Tenecor 100 Gallon Lagoon-style acrylic AIO

[TheWB]

I take back some of my comments on the Maxspect app. You actually can set durations and such through the app at a more granular level. I don't find the app very intuitive and their 'manuals', a couple of simplistic videos and a QR code in the 'User Manual', doesn't really get you there. Right now I'm running 10%-30%, 1 sec pulse anti-sync on the two pumps. The pumps can run sync, anti-sync or time-delayed. Every time I try to test it though I need a half dozen tries to get the right sequence of thumb presses to get to the sync settings, etc. I'm sure I will get there but they should could use a little polish on the app and maybe some instructions.

I'm happy to hear that you were able to figure something out with the gyres. I'm hoping that because mine are supposedly simpler that setting them up will be easier. I'm not pointing them straight at each other like you are so maybe that will make a difference. I've got the 4k set to stream across the top of the tank and the 2k attached to the back wall with one side pointed in each direction so hopefully there will be no dead spots behind the rock scape. If I pulse I think it's going to be longer pulses instead of short ones but we'll see. I decided not to have so much locline on my return so it will mostly just jet straight out from the bulkhead. Every time I try multiple pieces of locline it just ends up with algae and other gunk growing all over it even if there isn't algae elsewhere in the tank. I'm not really a fan but what else are ya gonna use?

 

[tharbin]

I'm happy to hear that you were able to figure something out with the gyres. I'm hoping that because mine are supposedly simpler that setting them up will be easier. I'm not pointing them straight at each other like you are so maybe that will make a difference. I've got the 4k set to stream across the top of the tank and the 2k attached to the back wall with one side pointed in each direction so hopefully there will be no dead spots behind the rock scape. If I pulse I think it's going to be longer pulses instead of short ones but we'll see. I decided not to have so much locline on my return so it will mostly just jet straight out from the bulkhead. Every time I try multiple pieces of locline it just ends up with algae and other gunk growing all over it even if there isn't algae elsewhere in the tank. I'm not really a fan but what else are ya gonna use?

Right now my 30%, 1sec pulse, anti-sync settings seem to work well. I do have a vortex but it is mid tank and only reaches down about 4" from the surface. In general the LPS are swaying more so decent back and forth but the sand is staying in place better. Even the powder fine Ocean Direct is staying more or less in place. I just talked to my real LFS, as opposed to all of my not-really-that-L FSs and he's going to get me another 20 lb. bag of Special Grade tomorrow. I was really 5 lbs. or so short of my desired sand bed anyway. I'll overlay some of the Ocean Direct because I want to see if I can bump it to 40%. Wish they still sold the 10 lbs. bags.

I thought about doing something similar to yours in my tank but I'm not sure how it would work out with my scape. I still may end up trying it but so far, for today, I'm pleased with the flow.

I'm not overly fond of plastics in a sw tank as they are always algae magnets. I went with a longer Loc-Line to give me some aiming flexibility with the RFG and to get it a little further away from the right-hand gyre.

 

[TheWB]

Right now my 30%, 1sec pulse, anti-sync settings seem to work well. I do have a vortex but it is mid tank and only reaches down about 4" from the surface. In general the LPS are swaying more so decent back and forth but the sand is staying in place better. Even the powder fine Ocean Direct is staying more or less in place. I just talked to my real LFS, as opposed to all of my not-really-that-L FSs and he's going to get me another 20 lb. bag of Special Grade tomorrow. I was really 5 lbs. or so short of my desired sand bed anyway. I'll overlay some of the Ocean Direct because I want to see if I can bump it to 40%. Wish they still sold the 10 lbs. bags.

I thought about doing something similar to yours in my tank but I'm not sure how it would work out with my scape. I still may end up trying it but so far, for today, I'm pleased with the flow.

I'm not overly fond of plastics in a sw tank as they are always algae magnets. I went with a longer Loc-Line to give me some aiming flexibility with the RFG and to get it a little further away from the right-hand gyre.

I don’t mind a little vortex in the middle as long as the sand isn’t getting blown all over.
I just received a 20# bag of ocean direct as well but I haven’t even looked at it yet. I’m hoping there will not be sand blowing all over the place. I’m still going to get at least 10# of Tampa Bay live sand which I know will be heavier and that will go on top. They still have delayed shipping dates so I’ll just do that later.
I decided to go with the 2k on the back wall to keep the right side panel clear. It’s one of my main viewing angles along with the front. The left panel will be towards the corner of the room so having the 4K on that end isn’t a big deal even though it looks enormous. With the 2k on the back wall I can point one end in each direction so hopefully there won’t be any dead spots back there. It’s all theoretical at this point but if I get the old tank out of the way tomorrow I could have water flowing by the weekend. That’s the plan for tomorrow anyway, subject to getting blown up by work stuff.

 

[tharbin]

Short update:

I bought a 20 lb. bag of Special Grade sand and I've added about 5 lbs. to the tank so far. I'll probably add another 5 lbs. or so before I'm done.

I think I may have found the gonis happy place, It seems that the green birds nest have stopped STNing and starting to regrow (fingers crossed).

Since I got the two gyres working in anti-sync I now need to redesign my feed cup. The bottom of the cup is at just the right height to cause some cavitation from the right-hand gyre. Not a big deal but noisy.

I put ten or so Little Rox in the fuge chamber to start to age as I'm going to be adding some more pods in a week or so. I may also add some sand or Miracle Mud to the fuge, not decided yet which or if at all. So far the Red Pom Pom Gracilaria is not really growing but it isn't dying either. I do pluck a fair amount of GHA that grows on the walls and pump cord from the chamber. I may switch to Chaeto if it doesn't start to grow soon.

 

[tharbin]

FTS:

and my modified feed cup:

I think I may reprint it shorter as I may need the tongs sooner or later.

 

[tharbin]

Another little update:

I'm in the living room where I can watch the tank and it it very interesting. Since I added the sand this morning, all, of the fish are out front and the tank just looks healthier somehow. The Foxface is actively pecking at algae instead of sulking under the feed cup and the Hectors is up front, he never comes out front. He was just picking at the algae on the Kryptonite Trumpet, good fish.

 

[Pipo5]

ive ben looking at tenecor tanks never had a acrylic tank do how do u clean the glass. Is it hard to maintain and not scratch the tank.

 

[tharbin]

ive ben looking at tenecor tanks never had a acrylic tank do how do u clean the glass. Is it hard to maintain and not scratch the tank.

I've had several acrylic tanks over the years from several manufacturers. I prefer them to low-iron tanks. While they are easier to scratch, low-iron glass tanks are not much more scratch resistant, in fact I scratched my last low-iron tank so it has now been relegated to a QT or grow-out tank. The big pluses of an acrylic tank are lower weight, scratches can usually be fixed, the lack of silicone seams.

I use an acrylic-tank-safe magnetic scrapper for every day cleaning (an Algae Free Piranha) and a acrylic-tank-safe scrapper for the tough stuff (a Continuum with plastic blade). I don't find it any harder to clean than a glass tank in fact I think it is easier.

Tenecor are nicely made tanks. Good luck. I will probably never buy another glass tank larger than a 40 or maybe 60 Breeder. Now, if I win one, well...

 

[Pipo5]

It can't be no different or maby stronger than an acrylic sump right. I scrape the coralline algae off my sump all the time with a gift card and it still looks good and im not gentle or Cautious at all when u do it

 

[tharbin]

It can't be no different or maby stronger than an acrylic sump right. I scrape the coralline algae off my sump all the time with a gift card and it still looks good and im not gentle or Cautious at all when u do it

At least as good as an acrylic sump. I'm not overly careful other than avoiding using metal scrappers or trapping sand (which is just as bad for a low-iron tank).

 

[tharbin]

I may need to disconnect the second gyre again for a while. It has been working fine and I'm pleased with the flow. or at least as pleased as I ever am. I've noticed that the last few days my tank temp has gone up by about two degrees Fahrenheit. I need to do some troubleshooting as summer is coming.

I typically keep my tank set for 78 degrees. Depending on room temp the tank is usually 77.1-78 degrees but would sometimes rise to 78.3 or so by late afternoon. Lately it is 79.3 or so overnight and goes up to around 80.3 during late afternoon.

I have a hard time believing that the gyres are adding that much heat so I'm going to troubleshoot. They may have been just enough to tip the scales. The Tunze fuge light throws some heat so the tank does not cool down as much at night as it used to. The fuge pump (a Sicce Nano) is tiny but still generates some heat, the Tunze 9004 DC throws a little and the two gyres probably throw more heat than the three Nero 3s did. It all adds up. It is also possible the Sicce SDC 6.0 is running warmer as it is about due for a cleaning. Also while the Blades seem to not throw any appreciable heat the same can not be said for the Prime 16HDs.

This is all minor as it was a lot harder dealing with a 250 MH over a 40 Breeder but I'd rather tune it now than the middle of summer.

 

[tharbin]

No pics today. I need to clean the panes before I can get any shots and I just don't feel like doing it today but...

A fair amount of new reef plunder. I went to two LFS on Wednesday, one I had not been to in about 18 years and another one that I had never been to (thanks @tbrown). At the new-to-me LFS I bought a Copper-banded Butterfly that is now the biggest fish in the tank and a very small Bristletooth Tang. The CBB and the Foxface hang out together and the Bristletooth just runs around the tank like an overly energetic youngster, which of course it is. The CBB wasn't eating yet when I bought it so I'm taking a bit of a chance but it is interested in eating so it just has to catch onto the routine, hopefully.

On Thursday I went to one of my favorite LFSs and bought yet another Beach Bum frag and a quarter-size green goni. I also got a small shipment from TSA on Thursday that contained: a TSA Deep Love (red) goni and a Bubblegum Digi. It also contained some copepods, six micro brittle stars and two Berghia Nudis. When I added the two Berghias I saw them both go (through a pipette) in but have no idea where the first one ended up so I just hope it ended up somewhere hospitable. The second one drifted onto a rock and I saw it moving around so I know I have at least one viable nudi to attack the Aiptasia which is slowly becoming a real issue.

 

[tbrown]

Short update:

I bought a 20 lb. bag of Special Grade sand and I've added about 5 lbs. to the tank so far. I'll probably add another 5 lbs. or so before I'm done.

Too bad you're not closer. I just gave 10 pounds to my buddy and have another 30 pound bag "brand new in box" just sitting there.

 

[tbrown]

I may need to disconnect the second gyre again for a while. It has been working fine and I'm pleased with the flow. or at least as pleased as I ever am. I've noticed that the last few days my tank temp has gone up by about two degrees Fahrenheit. I need to do some troubleshooting as summer is coming.

I typically keep my tank set for 78 degrees. Depending on room temp the tank is usually 77.1-78 degrees but would sometimes rise to 78.3 or so by late afternoon. Lately it is 79.3 or so overnight and goes up to around 80.3 during late afternoon.

I have a hard time believing that the gyres are adding that much heat so I'm going to troubleshoot. They may have been just enough to tip the scales. The Tunze fuge light throws some heat so the tank does not cool down as much at night as it used to. The fuge pump (a Sicce Nano) is tiny but still generates some heat, the Tunze 9004 DC throws a little and the two gyres probably throw more heat than the three Nero 3s did. It all adds up. It is also possible the Sicce SDC 6.0 is running warmer as it is about due for a cleaning. Also while the Blades seem to not throw any appreciable heat the same can not be said for the Prime 16HDs.

This is all minor as it was a lot harder dealing with a 250 MH over a 40 Breeder but I'd rather tune it now than the middle of summer.

Could be less surface agitation? I know when one of my powerheads gets bumped or slows down and needs to be cleaned it'll start creeping the temperature with less evaporation.

 

[tharbin]

Too bad you're not closer. I just gave 10 pounds to my buddy and have another 30 pound bag "brand new in box" just sitting there.

I think I'm going to hold off for a while on more sand. I'm looking at making a few more changes to the tank first.

 

[tharbin]

Could be less surface agitation? I know when one of my powerheads gets bumped or slows down and needs to be cleaned it'll start creeping the temperature with less evaporation.

That could be it. I do seem to be needing less RODI lately...

It seems like there is more agitation but maybe it is evaporating less for some reason.

Thanks again for the info on Aquaholics, nice store and really nice staff. I plan to go again soon. It is about the same distance from me as my other favorite LFS AZ Reef Monster, just a little worse traffic.

 

[tbrown]

That could be it. I do seem to be needing less RODI lately...

It seems like there is more agitation but maybe it is evaporating less for some reason.

Thanks again for the info on Aquaholics, nice store and really nice staff. I plan to go again soon. It is about the same distance from me as my other favorite LFS AZ Reef Monster, just a little worse traffic.

Well, since everyone (snow birds) is heading back home, the traffic should be getting better over the next month or so.

 

[tharbin]

Well, since everyone (snow birds) is heading back home, the traffic should be getting better over the next month or so.

True. The I-10 traffic through the road work at the airport during rush hour was pretty brutal though.

It will be nice when that is finished and they get the CG-Queen Creek section of I-10 widened. The good thing with AZ Reef Monster is no freeway. It's a lot slower going but much less traffic and better scenery through the reservation. Gilbert is rough though because you have to be constantly watching for EV scooters and Unicycles darting out of nowhere right in front of you.

 

[tharbin]

Well apparently one of my new fish is fond of Mystic Sunset, or one of the old guard has gone rogue...

I'll try to get a pic after the lights are on. I would have guessed the CBB since so far I haven't seen it eat anything but it is constantly hunting but the damage looks more grazed than plucked. Yesterday morning there was a nice line out of the side of the monti just above where it encrusted the plug. Today there are chunks of the edge missing.

Luckily it was a cheap and easily replaceable frag. It's also possible it is just incidental damage going after algae. If I don't see problems with other corals I'm not going to worry about it.

 

[TheWB]

Well apparently one of my new fish is fond of Mystic Sunset, or one of the old guard has gone rogue...

I'll try to get a pic after the lights are on. I would have guessed the CBB since so far I haven't seen it eat anything but it is constantly hunting but the damage looks more grazed than plucked. Yesterday morning there was a nice line out of the side of the monti just above where it encrusted the plug. Today there are chunks of the edge missing.

Luckily it was a cheap and easily replaceable frag. It's also possible it is just incidental damage going after algae. If I don't see problems with other corals I'm not going to worry about it.

Now you need a camera for a stakeout