cocoa's 125g reef [Archive]

cocoa_pleco

09-13-2008, 01:58 AM

is started! i got sick of running a bunch of tanks, and most of the smaller tanks homed a few mix matched fish i didnt really care for so i tore down/sold everything but my 90g south american tank. i then bought a 125g perfecto kit new and a big als stand. currently my 55g reef is still running, once i get the 125g plumbed i can transfer over everything and have only the 125g and 90g running.

125g stats:

lighting- 2xperfecto 25w fluorescents, was gonna sell them (it was $50 to add glass tops and 2 perfecto lights with the 125g and i only needed the glass tops) but they have sick reflectors so im keeping them. a coraline 2x96w power compact fixture, and 2x150w metal halides. eventually i will only have 3 250w metal halides but ive got more to worry about in the mean time

plumbing- A lfs by me has idiot proof sumps that are pre made and cannot overflow. this takes out alot of worry and im not a handyman at all. The sump and a dead silent overflow are $200, which isnt bad. For flow i currently have 2 Koralia 2's and a Koralia 3 but im adding 2 Koralia 4's soon

Living stuff- Ive got 250lbs of coraline soaked cured rock to transfer over. ive got 40lbs of shortly used aragonite and am adding another 80lbs. ive got a few SPS and a ton of soft corals from my previous tanks. my fish list is loosely-

1 powder blue tang
1 lunar wrasse
1 clown goby
1 pair of oscellaris clownfish
5 damsels
1 flame angel
1 more medium large fish

i might add or take a few. I kinda want to get rid of my lunar wrasse since he eats snails, but he goes nuts every time he sees me and is like a oscar so i cant bring myself to get rid of him. at least he leaves hermit crabs alone.

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w31/cocoa_pleco/12-09-08_1934.jpg

Gayle

09-13-2008, 02:28 AM

I bet it will be an incredible tank, cant wait to see it!

ILuvMyGoldBarb

09-13-2008, 03:42 AM

You can't mix the angels. Most Pomacanthuds are completely intolerant of each other in tanks. If you have a male/female pair of some of them you are ok, but with the rest of your stock you really don't have the room for 2. I'd look for something else to replace that other angel if I were you.

cocoa_pleco

09-13-2008, 03:59 AM

no prob. i'll ditch the flame angel

GB, i noticed you have chromis, is there anything special they need? i had a few in my 55g but they all died off like flies without a trace. i had 5 i think and within a 3 week period they all slowly vanished. i heard that they need to eat alot, as in 4-5 cubes of food among a school of 10 a day. is this true? if it is i might try a school of 8 in place of the flame angel, i think my old ones may have died from not enough food

ILuvMyGoldBarb

09-13-2008, 12:32 PM

Well, Chromis do eat a lot but it is when they are young. A school of 6 will eat an entire cube of frozen food by themselves 3 times a day, and that is what they need. You can ditch the Flame Angel in favor of the larger angel, just make sure you purchase an Angel that is from the Geniacanthus genus. The Geniacanthus genus is the only genus of large angels that are reef safe, none of the other large angels are considered reef safe. Some people have reported success with Regal Angels, but they require a 180 or larger. You may want to keep the Flame Angel and ditch the large angel.

justyn725

09-13-2008, 03:49 PM

Awesome looking tank setup there....love the super nintendo poster though! lol

cocoa_pleco

09-13-2008, 05:31 PM

You may want to keep the Flame Angel and ditch the large angel.

awesome, i think i'll go that route then. ive always wanted a flame angel

Awesome looking tank setup there....love the super nintendo poster though! lol

i found it about 5 years ago, i was cleaning the basement so i could put aquariums and all my game systems/TV down there and before it was full of old clothes and boxes. i came across my old super nintendo box and jacked it out of there. lol. it still says "Zelda is sure to be a chart-topping hit!".

labnjab

09-13-2008, 05:46 PM

Awsome tank cocoa

tanks4thememories

09-13-2008, 06:15 PM

Can't waite to see it completed. I know it will be awesome.

GL!!!

cocoa_pleco

09-13-2008, 08:11 PM

mondays doomsday, i want at least half of the tank filled then. i probably going to buy another 5g jug to make things speed up. i buy bottled store RO water so its gonna take ~10 trips

Tolley

09-13-2008, 09:07 PM

Nice to see it up and ready!

You should get a school of chromis they're awesome.

cocoa_pleco

09-14-2008, 04:37 AM

went out to a movie tonight and the guy i went with wanted to stop at safeway so i figured while i was there it would be a good idea to get another water jug. i got the biggest son of a cracker they had. tomorrow im gonna try to get it half filled and monday another 40% (gotta leave room for live rock)

cocoa_pleco

09-14-2008, 08:15 PM

dam, i filled it slightly to above the trim and its unlevel. im going to need help to get something under the stand to level the tank so filling is delayed

cocoa_pleco

09-15-2008, 03:24 AM

all level. it was about a cm or two leaning towards the front left panel and i was going to leave it but i looked on google and a guy who had the same problem ignored it and within 6 months his 125g's front panel just flew out.

nothing really new, i got another koralia cleaned and in the tank. this one was in my 55g and i looked inside it to see some wierd tubes. i thought it was bubble algae. i kept poking at it and after 5 minutes realised it was about 100 feather dusters. the koralia was in hot water for 10 minutes and is sitting dry until the tanks filled so theyre probably dead

tanks4thememories

09-15-2008, 03:31 AM

dam, i filled it slightly to above the trim and its unlevel. im going to need help to get something under the stand to level the tank so filling is delayed

http://www0.epinions.com/pets-review-11EA-4B307831-3A5A8996-prod3

PS A uniform piece of Styrofoam between the tank and stand is useful
Also A piece of plywood between the floor and the stand is very useful
From that point on it is just a matter of shimming it to a level state.

Holyvision

09-15-2008, 03:33 AM

I would request that you put in a Mandarin Dragonet (green or spotted!), as they are one of my favorite fishes and I would love to see pics! :19: :19: :19:

cocoa_pleco

09-15-2008, 03:57 AM

I would request that you put in a Mandarin Dragonet (green or spotted!), as they are one of my favorite fishes and I would love to see pics! :19: :19: :19:

yeah, i definitely want one of those too. i just have to get the refugium going

squirt_12

09-17-2008, 03:05 AM

Sounds like it is coming along very nice! thumbs2:

cocoa_pleco

09-17-2008, 03:25 AM

ive made 5 RO water trips and its about 60% full. im going to do another 3 trips and that should leave enough room for live rock and aragonite. thursday i can pick up a couple of bags of salt for the tank and the aragonite. after that settles saturday the temperature should be stable and i can move everything over from my 55g

xximanoobxx

09-17-2008, 03:27 AM

any new pics?????
I'm so jealous that you have hella sw tanks...
i hope i can set up 1 by the end of the yr :(

cocoa_pleco

09-17-2008, 03:56 AM

lol, no good new pics, only it half full of water

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w31/cocoa_pleco/16-09-08_2129.jpg

dean30bb

09-17-2008, 04:57 AM

awsome sould look good when its all done:19:

xximanoobxx

09-17-2008, 05:08 AM

lol, no good new pics, only it half full of water

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w31/cocoa_pleco/16-09-08_2129.jpg

lol, well im a visual guy, letters and numbers bore me and pictures are awesome... Btw Nice tank...LOL

cocoa_pleco

09-17-2008, 10:36 PM

only one more RO water trip left. after that i just need 60lbs aragonite tomorrow and 2 bags of salt and all is ready to go. i just want to get everything transferred over saturday and worry about the sump in a few weeks

Holyvision

09-18-2008, 02:39 AM

http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/fishpictures/data/719/thumbs/351020431_e561a52a5c.jpg (http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/fishpictures/showphoto.php?photo=8536) "I want to be in Cocoa's tank!"

oldhead

09-18-2008, 02:47 AM

You're buying water? Man I'd have thought you'd be making your own at this point. Tanks looking good even half full. Imagine what it's gonna look like not long from now.

cocoa_pleco

09-18-2008, 02:48 AM

http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/fishpictures/data/719/thumbs/351020431_e561a52a5c.jpg (http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/fishpictures/showphoto.php?photo=8536) "I want to be in Cocoa's tank!"

he sure as buttons will be! i have a TON of pods for him to eat and they will all get transferred over with my rock (my 55g is full of as many pods per square inch as china is full of people per square mile *bad joke* lol)

heres todays pic, full of RO water (left 3" on top for when i add the rock). getting the water in bottles sucked, i went for water about 8 times and each time the same security guard was there. he glanced over at times but never asked what i was doing with all the water. lol

the right side of the tank looks yellow because of the light spectrum, the left side has the PC's which make it look white. once the halides are on it will look balanced. i threw in a bag of salt today and its almost done mixing in the tank so one more bag and another 60lbs of aragonite tomorrow and i can transfer it all over. i should be able to move all the stock friday. if i get no ammonia readings or anything else bad i might add a fish or two

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w31/cocoa_pleco/17-09-08_2029.jpg

Holyvision

09-18-2008, 02:48 AM

You're buying water? Man I'd have thought you'd be making your own at this point. Tanks looking good even half full. Imagine what it's gonna look like not long from now.

RO water + gas to get water = shoulda' made you own!

cocoa_pleco

09-18-2008, 02:58 AM

RO water + gas to get water = shoulda' made you own!

lol, dont wanna bother with a machine. i spent like $40 filling the tank so it would have been worth it. the store i go to is about a 3 minute drive away so it took only a bit of gas

oldhead

09-18-2008, 03:00 AM

RO water + gas to get water = shoulda' made you own!

Yeah that's what I'm having to do now and it sucks. I'm looking into an RO kit here in the next couple weeks though. Can't wait to get that up and going. The first time I filled my tank I had to grab 68 one gallon jugs of water from WalMart. It was me and a friend who had a shopping cart full and I had a pallet jack pulling an entire pallet of water up the aisle. Talk about getting some looks. We kept tellin those who asked that it was for meth lab or bunker. Good times.

I can't wait to see what this tank looks like once you begin aquascaping. I want a tank with a foot print like this badly. But I don't have the space at this point so I just have to live vicariously through you,lol.

cocoa_pleco

09-18-2008, 03:27 AM

I can't wait to see what this tank looks like once you begin aquascaping. I want a tank with a foot print like this badly. But I don't have the space at this point so I just have to live vicariously through you,lol.

lol, i cant wait either. ive got everything from my 55g breeder in a bucket with a light, skimmer, and powerhead in it that i will throw in tomorrow night. one stupid thing i did was throw the scooter blenny into my standard 55g, finding him is going to be like finding michael jackson in a snowstorm

cocoa_pleco

09-19-2008, 01:13 AM

the salinity is dead on, but one thing is im short on sand. CaribSea sand at petsmart is $23 for a 30lb bag and $18 for a 15lb bag. they only had one bag of 30lb left and 15lbs for only a few bucks less is a major rip so tomorrow i have to go to a different petsmart.

tomorrow night should be clear to move everything over

labnjab

09-19-2008, 01:26 AM

finding him is going to be like finding michael jackson in a snowstorm

Thas funny, can't wait to see it with everything in it

SkinnyChicken

09-19-2008, 02:49 AM

That dart board just behind the new tank is sure gonna make for an interesting game, Cocoa ... lol !!

cocoa_pleco

09-19-2008, 03:26 AM

That dart board just behind the new tank is sure gonna make for an interesting game, Cocoa ... lol !!

lol, i dont even use it. its worth ~$500 and i found it at a garage sale for $1 brand new.

the tanks clearing up and should be crystal clear by morning but back to cloudy when i add the second bag of aragonite. hopefully if i add the next bag slowly it wont cloud so bad

EDIT- screw it, im going to do a few tests now and if they come out good i'll add the stuff in the bucket from my 55g breeder

cocoa_pleco

09-19-2008, 04:22 AM

all tested good so i moved everything from the bucket. tanks getting clearer

oldhead

09-19-2008, 11:13 AM

*cough* Pictures *cough*

cocoa_pleco

09-19-2008, 02:12 PM

i called it! almost perfectly clear now. i can get a few pics, but theres only about 5 corals and 15lbs LR

cocoa_pleco

09-19-2008, 02:19 PM

still using my phone for pics. lol. i know my digital camera is somewhere in the house but i cant find it. yesterday i was outside and i found some kids smashing a camera, and it was a BRAND NEW Nikon Coolpix and they were just smashing it! i coulda used the dam thing. lol

anywho, tonight the 55g is getting torn down and everything is getting moved

Polyp garden, 2 types of zoas and fuzzy yellow polyps
http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w31/cocoa_pleco/19-09-08_0811.jpg

the other 10lbs of rock
http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w31/cocoa_pleco/19-09-08_0812.jpg

FTS with barely anything (tonight it will look good. the halides will be fired up tomorrow morning since its useless to fire them up for 2 hours tonight)

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w31/cocoa_pleco/19-09-08_0813.jpg

cocoa_pleco

09-19-2008, 08:29 PM

now the super duper fun part comes, all i have to do is add the new aragonite (will wash it in RO water so it wont cloud) then i can drain my 55g. live rock goes first, then corals, then the fish. im keeping 2" of water for a week or so though as i have hundreds of hermits in the tank that i will have to pick out. i'll take pics when its all done

cocoa_pleco

09-19-2008, 10:54 PM

lord almighty that was a gong show. all was going pretty good until my pacu in the 90g absolutely freaked out for some reason and thrashed allover. he hit my fluval FX5 intake and i had to run and fix that. all is good otherwise. i put the majority of the good rock in the 125g and the ugly base is still in the tank (i'll probably sell it). i have all the corals moved but i cant catch any fish

oldhead

09-19-2008, 11:35 PM

Ahh and so it begins! You got some work ahead of you but it should be fun. That tank is gonna look killer when you get it all set up. As far as the Pacu maybe he's a little jealous that tank isn't for him? lol.

cocoa_pleco

09-19-2008, 11:38 PM

that pacu is crazy! i was just holding a piece of live rock when he flipped out. hes fine now and no damage done

heres a starter FTS. still a bit cloudy. i STILL cant catch the lunar wrasse to move him in. ive got 30-50lbs of live rock left over that i wont use so i put up a local ad $5 a pound or me and the buyer will weigh it and if its over 40lbs $3.50 a pount. i put i would also trade for a metal halide fixture with ballast. if i do trade i'll have 3 MH on the tank

the pic looks dark since my phone is sensitive to light and i had to put the exposure to -2. its alot brighter in person
http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w31/cocoa_pleco/19-09-08_1723.jpg

tanks4thememories

09-19-2008, 11:43 PM

ILuvMyGoldBarb

09-19-2008, 11:54 PM

Is that all the rock that is going in there?

cocoa_pleco

09-20-2008, 12:16 AM

Is that all the rock that is going in there?

it came out to be about 200lbs (the big piece on the very right is 20lbs alone). i laid the rock front to back more so i could get a island effect

oldhead

09-20-2008, 01:38 AM

Yeah I was thinking that it looked a little light on the rock too. But it still looks damn good.

ILuvMyGoldBarb

09-20-2008, 01:41 AM

Wow, that doesn't look like 200lbs. I started my tank with 10lbs of LR and 100lbs of dry rock and my tank looks like it has more rock. Remember, that rock has been in your 55 for a while and has a lot of water weight to it. That 200lbs may only be about 150 in reality. It really is remarkable how much water the rock holds. Just a thought. Looks good though.

Gayle

09-20-2008, 02:38 AM

It is looking great!!!

cocoa_pleco

09-20-2008, 04:24 AM

forgot the water! so yeah, probably 150lbs

amazing what you find when you tear down a tank, my 55g was like atlantis. i found ~15 mushrooms that spread and i didnt know about and i found like 5 25+ polyp zoa patches i never knew about. whoever buys my leftover rock gets it. i think i have a buyer.

i still cant catch the lunar wrasse. the 55g is running so hes fine overnight. i'll probably have to take out alot of the remaining rock to catch him

tomorrow if the levels are good i might add a couple of small fish, probably the clowns. the levels are dead on perfect tonight and if they stay that way tomorrow i'll add the oscellaris. i was going to add the damsels but it would be best to add them last so no territories get established

cocoa_pleco

09-20-2008, 05:31 PM

everything looks healthy today. tanks not cloudy, parameters are perfect, and all of the corals are out. im going to grab a couple of fish in a bit and i'll take more pics later

cocoa_pleco

09-20-2008, 06:10 PM

figured i would grab a few shots before i go get the fish. i found a guy that wants 20-30lbs of live rock. im only charging $5/lb and he gets all of the corals on the rock too.

FTS
http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w31/cocoa_pleco/20-09-08_1156.jpg

Anthelia
http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w31/cocoa_pleco/20-09-08_1157.jpg

Cabbage coral
http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w31/cocoa_pleco/20-09-08_1158.jpg

Green Galaxia (what stung and killed my scooter blenny)
http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w31/cocoa_pleco/20-09-08_1159.jpg

cocoa_pleco

09-20-2008, 06:11 PM

Toadstool getting ready to open up
http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w31/cocoa_pleco/20-09-08_1200.jpg

FTS
http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w31/cocoa_pleco/20-09-08_1201.jpg

Sir Tristen

09-20-2008, 06:34 PM

Great pics! I like how you haven't overcrowded the tank with live rock. I'm kind of ignorant to salt water reef tanks, but can you add some live plants to give some contrast in color/create a more vibrant environment, or do you strictly rely on corals for that?

labnjab

09-20-2008, 06:49 PM

Awsome tank, will you be adding more live rock, or are you just keeping the 150?

cocoa_pleco

09-20-2008, 07:17 PM

just keeping the 150lbs. i got a guy coming to look at my remaining rock today so i have to rip it out and put it in a rubbermaid container.

tyandnan, there arent any saltwater plants. chaeto kinda is a plant and resembles fresehwater java moss. chaeto is a nitrate eater and is usually placed in refugiums and sumps. i strictly rely on corals

i ended up getting a 3" cinnamon clown and 2 3" yellow and white chromis. they were all in the same tank and there were no other chromis but these 2.

Holyvision

09-20-2008, 09:07 PM

I am having sensations of extreme jealousy..

Tigerbarb

09-20-2008, 09:13 PM

Lol, I can't believe I didn't find this thread until now.
Lookin' great!

tanks4thememories

09-20-2008, 09:35 PM

Toadstool getting ready to open up
http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w31/cocoa_pleco/20-09-08_1200.jpg

FTS
http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w31/cocoa_pleco/20-09-08_1201.jpg

Hey Cocoa you take these pics on your phone? I can't believe it they look really good.

cocoa_pleco

09-20-2008, 10:06 PM

Hey Cocoa you take these pics on your phone? I can't believe it they look really good.

yep, motorola Krzr with a crappy 2mp camera. i had a nice digital camera but its in the basement somewhere and i cant find it

all of the fish are cruising along from side to side. i'll try to get pics. the guy seems intent on buying my rock (hes coming in about half a hour) and that should pull in $100-$150 and in a week or so i can buy the sump

cocoa_pleco

09-20-2008, 10:23 PM

still cant get one of my lunar wrasse but i got the rest

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w31/cocoa_pleco/20-09-08_1613.jpg

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w31/cocoa_pleco/20-09-08_1559.jpg

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w31/cocoa_pleco/20-09-08_1558.jpg

xximanoobxx

09-20-2008, 10:28 PM

Hey, you know what cocoa???
Im effin jealous

cocoa_pleco

09-20-2008, 11:27 PM

sold 20lbs of rock for $5/lb. that pays half for the premade sump

Lady Hobbs

09-20-2008, 11:32 PM

Looks awesome. I didn't know tanks that size come in kits.

cocoa_pleco

09-21-2008, 12:09 AM

score. found a premade sump with overflow, skimmer, and everything worth $300 for $75. guy said everything works. Im picking that up wednesday

xximanoobxx

09-21-2008, 12:57 AM

Dude how the heck do u find those deals like all the time....

tanks4thememories

09-21-2008, 01:33 AM

score. found a premade sump with overflow, skimmer, and everything worth $300 for $75. guy said everything works. Im picking that up wednesday

We have much in common when it comes to bargain hunting...lol
Awesome price!!!:19:

Tigerbarb

09-21-2008, 02:03 AM

Glad to hear you got a tomato!!!!!

cocoa_pleco

09-21-2008, 04:27 AM

Dude how the heck do u find those deals like all the time....

im just a lucky guy:c3:

been trying to wrap my head around how the wet/dry works and how things go if the power goes out. i didnt know you just have to have a return pump less than that of the overflows GPH, i thought you had to match it. you just cant have a stonger output.

if anyone is wondering what the wet/dry looks like here it is. definitely used but this bad boy is worth $300+

i actually have time to get it tuesday.

http://kijiji.ebayimg.com/i9/01/k/000/7c/83/a05a_20.JPG?set_id=1C4000

oldhead

09-21-2008, 04:31 AM

Nice pics, things are starting to look better. You got me looking at tanks again now after seeing yours start to go up. Actually had the wife looking at a 150g RR tank today and considering it. I'm getting closer! lol.

cocoa_pleco

09-21-2008, 05:24 AM

something that bugged me in the 55g is i could never find out where my lunar wrasse spent the night. he would stick around after the lights went out for about a hour then he would just dissapear

with 2 island patches of rock in the 125g i finally found out where he sleeps. he burries himself head first into a stack of live rock and just sits there. lol

i honestly dont think i will ever get a picture of the lunar wrasse so i will borrow a pic from google. lunar wrasse are one of the most beautiful $30 fish

http://image03.webshots.com/3/8/38/54/20283854jjtfaDuSxw_ph.jpg

labnjab

09-21-2008, 06:25 AM

We had the same problem when we got our clown, we couldn't find him after lights out. Then I found him sleeping between 2 rocks, as tight against one as he could. He stays there all night.

I'm likeing the tank, makes me want to get a large one.

cocoa_pleco

09-21-2008, 06:44 AM

tanks4thememories

09-21-2008, 06:23 PM

cant wait to get the sump going, first one ive ever had. after the skimmers running i will add the CUC. I feel better about sump skimmers, if they overflow theres no problem. i was paranoid with running HOB skimmers on my 55's since i always thought they would overflow.

Sometimes HOB's do too especially the really powerful ones and they will drain your tank down to the first slots in the intake tube if your not home to watch it...lol Like you said on your earlier post when it comes to intake tubes shorter is better lol. The only thing I really trust is a canister filter it is very rare to blow an "O" ring, (although that has been known to happen as well).

cocoa_pleco

09-21-2008, 07:35 PM

i went to the reef store i always go to and they said if i brought in a powerhead, they could get all of the tubing and return for the sump. tomorrow i know where i can get a cheap 500gph powerhed, and after i'll stop and get the return outfitted then tuesday just pick up the sump

cocoa_pleco

09-22-2008, 10:02 PM

tanks4thememories

09-22-2008, 10:12 PM

i was looking at the higher end powerheads and the lifegard ones were good. they came in 300gph, 800gph, and 1100gph. i was going to get the 800 but i was worried it would be too much so i got the 300gph. i got 4ft of flex hose and a coupler but they were out of 90 degree PVC to make a output so i have to run to a hardware store for PVC to make the output

After you account for "Lift" and "Head" 300 GPH might drop to about 200 GPH which is not enough to completely "Turn" 125 gallons of water twice in an hour.

Even if you are just using this as a sump to store heaters and skimmers you should strive to "turn" your water at least twice an hour. You can always put a valve on a higher rated return line to restrict the flow. But you can never increase the flow without buying more pump.

cocoa_pleco

09-22-2008, 11:25 PM

hmmm, i'll see how it works out. im thinking it will work since i want it to be a slow moving sump. i filled the sink with water, and held the output up and i got pretty good flow

i built the output out of PVC

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w31/cocoa_pleco/22-09-08_1717.jpg

cocoa_pleco

09-23-2008, 01:07 AM

ILuvMyGoldBarb

09-23-2008, 01:27 AM

You may want to consider a check valve as well. I know they are not fool proof, but I'd never use a sump setup without one.

cocoa_pleco

09-23-2008, 01:31 AM

You may want to consider a check valve as well. I know they are not fool proof, but I'd never use a sump setup without one.

yeah, im definitely going to find one of those. a $10 check valve could save alot of trouble.

tanks4thememories

09-23-2008, 03:08 AM

i fixed the PVC output, something i forgot is if the power goes out, alot of water would flood because i have the output so low. i took off the L piece that goes into the tubing in the pic and attached the other PVC piece to the hosing so the T bar at the end goes widthwise and is only submerged a tiny bit

1st off I would suggest you put a check valve in line on the return line.
2nd I would put cut off valves on both the return and the overflow - Making maintenance easier.

To test your pump and assembly Put it in a bucket on the floor with about 4 gallons of water in it. Then hold the return output as high as it will be installed in your tank. Then run the pump and use a timer to see how long it takes to pump 1 gallon. Then its just simple math from there.

I just did this for my DIY UV installation.
http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showpost.php?p=360736&postcount=21

"Here is the math:
The final result is with the valve just slightly adjusted from full open it took 23.44 seconds to pump 1 gallon of water into my bucket.
1) (Divide that into 60 seconds to get the amount pumped in 1 minute) 60 Divided by 23.44 seconds = 2.55 Gallons Per minute.

2) (Multiply the amount of gallons per minute by 60 minutes to get the GPH) 2.25 X 60 = 135 Gallons Per Hour (GPH).

3) (to check how many times this rate completely "turns" the water in my tank - we Divide the GPH into the actual volume of my tank) 135 divided by 102.42 = 1.31 times per hour."

cocoa_pleco

09-23-2008, 04:03 AM

tanks4thememories

09-23-2008, 02:50 PM

travie

09-23-2008, 03:05 PM

lol, im trying to run this through my head. so when i get the overflow, its submerged say 1/4 of a inch. naturally, that water flows in the sump and the overflow stops after it gets below the intake. the pump then returns water, and after that the overflow takes in what the pump pumps out, and im left with a steady volume in the sump, right? sorry if this is confusing

Yes, the water pumps water into the main tank. The overflow siphons water down to the sump. The water level in the tank will always remain the same unless the power goes out then it will go down a little. To account for evaporation you will have to check the water level of the sump, but you can directly add the top off water to the main tank and the sump water level with rise.

Both water levels will reach a steady mark after the system gets running. The sump level will go down with evaporation. Make sense?

tanks4thememories

09-23-2008, 03:14 PM

Yes, the water pumps water into the main tank. The overflow siphons water down to the sump. The water level in the tank will always remain the same unless the power goes out then it will go down a little. To account for evaporation you will have to check the water level of the sump, but you can directly add the top off water to the main tank and the sump water level with rise.

Both water levels will reach a steady mark after the system gets running. The sump level will go down with evaporation. Make sense?

The diameter of the whole in the bottom of the overflow is what determines the fastest the water can siphon into the sump. The final GPH of your pump rig is what determines the fastest it can go back into your tank. As long as your pump is not faster than your overflow & your overflow is set to a level that represents the capacity of your sump (example: 1/4 inch down = 10 gallons & sump tank = 10 Gallons). all is well even if the electricity goes out.

cocoa_pleco

09-23-2008, 04:40 PM

awesome, i get it now. i pick the wet/dry up tonight and tomorrow i might try to get it running

tanks4thememories

09-23-2008, 05:35 PM

The diameter of the whole in the bottom of the overflow is what determines the fastest the water can siphon into the sump. The final GPH of your pump rig is what determines the fastest it can go back into your tank. As long as your pump is not faster than your overflow & your overflow is set to a level that represents the capacity of your sump (example: 1/4 inch down = 10 gallons & sump tank = 10 Gallons). all is well even if the electricity goes out.

Set the return on the pump so that it doesn't actually enter the water then it will not siphon if the electricity goes out. Otherwise you need a check valve or set it at the same level as your overflow.

cocoa_pleco

09-23-2008, 09:11 PM

as for updates, ive got diatoms and a bit of sludge. god it sucks going through maturing a reef again. im hoping with the sump going and skimming the algae stages will be short. all of the livestock is good and they all took the move from the 55g's well (especially the lunar wrasse, he loves the big tank)

coachfraley

09-23-2008, 10:56 PM

Cocoa, I can't believe it...I go away for a while, and I come back, and your pictures are crystal clear!!!!!

Your FTS a few pages back looks great! Nice setup. I will enjoy watching this tank mature!

cocoa_pleco

09-24-2008, 02:59 AM

picked up the wet/dry. its a nice supreme one. the overflow looks easy to use and so does everything else. the skimmer is a older instant ocean one, but it doesnt come with the fitting to attach a powerhead to the intake so rather than buggering with that i might use my aquamedic skimmer. main part of the wet/dry is going to have live rock and live rock rubble, then the other chunk will have the skimmer and the return pump

also, thanks coach!

tanks4thememories

09-24-2008, 03:46 AM

cocoa_pleco

09-24-2008, 03:55 AM

What is the volume of the sump tank?

about 15g. not huge but gives me enough room to throw in some live rock and hide my skimmer

tanks4thememories

09-24-2008, 04:45 PM

about 15g. not huge but gives me enough room to throw in some live rock and hide my skimmer

Ok so the safest way to set up the overflow is to calculate 15 gallon level in your tank and use that for a reference point in setting up the overflow. anything beyond that point will be on your floor if the power goes out or your pump malfunctions.

cocoa_pleco

09-24-2008, 10:18 PM

finally got it going. all is good. i got a steady level in the sump and enough to make up for if something malfunctions. ive got steady output flow

cocoa_pleco

09-25-2008, 03:05 AM

tanks4thememories

09-25-2008, 03:24 AM

FTS with flurescents only, no power compacts or halides on

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w31/cocoa_pleco/24-09-08_2050.jpg

Stupid diatoms

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w31/cocoa_pleco/24-09-08_2051.jpg

Overflow

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w31/cocoa_pleco/24-09-08_2052.jpg

Sump

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w31/cocoa_pleco/24-09-08_2053.jpg

NoW u R CoOkIn' Bro!!!! Awesome score!!! Looks good too. Dont forget before you get too excited and forget do an emergency test. Put sump in a 35 gallon tub and turn off pump and see what happens...I know all our theorys are great but nuthin proves out like real life...lol

cocoa_pleco

09-25-2008, 03:40 AM

checked that! when i went to reprime, i figured may as well test what would happen in a power outage. never overflowed or came close.

i havent had the power go out in about 10 years though so im not worried, only thing i can imagine that could cause one is if someone crashes into a power pole this winter and i doubt that

one thing that worked out is the T-bar on the end of my output. i stuck one end up out in the air, so if the power goes out water doesnt siphon down

one other thing i was looking at is the Solaris LED fixtures, someone on another forum got the 72" for their 150g and loves it. i looked up the price expecting $2000, theyre $4000!! its halides until the LED's go down a couple grand

tanks4thememories

09-25-2008, 04:15 AM

cocoa_pleco

09-25-2008, 04:31 AM

thanks!!!!!!

oldhead

09-25-2008, 11:48 AM

Looking goo man and sounds like you're well on the way to be completely set up. Congrats!

cocoa_pleco

09-25-2008, 02:17 PM

the cyano that was there has gone (there was a bit of my rock i think and it spead to the sand, but where it was on the sand its just faded away)

i was paranoid leaving the sump overnight but all is still good

FordForever

09-25-2008, 02:39 PM

This tank is going to be awesome, nice job.

tanks4thememories

09-25-2008, 07:37 PM

MoRe PiCs!!!MoRe Pics!!!MoRe PiCs!!!MoRe Pics!!!MoRe PiCs!!!MoRe Pics!!!MoRe PiCs!!!MoRe Pics!!!MoRe PiCs!!!MoRe Pics!!!MoRe PiCs!!!MoRe Pics!!!....lol

coachfraley

09-25-2008, 08:50 PM

Looking great Cocoa!

Gayle

09-25-2008, 09:01 PM

MoRe PiCs!!!MoRe Pics!!!MoRe PiCs!!!MoRe Pics!!!MoRe PiCs!!!MoRe Pics!!!MoRe PiCs!!!MoRe Pics!!!MoRe PiCs!!!MoRe Pics!!!MoRe PiCs!!!MoRe Pics!!!....lol

I agree!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

fins_n_fur

09-25-2008, 09:06 PM

I must admit that I'm appalled that this thread does not have more pictures :hmm3grin2orange:

teach

09-25-2008, 09:09 PM

Its really looking good. I cant wait until I can start a sw tank.

robnepper

09-25-2008, 11:05 PM

can't wait 'till you hire me to build a custom tank stand. I just poured my first concrete counter top today in school it's going to be 10 gal stand. So soon i'll be all schooled up on how to build the wickedest tank stand ever.

cocoa_pleco

09-26-2008, 01:40 AM

i can get pics tomorrow, the lights are off right now.

i do have a question though, how do i do water topoffs? add the water directly to the main tank with the overflow running?

coachfraley

09-26-2008, 02:00 AM

I might be wrong, but I think most people add to their sumps. I add to the back of my all-in-one.

ILuvMyGoldBarb

09-26-2008, 02:17 AM

Yup, you add it to the sump. The water level in the tank will remain constant, the water in the sump will go down. I personally do my top offs in the back of my overflow, that way the fw gets a good chance to mix with the sw before going into the main tank. I prefer not to add fw straight to the main tank.

cocoa_pleco

09-26-2008, 02:25 AM

tanks4thememories

09-26-2008, 02:52 AM

awesome

one thing though, being a idiot i added water to the main tank today, only a couple of gallons. after, i just noticed the water went up in the sump. did i screw anything up? i'll add it to the sump from now on

Its a personal preference thing. It is easier to do it in the sump like barb says most people don't like putting FW directly into their tank if they can avoid it. Just remember when filling not to go too high whenever you put it so that you keep your safety margin should the pump fail you want your overflow to run out of water before your sump overflows...lol

Now what was I gonna ask you again? Oh yeah MoRe PiCs!?!?MoRe PiCs!?!?MoRe PiCs!?!?MoRe PiCs!?!?MoRe PiCs!?!?MoRe PiCs!?!?MoRe PiCs!?!?
:hmm3grin2orange: lol

cocoa_pleco

09-26-2008, 02:58 AM

lol, tomorrow i'll get more pics. i made a safety line so if the power goes out, thers a few inches to spare with water level

the tank has a digital thermometer but i put a glass one at the start when i was adding water. i left it in, and it got stuck to my urchin. the urchin went to the bottom of the tank, and what happens when a floating thermometer is let go underwater? rocket ship!

labnjab

09-26-2008, 03:00 AM

LOL, thats funny. It didn't take out any lights did it?

cocoa_pleco

09-26-2008, 03:05 AM

LOL, thats funny. It didn't take out any lights did it?

ive got a glass top. i was looking right at the urchin when it happened and surprisingly the thermometer never shattered or even cracked

tanks4thememories

09-26-2008, 03:15 AM

ive got a glass top. i was looking right at the urchin when it happened and surprisingly the thermometer never shattered or even cracked

bad urchin...Bad..lol well at least he knows you can't spank him...lol

cocoa_pleco

09-26-2008, 03:18 AM

bad urchin...Bad..lol well at least he knows you can't spank him...lol

lol, hes prickly. when i asked a guy at a store to get my live rock once he went in barehanded and got a spiny urchin sting.

tanks4thememories

09-26-2008, 03:27 AM

lol, hes prickly. when i asked a guy at a store to get my live rock once he went in barehanded and got a spiny urchin sting.

I never had one but I heard they can kill ya if you don't get the tip out.
I learned my lesson many years ago. I got barbaqued by my Elec. cat
Knocked me out of the tank and accross the room onto the floor. Felt like I touched a car battery. So now I use these...lol:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3236/2884928239_4f4e34b099_b.jpg

No worries there...lol

cocoa_pleco

09-26-2008, 03:28 AM

yeah, its nasty. im good friends with the worker and hes alive (saw him just today)

tanks4thememories

09-26-2008, 03:39 AM

yeah, its nasty. im good friends with the worker and hes alive (saw him just today)

Just got to get the tip out. Or it works its way to your heart, or so they say.
Hey did you ever check out my elec cat article on my blog? I sent you pm. if you get the time to read it leave me a comment want to know what you think.
Working on my article skills...hehehe

cocoa_pleco

09-26-2008, 08:06 PM

i read your article! its aweome, good job!

im going to run out now and get another fish for the 125g, sumps been running stable and the parameters are stable. after i get back i'll take some pics

tanks4thememories

09-26-2008, 08:36 PM

i read your article! its aweome, good job!

im going to run out now and get another fish for the 125g, sumps been running stable and the parameters are stable. after i get back i'll take some pics

Oooo I can't wait to see the new fishy in there...lol

Gayle

09-26-2008, 08:39 PM

cocoa_pleco

09-26-2008, 09:09 PM

Back yet? It has been 30 minutes. LOL

lol, just got back. i was looking around and found a bicolor foxface for $30. i thought that was too cheap but the guy said if theres a price near the written name on the tank thats what it is. he pulled it up on the computer, and the price was supposed to be for a bicolor blenny, not foxface. the foxface was already bagged so i got a bicolor foxface for $29.99. for his size, he normally sells for about $80. he looks like this, and is already eating algae in my tank
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+1465+683&pcatid=683

ive got pics loading, it'll be a few seconds

cocoa_pleco

09-26-2008, 09:20 PM

sorry for the quality of pics. next time i get paid im getting a new camera, ive looked for my digital for 6 months and i cant find it, its time for a new one

tanks got algae but its slowly going away. tonight im working on the sump some more, i sold 20 out of the 30lbs of live rock i had left over and i took 5lbs for my sump, im adding another 5lbs to my sump in a bit

FTS (my phone is so dam light sensitive, it picks up the halides brightness too much)

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w31/cocoa_pleco/26-09-08_1500.jpg

galaxia, cinnamon clown, and a hiding bicolor foxface

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w31/cocoa_pleco/26-09-08_1507.jpg

again.........

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w31/cocoa_pleco/26-09-08_1506.jpg

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w31/cocoa_pleco/26-09-08_1505.jpg

cocoa_pleco

09-26-2008, 09:21 PM

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w31/cocoa_pleco/26-09-08_1504.jpg

side shot

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w31/cocoa_pleco/26-09-08_1503.jpg

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w31/cocoa_pleco/26-09-08_1502.jpg

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w31/cocoa_pleco/26-09-08_1501.jpg

tanks4thememories

09-26-2008, 09:28 PM

cocoa_pleco

09-26-2008, 09:31 PM

tanks4thememories

09-26-2008, 09:56 PM

me either. my old phone broke and i just bought this one until i can get something better like a iphone or something else. it takes good outside pics, this is a older one i took of a wrecked car

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w31/cocoa_pleco/13-05-08_1838.jpg

That phone take some of the best pics Ive ever seen on a camera phone. Either you are a wizard in using it or it is an incredible phone. I suspect it is a little of both..lol

Gayle

09-26-2008, 10:33 PM

It looks really great!!!! So that is a camera phone? Wow you are talented!!!! I am loving the tank!!!!

cocoa_pleco

09-26-2008, 10:40 PM

i think its the phone and not me. lol. foxface is doing surprisingly good, foxface are known to hide for a few days when you get them but this guy is zipping around grazing. i threw in some mysis and krill and he ate both

kaianuanu

09-28-2008, 04:52 PM

nice tank..............

cocoa_pleco

09-29-2008, 08:01 PM

nothing really new. in a week or two im ordering one of these lights. the reason i say a week or two is i posted a ad looking for a new or used coralife 150w halide. if i get no responses, i'll get this one. ive got 2 halides now and im aiming for 3

http://cgi.ebay.com/24-Metal-Halide-Aquarium-Reef-Lighting-250W-HQI-LED_W0QQitemZ300262548275QQihZ020QQcategoryZ46314Q QssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

AABatteries

09-29-2008, 08:03 PM

Wow, thats cheap, I might have to get one of those my self and turn my 20g into a SW, and put my fish in the 50g once its done cycling. xD Or grab one of these so I can have a greater range of plants I can get. http://cgi.ebay.com/24-T5-HO-Aquarium-Cichlid-Light-48W-Odyssea-2x24W-New_W0QQitemZ300261185526QQihZ020QQcategoryZ46314Q QtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItem But I'd have to take off the actinic bulb. Or even better(price wise)... http://cgi.ebay.com/24-Power-Compact-Aquarium-Light-Cichlid-65W-Odyssea_W0QQitemZ290263917307QQihZ019QQcategoryZ46 314QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742.m153.l1 262

cocoa_pleco

09-30-2008, 01:55 AM

i wouldnt get those lights, alot of people on the saltwater forum im on have had their Odysseas either melt or catch fire

anyways, im upgrading my overflow too. mine is still mysteriously getting a slowly growing air pocket in the U-tube, and once a week i have to reboot everything and resiphon. i can get the TOM overflow with built in skimmer, auto kill for power outages, and auto siphon for cheap new ($90). im going tomorrow to see if it fits my wet/drys tubing, if it does i'll get it

all the fish are still doing good

AABatteries

09-30-2008, 11:33 AM

Yikes!!! That's not good, if I had a fan blowing on it or something could that help it keep cool?

cocoa_pleco

09-30-2008, 02:25 PM

fans could help, but a guy had a halide/PC combo with fans on it and the whole inside of the light melted into goopy sludge

AABatteries

09-30-2008, 05:51 PM

If I get one I'll have to divise some kind of cooling system.

cocoa_pleco

09-30-2008, 08:09 PM

another problem is Odyssea makes their lights out of crap parts

Dr.Fragenstein

09-30-2008, 09:06 PM

Cocoa, why don't you look into a Maristar? Its a MH T5 combo and its AMERICAN made

AABatteries

10-01-2008, 12:39 AM

another problem is Odyssea makes their lights out of crap parts
The bulbs themselves?

Halelorf

10-01-2008, 02:29 AM

The bulbs themselves?

The bulbs, ballasts, end caps, casing, etc.

AABatteries

10-01-2008, 02:32 AM

Okay, well I've found another fixture on eBay, which would suit my needs better figuring I need it for a planted aquarium. Its an Oceanic 24" compact fluoresent 55w. Which would give my 20g 2.75 wpg, instead of the current .75 wpg.

cocoa_pleco

10-01-2008, 03:22 AM

The bulbs, ballasts, end caps, casing, etc.

thats right. alot of people buy Odyssea and say "even though the parts are crap, im still ahead replacing the light with better parts". to me, that seems like more work than its worth

Gayle

10-01-2008, 03:35 AM

*****Coughs************Pictures***********

cocoa_pleco

10-01-2008, 03:55 AM

*****Coughs************Pictures***********

lol, all the lights are off. nothing really new, im going to let the tank mature for a month or two before i add anything else. most of the cyano and diatoms have gone

Holyvision

10-01-2008, 03:57 AM

lol, all the lights are off. nothing really new, im going to let the tank mature for a month or two before i add anything else. most of the cyano and diatoms have gone

What? No moon lighting?!

Gayle

10-01-2008, 03:58 AM

A month or two?????????? I can not wait that long. LOL

cocoa_pleco

10-01-2008, 03:59 AM

What? No moon lighting?!

ive got moonlights but i dont really use them. lol

cocoa_pleco

10-01-2008, 04:05 AM

A month or two?????????? I can not wait that long. LOL

lol, youve gotta take saltwater slow, its alot more delicate than freshwater. freshwater you can get a stable system going in 2-4 weeks, saltwater the tank is matured at a year old

cocoa_pleco

10-02-2008, 01:22 AM

fluorescents are only running now and i figured i could grab a few pics. you can also see the new bicolor foxface in a few

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w31/cocoa_pleco/01-10-08_1912.jpg

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w31/cocoa_pleco/01-10-08_1913.jpg

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w31/cocoa_pleco/01-10-08_1914.jpg

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w31/cocoa_pleco/01-10-08_1915.jpg

cocoa_pleco

10-02-2008, 01:23 AM

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w31/cocoa_pleco/01-10-08_1916.jpg

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w31/cocoa_pleco/01-10-08_1917.jpg

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w31/cocoa_pleco/01-10-08_1918.jpg

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w31/cocoa_pleco/01-10-08_1919.jpg

oldhead

10-02-2008, 01:50 AM

Add more live rock!!!!
Ok I feel better now, just had to get that off my chest. :laugh1blue:

cocoa_pleco

10-02-2008, 02:13 AM

Add more live rock!!!!
Ok I feel better now, just had to get that off my chest. :laugh1blue:

lol, after selling my leftover kick ass rock at $5/lb im definitely not buying more rock. i love the island method, alot different than my old 55g

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w31/cocoa_pleco/02-06-08_1806.jpg

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w31/cocoa_pleco/28-05-08_1650.jpg

Gayle

10-02-2008, 03:33 AM

Oh it is looking soooooooooo good Cocoa!!! You make me so jealous!!

xximanoobxx

10-02-2008, 03:41 AM

I noticed that the 5 gallon bottle never moved from its original spot from the beginning...
lol

Red

10-02-2008, 03:42 AM

^lol
cocoa what else are you going to add (fish and inverts)?
by the way great looking tank

cocoa_pleco

10-02-2008, 03:50 AM

lol, i have had to do few topoffs, so ive only used my 3g buckets

only other fish and inverts will be a few shrimp, a mandarin, and a powder blue tang

cocoa_pleco

10-03-2008, 06:37 AM

nothing else new, in a couple of weeks i'll add some more corals. im still dosing purple up in this tank also.

i was going to add more to the tank but i had a bigger problem to upgrade, my car had a absolutely crappy subwoofer that sounded like i had a 5 year old duct taped in my trunk kicking around. a few hundred dollars later thats fixed

cocoa_pleco

10-04-2008, 05:41 PM

would throw on some pics, but im having problems. i upgraded to a blackberry that actually takes better pics than my KRZR but every time i hook it up to the computer, it says windows does not recognize the device in USB port 2 and thats it

anyways, all of the diatoms have gone, and the cyano has all gone.

Lowflyer

10-04-2008, 06:32 PM

That's a cool phone, does it have bluetooth, coz if you get a cheep bluetooth dongle you can send them to the pc

cocoa_pleco

10-04-2008, 09:23 PM

That's a cool phone, does it have bluetooth, coz if you get a cheep bluetooth dongle you can send them to the pc

yep, it takes bluetooth. i have one but i havent used it. lol

best phone ever was a $1000 Nokia S710a i had 5 years ago, it was one of the first MP3 phones ever.

cocoa_pleco

10-05-2008, 05:57 PM

im gonna run out and get a coral or two, but i dont know about pics since im still having trouble connecting things

cocoa_pleco

10-05-2008, 08:23 PM

well, what sucked is the reef store i always go to is doing renos, and they drained and shut down their 300g long coral tank, all 3 hundred corals are in a couple 90g's.

good thing, all corals were 25% off, and they are for another 8 days. I got a XL 10" size clove polyp rock $80 for $30, they took 25% of then said whatever, you can have it for $30

they look like this, only i have a 10x bigger patch.

http://www.liveaquaria.com/images/categories/product/p-85667-clove-coral.jpg

troy

10-05-2008, 08:25 PM

Great deal!

xximanoobxx

10-05-2008, 08:27 PM

Nice steal cocoa..... ur so lucky... I want to go to this LFS that is closing down... they have 30% off everything but will discount some more...
I wanna go but i got no ride and i have so much hw... :(((((((((((

cocoa_pleco

10-05-2008, 11:49 PM

after i sell my 55g im looking into getting the used 3x150w metal halides retrofitted into a 72"x18" wood box hanging over the tank. i put a local ad for my 55g up and put will consider full trade for a 72" 3 bulb metal halide fixture. everything im throwing in from my 55g is worth $800 new, so i could get $400 for everything but i put $275

Gayle

10-06-2008, 12:38 AM

You have to be one of the luckiest people ever. LOL

cocoa_pleco

10-06-2008, 01:35 AM

i give up, im going to get another coral tomorrow. 25% off is too good to miss out on

AABatteries

10-06-2008, 01:46 AM

I was thinking it was odd that you got only one thing, especially figuring there is the sale.

cocoa_pleco

10-06-2008, 01:48 AM

I was thinking it was odd that you got only one thing, especially figuring there is the sale.

just wanted to see how my bicolor foxface and lunar wrasse would react, both are curious and when they see a new coral, they like to taste it.

AABatteries

10-06-2008, 02:09 AM

lol. Its like trying new ice cream flavors when they come out.

cocoa_pleco

10-07-2008, 01:46 AM

forgot to mention what i bought, i got a rock with 5 4" hairy mushrooms $40 for $30

AABatteries

10-07-2008, 02:03 AM

Sounds like a good deal to me.

cocoa_pleco

10-07-2008, 02:40 AM

forgot to post what they look like, not my pic

http://www.dickensons.org/Aquariums/Hairy%20Mushroom.jpg

they get alot bigger than 4", they max out at 12" i believe

cocoa_pleco

10-08-2008, 05:01 AM

my green galaxia has made a good comeback, i bought it in kinda crap shape for cheap, and in my 55g is did alright, but now its just exploded in growth. before, only half the rock had galaxia, and half of the actual galaxia was a dying brown. put it right under a 150w halide and in high flow in the 125g, and the rock is 80% covered in glowing green galaxia

cocoa_pleco

10-09-2008, 03:54 AM

right now im trying to get a wood canopy for the tank, i put up a local ad. When i get one, im going to grab 3 150w retrofit metal halides, drill them to the inner roof of the canopy, and rip apart the 48" 4x65w PC fixture im using and retrofit it with acrinic bulbs

Northernguy

10-09-2008, 03:49 PM

Its too bad you don't live closer,I'd make you one.
I wish i had a marine tank!!!!!!!!!

cocoa_pleco

10-10-2008, 03:52 AM

Nothing new yet, nothings died, all the corals are mass splitting (my 10 polyp zoa patch is already 25) and im still dosing purple-up, theres already coraline on the rock, just waiting for it to hit the glass

kaybee

10-10-2008, 10:35 AM

....there'salready coraline on the rock, just waiting for it to hit the glass

Be careful of what you wish for...! :hmm3grin2orange:

cocoa_pleco

10-10-2008, 04:42 PM

lol, i wished for it on my old 55g reef and it hit like a bomb, my urchin couldnt even keep up with it

cocoa_pleco

10-11-2008, 02:47 AM

went back tonight, it would kill me if i didnt get another 25% off coral. i almost bought a 150 polyp brown polyp rock for $60, but i went in the back quarantine after and they had some clams ready to be sold. I got a blue tridacna for only $50. Hes going right under one of my halides. guy said that they dont give anemones and clams as 25% off bu they said sure for me

I took a look at the Sundial T-5 fixtures and theyre pretty nice, im contemplating buying a canopy and getting 3x150w MH with 4x96w actinic power compacts, or getting 2 6x54w T-5's

EDIT- i put up a local ad to see if i could trade about $500 of saltwater stuff i wont ever use and some cash for a 4 or 6 bulb 48" light

heres the clam, not my pic

http://www.fishlore.com/fishpicture/data/772/croceaclam1.jpg

fins_n_fur

10-11-2008, 09:11 AM

Wow! Cool looking clam! Beautiful colors! :18:

Gayle

10-11-2008, 01:02 PM

Wow! Cocoa you seriously need to take some pics of yours! I am going through withdrawal here! LMAO How do you get so darn lucky?

Northernguy

10-11-2008, 01:07 PM

That is a very nice looking clam coacoa!I too would love to see your tanks.

cocoa_pleco

10-11-2008, 04:43 PM

I just fired up the lights and the clams starting to open up a bit

the lfs i go to is doing major renos. they took down their 350g long coral tank and put all the corals in 2 90g's, and theyre resealing the 350g and taking down the corner 500g live rock tank and using the 350g as a live rock tank, and after using 25 50g talls as coral tanks. the guy said after its all done theyre getting a new coral order in so im going to have to check out what else there is

its killing me not to be able to take pics. i'll try to find a way to get pics.

the other clam i could have gotten is one of these crocea, but to me they just look like a chocolate bar. lol

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e102/Jasonanatal/28%20gallon%20JBJ%20Nano%20Cube%20HQI%20Reef%20Aqu arium/CanonDigitalRebelXTPhotographs057.jpg

fins_n_fur

10-11-2008, 04:45 PM

And it's killing us more not to see pictures :hmm3grin2orange:

That clam, although you think it looks like a chocolate bar, is also pretty cool.

Gayle

10-11-2008, 04:45 PM

That thing is cool looking!!! Can see the resemblance to a chocolate bar. LOL

cocoa_pleco

10-12-2008, 04:13 AM

well, ive decided to switch the tank to T-5's, they will run cooler, and are basically the same strength as my halides so none of my corals will suffer.

Im selling my 260w PC light for $125, and my 55g with skimmer, 2 lights, a few powerheads, skimmer, and heater for $300 (alot i know, but one of the lights is worth $150 and i used it for a hour, and the skimmers worth $200 and i used it for ~15 hours). Im either going to get a pair of 36" Sundial 6x39w T-5 lights or 2 48" 6x59w T-5's. im leaning more for the 2 36" ones. Selling my old equipment should pay for the 2 fixtures

cocoa_pleco

10-12-2008, 04:47 AM

checked ebay and ive decided to get 2 of these lights. not sundial, but still look good, and only $360 with shipping. I'll order one when my stuff gets sold, and use it on the high light coral side of my tank, and halides on the other half. if the lights good, i'll switch that side to the same light

http://cgi.ebay.com/36-Aquarium-Light-T5-HO-8-x-39-NEW-Moon-Lunar-Reef_W0QQitemZ170269085066QQihZ007QQcategoryZ46314 QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

cocoa_pleco

10-13-2008, 05:07 PM

Sold my 260w PC, i found a nice guy on a ad who wanted a 48" light for his 22" deep tank. Sold it for $110, a little less than i wanted but whatever. my 55g should be sold soon then i can get the T-5's

cocoa_pleco

10-14-2008, 02:34 AM

checked ebay and i figured a 72" light is easier than 2 36" lights, this light looks good and is fairly cheap.

http://cgi.ebay.com/72-Aquarium-Light-T5-HO-6-x-80-NEW-Moon-Lunar-Reef_W0QQitemZ350108320091QQihZ022QQcategoryZ46314 QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Red

10-14-2008, 02:58 AM

thats cheap?
lol good luck wiht the 55 :)

cocoa_pleco

10-14-2008, 03:41 AM

its a good deal, T-5's are expensive fixtures.

cocoa_pleco

10-16-2008, 02:18 AM

was sure i would get the 72" T-5, but i got a deal too good to miss, 24" fixture with a 250w metal halide, ballast, 2x65w actinic power compacts, and 4 moonlights, $230 shipped. I ordered it today so im guessing it will be here next monday or tuesday. 125g will now be run with 2 150w MH, and the 250w MH/130w PC combo.

AABatteries

10-16-2008, 02:22 AM

Wow, thats a pretty good deal. I'm planning on getting a 2x24w t5 fixture for $40. I figured spending the extra $20 on 65w PC would be better to be put towards a protein skimmer.

xximanoobxx

10-16-2008, 02:23 AM

how would that work???
it's 24"???

cocoa_pleco

10-16-2008, 02:26 AM

how would that work???
it's 24"???

its got legs or can be hung, and ive got a glass top.

you need about 1 halide for 24" of tank. ive got a 72" long tank, meaning i need 3 halides. 24" isnt a problem, my other 2 halides are 18" long so ive got room for all 3

xximanoobxx

10-16-2008, 02:27 AM

oh i see.. that's cool!...

cocoa_pleco

10-17-2008, 03:57 AM

within the next few days im gonna find a way to transfer pics, its killing me

im off saturday, sunday, wednesday, thursday, friday, saturday, sunday so i should be home when the new light comes

cocoa_pleco

10-17-2008, 09:58 PM

still trying to get on pics, but i grabbed a blue damsel today. theres also a chance my light will be here monday

cocoa_pleco

10-18-2008, 05:04 AM

been toying with my skimmer all night. i bought that crazy expensive aquamedic skimmer for my 55g breeder and never got to using it because the tank got torn down. i figure extra skimming on the tank cant hurt. i jacked the Rio pump from my coralife skimmer and i think i got it attached

the LFS i always go to has about 2500g total of saltwater all plumbed into a central section, and they let me go around in the staff only section and see any new shipments, sick fish, corals, etc. i saw the skimmer, and its a beast. the collection cup is the size of those huge white ice cream pails and the skimmer itself was 4 feet tall and 2 feet wide

Northernguy

10-18-2008, 05:26 AM

That sounds like a pretty wicked fish store.:scool:
I don't get to see those wonderful stores no more.

chronic

10-18-2008, 05:34 AM

Yeah? I'm curious too lol ... I'm sick of petsmart.

cocoa_pleco

10-18-2008, 04:17 PM

Yeah? I'm curious too lol ... I'm sick of petsmart.

aquarium illusions in Mayfield. I dont like the petsmarts here either, and the workers dont care who they sell to. i bought lots of monster fish (pacu, clown knifes, etc) and the only time i got asked what size tank i have was with a pair of oscars, they never asked with the pacu

chronic

10-18-2008, 05:04 PM

Yeah, for example I was told my 55 gal would be fine for my oscars and plecos.

A bunch of people have told me about that place now. I have to go and check it out.

chronic

10-18-2008, 09:57 PM

Good store! I like the people there.

Anyway, your stuff looks good cocoa!

cocoa_pleco

10-19-2008, 12:30 AM

with my fricken fluval killing the electricity, the tank only has a few powerheads and fluorescents going. I turned all the tank lights on this morning, and half a hour later i went back into the basement and there was no power down there. i ran a extension cord from upstairs and plugged in my FX5, and it killed off every time after a few minutes so it malfunctioned and blew my power

electrician is coming tomorrow, and all my fish seem alright. i had to run and get new filters for my 90g freshwater, but my 125g saltwater was fine and my sump didnt come close to overflowing

chronic

10-19-2008, 02:47 AM

...Thats bizzare, I saw your thread now.

Did it just fry a breaker or melt your outlets and junk? That sucks dude!

cocoa_pleco

10-19-2008, 02:50 AM

nothin melted, but on the switchbreaker, the switch wouldnt flip back. i unplugged everything from the outlets and nothing

Northernguy

10-19-2008, 02:58 AM

Sounds like something shorted near your outlet or possibly behind it.Could even be a short in the wire.I am hoping you just fried a circuit breaker.
I hope the Electrician is a friend of yours!
I hope its just a bad breaker really.:11:

cocoa_pleco

10-20-2008, 02:34 PM

well, electrician should be here tonight.

what sucks is on a local ad i found a guy who will sell me a adult snowflake morray eel. i told him my story, and i said if the outlet behind my 125g does not have to be replaced, i will buy the eel. if the outlet does have to be replaced and i have to move my 125g for a few days, there is no sense i buy it and stress it unless he can hold it for a while

another bad thing is if its the outlet behind my 90g, if it is im contemplating selling alot of the fish, moving 2 huge pacus around isnt easy

Northernguy

10-20-2008, 02:46 PM

Good Luck Cocoa!!!

It sounds like a s**ty situation.
I hope all works out for you.
If I lived out west I would fix it for you.I've been doing reno work all my life.

chronic

10-20-2008, 04:26 PM

Yeah dude, I really hope it works out for you.

cocoa_pleco

10-21-2008, 03:10 AM

electrician said his phone died today and he was stuck all day, he said for sure thursday he would fix my electrical issues

with the guy and the snowflake eel, hes in a neighboring city (spruce grove) but said he makes trips here. He wanted to know how much i would offer, and most sites have adults for $50 and this ones 12" so i said $40.

EDIT- guy emailed me back and said he would rather trade for something, i told him what i have

cocoa_pleco

10-21-2008, 03:38 AM

guy said he got offered a lionfish and is going to trade the eel for it

other than that, my tank has a cyano bloom from the power outage, like i said i only concentrated on getting the necessities running and between my sump not running and everything it was bound to happen

cocoa_pleco

10-22-2008, 03:21 AM

still paranoid if its a faulty outlet, if its my 90g, i have to deal with moving large skittish fish. if its my 125g, i have to get some new plastic garbage bins or something because theres no way in heck im going back and forth to the store 10 times again for RO water. all i need is for it to not be a faulty outlet and me being falsely paranoid :)

my 250w metal halide/2x65w power compact light should be here tomorrow. I got a note from the tracker saying it was at customs yesterday at 8am

other than that, i think i have a deal on another light, a 20" coralife 96w PC 50/50 for $20, its worth over $100 new. if i get it, im making a 10g frag tank

http://edmonton.kijiji.ca/c-pets-accessories-Coralife-20-Aqualight-Deluxe-4-Tube-Quad-96W-Aquarium-Light-W0QQAdIdZ82360588

cocoa_pleco

10-24-2008, 01:03 AM

it wasnt a faulty outlet thankfully. he said with the load i have, it would be smart to get a additional breaker down there, so i am

he got the electricity going again, and thinks that it probably was my FX5 shorting out. im taking the filter for inspection in a few days

my reef is pathetic, every square inch is full of cyano. im going to do a large water change later

chronic

10-24-2008, 02:40 AM

Well, right on! Thats pretty good considering the other option.

cocoa_pleco

10-24-2008, 02:56 AM

yeah, its good to not be in the dark anymore

my light that i ordered just left customs this morning, it entered customs 3 days ago and i figured it would have been here by now. If it was customs in BC, it probably will be here monday. if its Alberta customs, it should be here tomorrow

chronic

10-25-2008, 03:09 AM

Did you get your lights?

I had a question, whats the total wattage you suppose your pulling off of one outlet or tank?

Is it just the total ammount of power your using in the basement thats overloading your breaker panel? Or just one outlet?

Just wondering.

cocoa_pleco

10-25-2008, 03:12 AM

No light, so it must have been at the BC border since it came from California, monday for sure

Im not sure about what happened, it might be the total power. the basement has 2 separate breakers, one runs the freezer, washer, and dryer, and the other half has 4 outlets, one i dont use, one has my TV and satellite receiver, one has a powerbar with my 125g's stuff, and the other a powerbar with my reef stuff. i dont think i overloaded a outlet, maybe just the whole thing

Tomorrow im going to get my sump going again

chronic

10-25-2008, 04:15 AM

Hmm, does it sound expensive to get fixed? Or upgraded rather...

cocoa_pleco

10-25-2008, 04:16 AM

the breaker sounds like it will be prices, he said "it would be best to get another breaker if you have the money", but its better in the longrun

xximanoobxx

10-25-2008, 04:29 AM

Yes, it is prolly expensive...
doesnt he have to like re rout hella wires???

chronic

10-25-2008, 04:34 AM

Definitely.. Could always run a couple 2 gauge wires down from up stairs and save money using another source :c2: ...........?

I hope it doesn't break the bank and hopefully the fluval filter gets sorted out!

cocoa_pleco

10-25-2008, 05:18 AM

nah, no hella re-wiring, he could do it that way and go in the roof, but it would be a pain and take forever. hes just going to do against the roof on metal pipes so its a quick job

got bored tonight and i was digging through my unused stuff, still killing me to have a $250 aquamedic skimmer sitting around unused. my Rio venturi pump fits it perfectly so i will try it tomorrow to get some additional skimming

Northernguy

10-25-2008, 05:26 AM

LOL Toys aren't they fun!
Did he tell you how long until hes done?

cocoa_pleco

10-25-2008, 05:31 AM

naw, he said to call him in a week

I actually bought my aquamedic skimmer $250 for $40, catch was the collection cup was cracked at the top which affects nothing. weird thing is the pump i got with it doesnt work, not even vibrate. i emailed the company asking if i could send it in a few times but no response, my Rio pump is better though

Northernguy

10-25-2008, 05:38 AM

Some places have the greatest customer service and stand behind their products.While some have never even heard of it or sure act it!
It'll be done soon I hope.Are your tanks gonna make it?

cocoa_pleco

10-25-2008, 05:39 AM

everythings fine, the cyano is slowly going away and my 90g is fine

labnjab

10-25-2008, 05:40 AM

Seems like coralife has better customer service. When I broke the air silencer on my skimmer, they sent me a new one in 2 days. Glad you are getting your power situation straightened out

cocoa_pleco

10-25-2008, 05:44 AM

Seems like coralife has better customer service. When I broke the air silencer on my skimmer, they sent me a new one in 2 days. Glad you are getting your power situation straightened out

yeah, coralife is good for stuff like that

Ghostknife

10-25-2008, 08:06 AM

You may want to consider moving that dart board!! lol

Tolley

10-25-2008, 10:01 AM

You may want to consider moving that dart board!! lol
Hahahaa I was thinking the same thing!!

cocoa_pleco

10-25-2008, 04:02 PM

lol, i dont use it.

aquamedic skimmer with rio pump failed, the connection isnt tight enough and water shot out. i threw my coralife on for extra skimming

Tigerbarb

10-25-2008, 06:26 PM

How much live rock do you have?

cocoa_pleco

10-25-2008, 06:29 PM

How much live rock do you have?

my 55g had about 230lbs, i transferred 200lbs to my 125g, sold 20lbs for $5/lb, and put 10lbs in my sump

cocoa_pleco

10-26-2008, 07:21 PM

my 250w halide/2x65 actinic PC came today, i didnt think packages came Sunday

nothing broken on it, and its surprisingly a good fixture. it has its own huge 6" fan that gets its own power cord, and i can stick my hand on the top of the light and its ice cold even after running for a few hours

i couldnt get the legs to fit on, so i just used 2 small wood boxes i had laying around to prop it with

as for pictures, i figured out the problem, i have to download a program. tomorrow for sure i will have pics

cocoa_pleco

10-26-2008, 11:33 PM

5 hours later the light still is cool, which is amazing. the pendent part usually can burn you if you even bump it (which i learnt with my 150w halides) but this one is still cold, i can stick my whole hand on it without any problems

i took 1 150w off, i have low light-medium light corals with a few exceptions and it seemed like too much, so ive got the 150w on the right of the tank and 250w with the PC's on the left. all of my corals are fully opened and out

i won the battle with the cyano, theres only a few tuffs left, my skimmers skimmate is pitch black

cocoa_pleco

10-28-2008, 02:18 AM

yet again i apologize for no pics, i got to be running late and my halides were off before i could get pics. tomorrow for sure (sure youve heard that before)

anyways, everythings thriving. my coraline is spreading allover, corals are growing, fish are healthy, algae is all gone, everything. the damsel that bumped his eye and got popeye is better, it was popped out so far i thought it was going to dislodge, but the fluid drained and its almost normal again.

Current tank inhabitants-

2 sunset chromis
1 lunar wrasse
1 yellowtail damsel
1 yellow watchman goby
1 cinnamon (AKA tomato) clownfish
1 bicolor foxface

corals

a few hairy mushrooms
a few cheap mismatched mushrooms
large toadstool leather
cabbage leather
green galaxia
anthelia
a few zoa patches
glove polyps
kenya tree
tridacna clam- STUPID LUNAR WRASSE ATE THE $80 THING

Equipment

250w 13k metal halide/2x65w PC actinic combo on left side of tank
13k 150w metal halide on right side of tank
overflow
sump
coralife 125g super needle wheel skimmer
2 Koralia 2
1 Koralia 3
1 large Maxijet powerhead
1 large Hagen powerhead
fluval TRONIC 300w heater

dosing

Purple up
65 all-in-one nutrient

only other fish to be added are a powder blue tang and a Mandarin dragonet. the powder blue will be added in 5-7 months, and the dragonet no less than 10 months. Lots more corals will be added, and a Condylactis anemone under my 250w halide in a year or later