Tank Of The Month - March 2009

[ReefBum]

Many thanks gasman059 and jason!

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14643154#post14643154 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ryshark
Awesome tank, I did the aquascaping in my new 180 very similar a couple months ago. My question is exactly where do you have your tunze powerheads and how are they positioned? It is hard to see in the picture, but it looks like one on each side panel towards the back and pointing straight across the tank at each other.

Thanks ryshark. You have it right. The Tunze pumps are positioned in the back corners facing one another along the back panel. This was part of my design to have an open channel in the back of the tank to allow for more circulation. A controller has the Tunze pumps operating on different intervals to create a nice random surge within the tank.

 

[juldelf]

congrats for your tank of the month
just to know which acro is this one, turaki??

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2009-03/totm/images/coral7.jpg

thanks

 

[EyesClosed]

Reefbum,
i am in the process of designing a system which is simular in the the sense that the filter room will be below and about 6 meters to the side of the display.

Do you have any recommendations or experience regarding plumbing, return pumps, overflow, etc. Especially since there is such a height difference? I'm considered the extra vertival drop may make the overflow louder? And are you happy with the amount of flow rate back into the tank? i was planning only a single return pump.

I have just started a new thread about this, perhaps provide some advise there... Basement filter room

thanks

 

[ReefBum]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14645057#post14645057 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by juldelf
congrats for your tank of the month
just to know which acro is this one, turaki??

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2009-03/totm/images/coral7.jpg

thanks

Thanks juldelf. That is an ORA Hawkins Echinata. I had it mid-way in the tank and it wasn't lovin it so I moved it down near the bottom and it is thriving. It is a great piece

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14648427#post14648427 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by EyesClosed
Reefbum,
i am in the process of designing a system which is simular in the the sense that the filter room will be below and about 6 meters to the side of the display.

Do you have any recommendations or experience regarding plumbing, return pumps, overflow, etc. Especially since there is such a height difference? I'm considered the extra vertival drop may make the overflow louder? And are you happy with the amount of flow rate back into the tank? i was planning only a single return pump.

I have just started a new thread about this, perhaps provide some advise there... Basement filter room

thanks

I have 2 Blueline 70 pumps returning water from the sump back upstairs to the tank. Each pump puts out 1750 GPH at the head and I have them throttled back a bit. There is some noise with the overflow but it sounds like the beach

 

[Palyophile]

Bravo, stunning, beautiful tank!

 

[T Man]

Great reef, another great honor...congratulations! TinMan

 

[ddier2020]

My apologies Ching but I don't have any video. I have been playing around with adding a web cam so I might have that down the road.

Reefbum

so what happens when the pumps shut off.

 

[ReefBum]

Thanks Palyophile and TinMan.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14649579#post14649579 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ddier2020
Reefbum

so what happens when the pumps shut off.

Gabe- I'm fortunate to have a full house emergency generator that kicks in automatically when power is cut. I do travel a bit so having a web cam or another way to keep tabs on the tank remotely would put my mind at ease.

 

[ReefTank1]

Thanks ReefTank1. My ProCal is fed by a small Blueline pump that came with the unit. I had problems with a consistent flow/bubble rate as well for a while. I was able to fix it by switching from small grain to large grain CaribSea ARM media and getting rid of a magnesium supplement I had in the second chamber. I also upped my bubble count to around 90 bubbles a minute. My reactor pressure is about the same as yours and around 9 psi in the C02 tank. Is the pressure higher in your C02 tank vs. the chamber? If not, then this might be part of the problem or perhaps there is something clogging one of the lines.

Thanks for your reply ReefBum - I tried turning up the bubble count to 90bpm and accordingly increased the flow rate to 90ml/min. This seems to have exacerbated the problem - the first chamber is even more clogged with bubbles and the flow rate drops even faster. The pressure in the CO2 tank is 22psi. So this seems to be a problem where the CO2 is not being dissolved properly and is slowing the flow as the bubbles clog the media.
What flow rate do you use? and do you see your media getting clogged with bubbles?

you can see it in these pictures:

thanks

 

[jerome arcachon]

Congratulations Reefbum

 

[ryshark]

ReefBum-
Have you had any problems with the pocillopora reproducing and having mini colonies popping up everywhere?

 

[reefdale]

Tank of the month

Tank of the month

Reefbum,

This set up is the cat's ***! Is the tank stand custom made or store bought? As an engineer, I love the floor support system, I think you could park a truck in your tank room! Outstanding!

ReefDale

 

[ReefBum]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14660826#post14660826 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ReefTank1
Thanks for your reply ReefBum - I tried turning up the bubble count to 90bpm and accordingly increased the flow rate to 90ml/min. This seems to have exacerbated the problem - the first chamber is even more clogged with bubbles and the flow rate drops even faster. The pressure in the CO2 tank is 22psi. So this seems to be a problem where the CO2 is not being dissolved properly and is slowing the flow as the bubbles clog the media.
What flow rate do you use? and do you see your media getting clogged with bubbles?

you can see it in these pictures:

thanks

My flow rate according to the meter on the unit is around .10 (the ball is just below the half way point in the flow chamber). It looks to me like you might have some finer particles of media sandwiched between the larger media...this might be part of the problem since it could be impacting the flow. I didn't get the unit working consistently until I removed and replaced all the media and flushed out all the lines. Ever since then it has been very consistent. I believe I had a clog somewhere so perhaps you are having the same issue.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14664159#post14664159 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jerome arcachon
Congratulations Reefbum

Thanks!

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14666107#post14666107 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ryshark
ReefBum-
Have you had any problems with the pocillopora reproducing and having mini colonies popping up everywhere?

Funny you ask because I just noticed one last week in my sand bed. Can they really multiply a lot?

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14667805#post14667805 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by reefdale
Reefbum,

This set up is the cat's ***! Is the tank stand custom made or store bought? As an engineer, I love the floor support system, I think you could park a truck in your tank room! Outstanding!

ReefDale

Thanks ReefDale! It is a custom stand from Greenwich Aquaria.....it is built solid as a rock and looks fantastic. As for the floor supports, you are right about the sturdiness. If the house comes down the fish tank will be the only thing left standing

 

[kifeter]

Thats a nice tank!

 

[NexDog]

Your Tunze positioning has me puzzled. On one hand I think it's pure genius and on teh other I'm worrying if you get enough flow around the front of the islands. I'm tearing down my system and rebuilding at some point so I want a simple Tunze flow design that works. Also with the currents colliding in the middle does the sand bed not trough badly in the middle?

Great tank, awesome inspirational material right there.

 

[ReefBum]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14676831#post14676831 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kifeter
Thats a nice tank!

Thanks!

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14678741#post14678741 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by NexDog
Your Tunze positioning has me puzzled. On one hand I think it's pure genius and on teh other I'm worrying if you get enough flow around the front of the islands. I'm tearing down my system and rebuilding at some point so I want a simple Tunze flow design that works. Also with the currents colliding in the middle does the sand bed not trough badly in the middle?

Great tank, awesome inspirational material right there.

My thinking was to create a nice surge in the tank by having them face one another and pulse...one on for 30 secs then the other one would go on for 30 secs. My returns bring flow over the top of the reef and bounce it off the front glass, bringing it in front of the islands. I do believe more flow will have to be added eventually when things grow in even more

 

[acrouse]

All I can say is WOW!! Your tank has amazing coloration- including your fish. I really like your choice of aquascaping-where you have the space in the middle. Amazing quality photos. Congratulations-well deserved.

Jolene

 

[ReefBum]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14693029#post14693029 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by acrouse
All I can say is WOW!! Your tank has amazing coloration- including your fish. I really like your choice of aquascaping-where you have the space in the middle. Amazing quality photos. Congratulations-well deserved.

Jolene

Many thanks Jolene! It is a labor of love!

 

[soccerbag]

Can you elaborate a bit more on your RO/DI and Kalk top-off? I have a Litermeter III as well and find that my calcium reactor does not keep my pH as stable as I would like (i.e. it drops big time in the night hours). Do you have your LiterMeter III setup to dose a particular amount of RO and a particular amount of Kalk throughout the day? I'm trying to figure out a good system but can't seem to figure out the best way (as I really only need to dose Kalk when the lights are out).

Any input about your setup would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Craig

 

[ReefBum]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14714237#post14714237 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by soccerbag
Can you elaborate a bit more on your RO/DI and Kalk top-off? I have a Litermeter III as well and find that my calcium reactor does not keep my pH as stable as I would like (i.e. it drops big time in the night hours). Do you have your LiterMeter III setup to dose a particular amount of RO and a particular amount of Kalk throughout the day? I'm trying to figure out a good system but can't seem to figure out the best way (as I really only need to dose Kalk when the lights are out).

Any input about your setup would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Craig

Craig- I have the line out from my Liter Meter plumbed into my Kalk reactor so all my topoff goes through the reactor. I just change out the Kalk every month and it seems to do the job in terms of keeping my pH up.