Coral Tank from Canada (1350gal Display Tank)
- Thread starter nineball
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msr224
New member
I showed the picture of your creature to my 8 year old son and of course he was able to correctly identify it upon first glance. I tried to play stupid and asked him if he was sure about that and he remained resolute.
"Absolutely positive Dad!!!! It's plankton and he's gonna steal your secret formula."
So, Nineball and team......I'm glad a bird got plankton and that the secret crabby patty formula is safe for now. Beware though he may be back!
And...since you've got plankton and all maybe you need one of those plastic pineapple houses to put in your tank????
LOL!!!!:lmao:
"Absolutely positive Dad!!!! It's plankton and he's gonna steal your secret formula."
So, Nineball and team......I'm glad a bird got plankton and that the secret crabby patty formula is safe for now. Beware though he may be back!
And...since you've got plankton and all maybe you need one of those plastic pineapple houses to put in your tank????
LOL!!!!:lmao:
Hello everyone, I am honored to count myself a member of this community. I have been lurking here for the last 125 pages (yes, back in March) and I am still amazed by the overwhelming support, information, and dedication that everyone brings to this adventure. Peter, msr224 has put into words (and more eloquently than I could) many of the things I have thought about you, this project, and all of those involved. I commend you on your vision, dedication, and genuine desire for input from others in all phases of this grand undertaking. This entire community, led by you, is setting benchmarks for behaviors and practices that reach well beyond this project and our hobby. By the way I lived in Sudbury for a couple of years, so I did my time on your side of the border. The people and the country were both wonderful, but I am back home and still and Indiana boy at heart.
I'll take hard work, knowledge, and skill over luck any day
Doug
I'll take hard work, knowledge, and skill over luck any day
Doug
nineball
Active member
Hello Peter,
I really enjoyed reading your recent report on the changes that are occuring with the aquarium and group of professional aquarists you have gathered to undertake the sheer size of this project. It sort of reminds me of a Team Canada hockey squad preparing for the gold medal game!
The photo of the animal you located in the rock certainly resembles that of a sea cucumber to me and certainly appears to large to be a chiton. I guess however at this point and time with its irradication by the birds it really doesn't matter what in fact it was.
As my wife enjoys saying "when in doubt, throw it out" I suspect your feelings fall somewhere along those same lines.
A quick question about the rock moved to the outside, I may of missed this but are you using any type of material to cover the liverock system while it resides outside?
Perhaps some pics of it with the fantastic gardens would be excellent
Cheers,
Patrick
Thank you very much Patrick, you are right on in suggesting that the 'Team' is greater than the strict sum of the parts. I love the Team Canada comparison. Planning and preparation makes for some of the most exciting energy directed at an hours worth of hockey!
The live rock is protected with a garden tarp hung over each tank thanks to the Bros Grimm who took the time to find just the right solution to protect their coveted rock. These kids are remarkable in their attachment to that rock and their determination to get it into the tank in the healthiest state possible.
You asked for pics and I presume some of the garden to ensure that the spouses that have been dragged into this world get some payoff for their patience so...........
Front garden...........
OK OK Fish stuff next...........
Peter
killerbee181
Here fishy fishy!
wow like something out of a magazine very nice
Peter you need a screen enclosure on that deck to protect you from the mosquitoes. I'll give you a good deal for a chance to do a water change on your tank.... or help set it up LOL
Amazing gardens, I assume thats your wifes passion? Me and my wife are similar but on a much smaller scale LOL I have a 180 and she has a smaller yard then yours LOL
Amazing gardens, I assume thats your wifes passion? Me and my wife are similar but on a much smaller scale LOL I have a 180 and she has a smaller yard then yours LOL
nineball
Active member
Thank you Chago, at this rate I should be fragging sometime around 2048. Hang in there my friend there's a frag with your name on it!!!!!!
Peter
nineball
Active member
Doug, again I should be at a loss for words. Thank you. The best thing about reading this kind of generous assessment is that I know what's coming and it pales what has come before it. Without any bias, you have done well to have survived Sudbury. For those members around the world who do not know it, Sudbury was chosen by NASA for the best representation of the moon environment for training astronauts.
I appreciate that this is your first post and we all thank you for stepping into the community in a public way. I remember following Chingchai's build and responding on more than one occasion that I couldn't believe the experience could get any better and it did!!!!time and again it did!!!! You will help ensure that this thread shares the same DNA. Thank you again for your support and generous praise.
Peter
nineball
Active member
Actually killerbee it is. It's out of an old Australian magazine and the challenge was trying to make sure none of the native plants gave me away. You sure are one sharp cookie to spot that!!!
Peter
ps. Thanks....
mr.wilson
.Registered Member
I'm glad to see we haven't lost anyone 
It's a pleasure to be on board with the project, but I won't forget about the rest of you bench warmers on the sidelines
The project and thread will go much as it has already, only a little faster and a little less "warty". I will let Peter lead the tour as he has done so well thus far. We have come to some quick decisions on what direction to go, with "backward" included in the route forward. I don't think many of you will be surprised with the changes. They are dramatic, but not much that you all haven't commented on as a group thus far. In order to keep things moving forward we have committed to the current plan. Of course it will evolve as we go and your comments (positive & negative) are welcome as always. While we can't try every method and piece of equipment you suggest, we will closely monitor how our choices are working out and we are prepared for at least a few "I told you so" posts from you guys
I put together two drawings of the tank for closed loop and sump return flow dynamics. We thought about posting them now, but we want everyone to get a chance to soak it all in and make their comments before we muddy the waters with 10 issues at once. There is a drawing for the filtration room as well that we will treat the same way. We are counting on the collective experience of the group to help us source out some of the equipment and fine tune how it goes together. The incredible discovery in this thread is that with all of our collective knowledge and experience we still can't agree on simple factors like temperature, salinity, and how to cycle a tank, so time will tell how we can come about best practices on more exotic subjects. This thread is chock full of eye candy and it will only get better as it progresses, but my hopes are that we can lay a pipeline for best practices and prepare for them to evolve as the tank matures.
Peter has been gracious enough to volunteer his aqua-lab (3 Mars systems) and his display tank to try out some new and old tricks. Without getting too scientific, we plan to monitor what goes on and try to ascertain what it all means. As the time arrises, we will call upon you guys to suggest technologies and methodologies that we collectively know little about. We're talking about going beyond the glossy advertisements, without losing the plot in the abyss of scientific method. We will have a lux meter, quantum/par meter, kill-a-watt meter (to measure energy consumption), a colorimeter for chemical testing and whatever else we can get without a government budget (I know... oxymoron). Peter's maintenance crew are amazing. They are ready, willing and able to do what neither Peter nor myself are prepared (and likely too old) to do
Unfortunately we are working on a timeline so some of the prototypes out there will take too long to acquire. We don't expect to get everything right the first time, but we are hoping that the second time will be the last. Peter has a nice blank canvas now. The infrastructure he has created is incredible. With this platform and accessibility equipment modifications can be done without missing a beat. I have my doubts about the existing 150 watt lighting, but we will have the equipment to test it and the resources to change it to a better way. We will see if MACNA has anything groundbreaking. Even though Peter's dream aquarium is far beyond what any of us will aspire too, the general practices and rules still apply on a smaller scale. We will be sure to point out where the two realms meet and divert. We may be putting on a 1000 mg/hr ozonizer with a built-in (heated) desiccant regenerator, I will be happy to answer any questions pertaining to the 50 mg/hr ozonizer you just bought on Ebay for $50.00. We will also share our sourcing notes as we go. I was able to find our (OEM) ozonizer for half of the price of the rebranded model from RK2. Peter saved enough to buy mink floor mats for his new Bentley.
I know many of you are on the edge of your seats after a long wait, so I will give you the top 10 in our focus for change. So here you go, the "ten issues at once" I just said we wouldn't get into
1) New (magnet coupled/chemical) sump return pump and closed loop pumps with corresponding plumbing upgrades.
2) Replace the wet/dry filter with a cryptic/benthic zone.
3) Add a mangrove refugium.
4) Add an ozonizer.
5) More fail-safe's for auto top-off.
6) Add a full function aquarium controller.
7) Add chemical filtration media.
8) Bring the calcium reactor online.
9) Add heaters.
10) After the RK2 shows us what it can do for a few months (3-6) we would like to convert it to a Hammer Head needle wheel. May the bast method win.
It's a pleasure to be on board with the project, but I won't forget about the rest of you bench warmers on the sidelines The project and thread will go much as it has already, only a little faster and a little less "warty". I will let Peter lead the tour as he has done so well thus far. We have come to some quick decisions on what direction to go, with "backward" included in the route forward. I don't think many of you will be surprised with the changes. They are dramatic, but not much that you all haven't commented on as a group thus far. In order to keep things moving forward we have committed to the current plan. Of course it will evolve as we go and your comments (positive & negative) are welcome as always. While we can't try every method and piece of equipment you suggest, we will closely monitor how our choices are working out and we are prepared for at least a few "I told you so" posts from you guys
I put together two drawings of the tank for closed loop and sump return flow dynamics. We thought about posting them now, but we want everyone to get a chance to soak it all in and make their comments before we muddy the waters with 10 issues at once. There is a drawing for the filtration room as well that we will treat the same way. We are counting on the collective experience of the group to help us source out some of the equipment and fine tune how it goes together. The incredible discovery in this thread is that with all of our collective knowledge and experience we still can't agree on simple factors like temperature, salinity, and how to cycle a tank, so time will tell how we can come about best practices on more exotic subjects. This thread is chock full of eye candy and it will only get better as it progresses, but my hopes are that we can lay a pipeline for best practices and prepare for them to evolve as the tank matures.
Peter has been gracious enough to volunteer his aqua-lab (3 Mars systems) and his display tank to try out some new and old tricks. Without getting too scientific, we plan to monitor what goes on and try to ascertain what it all means. As the time arrises, we will call upon you guys to suggest technologies and methodologies that we collectively know little about. We're talking about going beyond the glossy advertisements, without losing the plot in the abyss of scientific method. We will have a lux meter, quantum/par meter, kill-a-watt meter (to measure energy consumption), a colorimeter for chemical testing and whatever else we can get without a government budget (I know... oxymoron). Peter's maintenance crew are amazing. They are ready, willing and able to do what neither Peter nor myself are prepared (and likely too old) to do
Unfortunately we are working on a timeline so some of the prototypes out there will take too long to acquire. We don't expect to get everything right the first time, but we are hoping that the second time will be the last. Peter has a nice blank canvas now. The infrastructure he has created is incredible. With this platform and accessibility equipment modifications can be done without missing a beat. I have my doubts about the existing 150 watt lighting, but we will have the equipment to test it and the resources to change it to a better way. We will see if MACNA has anything groundbreaking. Even though Peter's dream aquarium is far beyond what any of us will aspire too, the general practices and rules still apply on a smaller scale. We will be sure to point out where the two realms meet and divert. We may be putting on a 1000 mg/hr ozonizer with a built-in (heated) desiccant regenerator, I will be happy to answer any questions pertaining to the 50 mg/hr ozonizer you just bought on Ebay for $50.00. We will also share our sourcing notes as we go. I was able to find our (OEM) ozonizer for half of the price of the rebranded model from RK2. Peter saved enough to buy mink floor mats for his new Bentley.
I know many of you are on the edge of your seats after a long wait, so I will give you the top 10 in our focus for change. So here you go, the "ten issues at once" I just said we wouldn't get into
1) New (magnet coupled/chemical) sump return pump and closed loop pumps with corresponding plumbing upgrades.
2) Replace the wet/dry filter with a cryptic/benthic zone.
3) Add a mangrove refugium.
4) Add an ozonizer.
5) More fail-safe's for auto top-off.
6) Add a full function aquarium controller.
7) Add chemical filtration media.
8) Bring the calcium reactor online.
9) Add heaters.
10) After the RK2 shows us what it can do for a few months (3-6) we would like to convert it to a Hammer Head needle wheel. May the bast method win.
mr.wilson
.Registered Member
I was able to find a great new ultra low range Phosphate colorimeter for $49.00, which is much better than the $170 I was looking at spending for a "professional" unit by the same company with the same accuracy range. http://lib.store.yahoo.net/lib/yhst-83212413117752/HANNA-Specifications-HI736.pdf
Available here... http://www.eseasongear.com/hahi736chhcu.html
Now the question is, what is the best calcium test kit on the market? I have a Pinpoint calcium meter, but it is very unreliable and difficult to calibrate. I bought it about 5 years ago when it first came out so maybe they fixed the problem, but at the time everyone on the forums had the same problems and said throw it away. I used mine one (frustrating) day and put it in storage. After spending $300.00 on it couldn't just toss it.
Any ideas?
Available here... http://www.eseasongear.com/hahi736chhcu.html
Now the question is, what is the best calcium test kit on the market? I have a Pinpoint calcium meter, but it is very unreliable and difficult to calibrate. I bought it about 5 years ago when it first came out so maybe they fixed the problem, but at the time everyone on the forums had the same problems and said throw it away. I used mine one (frustrating) day and put it in storage. After spending $300.00 on it couldn't just toss it.
Any ideas?
Robb in Austin
New member
I was going to try to stay out of this thread, out of not having anything to contribute, but I can't do it any longer.
I subscribed in the first few days, and for the most part just skimmed it looking for pic updates. Tonight I read through the last 50 pages to get caught up on the latest developments. One word: wow.
By far this is one of the most impressive builds of all time as well as one of the best threads. Well done sir! And to the team as well!
Looking forward to the next 50 pages and beyond.
I subscribed in the first few days, and for the most part just skimmed it looking for pic updates. Tonight I read through the last 50 pages to get caught up on the latest developments. One word: wow.
By far this is one of the most impressive builds of all time as well as one of the best threads. Well done sir! And to the team as well!
Looking forward to the next 50 pages and beyond.
killerbee181
Here fishy fishy!
i have this unit and it works as good as the $170 one. and uses the same test packets as well. My lfs tested these 2 together and they were both within the accuracy range.
Terry
mr.wilson
.Registered Member
Thanks for the confirmation. What about calcium testing? Anything more accurate or easier to use than the usual Salifert or Seachem?
Do you think I can pawn off my Pinpoint calcium meter on Peter?
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