laminatedgorilla's aquapod 12

[laminatedgorilla]

I finally decided to take the plunge into saltwater. So, when I saw an aquapod for sale cheap on craigslist I knew it was meant to be. I've always liked to tinker around with things, and this tank is no exception.

I wanted to rearrange the chambers and try to get a fuge out of the back.
I first cut the back chamber assembly out of the tank.

Here's what it looked like when I first took it out. As you can see, there is a huge dead spot at the bottom. I can see where this would be a problem.
http://atlantareefclub.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=38633&stc=1&d=1343190210" alt="" />


I cut out a few of the chamber walls and used that plastic to make a three chamber setup. I also used a couple of small pieces to cover up the bottom two sets of vents so it would skim the surface more.
[IMG]http://atlantareefclub.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=38634&stc=1&d=1343190229" alt="" />

Once the chambers were configured and sealed, I put an Intank media basket in the first chamber. The one they carry for the nano 12 was a pretty close fit. The second chamber, which is now a fuge, has a eheim jager 50w heater and some rubble. The third chamber has a Cobalt Aquatics mj-900. Other than that, I've added a Hydor koralia nano 240 for recirculation.

Next, I wanted to tackle the lighting. I pulled the cf system out of the hood and replaced it with two 19w Ecoxotic panorama modules (12k/445nm). In my error I supplied too much voltage to the stock lunar lights and had to replace them as well. Right now I am using the Truelumen 12k lunar light in its place.

This pic is before I installed the lunar light, but you get the idea. I didn't want to modify the panorama modules or their power supply in any way, so I purchased a two-way splitter and cut it up to wire into the switches. That way, if I do have trouble with the lights, the warranty isn't voided. I tacked the wire down with sealant just to keep it in place and make sure it doesn't rattle.
[IMG]http://atlantareefclub.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=38635&stc=1&d=1343190262" alt="" />

Here's a shot with the clear cover on. Again, this is before the lunar lights were installed. The lunar lights fit compressed between the panorama modules. I used a very thin line of sealant around the mating surfaces of the clear light guard and the hood to make sure the lights would stay water tight.
[IMG]http://atlantareefclub.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=38636&stc=1&d=1343190287" alt="" />



After some live rock and live sand, it's starting to look like an actual tank. Of course, the branch-like rock was dry, why else would it be that white.
[IMG]http://atlantareefclub.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=38637&stc=1&d=1343190299" alt="" />

[IMG]http://atlantareefclub.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=38638&stc=1&d=1343190310" alt="" />


Thanks for looking,
Chris
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[heathlindner25]

looks like a much better set up

 

[ruadh]

Wow! Great job!

 

[ralph atl]

Welcome neighbor! great job!

 

[laminatedgorilla]

Thanks.
Even though I have multiple freshwater tanks, I was a little intimidated about setting up a saltwater tank. All in all, it's not much more difficult than setting up a tanganyikan tank. Maintenance might be a different story, but I'll figure that out soon enough.
I'll be picking up a few <u>tiny</u> frags tomorrow as well as a refractometer. I can tell my hydrometer is not going to cut the mustard.

I was wondering if I need to take the chemi-pure elite and the purigen out of the media basket for the tank to cycle properly. I didn't want to throw a shrimp in since the water volume is so small, so I've been adding a little fish food every day. I don't really expect the cycle process to take too long, with the amount of live rock and live sand that's in the tank. Still, I will try to practice some of that patience that I keep telling everyone else they need.

I was thinking about adding some macro like one of the caulerpa to the tank. Do any of the saltwater stores around have a decent selection of macros to choose from?

Thanks.

 

[ptreef]

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i got some of this from petco in buford. not sure of whats around gainesville

 

[laminatedgorilla]

Thanks newpuffer, I always forget about petco when it comes to saltwater.

 

[ripped tide]

laminatedgorilla;784284 wrote: Thanks newpuffer, I always forget about petco when it comes to saltwater.

Lol that is probably a good thing unless you like dealing with fish that have been mishandled.

 

[laminatedgorilla]

I finally got around to taking a few pictures some of the cool frags I've gotten so far.

I got these from a guy off of craigslist.

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I picked these up saturday. The first two frags I won at the meeting, my first of many I hope. I got a big laugh out of the specimen jars. I think Jack hid some subliminal messaging in his presentation because I went out yesterday and bought a couple Continuum products. The other frags I picked up from Ryan (ry57speedybird), thanks again.

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thanks for looking.
Chris

 

[ptreef]

cool frags, i traded for some frogspawn and flower pots from a guy on craigslist a few days ago! and looking to get some Pocillapora frags, which i guess is this:

 

[mustangcaleb]

i love the rpe's from the meeting and looks like u got a really nice frag of them

 

[laminatedgorilla]

MustangCaleb;784974 wrote: i love the rpe's from the meeting and looks like u got a really nice frag of them

Thanks. When the names were getting called, everyone wanted one of the anemone frags. I held off, because of my smaller tank size as well as my inexperience with them. I'm glad I did, because I really like the frags I ended up with. The other frag I took home from the meeting has three different types of zoas on it... and I don't know what any of them are.:doh:

I was messing around with the camera when I was taking pictures and came across the pop art filter. Wow, is all I can say. Too bad life isn't that technicolor.

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[islandreef]

How long has this tank been setup?

 

[laminatedgorilla]

It's been up and running just shy of a month.

 

[laminatedgorilla]

Last week I noticed some brown algae growth on my rocks, so I picked up a $15 clean up crew from Pure Reef. It consisted of 5 astrea snails, 5 blue leg hermit crabs and 2 peppermint shrimp. One of the shrimp is definitely a female, because she was holding a clutch of eggs. Any luck in breeding these guys, or am I looking at a future meal for the rest of the tank?

Since they totally cleaned off all the rock in about a day, I've lengthened out the light cycle to promote more algae growth. Now @ 10am the 1st strip is turned on, @ noon both strips are on until 4, then it's just one strip until 8 - 9pm, then it's just the lunar lights. I know that these LEDs won't be too much light(intensity) for the corals, but will that schedule be too much light duration for any of the corals?

I am definitely impressed with these ecoxotic lights. I pulled the fan out with the CF system, and these lights don't affect the temperature of the tank at all, even on the longer cycle I'm running now. It hangs very close to 80 degrees all day and night. The real test will be how well everything grows under them. I've dug all through google, but I can't find any PAR numbers on the 19w panoramas, just the older ones.

 

[snowmansnow]

yea... iif you're about a month in you can EXPECT a diatom bloom... don't panic if it gets nasty in there. Its a part of the cycle for most ppl.

b

 

[islandreef]

Take it easy on putting stuff in there. Your tank is still going through the cycle process. You may end up looosing all of them.

 

[laminatedgorilla]

I knew there was going to be some algae, but I wanted to keep it from getting out of hand, so I was originally just going to get two shrimp and two snails. I noticed the shrimp were $10 a piece, and asked an employee if they had any deals on a small clean up crew. I was told about the $15 package and went with that.

Ammonia and nitrite have both gone through their stages and are reading right at 0 right now and nitrate is now starting to rise. I tested earlier today and it is right around 5ppm.

 

[purplegorilla]

1. Very nice looking set up
2. Very nice to see another gorilla .

 

[laminatedgorilla]

Thanks purple, I appreciate it. Yeah, not too many gorillas around, don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing.