Lukey's New 3x3x20" Halide Wave Tank (HWT) (NOW WITH FTS)

[Lukey]

Introduction:
Well, tanks have been chopped and changed quite a bit. Finding my footing and where i'd like to be and what sort of equipment to get there has also been something i've chopped and changed a few times about now. Originally I had no intention for the coloured sticks, but as with most people I am coming round to the challenge of them all and the rewards they can have. This tank is aiming to be a tank which is easy to work with and well organised from the beginning.


System Type: Mixed Reef

Display System:

Strike up Date: Yet to be determined.

Display Tank: Tank is 3x3x20", with three sides starfire (10mm sides, 12mm base). One side will be regular float, which will be facing the wall (3 sides viewable). Weir will be placed in the centre of the rear pane of glass, to maximise viewing. Internal regular style weir so it can sit close to flush against the wall.

Display Lighting: Single 250W MH, 20k globe yet to be decided on brand. Will be supported via click clack tubing or possibly housed in a hood if this doesn't look satisfactory.

Stand: Custom built 1m tall stand with help from dad, back panel will be brace and other three sides will all open up for easy access to the sump and surrounding equipment.

Hood: None at this stage, time will tell.

Sump: 3x1.5x1.5, large space for skimmer, refugium, and return. Will not be using a DSB.

Refugium: Refugium roughly half sump size.

Refugium Lighting: Cheapo energy saver floodlight, which has been working well on current tank to date, even growing coraline in the sump. So going to stick with what works. Cheap to buy, cheap to run. And works well.


Support systems:

System Water: Artificial currently, however am looking at purchasing IBC once I find one for a reasonable price, and then will use NSW.

Display Water circulation: Tunze nano wavebox, and Tunze 12k stationary pump.

Return Pump: Aqua One 3000lph (nothing overly flash, but does the job and hasn't missed a beat yet!)

Skimmer: Reef Octopus 800L rated skimmer, OTP-2000 pump, forget the model of the thing. Mesh mod planned.

Evaporation Top Up: Manual to begin with, but ATO will be built into stand design and implemented once water levels are determined properly.


Chemical Support:

Calcium Addition: Manual dosing

Alkilinity Addition: Manual dosing

Other Chemical Maintenance:

Current Water Chemistry: N/A till it's up and running!
Nitrates:
Phosphates:
Alkalinity:
Calcium:
Salinity / Specific Gravity:
Magnesuim:


Images:

Just a bit bored and figure why not get started on this for now, tank will be picked up this saturday, have received my Tunze nano wavebox and Tunze 12k pump, stand hopefully being built next week!

[n0rk]

git'rdun Luke. This will look tops once it's up mate.

[Lukey]

I hope so, just wanna spend the effort before it's wet to make sure it's what i'm after. Not quite as technical as some tanks on here, but I just want something which is easy to work with and on.

So over not being able to fit inside my cabinet to pull out a damn pump for example.....

[n0rk]

Having a technical tank is stupid unless you really need or want it to be technical - I know in my system the only real drive for me to go technical is I know I'll need it being a constant tinkerer. Simplicity is a bloody good thing if you can get away, and if you can design those oversights out more power to you

I'm sure you'll get somewhere near you need to be mate. Just the stocking and wave setup will be a nice change...

[StripestheEel]

Bigger tank for seahorses!! Woohoo!

[Lukey]

Haha they wish, nah they're in the macro infested breeding grounds that is their home. Which reminds me got hold of a water container (cheers danger_dave!) so can make myself a nice breeding tank for babies now.

[Sin]

Can't wait to see this one up and running, Nice size too

The worst is yet to come, I just spent 2 days getting the new one up and running, Finally finished but NEVER AGAIN.

[Lukey]

I'm not gonna lie mate, half the decision of putting against the window was because I really didn't want to put it where the old one is. It was going to be an absolute nightmare, but this way I should be able to minimise said nightmare at leats a little

Yeah I must admit your tank was the first which really got me thinking, then Michael (Galleri) just pushed me over the edge with all his encouragement (Nork helped here too). Meanwhile Michael (Reefing Life) slyly maneuvered me into some Tunze bargains and before I know it was making a deposit into his account

Fingers crossed things "go to plan". I'm going to have to do a fairly heavy coral cull for the new tank, and also move quite a bit of live rock which i'll no longer have a use for. Want a fairly open scape in the new tank. Thanks for the encouragement mate really appreciate it. That goes to all those folks in chat who have helped me so far as well!

[Lukey]

Just a teaser, click for some wave action!

http://img713.imageshack.us/img713/7170/mvi0989xvid.mp4

[imf]

Great sized tank

[Lukey]

Perfect size aye imf

imf gotta say, I do droll over your tank. I've been slyly stealing ideas, hope you don't mind :p

[Lukey]

Got a few sps frags today in preparation for new tank stocking. Technically still in old tank, but need some pictures to keep people interested





Oh and a HUGE thanks to "mnemonix" from on the forums here, bloody nice and has some corals which are simply stunning!

[Lukey]

And the most important part was picked up today, MY NEW TANK! Need to give it a wipe down yet, but got overly excited and had to share some pictures. Very happy with the quality of work from St George Aquariums. Will be calling to say thanks once it's filled up!





edit: And yes, the guestroom bed is out of action for a while

[chromus]

Kitchen table + fresh water + wavemaker = better photo

[davez104]

Kitchen table + fresh water + wavemaker = better photo

X2 + wave breaking over the side of the tank + look on wifes face = photo worth hanging on the wall

The tank looks really neat Luke, bet you can't wait to get it all set up.

Cheers,
Dave.

[Lukey]

I wish our place had a big enough bench to put it on! I was very tempted to fill it up outside, then quickly realised the outdoor table would struggle to hold the weight of the tank, let alone another 400kg on top of it with water swooshing backwards and forwards

The wavebox is going to be as good as invisible next to the black acrylic weir and black vinyl, it fits in perfectly. Magnets are very handy too for adjusting water level (and strong!).

As I said in chat, i'm quite surprised at the tank overall. I've had a 3x18"x18" before, and I was a bit concerned I would get this tank and think "it's too small", but the tank actually looks huge to me. It's all the extra width, just gives you SO much more room to work with. I'm super chuffed with the dimensions of the tank, even if it does make thinks slightly more difficult with transportation and getting stands through doors etc

So eager to fill it up now! Hopefully be next weekend but that may be optimistic!

[Lukey]

Quick update:

Basic stand structure sorted today, it's pretty bloody solid without any weight on it, should be more than enough! Can't wait to have it cladded up properly.

[sydneydrewid]

great job on the stand looks very strong, im guessing it wont have a prob holding a full tank what colour are you going to be painting it??

[StripestheEel]

Tanks always look bigger until you fill them up.

It would make a nice RO reservoir.

Congrats.

[Lukey]

Haha yeah bit like that Stripes, but ah well it's a beautiful size compromise between enjoyment/cost.

Going to clad the exposed festy pine around the edges (and will go slightly higher to provide a lip to hide the base/silicon/foam), and then three sides will have a door as big as the holes shown in the picture. The doors will be flush with the cladding and have no handles, working off those push in designs for the door to open. They will be supported by two (maybe three if it needs it) hinges, which will be the easy to remove design ones (they click on/off).

Overall it should look just like a cube stand, completely flat on all sides and fairly minimalistic to maintain focus on the fish (however still fit in quite nicely). I was contemplating white however I'm leaning more towards black now, although i'm not sure if it would properly "show off" the stand so to speak.

Decisions decisions.... Hopefully it'll be inside the house on Tuesday, cladded up, and tank being fresh water tested on wednesday...

edit: Thanks for kind words btw guys

[chriso316]

what are you using to clad/paint it with mate?
lookin good so far

[Lukey]

Obviously these aren't properly connected or anything, just leaning up against the side of the framework.



Need to pack in behind some pieces as the treated pine I used for the stand was pretty average quality (some pieces had slight shaves on them and stuff), and all it takes is a few mm's and things aren't flush. Luckily got just the stuff for the job, and should be all too easy (famous last words).

The top of the stand is removable, and currently not screwed in so we could get it inside. It screws from the inside of the top, so that I will be able to get it inside and out even whilst the cladding is on! I have no doors or windows to fit a 1m cube through, so top had to be made this way. Then it can be turned sideways and pivoted through the door as it has a U shape without the top on, i'll try take some photos later.

The cladding is 16mm MDF or something from memory, will be all painted so not too worried about water issues arising. Planning to use that marine paint, it's not such a pain as 2 pac can be, and still seems to give great results. Going to be all black I have decided after chatting on IRC!

edit: And forgot to mention, those giant holes, that's where the doors are gonna be. They will be one big single door on three sides, going to need a few hinges for them I suspect! They will be flush with the cladding.

[Postal]

This looks great Lukey finally you can get some real fish:)

[Lukey]

Hey man, no hating on the seahorses!

Now I am quite split, I was just making up my hood, when I realised that I could fit 2x120w BSLEDs in there perfectly... And I have one sitting round doing nothing at the moment, so really torn which way to go, halides or leds! I just dunno if i'd get enough spread for the LEDs or not, hrm. I really do like the output light from the LEDs, so very torn right now but the LEDs are slowly nudging closer to victory I think... Would need to sell the 250's and source another though.

[Lukey]

A shot showing how the stand comes apart:



Get the putty going:


Sand her all back, paint it, hope more bugs dont land on it, etc etc etc, and you get something like this! (not quite finished, minor touch ups to get it to the 100% standard I want it at, but good enough for some water to be poured in!):



Now, tomorrow hopefully I can get the plumbing sorted out, and more RO water ready! Then it'll be all systems go! The doors will be done next week sometime, slight delay on those due to a part missing from my toolkit.

[davez104]

You went outside the lines

[Lukey]

It'll be painted white but I didn't have any masking tape with me

[blags]

I am with you Dave
He needs to be sent back to kindergarden to master the painting skills

Nah looks great

[Lukey]

Got about 15cm or so of water in it at home, it looks wicked hey. Soooo clear. Loving the glass, so much better than current tank, you can particularly notice the difference when side by side.

[Postal]

i'm sure the seaponies will look faaaaabulous in there Stand is lookup good