My 180g build thread

[Neogenesis]

Hey guys,

I've been lurking around here for a while now, but thought I would actually post something to share. I'm moving from my 46g bow to a 180g. I'll also be upgrading the sump from a 55g to a 125g. Seeing I picked up the stand and tank used, and they are around 20 years old, the stand needed refinished something bad. I sanded everything down to bare wood, re-stained, and varnished everything. That is a process I don't know if I'll do again.

The tank was then moved into the house, sand ordered from www.marcorocks.com . I really like the sand I got, but it's pretty fine and I worry about it blowing around. We'll see. I picked up about 1/2 of my rock at the LHS and the rest user out of a tank tear down. It was sitting in a tank with no heat, no flow, and was a mess of algae. I dried it all out, scrubbed off all the nastiness and stacked it in the tank. I tried for a pillar look, but soon found it nearly impossible without drilling and using acrylic rods to stack the rock. I'm still very happy with what came out though. Next came filling the tank. 4 days straight of the RO/DI unit running and I've got a tank full, however very cloudy still.

I don't have all the plumbing complete yet, but thought I could start the tank cycle before that was all done. I'm plumbing everything into the basement, I wanted to keep all the filtration and frag tank down there for ease of maintenance and keeping all the mess down there. I'll be using a Reeflo Barracuda on the return, but also plan to drive the skimmer and frag tank off of it. Plumbing it is a pain as every wall in this house has a floating foundation under it. So I had a guy out to drill through the block to keep everything nice and neat.

As for lighting, I'll be going full LED on this, but haven't yet nailed down exactly how many and what type I want to use.

And now for a flood of pictures, well those of which were not lost during after a hard drive crash.

Tank and stand before the doors were finished.
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Saltwater/DSC01640.jpg


Plumbing
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2010-12-30_14-34-02_23.jpg

From floor through first wall
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-01-02_12-32-39_911.jpg

From first wall to second wall.
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-01-02_12-38-58_344.jpg

And finally into the basement.
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-01-04_22-52-45_206.jpg

And a pic of the tank starting to fill
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2010-12-30_00-58-12_754.jpg

And full as of tonight.
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-01-04_22-37-10_179.jpg


Questions, Comments, always welcome.

Scott

[marinelife]

Looks good so far.
How far away is the sump?

[Neogenesis]

I'm looking to keep it around 11 foot of height, and about 10 foot laterally. I chose to run what they call spa-flex flexible pvc to help minimize any restrictions so all the curves stay nice and smooth.

Scott

[chromiumlux]

yeah that is good stuff the spa flex. Looks like its gonna be an awesome build.

[Neogenesis]

I'm hoping it all turns out nice. I told myself and my wife, if I'm doing a big tank, I'm going to do it right otherwise I will just be wanting to redo it in a year or so. It's time to start rearranging my back room where the existing sump sits so I can get the new one in and a shallow stand built for it.

Scott

[marinelife]

I will say just my thought is you will want to redo it next year :)
I know I have been wanting to change mine around.

Just plan well from the beginning and I am sure the tank will last you a while before you want something else. It is how this hobby works :)

[Neogenesis]

I've got pretty much everything designed except the sump. I'm not sure how many chambers, what size, etc, and where I want to go with it yet. I also need to drill it, which I'm not looking forward to.

Scott

[aquatic mouse]

I'm really looking forward to see how you do the leds. Please keep us updated. I'm so happy with the leds I picked for my 75g and am planning on doing leds for my 180g eventually. Right now it's fish only, so not a big priority at the moment.

Also, thanks for mentioning the spa flex. I'd like to know what you think of that too. Maybe I'll change the 180g's pvc to that. I'd like it to be a little more flexible. I have to change the filter pads so often! It would be nice if the pvc was a little more forgiving with me moving it.

[ghurlag]

You mentioned the tank and stand are 20 years old... and I know you already have water in it, and haven't mentioned any leaks... Has the tank been resealed recently? I've heard it mentioned that every 10 years is a good rule of thumb. That's not to say it's required, though.

Other than that, I'm with everyone above - can't wait to see some more action on this!

[jjoos99]

I really like your rock work. I am a fan of pilars and open areas in tanks.
Jeff

[marinelife]

I really like your rock work. I am a fan of pilars and open areas in tanks.
Jeff

100% agree I am working my way toward that as well.

[Neogenesis]

The silicons looks to be in very good shape, not hard, brittle, or torn in any places. I'm guessing it was resealed at some point because the silicone work isn't the best in some spots and I would expect better from Oceanic.

The spa flex can be nice to work with, but is quite expensive at $3.44/foot. It's also very tough to get a barbed fitting into to change from hard PVC to it. I ended up using a block of wood and a hammer to beat the barbed fitting in. And it took 6 or so attempts to get it completely seated as the tubing kept slipping out of the bench vise. And when I say beat, I mean I was hitting it with everything I had. That poor block of wood got really worked over.

I am out of PVC glue, and time slipped away from me so I didn't get to the store to get any. So....I didn't get the drain plumbing finished tonight. Hopefully tomorrow.

Scott

[ghurlag]

The silicons looks to be in very good shape, not hard, brittle, or torn in any places. I'm guessing it was resealed at some point because the silicone work isn't the best in some spots and I would expect better from Oceanic.


Solid logic. I would agree that if the silicone looks a little sloppy, it has to have been redone by someone other than Oceanic. As long as it holds water, there's nothing to be worried about :)

I'd say after beating the fitting into the spa hose, you were probably PVC'd out for the night.

[Neogenesis]

I really like your rock work. I am a fan of pilars and open areas in tanks.
Jeff

Thanks, I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out as well. The one thing you can't see in the pics is the rock pile on the right, it actually has a lot of depth in the middle, kind of a sudo cave kind of thing. The tank is finally starting to clear up, but I expected it to take a bit since there isn't a skimmer on the tank yet.

And on to this weekend's progress. I made a little trip to Menards instead of Lowe's, and low and behold a bag of plumbing parts came home with me. I also learned of a much easier way to transition from Spa Flex to Hard PVC so I don't have to beat those barbed fittings into it again. I was more than a little happy with that. I was told that you can just use a coupling and a special flex pvc glue to get a good strong joint that will last for years. It's actually what they use on bath tubs is what I was told. So, we'll give it a try and see what happens. I also got the 125g carried to the basement and started to re-arrange the back room so I can start building the stand and for the sump and counter tops, however I still need to relocate the frag tank before I can start construction. I also got my current sump relocated, which I thought would only take about a hour, needless to say it took me 4. I've also got a micro bubble problem now which I need to sort out this week. It's not horrible, just annoying when you look at the tank. I think I've got a fixed figure out, just need to get back to Menards for some more parts. I also finished up the plumbing for the drain under the tank, but don't have a pic yet. I can post that up tonight when I get home from work. Have a great one everyone!!!!

Parts that followed me home:
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-01-09_11-32-33_468.jpg

Couplings for transitioning from Flex PVC to Hard PVC
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-01-09_11-27-14_163.jpg

Glue used for the job
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-01-09_11-27-47_109.jpg

[Hamilton]

i dont know my glue that well but is that stuff saltwater safe???

[Neogenesis]

I just compared the label between it and standard pvc glue, and the onlu extra ingredient in it is Dioctyl Terephthalate 6422-86-2. Now what that really is, I'm not sure, but for the little I'll actually use, I figured it would be ok.

Any local chemists on the board?

Scott

[Neogenesis]

Well....I think I'm ok as I found this.

http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=12712

[jsuter]

I would say with confidence that you are most likely fine using that glue, especially once it hardens.

[Neogenesis]

Ok, the overflows and everything under the tank is ready to go.....now just have to decide how I'm going to do the returns and get the sump built. I'm thinking the kids may have a snow day tomorrow, so it may be a fish working day for me :-)

Scott

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-01-11_19-43-00_412.jpg

[ghurlag]

This is looking pretty awesome! Incidentally, while my car is in the shop getting open-heart surgery, I'm working from home. I may sneak a few aquarium tasks in the mix, although, unfortunately, nothing as cool as what you are doing. Thanks for keeping us updated on your progress, and for the pics!

[Neogenesis]

Thanks. Sry to hear about the car, at least you'll be getting yours back. Took our van in for a recall, and we may or may not get it back.............I'll post more on that later when I know if it'll return.

And onto fish stuff.....so I averted disaster last night...by sheer dumb luck. I had a odd obsession to check on things right before I went to bed. So I take flash light and check the DT, everything looks good, and I then look at my frag tank, and notice my Alien Eye chalice I've been nursing back to health looks completely awful!! When I got it there was a huge ulcer in the bottom of it, and it has nearly healed closed, and now I was seeing sever tissue recession and it just looked very very thin all over. Since the tank is WAY below eye level, and I try to keep my hands out of the tank as much as possible, I rarely mess in there unless something needs moved. This is turn means I don't check the temps often enough, and when I touched the water, it felt way too warm. Upon checking the thermometer, it told me the tank was at 94 degrees. No wonder everything looked like hell. Ripped that one out and transplanted the heater from the 180 that's cycling for the time being. As of this morning things were looking better, but it's hard to tell how much was damaged until the lights come on tonight. I think it's time to invest in a temp controller of some sort. I really don't want a repeat of this.

Scott

[ghurlag]

Thanks. Sry to hear about the car, at least you'll be getting yours back. Took our van in for a recall, and we may or may not get it back.............I'll post more on that later when I know if it'll return.

...As of this morning things were looking better, but it's hard to tell how much was damaged until the lights come on tonight.

Scott

Man, I tell ya - when it rains, it pours. I'm not so sure that 2011 is gonna be my year, the way it has started. Maybe it will be like the March saying, "In like a lion, out like a lamb"??? For your sake and mine, let's hope so!

[marinelife]

Good thing you check it, high heat could have been bad!

[Neogenesis]

Everything looks good tonight but my frag of jokers. They are closed tight, so lets just hope they come back in time. On a mixed piece of news.....I don't know whether to think of this good or bad. Ford is have trouble with the WindStars and the rear axels cracking. Supposedly when we talked to the service dept, nearly all that come in to be checked are cracked and unsafe to drive. They deemed ours uncracked and installed some type of bracket per the recall. I can't say I'm real comfortable with it even after the "fix", so I'm unsure if it'll be around for very long.

But on a higher note, I located a used skimmer today for what I thought was a fair price. It's a Octopus Recirculation unit rated at 400g. It's not new super high end newest tech, but I got it for $400 cheaper than any new unit I was look at and I think it'll get the job done and I think it'll do it well. I should have it sometime next week.

I also got nearly all the bad sand out of my 46 bow now. I'm hoping to finally kick this nasty algae thing so when the time comes I can safely move frags not to mention I'm getting tired of cleaning it off the glass.

That's all for now....gotta keep my better half happy tonight.

Ghurlag....I hope your luck turns...we gotta get these tanks up and running.

Scott

[marinelife]

Glad you found a skimmer and have the sand out. The tank should turn around now!

I would be scared driving that around :(

[jjoos99]

Make sure that you install a good check valve in your return line. The last thing you will want would be a basement full of tank water if you loose power and it siphons back.
Jeff

[Neogenesis]

Since I'm using a 125g tank as a sump, I'm not to worried about overflowing anything. Even worst case, if it did overflow, the sump is sitting about 6 feet from the sump pump hole where nearly all the water would run to. I just don't like the idea of check valves and salt water, there are to many organisms that thrive in the absence of light and could leave the check valve non operational. You MUST design your setup to not rely on them.

Scott

[marinelife]

If the sump is large enough and the water level is low enough you should not have any issue if the power would go out.

[ghurlag]

In addition, you can drill small holes in your return (depending on how it is designed, of course) to break the siphon at a certain level.

[Neogenesis]

All good ideas, however with a 125g sump....I'm not to worried about it. For instance...using a tank calc......I figure I could drain the top 8 inches out of the tank, and without including rock displacement, that would only be 60 gallons. That was the first reason I chose such a large sump, the other was just to increase water volume.

I'm hoping to move the frag tank tonight, so i can start building a stand for the sump tomorrow.



Scott

[Neogenesis]

frag tank move........check

time to start designing and building the sump stand.

[Neogenesis]

Ok guys and gals, after I drew everything up, I need to make a decision on whether to run my skimmer internal or external. For those of you who have recirc skimmers, has anyone tried to run them external, and if so, will the extra heat in the needle wheel recirc pump shorten it's life? The foot print of my skimmer is 22" x 9" x 30" l x w x h, which the height is causing my issues. I want to put a counter top above the sump, but still have enough room to service everything when it's needed. To get that skimmer in and out will make the counter top height right at the max I would want it. So my thought is to sit it next to it and drop the output into the sump.

Thoughts?

Scott

Skimmer I'll be running
http://www.aquacave.com/reef-octopus-dnw-200-br-recirculatingbr-protein-skimmer-985.html


Just a quick drawing to show what I mean.
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Saltwater/SumpSketck.png

[Neogenesis]

Well....I traded in some run of the mill zoa frags today and picked up this.

My first Lobo....can't wait to see how it does. Color is actually much better in person.

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-01-17_16-09-33_44.jpg

[Neogenesis]

ok...well I had a little downtime at work today, so I drew up a sump which I think will work. I've decided to run my skimmer external, so that is why you'll see 2 return sections. I'm looking for input, possibly things I didn't think of, so let plz let me know if you think I missed something. I can put in dimensiosn if it's needed, that's a 10 second job.

Scott

A little detail on the compartments.

From left to right

Return from tank 10" wide
Skimmer Return 10" wide
DSB/Rock 26" wide
Fuge 10" wide
Return Pump is 12" wide - mainly for volume

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Saltwater/SumpBuild.png

[ghurlag]

Scott, I talked to a guy over the weekend who has owned a couple different skimmer brands, including Reef Octopus and EuroReef. Both of the ones we were discussing were similar in size and function. He said that the EuroReef pump lasted a LOT longer than the Octopus. Both were recirc models, and run externally. I don't know what brand pumps were used in either model, but it now has me thinking about running my skimmer internally when I build out my new sump, instead of running it externally like it is now. Of added benefit is the fact that if it overflows, the gunk just goes back into the sump, rather than all over your floor...

[Neogenesis]

Thanks for the feedback on running external, but at this point I have no other choice if I want to put a counter over the sump. So...external is what it's going to be. I did make some progress today, the base for the sump is finished, did some painting in the back room as well. My glass drilling supplies arrived from glass holes, amazing place to deal with and the service is top notch. Now just waiting on my skimmer to arrive so i can finalize the design.

While I was doing fish stuff today, I decided to see if the tank was cycling since it's had water in it for around 3 weeks. WooHoo.....it's half way there.

Ammonia was at 0 or just a hair above.
Nitrite was off the charts
Nitrate was at 20.

It time to get the sump online with some heavy skimming and the fuge for some nutrient export. That and some large water changes are in order soon before the algae sets in.

Scott

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-01-22_12-50-28_249.jpg

[marinelife]

:poster_kewlpics:

Looks like a good start!!

[Neogenesis]

Well the skimmer showed up today....that's the good part.

The bad part, the skimmer lid is chipped which really is no biggie........

But the fitting on the top of the pump was broken off. It sounds like the seller is going to replace it, however I'm not sure how I'm going to get the broken part out. I just need a super sized eazy out..........hmmmmmmm

Scott

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-01-24_22-10-32_919.jpg

[Neogenesis]

Just a quick pic for size comparison. Everyone like a gratuitous equipment shot :-)

Scott

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-01-24_23-16-18_4.jpg

[marinelife]

Good looking skimmer, hopefully you can get the pump fixed!!

[ghurlag]

that broken fitting is a bummer... but the skimmer looks AWESOME

[chromiumlux]

Skimmer looks like a beast! I especially like the countertop idea. Will make a great work station.

[Neogenesis]

Thanks, so far the seller of the skimmer is being very proactive and admits that his packing was the problem. He used only peanuts and with something that heavy, it will move and settle in shipping. I think that why things started banging together and that's what ultimately caused the damage. I need to get this finished up and get it running soon. The diatom outbreak is starting to set in.

Scott

[ghurlag]

Scott, I just read an article where the author recommends not skimming through the cycle...

[Neogenesis]

Any chance you remember where you saw that article or how the author came to that conclusion? 1/2 of my rock was infested with algae as I bought it out of a tank which was just plain nasty. I dried it all out, scrubbed it down, and I'm sure there are lots of dead organics in the rocks, hence why I thought about skimming through the cycle.

[ghurlag]

Aquarium Fish International, Feb 2011 issue. I'll read it more in-depth and give you an overview this evening

[chromiumlux]

I was thinking that last night when I read this too G. However, if you are going to cycle your rock in your tank, You may want to skim, and do lots of water changes in the beginning.

[Neogenesis]

I've seen the skimmate really drop off this week, which I've only been skimming it for about a week and a half, so I shut it off for the time being. Good news on the skimmer, I was able to get the broken fitting out, and the seller should be shipping the replacement part tomorrow, so it should be here sometime next week. I got the last piece of plywood up that was stopping me from getting things in place permenately. I've got a plan on where the RO/DI, Barracuda and Skimmer are going to sit, now I just have to get everything built and put into place. I'm ready for this build to be finished and get some livestock in the tank! :-)

Scott

[chromiumlux]

Glad to hear you got the skimmer dilema solved. Looking forward to more on this awesome build.

[Neogenesis]

Well....I may have set back my build a little today. I've tentatively got a 5500 watt generator on the way, the 1/2" of ice that is forecast for tomorrow along with 12" to 16" of snow spooked me a bit. Battery backup won't last long enough to keep everything alive through that kind of ice induced outage.

Scott

[ghurlag]

That's a very good point... During the wind storm of '08, I didn't have a reef tank (just a piranha in a 75g). Definitely wouldn't be enjoying the peace and quiet as much with a reef in danger!

[Neogenesis]

I'm glad I was able to find one, but spending all my LED money on it wasn't the high point of the day.

Generator - check
plenty of gas - check
food - check
new multi color acan frag I picked up tonight for $23 on sale- check

Bring it on Old Man Winter, I'm ready for ya!!!!

[ghurlag]

I was a little nervous about my tank today, but I didn't lose any power, so all is well this evening. So now you have to sell a couple organs to get back on track!

[Neogenesis]

My sister in C-bus has been without power for a day and a half. I'm just glad we didn't get that up here.

Here is a pic of that new Acan I picked up on the cheap. 3 1/2 heads, I'm happy with that for $23.

Also attached a pic of the stand I built for my skimmer. I put a lip around it to hold some liquid if a leak happens. I'm also thinking of dropping in a small bulk head to drain it straight to the sump pump hole so that it would never overflow.

Scott

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-02-02_21-14-05_944.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-02-02_21-13-50_401.jpg

[marinelife]

skimmer stand is nice and that Acan has nice colors!

[ghurlag]

Wow, that acan really is gorgeous!

[chromiumlux]

Where did you get that Acan at ? I must know.

[Neogenesis]

I picked it up at Pet Supplies Plus here in Findlay. All fish and coral are 25% off till the end of Feb.

Scott

Sent from my SCH-I800 using Tapatalk

[ghurlag]

Wow! That little guy by itself is nearly worth the 2 hour drive (one way) I would have to make

[reefgrower]

:nada:

[Neogenesis]

:nada:

?????

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Tablet

[Neogenesis]

Sry about the above post....damn tablet doesn't translate the emoticons. Now that I'm on my pc I can see the pic.

Onto my next question,

I can't seem to find 1 1/2" True Union valves locally, they seem to stock every size but that. So, does anyone know where I can order some from? I'm not finding any online sites that I would trust with my CC numbers.

Scott

[ghurlag]

I have been shopping for these as well...

http://www.savko.com/partlist.asp?pgid=1

[Neogenesis]

More setbacks......found the front plate on the skimmer pump was cracked, waiting on a replacement.

Scott

[ghurlag]

Man, that sucks

[Neogenesis]

Well....I did one of the jobs tonight which I had been dreading.......drilling the sump. It went amazingly well, very little chipping on the inside, and I didn't crack the tank while installing the bulkhead.. It took a lot longer than I was expecting to drill, but was easy enough to do overall. It's time to get the glass ordered for the baffles for the sump.

Scott

[ghurlag]

Very cool. I'll be drilling 3 holes in my new tank soon... very nervous

[Neogenesis]

If I wasn't so far away, I would offer the use of my bits and experience to help you out.

Scott

[Neogenesis]

Well....I haven't posted in a while, but a lot has taken place, not sure I have pics of all of it through. I decided to hang plywood on the back of the stairs to protect the backside of the drywall just in case something nasty happened, so that's all done and painted. 3 coats later and it's looking good. All the plumbing downstairs is 98% complete, I just need to glue up the tubes that will dump into the sump and then build the sump itself. I ordered the glass, got it a day later and realized that I had ordered it 1/8" too big, it didn't fit between the sides. So it's back at the shop and they are going to grind it down. Tank is finished cycling and the diatom bloom is in nicely. The snails are doing a great job of keeping the rockwork clean, however the sand is a disaster. I need to get something that will help keep the sand stirred up. It's kind of a catch 22 as I'm sure there isn't much life in it yet either so I'm not sure how well it will support something that lives in the sand. I'm getting close, can't wait to get some fish into this thing.

Scott




And now a few pics.

Back room as it sits now
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-02-27_23-20-37_479.jpg

Glass for sump
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-02-26_09-33-43_498.jpg

Design of my sump
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Saltwater/125sump.png

[chromiumlux]

Very nice!!

[aquatic mouse]

I'm really looking forward to watching this come together.

[Neogenesis]

Wow....I must be doing something right as I don't hear anyone screaming to stop and change something I've done. I'm still waiting on my glass to come back so I can finish my sump. I did however score a Australian Golden Torch for a mere $35. It wasn't doing so well in the LFS DT, so I bought it up a little bleached and missing one head, but otherwise it's looking somewhat ok. I took a risk once before and nursed back a moonman chalice so I'm hoping I can do the same with the torch. It's till got 4 heads, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Scott

[Neogenesis]

Well....while I'm sitting here waiting for the paint to dry on my son's pinewood derby car, I thought I would snap some pics of what I have waiting to go into the 180 when it's done. Please excuse the pics.......they were all taken on my droid.

Torch which I just picked up
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-03-03_22-17-39_193.jpg

Frag Rock
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-03-03_22-17-44_849.jpg

Mini Nem straight out of the box a few months ago.
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2010-11-10_18-20-50_883.jpg

And some Itty Bitty GBTA
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-03-03_22-22-47_289.jpg

And a softball sized Hammer
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-03-03_22-19-23_153.jpg

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-03-03_22-18-04_94.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-02-02_21-14-05_944-1.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-03-03_22-18-19_248.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-03-03_22-18-43_617.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-03-03_22-19-02_865.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-03-03_22-19-08_996.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-03-03_22-20-48_693.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-03-03_22-21-54_678.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-03-03_22-22-01_610.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-03-03_22-22-06_776.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-03-03_22-22-12_216.jpg

[marinelife]

Nice looking corals!!

[chromiumlux]

Yes! Very nice.

[ghurlag]

Spectacular!

[Neogenesis]

Thanks guys.....got the glass back from the shop today, 1/8" makes a huge difference, the pieces are almost to loose now....but it's going to have to work. I've got over $50 sunk into the glass.

Scott

[Neogenesis]

The sump build has commenced. Here are a pair of pics to show you how I'm holding in the glass so it stays exactly where I want it.

Scott

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-03-06_14-49-23_665.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-03-06_14-49-51_931.jpg

[aquatic mouse]

Thanks for the ideas! I'm getting a lot of ideas for when I put mine together. Thanks!

[Neogenesis]

Anytime....that's why I love forums....so many good ideas that can be shared!!

Scott

[jsuter]

Very nice and orderly, here's a pic of how I braced mine. Don't laugh too hard...CD cases make great spacers!

[Trini 2D Bone]

sweet

[Neogenesis]

That's why we call it DIY......we use what we have available to get the job done.

[chromiumlux]

Very nice demo pics fellas!!

[Neogenesis]

Hey everyone,

I had some questions via PM about why I did things certain ways and such, so I thought I would answer them here for everyone to see.

#1 - glass thickness? I went as think as I could before it got prohibitively expensive. I wanted it as thick as possible to prevent the accidental breakage of a baffle in case I bumed into one kind of hard. My sump will be located under a counter top, so it thing may get banged and bumped when working in there. I really wanted to get 3/8" glass, however the price skyrocketed at that so I settled on 1/4". It's think enough it will take a bump without breaking, but it only cost me about $50 for all the glass.

#2 - Why did I round the corners? - I only rounded the bottom corners on the panes becasue when you sit them into the sump, this way they will slide the whole way down to the bottom. Remember that there is a silicone bead around the inside and the rounded corners just provide clearance for that.

#3 Where did I source some of my parts? - I got the glass from a local cutter. I'm in Findlay so specifics won't help you much. The bulkheads and glass hole saw I got from www.glass-holes.com. I highly recommend than as they have great prices and the service is top notch as well. I actually screwed up my order, I got a call from them asking if that's what I really meant to order, turns out I needed a larger hole saw and he corrected it with the more expensive item with no charge to me.

#4 For my overflows I'm using EShopps as I prefer the u tube style of overflow vs the CPR type. When setup correctly they are bulletproof and will never give you a problem. With the CPR style, you need to use a aqualifter to ensure that they always restart in the event of a power outage.

#5 Silicone is larger amount than the little tubes at you LFS. I'm just adding this one for everyone information. I chose GE Silicone I. It one of the few that does not have mold inhibitors in it which can and will cause coral and fish death. I've yet to figure out why it says it's not for underwater aquarium use, but I've read of a LOT of people using it, so I went with the masses on this one. It's available in the large tubes that fit in you caulk gun and it looks like I'll use a little over a full tube for the sump build. Mind you I'm laying VERY heavy beads when I'm putting the baffles in, I think you could do it with one if you were a little more mindful on how large you make your beads.

I think that's it. If there are any more questions, fire away, I'll answer whatever I can.

Scott

[Neogenesis]

well.....I got the last baffle put in tonight...and then I realize I have yet another job to do before I can get everything online and running. I realized that if I want to have a frag tank on top of the counter, that I'm going to need to build for it. A simply 2x4 screwed into the wall isn't going to cut it. I'm going to need supports running to the floor in the front and the back. So...I will need to get that done before i fill the sump and fire up the barracuda for the first time. I also accomplished another project tonight. The Octopus skimmer seems to be all metric. That's including all the PVC on the exiting plumbing which the previous owner hacked off. Now I could have order new parts and a metric to SAE adapter from CoralVue, but that's not keeping in the spirit of DIY. The piece was just a bit larger than 1 1/2" PVC, so I broke out the handy dandy dremel and opened up that 1 1/2" PVC to make it fit. It's siliconed on and ready to rock and roll now. WooHoo!!!! I starting to see the end of the plumbing. I can't forget thought that the DIY LED's are on the horizon, and then a canopy to enclose it all.

Scott

[Neogenesis]

Update for today.......so far. It's a get done building this tank day.

Here is a pic of the PVC I modified to fit the skimmer output.
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-03-08_21-58-50_735.jpg

And I spent a good part of the morning building this up making sure it was perfectly level.
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-03-12_10-40-49_104.jpg

And filling the sump has commenced. If the RO performs like it should, it will be full by this evening.

Scott

[chromiumlux]

Excellent! coming along nicely.

[ghurlag]

Go you!!!

[Neogenesis]

Well...the RO was very slow to fill, I'm sure it's a combination of the low water temps and the amount of water I've made through it. I'll have to replace the micron filters to get production up again. Anyway, the sump is finally full, I've just been to busy with work to get the final bit of plumbing finished up from the floor back up to the tank. I've got Thursday and Friday off work, I plan to have it all running by the weekend. I've included a shot of the tank with the 4 bulb PC fixture I've got just so everyone can see the rock work a bit better. I'll follow that up in another post about light design, I'm looking for some feedback and thoughts about my LED design for this tank.

Scott

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-03-12_15-09-06_708.jpg

[chromiumlux]

Wow!! Looks great. Post up the light designs. Following along.

[Neogenesis]

Ok....lighting........let me explain the plan here. I've currently got 2 - 17 LED lights over my 46g bow. I'm planning on running those on the ends of the tank for a little less light corals. Next I'm planning on building 2 - 24 LED light to cover the middle of the tank. In the drawing below, I've left space for a fifth 24 LED light, but my question to those of you who have experience with these is, do you thing I'll need that fifth light? If no I would space the other 4 a little further apart and to cover the entire tank.

I don't plan on keeping Acro's. but I'm really starting to like my monti's, Acan's, and chalices, along with some lower light stuff of course. So............

Thoughts?

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Saltwater/LEDDesign-2.png

[Neogenesis]

I should also mention that if the 17 LED units on the end don't provide enough light, I'll sell them and build some better ones down the road.

[marinelife]

I do not think you would need the extra set of LEDs, they would help sure but if you are not going full sps I would not worry about it.

[chromiumlux]

I agree. Unless you are planning on heavy sps, you will probably be ok. Acans and Chalices do not require high lighting. Some montipora does, but it looks like you would be ok.

[Neogenesis]

Well.....I just finished firing up the pump for the first time......and whoa doggie, I think I might have overdone it with pump selection. I had a leak in the return manifold I built today, so it's back off for tonight until I get it patched up in the morning. Other than that everything went great, sump calculations worked out great, no where near a overflow when the pump is off, I'm thrilled for now. Ok to grandma's to pick up the kids which decided they don't want to spend the night now.

grrrrrrrrr............ was looking forward to a night without any kids. :-)




Pic of the return manifold that I built today. I painted the tops black after I took the pick to help hide them in the tank.
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-03-18_13-23-12_632.jpg

[chromiumlux]

Nice work on that manifold! Its looking good!

[Neogenesis]

Well.....it does really help if you remember to glue ALL the joints. It's always the one you forget that leaks :-P. All fixed now, pump is running, very loudly at the moment......that needs to be addressed.......skimmer is running, I think it's ok, but the worst of it is the where the drain pipes enter the sump, it sounds like a flushing toilet ALL the time. I need to find a way to slow the water before it comes crashing into the sump. The only I idea I have is to tee it off a few time, have 4 to 5 pipes the split up the water and enter the sump. Anyone else have any ideas?

Scott

[aquatic mouse]

Well.....it does really help if you remember to glue ALL the joints. It's always the one you forget that leaks :-P

Hehehe. Been there, done that. It's looking really good. I've enjoyed keeping up on this thread.

[marinelife]

I would put some disconnection points in there someplace. This will help if you ever need to work on them.

[Neogenesis]

Thanks for the feedback everyone, and sry for no updates, my son and I have been down sick since Sat. Now for a few updates. I've fixed my noisy pump problems by taking off the hard mount which tied it to the stairs. With it being tied into the stairs, it only magnified the noise. I also put a cheap foam pad under the pump them to further isolate any noise and it's now in the acceptable range. However the pump seems to be running hot. It seems that my decision to run Spa-Flex may have helped to reduce head pressure to the point that I need to cut the flow back to half or a little less just to not create a sand storm. I'm not sure if the heat is caused by my cutting back flow, or if there is something wrong with the pump. If anyone here has experience with them, please let me know as I could use a little help with this. It's a Reeflo Barracuda just so you don't have to dig through the thread to find it. The next problem I fixed was the drain coming into the sump. I had 2 outlets which most of the water was just shooting by the first. I capped it, re-did the exits, and that is now within the acceptable level. I'll post pics later to show how I redid it. I need to find a way to quiet my down my overflows in the tank yet, but I haven't had a chance to work on them yet. I'm more concerned with my pump temps at the moment.

Scott

[Neogenesis]

ok.....i also posted my temp concern on RC, and it seems like I'm in the right range for that pump. I wouldn't have thought that it's supposed to run over 120 degrees, but it seems that everyone that replied has seen the same thing. I'm not sure how to approach my noisy overflows yet, but that's last on my list. I've got a serious micro bubble issue that I'm not sure where it's occurring at, or how to fix. Skimmer is also off so I know it's not coming from there.

Scott

[Neogenesis]

Well....in order to keep this build moving forward, I talked my better half in to letting me order up some LED's tonight. WooHoo!!!!!

[marinelife]

Nice!!!
Do you know what LEDs you will get?

[Neogenesis]

I thought long and hard on this one. I've only used the XR-E on previous builds.......and like the color I get with a 1:1 ratio. It's what I currently running over the 46 bow and the frag tank. I however decided to go with XP-G's and XP-E this time around. The price difference was minimal....so it was a no brainer on the decision. My only worry is that with the whites being driven at 1000ma and the blues at 700ma, the color may not be in the range I like at 1:1 ratio. Only time and experimenting will tell.

[marinelife]

I have 50/50 on the XP-Gs and Xp-Es but yeah experimenting is best.

[Neogenesis]

How do you like you color and what temp would you best compare it to?

[marinelife]

I would say it is a 15k or so. I like it alot!

[Neogenesis]

That's awesome!!! Right where I like it. I don't want to go to far to the blue side.

Now onto the suckiness that was my night. This all happened in my 46g bow and frag tank.

1. I think the crabs decided they like the glue I'm using to glue frags on, so they decided to drop my purple rim montipora confusa onto one of my many ricordia. It looks like it was a good battle, but the ric came out with the least damage. I'm unsure right now if the monti will make it. It's looking REALLY rough.

2. While cleaning salt creap from around the top of the frag tank, I manage to knock a piece in, and it fall directly onto my Maxi Mini which is one of my wife's favorites. It immediately shriveled up, started spewing gunk, mouth hanging wide open, it wasn't pretty. However 2.5 hours later the mouth is back to normal, where the salt landed looks kinda rough, but I think it will be ok.

3. My youngest daughter, who is 6, had been buggin me to move her prized purple firefish named Rainbow to the 180g. While trying to net him he takes a leap of faith, go soaring over BOTH nets, misses the towel on the floor, and nose dives on the cold hard concrete. I was a little shocked and dazed, scrambling for something to pick the small little bugger up with, and he was out cold on the floor for a minute or 2 with NO movement. I think he knocked himself silly. I eventually got him scooped back up, took another few minutes for him to "wake up" after he was back in the net inside the frag tank, but he eventually made the ride to the 180. After putting him in the tank, his disappeared into the rock work not to be seen for the rest of the night. I hope he'll be ok or else another "Rainbow" may appear in the tank without her knowing.

Who knew reefing could be so stressful at times.

Scott

[marinelife]

wow that was an eventful evening. Hopefully everything will be ok.

[aquatic mouse]

Who knew reefing could be so stressful at times.


I know! Try catching a 2ft snowflake eel (that bites) after it jumps out of a tank. Wet, a little slimy, and wiggling all over the floor! I never want to go through that again!

Best wishes for Rainbow and your corals!

[chromiumlux]

It is during the tasks we perform on our tanks that we learn the most.

[Neogenesis]

It's been a bit since I've updated, but everything seems to be doing well so far. Micro bubbles are a non issue for the most part. Still have a few here and there, but no big deal. I've get the return and turbulence into the sump ironed out. My skimmer has finished break-in and is producing some nice nog. The jumping firefish is healthy and doing well. I'm still seeing what appears to be some diatom growth on the rocks, I'm attributing that to old crud leaching out of the rocks as 1/2 of the rock I uses came from a nasty neglected tank. It should clear up with time. The one big thing I need to do is quiet down my overflow boxes. They are gurgling a bit and my better half is starting to complain about them. Other than that everything is going well.

Question,

Would anyone following this thread like to see a LED build thread? I'm starting them tonight and can post the steps I take.

Scott

[chromiumlux]

Yes! that will be a good thread. build away Scott. Thanks for sharing about your progress.

[ghurlag]

Build Thread! Build Thread! Build Thread!

[marinelife]

Build Thread! Build Thread! Build Thread!

Agree!!!

[Neogenesis]

LOL.....and a build thread there will be. This may take a little longer than I want, my wife's aunt was diagnosed as terminal a few days ago, so I'm sure we will have family staying with us. Stay tuned though, I will get it done.

Scott

[chromiumlux]

Sorry to hear about your wife's aunt Scott. May your family find solace during this time. Sometimes there are more important things in life to deal with. Look forward to seeing your build when you find time.

Andy

[Neogenesis]

I've found some new additions to my tank. I've been looking for all Blue Ricordia for a while now, and I finally scored on. It's got a darker blue body, with a lighter teal ring around the outside, along with a green mouth. I'm liking it.
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-04-01_19-08-52_376.jpg

Then since we have family staying with us, I had to pick up something to occupy the vastly empty 180. All that was in there was a purple firefish and a clove polyp frag. So I found this guy...
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-04-04_20-53-42_469.jpg

I also got a start on my lights....nothing huge....but got the LED locations plotted onto the heatsink. I'll start a new thread on the build, and link to it from here.

Scott

[marinelife]

nice new additions!!

[aquatic mouse]

Gorgeous tang! I'm liking the blue ricordia as well. It's hard to find blue softy corals.

[Neogenesis]

There were 2 left as of yesterday. I started my LED build.....it can be seen here.

http://www.saltgeeks.com/forums/showthread.php/2677-Building-LED-for-180g-Tank?p=20543#post20543

[Neogenesis]

Hey everyone, I need some help here. The temps in my tank are proving to be a little tough to control at the moment. I'll back track so you don't have to re-read the thread to understand my build. 180g DT upstairs. 125g sump in the basement. Octopus DNW 200 recirculation skimmer, Reeflo Barracuda return pump, 2 K4's in the DT, and a 500w heater. The temps have been ranging from 77 to 81. I haven't seen the heater turn on in over a week. So....the way I see it there is only 1 real source of heat in the tank, and I find it hard to believe it's heating the water that much. The return pump is external, and the pump sits apart from motor, so no heat transfer there. The K4's can't transfer that much heat. The only source of heat which I referred to earlier would be my skimmer. That pump runs fairly warm to the touch, but could it really heat the water that much? I would have throught with the sump and all the equipment in the basement that it would not have been a problem. Lights on or off don't effect the temps. Right now it's only a 4 bulb PC fixture. I'm just stumped on how the water temps are getting that high and fear what it's going to be like when summer gets going full swing.

I'm really don't want to have to buy a chiller or runs fans over the sump as I'm evaporating a ton of water as is.

Thoughts?

Scott



Pic of skimmer
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-01-24_23-16-18_4.jpg

[marinelife]

Pumps can give off alot of heat, the skimmer pump could be part of the issue.
Check the heater to make sure the light on it is just no out.

[dogfytr]

if the pumps are hot what about running cooling fans on the pumps only and not on the tanks for your evap issues

[Neogenesis]

It looks like the heater is the problem.....it appears that it just runs like it's partially on at all times. I need to do a little more testing, but I think that's it. After unplugging it again tonight after work...the tank has dropped 2 degrees. Now the next problem....my spare isn't big enough to keep the tank warm, lol...what a evening.

[chromiumlux]

What type of heaters are you using?

[Neogenesis]

I went left of center on my heater decision, and tried a Odyssea 500w digital heater. The price was right and they have improved the other products, so I gave them a try. I'll be ordering a quality titanium heater tomorrow morning first thing. On a good note.....my backup heater has finally started making headway. I'll just keep the thermostat up in the house tonight to help it along. We normally drop the temp in the house to 68 degrees.

[Neogenesis]

Just verified.....set the heater at 68......tank is at 76.......heater is hot even though the light isn't on. It was working perfectly, I wonder if the power blip we had a few days ago might have smoked it.

[marinelife]

sounds like it could have, Heater are a troublesome piece of equipment. I heard they need to be replaced yearly.

[Neogenesis]

Time for a little update. My skimmer is producing some nasty nog. Compared to what comes out of my old skimmer compared to this, it's a heck of a lot smellier. Here is action shot 24 hrs after cleaning.
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-04-22_20-57-08_237.jpg

And a little update on the lighting. I've got the 2 new 24 LED fixtures finished up and hanging over the tank. The light spill was unbearable not to mention blinding, so I had to created a shade to contain the light for the time being. It lights the tank pretty well for only 48 LED's. My powder blue was doing well until tonight, I think the change to more intense lighting seems to have stressed him and he's showing signs of ich tonight. Grrrrrrrrrr...........
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-04-22_21-08-35_875.jpg

[marinelife]

looks bright, now did I miss it or have you not said if you are using lenses/optics on the LEDS.

[Neogenesis]

I don't know if I ever said if I was going to use optics or not. The plan is to use optics, however they were out of stock when I ordered. I am fairly impressed with how well they are penetrating for how high they are mounted. Right now they are around 11" off the water. I dropped some nuclear greens on the bottom of the tank to see how they do and if those reach for light it's time for optics....lol. From the naked eye....I'm guessing low light corals will be ok on the bottom, but I'll quickly have to move med light corals up the rocks to keep them happy.

[chromiumlux]

Wow! That really pumps out the light. Looks great!

[Neogenesis]

Well....things are going good for the most part. My powder blue is looking better. He is still showing a little ich, but he has started eating again, so there is hope. I've been moving corals on a fairly consistent basis, and the tank is starting to look good. I also moved up my Maxi-Mini, he's still ticked....so we'll see how how he adjusts. I'm hoping by the end of the week I'll be able to move one of my lights from the 46g bow up to the main tank...which will only help the efforts of getting things moved.

I would snap a pic tonight....but I stirred up some sand when I was moving things around and the tank is a bit cloudy now. I'll get one up soon.

[lazylivin]

Your powder blue caught ich from the parasites in your tank not your light. The reason it looks better is the parasite has worked its way through the fishes scales and skin and is inside feeding on it. It is in less pain now and may eat a bit. At some point they will exit, if your fish lives through that they will reproduce and in larger numbers reinfect your fish which it will not likely survive. No garlic, fresh water dips, kick ick or any other product someone is going to try and sell you will work. There are only two treatments for C. irritans; Copper or Hyposalinity. Both of which will kill your corals and invertebrates if done in your tank. Consider spending some time reading more about treatement programs here http://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1GPEA_en___US345&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=treating+marine+ich
On the lighter side........ Your rock work and lighting looks great.

[reefgrower]

The tank is coming along nicely!

[Neogenesis]

I'm quite aware of the cause of ich, I do however find that when stressed, Tangs in particular, they are more susceptible to it. Combine the fluctuating temps due to a bad heater, combined with lights that are a LOT brighter, I believe it stressed the fish enough to allow it to succumb to it. It was evident that the fish was effected because his behavior changed after the lights were put on the tank. That is what I meant when I referenced the lights being a contributing factor. Anyway, getting him out is going to be tough, I've been trying, but without ripping out all the rock, it's going to be nearly impossible.

The good news is that it's only the PB and a firefish in the tank, so if everything goes to hell, I can run the tank fallow for 6 weeks to kill the ich cycle.

[ghurlag]

Neogenesis, I would have to agree with you. Environmental stress was likely the final causative factor to tip the balance and allow the tang to be infected. Eric broke out the ich discussion to keep from hijacking your thread :)

The progress on your tank is phenomenal. I can't wait to one day see it in person!

[marinelife]

Sounds like you have a good plan!

[marinelife]

How are the fish doing?

[Neogenesis]

I unfortunately lost the powder blue last night. I ended up putting him out of his misery after a while. There was nothing I could do to save him by the time he was to the point I could actually catch him. The firefish has been through Ich before and has never been affected by it. Does anyone know if all fish are susceptable to Ich or are some naturally resistant to it. I want to run the tank fallow for 6 to 8 weeks, but that I'm still in the same boat with the firefish. It's going to be hell to get him out without having to dismantle the tank.

Scott

[marinelife]

They claim fish can become resistant for a short time but I can not say for sure. Mandarins do not get ick.

[Neogenesis]

Time to post something better, I hate losing a fish. I get attached as I do other family pets.

FRAG PICS!!!

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-05-02_22-54-25_257.jpg

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-05-02_22-54-38_430.jpg

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-05-02_22-54-18_427.jpg

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-05-02_22-56-46_305.jpg

[Neogenesis]

And I forgot one.....

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-05-02_22-54-54_206.jpg

[marinelife]

Nice looking corals !

[starfishprime]

From the swap? They are nice looking. As far as ich-resistant fish go, there are some who seem to never get it and others that are really likely to get it. IME firefish are pretty hardy and I have seen them make it through a go with ich (both with them having it and their fellow inhabitants). It really sucks but hypo with running the tank fallow would be the best way to go, you just have to be consistent and make sure you QT all future additions to make this fallow period not a waste of your time.

[marinelife]

How is the tank doing? Any updates?

[Neogenesis]

Overall the tank is doing well. I'm having some struggles, but overall it's doing good. I have shutdown my 46g bow and moved all of the livestock into either the 180g or my frag tank. I lost my adult saddleback clown, not sure how or why, but he just up and disappeared without any sign of illness. I did score a Helfrichi Firefish for $50 right before I left for vacation and dropped him into the tank. It was a stupid idea overall dropping him in the day before we left, but I took the risk. I'm happy to say that we got back on Sat. and he is still doing well. His stomach still looks a little sunken, but he's out and about and eating well. I'm hoping he will fatten up with time. My main struggle right now is flow in the tank. I can't seem to keep my sand from blowing around. I have tried re-aiming flow, but I only blow sand around in another place. I may try cutting flow down through the tank overall, but that's a last resort. I don't want to add crushed coral as I don't really like the look of it. It's just a matter of time till I get it all figured out. Other than that corals seem to be doing well overall, and the LED's are serving me well. I'm trying to take my time with it and let the tank settle in, I'm just now starting to starting to see a little green algae in the top of my tank, mainly on the returns. Nothing bad though. I've got some nice corals ready to move in soon, but have been trying to get them to the point of fragging so I have a backup if they don't make it in the big tank.

Scott

[marinelife]

Good to hear things are doing well. Blowing sand is hard to deal with, can you move the sand that area that blows so it not so deep.

[Neogenesis]

My problem is that I went with a very fine sand, which once disturbed moves very very easy. Once it starts you can't stop it. I think I'm going to order different nozzles for the end of my locline returns and see if that will make a difference. Lose the "jet" type ends I have now and try more of a "fan" end.

[marinelife]

sounds like a plan.

[Neogenesis]

I'm still waiting on my Gold Stripe Maroons to come in, but rumor has it that they will be in later this week. The LFS will hold them for a week or two in their medicated tanks before I'll bring them home. My wife's more excited than I am. Can't wait to get some more color and activity in the tank. Other than that everything is progressing nicely. Growth is good, tank is healthy, I'm just tanking it very slow from here on out to make sure it all stays good. Frag tank is doing great as well, lots of growth, helping pay for my new corals. I'll post up some new pics soon.

[marinelife]

slow is good, can not wait to see new pictures.

Watch those Maroons, they can be very mean!

[Neogenesis]

Ya, I'm a little worried about that, but trying to keep my wife interested in the tank, and those are the clowns she wanted. I'm getting them small, so hopefully they will get used to their tank mates, and learn to tolerate me in the tank while they are young. Fingers crossed.......

[sammy]

nice tank.

[Neogenesis]

Thanks, it's coming along nicely. My maintenance always seems to dwindle a bit in the summer months, but everything is still doing good. I did find out this weekend that it helps to take the wife out for a few drinks before you hit the LFS. We both had long hard weeks at work, so we dropped the kids off at grandmas and went out for appetizers, drinks, and followed that up with Ice Cream. We then hit the LFS and the fun ensued. My wife was all Gung Ho and wanting to spend money on the tank, which isn't the norm. She quickly snatched up this fist sized Welso before she saw her next treasure.

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-07-08225752.jpg

As we were about to walk out she spotted a Blue Spotted Jawfish in a nano tank, and gasped "I Love That Fish, We Have to Have It". To make a long story short, it was put on hold for pickup the following day as I didn't have enough cash on me for both the coral and the fish, and I didn't have tops for the tank. That all happened Friday night. So I set to work Sat morning making screen tops and a artificial tunnel for the jawfish.

So, more on the artifical tunnel. I stumbled across a post once upon a time while surfing for info on jawfish. What's our biggest complain with gobies and jawfish, I would have to say they setup their burrow in a spot in the tank where no one can see them. So what this consists of is a PVC loop that you burn in the sand with a single opening to your tank. When you first put the fish in our tank you use a tupperware container to contain him to the area with the artificial burrow. After a few days to a week, you remove it in the hope that your fish no longer is seeking a home.

I can happily say that so far it has seemed to work. The Jaw fish is happy, living in his artificial burrow, and while he could easily burrow out of the bottom the the enclosure, he hasn't. Here are a few pics of him, and let me say the personality of these fish are amazing. He was well worth the $60 we paid for him.
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-07-09193031.jpg


I also made some netted tops for the tank in hopes of keeping any jumpers in the tank.
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-07-09152621.jpg

Scott

[Sunshine]

Very cool looking fish. My maintenance goes downhill in the summer also. Love that little spotted fish.

[starfishprime]

very cool idea with the artificial tunnel. Its a nice way to get him used it, will def have to pass on that information!

[chromiumlux]

That is a great price for a blue spot. Looks good.

[Neogenesis]

I must say that I absolutely LOVE this blue spot. It is the most personable fish I have ever owned. I removed the Tupperware container tonight, and I'm happy to report that he hasn't moved from it. He is sticking to it like glue and I'm hoping it's his permanent home. So......back to his personality, always popping his head out, scouting a full 360 degrees around his cave, it's so fun to watch. What I really love is that he is so aware of his environment. If I walk up to the tank, his head will pop aout and check you out. He already know when feeding time is, I JUST LOVE THIS FISH!!!!

[marinelife]

very cool, nice to hear good things about some fish :)

[aquatic mouse]

Aww. What a cute little guy. I might have to think about adding one to my stocking list. Thanks for the tupperware idea.

[Neogenesis]

Well....the artificial cave only worked for a day after removing the tupperware container. When I got home from work today he had moved....of course to the back corner of the tank. Fortunately we can still see him without having to walk around the end of the tank. I'm hoping he'll move again when he realizes food is scarce where he built his burrow, but you never know. I still love the fish....just wish he would have stayed where I built a home for him.

On another note, I'm still waiting on my Gold Stripe Maroon Clowns, from what the supplier is tell my LFS, the area they come from was hit by the Tsunami's, and the eco-system is out of wack. They are a little tough to come buy. I'm waiting patiently for them to arrive.

Scott

[Neogenesis]

Well, Mr. Bluspot is still moving around the tank. This time he is digging in the corner of the tank.....just out in the open...not under a rock or anything. I also ordered a new pump to replace my grossly over sized reeflo barracuda. If my calculations are correct, I can cut the electricity usage in half by doing this. Lets just say my wife wasn't happy when she saw the electric bill this month. Given it's not all the tank that's causing that, but it was very high. We are trying to be a little more aware of our habits and usage.

Scott

[marinelife]

He will find a spot sometime :)

That electric bill will get you everytime.

[Neogenesis]

Ya, we were rated as using twice as much electricity as a typical house our size. So.....I will be taking as many steps as possible to reduce my electric bill. I do think a lot of it is our aging HVAC system as well as some doors and windows that need replaced. I also think I'll be blowing some more insulation in the attic as well.

Scott

[marinelife]

replacing the AC, Windows and Doors would help :)

[Sunshine]

You guys sound like Bill, he wants to replace my old bubbly wavy 100 year old glass windows. I'm sticking to my guns !!! I did replace the pond pump with an energy efficient that uses 1/3 less electricity as the old one. And I let him replace all our light bulbs in the house with those ugly squiggly light bulbs. So far no mention of replacing windows .... lol The electric bill is outrageous. Mr. Bluspot is a cutie ..

[ghurlag]

Sunshine, I have seen some older homes in Lebanon with polished glass in the original windows. Absolutely beautiful! Sure, they do absolutely NOTHING for energy efficiency, but the effect is quite charming :)

[Neogenesis]

It's a sad day in our house today, even though I covered the tank in netting, Mr. Bluespot still found a way out of the tank. I'm baffled as to how, but I found him on the carpet this morning. Why is it that it's your favorite fish that seems to find his way out.

Scott

[Trini 2D Bone]

Sorry man thats sucks. Did you have the sump covered?

[Neogenesis]

Sump covered no. It's 20+ feet away and in the basement. If any fish made that ride, they would be in bad shape, and they would have a 50/50 chance to make it to the skimmer before the sump.

Scott

[Sunshine]

So sorry to hear that. It always seems to be the favorite one ... It's sad ..

[aquatic mouse]

:( Very sad.

[chromiumlux]

Sorry to hear about the bluespot. They are notorius for finding that one sliver of air.

[Neogenesis]

Well....I had to get something to fill the void of losing Mr. Bluespot, and I saw 4 purple reef chromis calling my name. They are a very dark purple/blue, and look great in the tank so far. Acclimation was rough as they kept wanting to jump anytime I came near their container, but they all made it into the tank last night and are looking good so far. I'm hoping they will be happy in the tank. I'm still waiting on some Gold Stripe Maroons to come in, but I haven't seen them yet.

Scott

[Sunshine]

Pics please ... :)

[Neogenesis]

I will grab some tonight. It was late by the time I got home with them, and I need to clean the glass again. I should say thanks to Dave at Aquaculture Underground for the good deal. $10 a fish didn't seem like to bad of a deal to me. I also picked up some Green and Orange Monti Digi at $10 a frag. 4 fish and 2 frags....$60 + some tax = money well spent.

Scott

[Sunshine]

That is a good deal. Can't wait to see the pics. Sounds like some very cool fish.

[Neogenesis]

Sry I didn't get any pics tonight. I couldn't get them with my Droid, and the Nikon was dead. I will get some soon though. It also seems that I may have lost one of the Chromis. I can only ever see 3 at once. So either the 4th is hiding really well, or he didn't make it. I did however get a new toy delivered today.

WOOHOO!!!!!! This should save me around 100+ watts per hour.
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-07-21175511.jpg

[Neogenesis]

Good news!!! The 4th chromis made his appearance tonight!!!!! Rock On!!!! I'm hoping to get the new pump installed tomorrow and give it a test run. The only thing I'm not crazy about is that I need to tear it apart to install the smaller impeller before I can even test it. This is their Snapper/Dart Hybrid pump, if you need more flow you just swap for the other impeller, and it comes with both. :-)

Scott

[marinelife]

Kinda cool that you can just swap impellers.

[chromiumlux]

Nice pump no doubt!

[Neogenesis]

Well,

Here are some updated photos of the tank as well of the new purple reef chromis. Things are coming along nicely.

Scott

Tank as it sits as of today.
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Saltwater/DSC_3753.jpg

Reef Chromis
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Saltwater/DSC_3743.jpg

And everything else
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Saltwater/DSC_3717.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Saltwater/DSC_3703.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Saltwater/DSC_3709.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Saltwater/DSC_3706.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Saltwater/DSC_3713.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Saltwater/DSC_3714.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Saltwater/DSC_3733.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Saltwater/DSC_3739.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Saltwater/DSC_3715.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Saltwater/DSC_3720.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Saltwater/DSC_3722.jpg

[Sunshine]

That looks really good. I like that Reef Chromis. And everything else. Your rock work looks great.

[chromiumlux]

Coming along nicely!!!

[marinelife]

Tank is looking good

[Neogenesis]

Thanks for the good comments, I will have to take some more shots after I mover a bunch of stuff from my frag tank to the DT. I've got some nice chalices in there as well as some monti digi's.

Wow.....what a evening it's been. I decided I was going to install my new pump, and it should have been a straight forward job, only need to add one adapter to everything, easy right? WRONG!!!!

So.....I wanted to first test the smaller impeller in my pump, to see what kind of flow I would get.

First some shots of the pump.
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-07-24200337.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-07-24200346.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-07-24200407.jpg

The smaller "Snapper" impeller
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-07-24200521.jpg

And finally disassembly
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-07-24200807.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-07-24200814.jpg

Comparing the Dart and Snapper impeller
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-07-24200838.jpg

Final Tear down pic
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-07-24201009.jpg

It wasn't tough to do, but who isn't nervous when they have to tear into a brand new $300 pump. Things went together just as easily as they came apart. I switched and added the pvc fittings to the new pump, and I thought I was going to be good to go. I fired it up, and well.....it was leaking out of the back of the housing around the motor shaft. I thought maybe the seals would seat in a few minutes.....nope still leaking. Grrrrrrrr...... I tear it all apart again, pull the impeller, inspect the seals, everything looks like it should be correct. I reassemble everything, fire it back up, and grrrrrrrrr.....leaking again. Trying to figure this thing out, I rinse and repeat again, and it still leaking. While it was running this time I run upstairs to see what kind of flow I'm getting with the smaller impeller, and well, not nearly enough, lets just leave it at that. So I tear it out again, and out of frustration grab the impeller and spin it before I take it off. Then I see it, a wobble on the back side, where it mates with the motor shaft seal. The ceramic surface on the back of the impeller isn't mounted straight, hence no leak when sitting still, but when running at speed, a slow leak. So I reinstall the Dart impeller, mind you I've now been at this for a few hours, created another leak at my skimmer, and I finally have a working pump. Flow is just a bit less than the Barracuda pump, however I think that it's still sufficient, and I'm still saving electricity.

Wow....what a evening it's been. Here is a chart showing electricity usage for this pump.
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/770_2011-Hybrid-bluefin.gif


Off to bed.....hoping no more leaks appear.

Scott

[marinelife]

Glad you got is a figured out!!

[aquatic mouse]

Wow, that's one impressive pump! Hoping no more leaks for you.

[Neogenesis]

There are times I wonder why I even try in this hobby. My Pokerstar Monti decided it was going to start dying off for no reason, and my Helfrichi Firefish jumped today. I've already checked for stray voltage, which came back negative. All my corals look good, it just seems my livestock doesn't like my tank. I won't be buying anything new until I get my hood made. Top that all off with a horrible day at work and.........................grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr..... ..........

[dogfytr]

sorry for loss what about using some egg crate and trim it out to work like a cover till you get your hood

[Neogenesis]

I had made netting covers, made of 1/2" square material. It's obviously not small enough. 2 perfect jumps just makes me sick.

Scott

[Neogenesis]

Well.....since my DT parameters are still doing good and it just seems like it's my fish that don't like my tank, my wife and I stopped by SaltWater Solution here in findlay tonight. He had a big sale going on, and she was in the spending mood. We ended up buying some Grape Euphyllia, it looks like frogspawn but isn't, and he had a few clams in as well. My wife fell in love with what he called a Tiger Stripe Clam so he came home with us as well. I'm a little nervous as I've never tried a clam before, but it seems to be a good and healthy, opening right away and it's very reactive to changes in light. Finger crossed it does well. I also had to move my Miami Hurricane Chalice up to the DT as it's sweeper tentacles were approaching 2 inches. which surprised me for such a small frag. It seems to like the spot I put it, so I'm hoping it continues to grow as well.

And a few pics......everyone loves pics.
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-07-28194040.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-07-26234324.jpg

[marinelife]

looks like some nice purchases!!

[Neogenesis]

Ya...I got the clam for $40, which I didn't think was to bad. It's got to be around 4". The Miami Hurricane Chalice I picked up from AquaCulture Underground about 2 months ago. It quickly went from a small 2 eyed chalice to what you see in the pic. It's got 5 fully formed eyes with another 2 on the way in. It's got to be one of my favorites. My Cleveland Cavs Chalice has finally turned the corner and started healing up nicely, and my Grape Chalice is growing good as well. Combine that with the Jedi Mind Trick monti, superman/rainbow monti, and some sunset monti, and purple/orange/green monti digi, I have all the tools to make a good looking tank. Now it just needs time.

Scott

[Sunshine]

Great additions. I love clams, but I don't think I have enough light for them.

[Neogenesis]

Well....here are a few more additions, or were moved from my frag tank into the DT. All other additions seem to be doing well...including the clam.

Scott

Jedi Mind Trick Monti. I'm loving this the more it grows in.
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-08-08225800.jpg

Tri Color Birdsnest - Picture does not do it justice. Much prettier in person. $15
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-08-05223429.jpg

Mini carpet
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-08-05212709.jpg

And I'm working on a trade deal to add this to my tank. It's about 14" across and comes with a fully grown Clarkii clown.
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-07-29213013.jpg

[marinelife]

Looking good, I like the tricolor birdsnest

[Neogenesis]

I picked these shrooms up today...I've never seen anything like them. They are going directly into the frag tank to grow out.......then hopefully sell a few to pay for the frag itself.

Pics without flash
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-08-09211020.jpg

Pics with flash
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-08-09211033.jpg

[chromiumlux]

Nice! Aren't those St. Thomas Rhodactis shrooms?

[aquatic mouse]

That is very unusual! I like it!

[Neogenesis]

Nice! Aren't those St. Thomas Rhodactis shrooms?

I'm not quite sure what they are. I did some searching last night and this morning, and haven't found any that look like it yet. I've also put a ID thread out on reefcentral so that I can get more eyes on it.

Scott

[Neogenesis]

Well....I never got a official name for those shrooms, but they got ID'ed as Rhodactis. Nothing much else new with the tank. I got the new Dart impeller for my Barracuda pump, whomever owned the pump before me obviously wasn't mechanically inclined because when they replaced the seals, they did a cruddy job. After I got that all cleaned up, installed the new seals, and installed it last night....and it's working like a charm. I've already got my Dart Hybrid sold, in all lost about $50 on the deal, not to bad I guess.

[marinelife]

That is good to hear.

[Neogenesis]

I do have another question for all you SPS guys. I've got a unknown millipora, which had been showing great growth, as well as the base encrusting off the plug onto the rock, but none of the new growth show any color. It's green based with pink tips, but since I'm unfamiliar with SPS I'm not sure what the cause could be.

Here is a pic a month after I bought it, you can see the start of some new growth there, and I will post a updated pic when I get home from work.

Thoughts?

Scott


http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-06-13_20-38-47_247.jpg

[marinelife]

There are several Acropora that have different color bases. It should not be a problem. New growth usually is white but are to notice as it usually has a color right way

[chromiumlux]

Very nice coral! Great coloration on this one.

[Neogenesis]

Here are pics of today. As you can see, no base color, but the pink tips show.

Scott

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-08-22172602.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-08-22172609.jpg

[starfishprime]

It should not be a problem. New growth usually is white

+1 Could be wrong but in my experience this is what usually happens.

[chromiumlux]

Could be a red planet acro. Base is green and red polyps.

[Neogenesis]

Hmm.....I'll have to break out the good camera to get some better pics. I would be a bit surprised if that's truly a acro and it's doing so well in my tank. I never planned on keeping them, so pristine water wasn't my focus when building this tank. Good water quality is all I was shooting for. Whatever it is, it's looking great and growing even better. I'll have to break out the good camera and try to get some better pictures of it.

Scott

[chromiumlux]

The growth pattern and spacing of the polyps is what caught my eye. My acros do quite well and I do not have pristine water conditions.

[marinelife]

Come test my water, I would guess it is not the greatest. I think the acro is fine, seems to be growing. Just give it time.

[Neogenesis]

:-) I've never tried to keep Acro before, let alone pay any attention to them at all. I'm just going to keep doing what I'm doing.......and let it grow.

Thanks Guys!!!

Scott

[chromiumlux]

Yeah! Leave that one alone. It is growing crazy fast.

[Neogenesis]

Ok....well, it finally panned out, and I've managed to arrange a trade of some of my old equipment for a large purple carpet nem approx 14" to 18" across.....and I'll be getting him tomorrow "Wed" night!!!! I've had to shuffle a lot of coral around....which went well, tear down one of my towers......which was a sad moment, and rescape the rock to accomdate the nem. I can't wait....and will soon be on the hunt for a awesome set of clowns to host in it. Anyone know of any local breeders?

Can you say happier than a coral addict at a frag swap?

[marinelife]

Nice can not wait to see the carpet :)

[Neogenesis]

Well.....things went pretty well yesterday. There were no surprises, everything went to plan. I was a little worried when we pulled him out of the tank, his mouth opened and his was spitting his guts out, but after 5 minutes in the bucket, his mouth was closed again and he had firmly planted his foot on the bottom of the bucket. I did a two and a half hour acclimation, and again when I moven him into the tank, he was spitting out his guts with his mouth wide open. And again, within 10 minutes, he has sucked all his guts back in and his mouth was closed again. It took his about 2 hours before he stayed where I wanted him, he kept getting carried off by the current. A few hours after that I noticed him digging and by the evening I could see his foot on the glass from the underside of the tank. He is much more open today than yesterday and looking great!!!

So now for a few pics.

Monday evening about 2 hours after the lights came on. It's pretty shrunk up yet because he was still digging here.
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-09-12163724.jpg

2nd day.......the lights just came on
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-09-13175341.jpg

2nd day......lights have been on for about 2 hours
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-09-13175341.jpg

2nd day......lights have been on for about 5 hours
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-09-13195433.jpg

Picture of the nem's island
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-09-13195441.jpg

And a full tank shot - with horrible white balance
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-09-13195453.jpg

[marinelife]

very nice anemone!!!

[chromiumlux]

Wow! That dude is huge! Very nice setup Neo. Everything looks great.

[dogfytr]

stunning he is beautiful

[Sunshine]

That is huge !! Quite stunning

[aquatic mouse]

Gorgeous! I love where you put him too!

[Neogenesis]

Well....it's time for a update.

The swap went very well.....loving all the pieces I got, they are all doing well but one. I will follow up after I get some pics of it tonight.

Next update:

I ended up buying a new set of powerheads and controller. They were on sale, so I jumped on it. I got the JBJ Oceanwave Pulse Wavemaker combo. I got the controller and the 2 larger pumps for $100. It came very well packed, magnet mounts which are very strong I might add, everything looked good out of the box. I installed it and was even more impressed. The flow out of these pumps is very indirect. Almost like a large circular flow coming out of all sides. If you look at the build itself, you can see that I have a very strong flow coming from the top, which circles around the front of the tank, sweeping everything to the back at the sand bed. These pumps have enough power to reverse the flow and make my torches blow the other way. Very impressed. Then 2 weeks into having them, 1 fails, leaks voltage through the tank, and I lost my baby Blue Hippo Tang and a orange firefish. How the heck can a 2 week old pump fail that badly? Anyway.....good product, just sad to see one fail so early. If they keep it up I may try to put a pair of K3's on it and see how they do.
Pics:
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-09-07180011.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-09-07180030.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-09-07180213.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-09-07180239.jpg

The carpet nem is doing great, it's started to move a little bit, but still looks good. I fed it again the other night, and the feeding response was better this time. Keeping the fingers crossed here. I just made a commitment to buy a new frag tank as well, a 40 breeder that is already drilled and ready to go. Can't wait to get my frags out of the sump.

I also wondered why the skimmer pump was making some off noises and found this....no wonder it was scraping.
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-09-20231408.jpg

Scott

[chromiumlux]

Nothing like snails in the pinwheel! Hope you got your new pumps taken care of.

[marinelife]

Neat new pumps, let us know how well they do.

[UDGrad2010]

Those snails are going to be blinded by the light when they get out of there.

Talk about total darkness.

[Neogenesis]

Well........I had a interesting find tonight. I was headed up to Bowling Green to pickup a larger frag tank as my 20g long was just annoying to small, so that 40g breeder that was advertised up there was calling my name. I got the tank, custom overflow "herbie design", and the stand for $50. I don't need the stand so I'll be selling that off. While being a good buy, that's not the most exciting part. So a while back I picked up a Acro of some sort, it was not named in the store, and fairly cheap. It started growing well, encrusted on the rocks, and started branching well. It still continues to grow well today. While I was looking at the guys tank, I noticed he had the exact same piece, so I asked if he know what it was. His answer, Red planet!!!!! So.....when I got home, I played on goggle a little bit, and sure enough there it was, looking exactly like mine!!! I am sucessfully growing Red Planet!!!! WOOHOO!!!!!! I can't wait till this grows out a little bit more, because I'm really liking it. That discovery made my evening. :-)

Scott

[marinelife]

Very nice for both, the red planet is a really nice coral.

[Neogenesis]

Well......I unexpectedly picked up a new addition today. I got my hands on a pair of picasso clowns which seem to be kind of hard to find anymore. Snowflakes are all the rage now. Anyway, I got a pair that are about 3 months old, 3/4" long, and look very very healthy. They will grow out a bit in the frag tank before they go into the big tank, but I can't wait to watch them grow.

Pictures coming soon!!

[Neogenesis]

And we have run into our first problem. I was planning on letting the clowns grow out in the sump, as it's large, and is relatively low flow. One of them is fairly smart, as it was sitting in a quiet part of the tank, chillin out....the other has been swept into the next compartment of the sump twice already. It appeared they were stronger swimmers than that, but I guess now. If it were to make it to the next compartment, it would have been certain doom as it's the return section with a fair amount of suction, and it's housing the clarkii as well. Disaster averted so far. I was able to catch both of them, they are back in a bucket, and I'm trying to fill my 20g, smallest tank I have sitting around as fast as I can to get it ready for the clowns. Wow....it's 12:30 already....it's going to be a long night.

[buckeyereefer]

can you place some eggcrate across the overflow area to your return compartment ? even use more than one piecs and stagger or offset them to make openings small.
wouldn't have to mess wth another tank that way.

[Neogenesis]

The second tank will only be temporary as I picked up a 40g breeder that will be my new frag tank, plumbed into my main system. I just need to get the shelf built.

What I did end up doing last night was do a little back yard engineering to keep my little clown safe. I used some egg crate, extra window screen, tupperware containers, and voila........a home made breeders net.....sort of. It's large enough they can live in there for a few days until the 20g is up and stable, then I'll move them over. I didn't post it up last night because by the time I thought of it, designed it, built it, tested it, it was pretty late. Anyway.....pics..........


http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-09-26004857.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-09-26005023.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-09-26012911.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-09-26012919.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-09-26013758.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-09-26014148.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-09-26014217.jpg

[marinelife]

Very nice! Is the screen safe to use?

[Neogenesis]

I would think so. It's a nylon screen, I used it initially to cover the end of the tank while acclimating the nem to my lights. If not, worst case I could have the 10g up tonight, just wouldn't be the ideal setup. I would have to mix the water fairly quickly, and I'll just change a lot of it out with tank water, putting the new water into the main system. I kind of got caught off gaurd, I thought they would be "smarter" and stronger swimmers.

Scott

[chromiumlux]

Great idea Neo. I will keep that in mind.

[aquatic mouse]

Great idea! I love picasso clowns, if I ever buy another set of clowns, that would be it. If you do plan on selling that 40g stand, let me know. I may be interested. Is it a 36x18?

[Neogenesis]

I now have a source for the picasso's. It would be a little bit of a drive for you, but at $85 for a pair of grade B picasso's, it may be worth it. I am going to sell the stand, however it's not 36x18. It 48xsomething, I can measure tonight. I thought it was a 36" tank until I showed up to buy it.

Scott

[bukish]

i may be interested in hearing about this source

[Neogenesis]

Well.....my sister is starting to breed clowns, however it will be a while before they are up and running to babies to sell. But the guy I got these off of is North of Detroit. He can be found on the Michigan Reefers website. It may be a little too far to drive for those of you South of me, however when you are saving a $100 on a pair of fish, you never know. He also said he is out for another 6 to 8 weeks, but has batches that are growing out right now.

Link to his ad. My sister got a smaller pair than mine, but he's a good guy to deal with.
http://www.michiganreefers.com/forums/selling-forums/120517-platinum-picasso-clownfish.html

[Neogenesis]

Great idea! I love picasso clowns, if I ever buy another set of clowns, that would be it. If you do plan on selling that 40g stand, let me know. I may be interested. Is it a 36x18?

That stand is 13" x 48 1/2". That measuring the area that the tank rim sits on. If anyone's interested, $35.

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-09-27174912.jpg

[Neogenesis]

It's time for a photo update...lots of new stuff from the swap, plus the chalices I got off Andy. I'm not sure why, but all the pics came out a little dark...but it is what it is. Other good news....I finally got my clowns to eat a little tonight. This would have been day 4 without eating since I got them. I'm glad a little cyclops got them going.

Starting with me nem....which I absolutely love!!!!
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-09-27213400.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-09-27213404.jpg

Purple Deaths, Nuclear Greens, surround by chalices
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-09-27213409.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-09-27213414.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-09-27213420.jpg

I'm loving my welso's - I think I'm going to sell the larger green one if anyone's interested.
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-09-27213426.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-09-27213436.jpg

Left side of the tank
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-09-27213444.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-09-27213450.jpg

My Red Planet and the one I got off Rich...not sure on the name.
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-09-27213459.jpg

Torches
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-09-27213508.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-09-27213521.jpg

Random others
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-09-27213557.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-09-27213539.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-09-27213603.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-09-27213613.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-09-27213636.jpg

And my stylophora that I got at the swap that I'm very very disappiointed with....especially with the price I paid for it. I won't be buying from them again
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-09-27213658.jpg

That should about cover it.

[marinelife]

Lots of nice pictures!

[Neogenesis]

The scary part is.......I took ALL of those with my Droid Charge.

[chromiumlux]

That last pic of the stylo looks like a cut from under the colony where the light was low. It should color back up and be ok.

[Neogenesis]

Hope so andy, it looks nothing like what was pictured on fragswapper.

Anyway.....I thought I would tease you with my latest DIY project.........


This is all you get
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii308/Cichlid-Wolke/Droid/2011-09-29222102.jpg

[ghurlag]

Neo, I agree with Andy that the stylo should color up pretty well. The polyp extension looks good, even without the color. It's a little maddening that you didn't get what was advertised, though...

[Neogenesis]

You are correct, it's definitely healthy, polyp extension is stellar, but like you said maddening that it's not what they posted a picture of. I always show pics of the actual frags that I'm selling.

Anyways......came across a good find tonight. If things go well tomorrow, I'll be adding a 5" Blue Hippo to my tank as well as a green mandarin. My sister is buying yet another pair of breeding clowns, but this person had these fish available as well. $20 per fish isn't a bad deal.

I also have not yet finished the project I posted above, I'll post more details on that when I get it finished.