My Tank Setup, Dipped My Toe,

[Matthew5664]

Four hours of cut and past some ziptyes PTFE tape and a hole lot of Poly cement and it done.

I was told as an engineer that anything will fit anything with a little 'Jigery Pokery'

It's all go go go..........

 

[Matthew5664]

got the lights to day man there bright!!

Skimmers in full froth!

sumps up to the level all is good!

now for some LR!!!!!

 

[Matthew5664]

Got the live rock today and Wipe the guy out last of the stock till wednesday and at £7/Kg It's going quick!

These are the bits he had left have to go back to get the rest.
Thinking of getting some from MHA they have some Fiji stuff there but its 11.99/kg!!

Heres a full tank shot for now. With the wood I had left over I put a temp light incloseure because 'her indoors' was complaining about the light getting in her eyes!

Anyways enjoy

 

[Matthew5664]

After so much hassle I finerly got the backing on my tank last night, from now on the backing goes on first!

As you see looking good I think?

Close up of the rock, yet to arang them got a free zoo brown one!

Cople of answers needed:

How long to wait? 3-4 weeks I've read but done know for sure, I suppose as long as it takes for the Alge to bloom then for the clen up crew? ( Am i right so far)

What is the light requierments at the mo and what can I do to help my zoo suvive??

 

[cheeky_chappie]

your set up seems to be coming along great, i'd love to 'go marine' but don't have time at present, maybe in the future!

one thing i'm wondering about is all the electrics under the tank. obviously this will hopefully NEVER happen, but should your tank develop a leak over that side, there might be a possibility of water dripping down onto and into your electrics .

do you have sufficient circuit breakers etc in place?

 

[Matthew5664]

Good point the 4 ways are going to be up on the wall to the left of the tank as for the sockets in the wall well have to hope for no leaks!!!!!

The others are telephone and cable so they'll be alright

 

[Aquascaper]

Looking good

Just to go back to the question about tank backing, as the tank is filled you could try a piece of heavy black cloth pinned to the wall. This will cut the amount of relected light of your light coloured walls behind the tank and will achieve almost the same effect as painting the glass. If you upgrade to a halide later on you may find that you get nice light 'wave' patterns on the cloth which you don't get if you paint the tank glass.

And for all you glass painters out there: Tile paint is the mutts nuts for this job

 

[cheeky_chappie]

it would be worth your while fitting (or getting an electrician to fit) these in place of the sockets you have at present:

protected socket

they're not expensive and i think i'm right in saying they would safely cut power should water get into them. okay so there would be no electricity getting to your system, but that might be preferable to what could happen?

as you might tell H&S is quite high on my agenda

 

[Matthew5664]

Think I may go with your idea cheeky_chappie, I've got a CEF place opposit me at work so I'll got over there in my break and see about getting one.

Aquascaper: thanks for the info, I went with the normal backing from the LFS witch was a B****R to fit but it's done now and looking good I think. I was thinking of a MH soon thay have some kits at CEF over the way and all I need is to get a bulb to fit ( found there pritty much a standerd size ) Then to make a box for it or might go down to the local land fill site and look through the metalwork they have there.

Scrap that idea just read the other post about the balasts giving out the wrong spectrum of light!

 

[Matthew5664]

Well its been a while but all is well and the frist of the 'clean up crew' went in today along with some more LR and Caulerpa.

This is the tub i used for the Red lag HC'c 6 of them, I knew I'd find a use for the veturi fitting on my return pump!

The rest were done using the old bucket techneck.

one sand sifting star fish

one brittle star

and one erchen (spelling I know)

Heres the bag of sawblade caulerpa for the sump got some red looking stuff aswell can get a good pic at the mo.

Thats about it for the livestock side on the build front did a little mod to the temp hood.

cut these 'breather' hole in the wood after reeding the troble being had this the PC's overheating.

And for the reflectors, why buy them when you can (after everyone is gone) get up on your desk at work take down one of the power compact light fittings and 'half inch' the reflectors out of them!

 

[Chac]

Hi Matthew

IMO your tank is way to young for 1 never mind 2 stars, there simply will be nothing for them to feed on

The usuall opening CC peps add are Hermits & Turbos & star, Urchins etc. much later

 

[RoyalGrammaPrincessHannah]

Plus the sand sifters need a really big matured tank to survive long term unless you put tons of food for them in the tank.

 

[Chac]

Maybe I missed it in the thread but wot size of tank is it mate ???

 

[Matthew5664]

I was advised buy my LFS that the urchen and stars were good scavengers and would pic at alge aswell as sift the sand???

I've also read this is a few books for the libary, but if what you say is true and I'd need a muture tank any tips for me to keep them alive??

As for the tank Chac I worked it out to be around 30 USG when displaced plus sump of 9 USG

To small???

 

[Chac]

I was advised buy my LFS that the urchen and stars were good scavengers and would pic at alge aswell as sift the sand???

I've also read this is a few books for the libary, but if what you say is true and I'd need a muture tank any tips for me to keep them alive??

As for the tank Chac I worked it out to be around 30 USG when displaced plus sump of 9 USG

To small???

Both animals are good at the jobs they do, but I think your LFS needs to join this forum for some advice, I gave up taken advice from ANY of my local LFS as they are simply buisness men looking to make a buck

So your tank is around 25 UK Gallons

Personally I wouldnt have added a seastar ato a tank that size and this young, you could try adding dead shrimps etc. to the sand bed but really your tank is to small & young to support this beastie

As for the Urchin be careful he doesnt undermine your rock work and have it collapse

In the years I have kept a marien setup I have never atually owned a Urchin & only recntly bought my 1st Seastar, clad I did as it does a great job, but think I will steer away from the urchin