AP24 build

[dtech]

I finally made a build thread here it goes
tank: Aquapod 24 with full hood
mods:
nanotuners 3.36 light upgrade with Silenx fans
3 MaxiJet 900's 2 on wavetimer, 1 on constant with Hydor flow through backwall
critters and such:
40lbs TBS rock
20lbs TBS sand
plate sponge
feather duster
GSP
Kenya tree
Candy Cane
Hammer(green)
2 different button polyps
3 different zoas
green hairy, red, blue, purple, orange shroom
Candleabra gorgonian
serpent star
fire fish
neon green goby
blood red cleaner shrimp
several different hermits
several different snails
misc:
Purigen in back
Phos pads in back
Occasional carbon in back
Jager heater
Sapphire Aquatics skimmerhttp://i351.photobucket.com/albums/q475/dtech71/PICT0151.jpg

[dtech]

http://i351.photobucket.com/albums/q475/dtech71/lights.jpg
lighting
http://i351.photobucket.com/albums/q475/dtech71/ap241.jpg
circulation
http://i351.photobucket.com/albums/q475/dtech71/ap242.jpg
surface agitation
http://i351.photobucket.com/albums/q475/dtech71/PICT0154.jpg
back of tank( I cut off a lot of the vinyl)

[Wolverine1]

cool tank and great mods! I have just started one myself with TBS stuff and is that why the incresed flow?

[dtech]

The reason for the flow is that you need a good amount of flow in any saltwater tank even more so in a reef tank. if you don't have good flow you will get areas that retain alot of detritus and poor water. Also alot of the critters that live in these tanks need good flow for feeding and clearing waste from them. At minimum I would at least add a Koralia nano to a stock AP.
I am finally starting to build my new skimmer for this tank now I just need to find some plumbing fittings for it. Then start drilling and all.

[nixon125]

I'm not a professional, but I have a 24AP for a while and tried a 900 maxi jet with sure flow mod. That kicked up EVERYTHING. This isn't overkill for you? I'm impressed.

[Wolverine1]

So you have two pumps going at differents times and another in the back topush the water right (the pict is a little too fuzzy for me to tell.

[dtech]

I have a total of 3 Maxijet 900's in the back left chamber, At any time 2 are running. ! in the center rear is on always, the other 2 alternate on a wave timer. I do not use the Maxijet Mod for super flow it is way too much at around 1300gph flow rate. I am pushing a touch over 400 gph in the display at all times but I alternate to give a better flow patter n to the corals etc. Hope that helps. If you go with an added pump uin the display for flow I would go with a Koralia Nano, and do the return pump change to a Maxijet 1200. The 1200 will flow a bit more and reduce the heat due to less wattage.

[Wolverine1]

Thanks Dtech!

I see where the stock pump is just not handling it. Your tank is amazing and I hope you don't mind me following your lead.

[Novacaine]

How's the noise level with the extra powerhead in the back? I tried to add an extra mj1200 to my tank, but it was able to drain a lot of the water from chamber 1. As water was flowing back into the filter it made quite a bit of noise for me.

[dtech]

Please follow the lead that is what I did, I took some mods from other AIO tanks that I read on RC and put them to use on the AP.
As far as noise it is pretty quiet, a condition my wife had set forth in the beginning she doesn't want to have to try and talk over my tanks. The only noise I get now is from the air intake for the skimmer but thats cause I made some changes to the stock design of it, plus I'm currently working on a new skimmer for it.
As for noise with water when doing a pump upgrade, if you cut a piece of acrylic to fit in the overflow area and make it a true overflow you can tune it. It took a bit of putting in , testing, take out trim , back in atc. te get it adjusted but I haven't messed with it since then. It's actually kinda locked in with coraline now. Also you will have to adjust the actual volume of water in the system if you do this mod, it does change the level in the back. I did all of these mods before I had anything in the tank so it was a bit easier to get done with all the messing with it.

[Wolverine1]

dtech, took your advice and upgraded the main pump to a 1200 and added a nano korilia and everything is super happy. Below is a pict to see what is going on. BTW how old is your setup from TBS? The picture is from the day after part 2

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/34837081@N02/3275080832/" title="front by hopper_1999, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3509/3275080832_d08bda8d94.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="front" /></a>

[dtech]

Looks great in there, I will have to get some current pic's up this weekend. I have changed the light to an AquaMedic 150w pendant, It has a 10k in it now but will soon get a Phoenix 14k, I also have added a clam and some SPS, I'm taking it more that way now. Flow is the same and all are doin great though.
I like the colors in your tank it looks nice haveing them spread around a bit very bright.

[Wolverine1]

Thanks dtech.

Did you have a time getting your tank to balance? Part 1 was a pain and part 2 is proving to be just as fun. I have heard that Nanos are always cranky but as someone who has been successful I just wanted to get your two cents.

[dtech]

Yeah mine was pretty touchy, part 1 was a pain in the rear but Richard's helpand info was superb. I had never done anything with stuff fresh from the ocean like that so it was a learning deal too. Part 2 went better but I did have an amonia spike and about 3 weeks after I had it all in I had to go out of state for 3 weeks, my wife watched things and they changed a lot. I had some evil crabs and mantis that wiped out a lot of the nice stuff growing on the rock, then 2 days before I got back the 2 tall sponges started going south. When I returned I did a lot of water changes and got things back to good. I did lose the yellow ball sponge and the little goby that came in with it all. After starting to add more coral and fish I got Ich and lost 2 fish. I treated the other 2 in the hospital tank and they are back in and doing great. I have added a nunch of breight zoas, different polyps, some hairy shrooms, and lately a clam and some sps and a leather. That was when I decided togo with the halide. I am going to move towards more sps and maybe another clam. I am also planning a hang on fuge that I am building from acrylic, and a bigger skimmer that I am making too. they are in process but I am restoreing a jointer for making acrylic work easier so I am a bit behind on my building of neww stuff.

[dtech]

Heres the latest. It now has the Maxima clam and some small Monti's and a small Acro. Plus the new light.
http://i351.photobucket.com/albums/q475/dtech71/PICT0156.jpg
http://i351.photobucket.com/albums/q475/dtech71/images.jpg

[dtech]

Just a quick update on this tank, got the new bulb in and it looks great, addeda few more fish tonight also. Paired Acc. Clowns, Twin Spot Goby, and 2 tiny tiny Nassarius snails for the sand.
http://i351.photobucket.com/albums/q475/dtech71/blue.jpg
and another of the clam under the 14k
http://i351.photobucket.com/albums/q475/dtech71/clamss.jpg

[ReeferChick85]

nice dtech!
what did u do with your hood you had on before? And are u happy with the 14k lighting versus what u had before?

[dtech]

I still have the hood I am considering selling it to help fund another project I am working on, I actually have 2 hoods, the modded one and a stock one. As far as the lighting, I like the 14k halide a lot better, but thats cause I have always like the simmer of halides, I liked the PC hood when I had just softies and such in there it was great for them but when I got the clam in and some other SPS frags I wanted to bump up the intensity and also get the shimmer. I do have to top off way way more water than before but thats one of those trade off's going without the top. I am building an ATO for it this weekend in fact.

[Wolverine1]

Nice Job Dtech! I sepecially like the clam--there great items to any tank.

Did the 14K bump the temp much?

[dtech]

I actualy got the temps down now. They used to sit at about 83 degrees, all the time. I noe get the evaporative cooloing all the time. to combat the temp rise with the halide I run a fan on the same timer as the lights, It doesn't look the greatest right now but I am going to do a dual PC fan setup that will mount on the tank. I did notice that my Nitrate dropped after putting the clam in. They used to climb up a bit and never got below 10 before noe they are around 0-2. I need to get working on the new skimmer for it next before the fans, plus we have Reefstock coming up at the Aquarium so I want to spend a bit there on some frags too. so the new skimmer may wait a touch more, I have the acrylic tube and got the Maxijet modded , I just need to buy a few fitting that I can re-work and finish the assembly of it.

[ReeferChick85]

If you decide to sell the original hood with the mods please let me know dtech :) thanks.

[dtech]

I could sell it if I do I would want $180 plus shipping costs, I paid 199 for the kit and 80 for the hood to put it in.Let me know if you want it and a zip code to figure shipping.

[returnofsid]

Dtech, I've got a couple of questions for you. I'm setting up an AP24 and have a thread about it here http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=14620903 . I'd like your advice please!! You'll see on my thread, I'm thinking about incorporating something similar to your plumbing. Would like some feedback from someone who's done it!! Thanks!!!

BTW, your tank looks amazing!!!

[dtech]

Thanks for the comment I have some new additions I will get it updated this weekend.

[dtech]

Heres a quick pic of the tank tonight, I have added more sps frags and moved around some stuff. I neec to do some re-aranging and get things into a more permanent area for them.
http://i351.photobucket.com/albums/q475/dtech71/p1.jpg