Rabbut's Marine Jurnal

[rabbut]

Well, just about to go looking for some live-rock again after the origional seller tryed to do a runner with my cash... Everything is (finally) in place to get going with this tank, once I have my rock...

The spec's;

70(ish) litre custom brace-less tank (self built), built from 6mm glass, to the sizes of 2ft long, 1ft high and 15 inches front to back.
Custom stand and hood (self built) to fit all equipment and keep electrics out of sight.
150W Metal Halide lamp over dead centre of the tank, fitted with a 14,000K lamp.
2 Tunes nanostream 6025 pumps (2500lph each I think?)
150W Visitherm heater (room gets very cold in winter)
Maxijet MP 1200 pump to drive skimmer
Custom skimmer (self built)
8kg of coral gravel in the bottom
Superfish 2 air pump to drive skimmer. This may be replaced soon, as it is getting very noisy...

Time for the pictures;

The tank

I hope that is the right way round. They have made flipping images in Photobucket harder than it used to be...

The skimmer

Feed to the skimmer

I don't yet know what coral to put in. I have my eye on some Green Xenia at work, but haven't yet done some research into it's needs yet... Anyone know if it will be OK in this tank, and how mature does it need things?

The planned stocking so-far is a pair of skunk clowns, 3 or more cleaner shrimp 2 red leged hermit crabs and 2 blue leged hermit crabs and either a bubbletiped anenomy.

All the best
Rabbut

 

[SkiFletch]

I've never seen a skimmer like that before... How's it work?

 

[ben1987]

looks like a pretty decent hardware list you got there. Good simensions on the tank aswel i reckon.
Would be interested to see how you skimmer works

 

[rabbut]

There is a post about the skimmer going up in the hardware section shortly Will need some informed opinions on it's maximum tank capabilities soon also, if you would like to comment

 

[ben1987]

i havent got a clue. Looks pretty big if thats a 2l bottle in the middle?
I reckon mine probably holds 1-1.5l and thats rated at 400l.

 

[rabbut]

The skimmers thread is up, here for anyone who's interested. Thanks for commenting Ben, and yes, that is a 2ltr pop bottle in the middle. It's air driven, so mebe not as efficient as some of the motor versions?

Thanks
Rabbut

 

[ox5477]

cool diy rabbut!

 

[adam98150]

Nice tank, Rabbut.
You will have a decent amount of flow with two Tunze Nanostreams!

Did you finally get your money back from the dispute?

 

[rabbut]

Yes, took them long enough, but apparently he diden't close his bank account as well as the Paypal account. Oh well, never mind, these things are sent to try us...

Looking back through Aquarists Classifieds, and there are a couple of sources that are local and in price range, so shouldn't be long before I get my rock, hopefuly... Not looked through Ebay yet though...

All the best
Rabbut

 

[adam98150]

Glad you got your money back. Keep looking through Aquarist-Classifieds, i've just got 20KG for a cool £100.00, had to travel 25 miles though. It's full of life, corals, sponges, starfish and snails.

Keep looking.

 

[rabbut]

Ok, went through Ebay in the end. Got 10KG being delivered on Friday next week. Looked to be teaming with live in the pictures, though I paid more than I could have done... Still, good price and I can see information about the seller allowing me to be comfortable about the seller's credentials this time...

All the best
Rabbut

 

[adam98150]

Glad you've got it sorted, make sure you post some images.

 

[rabbut]

OK, live rock is here at last. Boy did that box woff a bit when I opened it.... The bottle of household ammonia I used for the last fishless cycle probibly smelt better Suspet a long curing time here somehow....

Will keep playing with it over the next few weeks untill I get that stack how I want it. There are some small pink sponges in there, and what looked like some zenia and a free bristleworm I believe most are fairly harmless right? This one in half-in-half-out so I don't know it's length, but is about 1/16th of an inch fat ATM and pink all over. I will try for some pictures later if it is still out...

I would have taken more pictures, but the cammera ran out of battery as I forgot to charge it again

All the best
Rabbut

 

[ox5477]

Just keep moving the rocks till you get em how you like it... even when you do, in a month or two, you will prob decide you dont like it.... seems how that happens for me anyways..

Brian

 

[rabbut]

Cheers Ox, will keep playing for a while yet I suspect....

Problem number one

Cooling... The halide is caursing grief in the tank already, raising the water temperature a full 8 degrees above room temperature, but also raising the room temperature in the process (Small room, was sitting at 15c yesterday and weather here has got colder since yesterday. The room is un-heated and is now sitting at 20c) so I am going to have a real issue in summer I suspect with heat...

PC cooling fans are what I think I need to look at to get air circulation within the cabinet up. I have also already looked at chillers, but I'm hoping that things won't come to that Any thoughts? Also, are there any in-line power transformers, as my cabinet uses fixed point wiring (not plug sockets) and thus a conventional on-wall transformer won't be possible for driving the fans...

Thanks all
Rabbut