Coral Tank from Canada (1350gal Display Tank)

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Elliott said:
Mr Wilson: while we are on the subject of lighting, what is your opinion of using natural light (skylight or tubes) on a reef aquarium? I realize Peter's tank is in the basement, making this option difficult, but many of us are contemplating using natural light. I'm considering a large skylight with supplemental LED's. The negatives I've seen are yellowish appearance, too much intensity during the summer months and not enough during the winter, however these can probably be dealt with with supplemental lighting and shade cloth, possibly even automated with the new continuous Apogee 200 model. In the end it's hard to beat nature, especially light, I would think the positives would far outweigh the negatives.
Click to expand...

I'm sure you get more than enough winter sun in Arizona. The hardest part farther north isn't the amount of sun, but the angle at which is travels. This isn't a problem with a greenhouse, and many skylights use domes to catch light on the horizon, reflecting it down.

As far as intensity goes, you can use an Apogee 200 to control a shade cloth or louvers. It has a data port that can hook up to a controller of some sort. In general, the seasonal change is slow so you can do much of this manually.

The colour temperature of the sun may be 6500˚ kelvin, but by the time it reaches a deep reef the colour temperature climbs to 20,000K as light is refracted by seawater. You can simulate this lens by using a blue shade cloth such as Chromatinetblue (which I mistakenly called "Chlorinet blue in numerous posts here on RC). That's one way to share information while keeping a secret :)

http://www.signaturesupplyonline.com/

This is a UK-based version but without the UV protection.

http://www.polytheneone.com/polytunnel_polythene_sunmaster_smart_blue.htm
 
mr.wilson said:
Peppermint shrimp work well, but best in a group as you suggest. In small numbers they are too shy, and hide.

I find copperband butterflies to be the most efficient. There is a blenny from the Atlantic Ocean that eats them, and of course burgia nudibranchs. We have a filefish that eats aiptasia but we haven't decided if it is reef safe (enough) yet. Most people have no problems with them and the few that experience coral picking may not be feeding enough??? We are still thinking about our Cuban and Spanish Hogfish as well. They are known to eat small shrimp, crabs and bully smaller fish, but it is a large tank. Having said that, it is a large tank to try to catch them out of :) You can break some rules with larger tanks, but in the end the fish call the shots. :hammer:

Believe it or not, putting rock in a microwave for 30 seconds works. It will kill anything that is full of water like sponges, tunicates etc., crabs, shrimp, but coraline algae is fine though.

I see no benefit in sterilizing live rock with chemicals or keeping it in the dark because aiptasia are more likely to enter the tank with coral than rock.

In my opinion chemical dosing to remove aiptasia doesn't work. You could mix some calcium hydroxide in with the Epo Putty to make it a poison as well as a physical barrier. This would solve the problem of trying to jab them with a needle. The physical barrier will deter reproduction which isn't as common as some report.

For those of you who don't have experience with aiptasia or majano anemones (I have been very lucky in this area) a common practice of removal is to poison them. The safest way to poison anything is to give it too much of a good thing, that way it is safe once diluted in the tank. You can use alkaline (high PH) or acid (low PH) chemicals that will quickly neutralize once it drifts away from the anemone such as salt, calcium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, calcium chloride, acid (muriatic, vinegar etc.). You can also use oxidizing agents like iodine, peroxide, and potassium permanganate. In the old days some people roughed up a copper wire with sandpaper and jabbed the anemones in the hopes of dislodging copper fillings in them. Squirting a small amount of copper sulphate would have been more effective but why use a true poison when there are lots of reef safe things you can overdose them with :)

As fla2341 suggested, the pest anemone may turn up in a different hole in the rock. Live rock has far more passage ways than we give it credit for. Continuing to plug holes as they arise will eventually solve the problem and adding chemicals to the Epo Putty will help.

What I like about the putty solution is it quick, easy and cheap. A roving aiptasia eater is a better solution for a tank that is plagued with a big outbreak.
Click to expand...

Day one after EPO putty application and....................

no signs of the Aptasia....... However after the comments about the porosity of the live rock we are going to add a bit more putty to the base of the frag to eliminate any avenue of escape.

Peter
 
Haksar said:
Your skimmer must be going nuts with all that putty.Nevertheless a great idea Peter.
Click to expand...

Although my RK2 is not installed yet I have found that the EPO Epoxy has not been a problem with respect to any residue in suspension.

I will admit that the Skimz skimmer has been somewhat less than adequate in tests so far. Although the manufacturer continues to retrofit the equipment the results have been less than satisfactory so far.

Peter
 
nineball said:
Although my RK2 is not installed yet I have found that the EPO Epoxy has not been a problem with respect to any residue in suspension.

I will admit that the Skimz skimmer has been somewhat less than adequate in tests so far. Although the manufacturer continues to retrofit the equipment the results have been less than satisfactory so far.

Peter
Click to expand...

is this in reguards to the wilson bars, or do you have a skim-z hooked on the main tank?
 
dahenley said:
is this in reguards to the wilson bars, or do you have a skim-z hooked on the main tank?
Click to expand...

It's set up in the temporary sump for the main display tank. It should be overwhelmed and it's not. The intention was to test it first to see how it performed with a heavy load before hooking it up to the Wilson Bars. There were some parts replaced but there does not appear to be an improvement. It makes lots of bubbles but very little skimate if any. Admittedly I am a novice with much of this equipment but Mr. Wilson has been unable to get it to perform as advertised.

Peter
 
this could be due to water volume.
has Mr. Wilson popped in a skimmer from his collection to see if they perform? if they dont, it could be a large dilution from the water volume. if they perform, then it could be the skimmer.
just an easy observation.

keep it up. (ill be watching)
 
dahenley said:
this could be due to water volume.
has Mr. Wilson popped in a skimmer from his collection to see if they perform? if they dont, it could be a large dilution from the water volume. if they perform, then it could be the skimmer.
just an easy observation.

keep it up. (ill be watching)
Click to expand...

Good observation...........MR. WILSON where is my new Bubble King????


Peter
 
dahenley said:
this could be due to water volume.
has Mr. Wilson popped in a skimmer from his collection to see if they perform? if they dont, it could be a large dilution from the water volume. if they perform, then it could be the skimmer.
just an easy observation.

keep it up. (ill be watching)
Click to expand...


That's exactly it. I have seen this skimmer running at Peters for almost a month now. I agree that there probably is not that much to skim. The overall system must have roughly 1800 gallons and there is maybe 30 fish all very small fish, gobies, small wrasses, anthias etc. Very little coral and very little bioload for a system that size. Although being there today we did notice that the skim was more and darker, which means maybe the added bioload from the large angel has actualy made a difference.

Also the skimmer is sitting in the temporary sump, which has water level fluctuating all day. I know my Aqua C and most in sump skimmers work best in a section that has a constant water level. Looking at this skimmer it looks well built, I just don't think a fair test has been done yet. When the sump arrives then it can be tested.... wait no it won't because Mr. Wilson will be installing Apollo 46, i.e Robbie the robot. I'm 6'3" and Robbie looks down at me:fish1:
 
Skimz has had some problems with adapting their 220V, 50hz motors to 120V, 60hz. This is a problem they are well aware of and they are working on a resolution. We have received a replacement impeller for the skimmer, but it still isn't running properly. When the power is shut off, the pump doesn't come back on when the power comes back on line. You need to let it cool down for half an hour and plug it in and out a few times. Needless to say, this is unacceptable.

The other issue we have is the water level varies over the course of the day. This has nothing to do with the sump water level, resistance in the drain, or the water throughput (this is an external skimmer). The water level in the skimmer varies because the air intake varies. The air intake varies because the needlewheel isn't spinning properly/evenly.

The needlewheel pump is loud, and it is running hot. I am giving Skimz some time to rectify the problem and I trust they will be able to do so. I have been working with the company that manufactures the skimmers for Skimz for two years and they have always been able to resolve production and design issues. If they are unable to get the Eden pump to function reliably, they will use another pump. The manufacturer is using Aquabee, Askoll, and Hagen needlewheel pumps in their other production lines.

I am confident that, in time, the Skimz line will be a good product for people who are on a budget. It is almost as good, and half the price of its competitors. Having said that, the premium skimmers on the market are about to make a quantum leap with DC pumps so their high price will finally be warranted.

At this point in time, I can't recommend a best practice for protein skimming.
The premium lines are not the kind of value for money that I like to see, and the discount skimmers fall short on reliability. Once Skimz irons out it's design, and the DC pump skimmers enter the market it will be a whole new ball game.

Although it wasn't my selection, I am confident that the RK2 skimmer will work fine for Peter's tank once we do some modifications.
 
mr.wilson said:
Having said that, the premium skimmers on the market are about to make a quantum leap with DC pumps so their high price will finally be warranted.
Click to expand...


Can you link/explain how DC motors will make improvements? Sounds cool but I'm no engineer.. I don't even play one on tv.
 
Hookup said:
Can you link/explain how DC motors will make improvements? Sounds cool but I'm no engineer.. I don't even play one on tv.
Click to expand...

DC pumps kick open the door to a world of NE possibilities. I'm writing this on my phone so I will give you the condensed version and probably spell something wrong:)

- dead silent operation of the pump, but yes the rush of air still needs to be silenced with a cylinder.
- lower energy draw.
- long life for pump due to reduced friction.
- low voltage, safer for you and the tank.
- cool to the touch operation. This means you can add more air without fear of water cooling process. Many AC powerheads are prematurely failing due to overheating because of too much air and not enough water to keep it cool.
- Speed Control! This makes it possible to lower the skimmer air intake at night by slowing the rpms. The skimmer will not pull out plankton, carbon, or bacteria, leaving it as a food source for corals and fish. Unlike an off mode with an AC pump (that may not turn back on), a DC pump can be dialed down to run at a low level so it is there in an emergency should a spawning event or mishap occur overnight.
- An optic level sensor can be used to measure the foam level in the neck and adjust pump output accordingly. If the skimmed isn't pulling out foam, it turns it up a few rpm, if the foam is too high it can turn it down, overting a disaster.
- the speed control unit can be programmed to give bursts of wet foam for 30 seconds every few hours to keep the neck clean. This is much more efficient than wipers that dislodge highly concentrated skimmate and allow the heavy matter to drop back into the skimmer for dissolution, and subsequently reintroduced to the display tank.
- cooler running temp will cut back on the need for a chiller or other drastic measures.
- no vibration to drive you crazy.
- soft on and off so the moving parts have less wear.
- modern 8 pole motors that will not turn the wrong direction when turned on and spin much faster (3200 rpm, compared to 2400).
- on board microchips to sense temperature, status, and water availability. If anything is awry, the pump shits off and sounds the alarm.
- compact size. I just replaced one of Peters 1 HP, 980 watt motors with a DC pump 1/4 the size, dead silent, no vibration, 230 watts max, no metal housing, submersible, and 1/4 the physical size.
- DC pumps, as flow pumps can be adapted as prop pumps in the tank, or run with Oceans Motions wave devices.
- when our 420 watt DC flow pumps are turned down to 65%, the power consumption drops to 94 watts. When I turned the 980 watt AC pump down to 50% the power consumption was only reduced to 930 watts. That extra energy is wearing the pump and gdnerating heat, while DC speed control slows the rpms efficiently.
- rather than pinching a hose to adjust air intake, DC motors accurately and reliably change the motor speed. You can see the setting digitally. It's a lot easier to fine tune when there are reference numbers rather than "quarter turns of a plastic screw".
- they are cool and everyone is doing it :)
 
mr.wilson said:
DC pumps kick open the door to a world of NE possibilities. I'm writing this on my phone so I will give you the condensed version and probably spell something wrong:)

- dead silent operation of the pump, but yes the rush of air still needs to be silenced with a cylinder.
- lower energy draw.
- long life for pump due to reduced friction.
- low voltage, safer for you and the tank.
- cool to the touch operation. This means you can add more air without fear of water cooling process. Many AC powerheads are prematurely failing due to overheating because of too much air and not enough water to keep it cool.
- Speed Control! This makes it possible to lower the skimmer air intake at night by slowing the rpms. The skimmer will not pull out plankton, carbon, or bacteria, leaving it as a food source for corals and fish. Unlike an off mode with an AC pump (that may not turn back on), a DC pump can be dialed down to run at a low level so it is there in an emergency should a spawning event or mishap occur overnight.
- An optic level sensor can be used to measure the foam level in the neck and adjust pump output accordingly. If the skimmed isn't pulling out foam, it turns it up a few rpm, if the foam is too high it can turn it down, overting a disaster.
- the speed control unit can be programmed to give bursts of wet foam for 30 seconds every few hours to keep the neck clean. This is much more efficient than wipers that dislodge highly concentrated skimmate and allow the heavy matter to drop back into the skimmer for dissolution, and subsequently reintroduced to the display tank.
- cooler running temp will cut back on the need for a chiller or other drastic measures.
- no vibration to drive you crazy.
- soft on and off so the moving parts have less wear.
- modern 8 pole motors that will not turn the wrong direction when turned on and spin much faster (3200 rpm, compared to 2400).
- on board microchips to sense temperature, status, and water availability. If anything is awry, the pump shits off and sounds the alarm.
- compact size. I just replaced one of Peters 1 HP, 980 watt motors with a DC pump 1/4 the size, dead silent, no vibration, 230 watts max, no metal housing, submersible, and 1/4 the physical size.
- DC pumps, as flow pumps can be adapted as prop pumps in the tank, or run with Oceans Motions wave devices.
- when our 420 watt DC flow pumps are turned down to 65%, the power consumption drops to 94 watts. When I turned the 980 watt AC pump down to 50% the power consumption was only reduced to 930 watts. That extra energy is wearing the pump and gdnerating heat, while DC speed control slows the rpms efficiently.
- rather than pinching a hose to adjust air intake, DC motors accurately and reliably change the motor speed. You can see the setting digitally. It's a lot easier to fine tune when there are reference numbers rather than "quarter turns of a plastic screw".
- they are cool and everyone is doing it :)
Click to expand...

Sure, but will they come in blue?

Just kidding...


Those would be some pretty cool features for sure... Sign me up!
 
I'm not sure what I can say that hasn't been said already about this tank, it's been incredible to watch the progression! Great work!
 
mr.wilson said:
Peppermint shrimp work well, but best in a group as you suggest. In small numbers they are too shy, and hide.

I find copperband butterflies to be the most efficient. There is a blenny from the Atlantic Ocean that eats them, and of course burgia nudibranchs. We have a filefish that eats aiptasia but we haven't decided if it is reef safe (enough) yet. Most people have no problems with them and the few that experience coral picking may not be feeding enough??? We are still thinking about our Cuban and Spanish Hogfish as well. They are known to eat small shrimp, crabs and bully smaller fish, but it is a large tank. Having said that, it is a large tank to try to catch them out of :) You can break some rules with larger tanks, but in the end the fish call the shots. :hammer:

Believe it or not, putting rock in a microwave for 30 seconds works. It will kill anything that is full of water like sponges, tunicates etc., crabs, shrimp, but coraline algae is fine though.

I see no benefit in sterilizing live rock with chemicals or keeping it in the dark because aiptasia are more likely to enter the tank with coral than rock.

In my opinion chemical dosing to remove aiptasia doesn't work. You could mix some calcium hydroxide in with the Epo Putty to make it a poison as well as a physical barrier. This would solve the problem of trying to jab them with a needle. The physical barrier will deter reproduction which isn't as common as some report.

For those of you who don't have experience with aiptasia or majano anemones (I have been very lucky in this area) a common practice of removal is to poison them. The safest way to poison anything is to give it too much of a good thing, that way it is safe once diluted in the tank. You can use alkaline (high PH) or acid (low PH) chemicals that will quickly neutralize once it drifts away from the anemone such as salt, calcium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, calcium chloride, acid (muriatic, vinegar etc.). You can also use oxidizing agents like iodine, peroxide, and potassium permanganate. In the old days some people roughed up a copper wire with sandpaper and jabbed the anemones in the hopes of dislodging copper fillings in them. Squirting a small amount of copper sulphate would have been more effective but why use a true poison when there are lots of reef safe things you can overdose them with :)

As fla2341 suggested, the pest anemone may turn up in a different hole in the rock. Live rock has far more passage ways than we give it credit for. Continuing to plug holes as they arise will eventually solve the problem and adding chemicals to the Epo Putty will help.

What I like about the putty solution is it quick, easy and cheap. A roving aiptasia eater is a better solution for a tank that is plagued with a big outbreak.
Click to expand...

I have also had best success with the copperband solution however it should be noted that they will prevent you from keeping feather dusters and koko worms; and I have also found that your [copperband] success will depend on your overall tank feeding habits - that is if the copperbands are offered all kinds of other foods, they will not be motivated to forage (eat the aips).. I personally can do without feather dusters and the like so I would usually go for the copperbands as my favourite remedy.

SJ
 
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