VicSkimmr December 5, 2006 Share December 5, 2006 (edited) First off, I reckon I should probably introduce myself and give a little backround about my situation. My name is Jason, and I'm a fledgling CPA-in-training at a small firm in Harrisonburg, VA. I just graduated from Coastal Carolina University (Myrtle Beach, SC) this past May, but my home has always been in the Harrisonburg area. While I was there I was a marine science major for the first 3 years, but I decided that that subject is better suited for a hobby for me instead of a career, so I switched to accounting. I just moved into a new place, so I think I'm finally ready to get back into the hobby. I've got about 5 years of experience with saltwater tanks, the past 3 being with reefs. My last tank was a 55 gallon acrylic that I sort of teethed on, there were a lot of lessons learned the hard way, but I had fun. Here's a pic of what it looked like at one point. More photo's can be found here. http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v62/VicS...p;addtype=local Anyway... to the new tank. Dimensions 36" x 24" x 20" , built by Jeff (NAGA) Goal I'm planning on setting this up so it will be viewable from 3 sides. The rock structure will be set up as a shallow reef system, so the rockwork will be low so the corals have lots of room for growth. It will be primarily dominated by SPS. Lighting A 36" Tek T5 fixture with 6 bulbs, I haven't decided on the bulb combination just yet. Filtration Probably around 60 lbs of live rock and a Euro-Reef CS-1 skimmer that I've got left over from my last tank. I'll eventually add a UV sterilizer as well. Water Flow I really want to grab a couple of Tunze Nanostream 6045's when they're released. Speaking of which, has anybody heard about them recently? I thought they were scheduled to be released at the end of '06? Thats about all I can think of at the moment. I've drawn up a fairly representative sketch of what I'm shooting for with the stand, although I found out that there's very little room for equipment under the tank with this setup, so please, any recommendations would be greatly appreciated on how to improve it. I assume I'll have to stretch it out 2" in every direction at the very least to get enough space for a small sump, a water top-off setup, and hopefully a calcium reactor or kalkwasser drip system. So, thats enough rambling I think. I got really bored this evening, so I figured this would be more productive than playing World of Warcraft, but all it really made me realize was that I have way, WAY too much time on my hands. Sorry for the wall of text! Jason Edited December 13, 2006 by VicSkimmr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason the filter freak December 5, 2006 Share December 5, 2006 WElcome, it's great to see new faces! The shallow reef idea sounds intersting nice to see some one else rendering their tank as they go along, looks like you're better at it than I am Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 1st tank December 7, 2006 Share December 7, 2006 I like that design. I like your tank pics too. Welcome aboard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NAGA December 7, 2006 Share December 7, 2006 Jason, the nano streams 6045's will be out the first week of January. Which probably means the second week before I get them. I have 100 on order although I have been getting shipments of 30 every 10 days. I have about 20 of the 6025's left. I can let you know when the 6045's ship. On the subject of your top-off I'd go with a Tunze Oshmolator and run that through their Kalk reactor. It's a good way to top off your evap and does a little calcium. On the subject of your tank I like what you have come up with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VicSkimmr December 7, 2006 Author Share December 7, 2006 Actually that would be great. I'm on the waiting list for them at Premium Aquatics, but I joined it late and I'm sure it will take forever to get them from there. Plus, any business I can give to members is always better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowardofNOVA December 7, 2006 Share December 7, 2006 Jason, Here are the pics of my NAGA Special 90g 3x2x2 tank! I'm sure you will be very happy with it!!! Front View: Notice when your standing in front, You can see everything with the reflections!! Left Side View: Right Side View: I have it on a high stand @ 42" with 4 T5 Bulbs with Retro Fit Kits. Lighting and growth have been going on very well! This pics was early Fall. Will try to post an updated pic! As I mentioned, in the area, give me a call! :wink: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moga December 9, 2006 Share December 9, 2006 HowardofNOVA, tha'ts brilliant tank you've got love your aquascape.. how's T5?.. i am thinking to change 250W and get T5... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keeperofthefish December 9, 2006 Share December 9, 2006 Looking awesome, Howard! Really dig the aquascaping. I have to check it out one of these days in person... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VicSkimmr December 13, 2006 Author Share December 13, 2006 (edited) Ok, so I've got Jeff working on the tank, but we changed the dimensions a bit. Now its going to be a 75 gallon tank, 36"x 24" x 20". I figured the extra 4 inches of height would never properly get used and it would take away from the shallow reef look that I'm going for. So... on to the fish! I've got the list narrowed down a bit, but I'm really torn between some of the choices, so maybe we can knock some of them out right away. Cowfish I've always, always been obsessed with these fish. I've always wanted to try one in a reef tank, but I'm not sure what type of corals they would snack on, if any. I know that their toxin shouldn't affect corals in any way, and the fish I'm looking to get, a Thornback Cowfish, seems to have a reputation for not releasing its toxin. I know this is probably not likely, but has anyone ever tried one of these in a reef? Dwarf Angel Cherub Angel Potter's Angel Bi-Color angel Does anyone have experience with these in a reef tank? Specifically with SPS and zoanthids? Rabbitfish I'd really like to find a rabbitfish to help with grazing on algae. I'm hoping to find a Virgate Rabbitfish, but I've been told that they aren't seen much in the hobby, despite not being very expensive. Is there a reason for this? That'll probably do it for the difficult fish. I'm fully prepared to build the stocking list around the cowfish in order to make it work, provided that it will suit otherwise. Any thoughts, suggestions? Edited December 13, 2006 by VicSkimmr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason the filter freak December 13, 2006 Share December 13, 2006 Thats a lot of angels... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scarletknight06 December 13, 2006 Share December 13, 2006 no experience with rabbitfish or cowfish, but i currently have a gorgeous potters angel and had a flame angel in the past. the flame occassionally nipped at sps, but never much of a problem. I didnt have any zoos or lps in the tank so cant comment on that. the potters I have now is a nipper. he has nipped at everything so far aside from zoos and euphylia lps (torch, frogspawn, and hammer), the sps i have are suffering b/c of him, but i'd rather have the potters over the sps, so no big deal to me. IMO it really comes down to each individual fish and how much you feed them. I've noticed that my potters will only pick at stuff (incessantly!) for 2-3 hours before i feed at night, but if I feed twice a day (very rarely) he won't pick at stuff at all. Some say its merely a matter of time before they figure out they can eat some corals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VicSkimmr December 13, 2006 Author Share December 13, 2006 Thats a lot of angels... Oh, I should've been clearer. I'm choosing between the 3, only 1 will make it to the tank. no experience with rabbitfish or cowfish, but i currently have a gorgeous potters angel and had a flame angel in the past. the flame occassionally nipped at sps, but never much of a problem. I didnt have any zoos or lps in the tank so cant comment on that. the potters I have now is a nipper. he has nipped at everything so far aside from zoos and euphylia lps (torch, frogspawn, and hammer), the sps i have are suffering b/c of him, but i'd rather have the potters over the sps, so no big deal to me. IMO it really comes down to each individual fish and how much you feed them. I've noticed that my potters will only pick at stuff (incessantly!) for 2-3 hours before i feed at night, but if I feed twice a day (very rarely) he won't pick at stuff at all. Some say its merely a matter of time before they figure out they can eat some corals. Hmm, ok, so thats pretty typical of angels then. I was originally going to go with a Cherub Angel because I've had experience with them in the past and I've actually never heard an account of one that would pick at corals. Then I was told about the Potter's, and both the people I talked to that had one had said that it was pretty reef safe too. If I do end up getting the cowfish, I would probably be better to err on the side of caution with adding other potentially non-reef safe animals, so maybe I can knock the Potter's off the list (which would probably mean knocking the Bi-Color off the list too, as much as I hate having to do so). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VicSkimmr December 27, 2006 Author Share December 27, 2006 Update! 12.26.06 Christmas came early! This is what I picked up last Friday from Jeff (NAGA)... Overflow: I gotta say, the craftsmanship on this tank is outstanding, and I couldn't have asked for a better person to deal with than Jeff. We built the frame for the stand on Saturday, it fits like a glove Then Christmas morning brought some more reef goodies :D This thing is a monster. Keep in mind this tank is 24" wide... <insert manly grunt here> Lights on! Here's the bulb selection I chose: Giessmann 39w Aquablue + ATI 39wActinic + GE 39w 6,000k ATI 39w Mid-day (11,000k) Giessmann Pure Actinic Giessmann 39w Aquablu + Lit with just the Aquablue +'s... And now with the entire lineup... You can't tell a huge difference from the pics, but the tank gets significantly brighter... although I may end up switching the Aquablue +'s and the Actinics around to give it a better dawn/dusk effect. Oh, and I got some live rock that I had given to my brother back! This Sunday morning we're finishing the construction on the stand, then its time to fill 'er up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
extreme_tooth_decay December 27, 2006 Share December 27, 2006 I had a thornback cowfish for a long time. That's one of the most personable fish I've ever had. Truly cool fish. He never bothered any of his tank mates or corals, either. The only place that routinely has them to my knowlege is Roozens. tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rooroo December 27, 2006 Share December 27, 2006 I have a bi-color in my tank. He nips a bit at the torch and frogspawn I have, but it doesn't seem to affect them at all. He pretty much ignors all my zoos. Only when he gets hungry does he nip at anything. I was trying to feed the tank once a day but noticed he started nipping much more so I went back to twice a day. He mostly nips at the rocks near the zoos trying to get the algae and disrupts the polyps, but otherwise he's been a perfect gentleman in my tank. He's probably my favorite fish so far. I'm sure others have had different experiences, but he really seems most interested in algae, though he won't eat chaeto or nori. BTW, love the tank! Would like to see pics of the stand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowardofNOVA December 27, 2006 Share December 27, 2006 Jason, I'm having a PM conversation with Karl on a same subject! Recommendations being that we have the same tank, only I'm about 4 months ahead of you. I tried the MaxiJet 1200 Mod and in less your up for a tornado, go with the MJ 900 pump instead! Second, the 90g style with the 3'x2'x2' is a great height to work with especially with my unit sitting 42" off the floor. When your planning your fish, consider adding by columns! Look at where the fish spend most of your time and plan accordingly! Example, Court Jester/Rainfordi Goby along the bottom, Firefish and Clowns on or in the rocks and Tangs and Butterflyfish above. Also, even though the tank is 90g, with the shorter length, you don't need as much flow to get things moving. I'm using a 1" SS and its going fairly well, but a MaxiJet 90 Mod should do fine or the Tunze. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VicSkimmr December 27, 2006 Author Share December 27, 2006 Yeah, I had considered the MJ Mod, but I'm thinking that with 2 nano stream 6045's, I'll get a lot less velocity and a lot more actual flow, which will be good for all the fish and hopefully won't create a sandstorm. The somewhat final stock list is: Thornback Cowfish Cherub Angel A pair of clownfish 3-4 smaller fish (probably gobies and blennies) And further down the road either a Dragonfaced Pipefish or a Mandarin. If any of the fish decide to nip at corals, they'll be snatched up and replaced (with some leniency given to the cowfish ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Grenier December 28, 2006 Share December 28, 2006 Hope you don't mind my butting-in, too late, I just did Now that you've got acrylic, please comment on keeping it clean without scratching it. I suppose that having the nice open top helps. I've always loved and been an advocate of acrylic when I was doing freshwater but not so much when I entered reefing with the very rapid corraline buildup. Big Kudos to NAGA looks great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boxxr December 28, 2006 Share December 28, 2006 Then Christmas morning brought some more reef goodies :D This thing is a monster. Keep in mind this tank is 24" wide... <insert manly grunt here> Here's the bulb selection I chose: Giessmann 39w Aquablue + ATI 39wActinic + GE 39w 6,000k ATI 39w Mid-day (11,000k) Giessmann Pure Actinic Giessmann 39w Aquablu + Lit with just the Aquablue +'s... And now with the entire lineup... You can't tell a huge difference from the pics, but the tank gets significantly brighter... although I may end up switching the Aquablue +'s and the Actinics around to give it a better dawn/dusk effect. As Howard said, that is the same unit as I was looking at. I would go with the 8 54w bulb combo with the 120 that I am setting up. It looks good on that tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VicSkimmr December 28, 2006 Author Share December 28, 2006 As Howard said, that is the same unit as I was looking at. I would go with the 8 54w bulb combo with the 120 that I am setting up. It looks good on that tank. I can't attest to how it will do with corals yet, but the fixture itself is very well built and I believe I read somewhere that it is powdercoated. The only thing that surprised me was that the fixture didn't come with any type of shield to protect the bulbs. I guess it doesn't need one, but I'd feel safer if I had one. The mounting system I had to buy was really expensive, but it is also built very well and is made of the same metal as the main fixture. I put a good deal of felt on the parts that touch the acrylic and it glides over it like butter. Hope you don't mind my butting-in, too late, I just did Now that you've got acrylic, please comment on keeping it clean without scratching it. I suppose that having the nice open top helps. I've always loved and been an advocate of acrylic when I was doing freshwater but not so much when I entered reefing with the very rapid corraline buildup. Big Kudos to NAGA looks great! Will do. I haven't decided on what magnet to use yet, does anybody have any suggestions? With my last tank I usually used a Kent Scraper with a plastic blade which worked surprisingly well. I actually can't remember any instances where I know it scratched the acrylic, but I doubt I'll go that route this time around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMsAquarium December 29, 2006 Share December 29, 2006 I haven't decided on what magnet to use yet, does anybody have any suggestions? With my last tank I usually used a Kent Scraper with a plastic blade which worked surprisingly well. I actually can't remember any instances where I know it scratched the acrylic, but I doubt I'll go that route this time around. An old credit card works very well. Same as with the fake credit cards that come in the mail along with promotional offers. It scraps coraline easily (of course, if you let it build up for a long while, that's another story) and does not scratch the acrylic. Nice tank. Congrats Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VicSkimmr January 4, 2007 Author Share January 4, 2007 Guys, As I couldn't sleep last night, I was trouble shooting potential problems with the design of the tank and I realized that I need to drill some more holes. The first one needs to be for the return. At first I thought I could just plumb it over the top of the lip, but then I realized that the way the light sits on the tank (and how I'll have to slide it to one end to the other to get access to the inside of the tank), that won't work. So I guess my only option is to drill a hole in the back. The other holes I need to drill are going to need to be in the brace. I'm going to be using 2 nanostream 6045's, and their cords have to go somewhere. I don't think it would look very aesthetically pleasing to have them wrap over the bracing since it comes in so far (which is fine, I like how the brace looks). My first thought was that I could just have the wires come through the hole for the overflow, but then I realized that if I did that I'd most certainly spill water as some of it would follow the cord instead of cleanly landing into the overflow box. So, I need to drill 2 holes in the brace that can accommodate the cords from the powerheads. So, does anyone have any suggestions on how I should go about doing this? Any tips on how to drill a clean hole? Should I be concerned with the acrylic cracking if I drill the holes too close to a seam? Jason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NAGA January 4, 2007 Share January 4, 2007 Hey Jason, like the set up!!! a couple of things to let you know..................to put holes in the acrylic is no problem using a simple hole saw you get from home depot. I do want to caution you that since the top of the tank is made with 3/4" thick acrylic it's going to get hot and gum up a bit. To get the cleanest hole your going to need either a minium 6amp drill or if that's not available then go into it in increments and let it cool down in between. Another thing I would like to see that since you have a home made stand I would like to see the tank sit on some styrofoam so the tank can sit on that thusly any contour deviations in the wood would be compensated with the styrofoam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VicSkimmr January 5, 2007 Author Share January 5, 2007 Hey Jason, like the set up!!! a couple of things to let you know..................to put holes in the acrylic is no problem using a simple hole saw you get from home depot. I do want to caution you that since the top of the tank is made with 3/4" thick acrylic it's going to get hot and gum up a bit. To get the cleanest hole your going to need either a minium 6amp drill or if that's not available then go into it in increments and let it cool down in between. Another thing I would like to see that since you have a home made stand I would like to see the tank sit on some styrofoam so the tank can sit on that thusly any contour deviations in the wood would be compensated with the styrofoam. Will do. Thats another question I had actually... what type of Styrofoam do you normally use? Just the typical huge sheet you can buy at Lowe's? I figured that once its got 800 lbs sitting on it, it would be pretty much worthless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsaavedra January 5, 2007 Share January 5, 2007 Will do. Thats another question I had actually... what type of Styrofoam do you normally use? Just the typical huge sheet you can buy at Lowe's? I figured that once its got 800 lbs sitting on it, it would be pretty much worthless. Jason, I bought my foam at HD for 4.00 on a 4X8' sheet, blue in color and found it in the insulation isle. Raf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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