Pictures of Bomber's barebottom SPS tank and related equipment

[melev]

That is sooo cool! Thanks for posting that image.

[joedelt]

ok folks..bear with me....
im setting up the new tank, its an acryllic cube 2x2x2. my original plan was for a 4-6 inch sand bed. Not gonna do it.


my original plan calls for 2x tunze 7200/2 (Output: 500 - 2400 l/h (132 - 634 US gal./h)
) and the returns for the tank. i thought this would work good for a DSB w/out blowing the world away.

then bomber has to go and add a world of hurt to my life and make me start thinking....THANKS BOMBER


so now im thinking of using black acryllic rod and some scrap black acryllic pieces to make stands for all my liverock to get it off the bottom.


im toying with the idea of a minor upgrade and just going with one Turbelle® stream 6100 and
one Turbelle® electronic 7400/2
each with a total of 16,000 l/h
(4,226.7 US gal./h)

would that be too far over the edge? obviously i can dial them back or up to full hilt as necessary.

my skimmer is the smaller euroreef, 5-2, for my water volume i think that will be ok for a bomber inspired modified berlin?

im still thinking i want a small refugeum running some macro algae. i have 5# of mud laying around that i could throw in a HOT refugeum and grow some algea.

looking for thougts, opinions, etc.

thanks

[Shoestring Reefer]

Isn't that about a 100 X water turn over per hour? It's a lot higher than anything I've ever seen recommended, but I'm no expert.

[Rick Davis]

Joedelt

I currently have a 2 X 2 X 2 cube tank.

DON'T PUT A TUNZE IN THERE!!!!!

Unless your fish specifically asked for a jacuzzi, that sounds like way too much flow. Shoot for about 20X turnover and that should be plenty.

[joedelt]

well remember that those values are the 100% values. but its what i figured....im still trying to figure out how to use one fo those

[Bomber]

Originally posted by joedelt
then bomber has to go and add a world of hurt to my life and make me start thinking....THANKS BOMBER

It's a dirty job, but someone has to do it.

Don't you guys think a certain number of tank turn overs per hour is like in lighting saying watts per gallon?

8 watts per gal in a 10gal tank is only 80 watts.

20 tank turnovers in a 10 gal tank is only 200 gal per hour.

[MiddletonMark]

If it's an acrylic tank ... maybe consider drilling a couple holes for a closed loop?

Those Tunzes aren't the smallest of all things hanging in your tank ... and not to say it's all aesthetics ... but I find Closed-loop holes/outputs/spraybars to take up a lot less space [can even hide somewhat in rockwork] compared to any sort of powerhead - and Tunzes are great but large.

Esp. on an acrylic tank ... I'd go closed loop. Hide it all but a little plumbing ... plus a spray bar along the bottom IMO would be cool + good flow.

[joedelt]

bomber, from the perspective of the fish and some SPS would this absolute overkill? i was going from the angle that if i mounted the stream near the top facing down at a 20-30 degree angle that would do a lot towards keeping everything moving on the bottom. i could use the powerhead to add disruption to the flow stream.
i tend to agree that the x times per hour is like x lighting. but at the same time, i dont want to have fish plastered against the walls of the tank

/john

[joedelt]

MiddletonMark
one of the goals of my tank is to keep everything inside the tank. it was originally going to be viewable from all 4 sides but we're moving and the new place has no room to allow for that.
i like the idea of a spray bar, but not sure how i would acomplish it right now...maybe 'Y' the return feed and have it spray out each side of the overflow on the back wall.

[SaltwaterNovice]

Conchs are raised by nannies in the Turks?

[MiddletonMark]

Originally posted by Bomber
Don't you guys think a certain number of tank turn overs per hour is like in lighting saying watts per gallon?

Oh come on! Aren't we allowed to have some silly rule to mis-apply?

First the `dump SD in and no problems' doesn't work that way, then watts per gallon is not accurate, now _x times flow isn't just some formula ... what do you want, us to customize things for what we stock?

Next you'll be saying that I have to feed differently depending on what I stock, or that skimmer-tank-size recommendations aren't always accurate.

Sheesh, it's like we have to think for ourselves or something

j/k ... I'm in agreement. I almost got caught in that deep-end myself with plans to make some giant closed loop to increase flow [though I still don't like my powerheads hiding behind my aquascape] .... thankfully the Salifert testing gods reminded me this last weekend that with zero Nitrates and visibly growing and nicely colored SPS in my tank that maybe I have enough flow.

Even though I'm a reluctant barebottom guy with about 1/2" or a less of mixed cc/sandy substrate [had to replace a little, as in last 5 months of siphoning with water changes had me down to glass again for over 60% of tank]. Thankfully I placed most of my flow going thru the rocks, behind the rocks, and in the inaccessible places so that the only place detritus collects is where it's easy to access [front glass] which is where all my substrate ends up [thus removed regularly in siphoning - but still there for the visual effect I'm still hooked on].

Just waiting to get lazy [and married] this summer and probably will just end up with not replacing any when it's gone next time ...

Just glad as heck that to my logic DSB sketched me out, even though I had it recommended all the time. The BB thread kept me from going there anyway ... and now healthy tank and no nitrates have shown me that flow + wet skimming + balanced import/export and maintenance = no sink nor the appearance of the Nitrate boogeyman I was taught to fear.

Anyway - enough ranting ... just happy for the good advice from all you `wise guys'

[MiddletonMark]

Originally posted by joedelt
one of the goals of my tank is to keep everything inside the tank. it was originally going to be viewable from all 4 sides but we're moving and the new place has no room to allow for that.

Maybe start a thread on ideas how to do this? Might get more notice as a `plumbing a cube tank' thread or something [then link it here, so we can all jump on too ]

I personally would then favor a closed loop ... as you could drill it from the bottom or low down [no reverse-siphon issues, provided you plumb it tight and it doesn't leak ... as it just runs from tank, to pump, back to tank for return]

Anyway - back to Bomber's tank [I'm doing some serious hijacking today] ....

[SPC]

Just waiting to get lazy [and married] this summer

Congrats Mark!

Joe, I agree with the others about the Stream being to large for a tank of that size, as far as my taste goes. I would look at going with a closed loop too, or having a large return pump with various outputs in the tank.
Steve

[joedelt]

good thought on new thread, here is the link


http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...hreadid=308382

[Shoestring Reefer]

Ok, so waht are the recommendations for tank flow? Other than, get more flow if you don't have enough.

There must be some range of flows that are more ideal than others; for example, in a setup like bomber's (with all flow entering one end and exiting the other) is there an ideal range of feet per second?

[Flatlander]

C,mon you guys. I have two 6080 stream pumps running in my 75g cube as we speak. Does not bother the chromis or the large clarkii. Even my fat ole mandarin swims around in it. I structured the rock so the flow is good but still room to hide.

Course its bare bottom.

[Mojoreef]

Hmmm not bad for a rookie give me a shout one day and I will you a few tips of coloring up that tank





Looking good Jerel


Mike

[Bomber]

I used to get tickled at Malcomb (our large queen angel), he would surf to one end of the tank, and then surf back. When he wanted to rest, he had a cave he would sit in. Then get up and surf again.

[nancysnuwave]

Originally posted by Bomber
surf to one end of the tank, and then surf back.

I must have missed it, Bomber.. what made these currents? A surge device or ?

Chris

[Kitzo]

IS there a positive ID for this coral?
And is it a Carribean only SPS?

[Bomber]

Someone drag that old thread up from Dec 2001 for Kitzo.

[Bomber]

Chris, the returns on the top of the tank. The two without eductors work one at a time on a Iwaki100. The two with eductors work one at a time on a Iwaki55.

The Iwaki55 - with eductors - beats out the Iwaki100. They really overpower it.

[angiras]

Originally posted by Doug Lowey
C,mon you guys. I have two 6080 stream pumps running in my 75g cube as we speak. Does not bother the chromis or the large clarkii. Even my fat ole mandarin swims around in it. I structured the rock so the flow is good but still room to hide.

Course its bare bottom.

Oh yea - this thread has me looking at 1 or 2 6000 streams for a 120 or a 180 upgrade. Most likely will end up with the 120 - that way I can still afford to add to my stock after I pay for the tank

I was thinking (and this may not work as I havent seen a stream in person) of aiming one unit directly at the rock structure to have good flow through and on the right side of the tank place one in the rear angled toward the front glass.

I really need to see one of these things in person though so I can get my head around it.

-Ben

[nancysnuwave]

Originally posted by Bomber
Chris, the returns on the top of the tank. .

Thanks!

I'm debating bare bottom, inch of southdown, paint the bottom of the tank or ? find a sheet of white plastic to put under the tank..

Right now, I'm leaning pretty heavily for the plastic film underneath on a 125 I'm assembling.

I like that you only use your halides for 2 hours. I think I'd like to find a way to just do w/ out and go VHO, but I guess you've looked at that option?

Chris

[fishgills]

Great looking tank, and good pictures.