30g Mini Carpet Biotope

[dshnarw]

Finalizing my tank flow.

 

 

Quick summary:

 

max: 600gph through sump/fuge

min: 600gph through closed loop

 

goal: 1200-1500gph total, no powerheads (anemones + powerheads = ) .

 

closed loop return on an adjustable spray bar.

SCWD return on fuge return, locline adjustable returns

 

 

Any comments or suggestions appreciated, especially on tank return (EVEN "YOUR TANK SUCKS!").

 

dschflier will be soon drilling for me! (TY)

[jason the filter freak]

you gonna hack your scwd or just go regular? I can't wait to see this done

[dshnarw]

you gonna hack your scwd or just go regular? I can't wait to see this done

 

Probably just regular for now, depends on what I find in the various forum classifieds. I just need that and a good (cheap) 900-1200 gph pump for the closed loop.

 

EDIT: Hmmmm.....modded SCWD is looking nicer and nicer....

Edited December 1, 2007 by dshnarw

[dshnarw]

Update:

 

Found a new mini carpet!

 

Also grabbed up Tri Bui's Little Giant for my closed loop and ASM Mini-G for a protein skimmer. Prices were too cheap to pass up.

 

I put the skimmer in my 15+10 to see how well it'd work, and it pulled some nasty almost dry skimmate right off the bat. Don't know much a ton about skimmers, but that can't be a bad thing.

[dshnarw]

I joined a Secret Santa group on the nano-reef forums and got my stuff from "Santa" today, some of which will go into the mini biotope:

 

orange monti cap (brightest orange I've ever seen!):

 

kiwi monti confusa (much greener in person):

 

purple monti undata:

 

and the kicker...

 

Tyree LE Strawberry Patch monti cap!!!

Edited December 14, 2007 by dshnarw

[dshnarw]

Wow! Today has been GOOD!

 

Last week I found another mini carpet. I thought it was a maxi because it was so big. Dropped it in my sump and left it there to move so I could put it in a container with the others awaiting the big moving day...

 

Today, I look in and catch the last few minutes of mini carpet fission...except, it didn't just split in half. IT QUARTERED ITSELF!!!!

 

Here are the pics - sorry for quality, batteries dying so I just snapped them as quick as I could:

 

1 and 2:

 

3 and 4:

[dshnarw]

CAN 5 HOLES BE PUT IN A 30 BREEDER.....YES!!! YES THEY CAN!!!

 

THANKS TO TRI BUI, 5 HOLES READY TO GO!

 

 

 

pics as soon as I get it plumbed and the camera batteries charge.

 

 

and another HUGE thanks to Tri Bui for nervously drilling the holes. (I think he was more scared than I was and more excited when the last one fell through!)

[jason the filter freak]

congrats!

[dshnarw]

Left the top trim on for now, but without being glued down. After I fill it up, I'll see if it comes off as easy as it does unfilled. If so, further assurance that it's not structural.

 

PVC needs to be painted black, and then the plumbing will be ready to hook up.

Edited December 16, 2007 by dshnarw

[jason the filter freak]

can you please tell me exaclty how you removed the rim with out breaking the tank, and more importantly how you got the silicone off the rim where the rim was attached to the tank

[dshnarw]

can you please tell me exaclty how you removed the rim with out breaking the tank, and more importantly how you got the silicone off the rim where the rim was attached to the tank

 

 

Take a knife and slice between the glass and the plastic on the inside and outside. Just keep going around the tank until it starts feeling loose. It helps to lightly pull outward on the outside edge of the plastic - you'll hear a bit of a pop from the silicone popping off the tank, but the glass isn't breaking. The corners are the hardest part, get the knife in REALLY well to pop them out. As soon as you get one, the others are pretty easy.

 

 

To get the silicone off, I took a new razor blade and scraped until it came off. As long as the blade is new, it won't scratch the glass. You need to be very careful around the edge or you'll chip the glass, but if you keep the blade straight, it shouldn't be a problem.

 

(I'll throw in the disclaimer that you should check the glass dimensions to make sure the tank can withstand not having the trim, and that if the trim has a cross-brace it's likely structural)

 

The whole process took me about 4 hours of fairly vigorous work while watching tv

[davelin315]

You had some nice scores in the past few days! That Secret Santa exchange really paid off for you, what did you have to sacrifice?

[dshnarw]

You had some nice scores in the past few days! That Secret Santa exchange really paid off for you, what did you have to sacrifice?

 

Thanks! It was a really good end of the week.

 

I got a guy who had pc lighting, so I had a hard time picking stuff out. I ended up sending out 2 of my mini-mini carpets and 2 green and purple yumas, along with about half my free zoa colony from the Mr. Coral opening.

[jason the filter freak]

Just tried to do rim removing and ended up breaking 3 tanks in the proscess, oh well

[YBeNormal]

Patience Grasshopper, patience!

 

Use a thin-blade razor knife, the kind with the long breakaway blades. Buy extra blades as you will break one or more in the process. Slide the knife between the glass and the frame and slice it down the edge several times until you have cut through the silicone and the tip of the knife is scraping against the inside top of the pastic frame. Do the same on inside of the tank then firmly grasp the inside *and* outside edges of the frame and pull. Work your way around the tank until the seal is broken (not the glass). You may have to work around the tank several times before the frame comes loose.

 

I've done this more times than I can count and I have never broken a tank in the process. Just don't try to rush things and you should be fine.

[dshnarw]

Just tried to do rim removing and ended up breaking 3 tanks in the proscess, oh well

 

 

What step were you on when it broke?

 

(I've also never had it happen after several tanks now. Only thing I can think is you didn't cut the silicone enough before pulling on it. You should really start to feel the blade dig into the plastic all the way around the tank, especially in the corners before trying to pull the trim off.)

[jason the filter freak]

We'll i don't really want to jack your thread, but I'm doing it to a 2.5 really thin glass. I'm using an exacto knife, and was using two blades per tank, I would get one corner worked part way off then bam when I was working on the next corner it would snap

[dshnarw]

We'll i don't really want to jack your thread, but I'm doing it to a 2.5 really thin glass. I'm using an exacto knife, and was using two blades per tank, I would get one corner worked part way off then bam when I was working on the next corner it would snap

 

nah, hijack away...at least I know the thread is getting some traffic that way

 

I've never tried it on that small of a tank. Not much wiggle room with that - the plastic is too short to bend much. YYou'd need to get all the corners cut free, but leave the plastic all the way on after each corner. Pull straight up so that the plastic comes off each corner the same amount until it comes off. If a corner sticks, don't force it, but go back to slicing with the knife.