Piero's Cheapo Tank

[piero]

Hi Guys,

As many have known I have ordered a 4 2 2 12 mm tank from Gerrard for my new house. After a 3 weeks wait, the tank is finally here. Problem is got one 2mm air bubble in the glass. Gerrard has kindly offered a 1 to 1 exchange for the tank so got to wait 10 days for it to arrive.

Had initially asked him to change just the panel for the affected area, seems like its not that safe if you just change one panel cos the silicon wun stick as well. So got new tank, who will complain?

Will post more pictures of my current empty tank and equipment soon. Will leave you all with my LR sitting in my white containers, running PH and FR while waiting for the new tank to arrive. Good deal courtesy of Damsel-in-Distress.

[yvoneysl]

Where you get the rock from? looks very healthy & full of red coraline

[blong]

wow...nice LR~!

[fishtalk1517]

hope ur can come back soon Must be dying from anxiety ah Anyway, thats some great coraline rocks

[piero]

From a fellow reefer here called damsel-in-distress... Her house is huge!!!!! And I am not saying HDB size big. Its Bungalow size HUGE!!!

Counting down to the arrival of my tank.

[piero]

More pics... A look at the bubble that I was talking about. Damn BIG when U take the pic on macro mode.

[piero]

My full tank shot... No LS at the moment. Dying to have water filled up and LR thrown in... Even my wife who doesn't really like fish is telling me that it is sian to look at an empty tank.

Laminate is chosen to match my furniture. Tank maker actually used the exact laminate as my interior designer with no additional cost.

[piero]

Side view of the external overflow, my beckett and DIY stand. Iwaki pump is placed in this separate compartment to reduce the effect of heat emission on my sump.

[piero]

Hole cut from the front door so as to place the chiller in the kitchen. Don;t want my dining area to be too hot... Cannot take it. And having a HUGE chiller in the dining room makes it look a bit cramped. Only bad thing is my kitchen door cant close completely now....

[piero]

Sump view... 4 compartments. Central compartment will be used for refugium. Have two return pump although only see one here. Din link up the second one. DEcided to stop when I found the bubble in the glass.

Thinking of changing to a single aquabee 5000. Anyone with a 2nd hand model to let go? Too broke to buy a new one even though petmart is selling it at a good price.

[piero]

Last pic of the day. Total of 5KG of biohome (white and red mixed, actually more red and white) to help with the filtration.

I always been told that bio balls are bad. Are they really bad?

[jervismun]

Last pic of the day. Total of 5KG of biohome (white and red mixed, actually more red and white) to help with the filtration.

I always been told that bio balls are bad. Are they really bad?

Wow... things are happen real good... and I can't possibly link your tank to your statement of "cheapo" tank setup... Biohome for one is for reefers with Deep Pockets

A few suggestions though:

1) The ventilation plates look kinda out of place in white... dun you think?

2) The green rubber tube looks messy and temporary, perhaps you wanna consider proper PVC pipes for your chiller.

3) Bioballs are not entire bad... depending on requirements actually. But yes, Biohome is much better considering the price.

4) Aquabee 5000 is barely sufficient as a main return... you may wanna consider a higher model.

All the best!

[piero]

The ventilation is sliver in colour. Supposed to be aluminium. Anyway I am using green pipes cos they are more flexible. Going to get some aircon casing to get it cased up to reduce the eyesore that my wife is getting...

I am not a designer... A finance guy who is quite concerned with costs although I would like to have some design as well.

[colinsoon]

bro

since your chiller is like sitting directly behind the tank, juz separated by the wall, why not drill 2 1 inch holes where the red dots are, to run the pipes thru? so that tis way your kitchen door can be fully closed... and it looks neater even if you use rubber hose... but then if possible run PVC pipes bah. will be better this way. more sightly... better the mess now then when everything is done...

oh, btw, the hoses in the tank pretty messy.. wanna change to PVC pipings too? juz a thought...

[piero]

I prefer the hose. The greyish ones U mean? They are going to be cut to length and connected to a drip plane which the tank maker will be bringing when the replacemnet tank comes. They are also held up by 3 stainless steel bracing in the tank. Greyish pipes are prone to vibration due to gushing water from the tank and they will cause leakage. I opted for flexible pipes for easy mantainance.

I cannot drill holes in the wall. The tiles on the walls cost me $4K++ to have it on. Any cracks to it, I will be killed by my wife.

[yvoneysl]

2 return pumps is good enough.

The main pump (aquabee 5000 or better still 7000) as the main return and the other to chiller as second return. In case one down the others act as backup.

[piero]

Just wondering... I was looking at some weipro pump. They pack a mean flow rate with a comparable energy consumption as compared to eheim pumps. Why is everyone still using eheim?

[yvoneysl]

Eheim is a reliable brand as I own a carnister filter that is with me for 15 years already... and some eheim pumps that I gave away to my bro also more than 5 years

[jervismun]

Eheim is a very reliable German brand... known to make pumps for generations... perhaps that's the primary reason

However there are rumours that they are shifting production to China... now that might impact the brand a little

[piero]

Eheim is a very reliable German brand... known to make pumps for generations... perhaps that's the primary reason

However there are rumours that they are shifting production to China... now that might impact the brand a little

True... I never had an eheim break down on me neither do I ever have a weipro breakdown on me.

Just wondering if we are too brand conscious.

[yvoneysl]

True... I never had an eheim break down on me neither do I ever have a weipro breakdown on me.

......

Consider the return pump as one of the most important equipment is worth to pay a bit more

anyway you decide

[hammy]

True... I never had an eheim break down on me neither do I ever have a weipro breakdown on me.

Just wondering if we are too brand conscious.

someow i am very brand conscious and vain, brand do matter a lot to mi. haha.

good and great potential tank in the making.

ya , the return pump should get good and reliable one .

more pic piero

i will go for eheim or aquabee.

[piero]

Have decided. I will keep my existing aquabee 3000 and add another aquabee 3000 for return purposes. Choosing that cos power consumption is much lower than other comparable pumps. 6000L/H plus my 6000L/H tunze should be enough for my 4x2x2 tank. The main tank only 400+L actually.

ACtually spent some time to connect some pipes together today. It will be the frame for my rock scaping... To create some caves and allow for better water circulation. Will post some pics once I go over to my new house.

[yvoneysl]

6000L/H plus my 6000L/H tunze should be enough for my 4x2x2 tank. The main tank only 400+L actually. 

Please bare with me if u find me long winded...

Base on aquebee 3000 flowchart, at 1.5m head loss the flow will decelarate by half. It means that the actual reture flow left only +-3000 in total for 2 pumps. Your tank volumn + sump will be more than 400L & that is ready insufficent.

I did the same mistake when I bought a under size pump & got to let go @ 40% loss later

[piero]

I kind of know that... Is it a must to have 10 times the flow in the tank? I am going for LPS only with no intent of doing SPS.

In the past when I had my marine tank, I was only using a 2000L/H pump for my 3 ft tank. All works well. Seems like this has changed over the years.

How different do U see the development in your tank with a stronger pump versus a weaker pump? Would like to know before I do any further investment. Don't want to buy and sell and buy.