The poor college student 215 Oceanic Reef!

T

THEMANTISMAN

New member
So guys like the subject line said I am a poor (kinda) college student. I picked up this system about 3 months ago and it came with everything I needed, but I didnt want everything. So I got the system for a song and sold off the things that I didnt want/need and have broke even! I think thats about the first time I have ever heard this in the hobby lol After all was said and done I kept the 215 Oceanic, the stand (one of those nice ones that cost an arm and a leg), the sump (custom Magnum Reef Systems acrylic) and earned $50 to boot! So I know that this is going to be an SPS only system so I thought that I would use dry rock completely and seed it with water out of my other big system (500+) that I have access to. I wanted to do this because I am trying to keep it as "nutrient" deprived as possible and curing live rock in this does not fulfill this. Oh yeah there is 500 pounds of sand cause I love jawfish and want a pair of them. This is still a work in progress and I do have a few questions about it. The only question that I have left is 1) lighting. I am thinking an 8 bulb 80 watt retro would be the best way to go. I am thinking this because I dont want to put a chiller on this because if you read the subject line you will understand. The top of the water is only 24" from the sand so i think I will be good. Is there anyone out there that is doing this? 2) I am thinking 2 Tunze 6100's cause its my birthday soon and I am trying to get everyone to chip in, if you look at the subject line you will understand :) So without further babbling here are a few pics so far: the dry rock then went through quite a bit of epoxy work ;)
131251dry_rock0001.JPG

Look at the sand!!
131251sandsandsand.JPG

you need 3D glasses to appreciate this...I was amazed that rocks would hold this way with the epoxy. People that have seen this in person really liked it
131251filledplus_1_hour0001.JPG

This is the "sump room" it is functional but all the room in my apartment is being utilized so I am happy so far!
131251sump_room0001.JPG

What do you guys think? Any comments?
 
i have just replace that 20lb co2 tank with a 150lb co2 tank. i got a great deal on 3 of them and had to buy them all,so i am going to try to sell the other 2, should last a while :)
 
I'm in your shoes to Mantis. Looks good so far. Hope your saving up for LR. Do you have insurance for when that goes through the floor? jk How did you get that to the 5th floor?
 
I am not saving for live rock, I have put in 250 gallons from an established reef and about 20 pounds of live sand. Hopefully that is enough to keep the SPS going, I have some anthias in there already and they are doing good. I only have NO lights on there right now b/c I am saving for the lighting, which I am open to suggestions. I got it to the 5th floor by way of elevator :) and I have an RO and a dolly so everything else was a snap.
 
btw I love your screen name yuma...took me a sec to get it, I have been burnin the candle at both ends with chem finals for summer quarter
 
That is a SERIOUS amount of sand. Did you use an earthmover to put it in? :D

Seriously, how much is in there, and how deep is it?
 
Why not go the route of 175W MH's and 2 160W VHO's. There is nothing like the shimmer created by MH's I have a 210 Oceanic with 3 250W MH & 2 160W VHO's. The lights are about 12" above the waters surface and my tank temp has yet to go above 80 degrees. The light are housed in a box that is suspended above the tank has a piece of acrylic between the lights and the waters surface. Also the are 2 fans on the light box as I will call it, one that draws air in and one the pushes air out. Just my .02 cents on a possibility for your lights.
 
Like that new skimmer. What is the footprint? One of these days I'll actually make it out to see it.

Joe
 
sailfish-i thought about using the halides and then I got thinking that I have seen some dope tanks run on T-5's. They also appear to be more efficient with the wattage than metal halides would be....and 8x80 watt fixture=640 watts but the 3x175 mh with 2 160 watt vhos would be 845 watts, and the t-5's will put out more PAR than the halides. I think the bulbs will last longer too so that is a long term savings. Do you not think that T-5s can keep an SPS tank? I have been thinking about just a 4 bulb VHO retro too but I am not sure, I think the T-5's are the way to go.

Joe-I have heard that before about making it out here ;) The footprint is 9x21 and its 30 tall, those are all off the top of my head but i think thats right.

Here is an odd question but is it possible to hook an ozone machine up to the calcium reator and use that instead of CO2? I have looked to see if this is possible, I just like the idea of not having to drop the pH so much to get the media to dissolve and thought that ozone would probably do it. Just a thought, wondering if anyone has a definative answer on that.
 
taco cat- there is all of 7 inches or so in there. I used a fine oolite for the bottom 3.5-4 inches and seafloor grade on top of that, I set it up because I would love to have a pair of red headed jawfish in there! Plus the filter value of it, I think that if a DSB is effectively used then it is great for nitrate export. I dont want to start the DSB vs. BB argument though--its just my opinion. Opinions are like.....well you know the rest
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8042861#post8042861 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by THEMANTISMAN
taco cat- there is all of 7 inches or so in there. I used a fine oolite for the bottom 3.5-4 inches and seafloor grade on top of that, I set it up because I would love to have a pair of red headed jawfish in there! Plus the filter value of it, I think that if a DSB is effectively used then it is great for nitrate export. I dont want to start the DSB vs. BB argument though--its just my opinion. Opinions are like.....well you know the rest
Click to expand...

My only observation would be that it cuts down on your (or soon to be) fishes' swimming room. On the other hand, it gets the corals closer to the light.

My buddy had a 5" sandbed in his 240g. I knew you had him beat. :D

BTW, have you ever considered garden eels.
 
yes i am definately going to do at least 5 garden eels, I love those guys! I get a great deal on livestock so I am putting the money in the livestock. I am also thinking of having about 10 anthias and a Red Sea Regal angel, perhaps a nice Ancanthurus tang but I am not for sure on that yet.
 
THEMANTISMAN - I have seen some T-5's used on keeping SPS's. I have only seen pictures on RC. I have not seen them in person. I have good success with the MH's I have. I don't know what the life expectancy is on the T-5's nor the PAR output.
 
Ciro-that is for the Calcium Reactor

Sailfish-I have heard that the PAR off of T-5's(dependent on reflectors and ballast of course) was 180ish and 250 watt Radiums were like 150ish, I am thinking of either the 8 bulb 60" Icecap Retro or the 72" Aquanetics fixture, havent really decided yet. I have heard that at 1.5 years there is a 10% reduction in output from the T-5's. Granted all the info on the T-5's is subject to debate. What do you think about going with no lr only base and doing water changes out of an established reef? I hope this will give me the desired outcome but I havent heard of anyone that has done it.
 
Do you have a problem with sand getting sucked up into the overflow at the bottom?

I have the exact same tank as you and the overflows have those slits on the bottom, middle and top to create a siphon action from different parts of the tank.

The sand covers the slits on the bottom. Are you seeing sand in your sump because of this?
 
nice deal on that tank, thats kinda how I've been going through this hobby, thats also a really nice dsb! mine isn't that deep on my sw tank I wish it was I want some jawfish but I'd have to stir up everything on the tank again :)
 
TCU-I wasnt worried about this because in my last tank I did the same thing and I think that if you have enough sand to just cover it you will have a problem with the siphon but if you cover the slits with a couple of inches of sand there is no problem. I havent noticed sand in either the sump or the overflows.

Corivus- You know what they say Proper Prior Planning Prevents Psss Poor Performance! I love jawfish and knew that I wanted to have them in this tank so I, for once, planned ahead and allowed for the sand to be this deep. An added bonus is that I dont have to have as much light over this system which is good for the electric bill :) I am leaning more and more towards the T-5, I am 99% sure that I am going to use T-5's
 
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