animalmaster6 Posted June 11, 2010 Share Posted June 11, 2010 Woo Pics when the rock formation is up Link to comment
n0rk Posted June 11, 2010 Author Share Posted June 11, 2010 Need my stand first, mate but yes, I've been waiting too long and have invested way too much in this project to not document it visually! Link to comment
animalmaster6 Posted June 12, 2010 Share Posted June 12, 2010 That's what we like to hear Link to comment
fishez4alivin Posted June 12, 2010 Share Posted June 12, 2010 Thanks guys Headway made. Ordered more rock. Ordered 5 Dispar Anthias. Got the QT fully ready to roll. And... I emailed Anton Burian of ATB Skimmers fame about getting an ATB for this tank. Looks like I'm dead set on getting one... such is the joys of having expensive taste... Can't go wrong with an ATB, you will love it....quiet, well built, set it and forget it, and a serious nog collector. Moving right along with the build....congrats! Link to comment
n0rk Posted June 12, 2010 Author Share Posted June 12, 2010 That's what we like to hear Eventually I need to buy myself a 100mm f/2,8 macro lens for my camera specifically for the tank... need to actually get it set up first before I think of stuff to shoot it with though... Can't go wrong with an ATB, you will love it....quiet, well built, set it and forget it, and a serious nog collector. Moving right along with the build....congrats! That's what I figure. Originally I was planning on a Chinese skimmer with an upgraded pump (likely a modded AquaBee or something) to take care of it, but a few of the guys who are on my local forum basically helped me see reason. Essentially it was that I've already injected so much into the build financially and emotionally and skimping out was basically putting it all to waste (and that the difference between domestic options and this one financially I'd be spending on livestock quickly anyway). Beyond that option I looked at Super Reef Octopus skimmers, but quite aside from the fact they're HUGE, they actually work out quite considerably more expensive than the ATB option, even before postage. I'm not one to say no to a good thing... Waiting for Anton to email me back, once he does I'll probably order it next week. Now we get to the really fun part of the build... those terrifying few days before things all start to come together... Link to comment
animalmaster6 Posted June 12, 2010 Share Posted June 12, 2010 Eventually I need to buy myself a 100mm f/2,8 macro lens for my camera specifically for the tank... need to actually get it set up first before I think of stuff to shoot it with though... Nice! That's the lense I want Link to comment
fishez4alivin Posted June 12, 2010 Share Posted June 12, 2010 The good thing about getting that skimmer, is you can use it on your next upgrade, because don't kid yourself, there will be one....lol Link to comment
n0rk Posted June 12, 2010 Author Share Posted June 12, 2010 Nice! That's the lense I want Great lens they are. Every time I use one I feel sad about my current terrible array of glass. I'm also put in mind of how well Canon can make lenses when they actually try to. Dunno if I'm sold on the 100 fully though, the EF-S 1:1 macro looks interesting (can't remember the exact model, I guess like 65mm or something?) seeings I rarely shoot anything other than ultrawide on my FF bodies. Some things I need to consider I guess? The good thing about getting that skimmer, is you can use it on your next upgrade, because don't kid yourself, there will be one....lol lol, I'm not so sure mate. Getting this tank and a pico was battle enough... as much as I want it, I'm not sure I'll get it until I move out. Once I do I'm thinking a 1700x1250x480mm Starphire spotlit lagoon tank... I guess you'd call it that anyway? Just have like Acropora colonies freestanding on the sandbed and not much rock structure, and run the entire thing on waveboxes so it's like tidal wash instead of directional flow. To that end I'm not sure the ATB would come with me to that system... but it'd sure as hell be staying on my frag system at least Blind ambition is great when it's coupled with insanity, isn't it? Link to comment
n0rk Posted June 15, 2010 Author Share Posted June 15, 2010 RO/DI unit and a pair of TDS meters arrived today. I've been using the same, bargain basement piece of crap RO unit since I got into reefing back in '07... never changed a membrane, never changed a prefilter, never done nothin' to look after it... I was expecting a TDS through the roof. I just tested it. 2. 2ppm. Out of a 3 year old, undermaintained, cheap-as-chips RO unit. This makes me question just how good our domestic water supply is these days... I was quite shocked. Alas, RO/DI and 0ppm sounds good too! Link to comment
fishez4alivin Posted June 15, 2010 Share Posted June 15, 2010 Yeah I think the RO membrane can last a long time as long as your tap water isnt too bad. The prefilters and DI resin though need to get changed out. LOL, I had an algae bloom and checked my TDS and it was 50ppm, it took two weeks of water changes to rid me of that problem... Link to comment
n0rk Posted June 17, 2010 Author Share Posted June 17, 2010 Yeah I think the RO membrane can last a long time as long as your tap water isnt too bad. The prefilters and DI resin though need to get changed out. LOL, I had an algae bloom and checked my TDS and it was 50ppm, it took two weeks of water changes to rid me of that problem... TDS has never overly concerned me truth be told... I'm quite a bad reefer in that I'm not very interested in what test kits can tell me in terms of water quality. If there's any glaring problems I can usually pick 'em up long before I'll need to test for it... like in my pico I did a TDS test and got a reading of 56ppm, which considering how hard I feed my LPS and how scarcely I do waterchanges in it is no real surprise... I guess it's a matter of watching your tank progressively and adapting to suit... Speaking of adapting to suit... I'm deeply rethinking putting Fairies in my tank... so instead some crazy bastard put these in my QT tank last night... Ooooh boy... EDIT: now with added video. Link to comment
n0rk Posted June 18, 2010 Author Share Posted June 18, 2010 Awesome!!!!!! FTS? need a tank to have an FTS buddy. I'm gonna do a dry run of the aquascape just as soon as I've got some AquaKneedit to take care of the task, then I'll put it in the tank and take a dry FTS... Link to comment
n0rk Posted June 18, 2010 Author Share Posted June 18, 2010 Let it never be said I don't occasionally make progress... The kids... Aquascape... First ever plumbing... scary... Need to tidy the vinyl edge up a little... Need to cement the aquascape in place somehow, how do you guys recommend? I'm doing away with the cableties just as soon as the 'scape is solidified, they're all kinds of ugly and only really serving to be integral to the structure... Now, to put it in the tank... Link to comment
fishez4alivin Posted June 19, 2010 Share Posted June 19, 2010 Hydraulic cement works the best, so strong you don't even have to zip tie or drill and use rods..... Link to comment
animalmaster6 Posted June 20, 2010 Share Posted June 20, 2010 How about a FTS of the tank those anthias are in They look great! Link to comment
n0rk Posted June 30, 2010 Author Share Posted June 30, 2010 Hydraulic cement works the best, so strong you don't even have to zip tie or drill and use rods..... I've got some sweet pH-neutral reef cement lined up to do it... gonna use a combination of that and like aquakneedit I think. Hopefully will make for good rockwork... the ties are comin' off, no way in hell am I gonna do a build like this and then leave something so ugly in it... How about a FTS of the tank those anthias are in They look great! You're gonna regret that... here's a blue-legged hermit in the tank for reference... And an "FTS"... I'm pulling like a cup of the nastiest, stinkiest skimmate my skimmer has ever pulled, and still barely making a dent on the cycle... these guys are eating between 3 and 6 cubes of Mysis a day... I'm up to 3mL of 80-proof Vodka a day to try and keep up with the nutrient load... it's kinda laughable... in "good" news though, pretty sure two of them are about to turn male... they're certainly displaying the typical male behaviour and getting the solid red dorsal fin associated with male Pseudanthias dispar... it's amusing to watch... Link to comment
Captain Billy Posted July 14, 2010 Share Posted July 14, 2010 like in my pico I did a TDS test and got a reading of 56ppm, which considering how hard I feed my LPS and how scarcely I do waterchanges in it is no real surprise TDS of the tank water? Nice Ignitus Anthias. Link to comment
n0rk Posted October 5, 2010 Author Share Posted October 5, 2010 It lives. Under a bit of a different guise and format than I'd originally planned... but hey, short term tanks aren't meant to be this hardcore... (check the first post for an update) Link to comment
animalmaster6 Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 What are the plans for this tank? Looking forward to seeing angels and SPS everywhere buddy Link to comment
n0rk Posted October 6, 2010 Author Share Posted October 6, 2010 Lots of SPS and one or two Centropyges. Much the same as the bigger tank would be, but instead focused towards coral instead of fish Link to comment
animalmaster6 Posted October 6, 2010 Share Posted October 6, 2010 Nice! There's an article on www.reefbuilders.com right now you would enjoy. We might have some captive-bred Centropyge boylei Peppermint Angels. Link to comment
n0rk Posted October 7, 2010 Author Share Posted October 7, 2010 I would literally kill a man for a spawning pair of Peppermints... is that bad to say? Link to comment
fishez4alivin Posted October 7, 2010 Share Posted October 7, 2010 I would literally kill a man for a spawning pair of Peppermints... is that bad to say? I know a local store that has many spawning pairs of Peppermints....I'm sure you can find a source locally. When they spawn the mass of babies is pretty impressive, but you definitely need to house them in their own tank, their spawn is insta-food Link to comment
n0rk Posted October 7, 2010 Author Share Posted October 7, 2010 I know a local store that has many spawning pairs of Peppermints....I'm sure you can find a source locally. When they spawn the mass of babies is pretty impressive, but you definitely need to house them in their own tank, their spawn is insta-food Paracentropyge boylei? insofar as I was aware there's only 2 in captivity and Richard Pyle isn't diving for them anymore... you sure it's not some other kind of Pepp? Link to comment
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