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Ratvan's Old School Pico - Rockwall Pico v2


Ratvan

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Now that the expanding pond foam has arrived I can get this build moving a little faster. 

Top section has received the Foam and tiny rubble treatment, have the bottom section, shelf area and area's around hardware to tackle tomorrow, also picked up some really cheap superglue that I will use to afix sand into end result, might break away some fo eh rubble at the base to make space for a mesh grid to allow the pump to pull water in without getting clogged with detritus. 

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So more or less done with the rubble wall, just the right wall to cover in rubble still, or might just clip it down and vinyl the wall and back

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Waiting on my extension cable to arrive, also ordered a reptile heat lamp holder and E27 socket to hang the 18W PAR38

Might get this wet towards the end of the week so that it can slowly cycle over Christmas.....

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2 hours ago, Tempestas said:

Digging the lighting setup, with the carabiner holding the clip on light. So McGyver...

Needed a Par reading and really bored of waiting on this. HSE walked in shook his head and left again 😅

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Do they charge you for electric at your job? lmao!!
My old job used to complain when we used the water 😄

Looking good that wall though, always wanted to do something like that, i did try it in my freshwater but got fed up!
I guess it's a different ball game when you're getting paid to do it haha!

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Just now, Proxo said:

Do they charge you for electric at your job? lmao!!
My old job used to complain when we used the water 😄

Looking good that wall though, always wanted to do something like that, i did try it in my freshwater but got fed up!
I guess it's a different ball game when you're getting paid to do it haha!

I run the building so I shut my eyes and sign the electric, gas and water bills. 😄

In all honesty it actually doesn't cost all that much more now I have gone from the 168W Chinese Black Box to the Kessils, the costs are pretty insignificant compared to the office running costs 

Water going in and starting to cycle in about 30 minutes....😱

Can only use one Pump and a Heater at the moment until that extension arrives, safety cable loops for a couple of days

I do wonder what I can do when I get my RODI and what to do with the Waste Water, thinking about a Freshwater set up

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RODI waste water in freshwater has major mixed reviews - i did however use it myself to try it out with a pair of wild caught apisto, but i mixed it with tap water.
They seemed to do very well with it, they prefer a cleaner lower pH so that's maybe why.

Depending on the freshwater fish you plan on keeping, i'd adjust it slow.. just to be safe!
I once used RO water only in a freshwater and my green terror stopped breeding until i mixed it with tap water...

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17 minutes ago, Proxo said:

RODI waste water in freshwater has major mixed reviews - i did however use it myself to try it out with a pair of wild caught apisto, but i mixed it with tap water.
They seemed to do very well with it, they prefer a cleaner lower pH so that's maybe why.

Depending on the freshwater fish you plan on keeping, i'd adjust it slow.. just to be safe!
I once used RO water only in a freshwater and my green terror stopped breeding until i mixed it with tap water...

I will need to buy the RODI unit first, just thinking what I can do with the waste without dumping it straight down the drain as we'll soon HAVE to have a smart meter installed 

 

Talking about water

 

WE ARE WET! CYCLE START 2019/12/210

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Waiting to see how much loose rubble gets blown free before I do anymore cosmetic work to the tank

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Well seems that most of the pond foam has held the rock into place, lost a few bits here and there (mainly along the edge of the ridge and where the Hydor Pump is aimed) which was to be expected, searching through the rear section of my RSM130 for small live rock chunks to add to the reef and possibly a cup or two of sand will go in at lunch time

 

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Debating at the moment turning the HOB filter into a Refugium until i sort the macro portion of the surge build sorted, would one of these work as a refugium light?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/NICREW-Light-Clamp-Aquarium-White/dp/B07S7QVL2C/ref=sr_1_10?crid=3BH7XRY7O57Y2&keywords=nicrew+aquarium+light&qid=1576061008&sprefix=nicrew+aq%2Caps%2C155&sr=8-10

 

Might see whats cheap in the LFS

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So I didn't make it into the LFS, as I was pulling into the car park I met a fellow reefer who was cashing in some Macro for Store Credit. Well he didn't like the monies offered by the LFS and I was happy to pay £10 asking price for his Macro, nice clump of Gracillaria Mammarilis

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Will drop it in the 34G for the time being and put it in the Pico next week if nothing else crumbles off the rock wall, have also reserved some Halymenia Maculata for in the new year

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Most likely this will act as a grow out tank until i can confirm parameters are stable enough for SPS, I also need more Macro for my 34G as my fish are decimating my Pod Populations and its getting damn expensive 

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18 hours ago, Ratvan said:

So I didn't make it into the LFS, as I was pulling into the car park I met a fellow reefer who was cashing in some Macro for Store Credit. Well he didn't like the monies offered by the LFS and I was happy to pay £10 asking price for his Macro, nice clump of Gracillaria Mammarilis

 

 

LOL. If only that happened to me.

 

That being said, yesterday I discovered that I may just be able to wrangle my LFS into discounts in exchange for fluconazole. Their current supplier is charging $10 a tablet. Eeck!

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24 minutes ago, Tempestas said:

 

LOL. If only that happened to me.

 

That being said, yesterday I discovered that I may just be able to wrangle my LFS into discounts in exchange for fluconazole. Their current supplier is charging $10 a tablet. Eeck!

Funny thing is someone saw me and called the Police as they turned up about 2 hours later wanting to see what I purchased in the car park. I think I bored the life out of them talking about my tank as they left pretty quickly. 

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7 hours ago, DSFIRSTSLTWATER said:

Hey that looks really nice 😊👌

YAY!!! Hi Dave!

ImmenseMerryBrownbear-max-1mb.gif.e2df6b3cef041690bba8a8dd5864d149.gif

 

So another day another Macro Algae, or two (or three not sorted out all the bag yet)

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Decided to pick up some Ulva Macroalgae, my Blenny absolutely loves it. While he (Cujo) was shredding it down I spotted a Caulerpa shoot and decided to isolate it and dump it in the pico. 

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The bag came with a load of free Pineapple sponges, Blenny likes those too. Seems this bag is an early Christmas gift for him fat b#stard

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DSFIRSTSLTWATER
3 hours ago, Ratvan said:

YAY!!! Hi Dave!

ImmenseMerryBrownbear-max-1mb.gif.e2df6b3cef041690bba8a8dd5864d149.gif

 

So another day another Macro Algae, or two (or three not sorted out all the bag yet)

20191213_094616.thumb.jpg.82218362a30cd6ec7433959a3c64ca9f.jpg

 

Decided to pick up some Ulva Macroalgae, my Blenny absolutely loves it. While he (Cujo) was shredding it down I spotted a Caulerpa shoot and decided to isolate it and dump it in the pico. 

20191213_094345.thumb.jpg.8e0f8e43af859547ccd337b46b62537b.jpg

 

The bag came with a load of free Pineapple sponges, Blenny likes those too. Seems this bag is an early Christmas gift for him fat b#stard

20191213_100140.thumb.jpg.f374efc3489e1a80d665ff85ba10197a.jpg

What's happing buddy :smilie:. How's things? The tanks looking good. How are the corals doing? The sps pieces still doing well?

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2 minutes ago, DSFIRSTSLTWATER said:

What's happing buddy :smilie:. How's things? The tanks looking good. How are the corals doing? The sps pieces still doing well?

Missed ya man. Ah you know same soup just reheated

 

Thank you, working towards it getting able to process a lot of foods and nutrients within the tank, currently getting 1ml reef roids a week and not much pest algae growth....yet. Have my eye open in my large tank for a couple of small cerith snails that I can grab. Still debating sand again

 

Corals are doing alright, the SPS that I managed to keep alive the first night are still going strong, My Lobo's not looking too great, thinking about adding them in here so I can fatten them up 

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DSFIRSTSLTWATER
3 hours ago, Ratvan said:

YAY!!! Hi Dave!

ImmenseMerryBrownbear-max-1mb.gif.e2df6b3cef041690bba8a8dd5864d149.gif

 

So another day another Macro Algae, or two (or three not sorted out all the bag yet)

20191213_094616.thumb.jpg.82218362a30cd6ec7433959a3c64ca9f.jpg

 

Decided to pick up some Ulva Macroalgae, my Blenny absolutely loves it. While he (Cujo) was shredding it down I spotted a Caulerpa shoot and decided to isolate it and dump it in the pico. 

20191213_094345.thumb.jpg.8e0f8e43af859547ccd337b46b62537b.jpg

 

The bag came with a load of free Pineapple sponges, Blenny likes those too. Seems this bag is an early Christmas gift for him fat b#stard

20191213_100140.thumb.jpg.f374efc3489e1a80d665ff85ba10197a.jpg

I wonder if I should grab some of that for my blenny. He's cleaned 98 percent of the film algae off the back wall of my tank. I'm worried about him starving.

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DSFIRSTSLTWATER
2 minutes ago, Ratvan said:

Missed ya man. Ah you know same soup just reheated

 

Thank you, working towards it getting able to process a lot of foods and nutrients within the tank, currently getting 1ml reef roids a week and not much pest algae growth....yet. Have my eye open in my large tank for a couple of small cerith snails that I can grab. Still debating sand again

 

Corals are doing alright, the SPS that I managed to keep alive the first night are still going strong, My Lobo's not looking too great, thinking about adding them in here so I can fatten them up 

I missed you all too. I can't wait for Monday to come.. I've never been excited about a Monday but I may have some good news, so I can't wait. You're doing a damn good job with the tank :wink:. For a change my tank is actually doing well. I basically stopped doing anything but water changes and dosing vibrant. I'm gonna take some more pics with the filters on so you can see how it looks.

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4 minutes ago, DSFIRSTSLTWATER said:

I wonder if I should grab some of that for my blenny. He's cleaned 98 percent of the film algae off the back wall of my tank. I'm worried about him starving.

I would, even if it doesn't eat it it can form some really nice shapes in the tank. Mine is hunting pine apple sponges at the minute 

 

2 minutes ago, DSFIRSTSLTWATER said:

I missed you all too. I can't wait for Monday to come.. I've never been excited about a Monday but I may have some good news, so I can't wait. You're doing a damn good job with the tank :wink:. For a change my tank is actually doing well. I basically stopped doing anything but water changes and dosing vibrant. I'm gonna take some more pics with the filters on so you can see how it looks.

Bit disappointed i didn't manage to get all my Papa Lazarou Gifs on your page.

 

Oh wait, no I lost my Birdsnest again 😞 I can keep plating SPS (Montipora Danea's) alive but not branching for some reason 🤷‍♂️

I might invest in some test kits for after the new year

Lizard?

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DSFIRSTSLTWATER
2 minutes ago, Ratvan said:

I would, even if it doesn't eat it it can form some really nice shapes in the tank. Mine is hunting pine apple sponges at the minute 

 

Bit disappointed i didn't manage to get all my Papa Lazarou Gifs on your page.

 

Oh wait, no I lost my Birdsnest again 😞 I can keep plating SPS (Montipora Danea's) alive but not branching for some reason 🤷‍♂️

I might invest in some test kits for after the new year

Lizard?

You can still put the gifs up :happydance:

Bummer about the birdsnest, but glad the others are doing good. And yeah, I'm getting a lizard. My wifes crazy, she thinks that day gecko is ugly :blink:.. She's a weido. I'm going to look for animals this weekend and have a chat with the owner of the reptile store I go too, see what he can get his hands on. Lighting for reptiles is a bit complicated, almost like with the reef lighting. My tree frog was nocturnal so she didn't need any special lighting but with this gecko it's active during the day so I have to make sure he gets uva and uvb so finding a fixture that does just that is a pain in the ass.

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