Melev's new 280g Starfire tank thread

[gregt]

This thread was automatically split due to performance issues. You can find the rest of the thread here: http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...83#post6235583

[Micki]

Marc, I'll take that growth any day! Mine just sit there, polyps retracted...

Love the pics! Thanks!!!

[NexDog]

Originally posted by gregt
This thread was automatically split due to performance issues. You can find the rest of the thread here: http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...83#post6235583

Yippee!

[Snakebyt]

yet another split for this thread...

[McGinnis]

Man, keeping up with thread is insane! I create a link for this thread just in time for it to split and be invalid! Congrats Marc on keeping it going!

[Travis]

Marc, I checked my Fantech fan this morning. I wanted to make sure it really was dead silent like I told you. Sometimes things in the fish room seem quieter than they really are because of all the noise in there. I shut everything off and checked the fan. I guess it does make a tiny amount of noise. If your head is more than 3 feet away from the fan you can't hear it. So although it is not "dead silent" it is very quiet. Just didn't want to mislead anybody.

[Apparition]

Hey Marc,

I may have missed something, but you removed the fish trap because you don't want to remove anymore fish? Wasn't the "Tucker Trapper" for... say... Tucker? Or have you changed your mind and he's staying? Has he stopped his coral snatching?

[Qwiv]

Another thread split and still no hood....... when is this madness going to end?

[melev]

Micki, if your corals don't extend polyps, there is a good chance you have a fish or fishes nipping at the corals. Ever since my fish population plummetted, the polpys of many corals extend. I've been super envious of many tanks I see here on RC with their super fuzzy/furry corals, and didn't know what was so different about my tank. I did have a lot of fish, so that may have been the problem. My water quality truly has never been better, so that is another thing to consider.

Matthew, if you subscribe to the thread (click below on that option), you can keep up forever.

Qwiv, do you know how cold it is outside right now? Even if I were to do the woodwork, staining and varnishing isn't an option. So it looks like I've got a 3 month reprieve.

[Micki]

Originally posted by melev
Micki, if your corals don't extend polyps, there is a good chance you have a fish or fishes nipping at the corals. Ever since my fish population plummetted, the polpys of many corals extend. I've been super envious of many tanks I see here on RC with their super fuzzy/furry corals, and didn't know what was so different about my tank. I did have a lot of fish, so that may have been the problem. My water quality truly has never been better, so that is another thing to consider.

Marc, if I don't change anythign with the fish situation, will it eventually kill the coral or just not have polyp extention? I really don't want to get rid of any of my fish.

[melev]

I had a crazy idea last week, and I'm still trying to work out the logistics. Maybe sharing it with you guys is better than just surprising you with a finished product.

I recently bought some 8" diameter acrylic tubing, which has been standing in the garage for a couple of weeks. While looking at my son's 29g with the eels in it, I was thinking how cool it would be to make that tube an aquarium. If it was established horizontally on top of some wooden blocks (cut to the contour of the tubing) to support it every couple of feet, it could have sand spread out evenly along the 'bottom' of the tube tank. Then I could slide the eels in there, and let them swim back and forth.

Lighting could be ambient lighting from the room only, since the eels don't really need lights. I could use VHO or PCs perhaps, but would rather not. I picture this right behind the back of the sofa, but at the same time I don't want to see it in the reflection of the TV since then I can't see the broadcast, which is another reason not to use lights.

Running a sump underneath would let me hide the heater, return pump, and even some type of skimmer for filtration.

I like the idea of this tank because you can see the animals. I don't want to add rock for them to hide behind, but maybe I could put some small pieces along the bottom for them to hug.

I have no idea how to figure out the water volume in a round cylinder. I don't know if this isn't enough water or if it would be reasonably adequate. I'd like the tube to be full of water, with no air pocket at the top. I want to keep the livestock in the tube with eggcrate, but picture the need for a box at each end to drop in food, and deal with water entering and exiting. I'm thinking a cleaning magnet will allow me to keep it clean, but I'm not sure how to deal with any cleaning issues within the center of the tube, nor a way to move things around once it is set up.

Since this is theoretical now, I'm open to suggestions. Even if the reply is "No, it can't be done for these reasons..."

[melev]

Originally posted by Micki
Marc, if I don't change anythign with the fish situation, will it eventually kill the coral or just not have polyp extention? I really don't want to get rid of any of my fish.

What fish do you have currently? If you posted it in your thread, just give me the link and I'll go read it.

[Micki]

Originally posted by melev
What fish do you have currently? If you posted it in your thread, just give me the link and I'll go read it.

It's posted in there somewhere but it's easier for me to just list them.
1 yellow tang
1 hippo tang
1 powder blue tang
7 blue/gree chromis
1 mandarin
1 lawn mower blenny
2 false percs
1 yellow clown goby
1 coral beauty
1 flame angel.

I know the last 3 can be potential problems. I do see the cgoby in the acros, but not all of them. He is usually on just one side of the tank. The coral beauty I have seen nip at the bubble coral but nothing else.

[Qwiv]

I have seen that tube idea done before and here are my observations:
Do not light the tube. Cleaning is almost impossible or very difficult. Algea and coraline in the tube = nightmare.
Keeping air out of it is a problem if not built correctly.
The volume of water is Pie x R (squared) x the length of tube. (3.14 x raduis x radius x lenght of tube)
I don't see an eel liking this living situation. No rock to hide in, etc.

How about linking (2) tanks with the tube. I have seen a few tanks like, and they seem cool.

O' I would rather see a hood Maybe a space heater rental is in your future.

[mcdonaldtj]

Originally posted by Micki
It's posted in there somewhere but it's easier for me to just list them.
1 yellow tang
1 hippo tang
1 powder blue tang
7 blue/gree chromis
1 mandarin
1 lawn mower blenny
2 false percs
1 yellow clown goby
1 coral beauty
1 flame angel.

I know the last 3 can be potential problems. I do see the cgoby in the acros, but not all of them. He is usually on just one side of the tank. The coral beauty I have seen nip at the bubble coral but nothing else.

I can almost guarrantee you that it is the flame angel. I found mine picking at my corals and out he came. The next day all of my SPS Polyps were out spread wide. There are some other things that could make your polyp extention less. The fist is mixed reef, Leaters are known to excreet a substance that the SPS dont like, they then do the same so there is lots of warefare there. The way to combat this is to use carbon 24/7 with mixed reefs. If you have any PO4 in the tank then the SPS will keep its polyps in sometimes. I ran a PO4 reactor and got so much more ext than before.

V/Tim

[Micki]

mcdonaldtj, I've been watching those last 3 fish like a hawk and only see the clown in the SPS. I have never seen the other 2 mess with the SPS at all. I do run carbon 24/7 always have. Right now my devils hand is in the frag tank. It is still a part of the system but not in a tank with any SPS. I'm almost wondering if it's a combination of things. PO4, some trates, goby, possibly the angels but I've not seen that.

[melev]

Yeah, that is pretty much what I'm thinking Micki. The combination of all those things. The Clown Goby, Flame Angel, and Coral Beauty are all known nippers, and no matter how much you watch them, they act badly when you aren't looking. I'm astounded how sneaky these fish are, and they apparently keep a good eye out for when the Warden is around so as to be on their best behavior.

[Micki]

Well, for now, I guess I go for water clarity and see what happens. I'll go from there... Thanks for everyones help.

[simonmr]

I think adding the tube to a tank as an addition would be a good idea. More than a free standing tank. (like the hamster tubes back when you were a kid. Just make the tube not level highr one end just a bit so the air could escape. sounds like a big project. But because you have the three month repreve from the wood hood will give you somtihng to kill all that extra time you have - the 10 hrs on reef central every day.

[d.can82]

The tube idea sounds really nifty and at least worth playing around with. I too think that adding it to a tank or connecting tanks with it is the best bet, especially since you may have a problem keeping it well oxygenated if free standing (surface area of water in contact with atmosphere would be very little).
Honestly though, I think you'd have the skills to really turn it into a good looking and functional object. Problem then is just getting the eel to want to be in it over the tank(s) its connected to.

[kwl1763]

Quick math lesson. Sad that I remeber this but my parents would be proud. Volume = area x height, area - pi * radius ^2

So in this case we've got 3.14*8"^2*height = 200.96*height

Lets do 18" 24" 36" 48" That would be 3617, 4823, 7235, 9646 cubic inches respectively. There are 231.635 cubic inches per gallaon (ok I had to look that one up)

So gallons would be ~15, 21, 31, and 42 respectively.

I'm such a nerd!

If your going to cut the top off then of course it will be less be we can figure that out also if you really want to!

[Micki]

You lost me at Quick math lesson! What ever you said, I agree!

[McGinnis]

Marc,
I think it would be awesome to setup a "tank" like this! If there is anyone here on RC clever enough work out the logistics of making it work, it's you! I do think that not having any rockwork to hide in would make them a bit stressed, but otherwise I think that sort of tank would be amazing!

Here's a thought, can you place the round tubing in between two other small tank? You know create a dumbell looking set-up so as to provide rock on either side of the tube and way to swim back and forth between them! Cool idea!

[melev]

Yeah, I just don't like hidden stuff. So I was trying to figure out a way to get the food in the tube to the eels, and keep them out in a spot where I can see 'em. How stressed can an eel be that is in a nice tube of water?

I'm already thinking of mounting chopsticks on cleaning magnets to move stuff toward the end of the 'tunk" (tube+tank). If I use eggcrate panels to keep them in the tube and out of the outer boxes, that would be ideal.

The thought about oxygen exchange is a good point. If the water goes through an overflow and down into a sump, it would be oxygenated. Adding a skimmer would help as well. All water entering the tunk would be oxygenated.

I appreciate your input, and welcome any further thoughts. Like I said, it might be a bad idea. If it wasn't so hard to clean, it would be a cool thing to enjoy, like a zoo garden with some small fish that like to swim. Then again, maybe the round tube would look ugly if it makes the items within look warped like a bowfront tank does. This tube is 1/8" thick, pretty thin stuff. I guess the best thing would be to fill it up with water and see what stuff looks like inside it. I wonder how I could seal the ends just to get an idea of the visual issues.

Keith, your math makes my head hurt. And I don't understand the symbols in the formulas. You used a * and I guess that doesn't mean times. And you used a ^ and I have no idea what that means. However, if the 200.11 is sq inches in the 8" diameter tube, then 72" long would make the tunk hold 62.6g I think.

Meanwhile back at the 280g reef....

I tested the Phosphate last night and it was .1 ppm, and Alkalinity was 9.3 dKH Tonight I'll test PO4, Alk and Ca just to see what numbers the Ca Reactor is producing.

And much to my surprise this evening, I happened to see the new mandarin in the tank, picking away at the rockwork in a very dark hidden cave. This is where I usually see one of the serpent starfish, and saw a very dark tentacle. I kept watching, and suddenly realized it was the beautiful mandarin girl I added weeks ago. So that is good news. Now I just need to get her to come out in the open so I can enjoy her colors occasionally.

[Micki]

Wow, it has been a while since you added her. That's cool Marc!