Melev's new 280g Starfire tank thread

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Regarding the thickness of the tank, I would imagine that you'd need 3/4" to even 1" thick. Peterlin has a beautiful tank he bought at MACNA years ago that was 5' long and 3' wide and 12" tall, and with 1" acrylic is still bowed out significantly when I viewed it.

Yours is only 2' long and 2' wide, so 1/2" MIGHT work but I think you'd have to go with 3/4" since you want it rimless. The look is incredibly clean but I do have to forewarn you that is it very easy to splash water over the edge when cleaning the viewing panels with a magnet or sponge, to the point that some have added euro-bracing after the fact just because they grew tired of that issue.

Regarding sumps - PM me or email me.
 
Marc,
Thanks for the input. After talking to some club members I decided acrylic isn't the way I want to go. With some help I'm going to make it out of glass, possibly low iron on three sides with an external overflow.
Do you happen to know how they bond pvc to glass cause I think that would be pretty cool.
 
I have no idea. AGE is doing that now, and it is a trade secret.

Glass will be cheaper and should be strong and less prone to scratching.
 
Damn them and their trade secrets! I'm going to try running it BB so the pvc bottom would have been perfect, but I guess I'll just add a piece of pvc or black starboard in later.

In your opinion, does using low iron glass on such a small tank really make that big a difference. I mean, I know from looking at some small starphire tanks they look amazing, but then I see small tanks that aren't low iron and they look just as good. ARGH why must choosing be so hard!!!
 
YES HUGE my 45gal cube(24x18x24) is starphire and you can see its much much clearer then then the bottom pannel(i noticed when i bought it). the bottom looks very very green compaired to the bottom
 
Tonight, I decided I had to reach way down to the bottom of the tank to pull out some bryopsis that seemed to be getting more and more out of hand. To my surprise, there was enough down there to fill up a small cereal bowl full. :eek2: Most of it came out in huge clumps and maybe my cleanup crew will work on the last of it for me.

Then I looked down and saw this.
td_tricolor_o.jpg


WOW! That's the Tricolor acro that has been quietly growing in front of my tank. Another shot from above.
td_tricolor.jpg


So I decided to take a few more pictures from above.

The A. granulosa continues to do well.
td_granulosa.jpg


The Maxima clam got a little sand on it, as did several corals in these pictures.
td_maxima.jpg


This one I got about 6 weeks ago. I'll have to go back through this thread to figure out whom it came from. Sure is pretty, and rather hidden from the front of the tank. I may have to move it to a better spot.
td_blue_tip_acro.jpg


The Sunset Montipora has spread nicely, completely encrusting its base and moving outward.
td_sunset_monti.jpg


And the mandarin made a brief appearance.
td_mandarin.jpg
 
Acropora nobilis frag.
td_nobilis_frag.jpg


Purple millepora frag encrusting.
td_purple_milli_frag.jpg


The orange M. capricornis has completely healed in the spot that was laid bare a month ago due to cyano.
td_mcap.jpg


The Crayola Acropora is always pretty from above.
td_crayola.jpg


Here's a closeup of a green tabling acro I got. One 10,000K bulb was off so the color is a bit unique. Normally the leading edges are more bluish rather than pink like you see in this picture.
td_green_table_o.jpg


The blue millepora is getting bluer finally.
td_blue_milli.jpg


And here are some Orange Bytor zoanthids.
td_bytors.jpg
 
Another one of the mandarin, 'cause she's so purdy.
td_mandarin2.jpg


And here's a top down shot of my newest acro. It is turning a dark green and I think maybe it will have bluish polyps.
td_new_acro1.jpg


td_new_acro2.jpg


The bubble coral in the front of the tank. And the Mean Greens collection.
td_bubble.jpg


The Toadstool is so big I can't even get a full top down shot now.
td_toadstool.jpg


So that's it. I'm going to have to start killing aiptasia manually as you can see them everywhere. :mad2:
 
So this evening I thought I better do some water tests, mainly because I'd not done it in a long time.

Salinity - 1.026sg
Temp - 79.2F
pH - 80.2
Alkalinity - 11 dKH
Calcium - 475ppm
Phosphate - .25 to .5
Magnesium - 1280ppm

So I dosed Magnesium, changed out the carbon with a fresh batch for this week, and put some GFO in a Phosban Reactor to reduce the phosphate level gradually.

I'll start up a barrel of new water for a 55g water change today.
 
Super pics. The toadstool has so many colors.

Have the peppermints from the coast trip (p.28) shown any promise for aiptasia?
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10444408#post10444408 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jnarowe
I am going to chop up aiptasia into my bext batch of food and see if that encourages the fish to eat them, :D
Click to expand...

LOL LOL LOL Now that's funny! Please let us know the outcome! You might be on to something!!! :D
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10443264#post10443264 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Lytehouse
Super pics. The toadstool has so many colors.

Have the peppermints from the coast trip (p.28) shown any promise for aiptasia?
Click to expand...

I put about 20 or 25 in the reef, but I think the Longnose Hawkfish ate them all. :mad2:

I think I'll just nuke them with kalkwasser paste for now.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10446840#post10446840 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by melev
I put about 20 or 25 in the reef, but I think the Longnose Hawkfish ate them all. :mad2:

Click to expand...

Awww, that stinks! Poor little guys...
 
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