GrouperGenius
Liscensed Unit
Absolutely an awsome, amazing build.
And so it begins
- Thread starter KafudaFish
- Start date
Thanks everyone. I am glad people are interested in my simple build when there are others that have great tanks showing up all the time.
Every day someone walks in and asks where's the fish and I keep telling them soon.
I have always wanted a tail spot blenny and my LFS has them on a regular basis. I figure a single fish in a tank with multiple holes and shelves should be good. If not I can take it home to a larger tank.
Lighting:
DIY vs. store bought for LEDs since T5 are very limited and at one year the cost is the same.
DIY would fit in with one of the themes of doing it myself. I THINK I could do it but me being so slow I think Santa would have come and gone before I finished.
If I did DIY then I would make a T of lights leaving the ATO and PH box in the dark. I still want some shadows too.
Store bought:
It seems that every week there is a new screw in or strips. I had been thinking eco's 50-50 one and maybe adding another blue just for pop.
Other:
I have some black walnut that I saved from years ago that I could make a hood but on the way home I remembered a light fixture that I have been saving and it would fit in with the desk feel. I just have to find the stupid thing and the LED strips would fit in the housing well.
I top off by hand right now, about 500 ml per day. So far it has been easy.
Also I started doing daily WC of 800 ml that takes about 2 minutes while eating lunch.
I figure this should help with water quality and parameters.
I had a slight film on the water's surface for 5 days but now the top is film free so I am happy with that. No algae yet.
Things that I have left to do besides stocking:
find my light I was discussing
make a stand (though it probably won't be made out of wood)
make my above the tank fuge
settle on my lights.
The funny thing is that on the way to work this morning another build idea entered my head and I just may have to follow through with that one too.
Every day someone walks in and asks where's the fish and I keep telling them soon.
I have always wanted a tail spot blenny and my LFS has them on a regular basis. I figure a single fish in a tank with multiple holes and shelves should be good. If not I can take it home to a larger tank.
Lighting:
DIY vs. store bought for LEDs since T5 are very limited and at one year the cost is the same.
DIY would fit in with one of the themes of doing it myself. I THINK I could do it but me being so slow I think Santa would have come and gone before I finished.
If I did DIY then I would make a T of lights leaving the ATO and PH box in the dark. I still want some shadows too.
Store bought:
It seems that every week there is a new screw in or strips. I had been thinking eco's 50-50 one and maybe adding another blue just for pop.
Other:
I have some black walnut that I saved from years ago that I could make a hood but on the way home I remembered a light fixture that I have been saving and it would fit in with the desk feel. I just have to find the stupid thing and the LED strips would fit in the housing well.
I top off by hand right now, about 500 ml per day. So far it has been easy.
Also I started doing daily WC of 800 ml that takes about 2 minutes while eating lunch.
I figure this should help with water quality and parameters.
I had a slight film on the water's surface for 5 days but now the top is film free so I am happy with that. No algae yet.
Things that I have left to do besides stocking:
find my light I was discussing
make a stand (though it probably won't be made out of wood)
make my above the tank fuge
settle on my lights.
The funny thing is that on the way to work this morning another build idea entered my head and I just may have to follow through with that one too.
Gamepro_inc
New member
I vote for DIY LEDS that way you can get some awesome shadows, Also you will just be more happy with it in the long run...We can wait for you to finish it, dont rush for us.
Thanks.
I printed off page 171 of the DIY led thread for some light (get it?) reading.
Yeah that was cheese but it is Friday before a holiday.
Speaking of holiday I have to contend with an additional day off. My ATO is not set up yet and I really don't want to set it up on a day I will be gone so I took a 16 oz water bottle and I have a small hole in each end. I tried it out yesterday and a drop of water fell every few seconds.
I have been trying to meet with the reefer I am getting my frag from but we keep missing one another so the waiting continues.
Perhaps next week I will make my sump for this and have something else to show everyone.
Lusent2:
What do you mean fill it? It is full of rock and water.
I printed off page 171 of the DIY led thread for some light (get it?) reading.
Yeah that was cheese but it is Friday before a holiday.
Speaking of holiday I have to contend with an additional day off. My ATO is not set up yet and I really don't want to set it up on a day I will be gone so I took a 16 oz water bottle and I have a small hole in each end. I tried it out yesterday and a drop of water fell every few seconds.
I have been trying to meet with the reefer I am getting my frag from but we keep missing one another so the waiting continues.
Perhaps next week I will make my sump for this and have something else to show everyone.
Lusent2:
What do you mean fill it? It is full of rock and water.
This is cool!
I like the look of the homemade rock structure.
Does that need any kind of curing time?
I know that homemade stuff sometimes leaches stuff for the first month or so and ppl tend to cure it for that reason.
Does the PH pull water through the back wall portion as well?
You don't want to have an area where dead water and detritus build up.
I think a Tailspot Blenny would be awesome for this.
I didn't totally understand, are you doing just Zoas for this or just that one particular Zoa?
I like the look of the homemade rock structure.
Does that need any kind of curing time?
I know that homemade stuff sometimes leaches stuff for the first month or so and ppl tend to cure it for that reason.
Does the PH pull water through the back wall portion as well?
You don't want to have an area where dead water and detritus build up.
I think a Tailspot Blenny would be awesome for this.
I didn't totally understand, are you doing just Zoas for this or just that one particular Zoa?
Lisa:
Thanks for stopping by and glad you like the rock.
As far as leaching yes people have to cure the rock but with the water stop once it dries the pH does not shift.
I first read about using this from Mr. Wilson’s posts on a thread called reef ceramics that was started I think in 2007. That is off the top of my head but I could dig it up and I may. He discusses things there in detail.
As far as the walls, the left side and back are flush with the glass so I don’t think it will be an issue. The back was painted black so no algae issues but if the left side starts to grow I will have to paint it too. The right side has a slight angle to it so snails will have to do the work for me.
Yeah the tailspot is THE reason why I did a 5.5 vs. a 2.5 so in the end this fish will cost me $150 due to lights.
I am doing just the one purple hornet frag I got from you yesterday. Thank you for it. I have it at home and all three polyps opened up that night. It will stay in my 29 for a little longer until I feel that this tank is ready.
I still may grab a few others from you for a 2.5 that I will find a space for down the road.
Oh I looked at the 12 inch T5 system you were talking about and it is a good possibility. What bulbs were you thinking?
Updates:
Got my purple hornets from Lisa yesterday so zoa stocking is done.
My salinity was a little low in the tank so I am bumping it up slowly.
My ghetto water top off bottle is working well. 16 oz water bottle with a stable sized hole in the bottle to drip and one in the cap as a vent allows for one drop of water every 8 to 10 seconds so the 3 day weekend as good.
Thanks for stopping by and glad you like the rock.
As far as leaching yes people have to cure the rock but with the water stop once it dries the pH does not shift.
I first read about using this from Mr. Wilson’s posts on a thread called reef ceramics that was started I think in 2007. That is off the top of my head but I could dig it up and I may. He discusses things there in detail.
As far as the walls, the left side and back are flush with the glass so I don’t think it will be an issue. The back was painted black so no algae issues but if the left side starts to grow I will have to paint it too. The right side has a slight angle to it so snails will have to do the work for me.
Yeah the tailspot is THE reason why I did a 5.5 vs. a 2.5 so in the end this fish will cost me $150 due to lights.
I am doing just the one purple hornet frag I got from you yesterday. Thank you for it. I have it at home and all three polyps opened up that night. It will stay in my 29 for a little longer until I feel that this tank is ready.
I still may grab a few others from you for a 2.5 that I will find a space for down the road.
Oh I looked at the 12 inch T5 system you were talking about and it is a good possibility. What bulbs were you thinking?
Updates:
Got my purple hornets from Lisa yesterday so zoa stocking is done.
My salinity was a little low in the tank so I am bumping it up slowly.
My ghetto water top off bottle is working well. 16 oz water bottle with a stable sized hole in the bottle to drip and one in the cap as a vent allows for one drop of water every 8 to 10 seconds so the 3 day weekend as good.
Ok thanks for the bulb suggestions.
Here is the thread I was talking about. I was close, Dec 2006.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=993625
Here is the thread I was talking about. I was close, Dec 2006.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=993625
The 454 is the UVL equivalent of an ATI Blue+, the best t5 blue bulb on the market IMO.
If you want to stop by again sometime, I can show you what one ATI Blue+ and 1 Indigo Sun look like together.
They're over my 30g, so you'd have to see them over a tank that is only 1/3 full of stagnant water which isn't the best scenario, but it still might give you some idea.
If you want to stop by again sometime, I can show you what one ATI Blue+ and 1 Indigo Sun look like together.
They're over my 30g, so you'd have to see them over a tank that is only 1/3 full of stagnant water which isn't the best scenario, but it still might give you some idea.
jefathome
New member
LOL.... I just stumbled across this thread. Sounds like you and I have a lot of the same goals in our build.
1) More of a natural look
2) Less visible equipment
3) Bare Bottom w/o the BB look
4) Adding tile that can be removed if needed (I went with Tavertine)
5) Built-in foam/epoxy
Here is my thread and a pic....
I'm still in the building stage as well, so pardon the lack or corals. I'm gonna go wiht Zoa's, LPS, clams and s few SPS.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1844592&page=8
Lisa:
Question: What was the light you were running in your fuge on your display tank? Was it one of those halogen bulbs? Where did you get it?
Jefathome:
That is great rock work. If I had done that build at my rate of this one it would have taken over 1000 days to get there.
Question: What was the light you were running in your fuge on your display tank? Was it one of those halogen bulbs? Where did you get it?
Jefathome:
That is great rock work. If I had done that build at my rate of this one it would have taken over 1000 days to get there.
It's this underwater light from InTank: http://shop.mediabaskets.com/Underwater-10W-Single-Light-PL1008T.htm
Almost forgot about my own thread.
Pretty much same old same old but I did add a bag for carbon next to the PH so the water is clear.
I had one snail death not sure why but I had had it for over a year + so I hope old age.
Been rough sketching the sump so I can get my heater out of the display and have been keeping up with WC.
Here are some pictures of the flow. I used a coffee stirrer for the air intake.
And my gravity defying water bottle top off "system":
Pretty much same old same old but I did add a bag for carbon next to the PH so the water is clear.
I had one snail death not sure why but I had had it for over a year + so I hope old age.
Been rough sketching the sump so I can get my heater out of the display and have been keeping up with WC.
Here are some pictures of the flow. I used a coffee stirrer for the air intake.
And my gravity defying water bottle top off "system":
No news is good news I guess. Work has been too busy to sit down and enjoy working on the tank.
Gamepro_inc
New member
Any info on your water bottle top off? This is the same concept of Current's Solana 34 system however it doesn't work for crap, it eithers never releases the water or it dumps all the water. I drilled the stock hole larger eventually so that it could at least drain some even if it was everything at once.
cant wait to see your tank full of zoes.
cant wait to see your tank full of zoes.
What do you want to know?
It is about as simple as possible.
It is a 0.5 liter water bottle with a hole at the bottom and an air hole in the lid. I used a staple to make the holes.
I saw your post this morning filled it up and it took just over 3 hours to empty.
You could probably use any container around any size and it would be pretty easy to adjust flow if you wanted a slower drip such as air line tubing and a john guest valve from HD or Lowes. This one drips once every 3 or 4 seconds and does not change even though the water level in it decreases over time.
See I told you it was simple. I still have my ATO sitting next to the tank yet I have not hooked it up because there is no need to be honest. Between top off too much and flooding and things being less I think it is safer to have less water.
Over Labor Day I went 3 days and though salinity changed I don't think it was too great an issue.
As far as zoas, my frag at home has gone from 3 polyps to 5 in 2 weeks so it is getting closer.
Yeah it is all part of my plan.
It is about as simple as possible.
It is a 0.5 liter water bottle with a hole at the bottom and an air hole in the lid. I used a staple to make the holes.
I saw your post this morning filled it up and it took just over 3 hours to empty.
You could probably use any container around any size and it would be pretty easy to adjust flow if you wanted a slower drip such as air line tubing and a john guest valve from HD or Lowes. This one drips once every 3 or 4 seconds and does not change even though the water level in it decreases over time.
See I told you it was simple. I still have my ATO sitting next to the tank yet I have not hooked it up because there is no need to be honest. Between top off too much and flooding and things being less I think it is safer to have less water.
Over Labor Day I went 3 days and though salinity changed I don't think it was too great an issue.
As far as zoas, my frag at home has gone from 3 polyps to 5 in 2 weeks so it is getting closer.
Yeah it is all part of my plan.
