics. Not as detailed as I would have liked because things got hectic when I was doing it. But if anyone has a question just yell out as always.
I acquired quite a few frags & corals, mostly through members here on these forums & ended up loading up two frag racks in my wife's tank (That TJ updating next). Also picked up what I'm pretty sure is a purple tipped crispa anemone from a member here & a clown, both of which went into Donna's tank after a three hour drip acclimatisation. Unfortunately the only other fish in the tank, a Royal Dottyback, bullied it from the start and we couldn't catch either. The clown was dead next morning. Kama though, the clown must have fought back as the dotty was majorly stressed and developed what appeared to be marine ich (whitespot). Visibly only a couple of spots but it was dead within days & before I could get it down to hyposalinity, despite it eating well on home made marinara & garlic mince plus a daily portion of newly hatched brine shrimp. Although I've had fish with ich before, this is the first time I've lost one to it and I'm a bit frustrated at losing a critter to PITA ich.
On the second day I got the nem to eat a piece of fresh squid but it has rejected target feeding since, however it's thickening up its tentacles and seems to be thriving under the 150w MH light. My tank's still a little young for a nem yet so it won't go in there for a while.
My tank is now fully operational although I don't have the skimmer yet, still saving for that but there's little bioload anyway & no fish yet. Balancing the flow from my weir and my 3500lph return pump is a bit of a trick and as soon as I lose a cm of water to evaporation, the return pump creates a vortex and sucks air - sending microbubbles into the tank. An automatic top up is definitely on the cards.
I do have a T piece on the return above the pump with flow controlled by one of those horrible & useless pvc ball valves but the balancing act continues. With power off I only have a gap of 5mm between the water level and the top of my sump so I can't add more water. The real problem I think is in the sump's first baffle, it reaches to within 2cm of the sump wall height and so that compartment retains a depth of probably 28cm. I'm pretty sure I'll need to cut that baffle down a bit to allow a greater depth in the refugium and return area.
If I remember correctly from my firefighter exams, to prevent a vortex the depth of the intake underwater must be at least double the circumference of the hose drawing water. I'm running 25mm return line but only have about 25mm coverage above the pump at the moment.
I discovered that my moonlight controller & two of the 3 led diode units were dead & in my search for 2nd hand replacements, a very generous person offered me his moonlight system (Fishbowl Innovations - same as mine) as he broke his power cords & hasn't used it for some time. All for just the cost of postage. He, like me, enjoys paying things forward occasionally. So I'm waiting for that and I'll make one up from the two sets. Just a note here: the damage to my moonlights was my own fault, it had nothing to do with quality of the unit, which I'm very happy with. Stupid me forgot it was an american 5V unit & I plugged a 12V power supply into it.:eek
Okay a few notes to myself since my memory is crap (pinching Chimaera's idea), then on with the pics. Today:
- Transferred two frag racks from seed tank to my DT.
- Fragged up a few plugs of zoas using the single/double polyp method as an experiment.
- Transferred 2nd coco worm to DT.
- Moved experimental acro frag back to frag rack at side of tank.
- The suggestion to use golf tees as mounts for single polyp fragging doesn't work - they float.
- Put bag of carbon in sump.
- Diatoms starting to develop on substrate and a few rocks. Changed 3 of the six bulbs. Do rest asap.
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