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34 G Cadlights Tank Project


Dr. Teeth

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Mine came without a glass canopy as well. Eddie @ cadlights just emailed me and said it was on it's way. As for me, I am going to go with the open top. With the halides, keeping the glass canopy on might cause some temp issues. In the cooler months I may put it on, but not sure yet. For sand bed depth, I am thinking no more than 2 1/2 inches. The sand bed in the fuge will be deeper and much coarser than the oolite in the main display. I think I would drop them an email too just to let them know. Good luck with the tank and offer up any useful tips as you move along. Later on

So yer gonna put sand in the fuge?

i was originally going to have 1/3 of fuge as a DSB

but am on the fence as of now...not sure if it would just blow sand all over the fuge or if i could keep it isolated. Also not sure if it was going to be big enough of a DSB (surface area) to get its benefits.

there is a massive DSB/RDSB thread over at reef central i have been pouring thru

i think im just gonna load up on LR/rubble and macro for the fuge and wathc my parameters for a few weeks...i can always plumb in a Dark RDSB or a Lighted DSB

if my trites get lousy...heres the link

joshauh

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthre...mp;pagenumber=1

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So yer gonna put sand in the fuge?

i was originally going to have 1/3 of fuge as a DSB

but am on the fence as of now...not sure if it would just blow sand all over the fuge or if i could keep it isolated. Also not sure if it was going to be big enough of a DSB (surface area) to get its benefits.

there is a massive DSB/RDSB thread over at reef central i have been pouring thru

i think im just gonna load up on LR/rubble and macro for the fuge and wathc my parameters for a few weeks...i can always plumb in a Dark RDSB or a Lighted DSB

if my trites get lousy...heres the link

joshauh

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthre...mp;pagenumber=1

Just read some of that thread you attatched. Those are some seriously deep sand beds. For mine I am going to keep live rock rubble, chaeto, and some coarser substrate than the oolite in my fuge. The oolite could cause some problems in that area getting stirred up since it is so much finer. Plus I have heard over and over that you want a coarser bed in the fuge. Like you I will watch my parameters for while, but I am thinking this should suffice since I have the skimmer, live sand in display, live rock, macro(chaeto). Only time will tell.

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Just read some of that thread you attatched. Those are some seriously deep sand beds. For mine I am going to keep live rock rubble, chaeto, and some coarser substrate than the oolite in my fuge. The oolite could cause some problems in that area getting stirred up since it is so much finer. Plus I have heard over and over that you want a coarser bed in the fuge. Like you I will watch my parameters for while, but I am thinking this should suffice since I have the skimmer, live sand in display, live rock, macro(chaeto). Only time will tell.

i have the main display set up

everything is in

just need to set up lights on timer

maybe put in my other hydor

move heaters around

add moon lights to main tank light

and i cant help it but im gonna have to do some remodeling of my aquascape

just no satisifed yet

so far i have 25lbs of live sand...my lfs store took sand out of all of their tanks and then sold me the bucket...nice mix...lots of critters

i also have 25 lbs of tonga and 20 lbs fiji....fuge sucked up about 15 lbs of rubble

i did first and 3rd chamber LR rubble second chamber calerpa macro and topped LR in 1st chamber off with a wad of chaeto. last chamber is open for equipment.

still not ready tho...more tinkering...should be done by sunday and will post sum pics.

joshuah

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i have the main display set up

everything is in

just need to set up lights on timer

maybe put in my other hydor

move heaters around

add moon lights to main tank light

and i cant help it but im gonna have to do some remodeling of my aquascape

just no satisifed yet

so far i have 25lbs of live sand...my lfs store took sand out of all of their tanks and then sold me the bucket...nice mix...lots of critters

i also have 25 lbs of tonga and 20 lbs fiji....fuge sucked up about 15 lbs of rubble

i did first and 3rd chamber LR rubble second chamber calerpa macro and topped LR in 1st chamber off with a wad of chaeto. last chamber is open for equipment.

still not ready tho...more tinkering...should be done by sunday and will post sum pics.

joshuah

Sounds good. I would be very careful with Caulpera though. That type of macro can be very toxic and really cause water problems during certain stages of it growth. Chaeto seems to give you the same results without the worry. Also bits & fragments of it that escape the fuge can seed anywhere in the main display and you don't want that. If you have had it before and know how to handle it then ok, but just be very careful. Can't wait to see some pics of the set-up.

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Sounds good. I would be very careful with Caulpera though. That type of macro can be very toxic and really cause water problems during certain stages of it growth. Chaeto seems to give you the same results without the worry. Also bits & fragments of it that escape the fuge can seed anywhere in the main display and you don't want that. If you have had it before and know how to handle it then ok, but just be very careful. Can't wait to see some pics of the set-up.

didnt know that about calerpa...newb action. I thought all macro was good macro. Just found some posts on its hazards, i will stick with chaeto as it seems to be the safest. Does your pump make a grinding sound?....maybe mine has sand in it?

also when i put my ear up to tank it is soooo loud i cant imagine anybody in the tank liking the noise. Im also starting to get nervous about my stand. I bought some scratch and dent oak furniture from a local furniture store and haqcked up the toak table to reinforce the mini desk. I wanted more storage/space for the tank..here are some pics from photobucket

http://s173.photobucket.com/albums/w71/Bumpasses/

water params as of last nite

SG-1.024

PH-8.0

Temp-76.5

trites-1.0

trates-0.1

amm-.01

alk-3

im using seachem test kits...kind of a pain. i liked using the beakers and such with the old fresh kits i had...easier and faster. what test kits are you guys using?

...time to go fishin for some caulpera...

joshuah

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didnt know that about calerpa...newb action. I thought all macro was good macro. Just found some posts on its hazards, i will stick with chaeto as it seems to be the safest. Does your pump make a grinding sound?....maybe mine has sand in it?

also when i put my ear up to tank it is soooo loud i cant imagine anybody in the tank liking the noise. Im also starting to get nervous about my stand. I bought some scratch and dent oak furniture from a local furniture store and haqcked up the toak table to reinforce the mini desk. I wanted more storage/space for the tank..here are some pics from photobucket

http://s173.photobucket.com/albums/w71/Bumpasses/

water params as of last nite

SG-1.024

PH-8.0

Temp-76.5

trites-1.0

trates-0.1

amm-.01

alk-3

im using seachem test kits...kind of a pain. i liked using the beakers and such with the old fresh kits i had...easier and faster. what test kits are you guys using?

...time to go fishin for some caulpera...

joshuah

the caulpera has broken apart and is migrating....dammit

i was thinking of breaking the tank down to reinforce the stand anyway...the weight distribution is making me nervous

so i guess now its a foregone conclusion

on the plus side i get to re-aquascape!

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wow i really like what you did with the tank i cant even see the return! so cool how you did the aquascaping.

 

the caulpera has broken apart and is migrating....dammit

i was thinking of breaking the tank down to reinforce the stand anyway...the weight distribution is making me nervous

so i guess now its a foregone conclusion

on the plus side i get to re-aquascape!

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wow i really like what you did with the tank i cant even see the return! so cool how you did the aquascaping.

thanx, but its history now

im going to rescape it similarly but have all the choice rock exposed this time and all the ass rock down. funny i went through the bins for a few hours looking at each individual piece or LR trying to find just the right ones for the puzzle

...quite nice actually

got it all broke down....pain

now the office floor is soaked, smells like a big fart and it looks like a hurricane came through...ahhh yes the benefits of bachelorhood...i could leave it like this for a week if i wanted...he he he

off to work now

come home tonite, crack sum suds and start over!

joshuah

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The epoxy just got here along with my CaribSea Arag Alive Bahama Oolite. Gonna head out to the picnic table and start some aquascaping. Once I get finished I will post some pics of the final piece.

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000_0007.jpg

 

 

OK. This is the finished aquascaping. I was so pleased with the main piece, that all I had to do was epoxy 2 small pieces to it. Prior to that, I did enlarge the hole in the middle to make it more visible. On the back side I had to epoxy on a small rock to make the whole structure more stable. Also, I managed to get the oyster shell on the left side to stay slightly open. Thats gonna make a nice home for somebody and it's right up front. Its ready to go in the tank now! I'm in the middle of a big move right now, so once I get the location for the tank finalized with the fianc'e in the new house, I will post some pics. Later on

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000_0007.jpg

OK. This is the finished aquascaping. I was so pleased with the main piece, that all I had to do was epoxy 2 small pieces to it. Prior to that, I did enlarge the hole in the middle to make it more visible. On the back side I had to epoxy on a small rock to make the whole structure more stable. Also, I managed to get the oyster shell on the left side to stay slightly open. Thats gonna make a nice home for somebody and it's right up front. Its ready to go in the tank now! I'm in the middle of a big move right now, so once I get the location for the tank finalized with the fianc'e in the new house, I will post some pics. Later on

nice rock!

is that going to be your only piece in the main display?

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nice rock!

is that going to be your only piece in the main display?

That's it. I figure whatever corals, etc that I purchase over the life of this tank will have fragments of live rock that come with it. With those I plan to stategically place them to try and keep the overall shape that I have, only fuller. Plus, I plan on having several small fish that will have a comfortable amout of space to cruise around.

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nice rock!

is that going to be your only piece in the main display?

also

where are you placing your MH ballast?

is there a special way or place it needs to go?

joshuagh

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also

where are you placing your MH ballast?

is there a special way or place it needs to go?

joshuagh

Mine will fit nicely in the cabitnet that I got from cadlights that is made for this tank. It has a shelf inside with 2 holes cut out for electrical cords to run. I am going to try and conceal as much of the gadgetry as I can. I think I will also place a power strip inside the cabinet and run everything into it so that there is only 1 cord that runs to the wall outlet.

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Mine will fit nicely in the cabitnet that I got from cadlights that is made for this tank. It has a shelf inside with 2 holes cut out for electrical cords to run. I am going to try and conceal as much of the gadgetry as I can. I think I will also place a power strip inside the cabinet and run everything into it so that there is only 1 cord that runs to the wall outlet.

what do you think of my recent re-aquascape?

it sounds like its more than what yer gonna do but im like bob the builder..

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w71/Bum...fts-4-14-07.jpg

joshuah

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what do you think of my recent re-aquascape?

it sounds like its more than what yer gonna do but im like bob the builder..

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w71/Bum...fts-4-14-07.jpg

joshuah

Mr Teeth

DonReefer

I think as far as i can tell we are the only 3 in the 34g cad right now

Teeth, im not trying to hijack yer thread, but since there are only 3 of us i just figured id post all my questiones etc on this thread!!?? that ok with u?

 

either of you two have a temp spike when the MH kicks on?

seems a little shortsighted not too have a fun in this light system...

thought about a clip on fan but like u teeth im trying to keep a clean looking set up.

maybe a micro fan attached to both sides, one pushing air in one pulling air out...or have two pushing on one side....put the micro fans over the angled air vent slots...???

joshuah

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Mr Teeth

DonReefer

I think as far as i can tell we are the only 3 in the 34g cad right now

Teeth, im not trying to hijack yer thread, but since there are only 3 of us i just figured id post all my questiones etc on this thread!!?? that ok with u?

 

either of you two have a temp spike when the MH kicks on?

seems a little shortsighted not too have a fun in this light system...

thought about a clip on fan but like u teeth im trying to keep a clean looking set up.

maybe a micro fan attached to both sides, one pushing air in one pulling air out...or have two pushing on one side....put the micro fans over the angled air vent slots...???

joshuah

also

do you two have to keep breaking down and cleaning yer stock pump for sand?

it locked up on me once, but that was my fault i forgot to take it out when i was adding sand...asside from that she slowly starts making a grinding sound...lil bits o sand getting sucked in.

joshuah

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also

do you two have to keep breaking down and cleaning yer stock pump for sand?

it locked up on me once, but that was my fault i forgot to take it out when i was adding sand...asside from that she slowly starts making a grinding sound...lil bits o sand getting sucked in.

joshuah

As of today, I still have an empty tank. Looks like I will be filling it up today or tomorrow. Waiting on my salt to arrive. I wanted to use tropic marin since I have had success in the past with it, only no fish stores around here seem to carry it. My water is being filtered as I type (slow process), so all I have to add to my post is a pic of that. Hey Joshuah, no problem what so ever using my thread. Post more later.

 

 

000_0001.jpg

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As of today, I still have an empty tank. Looks like I will be filling it up today or tomorrow. Waiting on my salt to arrive. I wanted to use tropic marin since I have had success in the past with it, only no fish stores around here seem to carry it. My water is being filtered as I type (slow process), so all I have to add to my post is a pic of that. Hey Joshuah, no problem what so ever using my thread. Post more later.

000_0001.jpg

getting a consistant 3 degree bump when MH kicks on...disabling till i mod it.

i removed the panel on the sides of the lite opposite the swithces

heres a pic, http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w71/Bum...s/tankltmod.jpg

and was thinking of 2 40mm case fans pulling in air and pushing out the other side. they will fit nicely between the t5 ends and the removed side panel and glass plate. was thinking i would run screws thru side light panel into the corners of the 40mm's and just secure everything with matching nuts. Will need and AC adapter, male to female plug for the AC and some wire butts...was at radio shack...for all parts it was gonna $60+...yeah...ok...the same fans on new egg are $2.99 vs $12.99 at Radio Shack...thats why i call it the junk shack.

joshuah

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getting a consistant 3 degree bump when MH kicks on...disabling till i mod it.

i removed the panel on the sides of the lite opposite the swithces

heres a pic, http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w71/Bum...s/tankltmod.jpg

and was thinking of 2 40mm case fans pulling in air and pushing out the other side. they will fit nicely between the t5 ends and the removed side panel and glass plate. was thinking i would run screws thru side light panel into the corners of the 40mm's and just secure everything with matching nuts. Will need and AC adapter, male to female plug for the AC and some wire butts...was at radio shack...for all parts it was gonna $60+...yeah...ok...the same fans on new egg are $2.99 vs $12.99 at Radio Shack...thats why i call it the junk shack.

joshuah

anyone here know electronics well enough to help me mod my MH out with some 40mm fans???

just need to know how i would connect 4 40's...walk thru talk thru type deelio.

thanks

joshuah

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snake plissken

Great looking rock, Dr Teeth. But you need to mow your grass.

 

have you found a good local source for chaeto in your area? where do you go?

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Mine came without a glass canopy as well. Eddie @ cadlights just emailed me and said it was on it's way. As for me, I am going to go with the open top. With the halides, keeping the glass canopy on might cause some temp issues. In the cooler months I may put it on, but not sure yet. For sand bed depth, I am thinking no more than 2 1/2 inches. The sand bed in the fuge will be deeper and much coarser than the oolite in the main display. I think I would drop them an email too just to let them know. Good luck with the tank and offer up any useful tips as you move along. Later on

 

 

I have a cad 25g and used the glass for all but 2 hours. I was running open top and lost a clown and clown goby. A few weeks later I found my six line in the refugium. It was a pain to get out because he kept swimming over and under the baffles. I bought this mesh net from a guy on reef central. Unfortunately the bow front makes it hard to design a cover and I didn't like the net sticking out all over. So I moved the lights up as far as I could in the front of the tank and cut a 2 inch X 24 piece and ran it over the back. I clipped it on using christmas light holders. It seems to work and it is better than the heat and fog of the glass canopy.

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i have the canopy, but used it for a few days. at first i thought the evap would be an issue. with or without the cover the evap seems to be pretty good at 2 gallons/week.

 

i took lots of pics, coming soon.

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Great looking rock, Dr Teeth. But you need to mow your grass.

 

have you found a good local source for chaeto in your area? where do you go?

It's about time you showed up Plissken. Where have you been? This is a reef tank forum, not a place for landscaping advice. Besides, I am going for the safari look in the backyard. Brings in the wildlife, hahaha.

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snake plissken

Dr teeth -

sorry for the late entrance. i got held up in NY

 

what kind of epoxy did you use? does it only work on dry pieces or will it work underwater too?

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