Sal Solana Cardiff (not so nano anymore)

[sal9012]

Welcome and great thread. I love all of the pictures. The DYI stuff is very nice too. I will be tagging along on this one looking for updates and more pictures as well.

TY. DYI is one of the things I enjoy the most, it may not be pretty but works like intended. I like to take something that works and put my own twist on it without reinventing the wheel.
Last night I connected my Bubble Magus dosing pump (dosing manually is so 80's) :nerd: I will post pics tonight, this is a very solid pc of equipment and pretty accurate.
Also, got a MP10 Ecosmart on the way, should arrive Wednesday. Looking forward to the improve flow and options, let's see what the fuzz is all about.

Sal

 

[BlazinNano]

Actually I did this after I had mine set up. I had to tear everything apart but I would do it 1000% again. So much better now. and thanks

I would love to do it to mine but I think it might be tempered. I could rip out the back wall and make a fake overflow box just for the skimmer pump. All I have in the back is the skimmer pump. I have a tank that I have never found anyone with so I don't know much about it. It kinda sucks.

 

[sal9012]

I would love to do it to mine but I think it might be tempered. I could rip out the back wall and make a fake overflow box just for the skimmer pump. All I have in the back is the skimmer pump. I have a tank that I have never found anyone with so I don't know much about it. It kinda sucks.

If it is tempered it will go b00m :crossedlips: you'll need to know before you do anything.

 

[sal9012]

new equipment up and running:
Dosing pump, I love this thing:

I got it with the bracket and the tube holder (color coded on the sump, CA, ALK, MG and ATO)

Vortech (my corals love it) so simple yet effective. I have an awesome wave and the two new programs on the ecodrive are super cool

Modified Kalk reactor

Another Bubble Magus product I love, been with me for 3 years, never failed. The original BM100, plenty for this set up

 

[RReed]

I agree with you on the bubble magnas skimmers. I have 2 of these an they really pull. Love the mods you did to this tank. What return pump are you using?

Skimmer in action (don't let anyone tell you that Bubble Magus Skimmers are not worth the price)

Picture hog (always in front of the camera)

Baby Rose

Some sps and sexy's

Weird angle

FTS

 

[sal9012]

I agree with you on the bubble magnas skimmers. I have 2 of these an they really pull. Love the mods you did to this tank. What return pump are you using?

Yeah, they do and those Atman 2500 pumps are very reliable.

Quiet one 4000 for return :bigsmile:

 

[sal9012]

Looks great mate!! Love the scaping it can only grow and get better too! Nice diying

thanks man! That's the idea, hopefully it will look better when the coral grow and fill in the gaps.
It's on cruise control now (knock on wood)

Sal

 

[sal9012]

I have been running WM Ecoback on the reactor for 3 weeks now. NO3 PO4 gone, I love this thing

 

[sal9012]

took some pics tonight

 

[sal9012]

This was a rescue, got it totally bleached and almost gone. Coming back nicely

sumps

Bubble Magus rocking

 

[amore169]

I just bought the Cardiff for a pair of clowns but I got the disco ball light, man this is a really nice little tank I'm thinking about adding a candy basslet to the tank also, you have very nice skills, I really like your set up.

 

[sal9012]

I just bought the Cardiff for a pair of clowns but I got the disco ball light, man this is a really nice little tank I'm thinking about adding a candy basslet to the tank also, you have very nice skills, I really like your set up.

Thanks :bigsmile:

The discoball is not bad actually, I have seen people mod it to include moonlights on it. It has a decent reflector and ballast. Watch out for the heat.

Sal

 

[sal9012]

just got these yesterday

nice teal blue with neon green stripy skirts.

 

[sal9012]

I came from the beach to find havoc on the tank :choler:

This guy:

decided he was going to decimate my fav rainbow, out of the blue, just because:
The end result:

The fricking enchinata is acting like nothing happened (I cut all the sweeper tentacles to separate them) :what: my poor beauty is in bad shape right now :cry_002:
and then the freaking bicolor is picking at it. I will send his *** to exile (sump) for a long time on the next water change.

:hell_boy:

 

[Azurel]

Man that sucks bro.....

 

[sal9012]

Man that sucks bro.....

Don't you love it when something cheap and ugly (fish or coral) destroys something 100X more expensive and pretty?
It's never the other way around :too_sad: I hope it comes back.

I dipped with TM pro coral cure to see if helps and move it to a lower flow/ shady area patrolled by my nasty clown (to see if the bicolor stops picking at it until I can get him out) Any other idea or suggestion is always welcome.

 

[Azurel]

Yea that always seems to be he case dont it.....Just like the ugly stuff seems to grow 10x faster.......


The only thing I can think of is get a strawberry quart or pint container....Not sure if you have seen them or not but sometimes they come in this like plastic braided square container.....If you have room for one turn it over and use it to keep the fish off the coral.....I have used them before with 100% success.....

 

[sal9012]

Yea that always seems to be he case dont it.....Just like the ugly stuff seems to grow 10x faster.......


The only thing I can think of is get a strawberry quart or pint container....Not sure if you have seen them or not but sometimes they come in this like plastic braided square container.....If you have room for one turn it over and use it to keep the fish off the coral.....I have used them before with 100% success.....

Yeah, I have to do it until the weekend comes. Man, I'm NOT looking forward to draining the tank to catch the sonofabiatch.
I was inspecting the tank today, hes been having a ball nipping at sps and lps. :ah:

 

[sal9012]

Pics!
This weekend was plumbing upgrade, new sump.
Main reason, I wanted to improve flow, minimize noise and consolidate sumps. I wanted also to increase space on the closet.

First the sump, keeping with my masterplan :squigglemouth: (future upgrade) I built a 36x14x16 acrylic. Black bottom, black baffle dividers on each side of the fudge. keep in mind this is all scrap material (leftover from work) and it took me a good 3 months to collect the required stuff. Tools I have on the house, Table saw, router and router table, radial saw, heat guns, etc, etc.
I'm pretty happy of the outcome.
Skimmer Area (16X13.5)
Fuge (10X13.5)
Return (7X13.7)

Skimmer area (that's a 1.5" drain with a reverse durso behind the skimmer, and is dead silent)

Fudge with macros

Also:
New ATO with dual floats, relay, fully adjustable (all DIY)

New manifold to feed the reactors

DIY reactors running carbon and WM Ecoback (vodka pellets)

On the right 55 G or RODI and on the left 55 G Saltwater mixing station with a quiet one on close loop

And my BM triple dosing pump

All my electrical connections well above water

FTS (sort of)

View from the couch

Sal

 

[MikeB]

WOW. Beautiful tank. Bravo!