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Aquatop RC24G


ninkylou

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Got the new tank set up today.  That is work... Tomorrow is going to be a rough day at real work, but I really wanted to get things filled.

First pics.

Just got into the house...meant to take the cost sheet off of it...gave the BF sticker shock LOL.

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Lots of hiding places in this rock.  I wish it was a bit taller, but I guess I will just get some top tank swimmers, or add some more at some point.

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Don't be in a hurry, no matter how hard it is. Like someone's tag line says. Nothing good happens fast in a reef tank


Funny thing. My boyfriend has no concept of the hobby. As soon as I got home with the tank he was asking where the fish were. He was shocked when I told him it would be at least a month before anything alive went in.


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25 minutes ago, ninkylou said:

 


Funny thing. My boyfriend has no concept of the hobby. As soon as I got home with the tank he was asking where the fish were. He was shocked when I told him it would be at least a month before anything alive went in.


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Well, not counting the bacteria of course... :)

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Tank looks great. I like the little stool! I've been looking for one like that [emoji4]

Oh no! Now everyone knows how short I am and need a step stool to reach the bottom of the tank! I practically had to climb into the 72g.


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20 minutes ago, Jorge said:

Hey now, being short has its advantages! I always fit in the trunk of the car when there was no more room up front and I could squeeze into places the other big kids couldn't! 

So they kept you in the trunk eh?  This explains a lot j/k :)

I have to use a stool as well but favor the ones on wheels so I can relocate them while my hands are full of (fill in the blank). It never seems to be quite where you need it.

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17 hours ago, Jorge said:

Hey now, being short has its advantages! I always fit in the trunk of the car when there was no more room up front and I could squeeze into places the other big kids couldn't! 

That takes me back. Kinda sucks kids won't ever know about a drive in movie. 

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20 hours ago, albertareef said:

So they kept you in the trunk eh?  This explains a lot j/k :)

I have to use a stool as well but favor the ones on wheels so I can relocate them while my hands are full of (fill in the blank). It never seems to be quite where you need it.

I volunteered. That's just who I am lol :)

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I have never used this type of skimmer before and I just set it up tonight. OMFG it is so loud.  I understand all the microbubbles and the noise is just water sounds.  I have a few questions I wanted to ask.

The black sponges on the water outlets are barely in the water, yet I have the skimmer filled to it's maximum operating capacity line.  Any concern with that?  

Is this type of Skimmer typically loud?  It's a Xyclone (Cyclone knockoff perhaps) that came with this Aquatop system.

I attached a short 6 second video with sound that I took with my iPhone.

 

IMG_0874.MOV

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10 hours ago, ninkylou said:

I have never used this type of skimmer before and I just set it up tonight. OMFG it is so loud.  I understand all the microbubbles and the noise is just water sounds.  I have a few questions I wanted to ask.

The black sponges on the water outlets are barely in the water, yet I have the skimmer filled to it's maximum operating capacity line.  Any concern with that?  

Is this type of Skimmer typically loud?  It's a Xyclone (Cyclone knockoff perhaps) that came with this Aquatop system.

I attached a short 6 second video with sound that I took with my iPhone.

 

IMG_0874.MOV

Couple of things to try...

From what I can see, it seems like the noise is mostly due to the return from the skimmer being off the surface of the sump so, if possible, I would try and extend that return line to get it down to or under the sump water level.

The other thing is that it looks like you might have the return stopped down (red knob on top of the return line) too far and hence have the skimmer too full of water for it to give you a good foam head.  Opening that back up (allowing faster flow back into the sump) make actually make the noise a bit worse until you extend the return pipe but it will help the skimmer work better.

That is my best shot based on the video.  hope it helps.

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Well when I came home it was still crazy noisy and since the thing was so big in my 7g sump I decided to yank it out and put in the Eshopps Nano I had bought for the JBJ that I am sending back. Peace and quiet and we'll see how it goes. I don't intend to have many fish but I'll see if this does the trick. Now there is some room for some chaeto in there.


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I really felt I needed some extra height in the tank.  It only had 15 Lbs (although very porous) live rock in it at setup.  So I went to visit my friends at Barrier Reef Aquariums, here in Renton, to see what they had.  Last Sunday the selection was a bit tapped out, but lots to choose from.  I want to thank Natalia for getting right in there and helping me to choose another statement rock.

So with all that here are some pics of the new layout and I took a pic of the rock that I love, I am so excited to see if a goby/shrimp combo will take up residence in that rock.  I think that will be my second fish, must have pair of black & white clowns first. (I know it will be weeks and weeks, I am taking my patience pills every day!)

Front View - I used some of the modelling clay like epoxy.  I'll need to hide that a bit.  Wow that stuff gets warm in your hands while mixing it together.  

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Side view If i spin around in my desk chair this is my view.

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Channel rock, it has two really nice channels and is about 5 inches long.

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Two updates:  Broke down and bought an AI Prime HD and love it!

Question about the suitability of a JBJ 3G Cubey as a quarantine tank.  I would like to use it for the few fish I will get, one at a time, clown (maybe 2 at the same time if I can get a reasonably priced pair that are still small), watchman goby, maybe a royal gramma.  Nothing big, but wonder if 3G would be ok for quarantine?  And then use it for corals as well.

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Question about circulator positioning.  I got a 265 gph circulator from the folks at Aquatop (I did a pretty extensive review of this tank setup, pointed out some good things and some, not so good).  I have one of the new Aqamai KPS Wifi Controllable Wavemaker on pre-order but until that arrives in a few weeks I hope, I wanted to place this one in the tank.  The return pump is 607 gph.

Rocks are all bare right now, no corals, but trying to figure out the best placement (and if it should change with the new one).  Plan is Zoas, softies, LPS and shrooms.  Not LPS planned for now, I have never done them before.

Anyway, here is a pic of the cube layout, its 17.5 x 17.5 x 17.5 and the top of the rocks is 6" from the water surface.

Where would the best place to put the circulation head?

InkedDiagram of tank top_LI.jpg

 

Edited by ninkylou
forgot something
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How much can you fit into a 7 gallon sump???

Well so far:

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1-200 W heater

1-Eshoppes Nano Skimmer

1-670 gph return pump

1- 6 x 4 x 2'ish chunk of live rock

A bunch of porous balls

1-Finnex HOB refugium with LED light.

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Not bad, and I was a terrible Tetris player!

 

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How much water movement is too much??

I have a 670 gph return pump.  I have on order 2 Hydor Koralia Nano 240s and the Hydor Smart Wave Circulation Pump Controller, with the intent of using the alternating function.

The tank is 18 inches wide.

Is this going to be too much if I have the return aimed up for surface movement and the 2 Koralias on opposite sides lower down, alternating flow between the 2, s total flow in the tank would be about 810 gph?

How frequently should I cycle the flow?  I have read that these Koralia's will click or clunk when they turn on, so I don't want to do it too frequently as the tank is right behind me and it will make me nuts.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Tank Update 4/28/2017

3 - 1 Darwin Clown and 2 Firefish

2 Emerald Crabs and 1 insane Peppermint shrimp

Have a bit of everything coral wise...I ambien bought a 6 pack of SPS from World Wide Corals...sigh, was not going to start with them till things we more stable.  Although everything is doing really well.  I have to keep to my rule of NO LAPTOPS OR ANY DEVICE CAPABLE OF ONLINE SHOPPING IN THE BEDROOM.  They are extending polyps and so far look good.  

Finally settled on set up in the sump...Took out the Finnex Refugium, it just did not seem to have enough flow for the chaeto and was a pain in the [language filter] to work around.  Added chaeto to first chamber, have had to pick bits out of the second chamber return pump initially but that has settled down.  Got a BRS mini reactor and have started running Matrix Carbon and Aquaforest Phosphate Minus combined in the reactor.  Got a used Tunze Osmolator Nano and am loving not having to do that manually.

I wanted something to conceal ATO reservoir and cords so I bought an inexpensive aquarium cabinet.  I have it beside the tank and I use it for doing chemistry, getting frags dipped and ready etc.  I figured it would be good because it was designed for wet areas.

Also invested in an APC UPS.  I have the circulation pump and heater set on battery back-up,

My desk is on the right of the cabinet, you can see my gaming headphones.  Its great I just have to turn around and can see the tank.  I positioned the rocks so that I have a good view of the tank when I turn around.

 

I think the only thing I have left to buy equipment wise will be a dosing pump when that becomes necessary.  Right now I am just dosing Red Sea Part B 1ml daily, since Ca and Mg are still running on the high side.

Here are some updated pics.

Front view

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View when I turn around on my office chair.  The Purple Haze is planning its takeover of the tank from the bottom right.

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Final sump set up...for now...

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Side Aquarium cabinet - already have messed up the top with frag glue...

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