My 1st SW tank. 29g Eclipse Tank w/ Custom Upgrades... 56k Warning

[ek9vboi]

Here is my tank, it has been up since last Dec. I am taking or trying to atlease to do everything slowly and learn from others. I’ve already learned my lesson with an anemone incedent.

Before:

Stock lighting that came with the hood


With Power-glo bulb only


With Power-glo and Marine-glo

Just two damsels for now

[ek9vboi]

Then I got the anemone on 1-19-06… few days later it went up the powerhead. I think it crashed my tank because my sea urchin died a few days later. The damsels survived it. I did not do a water change, yes I know no0b mistake.







So it was like basically restarting everything all over again.

[ek9vboi]

I let the tank get well again and reworked the aquascape:


Upgraded to a single 65w PC lighting kit made by SunPaq (SP)

Then I was browsing RC and found a member who retro-fitted the PC lighting in another spot and it gave me a great idea!


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...klights003.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...klights004.jpg
New spot w/ custom brackets that I made. I also went on to reinstalling the stock lighting kit that came with the hood and used the 20w bulbs that I had purchased earlier (I felt they were a waste if I didn’t use them).

[ek9vboi]

That’s a picture of both of them on


20w Bulbs on alone


PC lighting alone

[ek9vboi]

Next came the removal of the bio-wheel. From what I was told, it was a nitrate factory! It was removed and replace with some blue floss as well as LR to help the tank out. I also slowed down the return flow because it was creating too much micro bubbles!


So ugly… I hate micro bubbles! Oh yeah, my LR and LS have bubbles on them too. Can someone explain to me why? They are clear and only appear when the lights are on after a few hours. Would this be the LR and LS purging air because of the heat acting upon them?




I was thinking about removing the filter itself and just adding more live rock. Any input on that???


I have some turbo snails that cleaned up the tank very nicely! I got some scarlet hermits the other day and they are great too.

Parameters for the tank are perfect according to the LSF.
Salinity seemed a bit high at the LSF (1.028!!!), but when I tested it… it was around 1.024 – 1.026. It might be off a little.

Plans:
Awaiting on my AquaC Romora Skimmer
• Planning to make a custom overflow/bubble box to fit the Eclipse hood
Remove Damsels
Get some soft corals, zoos, clowns, etc… nothing too fancy
Looking for Moonlight system to complete my 3 stage lighting system

This tank to me is just for fun, it I was seriously into it then I would have upgraded the hood and so on already. Thanks for looking and any comments are welcomed! More updates will be up later on.

[JmLee]

congradulations. just to warn you, alot of anenomes require intense lighting. and you might want to wait a few months before you start stocking any kind of corals. but hey good luck!. And welcome to the hobby. Oh and if thats a ungravel filter, Ditch it IMO.

[ek9vboi]

Originally posted by JmLee
congradulations. just to warn you, alot of anenomes require intense lighting. and you might want to wait a few months before you start stocking any kind of corals. but hey good luck!. And welcome to the hobby. Oh and if thats a ungravel filter, Ditch it IMO.

Could you fill me in on how much lighting a BTA usually requires? As of right now I calculated that I am putting down 101 total watts... so thats about 3.5 watts per gallon.

Also, whats a ungravel filter?

[wetWolger]

I think you got a good start but these are the next areas I would address:
1) Flow, you don't have near enough flow. I would ether add a bunch of powerheads, or what I did, add a closed loop.
2) I would try to work in a skimmer, could be HOB, could have to add a sump.....but I would add a skimmer when you can. If it were me I would remove that stock filtter, put in an overflow. And have an under the tank sump/skimmer/fuge.

[ek9vboi]

Originally posted by jent46bow
I think you got a good start but these are the next areas I would address:
1) Flow, you don't have near enough flow. I would ether add a bunch of powerheads, or what I did, add a closed loop.
2) I would try to work in a skimmer, could be HOB, could have to add a sump.....but I would add a skimmer when you can. If it were me I would remove that stock filtter, put in an overflow. And have an under the tank sump/skimmer/fuge.

Great advice! The flow I am planning to add more power heads, I had a close loop but I'm a really afride of a leak or something (bad minor accident )





Pump was too loud so I had to rip it apart.

As for the skimmer, it has been ordered and should be coming as soon as today or tomorrow. I'm excited!!! Thanks again for the advice, I am planning to remove it and add more little piece of LR or something that can be placed there to help out the tank. No idea what HOB means. I would like to do a sump set-up but its too extreme for me right now. (Still living with parents & i have carpet)

[jawaiianmon]

HOB= Hang on Back, such as the Remora is.
Undergravel filter- you don't have one and don't want one anyway.

Nice closed loop. Did you get the idea from Melev's website? It looks really nice. What pump are you using on it? I have an Eclipse 29 also, that I am hoping to start next weekend, so I am curious. I already have a Remora, base rock and base sand, and I am thinking of upgrading to a 130W lighting fixture and ditching the eclipse hood rather than modding it for the skimmer.

Keep the updates coming please, and if you have any specs or advice regarding the closed loop for the 29 I would love to hear it.

Thanks,
Rob

[ek9vboi]

Originally posted by jawaiianmon
HOB= Hang on Back, such as the Remora is.
Undergravel filter- you don't have one and don't want one anyway.

Nice closed loop. Did you get the idea from Melev's website? It looks really nice. What pump are you using on it? I have an Eclipse 29 also, that I am hoping to start next weekend, so I am curious. I already have a Remora, base rock and base sand, and I am thinking of upgrading to a 130W lighting fixture and ditching the eclipse hood rather than modding it for the skimmer.

Keep the updates coming please, and if you have any specs or advice regarding the closed loop for the 29 I would love to hear it.

Thanks,
Rob

Yeah, buy my close loop. LOL! I took it out because the pump made too much noise. I was using a ViaAqua 1300, but I took it apart b/c it was too annoying. I did get the idea from Melev's website.

My advice would be to keep the Eclipse Hood, but if you have the money upgrade it. I just hate to waste good money and not use what I buy. So I don't feel guilty about it if I replace things after using it.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MEWA%3AIT&rd=1
Good deal, but I always hated the look of them. I was actually going to buy it and gut it for the internals and retro them into the hood where the stock lighting is. So that would mean 65x3=195watts!!! Oh yeah they have moonlights which I want too, so this hood is an all in 1, but i really like how the eclipse hood looks like. nice and clean!

Skimmer in action (1st day of use):




(2nd day):

[ek9vboi]

Here are pictures of the single 65w PC light I retro'd in:



Planning to replace the t12s w/ 65wx2 later on if needed. Bulbs will be antic and a pure white. New light timer/set-up will be adjusted.


More of the lights and I removed the stock filter and added more rocks in its place (blue floss was put in place to slow down the flow of the returns on the Eclipse hood since there is no filter or bio-wheel):

[ek9vboi]

Here was the fun part... well not really. Took a shots at it, but I made it fit perfectly!

Skimmer made to fit:








I wish I would have done a "how-to." its pretty simple and stright forward.

Last picture, quickie of the tank w/ lights off and the flash on.


I adjusted some of the rocks (white odd ball, lol). It gives it a more natural look to it now. I'll try to take some day time pictures later on. till then have fun and enjoy!

[Danger731]

See my gallery - I have 110 watts total and my anemone for 2 years.

[ek9vboi]

Originally posted by Danger731
See my gallery - I have 110 watts total and my anemone for 2 years.

Wow tank looks awsome, hoefully my tank will be like that some day.

[ek9vboi]

updated pictures and stuff I got:


i'm thinking about cutting a few off and placing them else where. for now they will stay i want them to reproduce can see how they react to the environment.
Hermies acting up:



Hammer coral I got in a trade:


its small, but i hope it grows quickly.

[jawaiianmon]

thanks for all the pics. If you google 29gallon eclipse mods there is a good amount of ideas out there, but you seem to be doing fine on your own. FWIW, I hear lots of bad stuff about that ebay light fixture. I am going to get a Current Satellite or Coralife 130W fixture soon and try to sell the eclipse hood.
Rob

[ek9vboi]

I don't think SunPaq is bad, but I might upgrade later on (bulbs and ballast). I really like how the Eclipse hood looks like, its clean and simple.

[True Percula]

nice so far man

[ek9vboi]

Originally posted by True Percula
nice so far man

Here are updated pictures:

[jawaiianmon]

wow, nice progress.

[True Percula]

wow nice if you can take some full tank pics

[ek9vboi]

Update! Its been a while... I slowed down with the fishing thing... back on it again. Since then I got 2 True Pec. and a bubble coral. Some rearrangements, etc...

[ek9vboi]

Some bad and good pictures of my clowns!

[ek9vboi]

Video of the clowns!



A picture of the tank recently: