[Tony B]

I have just placed an order today for a tank, size 60inch long x 30wide x 19inch high in 10mm glass.

I am using this as a grow out tank to develop some mari-culture sps corals in advance of my hole in the wall project. Reason being the hole in the wall will be about 10x5x3 and small corals wil look lost in it, plus I am missing not having a tank. This will also allow me to pre-mature the filteration system for the hole in the wall.

The grow out tank will be very simple, no PO4 reactor just a CA reactor and a Aqua C skimmer. There will be no fish, no rocks and no sand, although on the fish front perhaps an AEFW wrasse just for insurance! .

This grow out tank will become part of my frag system when the hole in the wall project is done. The hole in the wall project will get done after the recession is over.

The reason I am having no fish is to reduce man-hours needed to run the tank. No fish = no feeding and no P04 and no coral nipping, so I can leave the tank for a week or two without doing anything if needed. I am working about 100 hours a week at the moment to keep ahead of the credit crunch and to fund my wedding next year, so I have almost no time to invest in a full on reef/fish tank.

More details to follow in due course.

Regards,

Tony

[ben]

wouldnt it be better not to spend out setting all this up, then you wouldnt have to work 100 hours a week to fund your wedding

[lindsay]

Sounds good m8 .

[Social D]

Great to see you back with a tank looking forward to seeing this develop

[BOM8ER]

I am also looking forward to this project, 10x5x3 in a wall sounds awesome Tony

[Tony B]

BOM8ER, on Jul 29 2009, 02:45 PM, said:

I am also looking forward to this project, 10x5x3 in a wall sounds awesome Tony

Thanks for the replies, nice to have such a warm response.

The tank will be with me on 10 August, this is as soon as the tank builder could get it done. Interestingly I wanted a Seabray tank but they're on holiday for two weeks (Seashell appear to be on holiday too) so I decided to go for N&D as they're still fairly local, however I've never seen an N&D tank so it's a small gambe.

I'll be using an Aqua C skimmer. This does not work like most other skimmers we see, it works via spray injection.

The model is EV 240 and as it happens the manufacturer suggests a Gen X Mak 4 magnetic drive pump (all the Aqua C skimmers need pressure pumps), TMC stock the Mak pumps in the UK and, I ordered one earlier this week.
Here's the website for Aqua C skimmers, it's a cracking domain name: www.proteinskimmer.com
A video of one in action: http://www.youtube.c...TIjdagRbTA&NR=1


I have made a start on the aquarium stand but ran out of time, fingers crossed this should be done soon.


More updates soon.


Tony

[Cass1]

Hi Tony

I'm looking for a large skimmer myself, did you order your skimmer direct from the U.S. or from the uk

Martin

[Tony B]

Cass1, on Jul 30 2009, 07:08 AM, said:

Hi Tony

I'm looking for a large skimmer myself, did you order your skimmer direct from the U.S. or from the uk

Martin

Got it from Swallow Aquatics, they're the UK distributor.

[Matt G]

Nice to hear you are starting to get back into keeping a tank, didn't think you would be able to keep your hands dry for that long. Bet you have a fish or two in it before you realise what you have done.

I am starting to think of a getting a frag tank, similar idea to yours, but smaller. I am getting tired of frags of monti and hysterix around the main tank, want to give them somewhere to grow on.

Congratulations on the wedding

[Tony B]

Matt G, on Aug 4 2009, 01:44 PM, said:

Nice to hear you are starting to get back into keeping a tank, didn't think you would be able to keep your hands dry for that long. Bet you have a fish or two in it before you realise what you have done.

I am starting to think of a getting a frag tank, similar idea to yours, but smaller. I am getting tired of frags of monti and hysterix around the main tank, want to give them somewhere to grow on.

Congratulations on the wedding

Cheers Matt

[Tony B]

Heres some pictures of my skimmer, its just been cleaned hence no foam in riser tube

[lindsay]

I like the idea behind these skimmers,how well does it perform Tony?,any chance of some pics when it gets going?.

[Tony B]

lindsay, on Oct 21 2009, 05:33 PM, said:

I like the idea behind these skimmers,how well does it perform Tony?,any chance of some pics when it gets going?.

Yes mate, will do. It's running off the return pump so my sump & skimmer uses 100w of electric, so its fairly efficient. It produces lots of foam!

[lindsay]

Cool,thanks .

[Tony B]

lindsay, on Oct 21 2009, 05:33 PM, said:

how well does it perform Tony?

I am very pleased with it. The system is only very young and there are only 4 small fish there, a tiny humbug about the size of your little finger nail, a juv. mimic tang, a small foxface and, a six line wrasse. So the bioload must be taken into consideration when looking at what the skimmer pulls out. I am sure with a higher stock level the skimmer would produce far more.

The entire see-through plastic tube is a riser tube, the mixing section is small and takes place in a square box. When you first start the skimmer you wonder how on earth the foam will rise all the way up that riser, but it does!

lindsay, on Oct 21 2009, 05:33 PM, said:

any chance of some pics when it gets going?.

Yes, here you go:












And here's a few pics of some of the corals, not much to see just a few maricultures and, best of all some frags from my old system, Keith looked after many of my SPS from my old system we fragged them up sold them and kept some back for local reefers and our own use/future systems. Some of the SPS I have have now been with me (or Keith) for over 5 years.

[lindsay]

Thanks for posting the pics Tony,as you say its hard to imagine the foam rising that far up the tube,but rise it does,very good looking bit of kit .Corals looking good m8.

[Andy]

Hi Tony

Great to see you are starting up again, just noticed you had been buying stuff on UR and then noticed your sig.

Sure it will be another success.

Cheers

Andy

[Tony B]

Andy, on Oct 29 2009, 02:58 PM, said:

Hi Tony

Great to see you are starting up again, just noticed you had been buying stuff on UR and then noticed your sig.

Sure it will be another success.

Cheers

Andy

Thanks Andy, nice to hear from you

[Tony_B]

Video update, taken today poor quality recording as I used my mobile phone:

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=qab8TJxvRfc

[lindsay]

Very nice Tony,you have some great looking corals in there that look to be growing well.