my 240

[hogall]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13160392#post13160392 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by hobogato
hogall- what size tank are you goint to put under that tube?

It about 718 gallons - 36 inches height. I was going to run 4 - 400 watts MH ( 2 on the right and 2 on the left )

But after seeing your setup; I might go ahead and add two more solar tubes and run less MH.

Love you setup

Dennis

 

[hobogato]

wow! i think you will need to add more than two more tubes to get away without halides.....

 

[hogall]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13163186#post13163186 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by hobogato
wow! i think you will need to add more than two more tubes to get away without halides.....

I was hoping to use the tube as a supplement. But I like your setup; this would save me lot of money.

I am planning to try 3 tubes and use 2 less MH.

Dennis

 

[hobogato]

stunreefer - thanks for the comments! if you have any questions, dont hesitate to ask, ill be glad to help

another on-going project......

did all of this a while back:

i am going to start growing my own green water and hatching brine for my tank - as well as setting up rotifer, brine, and mysid shrimp cultures in preparation for baby cuttles (whether my current eggs hatch or not - i will be breeding them in the future).

i decided to start with the green water and brine shrimp hatching. i am going to run a total of 7 green water cultures - 2 liters each and i will have four tubes for hatching brine so i can have a continuous supply of baby brine as well.

here is how i am building them.....

it is best to use a cylinder that has a conical bottom to prevent dead spots in the bottom. i also wanted to have a drain in the bottom for dispensing and air injection.

first, i took flat 5"x5" clear acrylic and heated it in the oven to soften it up.

here it is before

here it is if you leave it in the oven too long

here it is being bent into the conical shape. i used a short piece of acrylic tube underneath to control the depth of the cone and another piece on top to preserve the flat ring for attachment while pushing down the center with 1/2" PVC (this is the size PVC i will use for the drain.

here are all 11 cones

next, i fabricated the inside bezel out of a coupling and glued it to a short piece of 1/2" pipe. notice, i have also refined the outside circular shape, cut the hole for the drain pipe and flattened both gluing surfaces using a belt sander

here is the drain assembly glued together

here is the finished tube - the wall mount is attached at the water fill level for 2 liters.

i was trying to figure out how to make the tops of the phyto, rotifer and cilliate tubes so they would not allow contamination but would allow for the air to escape when my beer brewing wife had the genius idea of using fermentation air locks

here is my phyto farmer helper and one finished phyto chamber

all of em (and a beckett skimmer i built for someone else)

 

[hobogato]

finally got a chance to start setting up my culture wall....

here is where it will be, in the pantry

got all of em hanging

lights installed

here it is with the lights on

 

[hobogato]

here is the other end

here it is at night when the actinics are still on

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13137864#post13137864 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by EBOLII
I would also like to see a image or 2 of the other end. the dome end if you are willing

we had a full moon last night, but it was solid cloud cover, so no tank pics

maybe tonight the clouds will break a bit......

 

[GUILLO1]

one quick question....are your tubes sola tubes or are they another brand? Just asking because I happened to go to a roof supply company the other day and they had the real deal sola tubes and let me tell you the reflective aluminum is a lot better then the ones they sell at HomeDepot. They have samples of the different types of tubes and solatubes are way more reflective than the others.

 

[hobogato]

they came from a place in florida called sun dome. they are 98% reflective, a little nicer than the sun tek brand they sell at lowe's. not sure what brand they have at home depot....

 

[hobogato]

have had the solar tubes two weeks now, but didnt take any individual coral pics the first week....

took baseline pics a week ago and tried to take identical pics today, so here goes.

valida 8-10-08

same top down 8-10-08

ultimate frag's best stag ever 8-10-08

tyree lime in the sky 8-10-08

texreefer green with blue tip stag 8-10-08

same top down 8-10-08

texreefer A. chesterfieldensis 8-10-08

same top down 8-10-08

texreefer blue tip stag 8-10-08

seaworld sa blue tip teal stag 8-10-08

 

[hobogato]

salmon A. millepora top down 8-10-08

red robin stag top down 8-10-08

pink jade 8-10-08

paletta lovelli 8-10-08

ora blue tip stag 8-10-08

same top down 8-10-08

greenmako A. meridiana 8-10-08

cpreefguy A. florida 8-10-08

bigbird toxic acro 8-10-08 (no, no AEFW - has had those light patches on and off since i got it and has been dipped several times)

B&B shiny A. sp. 8-10-08

 

[hobogato]

B&B A. efflorescens 8-10-08

ATL tulip A. millepora 8-10-08

same from back of tank 8-10-08

same top down 8-10-08

AKM yellow A. sp. table 8-10-08

same top down 8-10-08

 

[EBOLII]

looking superb!.....any thoughts after this the 2nd week?

 

[Bax]

Your DIY skills are truely awesome, ... and a beer brewing wife is priceless!

The sola tubes make you house look nuclear at night! I hear comments about the glow from my windows, but never the roof!

 

[Chrisrush]

Interesting change of colors. I wonder if the acros are getting too much light now. Seems like some of the acros are lightening up significantly.

 

[hobogato]

CPS BILL TIME

last month - $592

this month - $419

- not all due to solar tubes tho, we also eliminated the 180 gallon tank which had a 250 watt external pump and 480 watts of T5.

 

[atwinparadox2]

OMG if my obsession took my bills to that height, my wife would hang ME from the ceiling....getting her to oooooo and aaahhh at this thread bows well for me though when I look to upgrade!!

Excellent build thread, the tank is truly inspirational! :eek1:

 

[hobogato]

ok, here is a large update - many pics on the way....

First â€"œ a full tank shot with bright sun

Just the tank with a small cloud passing

Some tank sections

I have finally started to add clams back into the clam tank as well â€"œ it has been over six months since my total loss of all clams to perkinsus

So far I have two large T. squamosa â€"œ one is about 7” and the other is about 11”
Little one

Big one

Together

 

[hobogato]

Now for the comparison pics â€"œ not much change over last week, a few corals are really starting to add lots of new growth tips. Hopefully they are all acclimated to the changes now.

A. valida 8-7-08

ultimate frag best stag ever 8-7-08

supposed to be tyree lime in the sky 8-7-08

texreefer green stag 8-7-08

texreefer A. chesterfieldensis 8-7-08

texreefer blue tip stag 8-7-08

seaworld sa blue tip teal stag 8-7-08

pink jade 8-7-08

 

[hobogato]

Paletta A. lovely 8-7-08

ora blue tip stag 8-7-08

greenmako A. meridiana 8-7-08

cpreefguy A. florida 8-7-08

b&b shiny A. sp. 8-7-08

b&b A. efflorescens 8-7-08

atl tulip A. millepora 8-7-08

same from the back 8-7-08

akm yellow A. sp. 8-7-08

 

[hobogato]

Here are some random coral pic â€"œ some top down and some thru the glass


b&b shiny A. sp top down

closer

blue slimmer â€"œ starting to get its blue back

ora Hawkins echinata

????

A. austera

micros and unknown blue A. sp.

M. spondoches (I think)

red robin stag â€"œ just now starting to grow, hopefully it will start to turn red as well

same top down