Tank of the Month - July 2005

[mattls]

Great Tank.

How do you get the water up to your refugium?

[tlp]

Originally posted by mattls
Great Tank.

How do you get the water up to your refugium?

Some of the return feed from the main pump is diverted up to the refugium. The flow isn't great but sufficient.

[Cosper]

That setup is absolutely breathtaking. Your photography is also awesome.. One of those pics makes your tank seem as though it goes on foever like the ocean!

I realy enjoy the tank of the month articles!

[jthnhale]

absoulutly amazing.

the size of the colonies is great. I would be tempted to go for a swim in your tank
did you ever have to use a mask and snorkel to reach something in the front?

[sean48183]

Best design I have ever seen for a tank. Above the tank refugium and water change vat that can be used for a QT tank. You have got to be kidding. Absolutely brilliant. What's the longest you have ever just sat and stared at that tank? I stared for 20 minutes and that's just on a computer screen!

[jnarowe]

tlp[/B]

Just when I think I have seen it all, another, even more psychotic reef turns up! You certainly could tell a few public aquariums a thing or two.

I am very interested in your refugium setup. I clicked on your www link but it brought up another message board, and I would really like to see pictures of how it is now. You used a 25% size to main tank ratio, and I would like to know if that was based on research, or the size of the shelf available. I have been debating the refugium in sump method, but something you wrote has been bugging me since your tank became TOTM:

You stated that you placed it above the main so that the pods and plankton wouldn't be chewed up by a pump. That does make sense, although I have never heard of that before. I have also read that some reefer try to get rid of pods, which has me somewhat confused.

Anyway, how is the refugium overflow designed, and what rate of flow do you think you have? I am planning a tall tank (given to me) and want to build a reef somewhat like you have, with a decent amount of water above it. My plan is to get the TBS package for that size tank, but put someof the rock and sand in the refugium. How did you start the macroalgae? How do you keep the refugium clean? You say you have no predators in it, so either the tank is a total mucky pool, or your cleaning it by hand?

Also, the diagram shows the frag tank not attached to the system. Is it totally seperate, or somehow plumbed in? I really appreciate any input you can give. Thanks!--J

PS. You guys complaining about the photos not working really should understand that TOTM puts a lot of strain on the RC servers, and sometimes too many people are trying to access them, which gives you a little "x" where the photo should be. You can refresh, or even BETTER, wait a day or two to check it out. I know it's hard, but it would lighten the workload for RC staff!

[tlp]

I am very interested in your refugium setup. I clicked on your www link but it brought up another message board, and I would really like to see pictures of how it is now. You used a 25% size to main tank ratio, and I would like to know if that was based on research, or the size of the shelf available. I have been debating the refugium in sump method, but something you wrote has been bugging me since your tank became TOTM:

It's simply as big as I can fit in the space available. Ideally I would have gone for a refugium many times the size of the display tank.

You stated that you placed it above the main so that the pods and plankton wouldn't be chewed up by a pump. That does make sense, although I have never heard of that before. I have also read that some reefer try to get rid of pods, which has me somewhat confused.

The idea of the refugium above the tank is not new. Many people have it set up already. If you search on here for example, there are some great examples of refugiums above the tank. Not sure why people would want to get rid of pods/critters... my aim is to create diversity with as much variation of life as possible. There are some 'undesirable' stuff growing like some flatworms and tons of aiptasia, but as long as I have the "control" in the display tank (ie. wrasse for FW, CBB for aiptasia) then there's no probs.

Anyway, how is the refugium overflow designed, and what rate of flow do you think you have? I am planning a tall tank (given to me) and want to build a reef somewhat like you have, with a decent amount of water above it. My plan is to get the TBS package for that size tank, but put someof the rock and sand in the refugium. How did you start the macroalgae? How do you keep the refugium clean? You say you have no predators in it, so either the tank is a total mucky pool, or your cleaning it by hand?

I don't clean the refugium at all and amazingly it isn't mucky. Only maintenance is remove a lot of macro algae growth as a form of nutrient export. The flow through is quite slow as the aim is to allow the population of critters and pods to breed instead of being washed through too quickly.

Also, the diagram shows the frag tank not attached to the system. Is it totally seperate, or somehow plumbed in? I really appreciate any input you can give. Thanks!--J

The refugium has two overflows, one falls into the frag grow out tank feeding it with plankton enriched water, the other falls into the main display tank. The frag tank then has an overflow which rejoin the system via the main system sump.

I've started to write up the system on my website:
http://www.reefhaven.co.uk/aquarium.html which is also available as a link off my forum. Please feel free to ask whatever questions if I can be of any help.


HTH.

[Julio]

WOW!!! CONGRATS, beautiful well thought out system.

[Julio]

Do you have any pics of the filtration system in action?

[DC321]

Beautiful tank!

[jnarowe]

tlp

Thank you so much for your response! What kind of overflow is on the refugium? Is it a screened pipe, HOB, or what? Top or bottom?

I notice as with most reefers that the refugium is clear. I have have several Rubbermaid 50 gal "ponds" that are not see-through. Do you think it would be OK to use those, or is it important to have it clear since it is somewhat above eye level?

Thanks! I'll check your web link.--J

[ajd344]

That is the best planned tank I have ever seen or heard of by far. I love the water change idea and will definitely be employing it when i set up my larger tank.

[Holyreefer]

Great looking tank.
I'm just trying to get color on my corals, great job!

[dgasmd]

Gorgeous set up. Very well thought out too. It is nice to always see people that do take the time to plan it out to the last detail. I am also very encouraged by your number and size of fish. Keep up the great work.

Alberto

[rjwilson37]

Congratulations!

That is just an incredible setup, those pictures where there right against the tank so you don't see the frame at all... they look like they were taken in the Ocean. That 4ft depth makes it look so nice and gives you so much to work with for aquascaping your environment.

Again.. WELL DONE, just an outstanding job!

[spe934]

Beautiful tank. Well planned and well designed. What/who were your inspiration for your overall design and layout? Now that your tank is getting more mature, what is next?

[tlp]

Originally posted by spe934
Beautiful tank. Well planned and well designed. What/who were your inspiration for your overall design and layout? Now that your tank is getting more mature, what is next?

Good question!

I've been reading a lot about biotopes and getting more convinced with the thinking that it would be better and perhaps more challenging to tune the reef to a specific environment. In the long term it should be better for the inhabitants in a more familiar environment closer to where they came from so they can truly thrives instead of being stressed and surviving.

So perhaps I will take a look at the majority of my stock and restart a little, exchanging and removing some that does not belong and hunt around for replacements. Otherwise there's just nowhere to go now except for keep watching them grow and grow until the tank is cramped and start to get neglected from eventual boredome.

The good thing is all the equipment is there. The stock unwanted can easily be traded or passed on to other reefers and I get to extend my research/knowledge (and test my patience and dedication) again.

[tlp]

The overflow is nothing more than just the standpipe. No screen/filter or anything as there is no fish in the refugium tank.

You can pretty much use any thing as long as it is reef safe, as in, not going to leach any nasty chemical to the water in the long run. Mine is a glass tank only because it was convienent and cheap to get it made (i had 5 tanks made onsite).

I do spend a lot of time looking through the refugium though as it is full of sponges/squirts and creepy crawlies of interest so it's nice that it is glass. One of my fav is watching the water column buzzing with free swimming pods and baby mysids - cant really count them that well but sometimes it looks like there's about 20-40 little dots buzzing in a square inch of water to give you an idea of the richness.

Originally posted by jnarowe
tlp

Thank you so much for your response! What kind of overflow is on the refugium? Is it a screened pipe, HOB, or what? Top or bottom?

I notice as with most reefers that the refugium is clear. I have have several Rubbermaid 50 gal "ponds" that are not see-through. Do you think it would be OK to use those, or is it important to have it clear since it is somewhat above eye level?

Thanks! I'll check your web link.--J

[boxfishpooalot]

Hello very nice tank. Your fish spawning also means your doing somting well. My questions concern export. Just wondering how much skimmate you remove on a daily basis. Also what kind of macro-algae do you use in the refugium?

[jnarowe]

tlp

So the stand pipe is drawing from the surface, not the water column?

I think the clear refugium makes sense on that basis, because there are things to keep an eye on.

Thanks...and YOU are an inpiration!--J

[tlp]

Originally posted by boxfishpooalot
Hello very nice tank. Your fish spawning also means your doing somting well. My questions concern export. Just wondering how much skimmate you remove on a daily basis. Also what kind of macro-algae do you use in the refugium?

Haven't really measured skimmate as such. I have two skimmers, one has a drain fitted so I let it run 'wet', ie produce lighter coloured skimmate. With the drain fitted I dont really care how much is produced, and with it running wet I'm losing some salt so there's a mini water change happening when I add more salt into the sump to compensate.

The other produce more concentrated stinking skimmate - this skimmer I empty 3/4 full cup every week.

In the refugium I was aiming for seagrass but as it's so difficult to get hold off I started it with two/three pieces of live rock with algae so initially it was sargasum & caulerpa. Recently managed to get some chaetomorpha which is now the dominant species.

[bstone]

Congratulations! A very impressive tank..

I am just about to start my upgrade system which will be aprox. 1000 gallons. My biggest problem has been costs associated with cooling and heating; both equipment and electrical costs. I love your cooling and heating system that you have on your tank system. Could you please forward me some detailed information on your heat exchager system? Or, even direct me to a manufacture of the heat exchanger? I would very much like to impliment this sort of system. Again, Great Idea!!! Thank You.

[SERVO]

Now thats a tank!!!!!! You have created what I hope to achieve with my 400 gallon in wall project. I don't think I'll have as much fish, but if it works, go with it!!!!!!!!!!!!

Awesome job and congrats. I love that tort and your millipora!

[philipm]

You mentioned using an automatic feeder in your descriptive and I was curious what brand. Would you recomend it?

I have been searching for a good automatic feeder.

[jawwad19]

The tank left my jaw on the floor at how intricrately you set it up. Once I graduate from college, Im going to start on a project like that, but for now Ill try to be optimistic about my 55 gallon (sigh)