Lomholts 230 g Reef Ceramic Only tank

[Lomholt]

I am starting a bigger project with includes 100% reef ceramic background in the aquarium instead of live rocks. After some month (maby half a year) the reef ceramic should work like a filter as well as the live rocks does.

I have had a small nano reef for two month, so I am not that experienced in reef keeping, but I have had this project and dream for quite over a year.

Feel free to give me positive and negative feedback, send questions etc.



The aquarium:

870 liters = 230 gallon

Length: 160 cm. = 63"
Depth: 80 cm. = 31,52"
High: 68 cm. = 26,79"

SUMP: 210 liters = 55 Gallons

Light: 400 watt HQI light

2 x Tunze 6100 cirkulation pumps. Buying two Tunze nano pumps so there will be 2 pumps in each cornor/end.

Skimmer: Bubble King 250 internal (Air: 1500 liters/hour, water: 4000 liters/hour), 48 watt and with a red dragon pump, it is very silent!


Hope you will enjoy the reef ceramic aquarium project as it develops.

 

[Lomholt]

Here are some pictures of the project.

As you can see, the reef ceramic is installed and the next step is to hide electricity wires from the two big Tunze 6100 pumps. We have made som holes in the ceramic, so you would not notice them.

 

[Lomholt]

The total hight from the floor to the aquarium top edge is about 150 cm. Need the ladder so we could jump into the aquarium for ceramic installation.

And this picture belov is from the sweet spot / best seat at the sofa chaiselong

 

[Lomholt]

And here is the installation of the Tunze 6100 Turbelle Stream pump.

The holes at the aquarium ends hide the pumps very well. You can see that the size of the holes are the same size of a grown hand, pretty big

By the way, the reef ceramic is specially made. It is very porous, light and have the same colors reef chalk algaes.

So... what do you think about all this ceramic niggle thing? Let me hear some comments now when the dust had settled

 

[streetjudge79]

Where do you get that stuff? Looks great!

 

[Lomholt]

I'm glad that you like it. Every little bit, ceramic plates, pillars, columns etc. is made by hand specially for my tank by a friend of mine, as my tank is pretty high (68 cm). He have access to a oven / stove where he can fire / burn the ingridients and the caramic aquascape that he makes. The process takes a lot of hours to complete and it need to warm-up the ceramic at least two times. One when the structure is right, and second burning after the purple paint job is done.

And as the name says, it is some kind of ceramic that is have a particular mixing which make the porosity high and in that way usefull in a reef aquarium.

So it is not made of clay at all, because that would not work. Over time, I want it to act like a huge filter like with micro organisms, like the live rocks you know.

This ceramic is tested and it is not poisonous to our sensitive reef animals.

 

[ricks]

Nice...

What type of material is your stand fabricated from??? Looks a little light for 2,000lb. of water....

Happy Reefing

 

[Lomholt]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12763514#post12763514 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ricks
Nice...

What type of material is your stand fabricated from??? Looks a little light for 2,000lb. of water....

Happy Reefing

The stand material is aluminium. The profiles are a lot stronger than normal Porsa aluminium stands. I can not remember the name of the manufacture. I can be built up to 1th floor in hight, and can support very much. In fact it is the six vertical alu profiles that support the heavy tank. The horizontal aluminium profiles secure the stability and prevent overturn.


Here are more pictures of the stand:

Picture below. The waterproff plywood plate at the top, is about 3 cm. thick = about 1,2".

Picture below, sweet spot

 

[Lomholt]

Before the reef ceramic were installed, they were stored for away from dogs and cats in a secure room

Cant tell you how many times I had walked by, stoped, looked again and again with a smile on my face.


Picture below: A view above the tank. Notice all the caves and cracks where fish can hide and corals can live.

This is my first reef tank, and it is a big project to start with! So if you have any ideas let me know, you are welcome I guess one of the hard things regarding aquascaping with the reef ceramic is to make it look like something and still make plenty of room for further development. There should be place for corals and it is not always easy to see how its gonna be... :rollface:

 

[Lomholt]

I don't know what happened to the picture size, but I hope you like them anyway?

 

[Lomholt]

Here are some night photos from yesterday. I can almost see the fish swim around the caves

BTW: There are still no water in the tank! bum:

Does any of you suggestions regarding how much light the tank need?

 

[Lomholt]

Here are some night photos from yesterday. I can almost see the fish swim around the caves

BTW: There are still no water in the tank! bum:

Does any of you have suggestions regarding how much light the tank need?

 

[kar93]

Looks great, I love the ceramic rockwork.

 

[Ed Reef]

Looking very NICE Lomholt - just make sure the Streams can be removed for easy cleaning. Other than that, look like a well thought out scape...

 

[mr evolution]

Your tank looks great and would love to know how the ceramic was made. Please keep us updated

at that height you might be able to get away with 250w HQI MH. On one of my tanks with a 24" height coral grows fine. But of course it depends on what your trying to grow.

I feel you tank would fit better overall look with LED lighting. It more of a modern looking tank. I realize its expensive, but you have to remember that its full spectrum of light is focus in one direction and unlike other lighting design it does not need to be reflected.

My 180 or 210 gal will utilize full LED lighting as well as my coral aquaculture tank.

 

[Lomholt]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12770290#post12770290 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kar93
Looks great, I love the ceramic rockwork.

Thanks

 

[Lomholt]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12770367#post12770367 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Ed Reef
Looking very NICE Lomholt - just make sure the Streams can be removed for easy cleaning. Other than that, look like a well thought out scape...

Thank you Ed Reef. We have made some holes inside the ceramic where the Tunze Streams electrical wires will be pulled, so it is invisible and at the same time possible to mailtain and clem them. The wire holes were made from the start and are burned too, så right now there is som small ropes like a dummy

To get the wire through the holes, I have to cut the Stream pump wires because the socket/engraving is to large to get in there. So I need to pull it through with the small ropes/lines and assemble the "broken" wire again. Hope it works!

I have some small ceramic pices which I can glue around the Streams. The installations will hopefully hide the circulation pumps very effective.

 

[Ed Reef]

Sound great.... never used Reef Ceramics before but will be interesting if it throws out PO4?? If yes, you might want to deal with it first or you will be having an algae outbreak later on....

Cheers...

 

[ricks]

FIY...

On the Streams if you cut the wires you will void the warranty.. Check with Roger in the Tunze forum, he's a great help..

Happy Reefing

 

[Lomholt]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12770457#post12770457 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mr evolution
Your tank looks great and would love to know how the ceramic was made. Please keep us updated

at that height you might be able to get away with 250w HQI MH. On one of my tanks with a 24" height coral grows fine. But of course it depends on what your trying to grow.

I feel you tank would fit better overall look with LED lighting. It more of a modern looking tank. I realize its expensive, but you have to remember that its full spectrum of light is focus in one direction and unlike other lighting design it does not need to be reflected.

My 180 or 210 gal will utilize full LED lighting as well as my coral aquaculture tank.

For sure I will keep you updated, and thank you for the comments

I am glad that you mention that a 250 w HQI MH might work, becaus my present HQI MH is a 400 w. As you maby have noticed, the tank has no wave-breakers (is that the right term?).

LED could be very tempting but I really don't know that much about the technology - only that the heat moves away from the waterline and that is a VERY important. Heat problems is a serious problem where I live. What model / manufacture would fit my tank size?

You are welcome to send my some PM's with recommandations or reply here in the thread.