Paul's New Reef Tank
Best viewing at 800x600 Hi-Color
360 Liter reef tank, completed on 1-May-2000
Updated photo on 1-July-2000
Updated photo on 28-April-2001
On 1-April-2000, I ordered my
new tank in MongKok. Tank size is
142cm x 42cm x 76cm, accessable volume is 360 liter. The overflow
box is placed on left back side of the tank, it is quite big 20cm
x 20cm, because I need to open three big holes at the bottom of
the overflow box, first one for 30mm PVC, it is designed for main
overflow pipe, second one for 25mm PVC, it is designed for backup
overflow purpose in case the main overflow pipe is failed. Third
one for 20mm PVC, it is designed for water return, with this
internal water return pipe, no external hose is needed in this
system.
The Tank comes
together with a carbinet and cover. The size of the carbinet is
147cm x 44cm x 80cm. The carbinet has three doors, inside the
carbinet there are two compartments, big one for the sump and
pump, small one for the calcium reactor and accessories. The
height of the tank cover is 32cm. There are also has three doors
on the tank cover, left most and right most door will be use for
install lighting system, middle can be open freely without turn
off the lighting.
Main return pump is Iwaki MD-55R,
it is strong enough for me to make four water outlets and one
rainbar inside the tank. My original plan is use 3/4"
LocLine for the water outlet, but I found that it may be too big
for me, so I have changed to use 1/2", but they are
compatible one, not LocLine.
About lighting, I use two
Iwasaki EYE Color Arc MT150D 6500K MH Bulbs cooperate with two 55w
actinic Power Compact Bulbs. All the bulbs are light up by
Magnetec Electronic Ballasts. All the bulbs are mounted on the
doors of the tank cover, it keeps around 10 inches between of the
water surface. Two 2" fans used to cooling the lamps and I
will add two more soon.
I forecast the heat problem
will be much more serious than before, since the volume of the
tank is increased, more lighting and stronger pump. So I moved
the chiller from the carbinet to the bathroom. I am so crazy that
to made two 3/4" holes on the wall which between the living
room and bath room. It is too great! The living room becomes cool
and comfortable, and the cooling power of the chiller is
increased. I should do it four years before! but I didn't?? Total
heat increase is only 0.8C. I hope I don't need to upgrade my
chiller.
To prevents the noise that
comes from the overflow pipes, I use a gate valve on the main
overflow pipe to adjust the water level in the overflow box to
stay higher than the main overflow pipe and below the backup pipe.
That gate valve is quite good, it can adjust every 5mm water
level in the overflow box.
Thank you for Jisung, he
changed to use AquaC skimmer so he gave me his great CPR SR4
Skimmer, I wonder it is so powerful, it doesn't need strong
current to produces storm like bubbles, it is so calm and the
bubble is so fine, but the skimming power is quite effective. And
I use Kent float valve for full automatic top off control.
Thank you for Jisung, he helped me to design the plumbing, lighting and also help me to move my tank. I will never forget the day we move my tank. I took out all the animals, rocks, sand and water from the old tank to six 80 liter plastic box, my home was so mess and so smell. We did until 12:00am to moved all the stuffs back to the tank and I spent one more week to clean up my home. I think cannot completed the job without help from Jisung.
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Updated news on 1-July-2000
The temperature of this summer is very hot, I wonder the tempertature was more than 34C on early May, the temperature of my tank was keep rising to 29C. Finally I have upgraded my chiller, it is Teco 680RA, it is quite powerful, while the room temperature is 33C, it can easy to cool down the tank at 25C and lower. It works around 1 hour to cool down the tank and rest for around 2 hours then start again.
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Update news on 27-October-2000
This is right side of the tank cabinet.
Back side is C1500 Calcium Reactor and CO2 bottle, front side is
a bucket of Kalkwasser. Fresh water will filled up this bucket
automatically by a float valve. A power head is placed inside the
Kalkwasser and controls by a timer which turn on at 10:00am to 12:00pm
to stir Kalkwasser. After 12:00pm the power head will stop, the 
undissolved powder will settle down. Kalkwasser will
be supply to the sump starting at 23:00 until 08:00, 2.5ml per
minute by a IKS dosing pump, the dosing pump is controlled by IKS
AquaStar Midi computer.
Beside controls the dosing pump, my Aquastar Midi
also control two Maxi-Jet 1000 power heads in the tank (left and
right) to simulates Hi/Lo tide effect. The power heads turn on
and off alternately for every 15-30 sec., random factor is also
applied. I have wrote a program to post the tank pH and
Temperature to internet automatically, please visit the following
links
http://www.ateamsys.com/aquarium/data.html
Current tank parameter (Updated on 28-April-2001) :
pH = 8.05 to 8.32, Ca = 420ppm, NO3 =
0, NO2 = 0, Temperature = 26.6 to 26.8 (day time)
Maintenance (Updated on 28-April-2001):
8ml of KORALLIN S-Plus and 4ml KORALLIN Amino Life every day
(doses in proportional 48 times a day) via dosing pump.
Calcium is adding by KORALLIN C4001 Calcium Reactor
No water change since July 2000.