schgr.cube Posted April 15, 2010 Author Share Posted April 15, 2010 Hey, turns out I got a mangrove. Awesome! Cant wait to see how it looks in a few weeks. Thanks, me too! Link to comment
Withers Posted April 15, 2010 Share Posted April 15, 2010 Man that looks fantastic! What are you going to do about those wires? Link to comment
fiction101 Posted April 15, 2010 Share Posted April 15, 2010 Homedepot sells the black tubing to cover wires, it would look a lot better with it on. Link to comment
schgr.cube Posted April 16, 2010 Author Share Posted April 16, 2010 Man that looks fantastic! What are you going to do about those wires? Homedepot sells the black tubing to cover wires, it would look a lot better with it on. LOL well I was planning on using a white covering that my dad was going to mail me, but now that I am getting the Metal Halide I have just decided to wait... I will cover the new wire somehow, just don't feel like spending money on something that will change in a week. Link to comment
schgr.cube Posted April 21, 2010 Author Share Posted April 21, 2010 Love the new greenage! Thanks! Snails love the algae, I'll come home and find 2 or 3 completely out of water grazing on it. Everything seems to be doing well so far though, and I should have a fiddler sometime this weekend. My Ice Probe chiller should be here before Saturday, and my new light should be here on Monday according to FedEx so expect some nice updates then. NOW, I need some help from you guys. I'm debating going bare-bottom so I am able to redo the Vortech on the bottom thing, and get back to looking kind of like this: Does anyone here have any info or experience with starboard? I would like some pictures of starboard in tanks, especially established. Clear pictures of the starboard would be great. Also, has anyone ever tried using the great stuff foam (used for rock walls) and sand to create a fake sand bed with star board? This might be tacky, but who knows... Link to comment
MitchReef Posted April 21, 2010 Share Posted April 21, 2010 I wouldn't use the foam, the Jury's still out on it leaching. I've never used Starboard, but a thin piece will cover with coralline before long at all, then problem solved. My Frag Tank is kinda bare bottom, but so far I have such poor flow that it's just a nasty catcher. About time for a "toy" CUC! Link to comment
fiction101 Posted April 21, 2010 Share Posted April 21, 2010 Please don't go bare-bottom! It definitely ruins the look of the tank. Link to comment
Withers Posted April 22, 2010 Share Posted April 22, 2010 Starboard is really just a cutting board, so take that into consideration if you want to go that route for a much cheaper route that looks just as good. I've done bare-bottoms in the past and I just prefer the look of sand, but it would be awesome to have the vortech set up the way it was before Link to comment
sammy113 Posted April 22, 2010 Share Posted April 22, 2010 Starboard is pricey vs Acrylic. Don't know why people always want to use it. Only difference to me is that is not glossy but that should not be a problem. After all it will be covered with biofilm in a couple of days and eventually with coraline. I'm thinking to make some changes in my tank, including rockwork and probably substrate. I currently have some kind of crushed coral so I can still run vortech at high levels but was thinking it was going to be easier to siphon out detritus from the crushed substrate without sucking it but it is not. It still holds lots of crap in hard to reach places. I'd vote for the BB Link to comment
bob21115 Posted April 22, 2010 Share Posted April 22, 2010 Stay away from the foam. I tried it in one of my basement tank and had a bunch of problems. Its very difficult to keep under water, and over time (a short time) the sand will come off. I think most people that try to make a rock wall out of foam place LR in the foam and cover the exposed foam with sand. It just looks fake. If you want to make a rock wall, just dry out your live rock. Then use the 2 part reef putty to glue the rock together. I've found that its 1000 times easier to use the putty when the rock is dry. Also if you want to fill in gaps you can do that with the putty. I don't know what your plans are for the rock wall but I wouldn't do it in this tank. The only bare bottom Starboard tank I've liked was when a guy had used some kind of epoxy to make it look like it had a full sand bed. He used some kind of epoxy to glue all the sand together so it would blow away. But just like the bare starboard it was quickly covered with Coraline algae. I with I new you were looking for a ice probe. I took mine off the contest tank and would have given you a great deal on it. Link to comment
Withers Posted April 22, 2010 Share Posted April 22, 2010 I'm thinking to make some changes in my tank, including rockwork and probably substrate. I currently have some kind of crushed coral so I can still run vortech at high levels but was thinking it was going to be easier to siphon out detritus from the crushed substrate without sucking it but it is not. It still holds lots of crap in hard to reach places. There's no need to get crushed coral so you can crank your Vortech up, just get a larger grain size of aragonite. I can make a massive wave in my tank and it doesn't affect the substrate at all. Link to comment
DaveFason Posted April 22, 2010 Share Posted April 22, 2010 schg - Make sure to post a ton of pictures of the new crab. I cant wait to see how it turns out! -Dave Link to comment
JoeD Posted April 22, 2010 Share Posted April 22, 2010 Like the addition of the greenery. Hoping to get my island put together this weekend. Order with John forthcoming. Link to comment
schgr.cube Posted April 22, 2010 Author Share Posted April 22, 2010 I wouldn't use the foam, the Jury's still out on it leaching. I've never used Starboard, but a thin piece will cover with coralline before long at all, then problem solved. My Frag Tank is kinda bare bottom, but so far I have such poor flow that it's just a nasty catcher. About time for a "toy" CUC! I'm not entirely sure I would like the look of coralline covered starboard, but who knows... Please don't go bare-bottom! It definitely ruins the look of the tank. I know, but I miss how the tank looked all clean up top. Starboard is really just a cutting board, so take that into consideration if you want to go that route for a much cheaper route that looks just as good. I've done bare-bottoms in the past and I just prefer the look of sand, but it would be awesome to have the vortech set up the way it was before Agreed, I think it may be a necessary sacrifice. I was actually planning on going with cutting board, it would be $16 shipped or so pre-cut. I guess I could find it cheaper... Starboard is pricey vs Acrylic. Don't know why people always want to use it. Only difference to me is that is not glossy but that should not be a problem. After all it will be covered with biofilm in a couple of days and eventually with coraline. I'm thinking to make some changes in my tank, including rockwork and probably substrate. I currently have some kind of crushed coral so I can still run vortech at high levels but was thinking it was going to be easier to siphon out detritus from the crushed substrate without sucking it but it is not. It still holds lots of crap in hard to reach places. I'd vote for the BB Go BB with me, it will be better for both of us hahah. Stay away from the foam. I tried it in one of my basement tank and had a bunch of problems. The only bare bottom Starboard tank I've liked was when a guy had used some kind of epoxy to make it look like it had a full sand bed. He used some kind of epoxy to glue all the sand together so it would blow away. But just like the bare starboard it was quickly covered with Coraline algae. I with I new you were looking for a ice probe. I took mine off the contest tank and would have given you a great deal on it. I wasn't really planning on a rock wall, I've epoxied rocks together already to do my overflow. This was more-so me trying to figure out a way to make the starboard look more natural and foam was just an idea. And that sucks about the ice probe! I think I got a pretty decent deal though, I didn't buy new. schg - Make sure to post a ton of pictures of the new crab. I cant wait to see how it turns out! -Dave I will! I'm not sure when it is coming in now, but hopefully around the same time as the light. Like the addition of the greenery. Hoping to get my island put together this weekend. Order with John forthcoming. Thanks! Island is going to be sweet, I'll have to keep checking. Hopefully John should still have some of the same stuff he sent me, it's working out quite well! Link to comment
Justind823 Posted April 22, 2010 Share Posted April 22, 2010 I used great stuff on my "fake-looking" rock wall and as far as I can tell I haven't had a problem with it...and the sand stays on. There are a lot of people on hear that have used the foam without any problems but you are going to always going to have people saying otherwise. I say use it, but also keep in mind that everyone has their own opinion on it. Now that I've re-read your post it looks like you probably going to use it anyway oh well. Also, your tank looks sweet, I'm usually not a fan of bare bottom but if its for a good cause- like hiding everything- it will look very clean and really cool. I'm excited to see that crab you have going on the island and what kind of changes you have with that new halide. Link to comment
neuwave Posted April 22, 2010 Share Posted April 22, 2010 Guess I may be a bit different on the foam part I have used foam to attach rocks and cover pipes. It's been in my tank for 3 years not a single problem. I used the koi pond foam. Takes 24 hrs to cure but once dry you can cut it and mold it the way you want. I have some foam almost competely covered with coraline. Anyway schg, your tank is coming along nice. Once I get my new rimless up I'll need you opnion schg. Lol keep up the good work. Link to comment
schgr.cube Posted April 23, 2010 Author Share Posted April 23, 2010 Haha well I think I know what I will be doing, but it will take a lot of planning. It will probably be a combination of starboard and sand.... Took some REALLY bad pictures tonight, I really should stop taking pictures until I get a good macro and a tripod...but oh well! This shows a few of my recent acquisitions; the new monti cap, the spiderman zoa, and the green bay packers: This shows my new MitchReefs Pinhwheel zoanthids, which are a lot more colorful in person and one of my new favorite zoas, as well as the new mushroom (which is quite unhappy and attempting to attach to the rock): And I just thought it was funny that the tidal vines are already rooting themselves in the rock: Link to comment
schgr.cube Posted April 23, 2010 Author Share Posted April 23, 2010 Ice probe is here, so you can finally see the sump fully complete: Link to comment
Crackerballer Posted April 23, 2010 Share Posted April 23, 2010 What Halide did you decide on? Link to comment
schgr.cube Posted April 23, 2010 Author Share Posted April 23, 2010 What Halide did you decide on? Fishneedit 150w with the 20k, but I got a free 14k phoenix that may or may not work. Link to comment
bob21115 Posted April 23, 2010 Share Posted April 23, 2010 Very cool. I was totally shocked how big the Ice Probe was when I got mine. It worked great when it was hooked up. I've been away from home for 4 days and I hope I don't come home to a mess like you did. How the recovery going? Link to comment
Crackerballer Posted April 23, 2010 Share Posted April 23, 2010 Fishneedit 150w with the 20k, but I got a free 14k phoenix that may or may not work. Nice. I was going to say I have the perfect light for you if you want to upgrade past the fishneedit light, Current Sundial HQI Link to comment
schgr.cube Posted April 23, 2010 Author Share Posted April 23, 2010 Very cool.I was totally shocked how big the Ice Probe was when I got mine. It worked great when it was hooked up. I've been away from home for 4 days and I hope I don't come home to a mess like you did. How the recovery going? Yeah I wasn't expecting it to be that big, and I even knew the measurements from designing the sump. Why did you get rid of it, I don't remember? Things are better, I think the only things I lost officially were the monti cap (now replaced), the valentines day massacres and the fruit loops (either of which could be attribted to bad gluing just as much as melting so who knows!) Hopefully you shouldn't have any problems, is someone competent looking after the tank? Nice. I was going to say I have the perfect light for you if you want to upgrade past the fishneedit light, Current Sundial HQI That would have been a great option, I just couldn't beat the price of the fishneedit. My wife would kill me if I changed it up again! Link to comment
Crackerballer Posted April 23, 2010 Share Posted April 23, 2010 That would have been a great option, I just couldn't beat the price of the fishneedit. My wife would kill me if I changed it up again! I hear you. I am trying to figure out my Solana lighting options. Right now I have: 1x 24" HelloLights 4x24w T5 Light 2x 150w 20" Sunpod (was gonna see if I could run them both) 1x 150w Sundial HQI (first choice so far) and I am about to buy a 250w Aqua Medic Ocean Light, which I may look into modifying it with some LEDs for moonlight and color. It's a viscious hobby isn't it? Link to comment
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