Brett's 850L SPS Tank - TOTM Oct 2013, TOTY R/UP 2013

[some_one]

Introduction:

Hi guys. For those who don't know me, my name is Brett. I have been interested in reefing for approximately 4 years. Started off with a std 3 foot tank which i converted from fresh to salt water, then it evolved from there. When i built my house, that was as good a reason to get a larger tank, and expand my mind, experience to the reefing world.
The tank has been running for about 10 months now, and now i have a bit more time up my sleeve, im finally getting around to my journal, better late than never i guess

Latest system specs can be found here ---> viewtopic.php?f=145&t=239341&p=1188194#p1188194

System Objectives: Looking for a healthy system where all inhabitants are happy, and a joy to sit and watch

System Type: Mixed Stony Reef LSP & SPS

Display System:

Strike up Date: 23/7/2011

Display Tank: 1700 x 750 x 750 (5.5 x 2.5 x 2.5)

Display Lighting:Pacific Sun LED Black python lamps 2 x 200W fixtures. Suspended from ceiling in DIY Black acrylic clad aluminium frame.

Stand: DIY 76 x 38 x 1.6mm Galv patio Tube, primed + 2 coats of good quality cold galv paint. HMR MDF (sealed with marine varnish on both sides) for tank and sump to sit on + Polystyrene foam.

Hood: Still in construction, not a hood as such, more of a acrylic border around the top to hide the lids, and the bracing. It will extend down just below the water level.

Sump: 1000 x 600 x 450 high with 2 sections.
1: Syphon, overflow and macro fuge
2: main sump area, heater & pumps for skimmer, chiller, TLF reactor and return.

Refugium: Caulerpa and left over live rock

Refugium Lighting: 24w, 6500k Energy saver globe.

Total Water Volume: approx 850L

Live Rock: 50kg

Substrate CaribSea Arag-Alive Special Grade

Water Changes 120L Fortnightly, looking to increase.

Water Change System
IN - 1000l IBC down the side of the house, simply just plug in 25mm ribbed hose onto electric pump, and pump into tank.
OUT - Tee fitting off of return pump. Connect hose onto tee fitting, open valve, and the water is pumped out.

Temp Control
Controller ATC-800
Chiller Teco TR20.
Heating 1 x 300W & 1 x 150 w Jager heater,

Support systems:

System Water: Natural salt water

Display Water circulation: 2 x MP40WES on reef crest mode, anti sync. 1 x Tunze 6045

Return Pump: Eheim 2000lph - at the return pipe

Skimmer: Reef Octopus Hurricane 1500 Shorty - External.

Evaporation Top Up:Auto


Chemical Support:

Calcium Addition: Randys recipie Pt 1

Alkilinity Addition: Randys recipie Pt 1

Other Chemical Maintenance:
Magnesium: Randys recipie


Current Water Chemistry:
Nitrates: 0 - Red Sea test kit
Phosphates: 0.08 - Red Sea test kit
Alkalinity: 2.8meq/l - Red Sea test kit
Calcium: 400ppm range - Red Sea test kit
Salinity / Specific Gravity: 1.026
Magnesuim: 1400ppm - Red Sea test kit

Inhabitants

1 x Sailfin Tang
8 x Bicolor Anthias
Numberous turbo, trochus & strombus snails + crabs

Corals

Acropora
Montipora
Pocillopora
Toxic Hammer
Std Hammer.

Images:
Front


Rear


Side


Toxic Hammer

[ClayLutt]

Looks great Brett! awsome scape

sailfin looks right at home to

[some_one]

Cheers Clay,

Yeah the Sailfin loves to open scape, and is getting along well with the new bicolor anthias.

[fishlover]

Awesome looking tank Brett.I love the open scape.

Kean

[some_one]

Awesome looking tank Brett.I love the open scape.

Thanks Kean

I did a bit of rearranging of the corals on the weekend, swapped the purple monti and the 2 acros around. Just trying to give one acro a bit more light intensity (you can see it is browning on the end photo above) Just waiting to get the MASWA Quantum meter, so i can see what sort of PAR i'm getting with the 60 degree optics on my lights. without optics (105 degree spread) i was getting:

- 50mm below water - 400
- 150mm below water - 300
- 200mm below water - 200
- 500mm below water - 100
- sand bed (650 below water) - 70

The light is mounted 200mm above the water line

This is the original thread for my lights ----->>> viewtopic.php?f=49&t=220489&p=941239&hilit=pacific+sun+led#p941239

Also have changed the RowaPhos, and the phosphates have crept up a tad. So hopefully the reduced phosphates, and more intense light should provide some results.

[Jdoro]

X2 I'm also loving the open scape looking good, mate!

[MarinEco]

Awesome! A Pacific Sun unit!

What's your feedback on the Python so far?

[joely116]

Looks great mate

[some_one]

Awesome! A Pacific Sun unit!

What's your feedback on the Python so far?

I've got the Aniversary Edition 200W units, and im pretty happy with them

The build quality is top notch, and i really like the software, and the bluetooth connectivity.

In terms of the lighing intensity, I think it is pretty good for LED (early generation anyways), and with the optics on them, i expect the PAR to be a lot greater than i had before, i just need to confirm that with the quantum meter.My ones do turn red into orange (like Choppers thread ---> viewtopic.php?f=47&t=233706) but they are going to re release the Black Python series with 8 different colours in a few weeks as i am told. So that should overcome that problem. I have queried them about upgrading the LED boards, and they are looking into it. I guess that is a big plus with these, that you can just change the boards over with new generation boards. Obviously i wouldnt be able to contron every chanel, but i run them at 100% anyway, except for the sunrise/sunset mode.

Aftersales service from them is excellent, and they have a very big depth of knowledge on everything about their prodict + everything else.

HTH
Brett

[phooey]

Sweet looking tank! Its hard to believe there is 50kg of live rock, your water movement would be efficient.

[some_one]

Cheers Paul,

Most of the live rock come from an established system that was being shut down, and is very porous

To mould it into the bommies, I drilled them out, and put a 15mm PVC pipe through the middle, which is connected to a H section under the sand bed, which provides its support. I also cable tied some of the pieces together. Naturally it would not all stand up, otherwise i would have needed to put in more live rock.

I went this way, because i wanted to make sure i had sufficent flow to all of the tank. I have the 2 Vortechs at one end, i wanted to make sure that the water movement wasn't only just down that end. My thinkign was: more rock = more obstructions, and therefore less movment down the other end.

Brett

[some_one]

Ok Update,

After 2 week overseas, I have returned and found some of my Anthias are now, what can be best described as dirty It is very hard to get a detailed photo with my point and shoot camera, but the best description is that they just look dirty on top. I will do some more research into it and see what it could possibly be. They are all still health and eating like pigs 4 times a day, so i an happy to just monitor them for now.

Other than some of the anthias, everything else went on as usual, and everything is looking nice and healthy.

I have also taken some photos of one of my new frags (thanks to Stormtrooper ) and also my DIY frag rack. Both went in 3 weeks ago.

Frag Rack, simple egg crate glued onto a magnet cleaner, already started the fragging some of my less attractive SPS to see how that goes.



Tricolour Acro. The colours are amazing, but hard to capture on my camera.


Next on the list: I will be looking at getting an aquacultured clam from Pete at Oceanarium, and possibly some other aquacultured stock depending on what he has in at the time. Also i might finally get around to going cross the road from work and ordering the acrylic to finish my hood/top border.

Will post an update again soon.

[WarbyD]

How have I not come across your TJ previously? Looking good Brett

[chromus]

Cos you are a bad friend.....

[some_one]

How have I not come across your TJ previously? Looking good Brett

That's an easy one to answer.... I've been pretty slack, and only started my TJ a month or so ago

[WarbyD]

Cos you are a bad friend.....

You idiot :P



Brett - keep the updates coming!

[some_one]

Post blackout update:

For non Perthies, we had a storm which bought quite a few homes (150000+) into darkness, and some for a prolonged time.

My tank was without that sweet swet electricity for 28 hrs. Everything pulled through ok, and is back to normal

I have to say that my lifesaver was my vortech battery backup . Without that i would have been under a whole lot more stress, and rushing around.

As soon as the power went off the backup kicked in, and kept the 2 x MP40's ticking away giving me the water movement throughout the tank. By the time the power came back on, there was still about 40% left (or so the controller says). So this just left me with the other problem ...heating... That was overcome by manually heating some water in a pot on the gas stove every 6 or so hours. This maintained the temperature above 22.5 degrees. The battery backup has been theen easily the best optional extra i have bought so far

[some_one]

Went and picked myself up a NT Maxima clam yesterday from Vebas It is settling in well so far, and is liking the placement up high in the tank.



I cleaned the class and got a bit better picture of the tri color acro frag. The growth is crazy on this one. Should grown into a nice piece



The colours are getting a lot better, it was all a wish washy yellow colour when i got it, but the purple tips are increasing, and i am getting good growth.



This was just from a broken piece of a plating monti. I fragged it up onto a few plugs, and the new growth is an intense purlple, and still keeping the light blue polyps. They should be ready to pass around soon.

[chromus]

Brett, if you get a bit creative with placement and dont mind an ugly chip out of the rims of the choc mint for a few weeks you can encourage them to scroll rather than plate.

You should be aware that choc mint is a particularly destructive monti it will kill almost any other SPS it comes into contact with. I moved my frag to its own seperate rock, and from a 2cm square frag its not 20+cm square

[some_one]

Thanks for the heads up I wasnt aware that this one is one of the more destructive monti's. ill be sure to keep it well clear of the others,

if you get a bit creative with placement and dont mind an ugly chip out of the rims of the choc mint for a few weeks you can encourage them to scroll rather than plate.

Do you have any suggestions on how i can get this happening? i tried to google it, but couldnt find much.

[some_one]

Went and got some more stock on the weekend

New Stag. Bit of an unorthodox fixing, but hopefully it should be fine.



New Acro. Purple with green ployps.



New Acro + Millepora



Top shot of clam, have now moved it down lower in the tank



Current FTS. Have moved some corals around on the RHS, Just a bit of a change.



Soon i will be posting an update with the PAR readings which i have got from the MASWA quantum meter. So stay tuned

[some_one]

Ok, finally found some time put this together.

PAR was measured using the MASWA Quantum meter, on the electric setting.

All readings are taken through a central strip of the tank except for the lower row of readings (150,50,250 & 175) They were taken closer to the glass, as that is how the scape/corals are setup.

Lenses are 60 degree.

Lights consist of: 24 Cree XP-G Cool white @5w, 24 Cree XP-E Royal blue @3w

[some_one]

Did my usual 350L fortnightly water change yesterday, and thought i might as well post some photos of the process, for anyone intersted in seeing the many,many ways of carrying out a WC

Water IN: Simple 25mm PVC pipe glues into the shape. Attach 25mm Hose to end



Other end of the hose attached to here, with an old pump i had lying around. 3000l/h Haliea pump



Water OUT:

T fitting on the return line with a valve on the T piece. Attach hose, and open valve so the water can be pumped out. There is no valve on the main return line, so there is no additional pressure put back in the return pump.



I do a flow through water change, and it takes less than 30 minutes from unpack to relax, and the only manual work is un reeling the hoses, and connecting them.

I have only recently implemented this full system as it is now. Before was similar, but not as efficent. Water changes will be increased to 500L/ Fortnight from now on.

Brett.

[ClayLutt]

Looks good Brett! do u collect your own water or do u get it from freo ocean farm? frags are settled in mate, and looking good


Had a play with the quantum meter! not quite as high as i thought, but still great results. its given me more ideas

[ACRO AL]

well done with the water changes,

the more flowing through the better, you wont be dissapointed long term

[some_one]

Looks good Brett! do u collect your own water or do u get it from freo ocean farm? frags are settled in mate, and looking good


Had a play with the quantum meter! not quite as high as i thought, but still great results. its given me more ideas

Hey Clay,

Yeah i get Freo ocean farms to deliver it, makes it nice and easy. Good to hear the frags are going well. Yours are settleing in nicely too, they are showing signs of growth already

What results did you get with the quantum meter? are you going to post them in yout TJ?

[some_one]

well done with the water changes,

the more flowing through the better, you wont be dissapointed long term

Cheers AL I will be intersted to see what results i get. I was doing 15% fortnightly, then 35%, and now 58% fortnightly. hopefully with all the water, it will keep the parameters spot on.

Looking at getting a second IBC for more storage. Then i only need a water delivery every 2 months

[ClayLutt]

Yeh i will poat something in my journal soon mate, testing some supplement lighting aswel while im at it! Good to here about the frags aswel dude!

[ClayLutt]

had the pleasure of seeing this tank on the weekend! wow great setup! love the fact that it acts as a room divider! the purple with fluro green polyp sps is my favourite Brett!

[some_one]

Cheers Clay,

Once i have fixed my lights, and everything gets back on track, i am hoping to do a couple of frags and get them into the coral donor program

Ill be sure to save you one.