Tank of the Month - August '06
- Thread starter Skipper
- Start date
Could you describe what device you use for an automatic feeder and what your process is for that? Do you do anything to keep the food from floating away and being sucked down the overflow?
How long are you able to be away from home while keeping the tank running properly and all of your inhabitants fed?
How long are you able to be away from home while keeping the tank running properly and all of your inhabitants fed?
NewSchool04
New member
Could you explain how you accomplished your aquascaping? The rock stacking, etc.
Thank you and congrats on TOTM!
Thank you and congrats on TOTM!
Shroom King
Premium Member
Wow!!!! I must say again...
GoblinFish
New member
Congratulation!! that is for sure one dream tank that one day we would all love to have!!!!
AMAZING!
AMAZING!
Hi again,
I am really not sure if I deserve your overwhelming praise.
Well, I decided to take it anyway ;-)).
To the german writing congratulators: Herzlichen Dank für Euer Lob!
@dudeguy, kinerson
How do I feed?
The autofeeder I use is a Grässlin Rondomatic (don't know if there is something alike in the US,
but any other will do, I think. http://www.shop-meeresaquaristik.de/product_info.php?info=p2650_Gr-sslin-Rondomatic.html shows one, when used, it's mounted with the disc horizontally.
The Grässlin has 28 partitions on a disc with about 3.5ml each. You can "program" it like an old analog timer and tell when it should release the content of the next partition.
The device itself is about 10" away from the water and food falling on the water near a
water-outlet from one of the water-movement pumps.
That works quite well and food is caught by the moving water before getting down to the sump.
(It works better with pellets, than with flakes).
Normally I feed the prior frozen food once in the morning before leaving home, one time
after coming home in the afternoon and a third time one hour before light is switched off.
The Grässlin feeds the flake/pellet mix 2 times during the day.
The lightcycle is adapted to my "uptime", so it turns on half an hour before I leave, which
gives me the chance to have enough time in the afternoon to look at it and feed.
The blue light that turns on before, and turns off after all the others is on for 14 hours
(no problems with coral and fish).
The plancter replacements I feed 2 times a day, in the morning prior to turning light on and
in the evening shortly before light is turned off (Anthias eat also the Zooplancter replacement).
AminoAcids are dosed after light went off.
Of course I can't do it each and every day like this, but most of the time.
If I am away for some days, the Grässlin feeds 4 times a day and other food is simply not
fed. I did that for about 6 days in the past which worked without problems.
All fish but the Copperband love to eat flakes/pellets and the Copperband is getting enough from the LR for that time.
I have SMS notification at the IKS for temperature/waterlevel/pH/poweroutage and my webcam which is all accessable with my mobile.
For that I feel ok to leave for about a week (6 days) without having anyone looking after the tank.
The Balling solutions are enough for max. 3 weeks if containers are full.
After a week the filtersocks etc. will have to be replaced.
@NewSchool04
About the aquascaping:
The reef mainly consists of reef-pylons, made by taking LR plates, drilling a hole in them
and stacking on a PVC-pipe.
Having different diameters on plates, this will result in the middle 2/3 of the tank. 4 1/2 pylons, which are interconnected by some extra plates,
which are put on the existing and secured by cable ties to give more stability.
For the right and left end of the tank, there are PVC angels (90 degree) secured with
silicone to the tank itself. Using cable ties to attach a PVC-pipe to it, this is the
basis to tie (cable ties again) plates and stones to them.
At the basis of the pylons and other reefstructure, there are simply LR placed to get
a more stable and more 3D view. Looking like they are somehow connected as a reef.
In my view its importand to have something high in front of other not that high things
to generate a 3D - deep - view feeling.
We tried (I read in a Bonsai/Japanese gardening book about) to arrange all things
in triangles (from topview and also frontview with different heights) to get a nice view.
I think diy books about japanese gardening are a great source of ideas on how to
place rockwork/plants (LR/coral) in a way humans like.
Thanks again,
Ralf
I am really not sure if I deserve your overwhelming praise.
Well, I decided to take it anyway ;-)).
To the german writing congratulators: Herzlichen Dank für Euer Lob!
@dudeguy, kinerson
How do I feed?
The autofeeder I use is a Grässlin Rondomatic (don't know if there is something alike in the US,
but any other will do, I think. http://www.shop-meeresaquaristik.de/product_info.php?info=p2650_Gr-sslin-Rondomatic.html shows one, when used, it's mounted with the disc horizontally.
The Grässlin has 28 partitions on a disc with about 3.5ml each. You can "program" it like an old analog timer and tell when it should release the content of the next partition.
The device itself is about 10" away from the water and food falling on the water near a
water-outlet from one of the water-movement pumps.
That works quite well and food is caught by the moving water before getting down to the sump.
(It works better with pellets, than with flakes).
Normally I feed the prior frozen food once in the morning before leaving home, one time
after coming home in the afternoon and a third time one hour before light is switched off.
The Grässlin feeds the flake/pellet mix 2 times during the day.
The lightcycle is adapted to my "uptime", so it turns on half an hour before I leave, which
gives me the chance to have enough time in the afternoon to look at it and feed.
The blue light that turns on before, and turns off after all the others is on for 14 hours
(no problems with coral and fish).
The plancter replacements I feed 2 times a day, in the morning prior to turning light on and
in the evening shortly before light is turned off (Anthias eat also the Zooplancter replacement).
AminoAcids are dosed after light went off.
Of course I can't do it each and every day like this, but most of the time.
If I am away for some days, the Grässlin feeds 4 times a day and other food is simply not
fed. I did that for about 6 days in the past which worked without problems.
All fish but the Copperband love to eat flakes/pellets and the Copperband is getting enough from the LR for that time.
I have SMS notification at the IKS for temperature/waterlevel/pH/poweroutage and my webcam which is all accessable with my mobile.
For that I feel ok to leave for about a week (6 days) without having anyone looking after the tank.
The Balling solutions are enough for max. 3 weeks if containers are full.
After a week the filtersocks etc. will have to be replaced.
@NewSchool04
About the aquascaping:
The reef mainly consists of reef-pylons, made by taking LR plates, drilling a hole in them
and stacking on a PVC-pipe.
Having different diameters on plates, this will result in the middle 2/3 of the tank. 4 1/2 pylons, which are interconnected by some extra plates,
which are put on the existing and secured by cable ties to give more stability.
For the right and left end of the tank, there are PVC angels (90 degree) secured with
silicone to the tank itself. Using cable ties to attach a PVC-pipe to it, this is the
basis to tie (cable ties again) plates and stones to them.
At the basis of the pylons and other reefstructure, there are simply LR placed to get
a more stable and more 3D view. Looking like they are somehow connected as a reef.
In my view its importand to have something high in front of other not that high things
to generate a 3D - deep - view feeling.
We tried (I read in a Bonsai/Japanese gardening book about) to arrange all things
in triangles (from topview and also frontview with different heights) to get a nice view.
I think diy books about japanese gardening are a great source of ideas on how to
place rockwork/plants (LR/coral) in a way humans like.
Thanks again,
Ralf
NewSchool04
New member
Thank you Ralf and good luck with your tank in the future!
Ralph - definitely the best reef tank I've seen, you must be very happy. I'm particularly amazed at the way you've used Bonsai
placement dynamics as the root of your aquascaping - ingenius.
I love Bonsai too. Even your invert stocking decisions are brilliant -
you've even thought carefully about that.
This is also the first time I'm being educated about the Balling
system. I'm very interested in getting to understand this.
I'm running a small 60gal system with SPS/LPS. I'm only running
a Kalkstirrer with no Ca Reactor. My Ca is usually too high - 500.
But everything is very healthy. I dose liquid KH daily.
I've been searching the web for information or a guide to creating
and dosing with this method. I just bought Amino Acids(Marc Weiss) and plan on using it daily. At the moment I use Strontium/Molyb (2Xweek), Iodide (1/week), Mg(1/week), + buffer everyday as I said. Unfortunately I don't test my Mg. Plus I do a weekly 10% waterchange with Aquamedic Salt.
Where could I find more info on the Balling Method and is it expensive? Is it similar to the Zeovit system in anyway?
thanks again for sharing your awesome tank.
placement dynamics as the root of your aquascaping - ingenius.
I love Bonsai too. Even your invert stocking decisions are brilliant -
you've even thought carefully about that.
This is also the first time I'm being educated about the Balling
system. I'm very interested in getting to understand this.
I'm running a small 60gal system with SPS/LPS. I'm only running
a Kalkstirrer with no Ca Reactor. My Ca is usually too high - 500.
But everything is very healthy. I dose liquid KH daily.
I've been searching the web for information or a guide to creating
and dosing with this method. I just bought Amino Acids(Marc Weiss) and plan on using it daily. At the moment I use Strontium/Molyb (2Xweek), Iodide (1/week), Mg(1/week), + buffer everyday as I said. Unfortunately I don't test my Mg. Plus I do a weekly 10% waterchange with Aquamedic Salt.
Where could I find more info on the Balling Method and is it expensive? Is it similar to the Zeovit system in anyway?
thanks again for sharing your awesome tank.
Wow! Unbelievable tank and engineering. Congratulations on what appears to be perfection of our hobby.
Johan Susanto
New member
WOW!! very nice & clean setting. congratulation mate!
question : what the pvc pipe inside tank for??
question : what the pvc pipe inside tank for??
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