r4rlee
Community Member
Very nice
134-Gallon Cube Build - Random Flow Generator® Powered Mixed Reef - Lots of Pics!
- Cube Build
- Thread starter Vivid Creative Aquatics
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OP
OP
Did a quick video highlighting the flow within the VCA 134-gallon cube.
The movement created throughout the entire 36 x 26 x 24in space by the 2 RFGs on the dual closed loop and two on the return lines is pretty crazy - check this out:
The movement created throughout the entire 36 x 26 x 24in space by the 2 RFGs on the dual closed loop and two on the return lines is pretty crazy - check this out:
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OP
OP
Just a quick 2-month(ish) update.
Everything is going along nicely and just about as expected. The initial Diatom outbreak (somewhat visible in this video) is beginning to wain a bit and starting to se some red cyano. Not too surprising - and fully expected.
My hope is that the cyano will pass quickly too and start to turn into a bit of green hair algae , so that i can fire up the Algae Turf Scrubber. need to get the nutrients up a bit for that. Struggling to get PO4 to register on a test kit, and NO4 is hovering between 5 and 10.
Other than that - the coral that is in the tank is either holding steady or showing signs of growth, so thats good.
here's a quick video.
Everything is going along nicely and just about as expected. The initial Diatom outbreak (somewhat visible in this video) is beginning to wain a bit and starting to se some red cyano. Not too surprising - and fully expected.
My hope is that the cyano will pass quickly too and start to turn into a bit of green hair algae , so that i can fire up the Algae Turf Scrubber. need to get the nutrients up a bit for that. Struggling to get PO4 to register on a test kit, and NO4 is hovering between 5 and 10.
Other than that - the coral that is in the tank is either holding steady or showing signs of growth, so thats good.
here's a quick video.
OP
OP
Just an update - things are going well, and coral is really starting to show goodbsignes of growth.
Still dealing with some red cyano on the sandbed but not too bad.
No3 is creating up (20 on last test) while PO4 contiues to remain lower than I like (.01 or lower), given the NO3 levels.
In any case, starting to see very small tufs of green hair algae here and there, so I may fire up the Algae Scrubber this weekend.
Here are a few recent pics and videos.
youtube.com
Still dealing with some red cyano on the sandbed but not too bad.
No3 is creating up (20 on last test) while PO4 contiues to remain lower than I like (.01 or lower), given the NO3 levels.
In any case, starting to see very small tufs of green hair algae here and there, so I may fire up the Algae Scrubber this weekend.
Here are a few recent pics and videos.
Love this view at the end of a long day.
The VCA 134-gallon cube is just starting to hit a stride. Coral is growing, fish are happy and the whole system is coming into balance.http://VividCreativeAq...
youtube.com
OP
OP
It's finally time to fire up the Clear Water Scrubbers algae Scrubber. Found a bit of green hair algae hiding in the nooks and crannies of the rock.
I wanted it to be as quite as possible and find a good way to capture any algae that might escape the Scrubber, so I designed and printed a catch cup to go on the outlet. This design is not done yet - I have a few tweaks I want to make.
I also determined that leaving the outlet open and unrestricted actually made for the most quite operation of the other ways I tried. Plus there's something relaxing about watching the water flow out and into the cup.
Another benefit to this setup is it adds a bit of surface agitation to the sump as the water flows back down. Flow through the sump is pretty slow, so it could use it
Its just 3 days since installing it, and the screen is ALREADY growing algae. Its likly just green and yellow slime at this point, but it was much faster than the last time I set one up. at this rate, I'll be cleaning the screen in less than week.
Here's some photos of the install process
I wanted it to be as quite as possible and find a good way to capture any algae that might escape the Scrubber, so I designed and printed a catch cup to go on the outlet. This design is not done yet - I have a few tweaks I want to make.
I also determined that leaving the outlet open and unrestricted actually made for the most quite operation of the other ways I tried. Plus there's something relaxing about watching the water flow out and into the cup.
Another benefit to this setup is it adds a bit of surface agitation to the sump as the water flows back down. Flow through the sump is pretty slow, so it could use it
Its just 3 days since installing it, and the screen is ALREADY growing algae. Its likly just green and yellow slime at this point, but it was much faster than the last time I set one up. at this rate, I'll be cleaning the screen in less than week.
Here's some photos of the install process
thats awesome!
OP
OP
Thought ide drop a photobomb of updates on the coral growth in this tank.
We at the 6-month mark.
Everything looks good, but still (STILL) dealing with cyano on the sand bed. Despite that, I'm please so far
So here goes some (mostly) closups of some of the coral and a few of the fish in the tank
The Sailfin was showing off off today, so he got included
We at the 6-month mark.
Everything looks good, but still (STILL) dealing with cyano on the sand bed. Despite that, I'm please so far
So here goes some (mostly) closups of some of the coral and a few of the fish in the tank
OP
OP
I'll try and get some good overall shots in the next day or so. I have a rack on the side of the tank with 6 new inbound frags, so once I get them mounted I'll do a few shots
Her are a few crappy pics to get us started - LOL
Still dealing a bit with the cyano on the sandbed, which is visible in these pic
OP
OP
thanks Sean - I wanted this tank to have some of the things i had never been able to do on previous builds, like, No Powerhead and a reverse check valve.
The cube format also presented a number of challenges in the sump area that needed to be solved, since this tank needed to be nearly fully self contained , since it sits in the middle of our front lobby.
Its been a very satisfying build so far.
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You can really see the difference since January! Nice workI'll try and get some good overall shots in the next day or so. I have a rack on the side of the tank with 6 new inbound frags, so once I get them mounted I'll do a few shots
Her are a few crappy pics to get us started - LOL
Still dealing a bit with the cyano on the sandbed, which is visible in these pic
Whiskey
OP
OP
The tank has been running for a little over 6 months and it's really starting to hit its stride.
Everything is operating at peak performance and the system is doing great.
However, the life support systems under the tank could use some beautification
These photod will serve as the baseline before I start to tidy it up.
Everything is operating at peak performance and the system is doing great.
However, the life support systems under the tank could use some beautification
These photod will serve as the baseline before I start to tidy it up.
OP
OP
Thanks, been very pleased with the growth so far. Everything that has gone in so far is doing well. SPS are laying down bases and beginning to branch out. Polyp extensions looks good across the board
Only exception is a large coloney of purple people eater zoas. It has slowly diminshed a bit, and not sure why.
May be too much light , or possiblly a bit too much flow at its position in the tank. All other softies and zoas on that "softies rock" are doing really well however.
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OP
OP
About 8 or 9 days ago someone flipped the switch and the Cyano and Diatoms are gone...
But not without some stress.
When we got back from our 6-day RAP Orlando trip, the tank was in visible distress. All the coral was closed up, softies where shriveled and most of the SPS where pale and had almost zero polyp extension.
Of course did a quick testing of water, and found nothing out of line from where t was when we left.
Alk - 8.0 (steady)
Cal - 390 (down from 400)
Mag - 1275 (lowish but steady)
N04 - 25 (regularly bounces from 25 to 15 to 25)
Po4 - 0.03 (down from 0.05)
So took a water sample ans sent in an ICP
The only indication I could find that something went wrong was in the ORP reading as seen here - right around the 28th, OPR shot up higher than it had been in the past.
Once the ICP test was went out, added a good size bag of carbon to the system and set the skimmer to skim wet to start pulling out what ever was causing this
Also did two good size 35+gallon water changes over the corse of 3 days.
the ICP test came in and it showed some strange stuff - highly elevated Iodine, Potasium and Lithium
POTASIUM (K) - 603.00MG/l
LITHIUM (Li) - 428.00 ug/l
IDONE (I) - 155.00
The test on the LEFT, was the water sample from right after we got back - while the sample on the RIGHT was a few weeks before we left. The red arrows indicate the value that changed significantly. Neither IPC test showed any unwanted metals, other than slightly elevated Aluminum, which this tank has always had
Fast forward about 6 to 7 days (About 8 days ago)
Then all of a sudden, the the Diatoms and Cyano that had been plaguing the sandbed simply stopped. It was there on a Tuesday and gone on Wednesday. in it's place was daily film algae on the glass, which I had not really had much of until this point.
Since that time (today) there is still no signs of cyano, and the diatoms have only barley returned . a few small minor sports here and there - but other wise white sand.
All softies in the tank all look normal while most SPS corals have their color back but still not at 100% polyp extension
My best guess is there was some sort of contamination introduced but not really sure what.
Subsequent ICP tests has shown the levels of the Iodine, Potasium and Lithium coming down pretty quickly.
But not without some stress.
When we got back from our 6-day RAP Orlando trip, the tank was in visible distress. All the coral was closed up, softies where shriveled and most of the SPS where pale and had almost zero polyp extension.
Of course did a quick testing of water, and found nothing out of line from where t was when we left.
Alk - 8.0 (steady)
Cal - 390 (down from 400)
Mag - 1275 (lowish but steady)
N04 - 25 (regularly bounces from 25 to 15 to 25)
Po4 - 0.03 (down from 0.05)
So took a water sample ans sent in an ICP
The only indication I could find that something went wrong was in the ORP reading as seen here - right around the 28th, OPR shot up higher than it had been in the past.
Once the ICP test was went out, added a good size bag of carbon to the system and set the skimmer to skim wet to start pulling out what ever was causing this
Also did two good size 35+gallon water changes over the corse of 3 days.
the ICP test came in and it showed some strange stuff - highly elevated Iodine, Potasium and Lithium
POTASIUM (K) - 603.00MG/l
LITHIUM (Li) - 428.00 ug/l
IDONE (I) - 155.00
The test on the LEFT, was the water sample from right after we got back - while the sample on the RIGHT was a few weeks before we left. The red arrows indicate the value that changed significantly. Neither IPC test showed any unwanted metals, other than slightly elevated Aluminum, which this tank has always had
Fast forward about 6 to 7 days (About 8 days ago)
Then all of a sudden, the the Diatoms and Cyano that had been plaguing the sandbed simply stopped. It was there on a Tuesday and gone on Wednesday. in it's place was daily film algae on the glass, which I had not really had much of until this point.
Since that time (today) there is still no signs of cyano, and the diatoms have only barley returned . a few small minor sports here and there - but other wise white sand.
All softies in the tank all look normal while most SPS corals have their color back but still not at 100% polyp extension
My best guess is there was some sort of contamination introduced but not really sure what.
Subsequent ICP tests has shown the levels of the Iodine, Potasium and Lithium coming down pretty quickly.
OP
OP
Just a quick update - have not updated this build in a while and things are all back to normal after that weird incident.
I only lost two small frags in the whole ordeal. All other coral bounced back within a few weeks.
I only lost two small frags in the whole ordeal. All other coral bounced back within a few weeks.
OP
OP
Posted a short 3-side-slide video of the tank looking from the sanded up towards the top -you get to see the entire tank from a the lower sand bed perspective. It's kind of a cool perspective. it really highlights the movement the Random Flow Generator® Nozzles are creating in this tank.
The fish seem to swim so calmly, but the flow is whipping around at a pretty good pace. Take a look:
The fish seem to swim so calmly, but the flow is whipping around at a pretty good pace. Take a look:
OP
OP
The tank has just passed the 1 year make since adding livestock.
The transformation is pretty dramatic. I remember bringing my Copperband over to this tank - you can see him there in the frist pic) . He had previously spent about 4 to 5 years in my home tank which had been running for about 10 year and was a very mature tank that, quit frankly, was being mostly neglected there towards the end.
Either way - he liked that tank with all the little bugs and critters to hunt and things to inspect. When he got into this tank, we was pretty freaked out. It was clean, mostly sterile and almost no coral. He dint know what to do with himself.
it's bene interesting to watch his behavior change over time and get back to his old self as the tank has started to fill in and the tiny critter population is booming (free food!) . The only thing missing now, that would make the Copperband even more relaxed and happy, is a healthy population of Aptasia growing in the overflows like the other tank had - LOL
The transformation is pretty dramatic. I remember bringing my Copperband over to this tank - you can see him there in the frist pic) . He had previously spent about 4 to 5 years in my home tank which had been running for about 10 year and was a very mature tank that, quit frankly, was being mostly neglected there towards the end.
Either way - he liked that tank with all the little bugs and critters to hunt and things to inspect. When he got into this tank, we was pretty freaked out. It was clean, mostly sterile and almost no coral. He dint know what to do with himself.
it's bene interesting to watch his behavior change over time and get back to his old self as the tank has started to fill in and the tiny critter population is booming (free food!) . The only thing missing now, that would make the Copperband even more relaxed and happy, is a healthy population of Aptasia growing in the overflows like the other tank had - LOL
Isn't it amazing how a tank starts to settle in around the 1 year mark? It's looking great!!!
My 135 just crossed the CA reactor milestone at around the 2 year mark where my 2L DDR containers no longer hold a weeks worth of 2 part and I need to shift gears to using a reactor.
Whiskey
My 135 just crossed the CA reactor milestone at around the 2 year mark where my 2L DDR containers no longer hold a weeks worth of 2 part and I need to shift gears to using a reactor.
Whiskey
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