My 1000 Ga built-in tank

[Anonymous]

this is the unit I am pretty sure Steve is using:

http://www.cheapdjgear.us/Chauvet_2_4_C ... f-4005.htm

 

[Sea Turtle]

That's an incredible tank. I've been following the build but this is my first post.

Looking at the returns against the front glass its not clear how much room was left between the return and the glass. Is there enough room to get a mag float through there? It appears from the photos that these returns are visible from the front glass and if so you will want an easy way to clean the algae from between the returns and the glass.

I can't wait to see the completed reef.

Burt

That would be one hell of a mag float. 8O

I hadn't thought about the size of a magnet needed to hold the float to the glass but how do you keep the glass clean on a tank that size. Going diving every day would get to be a PITA after a while.

I guess you would have to use some type of stick with a razor or something.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks Burt and others for the circulation comments, I will try and get a unidirectional flow going and let you know how it works....

As for cleaning the glass, there are magnets available that will take on inch thick glass. I will post pics when they arrive (had to get them imported thru a friend) I will also try and get a link to the manuufacturer's website.

 

[Anonymous]

Tunze magnets, rated to 40mm glass.

Description
Main Features

The TUNZE magnetic glass cleaner are corrosion resistant and may remain in the aquarium without any adverse effect on your aquarium biotope. They consist of a lower section with a rough surface and an upper section with a felt or velour surface. The two sections are connected with the retaining cord supplied along with the unit to prevent them falling down. Special precautions have to be made for handling and transportation due to their high magnetic attraction of metal parts and destructive effect on electronic parts. Cleaning surfaces are replaceable. All models have a cleaning surface of 3" x 2-1/3"

Glass Thickness: 9/16" to 1-1/2"

* 100 per cent corrosion-free and encased
* Retaining cord for easy removal from the aquarium
* Large cleaning surface 59 x 77 mm for fast and effective action
* Cleaning surfaces can be replaced easily

 

[Anonymous]

Yeah magnet strength shouldn't be a problem, I mean hell mightymagnets.com has magnets that can clean up to 4" in thickness!

 

[Anonymous]

Yeah magnet strength shouldn't be a problem, I mean hell mightymagnets.com has magnets that can clean up to 4" in thickness!

Yup, if you live in the US of 'buy anything you can imagine over the internet and have it delivered in 24 hours'. :wink: Out here in the colonies its a bit more disorganized. The magnet issue was in fact an issue at one stage, but a bit of research and a few calls and we found someone to import them.

For the record, I have a load of livestock coming this weekend. including 4 yellow tangs, 6 regals, 2 angels (majestic) and a few ricordias. Also a blue spotted ray. Watch this space..... My coral order is finalised and will be filled when A:The tank is a few more weeks mature; B: I have some surplus funds; and C: when my friend gets his CITES paperwork in order. The house is moving on at a fair pace, with occupation in 2 weeks as anticipated, even though it wont be completely finished.

 

[Anonymous]

Update.

My livestock order was delivered short so I added only the 4 yellow tangs and a pair of perculas. The wrass proceeded to kill the male percula overnight and now I have the female swimming with my remaining 3 occis. ( Two of them went out the overflow and were dead on the floss a few days ago, since then I have made the tricklebox fish-surviveable while I wait for the finer mesh I have ordered. (Pulled 2 occis out of there this morning- its a daily occurence and something that I need to rectify ASAP). The regals and angels should be here today.

Water parameters are stable, I have a small diatom bloom atm but I was expecting that. Things are progressing slowly towards the point where I will be able to get some corals in.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks all those that gave the suggestions about circulation! I have installed 2 Tunze powerheads (I think the 6120s- the 13000liter/hr ones anyway) and have them creating a circular flow that is pretty awesome!

My tank at the apartment has been broken down and theglass seperated for transport to the new house with the movers on Wednesday. I have a busy week work wize but will try and post some pics of it being rebuilt near the weekend if I get a gap.

 

[Anonymous]

Do you have rock in there yet? Because creating a circular flow might seem good now however rocks and stuff will easily disrupt that flow. I do think trying to create a gyre effect might be useful though given the size of the tank if you don't want to put too many pumps in there.

 

[Anonymous]

Do you have rock in there yet? Because creating a circular flow might seem good now however rocks and stuff will easily disrupt that flow. I do think trying to create a gyre effect might be useful though given the size of the tank if you don't want to put too many pumps in there.

There is over 2000lbs of LR in the tank and 1000lbs in the sump, a more up to date pic is 2/3rds of the way down this page: topic126525-180.html.

Also visible is the one (of 2) powerhead in the top left corner, and one of the two magnets.

 

[Anonymous]

Man, this thread is so heavy duty, I need to get some air outside! 8O

Nice job there, Andy.

 

[Anonymous]

Tank crash..... all 7 fish died.

I just spent an hour typing up the whole story, and when I tried to post it, the site required I re-logon, losing the post in the process. I will come back and repost it when I get my sense of humour back.

The workers here on the 24th saw the skimmer overflowing aggressively, and in an effort to stop the loss of water from the sump, redirected the skimmer cup waste back into the sump- without telling me (I was trying to move in to a partially finished construction site at the time....). When I had replaced the lost water, I restarted the return and pumped the polluted water back into the tank. Within an hour all fish except one wrasse were dead. What a lovely Christmas eve- at least my few coral survived.....
:? :? :?

 

[Anonymous]

 

[Anonymous]

That sucks.

 

[Anonymous]

That sucks.

What Wazz said, so sorry Andy

 

[Anonymous]

40% water change done (2000 liters/ 500 GA)

Parameters are now normalised. The Aquatronica controller and electrical work were all being tidied up when I left this morning.

Tonight I start on rebuilding my other tank.....

The shipment of fish and corals I have een waiting for is delayed in Indo- their CITES office has closed for the silly season. My CITES is in place this side, so as soon as they open, the shipment will be coming. I'm thankful for the delay, it meant that there was a bare minimum of livestock in the system when it crashed.
Incidentally, all (the few) corals survived, as did my boxing shrimp, one wrasse and all the hermits my kids collected for me a week ago.

Pics to follow when I get a chance. This time of the tank room now its tidied up a bit.

 

[Chemical_Whore]

man that sucks on the crash, but I am glad to hear new pics will be coming soon of the new inhabitants, good luck this time!!

 

[jamesw]

Best of luck and sorry to hear about the crash :-( Hope all goes smoothly from here on out and I think it is super-cool that you are importing your own livestock!

Cheers
James

 

[Anonymous]

That sucks.

What Wazz said, so sorry Andy

Same here, very sorry to hear it. But hell, fish die every day. Chin up, it's not gonna stop this tank from being one of the nicest the world's ever seen... very hard to beat a reef tank with its own ocean view; the shipwreck down the beach doesn't hurt. :wink: :lol: 8)

I think fish stability in any new large tank (+300g/1200l) is bound to be squirrely in the first few months. I suspect, but can't substantiate, there's a lot more going on microbiologically speaking in a new tank than what P04/NO3/2 can tell us. I've thought it might be a disruption of the bacterial biofilms that coat LR that makes newer tanks more deadly for fish. I don't know how else to explain the settling-in period that large tanks seem to require.

Happy New Year to all who post topside. 8) 8) 8)

 

[Anonymous]

I promised mermaid pics, so here is one..... A friend's wife who kindly offered to take a credit card and scrape the stubborn green algae on the front glass for me!

Also, some pics of some antheas I caught on the reef off the new house last weekend, 4 females and a male, got the whole family in my tank now. One of the females is a bit shy, but they are lovely fish- very common here.