Marcs tank - 12 months old!

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Location
Fourways Gardens
Seeing I am a member on both forums and both forums have made me what I am today (broke and almost divorced) I felt I would like to post my tank update on both forums!

Hey all - seems a long time since my tank looked like this:

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And now it is a year old, during which I have undergone a schooling mainly thanks to these forums, similar to what a child gets in its first year - Cyano, Briopsis, bad Alk and the like, but it now looks like this:

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LHS

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RHS

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Side shot

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The Mechanix - still a sore point as I have not been able to replace this sump - no time and money since the baby has come along (and soooo many delicious frags)

Full Sump

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Left cupboard - 2 x DSB, Live Rock, Chaetomorpha from Adrian of SARK

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Right cupboard - TS2 Skimmer, Carbon reactor (DIY) and Phos Reactor (DIY)

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And now the reason I started a reef (Fish are nice.... just nice)

Softies

Finger leather coral (came on the Live Rock) - is this a Capnella?

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Another Capnella - was White as it was in the shade - turning nicely

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Mushie Rock

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Rodactis (???) This was a "brown shroom" till I upgraded to T5's then it changed to the Blue colour and texture - also has 7 babies

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GSP from Adrian from SARK

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various Zoas and buttons from Zinkwazi beach, Natal

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Growing on the powerhead!

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And I have just started with these now that I have upgraded my lights to the 6 x T5's

SPS

Plating Montipora from Adrian of SARK. It has a small piece of Orange Plating that it is growing over

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Pink Millipora from Adrian of SARK - also growing like the blazes

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Pink Birdsnest from Fragman - well I am hoping it will turn pink ;)

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Green Birdsnest from Calvin of SARK

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Awesome, I take some algae when u prune it :) hopefully have some frags to swop for it :)
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Awesome, I take some algae when u prune it :) hopefully have some frags to swop for it :)
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I would not dream of it Dallas! When I prune it is free - plus I see how much you do for our fellow reefers - you deserve a bladdy medal man!

Pop round one day, I live in Fouways Gardens, would be great to have you!
 
Thanks for the kind words, cool my biotope setup should be running in a few days. So would need to let it cycle first :)
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Great healthy looking tank. Thanks for the update. If i may....what did you use to raise magnesium and...You have an extractor fan mounted next to your skimmer. Is it blowing or sucking?
 
Very nice update thread mnd. Your tank has come a long way in just a year. :)

Dallas I also have some of that algae if you'd like. I actually need some chaeto again, seems my tank didn't have enough nutrients to support it or something last time I tried some.
 
Great healthy looking tank.

Thanks Sunburst - from someone with a noteworthy system such as yours that really means a lot!

If i may....what did you use to raise magnesium

I have been dosing with Tropic Marin Bio Magnesium over the course of 2 months to raise the Mg really slowly - working well.

You have an extractor fan mounted next to your skimmer. Is it blowing or sucking?

You talking about this?

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It is actually a 110mm toilet extractor fan that I fitted PULLING air into the sump area (and I have holes in cupboard 1, and 2 so air moves throughout) - I have an AC in my office, and I only run this AC during the day, when I have the lights on - the extractor is 24/7 and manages to keep my tank at 26.5 to 27 degrees - solid, has not moved since I put it in!

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A big fan :) of the toilet extractor. My concern with yours is that it is blowing into a moist salty wet bubbly environment. Above a skimmer and plug bar. Eventually salt creep is going to start causing some stray voltage. I would rather have it removing the moisture and heat. IMO
 
A big fan of the toilet extractor. My concern with yours is that it is blowing into a moist salty wet bubbly environment. Above a skimmer and plug bar. Eventually salt creep is going to start causing some stray voltage. I would rather have it removing the moisture and heat. IMO

Interesting, I have actually found it better in there wet and salty wise since I moved from PC fan extraction to toilet fan blowing in

Those bars are on their way out anyhoo

Food for thought though

M
 
You are probably right about the cooling, and you will probably have better evaporation as well. Personal preference i suppose. :)
 
You are probably right about the cooling, and you will probably have better evaporation as well. Personal preference i suppose. :)

My plan is to change the sump completely and have a joined sump drilled through - and get rid of that ridiculous lid on the LH sump! then I will have a push/pull extraction to get air moving through in a big way by putting another extractor in cupboard left
 
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