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To be placed A Decade in the Planning... Greetings WWM Crew! <Hello!
Ryan Bowen with you today.> First off, a big special thank you to
Bob Fenner and Anthony Calfo. The CMA and BoCP have helped
greatly in the formulation of the following plan. <Will be sure to
pass along your thanks> Also, I'm still floored by Anthony's
suggestion for building a PVC framework to create
overhangs. Seems like that would be common sense, but
I'm still dumb-founded that I hadn't ever considered that.
<Ahh, yes. And don't forget that acrylic rod can make
you look like a master-aquascaper> Next, some
background. I've been researching and patiently waiting
for the 'right time' for, oh, about the last
decade. I'm now at the point where I own my house, have
had the spot for the tank chosen since before we moved in, and have
accomplished enough of my honey-do list to be able to seriously start
this next project. Few truer words have been spoken than
Bob's advise that the planning is not only well worthwhile, but
also fun, exciting and at times mind-boggling. <Yes,
surely!> I've done my research (Delbeek&Sprung
vol 1 & 2, CMA, BoCP, Moe Jr., Tullock, Knop, Wilkerson, Veron, and
every last WWM FAQ on marine set-up [THAT took days]) and now I'd
like to run my conceptual tank by you guys to see if there are any
glaring omissions. <Certainly> I have already purchased and
plumbed a Kent Marine Deionizer (200 gpd [micron, anion,
cation] variety) and have a nice new garbage can cleverly rigged,
(involved rubber bungs and concrete screws) to age my synthetic
seawater in the garage, which also doubles as a shop. (Bungs to prevent
sawdust contamination) <Great! That's a
step most skip until they have their first algae war.> My next
purchase will be a 29 gallon tank for use in quarantining new arrivals.
Figure for the Q-tank I'll use the UV sterilizer I already have
from a previous tank (might as well use it, no?)<yes! One of the
cases in which a UV is most useful>, a hang-on external filter with
carbon and sponge that can be transferred between the sump and the
q-tank when inhabited, a heater, and some PVC hiding
places. I'm planning on painting all but the front
'window' a nice neutral color. Lighting via standard
fluorescents. <Even ambient room lighting is fine when quarantining
non-photosynthetic animals.> For the main display, I am planning on
a 90 gallon glass tank plumbed to a sump. I'm assuming
that an internal overflow with a standpipe is kind of the
'standard' way of accomplishing this, but am also interested in
perhaps having the holes drilled through the back of the tank, still
with the internal overflow. <Leaves more available room.> I was
thinking that by drilling a series of holes, I could route some water
to the sump, and other water into a recalculating loop via a Tunze-type
pump and manifold system, perhaps incorporating one or more of the
'Switching Current Water Directors. <Yes, I have a similar setup
on my reef.> My thought was that by doing this, I could still
achieve lots of 'nearly turbulent' water circulation, but
manage the flow through the sump more effectively. I was thinking in
the area of 3-400 GPH through the sump and 5-700 GPH through the closed
loop. I'd be interested in your thoughts on multiple overflows,
i.e. one in each back corner. <I like closed-loop circulation,
because flooding isn't an issue. You can run these
drilled or undrilled, it's all about how creative you can be with
PVC. Manifold is great also, because it doesn't detract
aesthetically from your display.> The sump, likely fashioned from a
29-gallon tank, would feed a EuroReef CS6-2 skimmer (sized correctly?
<Depends on stocking, but yes, that's a nice skimmer.>), and
would take the water from there, through a carbon chamber and then back
to the display tank. (Dual heaters incorporated somewhere in there
too). Is the prevailing theory still that an ozonizer is
still a valuable addition, i.e., in conjunction with the skimmer, with
the mandatory carbon downstream? <Yes, it's a great gizmo, but
it's also something you can get by without. Many natural
reef displays use no ozone, and are healthy as could be.> Also under
the display tank (and the reason for the sump being on the smallish
side) I'd like to have a refugium. I'm not thinking
very fancy here, a 'large' ('another 29gal tank perhaps)
vessel with PC lights with counter-display photoperiod, some live rock
and sand, perhaps some macro algae. <Very good.> Water from the
refugium would return via a Tunze pump, as I am under the impression
that they have a reputation for creating less plankton sheer [really an
issue?] <Yes, it can be a like running pods through a blender with
some pumps. If you can't justify an up-stream refugium,
then a plankton friendly pump is your best bet.> My goal
with the refugium would be to be able to culture 'pods and other
food items as well as algae for the occasional 'special treat'
for the below listed Tang. I guess I'd have to split the
water feeds from the tank to keep the skimmer at high efficiency and to
provide nutrient rich water for the refugium, no? <Plenty of ways to
plumb it...That would work, as would a bleeder line from the
return.> Just FYI, placing the refugium with a higher water-level
than the tank just isn't an option in this house. For lights,
I'm figuring two 150w or 175w halides in the 10,000K range
supplemented with 2 4-foot actinics, either SO or VHO. <Go VHO or T5
for the punch of color.> I'd also like to incorporate a couple
of the blue LEDs for night viewing. <I'm a big fan of this
technology. Perhaps install a red LED as well for
night-viewing?> (Not even hoping for true moonlight simulation, as I
really would rather not have to incorporate computer controlled
anything.) Appropriate timers and fans in the hood. I've elected to
purchase a larger room air conditioning unit, as it appears that it
would be more cost effective to keep the temperature in the room from
rising too high than it would be to keep the water cool within a warm
room (not to mention the added comfort for the non-aquatic
residents). I live in northwest Washington (state, not DC)
and one wouldn't think that this would be an issue, but with a lot
of East-West windows in the house, the few 85 degree plus days can
drive the ambient room temperature up to nearly 100 degrees. (Next tank
will be in daylight basement...55 degrees year
round.) <Sounds fine, but keep a clip-fan on hand for
temperature emergencies.> Okay, sorry, I just had the realization
that all of this would be placed in more context if I had first
mentioned what it is that I want to keep. Swimming-fish
wise, I'd like to keep a couple of tank-raised clowns (likely Percs
or ocellaris), a dwarf flame angel, a white cheeked tang (A.
japonicus), some sort of gobies/blennies [perhaps with commensal
shrimp] and my 'unicorn', a mandarin. <Acanthurus nigricans
is commonly offered in error...note the size of the white face patch
for confirmation on species. I must tell you, however, that
90 gallons may be a bit small for this fish in adulthood. I
have seen them at close to 10 inches.> It is my
impression that by starting with a 90-gallon tank, adding the refugium,
and being really really REALLY patient(6 months of live-rock without
predators?), I might be able to keep this admittedly delicate fish
that, like it has for too-many others, captivated me the first time I
saw it. <Mandarins will benefit from the 6 month wait, but not if
other plankton predators are eating his keep. Don't add
any other gobies/blennies for optimal results. Moonlight
will help as well, gobies like to hunt during the night when pods are
out. I have also had good luck using frozen Cyclop-eeze
through a feeding apparatus. Use a syringe with airline
tubing, and it's possible that you could wean him from the
live-only stigma.> It would be difficult (really
really root-canal-like difficult), but if the prevailing opinion at WWM
is that a mandarin wouldn't thrive in this system, I'll
rearrange my plans. <Best luck is to keep predatory fish at a
minimum, and he'll thrive if patience is exerted.> I have also
considered a triad of firefish. <Would out-compete your goby for
food.> Too much fish-load? Perhaps a Pseudochromis or
dwarf wrasse instead? <Also, would out compete. How badly
do you want him?> Still too many fish? Invert-wise, I'd like to
keep mushrooms (in the deeper shadier spots), and photosynthetic soft
corals. I'm hoping to do a 240gal tank in the future
with SPS and clams [thus including the flame angel in this tank to keep
from worrying about clam nibbling. The soft corals could be a problem
for the flame, huh?]. <Flames are totally hit and miss...All I can
say is good luck.> Plus the obligatory collection of snails,
hermits, perhaps a shrimp or two. <Sounds fair> Okay, I think
that about concludes the escape of the vast majority of my conclusions
regarding this first reef tank into text. I'm sure
I'm forgetting something. <We're not going anywhere!> The
opinion of the WWM staff is important to me, as it seems like you guys
have 'figured it out', philosophically. I'm
really interested in what you like about the system, and even more
importantly what you'd do differently. <How
fun! It's so exciting to see the wheels turning,
planning in action. You're on the right track, and
I'm quite certain that you'll be happy with the
results. Remember, Synchiropus splendidus is a tough keep,
but it's a rewarding in many ways. Best of luck my
friend, Ryan> Thanks for your patience, and service to the hobby.
Regards, |
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