J.C.'s 25G Build Log!! (With lots o' pics!)

[J.C.]

Well, after seeing my current 10g nano reef filling up with expanding corals and losing a hammer to a fight with some mushrooms i believe, I decided it was time to step it up. Unfortunatly, the space I have to work with allows me to go with a 30" long tank, which is unfortunate because like everyone here, I want to go bigger!!
After dealing with overflow boxes and over the top returns, I decided a drilled tank was in order. I called up Tom at ORG and made an order from Miracles. I ended up with a 25g (30x12x16) with 1/2" glass on the back and 3/8" on the sides (this thing is built like a tank!). I'll post pics of it soon with some more specs, but first I thought I would pay my respects to my current 10g that has served me well for the past two years. Equipment and other info on this setup can be found in my signiture. Thanks for following along and any advice along the way would be great!

J.C.

[TOA]

Hey There JC,

I just asked for a quote for a custom @ ORG too. Just wondering how long it took to actually get the tank built?

My new tank is going to be 24x24x20 w/ starfire front & euro bracing + 4 holes in the back for closed loop & overflow.

Your old tank looks good - but I understand your issue - im there right now. That said I tried the "big" (er) tanks I think I like the 24" wide aspect it just looks neater..

Good Luck

Adam

[J.C.]

Hey There JC,

I just asked for a quote for a custom @ ORG too. Just wondering how long it took to actually get the tank built?

My new tank is going to be 24x24x20 w/ starfire front & euro bracing + 4 holes in the back for closed loop & overflow.

Your old tank looks good - but I understand your issue - im there right now. That said I tried the "big" (er) tanks I think I like the 24" wide aspect it just looks neater..

Good Luck

Adam


24" depth will give you a ton of aquascaping options, that should look really nice when its done!
I called and placed my order around the middle of August. They said it would be done in about 2 weeks time, but I had to go work out west for 6 weeks straight, with one week back home in between, so i just picked it up at ORG when i was finished work. You should see the tank in 2 to 3 weeks i would imagine, depending on their workload. When they (ORG) place the order, Miracles will give them an idea on the time frame, but I would add a week to account for any shipping delays or back log of work at their end. In the end, the quality of their work is worth the wait!
I guess I should post some pics of the tank before someone yells at me! They're coming up next, I promise!

J.C.

[J.C.]

Ok, as promised, here are some pics of the tank...the last one is kinda funny because the tank this is replacing can be seen in the background through the new one.
I am really excited about this setup since it the first time I have custom ordered a tank and because I have never had a trimless tank with nothing coming over the top. I have a pendant MH coming and plan on trying my hand at a clam or two, so I think the open top will really help with viewing from above.
Next up is the stand, its mostly completed now, so I will be posting some pics that I took during the build.

J.C.

[smp]

That's a very clean looking tank, good job!

[J.C.]

That's a very clean looking tank, good job!

Thank you very much...I'm hoping that all goes well with the move to the new tank and I can see how the corals react to more room, water volume, and MH lighting instead of the PC they have had for the last couple years. I plan on keeping the pendant up high in the beginning to let them get used to the intensity, then lower it over time.

J.C.

[J.C.]

When I was trying to figure out what to do for a stand, I soon realized that I would have to build my own in order to have enough room for a 20L sump underneath.
I was going to go with the usual 2x4 or 2x3 frame covered with plywood, but decided against it for two reasons:

1) I am limited to the length that the stand can be, and since my sump is the same length as the DT, the 2x4's would take up valuable space inside.
2) For this size tank, a frame made of 2x4's or even 2x3's would be way overkill and make the stand heavier than it had to be.

So I decided to build the whole thing out of plywood, and just to be different, I thought I would use 3/4" MDF instead of a normal plywoood. Now, before I get any flack for this decision, I'll let you know that I am aware what happens to MDF when it gets wet, which is why I did a thorough job of painting with an exterior oil based primer and paint with multiple coats. For the strength issues, I crossed braced the base (to support the sump) and the top (to support the DT), as well as using a solid piece for the back to prevent racking. As well, I pilot drilled and countersunk over 50 screws to hold it all together.

I forgot to take some pictures during the assembly, so here are some during the painting process (with white primer only, final colour is matte black). I used wood filler to fill the screw holes and sanded them down, and once painted, you can't even tell where the screws are. I'm painting the doors now, so I'll post some pics of it all together once they're done.

J.C.

[supahtim]

that looks really nice! makes me wish i had the 3 holes drilled in the back instead of just one. lol

where did you get that overflow box from?

Tim

[J.C.]

I got the overflow box from ORG when I picked up the tank along with the bulkheads. The box was $60 I believe which I thought wasn't bad when I could just imagine me trying to make it myself (flash forward to me with a propane torch trying to bend acrylic...:mad:)

J.C.

[smp]

I finally found time to build my own overflow, very similar in design (and similar to my previous one that can be seen in my gallery) yesterday for my frag tank, which happens to be moving along a lot slower than I thought.

Very nice stand and I DEFINITLY know what you mean by having 2x4s take up valuable space inside the stand, this is the reason why I have a 20 tall under my tank instead of a 20 long (which would have been ideal).
For my frag tank I am making a 2x4 frame stand with no 'skin' simply because I want to have it up and running already, but I will be making a proper stand for it in the future. I've actually got myself some woodworking books from the library and I'm going to do a real proper job on the stand over the winter. The stand will be for a 2'x2' tank so I can use it for a cube in the future (frag tank is 2' x 2' x 8").


You will love the upgrade from PC to MH and the cleaner look of the tank, I am jealous of your tank actually, having it all plumbed clean like that is a huge bonus. My returns are locline as well, but they go over the top and are kind of a PITA.
Nice job.


edit: here's a pic of my setup to compare, yours is MUCH cleaner but same idea overall:

http://www.aquariumpros.ca/photopost/data/3086/medium/169_6908.jpg

I hope to have a rimless starphire cube one day after I buy a place, but that's a long ways down the road. I like open top tanks for sure but I have a canopy now because I went with an SE bulb and a reflector. Also, my stand looks funny if it's not 'completed' up top with a canopy.

[J.C.]

edit: here's a pic of my setup to compare, yours is MUCH cleaner but same idea overall:

http://www.aquariumpros.ca/photopost/data/3086/medium/169_6908.jpg



Your tank design was one of the setups that made me go with this kind of layout. It's simple, yet functional and looks really nice. And just like yourself, I've had to deal with the returns over the top, so I figured I'd use the opportunity of getting a new tank and get it drilled the way I wish I did from the beginning.
Make sure to post some pics of your frag tank once you've set it up because it sounds like its going to be really nice....the 2'x2'x8" will be really nice with the MH you've got planned for it, good luck!

J.C.

[calvin328]

Quote
You will love the upgrade from PC to MH and the cleaner look of the tank, I am jealous of your tank actually, having it all plumbed clean like that is a huge bonus. My returns are locline as well, but they go over the top and are kind of a PITA.
Nice job.


SMP
Why are the 'overboard' loclines a PITA?
just curious as I was planning a setup like this and any input would be appreciated...
thanks

[J.C.]

I just noticed something on this tank that I thought I would ask everyones opinion on. When I ordered it, I never asked for starphire glass, but just now, I noticed that the light from my 75g was shining through the front pane of the new tank quite brightly. When I put my eye up to it and look through lengthwise, its quite clear. When I do the same thing to the back pane, its very green. Would this mean that they may have used starphire for the front and sides and regular glass for the back, or is the green colour a result of the tempering process when they tempered the back glass?
The pictures I've attached are taken with the camera against the edge of the front and back glass looking lengthwise down the tank towards my 75g (you can see my tangs in there). Let me know what you guys/gals think...that would be really cool if it is starphire!!

J.C.

[smp]

Judging by this picture (http://www.aquariumpros.ca/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=18858&d=1162332300) I would say that it isn't. Starphire glass appears blue from the edges.
Also hey, thanks for the compliment, seems we have the same taste :)

Calvin328, my over the edge returns are a pain because of salt creep mostly and just the annoyance of having things hanging over the edge, it doesn't look clean. Also, my canopy is a tight fit against the returns, but thats' just my own fault in designing the canopy and returns... of course, if they weren't over the back like that my bad design wouldn't matter :)

[J.C.]

Thanks for pointing out that picture, the intense green in the back piece must just be a result of the tempering process.

Small update, my 250w AM Ocean Light just came in today!!! Pics to come! Also, my doors are dry and just need to put the handles on. I'll have a couple shots to show the completed stand.

J.C.

[J.C.]

I don't know if its my family name or what, but when I unpacked the light, I could hear loose parts in the ballast and a screw in the bag. When I took the cover off the ballast, I found the corresponding nut to the screw, but also discovered that the case of the capacitor is broken where it mounts to a metal bracket. As well, the thick aluminum case of the ballast had a fairly large dent in it. I called HelloLights (the place I bought it from) and they told me that I have to contact Aqua-Medic myself because of their return policies.
So I called them and talked to Jason (a really nice guy by the way) and told him the story. He got me to email him some pictures of the damage and he's going to take care of my claim...hopefully soon.
What luck I have, but I guess everything can't go smoothly or else it would be too much fun eh?!

J.C.

[J.C.]

Well, while staring at my new light purchase, bummed out by what happened, I decided to hook it up and try it out to make sure that there may not be anything else wrong with it....it worked!! And man is it bright!! Just for fun I held it over my 10g to see how the corals looked and this bulb (XM 15K) really brings out the green in them.
So now I will be able to use the light if need be until I get the new ignitor or they send a new ballast. I hope its not too long because although it works, I don't like the idea of the inside of the ignitor being exposed through the cracked opening...but I'll keep an eye on it in the mean time.

J.C.

[J.C.]

Just an update...I got the stand completed now, one more thing off the list.
I'm getting the baffles for the sump cut now at the glass shop and will silicone them in place later today or tomorrow. As soon as that's done, I can start with the plumbing.
Enjoy the pics and let me know what you think about the stand.

J.C.

[J.C.]

Well, I'm still waiting for the baffles to be cut at the glass shop (I think they were really busy, but they will be ready tomorrow morning), so no updates on the sump yet.

But in the meantime, I can post some pics of some of the equipment that I've gathered for the new setup.

Sump: 20L Miracles - I was walking around BA's in Hamilton and saw this tank in a box for like $32 and said to myself "Why am I not buying this right now?" Couldn't beat the price so I picked it up to use for my sump.

Skimmer: Euro Reef RS80 - I've been running a CS5-3 on my 75g FOWLR for a couple years now and am really impressed with its performance. I figured that if I was going to upgrade from the Remora that I've got on my 10g now, it might as well be an ER.

Heater: Won Pro Heat II - I was running a BA heater on the 10g for a long time now and wanted something that was a little more precise. I've got an Ebo Jager on my 75g, but had some problems with it, so I thought I'd try out the Pro Heat II.

Plumbing: 1.5" for the drain and 3/4" for the returns. I've got more pieces than I will need (not all of them are in the picture, just the main ones) but I don't mind having spare plumbing parts around in case I decide to make a change.

Lighting: 250w Aqua Medic Ocean Light with an XM 15K bulb - I already posted some pics of this pendant, but it's so sexy that its worth mentioning again! I really like this light and am looking forward to seeing how the corals look under MH. I'm trying to find a way to hang it over the 10g until I do the switch, but haven't come up with a quick and easy (and temporary) way to hang it yet...but I'm working on it.

Thats it for now, when I get the baffles in, I'll post some pics of the sump with some of the equipment in.

J.C.

[J.C.]

Sorry for the delay, I finally got the baffles from the glass shop on Tuesday and finished siliconing them in place last night.
I used some eggcrate to act as a barrier to keep the macro and the snails in the fuge and not in the return section. After I siliconed it in place, I realized that it may not be tall enough when the pumps are off and the macro might float around. I plan on running a leak test with regular water, so I will be able to see how high the water level goes and can make changes if necessary.
I put some equipment in the sump to check for fit and everything seems ok. I also bought some of the pink foam from HD to put under the sump and DT.
Now I can start plumbing everything as soon as I get my a$% in gear and paint the back of the tank (the paint is waiting to be used, but I'm just lazy!).

J.C.

[Dene]

Is there enough room between your baffles to get a siphon hose for cleaning?

[J.C.]

Yeah, I've got one inch between the baffles....which reminds me i should clean out the baffles in the sump in my 75g...hasn't been looking pretty lately!

J.C.

[newreef8584]

Where did you get the filter sock from. I have been trying for a while to locate some locally..

[in_flight]

looks great, very well thought out and clean looking

[J.C.]

Where did you get the filter sock from. I have been trying for a while to locate some locally..

I got 2 of them from Mail Order Pet Supply (mops.ca). They're not a sponsor here, but I've ordered some stuff from them over the past couple of years and have gotten good service. They're based out of Toronto and the socks are $9.49ea.


looks great, very well thought out and clean looking

Thank you very much, I've learned a lot over the last couple of years, and have been keeping a mental list of the things I should have done to my tank, and now I'm checking those things off as I go! There are still some things I may have done differently to this setup, but for now its going to be much much better than what I'm running right now, so it should be nice when its done.

J.C.

[J.C.]

Well, its starting to come together now...
I got some foam to put under the tank and sump and placed the sump in the stand. I also painted the back of the tank and have now started plumbing.
I'll post some pics of the plumbing once its finished since there isn't a whole lot, but for now here's some shots of the painted back and the sump in its final position.

J.C.

[J.C.]

Sorry for the small delay. I finally got the plumbing done for the most part. I've got a couple more joints to glue in the sump area, but its all in place and looks alright. I'm really precise when it comes to doing plumbing, and it took me so long to finally decide how I wanted it to be done that I started losing interest in it, making it take even longer. But, now its done and I'm excited because I get to do a wet test tomorrow. Hopefully, there won't be any major issues and I'll be able to transfer the system in the next day or so. Here are some pics of the plumbing...I've never used 1.5" PVC before and had no idea how big the fittings are, especially the union ball valve! The tank/stand is going to be like 8-10" out from the wall to make room for the plumbing!

J.C.

[J.C.]

Finally!!! It's alive!!!! Well, its got water in it, fresh, not salt...so I guess it's really not alive.....anyways....lol!

Got the last of the plumbing glued and filled the sump and tank and let er rip....no leaks!! Can't believe it, all those joints and three bulkheads to worry about.

The overflow works nicely, I put a hole in the cap, but I don't even know if it was necessary...when I cover it with my finger, nothing changes. The only noise that is noticable is the water rushing down the pipe to the sump, but that is unavoidable because of the size of the pipe and the amount of distance the water has to travel....its not even that loud, my 75g which doesn't have any foam under the sump is still humming louder, so it should be fine noise wise.

Here's some pics I took while it was running... I'm actually happy with the flow that the pump is putting out, I thought I might have to buy a new one, but its blasting a lot of flow into the tank, so it should be alright, but we'll see. Also, the ball valve for the fuge is awsome, I can dial it right down if I want to...right now I probably have between 75-100gph flowing through there now. Oh man I'm excited now!!

J.C.

[J.C.]

Well, I think I spoke too soon. I drained the tank and sump to start getting everything ready for the switch tomorrow and I noticed two cracks in the bottom glass of the tank that you can feel when you run your finger over them.

I took a lot of precautions when setting everything out, including putting foam under the tank to ensure even weight distribution, as well as checking for level when I filled it with fresh water today to test it.

I called ORG and talked to Flavio I believe and told him what was up...he was very surprised. He's going to let Tom know and I'm heading up there tomorrow morning to see what we can do.

Man does this suck, I've got all the equipment waiting and all the plumbing finally done with no leaks, and this happens. More of that good luck I always seem to get!

J.C.

[Mr. Zoanthid]

Damn! Sorry about the cracks in the tank. Hopefully everything works out!

Btw, what pump did you end up using? I was looking at the eheim 1260 for my setup....

[J.C.]

Yeah, hopefully I leave ORG tomorrow feeling a bit better about the whole thing.

Right now I've got a Sen 700 as my return pump and its putting out enough flow to make me hapy for now. If I find that its heating the water up too much, or starts making too much noise, then I'll get the Eheim 1262.

I'll let everyone know how I make out tomorrow when I get home. Hopefully I'll have some good news!

J.C.

[Jimbo]

That sucks. More bad luck. First the light, then the tank. That shoudn't of happened with the thickness glass you have. Everything else looks awesome though. Look forward to see everything up and running.

[J.C.]

Thanks Jimbo...yeah I know, I figured that thickness glass on a small tank would for sure not crack. And thats not even the pane that has the three holes drilled in it. All I can figure is that there must have been some chips of something in the glass that spread out cracks when the weight of the water was put on it.

Yeah, first the light, then this...but at least the light still works. I also can't use the hinges for my doors because the sump is in the way for the bottom hinges, so now I have to use something else.

It'll all get straightned out soon enough, it just sucks because it was going to be all set up tomorrow.

J.C.

[J.C.]

Well, it looks like I had my embarassing moment of the week. When I saw those marks on the bottom of the tank and didn't remember them being there before, I immediately thought they were cracks just because I've had really bad luck with stuff lately.

Well, it turned out it was just silicone, which came off quite easily with a razor blade!

So, trying to make the best out of the situation, I figured I might as well buy some stuff while I was at ORG. So I got a bag of sand and 16lbs of live rock.

Many thanks to Tom for not laughing me out of the store and sorry for giving you a scare first thing in the morning!!

I'll be starting the setup today and I'll post some pics once I'm done. Feel free to make fun of my quick judgement...I deserve it!!

J.C.

[Jimbo]

Feel free to make fun of my quick judgement...I deserve it!!

J.C.

Well, J.C I have to take you up on that. Next time before you drive, almost 200kms round trip in a Yukon with a 350 in it, with gas at 82 cents a litre...........look a little closer! All kidding aside, thats great to hear I look forward to see your tank up and running in person in a few weeks. :cheers2:

[J.C.]

Feel free to make fun of my quick judgement...I deserve it!!

J.C.

Well, J.C I have to take you up on that. Next time before you drive, almost 200kms round trip in a Yukon with a 350 in it, with gas at 82 cents a litre...........look a little closer! All kidding aside, thats great to hear I look forward to see your tank up and running in person in a few weeks. :cheers2:


Jeez, thanks Jimbo...lol, I'm sure your Explorer isn't too great on gas either!! Yeah, it was a lesson learned, but at least I got to go to a real reef store, I wish that there was something like ORG down at our end. If I had the money and time, I'd open one for sure. Their store is exactly like how I envisoned setting up my own store. I'll have to take you there sometime if you ever decide to turn you tank into a reef...whats the holdup?!!

J.C.

[J.C.]

Sorry for the delay, but I've been running around trying to get some last minute things for this build.

The system is running and there's sand (with some of my old stuff to seed it) and the live rock that I picked up at ORG. This rock is Tonga Fusion live rock and I must say it does look different than the Fiji that I'm used to. I'm really interested to see what life survived on it.

The skimmer is working really well (but I never had any doubts with the ER) and the Pro Heat II has really surprised me. It got the water up to temperature a lot quicker than any other heater I've seen and the LCD display is cool. I found that it is about 2 degrees F off of my coralife digital thermometer and my trusty floating thermometer, so I adjusted accordingly.

So far things are running smoothly, still no leaks and the whole system is incredibly quiet. I owe it to the foam under the DT and sump, as well as an area rug that I put under the stand. The only noise I have is the water rushing down the drain pipe and I'm thinking that most of that noise will go away once it slimes up.

Heres a few pics, I'll post some more once I get the light hung from the ceiling.

J.C.

[miked]

can i ask which store u got the "pipe" from.?

[J.C.]

If you mean the PVC pipe I used for my plumbing, the 3/4" white stuff came from Home Hardware (around $6 for 10') and the 1.5" grey stuff came from Oakville Reef Gallery (ORG) (came in 5' length, but can't remember how much $).

J.C.

[miked]

ah okay, cause i went to the canadian tires, an homedepots.. looking for pipe 3/4 an 1" an they looked at me like i was retarded.. should have seen thier face when i told them it was for a fish tank. haha

:hurray:

[supahtim]

for grey PVC, you need to go into the electrical section. responses from HD employees are always priceless :) lol

i didn't know HH sold pipe like that... i'll have to take a closer look next time.

J.C. - what kind of return pump are you using? i looked through the thread and i didn't find any info on it. your tank is looking amazing btw!

Tim

[J.C.]

for grey PVC, you need to go into the electrical section. responses from HD employees are always priceless :) lol

i didn't know HH sold pipe like that... i'll have to take a closer look next time.

J.C. - what kind of return pump are you using? i looked through the thread and i didn't find any info on it. your tank is looking amazing btw!

Tim

Thank you very much for the compliment!

I live in the Falls so I went to the HH in Stamford center...they're pretty good there and carry lots of stuff...no 1" pvc though.

The return pump is a Sen 700 that I got from ebay like 3 years ago and has been sitting around collecting dust. They advertise over 900gph at 0' and 700gph at 3' of head. The flow chart made it seem like it dropped a lot of flow with increasing head (more so than most pumps) so I was worried if it would be enough. So far its been great...quieter than my mag 7 and even with about 75-100gph diverted to the fuge, theres still lots of flow in the tank. So much so that I had to play with my loc lines to stop the sand from blowing around.

J.C.

[J.C.]

Well, the system is still running strong. The skimmer is still breaking in and not much skimmate going on, but then again there's only two pieces of live rock that just started cycling in there, so I'll give it time.

The big news for today was that I got the pendant installed. It looks very slick and is it ever bright! After it burned in for an hour I looked at the colour and compared it to my other tanks with PC fixtures and had to laugh...they looked yellow in comparison and they're suppose to have 10000K's and Actinics!

I played with the camera settings a bit (auto vs. underwater) to see if there's a difference. The true colour is about in the middle of the two settings, but closer to the underwater (auto was too blue).

J.C.

[Jimbo]

I wish I had that problem with my seio. Its not even close to blowing the sand around. I should have bought an 1100.

[J.C.]

I wish I had that problem with my seio. Its not even close to blowing the sand around. I should have bought an 1100.

If you bought an 1100, it would molt your shrimp for you every day!

J.C.

[Jimbo]

Hey J.C did you install your R/O unit yet?? Heres a link you might be interested in. http://www.doityourself.com/stry/installshutoffvalve

[in_flight]

looking good, very nice setup...how did you hang your pendant? any pics of it?

[J.C.]

Hey J.C did you install your R/O unit yet?? Heres a link you might be interested in.[/quote (http://[/quote)]

I've installed valves for faucets before, but this RO unit is for Lindsay's house, so I want to put it in as quick as I can..lol! I'm just going to use the saddle valve for her's, but when I get my unit, thats when the fancy valves are going to be put in.

[quote=in_flight;200834]looking good, very nice setup...how did you hang your pendant? any pics of it?

I have a stucco type finish on my ceilings, so when I used the supplied hardware to hang the light, the fittings went on an angle..it looks kinda weird, but its hanging really straight and its very secure in the ceiling. I'll post some pics of it, but you can't laugh at how crooked they are!

J.C.

[J.C.]

Ok, heres some shots of how the pendant is hung. If you look at the side shot, you can see how the pieces at the ceiling started to go on an angle because of the type of ceiling I have. No one really looks up there, so it doesn't bother me too much!

Its actually a really neat system they supply you with. The pieces that attach to the light act as the adjusters to raise or lower the light. To raise it, you just hold the cable that comes out the bottom and push up on the light. To lower it, you press down on the collar on the bottom pieces and push down on the light and it slides down the cable. Very easy to use.

J.C.

[in_flight]

thanks for the pics, i'm still trying to figure out how i should hang my T5 fixture for my horse tank, i don't really want to start drilling holes in the wall or ceiling if i can help it

[J.C.]

thanks for the pics, i'm still trying to figure out how i should hang my T5 fixture for my horse tank, i don't really want to start drilling holes in the wall or ceiling if i can help it

Yeah, I wasn't too keene on drilling the ceiling either, but the other option was to put a shelf on the wall above the tank and hang the pendant from there, but that would have been a lot more work than this was. It took me a total of 5 minutes to drill the holes and hang the light. And in the end, it looks really nice.

J.C.

[miked]

i assume u drilled into wood, after it went into the ceiling?

[J.C.]

i assume u drilled into wood, after it went into the ceiling?

Actually no, my ceiling doesn't have drywall, its like a board with a sandcoat on it. I'm not sure what the proper term is to use for it, but it took a bit for the drill to get through it, and once it was all hooked up, I pulled on the cables and they were solid. The pendant is made out of aluminum and has very little weight (I'd say less than a pound), so me pulling on the cables was equal to like 10 times the weight they would have to hold.

J.C.

[smp]

That's a great looking, clean tank!
Nice job! Love the starfire, my next tank has to be starfire.
Please keep that glass nice and clean :)

[J.C.]

That's a great looking, clean tank!
Nice job! Love the starfire, my next tank has to be starfire.
Please keep that glass nice and clean :)

The MH really shows up anything that might be on the glass, looks like I'll be doing maintenance a whole lot more often now! Its really amazing the difference between the output of this MH and my pc lights on my other tanks....they look so yellow in comparison. I'll definately be sticking with MH in the future...especially after seeing that shimmer effect!

J.C.

[NanoReefaholic]

Just wait, after looking at your tank you'll start looking at the lights around the house thinking how yellow they look. Soon after that you'll start to notice how yellow most lights are.

Welcome to the dark side! You'll never be the same again.

[newreef8584]

Just wait, after looking at your tank you'll start looking at the lights around the house thinking how yellow they look. Soon after that you'll start to notice how yellow most lights are.

Welcome to the dark side! You'll never be the same again.


Isn't this the truth. My house is now almost completely lit by Phillips Daylight bulbs. They are still yellow in comparison to my MH's but what a difference from the standard soft white bulbs we had. They took a bit to get used to but we love it now. Everyone who comes over comments on how bright the house looks.

J.C. the tank is looking great. I like the clean setup of the LR. Not just a big wall, similar to what I did in my small tank. Keep us posted with lots of pics..

[J.C.]

Thank you everyone for the compliments. Everything is going great so far. I'm keeping an eye on the levels and am itching to get my corals in there!! I've got the 3 pieces of Figi rock which I still have to put in there, so I'm not sure yet how that will all look in the tank. If it looks too crowded, I may not put it all in, but I'll have to wait and see.

Thanks again for the nice words and I'll post some pics with some more rock and the corals once they're in there.

J.C.

[J.C.]

Good news...got the top off unit in from autotopoff.com. Its a pretty nice unit and not bad for the money. I've got an aqua clear powerhead (301) that I'm thinking of using for the pump. I've got to see how it handles the distance that it has to pump the water though...verticle is only 1.5 to 2 feet, but horizontal is like 4 or 5, but we'll see. Once its in I'lll post some pics.

J.C.

[in_flight]

Good news...got the top off unit in from autotopoff.com. Its a pretty nice unit and not bad for the money. I've got an aqua clear powerhead (301) that I'm thinking of using for the pump. I've got to see how it handles the distance that it has to pump the water though...verticle is only 1.5 to 2 feet, but horizontal is like 4 or 5, but we'll see. Once its in I'lll post some pics.

J.C.

instead of using a powerhead, i'd recommend picking up a tom's aqualifter for $19 @ BA, they can run dry in case your reservoir is empty and you don't have to worry about head pressure. i used to have an MJ1200 for my ATO but the aqualifter was a way better alternative

[smp]

I had a MJ400 doing that job for me and it sounds like it had to push the water an equal amount, worked great until my float switch stuck :\

[J.C.]

instead of using a powerhead, i'd recommend picking up a tom's aqualifter for $19 @ BA, they can run dry in case your reservoir is empty and you don't have to worry about head pressure. i used to have an MJ1200 for my ATO but the aqualifter was a way better alternative

I'm going to try the PH just because I've got it lying around, but if it doesn't seem to do the job, then I'll look into the aqualifter pump. I've heard good things about them before for ATO setups. Thanks for the advice.


I had a MJ400 doing that job for me and it sounds like it had to push the water an equal amount, worked great until my float switch stuck :\

Did you ever get a new switch for your ATO or did you go with a different setup?

J.C.

[J.C.]

Well, the ATO is working great...its weird not to have to pour water into a sump everyday!! The powerhead is doing fine with pumping the water to the sump, but it makes a gurgling noise in the hose (probably because it's 1/2" ID), so I may consider the aqualifter pump in the future so I can use a smaller diameter hose and cut down on the noise.

A question to everyone, while the tank is cycling with the new live rock, is it alright to put some macro in the fuge, or should I wait until the cycle's done and the corals are in? If its alright to add some in now, is there anyone near Niagara Falls who wants to get rid of some Chaeto?!

J.C.

[J.C.]

Well, its been a little while since I posted, so I'll give an update as to where everything stands.

I've let the tank cycle, and from what the test results show, its already done, but to be sure, I still haven't put my corals in yet. I transfered the live rock from the old system to this new one, so I'm done with the rock end of things.

I got my aqualifter pumps today and set one up for this system...once my ATO for my 75g comes in, then I'll hook up the second one.

Other than that, I've just been playing with the skimmer to get it dialed in and thats about it. I'm going to transfer the corals in a few days, but for now I'll let the system get used to the new pieces of rock.

J.C.

[smp]

Looks good!

To answer your question regarding the float switch, no I haven't replaced it yet. I have cleaned it since and it seems to be working again but I've gone through this before and had it fail so I'm hesitant to put it back into action. Buying a new switch seems redundant because I suspect it'll do the same thing after a while. For now I'm back to topping up manually twice a day but I'm thinking I will put the iffy switch back into service soon because I want to get my kalk going again. My tank seemed healther when I was dosing kalk and I didn't have to use as much 2 part.
One day I'll get a tunze osmolator.

[in_flight]

looks great, so you did make the switch to the aqualifter...good to see

[J.C.]

Looks good!

To answer your question regarding the float switch, no I haven't replaced it yet. I have cleaned it since and it seems to be working again but I've gone through this before and had it fail so I'm hesitant to put it back into action. Buying a new switch seems redundant because I suspect it'll do the same thing after a while. For now I'm back to topping up manually twice a day but I'm thinking I will put the iffy switch back into service soon because I want to get my kalk going again. My tank seemed healther when I was dosing kalk and I didn't have to use as much 2 part.
One day I'll get a tunze osmolator.

Those Tunze units are really nice, but too far out of my price range at the moment!!


looks great, so you did make the switch to the aqualifter...good to see

Yeah I'm really happy I got them. You can't even hear them run and they hardly vibrate when they are running...I have to put my hand on them to make sure they're working!

This way works a lot better and isn't as forcefull as water rushing out of a 1/2" hose like I had before!!

J.C.

[J.C.]

I moved my corals over to the new setup the other day and they're doing alright. Took about a day for them to get used to the new environment, but now they're looking good.

I decided to sell my rock of mushrooms as they were getting out of control and I didn't have the time to frag them onto pieces of base rock to sell. So I've got the frogspawn, the open brain, and the small frag of zoas in the new tank. After a couple months, I'm going to try my hand at an acro I think, and then some other SPS but that'll be after I get a calcium reactor and have it running for a bit. The end goal is to have a clam front and center on the sandbed, but that'll be a little while yet.

I moved the frogspawn a touch after these pictures were taken and the one head's pissed a bit, but its getting better. I wanted to get it away from the taller rock a bit to give it some room to expand.

I also got my second ATO double switch assembly from autotopoff.com for my 75g and hooked up my second aqualifter pump. Now I never have to manually top up a sump in my house again!! It works so well that it feels like something must be wrong!

I'm going to use a tripod in the next couple days to try and get some better pics, but for now this is all I've taken...enjoy!

J.C.

[J.C.]

Thanks a lot...I hope you'll post some pics of your setup....all these nanos being built now will soon take over AP...HAHAHAHAHA.......sorry about that, it just slipped out!

J.C.

[J.C.]

hey

Did you use a center brace for your stand framing?

Yeah, if you look on the first page of this thread, you'll see a picture I took looking up into the stand. I used 3/4" MDF, so I put two cross braces on the top, and two on the bottom. They add a lot of strength and are easy to put in, so I'd use one even though the length is only 30".

J.C.

[J.C.]

the sides of the stand are 30", but with the top piece, it brings it to 30 3/4" tall. Its a good height that still gives me room to remove the skimmer cup. A couple inches taller would have been nice, but then it would look weird since the tank is only 16" tall.

J.C.

[J.C.]

When I get my 180 or 210 (haven't decided yet ;-) ) I'll make the stand around 40" so I have lots of room for equipment and to bring the tank up higher for viewing....but that would just look way to funny with a nano!

J.C.

[smp]

The tank is looking beautiful!
Good work, it's like what I envisioned mine looking like when I started on it, but it never really did!
The starfire glass is really amazing and the clean aquascaping.
Good job!
My next tank has to be starfire.

[J.C.]

The tank is looking beautiful!
Good work, it's like what I envisioned mine looking like when I started on it, but it never really did!
The starfire glass is really amazing and the clean aquascaping.
Good job!
My next tank has to be starfire.

Thank you very much...I'm not sure if they actally used starfire glass or not, but if they didn't, its the clearest glass I've ever seen....but then maybe that would explain the $250 price tag on the tank! I can't see any green colouring coming through the edge of the glass when the MH is on, so I think it is.

The next task is to get a good clean up crew, I've only got two Astreas left over from my 10g and the brown, or diatom, algae is starting to show up....part of the new tank cycle I suppose. The two astreas are taking care of it, but at a snails pace.....oh man that was cheesy! I figure about another 10 or 12 of them, plus some nassarus (sp?) for the sandbed should do it.

[J.C.]

I figure around $100, and that includes primer and paint, screws and hardware, and taxes. It ended up costing more than I wanted, but at least I got the kind of stand I wanted that could fit a 20L sump.

J.C.

[J.C.]

I haven't added it all up because it would probably make me sick! But the main things were:

Tank: $250
Stand: $100
MH pendant: $300
RS80 Skimmer: $280
Sump (including baffles): $55
Plumbing: $150 (with a bunch of left over 1.5" fittings)

Those are the main things, the return pump I've had for a few years.

J.C.

[J_T]

Tank: $250
Stand: $100
MH pendant: $300
RS80 Skimmer: $280
Sump (including baffles): $55
Plumbing: $150 (with a bunch of left over 1.5" fittings)
J.C.

seeing your friends in awe at the beauty....

PRICELESS

[J.C.]

lol..that is true. I've had a lot of really positive comments from people from this setup, and the best part is when someone learns something new or gets an idea from looking at my tank.

I think learning from others is what keeps this hobby in a state of constant change. When I look back only a few years ago, I can see a big difference in reefkeeping compared to today, and thats made possible by the free exchange of information between reefers.

I just wish I had a bigger place to have more people over.....but that will come soon!

J.C.

[bigtyguyy]

wow i have just gone threw all those pics and now im inspired to fix my sump and get a nice auto top up like that now that i am getting a nice RO system. thanks for the inspiration!

[bigtyguyy]

one thing, why did you go with the dual floats from autotopoff.com not just the singles?

[J.C.]

wow i have just gone threw all those pics and now im inspired to fix my sump and get a nice auto top up like that now that i am getting a nice RO system. thanks for the inspiration!

Sorry for the delay in replying, some new posts were started in this forum and I thought mine got shuffled down the list!

Thanks for the compliment, the main reason I posted this build was because I know I learned a lot from reading other peoples builds, so I figured it was time to repay the knowledge gained and hope that people reading this will learn something new too.


one thing, why did you go with the dual floats from autotopoff.com not just the singles?

I did this just for a back up. In case the main switch on the bottom fails for whatever reason, the top one will take over and stop the top up pump when the water level reaches that point. Without the backup there, it would keep pumping until the top off container was empty, which wouldn't be good for my tank or my floor!

I really like the units from autotopoff.com and would suggest them to everyone looking for an ATO. Simple to install and works great...I can hardly see a change in levels, I think they say its sensitive to 1/8".

I'm off tomorrow to ORG and/or WTR to get some snails and maybe a fighting conch if I can find one. I'll post some pics when I get home and some updated FTS.

J.C.

[J.C.]

Well, not too much has gone on lately, just letting the system run and mature. I got some of my cleanup crew from ORG on Thursday, their shipment hadn't arrived yet so I couldn't get everything I wanted, but still made out alright. I got a fighting conch which is the coolest thing I have ever seen, and 4 nassarius (was suppose to be five, but the count was lost somehow). I still have to get some more astreas or trochus and then I'll be happy.

I took some shots today and uploaded them to the gallery because I figure its time to have some full size pics in my posts, not just thumbnails. Excuse the little bit of HA on the sandbed in the FTS...I think its a combination of the new setup maturing and the fact that I'm using an RO only unit which hasn't been serviced in a long time. I've got my Purely H20 unit coming from Reef Perfection next week, so that should take care of things. Let me know how you like the pics...

http://www.aquariumpros.ca/photopost/data/500/IMG_1534.JPG

http://www.aquariumpros.ca/photopost/data/500/IMG_1504.JPG

http://www.aquariumpros.ca/photopost/data/500/IMG_1505.JPG

http://www.aquariumpros.ca/photopost/data/500/IMG_1507.JPG

http://www.aquariumpros.ca/photopost/data/500/IMG_1509.JPG


J.C.

[in_flight]

looking very nice JC, great thread btw

[J.C.]

Hey guys and gals, sorry for the long time between posts. I've been letting the system mature and haven't added anything to the tank, so I haven't had anything to post.

Everything is doing fine in the tank and all of my parameters are in check. I've got a Purley H20 RO/DI unit that is coming in on Monday, and that is it for new equipment purchases so far.

I do have a question for the masses though. I want to get some sps for this tank (acros, montiporas...etc) and wanted to use a calcium reactor so that I don't have to worry about dosing all the time. I've already got a CO2 tank and regulator from a couple years ago, so all I would need to get is the reactor and a ph controller. My question is that if I do get a calcium reactor, will the effluent lower the ph in my tank since my total water volume is about 35-40g? Does anyone here currently run a reactor on a system close to this size? Do you have any problems?

Thanks a lot for the help and thanks to everyone for your kind comments and interest in this build! I will have a bunch more pics of future additions as soon as I figure out what I want to use to maintain my calcium levels.

J.C.

[J.C.]

Hey, thanks for the kind words. My return pump is a sen 700 that I've had laying around for a while. I was skeptical about it, but its very quiet and puts out a lot of flow (according to the company, it puts out 900gph at 0' head and 700gph at 3' head). I haven't added any powerheads yet because the flow is pretty strong in the tank, but I think once I get some sps, I will pick up a 6025 Nanostream to keep flow in the tank when I shut off the return pump when I feed the tank (and to have additional flow for the corals). I'm thinking of putting it on a timer to run during the day and off at night to create calmer waters.

As for the bulkheads, Miracles drilled the tank and ORG put the bulkheads in, so I never had a chance to measure the holes. The 3/4" returns are normal bulkheads and the 1.5" drain is a heavier duty one, so I think it uses a larger hole than the normal ones. I would suggest getting the builkheads you want to use first and then measure them to see what size holes you need to drill, that way you know they will be the right size. Maybe someone can chime in that knows the standard size holes for bulkheads.

I really like the simplicty of having the center drain and a return on either side. It works well for a tank this size and that drain size can handle a lot of flow (It could probably handle another 200gph flow without any problems). Good luck!

J.C.

[J.C.]

It would be really hard to clog the 1.5" drain...its really big! And there's really no way for the 3/4" pipes to clog since I use a filter sock in my sump and the return area where the pump is has nothing there except the pump and my heater (no live rock or snails or anything). As well, my snails in the DT are too big to crawl into the loc-line, so they wouldn't be able to clog it (although they like crawling on it and keep it very clean!

J.C.

[Mr. Zoanthid]

I hope to be drilling my tank soon and I was thinking about doing it like yours with the 1.5" drain and 2 3/4" return holes.


3/4" returns need a 1.5" hole, and the 1.5" drain needs a 2.5" hole.

[J.C.]

I got the ball valves from reef perfection and the rest of the regular fittings (3/4" elbows and tees) from reef solution. The 1.5" pipe and fittings I got from ORG when I got the tank since I didn't know where else to get plumbing that size! The 3/4" pipe I got from Home Hardware, which really surprised me that they carried it in stock (its hard to find plumbing supplies at this end of the lake!). A few different sources, but I knew what I needed ahead of time and ordered accordingly depending on who had what available.

J.C.

[J.C.]

Hello again all. Well, I finally have a game plan for my future calcium needs. During the summer, I work away from home for a few weeks at a time and leave my girlfriend and mom in charge of taking care of my tanks. I didn't feel like making them dose a 2 part additive very often, so decided that a calcium reactor would fit the bill since once its dialed in, there is very little maintenance.
I was initially going to get a normal sized reactor, but became unsure if it would do more harm than good in a small water volume. I looked around at a few different reactors, and after checking out a suggestion from our resident nano guru Nanoreefaholic, I got in contact with Scott McLeod at Aquarium Systems Design. He makes a nano version of his calcium reactor that is exactly what I wanted. I should get it sometime next month since he builds to order and has a small backlog at the moment.

Here are the specs of the unit incase anyone is interested and would like to contact Scott (which is a super nice guy by the way!). I also have the pictures that he sent me of the unit since his website was down for whatever reason. A big thanks goes out to Nanoreefaholic for the recommendation, because I had no idea that nano clacium reactors were even available! I'll be sure to post more pics and my review of the unit once it comes in.

J.C.

CaRxNano chamber capacity (cubic inches):71
Suggested Capacity (gallons) max: 75
Base Footprint 6.75 x 7.0
Overall Height: 15
Reaction Chamber Height: 12
Reaction Chamber Dia.: 3
Media Capacity (lbs): 1.75lbs
Ph Probe Port in chamber included
Circulation Pump Included: Eheim 1046
Recommended Feed pump: Maxijet 400 (max)
Input Size: 1/2" ID tube
Output Size: 1/4" OD tube

http://www.aquariumpros.ca/photopost/data/500/hand1.jpg

http://www.aquariumpros.ca/photopost/data/500/100_0175.jpg

http://www.aquariumpros.ca/photopost/data/500/100_0173.jpg

http://www.aquariumpros.ca/photopost/data/500/100_0171.jpg

[miked]

JC, can i ask why you are getting one.. like i know this isnt good.. but.. ive never dosed anything into my tank, an ive only used my testkit once since i bought it.. almost a year ago.. hah (knock on wood) but like what is using the calcium in ur tank?

[J.C.]

Right now nothing is using the calcium in my tank....but the reason I did this setup with the mh and good skimmer etc. is because I want to get into sps and a clam or two. They will deplete the calcium in a short time with a small water volume, so I figured I'd get the reactor now before it became a problem. Once the reactor is running and dialed in, I'll get some sps frags to start, then from there I'll probably go crazy and fill my tank with them and clam(s) by next fall! lol

J.C.

[miked]

would u be willing to pm roughly how much this is costing u? i do wish to get into sps's down the road right now i have roughly 48ish (counting the tiles i used. lol) frags of zoa's an they all seem to love the tek5's on the temp tank. id assume sps would also do "decently"

[J.C.]

The reactor is $215 USD plus shipping. He estimated ~$25 for shipping since he's never used USPS before, but the package won't be overly heavy, so I doubt it will be more than that. I wanted it delivered USPS because I don't feel like putting the UPS presidents' kid through college with their brokerage fees!

That price is reasonable since the full size reactors I was looking at were $300 USD and up, and would have been way too much for this size tank. This way, I'm saving a lot of money and getting something that is going to work really well for my setup.

J.C.

[J.C.]

WOOHOO!!! It's finally here!! Its been a long wait, but the Purely H20 Optima Automated RO/DI unit I ordered from Reef Perfection finally arrived. Its a really nice system and I'm looking forward to some high quality H20 (lol...) I got the dual in-line TDS meter as well, which should help me stay on top of any changes to the quality of the water between filter replacements. I haven't hooked it up yet (tomorrow's project) but I can already tell that its a quality unit and worth the little bit of extra money over an Aqua Safe unit (my girlfriend has one and its OK for drinking water, but not for reefs).

Anywho, here's some pics, I'll let you know how the install goes once its done.

J.C.

http://www.aquariumpros.ca/photopost/data/500/IMG_1562.JPG

http://www.aquariumpros.ca/photopost/data/500/IMG_1565.JPG

http://www.aquariumpros.ca/photopost/data/500/IMG_1566.JPG

[miked]

please tell me how u like this unit. my older one is crap and ive been buying my water. so please give full details on it.. also i have some chaeto an other macro i need to move asap. so please pm me. lol

[bigtyguyy]

anything new lately?

[J.C.]

So far, the big news is the new RO/DI unit. I got it working finally (after some leaks from the filter cannisters) and have it temporarily set up. I've used it a bunch already and I have O TDS coming out and my tap TDS is from 120 to 130 ppm, so its doing its job.
The leaks kinda ticked me off since I figured a top o' the line unit shouldn't have those issues, but I just unscrewed the 3 housings, dried off the o-rings, screwed them back on and had no more leaks there. The connection at the gauge also leaked, but I just put new teflon tape on the threads and that fixed it. The biggest surprise was that the John Guest fitting on the output was cracked and water was coming out everywhere! I went to my local Water Depot and picked up a new one and that fixed that.
So there were some bumps in the road, but its working like a champ now and the big thing is to see how quickly the DI reson gets used up. If it lasts until I change the filters, then thats good. If it wears out before then (<6 months), then I'll be upset! I would definitely suggest this unit to anyone looking at buying an RO/DI, but I would also suggest checking out the connections before walking away!
My calcium reactor should be here in the next couple weeks, so I'll have some more pics and my review on that once it arrives. After that, then I'll start aquiring some frags and what not and start to fill this tank - it looks so bare with two corals and a frag!

J.C.

[bigtyguyy]

sorry i never saw the RO. i am waiting on the same unit also for Ian.

[ajx22]

Hey JC what size is your internal overflow box? I'm planing on building something like yours so I would the dimensions including the length of the teeth.

Thanks

You need to make sure that the overflow box is designed for the flow of your tank:

http://www.aquariumpros.ca/calculator_buttons/overflow.gif (http://www.aquariumpros.ca/modules.php?name=Overflow_Drain_Calculator)

Teeth length normal is 1" - but will also depend on the flow through the tank + the desired height of the water line you want.

[J.C.]

Hey JC what size is your internal overflow box? I'm planing on building something like yours so I would the dimensions including the length of the teeth.

Thanks

You need to make sure that the overflow box is designed for the flow of your tank:

http://www.aquariumpros.ca/calculator_buttons/overflow.gif (http://www.aquariumpros.ca/modules.php?name=Overflow_Drain_Calculator)

Teeth length normal is 1" - but will also depend on the flow through the tank + the desired height of the water line you want.

:iagree: ...you want to make sure that you have enough linear space on your overflow box to suit your drain size and return flow. It worked out for me that this box has more than enough length to suit my setup. Just so you know, my box has 11.5" of linear overflow space and the teeth are 1.25" long/deep (however you look at it). The length of the whole box is 9.75" along the back side, whereas the front piece is 5" long.HTH

J.C.

[J.C.]

Well its finally here...my nano calcium reactor....woohoo! Here's some pics I shot just now, and so far I'm very impressed. For anyone who may order from this company, I've got to say that the packaging was done very well and it looked like the reactor never moved during shipment. Now I have to order up a pH controller, MJ 400, and some media and I can get this thing going (I know, I should have done that already!).

J.C.

http://www.aquariumpros.ca/photopost/data/500/IMG_1570.JPG

http://www.aquariumpros.ca/photopost/data/500/IMG_1577.JPG

http://www.aquariumpros.ca/photopost/data/500/IMG_1578.JPG

[Sea MunnKey]

Hey J. C.,
Any chance you could place a pop can right next to the new Ca reactor...for comparison? :angel:

Thanks,
Paul

[J.C.]

Hey J. C.,
Any chance you could place a pop can right next to the new Ca reactor...for comparison? :angel:

Thanks,
Paul

Ask and ye shall receive....

http://www.aquariumpros.ca/photopost/data/500/IMG_1583.JPG

its pretty tiny, but it'll be fine for my water volume (~40g). Its rated for a max of 75g.

J.C.

[Sea MunnKey]

Thanks J. C. That Ca reactor is Soooo Cute..:crush:

Paul

[J.C.]

Thanks J. C. That Ca reactor is Soooo Cute..:crush:

Paul

Hey, whatcha mean?! It plays football every weekend and rarely takes showers..its not cute, it's just like a full sized reactor...just vertically challenged...lol.

All kidding aside, I'm looking forward to seeing how this thing works and also looking forward to raiding the LFS and getting some sps and a clam or two :woohoo:

J.C.

[supahtim]

crazy!!! i like that reactor... too bad i'm broke. lol

so... fts? :)

Tim

[J.C.]

crazy!!! i like that reactor... too bad i'm broke. lol

so... fts? :)

Tim

Here's a couple for you....not much has changed since I took the last pics...just been letting the system mature. I'm still dealing with a bit of algae that is probably just part of the break in/cycle. I've noticed a decrease in growth since I've started using my new RO/DI unit. Enjoy.

J.C.

http://www.aquariumpros.ca/photopost/data/500/IMG_1585.JPG

http://www.aquariumpros.ca/photopost/data/500/IMG_1586.JPG

[Sea MunnKey]

So when your Ca reactor is all hooked up and running..you'd be seeing Coraline algae..lots .. on the glass and the LR's as well!! Purple tank!! :woohoo:

Paul

[J.C.]

So when your Ca reactor is all hooked up and running..you'd be seeing Coraline algae..lots .. on the glass and the LR's as well!! Purple tank!! :woohoo:

Paul

I'm hoping so...I'm already seeing a large increase in the coraline on my figi rocks that I transfered over from my 10g. Also, I'm seeing growth (or re-colouring) of the coraline on my tongan rock. I'm thinking that the MH is why I'm seeing the growth spurt right now, but you're right...once the Ca reactor is going, I'm expecting some crazy mojo colour coming out of this tank!

J.C.

[pearce23]

wow i must say your taking the time to do it right the first time.
-what are you doing with the hob over folw once you get the tank finished?

[miked]

JC when ur ready i have a some zoa/candycane frags id like to move :P also some xenia (sp) if u want it.

[J.C.]

wow i must say your taking the time to do it right the first time.
-what are you doing with the hob over folw once you get the tank finished?

Which HOB overflow are you refering to? The one I had on my old 10g? If thats the one, I threw it out a while ago because I made it with thin acrylic and silicone and I felt that it was an accident waiting to happen.


JC when ur ready i have a some zoa/candycane frags id like to move :P also some xenia (sp) if u want it.

Thanks mike, I'll send you a pm....hows your tank coming along btw?

J.C.

[miked]

my 40 breeder was put on hold. i needed new tires for the blazer an front end work. i figured it was somehow more important then the tank atm. haha

ill post pictures of my new 20 gallon tall (24 x 13 x 17) when i get home.

[J.C.]

Damn road safety getting in the way..lol. Are you still thinking of getting a 65g?

J.C.

[miked]

id like to but that means id have to get a new overflow aswell. i know my lights could do it. but atm its all in the air.

[ajx22]

Hey JC can you help me on something

I'm trying to figure out the parts needed for the 1.5" drain. So can you tell me the parts and how they were connected starting from the drain hole (ie. doubled threaded bulkhead connected to coupling connected to tee-fitting, etc.)

Also where did you buy all your parts. It seems you have a threaded tee-fitting if i got the picture right. Reef perfection site doesn't display the plumbing parts.


Thanks

See:

http://www.aquariumpros.ca/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=18984&d=1162854696

http://www.aquariumpros.ca/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=19346&d=1163485789

See:
http://www.jjdownsplastics.com/
http://www.jjdownsplastics.com/sch-80-Grey.pdf

[ajx22]

I know that but i can't quite understand it so i need words instead of pics

0 = Bulkhead
1 = Threaded To Slip
2 = T-fitting
3 = Cap (attached to PVC section)
4 = Single Union Ball Valve

http://www.aquariumpros.ca/ajx22/jc-1.jpg

http://www.aquariumpros.ca/ajx22/jc-2.jpg

[J.C.]

I cut a short section of pipe (~2" or so) and use that to connect the slip joints together. That way there was no pipe showing when they were glued together.

J.C.

[Purelife]

Any updated pictures of the tank ?

[J.C.]

I posted these the other day...the light had come on not too long before, so the frogspawn hadn't opened all the way yet. Once the Ca reactor is going in full swing, I'll start adding some more corals.




http://www.aquariumpros.ca/photopost/data/500/IMG_1585.JPG

http://www.aquariumpros.ca/photopost/data/500/IMG_1586.JPG

[in_flight]

Hey J. C.,
Any chance you could place a pop can right next to the new Ca reactor...for comparison? :angel:

Thanks,
Paul

Ask and ye shall receive....

http://www.aquariumpros.ca/photopost/data/500/IMG_1583.JPG

its pretty tiny, but it'll be fine for my water volume (~40g). Its rated for a max of 75g.

J.C.

that thing looks awesome, where did you order it from?

[J.C.]

that thing looks awesome, where did you order it from?

I ordered it from Scott at Aquatic Systems Design. He's got a website, but I think its under construction right now. You can email him at scott@aquaticsystemsdesign.com for a quote if you're interested. He also makes normal sized reactors as well....all built to order.

I got the media delivered on Friday (the new Carib Sea large grain) and the Milwaukee pH controller and MJ 400 pump should be here this week, then I can get it running.

J.C.

[J.C.]

Hello everyone...I finally got the reactor running today, so I thought I would post some action pics....(not too much action with a calcium reactor..lol). Everything is working great so far, I've set it up with a fairly slow drip rate for now and I will check parameters tomorrow to see what effects it had on the levels. I could have added a bit more media to the chamber, but I can always do that later. Enough chit chat, heres the pics.

J.C.

http://www.aquariumpros.ca/photopost/data/500/IMG_1597.JPG

http://www.aquariumpros.ca/photopost/data/500/IMG_1591.JPG

http://www.aquariumpros.ca/photopost/data/500/IMG_1601.JPG

[J.C.]

I always enjoy new tank set-up threads, any new pics or updates?

Nothing as of yet, but I'm going to be getting some frags soon from a fellow reefer (I'm going to get a hold of you mike, don't worry!) and I'm going to take a trip up to ORG and see what I can score from there. I'll be posting some pics once I get some more in there, but the next couple weeks are going to be busy for me.

Good news though is that the calcium reactor has straightened out and I now have the values I wanted for the parameters in the tank:

dKH: 11.0-11.5
Ca: 420ppm

The magnesium levels are a bit low (~1100), but I'm going to be getting a suppliment to raise them up to ideal levels. So far, things are looking good and pretty soon the tank will have some more colour in it.

J.C.

[miked]

pm sent. reguarding "frags"

[Reefersteve]

J.C. your build log is an inspiration, I cant wait to start my own. I'll be picking up my stand and RO/DI system this Friday. Add some rock and six weeks later I'll be a happy reefer :bsmile: . I would definitely like to get into a ca reactor but all the other equipment needed to run it seems like it would take up too much room for me. What is all that stuff in you pics for you reactor? And is it really necessary?

Awesome log man just awesome.

Cheer Steve

[J.C.]

J.C. your build log is an inspiration, I cant wait to start my own. I'll be picking up my stand and RO/DI system this Friday. Add some rock and six weeks later I'll be a happy reefer :bsmile: . I would definitely like to get into a ca reactor but all the other equipment needed to run it seems like it would take up too much room for me. What is all that stuff in you pics for you reactor? And is it really necessary?

Awesome log man just awesome.

Cheer Steve

Thank you very much for the kind words! This has been a very fun project for me and its going to give me a lot of knowledge and experience that I can use when I do my next tank in a couple years (280g).

I see in your sig that you picked up the new red sea tank, it should be really nice when you get it going...hopefully you start a thread here in the forum to show your progress.

I decided to go with a Ca reactor because my main goal for this tank was to get familiar with sps and clams. In order to meet the Ca requirements, I could have gone one of two ways: 2 part additive or reactor. I chose reactor mainly because I'm away from home in the summer months for work and have people take care of the tank for me. Having the reactor going means they don't have to worry about adding a 2 part every couple days. Also, I already had a 5 lbs aluminum CO2 tank and regulator from when I had a freshwater planted tank, so I had half the equipment.

Everything you see in the pictures is necessary to run the system. Since the inside of the stand is completely taken up by the sump, everything has to go on the outside. It's not how I wanted it to look, but I really have no choice right now. If I get the time, I may try and do something to make it look better, but for now I have easy access to everything.

If you plan on having a lot of calcium demanding corals and don't mind dosing a 2 part, then you don't have to worry about a reactor, but for my situation, it just made sense.

J.C.

[Reefersteve]

Thanks for the info, I'll definately be keeping a build log of my progress. This will be my first attempt at a saltwater system.

Steve

[J.C.]

Just thought I would post a pic of a candy cane frag that I picked up from miked. I've been having a hard time getting a good pic of it, so this is the best I've got for now. I'm going to keep trying and will post a nice one when I get it.

The frag is doing really well so far and the larger head has been splitting quite quickly over the last 2 days into 3 smaller ones. Another week and it should be split. Thanks again Mike!

J.C.

http://www.aquariumpros.ca/photopost/data/500/medium/IMG_1615.JPG

[miked]

np man, im glad to help someone else out.. i noticed those zoas also in the picture there stock seems to be... "long" for a better word... move them closer to the light.. it should help it out some.

- mike

[J.C.]

Yeah, they were in my 10g on the bottom and I only had a PC light over the tank and thats how they got so long. Can their stocks become shorter again? Right now they are about halfway up this tank under the 250w MH.....I thought this would have been enough light for them.

You see how they're closed up? A couple just started opening up again, but I don't know what caused them to close up in the first place. Once I get that figured out, I'll hit you up for some of your zoo frags....I liked that one with the red skirts you have.

J.C.

[J.C.]

I just realized I haven't posted any pics of my conch. This guy is by far the hardest worker in the tank and is doing a great job of keeping my sand clear and loose. Every once in a while, he likes to take a climb up the glass...but like a cat in a tree, doesn't know how to get down. This makes for an amusing fall to the bottom of the tank where he then buries himself in the sand in humiliation. I have a lot of fun watching him do his thing.

I also picked up my first sps (an acro) last week at ORG. Its doing well so far and all of its polyps have expanded and the colour is coming in nicely (about half of it browned out from the 2 hour drive back home in traffic). It's on the bottom of the tank right now, but I'll be mounting it up at the top of the rocks very soon (I wanted to give it a chance to get used to the lighting first). When its mounted and looking good, I'll post some pics.

J.C.

http://www.aquariumpros.ca/photopost/data/500/IMG_1642.JPG

http://www.aquariumpros.ca/photopost/data/500/IMG_1641.JPG

http://www.aquariumpros.ca/photopost/data/500/IMG_1638.JPG

http://www.aquariumpros.ca/photopost/data/500/IMG_1646.JPG

http://www.aquariumpros.ca/photopost/data/500/IMG_1640.JPG

[ajx22]

:attention:attention:attention:attention

J.C. -

Just a warning - that is not a Conch - it is an Olive snail (http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=1005846). They are voracious predators of other snails and bivalves. Notice the siphon sticking up out of the sand? Like Nassarius snails - this siphon is used to 'smell' the water for food...and is indicative of a meat-eater!! Nassarius vibex is one of, if not the only snails that have a siphon that we ever would want in our tanks.

Conch's have a FOOT - and do not have the ability to climb glass. They are exclusively sandbed - and most can't even climb over a piece of rock.

The only Conch you ever want to put into a tank is a Flighting Conch Strombus alatus.
These should only be put into a tank that has OVER 24" x 24" of open sand - otherwise, they will starve to death. In other words - no conchs in a nano tank!
http://www.shellmuseum.org/Shells2/alatus2.jpg

Some people end up with Queen Conchs - Strumbus gigas - however, these are NOT suited for captive aquariums under 500Gallons.
http://www.jaxshells.org/bitgigj.jpg


Here's a link about the characteristics of Conchs:
http://www.reefland.com/rho/2006/03/identify_conchs_whelks.php

[kgolem]

I just realized I haven't posted any pics of my conch. This guy is by far the hardest worker in the tank and is doing a great job of keeping my sand clear and loose. Every once in a while, he likes to take a climb up the glass...but like a cat in a tree, doesn't know how to get down. This makes for an amusing fall to the bottom of the tank where he then buries himself in the sand in humiliation. I have a lot of fun watching him do his thing.


I think you have your hands on an Olive Snail (Olivella sp), rather than a conch. There are coldwater varietys (Olivella biplicata) and several warm water species which is what I believe is in your pics.

Edit; Beat me to it AJ :thumbsup:

[jgillard]

I was going to comment that that looks nothing like the conch I have! I guess I was right after all.

[J.C.]

Damn, I got him at ORG, so I thought I would be safe in knowing that it was a fighting conch (thats what it was sold to me as). I've bought 4 nassarius at the same time and he hasn't bothered them at all in the last three months.

It's a shame that the suppliers are selling the LFS's creatures such as this that are not suitable for a reef aquarium.

J.C.

[miked]

im really suprised org didnt catch that... they seem to be pretty good at what they know/sell.



-mike


(off topic but.. JC u going to meeting?)

[ajx22]

Tom & Flavio know their stuff for sure - Gastropods can definitely be a hard one to properly ID.

Place an order from wholesaler - look in the bag upon arrive - it's alive, and all looks fine - into the tank...

Easy mistake...

This is another reason I tell people to take a quality ID book WITH you when shopping. This allows proper identification of the animals + give you the low-down on their care and requirements PRIOR to purchasing and bringing it home. Once you have an ID - all sponsors have internet, and it's easy to do a online look-up of the animal once you have the proper name for it.

[J.C.]

I thought I would update my thread now that exams are done and I have some time. I picked up some new specimens for my tank, one of which includes my first clam, a crocea with a shell thats about 4".

It's doing great so far and the colour is really nice....not as crazy as those ultra grade maximas, but colourful enough for me...lol.

I picked up an acro colony from ORG about a month ago or so, and its doing very well, but ever since I experimented with underwater epoxy, it lost its colour. It's coming back now, but I think it will take some time. Its polyps have been out the whole time, so I'm not worried about its health...I just hope that its colour comes back soon! Once it does, I'll post some pics. I also got a monti frag and an acro frag, both of which I'll post pics of as well too.

Here's some pics of the clam, enjoy! (They're not the greatest pics, but better ones are on the way)

J.C.

http://www.aquariumpros.ca/photopost/data/500/IMG_1684.JPG

http://www.aquariumpros.ca/photopost/data/500/IMG_1687.JPG

http://www.aquariumpros.ca/photopost/data/500/IMG_1682.JPG

[J.C.]

how much was your auto top off system from autotopoff.com including shipping? My main quesstion is that was there customs&duties that you had to pay and, if yes, how much?

Thanks and lets see more updates on your tank!!!

Yeah, sorry to everyone for the HUGE delay in posting updates. I was working away from home for most of the summer and when I got back, I had a bit of a mess to deal with regarding the tank. The levels started to go a bit wacky because there were no water changes being done and what not. The levels are just now back to normal, but in the process I lost my clam, which I'm still upset about, but I'll get over it! I just replaced my MH bulb with an XM 20K (had the 15K in there before). All I can say is wow! The colours are amazing, so I will post some pics when I get the chance.

As for the top-off, I can't remember the exact price, but it was the price they had listed in USD (which is the same as our $ now..lol) plus $15 US to ship to canada. When it arrived at my house, I was charged the tax on the amount (gst and pst), plus $5 charge from Canada Post. The second one I ordered just got dropped off at my house, no taxes or charges, so that was a nice bonus...but I wouldn't expect that to happen again!

Hope that helps...I love my units still....no problems at all and for the price, you can't beat it.

J.C.

[J.C.]

Yeah, the 90's do take away from the flow, but in my case the pump was strong enough that it was ok. If I had anymore flow through the sump, the skimmer wouldn't have a chance to do its job. If you're planning on using 90's and have a weak pump, you may want to consider using 45's or getting a stronger pump.

As for flow in the tank, I do need to add a powerhead for increased circulation. For some reason, it seems as though flow has decreased since I set the tank up a year ago. I'm not too thrilled about a powerhead though because it's going to mess up the clean euro look I've got going on now (no cables or equipment going up and over the top), but I really don't have much choice. I thought about the vortech for a microsecond, but realized how stupid that would be on a 25 gallon tank!

I'm glad that you were able to use my plumbing ideas on your tank..make sure to post some pics of your progress!

J.C.

[J.C.]

It's a nice, clean setup but i was wondering if you recommend me to go through with the setup. SHould i go with a strong eheim pump with your setup or weak pump with 45 elbows and y's?

I guess that would depend on what you want the final product to be. In my case, I already had the pump and planned the system around that. If you haven't bought the pump yet, you can go either way. If power consumption is a concern, then I would definately go with the weaker pump (should use less power) and construct the plumbing to be as efficient as possible to have little head pressure. That would mean no 90's, only 45's....and probably even condsidering using flexible pvc rather than rigid so you could eliminate connections all together.

I like working with the rigid pvc, so thats why I used it on mine...and when I plan a plumbing system, I always end up designing with right angles...I guess thats the way my brain works...lol!

But there are many ways you can do plumbing, it just all comes down to personal preference and keeping the equipment in mind. If you haven't bought any equipment yet, you've got lots of options. If you do have some equipment, then your options may be limited.

J.C.

[J.C.]

well i have all my parts which mostly consist of 90 elbows and tees for the return. Every1 says that the eheim 1260 or 1262 would be the best pump all around even though its so expensive but then again its a reef we are talking about. So its either buy new plumbing parts and put the 90 elbows in a corner and never see them again or keep the parts and buy an ehiem 1262.

Since you've got all the parts and plan on getting a sweet pump like the 1262, then I'd say go for it. Sometimes I find the worst thing in this hobby is spending money on equipment and then finding out you won't be using it. Wasting money is one of my pet peeves!

Figure out exactly how many 90's you'll have and how many horizontal and vertical feet of pipe you'll end up with, then you can get an idea of head pressure. If it's not a lot of head, you could probably use the 1260, which uses less wattage than the 1262. But if you want a pump thats got lots of flow, then the 1262 is the way to go (I had my eye on that one for my tank if my pump was to ever kick the bucket).

J.C.

[ajx22]

If it's not a lot of head, you could probably use the 1260, which uses less wattage than the 1262.

1260 = 65Watts @ 635GPH max (@ $0.09 (9&#162;) /kWh x 24hours/day = $4.27/month)
1262 = 80Watts @ 900GPH max (@ $0.09 (9&#162;) /kWh x 24hours/day = $5.26/month)

That's a difference of 15Watts @ $0.09 (9&#162;) /kWh x 24hours/day = $0.99 (that's 99&#162;)/month savings going with the 1260 over the 1262.

1260 has an operating cost of $0.0067 / gallon
1260 has an operating cost of $0.0058 / gallon

1260 = ~ $168. to purchase
1262 = ~ $175. to purchase


........Do the math. --- you actually SAVE money with the 1262; as it's more efficient and more powerful thus will not have to operate at full strain = more efficient yet again. Less then a dollar/month for 265GPH increase ;)

[J.C.]

If it's not a lot of head, you could probably use the 1260, which uses less wattage than the 1262.

1260 = 65Watts @ 635GPH max (@ $0.09 (9¢) /kWh x 24hours/day = $4.27/month)
1262 = 80Watts @ 900GPH max (@ $0.09 (9¢) /kWh x 24hours/day = $5.26/month)

That's a difference of 15Watts @ $0.09 (9¢) /kWh x 24hours/day = $0.99 (that's 99¢)/month savings going with the 1260 over the 1262.

1260 has an operating cost of $0.0067 / gallon
1260 has an operating cost of $0.0058 / gallon

1260 = ~ $168. to purchase
1262 = ~ $175. to purchase


........Do the math. --- you actually SAVE money with the 1262; as it's more efficient and more powerful thus will not have to operate at full strain = more efficient yet again. Less then a dollar/month for 265GPH increase ;)

It's funny how it seems like a big difference when you look at the watts, but when you work it out, you're only talking about a buck...lol. In this case, bigger is better...go Eheim! Thanks AJ for the calculations, makes the decision much clearer!

J.C.

[miked]

FTS JC, post one.

[J.C.]

Will do, gotta do some maintenance this weekend, so I will snap a pic after.

J.C.

[rentyn79]

The tank looks great. I'm setting up a second tank right now and the pictures of yours gave me some great ideas. Keep up the great work.

Cheers, MIke

[J.C.]

Thanks for the kind words...I took some pics earlier and will hopefully get them on here for tomorrow.

Hope to see some pics of your tank on the forum!

J.C.