Sun Powered Reef

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9826614#post9826614 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by bph0013
do you know what species of hermit crab the one in the first picture is with the red and white dotted claw? It's beautiful.

Hi!

The scientific name is Calcinus tubularis, to me one of the most beautiful hermit crabs.

Regards

Vitor Pestana
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9823088#post9823088 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by chris wright


Just curious to know what your tank looks like under a full moon. I know a lot of people try to mimic this, but your prime position:lol: would be ideal. If you think of it and us following your thread, would you mind taking some photo's of your tank at night, on or near a full moon? I cant even imagine how beautiful your tank would look.

Thanks mate, cheers.

Chris.

Hi Chris

Did some testes with my camera and telescope, the moon is easy, very bright, but the moonlight is very complicated, my camera is a sony DSC-P93A not a very good one for this kind of job in almost complet darkness, never the last i live you with what is possible:

This is the moon Today, has you can see is not completely full, a pic with my telescope:

moon.JPG


Moonlight over the tank, this pic is very pour, i don´t have enough light yet:

DSC01598.JPG


Monday ou Tuesday i'll try to improve the pics, maybe with another camera.

All the best

Vitor Pestana
 
Well I hope it works out. Your tank is amazing by day, and ive seen some beautiful things at night, so im crossing my fingers that your photo's turn out, It will be amazing, if not just give us a discription, we'll believe you. :lol:
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9836539#post9836539 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RRodrigues
Hi Vitor,

Did you notest yet any coral growth improvement comparing with metal halide ligthing?

Hi Ricardo Rodrigues. (You are invite to visit my tank any time you want)

Yes, big changes, i've use metal halide and T5, neither can match the natural light, all corals grow faster.

The greater change was in colour, the coral have a diferent colour after a few days in natural light, maybe the natural UV is the secret.

I letf you some pics so you can see the diferences:

Two week ago:

DSC01392.1.JPG


Today

DSC01636.2.JPG


One month ago

DSC01295.1.JPG


Today

DSC01652.JPG


1 week ago

DSC01455.1.JPG


Today

DSC01637.2.JPG
 
Wow, the sunlight makes a hell of a difference.

Where I live, the winter is to cold to have a tank outside, but a few good skylights would nearly be as good.

You'll have to keep posting pics like that, its great to see the difference in such a short period of time, cant wait to see them in 6 months :) Hint hint :lol:
 
I have just read this entire thread and am completely amazed. These are some of the best tanks I have ever seen. I love the fact that you are using natural sun and moonlight to supply your animals with thier essential requirements. I'm getting the hell out of Minnesota to somewhere warmer so I can bury my tank in the ground too. Awesome work Victor! Tank of the month material for sure!!!!!!
 
Also Victor, I thought that is was awesome what you did with your clean up crew, If we all respected nature this way, imagine how strong all of the worlds ecosysms woul be. Very nice work.
 
Hi guys.

Beaner3, thank you for your kind words, i'm not doing anything special, nature is.

I still have tons of work to do, and time is always short.

Chris, today is a cloudy day, i don't think that the moon will show up today, maybe tomorrow.

I letf you guys some pics of the work today:

Hell of a day, it rained a lot:

DSC01692.JPG


DSC01660.JPG


DSC01661.JPG


I Finally manage to instal and sicronize the Limewater Reactor with the Calcim Reactor, now the pH is more stable:

DSC01662.JPG


DSC01663.JPG
 
Vitor, I like to see the difference real sunlight makes! I don't know if I could install light tubes in my home or whether they would work as well, but it may be worth looking into. I live in a very sunny climate as well, but not warm enough for outdoor tropical reef tanks.
 
Talking about my sump, someone ask me a few days what did i have in it, nothing special, just the ordenary equipment used on every reef tanks:

Calcium Reactor + Skimmer DELTEC APF600:

DSC01683.JPG


A 5 stage Osmose:

DSC01682.JPG


A 300Watts heater + phosfate filter remover:

DSC01685.JPG


And Finaly my O3 generator:

DSC01681.JPG


And Finally the new acquisition:

DSC01619.JPG


Next time will try to clean up the wires...:D

Hope you enjoy the pics

Best Regards

Vitor Pestana
 
Vitor, what are your thoughts on ozone? I keep hearing the plus and minus of ozone sterilization. By the way I really enjoy the photos, someday I hope to be able to post pictures of your quality. Thanks Dave
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9845698#post9845698 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by petedoc
Vitor, I like to see the difference real sunlight makes! I don't know if I could install light tubes in my home or whether they would work as well, but it may be worth looking into. I live in a very sunny climate as well, but not warm enough for outdoor tropical reef tanks.

Hi Petedoc, how are you doing?

You can always use this setup, the hearth mantains the temp for a long time after the water stays warm.

If the cold night is a problem, you can use a blue roofmate cover just like you see in my sump pics, i lost about 1ºC during the night in this time of the year and my heater is turn off.

If the weather turns bad and cold like 0ºC, there's another way to solve the problem, you can low the water level down so that a fine layer of air stays betwen the glass and the water, this way you get a green house effect.

If you decide to see the tank, you just have to raise the water level... it's very easy and practice.

All the Best

Vitor Pestana
 
Good point about the green house effect! I built an outdoor tank in Minnesota many years ago, but it was for cold freshwater fish. This may be possible in our area, the Winter weather rarely gets below -10 C. I think I must first get my new 270 gal reef completed before any further projects. Although, my wife might prefer the next one outside!
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9845857#post9845857 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by petedoc
Vitor, what are your thoughts on ozone? I keep hearing the plus and minus of ozone sterilization. By the way I really enjoy the photos, someday I hope to be able to post pictures of your quality. Thanks Dave

Hi again.

My opinion about O3 is the better, the water turns cristal clear... very nice and clean, aldow you must be very carefull, i advice the use of a ORP controller just in case.

Other problem is the residual O3, if you'll connect the O3 generator to the skimmer, the residual O3 will scape through the air exit holes of the skimmer, you must install a hose to a activaded carbon filter or connect it direct to the outdoor through a window or similar.

Remember, O3 is very dangerous in high amounts

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9845896#post9845896 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by petedoc
Good point about the green house effect! I built an outdoor tank in Minnesota many years ago, but it was for cold freshwater fish. This may be possible in our area, the Winter weather rarely gets below -10 C. I think I must first get my new 270 gal reef completed before any further projects. Although, my wife might prefer the next one outside!

Good Point... the wifes issues... some day i'll change the name of this thread to "Wife proof tank"!

All the best

Vitor Pestana
 
Vitor- that is an amazing tank. Your creativity is very inspiring. Please keep us posted as your tank progresses!

Abrigado (Is that "Thank you"? My Portugese is very limited :) )
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9859004#post9859004 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Tang Salad
Vitor- that is an amazing tank. Your creativity is very inspiring. Please keep us posted as your tank progresses!

Abrigado (Is that "Thank you"? My Portugese is very limited :) )

Hi!

Thank you for your kind words, "Obrigado"!!!

As soon i have developments i let you guys know.

By the way, Havaii have a better climate then Portugal for these kind of tank.

Best Regards

Vitor Pestana
 
Ah, yes, that's it: Obrigado!

I just had a crazy idea...

DSC01274.JPG


The bottom 1/4 of this picture, the area under the fence covered with stones. Would it be possible to dig this away?

If this area were .5-1 meter lower, you could put low chairs there, and the tank area would be at table-height.

Just an idea, might not be possible or desirable. But once again, great tank!!:)
 
Hi guys!

fishresponse, thank you for your encouragement words.

Tang Salad, that was not a crazy idea, i thought about that to in the beginning of the project, but i realize that i would have a significative temperature loss in winter time, and decide for the upper view, this way i only have one side of the tank in contacting the air.

Regards

Vitor Pestana
 
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