My DIY display/frag tank system

Not sure if this qualifies for the DIY section or the post your tanks area...maybe a lil of both?

Ignore the mess, I still need to clean up wiring and things in general but it was kinda crazy weekend.

Been lurking on here for a while, but figure posting should be fun I currently live in upstate NY having moved from CA. When I left, all my tanks had to be broken down and go into storage for a time but I got the bug and wanted to start something up. The space I have to work in is seriously cramped(a corner of my home office), but I wanted both a display and a seperate frag tank as well as a sump/fuge. Enter this project...everything was done on the cheap, with a lot of DIY projects incorporated or in the works.

Oh, did I mention all my power tools are in storage too...I was stuck working with what my fiance has(a power drill...thats it) and using HD/Lowes to cut lumber.

Specs:
29g display w/ 150watt DIY MH and a 4 39w bulb T5HO setup. Was originally set up with an over the wall closed loop but the pump died so now its 2x koralia 1's and a MJ1200 for flow. Overflow is a PVC diy job for both tanks.

20g long frag tank w/ a 250w halide about 12-14" off the water w/ a pair of Seio fans

20g long sump/fuge, turboflotor blue 1000 skimmer set up to hang on(not enough height, small fuge section, DIY ATO, and a quiet one 5000 for a return pump.

Currently have a 5g bucket that is being turned into a remote DSB/fuge to drain directly into the display along with a 5g bucket based surge tank that I just need to work the kinks out of. Also should have my coiled denitrator and massive carbon reactor up and running by the weekend.

Current stock list:
mated pair of pearly jawfish
mated pair of true perc clowns
royal gramma basslet
firefish goby
green chromis
yellow watchman goby
mandarin dragonet(eats frozen mysis/brine)
tiger pistol shrimp
skunk cleaner shrimp
Pair 'o Peppermint Shrimp
misc. clean up crew(yellow tip hermits, blue leg hermits, scarlet hermits, nassarius-cerith-turbo-astrea-ninja star snails, emerald crab)
Porcelain Crab
blue maxima clam
gold maxima clam
brown teardrop maxima clam
2x squamossa clams
orange crush acans
aussie duncans
neon center trumpet
mint candy canes
kryptonite candy canes
mint/lime center favias
ORA green tip birdsnest
pink wall octo coral
neon tip branching frogspawn
neon tip hammer
branching torch
white center GSP
blue xenia
brown millipora
chocholate acropora
neon green/brown hydnophora
tons of misc zoas/palys(hulks, bubblegum, watermellons, eagle eyes, etc)
a lone hairy ricordia(haha)

Pictures!(I am terrible at this)

 

Nice job looks good......keep us updated how she turns out....

 

Added a couple new zoa colonies and rescaped the left side of the tank...Pictures!


Full tank shot(mostly)






Clams!


New Duncans, trumpets, mint candy canes, kryptonite candy canes, torch/two different frogspawns/hammer and orange crush acans

 

Well I like it :laughing0 haha

 

I have coraline growth! Sort of! It has started to grow on my PVC overflow. I came home today and my glass was *covered* in pods. Fed the tank a bottle of tiger pods and kept an extra to seed the secondary "pod fuge" once I get it running.

You all should be proud of me...I went to *3* different LFS today with a buddy and didn't come home with a *single* new coral...just a couple of peppermint shrimp and a really pretty porcelain crab

But I am heading back Tuesday for a new aussie acan colony and a nice chalice frag I have fallen in love with.

 

i like the surge thing that is awesome
will have to show that off.

 

Thanks I will, but unfortunately the surge bucket is on a minor pause right now. The problem is that when the water level in the bucket raises, the level in the return pump chamber of the sump drops. This has played hell on ATO system and I really havent figured out a clean solution yet.

 

Cool looking set up

pictures are very good

Steve

 

Steve,
Was it you who wrote the article on reefing in the PRC? Very cool stuff, man. How goes the hobby overseas?