Friar's 4 gallon Finnex - R.I.P.

[metrokat]

moar pictures please, hope the crabbie is alive.

[friar1]

Still have not seen crabbie

Will post pics when I can, packing house up for move.

Lots of junk to get rid of.

 

[metrokat]

Good luck for the move

[friar1]

Here is an FTS and a close up of the trumpet. Still no crab. After WC Happy tank

 

 

[friar1]

Almost Two YEars!

[friar1]

Well,

I just heard some great news! A firend of ours wants to give us their 20 gallon High tank. They are giving their goldfish to a pre-school so they want to get rid of their 20 gallon. Sooooo, I now do not have to purchase a Mr. Aqua (Though I love the look!). Saves me about 80 dollars.

 

Lets see,

LED's and controller, $70, Live Rock, about $120, Sand $30.00

 

Although I could go with some good dry base rock, and save some money that way. I just like the idea of Live Rock right out of the gate... Hmmmmm

 

My beautiful bride does not want me to keep two tanks though, can't blame her. We are not moving into a mansion or anything. Only gaining about 1 more small room, soooo, I might keep the Finnex for a while longer, grow it out more. I have some stocking room yet in there.

 

What say you guys for Live Sand? what do you like, besides black sand.

 

Thanks,

Brian

[friar1]

Sooooo. Drat these new tanks temptations! Now I am thinking about Making some chambers in the back of the tank with some black acrylic, but I think it will take up too much real estate, but I always wanted those back chambers for a refugium or a skimmer or something. Oh yes, I know a sump is the traditional method, but I just don't want to mess with an overflow, all the plumbing and such and I want the stand available for storage, not a sump.

But I can hear all of you saying "Nooooo! Do a sump! Skimmer! Macros and Live rock rubble in the Sump!" And of course I think about Metrokat's Awesome Macro Sump, a reef unto itself!

 

But I want to keep it as simple as possible. I might try some black acrylic and make some compartments for the tank I donothaveyet, and see how much real estate I lose doing this.

 

Of course, a simple solution is to get and AC100 AC110 and fit it with Stevie T's awesome media basket. But now money again becomes an issue.

 

So you can see that getting a new place to live has more consequences than just higher monthly payments! Also changes up the Reef potential

 

Whattodo whattodo whattodo! Oh Thanks, yes calm down now, slow up.

[friar1]

close escrow in about 72 hours!

 

Then the move!

[metrokat]

[markalot]

Good luck Friar!

[friar1]

Thanks! They let us start cleaning yesterday. Tired! House needs a LOT of TLC. Don't think I'll be starting that new tank anytime soon! Money will be going to all the little things that need fixing in the house :sigh:

[friar1]

I could have bought an InTank Media basket AND a AC110 with what I spent today on the new digs sheesh! Oh well, guess I can't complain, since the new place will be in tip top shape soon.

I will have to get a picture of the Finnex on the tank stand that I built for a 20 Gallon a few months almost a year ago. At least I get to use the tank stand for a tank stand now, lol. Since I built it the wife commandeered it for the bathroom. hehe.

But with the new place, i can move it into the living Room and use it for the Finnex.

[friar1]

Yay! Albert Thiel's book is shipping!~ I got one on the way! Yay!

[friar1]

We close today! Yippeeeee!

[friar1]

We closed yesterday. Now I have to figure out how to fix it up without losing my shirt!

I know, I will just put a 500 Gallon reef in the living room and charge admission! That way I get the best of both worlds!

[friar1]

Moved the tank on Friday Night, not many lights in the room yet, so it was a little difficult, but a day later and everyone seems to have made it ok.

 

Pics in a day or so. It looks small on the new stand, oh well.

 

Moved a bunch of stuff from the old house to the new one today, very tired, but we are getting there.

 

Brian

[Drift Monkey]

Good to see this thing is still up and running!

[friar1]

Thanks Drift,

 

Here are pictures, tank is doing ok. I want to change back to a canister filter.

 

FTS 04/17/13

 

 

 

Full Stand Shot (looks too small on stand)

 

[metrokat]

It does look small on a big stand like that, especially with that hat it has on. But you know the details of the tank are what catches your eyes, any reef tank except for massive SPS only ones are to be enjoyed close up. That corner to the right looks like a good spot for it too but not if your outlets are behind where it is now. Nice carpet!!

[friar1]

Yep, that's what I thought, but you know, just hoping for a bigger tank

 

TWO YEARS OLD!

[friar1]

Ok, so...

No updates because I have been updating our new home. It was built in the 40's, and although it was pretty well taken care of, we have a lot of work left to do in it.

 

The trumpet coral, by the way, is getting Huge!

 

I should move hom.

 

Brian

[friar1]

Oh man,

So... I have been slowly planning and buying parts for a 20 gallon build. Just read some more info about sumps. Ahhh... I think now I will put a sump in for this new 20 gallon build. But I have to DRILL!!!! Well, not so worried about the drilling as I am the possibility of a catastrophic failure and a large leak. So... More research is needed. Like will my cabinet fit a sump and the required equipment in it? Can I afford to purchase an ATO and a skimmer to go with the sump? I will need to make it accessible also, by possibly building a slide out tray for the sump. It will have to be small, but I will probably end up cutting out the shelf I have in the cabinet so maybe I can get away without the slide out tray. hmmm.

 

Is it worth the extra effort and expense? Maybe, I have seen some really great tanks with sumps and skimmers. Just not sure I want all that.

 

As a question, do people run carbon/GFO and the like in a system with a sump? If so how is that accomplished?

 

Maybe I will just get an ATO and forget the skimming, since I really don't have a thing for SPS. Just not sure I want to risk a leak, especially a bad one.

 

hmmmmmmmmmmmm.........

[metrokat]

So think of the sump as basically having extra space and water volume. You don't even need baffles unless you plan on having a chamber for chaeto. Added water makes good space for reactors, skimmer dosers etc. Drilling is one way, overflow is another.

I've seen some 20G basic tanks used as sumps without any baffles. They put a breeder net with chaeto in it.

[friar1]

So I have found that the biggest tank I can put under my stand is about 7 or 8 gallons.

I suppose I can just use it for a refugium, maybe set it up in order to add a skimmer at a later time.

 

I like the overflows that Glass holes sells. I think I will do that. That way, I will have it drilled. Would not want to have to go that way after the fact. What I would like to see is a set up with a reactor in it.

[friar1]

Well, what a difference a month makes

No to the sump, will go with just some kind of filter running purigen and chemipure or something along those lines + water changes.

 

Now, to the cool stuff. Finally got some time to spend on building the Jarduino controller (find it here. ) Began by assembling the ITDB02 Arduino MEGA Shield v1.1 KIT. I was kind of worried, because there is a surface mount chip that has to be carefully soldered on, but it went ok. Need a battery now for the shield

 

So here it is after I began the assembly...

 

 

And after a little more...

 

 

 

And completed...

 

 

For those who are interested, there is a schematic to follow for the resistors. It is here

 

So the next step is wiring up the led test on the MakersLED heatsink and then the temp probe and led array to the jarduino

 

Fun times