Reef Central Online Community

Go Back   Reef Central Online Community > Marine Fish Forums > Fish Only & Aggressive Tanks
Blogs FAQ Calendar Mark Forums Read

Notices

User Tag List

Reply
Thread Tools
Unread 11/19/2015, 04:54 PM   #551
moriarty
Registered Member
 
moriarty's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 521
Quote:
Originally Posted by kangadrew View Post
Nice! The reason I ask is because there is a school that I will be building an aquarium for this summer, and this could be pretty interesting to do with natives like a few tiny sharks for growing out, a stingray, and tons of other natives. Do you have your eyes set on any protein skimmers yet for once your fish load get huge (obviously it's going to need a bigger skimmer soon ) If you don't mind me asking, what do you have into the project thus far? Not including livestock, foods, meds, etc.
Very cool! I haven't looked into a larger skimmer since my last upgrade, but I really like the idea of building my own. If for whatever reason that doesn't work out, I will likely look into skimmers intended for commercial applications. Just depends on what type of time commitment I'd be looking at to build. As to what I have invested in terms of equipment (pool, liner, insulation, filtration/pumps, skimmer, lighting, dehumidifier - probably the most necessary piece of equipment that I have - etc...), it really wasn't bad... to take a quick guess, I would say somewhere between $3-4k.


moriarty is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 11/19/2015, 04:58 PM   #552
moriarty
Registered Member
 
moriarty's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 521
Quote:
Originally Posted by Genera View Post
Well, there's way too many mollies for me to count, I'm estimating about 130? I don't know. But sponges, snails/slugs/etc, brittle stars, feather worms, and lots of other things just pop up out of nowhere. Botryocladia is popping up all over too, but Caulerpa lentillifera is the most abundant organism in terms of biomass. I'm thinking of removing about 3/5 of it and replacing it with some other kinds of caulerpa, i.e. prolifera, taxifolia, etc, and maybe some gracilaria, halymenia, laurencia, etc. I might install a new, more powerful light and try some gorgonians and ricordeas. Maybe even a few rock/flower nems. I'm thinking about getting a few blennies, specifically Malacoctenus triangulatus and M. aurolineatus. A bunch of inverts would be cool too. I only keep the tank about 1/2 full, as sometime soon I'd like to purchase a bunch of mangroves & let them grow all over. Actually, sometime soon I'd like to get a bigger tank, longer and wider, but not as tall as the 90. Something along the lines of 72" x 24" x 17". I'm also planning to make a bunch of ponds, indoor/outdoor. Not relating to the fish theme, also an aviary, vivariums (frog/toad, salamander, gecko, etc), chickens, and budgies. I think I'll do these in the spring, when the weather is better. It's the middle of November in MN and it's raining... The other day it was upwards of 60F! Snow is expected for next week though.
Sounds like a really nice system! Would love to see a build thread if you have one! If you haven't looked into it already, I recommend rubbermaid tubs for indoor ponds up to 300 gallons. If you are looking for something bigger, you really can't go wrong with an intex pool and pond liner!


moriarty is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 11/20/2015, 05:07 PM   #553
kangadrew
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 112
Quote:
Originally Posted by moriarty View Post
Very cool! I haven't looked into a larger skimmer since my last upgrade, but I really like the idea of building my own. If for whatever reason that doesn't work out, I will likely look into skimmers intended for commercial applications. Just depends on what type of time commitment I'd be looking at to build. As to what I have invested in terms of equipment (pool, liner, insulation, filtration/pumps, skimmer, lighting, dehumidifier - probably the most necessary piece of equipment that I have - etc...), it really wasn't bad... to take a quick guess, I would say somewhere between $3-4k.
That's a really low price for such a big system! I'm thinking of building an 8", 6 foot high skimmer for this tank. I can't really tell from the build - would this be an internal or external skimmer? Hopefully a 6 foot skimmer is enough to keep up with a big bioload lol. But it should be fine considering it holds around 63 gallons of water inside it - plenty enough.


kangadrew is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 11/20/2015, 08:15 PM   #554
ThRoewer
Registered Member
 
ThRoewer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Fremont, CA
Posts: 9,555
Quote:
Originally Posted by moriarty View Post
Very cool! I haven't looked into a larger skimmer since my last upgrade, but I really like the idea of building my own. If for whatever reason that doesn't work out, I will likely look into skimmers intended for commercial applications. Just depends on what type of time commitment I'd be looking at to build. As to what I have invested in terms of equipment (pool, liner, insulation, filtration/pumps, skimmer, lighting, dehumidifier - probably the most necessary piece of equipment that I have - etc...), it really wasn't bad... to take a quick guess, I would say somewhere between $3-4k.
For a large system I would look into a Sander Helgoland model


__________________
Pairs: 4 percula, 3 P. kauderni, 3 D. excisus, 1 ea of P. diacanthus, S. splendidus, C. altivelis O. rosenblatti, D. janssi, S. yasha & a Gramma loreto trio
3 P. diacanthus. 2 C. starcki

Current Tank Info: 200 gal 4 tank system (40x28x24 + 40B + 40B sump tank + 20g refugium) + 30x18x18 mixed reef + 20g East Pacific biotop + 20g FW +...
ThRoewer is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 11/20/2015, 09:27 PM   #555
kangadrew
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 112
Quote:
Originally Posted by ThRoewer View Post
For a large system I would look into a Sander Helgoland model
Those are some nice looking skimmers... must cost a pretty penny though

Edit: just looked and I found one for a tad over $4K


kangadrew is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 11/23/2015, 06:17 PM   #556
moriarty
Registered Member
 
moriarty's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 521
Quote:
Originally Posted by kangadrew View Post
That's a really low price for such a big system! I'm thinking of building an 8", 6 foot high skimmer for this tank. I can't really tell from the build - would this be an internal or external skimmer? Hopefully a 6 foot skimmer is enough to keep up with a big bioload lol. But it should be fine considering it holds around 63 gallons of water inside it - plenty enough.
Looks from the diagram that this design is intended for external use. Could likely be modified to work either way however.


moriarty is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 11/23/2015, 06:27 PM   #557
moriarty
Registered Member
 
moriarty's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 521
Quote:
Originally Posted by ThRoewer View Post
For a large system I would look into a Sander Helgoland model
Had to do a double take when I saw the little man in the figure to provide a sense of size/scale! The model with the near 10' diameter is something else! For a living, I own a company that specializes in the design, installation, and maintenance of industrial equipment (mostly industrial refrigeration systems, but we do quite a few projects where large amounts of water movement is involved). Was very cool to see an example of equipment that we use in our hobby on a much larger scale! Thanks for posting!!


moriarty is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 11/24/2015, 09:19 AM   #558
kangadrew
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 112
Quote:
Originally Posted by moriarty View Post
Had to do a double take when I saw the little man in the figure to provide a sense of size/scale! The model with the near 10' diameter is something else! For a living, I own a company that specializes in the design, installation, and maintenance of industrial equipment (mostly industrial refrigeration systems, but we do quite a few projects where large amounts of water movement is involved). Was very cool to see an example of equipment that we use in our hobby on a much larger scale! Thanks for posting!!
Yeah, no problem man! Those skimmers are massive though - if I end up doing my huge Shark pond, I might have to look into those


kangadrew is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 11/25/2015, 10:28 AM   #559
moriarty
Registered Member
 
moriarty's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 521
Tried taking a few pics of the pool this morning, but my niger decided that he wasn't going to let me photograph anything but him... Tough taking pics with this guy because he likes to swim/beg at the water's surface whenever I'm near the pool, causing a lot of surface agitation. Will try to get some of the other fish later (trigger permitting of course)


Caught him mid-squirt in this one.





moriarty is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 11/25/2015, 03:35 PM   #560
ThRoewer
Registered Member
 
ThRoewer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Fremont, CA
Posts: 9,555
Quote:
Originally Posted by kangadrew View Post
Those are some nice looking skimmers... must cost a pretty penny though

Edit: just looked and I found one for a tad over $4K
I still have 2 old air operated versions of them back in Germany. I got them for free but never got to hook them up because I didn't have the pump to get the water that high or the compressor to provide the air.
I also didn't look forward to use a ladder every time I would have to clean them or do maintenance.
And those were the smallest models of their time...


__________________
Pairs: 4 percula, 3 P. kauderni, 3 D. excisus, 1 ea of P. diacanthus, S. splendidus, C. altivelis O. rosenblatti, D. janssi, S. yasha & a Gramma loreto trio
3 P. diacanthus. 2 C. starcki

Current Tank Info: 200 gal 4 tank system (40x28x24 + 40B + 40B sump tank + 20g refugium) + 30x18x18 mixed reef + 20g East Pacific biotop + 20g FW +...
ThRoewer is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 11/25/2015, 03:44 PM   #561
ThRoewer
Registered Member
 
ThRoewer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Fremont, CA
Posts: 9,555
Quote:
Originally Posted by moriarty View Post
Tried taking a few pics of the pool this morning, but my niger decided that he wasn't going to let me photograph anything but him... Tough taking pics with this guy because he likes to swim/beg at the water's surface whenever I'm near the pool, causing a lot of surface agitation. Will try to get some of the other fish later (trigger permitting of course)


Caught him mid-squirt in this one.


These guys are actually pretty smart and capable of solving problems. He seems to like it in there


__________________
Pairs: 4 percula, 3 P. kauderni, 3 D. excisus, 1 ea of P. diacanthus, S. splendidus, C. altivelis O. rosenblatti, D. janssi, S. yasha & a Gramma loreto trio
3 P. diacanthus. 2 C. starcki

Current Tank Info: 200 gal 4 tank system (40x28x24 + 40B + 40B sump tank + 20g refugium) + 30x18x18 mixed reef + 20g East Pacific biotop + 20g FW +...
ThRoewer is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 11/25/2015, 06:37 PM   #562
JamesHolt
Registered Member
 
JamesHolt's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Milton,NC
Posts: 1,104
Blog Entries: 3
The look on his face in the last pic,,,, he is up to no good.....lol


__________________
John Adams: "In my many years I have come to a conclusion that one useless man is a shame, two is a law firm, and three or more is a congress."

Current Tank Info: 29g with 2 Engineer gobies
JamesHolt is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 11/27/2015, 01:52 PM   #563
griseum
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 823
Beautiful Trigger you've got there!
Glad to hear you had some success with the Shark Gel diet.
As for chilling/chillers, there's a formula that can give you an approximation of how many BTUs, for the volume of water and the temperature drop desired, so that you have a unit that doesn't run too often (and skyrocket your electric bill too!) And with a decent chiller, you may be able to cut down on the dehumidifier running time also.
If I recall correctly, it takes 4 BTUs to chill 1 gal (or liter?) Of water by 1 degree Celsius (or about 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit)
There is also a Watts to BTU conversion if you need that, as many Chinese off-brands don't give a BTU rating, but watts instead.
Send me a PM if interested in some info regarding 1 HP and up Chiller OR combo Chiller/heater units.


griseum is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 01/03/2016, 09:48 AM   #564
marvelousone
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Shreveport La.
Posts: 235
Did you every get any more pics. This pond is awesome.


marvelousone is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 01/04/2016, 04:58 PM   #565
moriarty
Registered Member
 
moriarty's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 521
Quote:
Originally Posted by griseum View Post
Beautiful Trigger you've got there!
Glad to hear you had some success with the Shark Gel diet.
As for chilling/chillers, there's a formula that can give you an approximation of how many BTUs, for the volume of water and the temperature drop desired, so that you have a unit that doesn't run too often (and skyrocket your electric bill too!) And with a decent chiller, you may be able to cut down on the dehumidifier running time also.
If I recall correctly, it takes 4 BTUs to chill 1 gal (or liter?) Of water by 1 degree Celsius (or about 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit)
There is also a Watts to BTU conversion if you need that, as many Chinese off-brands don't give a BTU rating, but watts instead.
Send me a PM if interested in some info regarding 1 HP and up Chiller OR combo Chiller/heater units.
Thank you!! Yeah, will definitely shoot you a PM when it's time to go this route! Am especially interested in doing something with a chiller/heater combo.


moriarty is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 01/04/2016, 04:59 PM   #566
moriarty
Registered Member
 
moriarty's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 521
Quote:
Originally Posted by marvelousone View Post
Did you every get any more pics. This pond is awesome.
Thanks for the compliment! I have been on vacation for the better part of December, and with the new year and playing catch up on work, I haven't had much time to take any more pics... Will definitely try to do so within the next week or so!


moriarty is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 01/13/2016, 05:10 PM   #567
moriarty
Registered Member
 
moriarty's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 521
A few pics of the newest addition to the pool. Cheilinus trilobatus (Tripletail Maori Wrasse). He's been out of QT for a couple days now, and seems to be adjusting very well. Have been debating placing my broomtail wrasse back in there as well (would probably be the final addition). I have to be cautious about adding two large-ish Cheilinus together, but they are both so easy-going that I'm giving it pretty good odds of it working out. Catching her in my 240 with lots of LR has been the main issue why I haven't done so yet...

First pic was taken without flash, and the other two with - hence the color variation.






cruising over the "reef crest".


moriarty is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 01/13/2016, 07:40 PM   #568
Dmorty217
Saltwater Addict
 
Dmorty217's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Vandalia OHIO
Posts: 11,624
The triple tail is beautiful!


__________________
Fish are not disposable commodities, but a worthwhile investment that can be maintained and enjoyed for many years, providing one is willing to take the time to understand their requirements and needs

Current Tank Info: 625g, 220g sump, RD3 230w, Vectra L1 on a closed loop, 3 MP60s, MP40. Several QTs
Dmorty217 is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 01/13/2016, 07:49 PM   #569
ReefWreak
Registered Member
 
ReefWreak's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Astoria, NYC
Posts: 10,159
Beautiful fish! You're one of the few people who can enjoy this fish in an appropriate setting in a home tank. Thanks for sharing with us.


ReefWreak is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 01/13/2016, 09:06 PM   #570
moriarty
Registered Member
 
moriarty's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 521
Thank you guys! He really has a "presence" in the pool, and is always front and center at feeding time. He's about 10", and still has a good amount of growing to do.


moriarty is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 01/31/2016, 08:57 PM   #571
karimwassef
Registered Member
 
karimwassef's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 11,033
ever considered going reef instead of fish only?

You need to make a video of that niger. Even in still pics, I can sense the energy.

Take an iPhone video and post it to you tube directly from the phone.


__________________
Failure isn't an option It's a requirement. 660g 380inwall+280smp/surge S/L/Soft/Maxima/RBTA/Clown/Chromis/Anthias/Tang/Mandarin/Jawfish/Goby/Wrasse/D'back. DIY 12' Skimmer ActuatedSurge ConcreteScape
karimwassef is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 01/31/2016, 10:08 PM   #572
isdaboy
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 44
Always great to see new photo update! Looking really good.


isdaboy is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 02/01/2016, 08:49 AM   #573
ReefWreak
Registered Member
 
ReefWreak's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Astoria, NYC
Posts: 10,159
Quote:
Originally Posted by karimwassef View Post
ever considered going reef instead of fish only?

You need to make a video of that niger. Even in still pics, I can sense the energy.

Take an iPhone video and post it to you tube directly from the phone.
I knew I'd pull you in here


ReefWreak is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 05/24/2016, 10:43 AM   #574
unfeazi
Registered Member
 
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 140
Been awhile since we got an update, how's everything?


unfeazi is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 05/28/2016, 04:03 PM   #575
moriarty
Registered Member
 
moriarty's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 521
Sorry for the lack of updates as of late. Work has really been encroaching into my free time these past few months. Should be settling down here soon, and I've been trying to plan out and delegate upcoming projects so that I can take the better part of June through August off.

Decided to build the frame to look like a dock. Had originally thought to use some old dock pilings at the 10 corners, but I think that some 5" round posts, a little rope, and maybe some cleats should be a much easier/readily available substitute. Trying to think of a way to describe what I have in mind in a way that would make any sort of sense, but I think it will be easier to just build it and then post some pics

I love the idea of doing a reef (think that tridacnid clams would be especially cool from the top-down perspective), but will likely keep it FO. My current fish stocking really prohibits me from keeping most corals/inverts.

Yea, the niger is definitely a character! So far, he's been very easy going, and has never bothered any of the other fish (including some 1/2" to 3/4" damsels and other triggers) He's about 10" now, and could really do some damage if things go south. -I do have alternate housing available for him should this happen - I'll post a couple videos here soon. Taking pictures can be tricky, as the niger has a thing for photobombing. Most of my pics turn out like this one that I tried to take of my mixed Pomacanthus pair (P. annularis & P. paru).




moriarty is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On



All times are GMT -6. The time now is 02:33 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Powered by Searchlight © 2024 Axivo Inc.
Use of this web site is subject to the terms and conditions described in the user agreement.
Reef CentralTM Reef Central, LLC. Copyright ©1999-2022
User Alert System provided by Advanced User Tagging v3.3.0 (Pro) - vBulletin Mods & Addons Copyright © 2024 DragonByte Technologies Ltd.