SLS - HUGE Reef Tank *New Pic's 15/12/09*

[billet]

Not meaning to nit pick here but is that ACLS unit safe up there on the brace? I hate to think what a replacement would cost

[kuhni]

Two flame hawks?

[Troppo]

Haha, 100kgs and it looks like a couple of pebbles in that tank!
Awesome work

[busterant]

wow 100kg if i were to buy that at my lfs it would cost me $3800. looks like good rock

Then you need to find a new LFS by the sounds of it!!


Looking good mate!! How id love to be starting a new tank with fresh equip!!

[SLS]

Hey Guys,

Thankyou all for your comments!!

Yes, they are Flame Hawks... I call them Elmo's.. lol

ACLS wont be staying there for long, just a temp means of light illumination whilst still configuring all the components, and allowing me to see whats going on, as the room is rather dark..

LOL, I need to get around to moving those pebbles into some kind of scape.. They look like Dinosaur droppings at the momment..

Tetsing the parameters daily and dosing additives as needed. So far so good.. Managing to keep the ammonia below 1mg/l. 0 No2, kH upto 6 now and likely to be 7 by tonight. I'll retest for Ca and Mg to see what effect increased the Carbonates have had on them.

The Elmo's are so cool to watch, they really seem to be getting along really well!!

Kind regards,
George

[ryanrid]

100kg looks like nothing in there! how much do you plan on puttnig in? at least another couple hundred of kilos should do the trick.

[SLS]

Hey Guys,

Well, the cycling period ended over a week ago. Most of the water parameters are almost perfect.
No3 10
Po4 0
Ca 420
Mg 1350
Alk 3meq / kH 9

The first signs of coraline have started. This pc was an older base rock pc from the store, this was basically all browny white when placed in the aquarium.




The challenge recently was scaping the rock. My wife and I spend 3hours just trying to get the initial pcs right for the far left corner. The objective was to create shelfing area's where I can keep Tubastrea and the like under.

The scape is only 1/3 completed. Still have heaps more to do.
Im using Brightwell Products for the dedicated "Zeolite Filtration" - NeoZeo Substrate through a Eheim Pro3 2073. Supplements, are SeaChem and AquaVitro, Brightwell and Aquasonic Pro-Bac (heterotrophic bacteria)




During the cycle, there have been no signs of any cyno or red slime algae. The combination of using the Pro-Bac Carbon and Phosphate filters, including the skimming and addition of Brightwell Bio-Fuel has removed all the watse whilst creating the "Low Nutrient" enviroment.

The only growth of Algae was a micro green algae:




So after the first scrape for removing most of the algae on the walls and filter outlets (which came off very easily), I Couldn't help myself, and had to get some coral in there. As well as a few addittions of clean up crew, Snails, Hermit Janitor Crabs, Blennies and a Foxface.


Heres the tank at present.




The base of the right hand scape




Some of the Zoa's





Some Acro's




My Sponge




Current End Shot, still to be scaped



Last night the Dendro's started opening..

Now I have to start getting the dosing right for feeding and suppliments for the coral.

Please feel free to offer any advice for feeding and nutrient suppliments.

Kind regards,
George

[Alf D]

Good stuff George, great selection of corals.
The scape on the right looks like Stonehenge.

[SLS]

Hey Guys,

The Po4 increased slightly with the addittion of 3boxes of coral, as did the No3. Im currently adding 20mls of Pro-Bac daily, and just increased the Brightwell Bio-Fuel to 20ml dose daily, as I felt organic carbon was the lacking element to kick into gear the full potential of the Pro-Bac organisms to consume the excess nutrients and organic material.

In addittion, as the Neo Zeo was only added recently, theres a bit of catching up for it to do. But im sure it will be upto speed very soon.

I still need to get my hands on a Potassium Kit. Im dosing 20ml of "Potassion" every 2nd day, Iodine and Trace every day.

The little hermit crabs are like an Army tackling the fields of Algae growth on the rocks. Snails are maintaining the glass, with a magnet cleaner go over once every 2days to release the biofilm back into the water coloum as a food source for filterfeeding organisms and coral. You can see in the last photo end shot of the tank, there is a small section of glass on the back wall which has never been cleaned or wiped/scraped. Each night this section is reducing and being maintained.

The lighting system is running on an 11hr Actinic cycle and 7.5hrs HQI cycle with a gap of 1hr between each of the 3x 400W HQI bulbs for "Sunrise" and "Sunset", for a total of 1512Watts of light all glowing for 5.5hrs per day!!

All the Acro's are extending Polyps, Dendro's are opening at night, Acathastrea's are loving it, and everyday im finding new little colonies of interesting creatures/corals. Like this little farm of bi-valves:


Kind regards,
George

[Rusty1]

Hey George.

Tank is looking great, I really love that right hand side structure. Very impressive indeed!!!

How you finding the Polario's??