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dendro982
12/22/2007, 09:39 AM
I have 20g long tank, have problems with keeping particles suspended for removing by filtration.
If you can, post pictures or links to them, of 20L tanks, that have not this problem - to see, how the problem was solved.

The tank should be:
- undrilled;
- filled by LR and corals (no vast amount of empty space);
- be not new, at least 2-3 months to see how it worked.

Will the hexagon tank be better?
Any help will be greatly appreciated.

saltyVT
12/22/2007, 06:21 PM
I have an undrilled 20L. I have a AC110, AC50, and Rio 2800(closed loop SCWD). the Rio alone pushes 796 GPH. I figure around 6-700 GPH with head loss and all. The AC110 is fuge set up with filter floss to catch particles running 500 GPH, and the AC50 is 200 filled with LR rubble only. Everything seems to be suspended in my tank, only two months old (everything in it is over two years old from other tanks I combined). I did go for the open look rather then over do the LR and stuff it it full........

saltyVT
12/22/2007, 06:26 PM
20L (http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1250243)

dendro982
12/23/2007, 08:37 AM
Thank you! Good tank - spacing makes it looks, like a bigger reef.
Maybe I'll do some spacing in a solid mountain ridge, I have now.

Do you know the name of xenia-like not pulsing coral - in your thread, dated 11/17/2007 10:14 PM, under green buttons?

What did you used as a holder for a light - bicycle basket or something else? Are both sided connected at the sides (what keeps them from sliding asides)?

More tanks are welcome: mine is see- through, near window, and so far has a more or less solid mountain ridge with big porites on the top.

saltyVT
12/23/2007, 09:05 AM
Not sure what Xenia they are, Found them at the LFS. I look for the small rocks with corals on them for like 5 bux. That was one of rocks. They seems to be growing well though!

I rigged up the light with wire file baskets. It worked well temporarily. I worried about it rusting seeing as its only mild steel. It worked b y sorta a compression holding. It had four "posts" inside the light and one on end outside to hold the light. I ended up making a hood with a set of brackets running across the tanks with hooks to hang the light with.

dendro982
12/23/2007, 09:06 AM
Thanks!

More 20L, please :)

cherubfish pair
12/23/2007, 01:05 PM
I'll be using an Oceans Motions on my 20 long that will be drilled though.

dendro982
12/24/2007, 08:43 AM
I'm on the edge of leaving hobby (tired and frustrated with equipment), have to keep it simple ;)

cherubfish pair
12/24/2007, 08:07 PM
What are you using for circulation now?

dendro982
12/25/2007, 10:07 AM
Short answer - set on the quiet Mini-jets and a side simp/refugium, connected by U-tube, with another Mini-Jet 606 as a return pump.

The long version:

Sorry, but after reading my own last post, it sounds, like I need reassurance or "It's your own doing" critique. Well, I don't ;) and will hang on the hobby by my teeth (visualized this, not nice :D ), as long as I could - but will try to make it reasonable.

The point was, that I prefer to downsize and use inexpensive equipment, then go for a next big or expensive piece, that may (or may not) be suitable to my situation.

Example: Eheim pump (I have 1250, ~300 gph) is giving the same gph, as 2 Mini-Jets 606 (150 gph), which are significantly quieter and smaller. I can put algae or a frag at freed space.

The closed loop (tried) interferes with cleaning glass. For now I'm trying to find the proper locations of the sources of flow by placing independent Mini-Jets 404, and later (maybe) make a closed loop, if could find the solution for a glass cleaning.

What I have now:
At the moment of asking, it was a solid ridge with corals on top, close to the light:
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g78/dendro982/mix/20LNov28_07.jpg
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g78/dendro982/mix/20LNov7_07.jpg
Flow was between and below corals, they started do worse, made laminar - around the ridge.

The problem may be not only with the flow, but with new light (MH) and a high magnesium for bryopsis.

2 days ago tried this - arches in LR, with 3 Mini-Jets, blowing back to the front and up:
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g78/dendro982/mix/Dec23_0720L.jpg
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g78/dendro982/mix/Dec23_0720Lside.jpg
Detritus still settling on the bottom, only in different places, and I couldn't put here the blood shrimp from another tank, as I planned - too windy.
The whole setup, with side sump/fuge:
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g78/dendro982/mix/Dec23_07all.jpg
The light is temporary - didn't decide, will be it PC again or MH (have problem after adding it, could be unrelated).
Return pump - 150 gph Mini-Jet 606:
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g78/dendro982/mix/Dec23_0720Lsump.jpg

That was an year ago, with less LR - laminar around the ridge, return is spray bar:
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g78/dendro982/mix/cukebothOct18.jpg
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g78/dendro982/mix/20LNov14.jpg

dendro982
12/25/2007, 10:19 AM
What worked really well - but in 10g tank, with less corals:
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g78/dendro982/10g%20reeftank/Aug19_07.jpg
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g78/dendro982/10g%20reeftank/Aug19_07c.jpg
Still can place Xmas tree rocks on ceramic supports or the glasses on a thin long leg - will be better circulation. But it will look artificial, and I will need another tank (and a stand for it) - for all the LF for biological filtration.

Seems, it's all.

I have hang-on power filters, Eheim 1250 pump, large canister filter and different skimmer - but the tank is in a bedroom, had to be quiet, so no overflow box.

If anybody knows smallest pumps, as quiet as Mini-Jets, please, post.

Have Mini-and Maxi-Jets - they are louder, and Koralia 1 - it started to rattle and is big.

cherubfish pair
01/03/2008, 11:30 PM
dendro982, I don't see what the problem is, looks like the tank is very clean in the pictures. You must have enough circulation then.

dendro982
01/04/2008, 08:48 AM
Looks like camera makes things look better, then they are :D

Here is the same picture, in 6 days after changing flow (moving Mini Jets to the bottom):
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g78/dendro982/mix/Dec29_0720L.jpg
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g78/dendro982/mix/Dec29_0720La.jpg

I have to keep floss at intake, or pump have to be disassembled for a cleaning every few days.
Still, the detritus is just pushed by streams under the rock, where it collects, and is making water yellowish. After removing the rock it's visible.

Current flow is more 500 gph (25x) plus smallest Tunze nano skimmer.

What the problem is now:
- In the same tank are condy anemone and small tridacnas - they don't like to be in such a wind.
- And I can't move here the blood shrimp for the same reason - now it has a separate tank.
- The flow starts to bend crowns of Christmas tree worms (upper limit of the flow), but do not keeps detritus suspended for removing by filtration.
- Still have heavy bryopsis infestation, even after two cycles of raised Mg treatment.

The tank has to be feed much more for the orange scleros, and it already insufficiently cleaned :(