The Volcano Tank - Konolua

Konolua

Konolua

Kyle
Joined
29 Mar 2010
Posts
51
Reaction score
1
Location
Thousand Oaks, CA, USA
Hello everyone...

I was asked to join your forum here and I must say, I was impressed to see the size of this forum! Wow!

I have recently posted on a different site, so I thought I would get that post up here as well...so it may sound a little bit in the "past." Hope that is okay for everyone!

Konolua said:
I will post a couple of pictures and a link to my website, but will try to get some information up here soon. In the meantime, feel free to give some feedback! If you like it, awesome! If you don't, stay cordial in your comments!

Thanks to all for looking!

Some videos....
Volcano Time-Lapse Video -- Volcano Tank Videos -- Volcano Tank 3.26.10 Video

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Hey and welcome to MASA! WOW WOW WOW, your tank is simply amazing, it's like nothing I have ever seen:thumbup:! GREAT GREAT job. Can you please add some more specs of the tank?
 
Annoying said:
Hey and welcome to MASA! WOW WOW WOW, your tank is simply amazing, it's like nothing I have ever seen:thumbup:! GREAT GREAT job. Can you please add some more specs of the tank?
Click to expand...

Sure! It is technically a really simple tank:

TANK’S BIRTHDAY:
9.7.2009

TYPE:
Reef Tank
48" x 24" x 12"
Plumbed underneath via an overflow with a return, along with a closed loop with chiller in line

EQUIPMENT:
- 25 gallon sump
- ASM G3 Skimmer
- Poseidon PS3 & PS4 pumps
- JBJ Artica 1/3 hp Chiller
- 2 x 150w HQI 12.5K Pendants

WATERFALL:
3 way Waterfall design creating a basin on the left to two straight falls on the right

SPECIAL DESIGNS:
Water change facilitators installed. Lead from chiller line diverts to under ground drain to gutter as well as a special intake line to receive salted water
 
wow:) its not often that we get truley original tank designs and congrats on achieving that. there are aspects that dont quite grab me but that is a tank I would love to sit with a six pack of beer an ipod (to block out the backround noise of kids cars and non reefers) and watch for a few hours.

the water clarity and colours is astounding, congrats on a very interesting tank.

oh and forgive my manners...welcome to masa its great to have u here
 
That's a very unique set up - congrats on your creativity.
Did you make the Volcano yourself?
Aren't you a little worried by those big crabs and your smaller fish specimens?
 
welcometomasa


That is really something different. Even more surprising, that this tank stands in canada.
Where the hell you get all this livestock from???
The crabs, mangroves, etc.???

I like it, but I am not surprised, when (maybe you did it) you post this on RC, if you get some nasty comments.

These crabs are big. What are they eating? Seems they are not interested in your fish.
Would like to see more from the left side. Looks like there is also an orange anemone in there, isn´t it?
Oh, it is not an anemone. I saw that before, but I have no idea what it is called.
 
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Nice Zoa's
Nice Feathers
Nice snails.

And then some nice fish.

interesting the Crabs and Mangrove options.

Shallow tank. Very shallow. With a deep substrate.

Definitely got a lot of interesting live and things to find.

Well, looking at it a bit more, kind off - I like it. But I would never have done it like that myself. Maybe I have to sit down with Crispin with a few beers to check and stare at the tank.:)
 
LuckyFish said:
welcometomasa


That is really something different. Even more surprising, that this tank stands in canada.
Where the hell you get all this livestock from???
The crabs, mangroves, etc.???

I like it, but I am not surprised, when (maybe you did it) you post this on RC, if you get some nasty comments.

These crabs are big. What are they eating? Seems they are not interested in your fish.
Would like to see more from the left side. Looks like there is also an orange anemone in there, isn´t it?
Oh, it is not an anemone. I saw that before, but I have no idea what it is called.
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Actually, I am in the United States (the CA being California). Sorry for that confusion!

The crabs eat the snails and hermit crabs that I collect for them all the time. I also feed krill and large freshwater shrimp at least 4 times a week. Hungry buggers. The anemone I feed just as frequently as well. They don't care about the fish at all...which was a bit of the experimental part of the game. I hadn't expected much, but I did think that polyps and zoas would become scarse in the tank. That has not happened.

Now, bottom feeders...yes. That is a problem. Gobies, blennys, jawfish, etc...those guys are no-go's.

I favor the right side in my shots, and I am not sure why...cause the left side is cool too. I think it is the waterfall into the water directly and the anemone that fascinates me on the right side. I will get some left side shots up.

As for the snide comments, I have been spared many of them. I think the newness of the tank concept shies some of the meanness away. The biggest thing I get hit on is the Sailfin and he is a temporary (unplanned) resident. He had been mine for about 3 years and when I migrated to this tank, he went to a local fish store. Well, that store closed it's doors in a matter of 3 days from when I got the notice (about 4 months after the tang took up residence there). I hadn't found a home for it yet, so rather than it (along with some of the corals) be trashed (yup, they were seriously throwing the fish in the trash), I put it in my Volcano Tank. Well before the cycle and before I would have wanted.

Anyway, he is only going to be around for a couple more months anyways. Outside of that, I don't think there is really nothing to take heat on....though one goofball told me I was an idiot because it is not a volcano, but a waterfall. I chose the name volcano because it looked like a volcano to me!

It's all good!

The Sailfin is doing better in my tank than he would have the other route, and frankly coloring up nicely!

I like this site because it seems to have a very different mentality than the other sites.....I hope to post often!
 
RiaanP said:
Nice Zoa's
Nice Feathers
Nice snails.

And then some nice fish.

interesting the Crabs and Mangrove options.

Shallow tank. Very shallow. With a deep substrate.

Definitely got a lot of interesting live and things to find.

Well, looking at it a bit more, kind off - I like it. But I would never have done it like that myself. Maybe I have to sit down with Crispin with a few beers to check and stare at the tank.:)
Click to expand...

You gotta love crabs......most people don't! At least to the extent that I do!
 
Konolua said:
I like this site because it seems to have a very different mentality than the other sites.....I hope to post often!
Click to expand...

You can say that again. I went through a tough time, when I posted the first pictures from my albino ocellaris on RC. They used words, you can imagine.

The people on MASA are different. You must know, I am German.
It is more about discussing things, advice, etc. But if the people here ask for help and then still do the opposite from that what was recommended, then the posts are also getting more aggressive. But still, much more relaxed then other forums. Even the German forums are like RC.

I think, the people which make things bad are just jealous. I mean, who comes up with a tank like yours? Great idea.
BTW, I did not expect fire, smoke, ash and a lava stream running into the "lagoon", when I read the word Vulcano. I agree with you. The vulcano is the best word for this shape. ;)

Would like to know, who is now busy building a "Table Mountain" tank?:)

You also got a nice variety of livestock. And yes, I noticed the sailfin is a bit too big for such shallow water. I thought, there is a reason for it, maybe he is busy finding a home for him.;)
 
Welcome to MASA. This is a great forum... lot's of good advice and support.

I think the tank is AWESOME. Very unique and very beautiful. Everybody certainly looks happy in there. The crabs are cool, what kind are they?
 
LifeAquatic said:
Welcome to MASA. This is a great forum... lot's of good advice and support.

I think the tank is AWESOME. Very unique and very beautiful. Everybody certainly looks happy in there. The crabs are cool, what kind are they?
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Thanks! I appreciate that!

They are a shore crab called Pachygrapus crassipes and are in the same order as Sally Light Foots (which I think a lot of people know). Unlike the Light Foots, these guys are out of the water more than 50% of the time. A large portion of that time is in the morning, and early afternoon. They are not that aggressive as they are typical scavengers rather than hunters so they are a delicate add to the tank, and that was lucky for me!

The tank was "built" for them, and it worked out that I could still add zoas and etc. with no risk.
 
mnd123 said:
Welcome Kyle, thats a very interesting biotope you have created there! tell us more about the plumbing etc

Thousand Oaks is a really nice part of the world, near Malibu isnt it? Drove through that way once on our way from SFO to Sin City
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Yup! 35 minutes south, it is!

I will post a couple of pictures....
 
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Here is the sump under the tank....(this is current)


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These pictures below are when I was getting the tank up and running to start. I had liverock in there for cycling purposes...it has since been removed. The protein skimmer since has been moved to the middle chamber. No need for a refugium due to the mangroves.

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Here is the side access and the skimmer. Disregard the crooked drain line. I have to re-silcone a spot (used this huge drain line) and I didn't tighten it yet.



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This is the front access, left side. The pickup drops and exits the side of the stand and elbows outside. The return for that same line is down there too, but not visible. The pump is the return through the overflow.



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You can see the drilling, and I did not aimlessly put holes in the stand, the weird holes are the former needs of the previous reef tank. The chiller return line is visible in the back.



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Here is a close up of that return. Not sure why I showed this. Oh well.



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Here is the "shed" I mentioned. Rubbermaid. Waterproof. I drilled holes in it, attached screen and small water diverters for instances of rain or sprinklers. The attachment for the trash can for mixed water is on the left.




So, to explain the water change system a bit more.....

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It's on a closed loop. The picture is almost directly from the top. The pump itself is outside in a small storage-shed thing.

So, the pump has two intake sources, split by a T-Valve. Normally, it is fed by the intake from the tank (that is the pipe that runs from the house (back right in the picture). The valve on the T (the closed valve with the the power cord on it), stays closed and is only used to connect to my trash can that I mix water in.

Then, returning from the pump, you see the union valve and then a T split there. The red handled valve off the T-split leads to the underground drain. It is currently shut in the picture. Otherwise, the grey valve (that is open) is business as usual and feeds the chiller and returns back into the house.

It's not the prettiest remote station I have ever set up, but it is funny when you use your own money, you tend not to buy the best materials! But hey, aside from cleaning and prepping the water, the change itself is less than 5 minutes and requires me to turn three valves! Can't beat that!
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