Sellma
New Member
- Joined
- Mar 25, 2018
- Messages
- 14
- Reaction score
- 22
- What state or country do you live in
- United Kingdom
Hi all
This is my first marine tank and i'm going for a reef setup.
I do apologise for the long post but no one else in the house is interested and i have to bore someone with it : )
I was given a tank by a friend and thought i have done the ponds and the tropical over the years why not try the ultimate challenge. Hopefully fish and soft corals, but may need to change the lighting at some point. I don't know the Par level at the bottom of the tank.
The tank is a 40 gal which has now been positioned for a second time due to a warped plywood base. The tank is made by AKVA-Stabil from Denmark and i know nothing about it apart from it is set into a very nice aluminium frame.
Unfortunately the only place i can have a tank is in the conservatory so there have been a number of issues i have had to over come before i could even start a tank. Luckily the plumbing side is the easy bit (i'm a plumber).
I am using a H & C switch linked to 2 heaters and a 750w chiller all through one flow and return pipe system. This should cope with the large temperature swings. I have also fashioned some reflective glass covers for the tank, a bit like the ones used on the window of a motor home to keep the heat and sun out. These will be used on the most extreme days.
Yesterday i placed the dry rock in the tank after curing for 4 weeks in the shed. Today i have started the cycle.
Next thing i have to do is sort out the electrics.
Everything has to be external and be frame friendly as there is an inch wide aluminium lip around the top which has made things interesting. I have had to trim a section away and mount a glass shelf inside on the tank wall so i can fit a skimmer. also there is hardly any room around the tank, 1 inch around the back and 2 inches to the left of the tank. All the pipe work has had to concealed within these areas.
Components:
Oase Bio Master 350 thermo 1200 l/ph with 200w heater
Allpond basic canister filter 1000 l/ph
Filter media 2kg of JBL micro mec filter sintered glass balls and sponge etc
Ehiem 1262 Pump
200w additional heater
DD DC750 water chiller
2 Low pressure one way valves
Ink Bird Hot and Cold switch
Tunze 9004 skimmer
4000 l/ph wave maker (might be a bit small will need to test)
20kg Dry rock and dry coral sand.
Lighting:
1 x Arcadia T8 marine white LED 13w
1 x Arcadia T8 marine blue LED 13w
2 x generic blue and white LED strips 14w
1 x generic RGB LED strip 7w
The Oase filter has an increased diameter feed pipe this allows a greater flow when the secondary pump comes on to power the chiller. The Feed to the chiller is taken from the canister return pipe either side a set of low pressure one way valves. Needed 2 as they only have a 10mm internal diameter.
When the chiller is off the canister using its own power goes through the valves back to the tank with a small amount going through the external pump and chiller, enough to prevent stagnation. When the H&C switch triggers the chiller and the Ehiem pump turn on pulling water from canister side of the valves, through the chiller and back into the tank. The valves stop the water from creating a loop and not actually going into the tank.
I have also put a tee junction on the return pipe so i can used the canister pump to drain of water for water changes. It will empty the tank by 2/3 in a couple of mins.
The Sintered glass balls are to promote Nitrate bacteria, after much online research these seem to offer a good home for anaerobic bacteria better than ceramic, of course this is a supplement to the rock becoming live.
This was the easy bit now i have to learn how to keep a reef tank.
I have uploaded same pic's, please feel free to offer any suggestions or ask questions.
This is my first marine tank and i'm going for a reef setup.
I do apologise for the long post but no one else in the house is interested and i have to bore someone with it : )
I was given a tank by a friend and thought i have done the ponds and the tropical over the years why not try the ultimate challenge. Hopefully fish and soft corals, but may need to change the lighting at some point. I don't know the Par level at the bottom of the tank.
The tank is a 40 gal which has now been positioned for a second time due to a warped plywood base. The tank is made by AKVA-Stabil from Denmark and i know nothing about it apart from it is set into a very nice aluminium frame.
Unfortunately the only place i can have a tank is in the conservatory so there have been a number of issues i have had to over come before i could even start a tank. Luckily the plumbing side is the easy bit (i'm a plumber).
I am using a H & C switch linked to 2 heaters and a 750w chiller all through one flow and return pipe system. This should cope with the large temperature swings. I have also fashioned some reflective glass covers for the tank, a bit like the ones used on the window of a motor home to keep the heat and sun out. These will be used on the most extreme days.
Yesterday i placed the dry rock in the tank after curing for 4 weeks in the shed. Today i have started the cycle.
Next thing i have to do is sort out the electrics.
Everything has to be external and be frame friendly as there is an inch wide aluminium lip around the top which has made things interesting. I have had to trim a section away and mount a glass shelf inside on the tank wall so i can fit a skimmer. also there is hardly any room around the tank, 1 inch around the back and 2 inches to the left of the tank. All the pipe work has had to concealed within these areas.
Components:
Oase Bio Master 350 thermo 1200 l/ph with 200w heater
Allpond basic canister filter 1000 l/ph
Filter media 2kg of JBL micro mec filter sintered glass balls and sponge etc
Ehiem 1262 Pump
200w additional heater
DD DC750 water chiller
2 Low pressure one way valves
Ink Bird Hot and Cold switch
Tunze 9004 skimmer
4000 l/ph wave maker (might be a bit small will need to test)
20kg Dry rock and dry coral sand.
Lighting:
1 x Arcadia T8 marine white LED 13w
1 x Arcadia T8 marine blue LED 13w
2 x generic blue and white LED strips 14w
1 x generic RGB LED strip 7w
The Oase filter has an increased diameter feed pipe this allows a greater flow when the secondary pump comes on to power the chiller. The Feed to the chiller is taken from the canister return pipe either side a set of low pressure one way valves. Needed 2 as they only have a 10mm internal diameter.
When the chiller is off the canister using its own power goes through the valves back to the tank with a small amount going through the external pump and chiller, enough to prevent stagnation. When the H&C switch triggers the chiller and the Ehiem pump turn on pulling water from canister side of the valves, through the chiller and back into the tank. The valves stop the water from creating a loop and not actually going into the tank.
I have also put a tee junction on the return pipe so i can used the canister pump to drain of water for water changes. It will empty the tank by 2/3 in a couple of mins.
The Sintered glass balls are to promote Nitrate bacteria, after much online research these seem to offer a good home for anaerobic bacteria better than ceramic, of course this is a supplement to the rock becoming live.
This was the easy bit now i have to learn how to keep a reef tank.
I have uploaded same pic's, please feel free to offer any suggestions or ask questions.
