70 g Reef
Tank Specs
This
section details the hardware used on the tank .
This setup is beleive it or not a reletivley simple
one, i've tried .....as funds allow to make it as automated as
possible because of time spent away from the house at work etc.
The backbone of the automation is controlled by my IKS
unit ,this controls my lighting cycles and cooling fans and
runs the consatnt pH probe in the sump. The images below link
to the manufactures websites so check them out for the full lowdown.Most,
if not all the equipment i buy comes from Watford Aquarium........helpfull
guys and the best prices on dry goods.
IKS Aquastar computer : As mentioned
above this does the backbone of the controlling on my setup,a
great buy in my opinion. Speak to Danny at Watford Aquarium for
a price on 01923 220823 or check out www.reefkeeper.co.uk.
2x 250 w Aqualight Metal Halide : Not
alot to say about these units really......nice and compact,its
the lamps you run in them that make the difference.
2X 250w 10k BLV Hitlite lamps: These
seem to be the lamps of choice in the UK at the moment,many report
good colour rendition and growth using these lamps.There is a
good article on 250w
MH lamps here.
Kalwasser stirrer: This is a DIY job
on my part! Born out of frustration from the poor results gained
by using my old Knop calcium reactor. I tore it to pieces and
modified it following the basic guidelines i found on the web.
The pic below shows a commercially available model from Deltec.
***UPDATE*** Added a comercially available Deltec
KM500 Kalc stirrer shown below***
Pic of
my DIY stirrer now here!!!!
Mini in sump refuge:
This now differs from the old style refugia shown
below and actually straddles the sump area in a seperate mini
tank,pictures can be found in the "New pics index" on
the main page.
Auto
RO top off from resevoir: This was
cheap to set up & one of the most usefull additions to date,a
simple float switch from RS
Components connected to a Emall Eheim pump.Quiet simply this
detects the water level in the sump when it drops too low due
to evaporation and tops it up with RO water accordingly.
***UPDATE*** The topoff sytem now doses via the
KM500 stirrer to help maintain Ca & Alkalinity***
pH & Redox monitors: My pH monitor
is part of theIKS
unit. A good buy i reckon as the conventional pH kits in the
hobby can be vauge to say the least. Very accurate and easy to
calibrate,well worth the money.
***UPDATE*** The redox probe i added i s really
just a toy,it interesting to see how things like feeding,water
changes and emptying the skimmer create difference in the reading***
1x fan to assist cooling: With 2 x
250 w metal halide 's sitting on top of my hood things can get
pretty warm in the summer months. I have a 12" desk fan located
to the side of the canopy blowing onto the MH's . The best solution
would be a chiller but 2 factors stop me from getting one at present..........cost
and noise that they make.Having said that chillers have come down
in price alot recently......noise need not really be an issue
as they are best located outside the house.
***UPDATE*** The temp is now controlled/maintained
by the IKS at around 26.5 degrees***