View Full Version : Project 2004
Hi,
As some of you will know I have recently moved house and am planning a new tank to go along with it.
To keep the better half happy it was decided early on that the new tank would be housed in a wall of some sort, keeping the light, noise, smells and the odd little 'water incident ;) ' out of the main living area.
As the new house didn't have a garage attached we could not knock through so we decided to have a conservatory built on the back of the living room. One of the side walls of the conservatory is to be a brick wall through which the tank will viewed. The back of the tank will be housed in a wooden lean-to structure. Most of the water handling and frag system etc. will be housed in the garage so the tank will be linked via a 33ft run of pipe.
I will update this thread with new pictures as construction progresses, but for a start here are a couple taken this week.
Hope you enjoy. Any comments or questions are greatfully received.
Cam.
http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploads/Dscf0893.jpg
Day one, turf cutting ceremony! Due to limited access to the back garden I decided to dig all the footings for the conservatory and tank room myself. In all it took me about 3 days to dig everything.
http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploads/Dscf0903.jpg
Footings complete and the outer pipe for 3 x 50mm insulated water pipes is laid. Also 10 cables are run in a pipe betwen the tank room and garage. These are for any devices that are controlled by IKS plug bars. The IKS computer will be in the garage.
chriskirby101
28-03-04, 11:49
Amazing.... Kepp up updated.....
Cor i was so overwhelmed i could not type..... Just fantasic...
OK - sounds fantastic - 7000 gallons :blink: :wacko: :o - really?
When you have time I'd be very interested in the proposed dimensions and equipment specs as well.
Good luck with the project
Cheers
John
Oooops, Title should read 700 NOT 7000.
I'll PM the mods
Cam.
OK - sounds fantastic - 700 gallons - really :P ?
When you have time I'd still be very interested in the proposed dimensions and equipment specs as well :D :D .
Good luck with the project
Cheers
John
Originally posted by Cam@Mar 28 2004, 12:06
Oooops, Title should read 700 NOT 7000.
I'll PM the mods
Cam.
Oh Cam, I'm dissapointed :D I was looking foreward to the next meet on the IOW so that we could all have a swim in your new set up. :lol: :lol: :thumbsup:
Bob
Hi Bob,
No swimming I'm afraid, would you want Simon's feet in your tank :o :lol: :lol: :lol:
John, Here' a quick run down on the specs etc.
Tank 7x2.5x3.5
Sump 5x2x2 containing DSB & caulerpa
Extra water 1000ltr container in the garage. Frag tank to follow
Skimmer, custom built twin foam injector powered by a Mak5 pump
Return from sump to tank via Ocean Runner 6500
3 x 6100 streams and 2x 1060s on closed loops for water movemnet
Lighting, initially 2x400w 10k MH and 2 x 140w actinic
Control via IKS computer
More specs to follow as and when....
Cheers,
Cam.
SPS Hoover
28-03-04, 19:25
No swimming I'm afraid, would you want Simon's feet in your tank
I what is wrong with my feet.
Looks like to me you need to use yours a bit more that pipe needs to deeper I reckon
philworrall
28-03-04, 19:33
Hey Simon I have seen the state of your slippers, even the cats run away. :lol: :lol: :ph34r:
Cheers
Woweee!
Here's wishing you lots of luck and enjoyment! :thumbsup:
yekim_4321
28-03-04, 20:27
:blink: :blink: WOW that is one huuuuuuuuuge set up :blink: :blink: cant quite get my head round something that size :wacko: :wacko: will look brill, you may need black out curtains in the conservatory......stop the police helicopter being nosey :lol: :lol: Best of luck and look forward to updates.
Mick
Good luck with the project Cam. Looks like you hve everything well planned!
Hi Cam,
Nice to finally meet you & Simon today.
Good luck with the project, think it's going to be fantastic.
Cheers
:D
Hi,
What a project!! Keep those updates coming. You have us all watching.
Best Regards,
Nick G.
5061litres
04-04-04, 16:29
just what i'd like to do on my new house...
more pics please.. detailed day by day account would be even better.
tony
Quick update.
I picked up all the 50mm piping and elbows etc. from Clams.co.uk on Friday (3rd April) and got it all installed within the 160mm duct that runs between the tank and the garage. A fiddly job but things went well, with the exception of the 90 degree elbow which was not big enough to fit the 3 internal 50mm elbows inside. Still its amazing what you can do with squirty foam ;)
Just waiting for the concrete to be poured hopefully sometime this week or early next.
Cheers,
Cam.
Hey cam,
Just thought I would give you a heads up re-heat loss in long pipe runs. I run 7meters from tank to sump in garage (think I said b4) runs are under the floor boards in the house. Got the winter ellecy bill recently that shocked me a little, did the calcs on eleccy usage for my tank and the heaters are costing me the most out of any item to run on my tank.
Couldn't work out how to measure how long my heaters were on for but Dave (Gerontious) came up with the excellent idea of simply plugging a mechanical timer into the socket on the IKS that ran the heaters. When the IKS turns the heater on the timer has power so increments only when the heaters are on. Initial 24hour test showed that when the ambient temp was as high as 10C in the garage the heaters (900watts of them) are on for almost 10 hours a day. so during the winter when the ambient temp in garage was as low as 3C I imagine they were on for almost 15 hours a day.
My sump in the garage is lagged with polystyere sheets (15mm) and central heating tank lagging. The pipes to and from the garage are lagged.
Before next winter I am going to find some better lagging and insulate the garage more.
Just thought this may help a little in your planning.
cheers,
simon.
Surely the way to go with a tank like that, if you have room that is, is to use a heat exchanger system like Tuans.
Si,
Please delete your post before the wife sees it :lol:
I guess it will be a case of 'suck it and see' with the heat loss. The 3 pipes (1 feed and 2 returns) run inside a 6 inch duct. The pipes have been wrapped in foil to act as a heat reflector and then wrapped in 3 layers of 7mm polystyrene. This is then threaded through the duct and the whole thing may also have a coat or two of bubble wrap to keep the moisture and cold soil away from the duct. The whole run is about 32 feet in total but will only be about 10 inches underground.
As per your setup, I will lag everything in the garage with polystyrene etc. and also insulate the half of the garage I will be using as a fish room.
Thats about the best I can do, if this is not enough to stop major heat loss then I may have to look at reducing the flow between the two areas or even running the 2 systems seperately, which I don't want to do. The main reason for all this work is to have a lot of water on one system for stability and to cope with a higher fish load.
Only time will tell how well it works, maybe cardi has a point about the heat exchanger, gas is much more efficent at heating, so that may keep the bills down a bit. I will certainly try the timer on an IKS plug to see how long the heaters are on for.
Cheers,
Cam.
I certainly would not have been able to afford heating if I was using electricity - no way! When the tank was first set up I had 5x 300watt heaters before the boiler was installed, and on a cold night they were on constantly just to hold the temperature.
BTW - with the IKS you can tell approximately how long the heating was on for by checking the log.
looks like an impressive setup in the making cam ;) was hoping to meet you at ed's on friday mate,but i understand the car had other ideas :(
looking forward to some updates :thumbsup:
chris
5061litres
18-04-04, 18:45
any updates on the setup yet?? pics pics pics pics!!!
I agree, more pics please.
Hi,
Sorry but no real updates to speak of at the moment. I have just returned form a weeks break in Gran Canaria and the concrete base for the conservatory and the tank is in, but thats about all really.
The delivery date for the new tank is set for May 6th so the builder is trying to get the tank wall and stand up by then so that I can get more things sorted while the rest of the conservatory is going up.
Cheers,
Cam.
Hi all,
At last there has been some progress :D
After slight delays caused by builders schedules and the weather, the last week or so has seen some progress. The concrete for the conservatory and tank room base was poured about 2 weeks ago and now block and brick work has started.
Today (6th May) the tank arrived :D :D :D . It was supposed to be going straight onto it's stand behind the newly completed wall, but due to the delays it had to be left in the garden for a week or so.
Have to say that Keith from Windsor Aquatics has done a nice job of the tank. Getting it through a gate that was only about 6 inches wider than the tank was fun but we made it OK. Keith is a nice bloke and his service is excellent, as others have said before. Shame he had car problems and we couldn't natter for longer. Still, can't fault the tank, just looking forward to getting it filled.
Now it's on to the oversite tomorrow and the rest of the brickwork next week. Hopefully the tank should be in situ within the next couple of weeks.
Cheers,
Cam.
http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploads/Dscf1196a.jpg
http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploads/Dscf1199a.jpg
nice looking tank there cam... bet your just wanting to see it with water in..N
5061litres
07-05-04, 08:17
just a quick thought...
was lookin at the tank and noticed u have very thin overflows...
how are u getting the water to the sump? overflow pipe? durso standpipe? or just a pipe with a hole in.. imo u may have problems.
where does the return pipe come in??
hope this may help aleviate any problems.
tony
bristlebasher
07-05-04, 08:50
The dog does'nt look to happy with your tank ;) .
You better tel him/her to put a smile on - or he/she is gonna go for a swim :lol: !
With the sharks !!!!!
sounds awsome cam
you say that you have in the garage a 1000ltr container
what have you used for this or is it another tank?
:thumbsup:
dean
Tony,
int the bottom of each weir there is a 63mm hole to take a 50mm tank connector these will be to flow to the sump. The holes you can see in the sides of the tank are smaller ones for closed loops.
Dean,
The container is one of those large fod grade things with a metal frame round. My LFS gets them and sells them on. It only needed cleaning out a little and holes drilling for the tank connectors. I have also clad it in polystyrene and wood to help stop cooling.
bristlebasher,
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
Cheers,
Cam.
nice looking tank m8, can't wait to see the final result! ;)
Thats a nice size tank cam,nice and wide,will look stunning when finished.
What pump are you using to the garage?
Have you decided on the lighting arrangement yet?
Looking good :thumbsup:
Keep the updates comming :D
Andrew
Hi Andrew,
The water will gravity feed to the garage and then will be pumped through the skimmer via a Mak5 pump (85 l/min upto 6.8m head), although this may have to be changed to something with a bit more flow if it won't drive the twin injectors on the skimmer.
Currently the lighting will be my existing 2x400w MH and probably 2x140w actinics with the possibility of adding a little more later, but the tank will get qiute a bit of natural light so I'm hoping not to have to do too much in the way of upgrades B)
Cheers,
Cam.
P.S. the actual conservatory floor want down yesterday (7th)
Now how come I never got to work on a conservatory that was going to have a reef tank built in? hehe... All I ever did was the bog standard boring ones for the old farts! hehehehe........
Hi Cam, amazing plans you got there. any chance you could post a piccie of this 1000l holding tank in the garage?.
[edit: just noticed that i have asked a really stupid question, my apologies]
Wow sounds like a nice setup. I'll be coming back for regular updates.
Looks superb mate and I too will be keeping an eye on your progress!
Mode
Hi all,
Quick update 14th May 2004.
The brick and block work for the tank room and conservatory is almost complete. Tank will go in-situ next week when things have se a bit and I'll start construction of the tank room itself over the next few days.
http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploads/Dscf0893a.jpg
Cheers,
Cam.
5061litres
14-05-04, 12:51
comin on nicely. any more specs? i like all this technical datary(?) type stuff...
tony
Looks like your ahead of schedule now mate!
Its the 14th MAy 2004 today and you already have it looking like it will do on the 15th
Can you post the plans for your time machine too :D
Originally posted by browfish@May 14 2004, 13:23
Looks like your ahead of schedule now mate!
Its the 14th MAy 2004 today and you already have it looking like it will do on the 15th
Doh!!!!!! :blink:
Changed now ;)
Kevin Douglas
14-05-04, 19:39
Cam,
That brick right in the middle is upside down :D :D :D
Atb
is the tank 10 mm glass through out.? home made or shop bought?
looking fantastic will be following your progress with interest.
Blodger,
Tank is 12mm glass custom built and drilled by Keith at Windsor Aquatics.
Cheers,
Cam.
Update, 19th May 2004.
Over the past few days my father-in-law and myself have been busy putting up the tank room. The wooden panels were fitted around the stand then a ploycarbonate roof was added. I decided to go with polycarbonate in an attempt to let in more light to the tank. As the days grow longer and the sun is higher in the sky more light is coming through the roof. Later in the day the sun shines through the front of the tank adding to the overall lighting.
http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploads/Dscf1390a.jpg
Of course polycarbonate is going to increase the temperature in the tank room but I'm hoping that extractor and tank fans will keep the worst of the heat out. Conversly, sun in the winter will help keep the system warmer, and when the sun is lower in the sky I get more light through the tank front.
This afternoon (Wed) I got five mates over and we lifted the tank into place. Even with six of us it was extremely difficult to lift into place. Once there I began work on the closed loops that will be driven by 1060s. There is one each side of the tank draving water directly from the wier. There are still taps to fit when they arrive but I'm hoping to be able to start filling over the next day or so.
http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploads/Dscf1391a.jpg
http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploads/Dscf1393a.jpg
Please ignore the dozy prat in the background, 3 days working in the sun has sent the poor sod mad :lol: :lol:
Cheers,
Cam.
oooh - looking good Cam
a purpose built extension to house a tank and tank room - a dream come true :wub:
keep up with the pictures - we want water :lol:
Anna
SPS Hoover
23-05-04, 13:29
Please ignore the dozy prat in the background, 3 days working in the sun has sent the poor sod mad
And he was not before :lol: :lol: :lol:
Please ignore the dozy prat in the background, 3 days working in the sun has sent the poor sod mad.
Who is it? He looks strangely familiar. Cam have you been pressganging some of your psychotic inmates into hard labour?
Starting to take shape m8, bet you can't wait to get it wet :D
Cheers, Dave.
Originally posted by davidc@May 23 2004, 22:49
Cam have you been pressganging some of your psychotic inmates into hard labour?
Hi Dave,
You wouldn't want any of those bas*&$@s outside of that wall!!!!!
The tank is wet :thumbsup: I filled it and mixed in the salt a couple of days ago. There are a few bits of live rock in there at the moment to start things off but I'm off all this week so I'm hoping to get the majority of stuff sorted. More pics to follow soon.
Simon,
And he was not before :pic of two fingers up: :lol: :lol: :lol:
Cheers,
Cam.
simon garratt
24-05-04, 08:18
Lookin good Cam.
Better hope it dont rain though over the next few days........plays buggery with your salinity ya know........Mind you. Seagull cr*p is great for kicking off the cycling process.........Mine Mine Mine Mine :)
When is the roof going on by the way................ :)
Regards
Si. :) :) :) :)
Hi Si,
The roof is already on mate. If you read my 19th May update on page 3 I give a bit of detail. It is a polycarbonate roof so as to let light in. At the moment it seems to do a good job of adding to the lighting. I went out this morning at 7:45 ad the tank was very well lit even though the sun was hardly over the houses :D
Cheers,
Cam.
Originally posted by simon garratt@May 24 2004, 08:27
Better hope it dont rain though over the next few days........plays buggery with your salinity ya know
On the plus side that would work really well as an auto top up :P
SPS Hoover
26-05-04, 10:14
Come then Cam where the new pic's of
Isle Of Wights own Walikiki Aquarium :lol:
Now that there is stock in there. We what to see pic's
Great stuff!
Will you only have 2 1060s for close loops?
Si,
The pics will probably follow tomorrow after the aquascaping has been done.
Tuan,
Yes, only 2 1060s for closed loops just to add extra water movement to the lower levels of the tank. Rest of the movement is done by 3 x 6100 streams and 2 IKS 2000lph powerheads, plus the OR6500 return pump.
Cheers,
Cam.
the down side to the poly carbonate roof is that it will warm the room up to much in the summer, my mums house has a room with a poly carbonate roof and opening the door to that is like opening a door to an oven. on the plus side i guess though is that during the winter it will help keep the heating bills down, on the clear days anyway.
totally awesome setup though, got me thinking of ways to add volume to my set up
Wacky,
Yes, the ploycarbonate is a bit of a gamble with regard to the heat but the sun only gets to shine directly through the roof for a couple of hours in the morning. there are gaps between the top of the walls and the ploycarbonate so that heat can escape during the day, at the moment there is no problem with heat built up but then again the conservatory is not installed yet! . These gaps could blocked at during the night or cold days to stop excess heat loss. I may also fit some sort of opening vent that opens automatically, like the greenhouse vents. Extractor fans are also on the cards. On the plus side the ambient light that enters the tank is excellent. During the day you can hardly tell that the halides are on!
It is just a case of getting time to sort everything out. I have had to rush a bit to get my stock back as they were starting to suffer at the temp home and I had lost a couple of pieces. Fortunately everything has survived the move ok.
Cheers,
Cam.
such a shame you cant store all that heat and use it at night.
bristlebasher
27-05-04, 15:28
Yeah - Pictures bro pictures :D :wub: :wub: :thumbsup:
looks like a fantastic project! what type of corals is it aimed at, softies or sps?
andrew
Andrew,
Its going to be mainly SPS with a few brain corals etc. The majority of the stock is now in the tank and the aquascaping is about as complete as its going to get for now, so soon as the water clears a bit today I'll post some pics.
Cheers,
Cam.
sounds like a very very nice tank! keep the piccies coming and how you did the aquascaping would be good :)
good luck with it.
andrew
Hi,
For those that have asked here is a pic of the tank with the rock work in place and many of the corals back. Corals are just placed on the rock work at the moment and are not in their final positions but I think it is best to leve them to settle into the new conditions before any more moving etc.
As you can probably tell the diatom bloom has started and everything has taken on a nice shade of brown <_< The corals have lost a lot of their colour at the moment, but I'm sure that will return in time once things are settled.
http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploads/Dscf1405a.jpg
Cheers,
Cam.
:thumbsup:
Was that taken under daylight ? Looks bright.
Taken in the evening at about 7 O'clock with the two 400w 10k's on. There is plenty of natural light at the moment as the conservatory is not built yet. When it is then it will block out quite a bit of the sunlight.
Cam.
looking good, very good infact. Cam have you decided what border your going to put around the tank? n
Not too sure what frame we will use yet, but will probably end up making one myself as shop bought frames are not completely flat at the back, they have a recess for a picture to fit in.
Cam.
cam, looks excellent, like the rock work - very very open space for the fish to swim in.
The rockwork is built around several 'tables' of egg create and pipe to allow plenty of swimming room behind and to allow water movement.
The return pumps water in pumped through a spray bar that runs the fulll length of the tank in an attempt to stop too much detritus collecting in the rock work and helping to mix the clean, skimmed water with that of the rest of the tank. the rock sits on the tank base rather than on the sand. The sand was added around the rock work once it was in place.
Cheers,
Cam.
SPS Hoover
01-06-04, 14:51
Wheres the close up photies.
Tracy broke the camera? Or not letting you use it?:lol:
We want more photos! saying that I'll see it tomorrow probably best to wait untill I rearrange rock for you :o :P
Regards
Hi Cam any more news on this tank. I'm getting a tank built by Keith at Windsor so i'll pm you with some more questions about hole sizes on the tank... Cheers...Nic
ianmacaulay
24-06-04, 12:31
looks brilliant you got any reacent pics of it and the set up you have in the garage we have not seen that yet
good luck with the tank in the future
ian :D
Hi Cam
Lots of open space there, are you going to be putting more LR in or is that it?
I'm not complaining, as you know I'm a fan of the more open rock structure look.
Plenty of swimming space for Tangs.
Cheers, Dave.
Hi all,
Just got the water running between the garage and the tank room. The latest job is to get the skimmer running but I'm having a bit of trouble with dodgy joints :angry: Once I've got it sussed then I post pics but at the moment it looks like a bombs hit the garage.
Nic,
No problems, drop me a line.
Dave,
That's it for rock at the moment I may add a little more along the back at some point but I'm after lots of swimming space.
Cheers,
Cam.
Ok here's the latest update.
I have got the pipework between the garage and the tank room running ok and the auto top off is hooked up in the garage loft so no more topping up with buckets.
Finally got the skimmer working and 95% complete. It has been custom built by myself and my mate Tim. The main chamber was purchased a while ago from cleartides and we installed the pipework and the becketts injectors. The whole thing is driven my a Mak5 pump which is plenty powerful enough to drive the injectors as they need a lot of flow and pressure to work correctly. The pump is rated at 85 lpm but work to a head hight of 6.8 meters!
As you will see from the pictures there are a few things left to do like attaching pipe supports (instead of string) and a decent bit of pipe and a container for the collection cup overflow.
As you can see the IKS in there too and the Deltec 600s calcium reactor which is fed from the boxed in 1000ltr container of water underneath. This water has really helped stabilise the temp swings.
http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploads/Skimmer1.jpg
http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploads/skimmer2.jpg
http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploads/skimmer3.jpg
http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploads/skimmer4.jpg
http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploads/Reactor1.jpg
Cheers,
Cam :)
getting there m8, looks good :thumbsup: I'll be round soon, to... ahem, "borrow" some ideas :lol:
can i make a suggestion. how about a couple of screw in hooks into the board either side of the co2 bottle and a small length of chain across to hold it in place. last thing you want is for that to topple over.
love the skimmer by the way.
Looks great, skimmer reminds me of Simon's :whistling: but credit to you looks like it's doing a good job..N
The skimmer is based on Simons as his works so well. Now that it has 'run in' for a few days it is pulling plenty of gunk out.
Good idea about the co2 bottle, I have split the pipe a few time in the past by knocking it over.
Cam.
Valley Boy
02-07-04, 19:23
Excellent Skimmer, excuse me for my ignorance but what are the 2 containers near the top of the skimmer for ?
Looks really good cam. impressed with the skimmer. very smart :thumbsup:
Stuart
Kevin Douglas
02-07-04, 19:47
When you go into production on them skimmers will we have to find our own brick or does it come with it. :D :D :D :D
Looking good Cam. You have done a lot more since I was there last.
Looking forward to the next time.
Atb
Paul,
The 2 cups contain the Becketts injectors that actually create the air water mix. They leak a small amount of water hence the cups.
Kev,
The brick is a freebie, but I think it does add to the overall look :lol: :lol: :lol: ;) It has gone now though. Your welcome anytime.
Cheers,
Cam.
Hi Cam
Looking really good m8, given me some ideas for my next set up.
Cheers
Mark
ps Hows about some pics of the tank now to see hows it going?
That skimmer is just plain scary !
Just done an experiment to see how much my ap850 would pull out now that the new bad boy is working. Normally over 24 hours the 850 could fill up as much as 1/3 to 1/2 a cup of fairly wet gunk. This morning there was only about 1/4 -1/3 of an inch in there, yet the new skimmer was pulling out quite a bit more.
Most of the work on the system and skimmer etc. has been guess work as to wether the water would flow well between the tank room and the garage, or if the pump was strong enough to drive the Becketts etc. Fortunately things seemed to worked pretty well. When I went to bed last night the water temp was 25.9 degrees, yet when I checked again this morning it had only dropped to 25.1 so it seems that my insulation is doing a pretty good job of keeping things stable. How well it will cope in the depths of winter remains to be seen, but I have the capability to seperate the systems if necessary as I am keeping the old 850 as a backup.
Cheers,
Cam.
sowerby reef
03-07-04, 09:27
AWESOME
Cam what size holes did you have drilled for those CLosed Loops ....??? Thanks.Nic
I think they were 32mm holes but my tank connectors didn't fit so I had to use a dremil with a grinding stone to make them a few mm's larger.
Mark,
I'll get some more tank shots up over the next few days.
Cheers,
Cam.
Cheers cam.. Yeah i think you needed 36mm holes drilled.. can't wait to see more pic's just out of interest are you going to use anything to hide your weirs?? NIc
Don't plan to, just going to let them coraline up.
sorry to be a plank but is the grey pipework all imperial 1" stuff as used in ponds etc?
Cheers
Dapex,
No it is not the same stuff although I think that may be suitable. The stuff I used is mainly produced by two companys called VDL and Dyka, and it was supplied by clams.co.uk, Watford Aquarium and a local supplier. It is basically PVC-U pressure pipe and most of it is in metric, although I have had to use some imperial stuff too.
Cheers,
Cam.
ianmacaulay
08-07-04, 08:53
hi got any more pics of the tank we can see
MORE PICTURES of EVERYTHING. :thumbsup:
I'm in love with your skimmer! :wub:
ianmacaulay
08-07-04, 15:21
yes defintly it is pretty impressive
ian
Thanks Guys, more pics in the next day or so when I've got a bit of time off work.
Cheers,
Cam.
bristlebasher
09-07-04, 13:25
Aaaah what sorry lives we lead cause I am also in love :wub: with that skimmer :lol:
Smart :thumbsup:
H
Originally posted by bristlebasher@Jul 9 2004, 13:34
Aaaah what sorry lives we lead cause I am also in love :wub: with that skimmer :lol:
Smart :thumbsup:
H
well back off and give me some room i think i'm making progress, i know someone who knows someone that will give me her number :wub: :wub: :wub:
enough already, cant we just find out if she has a sister who is just as tall and amazing???
Hi,
Glad you all like the skimmer. Much of the credit for it's existance must go to Simon Clark as I've just basically copied his monster skimmer that he built himself too. :rolleyes:
Just thought I'd post a pic of the sump underneath the main tank. It is a 5x2ft3x2 tank which has been partitioned to take a dsb & caulerpa bed and two seperate partitions, one for the return pump and one where the majority of water that comes from the display tank goes off to the garage and skimmer.
Clean skimmed water returns from the garage via gravity through the two pipes you see that run across the front of the sump. It then travels over the DSB/caulerpa bed and into the return pump compartment. This is designed so that any remaining poloutants etc. will be removed by the DSB/caulerpa and plankton will be collected from here also. It then sent up to the tank via the OR6500 so the water in theory will be as clean and food laden as possible. Water from the tank drops into the partition on the far right and is tanken off to the garage to be skimmed. The Mak5 pump that feeds the skimmer draws the water along the 50mm pipe, there is no pump that pushes water to the agarge.
Obviously there is still a bit of tidying up of the wires to do and the DSB etc. has to go in but it gives you an idea of how the water is handled. My old AP850 skimmer will also sit along side the sump so that if necessary I can stop flow to the garage in the winter if it is really cold. You can't see it here and I was in the process of cleaning it when the photo was taken.
Cheers,
Cam.
http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploads/MainSump.jpg
Looks great amazing to think you sump is bigger than the average display tank.. your lucky to have the space and money to do this project looks amazing.. Oh and as i'm plumbing my new tank i keep asking annoying plumbing questions but why did you use two unions at the left end of those two pipes is this for maintenence?? Nic
Edit: typo
Fantastic! keep up the good work m8 & keep them pics coming.
Whens the open day?
Cheers
Suk
:D
Originally posted by Suk@Jul 11 2004, 11:01
Fantastic! keep up the good work m8 & keep them pics coming.
Whens the open day?
Cheers
Suk
:D
hey sounds good one of my best friends works for Wight Link so i could get a free car over.... Hmmm
Nic,
The unions were put on there for ease of assembly when the sump was plumbed in. It is unlikely that I would ever take the sump out unless it was damaged. I don't have the money, my mate Barclaycard does :rolleyes: Oh, and I have a very understanding wife.
Suk,
When the conservatory is completely finished we will be holding a tank warming for all who fancy a trip to the island. It should be some time in September, you are more than welcome to come over.
:cheers:
Cam
Hi all,
At last there has been some progress on the actual conservatory structure so here are a few shots of the work in progress. More tanks shots to follow......
http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploads/Dscf1693a.jpg
http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploads/Dscf1695a.jpg
Cheers,
Cam.
ahhhhhhh... now THOSE pictures bring back some happy (and notso!) happy memories of when I used to do the conservatories etc!
hehe and looking at the 2 guys working on it, looks about how we were! my mate doing the roof bit, and me having to clamber up on the roofs etc with a tube of silicone in my hands! hehe.. should have got danger money for some of the jobs when I would be stuck up on a roof in the pouring rain sliding about like im on a ski slope!
Ah!! it seems like just yesterday when a young, freshfaced lad was buying his first 250w triple halide. How quickly the young grow up ;)
Super setup :wub: I'm looking forward to following its progress.
Haydn
SPS Hoover
14-07-04, 16:07
haydn Gopsill Posted on Jul 14 2004, 16:05
Ah!! it seems like just yesterday when a young, freshfaced lad was buying his first 250w triple halide
It is Cam we are talking about Haydn :lol:
Looking good Cam
It is Cam we are talking about Haydn
<_<
;) :lol:
MAD MECHANIC REEFER
14-07-04, 23:32
Nice one cam! :bow:
If your gonna be a bear , be a grizzly! :thumbsup:
What I love about this thread and the pics is that the tank has been set up before the conservatory was finsihed. My wife would have done her nut if at weekends and any other waking hour wasn't spent finishing the room first!
All credit to you for the awesome setup but also your magnificent powers of wife control!
LOL :bow: :bow: :bow:
Mode
ianmacaulay
27-07-04, 16:32
hows it all going nearly finished it yet
good luck with it all
ian
Hi folks,
Here's a quick update.
The conservatory is just about finished so here is a full tank shot. All that needs doing is the wall painting and a 'frame' making to go around the tank to finish it off. I need to get the T5s sorted out onto decent mountings so then the cables won't be visible.
http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploads/cam%20full%20tank1.jpg
Cheers,
Cam.
ianmacaulay
31-07-04, 07:53
looks good its getting there
good luck ian
:thumbsup: Looking good ...very good infact :thumbsup:
ooooh more pictures please :)
whats it look like from the other side of the tank?
Cam,
Thanks for a great evening - the tank is simply awesome! :D
Steve
Major Stare
10-08-04, 23:05
More pics, more pics, more pics.
Looking very good :bow:
Looks fantastic!
Any idea when we will see the finished product? :wub:
Hi,
Here are a few more shots. Not very good I'm afraid but you get the idea. I'll try and get some taken at night so the reflections aren't so bad.
http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploads/Dscf1957a.jpg
Just the skirting boards to go on and the walls to paint now.
http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploads/Dscf1985a.jpg
http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploads/Dscf1986a.jpg
Cheers,
Cam.
My god, the size of your clam :o
Excuse the expression :D
looking good.
Might be after some tips when i come to planning my big setup for next year
bagsy the seat on the right hand side :D
looks truly stunning a project that size would scare the shize out of me..FISH. :rolleyes:
reeftechie
16-08-04, 19:30
Great looking tank, I found this place from one of your members posting on a site in the US. I hope you all dont mind me posting on your board. You have a great looking room and thank bro. keep up with the pics, we dont get too many post with people that use Deltic and those types of equipment, just too expensive to get into the states...
Thanks,
RT
Great progress Cam :thumbsup:
Looking superb....do you foresee any problems with temp regulation...or have you got this sussed. Sorry if you've covered this previously, I'll read the whole thread when I get a chance.
excellent :bow:
Hi Skinny,
I find that if I keep the tank room door open during the sunny days then the temp doesn't fluctuate too much. The same goes for the night, the lagging on the underground pipes prevents large drops. I will shortly rig a self opening vent on the tank room to help keep the heat down during the day. I also have a beer chiller to rig up but there is a problem with a seal round the chillers internal circulation fan. Basically water gets into the fan motor and causes the whole thing to blow the trip switch.
I hope the cold winter nights will not cause too much problem, but if the temp falls too much during a real cold snap I can seperate the house and garage into two systems over night.
Cheers,
Cam.
Looks Great a Project to be proud of... can't wait to see Project 2005 what you got planned then?? N :D
redartyfarty
16-08-04, 22:17
Hi,
Great looking set up - I keep looking at this thinking 'maybe next time' :wub:
Can't wait for completion!! The dogs do dahs etc!
Cheers,
Gio
Thanks for the reply Cam, great idea using a beer chiller, will it be multipurpose and retain its former use :cheers: :P or will you have to rely on cans in the fridge ;)
Its nice to see plenty of space between the outcrops at either side, I assume this will reduce as corals grow but do you plan to keep it open.
By the way more pics are always welcome, as always. :thumbsup:
:thanx:
Looking awesome m8... :thumbsup:
getting dead jealous now looking at that picture frame, No more noise or smells.
Will defo try to get down in Sept, just give us a date.
Regards
Suk
:D
Looks stunning!!!!
Very impressed
elliot
Very nice indeed. Man I cant wait till I get my new tank!
Awesome, and even more rewarding becuase of the time you've spent creating the effect.
Enjoy it. :bow:
Tim
Hi Cam,
Been away for a while due to no tank :( . The tank is looking fabulous. What an excellent result. Love the framing.
Dead jealous...
Mark.
Cam,
Looking fantastic now, reallly like the aquascaping leaving lots of space. Well worth the hard work! :bow:
darrylmcerlean
26-08-04, 19:42
Simply amazing !! :wub: :wub: :wub: :wub: :bow:
thats cool!!! must be pleased with it. do you have many fish in the tank?
Well done Cam, absolutely stunning system....Get the snorkel :D
All I can say is one day I may be able to afford something like this beauty......
Mark....
Originally posted by Matt I@Aug 26 2004, 22:28
thats cool!!! must be pleased with it. do you have many fish in the tank?
Only abot 9 fish at the moment but I am planning to slowly build up the stock. Fortunatley with the total amount of water in the system I can have quite a lot of fish, which I like to see as it looks more natural to me. I am currently trying to get hold of a shoal of about 10 or 12 blue chromis but they seem to be quite hard to get hold of at the moment. If any of the sponsers have any I'd appreciate them letting me know.
Cheers,
Cam.
just wondering if theres anymore updated pics? is it finished now?
bristlebasher
28-09-04, 12:39
Yes , I would also like to see some further progress shots
I'm gutted I missed seeing the tank Saturday :( Looks a stunner...
Tim
fisharefriends
28-09-04, 13:33
:bow: absolutly no words for it......cool.... i just need to win the big one and i will be in touch for the plans.
Great Work
Dave
great looking tank m8
:bow:
pauljohno
A credit to you Cam :wub: :wub: :wub: :wub:
Pics please and take a few, not just one at a time ;)
Originally posted by Cam@Aug 27 2004, 07:45
I am currently trying to get hold of a shoal of about 10 or 12 blue chromis but they seem to be quite hard to get hold of at the moment. If any of the sponsers have any I'd appreciate them letting me know.
Cheers,
Cam.
only time I have seen these was at Clearwater in Leicster but, that was going back several months.
Luckily I have just managed to pick up 5 from my lfs, but will be getting more as and when.
Cam.
Would just like to add - we may have the worlds worst marine section, but we do get nice fish now and again! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: (glad you bought them mate - they were very tempting! ;) )
Dave :o
tut, tut, tut!! :D
Steve
Singapore reefer
13-10-04, 05:27
nice , :wub: and its looking good and improving every pic posted..Well done.and good luck.
rdgs: :thumbsup:
Originally posted by kyah710@Oct 12 2004, 22:56
Dave :o
tut, tut, tut!! :D
Steve
Mate - you know it and i know it (all i gotta do is convince the boss to spend some bucks :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: ) I do my best with what i got ;)
Anymore updates on this project, would like to see some new pics
:thumbsup:
Cam,
Any more info/piccies for us? Be nice to see the progress.
Mark.
Hi Mark,
I'll try and get some new photies taken over the next day or two. The tank is doing well and many of the SPS colonies have regained their former colouration. I have a bit of a problem with a brown slime algae on the sand bed at the moment though, I don't know whats causing it but is slowly spreads out again even after syphoning off. It doesn't appear to be photosynthetic and it is the same morning or night.
Cam.
Cheers Cam,
Look forward to seeing those pics. Shame about the slime. Maybe it's just early set-up syndrone.. :unsure:
Mark.
More pics please :unsure:
ianmacaulay
05-01-05, 15:36
hi any new pics
ianmacaulay
02-04-05, 08:20
are them pics coming
ian
Yep, I have just been moving a few corals around a bit and hanging a new reflector over the tank so I'll get some pics taken today and post later.
Cheers,
Cam.
Anemone Man
04-04-05, 22:30
That tank is amazing, Cam. I am speechless. Fantastic!!
Keep up the good work.
Cheers
Andy
:cheers:
Hi,
As promised here are some updated shots of the tank and some of the livestock.
http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/coralmans-site/Dscf2756.jpg
Full tank shot with all 3 400w 20k Radium bulbs on.
http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/coralmans-site/Dscf2759.jpg
Right side of tank
http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/coralmans-site/Dscf2760.jpg
Left side of tank
http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/coralmans-site/Dscf2766.jpg
Clown fish who lives in the leather coral during the day and in his Green nem at night
http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/coralmans-site/Dscf2767.jpg
Corals on the left side
http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/coralmans-site/Dscf2769.jpg
http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/coralmans-site/Dscf0207a.jpg
Close up of my lovely solid purple table coral with a picture of how it looked when it was bought just over a year ago!
http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/coralmans-site/Dscf2771.jpg
Stylophora getting pinker under the 20k radiums. Now if anybody wants to donate a nice frag of the green stylo then please get in touch :whistling: ;)
http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/coralmans-site/Dscf2773.jpg
One of two stunning pink hystrix, courtesy of Bobkat :thumbsup:
http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/coralmans-site/Dsc2774.jpg
Stunning green seriatopora
Hope you like.
Cheers,
Cam.
Valley Boy
07-04-05, 09:36
Excellent Cam!
SuperBlades
07-04-05, 12:27
Stunning :)
Whoa :wub: :wub:
Amazing setup.
SO when can I pop over for a swim LOL
Stunning m8
:thumbsup: :bow: :bow:
stunning...awesome...gorgeous...
:bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow:
Superb. Worth the wait!!
:bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow:
Hi all,
Just another quick updated picture. Sorry it's not the best due to reflections and the tank room door was open, but you should be able to see some growth from the last pictures.
Cheers,
Cam.
http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploads/DSCF2874.JPG
Looks amazing Cam, some serious growth there ;)
that clam is incredible - what sort of diameter has it reached now?
thanks
Anna
Originally posted by Anna@Jun 20 2005, 14:19
Looks amazing Cam, some serious growth there ;)
that clam is incredible - what sort of diameter has it reached now?
thanks
Anna
Anna,
I'd say its about 10-11 inches long and weighs a ton!!!!
Cam.
RedevanceUK
20-06-05, 19:13
Awesome looking tank :wub:
Wow!!! :wub: Growing & Looking well Cam... :thumbsup:
Mark... :)
bristlebasher
21-06-05, 07:12
Looks very nice :wub: :thumbsup: .
I dont know if this was answered before - but what was your reason for leaving the rear glass unpainted?
looking good cam :wub:
no problems then! B)
dean
Anemone Man
21-06-05, 19:44
Very very nice Cam. I take my hat off to you. What do you reckon your running costs are for a setup like that?
Andy
:bow: :thumbsup: :bow: :thumbsup: :bow:
Originally posted by bristlebasher@Jun 21 2005, 06:12
I dont know if this was answered before - but what was your reason for leaving the rear glass unpainted?
I left the glass unpainted so that I can see into the tank from the rear in the tank room. There is no access from the front so I need to be able to see what I am doing. I keep meaning to get a board and paint it blue just to stand at the back of the tank, but I never seem to get round to it!
What do you reckon your running costs are for a setup like that?
I pay £100 per month to scottish power for all the household gas and electricity which seems to cover the bills. It is a little too much for the summer but probably not enough in the winter, so it about evens itself out over the year. Obviously there stuff like food, salt and other consumables to take into account but I do make a little back by selling frags or trading in for goods at some shops. I am running a frag system linked to the main system wit a 250w halide over it too!
Cam.
Anemone Man
24-06-05, 14:35
lets see more pics cam? If i had a tank like that I'd be posting pics every day. Cant say it enough, absolutely stunning.
Andy
Don't forget more pics!!!
:cheers:
Hi,
Just had a mate pop round and he took a few shots with his EOS. Lots of reflection spoils most shots but here are a couple I quite liked.
Cheers,
Cam.
http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploads/1689a.JPG
http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploads/1687a.JPG
MaidstoneMarine
11-08-05, 11:40
wow... awesome!
thats got to be worth a day trip down to the isle of wight to see in person!
Chris
amazing!! looking at some of these tanks makes me realise how simple mine is,
nice one
from matty
:bow:
dont know if you have already mentioned but what lighting do you have in there
JasandJules
11-08-05, 11:56
Very, very, very, no really, I mean it, VERY Nice.......
Hello Cam! looks very nice indeed! im looking forward to seeing it! :thumbsup: Nick
agh naso going for the day trip then, you can re-do your presentation then
cam stunning as always looking forward to seeing it, for the first time in the flesh :thumbsup:
SPS Hoover
11-08-05, 12:49
You could have turned tank lights on :lol: those pic's look very dark to me either that or its the crappy monitor at work.
Regards
Si
Originally posted by djsmito@Aug 11 2005, 10:50
dont know if you have already mentioned but what lighting do you have in there
Matty, I'm running 3x400w 20k Radium MH, 1x80w Actinic T5, 2x54w Actinic T5
Will & Nick, looking forward to seeing you again on the 21st. Hope Simon doesn't bring his usual weather with him or you'll need raincoats!!! :lol:
Si, the pics were taken deliberately dark to try and make the whole thing show up and to minimise the reflection. Don't know what settings were used, but then again I know very little about photography.
Cheers,
Cam. :D
Originally posted by MaidstoneMarine@Aug 11 2005, 10:40
wow... awesome!
thats got to be worth a day trip down to the isle of wight to see in person!
Chris
Chris,
If you're every down this way just give me a shout.
Cam.
simon garratt
11-08-05, 15:08
Never knew your fish were nocturnal Cam................ :thumbsup:
hey cam, where in the IOW are you, im going over there on sunday and monday for a short break
blimey some of them acros are flipping huge now mate.
makes me regret starting all over.
Craig
That looks fantastic. Any chance of some 'lights on' type shots, so we can see more colours etc.
Well done.
Chris.
Cam,
To echo what Craig said some of those pieces are bloody massive!! Great work...its a credit to you :thumbsup:
Originally posted by Yakdriver@Aug 11 2005, 18:10
That looks fantastic. Any chance of some 'lights on' type shots, so we can see more colours etc.
Well done.
Chris.
Chris,
The lights are on it these shots. They were taken intentionally dark as the sun was out in the conservatory and it makes good tanks shots difficult. I'll try and put up some shots taken during the evening before lights out so you can see what it looks like then.
Cheers,
Cam.
The Escaped Ape
12-08-05, 06:43
Looking brilliant. Love the growth you've achieved with the acros/stylo etc.
Now I have to wipe up the saliva off my desk. :huh:
I'll try and put up some shots taken during the evening before lights out so you can see what it looks like then
Look forward to it, thanks.
Can you just remind us of your Ca reactor and kalk dosing regime. there is a lot or coral growth there in a relatively short time, I'm interested in how you kept up with demand and what your Ca, Mg and Dkh readings typically are.
Cheers,
chris.
Hi Chris,
I add calcium etc. via my Deltec 1000 calcium reactor filled with Rowalith C. I used to have a Deltec 600s filled with ARM but this was struggling to cope. I will probably fill the 1000 with ARM at some point but it will take around 10 tubs to fill it. This will cost about £150 but if any of the sponsors want to do me a deal for a shameless plug, then I may be interested!
Currently my levels are about:
Ca 400
Dkh 7.8
Mg not tested for a while but was around 1100
When I pop into Boots I usually pick up some Epsom Salts as a magnesium top up.
Interestingly, as described earlier in the thread I have been using natural sunlight along with the MH lights. I believe that this has had a positive effect on coral growth but I think the colours were not as good under this spectrum. As a temp measure I have currently blocked off the polycarbonate roof of the tank room and am using only MH and T5 actinic lighting. This seems to be making many of the coral colours some out a little better. I could just be that the colours were there before just that they appear different under sunlight.
I am also using natural seawater for all my water changes now. I collect about 70 gallons a time (10% of my overall volume) and treat each bucket with ozone. No problems withthis at all and everything is doing well.
Cheers,
Cam.
I am also using natural seawater for all my water changes now. I collect about 70 gallons a time (10% of my overall volume) and treat each bucket with ozone. No problems withthis at all and everything is doing well.
Hi Cam
You are so lucky to be able to collect sea water.
How on earth do you collect sea water, the mind boggles I have various funny imigas in my mind, what size containers do you use I would really like to see a photo of this.
Your system is what most reefers dream about .... It is Wonderful
Thank you for shering it with us.
Regards
Gerald Habershon
Hi Gerald,
Basically all I do is drive down to the slipway so that I can get as close to the water as possible and just use a bucket to fill up loads of other old salt buckets. I can get 14 in my Picasso. Once home I blast the water 2 buckets a time with ozone and pump into the system through a filter bag to remove any sand or bits of seaweed etc.
I am going to look at the possibility of using and inverter and a pump instead of the bucket to make life a little easier.
There is an interesting letter in the latest issue of Marine World from a guy who has been using untreated sea water in his tanks for 30 years.
Cheers,
Cam.
Valley Boy
16-08-05, 09:07
Hi Cam
What is the SG of the Sea water?
I will check with my refractometer next time I collect some water and let you know.
Cheers,
Cam.
Hi All,
Managed to sort out a video of my tank too. Hope you like it http://www.reefhaven.co.uk/forum/html/emoticons/wink.gif
http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/coralm...e/Cams_Reef.wmv (http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/coralmans-site/Cams_Reef.wmv)
Cheers,
Cam.
YorkshireMarine
19-02-06, 11:20
what sizes are your tangs roughly
thanks james
WOW, looking damned impressive.
Craigg
Thanks everybody:D
James,
The tangs are about3 to 3 1/2 inches long aprox.
Cheers,
Cam.
keith hellyar
19-02-06, 18:13
I've been lucky enough to have seen Cams reef and its is stunning. Excellent footage Cam. I see you've still got that strange Damsel
Keith
Hi Keith,
Yeh, still got it however it will shortly be up for sale/off to the lfs. It is not really a problem fish but in the last few week has taken to bullying my Asfer Angel to the point that it will not come out from the rockwork except to feed a little. When it does the Damsel chases it back in. I suppose it is because they are both the same size and almost the same colour apart from the Asfer's yellow stripe.
Shame it has to go really as it is unusual and generally peaceful. Are you interested?
Cheers,
Cam.
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