CFI - custom 155 Gallon - 60L x 30W x 20H

[csdoyle]

So far so good! I haven't produced much in the way of skimmate yet, but I expect that to change as the skimmer breaks in and any crud that is on the transfered live rock breaks down.

Here is a link to my Picasa web album with lots of shots of the new skimmer:

Skimmer pics

Attached are a few teaser pics!

Cheers,

Chris

 

[dailydriven911]

That is one sweet skimmer!:shock:

 

[csdoyle]

Well the new tank is going through the motions. After a rough job of aquascaping the non coral covered rock - I added fine aragamax sugar sized sand last night after a good rinse. Currently waiting on the cloud to clear.

Cheers,

Chris

 

[bingme]

Nice set up. Look forward to pics with the sand. I am setting up a 155g tank with a 40g sump right now in Lake Forest Park. Lots of help from Brad at A Red Sea Aquarium. Bought it used from Sean in University Place (thanks Craigslist and Sean). He had it set up as a fish with rock tank. Not enough flow and light to really allow him success with corals. I am dropping in 2 250w 10K icecap pendants, 2 5' icecap blues and a dolphin 2300gph pump. Beautiful Oak furniture custom made in Portland. Really wondering on my choice of sand. Please do post pics of yours when it settles. Would love to see the system sometime this summer. Eric in LFP.

 

[csdoyle]

Eric,

Welcome to RF!

I'll snap some pics tomorrow for you. It's looking pretty good, but still messing with some aquascaping. Waiting for two of the final OM returns for my Closed Loop before things will be how I want them. The returns are pretty trick and allow you to fiddle around endlessly with the exact direction of your flow....

Right now I have two (out of four) open bulkheads just sending water straight up which picks up sand from time to time and blows it around, which I am not to keen on.

So far I like the sugar sized sand and so do my nassarius snails, but if you have a lot of flow near the surface of the sand it does kick up and it takes some time to settle. One nice thing is that as it compacts down a bit, detritus just blows around with nowhere to settle but in the rocks or the overflows which is really nice. Previously I had crushed coral on the bottom which trapped everything.

Your new setup sounds great. You're welcome to come by and see my setup, just pm me. I'm up on Finn Hill just around the lake from LFP.

Best wishes,

Chris

 

[NC2WA]

Chris,

Looks like progress is being made. Your Ca cloud should last a day or two.

Eric, you will love the dolphin pump. It is a very quiet pump. I loved mine when I had my 90g tank in NC.

Kirk

 

[csdoyle]

yup, it's clear.. I'll snap some pics later when the halides are on.

 

[csdoyle]

A couple shots for Eric.

As for the sugar sand.. it can get caught up in the water current pretty easy, but it looks real nice, IMO. You can see on the couple of closed loop bulkheads that do not have the returns in yet.. the sand craters around the bulkhead. It basically slowly tumbles down to the current and gets blown up. It has been happening less and less however as the sand is strewn about and settling.

I am not settled on the aquascaping at the moment, but you get the general idea. I am going for basically the "down the middle" approach.

Pictures are available here:

Click

Also attached is a picture where you can see the sugar sand cratering down to the bulkhead - it is in the lower left of the pic..

Still tweaking,

Chris

 

[NC2WA]

where was this tang during the Ca cloud storm???

 

[csdoyle]

He was in my aging 100 gallon that is in a state of structural decline. I moved him over after things settled and my water tests looked proper...