Nat's 29 Gallon Build Thread

[nattarbox]

Also note that the first shot is when I just put the rocks in, and there was quite a bit of algae die off between then and the shot you see with the halide. The green and pink has just started coming back in force this week, so I'm hopeful that it will restore to the look it had on arrival from shipment.

Also the SPS frag pack is en route for arrival tomorrow morning. I am extremely excited and nervous about the arrival of my first coral specimens. I asked them to include a species list to identify the frags so I don't have to play guessing games with what is coming.

 

[nattarbox]

They're here! Drip acclimating!

<img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2336/2333453464_2668acb6f7.jpg">

<img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2379/2332625789_fbce27217c.jpg">

<img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2245/2332625967_fe3587e3e5.jpg">

 

[deepblue68]

looking good. i like the light.

 

[IdahoReef]

Don't know that I caught you name....

I am also setting up a tank the same dims as yours. I'm a couple of months behind you though. For lights I am putting a 150w MH and two T5's in a Finnex fixture.

I am also doing a 20 sump.

A friend nearby will be providing my first water from his 210 water change and he has 40# of live rock sitting in his sump for me too. The only thing I will have to cycle will be my sand!! Lots of local people have offerred seed sand and rock pieces for me too so my cycle should go pretty fast.

I think I will be building my rock up a little higher than yours, but in a similar split configuration.

 

[nattarbox]

My name is Nat Tarbox, didn't realize on registration that I could have used a space. Now I have to live with it. Sounds like you've got a good plan for your setup and lots of local friends to help out with the donations. I need to make an effort to meet other reefers in Boston, hopefully generous ones with overgrown tanks.

 

[nattarbox]

I think I've got the white balance a little closer on the camera, but I'm running into the limits of what my point and shoot lens is capable of focusing on. Time for a new camera??

Seriatopora stellata

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nattarbox/2335930577/" title="Seriatopora stellata by nttrbx, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3127/2335930577_24a505a5bc.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Seriatopora stellata" /></a>

Porites cylindrica

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nattarbox/2336765564/" title="Porites cylindrica by nttrbx, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2114/2336765564_713b24f8de.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Porites cylindrica" /></a>

Pocillopora damicornis

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nattarbox/2336765796/" title="Pocillopora damicornis by nttrbx, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3125/2336765796_a9a0bd5672.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Pocillopora damicornis" /></a>

Stylophora pistillata

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nattarbox/2336765962/" title="Stylophora pistillata by nttrbx, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2250/2336765962_ce24f8dab1.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Stylophora pistillata" /></a>

Pavona maldivensis

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nattarbox/2335931431/" title="Pavona maldivensis by nttrbx, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2262/2335931431_49304cd449.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Pavona maldivensis" /></a>

 

[mikellini]

Very, very nice. I'm glad to see that you've planned things very well so far. As for the lighting issue, I know, I have a 29 gallon and the array of 30" fixtures is quite small. I decided to build a canopy and mount T5s, but I'm now wishing I had gone with the MH. The T5s put out more than enough light, but I really like an open top and the shimmer of a MH light. Good luck and keep up the good work, I'm following this one...

 

[nattarbox]

After trying to sell it on Craigslist without luck, I ended up trading my old CF light fixture to another local Reef Central user last night for four frags. This may have been the first rash and unwise decision on my part so far, as these are probably some of the more difficult SPS species to keep alive. I put in a good two hours on drip acclimating them to my system and so far they all seem relatively at home, with good polyp extension. I left the MH off last night to help them adjust, so no photos other than this at the moment.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nattarbox/2338463779/" title="Four new frags. by nttrbx, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2239/2338463779_e082ddf8ec.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Four new frags." /></a>

Here are the trade names:
• Rosaria
• Purple slimer
• Green table
• Orange with green polyp milli

If any knowledgeable Acropora folks wanted to jump in and identify their latin names I would be most grateful. From what I can tell the Acropora naming is pretty vague and constantly in flux, so maybe that isn't even worth attempting. I like to know those things though.

With nine SPS frags in the tank I'm seriously considering upgrading the flow with a Koralia 3 to replace the Nano on the right side of the tank and match the 3 already running on the left.

 

[nattarbox]

I've been feeding small amounts of Reef Snow occasionally since adding the corals. I don't know if it contains copepod larvae or eggs, or if it just provides a huge food source in plankton form, but literally over night I had an amazing explosion in life within the tank. Literally thousands of copepods and possibly other crawlies moving over the glass and rock surface.

I got a few good shots under my microscope:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nattarbox/2344530384/" title="Harpactacoid Copepod by nttrbx, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2131/2344530384_8fa6d062f2.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Harpactacoid Copepod" /></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nattarbox/2343698763/" title="Harpactacoid Copepod by nttrbx, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2002/2343698763_dac6af66d9.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Harpactacoid Copepod" /></a>

I'm not sure if the SPS can eat the full grown copepods, but they run a full range of sizes so hopefully they are snacking on something throughout the day. I'm glad that I had read in Reef Invertebrates that it was good to delay the introduction of fish in order to allow smaller life forms to establish within the tank. They certainly have established themselves.

 

[kevvcon]

that fixture is amazing i have the same fixture on my 29 tank...i like the look of 29gs looking good man

 

[nattarbox]

Here are some shots of the new frags. Again, any identification beyond the common names above would be much appreciated.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nattarbox/2345823355/" title="IMG_1792.JPG by nttrbx, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3123/2345823355_2d7e102d57.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="IMG_1792.JPG" /></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nattarbox/2345823501/" title="IMG_1798.JPG by nttrbx, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3154/2345823501_7f86830a52.jpg" width="500" height="320" alt="IMG_1798.JPG" /></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nattarbox/2345823799/" title="IMG_1806.JPG by nttrbx, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2077/2345823799_e1f20b3e58.jpg" width="392" height="500" alt="IMG_1806.JPG" /></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nattarbox/2346652982/" title="IMG_1799.JPG by nttrbx, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2140/2346652982_91623cb280.jpg" width="441" height="500" alt="IMG_1799.JPG" /></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nattarbox/2346653328/" title="IMG_1809.JPG by nttrbx, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2341/2346653328_ebb4dfe3ea.jpg" width="500" height="277" alt="IMG_1809.JPG" /></a>

 

[bboy aqua]

nice tank man
lovin the frags you got im so jealous errr

 

[Egres]

nice looking tank keep up the good work!!!

is that going to be it as corals or you will ad more ??

 

[mikellini]

Sorry if I missed this, but what have you done with the AC70? Are you running the stuff that came with it, or have you made any modifications? As well, I'm guessing that the AC and the skimmer are the only means of filtration ATM (other than biological), correct? I'm thinking about getting an AC for my 29, not too sure about the size yet... or the mods...

 

[nattarbox]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12132273#post12132273 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Egres
nice looking tank keep up the good work!!!

is that going to be it as corals or you will ad more ??

I think the only thing I might possibly add in the future is a Zoanthid colony. I can imagine just with these 9 frags that the tank is going to be overgrown within a year. Hopefully!

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12133404#post12133404 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mikellini
Sorry if I missed this, but what have you done with the AC70? Are you running the stuff that came with it, or have you made any modifications? As well, I'm guessing that the AC and the skimmer are the only means of filtration ATM (other than biological), correct? I'm thinking about getting an AC for my 29, not too sure about the size yet... or the mods...

Yeah I got one originally to do the refugium modification, but I haven't gotten around to it just yet. I gathered up all the rubble that came in the bottom of my live rock order and put that into a filter bag. It isn't quite as much as I'd like to have, but its a roughly fist sized collection of small pieces. Right now I have that and a bag of carbon running in the filter.

I like the Aquaclear because on an 18" tank the intake pipe reaches all the way to the bottom. This gives me some good vertical turn over on water flow. Its also a very large, cheap and reliable filter (have had one running on my planted tank for three years non-stop. You are correct about those two being my only source of filtration other than the natural processes in the tank.

 

[mikellini]

I think you've convinced me to get one... Right now I'm running only on a skimmer and water changes, it would be nice to polish up the water a bit, I'd go with chemi-pure elite instead of carbon though I think, it lasts much longer and it's given me good results before. Thanks! Keep up the good work, and check out my build thread!

Mike's 29 gallon build w/ pics

 

[nattarbox]

Mike your thread was quite useful to me when I was planning this system. I see you're using one of the Tunze skimmers. Although my Coralife has been performing well, there are two things I don't like about it:

1. It sits completely outside of the tank. I get a little nervous about this thing someday going haywire and pumping 10 gallons of saltwater all over my floor while I'm at work.

2. The amount and appearance of equipment inside the tank. Its got a BIG powerhead, an air hose and a bubble diffuser. Its a lot of stuff for a small tank.

I was thinking that even though the entire Tunze skimmer is in the tank, the simple rectangular appearance is actually less distinct than the stuff on the Coralife. Looking at your thread verified this for me. I can only assume that it also performs better, being a Tunze product.

Do you think that if your collection cup were to overflow for some unforeseen reason that the tank would catch everything, reducing any chance of spill over onto the floor? Its hard to tell with the nice hood on your tank.

Second question would be about noise.. Not sure if you had anything else to compare it to. The Coralife is semi-noisy due to the air intake, but nothing I really mind. I wouldn't want anything louder though.

 

[mikellini]

Thanks Nat! It's good to hear that people have read my thread, I haven't had many replies as of late...

I had a Remora before, and I didn't like how bad the powerhead and tubing looked coming out of the tank. Plus, if you used the prefilter/bubble trap, it took up even more space than the Tunze (and without it, it put out a ton of microbubbles). Plus, the performance was mid-grade at best.

To be honest, I don't even notice the Tunze in the tank. It blends in great and doesn't take up much space when you put it where I did. The only thing is, I also have two big float valves for the ATO and a heater, and I've been really considering buying (or making) a new stand that will fit a sump so I can clean up the looks a little.

As far as the performance of the Tunze, it's great. It will skim dry mud if you want, or if you open up the valve a little it'll skim a full cup of green tea-looking skimmate in two days.. When the collection cup gets full, it just stops skimming. The way it's designed, if it filled up the skimmate would start leaking back down the chamber because it's at a lower point than the sides.

As far as noise, if it's skimming dry you can't even hear it when you put your ear next to it, and if you open the valve up a little it starts to emit a slow bubble, very quiet with no hiss. The quietest skimmer I've ever seen for sure.

I'll let you know what happens. I might go into the city this weekend to buy a new stand, sump, and overflow.


Second question would be about noise.. Not sure if you had anything else to compare it to. The Coralife is semi-noisy due to the air intake, but nothing I really mind. I wouldn't want anything louder though.

 

[nattarbox]

You just sold me on a Tunze, so be sure to get in touch with them about your commission.

 

[nattarbox]

Since its fairly obvious at this point that this tank is going to be SPS-dominated, if not straight out SPS only, I went ahead and upgraded the right side powerhead from a Koralia nano to a Koralia 3. With two 3's pointing across the tank at each other I'm getting great turbulence. Previously it was a very circular motion around the tank, now both streams hit and the middle and form vertical circular patterns that pulse randomly. Polyp extension has been great this week.

I've also confirmed I will be moving to a new apartment in July. I was hoping I could put this off for another year, but the place was too good to pass up (right in the heart of Harvard square, for those who know Cambridge). The good news is that I have at least a month of overlap between the two leases so I can take my time moving instead of trying to hurry.

I'm wondering if I should postpone any more acquisitions. July seems like a long way off, but the move would also be a lot easier without fish or large invertebrates like a clam to worry about. I'm not sure I can go much longer without some cool fish in the tank though!