5.5 AGA DIY Zoa tank!

[daaaaaan]

Well, I finally got my tank stocked, and here it is! This is my DIY 5.5 AGA tank. I have 2 Maxijet 400's for my flow (one closed loop, one for filtration in the back 3 chambers {first chamber- Chemi-Pure, Carbon, Sponge, temp probe Second- LR rubble and chaeto Third- Pump, and heater})

Tell me what you think, and I dont know any of the names of my zoo's, so any help would be greatly appreciated!

PS. Sorry some of the pics are blurry, I have a crappy camera

1
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i109/newjack77/zoo001.jpg
2
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i109/newjack77/zoo002.jpg
3
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i109/newjack77/zoo004.jpg
4
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i109/newjack77/zoo005.jpg
5
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i109/newjack77/zoo006.jpg
6
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i109/newjack77/zoo007.jpg

[daaaaaan]

7
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i109/newjack77/zoo008.jpg
8
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i109/newjack77/zoo010.jpg
9
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i109/newjack77/zoo011.jpg
10
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i109/newjack77/zoo013.jpg
11
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i109/newjack77/zoo014.jpg

[gemini aquarius(t)]

wow i dont have any names for you but those are amazing!

nice tank,what light is that?

[RokleM]

Very very cool little setup. I'd like to see the filtration.

I'm interested in the light as well.

[04mach1]

Nice bottle beside it. Do you dose the tank with it...lol

[sunfishh]

All I can say is wow. Your tank is awesome :)

[Jaime_309]

looking GOOD!!!

[MarvinsReef]

love the last zoas on the first batch.. :) you think you can get a better pic of them?

Thanks
Marvin

[gemini aquarius(t)]

ok a couple of things
1)is there a sump or a false wall?
2)whats the return pump?
3)how long has the tank been set up?
4)how big is the sump if any?
5) are you running a skimmer? if so, what kind?
6)is that a pufferfish to the left in the picture?
7)how mcuh have u spent total on this badboy!?

[daaaaaan]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7782984#post7782984 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by gemini aquarius(t)
ok a couple of things
1)is there a sump or a false wall?
2)whats the return pump?
3)how long has the tank been set up?
4)how big is the sump if any?
5) are you running a skimmer? if so, what kind?
6)is that a pufferfish to the left in the picture?
7)how mcuh have u spent total on this badboy!?

1. False Wall
2. Maxijet 400 (I have two, one for return, one for closed)
3. 3 months or so
4. Behind the false wall there is approx. 1.5 gallons (first chamber is Chemi Pure, Carbon, Sponge, in that order....second chamber is LR rubble with chaeto on top, and third is heater with return pump)
5. No skimmer....a weekly 1 gallon water change
6. Yes, my mom bought it for me as a gift somehwere
7. More than I care to admit.....Inlcuding tank, and all the DIY pieces i had custom made for the false wal, and corals, and light system...around 250-300.

http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ctl3684/cp18369/si1381784/cl0/currentusasatellitedual2x18watt12powercompactstriplightwlunarlight

That is the light system that I have running....

[daaaaaan]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7782658#post7782658 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by MarvinsReef
love the last zoas on the first batch.. :) you think you can get a better pic of them?

Thanks
Marvin

Ill try, but the macro on my camera really sucks....

[gemini aquarius(t)]

wow false wall huh do u have a pic from the back or can u tell the dimentions of the whole tank and then the display part of the tank and the wall part?

[daaaaaan]

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i109/newjack77/nano1.jpg

That is the only pic i have, it was back when i first set up the tank....no chaeto or carbon or anything yet.....but you can get the idea....

I forget the exact dimensions i use, and I dont have a ruller handy....if you are really interested i can look up on what exact dimensions i used for each chamber piece in the back, but I believe its about 2 1/2" from the real back of the tank....

[daaaaaan]

and my aquascaping really sucks right now IMO....I just kinda threw everything in the tank, because im gonna be tearing it down when I move at the end of August (going back to school).....so once I get there, i will spend time and do some nice aquascaping with it

I was even thinking of cutting all the zoos off the rocks they are attatched to right now....aquascaping the rocks how I like, and literally glueing the rocks together so it becomes "1" rock per-say....then glue the zoo's onto that 1 rocks.....because:

1.) It will be easy to transport then
2.) Since this tank will be moved 3-4 times a year, its really gonna be hard for those zoo's to "settle" and grow/cover the rock since they will always be moving
3.) I will be bored at school, so it will give me something to do!

[gemini aquarius(t)]

ya if u dont mind im thinking of my next little project

[gemini aquarius(t)]

i see a problem with that method: you cant glue individual plyps with glue they will slime up and probably die! so if u could get a peice of the rock with each polyp then ur good but other wise ur in it deep or bridal veil

JMHO

[daaaaaan]

well, not each individual polyp...but each lil colony...I have used a razor blade before, and if you take the time, you can literally cut the whole colony off the rock, and it will still be in 1 piece, you then glue that piece with 4 VERY SMALL dabs of glue on each corner...then about 1-2 weeks later it will have attached itself to the new rocks.....

But yes, i agree if i was to do it polyp by polyp i doubt I will be able to keep them alive

[daaaaaan]

http://www.171northallen.com/images/reef/measurments.jpg

Give thanks to NYproDJ for that pic...he is the one who made it (and who inspired me to do my own)

As far as the dimensions go for each baffle....mine are the same, but in opposite order....notice how his baffles the first one is connected to the bottom, and the water goes overtop of it, and underneat the second one...mine are opposite...my water goes underneath the first one then over the second one...and also my Refuge is in the second chamber not first.

I chose to do this because:

1.) I wanted for the "dirty" water to go threw the chemi-pur first, to take out large debris and phosphate and such, then i wanted it to be cleared with the carbon, then finally go through my sponge filter where good-clean water will thrive life in the sponge....then that good clean water will go into the fuge, and let life thrive there, then move onto the pump to be pumped back in......
2.) With my fuge being after the filtration, it allowed the chaeto to get good water, also the chaeto is heavy enough not to be "sucked" inot the third chamber over the top of the baffle, and into the water....

Other than that, my tank is very similar to his.

Just a heads up, when you are cutting the teeth for the surface skimmer, Make sure they are at least an inch deep, but not TOO deep as this will keep the water level on the main display up...and all your evaporation will happen behind the false wall....I am a bit anal, and I didnt want the water level to be seen.....so cut about 6-7 teeth an inch deep, check the water level/tension on the surface (the teeh may not be far enough apart, and the water will hold its tension and go "over" the teeth like mine did the first time) then go on from there...

Other than that, it is pretty much straight forward...be sure to apply ample amounts of sealant to where the plexiglass for the false back meets the glass for the baffles, and the tank, because plexiglass is pretty smooth material, and doesnt adhear that well to glass....but it will work good enough.

[Zero-2-Sixty]

very nice tank, people get so creative with those 5.5s, keep it up

P.S. southern comfort rocks

[firefishbrain]

that link doesn't work, what light is it? wattage and type of light would be just peachy for me thanks

[HAMsmith]

Nice work!

Why don't you reaquascape WITH the puffer, problem solved!

[BethanyM]

the zoos in pic 3 spread like wild fire. I have had to remove them from 2 tanks. They have pushed out prettier zoos and grown over them. i started with (1) tennis ball sized rock and have removed at least 4 softball sized rocks. Keep an eye on them.

[daaaaaan]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7785446#post7785446 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by firefishbrain
that link doesn't work, what light is it? wattage and type of light would be just peachy for me thanks

Current USA Satellite Dual 2x18 Watt 12"Power Compact Strip Light W/Lunar Light

This Current USA Power Compact Fixture is a dual strip light which contains 1 Dual Daylight Lamp (6700K & 10,000K), 1 Dual Actinic Lamp (420nm & 460nm) and 1 Lunar Light. The Lunar Light is a small LED which sits in the fixture above the bulbs. The compact fluorescent bulbs included with this fixture have 3 times the output of standard bulbs with double the life (12 months). This fixture also features a cooling fan and 2 switches (which allows for dusk/dawn control).

[gemini aquarius(t)]

thanks alot!
doesnt sound tooooooo hard so i think once i get my new 29 gallon up and running with plenty of zoas ill set this little guy up!
thanks for spending the time!
xavier

[jessiesgrrl]

Very nice! Creative...
:D
Laurie

[Angela Short]

Do you have a name for #5, the neon green centers? thanks, sweet tank!

[RokleM]

Well, I've thought about a nano tank for a while, but this more inspired me to build my first "mini coral QT". :) I got the 5.5 and 18x2 light. Maybe it will end up on my desk after I QT a number of corals.

[daaaaaan]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7789983#post7789983 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Angela Short
Do you have a name for #5, the neon green centers? thanks, sweet tank!

I think they are considered Radioactive

[Angela Short]

Thanks, I have a colony that just looks just like them is why I asked. They were just a wild colony but I thought they were pretty neat and had to have one of them crazy names!

[daaaaaan]

Update:

New cool pic of my EE's


http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i109/newjack77/eagleeyes.jpg



And I found this baby star fish (believed to be) crawling up my glass tonight! Wonder how he got in the tank?

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i109/newjack77/babystarfish.jpg

[igotsalt]

Beautiful tank! What is the name of the next to the last picture? They look to be blue, orange, and green ...or is it the actinic lighting changing them? Awesome colors

[jiggy]

kill that starfish immediately.. they reproduce like craaaaaazy and will be impossible to get rid of if not caught early