yardboy Posted December 18, 2006 Author Share Posted December 18, 2006 If you really wanna go ghetto U have to use the inside of potato chips bags Cheers And that, my man, is a great idea! Working on it now! Link to comment
GDid Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 Hi yardboy! Nice tank, I love this ghetto setup! I was wondering if you could give me a little more info. on the plumbing dimensions? Size of bulkhead, tubing, etc... Thanks a ton, -Grant P.S. Thickness of the acrylic for the overflow box too? If you haven't guessed, I'd like to mimic this lol! Link to comment
yardboy Posted January 19, 2007 Author Share Posted January 19, 2007 I'm glad you like it Grant. It has worked very well for me and is very simple in construction. For the main tank, I replaced the bottom glass with thicker 1/4" plate. It cost $6 at the glass store and gave me the piece of mind to know it wasn't likely to break the first time I bumped the overflow tube. I then drilled a hole for a 3/4" bulkhead in one corner (it could have been placed anywhere but I chose a corner arrangement.) Friction seems to be the biggest flow restrictor in piping, so I used a 1" durso and overflow tube, then reduced it to 3/4" right at the bulkhead. then adapted it back to 1" after the bulkhead for the tube into the sump. You get maximum flow through the bulkhead that way. At Lowe's they sell Lexan, which is 0.1" thick. I bought a piece big enough to make the overflow box, which is 5.5" X 2.5" X 11" (sized to fit the durso) and the baffle in the sump. My baffle is 6" high by 10" long (the width of the 10 gallon tank). It could have been made higher, so the depth of the refugium would be greater, but I wanted to make sure there was plenty of reserve capacity in the sump if the power went off and the display tank drained into the sump. From testing, the baffle could have been several inches higher to add more depth to the refugium. The baffle was set to give a 3" wide return pump chamber, but that was to give enough room for a Mag 3 pump. I ended up using a Hydor, wich is much smaller, but you can adjust to any width you like. A small skimmer could go in this chamber also, so that would dictate the size also. My return is through flexible tubing into a u-tube such as this: http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idproduct=FT0001 Other arrangements could be made, but I've found these to be simple and effective. Good luck with your tank. Mine is being used for propagation and fish quarantine right now, as all my other tanks are plumbed together and something was needed to QT my new 6 line wrasse. Some of the frags residng in the tank, they seem happy Link to comment
GDid Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 You are the man! Thanks for this thorough reply! Exactly what I needed lol. The six-line is badass, I hope he works out for ya! Cheers, -Grant Link to comment
mybuickskill6979 Posted January 20, 2007 Share Posted January 20, 2007 hey yard, is that a MH on the fuge too? just wondering!! i like the hood might do something like that for mine!! great progress man for sure the tank is looking sweet!! Link to comment
yardboy Posted January 20, 2007 Author Share Posted January 20, 2007 The fuge has a Lights of America 65W 6500K floodlight from HD. $30 So my buick, did you score that 70W halide ballast off ebay? If so, hook that rascal up and make some light! Link to comment
mybuickskill6979 Posted January 20, 2007 Share Posted January 20, 2007 frigin sweet. i should be getting it in about 2 weeks. 7days for e-check 7 days for shipping. by then i'll have more money in my hand and get a 20k bulb!! Link to comment
yardboy Posted February 1, 2007 Author Share Posted February 1, 2007 Buick I see you got your ballast, now for some light! Well, the tank has been a "pass-through" for stuff I wanted to watch to make sure it had no baddies before putting it in my system. I have accumulated a few things, as seen in earlier posts that have taken up permanent residence, but today I received something I got just for this tank. Sealife, Inc. in Tavernier, Florida Keys sells some cool stuff collected down there. I scored a nice rock anemone I'd been wanting to try for awhile. In keeping with the "ghetto" theme, he only cost $8! Check this dude out. Yep, a purple heart! Link to comment
yardboy Posted February 1, 2007 Author Share Posted February 1, 2007 I plucked this pic off Sealife's website. Would like to give it a try, if I can find a cinnamon small enough, and not too mean. Link to comment
ZoaMania Posted February 8, 2007 Share Posted February 8, 2007 If you really wanna go ghetto U have to use the inside of potato chips bags Cheers Priceless! Link to comment
fscottdahlgren Posted February 16, 2007 Share Posted February 16, 2007 If I'm not mistaken, then your setup was not complete in the last picture. I would REALLY like to see some pictures when it is complete. Congratulations. Link to comment
amoore311 Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 My question refers to the PVC pipe "bubble trap" that you have in the refugium. Does the water flow over that or do you have an exit somewhere I can't see? I'm having a problem getting baffles into my sump and this pipe idea would remedy that right away. Link to comment
PeterU Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 Looks like at least one hole at the bottom of the PVC, I suspect several. You can also drill several holes in the side of the PVC to let the water out. I think you want mostly just air going out the top. Link to comment
Ebn Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 That's one sweet looking rock/flower anemone. Your sump/fuge looks much better than your main tank. I think it's time you move some of it up. Good thing you didn't do the tinfoil idea; bad reflector. You can get mylar from Tap Plastics. Link to comment
yardboy Posted February 22, 2007 Author Share Posted February 22, 2007 I cut four slots in the bottom, 1"WX3"H to let the water out. Thanks for the tip on mylar, only places I've been able to find it so far they want you to buy it by the square yard. A potato chip bag didn't work very well either, not reflective on the inside I really like the anemone too. Very attractive and he seems to be doing well. I''m thinking of moving the six line to my display (150) since I've always been short on fish in it and he's demolished the pod population in the nano. I love his action, similar to the coral beauty I've had for quite a few years. I tend to go real slow with my tanks. I don't like stuff dying. The refugium was set up for quite a long time before I even put rocks in the display. I've got the anemone, some "white" and some green GSP, orange and green zoanthids. I've been slowly removing the other corals, since I know I'll have to remove all the rocks to get the six line out. Embaressingly, the hood hasn't progressed beyond the above pictures. It works well and I've been busy with other tanks. I do want to finish it though! Link to comment
yardboy Posted March 20, 2007 Author Share Posted March 20, 2007 Thought I'd update this thread. My little "Ghetto Beauty" is plugging right along, I finally got a front cover on the hood: Here's an angle shot, with the setup in my cluttered tank room Here's the latest iteration of the tank: Just like the real ghetto, everyone's trying to get out, into the big time. The flower anemone I got looked so good I put him in my 150 display. He looks great there. Also gone is the 6 line wrasse. He's also happily swimming in the "big tank". Still, new inhabitants arrive in the back room of the ghetto, hoping for their chance at stardom. I wonder if they realize I stare into the depths of this tank as much as I do the big guy? Over a year ago I bought a sexy shrimp and had him in my 0.4 gal pico tank. When I decided to upgrade to a gallon, I put him in the ghetto beauty's refugium, where he has seemed to find happiness. Since I had no fish in the display, and after intense research and a spur of the moment purchase I bought a little (quite little) condylactis anemone I decided to move the sexy to the display to be friends with the anemone. It has worked out quite well! The Acan echinata I'd put in when there was no room anywhere else has decided he's ready for the big time too. He's starting to change from green to blue! If his new costume works out, I'll put him under the Helio's 12.5K's of the main display. Let's hope for the best for him! Link to comment
GDid Posted March 21, 2007 Share Posted March 21, 2007 Right on! Everything is lookin good bro! My setup is coming lol... Still coming... -Grant P.S. Just installed the new bottom glass and the bulkhead the other night, just like you said! Slow but sure is the theme of my project. Link to comment
yardboy Posted March 21, 2007 Author Share Posted March 21, 2007 Hey, the Reef wasn't built in a day! By some people's standards my Ghetto is growing at a slow pace too. I might even have GSP growing on the overflow some day! My next project is to build a cls to get those blasted powerheads out of the tank. I just freed up a Mag 3 to do that job. Press on GDid, I'll be looking forward to seeing your setup! Link to comment
coral_addict Posted March 21, 2007 Share Posted March 21, 2007 What you considered Ghetto Beauty is more beautiful then some professional setup. It's amazing how people can be so creative when resources are more limited. I love your tank man. Thanks for sharing with others who's budget are low and they still want a nice looking setup. Link to comment
yardboy Posted March 21, 2007 Author Share Posted March 21, 2007 Thank you Coral Addict (hey, that's an honest and true username!) This hobby can be so expensive, yet there are ways to make it less so. I'll keep looking for those, of necessity, while understanding that the object is the "life inside the glass" I hope that your tank is as successful as it can be and that everything inside is happy and healthy too. I bought the little green zoanthid frag for $10 at an lfs. When they opened I noticed that one polyp looked different than the others so I seperated it from the rest, hoping to get a new colony someday! Link to comment
RBuddha Posted March 22, 2007 Share Posted March 22, 2007 A heater in the sump would disturb the symmetrical aesthetics of the refugium biotope riiigghhtttt.......because everyone looks at the sump first. Link to comment
Truck_Under_Water Posted March 22, 2007 Share Posted March 22, 2007 I love this tank! Link to comment
yardboy Posted March 22, 2007 Author Share Posted March 22, 2007 riiigghhtttt.......because everyone looks at the sump first. This is no BS though. Sitting sipping coffee in the morning, you never know what you might see; a striped serpent star slipping around under the rocks. Link to comment
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