Chronicles of A 6 footer

[piglet]

Over s$10k > for sure . The AB Turboflotor 5000 Shorty cost over s$1.3k >already..

[nim75sg]

Gary .... you're welcome for a visit to my place anytime!

[lvcap]

sure pal..

will try to squeeze some time out..

kopi and prata at kayu with the gang again?

nice toking and LFSing together....more company and can chit chat while borwsing...

[nim75sg]

Over s$10k > for sure .  The AB Turboflotor 5000 Shorty cost over s$1.3k >already.. 

Bro .. you're spot-on the target for all the below equipment

a) Tank & Cabinet (Chenai)

Deltec T5 80W Retrofit Kit x 2

c) American PinPoint pH & Temperature Monitor

d) George Fischer Piping

e) Daeil Chiller

f) Tubby

g) UV Sterilizer

h) Deltec FR

i) Lunar Tracker + 10 Leds

j) 4 x Ocean Runner Pumps (2xOR6500, 1xOR3500,1xOR2500)

k) 2 x Dosing Pump SP3000

l) Nitratreductor 1000 with Deniball

m) Protein Skimmer Turboflotor 5000 Shorty

n) Kalk Reactor

[typrobin]

my god..look at all those equips...top notch stuffs...

u are extremely hardcore man...

[nim75sg]

my god..look at all those equips...top notch stuffs...

u are extremely hardcore man...

With those equipment, I can have more time to admire my "pets" after a day work rather than a slave to the tank...

[nim75sg]

yar....AM hard-core user..

Bro

Bought the AM gear because the distributor is committed to their trade as they have stock of the various equipment and most important ... provides 12 months!

Most comfortable spending my dollars to vendors who're committed to the industry and certainly explore other vendors if they do carry stock too.

Currently in planning process for my next project around December for one of my existing 6ft tank who is currently "filter" by four (4) cannisters for 2 yrs and it's overdue for an upgrade.

[giantbicycle]

Bro

Bought the AM gear because the distributor is committed to their trade as they have stock of the various equipment and most important ... provides 12 months!

Most comfortable spending my dollars to vendors who're committed to the industry and certainly explore other vendors if they do carry stock too.

Currently in planning process for my next project around December for one of my existing 6ft tank who is currently "filter" by four (4) cannisters for 2 yrs and it's overdue for an upgrade.

icic...Thanks so much for the info and the contact..yar their service is good...apperciate that.

[nim75sg]

It has been quite sometime since providing an update on this 2nd Marine Tank 6'x2'x2.5' tank and decided to provide an update.

Since the day of setting it up I had decided to use equipment to govern conditions in the tank in addition to the popular Berlin method of filtration which many hobbyists rely on and using powerful skimming.

With this kind of skimming, it removes beneficial components such as calcium, strontium, and iodine including other trace elements, so regular dosing with trace elements additives form an essential part of tank management. Also power skimming leads to a lack of plankton-like material which entails the regular dosing of live phytoplankton cultures.

Having said that, the system includes the Aqua-Medic Shorty Skimmer backed by PhosBan and Deltec Reactor filled activated Hydrocarbon-2 and Phosphate remover media respectively.

In addition to adopting an approach to biological filtration using a combination of Berlin-style living rock and a 3" deep sandbed supplemented by the Rainbow Lifegard FBF and the Aqua-Medic Denitrator. Adding this overcame earlier problems I had with nitrates (common with Berlin Systems) but nitrate levels are now maintained down to around 10 mg/l since I am having a mixed reef tank.

My approach to managing water chemistry is with the help of American PinPoint Meters monitoring pH and temperature and Redox with the Milwaukee ORP Smart Controller in conjunction with an Ozonizer. To replenish the trace elements lost due to skimming, I am using CaribSea AragaMIGHT via the Aqua-Medic Kalk Mixer automatic dosing system with the SP3000 Niveaumat.

Lighting the tank is with four (4) 80W Deltec retrofit T5 tubes plus a 15W LED blue moonlight simulation provided Lunar Tracker which automates the 29.53 lunar cycle to make the environment in the tank mimic the real thing.

Keeping the tank cool calls for a silent and innovative method of cooling which I opted for a new Daeil Fish Cooler Chiller instead of relocating the Artica Chiller from another the first 6ft tank community tank.

BioLoad

- Only LPS and soft corals like Red Tree Gorgonian, Blue Sea Fan, Bubble Corals, Brain corals, Cyanrina, Button Polyps, Candy, etc.

- Fishes consist of a school of 15 pcs of Anthias and nine (9) Tangs which help to keep unwanted algae in check.

Quick Reference:

Tank: Display tank has a capacity of around 750litres and measures 72"x24"x30" and supplemented by a 48"x18"x18" sump adding a further 70 litres.

Biological Filtration: Berlin System does not rely entirely on living rock and has added a 2" deep sandbed of Aragonite reef sand with a Rainbow Lifegard FBF. Estimated about 70 - 80 kgs of live rock and about 100kg of Aragonite which contribute to biological filtration.

Chemical Filtration: PhosBan Reactor & Deltec FR filled with activated carbon and phosphate remover.

Water Changes: None so far except topping of DI water to replace evaporation loss activated by Aqua-Medic SP3000 Niveaumat and performing "water polishing" using Vortex Diatom Filter semi-annually. Replaced the RO/DI unit with the TAP Water Filter providing only DI water.

Skimming: Aqua-Medic Turbo Shorty runs 24x4 days a week with the other 3 days off due to dosing of DT and trace elements.

Calcium & Carbonate Hardness Management: This is accomplished by Kalkwasser using SP3000 dosing pump providing Calcium rich water.

Water Circulation: Water movement is provided by 2 x OR6500 (total 13,000 lph) return pump with an additional OR3500 (3500 lph) for chiller return pump. These pumps provide an equivalent in terms of a maximum turnover to 16,500 lph or 19 times per hour of the total water capacity through the filteration system.

Lighting: The main display tank has 4 photoperiod per day of 4 x 80W Deltec T5 (actinic and blue) with 24 hours per day of 18 pcs of 1W Blue LED moonlight simulation by Lunar Tracker.

Ozonizer: Sander C100 with Milwaukee ORP Controller setpoint at 300 mV

Cooling: Employs the Daeil Fish Cooler DB 250 with temperature set up 26.5 deg Cel

Control & Monitoring: Using MilwauKee Smart ORP Controller and American Marine PinPoint meters for pH, temperature, and calcium.

Water Parameters:

- Temperature = 26 - 27 deg Cel

- pH = 8.0 - 8.25

- Salinity = 1.022

- Nitrite = 0 mg/l

- Nitrate = 10 mg/l

- Phosphate = 0.2 mg/l

- Calcium = 435 mg/l

- Alkalinity = 9 mg/l

- ORP = 300 mV

- Magnesium = 1450

- Parameters monitored using Aquarium Systems FasTest/SeaTest and Salifert Test Kits

Feeds

- Livestock = OSI Spirulina Flake, Ocean Nutrition Formula 2, New Life Spectrum, Julian Sprung Sea Veggies, Cyclop-eeze and Bio-Blend Herbivore Diet and not forgetting frozen mysis and brine shrimp.

- Corals = Marine Snow, Golden Pearls, ESV Phytoplankton (DT and frozen phytoplankton) and Salifert Coral Food.

[nim75sg]

View of the tank from another angle.

[nim75sg]

Blenny ... Haven't replaced any of those tubes in the dosing pumps yet as I have been applying Vaseline petroleum jelly every 2 months on a regular basis to prevent hardness or getting brittle to the santoprene hose.

If there's a need to replace the hose, it is available from AquaMart and fyi, Vaseline is availabe at Guardian Pharmacy for less than S$5.

[nim75sg]

Other than using the above which is 100% petroleum based free, you can use any using silicone based lubricants.

[RAV-65]

Bro...

why 300mV? i thought can go up all the way to 420mV? Or did I read wrongly?

[nim75sg]

Yes you're correct as the redox potential can be set higher to around 400 to 500 mV as this level is much closer to those waters surrounding reef in the ocean where levels of dissolved organics are low.

For a mixed tank, I set the redox potential at 300mV but can set towards 350mV if so required like most healthy systems is usually between 300 - 350mV.

IMO, if set to 400mV to your tank then the fishes will seem to be suspended underwater.

For me, setting it at 300mV is a little on the kiasu side on my part just in case the ORP controller strays out of specs over time.

[jsoon]

curious, what is your electrical consumption for the 6th footer like ?

[nim75sg]

About S$700 per month with the new tariff .....

[acidjazz]

About S$700 per month with the new tariff .....

now i have to rethink getting a six footer.

[monsterz1975]

About S$700 per month with the new tariff .....

Bro so many ? My only $240. Maybe ur house too big liao. 4 6ft tank hahaha.

[Zac]

wow.... 700 is ex man....

[RAV-65]

Yes you're correct as the redox potential can be set higher to around 400 to 500 mV as this level is much closer to those waters surrounding reef in the ocean where levels of dissolved organics are low.

For a mixed tank, I set the redox potential at 300mV but can set towards 350mV if so required like most healthy systems is usually between 300 - 350mV.

IMO, if set to 400mV to your tank then the fishes will seem to be suspended underwater.

For me, setting it at 300mV is a little on the kiasu side on my part just in case the ORP controller strays out of specs over time.

Sorry bro... pls enlighten, wat u mean if set at 400mV the fish like suspended underwater?

[nim75sg]

wow.... 700 is ex man....

Quite ok in terms of Singapore Power bill considering the qty of 6ft tanks I am have with almost identical equipment. ie chiller, denitrator, kalk reactor, FR, etc.

[nim75sg]

Bro so many ? My only $240. Maybe ur house too big liao. 4 6ft tank hahaha.

House too small bro as compared to others

[nim75sg]

Sorry bro... pls enlighten, wat u mean if set at 400mV the fish like suspended underwater?

Setting it at 400mV, the tank water is super crystal clear so much that the fish looks like "suspended" in water.

This is what you will experience when you're diving near a reef with a school of fishes but with the ozonizer, you're bring the ocean to your tank.

[monsterz1975]

Quite ok in terms of Singapore Power bill considering the qty of 6ft tanks I am have with almost identical equipment. ie chiller, denitrator, kalk reactor, FR, etc.

When gona setup ur 5th 6ft tank? This time must buy even bigger gift for ur oc.

[Reefaholic]

$700 is way too high....

Mine only nearly $300 for the tank alone.

But luckily using those low consumption pumps if not higher.

Now only the lights and chiller contribute higher consumption.