6gal Hex Cement n' more Reef

[dcoufal]

I think the fishnet is a great idea.

Netting material - I agree with timschmidt. It seems like the synthetic would be more durable.

Hole size - 1/2" even seems too. What about 1/4"?

If I go 1/4" - and, I can actually get zoa's to grow in it - it would resemble more of a mat than a net, wouldn't it?

Maybe I'll do a large bottle... I have a small one broken & partially buried in my 125g. Or, a small cache of "gold" or "Roman" coins?

Any other ideas for life-size stuff to put in the tank? I know it's small.... that's why I'm having difficulty coming up with something.

Yes, I know. Some people think that's cluttering up a reef tank... Well, I like it - and, I think a bare bottom is unnatural looking. :rollface:

I know someone out there reading this thread has an awesome idea that will make everyone go "OOoohhhh Aaahhhhh." So, let's hear it!

Dwain

 

[spf9992001]

I assumed mat was the goal.

Never assume anything....

 

[dcoufal]

Pic of the new agrocrete around the outflow bulkhead:

Agrocrete on the outflow tube:

Dwain

 

[lil_fishey]

wow that is great i love how u disquised (sp?) the return keep up the good work

 

[dcoufal]

Update:
Just checked the water in the tank. pH > 8.6
Dumped and refilled w/tap water and muriatic acid.

Still waiting for the back-ordered bulkhead from DF&S to come in to finish the plumbing.

(Okay, so this was really just a shameless bump... )

Dwain

 

[surfnvb7]

WOW! :eek2: thats an awesome DIY tank! incredible job on that, cant wait to see the finished product.

i only have one comment, as i dont want to hinder your creative instinct! :smokin: how tall is the tank? (complete demensions) are you confident that the small 18w coralife PC will be strong enough to penetrate all the way to the bottom?

this would look incredible with a 70w MH raised a couple of inches off the water, but of course this would cause a bit of evap due to the open top. but it looks like you are planning for a sump anyways right?

oh, how long does the concrete stuff have to cure? seems like at such a high pH it will always be leaching something into the water on a long term basis.

 

[dcoufal]

12" Deep, 12 3/4" tip-to-tip and 11" side-to-side

If it doesn't penetrate well, I'll consider a 70W MH. I'm just one of those people that likes actinics on a tank.

Sump? Nope.... not unless I work on my "closed loop sump" idea, where the sump is a sealed container.

Total time to cure should be 3-6 weeks. I believe it's getting closer as there was almost no "film" on the top of the water this time. I only used 6 of the small dixie cups full of cement in this tank. That should allow the curing time to be fairly quick.

Feel free to make any other comments/suggestions. You won't "hinder [my] creative instinct" -- I'll just ignore ideas I don't like.

What does everyone else think about having a school of tangs in this tank?

Dwain

 

[surfnvb7]

:lol: :lol: :lol:

this is just me, but i'd have some sort of sump-like-thing under there. esspecially since you have a closed top. its easier to do water changes out of a sump than lifting the whole top off to do it. plus, you are bound to have a build up of excess nutrients no matter what. and having some sort of sump/fuge will allow addition of chemical medias if need be, or extra space for a fuge w/ rubble rock and macro to help with filtration.

i'd just be worried about a closed system like that developing some sort of algae (bryopsis.....eek) on the agrecrete walls, and it will be impossible to get off without ripping the tank apart.......

better to take preventative measures now than having to deal with it later on.......but again......thats just me

 

[jackson vile]

Looking good, good thinking, but need more pics

 

[scbauer]

I don't know about a school of tangs, but 3 or 4 should be okay. Maybe get a lionfish and 2 or 3 eel's, too... that would be really cool

Looking good...

-Scott

 

[dcoufal]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6254066#post6254066 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by scbauer
I don't know about a school of tangs, but 3 or 4 should be okay. Maybe get a lionfish and 2 or 3 eel's, too... that would be really cool

Hey, that's a good idea! But, I think 2-3 eels might be too much. How about just a single green moray?

Dwain

 

[scbauer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6254362#post6254362 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dcoufal
Hey, that's a good idea! But, I think 2-3 eels might be too much. How about just a single green moray?

Dwain

You should probably get two because one would be lonely... I mean, if you think about it, at 12" deep, a moray could form a spiral from the top to the bottom and live well in that tank. If there were two, they would always be so close they would HAVE to mate. That might cramp the tank, though, so you might want to cut back and get one less tang.

Just my thoughts...

-Scott

 

[dcoufal]

Okay... back to being serious (and, shamelessly bumping my thread ):

DF&S has finally shipped my other bulkhead assembly. Hopefully, it'll be here next week. The pH was > 8.6 today, dumped the water, rinsed several times and filled with tap water only - no muriatic acid this time.

 

[fish lad]

awsome job

i rearly want to try and do this in the future youve inspired me

 

[kamla]

wow..
cant wait to see the tank fully setup..

GL..

 

[dcoufal]

The bulkhead came in from DF&S and I finished the "plumbing". I've filled it to make sure the pH will remain relatively stable and if all goes well, saltwater will be used on the next fill.

Dwain

 

[dcoufal]

The pH held this time. So, I'll be adding sand, rock and water from my 125g into this tank sometime this week along with a few zoas. I'll get some pics after that's done.

We have a newborn.... so, things might be going a little slower than I had anticipated.

Dwain

 

[Carl_in_Florida]

Dwain,

I know you are new to the nano thread area and so I am going to be nice with this mild correction.

You are risking getting seriously flamed when you post things like, "I finished the plumbing" without posting any pics.

We have nanos because our attention span will not allow us to work on a project long enough to build a bigger tank. We need pictures to keep our interest.

Sorry I had to be the one to do this.

Carl

 

[dcoufal]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6420703#post6420703 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Carl_in_Florida
Dwain,

I know you are new to the nano thread area and so I am going to be nice with this mild correction.

You are risking getting seriously flamed when you post things like, "I finished the plumbing" without posting any pics.

We have nanos because our attention span will not allow us to work on a project long enough to build a bigger tank. We need pictures to keep our interest.

Sorry I had to be the one to do this.

Carl

Carl,

There's a reason for "plumbing" being in quotes... I don't really consider a powerhead and (2) bulkheads to be real "plumbing". But, I'll happily take a pic later this evening for everyone to "ooh" and "ahh" over.

Dwain

 

[dcoufal]

I had a few minutes, so here are some pics:
Note: Still no water or sand and the acrylic is dirty...

"Plumbing":

Top (Lights/Fans):

Front w/Lights On:

The sides of the tank where the styro shows - not including the back wall - will be covered with stone or a foam/paint mix to make it look better.

Dwain