The Reef Down The Corner

[seffieuk]

Sounds like you are making good progress

Seffie x

 

[Xebadir]

Ive been working on some plans for a modified sump that I might work on in the future. Will post a pic shortly.

Basic idea is: use the penguin 125 as overflow hob box, with the pump to pull water into it instead of an overflow with drilled hole or a siphon system(which I might fiddle with flow rates for using impellor), downpipe to sump (which im still thinking about the size of...5G maybe..i do have a tank that I could use thats around this size...possibly larger) have 3 compartments: 1st is coral rubble, baffled to deepish sand, and Live rock with a heater, baffled to pump up to tank via the penguin (which im planning to comparmentalise into an in and out section, possibly keep as a pipe to turn into an additional flow for the tank, or possibly just a slow flow of water back in.

What do people think of this concept? Any suggestions? (This will probably be some time in the future).

Any idea what sort of return pump would be approriate?

An alternate idea would be my original thought which this guy pulled off: http/www.masa.asn.au/phpBB2/viewtopic.ph...asc&start=0

 

[Xebadir]

Anyway, Figured it was time to do a tank shot so you know what it looks like...and the setup pre LR (Yay tommorow). Hopefully ill get all sorts of little beasties on it...should be interesting. Im also probably going to look into test kits to round out my set all ready to go for other stuff down the track.

Hopefully my lighting should be here tommorow or the next day, and ill do my first full check of params after the LR is in for a day (just for a little practice) along with a FTS and a summary of the tank.

On an upside we've had 2 quite hot days and ive found the tank doesnt fair too badly, not much evap at all and temps maxed at about 28C (only 2 degrees fluctuation). I might need to look into a fan.

 

[xxBarneyxx]

Interesting shaped tank, looking forward to watching this one

With regards to your overflow idea I'm afraid it wont work (if im understanding it correctly).

You have two pumps. One pulling water from the display and one returning the water to the display from the sump. The problem here is that if pump in the display fails your sump will empty into the display and flood it. If the pump in the in the sump fails your display will be drained and your sump flooded.

The other problem is matching the flow rates of each pump. They have to be exactly the same or you will end up emptying one tank and flooding the other. Even if you managed to match them to begin with over time one may lose flow rate which would not be good.

The only reliable way is an overflow unfortunately.

 

[Xebadir]

Well as with everything I seem to do...a problem has come up, unfortunately my LR wont be here for another week...which means my effort setting up the tank has been wasted. I guess it means more time to spend working on my HOB refugium concept, and at least my lighting will have already arrived by then (unless of course its broken which knowing my luck it will be). Still im kind of annoyed...was looking forward to getting out of the house for a drive. So I guess this diary is on the backburner.

 

[Xebadir]

The LR situation has improved, I tried another aquarium and got a few nice pieces of partially cured rock totalling 2.9kg. Will take some pictures tonight of the tank...not sure there is alot in the way of hitch hikers, definitely looks like some form of red algae, and the stuff is well covered with coraline. Picked up another rawer bit to take the total to around 3.5 kg roughly, which im pretty happy with giving me room for coral frags later on. Fiddled with arrangement a bit to get something a little different, though in this size tank thats rather hard. Noted a couple of hitchhikers on the later bit, namely a snail of some description, and a pink sponge. Was tempted to ask for another bit of LR that had a small zoo colony and some different types of sps on it, but decided it belongs in a tank a bit bigger and thats mature....or mine when its cycled .

News flash: My lighting has arrived, currently setup with 1x 24W 10k and a 24W actinic, so should make the photos tonight look good.

FTS soon.

 

[Xebadir]

So as promised a shot of the tank with all the liverock in under the new lighting:

And it appears I may have another hitchhiker in addition to the sponge and the snail:

Not the best shot but i need to borrow my dads 18-200VR to get some better resolution as ive used an 18-55 and a 70-300 to get these shots. Havent taken a shot of the pink sponge due to its location nor the snail. Im thinking that its a mantis shrimp of some description, or some other type of shrimp, probably need some help for an ident.

What do people think of the aquascaping. Its only 4 rocks which limits me a bit.

Either way Im happy with the tank so far.

 

[seffieuk]

It's looking real cute can't tell from the photo if it is a mantis, but if you have decided not to go down the mantis tank route, which i think you did if i remember correctly I would get the bugger out obviously after a good ID

Seffie x



ps you will be amazed at what starts to appear over the next few weeks

 

[xxBarneyxx]

I really like the aquascape. I think it works very well in that tank. Maybe just a tiny bit more for the back later on.

Cant help on the ID as I cant really see it im afraid. How big is it?

 

[Xebadir]

Its nearly an inch long, somewhere between 0.75-1inch. Thanks for the complements on the aquascape, im also pretty happy with it, it helped getting some nice rock in the first place. Im going to try and get some better pictures tonight using the 18-200mm for a proper identification. I figured I could always add more later or if I find a larger coral frag. Hopefully it will look better when I add the HoB penguin and get the heater out of the tank and into it and some coral rubble in there, it also should get my flow rate up a bit (adds 125G/h outflow).

 

[xxBarneyxx]

Yeah if your going for corals (sorry I couldnt remember at that time if that was the plan or not) then I probably wouldnt add any more rock as with some corals over this (especially as a lot tend to come on LR bits) it will look great.

Just an idle thought but how much space do you have between the rockwork and the back corner of the tank? might be cool to hide the pump behind the rockwork at the back and then get a Y adaptor and to flow control nozzles to direct the flow around the front and over the rock. That way you dont have the pump sitting at the back and you will only see the hoses or nozzles which should be easier to blend in.

Another possibility if you went this way would be to make a "rock wall" background (look for big C's thread on this) then you can hide the nozzles in this and just leave holes for their output?

Looks really great as it is but was just a random idea in get the equipment out the way as it is more noticable in a smaller tank.

Still cant really help on the ID but looking at it again it does look fairly mantis like (head is at the right hand side).

 

[Xebadir]

Ill have a look into the hiding the pump idea...I might need a bit more flowrate at some point though....the heater has to go out into the hob for this to work though i think.

Im nearly certain its a mantis of some description, the way it holds itself is just so like them and unlike anything else. It also blocked its entrance hole with rocks for the night.

Thanks for the ideas and information, ill get thinking after cricket (time to go open the bowling and batting lol).

 

[xxBarneyxx]

Yeah that sounds pretty mantis like to me (but Im not expert).

Big C's thread - http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=202153

There was another guy that has done it on here as well but cant remember who it was now.

 

[BigC]

For more flowrate/Circulation what about using an external wet/dry circulation pump such as an Eheim Universal or a NewJet 3000 which is much cheaper. (closed loop)
Or the Tunze Nanostream® Rock
(6025.250)
Yes the rock looks crap when new but I've actually seen these in mature tanks and when covered in coraline they really do look very natural.
Regards
BigC

 

[Xebadir]

Maybe thats an option once I get more set up, and have alot of money to spare (given that the tunze pump alone is $115 over here, a similar price to the Hydor Koralia.) I can probably leave this for the moment as my tank needs to mature for quite a while anyway before i get to the serious flowrate reqs. Also the tunze 6025 would give me 125 x turnover alone lol which would mean effectively I could keep most corals (flowrate based anyway...lighting is another issue).

As for my HoB refugium concept ive got the surface skimmer attachment now plus ive worked out how to modify the internals, just need a few fittings to join the pipes plus some aquarium safe silicone. If necessary I can remove a couple of the impellor fins (while maintaining its balance) to slow the flow rate a little and make sure its not a raging torrent. Hopefully I should be able to do this in the next couple of days.

Will put a pic of the snail up later so you guys can help with an ident, and I also seem to have some incredibly long (around an inch long) tenticles (2 opaque) which are coming out of a small white tube, they dont like the light, however when the lights arent on the sweep the area around the tube. Also appear to have a couple of feather dusters.