this is me
Active member
Lots of fish. Lol
Nick's Miracle Build
- Thread starter this is me
- Start date
this is me
Active member
Thanks! That Elos will be missed. The new owner of the Elos has picked up the tank yesterday.
Here's a video of the Miracle 360G. Everything is settling down. I will have to see what this single Giesmann fixture is capable of.
Watch in 4K!
<iframe width="800" height="450" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Irqt6ild-oc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Here's a video of the Miracle 360G. Everything is settling down. I will have to see what this single Giesmann fixture is capable of.
Watch in 4K!
<iframe width="800" height="450" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Irqt6ild-oc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
ADVRESOURCE
New member
How long have you had your coral colonies? They have great growth. Have you always used halides and T5's vs. LED?
this is me
Active member
Thanks guys. The tank set up is still being tuned. I did my second water change last night and it didn't go very smoothly lol.
With the new set up, I decided to turn off the return pump(water drained from the return line into the sump). The sump was pretty full and it should be able to handle the back siphon from the return lines. The sump total volume is about 60gallons. I figure it would be somewhere in the high 40s gallons if I just drain the sump for the water change.
Well, as I was draining the sump, I smell something burning. You guessed it, the heaters in the sump were on and I didn't realize that. I usually have the Profilux set up such that it turns the skimmer off, return off, during maintenance but I used to drain from the display in the previous tank set up. As I was panicking on what to do, I knocked one of the heaters down from the holder and it crashes and smashed. Okay, great! I have broken glasses on the bottom of the sump and I was more worried about the potential hazardous chemical in the heater.
I ended up draining and clean out the sump entirely with a wet vac. Inspect the broken Eheim heater and all I can see is broken glass cover and metal coils. I didn't see anything ooze out of it.
When I woke up this morning, I went down to inspect the tank right away. Everything seems to be normal. I have to find a better way to do water change or at least think more carefully before doing it.
With the new set up, I decided to turn off the return pump(water drained from the return line into the sump). The sump was pretty full and it should be able to handle the back siphon from the return lines. The sump total volume is about 60gallons. I figure it would be somewhere in the high 40s gallons if I just drain the sump for the water change.
Well, as I was draining the sump, I smell something burning. You guessed it, the heaters in the sump were on and I didn't realize that. I usually have the Profilux set up such that it turns the skimmer off, return off, during maintenance but I used to drain from the display in the previous tank set up. As I was panicking on what to do, I knocked one of the heaters down from the holder and it crashes and smashed. Okay, great! I have broken glasses on the bottom of the sump and I was more worried about the potential hazardous chemical in the heater.
I ended up draining and clean out the sump entirely with a wet vac. Inspect the broken Eheim heater and all I can see is broken glass cover and metal coils. I didn't see anything ooze out of it.
When I woke up this morning, I went down to inspect the tank right away. Everything seems to be normal. I have to find a better way to do water change or at least think more carefully before doing it.
this is me
Active member
I've always been a MH and T5 combo guy. They work for me and they work well. I've played with Elos LED strips and Pacific Sun LED(3 channnels) and did not like the result I was getting. Not to mention the wasted money I spent on them. Now, I can't even give them away lol. But that was years ago and now LEDs are much more capable(from what I've seen) with the full spectrum fixture.
I was actually thinking about either adding another Spectra Fixture like the one I've using now or go with 6 Radion G4 Pro. But I should really wait and see what this single Spectra fixture can do.
Heat is never an issue for me. I actually don't have enough of it. The current set up is in our basement and I kept the space at 65 degrees. The heaters are constantly on to keep the water at 76 degrees. Even with the full halides and T5 being on. I haven't seen it past 76.5 degrees. In the summer time, the basement(without anything heating or cooling) is a cool 62 degrees.
Heater Problems --
Over the years I have had all sorts of heaters. From cracked tubes to cracked housings. I have even helped one company with problems on their heaters, and got refunded because of the issue and help.
About 2 years ago I finally found one that i have had ZERO issues with. It was the Finnex 800W setup, actually two of them. I pulled all my other heaters and now only use them to heat up SW mixing station. Take a look at them and see if they meet your needs.
I have one in the sump and one in the 120.
Over the years I have had all sorts of heaters. From cracked tubes to cracked housings. I have even helped one company with problems on their heaters, and got refunded because of the issue and help.
About 2 years ago I finally found one that i have had ZERO issues with. It was the Finnex 800W setup, actually two of them. I pulled all my other heaters and now only use them to heat up SW mixing station. Take a look at them and see if they meet your needs.
I have one in the sump and one in the 120.
this is me
Active member
Thanks for the suggestion on the titanium heater.
It's not the heater's problem. The problem was me not being careful and drop an out of the water hot heater into the tank. I've been using these Ehiems(controlled by a controller) for many years without any issue. They're actually quite robust as I've knocked them around before when they're not on and I thought they could handle quite a bit of abuse. Just not when they're hot.
It's not the heater's problem. The problem was me not being careful and drop an out of the water hot heater into the tank. I've been using these Ehiems(controlled by a controller) for many years without any issue. They're actually quite robust as I've knocked them around before when they're not on and I thought they could handle quite a bit of abuse. Just not when they're hot.
ADVRESOURCE
New member
Do you have an Apex or comparable controller? You can setup a water change mode so heaters OFF, return OFF, and SKIMMER OFF can be set. Also, if you have room in your fish room, you can do auto water changes at 2.5 Gallons/day.
My water conditions are steady and dialed in...I use the DOS dosing for anything out of wack...but, add MG daily. Otherwise, CA Reactor does the job very well.
Then, you don't have to worry about draining the sump and temperature, salinity, ph variations since the change is so minimal daily.
If your inclined, visit my post here at Large Reef Tanks to see my setup.
You have an awesome tank.
My water conditions are steady and dialed in...I use the DOS dosing for anything out of wack...but, add MG daily. Otherwise, CA Reactor does the job very well.
Then, you don't have to worry about draining the sump and temperature, salinity, ph variations since the change is so minimal daily.
If your inclined, visit my post here at Large Reef Tanks to see my setup.
You have an awesome tank.
this is me
Active member
Thanks Advresource.
I have a Profilux and it can be programmed. It just that I haven't gotten a chance to and I usually drain the water from the display and never have to think about the heater in the sump.
I just wasn't careful last night and still getting familiar with the new set up.
I have a Profilux and it can be programmed. It just that I haven't gotten a chance to and I usually drain the water from the display and never have to think about the heater in the sump.
I just wasn't careful last night and still getting familiar with the new set up.
reefmutt
Active member
Nick, I just loved reading this thread.
Whenever I find tv shows I want to watch, I will pvr the entire season and then go back and watch the episodes back to back...
Well 'Nick's Miracle Build' was JUST AS SATISFYING!
Loved watching the space come together and the tank.
My old tank was very similar in dimensions to yours.. I loved that tank. Your dimension are pretty much as good as it gets and I love the scape you did.
And serious points for discovering your handiness.
So, how much do you think you saved by doing it yourself?
Maybe enough to justify an even bigger tank.
.. ok.. enough to justify another spectra..
Looking forward to watching it grow.
Whenever I find tv shows I want to watch, I will pvr the entire season and then go back and watch the episodes back to back...
Well 'Nick's Miracle Build' was JUST AS SATISFYING!
Loved watching the space come together and the tank.
My old tank was very similar in dimensions to yours.. I loved that tank. Your dimension are pretty much as good as it gets and I love the scape you did.
And serious points for discovering your handiness.
So, how much do you think you saved by doing it yourself?
Maybe enough to justify an even bigger tank.
.. ok.. enough to justify another spectra..
Looking forward to watching it grow.
this is me
Active member
John,
The livestocks are from this tank.
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2450494
I bought all new liverocks from local members and dry fiji rocks from BRS. They have been in a rubbermaid container with a pump for over a year. I originally planned to set up the tank upgrade over a year a go. But I couldn't do it due to many reason and the tank was sitting in the crate in the garage.
After I got the tank plumbed and the aquascape completed, I let the tank ran without any livestock for a week. I did pump about 60gallons or so of the Elos tank water into the new tank as I was doing water change on the Elos. I tested Ammonia and Nitrite and they were not present. I decided to add 3 yellow tangs from my local club. After a couple of days monitoring them, I decided to moved the giganteas and the pair of clowns into the tank and wait til they picked their spot so that I can place the corals. Luckily, the gigantea barely moved more than 3" where I placed them.
I spent a whole Friday night dipping the LPS in Bayer. I like to dip the corals before going into a new tank. The benefit of dipping all the corals in Bayer is worth all the work, IMO.
I then spent the whole weekend dipping and transfering the SPS. By Monday night, the fish had been transferred and the Elos tank drained and cleaned and posted for sale.
My originally plan was to still run the Elos after everything was transferred just in case if there's any issue and I need to transfer the livestock back to their previous tank. However, with all the corals extraction and moving the rocks to catch the fish, the Elos was a stinky cloudy soup. So I decided to just drain it and clean it out.
The livestocks are from this tank.
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2450494
I bought all new liverocks from local members and dry fiji rocks from BRS. They have been in a rubbermaid container with a pump for over a year. I originally planned to set up the tank upgrade over a year a go. But I couldn't do it due to many reason and the tank was sitting in the crate in the garage.
After I got the tank plumbed and the aquascape completed, I let the tank ran without any livestock for a week. I did pump about 60gallons or so of the Elos tank water into the new tank as I was doing water change on the Elos. I tested Ammonia and Nitrite and they were not present. I decided to add 3 yellow tangs from my local club. After a couple of days monitoring them, I decided to moved the giganteas and the pair of clowns into the tank and wait til they picked their spot so that I can place the corals. Luckily, the gigantea barely moved more than 3" where I placed them.
I spent a whole Friday night dipping the LPS in Bayer. I like to dip the corals before going into a new tank. The benefit of dipping all the corals in Bayer is worth all the work, IMO.
I then spent the whole weekend dipping and transfering the SPS. By Monday night, the fish had been transferred and the Elos tank drained and cleaned and posted for sale.
My originally plan was to still run the Elos after everything was transferred just in case if there's any issue and I need to transfer the livestock back to their previous tank. However, with all the corals extraction and moving the rocks to catch the fish, the Elos was a stinky cloudy soup. So I decided to just drain it and clean it out.
this is me
Active member
Nick, I just loved reading this thread.
Whenever I find tv shows I want to watch, I will pvr the entire season and then go back and watch the episodes back to back...
Well 'Nick's Miracle Build' was JUST AS SATISFYING!
Loved watching the space come together and the tank.
My old tank was very similar in dimensions to yours.. I loved that tank. Your dimension are pretty much as good as it gets and I love the scape you did.
And serious points for discovering your handiness.
So, how much do you think you saved by doing it yourself?
Maybe enough to justify an even bigger tank.
.. ok.. enough to justify another spectra..
Looking forward to watching it grow.
Thanks for taking your time and read through the thread. It means a lot us who spent the time gathering our thoughts and put them into words and post them up.
The tank dimension is a dream. I think my wife would divorce me if I go any bigger. Lol. But seriously, I was very fortunate to have someone who is not only supportive of my hobby but also a tremendous help in setting it up.
I spent about 25K on finishing the basement so far. Half of that cost is spent on the Mitsubishi mini split system. We still have flooring and trims and doors to go. I probably won't be doing the floor until the system is more mature. I'm still spilling water every now and then and it's nice that I don't have to worry about it right now since it's concrete.
As I'm looking at this picture of the tank, the darkness is pretty apparent and it's starting to bother me. I think another fixture is in the work or at least I'm looking at ways to add more T5s.
I was looking for the ATI 60" Powermodule with just 2xT5s but I can't seem to find that any more. Thinking on adding 2x80W T5s on each side to get more light to the side of the tank.
Johnseye
Reef Addict
Are you running the MH at 250 or 400?
