SpencerShepard Posted October 4, 2006 Share Posted October 4, 2006 I have an established 30g cube tank system w/sump that I'd like to expand. I want to add one or two 4' long tanks for ricordea and other soft coral propagation. Now what makes my idea different from other tanks on here is that I need to use power compact lighting. I also want to make these tanks look like display tanks. No eggcrate, just sandy substrate. Reason for both of these is that my apartment is very small, and I want to enjoy my fields of ricordea without the eye-sore of eggcrate. Halides are out of the question due to power requirements, heat, expense...the list goes on. Dimensions for the tank(s) would be roughly 48x15x8, or 48x15x10, I haven't decided yet. I want to slope my substrate towards the back, as well as position the light strip at the back of the tank. This would provide stronger lighting at the back and less towards the front. I can also use layers of eggcrate to block out some light if needed. Flow will be provided by powerheads on a wavemaker timer. Just a rough idea at this point, so any comments and criticism is appreciated. Link to comment
mattyice Posted October 4, 2006 Share Posted October 4, 2006 i actually really like that idea, i might have to base my prop tank design around this, alot more appealing to the eye, or if you dont want the ugly egg crate to stand out what you could do is let the tank sit untill the eggcrate would get coraline growth on it Link to comment
SpencerShepard Posted October 4, 2006 Author Share Posted October 4, 2006 i actually really like that idea, i might have to base my prop tank design around this, alot more appealing to the eye, or if you dont want the ugly egg crate to stand out what you could do is let the tank sit untill the eggcrate would get coraline growth on it well i'd at least wait until the Propagator replies before you go basing something off this idea... Link to comment
The Propagator Posted October 6, 2006 Share Posted October 6, 2006 The idea behind the egg crate is to save space and turn what usable space you have into "more" usable space by going upwards using flat surfaces. Unlike live rock where you have to either chisel out usable surfaces or buy all flat rocks LOL! The other use of egg crate is so it acts as a display on its own. It displays the frags in an apealing, orderly fashion, and you can vary the amount of light each specimen recieves based on its needs by simply moving it up , or down a level on the rack system. Unless you want to keep around 4-500 plus ricordia and a complete fish store full of softy frags all the space you will every need will come in a 36" long 40g breeder. I would suggest two of those with twin 96w power quads right off the waters surface. Instead of 2 4' tanks in your apartment Use a mix of crushed coral and aragonite substrate and make it at LEAST 2.5 to 3 " deep. Keep the back of the tank filled with rock rubble either in little piles or a 2-3" deep x and high blanket the length of the tank. Thats what you will be relying on to keep the tank cycled, and to keep the pod count up with no real rock in the tank. ( unless your running a sump to both systems with rockin it?) KEEP ALOT OF SNAILS IN THIER. Astreas, Ceriths, and Nassarius vibex. In a 40 breeder frag tank I would keep at least 25 Astreas, 25 Ceriths, and 10-15 Nassarius vibex. Your biggest problems will arise from lack of flow. TRUST ME IT WILL BE A PROBLEM with ricordea ( who like low flow)being propped in the same tank with zoanthus, and other softies that like a lot of flow. You will have low flow spots that have regular hair algae out breaks caused by detrius build up. Thats where the Ceriths and Nassarius vibex come in they are GREAT sand stirrers! The Astreas in large numbers will keep the glass pretty much spotless and will enable you to scrape ALOT less. When you scrape the glass in a ric prop tank you ALWAYS have polyps floating away where you dont want them to go LOL! Use an emperor 400 for filtration and a small but efficient skimmer. ( I use a CPR Back-Pack and an Emperor 400 with two maxi jet 400's) They do an EXCELLENT job. I would only keep around 20 blue legged hermits and around 10 red legged hermits. The blue leggs will act like lazy suzans and constantly eat from every thing but not get it all. Where as the red leggs tend to chow down and take thier time on each piece. Egg crate dosent look that bad actualy. I think you should reconsider using it if your going to be selling frags though. It realy does make more usable space. Its late and I am sure I am forgetting alot of things , so I will comment more tomorow after noon some time LOL! Link to comment
SpencerShepard Posted October 6, 2006 Author Share Posted October 6, 2006 Unless you want to keep around 4-500 plus ricordia and a complete fish store full of softy frags... i do, lol. thanks for the in-depth reply, as always Prop. yes, the prop system will be plumbed into a 20-30 gallon sump shared with my 30 gallon cube tank. the sump will be filled with rock, and possibly include a refugium. i wasn't planning on including any rock in the prop tank(s). one of the problems that i am forseeing with the eggcrate is like you mentioned with ric polyps...they tend to float around and i really didn't want to be fishing them out from under the crate all the time. does the eggcrate really create that much more usable surface area? or is it more to vary light intensity? it would appear that are under layers of eggcrate isn't really usable for lack of light. i do really appreciate the advice, Prop, but is there any problems with my idea? or could you help me tweak it into something that will work better? Link to comment
mahi mahi boy Posted October 7, 2006 Share Posted October 7, 2006 He's definitely an authority on coral propagation...... on so many levels, that I feel almost overwhelmed. So I took a screen shot. But then again, I'm a super noob on my second day of cycling. Hope your prop tank works out for you. Mahi Link to comment
FLIPbmw Posted October 7, 2006 Share Posted October 7, 2006 Make your own rocks that are flat and stackable. Then you can create shelves/ledges to place the ricordea on. Pile it wide in the middle of the aquarium, getting smaller to the top like a mountain. Think of how cool that would look!!! I made some pieces of rock, but I sure wish I made more!!!!! Link to comment
The Propagator Posted October 7, 2006 Share Posted October 7, 2006 Make shallow shelves and taller racks. Thats how you create more usable space. Like this: ( profile of an egg crate rack ssystem) __ ]__ ]__ ]__ ] *The over hang is intentional* The lower the shelf the greater the shadow, so you can place lower light corals on them. You want the rack all the way up against the back wall of the tank and the live rock rubble underneath it. Glue or zip tie egg crate sections on all open sides and you dont have to worry about things floating under the rack. Now look at the diagram for a sec. What would allow for more space? this ? _________________________ Or this? ]__ ]__ ]__ ]__________________ The last one would but only for one reason! You want to give each specimen the maximum allowable space to spread out and not sting thier nieghbor. This is what the racks allow. If you did it on the tanks bottom you will have 2"-3" dead areas all the way around each specimen. HUGE waste of space. With the racks all you have to do put the same species on the same shelf Once again, that seemingly dead space under the racks is where you want that rock rubble. AND YOU DO WANT TO USE IT IN THE FRAG TANK TRUST ME. I am no body special guys. I apreciate the compliments and stuff, but I am just an average Joe like the rest of you. If I am an authority on anything it would be screw ups LOL!!! I did it all by trial and error. I dont know the latin names of all my coral, or what each anatomical section is called because I have been reefing since before all those books came out LOL!! ( I use them now ofcourse, but when it comes to that stuff I am just as green as any one you guys LOL!) I am old school. It just works for me. Thats it. All it takes is dedication to your tank, and you can have your own little paradise in any room of your house. EDITE: Those were suposed to come out looking like staircases with over hangs but it wont let me do it !! DOUGH !!!! Link to comment
SpencerShepard Posted October 11, 2006 Author Share Posted October 11, 2006 okay, i can understand how eggcrate can create more usable space. but it's still ugly, IMO. maybe i could make the eggrate shelves look like rocks? i've heard cement can leech silicates...what material could i use? Link to comment
gotboostedvr6 Posted October 12, 2006 Share Posted October 12, 2006 i say go with MH i can build you one for real cheap $110-$150 prop ...you mean like this? ---------------- ---------------------- ---------------------------- -------------------------------- Link to comment
gotboostedvr6 Posted October 12, 2006 Share Posted October 12, 2006 my 2 min paint drawing lol http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c24/gotb...optanksidea.jpg this is better to look at top and side pics sorry photobucket is chopping off lines but you get the idea Link to comment
SpencerShepard Posted October 21, 2006 Author Share Posted October 21, 2006 okay...i think i've found my solution... http://reefcentral.com/gallery/showphoto.p...&thecat=503 black eggcrate!! Link to comment
mahi mahi boy Posted October 21, 2006 Share Posted October 21, 2006 Where do you get that stuff? The white sheets here are $12, instead of $6 Link to comment
SpencerShepard Posted October 23, 2006 Author Share Posted October 23, 2006 i have no idea, but it's out there! Link to comment
Six Posted November 24, 2006 Share Posted November 24, 2006 Where do you get that stuff? The white sheets here are $12, instead of $6 Lowe's. but the white reflects light better, which is better all around when youre using light to grow coral. black, of course, doesnt show algae, but it's still there. grow coralline on your white egg crate and you'll have purple! Link to comment
mahi mahi boy Posted November 25, 2006 Share Posted November 25, 2006 Thanks, sixi. I went ahead and bought the white, too bad my Lowe's & home depot don't carry black. And if they did they'd want an extra $5 for it. BTW The black looked bendable in one of those pics before RC tripped the link. I think different polymers are used in the black. Link to comment
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