tbrown
Nominated Cronie Intern - Might be failing?
They say Butterflies and Angels are the most common, right? And it can be 2-3 months after being caught.
Tenecor 100 Gallon Lagoon-style acrylic AIO
OP
OP
Today when I downloaded the tank shot from my phone I found another shot that I had never downloaded with my CBB in it and before the neglect set in. Since you mentioned CBBs it gives me an excuse to use the photo.
They are worth it. Beautiful fish.
OP
OP
I would believe so. It used to be very common for lots of fish but, I think, almost universal for butterflies and angels back then. It never showed right away it would be weeks to even a month or two.
tbrown
Nominated Cronie Intern - Might be failing?
When Aquarium Arts gets them in they're usually very affordable also. $59 last time they had someToday when I downloaded the tank shot from my phone I found another shot that I had never downloaded with my CBB in it and before the neglect set in. Since you mentioned CBBs it gives me an excuse to use the photo.
They are worth it. Beautiful fish.
TheWB
2500 Club Member
How’s things been going this week. Make any headway on some of that algae and maintenance?Since it has been a few weeks, another quick update.
I haven't done a water test in weeks, need to do it soon...
- Pitho is official goner
- Peppermints killed the acan
- They also seem to be nurturing three Aiptasia for offspring
- Purple Rim Trumpet moved to frag tank just in case
- Only corals in display tank now are two pieces of the green monti and an orange monti that is is sad shape
- Trumpet and Green Hammer are doing okay so far in frag tank
- Peach Hammer lost one whole branch of heads (6 heads) and the other branch looks stressed but not gone yet
- Bubble Gum Digitata and Purple Stylo are recovering in frag tank
- Peppermints have taken to taunting me
- Dealgaefication continues slowly
Yes, the Foxface is alive--that's its 'I'm Hungry' pose.
OP
OP
I should have seen this and answered then. I would have said it is going well. Today, not so much...
The tank experienced a bit of an algae bloom over night. Not sure if it was from the extra Mysis cube that fell into the feeder or the carbon dose. We'll see. Overall the tank is recovering nicely but until I de-Peppermint the dt there will be no new corals in the tank.
OP
OP
Okay, a little, nope.
OP
OP
I actually have the tank back in acclimation mode for a while to slow the algae growth. The hair algae is gone. The turf is much better but still there but the bubbles just are. I need to get a couple of Pithos in there as the Foxface is a confirmed junk food addict. He even ignores wonderful organics like Julian Sprung Sea Veggies now and only eats overprocessed junk foods. The little Bristletooth does peck at the turf but I've never seen it, or heard of one, going after bubble algae. So far I've managed to avoid scorched-earth remedies but I'm a little low on patience at the moment.
The Peppermints finished off the Aiptasia. I can't find any in the tank currently and I removed all of the LPS so now, all of the sudden, I have dozens of empty Astraea Snail shells, hmmmm.
The good news is with some of the the stuff that got moved to the 15 gallon. The the Peach Hammer is still hanging on and the Green Hammer is thriving. The Yellow Eye Goni may make it but I'm fighting bubble algae on it. Also the Bubblegum Digi and Purple Stylo seem to be recovering.
The Peppermints finished off the Aiptasia. I can't find any in the tank currently and I removed all of the LPS so now, all of the sudden, I have dozens of empty Astraea Snail shells, hmmmm.
The good news is with some of the the stuff that got moved to the 15 gallon. The the Peach Hammer is still hanging on and the Green Hammer is thriving. The Yellow Eye Goni may make it but I'm fighting bubble algae on it. Also the Bubblegum Digi and Purple Stylo seem to be recovering.
TheWB
2500 Club Member
Sounds like things are moving in the right direction. I don't know what my peppermint shrimp is eating. It leaves the corals alone and I target feed the clown so hopefully there's not a lot of extra food floating around. The aiptasia is long gone so it's not eating that. I have not noticed any snail murder. You do gotta get rid of them though. I know you like your LPS so they can't stay. You might need to consider giving the Foxface the boot as well. Utilitarian fish that don't do their job should be fired, lol. I might be tempted to switch it out for another one that will hopefully be a better grazer and less of a spaz.
OP
OP
I can't confirm that the Peps are killing the snails but it is suspicious. I still have a few Aiptasia in the 15 gallon but they are easily managed manually. I need a few months of Aiptasia-free in the DT before I'm willing to call it a win. Then maybe add a CBB and have a really small shrimp bbq. I do like my hammers but sometimes I consider going all SPS to make a few design choices, like flow and lighting, easier. If I was starting over today I would forget about the lagoon and make the tank a 125 with 20" height instead of 16". It just makes some of those choices a little easier. Even your 17" height is probably a significant improvement.
I might make the 15 a hammer hangout but right now I can't move the digi or stylo back to the main tank as the light is just too low. Even the green monti is not very happy with the light level in there but I'm really trying to avoid any nuclear options.
The Foxface is useless as a utility fish but I think we will keep him. He actually 'wags' his fins when he's hanging out under the feeder and we go near the tank. Most unusual fish begging I ever saw.
I don't know why the Pitho only lived a month or so, maybe it died of over-eating, but it didn't cause any trouble while it was here that I know of.
TheWB
2500 Club Member
It’s funny you mention this because I’ve been thinking similar thoughts. We put in a lot of time designing this style of tank but we kinda got cut off at the knees once you got the prototype and we started thinking about what was good and what needed to be changed. If I was doing mine over I would have gone with a 20” height also just for flow considerations. I have discovered that I like my flow higher in the tank and unobstructed by the scape. Another three inches of height would have made that much more effective, especially for sps. Even though I’m at 17” total I’ve got thicker acrylic than you do so between the tank bottom and top bracing I’m losing 1.5 inches of the 17” height. Where I have a significant gain on mine is the water height in the display itself. Its nearly to the top.
I hate the visible gap between the water line and the top so for me the high line works great. I know yours is lower but I don’t remember how much.
Had we been able to continue with the shake out process on your tank I think some of these issues could have been addressed and we both would have ended up with displays that were customized more to our liking. What are ya gonna do though, it didn’t work out the way we’d hoped.
Jellygeee
New Member
@tharbin : Thank you for documenting and sharing your tank build process. I have been following your build thread since last year (am actually new to Reef2Reef).
I'm not sure how to send you a message since I don't see that option in my profile, hence I decided to post my questions about your tank here.
- after owning the tank for more than a year, are there any areas that you prefer to change? (i.e. size size, etc.)
- any issue that you notice with both the tank and magnum stand?
- any issue with Tenecor in general?
A little bit about myself. I live in Bay Area (California) and had some saltwater tanks and corals in the past.
My objective is to get at a least a 100 Gallon Lagoon style acrylic AIO (120 gallon may also be an option).
The usage actually will be for a freshwater red ear slide turtle tank (plus some other fish and plants). Reason for this is I need to have an aio where it's easy for me to access and do major cleaning (turtle generate lots of waste). I like the profile and design of the tank you have, plus the stand is impresssive.
Thank you
Rudy
I'm not sure how to send you a message since I don't see that option in my profile, hence I decided to post my questions about your tank here.
- after owning the tank for more than a year, are there any areas that you prefer to change? (i.e. size size, etc.)
- any issue that you notice with both the tank and magnum stand?
- any issue with Tenecor in general?
A little bit about myself. I live in Bay Area (California) and had some saltwater tanks and corals in the past.
My objective is to get at a least a 100 Gallon Lagoon style acrylic AIO (120 gallon may also be an option).
The usage actually will be for a freshwater red ear slide turtle tank (plus some other fish and plants). Reason for this is I need to have an aio where it's easy for me to access and do major cleaning (turtle generate lots of waste). I like the profile and design of the tank you have, plus the stand is impresssive.
Thank you
Rudy
OP
OP
Hi Rudy,
Thanks for following my thread. Let's see if I can answer your questions. I'm glad you asked them in the thread because someone else may find something useful in our exchange. That said, I believe the way to send a DM is to click on the profile of the person you want to DM and then in the profile card that pops up you click on 'Start Conversation' near the bottom of the card.
Before I answer your specific questions I should be a little clearer about what my tank is, and isn't. My tank is actually the first, and only, prototype of a full-size coast-to-coast AIO for Tenecor. It was designed by Tenecor with significant input from myself and two other R2R members. Some of the small issues with my tank would not have been in a production unit. There is another tank that is functionally identical to mine in Washington state. It was built by Advanced Acrylics to essentially the same specifications as mine for one of the other R2R members that worked on the design. Unfortunately, the person at Tenecor we worked with is not currently active so the project was scrapped. Also, Tenecor is not currently interested in building Coast-to-Coast (full length, or width for a peninsula tank)) AIOs. They are very proud of their build quality and I get the impression they do not feel they can get the same levels of quality with a Coast-to-Coast assembly.
Here is a link to @TheWB's tank build:
AIO Build - The WB's 70g Custom Acrylic Supersized AIO
Welcome to my tank upgrade. In Jan of 2019 I started my last build which was an Innovative Marine Lagoon 50 AIO. I’ve had that running for the last 5 years and it’s been a great tank, highly recommend IM tanks if you want a regular style AIO setup. But here’s the thing, I didn’t want that...
www.reef2reef.com
The only real difference between our tanks, other than builder, is that his tank is one inch taller and his AIO section is not covered. His tank also uses thicker acrylic.
Okay
---
Things I would have done differently:
I would not have made it a lagoon. I would have made it twenty inches tall instead of sixteen inches tall making it a 125 instead of a 100. That is more a function of the flow needed in a reef tank and my preference for a sand bottom that an actual issue with the tank size.
I would have made the fourth chamber in the AIO one inch narrower and added one inch to the return (fifth) chamber to better fit a large return pump.
Neither of those are really issues with the tank. We specified a Lagoon-style tank as part of the design process I just feel that in retrospect I would be happier with a slightly higher tank due to my style of aquascaping. My Sicce SDC 6.0 fits in the return chamber easily but the intake screen is somewhat long so I have to cant the pump on an angle. One inch wider would have allowed it to clear the pump screen without canting the pump.
Issue with the tank/stand:
The Magnum stand is rock solid. Absolutely love the stand. If I ever leave reefing I will still keep the Magnum stand. Excellent.
The tank has a few build issue but they are not issues you would find on the average Tenecor tank. I have a few blemishes in one of the seams but my tank was the first build for a new fabricator at Tenecor and they offered to replace my tank. The blemishes are not affecting the integrity of the tank so I declined the replacement. There were a few issues with the AIO section design that were ironed out and are not a part of the current Tenecor designs. The only other issue is that there is very slight bowing of the top plate around the opening for the polycarbonate cover. That is very common on acrylic tanks and it is hardly noticeable. I live about 70 miles from the Tenecor plant and there are several LFSs in the area that have Tenecor tanks in use and for sale. They all look amazing. My most-local LFS bought a twenty year old Tenecor low-boy tank that he uses for his freshwater plant offerings and the tank still look like new. Tank integrity is the biggest reason I prefer acrylic tanks and Tenecor is one of the most experienced builders of acrylic tanks.
Issues with Tenecor itself:
This is a little harder to answer. I haven't had much dealing with Tenecor as a regular customer. Most of my contact was through my contacts that were working with us to design their non-wet/dry AIO tanks. I do know they can be hard to reach and there was a period of time where they had some customer support staff that were since replaced. I don't think they are actually any better, or worse, than most of the fabricators. I have heard of and experienced both wonderful and mediocre support from a great many companies in the aquarium trade.
---
Overall I am very happy with my tank and stand. I would say the stand is the best aquarium stand I have ever seen. The tank is solid and well built. It does not have the types of issues you see with some of the mass-market acrylic tanks which tend to bow the front pane and top plate excessively.
I also only want AIO-style tanks. I have an issue with trying to work under a tank so having everything except the ATO tank above waist level is perfect for me. I also like having a full size AIO sump behind the tank. Too many AIOs make the sump too narrow to fit normal-size equipment thus compromising your ability to properly treat your tank water. I could have gotten away with a five inch deep sump instead of the eight inch because of the equipment I chose but it is nice to know that if I want a larger protein skimmer for instance I can just drop it in.
Right now my tank is in maintenance mode while I handle a few issues. In fact most of the maintenance is being handled by my wife right now but the tank is easy to work on. Hopefully, I will be able to get back into gear on the tank in the near future and I'll start sharing more here soon.
I hope I answered your questions and feel free to ask more questions if they occur to you.
Tom
OP
OP
Jellygeee
New Member
Hi Tom,
Thank you for your prompt response and detailed explanations about your tank and stand.
It helps me a lot in my thought process on what to get for a future tank.
And thank you for the welcome to R2R. Yesterday was my first post in a saltwater reef forum (I think it's been at least 10 years since my last post to a forum). It's very refreshing to see all the new experiences and knowledge sharing in a community for a fish tank hobbyist.
Somewhat similar to your preferences: I prefer to have a build in sump in the back of the tank (assuming the size is big enough so that I can add lots of filter media and other items needed to maximize biological filtration. I've seen some videos where discuss breeders in Europe uses a big bare-bottom tank and they have huge sump in the back with big filtration system.
I'm not able to squat as much as I used to and work underneath a sump. My previous saltwater reef tank is a 60 gallon shallow tank with a 20 gallon sump (10 yrs ago). I've had a small glass aio freshwater tank for last 3 years and it's been great.
My tank preference will be between 100-120 gallon. There's concern of bowing with acrylic, hence when I was reading the specs for Tenecor 100 and 120 Lagoon, I noticed the 120 had a thicker acrylic (close to 0.5 inches?).
Want to get your expertise and advice see if you think there's areas that I need to improve (in the event if I requested for the same tank). I understand that some things may be different since I won't be using it for saltwater:
- main inhabitants: one red-eared slider turtle, false upside down catfish (family pets)
- bottom: Japanese akadama soil (big grain). I've been using this for my outdoor 110 gallon pond for raising medaka rice fish and it's been working great
- some driftwood and freshwater plants
- a basking platform that I'll have to diy for the turtle
- some neon tetra, rummy nose tetra, medaka rice fish that I'll add into the tank once water stabilizes
- for the sump: lots of biofilter media
- return pump: I haven't put that much thought into the water flow. The turtle and fresh water plants don't need a strong flow, so I'm thinking of using whatever pump that's provided in the package. From my experiences with freshwater plants, the strong flow also incurs lots of algae growth
Apologies for derailing the main subject of this thread (it's supposed to be about your tank). It's not easy to find someone to talk to about this kind of hobby and equipment specs.
Thank you
Rudy
Thank you for your prompt response and detailed explanations about your tank and stand.
It helps me a lot in my thought process on what to get for a future tank.
And thank you for the welcome to R2R. Yesterday was my first post in a saltwater reef forum (I think it's been at least 10 years since my last post to a forum). It's very refreshing to see all the new experiences and knowledge sharing in a community for a fish tank hobbyist.
Somewhat similar to your preferences: I prefer to have a build in sump in the back of the tank (assuming the size is big enough so that I can add lots of filter media and other items needed to maximize biological filtration. I've seen some videos where discuss breeders in Europe uses a big bare-bottom tank and they have huge sump in the back with big filtration system.
I'm not able to squat as much as I used to and work underneath a sump. My previous saltwater reef tank is a 60 gallon shallow tank with a 20 gallon sump (10 yrs ago). I've had a small glass aio freshwater tank for last 3 years and it's been great.
My tank preference will be between 100-120 gallon. There's concern of bowing with acrylic, hence when I was reading the specs for Tenecor 100 and 120 Lagoon, I noticed the 120 had a thicker acrylic (close to 0.5 inches?).
Want to get your expertise and advice see if you think there's areas that I need to improve (in the event if I requested for the same tank). I understand that some things may be different since I won't be using it for saltwater:
- main inhabitants: one red-eared slider turtle, false upside down catfish (family pets)
- bottom: Japanese akadama soil (big grain). I've been using this for my outdoor 110 gallon pond for raising medaka rice fish and it's been working great
- some driftwood and freshwater plants
- a basking platform that I'll have to diy for the turtle
- some neon tetra, rummy nose tetra, medaka rice fish that I'll add into the tank once water stabilizes
- for the sump: lots of biofilter media
- return pump: I haven't put that much thought into the water flow. The turtle and fresh water plants don't need a strong flow, so I'm thinking of using whatever pump that's provided in the package. From my experiences with freshwater plants, the strong flow also incurs lots of algae growth
Apologies for derailing the main subject of this thread (it's supposed to be about your tank). It's not easy to find someone to talk to about this kind of hobby and equipment specs.
Thank you
Rudy
OP
OP
Rudy,
I'm glad to help if I can. I can say that bowing is not much of an issue with a Tenecor tank. They are very proud of their work and won't under-spec a tank. My only bowing is on the top plate and it is VERY slight. I wouldn't be concerned about it from most custom fabricators. The mass-produced tanks are a different story and every one of them I have owned eventually bowed to unacceptable levels. Tenecor tanks are all hand fabricated although they use high-end CNC machines for the cutting so kind of the best of both worlds, precision cuts and hand-crafted assembly.
I'm pretty sure that the 100 Lagoon still ships with a Sicce SDC 6.0 pump which can be dialed way down if desired. It is a top-notch DC pump. The current 100 Lagoon is not a coast to coast but it is still 8" wide and full height. Lots of room, even for a full-size skimmer. Also the tanks are now split-return so you can really put the flow where you want it plus the end panes are the full 30" width which looks awesome. It would probably work really well for a freshwater set up. I like the 16" Lagoon height as it is also easy to work in but I like a relatively-fine sand bottom and, because it is a mixed reef, high flow so additional height would be welcome in my case to reduce the sand disturbance. From your description, I think a Lagoon might be ideal for your setup. Be sure to start a build thread when you set it up so that we can see it.
Tom
BetteMidler
Active Member
Is Tenecor in business? I seen their website has been down well over a month. I tried to find their business location, but no luck. The addresses I found were different businesses at those locations. I know the "Tenecor" brand has had a few different owners. I think there is a question if they are even a option anymore.
OP
OP
I just had a friend that was also involved in the design process with Tenecor inform me that the site is down and I just checked and their R2R Sponsor forum is also gone. One of the original owners of Tenecor bought it back a few years ago. He had originally sold it to another enthusiast that continued the brand well. That owner then sold it to someone that did not do well with the business and Tenecor Aquariums closed. I believe, if I remember the story correctly, Tenecor was started by two brothers. Anyway one of the original owners bought it back and was reinvigorating the company. He also was active on R2R. He had some health issues that took him away for a while and the business suffered. He came back for a while but he seems to be gone again. I only hope he is well.
I would say that it looks like Tenecor Aquariums has ceased operations, at least temporarily, from the looks of things. I don't know anything about the other parts of the business but I know that aquariums were not their only business.
tbrown
Nominated Cronie Intern - Might be failing?
Maybe I should take a run by one of these days...
Similar threads
