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rendition rO.oster's revision 2.0 - Retired


rO.oster

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FTS 11/15/13
Kickoff1_zpsa22be9c8.jpg


Welcome to my tank journal. This is the second expedition that I am undertaking into the reefing world; the first of which ended due to a sudden overseas job assignment. That first tank experience taught me many fundamental lessons about maintenance, DIY, nutrition, coral placement, growth, rock scaping, and general reef husbandry. The resultant period away from the hobby has allowed me to increase my knowledge on these different subjects by researching many threads and topics. Since my work contract is almost finished, I have been steadily planning my comeback.

I weighed the possibility of a tank upgrade but chose to continue with my current setup. Having saved all of my previously owned gear, I took full advantage of some internet specials to add to my equipment catalog. Here is the place I shall log my progress, what I am dubbing revision 2.0.


Specifications and Equipment:

  • Oceanic Biocube 29:
    • 2010 edition with stock fish guard and chamber two window
    • Biocube aquarium stand
  • Ecotech MP10 ES Wave Maker
  • ReefKeeper Lite Aquarium Controller
    • SL1 Temperature Probe, pH probe, 2 port ATO controller
    • 2 x PC4 power board (8 total outlets)
    • MLC - Moon Light Controller


Custom DIY Features:

  • Full Spectrum LED build:
    • Nanotuners BC29 Heatsink
    • 2 x Thomas Research 40w 700mA, Invertronics 40w 700mA dimmable drivers
    • Phillips Rebel ES LEDS:
      • CH1: 5 x 4,000K Warm White, 5 x 5,000K Neutral White
      • CH2: 10 x 445nm Royal Blue, 4 x 475nm Cool Blue
      • CH3: 2 x 655nm Deep Red, 2 x 500nm Cyan, 4 x 430nm True Violet (SemiLED)
    • 2 x 80mm Vantech CPU fans, intake
    • 2 x 60mm Vantech CPU fans, exhaust
  • Fuge Light:
    • Four Gang Old-Work Electrical Box 68 Cubic Inches
    • CPU Heatsink
    • 3 x 4,500K Cree XP-G LEDs (driven with 350mA moonlight driver)
  • ATO Assembly:
    • 2 x Madison M8000 float switch with splash guard
    • Custom acrylic mounting bracket
    • Toms Aqualifter pump
    • 5 gallon RO/DI ATO reservoir with Kalkwasser mix
  • Cooling Fan:
    • 60mm Vantech CPU fan
    • Hood mounted, controller regulated


Chamber Specifications and Equipment:

  • Chamber 1:
    • Aquaticlife 115 Skimmer
  • Chamber 2:
    • inTank Media Rack, 3 stage:
      • Filter floss
      • Seachem Purigen
      • Chemi-Pure Elite
    • inTank Fuge Rack:
      • Chaetomorpha algae
  • Chamber 3:
    • Hydor Pico Evolution 1200 return pump
    • Cobalt Aquatics Neo-Therm 100w heater
    • ATO sensor unit
    • pH probe, Temperature probe, ATO supply line

Environment Specification:

  • Tropic Eden Miniflakes Aragonite Sand
  • Reefcleaners dry rock, BRS Pukatani dry rock
  • Instant Ocean Reef Crystals
  • RO/DI Water


Testing Equipment:

  • Red Sea Pro Saltwater Test Kit
  • Red Sea Pro Algae Test Kit
  • Sybon Refractometer


Fish / Coral Food:

  • New Life Spectrum pellets
  • Golden Reef Pearls 5 - 200 micron
  • phyto2 Phytoplankton
  • Rods Food, Original blend, frozen
  • Cyclopeeze, frozen
  • PE Mysis / Marine Cuisine / Silversides, frozen
  • Selcon


Chemicals:

  • Coral rX dip
  • Seachem Prime


Future Livestock Plans:

  • True Percula Clownfish x 2
  • Yashia Shrimp Goby
  • McCosker's Flasher Wrasse
  • Coral Beauty Angel
  • Longnose Hawkfish


Future Inverts:

  • Pom Pom Crab
  • Randalls Shrimp
  • Red Brittle Star
  • Tuxedo Urchin
  • CuC
    • Florida Cerith / Dwarf Cerith
    • Nassarius Vibex
    • Nerite
    • Scarlet / Blue Leg Hermit


Future Corals:

  • TBA


Since all of my equipment is currently inaccessible; I have no way to comb over my items and plot my strategy. The solution was to model my setup in the 3D environment and although not 100% exact, this tool has allowed me to study, design, and improve many different equipment specifications. I will showcase and explain in more detail the modifications I have performed that will help to make this journey a success.

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The Tank:

 

The Biocube all-in-one (AIO) aquarium presents some advantages/disadvantages for today's salt water aquarist. Those who are new to the hobby often think that this tank (and other brands similar to it) is completely ready to run when you get it home from the store. Sadly this is NOT the case and some modifications should be made in order to improve the efficiency of the system. For those of you who are planning a fish only setup; some of these suggestions could be bypassed. But for those who wish to have a fish and coral reef environment, then many tweaks and upgrades should be made. Although daunting at first, this tank requires less understanding to become a reef ready system and is recommended for beginners. Check out this old thread comparing the BC29 to the NC28.

 

Keep in mind that the AIO aquarium does not need a second smaller tank known as a refugium or sump. The area directly behind the display will serve to house and keep all the equipment hidden. This small space makes finding and placing the right equipment a challenge as you are limited by the chambers dimensions. Although somewhat restrictive and requiring small performance upgrades, you end up with a sleek tank body and matching hood/stand that can be showcased without having a mad scientist’s look to the setup. Wife approved!

 

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Using the 3D design program, I was able to model the water in the display and the back three chambers at their respective operating levels. I have found the total water volume to be 0.093 cubic meters; or 24.5 gallons for a completely empty tank. By the time sand, rock, and equipment are added; you can count on the total water volume to be around 23 gallons or less.

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Now I will detail the back chamber configurations that have worked best for me. There are other configurations possible which produce different outcomes, but I feel the selection I have chosen produces the best results. I highly recommend doing the following modifications BEFORE filling the tank with saltwater. Patience is key at this stage and if you can perform most or all modifications before your official launch, you will save yourself a lot of hassle than by trying to do it with an established tank.

If your tank is brand new; remember to fill it up full with tap water and leave it for 48 hours to perform a thorough leak check. Do this before starting any modifications.


Chamber 1:

For chamber one I have chosen the Aquaticlife 115 skimmer. This skimmer is best located in chamber one due to the fact that the water level never fluctuates, no matter how much evaporation occurs. A stable water level is mandatory for having the skimmer perform as expected. You need to perform some modifications to chamber one in order to fit the skimmer into this small compartment.

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First, there is a false floor divider about half way down the chamber which is secured into place with black silicon. Use a blunt ended object such as a wooden spoon handle to apply pressure to one corner of the divider until it breaks the silicon bond. You may need to try another corner or two until it loosens and gives. Do NOT try to force something between the divider and back glass panel; you may risk cracking the glass. Remove the divider and as much loose silicon as you can.

Next its time to remove the plastic filter support which holds the stock filter cartridge. This cartridge is not adequate and robust enough to satisfy our filtering needs; it just gets in the way. Use a razor to help break the bond of silicon. You can gently rock the support back and forth to help it detach. The plastic piece may be difficult to remove, so take your time. Again, remove as much of the excess silicon debris as you can. Your chamber one should now be empty.

For a great guide on how to install the Aquaticlife 115 skimmer into a Biocube 29Gs chamber one, check out this thread. Be sure to follow the mounting instructions using the correct hang on support bracket. This will elevate the unit just high enough out of the water so that you wont have to perform any airline mod (needed when the water is entering the air intake) and still be able to close the back lid as normal.

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Chamber 2:

Chamber two houses the inTank media rack and matching fuge basket. These precision cut acrylic racks allow us to funnel all the water flowing from chamber one through the filter media selected. You can feasibly DIY these racks yourself using egg-crate and acrylic panels and save a lot of money; but for simplicity and accuracy sakes these are a good choice.

Preparing chamber two is easily accomplished. Simply remove the top tray, bio-balls, and the false bottom floor. These items are all unnecessary as we are replacing them with a more efficient and robust method of filtration. Finally, remove the blue filter sponge between chamber two and three. All mechanical filtration will be accomplished by the filter floss used in the media rack.


The cutout between chamber one and chamber two should be enlarged (referred to as removing the tab) to allow more flow to enter into chamber two (check out the picture in the previous post for the approximate size of the elongated cutout). It also allows for the installation of the U-channel that holds the media rack in place. If you wait to receive the media rack before cutting out the tab, then you can make the cutout match the length of the U-channel for a nice snug fit.

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The media rack sections are filled as follows: (1)Filter floss (2) Purigen (3) Chemipure Elite. Inserting the media rack into chamber two is a tight fit and some help may be needed to guide it in. Use the U-channel to secure the media rack to the chamber one divider and to guide the overflow of water into the filter floss. The fuge rack is placed adjacent to the media rack and will hold (4) Chaetomorpha algae. This rack helps keep the algae suspended off the floor and contained within the area of the fuge light.

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Chamber 3:

 

The last of the three chambers houses the rest of the needed equipment for the tank to function properly. Thus the filtration cycle is completed; water enters into chamber one and through the skimmer, overflows into chamber two receiving mechanical, chemical, and organic filtration, then is whisked into chamber three to be conditioned, measured, replenished, and pumped back into the display tank. Chambers two and three share the same water level; this is the only part of the tank which shows a drop in water level due to evaporation. That is the reason for placing a float switch assembly on the divider between chamber two and three. I will outline this DIY assembly later.

 

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You should heavily consider replacing the pump that originally comes with the Biocube; it is noisy and runs very warm. I chose the Hydor Pico Evolution 1200 as my return pump. I think this is the superior choice due to the low amount of watts relative to gallons per hour flow rate (8 watts at 300gph). The physical size and profile of the pump are also small and compact, fitting very nicely into chamber three. The commonly suggested replacement is the Maxijet 1200 but this pump is rated for 20 watts at 295 gph. For our application; any and all extra wattage equals more heat into the water column. Heat is our biggest enemy with AIO tanks. I use my stock Biocube pump to mix salt with RO/DI water for water changes.

 

Definitely get rid of the stock green hose and the plastic 90 degree fitting connection to the bulkhead. This corner bend helps to restrict flow and lowers the efficiency of the pump. At the hardware store, buy some 5/8 inch (inner diameter) nylon hose and directly connect the pump outlet to the bulkhead fitting using zip ties.

 

I chose the Cobalt Neo-Therm 100w heater for a few reasons. First, it is an all plastic heater that has a highly accurate and sensitive thermostat. I would estimate at least 80% of tank crashes I read about are due to heater failure/malfunction; this is THE one item in our tank which needs to be the absolute best. Second, the heater is very small in profile and height; only 9.75 inches tall. Therefore even with the lower water level in chamber three, this heater will stay completely submerged in the water.

 

In addition to the gear shown, I will be placing the temperature probe, pH probe, and the ATO hose in chamber three. These items are all driven by the ReefKeeper Lite controller and will need a custom designed holder to secure these probes in a stable position while allowing them to be removable for maintenance.

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Now that the back chambers are situated, its time to highlight a few DIY mods that will add additional benefits to the tank. Again, these upgrades may not necessarily be required for success but are advantageous to have. My goal with these modifications is to take away as much heat from the system as possible. Since this AIO tank has a complete hood, the totally enclosed top prevents accumulated heat from easily dissipating. The upside to this is the evaporation rate is much slower; the downside is that the tank can easily run at 82 degrees or more. Although this higher temperature isnt at the critical level, the number one thing to avoid in ALL aquarium systems is change or swings that occur over a short period of time. If the tank is peaking at 83 degrees during the day but drops to 77 at night; the 6 degree swing each day is adding undue stress to your tanks inhabitants. Therefore, the less heat producing items we have in the water raising the temperature of the system, the better.


DIY Fuge Light:

This mod is an easy one to perform and enables the algae in the fuge rack to achieve the best growth possible. Although Oceanic has added a cutout to the film behind chamber two (red square), it lies in the wrong position relative to where our fuge rack is standing. We will need to enlarge and relocate this cutout in order to center it over the fuge rack; thereby exposing it to as much light as possible. The middle picture illustrates the old and new cutout locations. You could use an underwater submersible light to grow chaetomorphia but I highly recommend you do not. They are halogen based lights and add heat to your system by being located directly in the water column. The benefits of having a LED light detached from your system are much better, plus the LEDs will last a very long time.

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I chose a 68 cubic inch four gang old work electrical box as my fuge light housing; it is available from any hardware store. After painting the outside black and the inside white, I glued an old CPU heat sink to the inside of the box. Using the dimensions of the box (approximately 3.6 inch x 7.6 inch), scrape away the paint from the back of the tank inside the new area using a sharp razor blade. This work is tedious, but rewarding when you finish. Use electrical tape or paint to cover the area of the old cutout you wont use.

Line each side of the new cutout with Velcro. The gang box has convenient tabs that allow you to line it with Velcro as well, allowing the box to be securely attached to yet still removable from the back of the tank. Using thermal glue or thermal pads, secure the LEDs to the heatsink and wire them to a 0.350mA constant current driver available from many LED retailers (referred to as a moonlight driver). These drivers can run a maximum of four LED's, so you may wish to run a moonlight LED over your display as your fourth. Although not proven, it is generally assumed that you run your fuge on an opposite schedule than your display lights to minimize pH swings. Therefore, it makes it convenient to run your moonlights and fuge lights all on one driver/timer. This is the direction I have taken in the past but this time I have purchased a moonlight controller for my Reefkeeper Lite to simulate a 29.53 day lunar cycle.

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  • 2 weeks later...

DIY Cooling Fan:

 

One of the more serious threats an AIO system can face is the accumulation of heat and high temperature spikes. The goal with our reef systems should be to replicate nature as closely as possible by having a stable temperature around 79 – 81 degrees. Temperature values that fall outside this range may not necessarily be dangerous though as mentioned before; dramatic swings in temperature over the course of the day should be avoided. The addition of a cooling fan will help to stabilize the temperature by introducing ambient air from the room into the closed off system.

 

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I plan to mount the fan on the outside of the hood, and direct the airflow into the aquarium. The reason for this is twofold: air from the room is not moist and humid like what is found inside the tank so there is no chance of hurting the fans electronics, and the action of blowing air onto the water results in evaporative cooling. I chose to mount this fan in a location that will push air where the water is falling into chamber two, guaranteeing the best cooling action possible. One downside to the cooling fan is the evaporation rate of the tank may increase and more RO/DI top off water will be needed to maintain the correct water level. This drawback is countered by having an ATO system that will automatically maintain the correct water level.

 

To perform the mod, simply cut out a section of the back side of the hood that matches a 60mm computer case fan such as this. Connect the fan to a 12V 0.5A DC power adaptor and either run it using a timer, or most ideally with an aquarium controller. The controller has a temperature probe that activates the fan when the temperature is too warm, and activates the heater when the temperature is too cold.

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  • 4 weeks later...

DIY LED Array:

 

LED technology has rapidly improved over the last few years. One only has to browse the lighting forum to see how many different topics of discussion are taking place about colors, aesthetics, functionality, and the variety of different ways to achieve desired results. During my first tank build; I started out by upgrading the stock PC lighting with an additional 36w bulb for a total of three bulbs inside the hood. Although I improved the intensity and coloration of the lighting; the additional heat negatively affected the system. A fan upgrade soon followed, but it was not enough to alleviate the warm up. I took the plunge and decided to DIY my own LED setup but at the time the methods producing quality arrays were still being worked out. I did not do enough research to discover what the newest trends were and initially attempted to build a CW:RB and then a NW:RB:CB array. I also placed the LEDs on the heat sink spread apart as much as possible. This resulted in a lot of shimmer and the dreaded disco lighting effect.

 

After much research in the lighting forum I have finally nailed down how many, which colors, and in what ratios I will build my revision 2.0 LED array with. At the time of my first build; I chose CREE XP-G LEDs but did not know anything about the bin or CRI quality of my purchase. Since the quality has improved so much over the last few years; I decided to purchase all new LEDs in order to achieve the results I want. I will salvage the two Thomas Research 40w 700mA drivers, and add to it one more 40w Invertronics 700mA driver for a total of three dimmable drivers. The first driver to control the whites, the second controls the royal blues, and the third will control the exotic colors. All these will be housed in a project box where I will install the potentiometer dimmers for a nice clean look.

 

There are many threads detailing the exact way to DIY a LED build. I will not feature the full the steps I take, but instead I want to highlight a few points that relate specifically to the BC29. Since the goal is to incorporate the entire LED array within the stock hood configuration, the first obstacle is to obtain a heat sink that is small enough in height to fit inside of the splash shield. Then, match drilling the heat sink to be able to screw into some of the threaded plastic mounting holes already present within the hood. Ideally, you would want to also place a fan such as a 120mm computer case fan directly in between the heat sink and hood in order to draw air in over the heat sink fins. This would require cutting out a circular hole directly into the top of the hood, and placing a nice decorative cover/filter over it. You can then rely on the two 60mm fans on both sides to exhaust the air back out.

 

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A mistake I don’t wish to repeat is how I arrange the LEDs onto the heat sink. I want to maximize coverage while minimizing color shadowing and spotlighting. One way to help colors blend is to cluster the LEDs as closely as possible. Ideally, you would want to have several small clusters spaced apart to try and achieve some coverage too. You can see how with the cluster format, the cast lines are in parallel, offset by the distance from one LED to another. If you have a rock ledge or overhang that intersects this, the potential exists to have color shadowing.

 

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Another method would be to build the cluster into a circular pattern. This way you can evenly distribute the different colors while still keeping them tightly adjacent to one another. I first saw this pattern on Mr. Microscopes (TOTM March 2013) build thread and when modeled in the 3D environment; you can see how the lines criss cross one another to produce nice even blending. Even if a ledge or coral blocks some of the lights, there is another light that is still covering the area from a different angle. Hopefully, this will minimize any issues.

 

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One thing to keep in mind is the need to have electrical wiring disconnects for each lighting channel, moonlights, fans, and fuge lights. This allows you to completely remove the hood without having long lengths of wires trailing about. For this purpose I used male/female 2.5mm x 5.5mm disconnect jacks, though recent builds have used RJ45, DIMA, or 9 pin molex connections. An LED retro is best done before the tank is started, this way you are not rushed at all in performing the build or adding the finishing touches.

 

With this LED upgrade, the stock look of the tank is maintained while underneath the hood a powerful LED engine exists.

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  • 1 month later...

It's good to be home! Life and work keeps us busy as I very slowly start in to my projects for the 2.0 setup. All items on the parts list are purchased, so its time to turn this huge mess into wonderful things.

 

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While living in Paris last year, I found a used 8 gallon high aquarium while walking home one day from work. It was strange to see piles of home and houseware items as people remodel and throw old stuff out, you'd be surprised how fast it gets picked apart and dissapears. I saved it and shipped it home with all of our stuff. This tank will serve as our isolation quarantine tank. So far, I have remodded my AC70 to have permanent baffles that direct the water through a sponge filter and installed a fuge light mod into the lid. Everything has received a fresh coat of Krylon fusion paint.

 

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Next up is LED lighting, ATO, project boxes.... it's good to be home!

 

 

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  • 4 months later...

Just a quick update, as it has been a long time since I have visited this thread. Life continues to churn forward, we bought a house, remodeled it, and have moved in. Now I have 2 acres to mow, and a new garden to prepare for. I am glad I did not have to move a functioning tank! On top of that, my wife is pregnant with our first child. I performed a lot of project work on the tanks before the move and recently have finished the work at our new location. Last night I finished the isolation tank's rock scape, and added water. I have some Monado liverock arriving today from Premium Aquatics, along with some liverock pool rubble for added lifeforms. Now the cycle can commence while I finish scaping the display tank.

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  • 2 months later...

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May I present the highly anticipated, long awaited rebirth of my Biocube 29! Finally I was able to finish designing out the scape, glue, soak and rinse it all off to complete the blank canvass that is to be.

 

The rock was drilled and stacked upon a fiberglass supporting rod, which in turn is secured by a 0.5" acrylic plate. I used a premium grade putty to bond the different chunks of rock together, then after I smeared super glue gel all over the visible dried putty and sprinkled sand on it to hide the putty. What turned out is a very visually appealing and complex view from each side, with no distractions and plenty of room for coral to grow. In the picture the views are from the left, middle, and right respectively.

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  • 2 months later...

thanks theicepick. i do engineering design

 

A lot has happened since beginning the cycle, but mostly just the mundane battles of algae and clean up crew balancing act. Then the fuge clodding up, more crew back there, tweak this, move that... I threw out one of the seeder rocks I bought from the LFS becuase it kept having bubble algae growing, and I even spotted a apastatia. i promptly torched it off, but then grew suspect of the rock in general and just chucked it.

 

in december i put in an order with reefs2go. big mistake, becuase they still have my money on corals marked for refund, only half the order ever came through. not who they used to be back in my first tank go. I did get some ok stuff, and got the opportunity to go pick the tank of the guy who bought my old tanks inhabitants. Most of the stuff was gone, but I managed to snag back the montiporas, toxic trumpet, neon green toadstool, and a 15 head frogspawn chunk.

 

So heres a few shots of how things are going.

 

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View from the left side. I have chairs on the left and right sides for viewing. This is the high flow side across from the MP10, so I have arranged the favias, sps on top and the monti shelf to take up some of the space horizontally over the sandbed. You can see the two ORA True Perculas in the back, but don't be fooled, the female is a real b#$ch and rules with an iron fist.

 

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I have a yasha haste goby and randalls goby shrimp that hang out in the sand under this parallel ledge. they both are pretty tiny still, but just recently found one another. when he arrives his topfin was long, but now he keeps shearing it off / keeping it short somehow.

 

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view from the front. I had to break this 3 header off of the main colony i got. my tank went from ashy, to classy as soon as this baby hit the water.

 

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view from the right. ive got a smaller set of shelving monti, but this is the medium to medium low flow side, giving the frogspawns a chance to open up more. I'd like to find a purple shelving monti to really finish off the look, and then a few select sps pieces up top.

 

overall, the reefkeeper lite controller is a lifesaver, the ATO and heater is working beautifully considering its 20 degrees out. I have to start messing with kalkwasser in the ATO water to get my pH to the 8.2 range, currently its like 7.8-8.0 depending on the time of day.

 

Feel free to comment or ask questions!

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The toady is just a chunk the size is a skittle, glued down to the bright white rock in the last shot. It's gonna take a while for him to get a stalk and go vertical, but for now at least I managed to glue down the correct side, as I can see the green tips slightly extending from the frag.

 

The guys tank that I cut it from didn't have it placed good, so it was more of a teacup that a mushroom toadstool head. he was pretty surprised how I went around shaving things off with my razor blade /grin it was easy to cut into the inverted cap.

 

if you want to see what the toady will be, the link to my first tank thread is below my signature. Eventually, I think it can be as big or bigger than a softball given the time and space.

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  • 1 month later...

Just a quick update:

 

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I received a nice order from Vivid Aquariums. I highly recommend! Their customer service is great.

 

It's amazing how long it takes to glue and arrange coral. I find it much easier to go ahead and remove the hood, and set up a lamp close by to have the room needed to twist, turn, and secure the corals as you want them. The process is long and tedious, but rewarding at the end.

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  • 3 months later...

It's been a long time since I've updated! After two rounds of Chemi clean, and really paying attention to the way the Skimmer works, I have managed to get the parameters and water quality where I want it.

 

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Things are really starting to grow in. I have some rOX carbon and granular GFO comming from BRS, as well as 2 part CA/ALK/Mg dosing supplies later this week. I think I've finally reached the stage where it will become necessary to dose calcium.

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

The rox 0.8 carbon and GFO from BRS really pushed the water quality up a notch. What I like about it versus the all-in-one Chemi-Pure Elite is I can maintain the correct ratio. Thus, I have bagged one quarter cup each (based on BRS's calculator and my water volume) and will exchange it every 3 or 4 weeks. Before, I used three or four times this much ChemiPure and only exchanged it every 3 months! No wonder the effectiveness of it was short lived. That rox 0.8 is really nice stuff. The GFO took forever to rinse out, and still I have fine GFO gold silt in the bottom on my back fuge.

 

So the 1.5 week water changes (roughly 18%) regiment seems to be keeping my parameters in check. Testing shows:

 

Calcium: 420

Alk: 8.5

Mag: 1350

 

I was surprised as I have a good amount of LPS and SPS, but I guess they are still young. That and I have the Kalkwasser flowing in with the ATO. I have my skimmer on a pretty wet output (versus the output tapering off to none and never getting adjusted properly before), so if I see no signs of any cyano returning, then perhaps I may drop to a 2 week water change cycle. It sure would help free up some time. Then again if it ain't broke, don't fix it. For now, all the various Calcium, Soda Ash, and Magnesium crystals sit and wait for the day they are needed.

 

My guilty pleasure is the Korallen Zucht Nano pack snake oil drops /grin.... Everything really seems to be vibrant, open, and healthy. My gorgonian is open almost 100% of the time now, not just during feeding in the evenings. Anyone else have any good experiences with their coral food and amino acid drops? As soon as I started dosing the drops, a few cleaner type feather dusters extended their hard calcium shells roughly 6 mm in noticeable white growth, seemingly overnight. I saw this occur in 3 of 4 different places. My cocoa worm couldn't be happier.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I have to agree - great attention to detail!

 

Just wondering what you are running from the stand as far as ATO reservoir, controller, wiring etc. Currently I'm pondering how to organize my setup as far as location of controllers, ATO and wiring runs and keeping it tidy. I'm finding the BC stand doesn't allow for easy organization.

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  • 3 years later...

The ATO failed on this tank sometime after January 2015; the Dual Madison primary/emergency float switch setup managed to both get stuck leaving the Aqualifter pump on.  I woke up one morning to the tank almost to the point of overflow, and decided to do water changes until I reached the correct salinity.  I lost all the SPS, but the plating monti and everything on down survived.  After everything stabilized and started to grow once again,  I tore it down and sold off all the livestock.  23iy5YB.jpgNKtr2PH.jpgzbK3YI8.jpg

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Christopher Marks

Good to see you @rO.oster, welcome back! That's too bad to hear about the ATO failure, but I'm glad you wrapped up your journal. That torch coral really grew like crazy!

 

What are you up to these days, any other aquariums in your life?

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It's great to be researching reefing again, thanks for the welcome Chris! 

 

Revision 3.0 is now underway with this same tank and the to-do list is getting longer every day.  I hope to start a new journal for it soon.

 

I've got catching up to do!!

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