Chicken`s 420l reef

[blackchicken]

Hello
My name is John and I want to show you my tank. I read reef central for four years now and I really like this forum. I started reef almost 4 years ago. Before I have for one year 120l planted fresh water aquarium. I love design of highly planted tanks and I want something similar at home. I start breeding betta halfmoon fish and I really enjoy it. After year I found it too much easy, still triming growing plants, same green plants. I want try something difficult. I dont like reef aquariums for first time, because I saw some tanks here in Czech in stores, but quality and aquascaping were horrible. Couple of soft corals and a lot of fishes. Im not a fish guy at all. But I found this forum specially SPS tanks and TOTMs and that definitively change my life :dance:

I rebuild my 120l freshwater tank into reef. I make a lot of mistakes, lost some corals but later a lot of them I frag and sell (hope I`m forgiven). After year I add sump, still changing system, upgrading equipment and my coral collection increased. I add 100l frag tank, 60 refugium. In 120l system + 60l sump I count over 20 SPS, 10LPS and some softs. At the beginning I was lucky man, everything grew perfect. But then problems appears. Some NPS corals, lot of feeding, dificult chemical stability. Tank started collaps.

This is some photo from days when still works good.

And whole system:

 

[blackchicken]

At this time some guy selling new tank 420l 130x65x50h in cm. I like dimensions because of good depth. It all comes with desk and sump. I dont like aquarium contruction so I add black glass overflow, double bottom and insert glass pieces into coner to be safe. Desk is made from wood.

So there is some pictures from build. I started around 1.10.2012

main supervisor :thumbsup:

after two months of rebuilding, painting, moving with furniture, building new frag tank with new lights new stand :headwallblue: ......water!!!

my DIY main tank light rigg. I have limited budget so I use my glomat. 4 pieces 2x39W Later I switched to 2 pieces qauaconnect 4*54W all ATI.

Sump after instalation and old blue bulb for light.

...and all together. I dont like construction of sump so after month of use I build my own which I have till today. But I need some room so Ill do another one shorter. I want separate electricity.

 

[blackchicken]

I want absolutely clean design with no room for dirt. So I buy some coral plates, epoxy legs from PVC and again epoxy PVC with sand for natural look as much as possible. Rest is mix of live rock and some of my rocks from 120l system. All glued with reefbond (I love that guy, but not the price :wildone

Im really happy with this aquascape. Maybe I did it too tall and I have little problem with proper water movement but its ok so far. When I want to catch some fish I can tak one piece and with all corals move it out. All free. I love white sand, and even if it is only dirt catcher, as it will be possible, Ill still have it. I dont like a lot of small corals on the sand, i want it clean and another thing is my always working valenciennea.

Chaeto in sump and my DIY led with cree and china blue.

Aquascape:

Corals from old system ready to glue on

90L top-off water tank sitting under frag tank

 

[blackchicken]

Some DIY thing. Im a VFX artist so I spend years behind the computer. But originaly I study technical schools so I love DIY thing and work with hands. Thats one of the reasons why I like reef hobby, because you must now and learn a lot of different things. So, first thing I did was top off system for old 120L. Simple rellay and two sensors.

I really enjoy it and I add dosing pumps (they works perfectly over one year)

When I start this 420l tank I definitively wanted clean electricity, so I search. I like American Dj plugs but deliver it to czech will be expensive and EU socket is more than welcome. So I decited create my own panel.

and then some 12V divider for different things, computer fans, and someday Ill add moonlight.

 

[blackchicken]

My frag tank was originaly about 90L I thing, then I upgrade to 120l custom DIY. There is some pictures.

 

[blackchicken]

There is some photos which I take during one year.

 

[blackchicken]

some more:

 

[blackchicken]

So and there is how tank changes over one year.

1.1.2013

20.1.2013

3.2.2013

21.3.2013

3.7.2013

2.10.2013

 

[blackchicken]

So thats it. I have some ups and downs with this system. I lost some acro I thing because of PO4-0.2 so I sell some fishes form frag tank and start dosing vodka, after two weeks my deep acro have normal colour, algae is not visible and all looks happy so Im happy too

Now I must make decission how to dose Ca, Mg Kh, NaClFree and some trace. I like balling but my corals eat a lot at this time. I buy from second hand Shuran Jet stream 1 with bomb and all things around. Im waiting for rest pieces for my new 4 way dosing system. This build will be driven by two inbuild digital timers two and two pumps so I can dose two separate liquids with some time interval. Now I have only three pumps so I must dose Mg and vodka manualy.

Im little bit scared of Ca reactor. But it is 50/50. What do you thing guys? This system has together around 700l.

So thanks a lot. Any comments to my system is more than welcome.

P.S.: Sorry for my english :fun2:

 

[Dillan]

Cool system! Love your DIY even though im not really good at it. I made my own led fixture but thats it.

btw, visited your beautiful city two months ago, will defiantly come back!

 

[blackchicken]

Cool system! Love your DIY even though im not really good at it. I made my own led fixture but thats it.

btw, visited your beautiful city two months ago, will defiantly come back!

Thanks Dillan, DIY is my big hobby.
Yeh Prague is nice city, hope you spend there nice time.

 

[glaukos]

Great tank and like dillan said,your diy skills are awesome!
Welldone blackchicken!

 

[blackchicken]

Great tank and like dillan said,your diy skills are awesome!
Welldone blackchicken!

Thanks Mike

 

[blackchicken]

I have a little question. I have two green plate monti, different source, soo they were super green, but after few days they turn to light brown, and they have this colour till today. Where could be problem? Some trace?

 

[k_red_raider]

Great looking tank and I love the DIY stuff!!

 

[Dillan]

I have a little question. I have two green plate monti, different source, soo they were super green, but after few days they turn to light brown, and they have this colour till today. Where could be problem? Some trace?

I would test the potassium level, monti caps often loose color if to low. Ive read about people who use this coral to check the potassium level.

i assume that all other parameters are in check.

 

[blackchicken]

Hmm interesting, monti as potassium checker. I never add potassium to my system. Some test kit is for nothing I assume, so add slowly as balling liquid?

 

[Dillan]

Havent tried it myself and wont give any recomondations on dosing. But google "Montipora potassium", "montipora bleaching" or similar, and find out if this might be the problem.

 

[sahin]

Very beautiful tank! Impressed with the electrical work!:beer:

 

[ExtremeTang]

Very nice aquascape. What kind of camera did you use to take those beautiful pics?