Our 12ft self contained reef

Synodontis

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
May 27, 2013
Messages
198
Reaction score
345
Location
Victoria, Australia
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Thought we would share our slice of reef with everyone here as we have been lurking for so long. :)

This tank is 12x4x2.5 with a 9x3x18" sump & replaces our 10ft. Tank has been wet for about 12 weeks but the first corals were transferred over about 10 weeks ago. All of the livestock came from our 10ft which had been running for 4yrs with a 18hr tear down / reset when we moved house 2yrs ago.
It was a bit of a mission to get everything timed with removing the 10ft & getting the 12ft inside. Holding tanks for fish & corals was another matter. All up it was all of August to tear down, install & get wet. After a hectic few months setting up, cleaning up, waiting for the Dino's to settle the tank is starting to take shape. Still have the tail end of the Dino's but another few weeks & they should be sorted.
We have a full build thread in our local forums so this will just show a condensed version lol. I do prattle on so if you like a good read, not sure if I'm allowed to post a link in here tho. This is a much larger forum & we would love to hear your thoughts & views about the build so far. We know it's a big tank so don't need to hear that anymore :) If you have any thoughts on what we did wrong, what we did right, what we could add, things we haven't thought of that would be great. The setup is nowhere near completed & still a very active build.

This is the 14ft stand we started with, 75 x 75 x 5mm SHS
Front beside wall.jpg


Stand was fully lined with MDF, then covered with 6mm white acrylic & all joins sealed with white silicone.
IMAG2507.jpg


The sump was the first piece of glass to turn up.
IMG_0484_zpsmfqsehg6.jpg


The next bit to turn up was the skimmer, a huge Bubble King 500 Internal
unpack 035.JPG


Once the stand was lined we married the sump, skimmer & stand
IMG_0578.JPG


The 10ft was dismantled over a couple of days, last pic ever taken of the 10ft
last tank pic.jpg


Ended up being the holding tank for a few weeks on the floor
IMAG0573.jpg


Moving day, long day but all went well taking the stand out of the garage & into the lounge.
IMAG0581.jpg


IMAG0582.jpg


IMAG2867.jpg


DT ready for pick up, 4hr round trip to pick up, & then the install
IMG_0585.JPG


IMG_0595.JPG


Back home
IMG_0606.JPG


In place ready to go
tank & sam.jpg


Filling & rock work
IMAG2913.jpg


IMAG2929.jpg


Started dropping corals in until the Dino's showed up
IMAG3019.jpg


Once the algae showed up I lost interest & started playing down below
Return pump controls mounted
IMAG3040.jpg


Trial fit of DIY reactors
IMAG3043.jpg


All power supply units mounted, Tunze plugs accessible which is a bonus
IMAG0312.jpg


PSU mounting.jpg


Wave maker controls mounted
Controller Mounting.jpg


The worst of the algae after being lazy & letting it get away
Dino\'s.jpg


That's about where we are up to now. The front electrical panel above is still a work in progress, it will be finished off in white acrylic to match the rest of the stand. The next week is back to finishing off the reactors, syphon out the last of the algae & then start moving our corals up from the frag sections in the sump.
So how are we looking to you? Thoughts, questions or ideas required :)
 

kschweer

Moderator
View Badges
Joined
Mar 25, 2011
Messages
12,225
Reaction score
31,519
Location
New Jersey
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Very nice! Great work on the system, it looks. Dry well thought out and well excecuted. I really like the shelf for all of the power supplies. Looking forward to seeing the progress! Best of luck.
 
OP
OP
Synodontis

Synodontis

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
May 27, 2013
Messages
198
Reaction score
345
Location
Victoria, Australia
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Very nice! Great work on the system, it looks. Dry well thought out and well excecuted. I really like the shelf for all of the power supplies. Looking forward to seeing the progress! Best of luck.
Thanks kschweer, the shelves are acrylic, I just used super glue to hold them there lol, it works well. :)

Funny :)

Amazing!!!!!
Thanks steelheader, it's getting there :)

Well that's a big tank! Good luck with the build
Very nice!
Thanks guys, We just want the next few months to go smoothly :)

What are the fish selections?
Fish selection is a ongoing discussion with the much better half lol.
Currently the fish stock is
3- Cooper's Anthia
5- Bleeding heart Anthia
1- Yellow Tang
1- Sumartian clownfish
1- Pajama Cardinal
2- Lawnmower Blenny's (1 in the DT, 1 in the frags)
A pair of Bellus Angels
1- Magpie Sweetlips named Moo, the reason for the big tank
The only thing we have planned at this stage is a pair of Crosshatch Triggers.
We'd also like to add a lot more smaller fish, Genicanthus Angels would be nice, but have you seen the price of some of them! :eek:
Hopefully what ever we put in will be pairs, but no more large fish are planned.
 

JUNICHI YAMASAKI

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 30, 2015
Messages
479
Reaction score
417
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
The floor that is firm because it is a big water tank is necessary.
Why did algae appear?
 
OP
OP
Synodontis

Synodontis

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
May 27, 2013
Messages
198
Reaction score
345
Location
Victoria, Australia
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hi Junichi,
The floor is a concrete slab, so all good there. We have worked with a total weight of 6 tonne as a max all up weight.
As for the algae, it is a new tank, new water, new sump, new skimmer, the rock was curing for a few months before being setup but there is no bio-film on anything. IMO the algae is part of the cycle of a new tank, the ammonia, nitrite, nitrate cycle is only part of a tank cycle. All that does is show that the tank will comfortably support livestock. IMO a tank is not cycled for at least 8-12 months, you need so much more, I dunno, "Bugs n Stuff" That's not a technical term by the way :) Algae is the start of all life isn't it? After the Dino's, there will be a bit cyno for a few weeks, if we can keep the levels right during this time the road should be a lot smoother going forward. How many people start a new tank, get a few months in & because of the algae outbreak they want to throw in the towel? Only to persevere & like magic it all clears up a month later, it's all part of the cycle. Siphon out the algae & water changes is all we have done, or you could throw heaps of dollars at the problem with chemicals to get the same results. :rolleyes:
 

chimmike

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 20, 2010
Messages
270
Reaction score
46
Location
Sarasota, FL
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
One thing I love about you folks Down Under. You do things BIG! This is just an awesome setup. Absolutely awesome!

Is that a Holden being used as a tow vehicle? :D
 
OP
OP
Synodontis

Synodontis

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
May 27, 2013
Messages
198
Reaction score
345
Location
Victoria, Australia
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Thanks chimmike,
We think it's pretty cool, will be better in a few years tho we hope. :)

Nah it's a Ford, only ever comes out to play when I need to to a trailer lol.
 
OP
OP
Synodontis

Synodontis

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
May 27, 2013
Messages
198
Reaction score
345
Location
Victoria, Australia
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Now I'm not known to take the greatest pics of the corals :oops: In fact I've been told I suck at taking photos :D But I figure smart people will be able to see whats what or the potential in a piece.
These coral went in a few weeks ago before the algae took over & we stopped putting bits in. I haven't taken to many pics of the tank because of the algae & when I get a chance it usually when the whites are on the way down.

IMAG3076.jpg


IMAG3078.jpg


IMAG3079.jpg


IMAG3080.jpg


IMAG3081.jpg


IMAG3082.jpg


IMAG3083.jpg


IMAG3085.jpg


IMAG3086.jpg


IMAG3087.jpg


IMAG3089.jpg


IMAG3031.jpg


IMAG3084.jpg


Seen this large purple monti piece our LFS & couldnt leave it there. Probably shouldn't have brought it home but you how it is when you see a piece & know exactly where in the tank it will go.
IMAG3048.jpg


This is Moo being taken care of by the cleaner wrasse. Not something you often see in your home aquarium :)
IMAG3030.jpg


Really annoyed with myself with this coral, while sitting in the sump I didnt realise that the heater had slipped down & was sitting on this chalice :eek: It's starting to recover & should be all good in a few more weeks.
IMAG3077.jpg
 

jack89

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 20, 2014
Messages
238
Reaction score
48
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hats off for the shift ... it was a task for me to shift my 3 footer to 6 footer tank... i could imagine what hardwork it would have been..

Nice tank... really liked the scaping..
 
OP
OP
Synodontis

Synodontis

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
May 27, 2013
Messages
198
Reaction score
345
Location
Victoria, Australia
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Falcon is the base model, there are a few models up the line, It's a 75 anniversary Fairmont Ghia. All the upper options of leather & electrics, but the XR sports engine & suspension. :)

Hats off for the shift ... it was a task for me to shift my 3 footer to 6 footer tank... i could imagine what hardwork it would have been..

Nice tank... really liked the scaping..
Thanks Jack, to be honest, it really wasn't that bad getting it in. A lot of help from friends & it all just went smoothly. :)

Holy crap! That is awesome.
Thanks Alin lol, skimmer will pull that out no matter how holly :)

Love your sweetlip! And also love that you wrapped your sump in white acrylic it's super tasteful!
Thanks rajkovoch, makes everything so much easier to clean! Just need to wipe it down & it don't stain lol :)

cant believe im looking at a 12ft home aquarium when I just got a 12ft above pool installed this weekend
Thanks knukles, when you put it like that it just doesn't sound right does it lol :)
 

Chrisfish

5000 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 29, 2015
Messages
7,488
Reaction score
26,843
Location
Hatteras
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Falcon is the base model, there are a few models up the line, It's a 75 anniversary Fairmont Ghia. All the upper options of leather & electrics, but the XR sports engine & suspension. :)


Thanks Jack, to be honest, it really wasn't that bad getting it in. A lot of help from friends & it all just went smoothly. :)


Thanks Alin lol, skimmer will pull that out no matter how holly :)


Thanks rajkovoch, makes everything so much easier to clean! Just need to wipe it down & it don't stain lol :)


Thanks knukles, when you put it like that it just doesn't sound right does it lol :)
Who needs a tv when you have something so beautiful as your tank to watch!! I would not get anything else done if I had it.
 

A worm with high fashion and practical utility: Have you ever kept feather dusters in your reef aquarium?

  • I currently have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 73 37.8%
  • Not currently, but I have had feather dusters in my tank in the past.

    Votes: 66 34.2%
  • I have not had feather dusters, but I hope to in the future.

    Votes: 25 13.0%
  • I have no plans to have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 28 14.5%
  • Other.

    Votes: 1 0.5%
Back
Top