El Chupacabra

EL CHUPACABRA

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This is my first post on this site, I just wanted to say Hi!!! :angel8: (CHUPACABRA smiley???)

I have been reefing for almost a year now. I am new to club-zoa, but have been pretty active on that mini reef site. I LOVE zoos, I mean I really love zoos, so why not participate in a site dedicated to them.

Background:
I do things differently, I try to always think outside of the box...

I started w/ a 4g last summer, it was a lot of fun and I learned a lot.
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18w super actnic PC w/ 18w 6/10k 18w PC

But I ended up crashing it (all to easy w/ 4g), and decided to create a larger system.

The 15g w/ 15g sump was born, or more so slowly constructed.
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Custom DIY 2x 70w 14k MH w/ 2x 18 super actinic PC

The 15g strived to do something different while keeping a clean look. I mod-ed the hell out of a coral-life fixture (48" cut down) and added 2 MH to spread the light out over the tank. I lined the bottom of the tank with little 1" square tiles that I fragged a bunch of zoos onto creating what I dubbed as EL CHUPACABRA's MAGIC CARPET, I wanted a carpet of zoos as substrate.
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I also painted the back of the tank a custom pink purple color, as I felt it matched the reef better and was sick of the classic blue/black. The tank features a 15g sump growing cheato on a 24hr light cycle. It has 960gph of flow (480gph closed loop on display, and 480gph sump return) The tanks housed a black f. perc pair, sixline, and a banded shrimp. I let the tank grow for quite some time before feeling the need for something different. I sold off some my frags and put a 20k 400w Ushio MH on the 15g in a custom DIY fixture. 400w 20k MH is awesome on 15g's despite the majority telling me not to do it.
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Well, I ran out of room, so I recently moved everything into my current "tank", a 40g TIDEPOOL. I am loving the extra room, I have more frags than ever, with many more to come.


Well now you know a little about me. From here I plan on perhaps selling the 15g and building a display tank in addition to my tide pool, or mod-ing the 15g into something that defies conventional reefing displays. Thanks for letting me join your community -CHUPA
 
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:welcome:

that's a nice looking tank!! dude...that carpet of zoas...lolz, sweet idea
close up of the frags pics pls!
 
that's a nice looking tank!! dude...that carpet of zoas...lolz, sweet idea
close up of the frags pics pls!

Thanks... Unfortunately the tank is currently empty in my bathroom awaiting its next fate, selling or mod-ing. The reef is currently sleeping, but I will try to post some pics of my new setup, and some close-ups of the frags. This should hold you over until then.
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WELCOME!!!! Havent I seen you at nano-reef before? :D

Great to have you here at CZ!!!!
 
Wow thanks for the warm welcome everyone, I can already tell I am going to spend way too much of my time on here. I can't wait to start trading with all of you.

If you liked the 15g (RIP) you are going to love my next tank, it is going to be unlike anything you have ever seen, I am over little glass rectangles and cubes. I already started designing it, it is going to be a super clean all in one tank that is extremely unconventional, something different. It will probably take me a few months to construct it/pay for it. (actually while writing this I was showing my roommate my plan and he said if I made it out of acrylic he could use the CNC laser at school to cut it out for me!!!) A LASER!!!!! I guess I might have to ditch the starfire glass idea and make it out of acrylic since this is the opportunity of a lifetime and I am questioning how difficult the complex curves I am planning are going to be to cut out of glass anyways. "How come you don't have a laser woody?"

Anyways thanks again for the warm welcome, I think we are going to have tons of fun together over the next few months. -CHUPA
 
Hey Chupa,
Feel like sharing your ideas for your "super clean all in one tank that is extremely unconventional" new project.

I just saw this thread and love what your last tank looked like and I am dying to learn what your planning.
Any sketches or rough ideas you can share?? or is it so radical you need to apply for patent status before you share?

Steve
 
Hey Chupa,
Feel like sharing your ideas for your "super clean all in one tank that is extremely unconventional" new project.

I just saw this thread and love what your last tank looked like and I am dying to learn what your planning.
Any sketches or rough ideas you can share?? or is it so radical you need to apply for patent status before you share?

Steve

I have the project put on hold for a litlle while. Here are some preliminary sketches though.
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I need to make the kresal taller and in back/middle so I can finally have some sea horses. I think I will light it with a 250w DE MH pendant. I am also thinking about making a coffe table tank that has a desk lamp with a 150w MH conversion sitting on it.

I am actually in the process of putting my 15g+15g back up!!! should finish the new stand today, and will just need a pump and some more live rock. I love my tub and the hundreds of frags it contains, but I am really jonesing for a display tank these days. I have zoo frags falling out of my ears, I figure I might as well be displaying my crazy collection, I need a tank for just me.
 
Bud I hate to tell you this, but your safecrackers you have for sale are really zombie eyes.
 
Bud I hate to tell you this, but your safecrackers you have for sale are really zombie eyes.
Upon closer examination, you are correct. I have both and I guess I didn't look close eneough. I think it is too late to change the auction now, as it ends tonight. oh well, WYSIWYG. Thanks for pointing that out for me.
 

IF YOU HAD TO OPERATE EVERYTHING ELSE MANUALLY, WHICH AUTOMATED SYSTEM WOULD YOU KEEP?

  • Auto top-off

    Votes: 54 58.7%
  • Automated dosing

    Votes: 6 6.5%
  • Mechanical filtration / roller filter

    Votes: 4 4.3%
  • Automated water testing

    Votes: 3 3.3%
  • Automatic feeding

    Votes: 1 1.1%
  • Lighting schedule

    Votes: 16 17.4%
  • Controller and remote monitoring

    Votes: 3 3.3%
  • Leak detection and emergency shutoff

    Votes: 1 1.1%
  • Automatic water changes

    Votes: 3 3.3%
  • None. I prefer to operate everything manually

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Something else (explain in the comments)

    Votes: 1 1.1%
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