Slakker's Eclipse 12 Build Thread (Sorry, 56kers)

[KyleO]

I use the mini jet 404 for my ATO..........excellent little pump! Really pushing the water!!!

 

[Slakker]

Haha, sure was the counters, but luckily for her the countertops I went for were down in the basement and not in her cooking space

I don't think the MJ will be an issue (as far as space) once I get rid of the Eclipse's filter box...plus once the clowns are out of QT I'll be using that tank to cycle some LR for my brother and myself so that we can redo the aquascaping. I'm not all that pleased with mine (plus I'd like to find some rock with really good coralline growth on it to seed my tank a little bit more. In fact, part of the reason that I still run the Eclipse's filter is because the intake screen has some decent spots of coralline on it...lol

If it turns out the Xenia doesn't like the flow it's getting, it can always be moved. It's just gonna be a bit of a learning experience figuring out how to place corals where they'll like it.

 

[Purple Penguins]

Xenia is funny stuff, thrives in some reefs and not at all in others, many of my friends put it in their tanks and it just disapears completley in days, Mine has been in my tank for 6 mths, but I have noticed lately its not spreading or growing, but I lost a couple of stalks

 

[Slakker]

Mine has been doing pretty good, seems to be growing and whatnot, but it's only been a few days since I added flow (i moved the tank across the room on the same day). Seems that at times they've got clusters of polyps that are closed sometimes and open at others...looks like it could be spreading a little, too. I'm going to find some suitable fabric and move the lone xenia stalk over to be with the other ones one of these days.

I picked up 3 or 4 Zoa polyps from my brother today...and I'll admit I haven't done ANY research on these things so I've got a bit of reading to do while they acclimate. Pics to come soon

 

[Slakker]

Zoa's!

Still haven't seen them open up fully

 

[Purple Penguins]

congrads on your new zoas! cant wait to see pics when they open up

 

[Slakker]

Still closed up.....stupid polyps.

Anyways, clowns are almost up to the right salt levels, and will definitely be in the main tank tomorrow, and I'll be picking up a Frag of Frogspawn which will then go into the QT for a couple of weeks so I can be sure it's healthy.

 

[Purple Penguins]

fantastic! your a much better reefer than I, I must confess, I dont really doing much QTing, gotta show you some new pics soon, Moved my tank today and changed the aquascaping in that one, and added more to the new tank, Im very pleased with the way they are turning out. going to be adding a few new things next tuesday as well. A friend of mine is bringing some frags to trade with some frags of my stuff, so that will be nice new color, I plan to frag some of my yellow figi leather soon, if you like can save you a small piece and if I make it down to Mad city meet up and its yours. Anyway look forward to new pics of the happy clowns

 

[Slakker]

I wasn't planning on it either, until the clowns came up sick. After that I realized that if I wasn't more careful it was probably going to cost me...I don't have your luxury of having such great facilities moments away

If you're giving stuff away, I won't turn it down...but certainly don't make any special trips for it! I don't know if you'd be interested in any of my pulsing xenia, but i've got a couple of stalks that are attached to shells yet that would be real simple for me to yank out and trade you for that leather.

 

[Purple Penguins]

no need to trade xenia doesnt like me much, and It would be when Im down to see my dad, just never sure when that is.

 

[Slakker]

Clowns were transferred over to the main tank successfully this morning after about an hour and a half drip acclimation to the MT to finish off their rise from hypo (.001).

They're acting normally so far, still eating like little pigs, and love the current the MJ900 puts out (for the sake of my sand, however, I'm gonna need to adjust a bit more.)

Also picked up a beautiful little frogspawn frag (And tried my hand at fragging for the first time) at the local reef club meeting today. Currently drip acclimating to the QT tank. I'll see how it does in there for now, and if it starts to decline I'll just put it in the main tank. I'm not terribly concerned, as I believe it came out of an invert-only system, but better safe than sorry having just gotten the clowns healthy and all.

Pictures to come tonight when I get off work (technically I was supposed to be in two hours ago...hehe)

 

[Slakker]

 

[GSMguy]

nice the clowns made it home

 

[Slakker]

They sure did They seem real happy to be there too...and, of course, something I think every clown owner sees at least once:

4am picture of the clowns hosting my magfloat

 

[chkit]

wow good job, nice transformation from a beat up tank to this. do you always put the mag float in the same palce after you use it?

 

[Slakker]

To be honest I haven't used it since I saw them hosting it...lol

 

[Bud's Reef]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10129740#post10129740 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Tyler.L
well i am glad everythings going so well with your clowns and everything now..i got rid of my eclipse hood all together too and have some t5's on my 12..i got zoo's, some leather, toadstool, mushrooms, xenia, and gsp. would like to have a halide for sure though nice grab!

should lose the eclipse box and get an aquaclear 70+ and use it as a fuge and get a powerhead on top of that too...would work out alot better and look cleaner...

great work though man!

Tyler do you have a picture of yours posted somewhere. I too have an Eclipse 12 and am planning on getting rid of the hood and am looking at Slakker's with great interest, but would like to see others as well.

 

[Bud's Reef]

This is great and has inspired me to make some changes to my 12G Eclipse as well. Do you have a full shot now that the pump/filter is out?

 

[Slakker]

Yep, sure do. Note that I'm building a much cleaner pendant for the MH, plus will be hanging it with black vinyl coated chain rather than the green cable. The little black box you see up on the left hanging down is the moonlight...those, too, will be mounted cleanly on the pendant.

The frogspawn is going to look great in there, I think. It's in my QT under the 13w fixture I pulled from the eclipse (with a 50/50 bulb in it) and a 26 watt ~6500k daylight bulb in a desk lamp from Wal-Mart. It's been in there since Sunday and is doing well. I fed it today and got an immediate feeding response to a mix of cyclopeeze and mysis.

 

[GSMguy]

try and find a used Reef optix pendant for your bulb it will direct more of that light down into the tank