Stream Rock Users

[redsea]

Does anyone in this forum use the Stream Rocks to house their streams? I know that Tunzee will be coming out with the magnet holders late this summer. I may opt to try the rocks and wanted to know what type of experience people have had with them. Is there any vibration and noise resulting in the streams inside the rock. And how long did it take for them to start to get covered in coraline algae? Any photos you can share!!!!

Also in regards to the magnetic holders I wonder if those magnets will effect the pump which has a magnetic impeller shaft?

Cheers,
Francesca

 

[rvitko]

The magnet does not affect the pump.

 

[dougc]

I have mixed feelings about the rocks. I have only had them in a new tank for about 3 weeks, so I have no coralline yet, but I have attached several colonies of zooanthids to them. They are pretty tough, so I don't think I'll have any problem handling them every few months when it comes time to clean the pumps. The downside is that I am not entirely happy with the valuable space these things consume. For maintenance purposes, they must be readily accessible, which means that they occupy valuable reeftop space. Mine are in the front corners of the tank on top of flat slabs of rock, which puts them about 6" above the bottom of the tank. The location also means that I have the cords running back to the corners and up the back of the tank, partially defeating the goal of hiding the pumps. I have already toppled rock once lifting the deco rock out of the tank because the cord got caught under the edge of a rock.

I am almost of the opinion now that I would rather have the pumps mounted in the top front corners with magnetic holders. They would be visible, but the eye would be drawn past them, making them unobtrusive. This would open up considerable space in the tank. Its just hard to yank the rocks out after spending a considerable sum on them. I may end up biting the bullet and posting them for sale in the near future. I will need to get my hands on the magnetic holders first, though.

 

[redsea]

stream rocks

stream rocks

Thanks for the info on the magnet effects on the magnetic shaft which is none. I figured Tunze would of already had that one figured out.

Doug, I was planing on placing the streams / rock low in the tank just above the reef rubble and sand zone. That area will be pretty open so taking them in or out should be easy. They will be place towards the back of the tank with a tonga branch patch towards each side in the front. I am going for the area in the reef with microcosyms of life with patches of tall tonga in between sand and tonga rubble.

I am planning to have a 60g refugium with lots of rock and sand attached to the 125G as an additional source of biological. Just a few choice pieces of tonga rock in the display tank. I have one segment of Tonga that is 7 branches all intertwined together.

I have Tunze Turbelles on the top of the tank handling the top 6 inches of the water column. How often to you have to clean your streams? I am trying to visualize them in relationship to other things in the tank. Do you have any photos of them in your tank?

Cheers,
Francesca

 

[anative]

Here is a picture of my tank with two Streams hidden in the deco rocks. I put the arrows to show the direction of the flow.

I love the deco rocks. This picture is when the Wave2k on the right side was still in the tank. It has since been removed.

Jon

 

[dougc]

Here is a picture shortly after I added the first batch of live rock to the tank. The Tunze rocks are at each end. You can see the nozzle in the rock on the lefthand side. The rocks at this point were sitting on top of a platform made with eggcrate and PVC pipe feet. I surrounded them with rubble to hide the plastic.

BTW, I decided to remove the rocks today and now have the Streams pumps mounted on the Tunze brackets, which are attached to the canopy in the front top corners of the tank. I hate seeing the pumps, but the space opened up will be the future home of one or more clams. It is a compromise, but it works for me. I guess I will be selling the rocks after all.

 

[redsea]

Thanks for the Photos & tips

Thanks for the Photos & tips

Hi Doug,
I wish I knew you were thinking of selling them I just bought two for my tank. I have it in a tank that has allready been running hoping to get it encrusted with coraline and life before placing it in the new set up.

Jon, I really like the way you have them in your tank they seem to already start to blend into the rockwork. What would of been nice if the rocks came in different shapes so we did not have two they looked identical. Becuase I have the 2002 turbelle powerheads on the surface I will be placing my streams down low in the tank. I already know I will need to put large reef rubble on top of my sand bed so I do not have a major sand storm.

Thanks for sharing!
Francesca

 

[RedEyeReef]

I love the Decor Rocks, I have both my Streams in rock. They where covered in coraline in less then a month. I did have one
Decor rock hanging with a DIY bracket from the back wall and look neat but hard to service. I now have one on top of rock work in corner facing out about 4 " below water level making nice waves. The other is about mid water column resting on an angled rock on the back wall of my tank with the "feet" of the Decor Rock resting on the back wall of the tank. You can't even tell their is a pump in there.

Decor Rocks ROCK.