30x18x15 Custom Reef Build

[zhubbell]

Current Picture (06/02/08)

 

Picture (06/26/08) - 5 minutes after light clicked on

 

I'm in the car on a 13 hour drive, so I can't post pictures right now, but I just finished drawing the plans for my new prop tank.

The display tank will be 24"x18"x14", about 26G. I hae a small business building custom acrylic aquariums, so of course, I'll custom build this from 3/8" acrylic, and I'm probably going to do the base and back wall out of black acrylic. The overflow will be out of 1/8" black, mayyyybe 1/4", but I don't know yet for sure.

I'm also building a custom stand for it, which will house one the shoebox sump/fuge models with built in ATO resvoir, as well as a dozing chamber for a calcium drop system (don't be surprised if you haven't heard of this line, its another small company out of California, the tanks are designed by an engineer, and built by me. This will serve as one of the prototype models.)

Another feature that I'm incorporating in this tank that I've been wanting to do, is a seperate hole drilled in the display, with a ball valve attached to it, which will serve as an extremely simple, no hassle way of draining water for water changes.

This will replace my current prop tank, which consists of two parts - the display, which is 23.5x16x10, and the fuge that sits along side of it, which is 23.5x8x8, this I'll post some pics of, and will be going up for sale in the near future.

 

Here are the plans for equiptment:

lighting: either 1 250w MH

or 1 196w current pc, and my 150W viper HQI

skimmer will be a tunze skimmer in the sump/fuge (which I still need, if anyone has one that they'd wanna trade...)

Carbon will be incorporated into the baffle system of the fuge

pump, I'm still looking for, possibly a mag5 or 7.

a couple asst. Powerheads

I have to look into the best ATO, and dozing system

anyadvice on any aspect of this set up would be welcome..

 

More info to come.

 

Equipment list:

250W Pendent with 14k bulb

mag3 Return

Stealth 200W heater

2 Koralina nanos

Koralina 1

Soon to come:

Tunze 9005

JBJ ATO

 

Livestock:

 

Inverts

asst. CUC, including new, and old (from a diff setup), made up of astreas, nassarius, turbo margarita, cerith snails, and red/blue legged and zebra hermits - enough for at least a 75G

4 Emerald Green Crabs

Lg. Tiger Serpent Star

Pencil Urchin - moved to my dwarf lionfish/dwarf eel tank

Royal urchin (blue/gold)

4 Peppermint Shrimp

Sebae Anemeone

Condylactus Anemone

Long Tentacle anemone (about the size of a quarter)

T. Deresa

 

Tons of coral (52 colonies)- Zoas, polyps, shrooms, Xenia, Acro, Traychs, favia, gorgonian, etc.

 

Fish

Purple firefish

2 Bangaii Cardinals

2 True Percs

2 Chromiis Damsels

2 Domino Damsels

Scooter Blenny

Yellow Watchman Goby

Mandarin Dragonette

[kgehrke]

Sounds very cool, I've been slowly collecting parts for a system like this too lately. Owning an acrylic aquarium business doesn't hurt for this sort of thing either. lol. Good Luck

[SaltWaterNewb]

Hmmm....another tank builder....good to know. You have a website or anything?

Oh, and your plans sound good. Can't wait to see some pictures.

[zhubbell]

Hmmm....another tank builder....good to know. You have a website or anything?

Oh, and your plans sound good. Can't wait to see some pictures.

My website is in the building process, so far I've gotten plenty of business just from this website, and LFS hook ups.

 

Here is the prop tank that it'll replace:

 

 

 

 

The corals have lived i that tank for about....3 weeks? since their home in the tank before that, the first tank I ever built:

 

thats the hole system it was in before it was full

 

 

 

I'm just waiting on some trades to go through to figure out if I'm ganna have extra 24'' PC's, or extra 30" PC's...

I'm ganna put only actinic bulbs in whichever I use, and then use that in addition to either my 150W viper, a 250W HQi Retrofit, or possibly, If I feel like really growin some coral, BOTH.

Well, we'll see, but I"ll post the designs for the fuge/sump tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

 

Any suggestions for a really cool creature, invert or fish to inhabit a nice prob?

Something out of the ordinary, but DEFINETLY fully reef safe - SPS, Clams, the whole nine yards

[brian92]

Interesting thread looks like a nicely constructed tank how many gallons is it? I think a sixline wrasse would be a cool prop tank addition because my lfs has them one in every one of their coral tanks to control any pest like zoa eating pods or something like that.

[Toomin]

yeah.a wrasse would be nice alone in a 26g.

[SaltWaterNewb]

Scorpion fish.

[zhubbell]

Ok, so its been alittle while, but theres been much progress.

The stand will be done in a couple days, the footprint i landed on is 18''x30'', and the fuge will be constructed using a half built model of a prototype for Shoebox Fuge/Sumps, that is now scrap due to me glueing in one of the walls a 1/4" off, so for my purposes it will work just fine, and infact, I may even extend it, because it was a smaller model, and I want alot of fuge.

I also have arranged a trade for a 70W HQI to light the fuge, and will have both a 250W MH, and a 150W Viper MH to choose from for the display, and I'm actually considering the idea of putting bracers on the tank spaced right so that I could put my 24" Current fixture up there, and change out the bulbs so both are actinic, putting actinic light at 192W.

What do you think?

I"m also debating what return pump, I have a Mag3, and then I have a way bigger one., I think I"ll probably end up going with the Mag 3, but then Ill have to find a different one for my other tank taht the Mag3 is on right now.

We'll see i suppose...

Anyway, pics of the stand are coming, and I have two questions about reef compatability if anyone knows.

Scorpionfish? i didn't think so but i wasn't sure if the above post was a joke or not....probably just wishful thinking.

Second, what about dwarf (or maybe they're pygmy) rays, tropicorium in romulous, MI often gets in these very small dwarf cortez rays I beilive they're called, they're maybe the size of a CD - I doubt they are safe, but anyone know??

[brian92]

Scorpionfish have a pretty high bioload and will eat any fish they can fit in their mouths. and wwm has good ray info http://wetwebmedia.com/batoiddisfaqs.htm

[Weetabix7]

Scorpion fish are reef safe and are a cool suggestion, but they can also be a bit expensive.

[zhubbell]

Scorpion fish are reef safe and are a cool suggestion, but they can also be a bit expensive.

 

I'm not too worried about bioload, I'm going to have a pretty nice set up going, with a solid mangrove swamp fuge growing under a MH, and I've never had much of a problem in the past with high bioloads, but the only thing that has me still up in the air is the fact that It'd leave me with no other options as far as tank mates....

hmmmm....tough decision...

 

Anyway...My other still "up in the air" contemplation is on height.

at 30"x18" how high should I go?

I"m leaning towards like....16", with the the overflows like, 1.75" below that, keeping the water level between 14.5" and 14", depending on flowrate.

[zhubbell]

Alright, first, heres what I am starting from - what was already assembled when the mess up occured:

 

 

Now, heres what happens tomorrow...I know its far from Ideal, but, I hated seeing that partially built sump/fuge go to waste.

 

All the peices aren't cut, and I cant saw right now and wake up the girlfreind, but heres the next few peices, and you should get the idea.

 

 

I knew I wanted it bigger, and the already baffled off part wouldn't fit a mag3, so I'm adding a whole seperate, slightly narrower portion that will be baffled off from the rest once again, and the new add on will house the return.

I'm not yet 100% on where I'll put the baffles to house the carbon filtration, but i guess we'll see.

 

both of the two seperated sections that currently exist (before my alterations) will both be fuges of sorts.

I"m thinking Mangrove in the thin one, and lots of live rock/chaeto in the other, much bigger/square section.

Pics tomorrow.

[zhubbell]

Heres the sump/fuge, almost done!

 

 

I decided to add the second baffle in there behind where the tank gets narrower, and then I"m going to put in some eggcrate, covered in screen in there, and in between the 2nd baffle, adn the eggcrate screen leading to the return will be a custom sized carbon bag, as well as perhaps phosphate paper, although with all the mangroves, the paper will probably be overkill.

 

Anyway - what do you think?

 

obviously not ideal, but free, and gets a bunch of scraps out of my work area.

 

This is what will be used once I get some extra time to build one of these for myself, its a model my company sells

 

I"ll probably do a significantly large mod though, just cuz I have the space, and I love my fuges almost as much as my tanks most the time.

[zhubbell]

Alright the sump/fuge is done

and the stand is almost done:

here it is with the waterproof layer drying, and the doors waiting to be put on!!!

It looks awesome...I think anyway

 

[Weetabix7]

The tank itself is an interesting construction, I'm curious to see what it looks like when it's set up.

[zhubbell]

What you're refering to when you say the tank itself is actually the sump/fuge, and its only taht way because its made from scraps of slightly imperfect builds, etc.

It is rather strange, but I think it'll work out for me.

the idea for it is this:

chamber one (narrow, the wide width of the tank) - water enters here, and it houses just basically some LR, a nice LS bed, and some mangroves planted in here.

chamber two (main fuge, the biggest chamber) - LS/LR/Chaeto, probably some filter feeders

chamber three will be split into two sections (split where the tank gets narrower with a screen)

the very narrow, but wider part will house bio balls, and custom carbon bags, etc.

the narrow chamber will then serve solely to house the return pump.

 

 

So thats the plan there.

 

Tank build - Tonight

Stand pick up - Tonight

still waiting on return pump, as well as a few peices of lockline adapter that I ordered from Fish Doctor in Ypsilanti.

[zhubbell]

Here it is - all done but the plumbing...

 

 

 

The stand is gorgeous, My mag3 is on its way, The tank looks great and is awaiting the lockline plumbing, which should be arriving at my LFS in a day or two.

and then I'm ready to fill!

I'm leaving now to do a swap, custom tank for lighting deal, for the MH that i'm ganna be hanging above this guy.

The routed lid for the tank should be done in a day or two btw, i didn't wanna black my access to inside the overflow, so i only did a U shape for the lid.

 

Anyway - thats the update I guess.

[zhubbell]

Heres the plumbing

 

 

here it is with the halide hanging over it, and a routed lid on it:

 

 

The plumbing also features a ball valve that you may have noticed has nothing on the other end of it, curious huh?

well inside the stand is an attachment that goes on the other end of it, and provides an easy tap for water changing.

 

Trying to simplify the water changing process.

[zhubbell]

Here it is, pump arrived, waters running.

Waiting on ballast - ordered

lockline - should be in tomorrow

fuge light - continued flaking and unanswered emails from the person who arranged a trade to get a custom tank from me (24x8x8 - still have it btw) in exchange for a 70W HQI, may give up and go a different route....

 

Newest concept for future addition - hanging black acrylic hood to house the 250W HQI, as well as a pair of Actinic PC strips that fragmadness is hooking me up with - thanks man

 

Here are pics....

 

 

Running well, left side is aqua scaped, which is the softies side, and a sleugh of zoas and shrooms were added, about 20 minutes before this picture...

Still to move - SPS, Deresa, carnation, xenia, lots of rock, and eventually fish.

 

If you look at this by chance, let me know....I have made like the last 8 posts and its starting to feel like I'm talking to myself....

[zhubbell]

Ok - and now, with the MH running - lockline, still awaiting, all corals transfered over though!

 

 

 

So far - so good, Everything seems to be liking it!

This weekend will hopefully be largely devoted to scowering my LFSs for inverts!

 

Thanks to the sale of my custom designed/built Overflow desktop tank (10.2 gallon display)

I have two very exciting things!!!

This new brain!

 

and me and my girlfriends tickets to Aruba May 25th! (or is that three things?)

 

of course, it did not pay for both tickets, or even half of one, but none the less - it helped!

 

I think it fills out the center of the tank, VERY nicely.

I paid 79.99 -20% frequent customer discount - thats a pretty solid price, isn't it? I'm always kinda clueless whats fair pricing with stoneys.

 

I'm planning on having him on the same diet as my trychs, minus the brine/mysis, so that leaves phyto, rotifers, cyclopeez, and oyster eggs - sound good?

 

One other question - what is everyones favorite calcium supplement? I'm not sure what I awnna use, i've tried a few different ones and never settled.

 

Also - here are almost all my zoas out, except for all the greens, but this colony just escaped torture at the hands of a lemon peel in his previous tank, so I'll give him a few days to recover.

[irishtexan]

Looks nice! Great job at custom building a tank. I want to do it one of these days

 

Do you supplement anything? Also, do you just have one clam, the deresa?

 

 

-texx

[zhubbell]

Looks nice! Great job at custom building a tank. I want to do it one of these days

 

Do you supplement anything? Also, do you just have one clam, the deresa?

 

 

-texx

 

Thanks for the compliments - if you ever actually do it - let me know I can be of some help, I built my first one about a year ago and have built about 40 since.

 

I supplement Purple Up, but not always consistently, Marine Buffer, Iodine, and Marc Weisses coral vital when I feel like spending $50 a bottle....

of course I dose phyto, but i consider that feeding more so than supplementing..

I guess I kinda have gone thru phases, and diff combos of supplementing, but am looking to settle into a routine now that I ahve my tank built and set up how I want it, and there wont be so many variables and changing plans.

as for clams, unfortunately yes.....

thanks to my sisters boyfriend who was paid to feed/top off/dose, etc during a one week vacation i took not to long ago, my huge amazing crocea starved/was poisoned by being forcefully fed rotting, unrefridgerated phyto - "he forgot"

[irishtexan]

Oh that sucks! I have a 10G with MH and I want to keep a crocea eventually.

 

Do you dose Calcium, ALK, or Mag?

[zhubbell]

Oh that sucks! I have a 10G with MH and I want to keep a crocea eventually.

 

Do you dose Calcium, ALK, or Mag?

 

I do dose Calc and Alk, no Magnesium by itself, but I'm almost positive that the marc weiss coral vital has it in it, also, I've read that having a mangrove swamp fuge actually keeps magnesium and strontium levels pretty solid. can anyone confirm or deny??

[zhubbell]

Ok - stupid quesiton but I cant figure it out for the life of me....

how do I change the title/subtitle of my topic???

I see people do this I am extremely envious, haha

 

 

But more importantly I got my lockline today.

I didn't get home to install it tonight, so I just clicked my metal halide on momentarily to snap this picture, dont mind everything sleeping/the weird spectrum of light....