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Skipper
04/05/2004, 10:28 AM
This month we are featuring Conrad Chua's (Achilles) awesome reef tank:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-04/totm/images/totm.jpg (http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-04/totm/index.htm)

More details can be found here (http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-04/totm/index.htm) or by clicking on the picture above.

Congratulations, Conrad!

pi
04/05/2004, 11:29 AM
Beautiful tank! Very well done!

Paul

danano
04/05/2004, 11:43 AM
Conrad, congrats!

Absolutely stunning reef!! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Having seen it in person, it's certainly got the WOWWW factor! An inspiration indeed! ;)

Acolin
04/05/2004, 12:45 PM
fantastic! no problems with the Foxface? what is the refugium? what is the temperature flux during the day?

ruuskystar
04/05/2004, 01:00 PM
amazing tank!

JB NY
04/05/2004, 01:18 PM
Conrad, absolutely stunning tank. I was completely blown away both looking at the pictures and reading the article, well done!

Blazerdog
04/05/2004, 02:50 PM
Yah Nice tank:eek1:

jc85
04/05/2004, 03:15 PM
Congrats, Conrad.

Keep up the good work!

L Plates
04/05/2004, 03:15 PM
Great tank. Thanks for sharing it

jackson6745
04/05/2004, 03:37 PM
Wonderful article and spectacular reef. Truly a work of art!

Congrats Achiles Tang:)

Jamesurq
04/05/2004, 04:00 PM
VERY nice!!!!

ponygirl3
04/05/2004, 04:56 PM
beautiful tank!!!

Seanlee
04/05/2004, 05:26 PM
Just one word

AWESOME

halibutk
04/05/2004, 06:20 PM
Awesome tank....my dream

gmac
04/05/2004, 06:32 PM
great job. I am going to use some of your ideas on my new 120

Amber Nussbaum
04/05/2004, 06:48 PM
When I watched that video I truly gasped. It is such a beautiful reef. I hope mine looks half as good as that some day. Congratulations!

damienbuckley
04/05/2004, 07:02 PM
Absolutely stunning tank. A real beauty, one of the most natural looking I've seen - a real testament to the efforts at concealing the equipment. Well done!

myazid
04/05/2004, 08:11 PM
Thumbs up!

Awesome, fabulous, fantastic!

Algae Blenny
04/05/2004, 08:13 PM
Amazing. The rock work, fish selection, coral variety, everything about this tank is great. A real TOTM.

metamorphis
04/05/2004, 09:05 PM
Very nice.

What are the dimensions of the display tank? (or did I miss that?)

Achilles
04/05/2004, 09:09 PM
Thanks guys! :)

I'm truly stunned to be honoured like this. I went to bed last night with a big smile on my face... hehehe!

AT

Achilles
04/05/2004, 09:14 PM
Originally posted by Acolin
fantastic! no problems with the Foxface? what is the refugium? what is the temperature flux during the day?

No problems thus far with my Foxface. When I got him, he was so paper-thin that you could almost see his through his body! I thought he could help out with some bryopsis patches but he got very used to the good stuff I dish out instead. I really like the way he delicately nibbles on his food.

I used to have a refugium but I have given it up because I felt it was responsible for the spread of nuisance algae from the fuge to my tank.

Temp flux is between 25C to a max of 27.5C. Certain mornings, it can drop to 24C.

Achilles
04/05/2004, 09:49 PM
Originally posted by metamorphis
Very nice.

What are the dimensions of the display tank? (or did I miss that?)

It's about 5.5 ft long, 3ft width and 2.5ft deep. :)

It's custom-built. :D

One_Divided
04/05/2004, 09:54 PM
Man, this definately sits for me as one of the nicest sps systems I have seen to date.. Nice work!

I have a question about flatworms.(I know I know...). Just curious because I haven't come across this idea anywhere on the net yet..

You said:

"An important lesson I learned is never to underestimate the toxicity of dead flatworms, and that it can bleach or darken certain corals (most of the pictures here are post-Salifert Flatworm Exit treatment with most of the Montipora spp. corals and my pink table Acropora having been affected)."

Do you feel that since the treatment (and recovery), colour pigmentation has been more intense throughout certain corals? I am just curious if the natural die off rate (pre salifert treatment) of flatworms in a small system could lead to high toxicity levels alone. Cuasing Bleaching and poor water quility from the start.. Does this make any sense? I realise you have a large system compared to me. I have a 50 gallon which is heavily loaded with sps and millions of flatworms.

spade
04/05/2004, 09:55 PM
wooo aahh!! :D

SoKaL ReeFiN
04/05/2004, 09:55 PM
Beautiful looking tank. Some of those photos with the reflection from the water is trippy.

bum
04/05/2004, 10:01 PM
Its absolutely breathtaking!

a well deserved accolade for all the hard work and planning!
a real feast for the eyes
:D

Achilles
04/05/2004, 10:18 PM
Originally posted by One_Divided
Man, this definately sits for me as one of the nicest sps systems I have seen to date.. Nice work!

I have a question about flatworms.(I know I know...). Just curious because I haven't come across this idea anywhere on the net yet..

You said:

"An important lesson I learned is never to underestimate the toxicity of dead flatworms, and that it can bleach or darken certain corals (most of the pictures here are post-Salifert Flatworm Exit treatment with most of the Montipora spp. corals and my pink table Acropora having been affected)."

Do you feel that since the treatment (and recovery), colour pigmentation has been more intense throughout certain corals? I am just curious if the natural die off rate (pre salifert treatment) of flatworms in a small system could lead to high toxicity levels alone. Cuasing Bleaching and poor water quility from the start.. Does this make any sense? I realise you have a large system compared to me. I have a 50 gallon which is heavily loaded with sps and millions of flatworms.

Hmmm... the colour for my Monti caps have returned strongly after a few weeks.

I still have an encrusting purple monti that is still a lot browner after all this time. My pink table acro is still recovering.. I miss the old colour! :sad2: (pre-treatment pix).

http://www.sgreefclub.com/forum/uploads/post-22-1066581295.jpg

I don't know how fast flatworms die naturally and how much toxins they release as a result, all I know is that they are bad news and I underestimated the amount of carbon I should have used from the start of flatworm eradication treatment.

sfsuphysics
04/05/2004, 10:26 PM
WOW! Man that's a crowded tank, I have a question though. I'm new to the whole corals thing but they all say to space them far enough appart so the sweepers dont sting other corals, so that leaves me to ask, how do you squash them all in that packed without them stinging each other to death?

crescent1
04/05/2004, 10:31 PM
outstanding system, great job. tell me, with most of you're sps so close to each other, do you need to frag often.

how do you balance high feeding with nutrient control.

how about youre fluidised rowa reactor, have you noticed a ph drop when you replace the media , and do you flush the rowa before filling up your reactor.

Achilles
04/05/2004, 10:33 PM
It certainly does look like a crowded tank. :lol:

I never expected some of my colonies to grow so fast. Where they touch each other, there will be some 'burning' of that area but most have grown around each other. It certainly does add to that overgrown reef look that I like. I have to resort to fragging or moving colonies occasionally.

I use GAC to help minimise the effects of chemical warfare but there was a lesson learnt on NOT to frag xenia underwater in the main tank coz it did cause my green slimer staghorn coral to STN. This coral was extremely hardy but is strangely allergic to xenia toxins.

Achilles
04/05/2004, 10:38 PM
Originally posted by crescent1
outstanding system, great job. tell me, with most of you're sps so close to each other, do you need to frag often.

how do you balance high feeding with nutrient control.

how about youre fluidised rowa reactor, have you noticed a ph drop when you replace the media , and do you flush the rowa before filling up your reactor.

My oversized beckett skimmer's my safety net. :D

I guess my biological filtration system's pretty much matured too.... my sandbed's all white and dandy for a long time already! :)

Hmmm... regarding the fluidized reactor, yes.... I do flush my Contraphos/Rowaphos media (it is recommended for fluidization) to rinse out all the fine particles.

I have not noticed any PH drops when replacing the media.

crescent1
04/05/2004, 11:02 PM
have you used contraphos/rowaphos media from the initial startup of your system.

has the rowa helped a great deal, in your opinon with po4 and SI02 control, leading to greater sps growth.

I read that you had algae problems at first, like the rest of us, in your opinion, wich husbandry factor and or product helped you the most with algae control.

also, now that you have TOTM, do you plan on donating to reef central and becoming a RC supporter, lol.

Denzo
04/05/2004, 11:08 PM
Unreal growth!!!! Great tank. You get the fastest and most awesome growth I have ever seen!! Congrats!

http://www.emotipad.com/liteemoticons/Drop%20Gob.gifhttp://www.emotipad.com/liteemoticons/Drop%20Gob.gifhttp://www.emotipad.com/liteemoticons/Drop%20Gob.gifhttp://www.emotipad.com/liteemoticons/Drop%20Gob.gif

Achilles
04/05/2004, 11:12 PM
Before there was Contraphos/Rowaphos in my country, the only good phosphate remover was Seachem's Phosguard, an aluminium-based phosphate remover. I used that until these iron-based products came out and have not gone back to Phosguard since.

I am sure that Contraphos/Rowaphos has helped a lot in controlling algae overgrowth compared to Phosguard and also helped in coral calcification.

Greater SPS growth could be attributed more to the intense lighting, consistent calcium/alk levels, increased water circulation and feeding of zooplankton & zooplankton substitutes.

I need to set up a paypal account! :lol:

crescent1
04/05/2004, 11:17 PM
Conrad, were do the majority of you corals come from, overseas, local stores, or both.

Conrad, I need to give you my address so you can mail me some frags:) .

Achilles
04/05/2004, 11:26 PM
? All corals have to be legally imported from overseas and sold via our LFS.

Commercial trade in corals are regulated by the AVA (Agri-food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore) who help enforce CITIES laws.

It's quite hard for hobbyists to import in corals from overseas suppliers on our own due to the enormous paperwork and permits required by the AVA.

We have a lot of corals in the seas around Singapore but you can't really see them coz the water's rather murky here due to heavy shipping activities, land reclamation and other commercial activities.

Creade
04/05/2004, 11:34 PM
The tank is absolutely stunning Achilles.
A very well deserved Tank of the Month.

How does your lighting rack workout for you overall? Any complaints? Its fairly simiar to what Im working on for my new tank.


Again, beautiful tank.

Creade

*j-cat*
04/05/2004, 11:39 PM
Unbelievable, Just Unbelievable. The growth is astonishing. How much Turn over do you figure you have in that tank?

Achilles
04/05/2004, 11:52 PM
Originally posted by Creade
The tank is absolutely stunning Achilles.
A very well deserved Tank of the Month.

How does your lighting rack workout for you overall? Any complaints? Its fairly simiar to what Im working on for my new tank.


Again, beautiful tank.

Creade

Thanks for the compliment! :)

I love my light rack, it doesn't look like a million bucks but it works. ;) (All my equipment is hidden away in the room so looks to me is secondary... )

It's lightweight but strong enough, I can adjust the individual light reflectors easily, it also helps to dissipate heat from the reflectors coz the heat is transferred to the whole aluminium structure (but not hot enough to touch).

p5ykadelic
04/05/2004, 11:53 PM
by far the best SPS tank i've ever seen!

great job!

Achilles
04/05/2004, 11:57 PM
Originally posted by *j-cat*
Unbelievable, Just Unbelievable. The growth is astonishing. How much Turn over do you figure you have in that tank?

Hmmm... that is something I have never really measured. :D

I have two tunze streams, a powerhead to blast the upper region of my tank (temporary till my new stream comes in), a closed loop and two return pipes from my Iwaki MX-70.

Well, if my fishes can get blown halfway across the tank when they get into the wrong slipstream... it should be enough! :D

zrograviti
04/06/2004, 12:08 AM
I'll definately contact you 10 years later, when I am ready to have in-wall-tank in my own house. :)

Achilles
04/06/2004, 12:31 AM
Originally posted by JB NY
Conrad, absolutely stunning tank. I was completely blown away both looking at the pictures and reading the article, well done!

:eek2: Wow! Coming from you, that has to be one of the greatest compliments from another TOTM winner! :)

I love your tank and your corals.. they are awesome! If only we can get quality stuff like you guys in the US, Europe or Japan... ;)

:D Most of us can only look with envy at the gorgeous specimens that come your way!

djfrankie
04/06/2004, 02:57 AM
Awesome!!!...is an understatement.

The video really shows the depth and full perception of the tank.

Thanks for sharing with us!

One question what is the T.U.B.B.Y. ? Is that a dosing system of some kind?

djfrankie

Cookiemunster
04/06/2004, 03:57 AM
Excellent and well done. Truly a master in reef layout and a dedicated marine hobbyist.

cheers ;)

64Ivy
04/06/2004, 04:25 AM
Stunning. Excellent photography and excellent testimony to pre-planning and research also.

fishsoldseprtly
04/06/2004, 06:12 AM
that is one mean tank Conrad!!! well deserved!!!

Jeffrey74
04/06/2004, 06:16 AM
A masterpiece of work!!! Wonder when will I be able to perform so well in reef keeping.:( Congratulation!!!!

crvt75
04/06/2004, 06:40 AM
What a beautiful tank Achilles!

I am planning on starting my first reef tank pretty soon and I hope some day to have one similar to yours. That is the most beautiful tank I have ever seen! Congratulations!!

BLACK MARLIN
04/06/2004, 07:06 AM
CONGRATULATION BRO.:)



JUAN RAHMAT

Trumpet12
04/06/2004, 08:41 AM
Incredible tank!!!

Neowind
04/06/2004, 09:30 AM
What kind of anthia is that on your last pictures at the very bottom left?

g8dget
04/06/2004, 10:46 AM
congrats AT!
your tank is truely an inspiration!!!

Achilles
04/06/2004, 12:04 PM
Originally posted by Neowind
What kind of anthia is that on your last pictures at the very bottom left?


You mean these?

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/skip/totm/images/twoanthiasclose.jpg

These are Bartlett Anthias. :)

Achilles
04/06/2004, 12:17 PM
Here's a clearer view.... ;)

http://www.sgreefclub.com/forum/uploads/post-22-1081271768.jpg

Achilles
04/06/2004, 12:20 PM
Right hand side under Ushio Blue MHs only.

http://www.sgreefclub.com/forum/uploads/post-22-1081272006.jpg

:D

Achilles
04/06/2004, 12:23 PM
Another blown up view.

http://www.sgreefclub.com/forum/uploads/post-22-1081272148.jpg

:p

Travis
04/06/2004, 01:41 PM
Achilles, your tank is absolutely awe-inspiring. The blown up picture of the whole tank has become my new background. That video really helped put everything into perspective in a way that pictures can't.

I have a question about the reflectors. Could you describe how you designed them and determined bulb placement to blend the two different bulbs so well. I would like to run 2 10k and 2 20k on my new tank but I haven't figured out a way to blend the light like you have.

ecojoe
04/06/2004, 05:21 PM
Stunning, someday I hope to have a school of such nice looking anthias. Excellent photography as well.

wady
04/06/2004, 05:24 PM
Hey Achilles! The OSCAR of Reef keeping!
Take the walk down the Red Carpet and lap up the applause. You definately deserve it. As you already know, I have put you forward as TOTM here in the UK after you kindly let me use your pictures. I have had much pleasure listening in on peoples reaction to them. Now you've won this title many more get to see your beautiful work of art which is how it should be. Hopefully soon I'll get that flight over cause I've just got to see more of it under those Actanics. WOW!!!
Once again Conrad...
WELL DONE

AIDYB
p.s. I'm sure thats the reef they filmed NEMO in!!!!


:thumbsup:

John Brancheau
04/06/2004, 06:32 PM
Achilles,



Outstanding tank, the presentation speaks for itself, I can only hope to see my reef mature into something as special as yours.


John

lakerfan
04/06/2004, 07:00 PM
wonderful tank! great colors!

playa
04/06/2004, 07:05 PM
A world class reef Achilles!

Stunning!!! I will be looking at your pictures and video over and over for a long time. I love the crowded look of your reef. Is great to see all the SPS running into each other, it just looks awesome!

Congrats in a very deserved appointment!

Cheers!

Luis

Julio
04/06/2004, 08:17 PM
talk about jaw dropping!!!!

invincible569
04/06/2004, 08:28 PM
That clearer view pic is BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!! You have such an inspiring tank!!

Rezzan1
04/06/2004, 08:39 PM
Congrats,
It is beyond words

Julio
04/06/2004, 08:58 PM
Do you have nay problems with corals fighting? also how often do you frag the corals in your tank to keep them in line?

rjwilson37
04/06/2004, 09:14 PM
Absolutely beautiful.

I am switching over to a 55 gallon with a better skimmer (Euroreef) and a sump/refugium to have better water quality. I very much want some Acro's along the top of my tank.

Crawdad1
04/06/2004, 09:15 PM
100% TOTM! I may have missed it but how old is the system since switching over to all sps?

Holyreefer
04/06/2004, 10:15 PM
Still in the process of scratching my head(don't know what to say):bigeyes:

WOW, You've got my vote for tank of the Year

Julio
04/06/2004, 10:19 PM
i second that notion

Loudz34
04/06/2004, 10:35 PM
Total Aww from me~ I cant wait to get the new tank online and have more room to play... Hopefully some day it will look as full as yours... Great Job.......

MtnDewMan
04/06/2004, 10:39 PM
Awesome SPS tank ... well deserved !!!!!

tankslave
04/06/2004, 10:41 PM
I noticed you were using a DSB for your main filtration. Im currently planning a move to a larger tank with a plenum/DSB. I was wondering what size sand you had used and if you used a plenum either in your main tank or refugium because it seems you have been quite successful with your DSB system. Any advice you have is appreciated.

Achilles
04/07/2004, 12:40 AM
Originally posted by Travis
Achilles, your tank is absolutely awe-inspiring. The blown up picture of the whole tank has become my new background. That video really helped put everything into perspective in a way that pictures can't.

I have a question about the reflectors. Could you describe how you designed them and determined bulb placement to blend the two different bulbs so well. I would like to run 2 10k and 2 20k on my new tank but I haven't figured out a way to blend the light like you have.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-04/totm/images/light6.jpg

I found that I had to place my Ushio Blue MH bulbs in front and the Sakis at the back to get a very nice blend of colours, when I reversed it, it looked strange.

A possible reason could be that the rear of my tank has corals and LR that is placed much higher and that helps reflect the 'yellower' light back to the front to blend with the blue light.

My tank is 3ft wide, and the reflectors cover the entire width of the tank, so that could be another factor why it blended well?

I wanted to put two bulbs in one reflector initially but I figured that since I designed my lighting spread to be like this, with the two reflectors parallel to each other, it already does look like two bulbs in one big reflector!

I may change the sakis to the AC 14k bulbs because, believe it or not, I want to cut back on growth and see if I can get better colours from my SPS instead! LOL! ;)

Achilles
04/07/2004, 12:50 AM
Originally posted by Julio
Do you have nay problems with corals fighting? also how often do you frag the corals in your tank to keep them in line?

Most of my corals have ample breathing space to grow out actually. I don't really mind if there is touching between corals as long as they don't affect the whole colony.

At the very most, one or two branches will be affected and the winning colony will encrust on the dead branch, helping to 'lock' all the SPS colonies together, like a natural reef where coral aggression does takes place.

If the corals threatens to touch another at more critical places like the main stalk, I'll have to move them or frag off the offending branches.

I have had more trouble with my frags in good shape because I usually don't anchor the base rock they are stuck on and they do get knocked over by my large snails or hermits. :D

Achilles
04/07/2004, 12:57 AM
Originally posted by tankslave
I noticed you were using a DSB for your main filtration. Im currently planning a move to a larger tank with a plenum/DSB. I was wondering what size sand you had used and if you used a plenum either in your main tank or refugium because it seems you have been quite successful with your DSB system. Any advice you have is appreciated.

Sand grain size? From my sampling, the common diameter size is in the 2mm (at least 40% from the sample taken) and 1.5mm (at least 50% from the sample taken) with the remaining percentage ranging from 0.5 to 1mm).

I do not use a plenum, its just a straighforward DSB.

I have decommissioned my refugium a long time ago as I felt it didn't do much in terms of nitrate reduction vs my DSB and that it created more problems eg. macroalgae crashes, spread of nuisance algae like GHA, Bryopsis into my main tank that hitchhiked with macroalgae.

:rollface:

Achilles
04/07/2004, 05:40 AM
Some of my inhabitants that weren't featured. Enjoy! ;)

Green Star Polyps:

http://www.sgreefclub.com/forum/uploads/post-22-1081333405.jpg

White Pulsing Xenia:

http://www.sgreefclub.com/forum/uploads/post-22-1081333861.jpg

Some other closeups:

http://www.sgreefclub.com/forum/uploads/post-22-1081334027.jpg

http://www.sgreefclub.com/forum/uploads/post-22-1081334374.jpg

Wolfgang
04/07/2004, 05:47 AM
Awesome Tank!!!!
Any shots of the Reef Structure before Coral were added? I'm having a hard time understanding how Rock was placed around your Platform?
Do you have a Web Page up withmore Pics?
Thanks!
-Wolfgang

Achilles
04/07/2004, 05:56 AM
Hi Wolfgang... hmmm... sorry dude, that was one part of my reef setup that I didn't document to a large extent.

And I don't have a personal website for my reef yet. Maybe I should? ;)

Achilles
04/07/2004, 06:09 AM
Oh wait... I have this pix to share! :D My Reef Dog!

http://www.sgreefclub.com/reefpix/dogintank2.jpg

Just kidding... :D

This is the only shot I took of the right side, it should give you an idea of how I stacked my rocks on/against my PVC reef rack. It's only 50% completed compared to the right side today.

http://www.sgreefclub.com/reefpix/liverockb4assembly2.jpg

The gaps between the PVC reef shelves were bridged by enormous liverocks.

The emphasis was to camouflage the rack while maximising water flow through and minimise the footprint at the same time.

I spent many backbreaking hours and days arranging and rearranging then. :)

Hope this helps?

:mixed:

Regal
04/07/2004, 07:15 AM
Hai AT, your the man, congratulation to you.

One information to share he is also the owner of Singapore Reef Club website. May be you guys also want to know how he manage his website.

Crawdad1
04/07/2004, 07:26 AM
Originally posted by Crawdad1
100% TOTM! I may have missed it but how old is the system since switching over to all sps?

Maybe I missed it on page 4. How long has it been an sps tank?

gwies
04/07/2004, 08:11 AM
Gratz! Nice tank.

ShadowViper
04/07/2004, 08:28 AM
I'll reask this since i didnt see it answered. Can you go into more detail about the T.u.b.b.y.

funkyskunk
04/07/2004, 09:16 AM
Hi there, and congrats on such a great tank, !!!!

However I am concerned that you say that you found the refuguim more of a problem than a benefit, I am currently building a 2600-gallon system, of witch 1000 gallons will be devoted to 4 different refuguims and the sump, Do you have any suggestions for me?

my2girls
04/07/2004, 09:43 AM
Two words-- absolutely gorgeous!

Julio
04/07/2004, 10:13 AM
the chiwawa swimming was funny id id the same thing when i had my tank and my wife didn't think it was funny.

I love your rock structure as it allows a lot of water to pass through the rocks for airation.

Achilles
04/07/2004, 11:00 AM
Originally posted by Crawdad1
Maybe I missed it on page 4. How long has it been an sps tank?

Hmmm.... full SPS? I think its definitely been more than a year old since I slowly converted from a LPS dominated tank. Maybe 1.5+ years, almost 2? *shrug*

Achilles
04/07/2004, 11:09 AM
Originally posted by Julio
the chiwawa swimming was funny id id the same thing when i had my tank and my wife didn't think it was funny.

I love your rock structure as it allows a lot of water to pass through the rocks for airation.

Chihuahua? Nah... my Harry's an American Hairless Terrier (AHT). :D He's buck naked. ;) Skin as smooth as a baby's!

Achilles
04/07/2004, 11:40 AM
Originally posted by ShadowViper
I'll reask this since i didnt see it answered. Can you go into more detail about the T.u.b.b.y.

The T.U.B.B.Y. is an automatic water Top Up device activated by two float switches, its developed locally and it works great with a kalkreactor. ;)

Achilles
04/07/2004, 11:43 AM
Originally posted by funkyskunk
Hi there, and congrats on such a great tank, !!!!

However I am concerned that you say that you found the refuguim more of a problem than a benefit, I am currently building a 2600-gallon system, of witch 1000 gallons will be devoted to 4 different refuguims and the sump, Do you have any suggestions for me?

Well, I don't think I can give any suggestions, only my opinion and experience with running one.

IME & IMO, you just cannot guarantee that the macroalgae (or nuisance algae) that are in your refugium will STAY there and NOT move up into your main tank.

jnichols
04/07/2004, 02:12 PM
How about the overflow? Is that built with the same functionality of a hang on? Some detail would be great. By the way, very impressive!!

Achilles
04/07/2004, 02:37 PM
Originally posted by jnichols
How about the overflow? Is that built with the same functionality of a hang on? Some detail would be great. By the way, very impressive!!

http://www.sgreefclub.com/reefpix/overflowwfilterwoolholder.jpg This pix shows the durso standpipes removed.

Take a look at this pix to get an idea of what it's like. It's definitely not a hang on. Water over flows by gravity into this external overflow chamber/box and back into the sump.

http://www.sgreefclub.com/reefpix/standpipesballvalves.jpg

I made the external overflow chamber/box such that it can hold an eggcrate slate so I can put filter floss on it if I so desire (to remove solid particulate matter).

http://www.sgreefclub.com/reefpix/overflowboxwithstandpipes2.jpg

Here's the 2 Durso standpipes installed. (pls ignore the blue basket, I think I was doing some filtering with floss there... hehe...)

All these pixs were taken when I first set up the tank.

The glass walls are now filled with tiny white-hardshelled red featherduster worms.

MadTownMax
04/07/2004, 02:44 PM
any close-up pics of the T.U.B.B.Y. unit? Does it hook-up to an RO/DI source? I've been looking for a way to have my kalk dose automatically, rather than refilling my 5G bucket every few days.....

jnichols
04/07/2004, 02:51 PM
Originally posted by MadTownMax
any close-up pics of the T.U.B.B.Y. unit? Does it hook-up to an RO/DI source? I've been looking for a way to have my kalk dose automatically, rather than refilling my 5G bucket every few days.....


Try reefdosing.com. Mine works great! :)

rjwilson37
04/07/2004, 03:04 PM
I see you have Check Stop Valves on your returns, have you always used them and have you ever had a problem with them sticking open?

Achilles
04/07/2004, 03:16 PM
The T.U.B.B.Y. is not a dosing pump. Two float switches attached to the unit will detect falling water levels and then activate a dosing pump attached to the unit. It's better than most models out there which only use one float switch, a little risky if you consider that a snail can actually activate it and cause an overflow.

Here's some info taken off the T.U.B.B.Y. manufacturer.

-----------------------------------------------

The TUBBY is a automatic fresh water top up device which will replace any lost water due to evaporation in your marine tank. It is maintenance free and relies on 2 float switches to detect your water level in the tank. Once the level drops, it will activate a attached powerhead (not included) in a freshwater container. The powerhead then pumps freshwater back to the main tank to replace the evaporated water. Hence maintaining salinity. (salt does not evaporate)

Some TUBBY users also use the TUBBY to help in their monthly water changes. The possibilites are up to your own imagination.

Why this Product is better than the competition if any? :

1) Float switches run entirely on 12v DC and on very low current.
2) There is a fuse to prevent any short circuits of your connected powerhead
3) Output supply to powerhead is totally isolated until BOTH float switches activate. (Both neutral and live are isolated)
4) 2 Float switches which turn on the pump only when BOTH are activated as added safety. (Prevents false activation by snails, floating algae etc)
5) Runs on a regulated voltage transformer able to take 110-240Vac and can operate 24hrs continuously. No risk of overheating or fluctuating voltages etc. Typical AC-DC transformers are not designed to run continuously for 24hrs a day.
6) Branded relay used in military and commercial applications with very high mean time before failures. (high MTBF)
7) 30 days manufacturing defect warranty.


What you will need to start:

1. TUBBY unit.
2. Fresh Water container (preferably of 20 liter volume at least).
3. A powerhead pump (rated at least 600L/hr to 1200L/hr…eg SICCE NOVA).
4. Hoses to connect the pump to your tank/sump.
5. A fish tank (of course).


http://www.sgreefclub.com/forum/uploads/post-41-1068387555.jpg

Whats in the Package:
1) 1 TUBBY device
2) 2 Float Switches with 2m length cable

Dimensions of Tubby: 20cm (length) x 13cm (breadth) x 6cm (height

http://www.sgreefclub.com/forum/uploads/post-41-1068389079.jpg

The two float switches are connected to the TUBBY in pairs. And then attached to the sump or main tank where the water level changes during evaporation. You can find out where this would happen (usually where the return pump is for those with sump tank) by scooping out a fetcher of water and observing where the water level changes most.

The float switches are entirely sealed and are water resistant.

Close up of float switch.

http://www.sgreefclub.com/forum/uploads/post-41-1068389319.jpg

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hope this helps! :)

AT

Achilles
04/07/2004, 03:21 PM
Originally posted by rjwilson37
I see you have Check Stop Valves on your returns, have you always used them and have you ever had a problem with them sticking open?

Not really a problem, these are the rubber flap types.

I just need to soak them in an acid solution every few months because they will be coralline-encrusted and if it grows on the lid of the outlet hole, it may not be a tight seal and cause a small amount of backflow.

It's just a precautionary measure when I installed them. Anyway, my returns are positioned just below the water surface so it won't be possible to drain my whole tank should something bad happen to the check valves.

Gerard V
04/07/2004, 04:59 PM
The most amazing system I have seen! I really appreciate the neatness and your level of organization. I wonder how you did your overflow box if the tank is glass or is it acrylic?Could you please tell me how I can get plans for the DIY equipment you made? Thanks and congats. Gerard

MadTownMax
04/07/2004, 05:53 PM
thanks Achilles!

Nicholas Ang
04/07/2004, 08:40 PM
Originally posted by spade
wooo aahh!! :D
????????????????:confused:

razman
04/07/2004, 09:42 PM
Wow! Simply amazin.. This has to be one of the best I have ever seen on Reefcentral.

szidls
04/07/2004, 09:44 PM
WOW, WOW, WOW ,
Congrats! You definately deserve all the accolades Conrad!
could you go into a little more detail of how your tank was constructed. Did you build it yourself? It looks to be mostly acrylic except for the front starfire panel. Is that correct? Also what does your closed loop schematic look like?
Thanks Scott:rollface:

Achilles
04/07/2004, 10:18 PM
Originally posted by Gerard V
The most amazing system I have seen! I really appreciate the neatness and your level of organization. I wonder how you did your overflow box if the tank is glass or is it acrylic?Could you please tell me how I can get plans for the DIY equipment you made? Thanks and congats. Gerard

My entire tank is glass.

The bottom pane and the back pane has been tempered for strength. I can't remember if the Starphire pane is also tempered...heheh...

The back glass pane has a hole in the middle for the closed loop, where a bulkhead with a strainer is installed.

The back pane has a rectangular cutout that is just below the water surface for the overflow, and it is protected by my black acrylic sheet background that is siliconed inside the tank. Cutouts for the overflow 'teeth' ensures that fish and stuff doesn't get swept into the external overflow chamber.

Some of my DIY equipment were designed by my friends and I believe the plans are available on the Internet. ;)

Achilles
04/07/2004, 10:23 PM
Originally posted by szidls
WOW, WOW, WOW ,
Congrats! You definately deserve all the accolades Conrad!
could you go into a little more detail of how your tank was constructed. Did you build it yourself? It looks to be mostly acrylic except for the front starfire panel. Is that correct? Also what does your closed loop schematic look like?
Thanks Scott:rollface:

Thanks for the compliments!

My tank was constructed at home, not by me of course.

Hope you know that its impossible and very dangerous to build a tank that is made of acrylic and glass together!! It won't hold!

Closed loop is extremely simple. inlet > pump > chiller > outlet.

Regards,


AT

Achilles
04/08/2004, 12:32 AM
One of my two Pseudanthias truncatus.

http://www.sgreefclub.com/reefpix/IMG_0886truncate.jpg

chindapol
04/08/2004, 02:07 AM
GReat Thanks!!!!!!!! Thanks for sharing information with us.

Just a question to ask, where do you get this TOBBY staff? Are they shipping out of SG?

I'm planning to join communic asia in June, can I give you a visit! (Very impress about the sea dog)

Br,

chindapol
04/08/2004, 02:09 AM
GReat Tank!!!!!!!! ---> not thanks sorry oopss!

Roadie
04/08/2004, 02:13 PM
Holy top-notch reef tanks batman.
As multiple others have already said, your tank is breathtaking.

Thinking of changing bulbs because your SPS grow too fast... that's a novel plan.

SteveMH
04/08/2004, 04:43 PM
There's several tanks on RC that I admire a lot. But man, that is just incredible. Tank of the year.

lebowski
04/08/2004, 06:01 PM
xm,.,.xcmn

Sorry, that was my jaw dropping..

Holy mother of spiderman! I have to honor you with my feeling that your tank is the best reef tank, ever... EVER!

:eek1: :eek1: :eek1:

Wow man... even your bristleworms look awesome...

Not fair.. not fair at all...

alexchern75
04/08/2004, 06:32 PM
AMAZING!!!

Rabbitfish
04/08/2004, 10:25 PM
Hi guys, im a newbie here, and have to say; i love this site..... i have seen many beatiful tanks and am aware i have no chance of winnin or anything but even hearin a comment from a fellow hobbiest would serve the purpose..... great site, great peeps.... great to be here.....

Achilles
04/08/2004, 11:05 PM
Rabbitfish,

Never never say that to yourself.

Everyone has the potential to be TOTM.

Budget aside, if you have the passion, the drive, the dedication to create & grow a beautiful reef, you will make it.

I started from scratch, had people laugh at my face & ridiculed me, some even treated me with hostility for my efforts but it made me strove to make my reef tank even better & better, not just to prove them wrong about me, but to prove to myself that the sky's the limit, or the ocean depth's the limit...hahaha... ;)

I was inspired by the many previous TOTMs and there will be many more TOTMs to come from the drop of inspiration hopefully contributed by my lil' slice of the ocean :)

Happy Reefing! :)

AT

tankslave
04/09/2004, 02:58 AM
Achilles, do you use any mechanisim for wavemaking? (SQWD, rotating heads, dump/surge bucket)?? Im trying to get ideas when I move my system. Do you (or anyone) perhaps have any experience with Ocean Currents rotating heads??

Pretty nice tank too, Rabbitfish!

1234
04/09/2004, 06:58 AM
Achillies

A job well done, very natural looking stting. You have done your homework. I like the way you aquascaped the tank, not the "typical wall". When I get our inwall going, I hope that I can aquascape as well you you have done. :D

I have thought of a putting the lights in a hood that moved on a track, but spliting the hood in half for ease of maintence and for lack of space, but your lightweight aluminum frame gives me an idea. And since it's not enclosed- not too much heat build up from the lights.

Again very deserving of TOTM.

Achilles
04/09/2004, 12:01 PM
Originally posted by tankslave
Achilles, do you use any mechanisim for wavemaking? (SQWD, rotating heads, dump/surge bucket)?? Im trying to get ideas when I move my system. Do you (or anyone) perhaps have any experience with Ocean Currents rotating heads??

Pretty nice tank too, Rabbitfish!

I wanted to incorporate wave2k devices in my tank then but they did not have a motor for Asian voltage then and asked me to look for substitute motor replacements, strike one ... then I found out that the unit had to used with tanks without eurobracing. Strike two. They didn't have any corner units out then. Strike three. It was never meant to be. :rolleyes:

I rely on Tunze Streams for wavemaking. The pulse mode really rocks.

I got the Reeftecs PE-1 and PE-2 units... fantastic cone waves, even better than the streams but they were never meant to be used in saltwater and the metal shafts always broke close to the one year mark.

Didn't think of a dump/surge bucket device then as I didn't want too much bubbles in my tank and gurgling sounds! ;)

Julio
04/09/2004, 01:39 PM
how many tunze streams do you have in yoru tank? also what models?

Achilles
04/09/2004, 01:50 PM
As per the article:

For water circulation inside the tank, I upgraded from Reeftecs™ to my current Tunze Streams (a 6080 and a TS12 model) and will probably add a few more Streams as the reef grows and needs supplemental circulation. I use an Iwaki MX-70 pump as the main circulation return pump, which also drives the Beckett skimmer.

tonyquang
04/09/2004, 02:37 PM
I am wordless!!!

samw
04/09/2004, 05:02 PM
Beautiful, inspirational, and amazing. Great job! These pictures should go into a book or calendar also. I can't believe how fast your Bird's Nest grew.

cheeks69
04/09/2004, 05:08 PM
Absolutely breathtaking !!! Very well deserved honor congrats:thumbsup:

MargaritaMan
04/09/2004, 10:52 PM
There are plenty of folks who have awesome tanks, but only a handful that have the skill and time to create a "behind the scenes" that organized to go along with it. We definitely share the same tastes in that department!!! Bravo! MM

Hey Pucci, If you are reading this, I don't ever want to hear any grief about my "over organization."

bosom
04/10/2004, 07:47 AM
excellent tank!!

May i ask how much did u spend on the starphire tank only?

snooter1
04/10/2004, 07:58 AM
WOW I am a newbie and humbled by this tank. A peice of living artwork. Fantastic. Here hoping I can do 1/3 of a good job.

skkyy
04/10/2004, 12:39 PM
Achilles,

I'm very interested in converting my lights to something similiar to your light setup and was wondering, are there noticable light lines by the different bulbs, and in your opinion what's the general color that you get from the combined bulbs, is it more yellow or a more white look? Also are you getting good penetration to the bottom of your tank? It looks like you have a fairly deep tank. Thanks and by the way you probably heard this a million times but, Awesome tank!!!

Son

nasek718
04/10/2004, 05:19 PM
WOW!!!!!!!

Drowningfish
04/10/2004, 07:17 PM
Gorgeous tank! Your pics are fabulous. There is alot of great info in your article.

Achilles
04/12/2004, 12:27 AM
Originally posted by bosom
excellent tank!!

May i ask how much did u spend on the starphire tank only?

Only my front panel is Starphire... and that cost me S$700. A good purchase considering I look throught it many many times a day! ;)

Achilles
04/12/2004, 12:35 AM
Originally posted by skkyy
Achilles,

I'm very interested in converting my lights to something similiar to your light setup and was wondering, are there noticable light lines by the different bulbs, and in your opinion what's the general color that you get from the combined bulbs, is it more yellow or a more white look? Also are you getting good penetration to the bottom of your tank? It looks like you have a fairly deep tank. Thanks and by the way you probably heard this a million times but, Awesome tank!!!

Son

Hmmm that is subjective as everyone perceives light differently.

At times it does look extremely white. ;)

At times, it looks a bit yellow, when that happens, its time to replace the activated carbon to remove the yellowing compounds.

I guess the look can be best described as a 'shallow water' environment. Its extremely bright and intense.

With 400w per bulb, yes, light penetration to the problem is not a problem. My Scolymia corals on the sandbed were slightly bleached due to excessive light, I have to hide them under shade.

Mantis
04/12/2004, 08:21 AM
Beautiful tank ! Nice job hiding the Streams.

Where are they located ? Do you have any pics ? Are you able to get at them for maintenance ?

Achilles1882
04/12/2004, 09:41 AM
Very sweet system and beautiful display. Very impressive...

Achilles
04/12/2004, 10:02 AM
http://www.sgreefclub.com/reefpix/lefthiddenstream.jpg

You can just make out the 6080 here. The body is hidden by vertical rocks.

http://www.sgreefclub.com/reefpix/righthiddenstream.jpg

The TS12 unit hidden here behind this Horn coral.

Julio
04/12/2004, 08:21 PM
great job of aesthetics, i love the fact you can't really see the pumps unless you point them out.

Rick Davis
04/13/2004, 05:13 PM
Great tank Conrad - congrats:thumbsup:

Couple of questions (sorry if I missed them on an earlier post)...

1. How long have you been using Liquid Life Coralplankton & how do you rate it as a food for corals?

2. Do you collect any of your own fish/corals?

Achilles
04/14/2004, 02:17 AM
Hi Rick,

1. Liquidlife Coralplankton's pretty good, IMO, I see good polyp extensions in my SPS corals. Its a good alternative to Golden Pearls.

2. I buy everything (corals & fishes) from the LFS or get frags from friends. Locally, our reefs are being threatened from commercial activities like land reclamation and shipping. That is... if you can see them in the first place.. lol... the waters here are quite murky, you have to really look quite hard to spot corals or fish. I prefer to dive up north or south... in Malaysia or Thailand.

n o o d l z
04/14/2004, 12:03 PM
Wow, that is gorgeous...

Pewe
04/14/2004, 03:42 PM
Awesome tan, awesome SPS growth :eek2:

Nice overflow

Carlos

Achilles
04/14/2004, 03:44 PM
Pewe,

How do you know I'm tanned? :lol:

Thanks for the compliments on my SPS & overflow! ;)

Pewe
04/14/2004, 03:57 PM
How do you know I'm tanned?
:D tan"k" ;)

FunkieReefJunkie
04/15/2004, 01:48 AM
Once again I have "reef tank envy!" A lot of effort and love went into that slice of ocean and it shows. Congrats : )

Rick Davis
04/15/2004, 10:15 AM
Originally posted by Achilles
Hi Rick,

1. Liquidlife Coralplankton's pretty good, IMO, I see good polyp extensions in my SPS corals. Its a good alternative to Golden Pearls.

Thanks for the feedback - this is a fairly new product so I will start checking around to see if I can get some.

I just noticed you have some Evansi anthias which I have heard can be difficult to keep. How are they doing and do they ever show any purple & yellow coloration?

A pic of the Evansi would be great too - thanks.

Once again, awesome tank!

Achilles
04/15/2004, 11:51 PM
My reef club bud just took these photos not more than 5 hours ago using his new Sony digicam f828! :D It has a 4 colour CCD! :eek1:

http://www.sgreefclub.com/forum/uploads/post-34-1082051764.jpg

The Evansi anthia is on the top right hand corner.

They probably mimic the Bartlett anthias... here's a pix of a female Bartlett anthia... also taken by my friend.

http://www.sgreefclub.com/forum/uploads/post-34-1082052391.jpg

As you can see, the Evansi has a very nice purple and yellow colouration, and I believe the feeding of Cyclop-eeze will help them retain strong colours.

They are not as greedy feeders like the Bartletts so I have to flood the tank with Cyclop-eeze about 5 - 8 times a day (when I can) to make sure the Evansi anthias put on weight.

When I first got them, they were extremely shy but now they swim in the open and are not harassed by the more aggressive Bartletts.

Rick Davis
04/16/2004, 08:03 AM
That's a great picture of anthias on a reef...

I meant the Evansi in your tank!

Oh, wait a minute... that is your tank:D

Great pics. I have a couple of Bartlett's in my 180 and now you got me seriously thinking about Evansi.

Jeremy S
04/16/2004, 03:52 PM
Wow! This has got to be one of the best tanks I’ve seen. It’s just beautiful.:eek2: I do have a couple of questions for you the first being what type of camera did you use to take the pictures? The other one is how do you keep the water surface so perfectly clear? I love the pictures with the tank reflection on the water surface. Absolutely stunning!

Achilles
04/16/2004, 10:27 PM
Hi Jeremy

I had some friends lend me their cameras to shoot. So its a mixture of Canon G3, Sony F717 and one is a Nikon. The 2 pix posted above is by the new F828. :lol:

Perfectly clear? I don't get you. The water is kept clear through high water circulation, a good skimmer and use of GAC.

If you meant 'still', I had to turn off all water circulation to achieve a flat water surface to get that mirror reflection shot. ;)

AT

Leakyreef
04/17/2004, 11:02 AM
I like the viewing side facade. I am curious about the viewing side access. What part of the facade flips up? What kind of material did you use for it? Could you show a picture?

Achilles
04/18/2004, 09:57 AM
The front facade panel flips up by a hydraulic hinge and is of course positioned over the top of the tank.

It is wood like the rest of the facade.

Excuse the paper hanging from my light rail... its meant to shield my eyes from the glare of the MH bulbs. ;)

http://www.sgreefclub.com/reefpix/DSC03807hooduppix.jpg

AT

Bali Brain
04/18/2004, 11:27 AM
Achilles,
I hail from JB. I had been following SG reef club forum about a few weeks ago, after learning about it from my son's magazine. I followed the thread about the setting up of your tank with interest, and imagine my surprise to see your tank featured in TOTM of reefkeeping mag. Truly a great achievement! Would love to have a chance to see it one fine day.
Incidently, wasn't able to register for SG reef club as alternative link didn't work

eddybabyhd
04/18/2004, 11:56 AM
conrad, i see you are using a dsb for the primary filtration...what kind of substrate are you using in the front of the tank...i am wondering if it is the method of using the corser material up front due to the higher current...looks like crush aragonite...let me know man...thanks

Achilles
04/18/2004, 12:23 PM
Originally posted by eddybabyhd
conrad, i see you are using a dsb for the primary filtration...what kind of substrate are you using in the front of the tank...i am wondering if it is the method of using the corser material up front due to the higher current...looks like crush aragonite...let me know man...thanks

Sand substrate is coral sand, diameter size ranging from 2 mm (at least 40% from the sample taken) to 1.5mm (at least 50% from the sample taken) with the remaining percentage ranging from 0.5 to 1mm).

It's able to handle my Tunze Streams but I do get some depressions in the sandbed in some areas... especially where the opposite currents clash together. ;)

lachesiz
04/21/2004, 07:59 PM
you are the boss!

Anildo Matos
04/21/2004, 11:20 PM
Hi Achilles,



Congratulations fot the awesome tank, you did a good job in the DIY stuff too.

I liked speccially the thing of only one powerfull pump runs both the skimmer and the return. Maybe I'm missing something shown on the pics, but anyway, could you please give me some details about how does it work ? I'm interisting in use such schem in my next tank and I was wondering wich kind of skimmer fits better for this task. I would aprreciate if you also could give some details about the project of your skimmer.


Thank's and regards,


Anildo

Achilles
04/22/2004, 11:30 AM
Hi Anildo Matos

I don't have the skill or knowledge to DIY everything myself... I have to thank our local DIY guru, Alvin B, for my skimmer! ;)

My pump is the Iwaki MX-70 and it is simply tee-off'ed to run my beckett and my main returns from the sump.

nemogirl
04/23/2004, 06:25 PM
Beautiful!

dan70
04/23/2004, 07:23 PM
don't have words... i have 1 tank like this

CDP13075
04/23/2004, 07:39 PM
Amazing tank. I love the plasma screen look.

menotu
04/24/2004, 02:38 PM
Originally posted by pi
Beautiful tank! Very well done!

Paul

majesticangelfish
04/24/2004, 09:19 PM
sweet tank, mate!

JKH
04/25/2004, 12:37 PM
Wish mine looked like that!

dev1977
04/25/2004, 06:32 PM
awesome!!! very inspiring for beginners like myself. keep up the good work.

vapovick
04/25/2004, 08:09 PM
Achilles , where did you get the PVC sheeting used to support your rockwork ?

I like the idea and am interested in trying it..

./thanks, and the tank look great !!!!!!!

durres76
04/26/2004, 08:55 AM
Achilles,
for me this reef ranks all the way at the top. The video is amazing.
Congrats.
I have one question about the overflow box. How do you get the water from the tank to the box? Do you have any pics, diagrams?

Thx.

popcorn_m3
04/26/2004, 09:55 AM
Wow AT nice tank especially the short clip. when u free? can have
kopi with u at cactus rd?

Achilles
04/26/2004, 12:45 PM
Originally posted by vapovick
Achilles , where did you get the PVC sheeting used to support your rockwork ?

I like the idea and am interested in trying it..

./thanks, and the tank look great !!!!!!!

I went to a local PVC-only specialist shop in Singapore. :)

Achilles
04/26/2004, 01:23 PM
Originally posted by durres76
Achilles,
for me this reef ranks all the way at the top. The video is amazing.
Congrats.
I have one question about the overflow box. How do you get the water from the tank to the box? Do you have any pics, diagrams?

Thx.

This should give you guys an idea of how I did it! :)

The darker shade represents the black acrylic sheet that is siliconed to the back glass wall. It has oval grooves cut into the acrylic (which is positioned over the overflow ledge) to form the 'teeth' to prevent fish from being swept over into the external overflow chamber.

http://www.sgreefclub.com/forum/uploads/post-22-1083003419.jpg - incidentally... the brown birdsnest coral seen here is the same on I featured... the big pinkish one! This pix was taken on 11 Sep 2003.

Mirugai
04/26/2004, 09:36 PM
Awesome work!

Some questions for you Achilles,

1. What do you use for attaching your corals/rocks? epoxy, clay or CA?
2. What or how did you catch that Moray Eel?
3. Any compability issues with different anthias? do they fight?
4. Lastly, how much is your electric bill each month? (US Dollar please)

Many Thanks and Congrats!

Achilles
04/27/2004, 12:54 AM
Mirugai....

1. I use both CA and epoxy.
2. I used several nets to block his path, chased him into a rock and netted the whole rock out.
3. Yes, there is a pecking order amongst the same species of anthias and some anthia species are a lot shyer. Of course, individuals tend to have their own characters as well. In my tank, my male truncate is the boss, followed closely by one or two Bartlett anthia males.
4. My electrical bill is about US$135 or S$230 a month.

Adam-Kun
04/27/2004, 07:35 PM
one word <font size="1" color="#0000FF">Your post is in violation of the <a href="/agreement.php">terms and conditions of use</a> of this web site and has been edited. Further violations will result in revocation of your posting privileges.</font>....

:: Drools ::

***Watch the cussin'!*** Skipper

mhurley
04/27/2004, 08:55 PM
Conrad,

Congrats on a beautiful set-up.
I'm interested in your light rails.
I'm building a light box, virtually identical to Weatherson's if you're familar with his.

Due to a low clearance ceiling, I want to mount it on rails with wheels on the side. So the box would actually not hang quite like yours.
Can you tell me what kind of wheels you use? I don't want use steel ones (like garage door wheels) because they will rust.

Thanks,
Mike

Anildo Matos
04/27/2004, 10:27 PM
Hi Achilles,


Here it's me again ! On the picture shown in your repply above posted to durres76, you'd mentioned the brown-orange seriatopora is the same pink one that is in the current pics in the gallery ?
Well, I thought that the real pink birdsnest was always pink wether it is a fragment or a completely grown up colony . Does it developed and got that pink color after it has grown or is this due to lights effect ?


Regards,


Anildo

Achilles
04/28/2004, 12:21 AM
Originally posted by mhurley
Conrad,

Congrats on a beautiful set-up.
I'm interested in your light rails.
I'm building a light box, virtually identical to Weatherson's if you're familar with his.

Due to a low clearance ceiling, I want to mount it on rails with wheels on the side. So the box would actually not hang quite like yours.
Can you tell me what kind of wheels you use? I don't want use steel ones (like garage door wheels) because they will rust.

Thanks,
Mike

The wheels are made of plastic.... and I believe you should get them as plastic rather than metal because they will rust and not provide a very smooth sliding. ;)

My rails are meant to be mounted upside down so that the wheels have a CG that goes directly downwards (kinda like a cable car) and will not scrape along the aluminium channel bar if the angle is wrong.

If you mount it sideways... hopefully your version will allow your wheels to be mounted at an 90 degree angle and still allow smooth sliding.

Achilles
04/28/2004, 12:28 AM
Originally posted by Anildo Matos
Hi Achilles,


Here it's me again ! On the picture shown in your repply above posted to durres76, you'd mentioned the brown-orange seriatopora is the same pink one that is in the current pics in the gallery ?
Well, I thought that the real pink birdsnest was always pink wether it is a fragment or a completely grown up colony . Does it developed and got that pink color after it has grown or is this due to lights effect ?


Regards,


Anildo


Hi Anildo,

When I got it as a frag.... it was an ugly brown. It developed into a pink colour once it reached a certain mass and thereafter, it had explosive growth with a stronger pink colour! :)

I now have a tiny frag that is an even nice pink, almost reddish... and I'm waiting for that one to grow up!

AT

br1200
04/28/2004, 11:42 PM
Achilles,
Amazing tank.

P.S how do you control the e-ballasts? Is it X10 ?

Thanks

-A

Achilles
04/29/2004, 12:33 PM
Nope... using Hager timers. :)

gwrulzmylife
05/04/2004, 10:54 AM
Beautiful tank! Very well done!

Achilles
05/04/2004, 03:28 PM
Thanks guys! :)

Razing Kane
05/04/2004, 06:25 PM
i'd never leave the house!

John Brancheau
05/06/2004, 07:53 PM
Achilles,

When my tank grows up, I want it to look just like yours......

STUNNING

SOMEthinsFISHY
05/11/2004, 09:20 AM
ONE of the best threads i have seen here in my short membership thanks for sharing all of your work with us !!

JOHN

Dag
05/19/2004, 11:11 PM
Conrad, can you supply some more details on your thermal protection system? What exactly is it and where did you get it from? Thanks.

Achilles
05/24/2004, 03:13 PM
Ah... its just a fancy term to describe a temperature probe in my main tank linked to a thermostat that is connected to contacters that cuts off power to my MH lights should my temperature exceed 29C. :P

Its been put together by a local reefer who's a genious with electrical stuff. I wouldn't dare attempt it myself! ;)

SOMEthinsFISHY
05/24/2004, 09:00 PM
wow sounds like a real good heat protector !!

Wolfgang
06/30/2004, 10:13 PM
Which Brand of Salt Mix do you Use???
Thanks!
-Wolfgang

SOMEthinsFISHY
07/01/2004, 09:23 AM
I use trop marin it says that you should not change once u have found a brand !!

Achilles
07/02/2004, 04:52 AM
I have used Coralife saltmix for many years now. :)

Wolfgang
07/02/2004, 05:41 AM
Corallife Salt???
Wow! Well, I can't argue with the results! Fricken Un-Real Looking tank you have there!!!!
Even though you use a Salt Mix that doesn't Fare well in the so called "Test's"
Everyone in your ReefClub up there use this Salt?
Thanks!
-Wolfgang

SOMEthinsFISHY
07/03/2004, 05:30 AM
Hello wolf !!

Achilles
07/11/2004, 10:56 AM
Hi Wolfgang!

Yeah, many of us here use Coralife salt for many years with no problems... its cheap and it works! ;)

Here's the latest growth sequence pix of my blue staghorn colony....

http://www.sgreefclub.com/forum/uploads/post-22-1089482131.jpg
As of 11 July 04!

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-04/totm/images/growth3LG.jpg
As of 210304!

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-04/totm/images/growth2LG.jpg
As of 130204!

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-04/totm/images/growth1LG.jpg
As of 100903!

Skipper
07/11/2004, 03:35 PM
Beautiful, Achilles!!!!

SOMEthinsFISHY
07/11/2004, 05:30 PM
real nice !!

Joe10000
08/08/2004, 05:01 PM
Outstanding Reef!!!! Question I have is how do you hide the electical lines for the power heads in the main tank. With the powerheads wellhidden like you show, is it difficult to take the powerheads and the electrical cords out of tank for maintenance. How often do you clean the powerheads in the tanks. Do yo have any pictures of placement before reef was built up..

Reddhaus
08/08/2004, 05:12 PM
Congrats on Tank Of The Month!!

Beautiful tank. Great color.

pioassad
08/24/2004, 04:43 PM
hi my name is alberto

excellent thank!!!
i wanto to get starphire glass for an aquarium im planning to build, could you please give me the hole information of where you bought yours??

please answer me
pioassad@hotmail.com

SOMEthinsFISHY
08/24/2004, 04:58 PM
HIYA alberto !

Skipper
08/24/2004, 07:01 PM
Hey Alberto. In case you didn't notice.... Achilles lives in Singapore. Is Mexico anywhere near there? :p

plaz
09/18/2004, 10:07 AM
Your tank is incredible!!! The DSB sloping to the front (and possibly in the center) is exacly what I would like to achieve. I don't like the deep flat sandbed look. Did you drill holes in the 6"glass or acrylic barrier for the critters to go through or is it solid. Does it form a rectangle or just go straight across (2 parrallel sheets?)? Have you had any problem with the sand shifting to a point lower than the barrier?
Any advice/details appreciated!!!

WayneN
10/05/2004, 04:17 AM
Best tank I ever seen. Your pics r just as awsome. Pls give some advice on taking pics.

Cheers

ducati24
12/13/2004, 09:13 PM
I missed the release of your article, cause I had no internet connection for a while, but I have to say that this is the most natural, and beautiful tank I have ever seen, couldn't send more praise. Congrats.

poolmaster
03/29/2005, 07:14 PM
That's AWESOME!! When did you retire? How many hours do you spend a week on your tank?

Chris

clownfool
06/29/2005, 05:40 AM
Achillis,
Your tank is the best SPS dominated tank I've ever seen.
I have a question, Where is your live rock? I don't understand how you can fit so many acros in such a small space being shared by numerous SPS. How do you keep them from hurting one another?
This is definately a trade secret. Let me know so when I get my new tank I can cram many SPS in one spot, and make it look like there is no live rock. Thanks Adley

shanebc21
07/13/2005, 02:41 PM
Hi Achillies, I noticed you use all halides with no other supliment lighting. looking at your pics from the tank of the month article the color looks great. Im goin to be setting up an AGA 210 its 6'x2'x2' I was thinking of running 4x250w MH (2x 6500k+2x 20000k) alternating lengthwise with the 65k+20k bulb to bulb. Im looking for the best color for the overall tank as well as best light combo for SPS to prodce their best color. I also want to make sure I have enough blue spectum for other corals to be their brightest. I would like to try and get this right the first time so I dont have spend more $$ than I need to. please give me your input. Thanks, Shane

i2ik
10/21/2005, 10:31 PM
AWSOME tank!! i am wondering how can you feed them 5 times a day? Do you have an auto feeder or something? Anthias are more into frozen food right? I would love to have some of these fishes in my tank, just afraid of not being able to feed them that much...

thanks a lot!