Matteo's College 29g Living Room Piece (CRAZY RAD UPDATE CHECK LAST POST)

[Matteo]

So here is my 29 gallon currently as is setup! I am a college student and still need my reef junkie fix!

Waiting for more gear to come and more things to DIY!

FTS 4/22/2016

 

 

FTS 4/5/2016



Ain't it ugly!



Equipment:

Using two CFL 5000k 60 watt Equivalent Bulbs until Monday when my Hydra 26HD comes in.

Aquaticlife T5 Retrofit with 2x V3 Arrays Bluefish Mini Controlled
BRS Screen Cover so my Blenny doesn't leave me.
AC110 which is a massive beast!
300 Watt Aquatop Heater
Tunze 6020 Discreet Power Head
RW-4
Reef Angel Plus (best purchase ever)

Live Stock:
Pair of Premium Snowflake Clowns
One Midas Blenny
One Pygmy Angel

Cleaner Shrimp
CUC


It has been like Christmas this past week!


As for this grossness, tomorrow I am heading to a buddy of mine with a laser cutter and we are going to basically make an OceanBox type overflow to hold the intake of the AC110, heater, and reef angel stuff so it is all out of the way. I also plan to get a black background because dem wires be tacky!


Other DIY things are to be covering my DIY stand with black fabric and velcro to hide everything. Reef Angel will probably be mounted on the light mount on the right.

Will post pics of progress!

Here are my clowns!

[Matteo]

My 12inch x 24inch black acrylic sheet came in! Laser Cutting tonight. Basically making a large version of Ocean Boxes AC70 overflow but larger for an ac110 and extra goodies. Will post pictures of build tonight!

[Orangutran]

You can do so much with the ac110! Any pics of the angel?

[Matteo]

You can do so much with the ac110! Any pics of the angel?

yes the ac110 will be fun to mod! at the moment just using its sponge as my mechanical filtration running carbon. I am not running a skimmer but I do water changes so it is all good! The live rock all came from existing setups so I didn't even have to cycle really! No pics of the Angel yet but I will make sure to get some. I have a really nice colony of torch coral, a beautiful clam and a colony of ducans which I will share once the AI Hydra 26hd come in! Reef Angel comes in Friday I think so I am excited to get the up and running!

[Matteo]

So question for you all. I have adequate flow and filtration. This will be a LPS/softie dominated tank, only SPS will be easy like digita and birdsnest. I know have 4 fish already but I am pretty good with over stocking and keeping water perms good. Before I buy a cleaner shrimp because mine died a while back. Should I consider something cool and Longnose or Flame Hawkish? Or would a pair of small fire fish really be pushing my bio load? I only feed twice a week.

 

 

 

ORRRR maybe a baby fuzzy dwarf lionfish. I have had one before and I know they do not need much swimming room.

[DudE31]

Thinking you're probably at max capacity in terms of live stock. The clowns will get larger and the midas blenny will become a decent size in time. I would hold off on adding anymore and maybe add another shrimp or even a porcelain crab.

[Matteo]

Thinking you're probably at max capacity in terms of live stock. The clowns will get larger and the midas blenny will become a decent size in time. I would hold off on adding anymore and maybe add another shrimp or even a porcelain crab.

This is true. Maybe I should just go for inverts then. Cleaner shrimp and emerald crab would be on my list for sure. Pompom crabs are cool too

[Matteo]

Here are the pics of the AC110 Surface Skimmer!

 

Now I have to wait for the silicone to dry which won't be till later tonight around 10:P if anything I wait till tomorrow morning.

[Sharbuckle]

Whenever you need to hold acrylic together. Make sure to have some Nutella and Ranch Style Beans on hand!

 

Looking good

[Halo_003]

You used silicon on it? Interesting, I wonder how it will hold up long term. It looks pretty sweet!

[Matteo]

Whenever you need to hold acrylic together. Make sure to have some Nutella and Ranch Style Beans on hand!

 

Looking good

Innovation always involves Nutella;)

You used silicon on it? Interesting, I wonder how it will hold up long term. It looks pretty sweet!

Considering it will have about 0 pressure on any of the seals and will be practically free floating I don't think anything should happen:) I was thinking of using super glue but silicone gives you wiggle room when putting and holding it together.

[Rural]

#nutellaforthewin #NFTW

[Matteo]

Got the surface skimmer in place! Working great! also have the Reef Angel Plus programmed and working perfectly as my ATO as well!

 

 

 

also here is my new torch! got it from Totally Exotic Corals of Oregon

 

 

here is the ATO return

[ajmckay]

You siliconed it?

 

That's like getting a new custom paint job on your car and then using acetone to wash it...

 

Why didn't you just pay the $8 for a bottle of weld on? Why go through the process of modeling it and laser cutting then?

 

Regardless of your methodologies it's definitely a good idea to incorporate a surface skimmer. How are you planning to hold it in place?

 

What is holding the float switch in place? And why is it in the overflow? For the surface skimmer to do it's job there needs to be turbulent water in the overflow box - normally the water level drops a few inches through the weir and into the box.

 

I realize the paper clips are convenient but they're going to rust like crazy. I would find some all plastic clips or if you have some spray paint you could at least paint them to delay rust.

 

Finally, is that a picture of just an eye on your bench?

 

Good luck with the tank - I had a 29g myself.

[Matteo]

You siliconed it?

 

That's like getting a new custom paint job on your car and then using acetone to wash it...

 

Why didn't you just pay the $8 for a bottle of weld on? Why go through the process of modeling it and laser cutting then?

 

Regardless of your methodologies it's definitely a good idea to incorporate a surface skimmer. How are you planning to hold it in place?

 

What is holding the float switch in place? And why is it in the overflow? For the surface skimmer to do it's job there needs to be turbulent water in the overflow box - normally the water level drops a few inches through the weir and into the box.

 

I realize the paper clips are convenient but they're going to rust like crazy. I would find some all plastic clips or if you have some spray paint you could at least paint them to delay rust.

 

Finally, is that a picture of just an eye on your bench?

 

Good luck with the tank - I had a 29g myself.

Silicone works just fine do not understand where your extreme severity on that is coming from.

 

It sits on the sand bed perfectly and I am using a Two Little Fishies Magnet to hold it to the wall. the lip of the AC110 hold it in too.

 

If you read earlier the point of the ATO in the surface skimmer is to hide it and because that is where water will drop when evap hits also it is protected from my wave I have in this tank because its sump less.

 

I laser cut it from a sheet of 24in x 12inch acrylic so I am confused on what you are trying to on the "whats the point"

Also I have used the clips before and haven't had rust issues and the ato is held my my DIY Screen and working just fine.

 

I do not even understand your last question and finally....

 

critical much???

[ajmckay]

Silicone works just fine do not understand where your extreme severity on that is coming from.

 

It sits on the sand bed perfectly and I am using a Two Little Fishies Magnet to hold it to the wall. the lip of the AC110 hold it in too.

 

If you read earlier the point of the ATO in the surface skimmer is to hide it and because that is where water will drop when evap hits also it is protected from my wave I have in this tank because its sump less.

 

I laser cut it from a sheet of 24in x 12inch acrylic so I am confused on what you are trying to on the "whats the point"

Also I have used the clips before and haven't had rust issues and the ato is held my my DIY Screen and working just fine.

 

I do not even understand your last question and finally....

 

critical much???

 

Hey it's an internet forum - not everyone is going to praise your work. I realize people have their own way of doing things but I think you could have made it better. Or if not you then someone else visiting the page. Having access to a laser cutter but using silicone to hold the box together is just not what I would expect to see.

 

Anyways - I see where you're going on the float switch and maybe it's just because the box looks small for having a float switch but it looks like the water volume in the overflow box is the same as the tank. When I think of why people use overflows/surface skimmers it's to create a turbulent area to break the surface tension. Your box seems more like a shroud for the filter intake because the water isn't dropping into the box in a turbulent manner. I will admit I've never used a setup like this so it could be really finnicky and just needs time to adjust. Maybe putting the float switch a bit further down into the box would help it's surface skimming abilities? I'm trying to think if anything bad could happen by doing that but I'm not coming up with anything. Attaching the float switch to the screen also seems like a hack - I'm not saying it wont work but now you have to disconnect your ATO every time you take the lid off. You could build a bracket with the leftover acrylic that would secure it to the side of the overflow.

 

As for the last question:

[Matteo]

 

Hey it's an internet forum - not everyone is going to praise your work. I realize people have their own way of doing things but I think you could have made it better. Or if not you then someone else visiting the page. Having access to a laser cutter but using silicone to hold the box together is just not what I would expect to see.

 

Anyways - I see where you're going on the float switch and maybe it's just because the box looks small for having a float switch but it looks like the water volume in the overflow box is the same as the tank. When I think of why people use overflows/surface skimmers it's to create a turbulent area to break the surface tension. Your box seems more like a shroud for the filter intake because the water isn't dropping into the box in a turbulent manner. I will admit I've never used a setup like this so it could be really finnicky and just needs time to adjust. Maybe putting the float switch a bit further down into the box would help it's surface skimming abilities? I'm trying to think if anything bad could happen by doing that but I'm not coming up with anything. Attaching the float switch to the screen also seems like a hack - I'm not saying it wont work but now you have to disconnect your ATO every time you take the lid off. You could build a bracket with the leftover acrylic that would secure it to the side of the overflow.

 

As for the last question:

found the eye. IDK its a buddies work shop. Also I have surface agitation already from the wave created and the ac110 itself. The whole point of the box was to hide everything and to pull water from the top. Also my ATO is controlled by a reef angel and can be turned off with the click of a button. Is it a hack? Duh. Title says is all, "College" everything I had put into this tank has been from selling and trading and making deals. The only impulse buy I did was my AI Hydra 26HD which I am currently trying to sell because I a going to do a cheaper DIY LED. Will there be more DIY and more tinkering? Always, but that is fun for me.

[Matteo]

A pic of my duncans!

[Matteo]

So little update, I did a trade deal for an Aquatic Life T5 fixture which has been retrofitted with a pair of V3 arrays all controlled by a BlueFish! Super super super extied. This is a 24inch fixture and over my 29gallon will it be overkill? MAYBE but it is pretty much a dream fixture and a fixture I plan to use when ever I upgrade my 29g (WHICH OF COURSE WILL HAPPEN). Fixture arrives Friday!

 

 

 

Bulbs are a Blue + and a Coral +. Seller says they will work but definitly should replace soon. Should I keep the same color array for bulbs? I am new to the T5HO world but am very excited to be in the T5/LED hybrid group!!! I am also on painmeds due to some medical stuff so I am having a jolly time wohooo!

BTW AC110 skimmer I build is working amazingly! ATO controlled by reef angel and heater controlled by RA have my tank perfectly stable! AC110 with a sponge and some ROX carbon also have kept my water perfect and all corals, fish, inverts (including a very large clam seem to be very happy! New light should make them even happier!

[Matteo]

Got everything all cleaned up and done!

 

I think I have a pretty nice living room

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My premium snowflakes are my favorite

 

 

 

[Halo_003]

Pics are sweet. New light is pretty badass, is it one that Dave retroed or was it a DIY? Just curious.

 

I think I would personally probably do a Coral+ and a Purple+, they both have a good reputation for growth I believe. If not that then two Coral+. I think a warm bulb combo would be fine because then you can just adjust color with the LEDs. Coral+ and Blue+ are a nice color combo but I think you will get better growth with one of the other two. Here's a great video for that if you haven't seen it:

[Cencalfishguy56]

Got everything all cleaned up and done!

 

I think I have a pretty nice living room

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My premium snowflakes are my favorite

 

 

 

excuse me while I wipe the drool off my face...

[neuwave]

ME major?

[Matteo]

Pics are sweet. New light is pretty badass, is it one that Dave retroed or was it a DIY? Just curious.

 

I think I would personally probably do a Coral+ and a Purple+, they both have a good reputation for growth I believe. If not that then two Coral+. I think a warm bulb combo would be fine because then you can just adjust color with the LEDs. Coral+ and Blue+ are a nice color combo but I think you will get better growth with one of the other two. Here's a great video for that if you haven't seen it:

awesome video!!! I think when I buy new bulbs I definitely will do a coral + and purple+.. For the V3s I have it at 10% Cyan and Blue, 40% Royal Blue, 40% UV, and 30% White. Also this a DIY fixture built by a reefer here. It is a 4bulb aquaticlife fixture with the center 2 bulbs gutted and replaced with heatsink and 2 V3s and Bluefish Controlled its sweet!

ME major?

what?

[neuwave]

what?

 

Guess not. ME is mechanical engineering. I was guessing you might be one since you posted a pic of your overflow drawn on the program Solidworks. It's a common program mechanical engineering students use. Had to ask.