my humble 5ft tank

[d00d]

Yup, keep the photos of your purple tank coming! Take your time and learn photography, you'll love it man. Its another expensive hobby when you venture into SLRs. I also think you can stock up more, hehe see lotsa gaps.

[hmkui]

hi doods... can tell me what does SLRs means... and you are right...there still lots of gaps which i could stock up with lots of corals.... but i m going slow as some of the corals.. such as the LPS ....all need space to expand and grow... beside.. do not wish to overload the tank by adding too many livestocks and corals.....but already have plans for sps... after i upgrade my lights...

[d00d]

SLR is short-from for Single Lens Reflex. Ya know those big camera that can has interchangeble lenses?

Ohhhohhh, you have plans for SPS. No wonder dun wanna stock up so much. Yup, dun or else have to sell your LPS again next time. Unless it is some rare blasto or red yuma haha... K peace dude

[hmkui]

thanks dood... well.. for me i won't be going full force on sps because i like some of the soft corals and LPS.... and some of them are very rare.. so will have more like a mix reef... concentrating the top part of the reef for sps.. while the lower portion for LPS... and yes.. have a blasto... and waiting for new shipment to grab more... talking about selling.. already have plans to sell some of the softies.. which i frag.... will be going very cheap....and also make up space for more of the rare and exotic corals....

[linkiat]

wah... can share with us how you get your rocks so purple ???

[hmkui]

hi linkiat....how i get the rock to be so purple... to be honest i dont really got any clue. Well let me share with you guys of my setup and i think some of you might have a clue.

I have encounter all kind problems including of nusiance algae in my 11 years of keeping this hobby. I have try all kind of system, berlin system, jaubert system etc... and all this experience help me to design a system that work for me. I need a tank for easy maintenance due to my tight schedule at the same time not to expensive as you guys should know.. a lot of the equipments cost very dearly. So what i did was to try to use the natural method to export all the nutrient. DSB is good for exporting NO3 but i don't wish my main tank to have DSB cos most of the time algae will grow in the sand bed which can be quite ugly (hope you guys know what i mean ). I also use macro algae for exporting of phosphate and other nutrients.

I have a wet dry compartment purely for gas exchange.. it also act as a compartment for my mechanical filtration...i use poly filter, jbl floss and seachem carbon in this filter. In the sump tank, i use the mud system which started only in late Feb this year...till date the macro algae is not fully establish yet can't wait till it is established... presently have observe a lots of activity happening in that tank(copepod, snails... etc ).

I also have a separate small tank with DSB. The flow rate is pretty slow. I use an iwaki pump as my main pump which tee off to my protein skimmer (H&S 400L it is under power for my 180 gal tank) and the return water of the skimmer goes to my small tank with DSB (purely for NO3 removal)... which the water is slowly flow back to my sump tank and then being pump back to the main tank. (Sound a bit confusing ... will take some pic of my setup later on...)

I don't have the luxury to use a calcium reactor cos it cost too much, what i did was i pre-mix my own calcium water and use it as a top up. My calcium is always around 450 to 500 ppm.... I also have a aquamedic phospate reactor which i on it on intervals as... if i on it whole day... the macro algae will start to die off ( i think it has remove to much phosphate in the water which the macro algae needed it for photosysthesis but again i may be wrong )

I don't add other chemical beside some carbonate and ph buffers. I change 2 big pail of water every week. I do vacuum my sandbed and rocks to remove all those detritus at the same time with the help of my clean up clew which consist of hermit crab, snails, some detritus slug, sand shifting star and sea cumcumber.

The main tank water circulation is power by 2 x 6060 and 1 x 6080... lightings consist of 3ft 4xT5 (DIY) and aquasunlight which consist of 2 x 150W, 2 x 40W FL and 1 moonlight. The temperature was control at 26 to 27 degrees using RA680 teco chiller.

1 more thing... which i think is important is to go slow in the addition of livestocks as well as corals... because you need the system to get adjusted to your bioloads ... when you add lots of livestocks and corals all at one time... the bacteria in your tank may not be ready to take such a sudden jump in the bioload but your nusiance algae will .

Well... guys think it is a bit lengthy hope you guys don't mind reading......

[kschew1498]

So you means to say you have 3 tanks....a 5 feet main tank, a DSB tank and a sump/mud tank?!!

Wow....please show us some pics.......by the way how big is you DSB tank & Sump/mud tank?

Pardon my ignorance, can we grow micro algae in a refugium with DSB as well? Was toying the idea of using my 2 footer for an additional sump tank......

In any case, thanks for sharing and the time you have taken.......its never too long for good infor./advise.....

[hmkui]

hi kschew1498... yes got 3 tanks... the DSB is a small tank of 20" x 12" x 16" as for my mud tank is 40" x 16" x 16" and yes.. you can keep macro algae in the sump with DSB and it works well too.... and it is better to have the lights on for 24/7....

[d00d]

Hmmm...clearing softies? They growing too big I guess huh.

Anyway very good write-up of your setup and what you are doing. Maybe one day can sit down for a chat. I am interested in your mud system. Read a lot about this before. May I know how you went about doing the mud tank and the benifits you experienced so far? Think you gotta put some photos up like what kschew mentioned. Hehe... Peace dude!

[hmkui]

hi dood...no problem for meeting up and chat ...just let me know ... as for the mud system.. i read thru some reviews which was posted in the web and when i check out the price .. i almost fainted cos it is really expensive, especially so if you intend to get the whole system....at the same time i was stuck with my sump tank which was not design for the mud system... after cracking my head for a long time, i finally decided to do something drastic.... I reconstruct the internal part of my sump...

Thinking back... really amazed what i have done..... I took out all the corals chips and sand... empty the whole sump and dry it.... and then cut all those silicone holding the internal glass panel..... afterwhich i started to construct the internal partition with the newly cut glass and at the same time i have to be very careful..... not to crack any part of the main frame of the sump tank..... and it took me almost 3 full days to complete the whole project. Tested the system to see if there is any flaw for almost a week... Fortunately, all the corals and fishes are fine...not much damaged was being notice.... and lastly... the addition of the mud....

Well... the mud system does serve well for the macro algae but it would be best for new set up because you have to wait for the algae to establish and it really take a bit of time...

When i added the mud... there is a noticable bloom of cyano .... but once the macro algae start to kick in the cyano gradually reduce.... lots of organism was being seen... including the copepods... most of it growth to adult size.... snail, slugs and worms was also being discovered.....

Present moment the algae is still growing and it is not fully growth yet.... will keep you guys updated on it..... but i believe it works because have seen one of the reefer posting his beautiful tank running on mud system ...

[d00d]

Whoa what a major overhaul to change your sump. Poor guy sia. Hard work, but I think it paid off ya?

Thanks for your explanation. Can have photo now? Hehehe

Anyway what's da brand of your mud and da price you got it at? Thanks.

[hmkui]

photo will have to wait.. will post it once i m free to download the DC as for mud i m using the miracle mud (ecosystem).... i think closed to 100 for 10 lbs...