Darold Posted September 26, 2004 Share Posted September 26, 2004 /'>Click here for information about how I set up this system (Posts before September 26th) Since I was unable to edit the title of my previous diary of my 5.5g tank, I am creating this thread to accurately describe my system of tanks and their refugium. 5.5G Main Tank: Water Movement: AquaClear 175gph PH Small Rio PH sending water to refugium Return from refugium Siphon with 2.5 Lighting 17" 2x24W JBJ Power Compact w/twin fans One Actinic Bulb One Florescent Bulb All tank lights are on a timer from 11am until 11:30pm Live Rock Lightly stocked and mixed Live Sand Two inches of Carib-Sea's AragAlive extra fine grain (.5mm-1.85mm) Macro Small amounts of feather macro Other LifeGuard digital thermometer Corals Goniopora Kenya Tree Clavularia sp Pulsing Xenia Blue Mushrooms Green Mushrooms Wide variety of Zoo's Multi-Colored Ricordia Two types of Green StarPolyps Mushrooms appear to be Actinodiscus sp. Fish & Mobile Inverts Bicolor Pseudochromis StagHorn crab Cleaner Shrimp Large Cleaner Shrimp Four small Blue Legged hermits Snails (Turbo, Cerith, Nassarius, Red Foot) One small black legged red toed hermit (name?) 2.5G Mantis/Mushroom Tank: Water Movement/Filtration Aquaclear 20 HOB filter fed via refugium -Sponge -Nitrate/phosphate removers (Until levels drop) -Carbon (one day every two weeks) Siphon with 5.5g Lighting Currently one 50/50 bulb Soon to be replaced with the CoralLife 2x9w PC that is on the refugium (waiting for 2.5g glass top) Live Rock Mostly Branch Rock Live Sand Two inches of live sand directly out of an established tank (Medium/fine grain) Macro Green Hair Macro (carefully trimmed) Other DI Auto-Top Off (planning on making it a kalk drip). Corals Variety of zoo's Ricordia floridia Unique Mushrooms (Actinodiscus sp?) Manjano/mojano anemone's (Pest?) Fish & Mobile Inverts Mantis Shrimp (Not identified yet) Refugium: Water Movement IN - Rio PH Out - Siphons with both 2.5g and 5.5g tanks Lighting 2x9w CoralLife PC (Soon to be moved to the 2.5g and replaced with different lighting) Photoperiod: Same as the other tanks Live Rock None Live Sand 3-4 inches of Carib-Sea's AragAlive extra fine Fiji Pink Macro Algae Grape Macro Cheato Fish & Mobile Inverts One medium hermit Two turbo Snails /'>Click here for information about how I set up this system (Posts before September 26th) Link to comment
Darold Posted September 26, 2004 Author Share Posted September 26, 2004 5.5 pics Left Right Link to comment
Darold Posted September 26, 2004 Author Share Posted September 26, 2004 2.5G pics Left Right Link to comment
pnguye3 Posted September 28, 2004 Share Posted September 28, 2004 Hey Darold, You probably don't remember me? But, I went to Oxford. I remember meeting you and stuff, but I dont think we ever really got the chance to hang out. I was one of those social club junkies and was in Circle K and LCN. It's really cool that you've gotten into this hobby, and your tanks are looking great. Maybe we can hang out and talk "reef stuff" some time. Take it easy dude, Pnguye3 Link to comment
Darold Posted September 28, 2004 Author Share Posted September 28, 2004 Haha, no way. If I met someone from Emory, I would have been like, "wow, small world," But meeting a fellow Oxfordian is even cooler. I live in Clairmont tower. I will PM you with more info so we can meet up. Do you have a tank at your place? Link to comment
demon2 Posted September 28, 2004 Share Posted September 28, 2004 very techno stylish tank there dude. love the future look of hoses coming outa everything and everywhere and all kinda equip. Link to comment
Darold Posted September 28, 2004 Author Share Posted September 28, 2004 Demon, sorry to hear you like the look, because I have plans to make it more streamline. However, I need to get a hold of a saw so I can cut the J bends needed to make this tank as clean as possible. I wanted to make sure the basic plumbing was do-able 1st. I appreciate the compliments, and this just goes to show how easily it is to add a tank to an existing system. I am not sure why more people don't do it. I would much rather have several tanks sharing the same filtration and water supply than have a single larger tank. I like the variety of setups I can have with multiple tanks (Getting species that otherwise would not get along). Link to comment
AP7x Posted September 28, 2004 Share Posted September 28, 2004 ahaha nice tank I have a 2.5g in my dorm too... Clairmount campus? Im in the freshman dorms =P Small world indeeeeeed Link to comment
Darold Posted September 29, 2004 Author Share Posted September 29, 2004 We need to get together and have an Emory get together. I might be able to do it this weekend. I plan on going to Cappuccino Bay and/or Fish Store and More probably friday or saturday. Link to comment
Darold Posted October 3, 2004 Author Share Posted October 3, 2004 Another big update: 5.5 Aquascaping changes. Cleaner shrimp now replaces the Fire Shrimp (He was moved to the pico). 2.5 Glass top arrived (too big, so I will have to get it cut). Placed my 2x9w CoralLife PC on top. Moved the 20w 50/50 to the refugium. Also got some good pics of the mantis. Link to comment
Darold Posted October 3, 2004 Author Share Posted October 3, 2004 nd my new baby, the PICO! Red Sea Aquavase glow version, with blacklight changed to a 7wPC. Two grey legged hermits, one Fire Shrimp, a red moshroom, and a few zoo's! Link to comment
el pez Posted October 3, 2004 Share Posted October 3, 2004 i just saw a pico setup just like that at the lfs. its awesome. but i think that poor shrimp has gotta be freaked out in that thing with nowhere to hide.....put him in the bigger tanks IMO Link to comment
Darold Posted October 3, 2004 Author Share Posted October 3, 2004 I am starting to feel the same way. I didn't realize how big he was until I put him in there. I think I will switch him out with my smaller cleaner (they seem to hide less), and if the cleaner looks stressed I will turn toward other creatures to put in there. Link to comment
el pez Posted October 3, 2004 Share Posted October 3, 2004 cleaner shrimp in general like to have a cave to hide in sometimes(like when molting) in my experience. plus they get big. a peppermint shrimp would be a better option because they are smaller i think Link to comment
Darold Posted October 3, 2004 Author Share Posted October 3, 2004 I have a pepermint in my refugium. If I can catch him! Link to comment
Darold Posted October 6, 2004 Author Share Posted October 6, 2004 Got some new feather dusters. I only think I have one surviving peppermint, and he has been hiding in the refugium overflow. The Fire Shrimp is back in the 5.5, and the cleaner is in the refugium until the mantis is sold to a new home. Only a sole green hermit is in the .75 with a featherduster. Many new pics: Full Shots: Giant Duster New Nimbles Link to comment
Darold Posted October 6, 2004 Author Share Posted October 6, 2004 5.5g shots Left Center Right Link to comment
Darold Posted October 6, 2004 Author Share Posted October 6, 2004 And the ornate Mantis Home: Link to comment
el pez Posted October 6, 2004 Share Posted October 6, 2004 wow that big duster is amazing. very beautiful animals. Link to comment
Darold Posted October 6, 2004 Author Share Posted October 6, 2004 Thank you! I was very impressed with it at the store. I picked up two smaller ones just like it, and a nice green colored one as well. Link to comment
phergus_25 Posted October 6, 2004 Share Posted October 6, 2004 wow the system set up is amazing to me, can you like explain it to me, maby a drgram it's cool that they both share water well thanks Link to comment
Darold Posted October 6, 2004 Author Share Posted October 6, 2004 I will try my best. The 5.5g, 2.5g, and final chamber of the refugium are all at the same water height. They also have a "triangle" of syphons between them. As water falls into this final stage of the refugium after being pumped inot the refugium from the main tank, it can go one of two palces. It can either get sucked into the 2.5g through a siphon that is connected to the intake pipe of the aquaclear filter, or it can go into the main tank vie a regular syphon. Since the aquaclear filter does not take as much water out of the refugium as is being put into it, the siphon with the 5.5g keeps this balanced. The water that enters the 5.5g eventually will get pumped back up into the refugium via a pump. The water that goes into the 2.5g is siphoned into the 5.5g. Because their water levels are at the same height, the siphons will pull water into the direction of the lower tank. I have a 2 siphons between the 2.5g and 5.5g for safety. Since most of the water leaving the refugium is being pumped into the 2.5g, it needs someplace to go. If the water level in either tank ever fell below these siphons, they would break, causing the 2.5g to overflow, and no water to go into the 5.5g. This is why one of the two siphons extends low into each tank. The second, smaller one is to make sure that there is enough tubing for water to flow quickly enough from one tank to the other. Water going into the 2.5g is being fed via the impeller on the filter, but only gravity (or water pressure?) helps bring water back into the 5.5. Eventually I will upgrade to a single larger diameter hose, but for now, the hoses of the 2.5g->5.5g are the same size as the one leading from the refugium into the 2.5. I needed to make sure water could leave the 2.5g as quickly as it is introduced. Link to comment
Darold Posted October 6, 2004 Author Share Posted October 6, 2004 Hope these help clear up my paragraph. I realize it was confusing, I hope you can sort it out. Link to comment
Darold Posted February 2, 2005 Author Share Posted February 2, 2005 Upgrading to 20L. I moved everything to that tank. I am using 30" 2x65W PC. The 2.5G I stipped down and rebuilt for my FW betta. The 5.5g os currently empty. I want to make this into some sort of species tank. I was thinking sexy shrimp,Harlequin,Starfish, or arrow crab. What do you guys think would be good? still have the 17" 2x24, so I was thinking of filling the tank with only shrooms as well. Any suggestions? Link to comment
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