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At The Bommie's Edge - New Animals!


xerophyte_nyc

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xerophyte_nyc

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My first FTS: water + salt + fish + tank = reef

 

Day One:

My 39g CADLights Pro set-up arrived today...well, almost. The stand and 120W LED are due to arrive next week in separate boxes.

 

I have a very strong background in science (I am a doctor) and a long history in horticulture - specifically cactus, succulents and cycads. After spending countless hours delving into the reefing world, the similarities between the 2 hobbies is startling. Both are filled with beauty and joy, and immersed in folklore and nonsense.

 

I will take a very 'scientific' approach to this new hobby of mine. We shall see how it evolves. I have zero experience with aquaculture. The CADLights 39G system seems to be a good mix of style and utility in a modest size.

 

I am still weeks away from adding saltwater, rock and waiting for a cycle. I will create a DSB and have the aquascape supported by PVC so as to maximize on the volume of sand for the critters. I am not at all convinced that a skimmer is important if good technique is practiced. I plant to stock a few fish (a pair of clowns, royal gramma...) and some nice coral though not sure what yet.

 

I already purchased Spectrapure's MaxCap RO/DI to make my own clean H2O. I have the Reefkeeper Lite 3 and a Vortech MP-10. It will all be set-up in due time.

 

I look forward to this journey and welcome any questions, comments and discussion.

 

x

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xerophyte_nyc

I read some real horror stories about this tank on other forums, mainly with regards to shipping and breakage. The tank's box was palletized and it took some effort to pry open the nailed woodboard. The packaging was of high quality and everything was intact.

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The CADLights folks have been pleasant to deal with. They are friendly and helpful on the phone, and are responsive to emails - though not that quickly - being from NY I'm used to an instant response :P

 

Here you see the submersible pump. It is some sort of Chinese brand. It runs at 41W but it is practically silent and has no vibration.

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I assembled the Durso drain and return lines to check for fit. All was OK. I then used PVC glue to secure the thread adapters in the bulkheads. After waiting 15 minutes for the glue to set, I installed the plumbing and gave it some elbow grease.

 

First I filled the overflow area to check for leaks. AOK. Then I proceeded to fill the main display with tap water to test circulation, check for leaks, and make sure the pump was behaving.

 

I started filling with water using a jug. Then I realized that I should let physics do the work for me. So I rigged up a pitcher in my kitchen sink with the faucet left on to fill it up. Then I started a siphon in the pitcher and emptied it into the sump. Finally, I activated the pump and it started to fill the display.

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With the display full and the sump running at about 80%, everything was smooth as silk. The return pump was silent. The drain was quiet. The only sound was the gentle trickle of water through the overflow baffle. There were hardly any microbubbles in the sump's return chamber.

 

I will likely get myself some extra PVC to increase the height of the Durso. I want to fit my 125W heater in that compartment, but the current drain level is too low. I need another 3-4 inches.

 

That's about it for Day One. I replaced some of the existing Loc-line segments with Hydor-flo's. I used the siphon to drain the water into my dishwasher.

 

Today I also got a delivery from Petco - about 80lbs of #0 Marine white sand, avg. particle size of .1-.5mm. This will be perfect for my DSB. I just don't understand how it is cheaper for me to order that sand online and have it delivered to my door than to go to a Petco store nearby and have to lug all that sand.

 

Next step...building a partial rock wall out of Marco rock rubble and their E400 mortar which is just a reincarnation of Thorite. I will also use egg crate and 1/2" PVC to make a framework for a large overhang and isolated pillar.

 

Aquascaping will be no joke!

 

x

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xerophyte_nyc
Have you been to Atlantis Marine World in Riverhead?

 

My son's 1st BDay party was there! Cool place. I prefer Atlantis in Paradise Island, Bahamas :D

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xerophyte_nyc

Dry Aquascape

 

A small cube has some obvious size limitations which can make aquascaping a challenge. Design must take into account function. Here is a list of things I want to consider and implement:

  • A sense of depth - in a small tank, I don't really want to replicate mountains or caves. In nature they are not that small. Instead, I want to make the tank look as if it is a small piece of a much bigger reef. To achieve this, there needs to be rockwork that extends all the way to the top of the water. This gives the viewer a sense that there is more. It is also important when selecting livestock not to pick something that doesn't quite look proportional - for a example, a large toadstool or bubble coral doesn't look right in a small tank (in my opinion).
  • Rock background - this serves a few functions. First, it helps with the feeling of depth, to a degree. Second, if one desires a clean background this eliminates the need to have to scrape the back wall of algae to keep it clean. And finally, it provides additional surface area for biologic filtration.
  • Adequate dead space - this is an important concept in the visual arts. There should be an easily recognized clean area with minimal content. For example, a large area of un-aquascaped sand or a space where there is no rock. I want to avoid the "mountain of stacked of rock" look.
  • Maximum sandbed volume - I want to use a DSB for natural filtration. A 39G display tank is not big enough to make this a simple task. To keep a thriving and diverse sandbed ecosystem I will need to maximize on the volume. This means I must avoid stacking rock bare-bottom and then filling in later with sand. Instead, I need to elevate the rock work so that it mainly sits over the sand not in it.

 

I played around with Google's Sketch-up free 3D design program. In my mind I wanted to create a major overhang along with a pillar extending to the top.

 

cadscape.jpg

 

It's a little hard to see the proper effect but there is a major overhang to the left, with a tall pillar in the front right, and lots of clean "deadspace" sand in the bottom left. Now how the heck am I going to make an overhang like that? Stay tuned....

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xerophyte_nyc

Dry Aquascape Ingredients

 

At my disposal are:

  • Lots of dry rock rubble and some larger pieces of dry nano-rock
  • White plastic "egg crate" sheet
  • Emaco 400 mortar - a hydraulic cement
  • Great-stuff brand foam
  • Coarse aragonite sand
  • 1/2 inch PVC with connectors
  • Lots of zip-ties

 

Step 1

 

Make a framework out of PVC. The top area will support the overhang. The bottom space will support the weight. I used PVC glue on the connectors that swiveled when pressure was placed - for example, the 2 main rear supports. I didn't want to glue everything just in case things needed to be changed later. The lower right shelf will support a pillar stack.

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This is a closer look at the "shelf" with egg crate fastened for support.

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Here's a closer look at the pillar support.

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Step 2

Add some rocks to the shelf. I fastened some dry rock to the underside of the overhang. The top will be stacked with live rock at a later date.

 

Some rock attached with zip-ties:

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Another shot:

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Here's a view from underneath:

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Different angle:

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Following along here. Well documented and explained so far. Thank you for taking the time to do so.

 

So the bommies edge. Do you plan a drop off type biotope then? Have any idea on the types of coral you are looking at yet?

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xerophyte_nyc

Step 3

 

Pillar construction. I basically drilled some holes into PVC and used them to run zip-ties through to attach pieces of dry rock. I used a handheld power drill to make holes in the rock as needed. The swirly piece is a Montipora skeleton. One of my LFS has tons of this stuff for $2.99/ lb.

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I used the foam to fill in the gaps along with additional pieces of embedded dry rock rubble. As a final touch up, I strategically placed mortar over the plastic zip-ties (see pictures later). It's a big mish-mosh of colors and textures but I figure it will eventually become encrusted with coralline algae anyway.

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Step 4

Rock wall. Nothing out of the ordinary here. Just cut a piece of white crate to size, filler-up with foam and arrange some rubble. After a few minutes it starts to expand, then I add some small pieces of rubble to fit in the cracks. You can also sprinkle some sand on the exposed foam before it sets, but as the foam expands some stuff is pushed out. Remember that it will all be covered with algae soon enough, and the light yellowish color is not that ugly. The biggest challenge is lifting the entire mass off of the working surface as it is very sticky.

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xerophyte_nyc

Spanko -

 

I'm not looking to create a particular biotope per se, I just want to create an illusion of depth. My thoughts on coral is to try and keep things proportional. For example, zoas and acans look good in a small display without taking over, and are available in any color. Some movement is also important, so something like Duncans or Hammers that sway in the flow look nice. A pulsing Xenia somewhere in the back is also nice - and since it is a fast grower it can serve a dual purpose of being a nutrient export - just prune and remove.

 

Some dead space is important in the coral design too - I don't want to fill every nook and cranny with an animal.

 

I personally do not (yet) have a fascination for SPS corals, but at some point I will utilize a few. A clam or 2 will make it's home here as well.

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xerophyte_nyc

Step 5

 

Placement in the display.It's still a work in progress...the photo does not capture the true sense of depth. Eventually I may shoot a short panning video clip so you can get a better idea of spatial characteristics.

 

Rock wall is passively inserted, the shelf is placed along with the pillar. I need another piece of rock on top of the pillar to finish it off. I attached a flow-pump to see how it fits. I also filled up space along the PVC with mortar and sand so that it isn't obvious if it shows through the future liverock work. I still need to do the same for the 2 supporting PVC beams in the back.

 

FTS from the front. The aquarium is sitting on a roller caddy. I don't have the stand yet so I'm working with it this way for now.

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Top view:

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Left side view:

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Right side view: the rock wall here is supposed to look as if a bommie is rising up from the depths. I may add a deep blue background here instead of black, not sure yet. Will have to play around with the esthetics.

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A closer look at the shelf, you can see that the mortar+sand mix looks pretty natural. When I stack liverock on top, I won't be too concerned about closing off all noticeable gaps because you won't be seeing white PVC anyway. The open crate in the middle of the shelf will help with water flow through the rock. I also need to make sure the PVC openings are closed off lest it develop unwanted anaerobic bacteria or house a bristle worm from hell.

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A closer look at the pillar. No PVC or plastic zip-ties are visible.

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There are still some details that need to be addressed, like hiding the exposed egg crate edges on the rock wall. Also, it's hard to picture the future "vision" as it is now. Adding sand will help tremendously.

 

Coming next - starting the sand...I presume to have the tank stand and lighting set-up about a week before I expect the live-rock. I am using dry "dead" sand - about 80lbs of oolite #0 ultra-fine marine white sand. During that week I will attempt to seed the sand. The plan is to make about a 4 inch DSB, + salt water to a depth of about half the tank. I will inoculate by adding some live sand from the LFS along with nitrobacter species in a bottle. I will feed the bacteria with pure household ammonia (how much? I don't know yet, I have to look into it. I would image a few mL at most.) to get the process started. Water changes will be easy at low volume. The only flow will be a submerged powerhead. I'm hoping/ expecting that by the time I add the liverock I will have established at least a low baseline denitrifying population to help with the live rock soft cure.

 

As of now I will purchase cured nano rock from Premium Aquatics, along with some Chaeto and live rock rubble for the sump. I may also request 1 or 2 bigger pieces to sit on my overhang shelf.

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This looks like a great build thread. I will be definitely following it along. It makes me want to upgrade my tank and start building again. Keep up the documentation.

 

I am really interested in seeing how your rock wall will turn out. Have you considered premaking small holes to fit frag plugs?

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xerophyte_nyc
This looks like a great build thread. I will be definitely following it along. It makes me want to upgrade my tank and start building again. Keep up the documentation.

 

I am really interested in seeing how your rock wall will turn out. Have you considered premaking small holes to fit frag plugs?

 

I've thought about it but I don't really have a good enough idea of what the flow will be like or how I will design the frag placement. One thing I know for sure is I hate the way those white frag disks look. Why can't people just use pieces of rock rubble? I suppose I could pour a small amount of the gray mortar since it sets so fast, and then place my frags and they won't be as much of an eyesore.

 

 

Looks like alot of work lol but looking good keep the updates coming B)

 

Yes it is a lot of work, and it is time consuming and I have to juggle my family life :P

But when it's all done I am hopeful it will be worth the effort.

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Lee Van Reef

Some people dremel off alot of the frag disk to make it less noticeable. Others just take it off entirely and place it on the rock or on rubble.

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looking good so far! i love the detail you're providing in describing your setup/equipment. also, it's great to hear that cadlights has figured out the overflow noise issue (which was particularly vexing for those of us using prior versions of their stock equipment).

 

from the looks of it, you'll be mounting your mp10 to a side wall -- did you consider hiding the mp10 within the rock wall on the back wall (e.g. by creating a cut-out that the wetside fits into)?

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xerophyte_nyc
looking good so far! i love the detail you're providing in describing your setup/equipment. also, it's great to hear that cadlights has figured out the overflow noise issue (which was particularly vexing for those of us using prior versions of their stock equipment).

 

from the looks of it, you'll be mounting your mp10 to a side wall -- did you consider hiding the mp10 within the rock wall on the back wall (e.g. by creating a cut-out that the wetside fits into)?

 

 

The drain seems very quiet indeed. I actually want to lengthen it so that the overflow compartment can hold more water volume which allows me to easily fit my heater - but the plumbing from china is not a standard US size; it is a tiny bit smaller than 1 1/4 inch, just enough that standard parts don't fit. I will wind up wrapping teflon and using glue to add an extra 1.5 inches of drain pipe.

 

I will probably mount the MP10 on the left side wall roughly in the center, I will have to play around and see how the flow is. I have 2 spare maxijet 1200's with the sureflow mod that I can use as extras as needed. The way my rockwork will ultimately lay out, I don't think that mounting a pump in the back would be optimal for flow, but I agree that for esthetics it would be best there. Oh well ,can't have everything.

 

I'm also considering hiding a maxijet or 2 on the sandbed along the backwall just to get some extra flow back there. I will figure it all out soon enough once there's water in there.

 

Will post some new pics tonight, I added some more dry rock and mortar to the PVC shelf.

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xerophyte_nyc

I made another rock wall piece, this one will rest up against one side of the overflow box:

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I also added more dry base rock pieces underneath the PVC shelf. Here is a view from below:

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Still no word on when my stand and light will arrive. I can't add any water until the tank is situated on the stand.

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xerophyte_nyc

STAND AND SAND

 

The stand arrived today. It took me about 30 minutes to get it together, pretty straightforward. I hoisted the tank to the top and cleaned it out with RO/DI water.

 

Next, I used clear silicone to attach the rock wall to the back of the tank. I placed the PVC shelf on the bottom and added 90 lbs of dry super fine white marine sand. It is very soft. I packed it down as best I could but in most parts it is around 5 inches. The goal is a 4 inch DSB so I will have to scoop some out tomorrow. It will settle over time so I will have extra to add as needed.

 

Here are some photos from different angles:

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NEXT ON THE AGENDA

  • Add some salt water
  • Add a powerhead at low flow
  • Add a thermometer
  • Inoculate the DSB with some bacteria in a bottle and live sand from the LFS
  • Add some ammonia
  • Have water ready for water changes as needed
  • Start testing for nitrates, nitrites and ammonia
  • Live rock will be added after about a week of sandbed cycling

 

If all goes well, there will already be bacterial establishment on a small scale to help with the next live rock cycle.

 

LED lamp tree arrives next week...

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paradox_of_reef

I really like what you done in this build so far. The scape looks very unique. I look forward to seeing water and coral added.

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xerophyte_nyc

FINALLY SOME WATER!

 

I can make up about 7-gal of SW at a time, comfortably. I have two 5-gal jugs - the kind that are used for bottled water - to store RO/DI water, and a 10-gal plastic trash can that I am using for mixing.

 

I am using Instant Ocean salt, the basic stuff. It may be lacking in Ca and Mg, but in the beginning I don't anticipate a big nutrient need. I can always switch salts or start dosing - but I am getting ahead of myself. I have a Maxi-Jet 1200 outfitted with the Sureflow mod, and a 75W Eheim heater, for the mixing process.

 

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There is exactly 14 gallons of SW in there so far. Since I'm not using the sump yet, I have to add water directly into the DT. I propped the jug of water on a small ladder so it was elevated above the DT, and I used a siphon to add the water. I will add some more another day but not all the way to the top - we need room for water displacement after live rock is added. It will take a couple days for things to clear up. I got about 2 lbs of crud from my LFS that I added to the surface for bacterial seeding, along with some Nite-Out (see below).

 

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I have the Vortech MP-10 running at about 70% continuous mode to stir up the water. No sandstorms despite the pump being close to the bottom. You can also see the heater laying there. It is set to 83F.

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This nifty little ammonium tester should come in handy, although I won't rely on it. I have a Salifert kit, but this will do for now. I added a few mL of household ammonia, which was enough to change the color on the tester to "ALERT". I will try to maintain this level during the week to feed the nitrifying bacteria until the live rock is added.

 

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It's creepy looking in there.

 

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Here is the bacteria-in-a-bottle that I'm using to supplement the LFS crud. I will add a little daily and reserve some for the soft cure process, as needed.

 

So far so good! LED's coming in a few days, live rock probably in a week.

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HeliWrench

Awesome looking 'scape. I've yet to enter the hobby yet... just collecting my research for now :).

 

I do have a thought... possibly unjustified.. but maybe worth bringing up.....

 

Have you considered the issue of possible gunk build up in the pipe-framework, causing trouble with tank ammonia/nitrate/etc. levels once the setup matures. If a snail or something got caught in there and died then I'm thinking the toxins would seep into the system, and you would have no-way other then to tear down the tank to get at the source.

 

If this is the case, at least it's early enough to figure out a fix.

 

Good luck with the build and I look forward to following.

 

Cheers,

HeliWrench

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xerophyte_nyc
Awesome looking 'scape. I've yet to enter the hobby yet... just collecting my research for now :).

 

I do have a thought... possibly unjustified.. but maybe worth bringing up.....

 

Have you considered the issue of possible gunk build up in the pipe-framework, causing trouble with tank ammonia/nitrate/etc. levels once the setup matures. If a snail or something got caught in there and died then I'm thinking the toxins would seep into the system, and you would have no-way other then to tear down the tank to get at the source.

 

If this is the case, at least it's early enough to figure out a fix.

 

Good luck with the build and I look forward to following.

 

Cheers,

HeliWrench

 

That is a valid point. I ended up sealing off all the openings in the PVC first with the foam, then with the mortar for esthetics. I debated doing that vs. drilling holes all along the piping to promote flow. I think the biggest threat to the tank might be the growth of dangerous anaerobic bacteria withing the pipes.

 

The problem with drilling the holes is that most of the PVC is submerged under sand so there is no way to promote circulation. I decided to seal off everything and not have to worry.

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