My 10g Block O' da Sea

[Hopeful Reefer]

Thanks keith...as for Joe...well... :lmao: He knows me by name...knows what tanks I have...I got the live rock for my nano from him...and, he has already offered to allow me unrestricted access to his woodshop that is attached to the store to make the stand for my 75g tank!! So, yeah...I'd say I am vaguely familiar with the place... Glad to see a local in the thread by the way...

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As requested, full tank shots...

2 slightly different angles...please keep in mind that the heater and HOB DIY Refugium will be going away as soon as the sump is done...the chaeto that is in the DIY sleeves inside the tank will be going in to the sump once it is done as well...the back of the tank, since I forgot to paint it before filling it with water will get a piece of acrylic fastened to it that has been painted...haven't decided which color yet...black or blue...either way, whatever color I paint this piece, I will paint the drain and return plumbing inside the tank the same color...this will allow the pvc to become virtually "invisible" against the background...

Hopefully, I can get this work done soon...I will also be doing an electrical panel inside my tank as well when I do the sump...but for now, this is what I have to live with...

Comment and suggestions are appreciated as always...keep em coming... :thumbsup:

 

[Hopeful Reefer]

Quick update this morning...the tank parameters are holding ok...ammonia is up a tad which I expected with the extra bioload...I am doing a slight water change each evening to facilitate lowering the ammonia...in any case, it isn't to completely lethal levels yet...and I don't plan on letting it get there...

As for the fish and corals, everyone seems to be adjusting nicely...the fish look good, although one is very exploratory while the other likes to hang out in the corner half the time after the lights are off...he is fine while the lights are on and especially during feeding...the frogspawn isn't staying totally open at night but I have done my research and I know this is totally normal for the first week or two...the zoanthids look great, open almost all the time...the button pollups look pretty good as well...one or two of them are open just not all the way, which is also normal during their "acclimation" period...one good thing though, when I was feeding the clowns last night a piece of the mysis shrimp landed on one of the bigger pollups...darned if that thing didn't immediately close up around that shrimp and gobble it down...once everybody is totally acclimated to my tank, I may start spot feeding the corals one or two times a week with some mysis and phytoplankton mixed with a drop of Luguls...

I do have some questions for the experienced nano tank owners out there...first off, I'm looking to put a sump in to the mix for my system...when I do this, I'm gonna take the opportunity to switch to a 15g High tank, that way I have more room for stuff (vertically), more options for aquascaping, more live rock, etc...this will also allow me to paint the back of the tank with Krylon before filling it with water...

I'm doing an internal overflow made from PVC which will be painted with Krylon as well...this way, you won't see the overflows and they will blend right in with the background...instead of a vertical overflow pipe/strainer, I was thinking of doing a horizontal overflow pipe/strainer inside the tank...

As far as my sump, I will be doing a 29g tank that will have baffles to create (from left to right looking at the front) a skimmer section, a return pump section and a refugium...the skimmer and return sections will be 8" wide x 12.5 deep x 16" tall...the skimmer section will be 4" wider and just as tall...with a void space from the baffles to the top of the sump I should be able to accomodate approximately 3.5g of overflow from the tank...this doesn't even include the amount of void space that will be above the pump since the water level is never as deep as it could be in the return pump section...so, even if the suction break hole is 2" from the top of the 15g show tank, that would still only put about 2.6g in to the sump from the overflow...

I will be doing an SCWD on the return from the pump...I know, some people don't like these but I think on a smaller pump it will be fine...the outlets from the SWCD will eventually go to LocLine so I can adjust the pattern of the return as well as the position in the tank...this should make my corals very happy...

I was going to go with an Eheim 1250 pump, but with head loss and what the SCWD robs to power itself I may go with the next step up...I will be putting a T with a pipe that has a ball valve going back to the sump ...this will allow me, no matter which pump I go with, to fine tune the pump to match the overflow...

So, basically if anyone could lend opinions on this setup (aside from don't use it )...anyone have experience with the Eheim pumps on a nano setup? Also, using 3/4" PVC for the drank and 1/2" for the return, does anyone know approximately how many gallons per minute/hour I will be able to drain? I know how to calculate tank volume, (area divided by 271) but I don't know how to calculate overflow capacity...

So, opinions, comments and suggestions on this one please...keep em coming... :thumbsup:

* Wow...not such a quick update after all :lmao: *

 

[Hopeful Reefer]

Hmmm...seems we have lost some followers...oh well, I'll keep updating anyway...

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First off, an update on my clowns...the one clown I thought looked a little more stressed than the other when I brought him home...then, I thought I saw a small cut or something on one of his gills...I didn't think I was actually seeing what I thought so I didn't pay attention to it...well, the other day I looked at him again and saw what I can only describe as a couple small white puffy cotton-like patches where I thought I originally saw the cut...I first thought it was Marine Ich...but, after talking with a couple different trusted LFS I determined it to be some sort of bacterial/fungal infection...both store recommended Maracyn...he is now in the "hospital" being treated with Maracyn and should be back in the tank Monday morning no worse of...

I have been trying to figure out what plumbing I need to purchase to put my sump in to operation...and, I also wanted opinions on my planned plumbing so I drew up a picture of what I envision doing...

The green line is the plumbing to the sump...the blue is the return plumbing...the return plumbing, as stated previously, will split off via a SCWD device...the return plumbing will terminate with LocLine just so I can direct the flow exactly where I want it...I may T off the returns after the SCWD just so I can have 2 return jets on each side so I can further customize my flow...the red areas are ball valves...and, as you can see I have a T in the beginning of the return plumbing so that if the pump is stronger than what the overflow is, I can divert some of the flow back to the sump to prevent a flooding incident...

Remember, with this setup I am going to switch to a 15g Tall tank and the sump will be made out of a 29g tank...I feel that the 29g tank will add about 16g to my total system volume, so with the 15g Tall tank my system volume should be setting right around 30-31g...my baffles are designed to accomodate approximately 3.55g of overflow from the display tank...I figure I'll put a syphon break hole approximately 2" down in the display tank overflow...this will only put about 2g of water in to the sump with an extra 1.55g of room left for good measure...I may change this and put in a hole at 1" instead, but for now 2" is what I'm figuring on but I can be influenced...

And finally a quick coral update...man, xenia sure grows quick under a lot of light...I was looking at that sucker last night and compared to when I got him he is HUGE!! The stalk itself is about 2-3" tall before it splits...and, new heads are forming every day...it seems that the ones I see form today, are virutally fully mature and swaying in the breeze within 24-48 hrs...this thing is gonna need fragged soon if I want to keep it from overtaking my tank... The button pollups and the zoos look good (I just don't like the rock the button pollups came on and I want to move them somehow -- anyone have suggestions?)...the frogspawn is still getting used to the light...he is open and looks good through the day, but contracts a bit at night and I have yet to see his sweeper tentacles at night...I've read it can take them up to 10 days to 2 weeks to fully acclimate so I'm not worried...

So with that...please folks, I do want some comments here...do I need to offer free beer to everyone that drops in and comments? :beer:

Anyway...comments and suggestions please...keep em coming... :thumbsup:

 

[Rosseau]

Looking good, i'm not going to comment on the sump because i'm still planning mine out... but i'll watch yours go!

I'm hoping to find a simple design where I don't need to drill into my tank, there's a few options but nothing so great.


-I have a frogspawn coming monday, have your clowns showed much interest in it?

 

[Michael Mota]

I would eliminate the second return pipe going back into the skimmer section. If the pump is to strong you can just throttle it back via the valve. The squid will put a lot of back pressure on the pump all by itself. I would go one size up from what you think you will need to power the return and squid.The split to the skimmer and refugium is a good idea. You should have no problem with the overflow matching the return pump. most hang on back over flows can handle 600 gph easily. Maybe use two baffles between the skimmer and return pump (first one is up off bottom about 1.5" and the second one is on the bottom of tank, this will cause the water to be forced under and over as the bubbles move up) but three the way you have it is good also. Baffles on refugium is OK. You want a really slow flow through the refugium. Also move that valve down past the tee for the skimmer this way it can be used to control the flow to the skimmer and refugium. If it is past the tee where it branches off to the refugium and the skimmer. you can control the flow to the refugium better than having it up high like you have it. If you put one on the refugium too it will allow for more control of the water flow.
Good luck and take care

 

[Hopeful Reefer]

Rosseau - Thanks...as for the frogspawn, the clowns swim past him and that is about it...it is actually having a hard time aclimating, and I'm not sure if it is my tank or simply where I have him placed...gonna try a few things and if he doesn't soon start acting right I'm gonna post him on my local club's forum and look for a trade rather than kill him by leaving him in my tank...

Mike - Thanks my friend...as for the overflow, I'm doing a PVC DIY overflow, and not a HOB like a CPR or similar...that is why I was concerned with the flow between the overflow and the return pump capacity...saw the idea for the return back to the skimmer section on (I believe) Melev's web site...that is what that line is there...as for the ball valve on the refugium line to slow down flow, I was thinking that and wanted that but I have no idea why I put it up high like I did... Anyway, the ball valve right off the return pump is a true union ball valve which is only going to be there to remove the return pump in case of cleaning and such...so, the flow back to the display tank will be throttled back (if need be) by this return to the skimmer compartment I already spoke of...the baffles in the sump aren't set in stone...but, I want to more easily control the levels in the sump and skimmer compartments so I may leave the baffles as is...

Here is an updated shot of what the plumbing is going to look like...

Any other comments, suggestions please? Keep em coming... :thumbsup:

 

[Michael Mota]

I am a bit concerned about this overflow idea. Not sure how that will work or even what it is. Oh well hope it all works out.
Mike

 

[Hopeful Reefer]

Mike - Thanks for the valve for the skimmer...I'm not gonna update the pic, but there should probably be a T in there with a ball valve that will feed my skimmer...I have a couple skimmers in mind and/or coming to me that I'm gonna mod to make a kick-but recirc skimmer...or, I may just get an AquaC Remora or something... As for the overflow...here is the thread I got the idea from...Click Here...these work if you don't want to drill your tank...it isn't so much that I don't want to drill my tank, I just can't make up my mind which way to drill it...I was thinking of the external glass overflow box idea, but I don't want to have to remove the trim around the tank to do it...oh well, I may just go ahead and do that anyway and Eurobrace the tank top...will that still support a hood's weight sitting on top of it?

Hope that gives you a better idea of what I wanted to do...any other ideas out there? :thumbsup:

 

[Hopeful Reefer]

Just thought I'd post this picture for ya...I thought it was hilarious when I saw it...

"Hey bud, you going downtown?"

It's a pic of one of my brittle stars that came with my chaeto hitching a ride on the shell of a margarita snail!! :lmao: sorry for the cloudy tank glass...this was my weekend to work and well...you can figure it out...

 

[Michael Mota]

Thanks for the info. I see what your doing now. I would some how try to cover the pipe with some type of screen or something to keep snails from getting inside and clogging it.

 

[Hopeful Reefer]

Hello all...

Sorry for the lack of updates...I got a new job several weeks ago with the Richmond, VA Police Department as a Senior Communications Officer...I've been going through the academy for several weeks now and it is kickin my butt...we have 2 quizzes and a test every single week and we can't fail...so I've been putting in all my time between studying for work and doing my college work...

But, with all of that I have managed to come up with some new inhabitants for my tank...most of which came from a local frag swap I attended (where I scored big with 7 different frags all for just $20!! )

So, lets take a tour of my new stuff...

Ok guys...here is a picture of the yellow feather duster I picked up from a LFS...

Very pretty indeed...this yellow duster was tucked in the corner of one of the LFS' coral tanks since December...nobody noticed him but the owner pointed him out to me...

Oh yeah...I definitely have a problem and can't help myself anymore...someone stop me...I went to another LFS after work today (20 miles out of my way ) and got another feather duster...didn't want the other to get lonely...here it is...

And here they are both together...

And, I also bought a small peppermint shrimp to take care of some aptasia's that are starting to appear as well as some detritus and hair algea on the sand...no pics of him yet cause he keeps hiding when I try to take a pic of him...I also got a small tiger tail cucumber to take care of some detritus in an area where I just can't get any flow to...

Con't...

 

[Hopeful Reefer]

Now, as for the frag swap, I drew Number 1!! And with it I grabbed this...it is a Green Maze Brain...it was probably the nicest of the non-SPS corals there...several other people were looking to ninja it from me while I wasn't looking but I caught them looking!!

Next, I drew Number 7...I grabbed this (very tiny) Ricordia Mushroom...it is the one on the left...

While I was there, I also "took delivery" of 4 frags that another local agreed to give me...provided I get him some frags of my stuff including the African Super Blue Xenia that I'm scheduled to get from a guy 2 hours away in Virginia Beach, Virginia in a month or two...nobody in Richmond has any of it so I'll be the first...plenty busy fraggin it eventually...

First one from him was a small finger leather...polyps just barely starting to come out the next morning after being in the tank for about 3 hours...but now they are out most of the time and I can't wait for this one to grow...

I also got a ricordia mushroom from him as well...it is also in the picture above, the one on the right...this rock actually has a bigger one and 2 or 3 smaller ones...

Con't...

 

[Hopeful Reefer]

Next, I got a 2-headed Torch Coral from him…after being in the tank for a few hours, the polyps are WAY OUT!! It’s polyps are all over the place, mega long!! Hoping that my clowns will host in this one since they won’t host in my xenia or frogspawn…

Another view…

And his final contribution to my tank was this Toadstool Leather…after just a few hours, the polyps on this one were way extended as well…I am VERY happy with what I have gotten from him…

This was not all though… I also got this Frilly Mushroom from another local that was at the swap…it is about 2-3 inches across…very nice…

That's it (for now )...sorry for the blurry pics, but that is the best I can do with my current camera...(and yes Mike, I know these are the same pics I put in the New to the Nano Reef thread )

Now for some news...I have decided to ditch this tank... I know, "But the stuff looks so nice!" Yeah, I know...which is why I decided to upgrade to a 30g tank instead!!

Click Here to tag along on the new thread...hope to see you all there!!

 

[Hopeful Reefer]

With that, I will probably not post any more updates to this thread...I will respond to any posts, but other than that I'll be posting in the 30g thread...

 

[StunnaShadez]

hows your xenias doing? i got lazy to read after the post on the full tank shots, lol. your tanks coming along nicely

 

[Hopeful Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9377259#post9377259 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by m1enbo1
hows your xenias doing? i got lazy to read after the post on the full tank shots, lol. your tanks coming along nicely

The xenia is doing AWESOME!! It is getting really, really tall...as I told several of the locals around here, in my tank it grows somewhere around 5-15 new heads/stalks off the main stalks ever day (depending on it's mood ) I'm gonna frag it soon and let some of the locals see how it grows in their tanks versus mine...

 

[dan10342]

it all looks good!! mind if i tag along?

 

[Hopeful Reefer]

Please feel free to tag along on my new thread, my upgrade from this 10g reef to my 30g reef...link is on the bottom of the prior page...

 

[kmmcgra]

looking good

 

[Hopeful Reefer]

Thanks. For all those tagging along, please visit my new 30g Build instead. http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?postid=9371150#post9371150

I am upgrading this tank to a 30g tank instead, and all are welcome over there. I have the stand/hood done and I'm finishing the plumbing today. Hopefully I will have water in there tonight.