"OverKill" Reef - My Project

Weekend 5

Weekend 5

Wow, I can't believe i forgot to update this thread for last weekend....

Well since adding the salt to taste ;) I have been playing with the flow in the tank by adjusting the valves for the pumps. I can get some pretty good turbulence and flow in there without stressing my psuedo overflow (an upturned elbow with an air tube) and without adding bubbles. I just need to fashion a strainer for the 'overflow' it out of eggcrate.

Also, even though it wasnt necessary I started a cycle with a small piece of LR, a cup of LS and a green chromis so that I could play with my testing kits.

I should be ordering 60lbs of LR to arrive early next week and then the real fun begins...

2 questions that I have are:

Just how slow (or fast) should the flow in the fuge be and should I take the fuge off line for the LR curing process?

Any comments or suggestions are most welcome....

Jeff
 
Thanks for the input, Razin.

Here's a picture of the sump with a 5" Southdown DSB:
sw_we5_1.jpg


I cant wait to get some algae and other life in there. I might even consider stocking it with some seahorses just for fun.

Anyway, over the fuge/sump area I have a 4' dual NO 40W fluorescent utility-type fixture with daylight bulbs (6.5K) that I will be leaving on 24/7. Will this do the trick?

Finally, I spoke to the distributors of the SCWD and they assured me I could run my closed-loop with the ball valve wide-open without risking a blowout of the SWCD so when I cranked it up tonight I caused a minor sandstorm:

sw_we5_3.jpg


but I am sure it will calm down in a few hours. You can even see the turbulence it causes at the top of the tank even with the downward pointing spray bars...

Boy this is fun :)

Jeff
 
I wonder what the smallest display to make tank of the month was? It's worth a search.

With your overall system, 12 months from now, you could be in the running.
 
So I checked, and I knew there had been a 40 gal recently that's nvert's 40 gal TOM for Jan 2004.
Another 40 to be TOM was thurman's 40 gal for Oct 2001.
Getting smaller yet salt creeps 29 gal was TOM for May 2003.
Even smaller yet... physhi's 20 gal was TOM for July 2002 and
dana's 20 gal for Feb 2000.

For those of us with smaller reefs due to space, budget or desire these look like pretty good systems to learn from.

It also prooves that small budget system can be tank of the month. Some of the equipment on these smaller tanks is innovative and low budget.

Enjoy!
 
I must have been typing while you were posting jeremism thanks.

I think I am just a little envious of Jeffs space for a sump, I am still scratching my head over shoehorning a 5 gal sump into my stand with all my other gear.
 
Weekend #6

Weekend #6

Another slow w/e due to family matters but I did mange to wire up 2 dedicated 20amp circuits with GFI protection:

sw_we6_1.jpg


LiveRock will be ordered today!

Jeffrey



@Bax and jeremism30, Boy those TOTM are certainly inspiring. I never thought to look backwards. I would defintely classify my setup (while taking up some space in the basement) as low budget since I have beening doing it myself and staying away from prefab overflows and sumps/fuges but it is going to take a lot more effort (and knowlegde) to make things look like any of those.
 
@bax, Thanks.

addendum to w/e 6 update:

Just ordered my LR. I will be splitting an order with a friend so I am getting 30 lbs of Vanuatu and 33 lbs of Premium Fiji. Unfortunately, as a trade off for a great price I need to wait until next week for it to ship.

Hopefully, my lighting system ships this week so I have something to playwith/report on next weekend (otherwise I'm going to have to pay some attention to the hellspawn yet again ;) )


Jeff
 
I never kid about my toys :)

and by way of an update....I received a bunch of Red Mangrove seedlings that I ordered for my fuge. It will take a little while to adapt them to the saltwater but without any nutrients in there for them anyway I'm in no rush.

Jeff
 
Weekend #7 (long post)

Weekend #7 (long post)

Well they say you need to have patience went setting up a SW tank and I have learned that I don't have any...better work on that...

Anyway, my LR was delayed for another week (coming next week now) and my lights won't be done for another 2 weeks.

So to fill the time I have:

1) Cut an Lexan XL10 cover for my tank as a way to seperate the tank from the...how should I say...air in the bathroom. Once I get the hood I will cut it back to size:

sw_we7_5.jpg



2) Created my own strainer for my drain:

sw_we7_7.jpg

sw_we7_6.jpg


3) Started to acclimate my red mangrove seedlings (one the fast way and the other 2 more slowly):

sw_we7_3.jpg


4) Set-up my eventual dosing pump as a top-off system until I get a chance to build one myself:

sw_we7_2.jpg



But, alas, until I get my LR and lighting I can only dream of what this tank will someday look like:
sw_we7_8.jpg


That's all for now...but I do expect my skimmer (got the dolphin pump today) to arrive tomorrow so more pics next week.


As always, all comments are most welcome (before I screw this up too badly :) )


Jeff
 
just tagging along...that's a sick bathroom...be sure to keep a couple good fish books in there cuz im sure you'll be spending a lot of time in there:lol:
 
Thanks guys....just found out my LR is flying in on Sunday! Now I'm really stoked.

Come by Sunday to take a look :p


Jeff
 
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