All Geared Up!

[calihawker]

Here's a pictoral overview of the equipment for the challenge discus.


60 gallon cube, sponge filter, 500w titanium heater, compact flourescents,full auto water change system.

http://i499.photobucket.com/albums/rr356/calihawker/Equipment/DSC00887.jpg


Aging barrel contains another titanium heater, airstone and is plumbed for a mix of hot and cold water set to temp and hooked up to a solenoid as part of the AWCS. (note: I don't use the RO/DI)


http://i499.photobucket.com/albums/rr356/calihawker/Equipment/DSC00883.jpg


10 gallon hospital/QT. just in case.:angel:


http://i499.photobucket.com/albums/rr356/calihawker/Equipment/DSC00888.jpg


Aquacontroller controls the whole mess. Display and grow out.


http://i499.photobucket.com/albums/rr356/calihawker/Equipment/DSC00519.jpg


I had the tank all setup and ready yesterday and then came up with a whole new idea for the AWCS so I tore the whole thing apart and this is what I came up with...



This a Sea Swirl. For you non reefers, it's designed to rotate the flow of water across the reef and create turbulent and variable currrents. It rotates back and forth 90 degrees in about a minute.


http://i499.photobucket.com/albums/rr356/calihawker/Equipment/DSC00868.jpg


It's hooked up to what looks like a spray bar but the flow is reversed so it sucks instead of blows.:o


http://i499.photobucket.com/albums/rr356/calihawker/Equipment/DSC00842.jpg


The sea swirl just sweeps the suck bar back and forth while draining the tank. It covers more than 70% of the tanks bottom. Will there be spots that detritus settles? We'll see.


http://i499.photobucket.com/albums/rr356/calihawker/Equipment/DSC00869.jpg

[kirkp]

Hey Steve,

Looks pretty slick. So, the Sea Swirl is controlled by the controller to come on at a predterminded time every day? My guess is that there will be a few areas where detritus collects but it may not be a significant amount. Do you have a dosing pump to add your dechlorinator? Also hope your air pump is tied down so it doesn't fall in your water tank.

Can't wait to see it working.

Kirk

[Eddie]

Killer set-up Steve!

I second the air pump might fall, is it attached? :o

Eddie

[Ben75]

Hi Steve,
Love you setup mate, the challenge fish are going to thrive
in there i am sure. Great design on the awc unit.
Can't wait to see how it all goes for you.

[calihawker]

Hey Steve,

Looks pretty slick. So, the Sea Swirl is controlled by the controller to come on at a predterminded time every day? My guess is that there will be a few areas where detritus collects but it may not be a significant amount. Do you have a dosing pump to add your dechlorinator? Also hope your air pump is tied down so it doesn't fall in your water tank.

Can't wait to see it working.

Kirk

Yes, the air pump is quite secure. Things like that (and autofeeders) have a tendency to fall in, don't they? ;)The sea swirl comes on at the same time as the pump. It takes about 12 minutes to pump out around 80% while the thing is sweeping back and forth.

The water we get here is pristine. No ammonia no chloramines I'm just going to age 24 hrs. with an airstone. It may come to a point that I want to up the water changes to 75% twice a day. I don't have enough storage for that much water so I would use an autodoser with prime.


Thanks Eddie!:)

[calihawker]

Hi Steve,
Love you setup mate, the challenge fish are going to thrive
in there i am sure. Great design on the awc unit.
Can't wait to see how it all goes for you.

Thanks Ben! I appreciate it!

[rickztahone]

looks great Steve. will you use the RO for breeding only, down the line of course.

[calihawker]

I haven't thought about breeding, yet, but even so my tap water is so super soft, RO would be redundent.

[calihawker]

I second the air pump might fall, is it attached? :o

Eddie

I looked back at the pics and see that your talking about the air pump on the barrel. There's a board that covers the barrel and serves as a table, I removed it to shoot the pic.

It does look rather catywampus there dosen't it.:p

[brewmaster15]

Very very snazzy Steve-O...

Boy oh boy these discus are moving into the lap of luxury!!:)

-al

[ApacheDan]

Steve;....can hardly wait to see how that Sea Swirl works....how do you reverse the flow? So if it syphons rather than push water, then where is the water going? or is it part of your water change sequence? I'm thinking for larger tanks like mine (300ga) I could direct the water flow to push most of the debris to collect in one area and then have the Sea Swirl working on that area...that might work ...I hope :confused:

[AquatiCreations]

Awesome!

I must ask, where did you get the cube at? I find that they are hard to find especially in smaller sizes.

[seanyuki]

hi steve,

a 500 watts heater for a 60 gallons tank...just curious:confused:


cheers
francis:)

[calihawker]

Very very snazzy Steve-O...

Boy oh boy these discus are moving into the lap of luxury!!:)

-al

I sure hope they like it! The menu's pretty good too.:D


Steve;....can hardly wait to see how that Sea Swirl works....how do you reverse the flow? So if it syphons rather than push water, then where is the water going? or is it part of your water change sequence? I'm thinking for larger tanks like mine (300ga) I could direct the water flow to push most of the debris to collect in one area and then have the Sea Swirl working on that area...that might work ...I hope

The siphon bar/sea swirl goes to the inltake of the pump then it goes to a drain and eventually ends up watering my hop garden. The really hard part was creating an anti-siphon, constant priming setup.

Depending on where pumps are placed, detritus will settle in specific areas. I did a water change yesterday on my display and I pulled the pre-filter sponges that are on either end of the tank. One was just about caked with mud, the other rinsed clear right away. I think your on the right track.



I must ask, where did you get the cube at? I find that they are hard to find especially in smaller sizes.

I bought a complete reef system. Display, sump and the cube was a refugium. It's nice because it came plumbed with overflows. Perfect for what it's setup for now.

I don't know what they offer these days but it came from these folks.
www.lifereef.com




hi steve,

a 500 watts heater for a 60 gallons tank...just curious



I try to make use of things that I already have and my other heaters were too small. I've got a couple more actually. Good backup. The titaniums have been flawless.

[SriAngel]

Steve,

If the discus dont work out, id like to move into that 60 gallon cube! Thats an amazing setup, im in the process of planning out and designing a new fish room. I would love to see a vid of the way that sea swirl thing works as it would elminate me having to siphon up crap, which takes up most of my time. Here in nyc, we get pristine water much like you. I just tested the water a few minutes ago it was 84 microsiemens out of the tap with no chlorine nor chlorimines. I dont know if i missed it, but do you have a system to harden the water. Since my water is supersoft i had trouble growing out juvies when i was a newbie. Al had suggested i use crushed oyster shell in my sump, and that did the trick.

Best of luck,
Angel

[calihawker]

Steve,

If the discus dont work out, id like to move into that 60 gallon cube! Thats an amazing setup, im in the process of planning out and designing a new fish room. I would love to see a vid of the way that sea swirl thing works as it would elminate me having to siphon up crap, which takes up most of my time. Here in nyc, we get pristine water much like you. I just tested the water a few minutes ago it was 84 microsiemens out of the tap with no chlorine nor chlorimines. I dont know if i missed it, but do you have a system to harden the water. Since my water is supersoft i had trouble growing out juvies when i was a newbie. Al had suggested i use crushed oyster shell in my sump, and that did the trick.

Best of luck,
Angel

Thanks Angel! The videos will be coming soon!

I was a little concerned about the softness of my water and am more so now after your comment.
My params

PH 7.2 after aging
KH <1
GH <1
TDS water report says 5ppm. Could that be right? I'm having it tested today.

So yeah, super soft. Maybe I can put a bag of crushed coral/oyster shells in the aging barell?

[SriAngel]

If im not mistaken thats about 10 microsiemens which is like RO water. I take my readings with a Hanna combo pH & EC, i used to use the test kit with the drops and found it bothersome, innacurate, and time consuming. I'm going to wait for your final report on water param after geting it tested today. I buy the 5lb crushed oyster shell from Jehmco, which is super cheap about $5. I put about 30 lbs in my sump to get the reading close to 100ppm. I also supplement their food mix with coral calcium, but the best way to get their calcium for bone development is from their gills through their water. I dont know what the optimal reading should be, so those tds experts want to chime in, id like to see the responses.

Angel

Thanks Angel! The videos will be coming soon!

I was a little concerned about the softness of my water and am more so now after your comment.
My params

PH 7.2 after aging
KH <1
GH <1
TDS water report says 5ppm. Could that be right? I'm having it tested today.

So yeah, super soft. Maybe I can put a bag of crushed coral/oyster shells in the aging barell?

[Armandi_Fishcarer]

Wicked set-up Steve, can't wait to see it up & running. The water would be prime for keeping such fish.

All the best with it!

Regards
Ahmed ;)

[calihawker]

Thanks Ahmed!!:) We're rolling now!

Are you going for the Aussie challenge?

[Chad Hughes]

Steve,

Very cool setup! I'd have to agree with Al here. Those fish are living in the lap of luxury. Funny that you mentioned auto feeders falling in to the tank. I dropped an Eheim in to the 150 gallon just last week. I pulled it out, removed the batteries and let in dry under the metal halides for the day. Works great still! LOL! As for your water concerns, the only thing that shell or crushed coral will do for you is raise the Ph of oyur water. If you are looking to actually boost mineral levels, you could come get some of my water (LOL! I have a GH of 13 and a KH of about 9 (Ph 8.4) out of the tap) or use Kent RO right to boost the GH for your juvies.

Best wishes to you!

[Mr Wild]

Good luck Steve!
I have to use Kent RO too it is easy to dose in the aging barrell, get your self a TDS meter they are cheap and very handy.

[calihawker]

Thanks Kath! Chad!
I gotta lotta experience gh boosting;) I feel like I've done a college course in chemistry with my planted display.:D

[ashaysathe]

Sea Swirl auto water change.. super nice. Amazing thought and great implementation. A video would really be nice.

[brewmaster15]

Hi Angel,


I buy the 5lb crushed oyster shell from Jehmco, which is super cheap about $5. I put about 30 lbs in my sump to get the reading close to 100ppm. I also supplement their food mix with coral calcium, but the best way to get their calcium for bone development is from their gills through their water. any feed and grain supplier will have those crushed oyster shells....I think agway out here sells it for $16 for 45lbs....Its used as calcium suppliment for egglaying hens.

Alternatively you could marine substrates like crushed coral.

hth,
al

[discusluvr818]

Great looking set-up Steve-O. I am excited to see how this whole thing unfolds. Best of luck!! :D

[calihawker]

Great looking set-up Steve-O. I am excited to see how this whole thing unfolds. Best of luck!! :D

Thanks Raul!

[Armandi_Fishcarer]

Are you going for the Aussie challenge?No, I wish I was. Had computer troubles & didn't get email till it was to late.

Hey maybe next time!

Regards
Ahmed ;)