Nicky Dees Tank

[Nick Derbyshire]

Hi All
Thought it was time i posted pics of my tank, allthough at the moment Aptasia have come for xmas!
Well my little settup (one of a number) is:-
Tank: 3x2x2
Sump; 30"x18"x18"
Display refugium 24"x18"x15"
Filtration: Tank bare bottom with glass shelf frame work, allowing circulation around 100kg live rock. the sump holds a floating DSB holding 4 species of caulerpa. A race way runs underneath (a tank within a tank) The DSB is fed from the skimmer chamber by a fluidised sand filter and half the skimmer out flow to control and reduce the flow over the DSB, the rest of the flow runs under the DSB and is split between a return back to the main tank and the display refugium. The display refugium also holds a DSB and a number of species of caulerpa and macro algae. This feeds back to the main tank.
Turbo floter multi: adapted and shoe horned into the sump.
Lighting; Both sump and refugium are illuminated 24/7 by 2 twin t5'S. The main tank is illuminated by 2 T8 actinics and 4 T5 's (All varying spectrums of white).
Auto top up with kalwasser
Eco aquilizer
5-10% water change a week.
Feeding :D lots of phyto (between 2-4 litres a week) Phyto Aqua's (good stuff). approx 1,000,000 rotifers a week. A frozen mixed cube over a day with lance fish and prawns for the anemone.

Corals ; 30 LPS/40SPS/ 30 softies

Just a few piciies :D
http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploads/DSCN0015(7).jpg
http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploads/DSCN0018(7).jpg
http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploads/DSCN0012(9).jpg
Sorry about the quality but just getting to grips with the camera so will post a few more artistic ones soon.
cheers
Nick :D

[Haydn]

Nice piccys Nick can we expect a full tank shot next. But do you really change 50% of the water a week :o

Haydn

[Nick Derbyshire]

Ooops sorry, Thanks Haydn. Yeah full tank pics soon but what with it being such a lil ole tank, thought best to be a bit more specimen specific.
Cheers
Nick

[cah1982]

yeah tanks looking great , but id luv to see the sump refugeam, n how all this conects + the overall pic of everything.

[Nick Derbyshire]

Ok Ok i'm working on it, just trying to get the pictures infocus and show what i'm talking about. Might have to do a few arrows and labels! :wacko: :D

[tufty711]

Looks great nick, those green zoos are nice.

ant

[Lisa Page]

30 LPS/40SPS/ 30 softies

Wow, that's 100 corals in a 3x2x2. How do you fit them all in? :P

Just kidding, it's looking really great. More pics please. :D

Regards

Lisa

[Bigman]

Looks good mate.

[Nick Derbyshire]

Hi Lisa
To be honest there is more ;) it's a case of juggling a few a round makeing mistakes but learnig(quickly from them) and being able to move forward. Since the pics were taken, that beautiful plate coral decided to bleach in a cheese shaped segment...quick.
Water quality a ok
new introductions- a dieing big colony fragged to save (all15 bar 2 are looking great).
I think the chems. released by the new frags must have triggered the weaker part of the plate to die. thereforetwo options.
1. Wait and see if recovers...oh water changes done just to remove new chems released in such a small tank
2. Frag the whole thing, observing and destroying infected parts.


Went for part 2 so will see how things go. I blame the paporatzi them bloomin cameras ;)

[Nick Derbyshire]

A few more pictures of my system and filtration.
This is bottom left of the tank, As you can see stuff is growing into each other. Where's my pliers?
http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploads/DSCN0007(5).jpg
Can you spot Mr and Mrs Nemo?
http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploads/DSCN0013(8).jpg
Found them. These little guys are my oldest fish which i've had since they were babies. The anemone dominates the bottom left of the tank is growing bigger still <_<
http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploads/DSCN0016(12).jpg
Bubbles and Dory showing off as usual. Think they are looking forward to the new tank nearly as much as me.
http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploads/DSCN0024(4).jpg
This is my display refugium with DSB, viewed with lights and cover trays removed. It is illuminated 24/7 and contains a number of different species of caulerpa.
http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploads/DSCN0020(4).jpg
Front view of the refugium showing DSB and worms. I think this bit of kit is one of the best things i have added to the system as not only is it a great natural filter, but with the amount of phyto added, this is just a massive zooplankton farm.
http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploads/DSCN0021(2).jpg
ok a quick pic of the right hand side of the sump showing the skimmer chamber, the start of the raceway under the DSB tank and the fluidised sand filter which feeds the DSB/refugium.
The point of the floating DSB/Refugium is to allow a fast turn over of water from the tank through the skimmer and sump but allow the contol of a slow flow over the DSB.
http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploads/DSCN0025(4).jpg
Left side of sump and return to main tank
http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploads/DSCN0022(3).jpg
Frag tank hidden in side of main tank.
http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploads/DSCN0028(2).jpg
Will try and get a diagram to explain better how the sump works. :D
the only other thing i have failed to mention is that the tank and sump is heated by two under tank heat mats and a thermostat probe! :wacko:

[*FlameAngel*]

Hey Nick,

Wow, your tank's looking good - those little frags on the last picture look as if they're going well - does it take a lot of skill to frag things so successfully?

- oh, and cute tangs :D

[Nick Derbyshire]

Have just updated pics with labels.
Nah! fragging is easy Flameangel just need to be brave with a pair of pliers.
An easy skill to pick up ;)

[tufty711]

wow great fuge and thanks again for that algae.


ant

[Richard D]

Hi Nick,

I see what you mean by "my tank is full" :o.

Looks great mate, thanks again for all your help over Xmas time.

Richard