You've Got Your Tank....what's Next?

[Aquascaper]

Well it's been a while since the last post as i've been fighting through a diatom bloom and Nitrate explosion caused by messing around with the live rock too much

Ok, since the last post the pink/green Ric has decided to shuffle off behind the rockwork so it will either show up somewhere else or die (it's choice, stupid thing), my star polyps still aren't extended properly, the blue Gorgonia is showing slight signs of disease on the branches (I did notice this when I bought it but you live and learn) and two out of 6 heads on the torch coral have died (the brown ones strangley). All in all a lovely few weeks

On a happier note the remaining Ric is getting huge, the zoos are doing well and the diatoms have settled down.

A few pics taken tonight:

Blue Legs

Bullseye Pistol

Clowns

Ricordae yuma

And a full tank shot

 

[SkiFletch]

Lookin great as usual aqua

 

[john5748]

I have been following this thread with interest.

Great looking tank you have there, wish I had such diy skills (knowing my limits though has saved me far more than a thumb , hope it's on the mend).

A couple of questions though, when your tank was ready for the introduction of the live rock.

How exactly can you ensure that when stacking up the l/r into the formattions you have made that they don't topple over and break the tank, and how do you attach the corals to the live rock?

Thanks

 

[Aquascaper]

Thanks John,

When I stacked the live rock it took a long tome to get it right, think of it as a rather annoying game of Tetris
It took many attempts and various orientations before the rock 'locked' together (sometimes with the help of a hammer to modify the shape a little)

The Corals are secured in various ways, some are jammed between rocks, others came on the rock they're on and the rest are attached with milliput or held down with elastic bands until they grip themselves.

HTH

 

[gatorman543]

sorry this might be a dumb questions, but the yellowish coral that the clowns are hanging around what is it

plate coral?

 

[SkiFletch]

Its a Sacrophyton. Sometimes refferred to as a toadstool or mushroom coral. Also sometimes refferred to as leather corals. There are many different species variations, but Aqua has the "textbook" sacrophyton there

 

[Aquascaper]

Very easy to keep and to frag as well

This coral has been under T8's, T5's & Halides, it has been subjected to Nitrates around 80ppm (very first tank ), it has been hollowed out by a parasitic worm, been left high and dry for a couple of hours, been crushed by fallen rock overnight and suffered a nuking by a Nudibranch (again first tank )

These things are tough - perfect beginner corals

 

[Aquascaper]

Finally found a nice Moon Sponge (Ball Sponge)

Went into my LFS to get a few test kits, etc. and saw this lovely sponge sitting in the corner of the live rock tank. No-one knew what the price was and they couldn't find it on the stock computer system so let's just say it was a bargain

The clowns love it and have thoroughly inspected it and now guard it from hermits, even knocking them off if they try to crawl over it

Only time will tell if it will survive as healthy looking sponges can break apart without warning, fingers crossed

 

[Aquascaper]

Just modified my return pump a little

To start with I had a slight issue with the return pump being to powerful so I had to put in a 'T' piece with a return flow to the sump to decrease the flow to the main tank without straining the pump.
Now i'm having a real problem with Phosphates and i've resorted to using a scrubber to help reduce the levels. At first this was just placed in the flow but wasn't really having an effect so I had an idea......

Increase the flow of the return pump by changing it to a larger model and fitting a DIY chamber to the 'T' piece to hold the chemical scrubber:

It's made with Coke bottle with no bottom, a stocking filled with chemical scrubber and a short piece of tubing (as a reducer):

1) Fill the stocking with scrubber and tie a knot in the end.
2) Thread the knot through the neck of the coke bottle and then through the tubing
3) Push the tubing into the neck of the bottle and then push the whole thing onto the nozzle from the return pump feed holding the knot so it is clamped into the tube by the nozzle (this holds the stocking at the top of the bottle and stops an air gap forming)
4) A couple of cable ties across the bottom to hold the stocking in place

Voila! an inline scrubber for £0

This has worked so well i'm going to modify the pump feed a little more so that I can add on more chambers with different stuff in

 

[Mr Miagi]

Nice idea! Fits in nicely! Got any idea whats causing your phosphates?

 

[SkiFletch]

Lol, awesome DIY job there, that reminds me of something I'd do

 

[Aquascaper]

Nice idea! Fits in nicely! Got any idea whats causing your phosphates?

No idea I use RO water for everything which tests @ 0ppm and it's never been an issue with the larger tank. All I can think of is that the move has caused an imbalance and hopefully it will sort itself out. I'm running RowaPhos to remove it and i'll be interested to see if the Phosphates are still being produced or whether it's just residual and will stay @ 0ppm

Lol, awesome DIY job there, that reminds me of something I'd do

Cheers Ski, I'm planning on hooking up two chambers and the UV when I find a pump that's suitable.

 

[Matthew5664]

Like it might have to half inch the idea for my new sump. got a few ideas of my own for as well.

Also just found a supply of arcylic tube 3 and 8mm thick and in 20-100mm diameter.

Would anyone like to go in with me because i'm getting some soon?

 

[Aquascaper]

Well the Phosphate problems are well in hand, just rigged up a DIY filter in the sump for the RowaPhos.

Start Level: 3ppm
2 hours Later: 2ppm

Getting there, used a whole 250ml tub which can scrub 3ppm (Phosphate) from a 1000 litres of saltwater so should get the levels to 0ppm pretty soon.

Also picked up the Red Tree Sponge that i've had my eye on for the past week

And finally a shot of the Clowns and their new toy:

 

[Aquascaper]

Phosphates down to 1ppm

Getting there but, damn, this RowaPhos is fast acting. Hopefully by tomorrow the level will be 0ppm