SPS dominated TOTM quality 6' tank on a $1k budget challenge; AKA a really bad idea.

[Slippin]

Awesome build, I can't wait to see how this comes together!

 

[Labridaedicted]

I like this idea! Can't wait to see it come together!

If my wife asks, I'm doing the same thing [emoji12]

 

[Behnken]

Interesting thread, I'm following along.

 

[five.five-six]

I can't wait to see it either. My wife is already talking about better cameras!


Getting ready to populate the tank. First tester frags go in Monday or Tuesday... heck, perhaps a red cap frag tonight! Planning on transferring the BC 29 contents a week from saturday.

Here is the plan. Assuming the tester frag does well, Thursday I will run an airline siphon from the BC29 to the sump of the $1k tank, then I will run a float switch in the BC 29 to run an aqualifter to refill the BC29 from the new tank. Assuming 1GPH, that will be 50 gallons of water swap in 2 days. Should be well acclimated.

 

[Labridaedicted]

I can't wait to see it either. My wife is already talking about better cameras!


Getting ready to populate the tank. First tester frags go in Monday or Tuesday... heck, perhaps a red cap frag tonight! Planning on transferring the BC 29 contents a week from saturday.

Here is the plan. Assuming the tester frag does well, Thursday I will run an airline siphon from the BC29 to the sump of the $1k tank, then I will run a float switch in the BC 29 to run an aqualifter to refill the BC29 from the new tank. Assuming 1GPH, that will be 50 gallons of water swap in 2 days. Should be well acclimated.

What kind of cameras are you considering?

Also, good luck on adding the first few corals! Always nerve wracking!

 

[five.five-six]

What kind of cameras are you considering?

Also, good luck on adding the first few corals! Always nerve wracking!

IDK, she was the one who brought it up. I need to ease her into the fact that a good camera will cost as much as the entire tank budget LOL

I'm thinking a rebel body and a macro lense. I know enough about photography CoC and DoF to to honestly say that don't know enough about cameras to buy one at this time.

Whatever I get, it needs to have easy access to manual aperture, ISO and shutter speed settings.


I'm having trouble with temperature, just thrououtght the day, the halides don't seem to have much effect and I don't want to use a chiller. I've found the standard clip on fans to be ineffective so I did some research. This unit seems a bit spendy but you get what you pay for. I am seriously considering it to mount over the sump. I'll connect it to the EB8

http://www.airkinglimited.com/page/industrial-multi-mount-fans.html

 

[Labridaedicted]

IDK, she was the one who brought it up. I need to ease her into the fact that a good camera will cost as much as the entire tank budget LOL

I'm thinking a rebel body and a macro lense. I know enough about photography CoC and DoF to to honestly say that don't know enough about cameras to buy one at this time.

Whatever I get, it needs to have easy access to manual aperture, ISO and shutter speed settings.


I'm having trouble with temperature, just thrououtght the day, the halides don't seem to have much effect and I don't want to use a chiller. I've found the standard clip on fans to be ineffective so I did some research. This unit seems a bit spendy but you get what you pay for. I am seriously considering it to mount over the sump. I'll connect it to the EB8

http://www.airkinglimited.com/page/industrial-multi-mount-fans.html

I'm using a rebel t6i body and like it alot. I was going to ask if the cost of the camera was going to count against the budget since that would blow the whole project out, there, haha

 

[five.five-six]

One of the problems with captive Aquaria macro photography is you cannot use Auto settings. It's pretty tricky to get it to focus on what it is you actually want to take a picture of. Are you using a macro lens?

 

[Labridaedicted]

One of the problems with captive Aquaria macro photography is you cannot use Auto settings. It's pretty tricky to get it to focus on what it is you actually want to take a picture of. Are you using a macro lens?

I haven't gotten a macro lens, but I use manual focus and manual setting mode that allows me to get pretty decent pictures using macro rings on zoom lenses. Not perfect, but with the build, I haven't had the money to get a dedicated macro lens yet (the only glass i own more expensive than my tank are camera lenses).

 

[five.five-six]

New total: $910.34/$1k, stack of cash $0.00, paypal $203.80

The halides are making some heat, about 1.5 degrees, perhaps 2 with the actenics on

I have a clip on fan in place until this one shows up. AIR-KING-9312

Sold some stuff, bought the fan with paypal balance

 

[Scurvy]

Great thread, love the challenge!

 

[five.five-six]

First tester frag in, purple polyped digi, wish him luck

 

[five.five-six]

10 hrs later and we have some PE

 

[five.five-six]

So, the temperature problem seems to have resolved itself. I'm not exactly sure how but I have my suspicions. I did add a small clip on fan to the sump but that doesn't fully explain it.

A little background, 5.56 wife is a full time stay at home homemaker. I have 2 incomes. I have a career of over 20 years and I'm a c10 licenced electrical contractor. The career paycheck goes to the family account and she uses it for most all of our family expences, mortgage, food, insurance and utilities, that sort of thing.

The contracting money goes into a business account and is used to maintain the business, my food and fule and hobbies. Monies beyond a prudent reserve go to catching up the family acct if it falls behind, vacations, paying off old debt or retirement account, 529s for the kids, that sort of thing.

Looking at the power requirements of the tank last week, I made the decision that the electric bill would now be taken care of by the business account, I just don't want to hear about it and SHAZAM! Magicly the air conditioner gets used a whole lot more LOL

Good times, I love my wife and I am blessed that she puts up with all my imperfections.


Saturday is the big day for the transfer. My tester frag is showing full PE and I'm excited. See above for my plan for full tank acclamation.

 

[five.five-six]

I don't know if you noticed the top of the digi had been cut in the photo above but it has compleatly healed over now, considering tht it's been in 3 tanks in less than 3 weeks I m pretty happy with that growth rate.

The big transfer from my 29BC to the 135 peninsula is this sunday. In preparation I am attempting to acclimate the entire 29BC with a series of water changes. Last night I did a 30 gallon WC on the 135 and kept the water and have already done 2 X 5 gal WCs with it on the 29BC. Hopefully we the time I compleate the 6 total water changes everything will be acclimated and it will be a simple transfer.

 

[litenyaup]

Following along for this!

 

[five.five-six]

Some Gifts:

These two from Rakie.

Thank you!

One is purported to be Miami Orchid and the other Joe the Coral though I'm not sure which is which or if either is either. Only thing for sure is that both are beautiful!

Any idea what the red part is on the 2nd pic? I inspected closely, cut the bases and did a steve Garrett dip yet there it is.

This Scopus tang is from Browncoat

Thank you!

Apperantly the online dealer sent too large of a specimen. Never even made it out of the bag before it was given to me.

He is a little skittish but flares and resperates nicely, won't eat much mysis. I'll get a clip and some seaweed for him today. Perhaps some live brine just to fill his tummy

He is a magnificent fish though I had previously overlooked this species completely. I'm really glad I got him and hope he makes it.

 

[five.five-six]

New totals: $971.34/$1,000 spent $0 cash on hand, $159.82 in the fishy paypal account

Had to go to the LFS to get lettuce clip, and seaweed for the tang, hermit crabs and got an engennere goby. Some other stuf. Spent $61

Here is a FTS taken by 556wife with her cellphone.

 

[Labridaedicted]

Some Gifts:

These two from Rakie.

Thank you!

One is purported to be Miami Orchid and the other Joe the Coral though I'm not sure which is which or if either is either. Only thing for sure is that both are beautiful!

Any idea what the red part is on the 2nd pic? I inspected closely, cut the bases and did a steve Garrett dip yet there it is.

This Scopus tang is from Browncoat

Thank you!

Apperantly the online dealer sent too large of a specimen. Never even made it out of the bag before it was given to me.

He is a little skittish but flares and resperates nicely, won't eat much mysis. I'll get a clip and some seaweed for him today. Perhaps some live brine just to fill his tummy

He is a magnificent fish though I had previously overlooked this species completely. I'm really glad I got him and hope he makes it.

The red looks like cyano. It pops up my stuff any time there is any amount of tissue recession. I would try to blow it off and do a revive dip. Revive does a good job halting tissue loss (if that is what it is)

 

[five.five-six]

I don't think it's cyano. It could just be a strange coloration on the coral. Last night i looked with a flashlight and it had full PE and the red thing hasn't changed or moved. I've never seen anything like it.