Adee's v2

Joined
5 Aug 2009
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Location
Weltevredenpark - JHB
Well it had to happen....upgraded to another tank :thumbup:. What can I say, having paid school fees for the last 7 years or so...I’m ready to start THE tank I’ve been dreaming about for a very long time.

So I have Punk (Ant) to thank for this tank, otherwise I would have still been dreaming about it. I’ve always liked the rimless look which also affords you with the best view (from the top). The tank is a ‘penninsular’ style and that will be viewable from both the long sides. The tank was built by Adriaan from Idol Marine. The tank itself is 24mm laminated low iron, “Starfire” glass. Length is 2m; width is 1m with a glass height of 70mm. Total water volume of just the display, is around 1200 litres.


Lighting will consist of the Reef Inmates 400w SPS Extreme lighting that consists of 3 x 400 SE globes which I will change to BLV 20000k’s once I’ve gotten everything set-up. The unit also has 4 x 54w T5’s. I will experiment with some actinic lighting when I cross that bridge. However I do plan to fully enclose the stoep area with a lot of glass (will be glass above the tank area), to harness as much natural lighting as possible.


For the engine room I plan to go as sump less as possible, I’ll use my current skimmer (Reefoctx 250) but may add another skimmer as well (lots of space underneath). I plan to run an Ultra Low Nutrient System. Part of the sump will be a detritus settlement catchment area that will ensure that when I do a water change the crap is collected and removed easily. Other than that, no part of the sump will be without a strong power head, this will help keep detritus in a suspended mode, good for coral food and exportation by the skimmer.


I will continue to use the Balling method, using my own made solutions for Alk, Mg and Ca additions, I’ll transfer my Profilux doser to this system. I will also supplement Ca via a Reefocto Kalkstirrer. I’m hoping the “open top” look will aid in cooling, I’ll have a fan that will blow lengthwise...I may not need a chiller, but will plumb it in, in any case.
The chiller and top off RO unit and mixing tanks will all sit outside in its own enclosure safe from the elements. The RO water tank and the mixing tanks are all glass tanks, each with a water volume of 200L’s.


As I want to go the full ULNS route, planning to maybe try and import the KZ range directly and see what the Zeovit side can do. But first I will run the system (breaking in period) using a massive algae scrubber that will be powered by the sun, lots of live rock and heavy skimming. I plan to also install a nitrate reactor (carbon fed)...busy reading up on that one; I’ve seen a couple in action. No DSB in this set-up (had to get a lot of convincing on this one), due to me going the carbon dosing/probiotic route.


Flow will be Tunze kitted: a Turbelle Stream pump 6201, 3x 6101’s and 2x 6100’s...6 pumps in total, driven off a 7095 controller. All pumps will link to the controller via 2x Y-Adapter’s that will allow for a total of 8 pumps that can be driven off the one controller. I also have a Tunze Osmolator top up unit and water level controller. I have two MD70 pumps, one will drive the return and also flow for reactors, etc., the other pump is for the closed loop system that will assist with keeping detritus free from settling under the rock scape.


As I’m doing some remodelling to fit in the tank, I also want to add in an all glass green house and experiment with frags and growth speeds under natural sunlight; this will all be plumbed into this system. I want to keep the whole system volume to less than 2000 litres.

And if u haven’t guessed it, this will be an SPS dominated system ;).
 
awesome!! going to be great!!
this ULNS bug has bitten me too!!
 
the big tank move...

Some pics I took, Ant has more I'm sure he will post here.

Here leaving Punks place...
IMG00050-20100206-1050.jpg


IMG00051-20100206-1051.jpg


A big thanks to Keith and Matthew (Nemo's Janintors) for doing a great job of moving the tank with no hiccups.

Finally at my place, the red arrow indicates where the tank will be set up.
IMG00052-20100206-1221.jpg


Tank resting on it's side, had to do this twice to get in thru doorways.
IMG00053-20100206-1221.jpg


How she rests currently.
IMG00055-20100207-0620.jpg
 
That's one huge tank, if your last tank is anything to go by then this one is guaranteed to be a stunner :thumbup:
 
Thank Viper...and the planning is driving me nuts.
:lol: Take your time, the amount of times I have sat down, planned something, made a decision, carried it out, then sat down again and thought $%*& I should have done it 'that way' instead, but by then the PVC glue has dried and it's just pure frustration from there on out.:p
 
Awesome to see this tank has found a new home......

LNS is the future !!
 
yip, if u ever need a hand or wanna chat LNS etc, gimme a shout, always keen
 
advice on building mods

Howdy,

So...please excuse my very first attempt at using sketch (honest)

This is what I plan to do on the stoep/veranda...

alterations_wroof.jpg
alterations_wroof2.jpg


alterations_wroof3.jpg
alterations_wroof4.jpg


alterations_wroof5.jpg



So here are my questions where I'm looking for some advice:
  1. Material for the roof (clear part), ordinary glass fine or should I go for acrylic, polycarbonate, clear fiberglass??
  2. The openess in front, would it create a major problem in winter? I could easily make a styrene insulator/cover and place over each night so to preserve warmth.
  3. The area on the right will house some of the mechanics and also use as propogation area, all plumbed into the main DT. Any issues there?
The wife wants to put those folding/sliding doors to close of the front area, but eish the cost :p, should I rather do that?

Thanks, fire away.
 
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