I Almost Grew Two Feet

[AK77]

People used to put them in their toilet systems that was when you had those old fashioned, overhead tanks, I of course don't remember them myself

Seffie x

I bet you don't remember wiping your bum with tracing paper or walking up the back of the garden to the "out house" either Seffie

 

[seffieuk]

I bet you don't remember wiping your bum with tracing paper or walking up the back of the garden to the "out house" either Seffie

NO! But that sounds like someone who might

Seffie x

 

[-Nemo-]

Some people here seem to have potty mouths

So I checked up on the rock yesterday and the verdict is...
Well the stuff I thought I had made too wet looks amazing, the rest... just seems like it's just going to crumble. Ah well now I have an excuse to make some more.
Here's are a couple of the "good" pieces.

And.... The stand is coming along. Door frames added.

Currently running through my stocking options... so hard to choose. I definitely want a tang, I was originally thinking a kole but now the powder brown has caught my eye. Also definitely want a fairy wrasse

 

[seffieuk]

Don't think you will have any problems with weight bearing with that stand

Seffie x

 

[-Nemo-]

So here's the stand, stained and nearly complete. Just needs some odds and ends added just door handles and some hooks inside to hang things up.

Been thinking about my stocking a little bit... considering some of the follow.

Power brown or white cheek tang
Some type of fairy wrasse; red velvet, exquisite or multi-color lubbock
Lyretail Anthias (Just one)
Maybe a blenny? Smithi blennies are cute little guys or maybe a starry.
Some type of goby either watchmen or clown
Maybe mandarin male/female pair eventually if i get some copepod cultures going.


Any comments, suggestions?

 

[AK77]

So here's the stand, stained and nearly complete. Just needs some odds and ends added just door handles and some hooks inside to hang things up.

Been thinking about my stocking a little bit... considering some of the follow.

Power brown or white cheek tang
Some type of fairy wrasse; red velvet, exquisite or multi-color lubbock
Lyretail Anthias (Just one)
Maybe a blenny? Smithi blennies are cute little guys or maybe a starry.
Some type of goby either watchmen or clown
Maybe mandarin male/female pair eventually if i get some copepod cultures going.


Any comments, suggestions?

Looking really good. Very nice job! Are you having any fans in there for ventilation?

 

[-Nemo-]

Yes, ventilation was provided.


Stand sealed and little things all added, so officially complete!
Here it is in all its glory with the tank on top. The tank looks soo much larger on top of the stand.

Now for the bad news... Apparently (as I was not there when it happened and was not notified until this morning...) a couple of "things" fell into the tank accidently. any signs of damage was checked for at the time and things seemed fine. After going over it again today, however, a chip was found on the bottom pane of the tempered glass.... I'd rather not mess with nature and so I will be getting another tank. Not sure what will be happening to this one. Ah well. Not like it was going to be full of swimming fishys anytime soon anyways.

So while I get that sorted out, going to start working on the sump and it's design. I'm thinking of having some kind of baffle first inorder to control the fall of the incoming water a little, and then have the water run into the refugium, then more baffles and into the skimmer... more baffles and into the pump chamber.

Anyone have any suggestions?

Merry Christmas all

 

[-Nemo-]

Here's the official plan for the sump.
The only thing I did not mark on here is that the each baffle closest to the refugium chamber on either side, will each have teeth on them.

I should also mention that this is pretty close to scale, I want a very large refugium section.

 

[john.o]

Looking very good NEMO
I can see that a lot of work has gone into that stand it looks superb m8t.

What are you going to have in your sump DSB?

If so I would recommend having your skimmer before the DSB, one of the benefits of a DSB is the amount plank tonic larvae which come from the reproduction of the sand bed. So as I say I would recommend placing the skimmer before the DSB and not after or the potential is there for a large proportion of the beneficial food to be skimmed off.... “What a waste”

as for the pluming I am going with pvc pipe off the duso down to the sump with a in line ball valve so I can throttle the water flow in the weir to help quieten the gurgling noise {try to keep the pluming as strait up and down as you can or the water makes a rushing sound going around bends}
on the return I am just going with soft pipe with a T off and a ball valve, this has a few different benefits, the main one is you can run the likes of phosphate reactors off it or you can simply open the valve and let the water flow back into the sump which will throttle the return flow down back into the tank { if you simply just put the ball valve in line it will put stress on the pump} and that’s why you use the T off hope this is of some help to you regards john,o

 

[-Nemo-]

In putting the refuge before the skimmer, I was hoping to have more nutrients going into the refuge before they are skimmed up, but I suppose it's a lose-lose situation either way. Although you make a good point, i'll have to rethink it over.

I am also planning on using a durso standpipe, and plenty of ball valves to go around, they are a must

You got my name wrong but it's ok. I know me and AK77 look alike

 

[john.o]

Oops sorry NEMO it was the quote at the top of the page by AK77 that through me any hoow edited to say NEMO

 

[AK77]

I'd also recommend that you go with the skimmer section before the DSB. A lot of nutrients will still make it through into the refugium section, more than enough nitrates and phosphates for the chaetomorpha and the anaerobic bacteria.

I would recommend that you drape filter wool over the baffle between the skimmer section and the DSB. I used to do this for a couple of reasons on my old sump in my Juwel 180L. Firstly, it stopped virtually all the food particles from entering the refugium section and contaminating the sandbed. As a result I never once had to clean it to prevent it crashing. It also inhibits microbubbles from progressing any further through the sump and back into the display tank, as the water would wick through the wool. It also meant that the sand (and more importantly the anaerobic bacteria) wasn't disturbed by what would have been cascading water.

After a few weeks, the wool would become pretty dirty, so I would simply replace it with fresh stuff. The amphipods also feed on the tiny food particles that colleced on the wool, which is probably why I had such an abundance of them in my sump.

 

[-Nemo-]

I have a similar wool/filer media in my sump at the moment and i know what you mean, pods all over the thing! I put some sponger filters in there next to it, and when I lifted them out the next day- covered in pods!

Thanks for the advice, I think you've both convinced me with fuge.


Unfortunately I have so many projects going on right now, I can't possibly do everything, so at the moment I've been working with my clowny babies and not so much on this set-up. I did make some more rock over the holidays, which went much better than last time. Here are some pictures of those:


Fairly large piece, definitely over a foot long

My sandbox for the round pieces, I have make more of these this week when I get a chance. That's the only problem with the others, they have flat bottoms. Which is OK because I plan on using them for the bottom, but I need some pieces which don't have flat bottoms too.

And I guess my hand for size reference?

And finally, their new home for the next month and a half

Couple questions about lighting.
I'm retro fitting 2x 54 watt T5 Daylights and some 450nm LEDs, but the LEDs are being difficult for me. I've read several articles on people using LEDs for LPS/SPS, but wondering if anyone here has extra advice particularly on how many to use. How many watts, lumans or volts or whatever? I'm not quite the lighting expert

 

[Ace Of Spades]

Intriguing, I always love browsing through these Marine journals, they are always interesting. I can't wait to see that rock once it eventually goes in the tank and has seeded a little.

 

[Reesy1989]

Looking really good nemo. Like the stand, you will always feel better with the setup when your hard work goes into making it. However Im lazy so I wouldn't really know...but its what i've heard

Your stocking list looks good, haven't kept tangs personally, but have always wanted too!