My New Reef

[Solo]

Hi guys,

Just finished discussions with Keith at Windsor Aquatics and have ordered my new tank/sump.

The tank will be an "L" shaped tank (dimensions: 60" legnth, 36" wide at the "L" part, 20" wide and 22" high). All viewable edges will be joint using black silicone. The tank will hold approx 120gals water. There will be a wier in one corner with a durso leading to the 48"x14"x16" sump, water will enter at one end and go through skimmer, refugium/dsb, live rock rubble, fluidised reactor (carbon/phosphate remover) and then returned. I have designed the sump so fluidiser will an inbuilt reactor (with a bit of DIY required)!

Most of the equipment I will be using from my 7x2x2 and is as follows:

3 x 250w MH, 12,000k Reeflux bulbs
2 x 5' actinics 80w each
1 x deltec kalk stirer
1 x Tunze osmolator top up
2 x Tunze 6200 streams (20,000 Ltr ph each)
1 x Tunze control box
20kg mature live rock
Home made live rock will make the rest up
1 x AM Shorty 5000 skimmer
1 x Eheim 1262 return pump
1 x Maxi Jet 600 to power inbuilt fluidiser

The tank and sump will arrive early feb, so gives me plenty of time to sort out stand, canopy, home made live rock etc etc.

Im going to really enjoy this build.

Pics to follow over the next coming months (maybe years at the rate i get round to doing stuff!!!)

Cheers

Si

[Gillybaby]

Fantastic news. Am especially interested in the home made liverock. It might be interesting if you post a "how to" thread in the DIY forum with a weekly update on curing etc.

Am really looking forward to the build and can't wait to see it all stocked :D

[Tangman]

Well done Si yougot the Lshape after all, it will look pretty good when its all up and running. I feel a Reef Club Meet coming on at yours when its up and running. Keep up the good work m8 and dont forget the pics less Kev will be upset. :) Eric

[Pinkfish]

Im happy for you congratulations, keep us all posted you hear.
L Shaped will look great.

Mike

[callum_parsons]

that is goin to look AWESOME!!!!!!!!
http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/4/4_17_209.gif
i cant wait to see some pics of it

( i cant find i smile for drewling) but trust me iam at the thought of it

[flying Jock]

Hi

Great news about the tank.

The only down size with an L shaped tank is you loose a lot of viewing due to the way the water bends the light.

I found this out with my old L shaped tank and really am glad i have a normal shaped tank now.

I guess if you have built it big enough it wont be as bad.:)

Good luck with the new set up

FJ

[Cudders]

Hi

Great news about the tank.

The only down size with an L shaped tank is you loose a lot of viewing due to the way the water bends the light.

I found this out with my old L shaped tank and really am glad i have a normal shaped tank now.

I guess if you have built it big enough it wont be as bad.:)

Good luck with the new set up

FJ

Hi,

How do you mean 'bends the light'? I've also thought of an L' shaped tank. I guess the main run would look the same except have a really deep section at one end where the back length is. Maybe you mean viewed from the rear section?

Cudders.

[Reefer]

An L shape tank! Sounds great!

Home made Live rock, interesting how long does that take to make? 5 years I would imagine, care to share the secret?!

[Cudders]

Hi,

Home made rock is not new but seems to be gaining in popularity.

Basically it's a mix of cement, (Portland snowcrete white cement), Salt (Water softner salt) and sand (arogonite seems the best choice).

Various mixes are used, but basically mix-up the cement and sand in to mush but not too wet and then add the salt. This is large grain stuff.

Mould into then shapes you want but try to make voids. Many pack with sand for this, or use formers but sand is better. When your happy with the shapes, let it set. Then wash out the sand to give the voids/caves etc and leave to soak until all the salt grains have dissolved. This gives the rock porosity and an large surface area to get as close to real live rock as possible.

It's a great way to make rock and get exactly what your looking for. It can be supplimented with real live rock to help seed. it's also a fraction of the cost :D

Cudders.

[Cudders]

Ohh, when my sump comes. I'll be making some rock and adding to the sump to get it seeded before going in the tank.. It takes no longer to go 'live' than say reef bones or base rock that many use to build a foundation for their rock formation...

Cudders.

[Reefer]

Right got you, you make your own rock, not live rock! Thought you had some secret rock seeding system going for a minute then! making live rock in months.
Still take a few years to get to the proper stuff mate! Best of luck though.

[Cudders]

Well essentially you are making live rock. It just needs seeding. If you do it right it will have the same properties and thus eventually be just as good as the bought stuff.

I suppose it's abit like setting up a new dsb. The sand is basically dead but is then seeded over time. Same thing really but costs a lot less which is always good. Also you can build any size and shape you want. Want to hide a closed loop? Easy build the base over a slightly larger pipe so when removed, the loop piping will fit perfectly! Try getting live rock that shape!

Cudders

[Reefer]

Well essentially you are making live rock. It just needs seeding. If you do it right it will have the same properties and thus eventually be just as good as the bought stuff.

I suppose it's abit like setting up a new dsb. The sand is basically dead but is then seeded over time. Same thing really but costs a lot less which is always good. Also you can build any size and shape you want. Want to hide a closed loop? Easy build the base over a slightly larger pipe so when removed, the loop piping will fit perfectly! Try getting live rock that shape!

Cudders

Eventually it will, I know that, how long though? thats the million dollar question! They make live rock commercially now in a similar fashion to you, but it gets seeded in the sea for 5 years! How long in a tank, no idea!

[Solo]

Is your concern (regarding the time it will take to become live rock) that i may not have the filteration for the tank?

If so, i think it should be ok - i have weighed the actual live rock that is going in the tank and its actually around 35-40Kgs (this has been in my system for over a year now), the skimmer is rated for tanks 3 x the size of the tank i am going for, the 2 6200's will mean there should be absolutley no dead spots in the tank, and high flow more or less everywhere around the rock, a large DSB/Calerpa area in sump and further live rock rubble in the sump.

I will have to watch my stocking levels, especially in the early months, but i recon it should be fine.

I have spoke to a few people who have tried and tested this method of home made live rock and in their opinion the waiting time for its filteration capabilities to kick in is no where near 5 years, but who knows????

Cheers

Si

[Cudders]

To be honest, not sure how long it takes but can't be that long. I believe the huge aquarium in the US, can't remember where it is, made their own rock and left it in the sea for a year while the site was being built. Of course most of us can't do that. I tend to run my sumps for a few months prior to hook up to give them time to seed and be productive.

I see no reason why home made rock can't do a good job after a few months and will only get better with time. It's all a case of getting the porosity right or as close to right as we can.

I'm all for trying to save some cash along the way :D . Of course it's not for everyone but most things in the hobby have come from people experimenting and maybe in time to come this would be the norm..who knows.

Cudders

[Reefer]

Go for it, good luck!
I suppose at the end of the day none of us know how well the live rock in our tanks is working anyway.

[Cudders]

Too true mate. Short of cracking the rocks open, we'll never know.....:)

Cudders

[flying Jock]

Hi

What happens is when you look at the tank you do not get a true picture of the tank as you loose a lot of sight on the corner section of the L

If a fish swims by the corner section you loose sight of it for a few seconds.

I just thought it was a nightmare to view but if you are happy with an L then thats cool.

Solo will undestand what i mean when he sets his up.;)

Good luck with the project solo and i think you have enough LR, just keep way from the good old wall of rocks effect that so many tanks have!:p

Cheers:)

FJ

[Cudders]

Ah I see what you mean....makes sense now :rolleyes:

Cudders

[Solo]

After a lot of thinking, i have decided to cancel the tank.

Instead i am going to try and sort out the 7'! I will be more or less starting from scratch with it. Upping the insulation, boxing it in for that in the wall look, additional sump added, re aqua scaping, new return pump and then start re stocking!

Pics will follow through out the rebuild!

Cheers

Si

[moorish]

it will look really nice when finished,mine is L shaped and you do lose a small amount of viewing due to the shape but thats nothing to worry about.derek

[Tangman]

After a lot of thinking, i have decided to cancel the tank.

Instead i am going to try and sort out the 7'! I will be more or less starting from scratch with it. Upping the insulation, boxing it in for that in the wall look, additional sump added, re aqua scaping, new return pump and then start re stocking!

Pics will follow through out the rebuild!

Cheers

Si

Hi Si, Thats good news m8 i dont think you wil regret it as they are stunning tanks 7footers. I will be sad to let mine go but at least i will have a 4x4x3 to replace it with. Keep us all updated to how you get on with your project and dont forget some piccys. :) Eric