small reef tank

philafrica

philafrica

Joined
25 Aug 2015
Posts
30
Reaction score
6
Location
kempton park
hi everybody, im philippe , french, lived in gabon last year

sorry for my bad english!!


i want to start a reef and fish tank 200l , whith belin methode


i had a 1200l in gabon before , i want to know where is the shop to buy stuff , reef and fish in gauteng , i live kempton park


vue of my old tank in gabon

1Bac%20droit_zpsreq8llw2.jpg



 
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Welcome to MASA!
Don't worry about the odd spelling issue, can't be worse than @butcherman
He's also in kempton park so should be able to tell you which shops are best/closest

Your old tank is impressive.
 
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Welcome. Impressive old system.

check out the sponsors page. The closest to you would be Secondwave. they specializes in secondhand tanks and equipment. Some of those tanks are in a very good state.

Wild on Pets or Idol Marine would be next closest.
 
thank to everybody,

what do you suggest me for maintenance system ?

i had a 120l before and used only skimmer and flow pumps

but i stop reef tank 10 years ago so , i dont know if its a new method !
 
Wow, lovely system. I also was out of the hobby for ten years. Frankly, not much changed. Skimmer and powerheads is about right. Good luck with it!
 
NJH said:
Awesome old tank. You obviously know what you are doing!
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yes, i waz in the hobby , from dive and catch , keep, cause in gabon , no shop , only the sea, and lot of ingeniering to built , this old tank waz in 8 mm glass only , the max for sale in gabon


so here , when i go to a shop , its so easy to do , but my budjet is bad , i will do small and simple

like this one i had to keep my day fishing in quarantine



only 3 18w , one pump flow and small skimer


but now i want led



some others pics from gabon, this is why! i dont want to restart a big tank :m03::m23:







 
philafrica said:
what do you suggest me for maintenance system ?
Click to expand...
Well, this question got many answers, depending on who you ask.

But first, whatever solution you take, it needs to fit in with your lifestyle and husbandry routine. Some filtration methods needs more hands on than others. Although the more hands on are the more effective. But I'm lazy, And my work schedule does take me away frequently for 2 weeks at a time. so for me, I need something that does not need any input from the tank sitter. He just need to feed the fish.

My filtration method is relying on DSB. Getting down to zero phosphates is not easy. Looking at your old tank photos and they do look more softy orientated. Softies like a bit of phosphates, but SPS do not. Having a successful mixed reef on a DSB is more of a challenge than softy alone.

Then there are NP-pellet reactors. Orca Cubes, Seachem Matrix stones. All with their up and down sides. My sons TL550 runs with Seachem Matrix. So far so good, tank is going for a while now with only algae on the back panel. Better than what I expected.

filter socks, slow flow reactors for carbon, algae scrubbers. They all have their place. But keep in mind the maintenance routine needed for all of these. Filter socks needs to be cleaned frequently. Slow flow reactors can block up. Scrubbers needs to be cleaned at least weekly. All of these are extra jobs for a tank sitter. And at the beginning you will do it when required with a smile on your face. Pretty soon that smile fades away as the job becomes a chore.
 
RiaanP said:
Well, this question got many answers, depending on who you ask.

But first, whatever solution you take, it needs to fit in with your lifestyle and husbandry routine. Some filtration methods needs more hands on than others. Although the more hands on are the more effective. But I'm lazy, And my work schedule does take me away frequently for 2 weeks at a time. so for me, I need something that does not need any input from the tank sitter. He just need to feed the fish.

My filtration method is relying on DSB. Getting down to zero phosphates is not easy. Looking at your old tank photos and they do look more softy orientated. Softies like a bit of phosphates, but SPS do not. Having a successful mixed reef on a DSB is more of a challenge than softy alone.

Then there are NP-pellet reactors. Orca Cubes, Seachem Matrix stones. All with their up and down sides. My sons TL550 runs with Seachem Matrix. So far so good, tank is going for a while now with only algae on the back panel. Better than what I expected.

filter socks, slow flow reactors for carbon, algae scrubbers. They all have their place. But keep in mind the maintenance routine needed for all of these. Filter socks needs to be cleaned frequently. Slow flow reactors can block up. Scrubbers needs to be cleaned at least weekly. All of these are extra jobs for a tank sitter. And at the beginning you will do it when required with a smile on your face. Pretty soon that smile fades away as the job becomes a chore.
Click to expand...


thanks riaanp, i have to translate the technical information first and see what is the best for low maintenance, i went to secondwave , and they have a 200l whith sump

so i have space to fit all the stuff, anyway i will let you know

thanks again for tips
 
hello , (first i am french so sorry for my bad english and name of the fishs)

i told you i started a nanotank , buy in november a boyu 550 (100liters)

i remove the cover whith tubes (cause heating too much)
replace whith led and open top , i can manage 25°c only whith a small fan , buy second hand a kalkreactor and wave controler whith
2 small flowpump and 1 bigger flowpump on a timer (15min every 1 hour on day time only)
i add another circulation pump from the sump (2 pump)
remove the filtration mass , so it run only whith skimer and live rock (berlin method)

evaporation is added whith water from waterin shop via kalkreactor (2l a day only in night time)

the live reef is soft and hard lps (i am waiting for sps later) and one clam (covered cause my blennie bite him)
fish are 2 apogon pygama, 1 mandarin, 1 zebrasoma, 1 jumping bean, 1 blennie, 1gobie, 1 pseudochromis, 2 clown,
also 1 shrimp, 2 l'hermite, 6 turbo snail, 2 snail for sand (sorry i dont know the name)

all run well (just have red algae on sand and glass, but too much)

some pics of the tank (whith a no good camera)

the biggining

C4611B3CE60C46A4BB1F2503767E06FCB72556EB282B97BA27pimgpsh_fullsize_distr_zps3nuwcjuf.jpg


and now

IMG_2472_zps1v50rvpw.jpg


IMG_2473_zpsv278liwb.jpg


IMG_2469_zpsxsjawtte.jpg


IMG_2459_zpsbskhlxvr.jpg


IMG_2466_zpsax6n5nrq.jpg


i will try to do better pictures later

thanks for watching
 
how many food you give to fishs (every day?) its maybe the cause of my red algae , i give frozen artemias , marine mix and sometime live artemias
i be carefull to check every food waz eated .
 
I feed frozen food in the evening and have an auto feeder (feeding pellets and flakes) during the day. Usually red algae (cyano) is most commonly overfeeding, insufficient flow and lighting. Oh, nice growth going on in the tank. How are you feeding your mandrin,is he eating frozen food flakes ect.?
 
no
EFJ said:
I feed frozen food in the evening and have an auto feeder (feeding pellets and flakes) during the day. Usually red algae (cyano) is most commonly overfeeding, insufficient flow and lighting. Oh, nice growth going on in the tank. How are you feeding your mandrin,is he eating frozen food flakes ect.?
Click to expand...
he eat in the tank on live rock and sometime live artemias , i have it from 3 month and he look healthy, for the zebrazoma , what are giving (spinach ?)
 
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philafrica said:
for the zebrazoma , what are giving (spinach ?)
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Rather get Nori
I got lately from the local Chinese shop selling Sushi. Just a bit difficult to explain to them exactly what I wanted.
 
evolution of the nano , still well only kalk reactor , small maintenance skimmer ok but electrical is a lot of wires
 
philafrica said:
no

he eat in the tank on live rock and sometime live artemias , i have it from 3 month and he look healthy, for the zebrazoma , what are giving (spinach ?)
Click to expand...
Where you getting live ?
 
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