JapanReef - 450 gallon In-Wall system

[NexDog]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7848358#post7848358 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jeffbrig
Wow, Laurence, that tank is really coming along. I need to go out and buy some more coral.

Yep, thinking the same thing meself.

IMO, a generator is mandatory with a large tank, and one was part of my equipment list up front. I even hook my Tunze Streams to a UPS to provide water movement during short outages. I went 6 days without power after Hurricane Wilma last year with no losses.

I agree. I wouldn't feel confortable without two at least.

But I can't plug them into the transformers but the the pumps will run off 100v anyhow.

 

[jnarowe]

Looking great!

 

[jeffbrig]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7848962#post7848962 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by NexDog

I wouldn't feel confortable without two at least.

But I can't plug them into the transformers but the the pumps will run off 100v anyhow. [/B]

What you need to do is import a 120V 60Hz generator for the tank equipment!

 

[captbunzo]

Just found your thread, Lawrence, and read the current 52 pages. Well, skimmed I should say. I DID look at all of the pics.

Looking great. Glad you finally got the flow picked up in there. That should help a bunch. And I see those ankle-weights melev attempted to attach a while back must have never really stuck.

 

[melev]

:lol: I don't know <i>what</i> you are referring to, Paul.

Laurence, your photography skills are showing improvement.

 

[captbunzo]

Seriously, though. As much as I would like to slap Lawrence upside the head for his lack of patience in buying fish, corals, etc, and for taking such a long time to get proper flow going in the tank........

His tank really is looking spectacular. And I have to applaud his successful application of quarentine procedures. Most reefers (myself included) don't bother, hoping we don't get bit too badly.

I myself use a garlic and Thera-A mix to combat Ick, which seems to have worked great. I also add Selcon and some Vitamin drops (Vita-Chem) into the mix by soaking frozen and dry foods in them before feeding, regularly.

Of course, now that I think about it, I realize I have been neglecting the garlic for a while. Ooops!

Thanks for posting for us, Lawrence. It is a fun thread!

 

[pwhitby]

Hey Laurence,

Thought I would pay you a visit since you paid me the same courtesy.

The tank is looking really nice. The pictures, as Marc said, are really improving as well.

Hows the emperator doing for you ??

Keep the pictures coming....

Paul.

 

[NexDog]

Thank you all, you're going to make me blush. :frog:

I've been playing with the camera settings. It's pretty crappy but slowly seem to be getting better pictures out of it.....

Thanks for dropping in captbunzo - good to see see you here. Things seem to be doing pretty well. My QT practices are pretty good now. The combination of good food, alot of water changes, good flow and UV with a good biofilter is working well. I always soak the food in selcon no matter what it is - mysis, brine, bbs, and flake/pellet. There's such excellent quality flake and pellet on the market these days so I feed 50/50 dry and frozen.

I actually don't think I'm going that fast. We've all seen fully stocked tanks after 6 months and mine is nowhere near fully stocked yet.

I'm flying to Spain for a week in September so I won't be adding anymore fish until then. Looking forward to introducing the 2 angels in 2 weeks though. I swear the blue line has grown an inch in 4 weeks! I feed it one cube of mysis or brine every day plus flake and pellet - a total pig! The tiny regal is doing great. Don't see it eating alot but it is eating. It hid for 3 weeks but now it isn't that intimidated by the larger Blue Line.

Tank is still getting too hot. Hits 83.5F everyday now but as long as it doesn't get much more than that I like it will be okay. I think I'm going to order some of those IceCap fans that Marc mentioned. I'm due for some goods anyhow so off to shop I go.

 

[NexDog]

I found these IceCap fans at MD. They have 3" and 4":

http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idproduct=IC5113

I want to sit some fans on the bracing around the top of the tank so the air passes over the water. Can I simply perch a couple of these up there?

 

[jnarowe]

I think your tank may be too big to benefit from those fans mounted that way. We have had some 100F days here and my tank has never gone over 81.9F. Here are some pics to show you what works for me.

There are two 6" fans under the tank drawing the cooler air up. These fans are powerful enough to blow the air all the way across the 8' tank between the water and the halides:

These fans then blow the air over the top of the tank using flexible hose and household heater vents:

Here is a side shot of one of the heater vents including the bracket I made to hold it on the tank. This makes the vents easily movable:

Then this 6" blower evacuates the warm air directly outside. It draws from another two household vents that are at ceiling height at the opposite end of the tank.

I know you have seen this stuff before, but I thought it may be a good reminder. I would doubt that on a tank the size of yours, that the IceCap fans will deliver enough air flow.

 

[captbunzo]

Nice fan setup, Jonathan. That is awesome.

However, I think that some of those icecap fans blowing across the water may do more good then you'd think. Evaporative cooling is simply amazing. You'll have to topoff like crazy, though.

 

[melev]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7869401#post7869401 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by NexDog
I found these IceCap fans at MD. They have 3" and 4":

http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idproduct=IC5113

I want to sit some fans on the bracing around the top of the tank so the air passes over the water. Can I simply perch a couple of these up there?

You want something like this, so they don't drop into the water. Which has happened to me in the past.

These keep them in place, and out of the water. You can remove the fan and wash off the acrylic part to keep it clean.

I made a different kind for my 280g reef, but I can't find the pictures at the moment.

 

[captbunzo]

Better evaporation/cooling will be achieved if it is leaning over slightly, blowing water more directly toward the water.

 

[scarletknight06]

google stanley blower fan. order a couple. they provide good air movement and arent too costly for your size tank.

 

[NexDog]

Jonathan - that's more work than I envisioned.....

Marc - that's more work than I envisioned.....



I'll have to think of a way to mount these. Maybe do something up in 2 by 4, lol. Not worried about the top-off though. I have to refill the container manually and will just do it daily instead.

 

[NexDog]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7873244#post7873244 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by scarletknight06
google stanley blower fan. order a couple. they provide good air movement and arent too costly for your size tank.

I'd rather buy from a tried and trusted vendor like MD, PremiumAquatics, AquariumSpecialty etc......

 

[jnarowe]

Like the Vortechs? Just Kidding man! :lol:

 

[vest0830]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7830620#post7830620 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by NexDog
Just been reading some threads about the tank crash suffered by March TOTM member, snipersps. I find it hard to comprehend how the leader of the industrialised world can have such an archaic power grid which is prone to fail at the appearance of the slightest extreme weather. From the rolling blackouts last year (or was it the year before), hurricane damage or high temperatures it seems the power grid will fail somewhere....

Here in Japan we get hit by hurricanes every year. Guaranteed to get many cat 3 storms, at least one cat 4 and the occasional cat 5. The longest outage I've ever experienced is about 30 minutes.....

In the US it gets hot every year so why are people suffering from outages due to heat?

Snipersps said he was using a generator but I think the damage was already done by then. In my case I think I'd break out the generator after an hour tops. Losing power during the night could be a worry so hopefully I can get those battery backup packs for the Vortechs asap.

I hear you 100%. it boggles me. We are getting another typhoon today. Notice I said another. Its the second in a month period, and only the beginning. The heat...well, its been in the 90s for almost 3 months now. Factor in the humidity...lets not go there. Someone mentioned in a thread I was in, in the prop section about the weather and coral farming and using a green house. -the thing is, aquaculture okinawa is using 4 green houses, and im 100% positive they will withstand the typhoons that roll through this place, their livestock shows no signs from the heat, they use absoutly no A/C in the green house, and no chillers, . Im dumbfounded how structures work here but they cant make them work in the states.

Now, on another note...about A.C.O. having an online store. From the way I understand them, they won't sell online. They distribute to various shops around Japan. You could probably email them for a specific coral and they would probably help you out. Thats how I would go about getting business from them. From the minimal experiences Ive had with them, just as great as PPM.

-frank

 

[Russ Braaten]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7904129#post7904129 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by vest0830
In the US it gets hot every year so why are people suffering from outages due to heat? [/B]

First, The US is a HUGE place compared all but a few countries and although 120F degrees is normal in death valley California and -20F is common in North Dakota, the areas that have been hit by this years high temps is not common. I lived in New York for 20 years and only remember a few times where it got over 100F degrees in the Summer.

Another problem we have that is being corrected with new construction is that most utility lines are above ground on poles. Often hot weather brings lightening and that causes fires which blow out transformers.

We also have huge power grids that will normally redirect power to broken lines but they are also fused by computer so that they will not blow the whole system if too much power gets directed through a system.

I suspect most of Japans power grid has been built or rebuilt since the 1940's. In New York City I know we have working water lines under the city that were built in the late 1800's.

For the most part until they break they don't get upgraded.

I live in Oklahoma now and occasionally see the power go out for a few seconds or minutes and once 2 hours but they were mostly due to car accidents hitting a power pole down the street. When I lived in San Diego California where the power systems are much newer I never saw a power outage. The rolling blackouts they had a few years ago was due to stupid politicians. Not a technical problem.

 

[MDP]

Hi there Vest0830, Lawrence.

A little off topic, but went to Natural at the weekend and asked them about Aquaculture Okinawa.

They had had a shipment, but said they would not be doing so again, size of frag was poor, colour not good and general condition was not good . They have gone back to ordering from Indonesia again.

No idea what their softies are like. Might be better. Shame though as I was looking forward to seeing more domestically produced SPS corals in the shops. There's no logical reason why this can't be done.

Matt