violinist Posted December 11, 2009 Share Posted December 11, 2009 Latest FTS 12.30.2012 FTS 03.04.2012FTS 04.09.2011FTS 04.09.2011FTS 02.13.2011FTS 08.06.2010FTS 06.25.2010:Latest Video 03.2011:This is a very, very long thread and if you want to wade through it all there are a ton of pictures and videos along the way to keep you entertained (in addition to the fun of watching a noob plow through cash).For those lacking time or patience, here's the highlight reel:==========================================1 - Once upon a time I had an 8G Biocube...2 - Then I setup this 20 Long3 - I made an AC70 fuge which I never used on the 20L4 - I decided to go with an AquaC Remora skimmer instead5 - Tore down the BC8 and moved everyone into the 20L6 - I bought a wrasse who quickly died7 - Added an ATO to the tank8 - Goodbye metal halide, hello T5's9 - Add damsels and shrimps and macro algae, let simmer...10 - The short lived macro algae craze continues11 - More macros, more inverts12 - More inverts added13 - Harlequin shrimp added14 - Purple dottyback added, welcome to the Murder Box15 - 20g Hex tank started16 - Introducing the fat, punky Blenny!17 - 4-stripe Damsel in the pool - Murder Box complete18 - Harlequin goes ninja on a starfish19 - The beginning of the end of the Reign of Terror20 - About 3 months in, let the dosing begin21 - The dottyback goes carpet surfing22 - New damsel added (and immediately killed)23 - Murder Box no-more24 - Peaceful fish added, and another wrasse quickly dies25 - I own a Demon FrogspawnSome commonly asked questions:q: What camera do you use?a: I have a Canon 5D and lots and lots of lenses. The macros here are shot with the Canon 100mm f2.8. Most of the wide-angles are shot with the 16-35 F2.8L.q: What filter do you use?a: An AquaC Remora skimmer is the only filter on the tank and it runs 24x7. - Skimmer removed early 2012. The tank has no filter on it now.q: What's the T5 bulb combo?a: Lighting is the Current Sundial 30", 4x24w T5HO. Bulbs are Geissman: 2x Actinic+, 1x Pure Actinic, 1x 6000k Midday. 9 hours on, 15 off.q: Chemistry? Dosing? Maintenance?a: Brightwell Neo-Marine salt. Brightwell ReefCode A/B for dosing (20ml of each every day). Weekly 5 gallon water changes without exception. I have a JBJ auto-top off unit controlling an Aqualifter pump and a 3g water jug used as a reservoir.q: Feeding?Rod's Food is what I feed to everything - fish, corals, other inverts. The harlequin shrimp eats starfish, and I give him one every couple of weeks. The mandarin eats Nutramar Ova, and will nibble on the smaller bits of Rod's.q: Tell me more about the harlequin shrimpThere's a lot of good info available on this guy's page. Speaking only from firsthand experience with having one shrimp in the tank - it doesn't mess with corals, it doesn't appear to eat asterina or little hitchhiker serpent stars. It does eat chocolate chip and sandsifting starfish (and presumably any other sizable starfish, but these are the only two types I've fed it to date). It takes the shrimp a couple weeks to finish the starfish, and it keeps the star alive the entire time. The starfish does move around a little during this time, but the harlequin shrimp is always on it or near it. I have never had a starfish go rogue and start eating corals. I let the shrimp go without food for 2-3 weeks between feedings. The harlequin disappeared some time in early 2011, dinner for someone else...Thanks for checking out my tank! Link to comment
malibumowry Posted December 11, 2009 Share Posted December 11, 2009 The 30" Current USA Sundial T5HO fixture is nice, thats what I have on mine. $219 with free shipping right now at..... http://www.csnstores.com/Current-CUR01151-CUR1163.html They are low in stock though so order quickly if you want it. Link to comment
violinist Posted December 11, 2009 Author Share Posted December 11, 2009 Looks good. Was hoping to buy brick and mortar but 20 long seems to be the bastard child of sizes when it comes to finding fixtures... Any other suggestions? Link to comment
latteslave Posted December 12, 2009 Share Posted December 12, 2009 Honestly - the current is pretty awesome! That's the way I would go (even if I started mine all over) Link to comment
jdi1982 Posted December 12, 2009 Share Posted December 12, 2009 +1 I have that same fixture and I absolutely love it! Link to comment
amored Posted December 12, 2009 Share Posted December 12, 2009 you're breaking down your BC? NOOO. now i will be the only nanoreefer with a bc8. oh well. following along! Link to comment
Chris92486 Posted December 12, 2009 Share Posted December 12, 2009 lnt.com (Linens and Things) has the 30" sundial T5 fixture for $204 Link to comment
violinist Posted December 12, 2009 Author Share Posted December 12, 2009 you're breaking down your BC? NOOO. now i will be the only nanoreefer with a bc8. oh well. following along! There's only two of us? lol It won't get torn down totally, my brother was drooling when he saw it over Thanksgiving and said he'd like to buy it if I setup a different tank. Been calling all over trying to find that Current fixture at a local shop and no luck... Also, do you guys all have RO/DI units? Any recommendations? Link to comment
violinist Posted December 13, 2009 Author Share Posted December 13, 2009 So, I gathered up the rest of the goods today and put everything together this evening. 17 pounds of LR Coralite 150w MH clip-on... RO/DI filter Salt I looked at a bunch of different light options. Actually found some shops that carried the Current fixture, but none in the 30". Would have settled for a 24" but no one had that either. Ended up going with a 150w, 14000k metal halide light. Was assured it wouldn't cook the water and judging by how often the heater is kicking on even after the light running for a couple hours that appears to be the case. Don't forsee an issue in summer since we keep the house the same temp year round, but will deal with it then if needed. Here's some pics! Link to comment
violinist Posted December 13, 2009 Author Share Posted December 13, 2009 Forgot a couple things. Picked up a HK 1 as well since no one had the Voretch's in stock and I was already burning a lot of cash anyway. Thought between this, the HOB and possibly my HK nano once I migrate the BC over I'd be in good shape. We'll see how it goes once the hob is lit up because right now the flow from the single HK1 is pathetic. Also returning the AC110 I was going to do the fuge mod on. It takes up half of the back wall of the tank, so I couldn't even center the light. I'll get the AC70 instead. Not sure if my heater will fit inside the 70 (something I checked with the 110) but if it has to live inside the tank I guess I'll get over it. Link to comment
nemmy Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 Looking good! I should have painted the back of my 40B, but i didnt like an idiot. Any reason you didnt paint the back? I'm going to pick up a sheet of black vinyl one of these days to stick on there. Link to comment
violinist Posted December 13, 2009 Author Share Posted December 13, 2009 The walls in the room are a dark blue, so I didn't think all the life-support would be real obvious. Doesn't really bother me to be honest. Link to comment
pismo_reefer Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 20L's are awesome! i wish i had's one. Link to comment
nemmy Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 The walls in the room are a dark blue, so I didn't think all the life-support would be real obvious. Doesn't really bother me to be honest. All good then! Tagging along! Link to comment
violinist Posted December 13, 2009 Author Share Posted December 13, 2009 Today I returned the AC110 and some extra sand. PIcked up AC70 A 20cc syringe to replace the one my stupid dog ate yesterday Some glass to cover the top A second powerhead The glass top was just a cheap folding pane thing from a local pet shop. I took the glass panes out of the hinges and have them laying over the top. I have two dogs who, in addition to eating fish food and syringes and god knows what else, shed like crazy. I mod'd the AC70 so that I could stick my heater in it, a bit of filter pad (I use the carbon pad) next to the heater, and the a fuge for chaeto. Nothing new and exciting in my process, but took some shots: First I cut the bottom off the media basket and glued it in as a grate front of the return to keep the chaeto in the fuge. Then I took one of the two remaining pieces of the basket and trimmed it up so I could glue it in and make a divider between the heater area and fuge area. You need the little notch to slide it in next to the grate. I also cut a notch in the top cover of the filter to allow the heater power cord out. All in all this took about half an hour from opening the box to hanging it on the back of the tank. There's quite a bit of flow now and I have the AC70 dialed down to its weakest setting. Link to comment
Orangutran Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 You are upgrading your BC8 after 23 days only? lol Link to comment
violinist Posted December 13, 2009 Author Share Posted December 13, 2009 You are upgrading your BC8 after 23 days only? lol BC8 sits across the room from this new tank for now. Looks like a nightlight in comparison, it's so dim. Link to comment
violinist Posted December 13, 2009 Author Share Posted December 13, 2009 Things pretty cleared up at this point. Have seen a black and white bristle worm and a couple of snails (one I have a feeling the lfs did not mean to throw in with the LR) creeping around so far. Link to comment
latteslave Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 Looking good! How deep is the AC70? Been thinking about this, but did not want to buy a new heater... Link to comment
violinist Posted December 14, 2009 Author Share Posted December 14, 2009 Looking good! How deep is the AC70? Been thinking about this, but did not want to buy a new heater... The inside of the thing is a bit under 8 inches in depth. I have a rena smart heater sunk in it (the 50w model) and there's another inch or so between the top of the heater and the lid of the ac70. I did pop off the grate thing from the bottom of the heater. Checked some params after 24 hours, 0's across the board with ph at 8.3. Will be interesting to see what sort of cycle the tank goes through. The rock was pulled from tanks with corals and fish in them and the sand is live. Link to comment
violinist Posted December 14, 2009 Author Share Posted December 14, 2009 So, let's play Stock the Tank. Here's the tank. Red arrows are flow directions. There are two powerheads on the right. One points up to the surface, parallel with the back wall of the tank. The other is aimed at the front glass across the top of the right rock, more or less parallel with the substrate (sorry the arrow is deceiving, flow would be hitting you in the eye if you stared at the powerhead from the front of the tank...). The flow on the left is the spill from the AC70. Lighting is the 150w MH. Tank depth is around 12", width is around 30" - so each section below is 10 inches by 4 inches. What would you add and where would you add it? Link to comment
clownfish617 Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 A Sps B F Torch/frogspawn C G zoas Muchrooms E/D colt coral maze brain plate coral what is that in the tank? Link to comment
violinist Posted December 14, 2009 Author Share Posted December 14, 2009 A Sps Which sps you thinking? what is that in the tank? The heater, I just had it laying in there. Link to comment
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