20g Key West Biotype Build

[dball711]

Ok it's time for another tank to be set up in my coral propagation room. This time it's something different, a Key West biotype tank. This tank will be exclusively populated by live rock cultivated in waters off the Keys and livestock collected there as well. This tank will be a departure from my usual set up and will be lit with a daylight version LED lights (a far cry from my all BLUE, no white light acro display & frag tanks.

Heres a list of the tank and equipment

• 20 long Aqueon tank
• Tunze Comline 9001 skimmer
• Tunze Sicce 1073 210gph pump
• 5 watt UV light
• Hyger 1600gph wave-maker
• Eheim Jäger 50W heater
• Hydros controler w/temp probe and ATO
• Orphek OR3 Reef Day Plus light bar
• My design AIO filter wall with a true surface skimmer, pre filter & 500ml Sachem Matrix
  • The filter/false wall will house the Tunze protein skimmer, surface skimmer, pre filter overflow, Matrix filter media, heater, UV light, pump, temp probe and ATO

The filter/false wall is constructed of cell cast black acrylic that will be siliconed into one end of the tank.

Here's some pictures of the filter pieces glued and ready to silicone into the tank after some test fitting.

 

[hzheng33]

that false wall is so pretty. did you cut it? how did you do it if you don't mind telling

 

[dball711]

Thanks, I've been wanting to do a thread with detailed instructions on my design. I came up with it back in 1987, its gone through some changes but pretty much the same design concept wise. I use a table saw with a special blade for acrylic.

 

[FishRfriends]

Very clean and well executed my friend!

 

[dball711]

Siliconed the false wall in place.

 

[dball711]

Here's a quick update...

Got the tank wet last night.


The Live rock arrived via air freight this afternoon. 20lbs of live rock.




Some neat hitchhikers right off the bat. Several brittle stars, a pencil and short spine urchin, pistol shrimp, ghost shrimp, some clam /mussel like stuff and a couple crabs.

 

[lmm1967]

Dave - if you end up with any "problem" hitch hikers - I'm happy to throw anything in with the toad fish if you need to get rid of them.

Can't wait to see this tank mature and grow - there's a ton of wonderful life right off the shores of Florida - and a few things you can collect yourself by hand with a normal fishing license.

 

[civics14]

Here's a quick update...

Got the tank wet last night.
View attachment 55818

The Live rock arrived via air freight this afternoon. 20lbs of live rock.
View attachment 55819

View attachment 55820

Some neat hitchhikers right off the bat. Several brittle stars, a pencil and short spine urchin, pistol shrimp, ghost shrimp, some clam /mussel like stuff and a couple crabs.

Who is the supplier of those live rocks?

 

[dball711]

When I was looking for a supplier I found one that had small toad fish for sale and thought of yours…I’ll be adding stuff collected from the same area. I,ve got 6 varieties of gorgonian and octocorals to add as soon as parameters stabilize.

 

[lmm1967]

When I was looking for a supplier I found one that had small toad fish for sale and thought of yours…I’ll be adding stuff collected from the same area. I,ve got 6 varieties of gorgonian and octocorals to add as soon as parameters stabilize.

People buy those? Who Knew!

 

[Trizzino]

Very cool Dave! You know I am a sucker for AIOs now. Nice work on the false wall. Interesting you have the skimmer in the first chamber, bet it cuts down all the bubbles that may escape the skimmer.

 

[dball711]

Who is the supplier of those live rocks?

I got them from KP Aquatics. The business use to be Sea Life inc. started by Ken Nedimyer. Ken also founded the Coral Restoration Foundation (one of the groups that ARC has made several charitable donations to over the years, they even came out to conduct a meeting for us about the work they do.) Kens Daughter Kara and her husband Philipp took over the family business years ago and renamed it KP Aquatics. They are great folks to work with and I have bought gorgonians and inverts From them and Ken for years.

They lease the oldest offshore aquacultured live rock site in the Florida Keys and produce some really spectacular aquacultured live rock.

 

[Steve Burton]

Great thread. What thickness acrylic do you use? And from where?

 

[dball711]

Very cool Dave! You know I am a sucker for AIOs now. Nice work on the false wall. Interesting you have the skimmer in the first chamber, bet it cuts down all the bubbles that may escape the skimmer.

Actually I put the skimmer in that first chamber because the water level is constant there and the Tunze skimmers require a constant water level to work effectively. It does cut down on bubbles that escape the skimmer.

 

[dball711]

Great thread. What thickness acrylic do you use? And from where?

On this build I used 1/4” acrylic. Larger tanks I've used thicker for example my 60g & 65 I used 3/8" and I've built a 120g &150g using 1/2". For a small build like this one I got a 12"x12"x1/4" cell cast piece from Amazon for $15. I already had a bunch of scraps to cut the dividers from. Not an expensive build at all!

 

[90gDreams]

When things get settled I've got some rose corals and tan candelabra gorgonian that came in on my gulf rock if you want either just drop me a line. I lived in the Keys when I was a kid. Dad was stationed at NAS Key West from 87-92. Go back quite often. Probably a just bit small for any Blue or French Angels but a beaugregory or two would be fun.

 

[dball711]

When things get settled I've got some rose corals and tan candelabra gorgonian that came in on my gulf rock if you want either just drop me a line. I lived in the Keys when I was a kid. Dad was stationed at NAS Key West from 87-92. Go back quite often. Probably a just bit small for any Blue or French Angels but a beaugregory or two would be fun.

I already have a Candelabra gorgonian but interested in some Rose coral for sure. Yep not enough room for an angle but a Beaugregory is already in the plan. Also adding a yellow damsel (also known as Threespot damselfish, Stegastes planifrons), those will most likely be the only 2 fish.

 

[dball711]

Update time...

Made a cover.


And a new FTS.

 

[dball711]

Update time!

Still working on final gorgonian/octocoral placement.

 

[Doberman13]

Looking great! A few people at MACNA were asking me where to get live rock and I mentioned that they should check out this thread. There was one gentleman that wanted to set up a South Florida biotope.