450 Gallon Peninsula Display

[mcrist]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11132121#post11132121 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by MGB
I don't think it will suck too much, you'll be able to crank the flow and get more of that fish waste into the sump and skimmer, fish are a lot more adaptable than you think, I'm sure your blennies will survive. On your lighting thoughts, I went with the Giesemann Infinity which was expensive, but is a great performing as well as looking fixture. I wasn't dissapointed.
What size and wattage did you go with? Where did you buy it from? The light should be my next big purchase and hopefully I buy it before summer.

[mcrist]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11136473#post11136473 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tcmfish
Idk if I would use encrusting species on the returns because they will still look like returns after they encrust. I would use a branching coral like acropora or poccilopora that will have an encrusting base but will branch upward. A soft coral would look cool too. Idk experiment with it.
Well I plan on at least shortening the loc-line but I am nervous now since what happened to invincible569. He on fiddled with one and he had a leak but I have 8 that I need to adjust. Damn I hate plumbing…

[mcrist]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11136654#post11136654 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by TheSaltwaterGuy
I'd love to keep some Crosshatch Triggers, thing is, they don't do well with sharks...:(

Maybe my next tank will have some.
Yeah I don't think they would like a shark as a neighbor. Come to think of it I doubt most fish would like that idea.

[tylorarm]

i remember you're running double ended 250w bulbs but what ballasts are you using? I bought the Geisemman Specta without ballasts at a lower price and then used my existing ballasts for the MH bulbs (mogul). The T5's were built in so no choice there. Still expensive, but less so without including the MH ballasts.

[MGB]

I went with the 250W DE Infinity fixture, which I got from Salty Critter, Great company.

It's a lot of money but you won't be dissapointed with the fixture. I ended up getting the 12k giesemann bulbs, which are actually 10k's and super actinic t5's, this combo seams to be growing everything well.

[bigtyguyy]

wow looks incredible!

[erics3000]

It looks bigger with the cabnetts...NICE WORK..

[mcrist]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11136999#post11136999 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tylorarm
i remember you're running double ended 250w bulbs but what ballasts are you using? I bought the Geisemman Specta without ballasts at a lower price and then used my existing ballasts for the MH bulbs (mogul). The T5's were built in so no choice there. Still expensive, but less so without including the MH ballasts.
I’ve never seen any Giesemann lights sold without the ballasts. Where did you buy them? Do you have any problems running the lights with different ballast?
My current light is an ugly Coralife light fixture with three 250 watt mogul metal halides and 2 actinic compact fluorescent bulbs. No offense if anyone owns one of these fixtures it works fine but it’s just a black box hanging over my tank.

[mcrist]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11138875#post11138875 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by MGB
I went with the 250W DE Infinity fixture, which I got from Salty Critter, Great company.

It's a lot of money but you won't be dissapointed with the fixture. I ended up getting the 12k giesemann bulbs, which are actually 10k's and super actinic t5's, this combo seams to be growing everything well.
Thanks for the info...

[mcrist]

Thank you bigtyguyy and erics3000.

[TheSaltwaterGuy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11136858#post11136858 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mcrist
Yeah I don't think they would like a shark as a neighbor. Come to think of it I doubt most fish would like that idea.

Not because of the fact that the shark would eat the fish, rather the face that Triggers generally don't like sharks. They tend to pick at them and sometimes eat the eyeballs out of them.:eek2: Pretty gruesome stuff.

[tcmfish]

I used to work at a LFS and we got in a shark and a butterfly and the butterfly ate the sharks eyes. It is grusome

[TheSaltwaterGuy]

Yep, that kind of stuff happens. If people would actually research the fish they want to keep and the fish that are compatible, this kind of stuff would never happen.

[mcrist]

Yeah it really sucks when you don’t research your livestock purchases and you either see them slowly die/suffer or you see the destroy one another. I admit I made some mistakes early in my hobby obsession but I believe we all did.

[mcrist]

My cabinets are now done. The last two doors were attached tonight and it really looks great. Now I need to start my next project which is reducing my nitrates. I’ve been trying a lot of different things over the last several of months with no success. I decided to try sulfur based denitrator so I ordered the Korallin BioDenitrator S-4002. It should be here tomorrow.

[Dudester]

Looking fantastic! I agree that the long locline returns detract from the reef. Mounting frags on them is an interesting idea, but if you do you'll need to make sure you're happy with your flow patterns. Once you have corals encrusting over the joints of the locline you won't be able to reposition their direction to change your flow, which defeats the purpose of having locline in the first place.

What bulkheads did you use beneath your locline returns? If they're Sched80 you won't have to worry about causing a leak.

Hope you're winning your battle vs. the 'trates.

Mike

[mcrist]

My original idea was to have the loc-line stick out the sand only an inch or two. Then I made some changes and now they stick out about a foot. I think I will try replacing the loc-line with a 2-3 inch nipple and schedule 80 45 degree elbow. I am hoping that this will be a lot less noticeable then the loc-line. All my bulkheads are schedule 80 Hayward brand bulkheads. I was planning on testing the change this weekend but installing my new Korallin BioDenitrator S-4002 and a water change was all I had time for.

Thanks for the compliments Mike.

[erics3000]

I seperated my loc line on another tank to make it shorter. I just pulled it apart. maybe I had something different. have you tried just pulling it apart?

[Jeremy Blaze]

Looks amazing! I love room divders and your looks perfect where it is and size wise.

I agree the cabanitry made it look even bigger, and much better!

Coming together nice, and will definatly be totm material after it matures a bit!

[mcrist]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11199292#post11199292 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by erics3000
I seperated my loc line on another tank to make it shorter. I just pulled it apart. maybe I had something different. have you tried just pulling it apart?
I have found that loc-line is not too easy to separate especially when your arms are fully extended in the tank. I can just reach them so I can not get to much leverage.

[mcrist]

Jeremy Blaze , Thanks… Believe it or not the room divider was my second choice. I wanted an in wall setup but my wife talked me out of it.

Boy does my tank need to mature before my tank could even be considered for TOTM. You may gladly dream with me…

[erics3000]

Yeah I was thinking you might need a snorkle. hahahah

[mcrist]

I am happy to report that my nitrates dropped from a high of 20-25 (test kit not accurate at the higher range) to 7 ppm. The Korallin BioDenitrator has been in operation for only 10 days. I thought it was suppose to take 30 days to see results but I am not complaining. Let see how long it takes to get to zero.

[Dudester]

That's good news. Have you done anything else to reduce nitrates like, say, a recent large water change? If not, then that sounds like a nice product.

[mcrist]

I did my normal weekly water change after I took the nitrate readings. No other changes were made.

[Zestay]

updated pix!?

[TheOtherReefer]

Cabinets make ALL the difference in the world!!!

[jwedehase]

Very nice display! Your power consumption numbers are awfully depressing. We pay $.35/KwH here in CA, and nobody runs a tank with a power bill under $200/month.

Just tagging along. I really enjoy peninsula tanks, and this is a nice one!

[TriGa22]

Solar panels are expensive but they can save you money in the long run. You get enough power to run your house and then the goverment actually pays you becuase you have them. So after a couple of years you make the money back and then start making money. So you dont have to pay for electricity.

[TriGa22]

Solar panels are expensive but they can save you money in the long run. You get enough power to run your house and then the goverment actually pays you becuase you have them. So after a couple of years you make the money back and then start making money. So you dont have to pay for electricity.

[mcrist]

Not much new happening on my tank. I did shorten most of the closed loop return lines but they still need some more adjusting. My nitrates are still holding steady at 7 even though the denitrator is producing 0 ppm nitrate water. I am not happy with my sand anymore. It constantly has some slime algae on it even though the rest of the tank is clean. I can rake the top layer of sand daily but it still seems to thrive. I stopped racking for now and will resort to vacuuming the sand biweekly. The next time I vacuum and have nice looking sand I will post some update pictures.

[mcrist]

Thanks jwedehase..

Our electricity rates are expected to climb in a year or two when the deregulation goes through. It’s a shame when our local electrical companies are having record breaking profits they still want to raise the rates. It would be nice if one day that average American wouldn’t be stepped on by big business and our government.

Solar panels would be great but I don’t have that much extra cash lying around. I should still look into it maybe the costs have come down.

[Aussie_hippie_2]

"It would be nice if one day that average American wouldn’t be stepped on by big business and our government. "

Preach brother!


Amazing tank. Love the tang pair.

[chrissreef]

"We pay $.35/KwH here in CA"

OMG! I thought TX was high at 12-14! maybe I shouldn't have come back to this hobby =/

[jwedehase]

Just to qualify, that's also the Tier 3 rate, which everyone with a reef tank hits. To stay in base rate costs ($.12/KwH) is impossible, at something like 300 total KwH for the whole month. My house is extremely well insulated (it's new), small (1300sq/ft), and when it was just me and my wife, we still shot way past base rate, even when we were almost never home.

Many of our local club members are used to seeing $400-700 month to the power company. One of them once saw $1100 for one month! On my sumpless/chillerless 38g during the summer, I once saw $250. The new 120g hasn't seen summer yet.

And sorry for the hijack, mcrist. :)

[mcrist]

I don't mine the hijack, makes me feel good on what I am paying for electricity. It sucks when you see the charts the power company has showing and average house and your house is way in the red.

[chainsaw5vent]

try solarhome dot com for great prices on solar panel systems.

[mcrist]

I checked their prices and at today’s electricity costs it would take 5 years to break even. That doesn't include any installation costs and assuming I get the rated peak power from the panels. I don't know enough about solar energy but generally anytime I see peak anything you are usually lucky if you get half the stated value. If I go with the logic it will take 10 years to break even. Way to expensive yet, the price of electricity would need to triple before I would consider it.

Thanks for the info...

[mcrist]

Don't you need to buy batteries to store the energy?

[jwedehase]

I thought it was in this thread, but I can't find it. However, SOMEWHERE very recently, I read about someone who wasn't using batteries. During the day, when he was producing more power than he could use, his meter ran backwards. During the night, he pulled power off the grid. In the end, it was almost a zero net difference, and his power bill was literally $1/month, or so. The power company would "credit" his over production during the day when it fed back into the grid.

[chrismunn]

sweet

[chainsaw5vent]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11526548#post11526548 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mcrist
I checked their prices and at today’s electricity costs it would take 5 years to break even. That doesn't include any installation costs and assuming I get the rated peak power from the panels. I don't know enough about solar energy but generally anytime I see peak anything you are usually lucky if you get half the stated value. If I go with the logic it will take 10 years to break even. Way to expensive yet, the price of electricity would need to triple before I would consider it.

Thanks for the info...

I just did some rapid calcs of my so cal edison bill. winter month = 19.23 cents/kWh (13 dec 2007) 1040 kWh $200.08
and high month = 26.65 cents/kWh (july 14, 2006) 2682 kWh/$714.82.

you may want to check the link and your state rebates to see if it may help you. this week i'll be starting the refi process and one of the main purposes is to pull $$ out to do solar.

http://www.dsireusa.org/index.cfm?EE=0&RE=1
this may help you find those rebates. also check with your local utility provider to see if they offer something.

[mcrist]

Thanks for the information chainsaw5vent.

[Opah]

Hey mcrist,

I am designing a similar tank to yours and was hoping to get some input from you. I based a lot of my tank design on yours. I am really focusing on the plumbing right now and getting the tank drilled etc... Would you change anything about the plumbing (overflows, standpipes, etc...)? I'm considering changing my setup from an overflow with bottom drilled standpipes to a slimmer overflow with back drilled pipes. My biggest issue is the overflow box sitting out 6 inches in to the tank. I do plan to cover this area with cabinetry but I'm still not crazy about the idea. If your curious what my design looks like please click on my red house.

Thanks,
Opah!

[mcrist]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11731057#post11731057 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Opah
Hey mcrist,

I am designing a similar tank to yours and was hoping to get some input from you. I based a lot of my tank design on yours. I am really focusing on the plumbing right now and getting the tank drilled etc... Would you change anything about the plumbing (overflows, standpipes, etc...)? I'm considering changing my setup from an overflow with bottom drilled standpipes to a slimmer overflow with back drilled pipes. My biggest issue is the overflow box sitting out 6 inches in to the tank. I do plan to cover this area with cabinetry but I'm still not crazy about the idea. If your curious what my design looks like please click on my red house.

Thanks,
Opah!
I love having an external overflow so I wouldn’t change that but I probably would reduce the depth and width of the overflow box. I ordered one CJStandPipe (http://www.nautilusreef.com/html/cjstandpipes.html) to see how I like it but if they work out I could have definitely made my overflow box smaller.

I am not 100 percent sure how much I like my closed loop system but only time will tell on that one.

[mcrist]

Updated photos from this past weekend.

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/mecrist/2008-02-04_19-19-47.jpg

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/mecrist/2008-02-04_19-33-06.jpg

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/mecrist/2008-02-04_19-21-11.jpg

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/mecrist/2008-02-04_19-32-17.jpg

[cbui2]

great shots, i seen you lowered the loc line. i had to removed the wide spread pcs on mine since the sand was blowing all over the place.

[mcrist]

Thanks Bart...you really had me bummed there for a minute when I thought you gave up.

[cbui2]

:D sorry, no for real at one point i was bout to give it all up and then my wife told me, you never give up that easy why start now. then there was light

[mcrist]

When my 90 gallon leaked and I lost everything I almost gave up too. My wife told me to suck it up, so I went bigger. I guess I showed her.

[46bfinGA]

Tank is looking Awesome Mark. That Colt Coral is HUGE.

Quick Question, How do you like the external overflow on the end? My tank is almost exactly the same as yours except it is 8' long. I was wondering how the overflow on one end effected the overall flow in the tank. Did you have a hard time getting it dialed in to keep everything suspended? Did you have many dead spots when you first got it going?

[sruiz]

HOLY MOLY ,, thats a nice tank .. I give you a 10+++++ good job.I think I smell a possible Tank of the Month in the WORKS!

[Dudester]

Much better with the shorter locline, Mark. Now it would be cool if you concealed them with small rock islands containing zoanthids, LPS or other softies. In a year or so the locline wouldn't be visible at all and you would have several small islands around the 2 main islands. Kinda like little coral retreats :) .

[mcrist]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11801370#post11801370 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by 46bfinGA
Tank is looking Awesome Mark. That Colt Coral is HUGE.

Quick Question, How do you like the external overflow on the end? My tank is almost exactly the same as yours except it is 8' long. I was wondering how the overflow on one end effected the overall flow in the tank. Did you have a hard time getting it dialed in to keep everything suspended? Did you have many dead spots when you first got it going?
Thanks 46bfinGA.

The colt coral was purchased at only about 6 inches. I think I have frankenstein in the making. It already split once.

The one overflow is OK but I would have preferred one on each end. I sorta couldn't with the peninsula design so I am stuck with one. I am definitely having a hard time with the flow but hopefully I can find the sweet spot.

[mcrist]

I appreciate the compliment sruiz.

[mcrist]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11803431#post11803431 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Dudester
Much better with the shorter locline, Mark. Now it would be cool if you concealed them with small rock islands containing zoanthids, LPS or other softies. In a year or so the locline wouldn't be visible at all and you would have several small islands around the 2 main islands. Kinda like little coral retreats :) .
I agree and I am thinking about hiding the loc-line with rock and corals but first I want to get my sand to stop growing algae. Once the sand is stable I will work on hiding the loc-line.

[maxheadroom]

Nice tank!!!! Wish it were mine! lol!

[Jflip2002]

awesome dimensions, any updates on the tank?

[mcrist]

I recently purchased another Vortech for my tank so I needed to also get the wireless driver upgrade for my older unit. I have both of them operating in Reef Crest mode with the slave synced to the master. I noticed right away that they are louder than my original non wireless model but still not too bad.

My rose anemone split which I was not too happy about it. The smaller version of the pair seems to like hiding under a rock but the larger one seems to be recovering and is out in the open.

I also rearranged the back pile of rocks to make it lower and also wider/longer. I wanted my two Tunze Stream pumps to create flow over the rocks so I need reduce the height a little. Not sure how much I like it but time will tell.

Current flow in my tank:
Iwaki MD100RLT - 1,600
ReeFlo Dart - 1,800
2 Vortech MP40W - 6,000
2 Tunze 6100 - 6,350

Best Possible Flow - 15,750

[Ziggy953]

Fantastic thread and build! I really like the finished look of the cabinet! This is very similar to how I'm going to do my tiny 210. LOL. Great looking tank!! I would love to see how things look now!!

[mcrist]

Thanks...I am very pleased with the way the cabinets turned out.

Not much has changed since my last photos.

[MikeL152123]

One of my top 10 Favorite large tanks on RC if not top 5. Looks amazing, love the clean look. keep the updates coming.

[mcrist]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12058328#post12058328 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by MikeL152123
One of my top 10 Favorite large tanks on RC if not top 5. Looks amazing, love the clean look. keep the updates coming.
Thanks MikeL152123

[mcrist]

I had my first significant power failure on Saturday night. The power was out for 7.2 hours because of a storm. I immediately borrowed a generator to power my main pump and heater. Everything was ok after the incident and I didn’t lose anything.

This made me think about getting a permanent backup generator for the tank and maybe some of the house. I was thinking of a natural gas generator since my house already is supplied with it for heating I might as well use it to fuel a generator. I am by no means ready to actually buy one but it got me thinking. Since this was the first real power failure in my eight years in the hobby I figure that it doesn’t warrant a generator yet.

How many people actually have a backup generator and how often do you need it?

[mcrist]

Woo how…My tank’s nitrates dropped to 5ppm. It’s getting there.

[cbui2]

where was your nitrates at before ?

[mcrist]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12134330#post12134330 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cbui2
where was your nitrates at before ?
They always stayed at around 25ppm. Not the end of the world but higher than I wanted. I threw a lot of water changes at it and it made no difference. I did have a surge to about 50ppm once when one of my Tunze pumps disconnected from its mount and pointed directly at the sand bed and made a serious sand storm. It was so bad that I couldn’t even see any rock in my tank.

[usefulidiot213]

Your tank is awesome. I am buying a new house next month, and want to use a peninsula tank as room divider. This thread is going to help me out a lot. Very nice tank. I only hope that mine turns out as nice as yours.

[mcrist]

Thanks usefulidiot213, what dimensions are you going with?

[chevy69002000]

Beautiful

[usefulidiot213]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12148949#post12148949 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mcrist
Thanks usefulidiot213, what dimensions are you going with?

Sorry it took so long to get back to ya... Most likley going with 72x36x30..

[mcrist]

I’ve decided to go bare bottom. I have been working all day at removing the sand. I will reaquascape tomorrow and then take some pictures.

[tbittner]

I'm really curious, why?

[mcrist]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12515112#post12515112 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tbittner
I'm really curious, why?
I have always hated the sand storms and got tired of vacuuming the top layer of sand to keep it clean. A while back I had a Tunze mishap that cause a major sand storm and my tank hasn’t been the same since. I will miss the luck of sand though.

[mcrist]

How I spent my weekend...

First I created a temporary setup downstairs in the basement that consisted of a 150 gallon Rubbermaid container connected to my 100 gallon refugium and 100 gallon sump. I also had two kiddy pools and three 44 gallon Rubbermaid Brute containers to store water. I then started to pump the water out of my tank and I moved all my corals to the refugium. Then all the live rock came out and was placed in the kiddy pools. I continued to drain the tank until only a few inches of water was left. I then easily captured all the fish and placed them in the 150 gallon container that I discussed earlier. After all the fish was out I finished draining the tank. I then had the fun job of scooping all the sand out of the tank. Once that was done I hosed the tank clean and vacuumed the remaining water and sand out of the tank. I had about 250 gallons of fresh RO/DI water waiting downstairs so I used that to start filling my tank. The next day I rebuilt my tank.

[tbittner]

Don't you just LOVE these big aquariums? :lol:

Seriously, they are SO awesome.... unless something goes wrong.

[erics3000]

Wow that sounds like a little work. At least you got to reaquascape. I cant wait to see some pics. I hope everything made the move fine.

[mcrist]

Everything survived the move except me...

[jmmbones]

I just started reading your thread and your tank is absolutely awesome. I am a beginner reefer and only have a 34g Red Sea Max but I am hooked and cant wait for the day my wife and I are ready to upgrade. Keep up the good work.

[mcrist]

Thanks jmmbones. I started with a 29 gallon tank and a lot of growing pains since then.

[djay]

noice

[Victoria]

This thread is great! This is just the type of tank we are in the process of planing. I had an Idea to hide the out flow tubes... GSP they like the flow, they are flexible, and if you tear them no problem. Also as long as they do not touch your rock work they will not grow all over the tank. Anyway very nice tank!!

[mcrist]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12526358#post12526358 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Victoria
This thread is great! This is just the type of tank we are in the process of planing. I had an Idea to hide the out flow tubes... GSP they like the flow, they are flexible, and if you tear them no problem. Also as long as they do not touch your rock work they will not grow all over the tank. Anyway very nice tank!!
Good idea...thanks

[BEurich]

Good luck with the sand. Hope it goes well

[mcrist]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13379900#post13379900 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BEurich
Good luck with the sand. Hope it goes well
I actually removed the sand a couple of months ago but thanks.

I need to update this thread with pictures.

[asnatlas]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13387320#post13387320 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mcrist
I need to update this thread with pictures.

Yes you do :)

[mcrist]

Here are some updated photos I took today.

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/mecrist/2008-09-2115-36-28.jpg

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/mecrist/2008-09-2115-36-42.jpg

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/mecrist/2008-09-2115-36-51.jpg

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/mecrist/2008-09-2115-36-57.jpg

[mcrist]

Some more...

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/mecrist/2008-09-2115-37-14.jpg

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/mecrist/2008-09-2115-37-43.jpg

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/mecrist/2008-09-2115-37-51.jpg

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/mecrist/2008-09-2115-38-00.jpg

[mcrist]

And finally...

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/mecrist/2008-09-2115-38-18.jpg

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/mecrist/2008-09-2115-38-23.jpg

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/mecrist/2008-09-2115-38-49.jpg

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/mecrist/2008-09-2115-40-08.jpg

[cichlid333]

looks awesome that tank is sweet

[Dudester]

I like how the star polyps are growing over the returns, but I gotta admit, I miss the sand.

[asnatlas]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13387320#post13387320 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mcrist
I actually removed the sand a couple of months ago but thanks.


Why did you decide to remove the sand and have you seen a vast improvement ??

[mcrist]

cichlid333 - Thanks

Dudester - I do to sometimes but I don't miss the hassle.

asnatlas - No I haven't seen any improvements other than less hassle. I hated watching the sandstorms whenever a fish would swim low. It's been over 4 months and I still blow sand out of the crevices in the rock.

[ox5477]

Nice tank...

What kind off eel is that?

I do like the look sand more than BB as well... just My Opinion... but looks great none the less... and the idea about the GSP to cover the returns from Victoria was brilliant, might have to try something like this on my new tank in the works.

I was gonna ask too, is that egg crate fastened down in any way? Or just sitting on the tank? Seems like if one of those triggers get enough head going, could give a good enough nudge to jar it a little and maybe make it out the on the next jump... but maybe just imagining things... just thinking about my Jack Dempsey and how powerful he is, and that your triggers are quite a bit larger...

Ox

[mcrist]

ox5477 - Thanks

Their actually not eels but rather engineer (convict) gobies. I have always liked them and everybody always comments about them.

I prefer the look of sand too but not the hassle. I have to thank Dudester and Victoria for the idea of covering the Loc-Line with corals. They are not actually growing on the Loc-Line yet but I have small pieces of corals next to Loc-Line so it should start to grow on them soon.

I stopped using egg crate to cover the tank a while back since I don’t have any jumpers in the tank. If the triggers wanted to they could probably break right through the egg crate and land on my kitchen table. The most the male does is splash some water out the tank every once in a while.

[ox5477]

Engineer gobies? Get the f out... I have two as well... def much more white coloration though. Is that yellow in the pic their natural color or is it the picture that makes them look so yellow?

This is pic of one of mine (awful pic too... sorry), still part juvie and gettings its adult patterning.... but you can see its def alot more white colored than yours: http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/ox5477/Engineer8_13_08.jpg

[mcrist]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13401000#post13401000 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ox5477
Engineer gobies? Get the f out... I have two as well... def much more white coloration though. Is that yellow in the pic their natural color or is it the picture that makes them look so yellow?

My pictures definitely have a yellow hue to them since I am running Iwasaki 10,000K bulbs. All six of my engineer gobies have white patches/stripes and no yellow and are about 8-10 inches long.

[ox5477]

Ok... thought you were going to say you have some rare color varient and I was going to be upset!! haha. Mine are about 7-8" currently and getting close to outgrowing my current tank... the uprade will be welcomed thoroughly by them I'm sure.

Thanks

[erics3000]

Great updates..I am getting tires of sand my self...PITa

[StripestheEel]

Any updates??

[mcrist]

Not many changes since my last post. I did sell one of my two Tunze Stream 6100 pumps and replaced it with the new 6105. I am not overly impressed with it so I purchased another Vortech so that makes three of them in my tank. I am hoping one more will do but I may need to go up to six. The only addition I had was a trio of spotted anthias (Borbonius Anthias).

Maybe I can post some photos today.

[hershell]

Mcrist…. Good Job two thumbs up… I like the peninsula design a lot. I also like the aquascape. I’m in the process of building a 360 peninsula myself. I’m having a hard time finding someone to build the cabinet. I may end up doing it myself. Who made the doors for you or where did you buy them.

Thanks for sharing…….. Good Job.

[mcrist]

Thanks…I love the peninsula design look but hate cleaning all three walls. The cabinets were done by a friend and I am unsure where he purchased the doors.

[~sp0ok~]

love the tank.......... peninsula all the way

[mcrist]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14265912#post14265912 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ~sp0ok~
love the tank.......... peninsula all the way
Tank you...

I never had a chance to post any updated photos, maybe this weekend.

[Psyire]

If you don't mind me asking, what about the 6105 has you not impressed?

[mcrist]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14279004#post14279004 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Psyire
If you don't mind me asking, what about the 6105 has you not impressed?
Of course I don’t mind you asking, that is why I have a thread. :)

When I said that I was not impressed with the 6105, I was merely comparing it to my Vortechs. Don’t get me wrong the Tunze Stream is one the best powerheads out there but I just like the Vortechs more.

The new design of the 6105 is definitely an improvement over its predecessor. The built in magnet, swivel arm, and smaller footprint are all major improvements but just not enough for me to switch from the Vortech.

[elvis142]

hello mark, great looking tank! i have a 200g pen. an i love it. what kind of triggers do you have? there are *****en.

john

[mcrist]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14313746#post14313746 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by elvis142
hello mark, great looking tank! i have a 200g pen. an i love it. what kind of triggers do you have? there are *****en.

john
I like them too, thanks. They are a mated pair of crosshatch triggers.

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/mecrist/2008-09-2115-40-08.jpg

[porthios]

mark have you noticed any differences in water parameters since you removed the sand bed? anything easier/tougher to keep where you want it? nitrates/po4/etc..

[mcrist]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14325046#post14325046 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by porthios
mark have you noticed any differences in water parameters since you removed the sand bed? anything easier/tougher to keep where you want it? nitrates/po4/etc..
Nothing significant, actually I doubt my numbers changed at all. I was hoping for some improvements but I have not seen anything. I am still happy I made the switch.

[mcrist]

I just added my forth VorTech to my system. Just with them alone I have approximately 12,000 gallons per hour of flow.

[tcmfish]

When you say mated pair, have they spawned?

[mcrist]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14374249#post14374249 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tcmfish
When you say mated pair, have they spawned?
Not that I am aware off. The female was demonstrating some basic nesting behavior in the past but I never witnessed any spawning. I am not sure anyone has had them spawn in captivity. I think its more wishful thinking on my part.

[Dustin1300]

Love the tank....Only dreaming about one that size now because don't want to set up and then find my job takes me elsewhere...My 55 will do for now!

[tcmfish]

They have been spawned, not raised. Word is they get aggressive when spawning.

Not to be debbie downer, but wouldn't you say you have a compatible pair then?

[mcrist]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14375859#post14375859 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tcmfish
They have been spawned, not raised. Word is they get aggressive when spawning.

Not to be debbie downer, but wouldn't you say you have a compatible pair then?
Your right, I have a male female pair of crosshatch triggers.

[mcrist]

Updated photos taken on 2/23.

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/mecrist/2009-02-2317-00-46.jpg

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/mecrist/2009-02-2317-01-49.jpg

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/mecrist/2009-02-2317-07-13.jpg

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/mecrist/2009-02-2317-07-24.jpg

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/mecrist/2009-02-2317-07-33.jpg

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/mecrist/2009-02-2317-11-01.jpg

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/mecrist/2009-02-2317-11-23.jpg

[mcrist]

and the rest...

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/mecrist/2009-02-2317-11-36.jpg

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/mecrist/2009-02-2317-29-01.jpg

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/mecrist/2009-02-2317-29-22.jpg

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/mecrist/2009-02-2317-30-12.jpg

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/mecrist/2009-02-2317-32-42.jpg

[Dudester]

Very nice Mark! Are they the Korallia rotating heads on the end of your locline? Nice idea, although the one I used in the past used to get jammed pretty regularly. Of course mine was on a MaxiJet, so there probably wasn't nearly as much flow going through it as you have on your returns.

[mcrist]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14472522#post14472522 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Dudester
Very nice Mark! Are they the Korallia rotating heads on the end of your locline? Nice idea, although the one I used in the past used to get jammed pretty regularly. Of course mine was on a MaxiJet, so there probably wasn't nearly as much flow going through it as you have on your returns.
Thanks Dudester. The rotating heads are from Hydor and the can jam easily but so far I have not had any problems except they want to pop off my loc-line. If I keep them long term I need to figure out a better way to connect them to the loc-line.

[Dudester]

That's what I meant, Hydor, yep. The good news is that they are easy to disassemble and clean, but unless you have long arms you'll have to put on a snorkel to reach them in your tank :) .

[mcrist]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14472758#post14472758 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Dudester
That's what I meant, Hydor, yep. The good news is that they are easy to disassemble and clean, but unless you have long arms you'll have to put on a snorkel to reach them in your tank :) .
I have a lot more problems when I need to work on the loc-line. It is not easy to disconnect/connect loc-line when you arms are fully extended in a tank.

[hershell]

What light bulbs are you running in the new pics?

[mcrist]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14497042#post14497042 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by hershell
What light bulbs are you running in the new pics?
I think they are the Ushio 250 watt 10,000K bulbs. I will double check when I get home.

[mcrist]

I double checked and I am using Ushio.

[mpoletti]

Very Nice Mark. Have your borbonius had any aggression towards each other? I have two and now I am down to one as the more dominant one would keep the other one locked down into a corner until it died :(

[hershell]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14498405#post14498405 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mcrist
I double checked and I am using Ushio.

Thanks.

[mcrist]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14498866#post14498866 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mpoletti
Very Nice Mark. Have your borbonius had any aggression towards each other? I have two and now I am down to one as the more dominant one would keep the other one locked down into a corner until it died :(
They are a little aggressive to each other but nothing serious. I hope mine work out there differences better than yours did. Sorry for you loss. I will have to keep an eye on them.

Thanks for the compliment.

[hummermaniac88]

Solid frame!

[mcrist]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14501007#post14501007 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by hummermaniac88
Solid frame!
Yeah, I think I overbuilt the frame. I didn't want to take any chances and I figured wood is cheap.

[mcrist]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14472522#post14472522 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Dudester
Nice idea, although the one I used in the past used to get jammed pretty regularly.
Thanks for the jinx; I had my first Hydor jam this week. :) Not a big deal and it was extremely easy to fix.

[tbar]

Great thread Just went through it all today. Awesome tank! Love the room dividers I thought you should of gone BB from the start. I had my 125 drilled at the end so it could be a 3 sided display. Probably won't happen in this house we are in. I have an open hole in the wall between the kitchen and den that is about 6' by 33" and 45" from the floor. That is where I was originally going to go but the wife had second thoughts at the end. So it's against a wall, what could of been.

[Dudester]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14513348#post14513348 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mcrist
Thanks for the jinx; I had my first Hydor jam this week. :) Not a big deal and it was extremely easy to fix. Whoops :sad1: :wave:

[mcrist]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14520286#post14520286 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tbar
Great thread Just went through it all today. Awesome tank! Love the room dividers I thought you should of gone BB from the start. I had my 125 drilled at the end so it could be a 3 sided display. Probably won't happen in this house we are in. I have an open hole in the wall between the kitchen and den that is about 6' by 33" and 45" from the floor. That is where I was originally going to go but the wife had second thoughts at the end. So it's against a wall, what could of been.
Thank You. I was not a big fan of BB until I tried it for myself. I am still amazed how much junk I vacuum out of my display on a weekly basis. That alone makes me love BB but I do miss the look of sand.

My wife was the one who convinced me to go peninsula, I wanted the tank to be in the wall.

[jwiz63]

WOW! is all I can say. Just read through this awesome thread from the beginning and as many have said.....AWESOME job!

I am new to the whole reef thing and am dreaming of a basement based fish room so you have definitely inspired me!

A few questions if you don't mind. How is the noise from the gravity drain? One of my main reasons for wanting things in the basement is to get a quieter tank environment in my living room.

Once you went bb did you get rid of the blenny's you were concerned about? I started my tank with coral gravel and have wondered if I need to switch to sand. Now you have me wondering about BB. I like the gobies / blennies / jaw fish, but already am getting tired of the dirt in my gravel and your experience doesn't make it sound like sand is much better.

Did you loose any inverts to the triggers? They are beautiful! I have always loved niger triggers but figured they were out due to inverts. Would love to have an alternative.

I apologize for the long post, but this is a truly wonderful thread and you inspired me. Thanks again and best wishes for continued success and happiness!

[t kish]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14472797#post14472797 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mcrist
I have a lot more problems when I need to work on the loc-line. It is not easy to disconnect/connect loc-line when you arms are fully extended in a tank.

Absolutely gorgious Aquarium thanks for sharring.

I am sure you already know that Loc-Line sells special pliers for connecting the sections together.

Tim K

[mcrist]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14599345#post14599345 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jwiz63
WOW! is all I can say. Just read through this awesome thread from the beginning and as many have said.....AWESOME job!

I am new to the whole reef thing and am dreaming of a basement based fish room so you have definitely inspired me!

A few questions if you don't mind. How is the noise from the gravity drain? One of my main reasons for wanting things in the basement is to get a quieter tank environment in my living room.

Once you went bb did you get rid of the blenny's you were concerned about? I started my tank with coral gravel and have wondered if I need to switch to sand. Now you have me wondering about BB. I like the gobies / blennies / jaw fish, but already am getting tired of the dirt in my gravel and your experience doesn't make it sound like sand is much better.

Did you loose any inverts to the triggers? They are beautiful! I have always loved niger triggers but figured they were out due to inverts. Would love to have an alternative.

I apologize for the long post, but this is a truly wonderful thread and you inspired me. Thanks again and best wishes for continued success and happiness!

Thanks for the compliments; I still have a long way to go.

I don’t consider my gravity drains completely quiet but it does make less noise than my Dart pump and my Vortechs. The main reason I wanted everything in the basement was to have less mess during water changes and more flexibility with setting everything up.

My engineer (convict) gobies have been doing fine but I am sure they would prefer to have the sand back. My jawfish pair died before I removed the sand and none of my wrasses ever touched the sand so I figured, why should I continue with this aggravation.

I can’t be sure of what took out my cleaner shrimp but I am willing to bet that it was my flame hawkfish. I also lose some hermit crabs to the convict gobies but nothing major.

The longer the post the better. :) I love talking fish.

[mcrist]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14600082#post14600082 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by t kish
Absolutely gorgious Aquarium thanks for sharring.

I am sure you already know that Loc-Line sells special pliers for connecting the sections together.

Tim K
Thank you and yes I am aware of the pliers and I have a pair. It is still hard with the pliers while working in the tank but I usually have more problems when trying to separate them.

[seti007]

Wow thats a beautiful tank. You re making me miss my 500 gal tank :( I got rid of it a few years back but am thinking of starting up another one. Builds like your give me motivation to do so.
I really like how fat and healthy looking your tangs are. Keep up the good work!!

[mcrist]

Thanks seti007

I can’t image breaking down a large system, I would be going spastic.

All my fish are fat and healthy. I feed an entire sheet of nori every day plus I feed other vegetable matter in their daily feeding. I am surprised how much the carnivore fish eat all the green I put in my tank. :)

I need to improve my photo skills because I need to show everyone the colors on my mystery wrasse. They just pop but the camera doesn’t show its beauty.

[mcrist]

I finished redoing a lot of my plumbing this past weekend. I decided to add two Penductors to my return pump but I was concerned about the back siphon that it would create if I lost power. I do not trust check valves so my only option is to get a larger sump. The sump was only 100 gallons so I wanted to upgrade it to 150 gallons. With me changing this I also decided that I would remove the refugium. I wanted to simplify things plus I was concerned about the sand in my refugium. Now that I added the two Penductors I estimate my total water movement in my tank to be 23,862 GPH. That should give me about a 48x turnover, not bad

4 Vortechs = 12,000
1 Tunze = 3,434
1 Dart = 2,428
1 Iwaki with Penductors = 6,000

[wycombes]

The tank is great! Those crosshatch triggers are my dream fish, very nice color. Your Naso looks like a pretty big tang.

[usefulidiot213]

I love your tank. I dream of having your tank in my house... I don't know what that says about me.. That I dream about a reef tank, when most men my age would dream about women and money...

[mcrist]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14728274#post14728274 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by wycombes
The tank is great! Those crosshatch triggers are my dream fish, very nice color. Your Naso looks like a pretty big tang.
They are one of my favorites too. I went nuts when I saw them at my LFS.

My naso has a lot of growing to do yet. I am still hoping that he is a he and not a she.

[mcrist]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14786714#post14786714 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by usefulidiot213
I love your tank. I dream of having your tank in my house... I don't know what that says about me.. That I dream about a reef tank, when most men my age would dream about women and money...
I have no comments about your dreams :D

but thanks for the compliment.

[mcrist]

I replaced my light fixture two weeks ago after a lot of research on which technology and brand to go with. I went back and forth on a T5 only or a metal halide combo unit. I really liked some of the benefits of switching to only T5’s and I loved the ATI Powermodule but I wanted a 6 foot light and they don’t make one. I was also concerned about the light spread and I just couldn’t give up the shimmer. So I went with…

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/mecrist/2009-05-05_18-12-12.jpg

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/mecrist/2009-05-05_18-12-21.jpg

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/mecrist/2009-05-05_18-12-52.jpg

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/mecrist/2009-05-05_18-13-33.jpg

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/mecrist/2009-05-05_18-13-45.jpg

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/mecrist/2009-05-05_18-14-48.jpg

[Jeremy Blaze]

What are the details of the new fixture?

What were you replacing?

[mcrist]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14961175#post14961175 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Jeremy Blaze
What are the details of the new fixture?

What were you replacing?
My new light is a Giesemann Spectra 3x250 watt metal halide and 4x80 watt T5 fixture. It replaced a Coralife 3x250 metal halide and 2x96 watt compact fluorescent fixture. The old light is for sale on this thread if anyone is interested.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1625421&highlight=allentown

[mgers21]

awesome build! Love your acrylic "coffin" :)

[tbar]

Holy illumination Batman! That is sweet. Will be interesting to see how the corals react with the new lights in the months ahead.

[StripestheEel]

Looking great man. Width is definitely king!

I have just started on a 7'x5'x2.2' tank. You have so many options with aquascape when you go "wider"

[mcrist]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14988928#post14988928 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by StripestheEel
Looking great man. Width is definitely king!

I have just started on a 7'x5'x2.2' tank. You have so many options with aquascape when you go "wider"
Thanks… I can’t image a tank 5 foot wide, that will be awesome.

[mcrist]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14966371#post14966371 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tbar
Holy illumination Batman! That is sweet. Will be interesting to see how the corals react with the new lights in the months ahead.
I already have a coral breaching white and I cut the photo period down to almost half and raised the light an additional 1 inch.

[mcrist]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14966309#post14966309 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mgers21
awesome build! Love your acrylic "coffin" :)
I appreciate the compliment. I always joke that nobody will want to be a pallbearer at my funeral.

[mcrist]

Update photos taken on Sunday the 19th.

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/mecrist/2009-07-1920-53-18.jpg

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/mecrist/2009-07-1920-56-13.jpg

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/mecrist/2009-07-1920-56-41.jpg

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/mecrist/2009-07-1920-57-05.jpg

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/mecrist/2009-07-1921-01-21.jpg

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/mecrist/2009-07-1921-04-19.jpg

[dennisdeng2002]

Awesome tank

[mcrist]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15390210#post15390210 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dennisdeng2002
Awesome tank
Thanks

[usefulidiot213]

Tank looks good.

[Ebob954]

man im jealous. great looking tank. keep it up.

[mcrist]

Thank for the compliments guys. I love your username usefulidiot213.

[Lightsluvr]

I love your aquascaping concept - tried to adapt it in our new tank...

Great work!

LL

[mcrist]

I am still fighting my nitrates issue. The lowest I ever got my nitrates was about 18 but I couldn’t get it any lower. I probably wouldn’t be too concerned about it if it wasn’t for the slim algae that I just can’t seem to beat. So back in January I started dosing vodka. The highest dosage I was able to achieve in my tank was about 50 ml daily. The problem with that high of a dosage was that my water would always be cloudy so I reduced the dosage to 40 ml daily. Around March of this year I also took my sulfur denitrator offline and I think that was a mistake. I was hoping that the vodka would be able to compensate but instead my nitrates slowly creeped up to 40. For a while my tank never looked better, even though my nitrates were rising my slim algae was gone. Unfortunately the good times didn’t last and once again I am starting to see slim algae. I think the only thing that stopped my nitrates from going any higher was that I started increasing my water changes volume. I was changing 50 gallons weekly but right now I am changing 100 gallons weekly. My nitrates stabilized at 30 but they are not going any lower so on Tuesday I started up my sulfur denitrator again. Hopefully it will help.

[mcrist]

I forgot to mention last month I replaced my aging AquaController 2 and purchased the GHL ProfiLux. Talk about a difference in quality and capabilities between the two units.

[mcrist]

Thanks Lightsluvr , I took a look at your thread and I did see you setup your live rock with the island approach. It looks great, now I need to spend a few hours reading your thread. :D

[NexDog]

Not sure why vodka wasn't working for you and would like to hear more about that as I'm due to start soon. Vodka is supposed to make teh tank clearer not cloudy?

I have a Sulphur Denitrator and it seems to keep the nitrates around 2 or 3 but I'm adding more fish now so bioload will increase alot hence the search for something else.

Your tank is still awesome. :)

[mcrist]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15402264#post15402264 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by NexDog
Not sure why vodka wasn't working for you and would like to hear more about that as I'm due to start soon. Vodka is supposed to make teh tank clearer not cloudy?

I have a Sulphur Denitrator and it seems to keep the nitrates around 2 or 3 but I'm adding more fish now so bioload will increase alot hence the search for something else.

Your tank is still awesome. :)
I am not sure its not working either. Since my daily dosage is high enough I have a LiterMeter III dosing pump dripping vodka throughout the day so I know my daily amount remains constant. It was my understanding that when you dose vodka that there is a limit to which a system can process the additional carbon source and if you exceed that level your water becomes cloudy. It’s easy to correct just reduce the dosage.

What brand sulfur denitrator are you using? I am using the Korallin S-4002 and I never got my nitrates as low as yours. The reason I took the denitrator offline was I couldn’t believe the amount of detritus that was accumulating at the bottom a throughout the media so I wanted to clean it and I never got around to putting back together. Plus I was hoping that the vodka would be sufficient.

[rapture]

Lookin good so far

[NexDog]

I use teh MidWestAquatic Denitrator. It's been running for 3 years and it's black inside. Not sure if it's advisable to change out the media in them? It took about 6 months to start working so I'd hate to have to go through that again.

[SMOOTHIE]

Subscribing now. Love it! What light rig are you using?

[mcrist]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15404692#post15404692 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by NexDog
I use teh MidWestAquatic Denitrator. It's been running for 3 years and it's black inside. Not sure if it's advisable to change out the media in them? It took about 6 months to start working so I'd hate to have to go through that again.
I looked into that brand first but they actually recommend the Korallin over their product because of the size of my tank. I was really impressed with them because it must be hard to recommend one of your competitors.

Doesn’t it freak you out that it’s black inside? I tried everything to keep detritus out of the unit and I couldn’t. I guess after three years you should need to break it down soon to replace the media. My unit starting giving me zero nitrates after 2-3 weeks but it just can’t produce enough nitrate free water to really make a dent. I figured it out once that it produces about 50 gallons of nitrate free water a week. I don’t think that’s enough for my size tank and the only way these units will work for larger tanks is to have multiple units instead of just making it larger.

[mcrist]

Thanks rapture and SMOOTHIE. The light is a Giesemann Spectra 3x250 watt/4x80 watt fixture.

[NexDog]

Maybe I'll email them and see what they recommend. The blackness doesn't bother me as long as it's producing nitrate free water. I'll check the output a bit later to see if it is 0 nitrates. I must have 450g volume, have approximately 20 fish with a few tangs, angels and butterflies. I would say I'm a medium feeder. Have a Deltec 902 skimmer which is okay but I do feel it could pull out more. I think the more live rock you have the more denitrifying bacteria you have and I just doubled the amount I have.

But I think I'm going to start dosing vodka as I've heard of many good results although your experiences give me some doubts on the method.

[korth659]

very cool tank

[Jeremy Blaze]

Tank is maturing very nicely.

[meredith1985]

very pretty tank! i've started talking to my husband about doing that when we purchase a house! He keeps looking at me like i'm crazy! He jsut doesn't understand the Ubsession!

Great work by the way! what an inspiration!:rollface:

[lastlight]

Tank is so much nicer with the open top and that piece of metal SEXINESS hanging over it. That was originally the light I wanted for my tank but the price was just TOO steep. Do you plan to add more LPS, SPS or softies going forward?

[mcrist]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15407732#post15407732 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by NexDog
Maybe I'll email them and see what they recommend. The blackness doesn't bother me as long as it's producing nitrate free water. I'll check the output a bit later to see if it is 0 nitrates. I must have 450g volume, have approximately 20 fish with a few tangs, angels and butterflies. I would say I'm a medium feeder. Have a Deltec 902 skimmer which is okay but I do feel it could pull out more. I think the more live rock you have the more denitrifying bacteria you have and I just doubled the amount I have.

But I think I'm going to start dosing vodka as I've heard of many good results although your experiences give me some doubts on the method.
Your setup sounds very similar to mine; I even have the same Deltec 902 skimmer. I also feel the skimmer could do a better job. Have you seen the new models that Deltec is coming out with?

Don’t get discourage from my experience. I am not sure why my nitrates haven’t come down like they should but my tank has never looked any better so I am happy with the results. I just wish the nitrates would drop.

[mcrist]

Thanks korth659, Jeremy Blaze, and lastlight.

Jeremy Blaze - I kept talking to my wife about what I wanted to do when we built our new house and she was always fine with the dimensions. That was until I traced the size the tank was going to be on the floor, she couldn’t believe it was going to be that big. My wife has no concept of size.

lastlight - The price was definitely steep, no argument there. I don’t want any more softies that’s for sure but I think I might want to try some SPS when I solve my nitrates issues. If I do try SPS I will need a calcium reactor and I am trying to avoid having one for as long as I can. I will never get rid of my SPS though; I like them too much so I think my tank will always be dominated by them.

[mcrist]

I am planning on re-aquascaping my display this weekend to allow for more open swimming area. I will be removing a few fish from my display so that I can reintroduce shrimp into my tank. I was hoping for some opinions on what I should remove to help assure that the new shrimp won’t just become food. Below is a current fish stock list with the mostly likely to go up top.

2 @ Flame Hawkfish
6 @ Engineer (Convict) Goby
3 @ Yellow Spotted Anthias

2 @ Crosshatch Trigger
1 @ Mystery Wrasse
1 @ Red Margin Fairy Wrasse
1 @ Blue Tang
1 @ Naso Tang
1 @ Sailfin Tang
1 @ Copperband Butterflyfish

[erics3000]

I have some bigger and agresive fish in my tank also and been wanting to get some cleaner shrimp. After they are aclimated I am going to float them in a clear box in my tank. I hope this will help my fish get use to them. Good Luck...

[mcrist]

I have some bigger and agresive fish in my tank also and been wanting to get some cleaner shrimp. After they are aclimated I am going to float them in a clear box in my tank. I hope this will help my fish get use to them. Good Luck...
Cleaner shrimp would be nice but I really need some peppermint shrimp in there. I have been losing a battle with Aiptasia and want another way to get rid of them.

I’ve tried that but my hawkfish always seem to develop a taste for shrimp. I guess I can’t blame them for that though.

[erics3000]

has he eat peppermint or cleaner shrimp. I have been wanting to get another hawk fish since mine jumper out a few years back. They are one of my favorite fish.

[mcrist]

has he eat peppermint or cleaner shrimp. I have been wanting to get another hawk fish since mine jumper out a few years back. They are one of my favorite fish.
I never actually saw him eat any of the shrimp but he was definitely watching them. I could just see it his eyes wondering "How I could fit that big shrimp into in my little mouth", then one day they were gone. So I have no proof but a lot of circumstantial evidence that I am sure he is guilty (I watch too much Law & Order). :)

[ave]

I like so much,:sleep:

[erics3000]

I saw my sailfin eat a peppermint with my on eyes..

[mcrist]

I saw my sailfin eat a peppermint with my on eyes..
Seriously, I would have never thought a tang would eat a shrimp.

[mcrist]

I like so much,:sleep:
I am not sure how to interpret your post, either you like my tank or you were using sarcasm and think that it is boring. I will go with it as a compliment, so thank you.

[erics3000]

Yeah. I will never put shrimp in from the top of my tank. When I get my cleaner shrimp, after they are aclimated and in the box floating for a few days. I will feed my fish heavy and release them and night and cross my fingers.

[mcrist]

Yeah. I will never put shrimp in from the top of my tank. When I get my cleaner shrimp, after they are aclimated and in the box floating for a few days. I will feed my fish heavy and release them and night and cross my fingers.
I am just not that patient.

[bullitr]

I am not sure how to interpret your post, either you like my tank or you were using sarcasm and think that it is boring. I will go with it as a compliment, so thank you.

lost in translation.
nice tank!

[mcrist]

Updated photos...

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/mecrist/2010-03-31_22-00-33.jpg

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/mecrist/2010-03-31_22-01-01.jpg

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/mecrist/2010-03-31_22-01-24.jpg

[mcrist]

and some more...

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/mecrist/2010-03-31_22-01-52.jpg

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/mecrist/2010-03-31_22-02-05.jpg

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/mecrist/2010-03-31_22-02-17.jpg

[mcrist]

the last of the new photos...

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/mecrist/2010-03-31_22-02-37.jpg

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/mecrist/2010-03-31_22-02-54.jpg

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/mecrist/2010-03-31_22-03-04.jpg

[NexDog]

Mmmmm, triggers.

[jbarnaby]

the last of the new photos...

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/mecrist/2010-03-31_22-02-37.jpg

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/mecrist/2010-03-31_22-02-54.jpg

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/mecrist/2010-03-31_22-03-04.jpg

First off...The tank looks wonderful!!! but I was wondering what is that white stuff in the corners? Is it Salt Creep? Is it inside the tank or out?

[mcrist]

First off...The tank looks wonderful!!! but I was wondering what is that white stuff in the corners? Is it Salt Creep? Is it inside the tank or out?
No it is not salt creep, it's just coralline algae. I do not have much luck scraping it off the corners on my acrylic tank.

Thanks for the compliment.

[usefulidiot213]

Looks good.. Big fat healthy fish.

[mcrist]

Looks good.. Big fat healthy fish.
Thanks, I do prefer big happy fish. :lmao:

[Untamed12]

No it is not salt creep, it's just coralline algae. I do not have much luck scraping it off the corners on my acrylic tank.

Thanks for the compliment.

I have same problem. Very difficult to get the coraline out of those inside corners. I originally wanted my corners bent from a single piece of acrylic, but the builder talked me out of it...now I have purple corners.

[mcrist]

I have same problem. Very difficult to get the coraline out of those inside corners. I originally wanted my corners bent from a single piece of acrylic, but the builder talked me out of it...now I have purple corners.
This past weekend I noticed a way to remove the coralline algae from my corners but so far I haven't thought of a way to recreate it. When I was refilling the tank I had my two return nozzles pointing to my bottom corners of my tank (both of my return nozzles have educators/penducators attached to them). The high pressure stream of water easily removed the coralline algae in huge strips. I wonder if there are any submersible pumps that are also pressure rated? If I could find a pump like that then I should be able to attach an educators/penducators to it. I should then be able to clear away all the coralline in my corners, well in theory anyway.

[TheSurgeon]

I have same problem. Very difficult to get the coraline out of those inside corners. I originally wanted my corners bent from a single piece of acrylic, but the builder talked me out of it...now I have purple corners.

I have a tank made of one rounded piece of acrylic... you made a wise decision.

[Untamed12]

I have a tank made of one rounded piece of acrylic... you made a wise decision.

Well... a cylinder is a very different beast to be sure. I'm talking about having a bent corner as opposed to a seamed corner.

It is exactly like why they don't build commercial kitchens with right angle seams in the stainless steel. Every corner has a nice smooth curve to allow for sanitary cleaning.

My builder talked me out of it because the bent corner would produce a distorted view and since the tank is 1" thick, you can't bend it very sharply. I think this would be the best way to build a 5 or 6 sided, large acrylic tank since the bend angles would be less.

Hmm...water pressure removal. Interesting idea. I find that my fingernail is effective. Unfortunately, I run out of fingernail before I run out of coraline!

[MGB]

It's really interesting to see the evolution of the system, thanks for sticking with it. Did I miss the part were you pulled the closed loop system, are you relying just on the two penductors for circulation. I have two penductors on my tank and they really do a great job, plus they don't have the expense or maintenance issues of pumps. I think your nitrates will balance out and reduce now you've got that sand out, but it might take a while for the LR to take over. Good job.

[jlehigh]

Wow mcrist. I'm extremely impressed with your approach to the hobby and results with your tank. I have to say; online you come across as a very good guy and that can be tougher than building/maintaining a BIG tank :)

Regarding the nitrates: You may try taking a water sample for your test from the surface of your rock (use a turkey baster). I would test it for P04 as well. Often times our LR can become a nutrient-laden home for generating nitrates while slowly releasing P04 (this is what the slime algae feeds on). Once saturated LR is a very unforgiving source of nutrients..

Btw: I ran two penductors off an Iwaki70 for a few years on my 280gal and those things blew everything not glued down, across the tank :) It created a complete cyclone/circular effect. I share this because I thought early in the thread you cited using an Iwaki100. This being the case I think you could likely add an additional one or two penductors and greatly increase the output. Having thought about it another minute, the Iwaki is the return from your basement, so its probably eating up that extra head.. So nm! ;) Why waste a perfectly good self answering question, right?

God bless,

[mcrist]

It's really interesting to see the evolution of the system, thanks for sticking with it. Did I miss the part were you pulled the closed loop system, are you relying just on the two penductors for circulation. I have two penductors on my tank and they really do a great job, plus they don't have the expense or maintenance issues of pumps. I think your nitrates will balance out and reduce now you've got that sand out, but it might take a while for the LR to take over. Good job.
I guess you did miss it when I removed the closed loop. :) I removed it on March 25-26th when I reaquascaped my system and removed a few fish. I do have two educators/penductors but they are currently attached to an Iwaki 55RLT and not the 100RLT. I downgraded the pump a few months ago to save on electricity. I also like that my battery backup can now run the return pump for several hours without power.

I sure hope my nitrates issues will go away one day but so far the lowest I have achieved is 13.2 NO3.

Thanks

[mcrist]

Wow mcrist. I'm extremely impressed with your approach to the hobby and results with your tank. I have to say; online you come across as a very good guy and that can be tougher than building/maintaining a BIG tank :)

Regarding the nitrates: You may try taking a water sample for your test from the surface of your rock (use a turkey baster). I would test it for P04 as well. Often times our LR can become a nutrient-laden home for generating nitrates while slowly releasing P04 (this is what the slime algae feeds on). Once saturated LR is a very unforgiving source of nutrients..

Btw: I ran two penductors off an Iwaki70 for a few years on my 280gal and those things blew everything not glued down, across the tank :) It created a complete cyclone/circular effect. I share this because I thought early in the thread you cited using an Iwaki100. This being the case I think you could likely add an additional one or two penductors and greatly increase the output. Having thought about it another minute, the Iwaki is the return from your basement, so its probably eating up that extra head.. So nm! ;) Why waste a perfectly good self answering question, right?

God bless,
I don’t think I have ever received as nice of a compliment on-line before, thank you.

I have read posts about taking water samples near the rock to see if the live rock is leaching nitrates and phosphates but I have always questioned it effectiveness. I guess I doubt you could get an accurate reading since anything measurable would quickly dissipate

[erics3000]

13.02 not too bad at all..

[mcrist]

13.02 not too bad at all..
You would think it wouldn't be bad but the slime algae still grows. I know phosphates are contributing to it but when I test for it, it always show zero with or without ROWAphos.

[ditka]

After reading that you upgraded to two mp60's, i believe it is time for an update.

[mcrist]

If you liked your MP40's you will love the MP60.

[psusocr]

mcrist,

Have you ever tried to use a magfloat with the razor blade attachment to get your coraline off?

it works WONDERS!!! just be very careful you dont scrape into your silicone.

[ms0099rg]

I love this tank !!

[mcrist]

mcrist,

Have you ever tried to use a magfloat with the razor blade attachment to get your coraline off?

it works WONDERS!!! just be very careful you dont scrape into your silicone.
It’s an acrylic tank so no razor blades for me.

[mcrist]

I love this tank !!
Thank you.

[psusocr]

It’s an acrylic tank so no razor blades for me.

I missed the most important part! sorry i didnt know it was acrylic. I also have a mighty mganet that has a coraline sock that they say is acrylic safe. I have two acrylic tanks covered wth coraline and other algae that i have to completely clean. I wll let you know if it does what it says it does.

[mcrist]

I missed the most important part! sorry i didnt know it was acrylic. I also have a mighty mganet that has a coraline sock that they say is acrylic safe. I have two acrylic tanks covered wth coraline and other algae that i have to completely clean. I wll let you know if it does what it says it does.
Thanks let me know what you find out. I have a Magnavore 8 that works well except for coralline algae, it doesn’t touch the stuff.

I have yet to recreate what happened a year ago when I disconnected the closed loop. I had the tank empty and I was refilling it with my main pump and some educators/penducators. The educators/penducators were pointed down to the bottom of the tank at the seam. I had a lot of coralline algae there but the pressure that was created completely removed all coralline algae from that location. I need to try and recreate it and if it works I will have any easy way to remove the annoying coralline algae.

[sfsuphysics]

Thanks let me know what you find out. I have a Magnavore 8 that works well except for coralline algae, it doesn’t touch the stuff.


Go to the mighty magnet site, click on products, look at their pads, they have something called the Algae Dozer.. it's basically a white pad with a plastic triangle thing on it. Assuming your magnet is properly sized (i.e. holds good) then it'll scrape away at coraline no problem.. however they do wear out and get flat over time. Just order whatever will fit your existing magnet, you don't need their magnets to use them :D

The algae sock (which I think the other poster was thinking) doesn't work so much on coraline, but does a really good job on those harder brown diatom(??) algae spots that pop up if you aren't religious about keeping the acrylic clean.

[PaPa_Johnny]

no pictures for almost year? :) time for updated pics!

Seriously, very nice, and yeah, pics would be most welcome.

[mcrist]

Go to the mighty magnet site, click on products, look at their pads, they have something called the Algae Dozer.. it's basically a white pad with a plastic triangle thing on it. Assuming your magnet is properly sized (i.e. holds good) then it'll scrape away at coraline no problem.. however they do wear out and get flat over time. Just order whatever will fit your existing magnet, you don't need their magnets to use them :D

The algae sock (which I think the other poster was thinking) doesn't work so much on coraline, but does a really good job on those harder brown diatom(??) algae spots that pop up if you aren't religious about keeping the acrylic clean.
Thanks for the additional information. I wish the website had some better pictures on the algae dozer so I can make a better decision on whether or not it would work for me. I have doubts that it will work well on thick coralline algae that is in the corners of the tank. I get small pieces of plastic that I use to chisel off the coralline and that works reasonably well.

[mcrist]

nice project
Thanks

[mcrist]

no pictures for almost year? :) time for updated pics!

Seriously, very nice, and yeah, pics would be most welcome.
Thank you but I will not be taking any pictures right now. I had a serious setback three months ago, all my LPS deteriorated extremely quickly and I could do nothing to stop it. I lost all my colonies of frogspawn and I am extremely upset at the loss of a beautiful elegance coral that I got from another reefer. I am pretty much hands off the tank right now. I stopped doing weekly water changes and only do it once a month now. I also stopped running my halides and only run my actinic because the few corals I have left are of little importance. It’s pretty much a fish only tank while I decide on what I will do next. I guess you can say I am a little discouraged.

The only thing I have done recently was replaced four of the MP40’s with two MP60’s. I really like the design of the new VorTechs. They are definitely an improvement over the previous model.

[PaPa_Johnny]

Wow, sooo sorry. I know this upsets you greatly :(. I hope you find your way through this and return bigger and better. Again, sorry for your setback, your thread has been informative and inspirational, good luck!