Rocky's 3ft Tank

[Rocky99]

Started the hobby 3mths ago with a 2ft tank in my room after my poor luohan fish passed away. I decided to upgrade to a 3ft after developing more interest in it - still keeping the small tank in my room though). Due to limited funds as i am saving up for my sch trip nxt yr, i chose to build my own cabinet and get a tank to sit on it. Currently, my equipment for this tank incl only:

20kg LR, 4diy T5, 2ft sump, diy denitrator. i don't have a skimmer in this tank yet because i can't decide on a value for money one. my existing 2012 in my small tank is disappointing - diluted brown skimmate over a long time. my inhabitants incl:

2percula, 1 maroon clown, 1 boxing shrimp, 1 powder brown tang and 1 powder blue tang. also got an FOC brown hairy crab that came hidden in the LR.

unfortanately, a couple of fish died despite my best efforts with lots of reading up on the hobby.

My intention is to keep a reef in the near future, so thats y i am limiting my livestocks. As my LR don't lean against the back of the tank, i kinda regret on the width (1.5)of my tank, as i now feel that it's too narrow to place clams and corals in the future. Feel free to comment on and throw suggestions for my tank, guys.

Rocky

[Rocky99]

construction of cabinet.

took technical classes in sch last time, but still not an easy job.

[typrobin]

U HAVE A DOUBLE POST!!! http://www.sgreefclub.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=24141

your tank size is exactly the same as mine..i think the size is quite alright, considering that both of us are poor students...

i suggest that u take out that hairy crab...it might be one of the reasons for the deaths of your fishes...if it grows too big, u'll have problems next time...

u DIY a cabinet?? u must be confident..considering the weight of that tank size..i am stiill worried that my wrought iron stand will give way one day...

20kg of LRs is very little...i think i have about 70-80kg...not too sure though...bought them in batches and pieces...

weipro 2012 is quite alright,for now..u dun have a lot of fishes so not tat bad...value for money?? i say go for the most expensive one that you can afford...if it is a weipro then so be it...just do other preventive measures like less feeding and frequent water change...

how thick is your tank glass??

[Rocky99]

U HAVE A DOUBLE POST!!! http://www.sgreefclub.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=24141

your tank size is exactly the same as mine..i think the size is quite alright, considering that both of us are poor students...

i suggest that u take out that hairy crab...it might be one of the reasons for the deaths of your fishes...if it grows too big, u'll have problems next time...

u DIY a cabinet?? u must be confident..considering the weight of that tank size..i am stiill worried that my wrought iron stand will give way one day...

20kg of LRs is very little...i think i have about 70-80kg...not too sure though...bought them in batches and pieces...

weipro 2012 is quite alright,for now..u dun have a lot of fishes so not tat bad...value for money?? i say go for the most expensive one that you can afford...if it is a weipro then so be it...just do other preventive measures like less feeding and frequent water change...

how thick is your tank glass??

thanks typrobin. my tank is 10mm thick. dunno issit because its quite cheap, thats y the glass somehow looks quite green, like blocking off some light. must wait the the crab to come out then i can catch. -p.

The cabinet is not very professionally done, but i believe its strong enough to support the 300+ kg tank, rocks and water. Used kapur instead of chengai partly because of cost and ease of working on it.

i also think having more live rocks would aid the biological filtration but i don't seem to have anymore space in the tank. the overflow box takes up so much space

[Rocky99]

my pathetic sump tank. looks like i wont have space for my future equipment in the cabinet. i don't use really bioballs here. 99% of them are in my diy denitrator.

[Rocky99]

havent had time to paint the cabinet. had been working on the lights for weeks.

lights are temporarily up, sitting on top of the tank for the time being. will suspend it from the ceiling i have time.

i don't understand. my carpet anemone seems to be afraid of strong lighting. hides under the arch in my LR formation when i only turn on 2 of the 39W T5s. one white and one actinic. aquaz.

seems very bright to me with 2 tubes. maybe the tank is quite empty, thats y.

took me 2 days to scape the rocks. 1st time everything collapsed after a day. 2nd time i felt there are too many arches in the formation. so did a 3rd time - very stable i think.

[Rocky99]

my 2 powders. thinking of adding one more tank nxt time. hope that they won't fight.

[Rocky99]

my carpet anemone. not facing up but to the side.

[typrobin]

wah..another DIY man...

good to have someone as cheapo as me...HEY ERIC where are u??ahahhaha

[danano]

Nice scaping but 2 tangs may be one tang too many for a 3'x1.5' tank.

How long has your 3ft tank been running? Looks very new, better go slow on stocking up.

Dan

[Rocky99]

my 2 perculas. won't be adding anymore livestocks until i can control the water quality.

ammonia and nitrite are zero. my nitrate is at 25ppm on tetratest NO3. i have no idea how to bring it down to say zero. if i perform frequent water change, will need to repeat it many many many times since what i'm doing is only 10% dilution everytime. sighz

[Rocky99]

Nice scaping but 2 tangs may be one tang too many for a 3'x1.5' tank.

How long has your 3ft tank been running?  Looks very new, better go slow on stocking up.

Dan

6wks at most i think. that's about all for the next few wks. thanks for reminding me dan

[lvcap]

wow!

ick free powders in a new tank..

good for u pal..

slowly stock up...and have fun reefing..

[typrobin]

your rockscape seems scary...

i think it better if u lean it against the tank or build a broader base...

[aStRoBo|]

well lots of potential.. gd DIYer too.. happy reefing!

[tineng]

6wks at most i think. that's about all for the next few wks. thanks for reminding me dan

6 weeks is too early for so many fishes....IMHO.....i waited 4 weeks before adding in a clown and another month before my Blue tang.......but then i started during the monsoon season....not much fish to temp me....

[Rocky99]

6 weeks is too early for so many fishes....IMHO.....i waited 4 weeks before adding in a clown and another month before my Blue tang.......but then i started during the monsoon season....not much fish to temp me....

ic, now i know the meaning of going slow..... =p

[that was niceeeee]

hey bro your PBT how ong liaoa r?no ich?

[Rocky99]

your rockscape seems scary...

i think it better if u lean it against the tank or build a broader base...

because i want to have my tank viewable from both sides, i can't stack the rocks against the back. 2nd reason is that the tank is too narrow, so i cant broaden the base much further otherwise i dun have place to put enuff corals in the future.

i should really get more LR to see if i can make them fit into the tank. i tried to rock the rocks in the tanks. feels ok to me - stable.

but definitely not earthquake proof.

here's a pic of the tank from behind

[Rocky99]

view from side.

i notice i i block off the glass behind the tank with a cardboard, the colors the fish and rocks will stand out better. but since my tank isn't placed against the wall, i shall keep it like that.

i dun haf a good dc for the time being. so can't take better pictures and closeup shots.

[Rocky99]

hey bro your PBT how ong liaoa r?no ich?

hi bro, my PBT abt 2 wks already. ya so far got no ich. the other fishes also. i dunno y. but my tank has got quite some tiny white fleas. are they called copepods?

[spawns]

good job on the D.I.Y cabinet, bro! i think you should start a new thread in the D.I.Y forum........

[flamey]

nice job on the cabinet bro!

go slow on stocking up k....

[Ancelot]

IMO, I think you should take your powders out. not suited for 3ft tanks.. as they will grow big and you will stress them in return. go for other tangs preferably zebrasoma species .Powders are just not suitable. personally i am thinking hard abt sis AP's tank le.. so please save these poor fishes from a stress and harsh environment.

Just my 2 cents worth

but your skills in making a cabinet are superb! way to go! =)

[Rocky99]

IMO, I think you should take your powders out. not suited for 3ft tanks.. as they will grow big and you will stress them in return. go for other tangs preferably zebrasoma species .Powders are just not suitable. personally i am thinking hard abt sis AP's tank le.. so please save these poor fishes from a stress and harsh environment.

Just my 2 cents worth

but your skills in making a cabinet are superb! way to go! =)

can't really bear to part them eh... the 2 tangs... got feeling already although few wks only. i think in abt one or 2 yrs time when i become more knowlegeable and experienced abt reefkeeping, i'll upgrade to a 4 footer. i understand that these fishes need lots of space to swim... but for the time being while they still fit, i'll watch over them well.

as for the cabinet, it's really quite a simple diy job. u can order wood from a timber factory. cost me abt 100bucks only for this 3x1.5. u can get the factory to cut the wood to your specs. so the rest of the job is abt filing the edges to size, drilling holes and screwing(dont nail) them together. i emphasize safety in cabinet construction. if anyone notice, ready-made tanks like the J**ell and most others, they are usually made from pieces of plywood joint to one another without a supporting frame inside. i don't recommend such a design for diys. a diy cabinet needs a strong supporting frame inside - insurance. don't cut corners. and you'll be very satisfied after you complete it.