Reefkeeping South Africa » Items by erratiC

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Items by erratiC

Marine Aquariums of South Africa

• 

  New 3.6m tank - loads of questions!

  Posted: April 30th, 2012, 11:32pm CDT by erratiC

  Hi all,
  
  My fiancee and I have decided to build a second floor to my parent's place and we're both into marines so we've decided to make space for a gigantic tank! Sweet! :thumbup: So having had a look at the plans and spoken to the architect today about it I've made place for a tank around 3600mm x 600mm x 800mm (h) - can be a bit bigger/smaller if necessary.
  
  Now to the questions :
  
  
  1. Anybody know of anybody in DBN who can help with putting the tank together? As in physically gluing it together - professionally or private - doesn't matter to me provided that they/we do a good job.
  
  2. I would also need help with the overall design, incl. overflow.
  
  3. What thickness would be required and where would I need to put bracing? Having read through @flappy's "2500l tank thread" - I'm assuming something along this design could suffice? Here's a pic of his tank if you need memories jogged (minus the stand) :
  
  
  
  4. I'm going to have the sump downstairs directly under the DT so I could have a brick/cement base... which medium is best and how would it be designed?
  
  5. Approximately, what weight (tank and brick/cement base) would I be looking at so that I can tell the architect how much the floor would have to hold.
  
  
  So, I've got quite a couple more Q's but I thought I'd ask them in stages. I'll be putting together a sketchup drawing soon showing some ideas I have (Automatic water change, RO Reserve, etc) so I'll be open for any critiquing.
  
  Thanks all for any help given.
• 

  Painting acrylic?

  Posted: February 28th, 2012, 10:24pm CST by erratiC

  Hey all,
  
  I would like to paint an acrylic sheet that I have in my tank that is acting as my overflow - what "paint" could I use that is "reef-friendly" and will also last?
  
  I know that I could wait for coralline algae to do the job for me but I can't see that happening any time soon.
  
  Looking for black if possible.
  
  Shot.
• 

  Small mention of MASA in the Redfish mag

  Posted: February 28th, 2012, 4:22pm CST by erratiC

  I see there's a small mention of MASA in the latest issue of Redfish thanks to a very clever lady by the name of Sara Allyn Mavinkurve who is mentioned as being a special guest on MASA.
  
  Thanks Sara for a very good and informative article on Faviidae. :thumbup:
  
  Click here to go to the site and subscribe - it's free!
• 

  return syphon

  Posted: February 23rd, 2012, 8:36pm CST by erratiC

  Hey all, I'm needing to make a hole at the top of my return pipe before it goes into my tank to break the syphon in the event of a power outage.. it's 32mm piping that has a 90degree elbow attached to a 180deg (2x 90deg) that's attached to a standpipe leading down to my 5000L/h pump.
  
  So where do I drill the hole?
  
  I hope I've explained ok... thanks.
• 

  What do drivers do for LEDs?

  Posted: February 4th, 2012, 10:04am CST by erratiC

  Hey all,
  
  I bought a meter long strip of LEDs for R200 to test how I'd be able to get LEDs going on my TL-550 ... so I cut about 15cm of it off and plugged it into 8x Duracell PLUS AA 1.5V batteries to see how long it would take the batteries to die and to see the brightness.
  
  I soldered all the batteries together and connected them up to the 15cm strip last week Sunday at 2pm and I shit you not - the LEDs are still lit up.. not very bright anymore but they're still going.
  
  So, why should I purchase a couple of drivers to power the LED strip when I could buy a 12V adaptor with a potentiometer that plugs straight into the wall and get it going like that? It clearly works coming from the battery test I did.
  
  Thanks! :thumbup:
• 

  Clownfish @ my wedding?

  Posted: January 16th, 2012, 8:07am CST by erratiC

  Hey all,
  
  I'm getting married in August this year and my fiancee and I were seriously considering getting about 4 - 5 Clownfish per table as a centrepiece instead of the traditional flower arrangement.
  
  It's going to be a relatively small wedding - 65 ppl odd so that would make around 32 clowns in total (8 people to a table with 8 tables with 4 clowns per table). We were thinking it might be even better if we had different types of clowns per table.
  
  Now, we want to start collecting clowns now to make sure we can hand pick every single one so that we aren't forced to take any shoddy looking ones with a big batch all at once.
  
  I have a 5foot tank that I'm busy putting together but I'm also looking at eventually getting a QT as well... should I section the 5foot into say 4 or 5 sections for the different types of clowns and bare not having a main tank for the next 8 months or should I get that QT now and section that off? What size would be appropriate for holding 32 clowns?
  
  As for keeping them... I'm thinking of the tank as the same type of tanks that the LFS keeps - no LR with loads of skimming, heaters, powerheads and water changes.. this should be ok? When we've had the wedding we'll probably either trade them back to the LFS for peanuts or even consider giving the fish to them... either way, we can't keep 32 clowns.
  
  As for the day of the wedding we're going to have tall, wide vases in the centre of the table with a single battery-powered airpump covered by stones to make it look cool. Lighting I was thinking about either a single 3W led or a couple, whichever looks better, on top of the vase shining down lighting the fish up. Our reception is going to be an air conditioned room so I don't think heaters will be needed. We'll have the fish caught afterwards and taken back to our QT which is only about a 20 min drive.
  
  I know reading this was long but can anybody think of anything else that I might be missing? I think it'll be fun and I know some people will probably think of getting their own so getting more people into the hobby is always a bonus.
  
  And lastly, is it crazy because I'm thinking our close friends and family are going to think we're a couple fries short of a happy meal (if you know what I mean)? :thumbup:
• 

  New series on BBC called Great Barrier Reef

  Posted: January 2nd, 2012, 1:32pm CST by erratiC

  Hey all,
  
  Just thought I'd suggest you all try to get hold of a new documentary series that's just started called Great Barrier Reef.
  
  This is what the downloadable name is :
  
  Great. Barrier. Reef. S01E01. Natures. Miracles. HDTV. XviD-C4TV
  
  It's just under 700 MB in size.
  
  For a url to have a look at what it's about :
  
  www.tvrage.com/shows/id-30428
  
  Pm me if you need help.
  
  Cheers
• 

  Where to find shingle in Durban?

  Posted: December 18th, 2011, 12:01am CST by erratiC

  Hey guys,
  
  I don't want to fork out R10k + for 60kgs of LR when I could be spending that money on vortechs or add to the kickass LED lighting fund sooo does anybody know where where can I find shingle, oyster grid or any reasonable alternative in Durbs so that I can put together some DIY rock?
  
  Muchas gracias!
• 

  Teeth on an overflow

  Posted: December 13th, 2011, 9:23am CST by erratiC

  Hi all,
  
  I'm installing an overflow in my tank.
  
  My water level is going to be at 600mm - where should the teeth start? 580mm?
  
  The teeth width is 15mm and the spaces in between are 10mm.
  
  I've included a pic just in case I'm not explaining myself properly.
  
  Thanks.
  
  
• 

  What glue to use to fix my skimmer?

  Posted: November 25th, 2011, 7:34pm CST by erratiC

  Hey all,
  
  I bought a Reef Octo OCTX-160 from a fellow reefer but thanks to sapo it came to me with a broken "leg". What glue do you suggest I use to fix it? I took it to Maizeys today but they have no idea what it is.
  
  To top it off, I dropped the lid and broke a chunk of it off - Maizeys sold me some stuff called "Tensol no. 12" to fix it. Anybody know if it's reef-friendly?
  
  They said that I shouldn't use it on the leg as it wouldn't work and that I'd be wasting my time if I tried....
  
  Anybody have any better ideas?
• 

  What glue do I use for my PVC?

  Posted: November 22nd, 2011, 4:46pm CST by erratiC

  Hi all,
  
  I need to start gluing the PVC I've just purchased from Astore - now I just need to know which glue is "reef-friendly" and also, where to find it?
  
  Can I get the same glue they offer at Astore?
  
  Thanks.
• 

  Drilling holes in my tank

  Posted: November 15th, 2011, 4:56pm CST by erratiC

  Hi George/Anita,
  
  I've been told you guys might be able to help me out by drilling a 50mm hole (possibly 2) in my tank for me..
  
  Please let me know if it's possible or whether you can put me in touch with someone who can.
  
  Regards,
  Grant
• 

  Fighting the humidity in Dbn wrt Salt?

  Posted: November 5th, 2011, 11:48pm CDT by erratiC

  Hey all, this goes out to the guys on the coast... obviously with table salt we add rice to absorb the moisture and to stop it from clumping..
  
  How do I prevent it from happening with Reef salt? In a bag straight into the salt or do I just have to keep hacking at it like ice every time I want to use it?
  
  I know it's something small but it turns my bi-weekly water changes into an almost all night affair :-(
  
  Help!
• 

  erratiC's 5ft Reef

  Posted: October 29th, 2011, 10:07pm CDT by erratiC

  Hey all,
  
  After far too many questions on other people's threads I've decided to create my own thread with my own questions and planning ideas hoping that you guys can offer as much of your experience and suggestions as possible.
  
  The tank was previously a bathwater tank that had a full house of 30 or so large (15-20cm) cichlids. And then in September 2010 my fiance and I went to Thailand where we did some snorkelling - that as they say was that - we were hooked. I got a Boyu TL-550 for that Christmas and it's been a smooth ride (touch wood) so far.
  
  
  
  I took out the entire bottom shelving section and replaced it with steel bracing - bought the Steel rods and got someone to weld it together for R1200. It was welded pretty darn well and then I coated it with Hammerite. Word to the wise, WEAR GLOVES! when you're working with Hammerite. I tried to clean the brushes after painting and I could not get the stuff off because it's silicone based. My black hands weren't popular at work........
  
  The stand :
  
  
  
  DT Specs :
  
  DT :
  
  1500mm (l) x 500mm (w) x 600mm (h) with I think somewhere around 12mm - 15mm glass (Can't be too sure because it's got bracing on top that covers the glass that hides the thickness).
  Haven't drilled the overflow yet - hoping to keep this for last having not done any glass drilling before so I'm kak'ing myself thinking about doing it. Still have to decide on what/where to put it - loving the look of Leslie Hempel's overflow though so I might lean towards doing something close to his.
  
  Total DT volume is 450L.
  
  Lighting :
  
  Still deciding between the Vertex Illumilux Range and the Aquabeam 1500 XG Ultima.
  
  The Aquabeam 1500 XG Ultima Range -
  
  I'll be getting 2 of the Aquabeam 1500 XG Ultima Reef White and 3 of the Aquabeam 1500 XG Ultima Aqua Blue LED sets.
  
  These I'll probably be getting from the same Reefstore - I've got family to purchase it who will post it off to me. Working it out purchasing it from them will cost R12 180 excl. postage and customs. The same thing in SA will cost me around R18 000 excl. postage to Durban. I'll have to see what's cheaper in the long run between the two.
  
  I'll probably settle on the Aquabeam range purely because the Vertex Illumilux range doesn't have a 1500mm long option :(
  
  Sump Specs :
  
  Hardware :
  
  Reef Octopus OCTX-160 with a 2500L/H pump.
  Reef Octopus BR-110 NP Reactor with a 2500L/H Syncra Silent 2.5 pump.
  Return pump will be a 5000L/H Syncra Silent 5.0 (suggested by Marco, The Waterboy)
  
  Sump Size :
  
  Have a look at the below sketch. I'm getting the glass on Monday for R450 ex. vat - I'll be gluing it as soon as I get it.
  
  
  
  I'm still getting everything together so the next thing will be to get the return pump, the piping and the drill bit/knowledge to drill the tank then I have to get the LR - so if anybody is willing to sell me about 50KGs in the next month or two it would be appreciated.
  
  I'll be dosing vodka daily along with various other additives - wanting to keep softies, SPS and LPS. Still researching on the additives so I'll get back to you on that.
  
  Thanks everyone for the all the help so far and I'm hoping to be a member of MASA for a very long time coming.. loads of questions to come I promise :tt2:.
  
  Cheers.
  
  PS. I do have a decent camera so you'll be expecting more pics soon!
• 

  Cheapest place in DBN to buy glass?

  Posted: October 20th, 2011, 5:45pm CDT by erratiC

  Hi all, as the title says - where in DBN is the cheapest place to buy glass? I'm going to be building my sump as soon as I've got it.
  
  Went to maizeys to find out how much acrylic would cost and i almost fell over! :eek:
  
  Oh, and on a side note - what glass thickness should I be looking at wrt building a sump?
• 

  Sump design help

  Posted: October 10th, 2011, 4:27pm CDT by erratiC

  Hi there guys,
  
  Please give me a hand here - I'm designing a new sump for a setup I'm doing..
  
  Have a look at the below sketches I've done and offer some criticism please.. you'll see that I'm thinking about going a Skimmer - NP Reactor/Live Rock - Return type setup.
  
  You'll see that my sump area isn't very wide (380mm) so I haven't got too much room to play with but I've tried to pull something from somewhere.
  
  I've reserved a space for my Skimmer (probably too big) and I've measured out the width needed for my Reactor but as you can see the length is to the end of the tank which obviously doesn't work - I'd like to reserve maybe a bit of room for possibly a couple more reactors.
  
  1st Q - Is it wise to split the Skimmer section into the Reactor section and the LR section back to the return?
  2st Q - should I remove the "Live Rock" area completely and just have the skimmer plumb directly into the NP Reactor and then from there straight to the return section?
  3nd Q - Or should I convert the "Live Rock" area and half of the Reactor section into a reservoir area?
  4rd Q - Or should add another section before the LR section and have my Reactor release into there and then from there the water would go through the LR section to the return?
  
  As you can see my questions could go on for a while.... but I'm going to get some suggestions first from you guys - would be appreciated.
  
  See below for pics - if anything is unclear, please tell me. Thanks.
  
  
  
  
• 

  4ft lighting unit for a 5ft tank? Or not?

  Posted: October 7th, 2011, 8:10pm CDT by erratiC

  Hi all, I'm wanting to purchase some lighting for my 5ft tank that I'm setting up and I just want to ask a simple question...
  
  Should i go for a 5ft light unit or should I go for a 4ft unit as the lighting "spreads" at the sides?
  
  It's also a good R1500 less so I'm kinda wondering... thanks!
• 

  Advice on converting a FW tank to SW (Illustrations included)

  Posted: September 26th, 2011, 10:04am CDT by erratiC

  Hi everyone,
  
  I'm needing some advice on how to go about converting my existing FW Juwel RIO 400 to a SW tank... I've sketched up my tank and also sketched up a proposed solution that I've been thinking about but I've got absolutely zero experience when it comes to sumps so I'm reaching out :)
  
  Also, with the overflow in the DT - was thinking about going a skinny coast to coast. Any suggestions maybe?
  
  See below sketches :
  
  My existing tank and dimensions
  
  
  
  
  
  This is what I've been thinking about doing - give me some thoughts please. You'll see that because I'm taking out one of the supports, I'm going to be needing to reinforce the cupboards with metal bars. Might be a bit of overkill but I'd rather have too much than too little.
  
  Just one question though to all the guys out there with a limited sump space... would you like it if your sump could roll forward as in out of the cupboard completely? Would it benefit you in any way? Just thinking about options here before I start cutting up my cupboard space. Would it be better to just remove all the existing cupboards completely?
  
  Obviously with regards to the sketch below, the skimmer would be in the left section. Haven't thought about the return side yet.
  
  
  
  Please let me know what you guys think.
• 

  Urgent help needed Split a carpet nennie moving LR!

  Posted: July 15th, 2011, 11:11pm CDT by erratiC

  Hi all,
  
  I was just doing some changes to my aquascaping and found that after I had moved a piece or LR that was propped against the back of the tank a carpet nennie had taken root half on the back pane and half on the piece of LR...
  
  I didn't see this and pulled the piece of LR out of the water and found that i had split the poor thing in half right through it's mouth down to its foot.....
  
  My question is this : Do i leave both pieces in the tank or do i take them/it out? Will it survive and "become two nennies" or should i remove it before it starts decomposing?
  
  HELP! :(
• 

  Price on a Tunze 9002 Skimmer

  Posted: June 26th, 2011, 10:34am CDT by erratiC

  Hi George,
  
  Just wondering if it's possible to get hold of a Tunze 9002 skimmer?
  
  And also the price if it's possible.
  
  Thanks.
  
  Grant