New 20L Mixed Reef Build

[aparker]

Hey Alex, the tank looks great. I was getting worried since I didn't see you post for a while. You can't build a fan base if you don't post!!

 

If you are happy with your cleanup crew then so be it. I am sending out a bunch of snails to a High School in Texas on Monday as a donation to a really cool tank system: 800 gallon classroom build

 

I am sending DIBS Turbo sp, columbellids, an unidentified shrimp, hopefully some stomatella (if I can catch them, and an assortment of limpets. These are primarily part of my DIBS Project work.

 

As far as you rsystem goes, if you don't already have them, I would recommend a few mini-brittle stars. They are low impact but do help keep the underside of the rocks clean.

 

Again, your tank really has come a long way in a short time. Very nice! Did you go to MACNA? I am looking into going next year, but need to convince someone else to go with me.

 

Thanks for the compliments - coming from someone with your expertise it means a lot. I have some VERY small brittle stars in my fuge that I got from IPSF - like 1 cm across tiny. What is the species you have like? Do they breed for you? I would be happy with any new spp of reef-safe snails or other grazing mollusks.

 

I did not go to MACNA - my life is ridiculously busy as it is. Maybe next year. I will not likely post again for a while - I am going to Vancouver for a week. This will be the longest test so far of how well my reef automation works. Fingers crossed.

[jnarowe]

I would just watch the brittles and see how big they get. I think any mini brittles are fine but you could ID them just for better understanding. I have no idea if they breed but since I just caught one by surprise in my overflow comb, I have to think that they are. GOOD LUCK!!! Vancouver is a great town.

[aparker]

You can say that again...I think it looks great. Nice variety of colors and textures in there. Plenty of eye candy and everything looks nice and healthy.

 

Keep up the great work.

Thanks! I think almost everything looks really good - the only exception would be the birdsnest, which is not growing much and is not extending its polyps. I have moved it to a slightly lower light/flow area to see if it likes that better.

[aparker]

So as predicted by someone on this site earlier, my Quiet One 4000 died on me last week. Not a great lifespan for a pump - about 6 months continual service. I vinegared out all of the builtup calcium deposit, but no luck - it won't start up. So I ordered a new one. I thought about trying out a different brand, but the plumbing is all set up around the QO, so one would drop right in with no changes, and I was in a hurry. In the interim I put a Maxi-Jet in the tank with my AC Jr set to do RND(3) on and RND(10) off, but that's not the same as the real deal...

 

One change I did make was to get a QO 3000 (780 gph) to replace the 1060 gph QO4000. The flow is more reasonable with this one. If it lasts 6 months like the first one, I will be happy. By then I will have moved out and built a bigger tank anyway (with a better brand of pump from the git-go).

 

Otherwise everyone is happy. I am doing a no-lights weekend this week, as I have started doing about once a month in the name of algae control. Works beautifully.

[jnarowe]

I have a Quiet One for my water change system and never had a problem, but it is not in use 24/7. I comes on 4 x/day for 15 minutes, and I use it to pump out my sumps once/week. I wouldn't imagine they would be rated for continuous duty though.

 

Planning started for the next tank?

[jnarowe]

What's going on with the tank Alex??

[cp3823]

any updates on the tank?

[willieb18]

I just read all 11 pages this is a great set up where is the update?

[edacsac]

+1 on the updates, although I bet he is switching effort over to the "next" tank. This was a great thrad and one of my main references for building my tank.

[Mr. Fosi]

Link for the profile-page impaired.

[baj]

very cool! good luck.

[aparker]

+1 on the updates, although I bet he is switching effort over to the "next" tank. This was a great thrad and one of my main references for building my tank.

 

Ok OK, yeah I've been lax - too busy with work travel etc. Plus just got sick for a week.

 

At any rate, the tank is fine except for persistent hair algae growth on the substrate (coral sand). Snails keep all hard surfaces spotless, but don't want to graze the sand. Next tank will have no sand.

 

I have Anthelia and Clove polyps growing like crazy - I need to find time to frag before they take over.

 

My Echinophyllia started really burning the Montis next to it badly, so I put a wall of acrylic between them. Next tank will have that SOB far away from sensitive SPS.

 

Got a few Aiptasia growing, and they piss me off. I put some peppermint shrimps in the tank but I think the fish killed and ate them before they could do in the Aiptasia. Damn fish, always hungry. Maybe I have to try Berghia next?

 

At any rate, planning is well under way for the next tank - pretty sure it'll be a 40L. I'll post plans when they are more developed, but feel free to throw in suggestions whenever.

 

Oh and I got a new camera - Canon A720. If I ever find time to take pictures of the tank again I'll post em!

 

Alex

[aparker]

Ok OK, yeah I've been lax - too busy with work travel etc. Plus just got sick for a week.

 

Ha - still busy, but at least found time to test water today. I have been doing very little to the tank except siphoning out algae as part of my regular water changes (see sig for perspective on water changes).

 

As of today: NO3 - zero, PO4 - zero, Alk 8 dKH, Ca 425 ppm.

 

The two-part dosing system seems to be on track. After the first couple months I noticed the Alk reservoir was emptying faster than the Ca, with the expected imbalance in water chemistry. I changed the dosing pump timer cycles a bit and it seems to be better now.

 

When I set up the new tank I will have to decide if I stick with two-part or go to Kalk. I am not going to go down the Ca reactor road for now, that's for sure.

[aparker]

Ok, a year-end update on the 20L experience. Here's a current mostly-FTS, just avoiding the powerhead stuck to the front glass. It's there because the Quiet One pump running my closed-loop died and I don't want to buy a third one of those POS.

 

Here is a close up of the Sinularia and friends

 

 

And a shot of my two Acanthastrea, with powerhead...

 

 

Everyone is pretty happy, except the pink birdsnest, which continues to slowly decline. Who knows why- it has never really thrived. Acros, Montis, etc are all growing. I have moved all my clove polyps off the sand and glued them to rocks. Hopefully this will encourage the snails to visit them and keep the algae from growing around them. I am in general pleased with these guys - they are pretty to look at and seem to be growing nicely, but not as aggressively as the weedy Anthelia that I have to keep cutting back. When I set up the new tank I may just put these in the fuge as a nutrient-export mechanism.

 

This may be the last post on this tank thread - I have decided on the new tank and its location in my new place (moving in with my lovely lady this spring), and so will start that buildout thread soon (stay tuned). The new tank will be a 54 gal corner, and I'll start my thread with a long-winded (but hopefully worthwhile) analysis of everything that I think went right and went wrong with the 20L, and how those experiences will affect the way I set up the 54.

 

Thanks to everyone who has followed this thread and offered their advice and encouragement.

 

And of course Happy New Year!

 

Alex

[[WDT]TardFarmer]

Love your tank!! Any updates?

[aparker]

BACK FROM THE DEAD!

 

So I visited Jon Rowe a couple weeks back out on the lovely Kitsap peninsula, and he was dissin' me for no new photos of my tank. It has been a looooong time, I will admit, but I have been busy, moving, building my new tank, re-landscaping the yard at the new house (moved in w/my GF), etc etc. Plus trying to finally get back in shape for a few late-season bike races. So not a lot of time to nano-post.

 

But, here are two teaser photos of the new 54 corner setup. It is running a 10-gal fuge with Tunze skimmer and an Aqua Logic 1/4 HP chiller. If I get some feedback expressing interest, I will eventually write up the build saga and outline my next steps on this puppy (mostly involving moving the filtration to the basement).

 

Tank on stand:

 

Closeup (sorta):

 

That's all for now.

[divecj5]

Wow....seriously back from the dead. I remember following your thread back in the fall and then it just disappeared. Glad to see that you are still in the hobby and that 54 looks great. Look forward to seeing more about it.

[quickfinger]

monkeys are naked

[jnarowe]

monkeys are naked

 

I like turtles.