Feb 2009 TOTM write up (danwin)

[danwin]

Hi everyone, Firstly thanks for the votes very much appreciated:D:D:D.
It started with a trip down to devon to collect the tank,stand,lights,sump,reactors,LR rubble,pipes,pumps,streams,ro res,etc all for £500.

Then came the task of putting the tank in the wall, which was the dirtiest task in the world.
In it went tho.
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg209/danwin_2008/tankbuild001.jpg
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg209/danwin_2008/tankbuild004.jpg
The stand had to be placed on some 4 inch block to raise the end viewing height to a good level and just above the back of the sofa.
Then came the task of filling the beast and sump and all pipework,skimmer etc with RO. It took aprox 8 days to fill and salt etc. The hardest part was heating the tank as it is in the garage and it was -2 outside at the start of December.
In the tank went 50kg of new Live rock and the 50kg i already have.
I placed it in 2 piles at each end of the tank, one on the left is my mushroom mountain and over time will be covered with hundreds of mushys in all different colours, sizes etc.
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg209/danwin_2008/004.jpg
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg209/danwin_2008/090.jpg
The rock pile on the right is my LPS,SPS pile.
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg209/danwin_2008/008.jpg
I am planning a new pile in the middle of the tank and this will be a free standing pile that the fish will be able to swim all the way around and will have SPS on it.
Fish at the moment are 1x yellow tang,

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http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg209/danwin_2008/yellowtang.jpg
1x naso tang,
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg209/danwin_2008/002-1.jpg
1x regal tang,
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg209/danwin_2008/008.jpg
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg209/danwin_2008/002.jpg
1x flame angel,
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg209/danwin_2008/009.jpg
1x blue devil,1x common clown,1x bangai cardinal,
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg209/danwin_2008/001.jpg
2x lyretail anthias.
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg209/danwin_2008/003-1.jpg
CUC is 1x cleaner shrimp,1x reef lobster,20x nassa snails,6x turbo s,10x hermits.
Corals are 1x large torch lps,1x hammer lps,1x trumpet lps splitting into new heads weekly, various plating montys sps, various branching montys sps, some acro s sps all small frags, Small hystrix sps.
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg209/danwin_2008/007.jpg
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg209/danwin_2008/010.jpg
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg209/danwin_2008/011.jpg
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg209/danwin_2008/014.jpg
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg209/danwin_2008/017.jpg
1x large toadstool,1x large finger leather, some xenias, loads of mushrooms.
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg209/danwin_2008/010-1.jpg
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg209/danwin_2008/004-1.jpg
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg209/danwin_2008/008-1.jpg
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg209/danwin_2008/012.jpg
Equipment wise i have-
Lights are triple 150 watt MH by aqua medic.
Skimmer is a Deltec ap 850 which is a great skimmer and pulls loads out.
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg209/danwin_2008/020.jpg
The return pumps are a aqua medic OR3500 and a OR6500.
For turnover and flow in the tank i have a tunze 6100 on a multi controller, 2x tunze 6025, a resun 15000 ltr wave maker.
I keep water topped up by using an aqua digital auto top up from my ro res.
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg209/danwin_2008/019.jpg
I keep my eye on the PH with an aqua digital ph controller, i chose a controller because if i want to add a calcium reactor to the system at a later date i can use the controller to run it.
I use a cleartides reactor for ultiphos and also have one for carbon too which i use every now and again, not made my mind up about carbon yet (2 years on mmmmm).
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg209/danwin_2008/023.jpg
The sump is a 4 section set up running anti clockwise, the first section is where the water enters from the tank which then flows over a filter grid where i can place wool then down into a section under it containing LR rubble for the critters to live in safety, on from here it goes into section 3 where the skimmer intake pump sits, section 4 is the return pump section but i will be splitting this to create a section for some algae growth and maybe some sand, and off it goes via two pipes to either end of the tank, these pipes feed the reactors aswell to keep power down.
Heaters are 2x 300 watt and 1x 150 watt (too much for my liking).
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg209/danwin_2008/021.jpg
I think thats it for now so on with the pics, hope you like.
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg209/danwin_2008/003-2.jpg
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg209/danwin_2008/092-1.jpg
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg209/danwin_2008/089.jpg
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg209/danwin_2008/006.jpg
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg209/danwin_2008/018.jpg
This is the big leather in the other pics when i first got it, aahhh.

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http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg209/danwin_2008/Photo-0309.jpg
And to finish this is my first attempt at marine keeping before the upgrade,
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg209/danwin_2008/Photo-0300.jpg
Well i hope you enjoyed, any comments good or bad welcome.

Dan <!--IBF.ATTACHMENT_153322-->
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[stevieh]

looks stunning Dan, good write up well done:)

[Tangman]

Well done Dan a nice write up and some stunning pics also, when is the next upgrade due as it looks like you have a bit more room at each end of the tank to squeeze a larger one in. Keep doing what your doing as its working well. Twiggy:grouphug:

[danwin]

Well done Dan a nice write up and some stunning pics also, when is the next upgrade due as it looks like you have a bit more room at each end of the tank to squeeze a larger one in. Keep doing what your doing as its working well. Twiggy:grouphug:

Thanks guys, Twiggy if i did another upgrade im pretty sure i would end up being burried under the patio. lol This ones big enough for me. Thanks again.

I am thinking of adding some live rock columns in the middle area of the tank tho, thats my next upgrade.

[Tangman]

Thanks guys, Twiggy if i did another upgrade im pretty sure i would end up being burried under the patio. lol This ones big enough for me. Thanks again.

I am thinking of adding some live rock columns in the middle area of the tank tho, thats my next upgrade.
Hi Dan i see m8 you have a SWMBO have you, they do spoil our fun dont they:lol: Twiggy:D:D

[ROB]

Nice write up and a nice set up well done Dan,

I will inform FishWorld about your win,

Regards Rob.

[danwin]

Thanks very much Rob.:D

[cl0wn]

great write up, well deserved mate.

[MuddyTench]

Some stunning photo's, love the set up, well deserved winner, nice write up too. Well done mate. :D

[castiger]

Love the in the wall set up. Something to aspire to.

[androo]

hay there dan

congratulations mate well deserved :Dwhat a fantastic tank you have there i would love something like that:yumyum:

well done

andy

[moorish]

lovely set up dan.derek

[DC110770]

Looks fantastic!