PCDS -The reef story

PCDS

PCDS

Active Member
image.jpeg Hi everyone,
Whilst I am waiting to get started on my mini reef, I thought I'd update you on the story so far. I first started with marine fish in 2009. I knew I would be moving home within a few years so I started with a nano tank, the JBJ nanocube 24.
I am ashamed to say I probably did every mistake in the book.

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One of the mistakes- juvenile blue tang on the left side. I can't believe the store sold it to a novice and to go in such a small tank. The yellow tang was a baby too. He has been fine and is now the boss in a much larger tank.
 
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PCDS

PCDS

Active Member
In 2011 I bought my current main tank. 4x2x2 systemised aquarium with oak cabinet and sump. Approximate volume 500 litres. The plumbing was definitely an "experience ".
Main Equipment:-
Main return pump - Eheim compact 5000
Vectron2 600 UV steriliser
Tunze comline Doc skimmer 9016
Tunze Turbelle nano stream 6055 x4 with multi controller 7095
Lighting - Arcadia pendant light 2x 150w halides and 2x actinic blue T5s

The yellow tang ( named Sunny by my niece) is enjoying a treat of some macro-algae. This picture was from 2 years ago.
A major tank deterioration led to a hair algae outbreak which has been hard to defeat. I gave up on the corals for a while.

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PCDS

PCDS

Active Member
Trying to introduce new fish to the tank was not easy with a psychotic yellow tang ruling the roost. I bought a baby regal tang the size of a penny- this worked. He was completely ignored by Sunny. Feeding it 4 times a day was a pain, but he grew quickly and is now bigger than the yellow tang and meaner too. The Niger trigger had no problem. If only he would stop trying to eat me!
I'll add some more photos tomorrow- Happy New Year everyone!
 
PCDS

PCDS

Active Member
It was a lucky fluke that I got the height of the overflow pipe at the correct level. When the power switches off the water siphons down to the sump and stops about 1 cm from the top of the sump. Phew! The thin pipe at the bottom is closed with a valve- when opened water flows through it rather than going up to the DT - it helps with water changes. I attached some flexible pipe to it.
 
PCDS

PCDS

Active Member
Hi All,
Getting back to my new / old tank project,
I've heard that the glass I've ordered will be done in the next two weeks. I've got live rock cycling in the nano tank since the beginning of December- one rock with several aptasia! Don't worry there's more water in the tank now than this photo shows.
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I have to make an important decision now and would value your opinions.
My apologies for the length of this post.
I bought a new cabinet for the tank and had a custom Sump made to fit it
36x36x50cm . I bought a tunze overflow box which comes with flexible hose (40mm)
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I'm trying to reduce the flood risk as much as possible ( I ordered a water level alarm which will switch off the return pump if the siphon fails)
Once I have every thing plumbed in and filled it will be difficult to move the tank without emptying out at least the sump. Okay here come the questions:
1. have any of you used one of these hang on the back overflow thingys?
2. If it was you, would you keep the flexible hose or use rigid pipe fittings welded together? The former world make it easier to remove the unit the later could be less likely to leak/ come loose.

I have been slowly buying stuff for this tank over the last year.(less painful that way)- oh, by the way, I have no link to Tunze
Here is my list so far:
Tunze overflow box
Wiepro return pump
Tunze nanoskimmer
Water level alarm ( yes Tunze too)
Tunze osmolator nano
Tunze nanostream 6040 pump with controller
Kessil A150w LED light with spectrum controller (birthday present to myself)
Small uv steriliser and heater
I could probably have bought an all inclusive nano tank for less:jumprope:
I just need to make a decision about the plumbing before I can proceed!
I'll keep you updated.
 
PCDS

PCDS

Active Member
I'm am keen to set up some monitoring of my tanks whilst I'm at work and away. I've been reading about the Apex . Do any of you use this? It is very expensive, and I'm not really tech savvy so it may be wasted on me:dunno:
 
PCDS

PCDS

Active Member
Hi everyone,
I'm sorry I'm so slow with the tank set up - but I don't want to make a big wet mistake at this point :p
I realised that there would be a lot of wasted space in the back of my old 24 g JBJ nano cube and very little if any water movement in the 2nd and 3rd compartments - so the live rock is now back in a large bucket and with some reservations, I cut out the second and third compartments leaving the first as a weir for the overflow.:txchainsaw:
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PCDS

PCDS

Active Member
image.jpg There is a 1 inch gap at the side - at the bottom of the remaining compartment. I'm going to seal it off with a piece of plastic .
Do I need to make some holes at the bottom? There is small hole about 1/3 from the top and the overflow has a pipe that reaches the bottom.
 
PCDS

PCDS

Active Member
I had to make a trip to the lfs to buy some macro algae for my tangs - it's funny to think I don't have enough algae for them considering the major battle I had with hair algae last year! The nori sheets disappear in seconds. I've ordered a device to stop the tangs shredding the seaweed sheets too fast-
(Innovative- marine Aqua gadget gourmet grazer.)
To those out there battling the hair algae menace- don't give up!!!
The combination of crabs, snails and frequent water changes did the trick.
My spiny urchin did his share but I suspect he was just clearing the algae to get at my coralline algae!
:jumprope:
 
PCDS

PCDS

Active Member
The sump- I had this made to measure 36x36x50cm to fit the cabinet I bought- it isn't reinforced. I'm worried that if I filled it the water pressure might be too much at the base- what do you think?image.jpg

I think I'll be taking it slow holding my breath as I fill it :titanic:
 
PCDS

PCDS

Active Member
I've got all my pipe and connections/ ball valves etc. Going to start the plumbing of the nano tank as soon as I can. Typically next week is going to be very busy at work. If I can get the pipe work finished I can work out how high I can fill the sump.
 
PCDS

PCDS

Active Member
Trying to work out the plumbing I've decided to change the return pump to a eheim compact 3000. It may be slightly more powerful than I need but it is adjustable which I think would be useful to try to match the overflow / siphon rate to the return flow rate.
I have an extra siphon tube for my Tunze overflow box which should give me a flow rate of about 1500 l/hr.
I'm hoping to get the pump by the weekend.
 
DaveR11

DaveR11

Well-Known Member
PCDS said:
The gourmet grazer- so far just my neon gobie has tried it out.
View attachment 45050
Click to expand...

I've had one of these for about a month and really like it as does my yellow tang. I found with the standard clips that the fish would just tear of the whole strip or sheet of algae which would then float around the tank and get stuck in the weir where the tang couldn't get to it. So the fish would have algae for about 5 minutes. With this gizmo it stays in the feeder and my yellow tang can feed through the day.

I've found it works best with algae sheets rather than strips (which my tang can tug out). Bits of algae do get stuck in it between the plastic halves so it does need a wash out to get rid of these each time I re-fill it. Bottom line - it works and the fish like it!
 
PCDS

PCDS

Active Member
Main plumbing done. I wish solvent weld wouldn't set so fast!
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I need to see to what level I can fill the sump to. Just put the bits and bobs in the sump to see how the fit. I will need to tidy up the power cables.
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I wish my RO unit was faster!
I'm going to stop watching it and go and eat something ( forgot all meals and its 19:00hrs here!).:duh:
 
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