Zachtos’ unique 240G reef w/ 375G sump/fuge-growout/RDSB/aggro tank
- Thread starter zachtos
- Start date
reeferman75
In Memoriam
Zack
This is the DICK Hole in GA. just to let every one know when all this started out . Zack was in no hurry for the equipment. He new I travle alot for my job and had no problem and never set a time frame. He new I was doing it as my time permitted. After a few weeks he was wanting everything right then and there. The only thing he is missing is the pump, media co2 bottle. I told him the company had these thing on back order. But he is not saying anything about this now is he. Zack before you start bashing someone and telling other people to harrass me tell everyone the whole story.
This is the DICK Hole in GA. just to let every one know when all this started out . Zack was in no hurry for the equipment. He new I travle alot for my job and had no problem and never set a time frame. He new I was doing it as my time permitted. After a few weeks he was wanting everything right then and there. The only thing he is missing is the pump, media co2 bottle. I told him the company had these thing on back order. But he is not saying anything about this now is he. Zack before you start bashing someone and telling other people to harrass me tell everyone the whole story.
zachtos
Active member
Yes, I apologize for that. I am very satisfied with the equipment Brad built for me. It's the last 10% of the equipment that got held up and never delivered. My paramaters for Ca/Alk are very hard to control without that now and I took it out on him. I understand how busy we all are in life and got too personal. It is a hobby, and I should remember that. I would like to edit my old post, but am unable. I arranged a refund with Brad for the rest of the missing equipment and ordered the rest from myreefcreations.com and should have it up and running shortly. The skimmer he built works quite well.
Fish are doing well, no losses. I added another fuge light and am planning to pick up some zoathids possibly this Thursday from a fellow reefer in Lansing, MI after a meeting for work. My 75G should be plumbed up shortly. I have built the overflow and will post photos later.
zachtos
Active member
DIY feed timer thread posted seperately
DIY feed timer thread posted seperately
DIY feeder timer directions - Do to popular demand and many PMs, I decided to post more directions on how to make a DIY feeder timer. I'm sure this has been done somewhere before in the world. I know you can do this with a DPST spa timer, but they were around $50 and special order only, I built my setup out of pocket for $20 or so.
*Ca reactor parts have arrived. I filled the CO2 tank this morning and plan to hook that bad boy up tonight or tomorrow!
*Also, punched holes in the drywall and started working on plumbing my 75G into the system, more to come on that later.
-Still growing corraline slowly. All SPS seem to be doing OK and have polyps extended most of the day. No fish deaths or noticable algae blooms since I started feeding my home made food. I may be adding some zoa's soon around the base of my tank unless someone thinks those are a bad idea in an SPS tank?
DIY feed timer thread posted seperately
DIY feeder timer directions - Do to popular demand and many PMs, I decided to post more directions on how to make a DIY feeder timer. I'm sure this has been done somewhere before in the world. I know you can do this with a DPST spa timer, but they were around $50 and special order only, I built my setup out of pocket for $20 or so.
*Ca reactor parts have arrived. I filled the CO2 tank this morning and plan to hook that bad boy up tonight or tomorrow!
*Also, punched holes in the drywall and started working on plumbing my 75G into the system, more to come on that later.
-Still growing corraline slowly. All SPS seem to be doing OK and have polyps extended most of the day. No fish deaths or noticable algae blooms since I started feeding my home made food. I may be adding some zoa's soon around the base of my tank unless someone thinks those are a bad idea in an SPS tank?
Oh yeah, your tank looks great! I like the rockwork.
Off topic but to the original owner of the tank: holeinone
Did your tank ever get TOTM? Also do you have another larger tank or quit altogether.....the tank was soooo beautiful!
Back on topic:
zachtos, whats the current list of fish and corals you have in the tank?
Off topic but to the original owner of the tank: holeinone
Did your tank ever get TOTM? Also do you have another larger tank or quit altogether.....the tank was soooo beautiful!
Back on topic:
zachtos, whats the current list of fish and corals you have in the tank?
zachtos
Active member
Thanks, It's gonna be hard to keep track of the corals later, since I'll add around 50 some frags in the coming months.
Fishes to date:
- foxface rabbitfish
- copperband butterfly
-20 green chromis
-2 false clownfish
-1 neon goby
*temp fishes, kole tang, emporer angel (fish sitting)
--Later I will add, 2 bangaii cardinals, hippo tang, yellow tang, purple tang, sailfin tang, achilles tang, diamond goby, 2 cleaner shrimp, 1 or 2 maxima clams
Coral to date: (all SPS)
Yellow Porites
Green Slimer
Pink Pocillopora
Purple tip acropora
Blue Tort
Orange Montipora
*will be adding many many more slowly
zachtos
Active member
recent tank shot
Calcium reactor is finally online. The custom reactor leaked and sprayed water like crazy out of the 'gasket' made by Brad. I had a very very hard time tightening it to the point to get it to stop leaking. I don't know what I'm going to do at the moment. I've read that neoprene makes a good gasket. I know for damn sure that I'm not going to deal with this every single time I change the media in the reactor. I'm missing the needlevalve currently, so the relay turns on and off quite freqently right now. It's currently running at a PH of 6.6 in the chamber 1 and effluent discharge around 100ml/min.
I added another light to the fuge. The chaetomorpha has probably grown to 25x it's original size since I started. Maybe from a softball to a 3/4' cube in 2 months
I finally made my own overflow and drilled the dining room 75 gallon glass tank.
DIY plumbing - 1.5" dursos that drop down to 1.25" drain and a 1" return opened halfway at around 400gph. runs very silently too.
HULK SMASH !!! yay for destroying my drywall... I opted for flexible PVC to save time/agitation overall. I angled the tank so I can crawl behind it and disconnect the system w/ couplings if I ever wanna remove it or isolate the system permanently.
Here's a shot of the new empty 75G tank running and being nice and empty. I already have the hood, just haven't bought replacement T8 bulbs of a higher kelvin yet, 2700K is yucky.
Suggestion box is now open for what to do with this tank. No, I can't afford to light it for high light corals. Try T8 standard bulbs. Think fish only.
Here is where I tied them into the manifolds that I built with expansion end caps in place.
Nitrates - 0.2ppm since yesterday, pretty low considering the giant spike in life/feeding I added to a new tank. Still no really noticable algae growth.
I picked up 8 new frags, mostly zoanthids from a local reefkeeper. No photos since they are so tiny and unimpressive at the moment. Maybe later.
zachtos
Active member
new additions:
-phase 2:
purple tang, yellow tang, hippo tang.
3 more fighting conches
8 more frags
*nitrates 0ppm now!!!
full tank shot
new hippo
new purple tang
new yellow tang
old- foxface rabbitfish
old - copperband butterfly
some type of encrusting monti pora
a yellow sps
frogspawn
random zoanthids
-phase 2:
purple tang, yellow tang, hippo tang.
3 more fighting conches
8 more frags
*nitrates 0ppm now!!!
full tank shot
new hippo
new purple tang
new yellow tang
old- foxface rabbitfish
old - copperband butterfly
some type of encrusting monti pora
a yellow sps
frogspawn
random zoanthids
zachtos
Active member
Here are some shots of the secondary 75 gallon tank plumbed into the system with the DIY hood, stand, overflow and lighting/fans/electrical all in action. I made the hood/stand nearly 8 years ago I believe. I angled the tank enough so I could crawl behind it if necessary to disconnect it from the manifolds to segregate the system. I can temporarily segregate the system by shutting off the ball vavle of course, but if I turn it on, it dumps into the sump, which could be bad if I had meds or other 'issues' with the system.
tank w/ lights on - stocking suggestions welcome
standard T8 bulbs, 2x 48" -32W 6500K
-dkh under control, down from 16 to 12 today (turned it off for 24 hours to allow it to drop)w/ the Ca reactor set at chamber 1 ph of 6.8 and 90ml/min effluent flow.
*I called pruess' pets to ask kirby/steve to be on the lookout for an achilles tang - unless someone knows of one locally that wants to give one a good home. I can pay of course.
tank w/ lights on - stocking suggestions welcome
standard T8 bulbs, 2x 48" -32W 6500K
-dkh under control, down from 16 to 12 today (turned it off for 24 hours to allow it to drop)w/ the Ca reactor set at chamber 1 ph of 6.8 and 90ml/min effluent flow.
*I called pruess' pets to ask kirby/steve to be on the lookout for an achilles tang - unless someone knows of one locally that wants to give one a good home. I can pay of course.
zachtos
Active member
I've heard this too, that and how sensitive they are. So far I've had less then 0.2ppm nitrates and now 0ppm w/ this large added load. I have around 30-35 times/hour turnover in the display, lots of hiding places, a stable system so far, and a good diet. So I'm hoping the achilles can be successful. Him and the sailfin will be my 'prize fishes'. I could always add more flow I suppose if I need to.
I'm leaning towards a Sohal tang in the 75G. The Lionfish I feel will be just to much bioload and frankly, scares me to be stung by it.
zachtos
Active member
OK, having fun still calibrating my CA reactor. Such a pain. I settled on a 30ml/min rate and 6.8-6.9ph in the 1st effluent chamber w/ small ARM media. Next time I'll get large/coarse media. I'm keeping my tank dKH almost steady at 11dKH but having a TOTAL pain in the *** keeping the effluent rate steady w/ a standard waterline T valve at such a low rate.
Fish and coral seem fine. I have seen ich spots all over the hippo, they have cleared up, maybe for another attack, maybe not. I'll find out soon enough if the tank fills with ich huh? I'm hoping my superior feeding diet and tank setup can make it easy for them to get an early immunity. Here's to wishful thinking
Failed attempt 2 at brine shrimp hatching using Melev's recipe. I called brine shrimp direct and spoke to the owner. He suggested that I use only clean seawater at 25ppt and hatch ONLY 24 hours WITH light at 80F and then feed directly to the tank. He said adding the shells or not gut loading will not be necessary unless I'm breeding fish. also only use 1/2tsp per 1L of water of eggs. If I want to gut load, he said transfer the hathlings to clean seawater at 24 hours and then allow them to hatch 24 more hours and then gutload for 6 hours. A lot more work he said for little payoff, especially for supplemental tank feeding. I'll try this and see if it works.
Fish and coral seem fine. I have seen ich spots all over the hippo, they have cleared up, maybe for another attack, maybe not. I'll find out soon enough if the tank fills with ich huh? I'm hoping my superior feeding diet and tank setup can make it easy for them to get an early immunity. Here's to wishful thinking
Failed attempt 2 at brine shrimp hatching using Melev's recipe. I called brine shrimp direct and spoke to the owner. He suggested that I use only clean seawater at 25ppt and hatch ONLY 24 hours WITH light at 80F and then feed directly to the tank. He said adding the shells or not gut loading will not be necessary unless I'm breeding fish. also only use 1/2tsp per 1L of water of eggs. If I want to gut load, he said transfer the hathlings to clean seawater at 24 hours and then allow them to hatch 24 more hours and then gutload for 6 hours. A lot more work he said for little payoff, especially for supplemental tank feeding. I'll try this and see if it works.
erics3000
Active member
WOW...Your tank is looking nice. Your rocks have nice colors of coraline. What do you use to glue your frags down and where do you get it? I am trying to save where I can.
I love the process of making your own food. I really want to get started on growing something myself. I might just go ahead and full up my 75 for a fuge to grow pods before my new display is setup. What do you guys think about that? I was going to use my 75 for a sump but think I am going to make a wood one. I got a lot of good info form Marc's site on alot of stuff. Thanks Marc. If I want to put some sand in my 75 and start growing pods what do you guys feel is the best way to get started. It will probally be a few months untill my new display has water. I wanted to use the fuge for pods, and also the CRY&%^$% alage that helps with he nitrates and some filter feeders
When I get done with my reek tank I was going to use my old 150 for my lion fish and predator fish. I thought about having the 2 systems connected to increase volume but decided against it because disease.
I love the process of making your own food. I really want to get started on growing something myself. I might just go ahead and full up my 75 for a fuge to grow pods before my new display is setup. What do you guys think about that? I was going to use my 75 for a sump but think I am going to make a wood one. I got a lot of good info form Marc's site on alot of stuff. Thanks Marc. If I want to put some sand in my 75 and start growing pods what do you guys feel is the best way to get started. It will probally be a few months untill my new display has water. I wanted to use the fuge for pods, and also the CRY&%^$% alage that helps with he nitrates and some filter feeders
When I get done with my reek tank I was going to use my old 150 for my lion fish and predator fish. I thought about having the 2 systems connected to increase volume but decided against it because disease.
zachtos
Active member
I buy 'plumbers epoxy' in the 'adhesive' aisle at menards. It's the same thing epoxy that you buy at the pet store. It's like a green wax stick with a white gummy center. You break off a chunk and knead the 'dough' until it turns white. You then use the clay to secure your frags to the rock. It hardens like stone in about 10 minutes. Works better then super glue IMO. Covers w/ algae in a few weeks as well. Cost about $7/12" tube and can mount 12-24 frags atleast.
I have no comments on the fuge for pods. I can't tell if mine does anything other then grow chaetomorpha and calupera and keep nitrates down. I see some pods, but not as many as I'd hope for by now w/ my heavy phyto additions.
I thought about the disease issue as well. But I decided it's too much of a pain in the *** to NOT connect the sumps together. I just will end up neglecting the aggro tank and let it go to crap basically.
Leaning towards a lone lion fish w/ no sand bed or decorations whatsoever at the moment.
I have no comments on the fuge for pods. I can't tell if mine does anything other then grow chaetomorpha and calupera and keep nitrates down. I see some pods, but not as many as I'd hope for by now w/ my heavy phyto additions.
I thought about the disease issue as well. But I decided it's too much of a pain in the *** to NOT connect the sumps together. I just will end up neglecting the aggro tank and let it go to crap basically.
Leaning towards a lone lion fish w/ no sand bed or decorations whatsoever at the moment.
WangoTANGo
New member
hey melev, is that the tank at the sceneca park zoo? i thought it looked kinda familiar. that was a beautiful sohal, but it was a bit on the agressive side.
-Justin
-Justin
