Aelvion's Fabulous 'filterless' Forty build thread (new macros, snails and GSP)

[Aelvion]

 

40G MIXED REEF / MACRO ALGAE DISPLAY TANK
Established Friday April 13th, 2018

 

No sump, no protein skimmer, no filter, no media, no reactors, no dosing. Tank relies on the biodiversity of the rock, sand, macroalgae, inverts, fish and coral.

An empty canister and custom overflow are used for surface skimming and to hide the heater. Nothing is in the canister, not even the plastic trays.

 

Current specifications as of 4/26/2018:

MACROALGAE:
Rhipocephalus phoenix (Pine Cone)
Portieria
Gracilaria Hayi
Galaxaura
Hypnea Pannosa
-----------------------------------------
CORAL:
Green Star Polyps
Purple Brush Gorgonian
Purple Frilly Gorgonian
-----------------------------------------
INVERTS:
Florida Cerith Snails
Nassarius Vibex Snails
Nerite Snails
Dwarf Cerith Snails
Brittle stars
-----------------------------------------
SAND:
~60lbs. Tropic Eden .5mm Aragasnow
-----------------------------------------
ROCK:
37lbs. Marco Rocks Key Largo dry rock
6lbs. Walt Smith Pukani liverock
4lbs. Fiji liverock
-----------------------------------------
WATER:
~39g of distilled water + IO salt at 35ppt
     2 gallon water change weekly
-----------------------------------------
TEMPERATURE CONTROL:
JBJ 15Ow on Finnex HC-810M controller
     Set To 75°F (swings 74.3°-75.7°)
-----------------------------------------
FILTRATION:
SunSun HW302 canister & overflow box
-----------------------------------------
FLOW:
VCA Random Flow Generator
    265gph nozzle on canister return

**Current-USA Bluetooth Loop controller
   (2) 1050gph Eflux wavepumps
      1-100% antisync Gyre on 90s interval
          **1-70% during moonlight phase
   (1) 660gph Eflux wavepump
      100% steady stream mode
          **70% during moonlight phase
-----------------------------------------
LIGHTING SPECS and SETTINGS:
Current-USA Dual Ramp Timer
   (2) 24" Orbit Marine Pro X2 LED strips
          B 445nm/453nm/UV415nm
          W 6,500K/8,000K/Magenta-Indigo
     11-11:30am ramp to B100%, W5%
     9:30-10pm ramp to B6%, W1%
     2:30am B=off, W=off

 

**Current-USA Bluetooth Loop controller
   (2) 24" Orbit Marine IC LED strips
        Blue 445nm/460nm
        Red 640nm + Green 560nm
        Whites 6,700K/10,000K
     11:15-11:30am ramp to sunrise:
           B=100% | W=25% | R=50% | G=50%
     12:30-12:45pm ramp to daylight:
           B=100% | W=50% | R=50% | G=50%
           **50% sunrays until 8:15pm
     08:15-08:30pm ramp to sunset:
           B=100% | W=10% | R=50% | G=50%
     09:30-9:45pm ramp to moonlight:
           **100% moonrays until 1:45am

 

**The Current-USA Bluetooth Controller synchronizes the wave pumps, lights and speakers for weather effects during the daylight and Moonlight phases.

 

PAR on sand during daylight phase with lights mounted ~21" above the sandbed:
     DualRamp PRO X2 = ~100
     Bluetooth IC LOOP = ~50

 

-------------------------------------------------

 

SOME CHANGES SINCE MY ORIGINAL DESIGN:

 - I changed the canister return to the VCA Random Flow generator instead of the dual flare nozzles.

 - I decided to use a JBJ 150watt titanium heather in the overflow box rather than plumbing the Hydor inline heater on the canister return

 - I scrapped the Fluval G6 canister filter for a SunSun HW-302 canister. The Fluval is just too noisy and blows too many micro-bubbles into the display.

 - I removed the sponge filter from the canister intake. I have 0 mechanical filtration on this tank. Easier to feed and keep coral/fish food in the water column. easier to keep clean, less maintenance.

 - I added a second Current-USA IC LED strip. I originally planned on 2 pro strips and 1 IC strip. I now have 2 of each.

 - The LEDs are no longer suspended as shown in my fourth post. I installed rails and brackets and have them sitting in the hood on the adjustable brackets. Easier to adjust.

 - My lighing schedule and setting have change several times. current settings/timings listed above.

 

 

 

 

[da1001]

I am interested to see how this goes, following and good luck!

[Aelvion]

A couple quick pics to get this kick-started.

 

Skimmer box installed:

 

 

Edited 4/47/2018

 - I changed the return the VCA Random Flow generator instead of the dual flare nozzles.

 - I decided to use a JBJ 150watt titanium heather in the overflow box rather than plumbing the Hydor inline heater on the canister return

[Aelvion]

And some pics of the stand. I want this build to be a show piece and this one is beyond my diy skills.

[Christopher Marks]

Great looking stand @Aelvion, keep up the good work!

[zackeepscoral]

Love the stand!!

[da1001]

Good start so far, you have already surpassed any DIY that I am capable of so mad props.

[Aelvion]

Got leds in and mounted them together:

 

 

Mounted inside canopy with cable and eye hooks:

 

[Aelvion]

So I just received an email from Current-USA that the Bluetooth controller is available. This makes my wavemaker decision easier. 

I just ordered the Bluetooth controller and will be adding the eflux wave pumps instead of mp10s.

[Figster]

Very nice, very nice. I’ve actually gone near zero filtration in my tank for the past year and I’ve had some great success. The big thing is keeping nutrient down to prevent bad algae from growing, so I have basically have an aquaclear 110 filled with cheato. I might have some  gac in there once in a while, especially if I have to trim some xena back, but all in all I can grow even acros in the tank.

[Aelvion]

So I thought I would post a few pics of the tanks soon to be home. As I mentioned, this will be going into a new finished area in our basement next to the theater room.

This is the area. A bathroom is going to the right of the door and the tank will be in the space to the left. Wifey originally wanted a closet, but I was able to persuade her into making this space the dedicated tank area:

 

And a view from the theater area, tank will be to the right of the door in this pic. 

 

[Aelvion]

The bathroom area has been taking a little longer than expected. I'm hopeful it will be completed this week and then tank will get setup right after Easter.

 

Some shots of the remodel, the tank will go on the left wall in the first photo.

 

 

 

 

 

[Aelvion]

The fish room is done!

Tank is moved in!

Ready to get wet!

 

More to come this week!

 

[Aelvion]

Aquascape done.

Took 8 hours lol.

 

Front view:

 

Left view:

 

Right view:

 

Top Down:

[Aelvion]

Inside cabinet shot of the fluval canister, APC 1500 sinewave back up andswitched distribution strip:

[Aelvion]

Sand is in.

 

 

[HarryPotter]

Everything here looks awesome. First I was going to ask about the time stamp on the photos- I haven't seen a camera do that for years. But then, I realized that I WISH my reef photos were all time stamped. That would be really cool to look back on

 

(My photos do have a date within iPhoto, but it might be cool on the image itself too ) 

[Christopher Marks]

I love your aquascape design, the overhead cove layout is great. 8 hours sounds about right  

 

Great progress, when do you add water?

[Aelvion]

19 hours ago, Christopher Marks said:

I love your aquascape design, the overhead cove layout is great. 8 hours sounds about right  

 

Great progress, when do you add water?

Thanks. Rocks are set in loose currently so just waiting on the expoxy to show up in the mail. Should be here tomorrow so I should be able to get the water in and start the cycle Thursday or Friday.

[Aelvion]

Got the rocks epoxied together and water added. Lights and pumps are all programmed and running. Let the cycle begin.

 

 

 

[Aelvion]

Well ammonia and nitrite have been steady at 0 the last three days.  Going to test again tomorrow and do a water change.

[Aelvion]

Added several pieces of macro algae, some snails, GSP, Purple Brush Gorgonian and PurpleFrilly Gorgonian

.

 

Rhipocephalus phoenix (Pine Cone)

 

Portieria

 

Gracilaria Hayi

 

Galaxaura

 

Purple Brush Gorgonian

 

Purple Frilly Gorgonian

 

Hypnea Pannosa

 

GSP

 

Also added 

10 Florida Cerith Snails

10 Nassarius Vibex Snails

10 Nerite Snails

10 Dwarf Cerith Snails

[Aelvion]

New FTS