Tank of the Month - July 2005
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WOW, and question on the refugium
WOW, and question on the refugium
Noob alert!
That said: Your system is certainly something to strive for!!
Question: I'm looking into raising food in a 'fuge fo rthe main tank. I've found resources for stock and feeding.
How do you get the critters into the main tank? Do you simply raise so many that some portion of them will regularly flow from the fuge into the main tank? Is there any other transport mechanism?
What sort of critters to you raise in your 'fuge?
My apologies if this is not the appropriate forum!!
WOW, and question on the refugium
Noob alert!
That said: Your system is certainly something to strive for!!
Question: I'm looking into raising food in a 'fuge fo rthe main tank. I've found resources for stock and feeding.
How do you get the critters into the main tank? Do you simply raise so many that some portion of them will regularly flow from the fuge into the main tank? Is there any other transport mechanism?
What sort of critters to you raise in your 'fuge?
My apologies if this is not the appropriate forum!!
appellativo
New member
"Do you simply raise so many that some portion of them will regularly flow from the fuge into the main tank? Is there any other transport mechanism?"
you can pump water from the refugium up to the main tank (will be required if the fuge is below the main tank, and it will pulverize the pods in the process) or if the fuge is above the main tank, let the critters 'fall' back down to the main tank (better method).
you could always chase the pods around the fuge and catch them with a net....(I am being silly)
you can pump water from the refugium up to the main tank (will be required if the fuge is below the main tank, and it will pulverize the pods in the process) or if the fuge is above the main tank, let the critters 'fall' back down to the main tank (better method).
you could always chase the pods around the fuge and catch them with a net....(I am being silly)
Re: WOW, and question on the refugium
Re: WOW, and question on the refugium
The fuge is fed with some food and has no predatory fishes, and so the population of pods/mysids simply breed and expand continuously (to available food). Some of which gets into the main tank via the overflow (fuge is higher than the tank) as live food.
Re: WOW, and question on the refugium
cookies said:
The fuge is fed with some food and has no predatory fishes, and so the population of pods/mysids simply breed and expand continuously (to available food). Some of which gets into the main tank via the overflow (fuge is higher than the tank) as live food.
foundahobby
New member
Wow, very nice tank.
Any chance of seeing this thing in person when in UK?
Any chance of seeing this thing in person when in UK?
My first post on this board
My first post on this board
I was pointed to see your tank by a sales rep. at Marine Depot.com I was blown away, like everyone else is saying.
I had to join this board and congratulate you.
Your tank has given me so many ideas for my work in progress 220g.
Thanks for sharing!
My first post on this board
I was pointed to see your tank by a sales rep. at Marine Depot.com I was blown away, like everyone else is saying.
I had to join this board and congratulate you.
Your tank has given me so many ideas for my work in progress 220g.
Thanks for sharing!
still studying your set-up
still studying your set-up
Can you please explain in more detail the plumbing from the overflow to the water change sump and main sump?
You speak of a change in height restricting flow, do you mean there is one large pipe from the overflow that is Tee'd so the horizontal side of the T goes upward, then back down? or does it do a complete loop>?What stumps me is what happens when you shut the flow to the water change sump? Since your main sump's pump is set for pumping a larger amount of water out, now will it be emptying your sump out? I am confused...
still studying your set-up
Can you please explain in more detail the plumbing from the overflow to the water change sump and main sump?
You speak of a change in height restricting flow, do you mean there is one large pipe from the overflow that is Tee'd so the horizontal side of the T goes upward, then back down? or does it do a complete loop>?What stumps me is what happens when you shut the flow to the water change sump? Since your main sump's pump is set for pumping a larger amount of water out, now will it be emptying your sump out? I am confused...
Here's a rough diagram - excuse my noddy sketch!
The overflow, big grey pipe from the top, splits into two branches, the higher branch feeds the main sump, and the lower one into the water change vessel.
Gravity and the velocity of water falling down means the water would try to go for the lower branch first, ie. into the water change tank. With the tap open this happens, and then the water overflow back out of this tank into the main sump using the blue overflow pipe.
With the tap closed, water is forced to exit via the higher branch and into the main sump, isolating the water change tank with just one valve.
Tank Shelving
Tank Shelving
First off, amazing tank! I had a few questions if you had a quick second. . .
1. Where did you get the stand/shelving to hold your refugium, frag tank, and sump? I really love the concept (great use of vertical space) and would like to use one for my filter room redesign.
2. Do you do anything special to avoid bubbles entering the display tank from the refugium?
WOW!
Tank Shelving
First off, amazing tank! I had a few questions if you had a quick second. . .
1. Where did you get the stand/shelving to hold your refugium, frag tank, and sump? I really love the concept (great use of vertical space) and would like to use one for my filter room redesign.
2. Do you do anything special to avoid bubbles entering the display tank from the refugium?
WOW!
Re: Tank Shelving
Re: Tank Shelving
1. I just used a second hand storage rack, the heavy duty kind for warehousing kind of thing, painted it black.
2. There's no micro bubble problems in the tank due to the large volume so bubbles have plenty of time to dissipate.
Re: Tank Shelving
jimcombs9 said:
1. I just used a second hand storage rack, the heavy duty kind for warehousing kind of thing, painted it black.
2. There's no micro bubble problems in the tank due to the large volume so bubbles have plenty of time to dissipate.
Ditto to what everyone else has said. I had to read all the pages to get the answer of my question ... how exactly the water change tank and sump were plumbed together. I have a couple questions:
1. Is you sump divided at all?
2. Is the water change tank divided to try and trap most of the detritus in it instead of the sump?
3. Do you have any pictures of your tank room now that it is running (in particular, you plumbing, etc.)
Thanks for the inspiration. I will definitely use the water change idea for my next tank.
1. Is you sump divided at all?
2. Is the water change tank divided to try and trap most of the detritus in it instead of the sump?
3. Do you have any pictures of your tank room now that it is running (in particular, you plumbing, etc.)
Thanks for the inspiration. I will definitely use the water change idea for my next tank.
The sump has a one simple divider to separate the water coming down from the tank (from which the pump for the skimmers is pulling out), and the skimmed/filtered water which is being returned back into the display tank.
This is just to maximise the skimming efficiency passing as much of dirty water through the skimmer as possible.
One nice feature of the water change tank is that as the flow is relatively slow it works very well as a settling tank for detritus.
This is just to maximise the skimming efficiency passing as much of dirty water through the skimmer as possible.
One nice feature of the water change tank is that as the flow is relatively slow it works very well as a settling tank for detritus.
Tuan,
I am sure your tour of duty for TOTM is well over, but I would appreciate your thoughts/approach on DSBs and refugia if you have time.
I had a question about your refugium and DSBs in light of what I've read recently from Dr. Ron. From the sound of things, your fuge w/ DSB is teaming with life and has done very well despite getting mostly "clean" water that has passed through your skimmer, filters, etc first. If I understood Dr. Ron correctly, he said remote DSBs are worthless. He argues that DSBs that get clean water receive no food, and therefore cannot populate with the necessary organisms to denitrify or to provide interesting critters. Obviously, the proof is in the pudding, and you are apparently happy with yours, but I hoped you could provide your two cents on a remote dsb/refugium. Do you feed the fuge?
Secondly, you have a deep sand bed within the main tanks with around 50x flow. What's your secret to avoid sand storms? Do you reseed this sand bed? Do your cukes seem to keep it pretty well turned and clean?
The ping pong battle of to DSB or not to DSB can make a guy go nuts, and I'm trying to decide how I want to proceed with my new tank. I've noticed at least the previous two TOTMs have used DSBs, and your tanks are amazing, so I am inclined to do the same. Nevertheless, I would love to hear your thinking on the subject.
Thanks,
Jim
I am sure your tour of duty for TOTM is well over, but I would appreciate your thoughts/approach on DSBs and refugia if you have time.
I had a question about your refugium and DSBs in light of what I've read recently from Dr. Ron. From the sound of things, your fuge w/ DSB is teaming with life and has done very well despite getting mostly "clean" water that has passed through your skimmer, filters, etc first. If I understood Dr. Ron correctly, he said remote DSBs are worthless. He argues that DSBs that get clean water receive no food, and therefore cannot populate with the necessary organisms to denitrify or to provide interesting critters. Obviously, the proof is in the pudding, and you are apparently happy with yours, but I hoped you could provide your two cents on a remote dsb/refugium. Do you feed the fuge?
Secondly, you have a deep sand bed within the main tanks with around 50x flow. What's your secret to avoid sand storms? Do you reseed this sand bed? Do your cukes seem to keep it pretty well turned and clean?
The ping pong battle of to DSB or not to DSB can make a guy go nuts, and I'm trying to decide how I want to proceed with my new tank. I've noticed at least the previous two TOTMs have used DSBs, and your tanks are amazing, so I am inclined to do the same. Nevertheless, I would love to hear your thinking on the subject.
Thanks,
Jim
Re: remote refugia
My refugia is fed from the sump in the area where the main tank overflow falls in so the water being pumped up into the refugia would have suspended food (when I feed the tank I feed enough particulate food for the water to go cloudy!) as well as rich in organics. So I wouldn't say this is 'clean' water, quite the opposite in fact.
Also, it's large size and strong lighting (300watt worth of MH!), means quite significant food input, if you consider that light is food, and so we're talking about creating food from the grounds up as algae/photosynthetic organisms.
Occasionally I do throw in food into the refugia as well. Not as often as I should perhaps, but some food do get there. Sometimes I throw in food that I didn't want to feed the fish (e.g. like when I forget to put the food back into the freezer! ).
Re: main tank DSB
With a lot of flow the sand does shift about in the display tank. However, with strategic placements of rocks in the sand, and deep enough sand, after a while it settles down to dunes and troughs that doesn't really move. If I move some rocks or a large coral which affect the flow dynamics then the sand dunes will move to a new pattern but again will settle down. The key points is the large area, rocks acting as current breaks and deep enough layer.
As for the constant battle between the DSB & BB gangs I can't really comment. With my DSB and strong flow one thing I've noted is the water column is not quite crystal clear but having lots of particulate matter (which looks a bit closer to a real reef to me rather than 'laboratory grade crystal clear'). It takes a bit of getting used to but I guess in the end it's good for the filter feeders (I have some a Gonipora which seems to do a lot better in this tank). The other pain of having a DSB is you can't really move the rocks about once it is established so you really have to make up your mind and then leave it well alone.
HTH.
My refugia is fed from the sump in the area where the main tank overflow falls in so the water being pumped up into the refugia would have suspended food (when I feed the tank I feed enough particulate food for the water to go cloudy!) as well as rich in organics. So I wouldn't say this is 'clean' water, quite the opposite in fact.
Also, it's large size and strong lighting (300watt worth of MH!), means quite significant food input, if you consider that light is food, and so we're talking about creating food from the grounds up as algae/photosynthetic organisms.
Occasionally I do throw in food into the refugia as well. Not as often as I should perhaps, but some food do get there. Sometimes I throw in food that I didn't want to feed the fish (e.g. like when I forget to put the food back into the freezer! ).
Re: main tank DSB
With a lot of flow the sand does shift about in the display tank. However, with strategic placements of rocks in the sand, and deep enough sand, after a while it settles down to dunes and troughs that doesn't really move. If I move some rocks or a large coral which affect the flow dynamics then the sand dunes will move to a new pattern but again will settle down. The key points is the large area, rocks acting as current breaks and deep enough layer.
As for the constant battle between the DSB & BB gangs I can't really comment. With my DSB and strong flow one thing I've noted is the water column is not quite crystal clear but having lots of particulate matter (which looks a bit closer to a real reef to me rather than 'laboratory grade crystal clear'). It takes a bit of getting used to but I guess in the end it's good for the filter feeders (I have some a Gonipora which seems to do a lot better in this tank). The other pain of having a DSB is you can't really move the rocks about once it is established so you really have to make up your mind and then leave it well alone.
HTH.
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