Re: Fluval Edge 6 gallon other mods
First thing to go, besides the wimpy light setup, was the filter. Although the one packed with the tank is labeled "Edge", it's exactly the same as a Fluval AquaClear 10.
There is just enough room to install an AquaClear 20 if you trim the supports for the stock light out of the way. Running in the filter are a layer of live rock rubble in a bag, a layer of tribase pelletized carbon, and a 1/2 kit of ChemiPure Elite. The filter is run at the lowest possible flow rate, which appears to be just right. A Koralia nano powerhead is tucked in a corner behind a piece of live rock, and I'm using the standard Fluval Edge heater in the tank, again hidden by live rock.
The tank was setup using live rock rubble, live sand, and several pieces of live rock from my 45 gallon custom and 24 gallon AquaPod.
The chemistry on the tank has been zero Nitrates, zero Nitrites, zero Ammonia, and a pH of 8.2 since day one. SG is 1.025, temperature stays 78 degrees. All other critical chemical metrics are monitored, phosphates have never registered, nor have silicates. The tank never actually "cycled", even though the chemistry is monitored every other day due to the size of the tank. A small bottle of SeaChem Purity was used during the initial 7 days, but was probably not necessary. I have used the TriBase Carbon/RightNow! from Hiatt for starting and maintaining my tanks for several years now. Just didn't have time to order the RightNow! bacteria, and I had 10 lbs of fresh TriBase on hand, and I took some "seed" carbon for the filter from the 45. The TriBase is for housing bacteria more than anything else. Hiatt's research is sound, but seldom endorsed by the community at large. This combination of filtration is the foundation of what is used on all of my tanks, from an Eclipse 12 to the 45, and for me, this works very well. I've experimented using other things like Purigen and PolyFilter, but I keep coming back to using the bag of ChemiPure Elite with TriBase carbon and tons of live rock and rubble in all of the tanks I have.
I use various additives to maintain other chemistry, (iodide, molybdenum, etc) almost all from Kent Marine. CoralVite is an every other day supplement of 2-3 drops.
Many of you will criticize the bio load, or not believe that it is what it is, but I'm going to tell you anyway. I firmly believe in the filtration/waste management system, and I haven't lost a single critter due to chemistry. I have a long history of salt water back to the 1970's, and my background in marine ecology and conservation biology help me make informed decisions on how to manage the biotope. A jaw fish managed to jump out the small opening in the top, and the arrow crab took out the skunk shrimp during moulting, but other than that, no losses. The skunk shrimp was moulting for the second time since introduced on day 1 when the arrow crab got him. That's what happens when you moult out in the open i guess............
Fish:
Yellow head jawfish
Yellow box puffer
High fin goby/pistol shrimp pair
Purple dottie back
Inverts
Arrow crab
Red Leg Hermit Crabs (4)
Emerald crab
Brittle starfish (3-4 in) and about 3-4 very small hitch hikers from the other tanks, also a couple of tiny chocolate chip stars have appeared on the glass over the last few weeks.
Nassarius snails (3 very small)
Turbo snails (2-3)
Astrea (2-3)
All kinds of hitch hiker stuff has shown up too, worms, etc. from the live rock brought over on startup.
Corals
Several small mushrooms, a colony of zoos, a toadstool leather, a colony of "waving hands", a colony of green star polops.
The star polops and the toadstool have grown at least 20% since introduced to the tank.
Water changes are 20% every two weeks, using premix from my LFS. Makeup evaporation is replaced daily with distilled water I buy from the grocery store. No RO system at the office, and I've been too forgetful to bring some from home. Here's a pic under just the Blues/Red string combo.
Many of you will criticize the inclusion of red LED's. Photosynthesis of the algaes in soft corals that occur at shallow depths require red light, especially those with blue or purple colorations. Chlorphyll production is at its peak in most soft corals at 620-640nm. There will be the argument of overstimulating other algaes, but I will monitor and adjust over time.
Here's a pic of some of the denizens before I started messing with the hood. Everyone went into hiding for a little while....
Lessons learned so far:
I mis-measured the heat sink size. If I build another, I'll go with one that covers edge to edge in the hood. This would help with the dark spots in the corners, and simplify the permanent mounting of the light/heat sink to the hood with some small screws through the side of the hood, or a bracket of some type glued in the right places inside the hood.
I've yet to experiment with any kind of optics or diffusers, which may also help with light distribution.
I'm not yet protecting the LED's or the heatsink with any kind of sealer or coating. I'll probably mask the lenses and spray the whole thing with a poly sealer of some kind, at least where exposed to the salt water. A diffuser mounted in the hood and sealed in place would probably work too.
I've assembled everything with hot melt glue so far, makes it possible to take stuff apart as I evolve the design.
More later..............
