Davids 210 history-current and future

[dschflier]

I will first describe my setup from 4 years ago, Today and then near future plans. Then as I progress I will add details to each.

 

I began 4 years ago when I bought a 210 setup from a person who was moving. When the owner started the move he cracked the tank and so he sold me all of the equipment, fish, Live rock and a ton of other items for something like $300. I then went out and bought a new Reef Ready 210. This was also the begining of my buying and selling aquariums as well as large tanks. At this point I was still not Aware of WAMAS

 

July 2004

 

Reef ready 210gallon display, light fixture 3x250 watt MH + 2x 96 watt pwr compact acitinic, Water movment was done with pwr heads randomly located all over the tank and turnover was accomplished with my very reliable Iwaki-100, Nautilus EX skimmer. In my back room was my triple sump mess. and 2 additional tanks. 20 long using pwr compacts for lighting and a 46 bow front pwr compacts for lighting. All three tanks were connected by the common sump. These two tanks were placed on a metal stand which I bought from Loews or home depot, and then quickly discoverd that metal and salt dont go well together.

[zoozilla]

Will jump along on this thread. Where be the pixies?

[dschflier]

Okay first Ihave some pictures of my tank and equipment from when I began. This was about a year before I was aware of WAMAS. Early 2004

As you can see this picture shows how vibrant my tank was. That coral to the left of the niger probbably turned white in a matter of seconds. The fish always appeared happy.

As If I wasn't experimenting enough these two tanks became my frag tank and quarintine tanks. They were both attached to the main system but I was able to detach them as well.

This is obviously of my sumps. You can see all the for thought I put into this setup. The 2 smaller acrylic sumps I attached with 2x1" fittings. It didn't work very efficiently but it did work. You can also see the Nautilus skimmer. This did a fine job for a while. The second sump is not in the picture. The green bucket was filled with live rock.

Edited July 30, 2008 by dschflier

[dschflier]

The next pictures are mostly from around the 05-06 time frame. Mid 05 I joined WAMAS. I met Martin and when he realized I had a bunch of tanks he mentioned WAMAS and I have been thankfull for the info ever since. WAMAS has been pricelss not only for the equpment I bought and sold, but I have learned so much and am constantly learning.

 

I was not aware of the importance of Calcium,Alkalinity, PH and all the other perameters which I still dont check as often as I should. At least now I am aware of their importance.

 

 

The coraline algea you see on any of the rocks would always disapear within a month after getting the rocks. At the time I didn't know why

Once again the huge SPS next to the hawk fish. I think it went into shock the second it was put into the tank. My fish where always healthy

 

My torch and frog spawn which I got years ago are still doing really well in my main display

Edited July 30, 2008 by dschflier

[dschflier]

This was the back of my 46 bowfront and my 20 long. As you can see at the time I didn't not know how to drill tanks. I also upgraded to a wooden stand. no more rust issues.

 

 

This was about the time I met Jeff(NAGA). Actually I have never met him in person. This was done all through the phone and online communication. He built me the beautifull sump. I still use it and probbably will be using it for a very long time. I also upgraded my skimmer to an ASM skimmer. Both of these upgrades made a big improvment in my tank. the sump allowed me to run my Iwaki at full throttle and was just a pleasure to work around. It is a very simple design and very well built. For any acrylic needs I may have in the future Jeff will always be my first call. The ASM skimmer was a big improvment from my previous skimmer. It cleaned the H-E-double hocky sticks out of my tank, but in my opinion they are not that well built. The acrylic used is much thinner then my current GSA skimmer and it has to be used in sump. That being said, if you can get one at a reasonable price they do a descent job of skimming. I think mine was the ASM 4x.

 

If you look at the sump you can also see that I now have a float switch which controls my auto-topoff. That was a relief until my first flood. Since then I have improved the auto topoff and have not had another flood caused by the aquarium.

 

I also installed a SCWD and ran it with a mag9. The SCWD works fine until it breaks, which dosn't take long. I will be mentioning the WAV, which is a product I plan on installing soon in my main display and also my 54 corner tank. The Wave action valve, if it works as advertised should be a much more cost effective replacment for the oceans motion and a much more reliable product then the SCWD. My understanding is that this product is able to be dismantalled if it breaks, making it much easier to fix then either of the other products.

Edited August 3, 2008 by dschflier

[jason the filter freak]

I remember this the first time I showed up at your house, the huge equipment room and more equipment than I'd ever seen before.

[dschflier]

Part of the reason I am writing this history is so other people can see what has worked for me in combating issues I have had over the years.

 

The end of 2006 till around the middle of 2007 I started to get some pretty bad hair algeea and cyno bacteria. I had met Dan,(Grey seas aquatics) who came over and gave me some good advice on getting my tanks in the right direction.

 

I had never checked any of my water parameters which Dan kept stressing that I needed to do. Finally I began testing my water, I increased my water changes almost 100%, bought a Grey Seas media reactor and used a brisstle brush to remove any of the hair algea I could. I also had bought some setups and in the process got controllable tunzees and a sea swirl. All of these changes started to have a big impact on my hair algea and my tank started looking better. When I started using carbon and Phosphate media I worked up to using about 1 cup of carbon per 50 gallons of water and 1 cup of PhosBgone per 100 gallons of water. The algea began falling off the rocks and turning white from lack of nutrients. Shortly after this began happening I cut back on how much media I was using.

 

During this time I also bought a used Grey Seas protein skimmer and a Grey Seas Kalk stirrer. These also had a huge impact on my aquarium. I was finally able to keep SPS alive. Although for the next year they didn't grow at all.

 

This coral was one of my first SPS that lived and is finally growing today. I am not sure what type it is but would like to know so I can start putting names with my corals.

You can see some of the small saps and other corals but still not all that much happening.

Edited August 3, 2008 by dschflier

[dschflier]

This is what my tank looks like as of last week.

 

My first SPS

now looks like this

 

It is probbably 6 times as large and appears to be grwoing faster. i am aware that I still dont have the incredible growth of other members tanks but I feel I have turned the corner. I will be going over my coming modifications and improvments and am always open to input and suggestions. I am also curious as to the names and IDing any of my SPS. I have forgotten most of the names.

 

 

You can alos see how well my hammer and torches are both doing and they get a good amount of water flow.

 

 

The red table acro was slow to get going but now has gotten about 3x the size as when I got it from Leishman. This picture is shortly after i got it.

I also got this one from Leishman. Ric if you know the name if you could remind me that would be great. This is the picture when I got it. when I re-aquascaped I broke it in 3 and now have three pieces each larger then this one.

 

Some of the torch, starpolyps and schrooms.

 

one of my 3 pairs of clowns. dont they look happy?

The heart of my system.

 

I will start posting my plumbing and plumbing plans. I will show what I have done and what I plan on doing. Always looking for input and ideas.

[martin]

David,

 

Your tank is looking sharp these days. I think I'll use your posted advice about hair algea.

[dschflier]

Thanks Martin,

 

It has taken a bunch of time and patience. I am really happy with the tank but am still looking to push it up a bit. I am in the process of making a whole bunch of changes which I will post for opinions and just so people can follow along.

[dschflier]

Next I will show my drainage plumbing.

 

These pictures show my 90 and 54 corner in my back room. All of my tanks are connected by the sump. Iused to have my 90 flow into my 40 breeder. With my new plumbing I will not have that. The problem that created is it made it more difficult to quarintine if I needed to.

 

The plumbing starting from the 90 is, as I mentioned 2 x 1" bulkheads which drain immediatly into a 1.25 PVC pipe that is vented before the first fitting and just after the 2nd. The piping then goes lower and is attached to a 2" pipe. The 54 corner will drain into the 2" pipe. The last picture shows the 2" pipe with the two drain holes which is where the 54 drains will be connected to. The air vents and the large diameter pipe makes this a very quite drain.

 

 

 

The drainage from my 210 is just the standard pre-drilled 2 x 1" bulkheads and the 2 x 3/4" bulkheads. This allows descent turnover but if I had to do it over again I would drill the tank myself and use 3 x 1.5" and vent them better. this would also save a lot of room in the tank

 

 

 

I am still in the process of deciding what to do with both my back tanks. I have had my 90 set up for a long time. Initially it was supposed to be a refugium, but it became home to my pair of tomato clowns and 4 anemonies. I am considering selling most of what I have in that tank and returning it to a refugium.

 

I still am completely undecided. The 54 I plan on using a sea swirl and a WAV for water movment and am not sure what I will be using that tank for either. I will be getting rid of the MH on top of the 90 and will be using VHOs on both the 54 and 90.

 

Over the next month or so I will be doing the plumbing and changing out the lighting. I am looking for input if anyone has any thoughts.

[dschflier]

It has been a busy couple of months but I have finally made some progress on my plumbing. I bought two WAVs and had to fix my sea swirl(not pictured). I also was finally ready to replace my pump and plumbing going out to my tanks. I switched to the hammerhead pump from my very reliable Iwaki100. I hope the new pump gives me the same reliability.

 

I also finally set up my calcium reactor and am running it without any CO2 at this time just to make sure it is mechanically sound. I replaced much of the old PVC with flex PVC and this has made a huge difference for me. I feel it is very easy to work with in tight places or when you want clean bends instead of sharp 45s or 90s. I still feel many situations are better with rigid PVC but they definitley compliment each other.

 

Various pictures of the WAV and the directions Some various plumbing supplies

My hammer head pump

calcium reactor

Edited November 12, 2008 by dschflier

[jason the filter freak]

good luck

[dschflier]

 

The new plumbing will supply my 54 corner, 90 gallon, my media reactor as well as my main display tank.

 

 

This picture shows the main branch which splits off to the WAV first and the 1" sea swirl second. Using both the WAV and the sea swirl I feel will give me really good random water flow. I also have 2 tunzees in the main system. Eventually I would like to find a well made American product which can compete with the tunzees. I generally like selling American products if possible and will only sell things which I feel comfortable using.

 

I will also plan on setting up a WAV in my 90 and 54

[MisterTang]

What ended up being the reason why your coralline was dying off?

[WDLV]

Looks nice. Having been a previous owner of a 210 gallon I can say that that tank size lends a great deal of potential and I hope you enjoy yours as much as I did mine. You are off to a great start!

[dschflier]

I have not had any coraline die off. The first bunch of pictures are from when I set my tank up originally and I just never really monitored any of my water parameters. That was maybe 5 years ago. My tank now has coraline on everything. I will try and take some pictures tomorrow. Over the next couple of weeks I plan on learning how to better use my aquacontroller 2 which has been sitting around for years and use that with my calcium reactor which has been sitting around as well.

 

Just before I re-did this plumbing I changed out my middle MH light on my 210 from a 250 watt light to a 400 watt light and I also changed my 90 gallon tank from 2x 250 watt MH lights to 4x110 watt VHOs. The setup in my 90 works better for me now and the 400 watt light really makes a difference in the lower area I have setup in the middle.

 

I will post some more pictures of the front side of my tank soon.

Edited November 13, 2008 by dschflier

[dschflier]

Some current pictures of tank. I will add some more soon.

 

 

 

[dschflier]

My green torch had about half of it detach the other day. I was considering selling half but I think I will hold off because I like the way it looks now. I put it in front of the others and it looks really nice. Each green torch has at least 8 heads on it and the brown one has many more.

 

I was looking at the brown torch closely the other day and noticed something I had never seen before. The brown torch is growing a small green head but it appears as if it attaced to the base area or midway up on a branch of the brown torch. Has anyone ever seen this before. I tried taking sme pictures of this.

 

 

 

 

The last picture is a close up