My name is gogol and I am an addict

G

gogol

Howdy all, [smilie=hi.gif]

I am currently studying in Barcelona but will return to my home in Plano this December. My addiction has led me to imagine, design and research a reef system for every waking moment of this summer. I have maintained a nano (40g) LPS-softy tank for 4 years. Currently, my wife and I have a turtle named Scooter and a Standard Poodle named Guinness.

I want to build a 55 Gallon all-in-one tank system (design below). Following are the salient features of my tank. Looking forward to your feedback [smilie=smile.gif]

Cheers,
Gogol

  • All in-one 55 gallon, naturally filtered, naturally fed system with gravity top-off.
    Filtration: Semi-cryptic sponge refugium at the bottom of tank. Cheato refugium on 3 sides of aquarium (fueled by ambient sunlight, but blocking it from DT)
    Feeding: Drip feeding of Phytoplankton(refugium), Rotifer(DT)
    Dosing - ProdiBio ReefKit
    RO-water - Walmart
    Salt - hw MarineMix Reefer
    Aqauscape: Bare Rock, Bare Sand (Preventing hitch-hikers)
    Lighting: (LED) - Off during the day, On during night. (Diurnal lighting with chaeto)

    LiveStock:
    • Sponge: Callyspongia vaginalis (Magenta Tubes)
      Snails: Cerith, Nassarius, Trochus
 
Hi and WELCOME!

Wow ... it's gonna be nice! Good planning = success!

Be sure to start your build thread and keep us posted with images! You may also want to consider a chiller as if your intentions are to raise that sponge (???)

Very cool!

Again, welcome!

Grace & Peace,
Lisa
 
Hey there BlennyLover!!

The sponge seems to be local to South Florida, Bahamas etc. Here is some info http://species-identification.org/species.php?species_group=caribbean_diving_guide&id=443.
I am groping for ideas/suggestions to grow non-encrusting sponge species, but success rates seem to be low.

Is it a common trait to use chillers while growing sponges? If so, then I will have to re-do my sponge search, since I dont want to maintain a chiller at this point.

Cheers
 
Ro from walmart should be scratched off the list. Get an RODI.

What made you want to do the cheato and bottom this way. Its probably much easier to just have a sump/fuge in a stand.

Direct sunlight on the tank will heat it up.

If you have led's on at night when will the tank have darkness? The sun never stays up all day on a reef.
 
I echo what Dave states... Get a RODI unit... Purchasing water is too inconstant form a quality standard... You require some dark time on the tank... if the home temp is stable you wont need a chiller, but too cold or hot will kill sponge... I like the natural filtration project, you will need water movement and I suggest a wave action... I did natural filtration for a few years before switching to a sump system so I could have a heavy bio load of fish and corals... Sponge did will under CF lights, died off when I switched to MH lights... Good luck, and welcome.
 
Thanks for the suggestions guys. As a complete aside, would you guys know if membership fees have to be paid every 52 weeks or at the beginning of next finance cycle?

Explanations to my tank design:
Steve,
@DaveG99 wrote:
Ro from walmart should be scratched off the list. Get an RODI. said:
Thanks for the RODI note. I still have my RODI from my prior reefkeeping days. I have to change the filters on that. My issue with the process was that it took forever , which translated into lethargy towards my Water Change routine.

@DaveG99 wrote:
What made you want to do the cheato and bottom this way. Its probably much easier to just have a sump/fuge in a stand. said:
Two part answer:

  • I am trying to eliminate high impact risks in my setup. Plumbing failure is right up there in terms floods and crashes. Hence trying to go for a system that's not plumbed and the in-tank refugia. Again, its an experiment, if it fails i'll fall back on the separate fuge system.

    The chaeto wall is on three sides of the tank. I am hoping, that without pruning it will grow thick enough in 4-5 months so that it blocks sunlight coming into the tank.

@DaveG99 wrote:
If you have led's on at night when will the tank have darkness? The sun never stays up all day on a reef. said:
As mentioned above, the "thick" Chaeto wall will hopefully block sunlight from the tank. I know, its probably a pipe dream. [smilie=itwasntme.gif]. If I am successful, the dark time in the DT is the daytime, and the "Sun" time in the DT is when Leds come on. Photosynthesis by the chaeto during the day and zoo during the night, hopefully will lessen impact on pH levels.

Steve,
@Steve wrote:
I like the natural filtration project said:
Would two or three small Koralias work? I am not a big fan of the wave machines.

@Steve wrote:
Sponge did will under CF lights said:
What sponge did you keep? Any husbandry/species guidance will be gold dust. [smilie=smile.gif]
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Membership fees run 52 week cycles . So if you signed up today you membership lasts till July 27 next year


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
@gogol wrote:
[I]@gogol wrote:[/I][quote="would you guys know if membership fees have to be paid every 52 weeks or at the beginning of next finance cycle? said:
Bump"]

It expires one year after whatever day you sign up. There are no finance cycles.
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