Hi All New To Site And Heres My Tank!

[shibby]

looks good just need to fill in with corals now, like ermm leathers, torches, toadstools, polyps, brains.


and the domino is enjoying his new home in the lyretail groupers old home.

 

[pengy666]

thought thats where he'd go as it was empty!

Do you think someone will buy him?

I hope you lot consider telling them the implications of buying him!!

 

[shibby]

yes it will be warning this fish is an aggresive little thing.

customer: i dont care il take it.

next day customer returns it for being aggresive.

thats my theory to what will happen. customers never listen to my advice i recon its my age

i doubt it will sell for a while since its in the non reef safe part!! its proberbly gonna be moved least its not as big or bad as the monster neon damsel we had returned!!

 

[SkiFletch]

Heh, lookin good Pengy. As for the reverse lighting thing, it does help once you get some macro algae in the refugium there. Means there's always photosynthesis going on, always consuming CO2. When plants/algae stop photosynthesizing and stop taking up CO2, CO2 rises in the water, and CO2 is acidic in water... Thus lowering pH. Tanks without opposit-schedule refugiums and poor surface agitation can suffer pH swings of 0.5 or larger day-night.

 

[pengy666]

Cheers ski fletch!

Ah so thats why the reverse lighting!, Everyone who told me to do it said it helped control PH in the system but no one knew why!!

That be why then, I have also tackled the agitation as It wasn't before I only had a SCWD but no have a small powerhead behind LR stuck on the weir just pointing at the surface! It helping a lot.

Im now in the process of making a cabinet next to tank, I have shut Nano down and will be building an ATO in a cupboard next to tank, I could do with more storage too, so I can kill "two birds with one stone" so to speak, plus I'll get less grief as at the moment I am using my downstairs toilet and the washing machine top and the kitchen table for storage of stuff!!

I am finding topping up a nuisance and when I get home I'm down around 2 litres and of course its in the final section of sump where its low! and rhis is making a water fall in the last baffle, which is leading to micro bubbles which are going into main tank!! I did use floss to stop it but it restricted flow into last section too much and the level was dangerously low! dont wanna have a burnt out pump!!!

Oh well I do love tinkering!

Would you guys make a glass top up tank ?? I reckon it will be better? I will be able to drop a pump straight into it and add a powerhead and small heater to make water stay fresher and avoid temprature fluctuations I can just top this up as needed then also this aid the control of the SG dropping?

 

[robbhp]

tank is starting to look cool mate keep up the good work , like the rock formation as well. i have a loads of blue green too very cool fish.

rob

 

[pengy666]

Cheers Rob,

Yeah I really wantted to have a "valley" so to speak and give it the feeling of a larger tank? The nem has moved itself right in front of the bridge in centre, right into a nice crevice! really wanted a 6 ft but the missus wasnt too pleased!

I will get one tho!

Saw an 8ft custom made tank last month! £750 brand new!! LFS still has it!

My 4 ft would have been a nice sump for it!!! LOL

 

[SkiFletch]

My 4 ft would have been a nice sump for it!!! LOL

Now there's a man with the "reef bug"

As for topup, I'd reccomend a cover to keep dust out. Doesn't have to seal, just keep nasties out of there . Good luck with that design of Andy's. Can't wait to see if it works as I NEED to have a topup built by the time I go on vacation (don't trust my housemates to remember to do it).

 

[pengy666]

Just a quick update picture tonight!

Things looking healthy again!

 

[alexlark]

Hi pengy666!

Any recent photos of your tank? A month down the line from the last? Your journal makes excellent reading!

 

[pengy666]

Hi alex thanks for your interest!

There has been some changes!

First I made a durso standpipe!

Ok so I have made a Durso standpipe! and it works excellent!!!

I cant believe how well it works!!

Tools used

Hacksaw
drill and 1/8th drill bit
stanley knife
file

Parts needed

2 mtr waste pipe 1 1/4 inch (for 1 inch bulkhead)
90 1 1/4 Knuckle bend
88.5 deg 1 1/4 Tee
1 1/4 cap with seal
90 1 1/4 push fit bend
PTFE tape
polypipe cement


Build Time

45 minutes



I couldnt find some of the bits recommended by Mr durso (is it richard I forget) So I have used common sense I purchased what I could on saturday afternoon from a High st retail DIY store that is orange!!

Ok so I nipped in to DIY shop this afternoon and spent about £6 for this lot

So I measured to top of the overflow and cut down the 1 1/4 waste pipe

Filed all the edges down for a neat fit,

This was how large it was before modding it


I have a narrow weir so I bought two types of 90 deg bends to work with.

and

It turns out neither of them fitted very well, so i used the first and cut it up, I cut the bottom piece first as this was nearly and extra qurter of an inch wider than pipe work, this was a bit better but it gave a distinct lean to the standpipe, So I cut the piece where it goes into the "T" so there was around 10mm and about the same on the "T" also, this gave an excellent result.

I then took the 1 inch threaded waste pipe extender and trimmed this down as my reducer pipe because my bulkhead isnt threaded and is obviously 1 inch wide,

I then PTFE taped the bottom joined all pieces together, Got the cap and put a 1/8th drill hole in top and put it into tank and fired sump back up!

What you all think?

this is only first one I gonna re make it better of course!

I have only did this one quickly tonight to try out so it isnt glued only got PTFE tape holding it in place.


Also I have had a couple of new addittions!

Some coral

A purple mushroom and a bunch of mixed Zoo's

Also my cleaner shrimps have mated!!

If you look closely you can see the eggs by there rear legs! Not sure what to do about this?? Still reading up about it!

Found this link useful

Cleaner shrimp Breeding

And of course the obligatory full tank shot!

All things considered doing well!

I am doing a south west (UK) Coral raid in december which should bring lots of new photos!!

Cant wait!

 

[Musho3210]

dont bother raising baby shrimp, rare success cases, and you end up spending loads of cash on food and nutrient removal and only have like 3 weak malnourished shrimp grow up....

Let the corals and filter feeders eat the babies....

 

[pengy666]

I had no intention of raising the shrimps?

I dont know what implied that? I only said I dont know what to do about it. meaning leave them in there to be eaten or take them out.

 

[Musho3210]

If you look closely you can see the eggs by there rear legs! Not sure what to do about this?? Still reading up about it!

, simple internet mis-interpretation.

 

[pengy666]

Sorry didnt mean to make it sound like that.