Matt the Newbies new tank

[mattbeaman]

Hi everyone thought I'd give this a try after enjoying looking at all your pictures so much. My system is only four months old, though some of the corals came from another 5ft system I had. Its an 8x2x2 with sumps totalling just 300gallons though I am hoping to add another 50 gallon refugium with deep sand bed soon. I have only 70kilos of live rock at present though this has increased since the photos were taken, and I am hoping to add another 40 kilos in about a month. I have 2 double 150watt m/halides and a Deltec Kalk stirrer and Calcium reactor, with a reefmaster skimmer. Mostly been softs but I am looking to add more SPS, and maybe increase the lighting in time.

Hope you like the pics, and can anyone help me identify the unknown encrusting coral? It has recovered since it came in on the live rock(November when that photo was taken) and has grown about 2" since then. It is starting to plate at the edges, and develops pink spots which are flourescent under actinic, though these come and go week to week. Any Ideas Please???
http://community.webshots.com/storage/1/v2/7/31/96/30173196QEYLhCvZLT_th.jpg

http://community.webshots.com/storage/1/v2/7/32/85/30173285znSElHPAih_th.jpg

http://community.webshots.com/storage/1/v2/7/33/98/30173398bTsXFdVGkd_th.jpg
http://community.webshots.com/storage/1/v2/7/35/37/30173537NlJKsNFpOi_th.jpg
http://community.webshots.com/storage/1/v2/7/35/96/30173596IcxZKmXrig_th.jpg
http://community.webshots.com/storage/1/v2/7/36/57/30173657IqkmHVfcKy_th.jpg
http://community.webshots.com/storage/1/v2/7/37/43/30173743bujAVxnsOs_th.jpg
http://community.webshots.com/storage/1/v2/7/39/29/30173929AYKICixxRC_th.jpg:biggrin::biggrin:

Thanks All Matt.

[mattbeaman]

PS

It seems the photos have copied across a little small to say the least.(i'm not sure why??)

If you want to look at them enlarged they can be found at <a href="http://community.webshots.com/user/mattbeaman

Thanks

Matt.:biggrin::biggrin:" target="_blank">http://community.webshots.com/user....iggrin:</a>

[andy a]

Hi matt
Nice looking tank mate keep the pics coming a little larger would be nice:biggrin:.

andy

[Suk]

Hi Matt,
Very nice looking set-up m8, I like the acro.
Where did you get the tube Anemone from? I've been after one for ages ever since seeing them in Irish reefers tank!
Cheers
:biggrin:

[jss]

well done matt -- nice tank and well illustrated by some v. nice piccies!

john

[mattbeaman]

Suk

Thanks m8.I think the tube anemone is called a Cerianthus (from memory):confused:. They come in several colour variants though im told the purple and green is harder to get. I got it from the Hollybush, in staffs. Its the only time they had one in. It was reserved for some1 else but they never came back. It cost me £24. Its gorgeous under actinic each tentacle has green stripes on it the same as the centre and it REALLY flouresces:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:

Sorry can't be any more help.

Matt.

[becca]

Hi Matt-very nice tank,I go with Suk on the cerianthus! do you have any piscean inhabitants? would love to have cerianthus but am afraid my fish would not be compatible. becca:biggrin:

[simonh]

Nice setup.

Did I read in another thread that you have a large sump locating in another room? Any pictures of this and how you have it hooked up?

[mattbeaman]

Hi Becca,

Yes I have got fish;

small yellow/black spotted boxfish
Bi-colour goby
canary blenny
dragon wrasse
orange spot sleeper goby
2 marble tooth blenny
2 yellow tangs -(eat all my nice seaweeds and macroalgaes)
regal tang
clarkii clown
midas blenny
cleaner wrasse

(as you can see I love gobies/blennies
:smile::smile::smile:)

I have 26 snails - astrea and turbos plus hundreds of small breeding snails.(growing so fast they suck calcium big style!!)

26 hermits blue/red and mexican - lots of empty shells to stop them eating said snails - though the orange sleeper goby keeps using them for his brickwork

:lol::lol::lol: (sometimes with disgruntled crabs still in them!!)

1 Red brittlestar - have to watch him he has crafting grabs at the pulsing xenias occasionally
1 Green brittlestar

4 dancing shrimps
1 large boxing shrimp

Out of interest i've never seen the fish anywhere near the Cerianthus, though I lost a dopey boxfish to a Malu early on.

Matt.

[mattbeaman]

Simonh

Wow you are paying attention im impressed:lol:

You're right I have two sumps at the moment.one of them is in what was the kitchen larder, and is connected through the wall.They are both made out of Polypropylene, (it was cheaper, I had access to plastic welder, and I wanted a large trickle filter because I was keeping rays and sharks) All this is going to change shortly though. My intention is to have three sumps(glass) each 27"x21"x21", plus another of the same size for a refugium and DSB. I also have two Phyto reactors (one for phyto plankton and one for rotifers and zooplankton) which are connected and feed into the tank on a drip, providing continuous live food YEAH!!:biggrin:

I don't have very strong lighting (only 4x150watt M/H plus the actinics) but touch wood im seeing reasonable growth on the SPS's more in line with bigger lighting. Its early days so I say that with hesitation, but I wonder if its to do with the live food?

Regards

Matt.

[jss]

matt,

could you give some information about "phyto" reactors --
1. what equipment would be needed
2. how do you start these off
3. generally a dummies guide to using this approach

i hope you have the time and energy to put something brief together -- i would really appreciate it.

john

[mattbeaman]

JSS

No problem im happy to share what small experience I have. Im still learning myself.

Basically you need;

2 reactors - effectively acrylic tubes which are tapered at the bottom and have an air feed in to stop things settling.(you could make them but I bought the Aquamedic ones)

1 reactor is for zooplankton (most commonly the rotifer brachionus) 1 reactor is for phytoplankton.

The phytoplankton reactor needs a light - word of advice here - Aquamedic sell two reactors, one for zoo and one for phyto. The Phyto reactor is £100!!!!:mad:MORE!!!! EXPENSIVE than the normal reactor (normal reactor kit £55 or so). The ONLY difference is an 18w flour.tube and a reflector - cost to add yourself £15!!! :cool:

So I bought two the same and added the light myself.

You then need to add the cultures, which you can buy, but I got mine free from Clearwater cos I bought the reactors off Yusef.

Top up with Sterile salt**ter (v.important that its been boiled!!) add airpump and away you go. The phyto also likes the addition of CO2 to drop the PH to 7.5. This boosts growth, but mines not using it yet and its doing just fine( Yusef finds the same thing).I will add it soon though im just waiting to move it, and for another needle valve to come so I can run a second line off the bottle I use for my Ca reactor.

Then you feed the phyto with fertiliser and iron and leave to simmer for a few days whilst enjoying a nice glass of wine. (very floyd).

When the green has developed you feed some of this to the rotifers on a daily basis, and that very basically is that.

Routine therefore daily - draw off phyto - draw of mix of rotifers and phyto - feed phyto to rotifers - feed mixed phyto/rotifers to tank - top-up phyto with clean salt**ter. EASY:biggrin:

At the moment im setting mine up to autotop-up and auto feed via syphoning into my tank. EVEN EASIER:biggrin::biggrin:

Im also looking at other strains of rotifer to increase diversity, and have found some under the microscope that im experimenting with.

1 VERY IMPORTANT REMINDER - It is essential that you are very careful not to get any of the rotifer mix into the phyto. If 1!! yes just 1!! tiny rotifer gets in2 the phyto, the culture will be wiped out within days.

Im in a bit of a rush at the moment so i'll leave it at that for now, but I could post some piccies later if you want to see the reactor.

Cheers M8

Matt.

[Kev]

Hi

FYI the reason the pics are so small is that you have linked to the thumbnails on webshots, ie:

http://community.webshots.com/storage/1/v2/7/31/96/30173196QEYLhCvZLT_th.jpg

rather than the full images, ie:

http://community.webshots.com/storage/1/v2/7/31/96/30173196QEYLhCvZLT_ph.jpg

Just make sure when you grab the url's to cut and paste into UltimateReef that you do 'view image' in your web browser on the big picture not the small one.

HTH

Cheers
Kev

[Ali A]

Hi matt,
Thanks for the opportunity to see your setup in person and have a chat. *I think you can take the 'newbie' part out of the title http://www.ultimatereef.net/ibv3/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

I would be chuffed to have a setup like yours now, let alone the plans you have to expand the setup with a sump/refugium room, new lights, new tunze pumps etc. *

Keep up the work with the rotifiers and phyto, very interesting and informative. http://www.ultimatereef.net/ibv3/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

Cheers
Ali

p.s. Dee loved the cats esp. Cheetah http://www.ultimatereef.net/ibv3/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif *and she thought your tank was ok too.

[mattbeaman]

Thanks mate, it was a pleasure to see you both. Look forward to seeing your reef when its set up.

Take care

Matt. http://www.ultimatereef.net/ibv3/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

Nice set up Matt,

For me it is nice to see what can be done in a tank with 150w halides.

The info on your reactors was a good read, a bit beyond me at the moment. But out or curiosity I would like to see a couple of piccies of those reactors.

All the best, Paul