tkudlik Posted September 12, 2005 Share Posted September 12, 2005 Hi there, nice nice setup! Would love to get one of these, just bought a JBJ 24 gallon 5 weeks ago. How much did this tank with everything cost? Please let me know, I'm in Illinois and noticed on the manual that the company that builds these is about 20 minutes from my house here in Chicago. Thanks again! Link to comment
whitmda Posted September 12, 2005 Share Posted September 12, 2005 Thanks. I'm quite proud of my progress. I'm curious, what supplements do you guys have? I currently use Coral Vital, Coral Vital LSB, B-Ionic (when I'm lazy and don't change water in 1 wk increments), Kent Liquid Calcium. I am thinking of getting some acroporas. Do I need anything special for that? I heard people using Iodine, Strontium, etc. I would like to avoid stocking up on 500 supplements if I can help it. If I change water everyweek and supplement calcium, would I be fine? tkudlik: I found mine by calling Chicago stores to see if they had any 18gallons. The 18 gallons were discontinued, and I got mine on clearance for $260 (tank, 36x2 power compacts, skimmer (with pump),return pump, drip trays, filter media, ceramic rings) . They just started making 20 gallon tanks this month. Dunno on the prices. I'd check finnex.net. I know my setup retailed for $400 to $450. I had just bought a Nano 12DX and sold it once I found this tank. The "cracking" stories were haunting my dreams. Link to comment
The_Barbe-Hatten_Project Posted September 13, 2005 Author Share Posted September 13, 2005 That is really nice Whit!!! the tank looks great... i use liquid calc, coral accel, essential elements, iodine, strontium, and coral vital once every 2 weeks w/ a water change... i use calcium when ever i get a chance to squirt some in... Link to comment
whitmda Posted September 14, 2005 Share Posted September 14, 2005 I keep reading about people buffering their water. Do you guys add "buffering" agents to your water? Link to comment
whitmda Posted September 14, 2005 Share Posted September 14, 2005 When I mix my water, the PH and alkalinity are fine. I suppose all the people talking about buffering their water must be mixing up water that's a bit off in the alkalinity parameter. I suppose I'll just test the alkalinity of the tank water and if it looks low, put in some B-Ionic to bring it back up. I think there is a concept of buffer capacity. Meaning you may have a certain alkalinity, but it may be more or less succeptible to change depending on the "capacity". Is there a way to keep the buffer capacity up without changing the alkalinity? Link to comment
tkudlik Posted September 14, 2005 Share Posted September 14, 2005 Whitmda.........thank you very much! I'm in the same boat as you, currently bought a 24 gallon NC 5 weeks ago but now I want your setup! Nice setup and price. Are you in the Chicago area? I am, I live in Niles/Park Ridge area right in between Living Sea and Old Orchard Aquarium. Would like to talk to you more if possible! Thanks again, Tim K. P.s.......I already emailed Finnex.net and they got back to me right away! You're right, the 18 g is discontinued. They will now be showing off they're new 20 gallon and I think a 28 gallon model also. Thank you very much! Tim K. Link to comment
whitmda Posted September 14, 2005 Share Posted September 14, 2005 np tkudlik. I'm in Old Town. This is about the only thread I post on. It's kind of the unofficial finnex tank owners' thread. My role is to copy what BHP and Izzue do, and to ask annoying questions:) Link to comment
The_Barbe-Hatten_Project Posted September 14, 2005 Author Share Posted September 14, 2005 Whit, that perfectly acceptable logic. that is the point of this thread in its entirety... my first goal was to display my tank, but soon changed to the promotion of the tank as a near perfect fundation for a nano aquarium, aswell as providing my experience as a means of reference to people starting and maintaining their own. Kraphtymac was one of the first to join and would have provided double the amount of advice i can offer you now, if he wasn't forced to sell his tank. I can see that izzue and yourself are becoming the second generation of finnex finatics that are now equipped to help others like tkudlik. In time this tank will prove to be timeless in design, which, as Massimo Vignelli (one of, if not the leading designers of all things) recently told me, is the most important criterion for design. Maybe i sould post this as the thread motto on the first post Link to comment
robilium Posted September 15, 2005 Share Posted September 15, 2005 Do they still make these? Checking out the 20 gallon MT-2101 21 x 14 1/2 x 15 7/8" 20 1-36W Actinic blue 1-36W Daylight Link to comment
whitmda Posted September 16, 2005 Share Posted September 16, 2005 Yes, 20 gallon is a new product. 18 gallon is discontinued. Link to comment
tkudlik Posted September 16, 2005 Share Posted September 16, 2005 The_Barbe_Project.........thank you very much. I need all the help I can get! I'm very excited today, just bought my first real frag. at my LFS. A Polyop that is lime green with lemon yellow in the middle, cool stuff! Anyway, I'm sorry if I messed up your thread, did not mean to do that at all. I just think your setup is really really cool, I want one like it, but different of course in some ways...gotta be original. Anyway, thanks for your help and pix all the time, really really cool. Sincerely, tkudlik Link to comment
The_Barbe-Hatten_Project Posted September 17, 2005 Author Share Posted September 17, 2005 Mess up the thread? what are you talking about man... Sounds like a cool frag... i think i have something similar in the 20L... if you get a finnex i would have to recomend that you mod it the way we've done... the coral, fish, rock and inverts are what ad origionality to the tank... like a species or niche tank where all the inhabitants are from the same depth,and area of the ocean... So you've got your nanocube up and running? BTW, if you do get this tank and you do the plumbing the same... take a cutting wheel on a dremel and cut off the little flanges on the 90 degree threaded elbow... BHP Link to comment
whitmda Posted September 18, 2005 Share Posted September 18, 2005 wtf. woke up this morning and found the black clown on the left side of the tank (on the carpet) and my randals goby on the other side (on the carpet). what an expensive day this is going to be. Link to comment
Izzue Posted September 18, 2005 Share Posted September 18, 2005 Whit So sorry man. Wow I wonder what happened-- you think your orange Perc was being aggressive last night?? I havent put a top on mine and dont want to. So far no fisheess on the carpet. Ok I need some input. 1st -- to attack a locline Y connector to the stock filtration (3/4 inch outside 1/2 inside diameter pipe)--what size do I need on Y 3/4 or 1/2??-- Sry these may seem Noob questions but I have never used Locline before.(not sure if their sizeing is 3/4 for inside or outside size) My idea for this is to use stock rain tree set up for cooling, and use stock pump and piping-- on inside of tank cut pipe to get closer to back wall-- add Y and probably add some flex balls on one outlet then a flar on the other outlet. 2Nd-- Instead of bulkheads on top and one pump for return. Gonna drill hole in sump wall close to overflow just below water level on inside of tank. Install MPT in wall (locline) on inside of tank and in sump area connect with FPT with 3/4 inch barb end. Then use Vinyl tubing to gradually bend to pump resting in sump floor. On inside of tank with locline MPT add Y to it with one outlet using flex balls and the other a flair. This will give me 2 pumps running for returns -- have flow split four ways for direction. PUmp that will be resting in sump drilled next to overflow will be put on timer to come on when lights on and off when lights off-- to mimic the ocean more. Stock return setup will run 24 7 Again sorry for your loses Whit-- I know Ive seen in BArbs wonderful layout a part where he installed a section of Light diffuser to keep fishees from jumping out-- just not to sure he liked it due to hampering the water evap. process (or air exchange) Edit: After studing the tank some-- not to sure my 1st idea with the stock return will work without dropping the Y down into the water more by using an elbow -- off to visit loclines website- only been refering to my FS catalog. Izzue Link to comment
tkudlik Posted September 18, 2005 Share Posted September 18, 2005 BHP - Hi there, thanks for the understanding! Yes, my 24 gallon NC tank is up and runnning going on six weeks. Currently I have 25 lbs of Fiji Live rock, very colorful now with purple and lime green growing all over. 23 lbs of live sand (carib-sea) Reef crytal water. Just added a polyp frag which is doing nicely for the last 3 days. Also have 1 small mushroom, 1 cleanup crew - 12 red and blue leg hermits, 2 large mexican snails, and 8 smaller snails. 1 peppermint shrimp, going on a month old and will be getting a shipment in this week from pookstreet on here of 8 frags of assorted zoos. Should be cool! I only plan on putting 2 real fish in here, that is a matched pair of hopefully breeding perculas! My next tank will be an M-tank, prob. the 32 gallon deal. Thanks for your posts, I love reading and learning! Wish I new how to post a pic on here! Sincerely, Tim K. Link to comment
The_Barbe-Hatten_Project Posted September 18, 2005 Author Share Posted September 18, 2005 Wit you could try the light diffuser, but it's not really a good idea, i hampers the light penitration alot... a peice of acrylic, imo, is the best way to prevent junping... is the acrylic on your lights catching a lot of salt creep? i know that on my 130 watt coralife fixture salt creep is a huge problem... for some reason the acrylic from HD doesn't collect salt near as bad as the acrylic used on the coralife fixtures... the acrylic cutting knife from HD is also an amazing effective tool... Izz, i can't begin to picuture your plans, but i would take the siphoning effect into consideration when running 2 pumps... also a lot of drilling will decrease the strength of the tank... you might think of using a closed loop system for more flow; with the intake for the pump being plumbed into the display tank and the output going, obviously back into the main tank...That is the next mod i have in mind... TK, Click "post reply" > attach image> browse> select the image file> write your message> post...... Link to comment
Newby-Reefer Posted September 19, 2005 Share Posted September 19, 2005 Hey Barbe what did u use to connect the PVC pipe? and how did u connect it to the pump? Link to comment
whitmda Posted September 19, 2005 Share Posted September 19, 2005 Izzue, I used 1/2 inch locline like BHP. I also used 1/2 inch cpvc from Lowes to do all the plumbing. I actually took out the Y pieces to up the water pressure in the tank. I have so much rock in there the water was really slow around the sides and back of the liverock. I got a piece of glass on top of the tank now. I can't believe two fish (not one) decided to commit fishicide. I just bought the randalls goby yesterday. I did what I normally do when a fish dies...buy more! Got another black false perc and a tailspot blenny. Also, got two nasarrius snails to stir up the substrate. Link to comment
whitmda Posted September 19, 2005 Share Posted September 19, 2005 So at 1115pm I walk to check on the tank, because I get a weird feeling. I see that my new black false perc is on the carpet, but he is wet, so I toss him in the tank and he comes back to life. The main opening on the top was covered. This guy managed to jump out the side slot (where the stock lighting would fit). Got those slots covered last night, and all my fish were there this morning. I think I may snap on the flat nozzles instead of the round ones to make things a little less turbulent. Link to comment
The_Barbe-Hatten_Project Posted September 19, 2005 Author Share Posted September 19, 2005 it's probably not the turbulence... have you checked your ph, ammonia, and other params? i didn't use any type of solvent to connect the pvc if that's what you're asking... to connect the pump i used a double male threaded connector and a slip/ female threaded connector... Link to comment
Izzue Posted September 19, 2005 Share Posted September 19, 2005 whit Do you run a moonlight?? Been watching close in your tank for any bad boys-- like a big hairy crab!!!!!! I had one as an hitchhiker-- no more Izzue Link to comment
Newby-Reefer Posted September 20, 2005 Share Posted September 20, 2005 Originally posted by The_Barbe-Hatten_Project it's probably not the turbulence... have you checked your ph, ammonia, and other params? i didn't use any type of solvent to connect the pvc if that's what you're asking... to connect the pump i used a double male threaded connector and a slip/ female threaded connector... no i am trying to figure out what to use so it dont poison my tank. Link to comment
whitmda Posted September 20, 2005 Share Posted September 20, 2005 Well, I am leaving the loc-line nozzles the way I have them now. I thought it was too much for the fish, but it looks fine. The reason I switched is because there were some dead spots with my water flow. Switching out the Y-pieces is giving more of a current. I watched the fish at nite with a super small flash light. The fish like to swim near the top of the water at nite (dont know why). I guess they can't see where they are swimming and once they get to the side they swim harder and pop out of the water. I am going to get some moon lights so they aren't swimming blind anymore. I put the flashlight on the top like a moon lite and the fish were entranced. No bad hitchhikers. I do have a porcelain crab, but he behaves. I ordered a couple pieces of acrylic to make covers for the top. Link to comment
whitmda Posted September 20, 2005 Share Posted September 20, 2005 Last thing: Parameters are all good. Link to comment
whitmda Posted September 20, 2005 Share Posted September 20, 2005 Questions for you guys: 1. I currently have 2 false percs and a tailspot blenny. Do you think I could fit a fourth? or should I stay put with three? 2. I have a small rock with 3 mushrooms growing on it. Is there a way to transfer 2 of them to other rocks for selling/trading? 3. I got 3/16 acrylic. Would I be fine with a utility knife and snapping the pieces? 4. Does bioload apply to photosynthetic-type corals? As I understand it, anything that doesn't take a crap doesn't affect anything. Thanks. Link to comment
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