Reef Central Online Community

Home Forum Here you can view your subscribed threads, work with private messages and edit your profile and preferences View New Posts View Today's Posts

Find other members Frequently Asked Questions Search Reefkeeping ...an online magazine for marine aquarists Support our sponsors and mention Reef Central

Go Back   Reef Central Online Community Archives > General Interest Forums > Reef Discussion

 
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #26  
Old 07/08/2005, 05:15 PM
Hop Hop is offline
Carpe Noctem
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Western Colorado
Posts: 4,365
Thanks secrest,

This whole process has been pretty exiting and I still don't have the tank here

Well all 447 lbs of base rock arrived today and it looks even better than in the pictures that Capt. Jer sent. Now I'm sitting here debating whether I should pile about 60 or so lbs of it in with the other rock I have in the 125 right now to give it a head start on the seeding process.... Hmmm any suggestions on that or should I just leave it in the boxes until this tank is up and begin seeding it all at once?
__________________
Hop
  #27  
Old 07/08/2005, 06:16 PM
Hop Hop is offline
Carpe Noctem
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Western Colorado
Posts: 4,365
Quote:
Originally posted by Hop
Thanks secrest,

This whole process has been pretty exiting and I still don't have the tank here

Well all 447 lbs of base rock arrived today and it looks even better than in the pictures that Capt. Jer sent. Now I'm sitting here debating whether I should pile about 60 or so lbs of it in with the other rock I have in the 125 right now to give it a head start on the seeding process.... Hmmm any suggestions on that or should I just leave it in the boxes until this tank is up and begin seeding it all at once?
Wow weird things happen when RC crashes. so I guess this is a re-post and a bump.
__________________
Hop
  #28  
Old 07/08/2005, 07:52 PM
AriZonaD54 AriZonaD54 is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Tucson, Az
Posts: 216
BUMP!
  #29  
Old 07/08/2005, 08:01 PM
WarEagleNR88 WarEagleNR88 is offline
Premium Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Phoenix, Arizona
Posts: 388
So the wider the baffles the better... Hmmm. I wanted to know this information since I'm thinking of adding on a 10G to my system to only contain my skimmer and heaters and of course bubbles may be a problem.

Thanks, keep it coming Hop!

WarEagle
__________________
Make your work proud to have your name on it.
  #30  
Old 07/09/2005, 02:23 PM
Hop Hop is offline
Carpe Noctem
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Western Colorado
Posts: 4,365
Thanks WarEagleNR88,

I'm hoping that we can all use this thread as a good resource and the info by acrosteve is great.

So with the sump malfunction that occurred thusday night and the fact that the sump I ordered is 3-4 weeks out, I could not start the plumbing that I had on the itinerary for today. So I painted the wood inside the wetroom and painted the outside of the wetrrom. Not the most exciting process so far, but one that needed to get done. Next on the agenda is to clean the garage as the walking space is now down to a few little channels in between various projects and equipment boxes. Again not too exciting.

This evening I'm still debating about getting some of the base rock into the 125 for a head start on the seeding process, but I'm still debating on this one. I may just stack the boxes of rock up in the wetroom and run the electric wires from the wetroom under the house and roll them up near the fuse panel. I'm waiting for an electrician friend of mine to come and do the final inspection and hook up!
__________________
Hop
  #31  
Old 07/09/2005, 04:27 PM
TheCoralReef731 TheCoralReef731 is offline
The Clown of the Fish
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Naperville, IL
Posts: 909
Great job on the tank.
__________________
GO BEARS!!! GO CUBS!!!

"Sometimes if you do the job badly enough, you won't get asked to do it again" - Calvin and Hobbes
  #32  
Old 07/09/2005, 05:40 PM
HAMACHI HAMACHI is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2000
Posts: 270
awesome!!!! so what do you have in mind for the aquascaping? canyon style like steve weast's, or towers like tanu's. i have a feelin gyour tank will be awesome, just spend time on the aquascaping!!!!
  #33  
Old 07/09/2005, 05:55 PM
jnarowe jnarowe is offline
2011.5
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Poulsbo, WA
Posts: 9,742
I just found this thread and I got to tell you, that planted 125 is totally awesome. If you can keep that tank stable, you will have no problem with a reef tank. Sure reefs are a bit more complex, but the planted tank is prone to serious pH swings and keeping it dialed in to a zone where the fish AND the plants are thriving is very difficult indeed. Great work!--Jonathan
__________________
Jonathan--DIBS Breeder and Card carrying member of the Square Skimmer Brigade
(Click on the Red House to see my pics garage)
  #34  
Old 07/09/2005, 08:39 PM
rireefguy rireefguy is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Ocean State
Posts: 212
Nice work! Can wait to watch this progress.
__________________
Proud member of the Tri-State Reef Society. Where Southern New England goes to reef.
  #35  
Old 07/09/2005, 09:38 PM
Hop Hop is offline
Carpe Noctem
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Western Colorado
Posts: 4,365
Wow thanks for the intrerest in the tank rireefguy.

jnarowe: Thanks. The 125 was dismanteled in order to facilitate seeding of more rock, but I have all the same plant type in a 110 that I had in the office in order to set it back up down the road. This is what the 125 looked like the day I had to tear it down.

Don't be fooled there was still a bit of a hair algea problem, but it was managable

Hamachi: Thanks and the aquascape will reflect the general idea on the pics on the 1st page. There may be a little shift from that once things get going but the theme is three mounds with sand channels in between.

Thanks TheCoralReef731, I hope you are speaking about the one in progress and not the sump that I destroyed
__________________
Hop
  #36  
Old 07/09/2005, 10:21 PM
jnarowe jnarowe is offline
2011.5
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Poulsbo, WA
Posts: 9,742
Yeah, hair algae can be tough because when you trim down the plants to remove it, then there are less plants to take up nutrients, and you get a second wicked wave of algae. I have snails in mine that love brush algae, so that's a plus. I have semingly dealt with hair algae in that I am much more careful about nutrient (nitrates, phosphates, etc.) produced by fish and put in in the form of supplements.

I had a terrible time with phosphates and started using a buffer, only to find out that the buffer had a lot of phosphates in it. "Safe for All Fish and Plants" my ***. Anyway, I put an hour light break in the middle of the day and switched to RO/DI water. Algae have a hard time ramping up photosysnthesis and plants don't, so puting in a break disrupts algae growth but not the plants'. My well water was highly filtered but still had phosphates and nitrates. Switching to RO/DI and adding back in the correct amount of hardness/salts seems to be working well. I have a 9"+ Pleco who is very sensitive so I know immediately if there is a problem. My CO2 was on the blink and the pH skyrocketed, and this was easily evident by the Pleco's coloration. Like a canary in the tank!

I really like how your FWP is aquascaped. Mine is similar except I put in some larger river rock and less wood. I also have a couple of red plants that help break up the green a bit. One I got from Wal-Mart (shudder) that looked like some kind of tuber. It has red leaves and sends shoots to the surface with a red leaf at the surface. The gourami likes to hover under them sometimes. What I like about planted tanks is practice for reefs. But in a planted tank, if you screw up, you just cut the plants back and they grow again. It's cool to see new advantageous shoots etc. and that's just a hint of what it's like to have a healthy reef.

I know it may be late in the game, but have you thought about using some TBS rock? You are going "big-time" and that stuff sure produces results. MY local LFS is selling a variety of "live" rock all for $6 - $8 per lb. and it's nothing like the TBS stuff.

As far as overflow, check out:

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...hreadid=588249

This a great overflow but...Now my question for you is, what happens when something like hair algae, dead fish, etc. gets stuck in the tangs of the overflow? How do you get it out? What about coralline algae? That will grow and cover the back of the tank if you are doing a good job. How do you keep the underside of the brace near the overflow clean? It will surely get scum on it right? On this one, there is no center brace, because he used very thick plastic.

I would suggest that you use an overflow as seen in the 4th picture down, with no tangs, and build the upper lip around the tank but not across the overflow. Then use a device like this:

http://www.aqua-medic.com/products/f...flowcomb.shtml

It's removable, cleanable, replaceable...you can line up 3 or 4 on the back of a big tank...and you or I could probably make it if we needed to.

Just some food for thought.--J
__________________
Jonathan--DIBS Breeder and Card carrying member of the Square Skimmer Brigade
(Click on the Red House to see my pics garage)
  #37  
Old 07/09/2005, 10:42 PM
Nuhtty Nuhtty is offline
Moved On
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Philadelphia
Posts: 6,960
Too bad. That planted tank was sweet.
  #38  
Old 07/09/2005, 10:46 PM
HAMACHI HAMACHI is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2000
Posts: 270
thats the nicest planted tank i have EVER seen!!!! waikiki aquarium should bow down at your knees!
  #39  
Old 07/09/2005, 10:52 PM
Hop Hop is offline
Carpe Noctem
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Western Colorado
Posts: 4,365
jnarowe,

Thanks for the info. The external overflow will be built into the tank by James at Envision. In essence it's still part of the tank, but doesn't take up any of the 96X30X30 footprint. I tried to look up exactly what it looks like, but the server volume is too high here on RC right now. If you get the chance check out a tank by Fursphere. I basically took the idea from his tank and it will be about the same with 2, 1 1/2" drains. Going to use a stockman design! It's real close to the idea on the 1st link you posted.

As far os the planted tank goes I lived by the estimative dosing routine and subscribbed to the Barr Report. After I followed his advised my problems went down to very managable levels. When I set the 125 back up as planted, I will howver, be skipping MH lighting. I'm going to switch over to PC and keep the color a little closer to white and slow the growth. With nearly 5 wpg if I missed one day of dosing, I knew it!
__________________
Hop
  #40  
Old 07/09/2005, 10:56 PM
Hop Hop is offline
Carpe Noctem
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Western Colorado
Posts: 4,365
Quote:
Originally posted by HAMACHI
thats the nicest planted tank i have EVER seen!!!! waikiki aquarium should bow down at your knees!
Wow thanks HAMACHI! I subscribe to a couple planted sites as well and my 125 was just so-so as compared to some of the people's there. I like Amano's works, but I wanted something that was closer to the real habitat, rather that "becuase it's artsie" feel.


And thanks again Nuhtty, It will be up and running again hopefully around Christmas. I wanted to change out some substrate and get a strong foreground going anyways. Pluse the Hygro was a monster of a plant and needed to be pruned every few days
__________________
Hop
  #41  
Old 07/09/2005, 11:03 PM
Hop Hop is offline
Carpe Noctem
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Western Colorado
Posts: 4,365
OK, I was able to use the search function and get to fursphere's thread. The RC gods must be on my side tonight, I usually can't use the search funtion til about midnight here
fursphere's thread The pictures of the tank and overflow idea start on page 5,
__________________
Hop
  #42  
Old 07/10/2005, 12:26 AM
jnarowe jnarowe is offline
2011.5
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Poulsbo, WA
Posts: 9,742
So I see fursphere's overflow, and that is exactly what i am talking about. Look at fursphere's post on 11/11/2004 03:37 PM. The second picture shows it best. This is a great flow design to be sure, but how will you be able to maintain it? In fact, earlier in that thread, someone else talks about each tang having 30gph flow and making sure there is a margin because of coraline growth and other obstructions.

I love the way it looks, but imagine if you carved out the top plate for clearance and installed a removeable overflow comb like the one I gave you the link for. Same functional advantages, but way better for maintainance...turn your pumps off, pull it out, scrape it clean, back in and pumps back on. No hands in the tank etc. It's a small revision with a lot of function.

I never bothered with halides on my FW planted even though I have one. I use a Lunar Aqualight with twin 6700K compact florescent lamps on a slightly staggered cycle. For "off-the-shelf" I think it does a great job, and I like the moonlights to check out the crazy night action in my tank. Barr Report? Hell, I'm just wingin' it!--J
__________________
Jonathan--DIBS Breeder and Card carrying member of the Square Skimmer Brigade
(Click on the Red House to see my pics garage)
  #43  
Old 07/10/2005, 12:29 AM
kimoyo kimoyo is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: New York, NY
Posts: 1,459
Quote:
Originally posted by AcroSteve
The amount of flow has a great deal to do with the effectiveness of the baffles. The bad thing is, once the sump is in place, it is not very practical to change the spacing if it does not work with the flow you have.

Better to be safe than sorry.

Personally, I am a little sorry that I did not research this before I built mine. Mine are about 2" apart and 16" tall. I still get many bubbles making the trip through them.

My gut feel is that baffles 1" apart and 16" wide will not handle much more than 1000 gph very well. With a small tank and pump, it should be fine.

The height is a factor as well. The taller the better.
Hi Hop,
I like the start!

If the flow of the sump is going from left to right then the width, front to back, is crucial. The wider this dimension is the better. The reason is because you want the water to flow over the baffle as low as possible so that the water-air interface is extremely close to the top the baffle. That way the bubbles will pop on the acrylic or float into the air.

Paul
  #44  
Old 07/10/2005, 12:37 AM
maxvan1 maxvan1 is offline
Abba-Zaba!
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Arizona.
Posts: 881
I have the same drill...


But its looking good! That FW tank is onnly 50 gallons? looks alot bigger...
__________________
Max
  #45  
Old 07/10/2005, 12:38 AM
GregM779 GregM779 is offline
Premium Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: West Palm Beach, Florida
Posts: 1,954
I'm on this ride
__________________
Greg
President of the Palm Beach Marine Aquarium Society
  #46  
Old 07/10/2005, 12:58 AM
NexDog NexDog is offline
Fiddles With Reef
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Kyushu, Japan
Posts: 3,423
Me too.
__________________
Laurence Flynn

340g In-Wall Envision Tank and 150g Sump (fuge and grow-out).
  #47  
Old 07/10/2005, 01:14 AM
Hop Hop is offline
Carpe Noctem
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Western Colorado
Posts: 4,365
Quote:
Originally posted by maxvan1
I have the same drill...


But its looking good! That FW tank is onnly 50 gallons? looks alot bigger...
Naw it's a standard AGA 125. Right now it's being used as a live rock seeding tank. But it will go back to a FW planted around christmas.

jnarowe, Yeah it's a good idea, i just wonder how sturdy it would be with 1600-2000 GPH flowing over it. The way the tank is designed I should be able to access both side pretty easy to keep coraline down. Yeah it might mean some wet hands, but we'll see. I really never thought of it when I was placing the order. I was still having sticker shock It may be something to put on the back-burner for the next tank! (don't let my wife read that, she'll need a defribrilator).
__________________
Hop
  #48  
Old 07/10/2005, 01:44 AM
WarEagleNR88 WarEagleNR88 is offline
Premium Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Phoenix, Arizona
Posts: 388
Quote:
It may be something to put on the back-burner for the next tank! (don't let my wife read that, she'll need a defribrilator).
Your wife yells at you for spending money on this hobby? Wow I've never had that problem. (And yes,
EXTREMELY sarcastic on this subject, I am.)

Me = "But babe, the tank is so we can both enjoy it. You do enjoy it don't you?"

Wife = "Ha you wish, stop spending so much money on it!"

Another reason why those previous top 10 "tank is better than spouse" are so true.
  #49  
Old 07/10/2005, 02:11 AM
kimoyo kimoyo is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: New York, NY
Posts: 1,459
Quote:
Originally posted by jnarowe


As far as overflow, check out:

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...hreadid=588249

This a great overflow but...Now my question for you is, what happens when something like hair algae, dead fish, etc. gets stuck in the tangs of the overflow?[/B]
Hey, thats my thread...cool! I haven't updated it in a while even though I should. Hopefully I will be putting up a lot of new pictures in the next few days. I actually just put water in the tank today.

Paul
  #50  
Old 07/10/2005, 02:12 AM
Hop Hop is offline
Carpe Noctem
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Western Colorado
Posts: 4,365
Quote:
Originally posted by WarEagleNR88
Your wife yells at you for spending money on this hobby? Wow I've never had that problem. (And yes,
EXTREMELY sarcastic on this subject, I am.)

Me = "But babe, the tank is so we can both enjoy it. You do enjoy it don't you?"

Wife = "Ha you wish, stop spending so much money on it!"

Another reason why those previous top 10 "tank is better than spouse" are so true.
LOL, You know she really is pretty supportive in this hobby. She's actually the one who has picked up the wood for the wetroom, the rubbermaid trash cans, the insulation for the wetroom and the door for the room. She has helped with the design and genuinly seems to have an interest, so I can't complain. She was the one who when we were designing this thing talked me into going as big as we could for right now so I wouldn't have to think about another tank for a decade or so

Spekaing of her input she has come up with some great ideas. in fact we are probably changing the stand/cabinet to a light hardwood with a white washed stain. Not sure yet, but we were thinking of making the room more of a beach cottage theme, but holding back on the tacky side. I dunno though.
__________________
Hop
 

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 04:28 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Use of this web site is subject to the terms and conditions described in the user agreement.
Reef Central™ Reef Central, LLC. Copyright ©1999-2009