Tina's Mega Bommies

[TigerIssey]

Lipstick Tang, one of the large angels that have the juvenile markings like the emperor, not decided which yet. Anthias, would love a mystery wrasse, Achilles tang, foxface (possibly), copperband, pair maroon clowns, purple tang, sailfin tang, possibly more than one large angel but not sure yet. More flasher and fairy, considering harem or lots of males. Female Mandarin to go with male.

Really not sure on how many fish I can have, I am rubbish at working out stocking levels, do you have any idea??

 

[rabbut]

Why not look at DIY LED's? I've just started to fit out mine with a DIY array, and they are pretty good thus far. Dimming isn't working as I killed my Arduino board (well the PIC that's on it, so £6 worth of damage rather than £28 for the light controls) but you can get the equivalent output of 12 Aquaray units for around £300 with the DIY route, including computer control on dimming and on/off times I've even got computerised cooling fans to go on mine, they'll only come on when they are actually needed, and they'd be easy to rig to say a chiller for a smaller tank.

That looks like a mighty fine plan thus far

Planning to do a 6ft tank as your first ever DIY tank build! Criky, you are brave A tip if I may, start with the sump tanks and work up If a sump goes wrong, you don't waste as much glass/silicone as you do on a display. Also, you can better get to grips with how to control the silicone to prevent it making a mess before you get to a bit that will be on show

All the best
rabbut

 

[TigerIssey]

Planning to do a 6ft tank as your first ever DIY tank build! Criky, you are brave A tip if I may, start with the sump tanks and work up If a sump goes wrong, you don't waste as much glass/silicone as you do on a display. Also, you can better get to grips with how to control the silicone to prevent it making a mess before you get to a bit that will be on show

I am going to buy the display tank, the 6ft anyway. I will make the sump tanks and possibly the seahorse tank. No way I am risking the 6ft. I have the silicon already, 2 large tubes, I usually do the siliconing round the house, so I do have some control over it already. Could do with a new gun though, the one I have is rather well used and the mechanism that stops the gun has stopped working properly.

To be honest with something like the DIY LED arrays, whilst I was pretty good at circuits in A level physics (did not finish it by the way, it got to me) I would really struggle with the parts I needed. If I had a shopping list and a step by step instruction manual, I could do it. I am tempted to wait and see how much the new array ones cost then weigh up the options. I should have a decent amount with the PC's to get me going.

That looks like a mighty fine plan thus far

The idea has probably been in my head a while but had not been thought about in detail until VM posted about the dream tank.

Once Andrew hinted, that was it. May have the final set of PC's aswell, will know more Monday or Tuesday next week.

I got a price from Maidenhead for the tank this week drilled with a central weir, 2 drains and 2 returns. They are using Seashell for the tanks now (bother of Seabray) and that tank works out to £395. Got it a lot cheaper than that. Am still looking for a decent 2nd hand one though.

Will be looking around the midlands at the weekend too, Andrew will wheel me around a few on Sunday.

 

[rabbut]

That's a good price for the size you want. What thickness glass are they using, and what are the reviews on them like?

 

[TigerIssey]

10mm glass, they warned me some may be 2 x 5mm sheets stuck together and therefore not as strong. Seashell appear to have the same type of reputation as Seabray. My present tank is a Seabray and is a very good tank.

Both ND and AC aquatics prices work out less than £300, they say they are 10mm glass. I am presuming these two will use 10mm as they both seem to have good reps on here. Again that is with the returns, drains and central weir. I think I found somewhere that would give me a sump tank and all the pipework for the price that Maidenhead quoted, would need to check.

I am thinking if I went direct to seashell, I may get it cheaper than that, if they sell to the public that is. They had some tanks on display in maidenhead in smaller sizes, they do seem very good quality. They had one tank set up as an african cichlid tank with the different colours of aquaray too.

Going to check out the shops in the Midlands aswell, cannot remember what tanks they stock.

 

[chr15_8]

sounds like the tank has been well planned out already.

I would recommend nd tanks. Ive heard a few bad things about there pipework though but i bought mine from somewhere else so can't really comment on that.

 

[TigerIssey]

I think it helps Chris that this is not my first tank with a sump. I had to have had the tsnk with the sump before I could have planned this out in so much detail.

I had to have read, reread and reread again all the info I could find on sumps and use the experience of the one I have now in order to plan how the sumps would work. For example, my first chamber in my present sump was not deep enough for the protein skimmer. It meant I had to increase the water level in this chamber in order to get the protein skimmer skimming correctly.

This made me think about the levels in the sumps more, I had to get the water to flow without needing pumping. This means the water level on the right had to be higher than on on the left for it to flow into the left hand sump. I also need to have enough room in the return chamber for the water from the display tank and the water from the sea horse tank in order not to flood the floor if the power goes off. I use Reef Centrals calculator for this. I need 7.5 gallon for the backflow from the 6ft tank alone. The sides will be deep on the tank and it will probably have an 18" x 24" footprint. Just to make sure. I also needed to make sure that one drain went into the sea horse refugium bypassing the protein skimmer in the right hand sump else there was no point to the large amounts of macroalgae that will be in there. I am hoping my pipework square spraybar will be all the flow that the seahorses need. I know they don't need alot, that is the purpose of the spraybar, it will also break the water surface up allowing for better gas exchange.

Have looked at sump pumps and will probably go with the Oceanrunner 3500. Going to use 2" pipework for the drains and probably 1.5" for the returns.

 

[seffieuk]

Thanks for showing us the decorating bits, look really nice - when you going to show us where the tank is going?

SEffie x

 

[TigerIssey]

Will show you that over the next few weeks Seffie. Need the 55g gone to moms, andrew is arranging some help with that.

Have had surgery this afternoon on my right arm, ulna tunnel again. Had some serious drugs administred at the same time, a little high at the moment. Typing with left hand not easy so replies will be shorter for next few days.

 

[garry_boyd3]

Hope all went well? At least you csan keep planning

 

[Buddyboy67]

Glad it's over Tina..hope you'll be splashing again soon

 

[seffieuk]

Least it's over and done with now and you have so much to plan, what with the decorating and that fab new tank...............it will keep you very busy, if only with one arm. You sure have gone through it, about time your health luck changed i'm thinking.

Tina, how is your mum's health, how is the chemo going?

Seffie x

 

[TigerIssey]

She has 1 cycle of chemo left, it has reduced by half, need a ct scan after that. We are hoping to take her to Turkey in October. She loves it out there after taking her last year.

We are hopeful the chemo has given her much longer and a berrer quality of life.

 

[garry_boyd3]

Thats what we hope, mum is on radio now. 3 weeks left.

On a nice note I have ordered a nice Hairy mushroom today after your approval, so hopefully the clowns will host.

I have ordered from mail order today, a 6 headed sun coral, so we will see how they do.

 

[TigerIssey]

I think having the fish tank in her living room will help her alot.

She finds the fish really realaxing, thats another reason why I don't mind her having them. If she becomes less active, she has the fish, they really help me alot, particularly now when I cannot do much at all.

You will not be disappointed with a hairy mushroom, I can assure you of that. Going to frag one for Trod and Seffie at some point when my arm can get wet again. Will need to wait till the wound is completely healed though, otherwise a scalpel cut to bone will definately sting in salt water.