David
Member
Hi there everybody.
As some of you know, a few years back I was involved in the commercial breeding of fish; mainly cichlids, but marine also. I also had my own little marine set up, but where I live, trying to get decent equipment and even a look at a decent tank was hard, so it wasn't an overwelming exercise, but interested me none the less.
Unfortunately, a bit of a falling out with my (then) current employer about ethics and breeding practises left me quite disgruntled at the whole show, so I got out of it altogether.
Then about a month ago, I stumbled upon this interesting little spot of the Net, and I must say, the tanks on display and the earnest and knowledgeble discussions have quite turned me around on the subject. I may not agree with local capture and breeding practises, but I'll be stuffed if that's going to stop me attempting a tank as nice as you guys and gals have.
So, the engineer arrives this week to check out the modifications to the house (sigh), so I can move my workshop and put in an aquarium. HURRAH!
So, this is something along the lines I was thinking of:
(and I've converted to the old money so you'll know what I'm talking about )
L 5.5 x W 3.5 x H 3 feet. 360 gallon display.
L 3.5 x W 2.0 x H 15". 55 gallon sump.
With the possibility of a 65 gallon cube also plumbed into the sump for sea horses. I like sea horses.
For lights I was thinking along the lines of the Aquamedic AquaSunlight Classic, which features:
2 x 250 watt metal halides with 13,000 K bulbs
2 x 30 watt fluros 'white'
1 x 25 watt variable incadescent moonlight bulb
All hooked up to a lunar cycle lighting computer.
And a 3 foot double fluro unit for the sump.
Also an Aquamedic Calcium Reactor 1000, with an electronic pH controller.
I'm not going to skim unless someone can really convince me otherwise, but instead use the sump as some kind of Frankenstein like algae scrubber.
For the plumbing I've got to crunch some numbers as I'm trying something new with a glazier who has tried something similar but not quite the same:
The tank will be a 3 side walk around, with side closest to the wall to have an overflow like set up built from glass directly into the tank, to save drilling holes, which I really don't like. A vaccum like connector to take the water down to the sump. I'll draw a picture if I get around to it.
I'd also like to try making plumbing back into the tank via two spray bars sneaking in the corners of the tank and running close to the bottom. But, get this, I want to use dried and hardened bamboo as the pipeline. Although I haven't researched this at all, I will do to make sure something adverse won't happen to it in the salt water.
I'm also considering some kind of biological filtration, ie bio balls.
Now, before you grab your exorcism kits, let me explain: I'm thinking along the lines that I'm going to get some clowns, because they do hold some kind of emotional stranglehold on me. And no doubt they will breed. Those bio balls there provide a little insurance policy about the increased bio load that many little fish growing into big fish create. As well 6 times a day feeds and what not, cause they always breed when you haven't got a spare tank handy. I gah-ron-tee. But if that's the case, I might run it on a seperate circuit with a protein skimmer should the need arise later on, I can just turn a valve and away we go.
Okay, that's all I can think of for now.
I'm an odd type of person. I prefer to take the road less travelled, to try things that other people say can't be done, and I encourage others to do the same, no matter what it is. Some people say I'm a pioneer. Other people say that I'm bitter and twisted and waging a personal war against 'The Man'. :columbo: So I'll try any new ideas that I can reason out to be successful.
Now what I want from you guys is comments, suggestions, debate, questions, anything.
It'll be a couple of weeks before my workshop is moved, and then it'll take a couple of weeks for the tank to cure once the specifics are verified, so if you guys can help me nut out any problems in the mean time, it would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks guys.
As some of you know, a few years back I was involved in the commercial breeding of fish; mainly cichlids, but marine also. I also had my own little marine set up, but where I live, trying to get decent equipment and even a look at a decent tank was hard, so it wasn't an overwelming exercise, but interested me none the less.
Unfortunately, a bit of a falling out with my (then) current employer about ethics and breeding practises left me quite disgruntled at the whole show, so I got out of it altogether.
Then about a month ago, I stumbled upon this interesting little spot of the Net, and I must say, the tanks on display and the earnest and knowledgeble discussions have quite turned me around on the subject. I may not agree with local capture and breeding practises, but I'll be stuffed if that's going to stop me attempting a tank as nice as you guys and gals have.
So, the engineer arrives this week to check out the modifications to the house (sigh), so I can move my workshop and put in an aquarium. HURRAH!
So, this is something along the lines I was thinking of:
(and I've converted to the old money so you'll know what I'm talking about )
L 5.5 x W 3.5 x H 3 feet. 360 gallon display.
L 3.5 x W 2.0 x H 15". 55 gallon sump.
With the possibility of a 65 gallon cube also plumbed into the sump for sea horses. I like sea horses.
For lights I was thinking along the lines of the Aquamedic AquaSunlight Classic, which features:
2 x 250 watt metal halides with 13,000 K bulbs
2 x 30 watt fluros 'white'
1 x 25 watt variable incadescent moonlight bulb
All hooked up to a lunar cycle lighting computer.
And a 3 foot double fluro unit for the sump.
Also an Aquamedic Calcium Reactor 1000, with an electronic pH controller.
I'm not going to skim unless someone can really convince me otherwise, but instead use the sump as some kind of Frankenstein like algae scrubber.
For the plumbing I've got to crunch some numbers as I'm trying something new with a glazier who has tried something similar but not quite the same:
The tank will be a 3 side walk around, with side closest to the wall to have an overflow like set up built from glass directly into the tank, to save drilling holes, which I really don't like. A vaccum like connector to take the water down to the sump. I'll draw a picture if I get around to it.
I'd also like to try making plumbing back into the tank via two spray bars sneaking in the corners of the tank and running close to the bottom. But, get this, I want to use dried and hardened bamboo as the pipeline. Although I haven't researched this at all, I will do to make sure something adverse won't happen to it in the salt water.
I'm also considering some kind of biological filtration, ie bio balls.
Now, before you grab your exorcism kits, let me explain: I'm thinking along the lines that I'm going to get some clowns, because they do hold some kind of emotional stranglehold on me. And no doubt they will breed. Those bio balls there provide a little insurance policy about the increased bio load that many little fish growing into big fish create. As well 6 times a day feeds and what not, cause they always breed when you haven't got a spare tank handy. I gah-ron-tee. But if that's the case, I might run it on a seperate circuit with a protein skimmer should the need arise later on, I can just turn a valve and away we go.
Okay, that's all I can think of for now.
I'm an odd type of person. I prefer to take the road less travelled, to try things that other people say can't be done, and I encourage others to do the same, no matter what it is. Some people say I'm a pioneer. Other people say that I'm bitter and twisted and waging a personal war against 'The Man'. :columbo: So I'll try any new ideas that I can reason out to be successful.
Now what I want from you guys is comments, suggestions, debate, questions, anything.
It'll be a couple of weeks before my workshop is moved, and then it'll take a couple of weeks for the tank to cure once the specifics are verified, so if you guys can help me nut out any problems in the mean time, it would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks guys.