Randy’s Flock o' Reef Tanks

[RandyC]

Excellent description of your setup! Question about your sump tricks including the sponge tray - in addition to reducing noise, does it also reduce splashing of water droplets? I have a problem with salt buildup due to droplets from skimmer return, emergency drain, and flow into return chamber. I may also try your under-tank fan idea in the future. Thanks for posting all the details and photos.

Yes. Definitely minimizes splashing as long as the water isn’t falling from too high.

 

[RandyC]

Really cool little mods to make things quiet and clean! Do you worry about the adhesive coming off of the command strips over time with the heat from the power bricks, then the bricks falling into the sump? Or is there another shelf below that?

Also how are you controlling the fans? Are they going off the ranco controllers?

Insane torch collection too! I'm definitely going to look out for a banana and tiger like yours.

You are correct, the heat can sometimes wear down the adhesive on the command strips, but the last time I had used this method, it was over a year before the strips failed. There is a shelf between the bricks and sump, so falling down won’t be a catastrophic issue. The shelf is only a few inches below the power bricks.

The fan is currently controlled by apex since I’m using the 24V port on a EB832. The Ranco thermostat only controls my heaters for now. I’m not as worried about the fan or apex failing me as much as the heaters since my house never really gets that hot because of the house AC.

I was just at Aquatic Collection yesterday and they had a couple tigers and other good looking solid gold and banana looking torches. They were up there in price though as are all “high-end” torches.

 

[RandyC]

Time to bring back some macro shots.

RRU Lady in Pink

TSA Bill Murray

Tiger Torch

 

[rdriggett]

Time to bring back some macro shots.

RRU Lady in Pink
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TSA Bill Murray
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Tiger Torch
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Looking great!

 

[tankguy]

My Bill Murray don't look that nice

 

[Darkxerox]

My Bill Murray don't look that nice

@RandyC 's

@tankguy 's

 

[RandyC]

So I had a feeling this would happen, but I didn’t think would would happen so quickly. The cast acrylic piece I had laying around that I used to make the lid with the fan cutout started to warp from water absorption. So, I headed down to good old trusty Tap Plastics and their scrap bin and I got a small sheet of grey PVC scrap for $2. Which works out well because I wanted to block light out from the sump compartment since the the only thing in that section is the media reactor holding a mix of carbon/gfo.

 

[tankguy]

@RandyC 's
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@tankguy 's
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Thanks for the good laugh

 

[RandyC]

Picked up an Eheim Multibox since so many liked it from this thread and I no longer have my internal overflow lid (on my old reefer 250) to put stuff on anymore. So far I like it. It’s a little bulkier than I thought it would be, but overall nice to have so I don’t get water everywhere moving tools/frags to buckets on the floor. I did add some egg crate to the bottom so that it made it easier to hold and glue frags.

 

[RandyC]

Here are a couple of Goniopora I picked up from AC.

 

[rdriggett]

Here are a couple of Goniopora I picked up from AC.

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Beautiful gonis Randy!

 

[RandyC]

Something I never do, post pictures of fish. I’ve had all three of these for at least six years.

Mandarin Goby

Flame Angel

Swiss Guard Basslet

 

[RandyC]

 

[RandyC]

I have to say I’m very impressed with Triton’s turn around time. I haven’t sent in an ICP test in a long while, but I just dropped my sample off at the post office on Monday and I just got my results already this morning. Fast!

If anyone was curious here are the results of the test and some other of my tank parameters.

Salifert
Alk: somewhere around 7.7-8.1 throughout the day
Ca: 410
Mg: 1300

I’ll adjust Ca and Mg up eventually, prefer it a bit higher, but no rush.

Hanna
Nitrate: 12.9
Phosphate: 0.02

Triton ICP
Iron is a little high, that’s from my dosing of ChaetoGro. I’ll dial that dosing back and do a couple of water changes.

https://www.triton-lab.de/en/showroom/icp-oes/182460

And of course some coral/reef porn:

 

[RandyC]

Growth is a little slower than I expected for the last month and some colors might even be getting a little pale. Hopefully, the trend doesn’t continue.

Some other acro pics.

Peng’s Heart of the Ocean - one of the bluest, if not the most, acros you can find.

BKChem Fruit Loops

BigR Walt Disney - oldie, but goodie

 

[RandyC]

Note to self: must remember to change peristaltic pump tubing more often in calcium reactor setup.

Cut cross section of my tubing.

I can’t remember the last time I changed it. Have to at least a year, probably more like two. Only noticed because my alk starting dropping pretty abnormally.

 

[Coral2Coral]

I haven’t checked my for quite a while as well, but don’t have anything on hand. Do you have a few feet you can sell Randy? Thanks.

 

[RandyC]

I haven’t checked my for quite a while as well, but don’t have anything on hand. Do you have a few feet you can sell Randy? Thanks.

I don’t actually. Have less than a foot left of the L/S17 size (1/4” ID)

 

[Coral2Coral]

I don’t actually. Have less than a foot left of the L/S17 size (1/4” ID)

No worries! Thanks thou!

 

[RandyC]

80 days in. So far no major mishaps.

Amazeballs Goni

RMF Tiger Torch - this one is just bright - not really sure why RMF called it a tiger torch

BC Cricket Spine