finally beginning my 480g 5'x5'x30" SPS Reef Tank

[jnarowe]

Great drawings. About the RO tank...how will you mount it up high? On a stand of some kind?

I wish I had the links to the Japanese tanks full of the red spots. WHerevere I have looked the links are dead, but those tanks really showed them off in beautiful shoals.

Also, don't chillers require specific flow rates? so the main would require more than the backup right? Will you use an automated valve to lower the flow if the main breaks down? Or perhaps I am misunderstanding the purpose of the backup chiller? And won't the UV be heating the water above system temp? So will the chillers be reacting to that higher incoming temp. or the system temp?

 

[ReefingBuddha]

pcostanzp... hahah, looks like the jungle jim is coming along great. Keep at it.


jonathan - Thanks, I will be fabricating a stand for the RO tank, not sure waht I want yet, I have to see the tank before I know what I'm going to do with it.

If you could find a picture that would be great. Some of those japanese tanks are truelly amazing. Would like to see that.

Chillers require a general flow rate. The 1hp requires 20-35gpm and the 1.5hp requires 25-45gpm, so I'm shooting for 30gpm with room for some fluctuations. The UV is rated for max 6000gph so I'm set on that end. The UV will be warming up the water slightly but the temp probe for the chiller will be in the sump so the fluctuations in water temp leaving the UV shouldn't affect the chiller performance. btw, I plan on adding a by pass for the UV so that I can take it offline if its not neccessary or for maintance without have to shut down the flow to the chiller. The same goes for the main chiller and the backup.

 

[jnarowe]

Found 'em in my thread on RF!!!

Sorry for the visual hi-jack but you asked ofr it! Beautiful mixed reefs don't ya think?? I love these fish and want 40 - 50 for my tank.

 

[ReefingBuddha]

now I'm really interested. Thanks for posting those pictures.

I really really like the look of those shoals of fish. What considerations do I need to make for them, is there anything on my existing fish list that would eat or kill these little guys. I would like to shoot for 20 of them, I counted on the picture and there are close to 40 in that school.

Decisions decisions decisions... great looking little school. Makes the entire tank look bigger.

 

[jnarowe]

Hard to estimate predation. I added 12 black mollies to my display about 3 weeks ago and none are left. I did see the maroon clown grab one and feed it to a GBTA, but before they were all gone, I did find fry in the sump.

I am going to get another dozen and put them in the fuge this time. Last time I did that, they all died off too, but I think it was a heat issue.

Makes the entire tank look bigger.

This is exactly what I mean vs. a vlamingi. While you don't tend to develop an emotional attachment to these small fish, they do bring more realism to a tank.

 

[zoomin]

That tank looks way bigger than the 110 x 100 x 55 mm size it's listed as.

Must be some kind of coral bonsai work going on there that creates an optical illusion

Anyone know what species of fish those little schooling guys are?

 

[jnarowe]

zoomin: Links are above in one of my posts.

 

[zoomin]

thanks - hadn't read the full thread.

 

[cbui2]

ok Tom those drawings are just amazing. i thought the manifold supposed to be above the main display.

 

[yoboyjdizz]

Thanks, though i wouldn't call it success wait a couple more years.. Nice drawings very clean setup plan! Can't wait to see that monster skimmer in action.

Jonathan - Every time i see your tank mine dosen't satisfy me anymore haha .. you have done one hell of a job!

 

[jnarowe]

yoboyjdizz: Thanks. It's a mess right now as I have been having medical issues, but I will get it back on track. You don't see me messing with Moorish Idols though do you?!?!?!

Now back to our regularly scheduled thread!

 

[ReefingBuddha]

jonathan - I think a good mix of large to small fish will help put things into perspective nicely in my tank. Thanks for the suggestions. In the case of those little red cardinals, do you have an suggestions as to how to calculate bioload for those little guys. By length, 20 of them should equal the 1 20" fish, approximately. But I believe one huge fish would produce significantly more waste then all those little guys. Am I right so assume this? Just want to make sure I keep everything balanced.


Thanks Bart, I appreciate that. As the manifold does not feed the display tank, I don't think it matters if it is above the display or not. It is located below the refugium but the feed line to the refugium will only be 2" below the top of the tank, so the siphon should break before it pulls a dangerous quantity of water. This is the only part of hte manifold system that would be able to back siphon so I think I wil be ok.
Thanks for the props.

yobojdizz - Thanks for hte positive comments, I'm looking forward to putting that skimmer through its paces as well. I'm looking forward to seeing your future success with the idol. Once again, very cool fish.

 

[ReefingBuddha]

This is Ron Burgundy checking in for channel 5 news.


jonathan - I think a good mix of large to small fish will help put things into perspective nicely in my tank. Thanks for the suggestions. In the case of those little red cardinals, do you have an suggestions as to how to calculate bioload for those little guys. By length, 20 of them should equal the 1 20" fish, approximately. But I believe one huge fish would produce significantly more waste then all those little guys. Am I right so assume this? Just want to make sure I keep everything balanced.


Thanks Bart, I appreciate that. As the manifold does not feed the display tank, I don't think it matters if it is above the display or not. It is located below the refugium but the feed line to the refugium will only be 2" below the top of the tank, so the siphon should break before it pulls a dangerous quantity of water. This is the only part of hte manifold system that would be able to back siphon so I think I wil be ok.
Thanks for the props.


yobojdizz - Thanks for hte positive comments, I'm looking forward to putting that skimmer through its paces as well. I'm looking forward to seeing your future success with the idol. Once again, very cool fish.



Stay classy San Diego...

 

[jnarowe]

I would tend to make a similar assumption, but I do not know if it is correct. I think asking in a fish related forum would be a good idea.

 

[cbui2]

Jonathan you can't give up now

 

[jnarowe]

Oh no...I did a 90g water change last night, params are all looking good. My water change system is really easy to use so I can still do that, but my tank is really dirty right now and my RO/DI booster pump died so I can't make much water. Having a brown algae/nutrient issue and it is affecting some of my corals.

 

[yoboyjdizz]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10521445#post10521445 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by thirschmann
This is Ron Burgundy checking in for channel 5 news.


jonathan - I think a good mix of large to small fish will help put things into perspective nicely in my tank. Thanks for the suggestions. In the case of those little red cardinals, do you have an suggestions as to how to calculate bioload for those little guys. By length, 20 of them should equal the 1 20" fish, approximately. But I believe one huge fish would produce significantly more waste then all those little guys. Am I right so assume this? Just want to make sure I keep everything balanced.

You really can't predict your bioload by the inches of your fish. It all depends on what fish you have and so on. A six inch tang will produce more waste then say two 3inch clowns. For you tank specially with the high quality setup you have you have tons of options and can house many large fish together. Your main concern would be compatibility. So your right a bigger fish would produce more. Groups of smaller fish along with big show fish would look awesome!

 

[ReefingBuddha]

jonathan - Sorry to hear about your tank issues. I'm looking forward to having a easy water change system as well, I'm tired of hauling a 45g drum across my carpet from my bedroom closet to do water changes. :thumbdown That was my old setup by the way.

yobo - Thanks for the information, great answer to my question.

I agree, smaller groups with a few show fish would look sweet... Definetly glad I started to rethink my fish list a little to go in that direction. Just have to make sure there will still be plenty of swimming room for everyone. Please chime in with any suggestions for the stock list.

 

[jnarowe]

Most tangs spend all day picking at any algae they can find. Some tangs are detrivores like the orange shoulder and the striped bristtletooth. It may be that all bristtletooth tangs have that behavior, but I am not sure. Like I think koles may be considered bristtletooth but I don't see them exhibiting that behavior.

Wrasses love to eat small meaty things and some in particular do a good job at keeping bristleworms in check. I know they had a bad name, and now everyone thinks bristleworms are OK, but they can over-populate a tank real quick.

Cleaner shrimp and cleaner gobies are nice to have to keep the tangs clean, and of course clowns and anemones have a good symbiotic relationship.

Schools of small fish help to create more of an ocean illussion, and of course will typically add movement to the tank as well. I love rabbits but they don't typically coexist in reefs too well with the exception of the foxface family AFAIK. THat's about all I havein my tank except the longnose hawkfish, which is a small wiley predator but seems to behave itself just fine.

Scribbles will definitely taste everything in the tank and wipe out whole colonies of polyps rather quickly, as will spotted rabbits. Angels, even "reef-safe" angels, are NOT. We do see reefs with them but I have observed them closely and see a lot of naughty behavior. If you want to have a mixed reef with corals of various types, you really have to carefully limit your selection.

 

[jnarowe]

Check it:

Orange Lined Cardinal