David MC Lee
Well-known member
that Sinularia looks just like the one zac got from me
let the insanity begin
- Thread starter rick rottet
- Start date
rick rottet
reefkeeper// propagator
marc- Lobophytum = devil's hand. But I have seen Sinularia have similar growth forms. As soon as the polyps show themselves, I'll know for sure, but I have no reason to doubt the source who told me it was Lobophtyum.
Treeman- how's the rebuilding going? Haven't seen any more pics for a few weeks. I agree, colors are hard to predict. They might (or might not) change under the sun, then change back (or to something totally different) when they go back to typical aquarium lighting.
David- I got that Sinularia from him.
Treeman- how's the rebuilding going? Haven't seen any more pics for a few weeks. I agree, colors are hard to predict. They might (or might not) change under the sun, then change back (or to something totally different) when they go back to typical aquarium lighting.
David- I got that Sinularia from him.
saltyseaman
Premium Member
Awesome to see everything (mostly) is doing well. I'm sure the two leathers will turn around. Can't wait to see how many frags they produce .
That sinularia did come from you, David. Figured Rick would have more fun with it than I would, and it was good to open up some real estate. Some of that awesome Green Sinularia/Nepthea/Whatever-ea I got from you would look great in his green house
A note on these Palythoa.
<img src=http://www.prairiereef.cimaonline.us/mini-100_0703.JPG>
The ones on the Bottom are purple with cyan speckles and bright green mouths in my tank. The ones on the top were pretty bright green. Good 'ole 420nm & 450nm spike can do wonders for coral colors
and these zoanthids
<img src=http://www.prairiereef.cimaonline.us/mini-100_0707.JPG>
have rusty red tentacles with a purple filling and yellowish-green mouths in my tank. Like this (which also shows the polyps on that Lobophytum)
Those green zoanthids look great under the sun! Even better than they do in my tank!
Maybe you guys can carry around a flash light with a blueish bulb for whenever people come over or pictures are taken. Or maybe a flourescent light with a REALLY long extension cord
I LOVE your set-up, Rick. I look forward to watching it progress. Looks like things will really start rolling after IMAC
. That sinularia did come from you, David. Figured Rick would have more fun with it than I would, and it was good to open up some real estate. Some of that awesome Green Sinularia/Nepthea/Whatever-ea I got from you would look great in his green house
A note on these Palythoa.
<img src=http://www.prairiereef.cimaonline.us/mini-100_0703.JPG>
The ones on the Bottom are purple with cyan speckles and bright green mouths in my tank. The ones on the top were pretty bright green. Good 'ole 420nm & 450nm spike can do wonders for coral colors
and these zoanthids
<img src=http://www.prairiereef.cimaonline.us/mini-100_0707.JPG>
have rusty red tentacles with a purple filling and yellowish-green mouths in my tank. Like this (which also shows the polyps on that Lobophytum)
Those green zoanthids look great under the sun! Even better than they do in my tank!
Maybe you guys can carry around a flash light with a blueish bulb for whenever people come over or pictures are taken. Or maybe a flourescent light with a REALLY long extension cord
I LOVE your set-up, Rick. I look forward to watching it progress. Looks like things will really start rolling after IMAC
David MC Lee
Well-known member
Rick: How is the green house? Said on the radio you got hit with golf ball size hail last night.
rick rottet
reefkeeper// propagator
Greenhouse is just fine. That was the second round of hail this year. First time was only about the size of loose change (nickels and quarters). Also had 55 mph winds tear through here three (or four??) times already this spring. No problems whatsoever. My mother-in-law had a beautiful blue spruce in her yard about 35 feet tall and close to 2" diameter that got blown down about a month ago. Have been several other tree-felling incidents in town too, trampoline blown up into a tree, sheds blown to pieces, etc. I've been very fortunate as far as that is concerned.
rick rottet
reefkeeper// propagator
Some more new arrivals.
Drab "green" Monti cap and some aquacultured (or at least captive propagated) oranges. (the upright orientation was questionable, but the concrete plugs are a dead giveaway)
Striated Actinodiscus
More Ricordea (these were supposed to be red, I guess somebody somewhere could make a case for them being "rusty")
These are supposed to be lavender Ricordea (like the ones we see in the books all the time with the lavender and white coloration). I'm not even sure they are Ricordea, but whatever they are, they look sick. Maybe they will come around with lots of TLC. (I have my doubts though)
More Sinularia, brown, captive propagated. Doesn't look bad for right out of the bag.
Green (?) Sinularia, also captive propagated. The one on the left has definite green, the right one does have SOME green overtones. Both of them looked a little rough when they came out of the bag.
Drab "green" Monti cap and some aquacultured (or at least captive propagated) oranges. (the upright orientation was questionable, but the concrete plugs are a dead giveaway)
Striated Actinodiscus
More Ricordea (these were supposed to be red, I guess somebody somewhere could make a case for them being "rusty")
These are supposed to be lavender Ricordea (like the ones we see in the books all the time with the lavender and white coloration). I'm not even sure they are Ricordea, but whatever they are, they look sick. Maybe they will come around with lots of TLC. (I have my doubts though)
More Sinularia, brown, captive propagated. Doesn't look bad for right out of the bag.
Green (?) Sinularia, also captive propagated. The one on the left has definite green, the right one does have SOME green overtones. Both of them looked a little rough when they came out of the bag.
rick rottet
reefkeeper// propagator
Chromed1- thanks for the kind words.
It's been a long time coming, but finally, all twenty tanks are built and wet tested. (the end of yet another phase). I wouldn't trade "a million dollars" for the experience of building my own tanks , but by the same token, I wouldn't take the same amount to do it a second time.
I still need to put the pavers under the legs of the stands and level them, build twenty more skimmers, and purchase eight more pumps to get the rest of the tanks set up.
It's been a long time coming, but finally, all twenty tanks are built and wet tested. (the end of yet another phase). I wouldn't trade "a million dollars" for the experience of building my own tanks , but by the same token, I wouldn't take the same amount to do it a second time.
I still need to put the pavers under the legs of the stands and level them, build twenty more skimmers, and purchase eight more pumps to get the rest of the tanks set up.
jeep4x4greg
New member
I just jumped in on this group.....
so i just saw this for the first time today! This is totally amazing....Keep up the good work!!!
yur tanks make me nervous by thier design...but they seem to be working, so stick with what works! I'd do an extranal frame jobby myself that way no metal in the tank to rust, and there wouldnt be a stress concentration at the bolt/fastner. lumber might be cheaper than those thingies as well.....
but back to the awesomeness......this is the coolest (and most expensive) project i have seen online in a while.....keep it up!
so i just saw this for the first time today! This is totally amazing....Keep up the good work!!!
yur tanks make me nervous by thier design...but they seem to be working, so stick with what works!
I'd do an extranal frame jobby myself that way no metal in the tank to rust, and there wouldnt be a stress concentration at the bolt/fastner. lumber might be cheaper than those thingies as well.....but back to the awesomeness......this is the coolest (and most expensive) project i have seen online in a while.....keep it up!
Steven Pro
New member
Rick, how deep is your gravel bed? I am wondering what you need for both good drainage and to act as a heat sink. Also, did you put anything under the gravel: styrofoam, plastic liner, etc.?
rick rottet
reefkeeper// propagator
Well, my land had a pretty good slope to it. on the north end, the gravel is about a foot deep. the south end it is only a couple of inches, and it tapers down in between the twp ends. i put a commercial grade landscape fabric under the gravel.
I also buried styrofoam a foot deep under the toeboards, then had to backfill the outside of the gh to compensate for the slope.
I ended up having to install drainage pipes in the gravel leading outside to an underground leech pipe. but that was mostly due to the necessity of using RO water. The gravel bed just couldn't handle the volume of wastewater from the RO. if I could have gotten away with straight DI, probably wouldn't have had to do that.
I also buried styrofoam a foot deep under the toeboards, then had to backfill the outside of the gh to compensate for the slope.
I ended up having to install drainage pipes in the gravel leading outside to an underground leech pipe. but that was mostly due to the necessity of using RO water. The gravel bed just couldn't handle the volume of wastewater from the RO. if I could have gotten away with straight DI, probably wouldn't have had to do that.
Travis
10 and over club
Wow, this is a great thread Rick. Wish I had known about it from the beginning so I wouldn't have had to spend the last few weeks reading small chunks at a time to get to the end. Sorry to hear about all of the problems that you encountered along the way. I have to give you props for posting all of this information. There isn't a whole lot out there for info on greenhouse aquaculture (for our hobby) so if anyone is needing to research it this is a great thread for them.
Have you been pleased with your air lifts? Are you getting plenty of flow from them for a softy tank? Would you trust them on an sps grow out tank? How do you know what size pipe to use, how tall it should be and how much air to bubble through it?
As for your gravel bed, was it fairly easy to level the tanks on it? Will the gravel shift over time, requiring the tanks to be releveled? What are you doing with water from water changes? If you are just dumping it onto the ground, are you worried about killing off greenery around the greenhouse?
It sounds like you had troubles with your heater last winter and it was costing quite a bit in propane to keep the GH warm. How much per month does it cost to run when it is working properly?
Sorry for all the questions. This is just such an awesome project and there are few (if any) projects like this that are covered in such detail online.
Have you been pleased with your air lifts? Are you getting plenty of flow from them for a softy tank? Would you trust them on an sps grow out tank? How do you know what size pipe to use, how tall it should be and how much air to bubble through it?
As for your gravel bed, was it fairly easy to level the tanks on it? Will the gravel shift over time, requiring the tanks to be releveled? What are you doing with water from water changes? If you are just dumping it onto the ground, are you worried about killing off greenery around the greenhouse?
It sounds like you had troubles with your heater last winter and it was costing quite a bit in propane to keep the GH warm. How much per month does it cost to run when it is working properly?
Sorry for all the questions. This is just such an awesome project and there are few (if any) projects like this that are covered in such detail online.
All I can say is UNBELIEVABLE! I too am a nurse and need to be up in about 6 hours, but once I started reading the threads, I just couldn't stop. Been reading now for about 4 hours, and it absolutely took my breath away with all the trials and tribulations you've encountered. My hat is off to you. My problem with my DIY refug seems trivial at this point. Please keep us all updated with your greenhouse progression and let us know when you start selling. It will be worth the drive I'm sure. From my family to yours, I wish you all the sucess in the world. Thanks for taking the time to share all the knowledge of this endeavor.
rick rottet
reefkeeper// propagator
nu2reefs- thanks for the kind words and well-wishes. as I've said a few times, I know it must take quite a while to read through it all and I appreciate anyone who has that kind of patience.
Travis- thank you too for the kind words. My main intent on running the thread was to get more information than was already out there. I have learned a TON from all of the people who have contributed their knowledge and the benefit of experience thrughout this thread.
I am happy with the airlifts, although, I have gone back and basically doubled the number of outlets on the blower manifold and placed several more airlifts in each tank to get the kind of circulation I am loking for. All of my tanks have a minimum of nine lifts right now. I do have one sps tank at the moment that has Montipora capricornis. Aside from a few of them losing a little color (so far, just about everything has lost some color), seem to be doing fair. Broken edges of frags have healed and I can see growth upon the healed edges.
The pipe size can't be too big, or the rising air won't pull the water up efficiently.... unless the amount of air can be increased, maybe by inserting multiple airlines into a single lift tube. Other than that, it is more about the number of lifts and using enough to create chaos inside the tank. Just basic experimentation, trial and error, then another trial. One inch pipe would probably work if there were about fifty airlifts in a tank.
One thing I would probably do differently would be to run the manifold from the blower overhead, instead of running down the sides of the greenhouse. That way, I wouldn't have to worry about fixing the airlifts into place. The airlines could run down from the manifold and with the right size hole drilled, the airlift would basically hang from the manifold by the airline.
As far as the height, they should start as low as possible in the tank and the 90 degree elbow on top should be roughly centered at the water level. It doesn't hurt anything to have some up a little higher and some down a little lower. Differing heights makes the flow exit the pipes differently and can help to mix up the flow so it is not all uniform. If the lifts are up a little, the water tends to come out and drop down into the tank. If they are down a little lower, the flow tends to shoot out across the surface more. The air flow rate can be as high as the blower (or other air moving device) can provide. The more air that comes up the lift, the more water comes with it. As a starting point, I would say about .3 cfm.
The gravel makes it very easy to level the tanks. Just scoop a little gravel under the stand to raise it, or scoop some out to lower it. All of the tanks still look level to my eye, just looking at the water level inside the tanks. I think the concrete pavers spread the load enough that they won't sink into the gravel....kind of like snow shoes for the tank stands.
I had to dig a long trench out from the greenhouse and install a simple leech (leach?) pipe for drainage. My original plan was to dump to the ground, but after I had to install the RO system, the waste water was just too much for the gravel floor to handle on a daily basis.
The furnace did have some troubles last winter, but the propane costs are relatively similar even when it is running right. It takes some energy to create enough heat to keep a structure like a greenhouse warm in these cold mid-western winters. Costs about $1,000 per month during the winter. Right now, when it is in the 80's and 90's during the day and down into the 50's at night, the furnace doesn't run at all. The costs also depend on how many sunny days there are during the winter.
chetm2- thanks for the compliments. The thread is made amazing by the number of people who have shared their knowledge. Things are going fair. I am continuing to do some experiments in an effort to maximize the growth rates.
phil5613- Thanks for the compliment.
Travis- thank you too for the kind words. My main intent on running the thread was to get more information than was already out there. I have learned a TON from all of the people who have contributed their knowledge and the benefit of experience thrughout this thread.
I am happy with the airlifts, although, I have gone back and basically doubled the number of outlets on the blower manifold and placed several more airlifts in each tank to get the kind of circulation I am loking for. All of my tanks have a minimum of nine lifts right now. I do have one sps tank at the moment that has Montipora capricornis. Aside from a few of them losing a little color (so far, just about everything has lost some color), seem to be doing fair. Broken edges of frags have healed and I can see growth upon the healed edges.
The pipe size can't be too big, or the rising air won't pull the water up efficiently.... unless the amount of air can be increased, maybe by inserting multiple airlines into a single lift tube. Other than that, it is more about the number of lifts and using enough to create chaos inside the tank. Just basic experimentation, trial and error, then another trial. One inch pipe would probably work if there were about fifty airlifts in a tank.
One thing I would probably do differently would be to run the manifold from the blower overhead, instead of running down the sides of the greenhouse. That way, I wouldn't have to worry about fixing the airlifts into place. The airlines could run down from the manifold and with the right size hole drilled, the airlift would basically hang from the manifold by the airline.
As far as the height, they should start as low as possible in the tank and the 90 degree elbow on top should be roughly centered at the water level. It doesn't hurt anything to have some up a little higher and some down a little lower. Differing heights makes the flow exit the pipes differently and can help to mix up the flow so it is not all uniform. If the lifts are up a little, the water tends to come out and drop down into the tank. If they are down a little lower, the flow tends to shoot out across the surface more. The air flow rate can be as high as the blower (or other air moving device) can provide. The more air that comes up the lift, the more water comes with it. As a starting point, I would say about .3 cfm.
The gravel makes it very easy to level the tanks. Just scoop a little gravel under the stand to raise it, or scoop some out to lower it. All of the tanks still look level to my eye, just looking at the water level inside the tanks. I think the concrete pavers spread the load enough that they won't sink into the gravel....kind of like snow shoes for the tank stands.
I had to dig a long trench out from the greenhouse and install a simple leech (leach?) pipe for drainage. My original plan was to dump to the ground, but after I had to install the RO system, the waste water was just too much for the gravel floor to handle on a daily basis.
The furnace did have some troubles last winter, but the propane costs are relatively similar even when it is running right. It takes some energy to create enough heat to keep a structure like a greenhouse warm in these cold mid-western winters. Costs about $1,000 per month during the winter. Right now, when it is in the 80's and 90's during the day and down into the 50's at night, the furnace doesn't run at all. The costs also depend on how many sunny days there are during the winter.
chetm2- thanks for the compliments. The thread is made amazing by the number of people who have shared their knowledge. Things are going fair. I am continuing to do some experiments in an effort to maximize the growth rates.
phil5613- Thanks for the compliment.
