55 in progress

TimSchmidt

TimSchmidt

New Member
Well I finally started the 55 gallon. I got the tank and stand in a trade and they were both that fake ugly oak trim so I painted it black :) Painted the back dark blue and put in some pink fiji sand along with about 60 pounds of live rock. I know I haven't topped it off yet, but I am debating on which sump/refugium to put underneath. The tank isn't drilled so I will use an overflow box. I was thinking of just using a coralife needlewheel for the skimmer. Any thoughts? (Or better yet, used skimmers for sale)
I don't really like the rock scape just yet, but I wanted to get it in there. I hope to separate the rock into two piles with a bit of open sand in between. BTW this is a FOWLR.




 
TimSchmidt

TimSchmidt

New Member
Thanks for the tip. Found a needlewheel pretty cheap. It's a coral life but it was a good price. I should have the 10 gallon sump all together and everything finally assembled next weekend. I know that this is just prolonging the cycle process but I am not in any rush. I did reassemble the rock scape and I like it. I haven't epoxied anything together but I did move the rocks around until the "clicked" together. Seems pretty solid but I am not positive. Should I epoxy the arches? I do plan on getting a turbo or two.

Here is the new rock setup.

 
djconn

djconn

New Member
Nice aquascaping. Yeah, might need a little epoxy to hold up some of that rock huh? I know that I'd end up knocking over while doing a water change, etc.
 
TimSchmidt

TimSchmidt

New Member
Ok, so I have my overflow box installed and the sump plumbed but I am having a newbie mistake and want some different perspectives. I am using this overflox http://www.lifereef.com/siphon.html and am using a Rio 1400 for a return pump. I do have a the Cora-life super skimmer in the sump and I do have a little micro bubble problem.

Ok for the major reason of this post. I am accumulating a fair amount of air in the U bend in my overflow. So much so that I have turned off my sump while I am gone to Denver (I still am cycling and am willing to wait as long as I need to get it just right btw). I got this overflow due to it claims to be one of the better U tube designs out there. Should I deal with the micro bubble problem with a sponge in sump? Where else could there be a source of this problem?

Pictures will be posted after I get back...aka next weekend.
 
R

reefman23

New Member
If you could fix it with a sponge in the sump, do that. How do you have your baffles arranged before the return pump? Is it like this... over, under, over?



Jesse
 
TimSchmidt

TimSchmidt

New Member
That may be it...dang. I only have an under then an over. Jeez. Now I have to drain that and stick in a new baffle. LOL Oh well :) Give me a chance to put in that egg crate for my optional media.
 
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reefman23

New Member
Yeah, that'll fix the microbubbles. You want about 1" between the baffles and the middle baffle should be about 1" above the bottom... does that make sense?

Jesse
 
TimSchmidt

TimSchmidt

New Member
Yes it does. Actually I'm probably going to rip all my baffles out and just put them back in. I did have trouble due to the size of the tank and my caulk gun. 10g tank and full size caulk gun = hard to put baffles in nicely. So my sump looks wierd with HUGE beads of silicon, but heck - it's supposed to be ugly. Another point is my return pump is woefully under powered. I only have a RIO 1300 and I'm only getting about 200 GPH not the almost 600 I want. I read up and apparently having too small a pump will lead to bubbles in the U tube. So I am upgrading to a Mag 9 or so. Should fix it.
 
TimSchmidt

TimSchmidt

New Member
Well, It seems that my cycle has completed. But I will have to wait until I'm completely happy with my return pump situation. Anything look too out of whack for anyone on this sight. Keep in mind this is FOWLR. The tests were done one hour after lights turned off and moon lights turned on. When the sump is up I will run my light down there reverse of the main lights.

Date 26-May-08
Time 22:00
SG 1.025
Free Ammonia 0
Total Ammonia 0
PH 8.1
Alkalinity 3.5
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 2-5
Phosphate .05-.1
 
R

Ritsuko N

New Member
Looks like your off to a great start with this one Tim.

A sponge should solve the micro bubble issue just fine. Another baffle might do just the same as well if installed as previously mentioned.

Yes lack of flow will cause the water flow through the U tube to slow enough that an air pocket may form and eventually lead to broken siphon. A trick other than bumping up the flow is to drill a small hole in the top of the U Tube and epoxy in a small T with a valve used for air tubing and then hook one of those pumps from CPR up to it. This will always remove any air build up in the tube and should you loose power it will restart the siphon for you so you dont over flow the tank and burn up the sumps return pump.
 
TimSchmidt

TimSchmidt

New Member
I would prefer to no have the sponge personally, but my sump building skills seem to be lacking. I added in a baffle but I am not happy with it, so I may just end up get a AGA 20 gallon tall (instead of the AGA 10g) so I have a more suitably sized return section. Pictures to come.
 
TimSchmidt

TimSchmidt

New Member
Well here is a picture. I really need to just redo the sump/refuge. I do plan on getting a 20 gallon tall (size limitations under stand) and doing it better. But for now it's doing well enough, my upgraded pump will solve my air bubble in the U tube problem. I just want to make sure my skimmer doesn't "murder" too many pods in my refuge. I think I will have to put the intake for my skimmer out of the refuge to guarantee that. Then a pic of the reason I got into saltwater (I understand the husbandry requirements).




 
TimSchmidt

TimSchmidt

New Member
So here is the new tank. LOL just got the first one really started and already upgraded. Maybe I can keep this one for a bit longer :) I mean, I have the lights to upgrade next. For the refuge I am having someone cut me the squares of class instead of trying to cut the super thin acrylic I was using. Too many things wrong to list. Instead of cutting grooves I am going to use egg-crate to keep the macro-algae in the refuge, plus it is way easier to cut solid squares.




 
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Ritsuko N

New Member
Nice!

Is this a new and bigger tank or is this replacing the 55?

Yeah those Manderins will sucker you in everytime. Beautiful fish thats increadibly hard to resist. Its a shame most aquarist dont give them the kinda care they need to survive long term in most tanks or make the mistake of buying them on impluse without checking up on thier needs first. Obviously with a good sized tank and sump yours should do really well and stick around for a long time to come.
 
TimSchmidt

TimSchmidt

New Member
It is replacing the 55. You can see the 20 g long in the last shot and I couldn't get the return section large enough really. Plus I just can't get my sump/refugium to be how I want them to be. I am probably just going to pay Melev to make me one.
 
TimSchmidt

TimSchmidt

New Member
reefman23 said:
Sweet tank! I like the stand/canopy. Yeah what size is that thing?

Jesse
Click to expand...
Yep it's a 90 gallon. Well I found a use for my old 55 gallon and that really awkward space under my stairs. :) don't mind the tape...thats an older mark for water level. I just finished my ATO unit and will be topping out my sump to the max so I should have about 140 gallons of water in the system total.

Occupants thus far:

2 ocellarus tank bred clowns
3 fire fish
1 mandarin (EATS MYSIS!!! YAY) but...i have tons of LR...odd.
1 cleaner shrimp
1 peppermint shrimp
1 Pom Pom crab
Christmas tree worms
Dwarf blue leg, dwarf zebra, one white hermit
Nassarius, astrea, and cerith snails.


If you all care to comment on how you think Flasher carpenter wrasses would interact with this group please do. I am looking for not only pretty but interesting fish to watch. Also I am torn between cheaper and cooler T5s and MH for the glimmer... darn that pretty glimmer (plus I want clams). You all think two 150 watt 10,000k MH and two T5 actinics would be enough for clams on my sand bed (deep tank)?

So updated shots. If you can't see the previous ones it's because I cleaned out my web space of older photos.











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TimSchmidt

TimSchmidt

New Member
Well since all the old links are broken here are a couple photos of the new and improved 90 gallon. The 55 gallon is currently the sump, but I am changing it out for a 30 gallon that will actually fit into stand.

FTS


Left


Center


Right


Frogspawns


Bubblecorals


Crocea Clam


New lighting (T5 6x54watt HO)


Two reactors (one with phosban, one with chemi-pure)


Kole yellow eye tang (still in QT)


He eats MYSIS! !
 
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