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koden's 32gallon m-tank


kinetic

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Originally posted by freakintiger

In one of your set-up pics you show your heater with the white plastic piece still connected to the bottom of the heater. I bought one of these once and discarded this piece as packing material. Won't this melt? I believe it is styrene plastic, like what model kits are made of, and will soften and warp when heat is applied...

 

really? i thought it was a brace so it wouldn't hit the side of the tank. Damn well I'll go take it off. ahha thanks for looking out.

 

 

BTW: I can't get the skimmer collection cup off! Does it actually come off? Or do I have to take the whole skimmer off =( The instructions just has a picture, and it looks disjoint, though I can't get it off for the life of me, and I'ms cared to break it.

 

 

Is it bad that I have my LR leaning against the back of the tank?

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I shortened my aquascape by about two rocks, though it's still pretty tall.

 

The m-tank isn't wide enough for me to not have the rocks lean against the back wall and still have enough swimming space in the middle. I think I'll keep the on the back wall and point one of my SCWD outlets towards the back. I'll be installing the SCWD tomorrow. It'll be inside the main tank behind the rocks, one end shooting from behind the rocks, the other from the upper corner where it usually comes out.

 

I'll also start fabricating a FUGE after the piping is done for the SCWD. I'll go shopping for a nice plastic container that will fit. I was thinking of the CPR in tank small, but it's 4" wide, JUST a bit too wide to fit, maybe like a centimeter too thick. UGH. Otherwise it'd be perfect. Anyone know where I can get a custom made "fuge" that's about 6" x 3.5" x 10"?

 

Also just checked all the levels, pH 8.2, 0ppm Nitrite, Nitrate, and Ammonia! Problem is, I don't see that much growth on the LR. I think they might be really dead. A day after the tank was setup, ammonia was higher, but now it's nothing. The LR, however, had been cured and I had them cycling for about a week before that under little light and high powerhead. That shot ammonia up a lot, but now it's at 0. My salinity is also 1.022, sitting perfectly. My temperature is also not fluctuating more than 1 degree between day / night under the stock lighting. I'll wait another week, and hopefully I'll see some more growth. All I see is a bit of green here and there, and some weird black spots on the underside of some rocks. How long does it take to grow stuff?

 

There's nothing moving around in my sand either. blah.

 

Also I can't get my skimmer level correct. It'll either overflow like crazy, or else no bubbles go over the top into the collecting cup. It's so touchy, how do I adjust it?

 

Also I can't get the cup off the skimmer at all. I find myself having to take the whole thing out and turning it upside down to drain it.

 

Schedule:

Today before sleep - Look for a detrivore package.

Tomorrow - Install SCWD and piping. Work on the skimmer.

Tuesday - buy stuff for the fuge, buy stuff to upgrade lighting (ballast and bulb) to 96 watt PC for a total of almost 200 watts. Install R2 moonlights.

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I will be getting a 70watt HQI de retro with astralux 14k 70watt hqi bulb. I will replace the 55watt daylight pc with the 70watt hqi retro, and add in the R2 moonlight next to the actinic which will be staying! This will happen next week. Stay tuned!

 

As for tomorrow, I'll be putting in carbon instead of the sponge in the bottom rain tray, and installing the SCWD.

 

After the lighting and SCWD plumbing is done, all I'll need to do is finish getting the skimmer calibrated, and putting together a fuge.

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10/2/05

3 days later the water level in the return chamber went down by 2 inches! That's crazy, I had to top off water right away since the Quiet One 3000 started pumping air as well. I hope this won't damage the pump. I'll add a lot more water into the return chamber.

 

Here's my Todo List:

 

Purchase

  • Purchase 70 watt hqi retrofit $130:
http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/showthread...&threadid=61322
Carbon for trickle tray (LFS)
True live sand (LFS)?
Fuge livestock (LFS)
More RO water!

 

Install

  • carbon replacing sponge
    setup the scwd plumbing
    seed the LS
    fix the skimmer level
    70 watt HQI retrofit
    R2 Moonlight
    Refugium

 

To sell

  • 250 watt hqi pendant
    scwd if it doesn't come out the way i want

 

maybe sell SCWD if it doesn't work out the way I want.

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Keeping up with the nano is a daily chore, add topping off to the list. I would like to think that the only disadvantage to having rock lean on the wall is that it may get tricky if you are having any type of growth on the glass it will be hard to clean. Unless you had some mexican turbos. Mine friggin ate anything off the glass. or some kinda clean up crew to eat any glass growth

 

Dont know where you could get a custom fuge of those dimensions, mite have to fab it yourself. That skimmer mite be useless if you end up with the fuge tho. Its been a while since I been in the reef game, I was taking a study break and hopped on NR after I dunno 2 years maybe and happened on your thread at the home page.

 

Tank looks great. Enough to kindle me to get back into it after im done with basic sciences. I'll be following your thread on my breaks. Good luck

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Koden

My 18gal requires 1 quart of top of ro/di water daily....

LFS should have my tank plumming installed today so I can reset it up--- Im diffently gonna use SCWD :) Much better for corals instead of laminate current flow.

To remove skimmer cup-- grab one large sledge hammer--hehe

naa just hold skimmer firmly and move cup back and forth in small movements-- it should loosen to then remove.

The skimmer requires a breakin time -- so you may have to adjust it some-- best way to describe is the bubbles should raise just to the top without spilling water into catch cup. Eventually the foameyy bubbles should spill into cup and after accumaltion it will look like dark tea and smell of sewage.....

 

Izzue

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Originally posted by Quash

Keeping up with the nano is a daily chore, add topping off to the list.  I would like to think that the only disadvantage to having rock lean on the wall is that it may get tricky  if you are having any type of growth on the glass it will be hard to clean.  Unless you had some mexican turbos.  Mine friggin ate anything off the glass. or some kinda clean up crew to eat any glass growth

 

Dont know where you could get a custom fuge of those dimensions, mite have to fab it yourself.  That skimmer mite be useless if you end up with the fuge tho.  Its been a while since I been in the reef game, I was taking a study break and hopped on NR after I dunno 2 years maybe and happened on your thread at the home page.  

 

Tank looks great.  Enough to kindle me to get back into it after im done with basic sciences.  I'll be following your thread on my breaks.  Good luck

 

Hi quash, thanks for the feedback!

 

Top off

After seeing my water level drop almost another inch in 12 hours, I'll definately be getting an ATO system. I can tell there's a bunch of evap coming especially from the filter chamber. The cover and walls are totally condensed. Not sure about the other chambers.

 

I'm thinking of a floating switch with a water pump which will turn on when level is low into the intake chamber from RO in a water jug. Is this a good choice or should I go with a JBJ ATO system? Someone is selling a new one for $80 shipped. Good price?

 

Or should I do the drip method?

 

Skimmer

I ready that the skimmer needs to "break in". Does that mean it needs that layer of skim slime to build up? how will that help me adjust the skim level? I have my skimmer on a digital timer, having it turn on 12am till 3pm on weekdays, 12am to 10am on weekends. Do people generally leave it on 24/7? Is it bad to have it turn off? Would I lose the "skim slime" and would it never break in if it turns off? Does it need to be broken in every time it turnsn off?

 

Lighting

I'm planning on removing my 55watt 71000K daytime PC and retrofitting a 70 watt hqi metal halide with 14k aestralux bulb into it. LampDr. of illuming.com is selling the retro for $130 shipped, and it'll easily fit. What do you guys think? good upgrade? I think so =) Plus 70watts won't increase my temperature too much. My 250 watt hqi was just TOO bright.

 

Refugium

I'm going to fabricate my own fuge out of plastic. I'm going to go gheddo and get some kind of tupperware, cut a hole for the aquaclear 10 (80gph), notch the top, fill it with fuge life, and walla!

 

 

Cool, I'll update when I get a go on these, probably start tonight.

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Originally posted by Izzue

Koden

My 18gal requires 1 quart of top of ro/di water daily....

LFS should have my tank plumming installed today so I can reset it up--- Im diffently gonna use SCWD :)    Much better for corals instead of laminate current flow.

Awesome, can't wait to see the plumbing. I'll start working on my setup tonight too

To remove skimmer cup-- just hold skimmer firmly and move cup back and forth in small movements-- it should loosen to then remove.

so it's not a screw on with thread? It just sits tightly?

 

The skimmer requires a breakin time -- so you may have to adjust it some-- best way to describe is the bubbles should raise just to the top without spilling water into catch cup. Eventually the foameyy bubbles should spill into cup and after accumaltion it will look like dark tea and smell of sewage.....

It's a bit tricky then to get this to work? If I have the skimmer go off and on, will that affect breakin time?

 

 

Thanks for the feedback!

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I would say yes on the skimmer until it gets some maturity + the tank settles out-- run it at all times for now. Yes it will come off-- not threaded.

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Seeding LS

There are a couple ways to seed live sand, including getting a detrivore pack or getting "true" live sand ($35-$50 for it shipped). So expensive x_X. So instead, I'll probably ask someone local if they can spare 3 cups of LS from their well established tank. I'll let you know how it turns out.

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I got my tank finally. So here are mods that I have planned. Since, all the post I see for the M-tank are from Koden and he is look for mods.

 

I'm going to ditch the rain tray. Well about 2 levels. I'm going to build a refuge at the top so that it comes through from the first chamber drip into the refuge then flow into a filter into the pump area. Kind of a catch bucket before it hits the sponge filter and goes to the pump.

 

I'll be drilling out there return hole in the separator wall so that I can get some line lock (for extra flow heads) and hydor flow in the viewing area to vary the flow.

 

As far as the return pump goes I like the one that Koden is loking at. I have no clue what I'm going to do with the lighting. Hopefully, it will all be set up in the next week or so.

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Originally posted by kidphc

I got my tank finally. So here are mods that I have planned. Since, all the post I see for the M-tank are from Koden and he is look for mods.

 

I'm going to ditch the rain tray. Well about 2 levels. I'm going to build a refuge at the top so that it comes through from the first chamber drip into the refuge then flow into a filter into the pump area. Kind of a catch bucket before it hits the sponge filter and goes to the pump.

 

I'll be drilling out there return hole in the separator wall so that I can get some line lock (for extra flow heads) and hydor flow in the viewing area to vary the flow.  

 

As far as the return pump goes I like the one that Koden is loking at. I have no clue what I'm going to do with the lighting. Hopefully, it will all be set up in the next week or so.

 

Hey kidphc, that's actually a very cool idea about putting a fuge up there. I have plenty of room there too, and it would do nicely to overflow directly into the fuge, so you wouldn't really need a pump to push water current through there. I will also look into this setup to avoid using an extra powerhead etc for it.

 

About the extra flow heads etc. can you elaborate?

 

YOu should definatley get the quiet one 3000, I highly recommend it. Another guy who has a 32 gallon m-tank is also purchasing one to put in his tank.

 

Goodluck, keep us updated.

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10/04/05

Here's an update! Pictures of my rocks, day 4! Are things growing on them? Is this good? I'm afraid my LR isn't alive anymore. There are definately no critters around.

 

 

 

This is probably the most colorful piece of rock I have so far (looks like a dead piece of coral) It has some purple / green growth on it that no other rocks have:

DSC_0001.jpg

 

DSC_0002.jpg

 

Here's some rocks with little bumps on them, these came with the rock when I got it, don't think it grew them:

DSC_0003.jpg

 

Here's a longer shot, the purple is from the light I think:

DSC_0004.jpg

 

Some weird glass that got into a hole in my tank, is it alive? What is it?

DSC_0005.jpg

 

Another shot of the rock, ignore the purple that's not growth, that's totally the light:

DSC_0006.jpg

 

DSC_0008.jpg

 

This one's interesting, it has stringy things hanging upside down inside of it. I didn't notice them before maybe...

DSC_0009.jpg

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I just put the air intake tube on top of the skimmer, and the level went up a bit. The foam is coming out the top... but id on't htink it's dripping into the can. Ignore the water that's in there already, it got in when I accidentaly turned the valve on too strong. IS this good amount of bubbles to be sitting up there?

 

DSC_0014.jpg

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I'm currently cycling my tank, but not sure if my LR/LS is providing enough bacteria for the natural filtration. To be sure I want to seed it with an additive or something. I've made a list of things I've found. Can you guys give me some comments / suggestions on which is best?

 

Marc Weiss Coral Vital LSB (Live Sand Booster)

http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp...dproduct=MV1131

 

Nutrafin Cycle Biological Aquarium Supplement

http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp...product=HG17600

 

Kent Eco-Start

http://www.bigalsonline.com/catalog/produc...id1=2207;pcid2=

 

Weiss Organics Bacter Boost

http://www.bigalsonline.com/catalog/produc...id1=2207;pcid2=

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Originally posted by koden

Hey kidphc, that's actually a very cool idea about putting a fuge up there.  I have plenty of room there too, and it would do nicely to overflow directly into the fuge, so you wouldn't really need a pump to push water current through there.  I will also look into this setup to avoid using an extra powerhead etc for it.

 

About the extra flow heads etc. can you elaborate?

 

Apologize ahead of time for the long post. I plan on opening up the return line hole through the bulkhead so I can get the additional flow from the new pump. I am going to place a T on the line immediately after the bulkhead (display side). I plan on putting a Hydor flow facing the front of the display, and some line lock going down towards the back of the tank with a duck bill. I want to promote some flow behind the live rock and still get a non-linear flow.

 

I have looked into getting a Ocean Motions squirt and its just a bit of an over kill right now for me.

 

If you got some fully cured LR the tank might have cycled quick. My wife's Nano litterly was at 0 for ammonia, nitrates and nitrites, in several days with no spiking. Added clean up crew and all levels are still at 0 a week later. We thought it was the test kit so took it to the LFS and verified.

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Koden

Patience Grasshopper-- The Key to Salt water set ups.....

Your LR looks typical of any cured LR-- run your lights 10 to 12 hrs daily... Yu will start getting plant growth and inverts out of the LR. I used Mark Weiss Combo Vital for the inverts that existed in my LR so they would not starve during cycle process. When I set up my tank I used tank water from LFS that came from his coral tanks that had bacteria in the water. Also added some flake food everyother day to add some ammonia for bacteria to brake down. I never tested any positive ammonia but I was testing some nitrite that took about 2 weeks to become undetectable--but I let the Tank run for 1 month like this before I started adding clean up crew. The whole back wall was covered with algae that the snails totally cleaned in one week :)

Hopefully get picks of my new plumming tonight...

Ended up using a Rio 2500 (785 gph!!!!!!) to SCWD -- We decided not to make the tubing exact cause of drilling hole to close to overflow may make the back wall subject to cracking + may end up having to make overflow a little larger due to it running MAX right now with Rio 2500 choked down. Test with fresh water did well-- but definately pushing the extreme end of overflow. Now I barely have a gap between water surface and top of tank.... BUT can you say FLOW????

Cant wait to see how this works with tank restocked :)

 

Izzue

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Originally posted by Izzue

Koden

Patience Grasshopper-- The Key to Salt water set ups.....

Your LR looks typical of any cured LR-- run your lights 10 to 12 hrs daily... Yu will start getting plant growth and inverts out of the LR. I used Mark Weiss Combo Vital for the inverts that existed in my LR so they would not starve during cycle process. When I set up my tank I used tank water from LFS that came from his coral tanks that had bacteria in the water. Also added some flake food everyother day to add some ammonia for bacteria to brake down. I never tested any positive ammonia but I was testing some nitrite that took about 2 weeks to become undetectable--but I let the Tank run for 1 month like this before I started adding clean up crew. The whole back wall was covered with algae that the snails totally cleaned in one week :)

I have my actinic running for 12 hours, daylight for 10 hours. I do see some green algae I guess, but nothing else. I will keep waiting, but it's been 3 weeks since I got the rock now, 4 weeks since I got the LS. I'll get some Combo Vital and some fish food (gonna get fish anyway) along with some LFS water today. I'll sprinkle some fish food and see how the levels sit.

Hopefully get picks of my new plumming tonight...

Ended up using a Rio 2500 (785 gph!!!!!!) to SCWD -- We decided not to make the tubing exact cause of drilling hole to close to overflow may make the back wall subject to cracking + may end up having to make overflow a little larger due to it running MAX right now with Rio 2500 choked down. Test with fresh water did well-- but definately pushing the extreme end of overflow. Now I barely have a gap between water surface and top of tank.... BUT can you say FLOW????

Cant wait to see how this works with tank restocked :)

 

Izzue

Can't wait to see the pictures! The M-tank's overflow is kickass, it also supports 785GPH!!! It's barely handling my 780GPH already, your water level must almost completely cover the slits in the overflow! Or close to it! Yeah I barely have any room from the lip of the tank to the water level. The left side is really high up compared to the right side too. If I point the output of the return pump any higher than 0 degrees (horizontal), it will start making splashes.

 

 

lighting

So I ordered my 70watt h.q.i retrofit, should be here in a week! My R2 Moonlight should be here tomorrow. I'll put this in when it gets here.

 

fuge

I have a new idea: large box sitting on top of second tray. I'll have two compartments, one that's 1.5" long, and the other that will cover the remaining (haven't measured it fully yet) up to the pipe. The width of the fuge will be about 3", so it will have .5" on both sides. The compartments will be separated by a baffle, with a break of about 2.5" that sits 1.5" from the bottom of the fuge. This will make the water travel "through" the fuge instead of just skim over the top of it. The overflow out of the fuge will be notches cut along all the edges of the "fuge" compartment. So it will in essence have a intake and fuge compartment. The baffle is raised off the bottom to keep sand from going into the intake. I will have a little less than 1" of sand. I'm worried that if hermits get into that intake chamber, they'll get stuck at the bottom, so I'll make the bottom of the intake chamber slope towards the to ledge of the 1.5" baffle. These will sit slightly offset from each other, but the second baffle won't be higher, I don't think that'll be needed, plus I'll need A LOT of flow going through. Snails gettinginto intake chamber won't be a problem, in fact I hope they do, to clean the sides there.

 

The overflow on three edges will promote distributing stuff all around the filters, instead of just the area where it spills over.

 

About the contents of the fuge: ls, lr rubble, chaeto, 1 torochus snail, 1 scarlet hermit

 

What do you guys think?

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As far as this and that growth on my rock, and Im afraid its not seeding enough or providing enuff biological filtration. The only answer is Time and patience. For the newbie as well as myself when I started was omg this and that is not right. And you start buyin up all types of stuff you dont need. Time goes by fast, and things will come around in the neighborhood of a week to a coupla weeks. If not then the fourth week should be something for sure. Then alla sudden you are adding fish and corals, and wont spend much time on NR, and more time in front of the tank messin with this and that

 

The fuge idea sounds great. Keep up with the pics. Digital cameras are the new standard in the world. I wonder whats next.

 

LOL, it takes time to make a good reefer, with patience comes a great reefer:D

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Originally posted by Quash

As far as this and that growth on my rock, and Im afraid its not seeding enough or providing enuff biological filtration.  The only answer is Time and patience. For the newbie as well as myself when I started was omg this and that is not right. And you start buyin up all types of stuff you dont need. Time goes by fast, and things will come around in the neighborhood of a week to a coupla weeks.

I've gotten a lot of response from asking people to just wait, so I guess I will. There's a lot of algae growing on the LR now and some settling on the sand... should I get a cleanup crew soon? maybe some sand sifters at least?

 

The fuge idea sounds great.

thanks!

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Tonight I'll post a picture of a clam I found. It was buried in my sand, and I thought it was dead, but today I saw it opened up and I can see it's "butt" or whatever it is with the two holes sticking out! That's exciting. What do I feed it?

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I posted this in the reef discussion, but I'll add it to my journal too. I'm not sure, but I know clams are alive as long as the shells are closed, because the muscles keep it shut, otherwise it'll open up. Today it opened a little bit, and I can see the bivalves. Does that mean it's alive? Or is it slowly dying? All my water params are good. It's been closed, as far as I know, for 4 weeks now, and it finally opened. Also, what do I feed it?

 

DSC_0001.jpg

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