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RollaJase's 30G Custom Cube - Tank Torn Down


RollaJase

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Just read through your entire thread. You've had a lot of trial and error which you've overcome which is ultimately what transforms any hobbiest from noob to seasoned professional. The end result of your diligence is the amazing evolution of your tank from sewage lagoon to great looking reef. Congrats, you've done a bang up job of dealing with the issues and overcoming them.

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Just read through your entire thread. You've had a lot of trial and error which you've overcome which is ultimately what transforms any hobbiest from noob to seasoned professional. The end result of your diligence is the amazing evolution of your tank from sewage lagoon to great looking reef. Congrats, you've done a bang up job of dealing with the issues and overcoming them.

Thank you so much. Yeah it has been a big learning curve but I have learned a lot and am loving the result so far. I just need to get a job so I can buy some more corals and upgrade my lighting so I can keep SPS better :D.

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RollaJase

Skimmer arrived! came in yesterday afternoon so this morning I went about fitting it and capping my bulkheads.

Some pics:

http://img191.imageshack.us/i/p1050259h.jpg/'>p1050259h.jpg

http://img836.imageshack.us/i/p1050260r.jpg/'>p1050260r.jpg

http://img541.imageshack.us/i/p1050261u.jpg/'>p1050261u.jpg

http://img694.imageshack.us/i/p1050263d.jpg/'>p1050263d.jpg

http://img11.imageshack.us/i/p1050264h.jpg/'>p1050264h.jpg

 

Due to where I placed the skimmer I had to move my heater so I laid it horizontally behind my rock scape. When your looking at teh scape front on you wouldn't even know it's there.

http://img90.imageshack.us/i/p1050262z.jpg/'>p1050262z.jpg

 

I ran into a little issue mounting it though, I was unable to mount it on the back of the tank because my drain bulkhead lined up perfectly with where the mounting magnet needed to be placed. I just rotated the skimmer 45 degrees so it is mounted on the right hand glass and problem solved. I think this ended up working for the better anyway as the powerhead blows the surface scum directly towards the skimmer. Within a few hours the amount of surface scum had severely decreased.

 

I have been very happy with the skimmer so far. As usual with Tunze products it is very well built, easy to clean and mounts very easily and sturdily. The unit is also very quiet, quieter then my Tunze 2015 powerhead. The only noise you hear from it is the 'sizzle' from the reaction chamber and even that is considerably quieter then the other skimmers I have owned. As I write this the skimmer has been running for about 5 hours and has already started to break in. Almost no micro bubbles left in the aquarium anymore and the water level in the collection cup tube has dropped to about half it's previous level. Next water change I'll mix and extra liter of water to raise the water level again. I have decided to put the skimmer on a timer so it comes on at 8am and turns off at 10pm. Even with how quiet the skimmer is I have gotten used to having near no noise in my room when I sleep since I have removed the sump. I'll also attach to this timer the top off pump (when I get around to getting/making one) and my reactor pump (when I buy one).

 

A tip to those who are looking at purchasing the Tunze 9004, make sure you have the water entering the skimmer in the bottom quarter of the grate. The manual shows half way up but I found that the skimmer would just pump water until it started to break in a little. Once it starts to break in you can submerge it a little more. The skimmer also has a little cut out and a clip in the rear of it specifically for the Tunze Osmolator sensor which is a nice way to conceal a float valve in the tank. I may see if I can make my own unit to fit behind it, don't really want to drop $180 on an Osmolator.

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Really nice setup and review. My buddy just ordered the 9004 skimmer, 3162 filter, and a 3155 ato for a new PicO. I've never used Tunze products but after reading this I'm actually excited to help him set everything up.

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Nice review of the 9004. I'm looking at upgrading to one of those in the next couple of months so was glad to read your opinion.

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RollaJase

Really nice setup and review. My buddy just ordered the 9004 skimmer, 3162 filter, and a 3155 ato for a new PicO. I've never used Tunze products but after reading this I'm actually excited to help him set everything up.

Thanks. I definitely recommend Tunze products. We don't get much variety when it comes to equipment in Australia and even though there is a lot of high end gear around the pricing is insane. I have found Tunze to be a good balance between price and performance and even though I wouldn't consider it an entry level brand Tunze has definitely won me over.

 

Nice review of the 9004. I'm looking at upgrading to one of those in the next couple of months so was glad to read your opinion.

Thank you.I strongly recommend the 9004 if you have the space. It does look a little large in my tank but I have to run the magnet spacers to clear the bracing. Easy to set up and easy to use, what more could you want :D. I'll be posting pics of the skimmate soon.

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RollaJase

Just an update on the skimmer. It has been set up for over 24 hours now, running for about 17 hours and this is how much it has pulled from the water:

p1050277g.jpg

p1050278y.jpg

p1050279f.jpg

p1050280r.jpg

A crop of the floaties in the skim:

skimmercrop.jpg

 

It has also cleared up the water quite nicely as well and removed the ocean smell I was getting. I tested for ammonia and what not and all the levels are 0 (according to my API kit) but it was definitely starting to smell like dirty sea water before hand. The skimmer has also quietened down a lot, it would roughly be half as loud as it was yesterday. I think it's safe to say it has broken in now, or not far from breaking in.

 

One observation for those interested in this skimmer. Water level is 100% key to the effectiveness of this skimmer. There is a water level mark on the back of the skimmer (where the osmolator float can fit), I highly recommend using this as the water level for the skimmer. If the water level is too high it will pump water into the skim cup, if it's too low it becomes noisy and the internal water level drops substantially. From what I have read and experienced this skimmer does skim quite wet, some people like it, some people hate it, personally I'm indifferent. You can always play with the water height to get it right for you but I strongly recommend starting at the level on the back of the unit.

 

I took some photos during feeding time tonight when I fed all my corals and my fish so I will leave you with those :D.

p1050268o.jpg

p1050269u.jpg

 

My encrusting SPS frag (love this piece):
p1050272lb.jpg

 

Mushroom wall filling in well (red mushies spreading):

p1050274dw.jpg

 

Anemone enjoying its meal:

p1050276e.jpg

 

Fluro Green torch enjoying the brine shrimp:

p1050275aw.jpg

Close up crop of the patterns:

hammercrop.jpg

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RollaJase

Oh one thing I forgot to mention is I am still looking into making a custom LED fixture for this tank. It is something I would really like to do so I can grow a few nice SPS frags. I am personally leaning towards getting some gear through LED Group Buy even though it's going to cost me about 30% more, the only downside is they don't ship heatsinks internationally and that's a big killer for me. Once I have priced everything up and get some layouts drawn up I'll fill you all in.

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Your encrusting frag is a beauty. I'm concerned it will be stung to death by the anemone which is right beside it (for now).

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Your encrusting frag is a beauty. I'm concerned it will be stung to death by the anemone which is right beside it (for now).

Thanks, I love it. Since that photo was taken I have moved him further over to the right and the anemone has moved more on top of the rock. As you say he was getting stung a little and starting to lose a bit of colour on that side of the colony. It has started to colour back up now though.

 

 

That cynarina is awesome.

Thanks. I almost didn't buy it from my friend. In his tank under T5's it was a more brown and the yellows and greens where nowhere near as pronounced. It looks a million times better under my LEDs.

 

Skimmer Update:

Still working great, no issues thus far. I have been running the water level slightly higher then the level mark Tunze suggest. This gives me a slightly wetter skimmate and I get roughly 1 cup every 5-6 days.

 

My current predicament is my lighting. I really really want to upgrade these PAR38 bulbs so I can actually grow SPS, not just maintain the frags I have. I started off looking at the Aquastyle kits, decided that LED Group Buy was a better option for me and now I have my heart set on a 20.5" 16k Maxspect Razor. The razor is insanely expensive over here though (about $600 shipped) so it is really hard for me to justify it considering I am still unemployed. On the other hand the AI Sol seems to be coming up for sale second hand quite a bit lately, I guess a lot of SOL owners have jumped ship to the razor.

 

The Sol without the controller will cost me $400 new shipped from the US, second hand with controller will hopefully be about the same money wise. The razor second hand will be about $400 as well. Both fixtures have their pros and cons so it's a hard choice for me. Hmm, I will ponder this over the next few days/week.

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Really nice build! I like your light bracket, that was well thought out. I love DIY!

Thanks! Yeah it is all coming along pretty well. I love DIY as well, that mount took me a while to figure out but it is rock solid. A bonus is when I upgrade my lights I just need to make a rail to fit in that top channel and I can easily mount and remove the new light.

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Thanks again for the Tunze 9004 review Rollajase - I upgraded to one today. Love how quiet it is!

Not a problem, glad you like it :D. If you think it's quiet now, wait until it breaks in, even quieter :D.

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Bit of an update. I decided to buy a refurbished AI Sol Blue direct from AI as the shipping costs were reasonable and it ends up being a better deal then a second hand unit. I just need to track down a controller now though. I'm a bit annoyed with PayPal however. With the conversion rate the $325USD should have cost me $336AUD but instead PayPal are charging me $348AUD. I guess at the end of the day an additional $12 isn't much of an issue but I am working with a budget of $400AUD for the controller and the Sol so I might have to wait a bit longer before I can end up getting the controller.

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Congrads on the new toy. 336.00AUD seems like a great deal for light with international shipping included. The extra fees are kinda odd. I thought they took fees out of the sellers end and not the buyers?

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I'm excited that we are both getting refurb Sols. Did you get the black ones? I was able to pick up a new controller for $45 used - they should shortly be tanking in price as Director beta program rolls out.

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Congrads on the new toy. 336.00AUD seems like a great deal for light with international shipping included. The extra fees are kinda odd. I thought they took fees out of the sellers end and not the buyers?

PayPal always offer a lower conversion rate to that of the market, this covers their conversion fees etc. Technically I didn't really pay more, they just gave me less for my dollar compared to what a bank would. I can't wait for the light to come in,

 

I'm excited that we are both getting refurb Sols. Did you get the black ones? I was able to pick up a new controller for $45 used - they should shortly be tanking in price as Director beta program rolls out.

I ended up getting a white one. The colour choice may be a bit off due to the colour of my current setup but I was looking to the future when I brought this light. When I get a job and end up leaving home I want to do a long and shallow tank, the theme would be white. When/if that happens I'll buy another one or two of the same light and network them together. I am having trouble finding a new controller, most people tend to be asking retail priced for a used item shipped in the US. I won't be able to use the light until I get one so I might just have to accept the fact that I am going to pay more then I want to. I looked at buying one new from the US but most of the online stores want to charge me $60-80USD shipping when I know a satchel is only $25USD.

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Well, looks like me Sol aint coming. AI wanted me to pay insane additional shipping charges and I told them to cancel the order. The search continues.

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Well, looks like me Sol aint coming. AI wanted me to pay insane additional shipping charges and I told them to cancel the order. The search continues.

 

Wow that sucks :( Sorry to hear, and especially that it took them so long to tell you. Mine should be here Friday.

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Wow that sucks :( Sorry to hear, and especially that it took them so long to tell you. Mine should be here Friday.

I told them to cancel the order and they came back with different shipping quotes. They wanted me to pay an additional $125 ($145USD total) postage, little did they tell me that that quote was for expedited express shipping that would get the fixture to me in 4 days. They are having a look at standard postage quotes for me and may be able to get me shipping for $50 (an extra $25 on top of what I have already paid). If that is the case I will continue with the order, otherwise I'll cancel it and probably get a razor locally.

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I have been told by AI that they will look into alternative shipping means for me tomorrow morning. They also said they would be able to provide me with one of the new controllers at retail price if I wanted one.

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Final clarification on the light. AI found a suitable means of shipping for me that wouldn't cost the earth. Ended up purchasing the Sol, new controller and shipping for about $480AUD ($445USD), shipping was $65USD total so not to bad at all. When I factored in obtaining a controller elsewhere and shipping it out I would be looking at similar money anyway. The whole venture came out at about $100 cheaper then a 120W Razor 16k and about $250 cheaper then a Radion. I also ordered a nice adjustable hanging kit from the UK so now all I have to do is adapt my existing mount for horizontal hanging (easy done) and get some eyelet bolts to attach to the Sol.

 

I must say that I am very happy with AI at the moment. They really went above and beyond with the customer service. They could have easily told me that other shipping methods weren't available and be done with it but they persisted and found a solution which suited both parties. I have not met many companies who would go through the trouble, particularly ones with no retail footing on the buyers continent.

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Glad everything got worked out! One of the nice things about this hobby is that the usual corporate disconnect hasn't taken a foothold yet. Even the 'larger' companies like AI, Ecotech, etc are very aware of modern advertising (ie internet reputation and user/blog reviews) and customer retention. It's pretty refreshing actually. Almost everyone I run into in the industry is also a passionate hobbyist.

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