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Looking for Advice on Custom Tank

R

ReeferNets

Fellow reefers,

After all of you gently advising me to go bigger. I have taken the plunge and will be ordering a custom tank.

Dimensions 24 x 24 x 14
Plumbing is my problem

1. I thought about doing a center over flow along the back wall drilled in the bottum. Then i was going to have two returns one of each side of the overflow.
2. I thought about doing a corner overflow on the left side and one returns with two outlets coming in on the right.
Is this just a matter of preference or is there an advantage to either set up.

All would be run to a 10 gallon sump in a 24 x 24 x stand.

Lighting
Do i go with a 6 or 4 bulb t -5 or a 150 watt MH with two 65 watt PCS?
Or is that just a matter of preference.

For anyone who has ordered a custom glass tank any advice in regards to euro bracing or any advice would help?

Also this tank will most likely house my over grown 12 inch RBTA and my Juvi soon to be sub adult clowns.


Thanks for the advice in advance
 
C

concept3

Guest
overflows would be a preference. I like the corner option better so as not to sacrifice too much back wall surface area. 2 Returns allow flexibility of output flow, I would suggest loclining them a bit to create more jets.

lighting will also be a personal preference. Your setup, however is a perfect candidate for a single halide bulb in tune of 175 watts housed in a lumenarc pendant. PC's or T5's can be used to supplement the halide regimen. Most halides have a spread of 2' X 2' and your tank at 14 inches high is shallow enuff to maybe even go lower in wattage, but I like the fact that halides last a little longer, have that shimmer and also have a huge variety of 175 watt spectrums

Rimless tanks are very cool, but the glass thickness may make it prohibitively expensive. So I opted to use a 3 inch Eurobrace for my custom tank and took the $ difference and upgraded the front viewing glass to Starfire, and BOY that makes a difference! The Eurobrace also helps with those days when you just can't seem to get your hand out of the tank. LOL Ask Francis (sinkingbeach)

HTH
 
Phyl

Phyl

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
I would do an external overflow, spanning 50-80% of the tank back wall. That leaves the entire "cube" area inside for aquascaping. I'm not a big fan of internal overflows, especially not in a tank that small. I'd probably return over the top of the tank, though holes drilled in the back wouldn't be terrible either.

Starfire is a big difference. Very nice.
 
R

ReeferNets

I considered doing an external over flow but im not worried about space loss in the the aquarium. It will be a low lying reef. about 20 pounds of rock with either a large carpet or a my 12 inch RBTA

Merv i considered doing a Coralife fixture 150 Watt MH and 2 Actinic PCs

I think i will do an internal overflow on the corner about 4 - 6 inches and two one return with loc line.
 
R

ReeferNets

just got off the phone with the builder and the price went from 125 to 300 for the tank with two holes drilled and a internal overflow
 
S

Subliminal

NJRC Member
ECFENCING on Manhattanreefs.com has a 75g 24x24x24 with starfire glass in the front for $220. Looks super sweet, too.

Just fyi. ;)
 
R

ReeferNets

24 is too is high for me.

I am heading out tonight after careful consideration to get 30 gallon breeder. This tank was getting to cost way too much money. And is serves the purpose of being a breeding tank for my clowns its win win for me
 
C

Carlo

Just wanted to clarify something so you don't get the wrong impression. A "breeding tank" is really just a name for a common tanks size and setup. If you use the tank as your main display it's not a "breeding tank" anymore but a "display tank".

Here's a mini "article on breeding" quoted parts taken from: http://faq.thekrib.com/breeding.html#tanks

"There the parents can spawn or give birth to their young, and be removed once they are done. Egg scatterers can be placed over a piece of netting, a grate, or a bed of marbles to protect the eggs as the fish spawn. Bubblenest breeders and mouthbrooders can be left in the tank until they stop caring for the young. Livebearers can be allowed to give birth in a dense thicket of plants or plastic spawning grass, so the babies can hide until the mother is done giving birth and is removed.

A breeding tank also is good because it can be kept clean. Eggs and fry need very clean water to hatch and grow. There are also no adults around to compete with the babies for food. Many breeders use a bare tank with only a sponge filter as filtration. Debris and extra food are easily seen and siphoned off daily. Frequent water changes can be done on the tank, as there are no other fish around to stress."

Carlo
 
R

ReeferNets

Now that we are getting technical i will explain the whole setup.

Because of the lack of heights on this tank i will probably be putting in a bunch of small rock formations hopefully each with a Bubble tip. I may have to spring for a Heteractis Magnifica. If i can find a purple base.
 
M

mladencovic

ReeferNets said:
Now that we are getting technical i will explain the whole setup.

Because of the lack of heights on this tank i will probably be putting in a bunch of small rock formations hopefully each with a Bubble tip. I may have to spring for a Heteractis Magnifica. If i can find a purple base.
Click to expand...

How many bubble tips do you plan to keep there ? It will be a small system and might become too crowded.
 
R

ReeferNets

I will probably do at least three rock formations so i hope either two RBTAs or a RBTA and a carpet.

I already have a 12inch RBTA.

The only thing that will be in this tank. is my two clowns two anemones and maybe some zoos
 
Phyl

Phyl

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
Carpets get WAY too big for a tank that small... I'd have to advise against that one. It will quickly outgrow your system.

I'd stick to 1-2 BTAs. They'll split plenty if there's enough room, light, food, etc. for them.
 
R

ReeferNets

Carpets surpisingly only get that big in the wild in captivilty it is 12- 20 inches. There are some cases when they can get bigger.

In the wild they can get 2 ft to 4 ft across.

My 12 inch RBTA split once since i got it.

Bubbletips are colony anemones on the reefs many can be found together in a certain space. Also Nems split from stress WHICH IS NOT GOOD. Splitting although a method of propagation is a result of stress and is not a good sign.

A single carpet in that 30 gallon breeder is def not too small. A 20 inch carpet should never lay completely flat and should have curvy rolling body.
 
J

Jcurry@wesketch

You might want to read up on anemones a little more....especially articles written by people with experience keep them for long periods of time.

Some interesting info from www.wetwebmedia.com

Carpet Anemones in Captive Systems

"Systems:
Habitat, as per above... S. gigantea may be the most suitable of the carpets... being found often in very shallow water in the sand... sometimes exposed at low tide! It also is the most common species found amongst corals. S. gigantea Pedal discs attached to solid object. S. mertensii lives attached to hard substrate.S. haddoni, lives in deeper areas, cleaner sand. How much sand for a Haddon's? A good four inches plus of fine coral sand is about right.

How large a system will do? NOTHING under a few hundred gallons... As usual, the bigger the better... For expansion, growth, placing other life, aquascaping... Diluting wastes..."

"Cloze:

Definitely not for everyone... Carpet Anemones ARE spectacular animals... But require large volumes, special treatment in terms of lighting, regular feedings... And MUST be accommodated in terms of other livestock... NO other anemones need apply for residency... All other Cnidarians need to be placed/located out of harms way... and ALL fishes are in danger of being consumed in time.

Do you have such a system available? The patience to cater to such a specimen? If you must have an anemone, you are STRONGLY advised to seek out a different species than a Carpet... Perhaps a nice (tank bred is far superior) Bubbletip (Entacmaea quadricolor) or Sebae (Heteractis crispa)... these are not easy to keep either, but are far more manageable in terms of their size, requirements and potential for consuming tankmates."

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/carpetanemones.htm

and

Heteractis magnifica
"Amongst the several large Pacific Anemones naturally symbiotic with the playful Clownfishes (subfamily Amphiprionae), the Magnificent (Heteractis magnifica) ranks near the bottom for inappropriate aquarium use. This is a naturally large (only second to Stichodactyla mertensii in potential size for symbiotic anemones), species that is given to frequent moving... even "ballooning", filling itself with water and floating off to have adventures... Too big and free-roaming for anything but huge hobbyist systems (hundreds to thousands of gallons) with little other stinging-celled life. Want more?...."

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/hetmagnifica.htm

lighting recomendation for a Heteractis magnifica is 2 400W MH with the anemone less than 12" below the fixtures.

Might be a little tough to control the water temp of a 30G with that much light.
 
R

ReeferNets

JCurry thanks for the info but the reason why i said carpets dont get that big in captivity is cause no one has a 400gallon tank to give up half the real estate too.

Also the anemone you found on wet web is a S. gigantea not a S. Haddoni. They call it S. Gigantea cause its the giant carpet anemone. Haddons dont get as big.

In regards to Mags - 2 400 Watt MH bulbs is considering you have a large deep and wide tank. 2 400 over a 30 breeder is gonna cook stuff.

In a 30 breeder i know that a mag would prosper under a 150 or 250 MH. Most of the nem keepers i have spoken to will tell you Mags need direct light and a 150 250 MH above them is plenty of light.

You need to take into consideration with nems especialy ones that host their diet is supplimented with food.

I have kept over 20 nems from bubbles to carpets to mags since in 18. And read all of joyce wilkerson book and Rons a couple article by Bob Fenner. I had one bubble tip for 3 years and the mag made it 5 years till broke down my 55 gallon tank.

If you want to read something about clowns there is a great website and book that you should take a look at much more in depth and clear that Wetweb

http://jjgeisler.com/reeftank/anemones/
 
C

Carlo

I've got a 26" green carpet in one of my tanks with 3 or 4 other types of anemones. Thus far it's only eaten a couple of small chromas but non of my prize fish. One of my larger clarkies (4") has made it his house. It's funny watching him dig into the mouth to bunk down for the night. In the beginning I kept having a feeling he would be gone by morning but thus far the carpet has left him alone.

Carlo
 
R

ReeferNets

Unfortunately no It was about 8 years ago when i had a 55 gallon tank when i was high school.

Crappy set up back them i had 50 pounds of live rock, a fluval cansiter with bio balls and carbon. I had no skimmer and crushed coral. We bought a 6 bulb PC fixture and it stuck all the way at the top. Purple base greenish tentacles. Got it from John at underwaterworld. It was in the display tank for months and my father bought a pair of occelaris clowns. My junior year in college my father got ill and couldnt do maintenece while i was away and so went the tank.

Im not trying to start a riff or anything

I would never take on an animal i was sure i could properly care for. I am going to try to breed these clowns.

Right now the female of the pair is fully established and her bars are staring to seperate into adult markings. Her tail is completely white and her bars have deep blue tint to them when shes flares up.

The male is obiedent and cleans the rock infront of the RBTA. he still has sub adult coloring and does the "mating dance".

She will not let him into the anemone only on the outer tentacles and lets him hang around the base.

Carlo, i def like to see that bad boy. What color is the base? I prefer a gigantea because of the color and size of the tentacles. The only problem with the gigantea is that it has a good grip and one of the nastiest stings. In fact all health carpets do.
 
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