Choppa's Trigon 350 (shutdown)

[Choppa]

Introduction:
Howdy

System Objectives: Something simple (for now)

System Type: Mixed Reef

Display System:

Strike up Date: October 1 2010

Display Tank: Trigon 350 lt bow front corner unit.

Display Lighting: LEDs

Stand: custom to match tank dimensions

Hood: DIY acrylic cover to hold new LED's.

Sump: 6'x18"x2' plumbed outside with refrigerator panel box housing for noise and temp control plus 1000lt IBC tank standby / water change supply). Sump has 3 chambers.

Refugium: located in sump - growing a little macro algea

Refugium Lighting: LEDs

Support systems:

System Water: Natural salt water

Display Water circulation: 2 x small tunzes

Return Pump: Tunze silence 3000 l/h

Skimmer: Reef Octopus XP 2000 (run every now and then)

Evaporation Top Up: Gravity fed RO

Algae Turf Scrubber: waterfall with DIY red LEDs


Chemical Support:

Calcium Addition: Damprid

Alkilinity Addition: Baking soda

Other Chemical Maintenance: iodide, iron & potassium .

Current Water Chemistry: - typical readings below
Nitrates: 0 ppm
Phosphates: 0.0 - 0.05
Alkalinity: 8-10 KH
Calcium: 400-450 ppm
Salinity / Specific Gravity: 1.026 - 1.027
Magnesuim: 1400 ppm


Images:

Start up
Day 1

Sump etc.

Macro algea starter


Nov 2010 at 2 Months (under T5's still)


Okay, now from Jan 2011 at 5 months (under 400w MH Radium)

Skimmer relocated to first chamber

Macro algea going okay

dsb with DIY coil denitrator outlet


That's enough for now. More snaps to come.

Cheers

[WarbyD]

Looks very nice mate Particularly like what you've done with the outside sump...

[Choppa]

Looks very nice mate Particularly like what you've done with the outside sump...

Cheers m8, it keeps most of the mess (I'm messy) outside, which the wife is keen on. The insulation is working too with the temp not going over 28 this summer, especially over the last few days we've had here in Perth (no chiller to worry about).

[WarbyD]

btw... just noticed that you're in Perth, have you considered joining Maswa? $30/yr (or $15 if you're a student, pensioner or live in a regional area..) and easily pays for itself in no time...

[Choppa]

Yeh, ive completed an application- just need to sort out payment.

[Choppa]

Some pics of my disk coral munging down on some marine green (iphone sorry - testing out the photobucket app too)

[the_fly9]

Hey mate, nice looking setup. Question about the Tunze pump, how nosey is it? Looking at getting one of them.

Cheers.

[Choppa]

Hey mate, nice looking setup. Question about the Tunze pump, how nosey is it? Looking at getting one of them.

Cheers.

Thanks
Just how much noise an aquarium can make has been a real surprise. I'm fairly new to this however I can tell you that (in my system) the Tunze is much quieter then an Eheim 3000 I started with. I got it because the Eheim had a resonating hummmm that I could hear through the sump, through the box and through the closed bedroom window around the corner ( which wound me up a bit ). I'm running the Tunze suspended from the return line out of the sump not touching any part of it and can't hear it past a meter or so Oh, and the Ehiem is in the pond now so alls well.
Hope this helps

[Choppa]

I got right into the DIY denitrator when I set up thinking it would help with the nitrate levels - and because I like to tinker. From what I've read in the archives so far, it sounds like they have been tried over (maybe even come and gone a few times) so at the risk of repeating an old topic - Has anyone been using one for a while and what are your thoughts? Here’s a few pics of mine too. Its been going now for 3 weeks and is now producing 0 nitrates and at the same time the tank readings have also dropped from 10-20 ppm to 5-10 ppm (not sure if its coincidence as the dsb could have started to function by now too) - any comments always welcome.

Thanks for reading

Used araldite on the fittings


About 40 feet of 6ml coil in 100ml PVC filled with bioballs


plumbed into the return line - seems to have enough presure to run a fast drip.


Back into the dsb


results - Denitrator reading on left tank on right

[WarbyD]

Well, the denitrator certainly appears to be working for you Will be interesting to see how it goes long term... I'm going purely from memory here, but I think there have been reports of issues with these in the event of power loss / blockages.. I'm sure I remember reading something about release of nasties in the tank.. Have a google though and I'm sure you'll find whatever it was I read (I could be completely wrong lol)

-Dave