Adrift's 20 High

[SeeDemTails]

Nice pics, new light looks good!

[AdriftQuasar]

Thanks for the kind words! Compliments from reefers whose tanks I admire really inflate my self-esteem, so thanks.

[121a]

Drilled 20g no doubt in my mind. I think 40br are too big, of course that was because it was in my room. If you want a new canopy check out the classifieds i'm selling a 10g canopy maybe you can do it like that? Do you have the Pheonix bulb? if so you want actinics??? that would be like crazy blue.

great tank too

Edited August 6, 2008 by 121a

[AdriftQuasar]

I went with the 12k reeflux, I really love the color on it, though I wouldn't mind something a bit more blue. Maybe I will switch to a 20k when this one needs replacing.

 

I really want to try my hands at some SPS, but I can't help but think I should wait until I'm running a skimmer again. Maybe I could get buy with some montipora?

[121a]

you should switch to the phoenix bulb when you bulb is 9moths old. I think montis will do just fine without a skimmer.

[dshnarw]

got some nice zoas there...

 

throw in a cheap monti and see what happens. should be fine without a skimmer, but always better to sacrifice a cheap one than to kill off an expensive colony right off the bat.

[AdriftQuasar]

I'm really trying to figure out how I want to do the overflow, but can't decide what I want to do. It looks like I've got some research ahead of me. Anyone know what would have the smallest footprint inside the tank?

[AdriftQuasar]

Does anyone know where I can get an internal overflow box? Or at least the materials to make one. I found one website where I could order one for $50, but that amount of money for an acrylic box seems ridiculous to me.

[AdriftQuasar]

This post is mostly for my record in case I loose any of my logs.

 

Water Quality on 8/8/2008 @ 9:00 p.m.

 

SG: 1.025

Temp: 77.8F

pH: 8.4

Alk: 10dKH

Ca: 380ppm

NH3/NH4: 0ppm

NO2: 0ppm

NO3: 10ppm

PO4: 0ppm

 

I suspect that the nitrate reading is the result of a dead snail that I didn't remove all that promptly. I will most likely to a series of small water changes in the coming days to off-set this. I plan to eventually add some macro-algae to help serve as a nutrient export. Future plans also include the addition of a sump and skimmer, which might further help to keep nitrate undetectable. I will conduct nitrate tests each day for a few days to see if it goes down on its own, but will do a water change if an increase is shown.

 

I found a local plastics manufacturer that is willing to do business with private citizens provided that they buy at least a sheet's worth of material, typically being 96x48." They invited me to tour the facility and would be interested in helping me out in whatever way they can. I'm really looking forward to doing some work with acrylic, it opens up some exciting possibilities.

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I've received a fair amount of compliments on my first venture into reefing, but I would love to hear some criticism. What would you have done differently? What direction would you take this tank? What changes would you make? What can I do better?

 

Any input is greatly appreciated and I hereby express my sincere gratitude to all those who offer it.

[AdriftQuasar]

I'm currently of the opinion that I will be selling off a lot of my corals. I think a new goal is going to be to have a tank that makes sense biologically rather than just arbitrarily tossing specimens into a tank and wishing them the best of luck. I'm currently reading Natural Reef Aquariums by John Tullock, which I recommend that every reefer read.

[AdriftQuasar]

Fun chemistry update:

 

Nitrates down to 0ppm as of today. I want to keep testing daily for a while so I can get a feel for what kind of fluctuation goes on in my tank.

 

I think I might buy a microscope.

[AdriftQuasar]

New project in the works:

[121a]

looks good but i would make it wider.

[AdriftQuasar]

These are some pictures of what my tank looked like when it was first set up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Things have definitely changed a lot since then and I have sure as hell learned a lot since then.

[Bluetorch]

Been able to decide on a new design yet???

[AdriftQuasar]

New pictures to come soon, as for now, I came up with a list of live stock I would like to purchase.

Corals

Sacrophyton (Yellow Leather, Fiji Leather)

Sacrophyton erhenbergi (mushroom leather)

More zoanthids

More ricordia

mushrooms

rhodactus mushrooms

some nice yumas

plate coral

Blastomussa welsi

Caulastrea furcata

Favia

Favites

Trachyphyillida geoffroyi (open brain)

Euhphykkua divisa (frogspawn)

E. glabrenscens (torch)

 

Invertebrates

Tridacna derasa

T. squamosa

T. crocea

Flame scallop

Coco worms

peppermint shrimp

skunk cleaner

pistol shrimp

porcelain crab

pop-pom crab.

 

Fish

some sort of shrimp goby to go with the pistol shrimp

 

There is some equipment I want to look into as well...I would like to build a cabinet stand to keep little hands out of my equipment, also to either hold a sump which I would like to add, or at least a bucket for an ATO. As far as an ATO, the tunze osmolator sounds like the greatest thing out there, so I wouldn't mind spending the money on it. If I run a sump, I would most likely use the tunze overflow. I've have a bit of a fixation on buying premium equipment right now. I also want to rebuild my lighting hood, because it looks like crap and I miss the open top for the sake of access. I would also like to be the tunze nano skimmer and get a hold of a 20k bulb. I figure I would buy new equipment so if nothing else, I have everything I need for an updrade. Pics coming soon.

[AdriftQuasar]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This last one is of a pico I am starting, it needs cuc badly.

[Smurf]

I like the really thick bed of GSP! Haha I'm thinking of putting a "backyard" of GSP, and eventually have it cover the back wall of my tank.

[AdriftQuasar]

For the longest time, the GSP really seemed like a waste of space to me, but having it grow on the sand-bed is awesome. It just looks so natural to have it growing there.

 

I would really like to know what you guys think. Any comment, even criticism, so long as it is constructive, is more than welcome here.

[pismo_reefer]

lookin good!

[StevieT]

Nice clowns!

 

 

 

 

see I posted

[AdriftQuasar]

Nice clowns!

 

 

 

 

see I posted

 

I think in the coming years, I will celebrate October 27th much like Christmas is celebrated around the world. One day, my grandchildren will ask me what is was like when StevieT posted in my thread. With a tear in my eye and a smile on my face, I will proudly tell them it was the greatest thing that ever happened to me.

Edited October 27, 2008 by AdriftQuasar

[hooligan_78]

If you're still looking for a small foot print overfow, Glass Holes is the way to go.

[AdriftQuasar]

Thanks for letting me know, $40 for a complete kit is quite the steal.

[StevieT]

I think in the coming years, I will celebrate October 27th much like Christmas is celebrated around the world. One day, my grandchildren will ask me what is was like when StevieT posted in my thread. With a tear in my eye and a smile on my face, I will proudly tell them it was the greatest thing that ever happened to me.

 

no, I would just treat it like any other October 27th, my posts are useless these days