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skylsdale

skylsdale

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 12, 2003
Messages
90
Location
WA
I was driving through town today and saw this at a yard sale on the side of the road...in a pile marked "FREE." It's a bit worse for wear, but for the price, I really couldn't go wrong! It's an Oceanic-Jewel 55 gal slate-bottomed tank. The dimensions are 31"x32" (although the overflow takes about 7" off that)x 12". The entire system stands 25" tall. Oh yeah...it has a chiller as well. I'm not sure if it works or not, but my hope is strong! One of the side glass panels is cracked, but since each side is double-paned glass, I think it's just purely cosmetic. It will definitely need some fixing up, but nothing too crazy I don't think.
 
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Neat! Apparently your's is a good neighborhood to cruise around in. Hope it works out well for you. :)
 
free is my second most favorite four-letter "F" word,,,combine it with my favorite four-letter "F" word im am estatic!!

the word is FOOD,,,get your minds out of the gutter.
 
yeah, it does...I didn't make that connection, good eye witfull...

maybe you could have a cold water reef, I've seen a few that are pretty interesting...

MikeS
 
A friend helped me load it down into the basement, and I had a chance to really take a look at it. I had sent him pictures of it earlier in the day, and his wife mentioned that it looked exactly like the specimen holding tanks they used to have in her marine biology class back in high school for holding Puget Sound critters...and I think that's what I have. That space behind the white acrylic wall has small sectioned-off overflows in each corner, but the majority of it actually houses the cooling coils: this thing is meant to drop the temp down pretty low! So, instead of passing water through the chiller, the coils are actually in the show tank's water column...cooling it directly. I fired up the unit and it seems to run like a champ, although a bit loud, but I expected that. Living so close to the Sound, I've contemplated doing a cold-water tank, but the logistics of it (chiller cost, etc.) always debunked that idea. Now it's not so far fetched...

I'll keep you guys updated as it progresses.
 
Catalina gobies like it a little warmer than the natives up this way in the PNW. ;)

I'm thinking those gorgeous pink and orange zoanthid-like critters (can't remember the name right off hand), green and feather anemones...lots of pretty stuff in the water up here...if you can keep the water cold enough! :)
 
I'm not a big fan of Catalina gobies...I like the stuff up here much better. I got my open water certification back in May and did a few dives off the west side of Whidbey Island, and there is a ton of stuff in our native waters that is detinitely worth keeping. However, I think the most practical and 'hardy' for a tank would be tidepool type critters. Especially with the shallow depth of this tank, I think that would be the best thing to replicate.

The system is currently setup in an unfinished room down in the basement (house built in the 1930's, and the room is not heated) so temp's usually hover in the 60's. I'll have to do some testing to see how far down the unit will take the temperature.
 
Means it'll cool to 5 degrees celsius (41F) with a variance of 2C (36F) low or 8C (46F) high. That's COLD!

~ Steve
 
Wolfesbane said:
Means it'll cool to 5 degrees celsius (41F) with a variance of 2C (36F) low or 8C (46F) high. That's COLD!

~ Steve
Click to expand...
Hmmmm........41-46 degrees and Wet. Sounds like typical NW winter weather.:rolleyes:
Hey good score on the tank Sky. For 3 grand new......it's a steal.
Good luck with whatever goes in it.:)
Scott
 
I don't have it up and running yet. My first step is to order a pump...or at least hook up the plumbing (it's all open beneath the tank) to test out the refridgeration system. It definitely fires up and runs, but I haven't tested it with any water, yet. I've been so busy, this has fallen down pretty far on the list, as much as I REALLY want to get it going.

Once I test that, I'm going to clean up some of the rust a bit, repaint the frame, drill the overflow holes bigger to accomodate 3/4" plumbing...and then in the acrylic partition I'm thinking of doing a small closed loop with an MJ 1200 and SCWD.

I have found a coldwater fish group and have found out quite a bit from them and how they run coldwater systems. Once I get all the rockwork in there, I plan on stock with various intertidal organisms (hermits, snails, giant green anemones, etc.) and as far as fish, I would really like to have a few gunnels in there and maybe a handful of shiner perch.

I will definitely keep you updated as I the system progresses.
 
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