maroun.c
New member
Thanks.
Maroun 150g Build Thread
- Thread starter maroun.c
- Start date
Thanks.
maroun.c
New member
Latly all my corals were getting really close to each other with no propper placing for most of them just lying on other corals...
Realized that the new tank and move would take at least 7-8 weeks more to start so decided to add some space for existing corals and others I still have to add...
So got busy last week setting up a small 27 G tank that I had made myself last year when I moved the 150 G to help with hosting the corals. Resiliconed the seams of the tank as it's been empty for a year and then decided to experiment with a DIY canopy which will hold MH and some suppelmental T5s or T8 if I can't find short enough T5s.
Heres the completed Canopy drilled for the MH:
Yep installed the hinges and piston myself (not as hard as one would imagine)
Decided to go with this Cheapo MH reflector with ballast built in, The whole thing cost less than 25 USd but in the end it looked a bit hiddeous once on the canopy as I decided to keep it out of the canopy for better heat dissipation.
Had this holder made to support it on the canopy
Overall a very easy project to do. messed up the bit in the choice of MH reflector but I don't care about the look of the system for now all I need is space to hold some corals. Also the canopy looked rather huge on teh tank (14 inch high canopy on a 16 inch high tank with the canopy hiding 2 inches of the tank...)
Still that would provide some relief as I have been struggling with the acclimation of corals in my frag tank where the MH is only 4 inches than the tank glass.... More pics of the setup when I fly back by end of the week and start it up.
Realized that the new tank and move would take at least 7-8 weeks more to start so decided to add some space for existing corals and others I still have to add...
So got busy last week setting up a small 27 G tank that I had made myself last year when I moved the 150 G to help with hosting the corals. Resiliconed the seams of the tank as it's been empty for a year and then decided to experiment with a DIY canopy which will hold MH and some suppelmental T5s or T8 if I can't find short enough T5s.
Heres the completed Canopy drilled for the MH:
Yep installed the hinges and piston myself (not as hard as one would imagine)
Decided to go with this Cheapo MH reflector with ballast built in, The whole thing cost less than 25 USd but in the end it looked a bit hiddeous once on the canopy as I decided to keep it out of the canopy for better heat dissipation.
Had this holder made to support it on the canopy
Overall a very easy project to do. messed up the bit in the choice of MH reflector but I don't care about the look of the system for now all I need is space to hold some corals. Also the canopy looked rather huge on teh tank (14 inch high canopy on a 16 inch high tank with the canopy hiding 2 inches of the tank...)
Still that would provide some relief as I have been struggling with the acclimation of corals in my frag tank where the MH is only 4 inches than the tank glass.... More pics of the setup when I fly back by end of the week and start it up.
maroun.c
New member
maroun.c
New member
To follow up on the build of the cube:
Decided to go with a SCWD on the return for a little random flow:
Will post a video later on on how it functions...
Drain via 2 1 inch Bublkheads with Durso:
Still got to close them and maket the vent hole and control it for less bubbles in the drains...
Added sand
and a fan sucking hot air out.
Completed the lighting installation.
Went with 2 T8 marine ultra wihte from Arcadia 9.5 K as I couldn't find any T5 bulbs less than 20 inches around.
Might add 1-2 more actinics however with the 14K 150 W I'm getting enough blue I guess.
and the finished product.
Canopy does look way oversized on this tank so might make cut some of it to make it shallower in case I decide to use the tank after the move
Decided to go with a SCWD on the return for a little random flow:
Will post a video later on on how it functions...
Drain via 2 1 inch Bublkheads with Durso:
Still got to close them and maket the vent hole and control it for less bubbles in the drains...
Added sand
and a fan sucking hot air out.
Completed the lighting installation.
Went with 2 T8 marine ultra wihte from Arcadia 9.5 K as I couldn't find any T5 bulbs less than 20 inches around.
Might add 1-2 more actinics however with the 14K 150 W I'm getting enough blue I guess.
and the finished product.
Canopy does look way oversized on this tank so might make cut some of it to make it shallower in case I decide to use the tank after the move
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maroun.c
New member
With the added space I can begin to collect some of the corals sitting in friends tanks:
This one is in bad shape but makinga recovery:
Then got some rocks and added some eggcrate for an easier scape target (at least initially) is just to fit some additional corals:
initial Setup:
Will be drilling the plate rocks and attaching the frags:
so that by the time of the move these will go straight on top of the scape, so less time fiddling with non attached frags...
This one is in bad shape but makinga recovery:
Then got some rocks and added some eggcrate for an easier scape target (at least initially) is just to fit some additional corals:
initial Setup:
Will be drilling the plate rocks and attaching the frags:
so that by the time of the move these will go straight on top of the scape, so less time fiddling with non attached frags...
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That last set of corals you got is impressive. Sorry can't help with the IDs but definitly post them in the SPS ID forum especially that last one.
If I were you I would definitly scape that cube and post in the nanto tanks forum. I'm sure it'll fill up really nice with the frags and corals in it. will yo uhave any softies in it.
What do you have for filtration in it and what are the parameters.
The Canopy does look weird on it but as you say its only temporary then that shouldn't be an issue. Any plans on how to use that cube after the move?
If I were you I would definitly scape that cube and post in the nanto tanks forum. I'm sure it'll fill up really nice with the frags and corals in it. will yo uhave any softies in it.
What do you have for filtration in it and what are the parameters.
The Canopy does look weird on it but as you say its only temporary then that shouldn't be an issue. Any plans on how to use that cube after the move?
maroun.c
New member
Thanks Fred.
Will try to post in the SPS Identification forum if I get no IDs here.
Not sure if scaping the tank will still allow me to fit all those corals in it as well as as a few more sitting in friends tanks or from the main tank to relieve it a bit as corals are getting burned from touching each other...
If I endup scaping it I will have a few softies on the lower parts and some LPS as well for some motion in the tank. An SPS only tank might also be worth considering. No filtration for this tank as I didn't have time to cycle it. With it sitting next to my main tank it was easier to hook it to the system so that additional dosing and testing is not required. will be building a sump for it in case I decide to keep it for future use. as for after move use Imight keep it as a bedroom or office tank or could use it to one of many projects I have in mind: Species tank for seahorses pipefish... coral or fish introduction tank, Frag tank.... My most interest in a future use for now would be a mixed reef nano tank as I have always wished for a nano Cube.
maroun.c
New member
Thanks
Man you sure have a lot of plans in mind.
Any serious thought on adding any of those to the new setup?
Didn't see any updates on the tank or the new build in a while ???
maroun.c
New member
No serious thoughts to go with most of those. At least not in the initial priod of tank startup as the stress of the build, move and few first months of the tank running would be more than enough...
The 340 build has been put on hold for the last few weeks as many mistakes in the finish of the appartment were made while I was on travel and had to be repeated. Luckily most are being finalized in the coming 1-2 weeks and I expect to start with the build soon.
The 340 build has been put on hold for the last few weeks as many mistakes in the finish of the appartment were made while I was on travel and had to be repeated. Luckily most are being finalized in the coming 1-2 weeks and I expect to start with the build soon.
goochesfish
New member
with that amazing view you have, how do you know the floor will hold a tank that size? What floor are you on?
maroun.c
New member
The view pictured in the first pages of this thread were of our old rented appartment construction here is with cement reinforced with steel for flooring and weight bearing walls and other walls are stone and cement. As long as you're close to a couple of supporting pole you can go very heavy with no worries. Old appartment was the 2nd floor
The new tank will be in the apprmentent we bought. Just in the building next to the old one so a very similar view and the added advantage of it being at floor level from one side and on a cliff from the other. It's a bit weird to explain but we sit under building entrance and have a parking and basements below us so 3rd floor in reality from most sides of the appartment but one side is at ground level and we get 2 small gardens!!! Weird I agree ... so more weightbearing walls and reinforcement. Tank location happened to be just on a building foundation wall and between two supprt pillars from right and left so a structure engineer said the tank could fill the whole space (4.6 meters) instead of the 2 meters I chose to go with with no worries....
maroun.c
New member
Some new updates, tank running with very little care lately due to excessive flights schedule.
Had a few event last weeks:
-female Maroon clown usually fights a bit with fish at sleeping time when they try to go to her cave and sometimes at feeding. Since my largest hyppo tang died one of the yellow tangs faces here a bit instead of immediatly rushing out of her way. Not sure if it's beacause its gaining dominance. just before I traveled to South Africa for 10 days while feeding the yellow stands its ground a bit more than usual to the maroon clown and gets a bit beaten up. Maroon clown retreats to it's anemone after feeding and all of a sudden I see the yellow attacking the maroon clown from the back and clearly hitting her with it's tail spines open and manages to hit her directly on the eye. Started bleeding immediatly and I could see the blood stream in the water. She immediatly swam facing the water so I couldn't see the eye area. it swam for around 2o min with other fish passing by and not attacking them so clearly she felt weak. Her eye then swelled. traveled follwoing day and was getting updates that the eye was swelled and whitish. after 4-5 days it improved and I came back to a totally noraml eye. however now it's acting a bit more aggressive.
-Had some more STN and some more corals lost colors which I still could not attribute to anything. Then while on travel a friend checked my water with his kits and No3 was at 40. Was testing 5-10 on my older kit and went to a perfect 0 with the new kit. no sign of alga or Cyano however that does explain the last STN and browning I had.
Fif a large water change and set my skimmers on full wet now. pruned my fuge as it was full since months. and then doubled the lighting on it. hope that will make a differernce. Clearly the DSB is not working even 1 yr after the tank move. not sure if the fact that most of it is covered with coral is making it a detritus sink.
-tank stabilized after the alk Ca imbalance and I sohuld be dropping alk from 10 to 8ish to be able to use Biopellets. Still the bacterial blooms reported are making me give it a lot of thought.
-a 1.5 hour power outage yesterday with backup generator failure. Luckily there were no casualties.
Now for some happy updates. some recent additions:
light purple Funghia:
Chalice
Acans
Cynarina added some weeks before has finally recovered. Was looking bad when I bought it but these are so hard to find that I took the risk.
Very big red Acan polyp
A brown montipora digitata. Noticed a slight hint of orange in it so we'll see how it colors up
Chalice???
Dark red brain
Had a few event last weeks:
-female Maroon clown usually fights a bit with fish at sleeping time when they try to go to her cave and sometimes at feeding. Since my largest hyppo tang died one of the yellow tangs faces here a bit instead of immediatly rushing out of her way. Not sure if it's beacause its gaining dominance. just before I traveled to South Africa for 10 days while feeding the yellow stands its ground a bit more than usual to the maroon clown and gets a bit beaten up. Maroon clown retreats to it's anemone after feeding and all of a sudden I see the yellow attacking the maroon clown from the back and clearly hitting her with it's tail spines open and manages to hit her directly on the eye. Started bleeding immediatly and I could see the blood stream in the water. She immediatly swam facing the water so I couldn't see the eye area. it swam for around 2o min with other fish passing by and not attacking them so clearly she felt weak. Her eye then swelled. traveled follwoing day and was getting updates that the eye was swelled and whitish. after 4-5 days it improved and I came back to a totally noraml eye. however now it's acting a bit more aggressive.
-Had some more STN and some more corals lost colors which I still could not attribute to anything. Then while on travel a friend checked my water with his kits and No3 was at 40. Was testing 5-10 on my older kit and went to a perfect 0 with the new kit. no sign of alga or Cyano however that does explain the last STN and browning I had.
Fif a large water change and set my skimmers on full wet now. pruned my fuge as it was full since months. and then doubled the lighting on it. hope that will make a differernce. Clearly the DSB is not working even 1 yr after the tank move. not sure if the fact that most of it is covered with coral is making it a detritus sink.
-tank stabilized after the alk Ca imbalance and I sohuld be dropping alk from 10 to 8ish to be able to use Biopellets. Still the bacterial blooms reported are making me give it a lot of thought.
-a 1.5 hour power outage yesterday with backup generator failure. Luckily there were no casualties.
Now for some happy updates. some recent additions:
light purple Funghia:
Chalice
Acans
Cynarina added some weeks before has finally recovered. Was looking bad when I bought it but these are so hard to find that I took the risk.
Very big red Acan polyp
A brown montipora digitata. Noticed a slight hint of orange in it so we'll see how it colors up
Chalice???
Dark red brain
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maroun.c
New member
Bought this 98% dead Acan rock as I saw two heads still barely alive.
Always more intereseted in that half dead colony or that single polyp that recovers and grows into a colony. will follow up on it a few weeks later.
Red Scooter Blenny.
And my latest addition 2 days ago. A very nice colored Purple tang with dark yellow tail. was very stressed from shipping and had to go staright in the tank as my Quarantine is still very hot for fish. Had to travel the follwoing day and so far the updates are that it's doing good. upon introduction it chaged colors and parts of it became very white, hyperventilation followed for a couple of hours but then it hid in a cave and the shrimps worked on it. sorry bad quality pics as I ahd to take those under actinic lighting only with flash...
Always more intereseted in that half dead colony or that single polyp that recovers and grows into a colony. will follow up on it a few weeks later.
Red Scooter Blenny.
And my latest addition 2 days ago. A very nice colored Purple tang with dark yellow tail. was very stressed from shipping and had to go staright in the tank as my Quarantine is still very hot for fish. Had to travel the follwoing day and so far the updates are that it's doing good. upon introduction it chaged colors and parts of it became very white, hyperventilation followed for a couple of hours but then it hid in a cave and the shrimps worked on it. sorry bad quality pics as I ahd to take those under actinic lighting only with flash...
