(See Scott's photo album for complete photos used in this presentation.)

My name is Scott Wilson and I live in Sydney Australia, At the moment I have 1 x 130 Gallon f/o tank and 2 x 55 gal tanks set up in my garage, (1 as a reef and one f/o). I have been keeping saltwater fish etc. for over 8 years now and boy has it been a long and winding road so far. I originally set up my first tank (36 x 14 x 18") following Local Fish Stores advice, "No problem mate, undergravel filter, salt, heater, and a flouro tube is all you need, ahh forgot test kits, you'll need pH and Nitrite, thats about it." Needless to say I have since found out this is not the story. I actually never had much trouble with the u/g apart from pH drop and nitrate build up, but the amount of crap that collected in the gravel was incredible.

My 130 gal tank was originally set up as a predator tank, filtration being the old bioball tower wet / dry filter. I was told that I wouldnt need a skimmer for fish (bull). At that time I had a banded catshark, (before I create a protest, it was arranged that it went to Manly Oceanworld BEFORE I purchased it.), a dwarf lionfish, a couple of damsels, a snowflake moray, A couple of meleagris wrasses and a baby boxfish (spot!), oh and 3 seargent majors, caught locally. The 130's dimensions are 5ft x 2ft (deep) x 20". It is drilled with a corner overflow box in back right corner and hole is pre drilled in left corner should i wish to add another. The 130 has been on television here as well! On a program called "bright ideas" a home improvement / decorator show.

Fish I have kept to date include:

• Orange tailed damsels
• Seargent Majors
• Occelaris Clowns
• Percula Clowns (black)
• Maroon Clown
• Banded Catshark
• Banjo Shark
• Dwarf Lionfish
• Snowflake moray
• Clown wrasse
• Sixline wrasse
• Redline wrasse
• Bi colour angel
• Coral beauty
• Scribbled angel
• Arc eyed hawkfish
• Flame hawkfish
• Falco hawkfish
• Spotted hawkfish
• Blue Tang
• Foxface
• Golden sleeper gobies
• Spotted gobies
• Anthias sqampinnis M and F
• Goldrim tang / whitefaced tang
• Desjardin tang
• Clown tang
• Brown Sailfin tang
• And spot, the boxfish. (1/2" when bought now 7 and a bit") He even has his own fan club heheh, people come around just to visit the fish. He is very tame and will eat from fingers. Will eat fingers if teased though!!!

Before I start on the equipment list :) I must warn you that I am right into the Do It Yourself gear. Sadly Australia doesnt have the variety of equipment available to you guys in the states etc. and similar equipment here is Very expensive. Ie. Berlin rsb $480, aquaclear 802 $100, eheim 1060 $300 and the kicker, aqualine bushke moonlight hood (2 x 150 watt halides 2 x 3ft actinics and a moonlight, with timers) $3250. So as you can see it pays to be handy.

The main tank is set up with overflow running through spray bar onto bioballs (I know, ugh) with water return via 2 x eheim 1060's. A diy counter current skimmer is fed from the tank with an otto 2000 powerhead and returns to the tank from skimmer outputs. I have completely encircled the top of the tank rim with 1/2" (i'll translate real measurements for the metrically impaired) pvc piping creating a complete circumference of spray bar. This spray bar is fed by 2 x aquaclear 802's) (pic 1 on http://www.reefs.org/library/members/s_wilson_012699/tanks.htm">tanks page)

Within the tank is approx 60kg (132lbs) coral sand and 120kg (260lb) rock. We are restricted in the type of rock available here, no imports allowed. Most lfs carry very "heavy" rock as it gets them more money for weight. We have to shop around quite a bit for good quality "light and porous" live rock.

Top off is arranged via a 20lt (5 1/2 gal) drum of "kalk" gravity feeding a float valve in the sump. The "kalk" I use is builders lime, very high grade and very cheap. Analysis has it at 98% pure. It was as stated earlier, predator tank in the beginning, when catshark got too big and went to live at Manly, the tank was pulled down and converted into a "reeftank". (again following lfs advice, and before my connection to the internet and #reefs) The predators transferred and was stocked with clowns, angels, gobies, and a couple of tangs. I found out over time that angels are not the best fish to put into reetftanks. My corals slowly started disappearing. One morning I actually saw the scribbled angel eating an anemone!!

So..... I went and got the tank racks and set up the garage heheh. The other half not at all impressed when the garage began to look like the lfs. I had 7 tanks running at one stage! The main tank atayed as a f/o as we diddnt have the hearts to remove and relocate the fish we have had for years. Have lost a couple recently to old age so a new reef will be on the way when the last of the coral unfriendlies have gone. This tank is very stable, pH staying around 8.3, Alk at 15dkh, being f/o i get a few algae outbreaks though :( I think Phos jumps around a bit.

Now in the garage I have 2 racks that hold 2 x 55 gal tanks (4ft) and 2 x 2ft sumps at the bottom, only one is set up now as i am going to sell the other to a mate who's tank i set up last year. Oh and a couple of 30 gal q tanks (empty).

His tank is set up much the same way as the rack in the garage. It looks excellent so far, been running for about 10 months now, corals etc growing like mad! (pics on tanks page) The top tank on the rack that I am keeping is curing a bunch of rock and coral sand, the middle is a trial reef system that I have put together, with home made o/flow, skimmer, and sump. The reef tank in the rack houses 4 clowns, 1 spotted hawk, 1 spotted goby and a desjardin tang in the fish range. Corals in there include a bubble, sarcophyton leather that is huge, a toadstool leather, colonial polyps a small green brain, a few shrooms (purple and red), corraline goes nuts in this tank.

Water circulation through o/flow into skimmer, from skimmer into 1st stage of sump, flows through chemical media (phosguard) into live sand chamber then waterfalls into pump compartment to be returned into the tank via spray bar. Only 1 addotional p/h in there, its a rena 600l/hr (270gal), located at the bak of the tank blowing along the length of the tank. This tank also has gravity fed kalk topoff and also has iodine /chemical doser hooked up to drip additives into the tank. I use iodine and seachems reef builder in this drip and magnesium solution in another.

Paremeter for this tank are pretty stable as follows

• pH 8.3
• Cal 400
• DKH 15 approx 5 - 6 meq
• Phos 0
• Ammonia 0
• Nitrite 0
• Nitrate (total) 15ppm
• I dont have tests for magnesium

The garage racks are in reality test setups for the diy sumps etc. I am planning a major rebuild on the 130gal in the near future, setting up as a dedicated reef. The diy jobs on the racks will be rebuilt (bigger) for the main tank rebuild. I'll go into the diy side of things here for a bit. I started by building a skimmer for the 130 gal tank. (I bought a "pro twin" skimmer on advice and what a heap of rubbish that was.) I chose not to go the venturi way as most people i know with em have had trouble adjusting and maintaining a constant dry foam production. This, and the fact that to buy the venturi nozzle would cost more than the skimmer itself.

Skimmer

Pics are of a hang on the back model i have made, the only difference to the plans is the base is a threaded 100mm end cap instead of the floor trap mentioned below. It is mounted on a clear acrylic sheet with s/s mountings. The real tall one pictured is to the plans. The skimmer is made from a combination of clear acrylic and pvc piping. The main uplift tube is a 100mm (4") dia. This is glued into a 100mm (4") screw in floor trap (upside down). Inlet and airline holes are drilled through the floortrap sides, through the clear acrylic (inside of the trap, for supporting the brittle acrylic). I glue a 100mm to 50mm reducer, (4" to 2") into a joiner sleeve that fits over the top opening of the acrylic and drill outlet hole through the 2 layers of pvc there for outlet. Bulkheads are screwed and glued through the openings for water and 4mm (approx 1/4") solid irrigation tubing glued through for airline. An elbow fits onto pressure pipe bulkhead for inlet and 2 x wooden airstones provide bubbles. Likewise an elbow is fitted onto outlet bulkhead and another clear acrylic tube attached (19mm / 3/4"). This tube extends down below the airstones to remove treated water.

Collection cup is 100mm acrylic with a "push on" cap glued to the base. A 2" hole is drilled and a 2" pvc plumbing bulkhead fitted and glued. With the male sleeve end of the bulkhead jutting out the bottom. (this fits neatly into the reducer at the top of the column). A 50mm (2") vent cap is added, pushed on, to prevent foam from building up and barreling out the top of the skimmer. Another push on cap is fitted (not glued) with a hole drilled to let air escape. You can see the colour of the skimmate in the pic yuk!! Well at least they work well. I have found that with 19mm outlet you can get a flow of up to 2250l/h (app. 550 gph) Flow rates can be increased by making outlet bigger. Airstones are homemade 3" x 1" from european white limewood. This design can be applied to any sized skimmer, I have made one for a guy in Melbourne here that was 6 1/2 ft tall. (pic on skimmer page) Would recommend though, that, diameter is increased to 6" for this for ease of fitting larger diameter bulkheads. I have made a venturi nozzle that works well, but you need a really powerful pump to drive it, 2500l/h plus.

Surface Skimming Overflow.

My Diy surface skimmer is made from 100 x 50 (4" x 2") white pvc drainpipe. I cut a length twice that of the depth of the tank and cut 3 sides of the pipe out at the middle, (approx. a 3 - 4" section). This one side of piping connecting both "boxes" The gap must be able to fit over tank rim and down to water level required in the tank. This middle section is then heated to make pliable and then bent to form a "u shape" to hang over rim of tank. End caps, (available from a hydroponics store), 1 is drilled for water outlet, I use 19mm threaded barbs from irrigation suppliers, and then both glued over the ends of the drainpiping. A "u" pipe is made up from 16mm (app 5/8") pvc piping with 2 elbows. Make sure you make the u tube wide enough to fit the tank rim. You will need to drill and attach an airtap to the top of the "u' to prime the overflow. This tube fits into the o/flow boxes and the whole unit then hung over side of tank.

Another section of pipe is added so that the siphon doesnt break. This fits into the rear box pushing into the outlet bulkhead. You can see the pieces in the pics on the overflow page. To prime fill rear and front boxes with water, attach airline to tap on u tube open valve and suck hard to fill the u tube. Quickly shut off valve before removing airline from the mouth. You could hook the airline up to a powerhead with a venturi attachment to make sure siphon is kept, but i havent had any trouble with them yet. However, I do check them for air accumulation about once every 3 - 4 weeks.

Live Sand Chambered Sump

The sumps that I have built are made from a 25 gallon (2ft) glass tank. I just fit glass sheets into them to force water flow and make seperate chambers for different purposes. The sumps that I have built are made from a 25 gallon (2ft) glass tank. I just fit glass sheets into them to force water flow and make seperate chambers for different purposes. You will find it easier to silicon small glass squares first to brace larger sheets in place for the time the silicon takes to set, and to run a silicon bead onto the wall of the tank where you want the added pane to go. If you silicon the pane you may find that you will get the stuff everywhere from trying to slide in the baffle panes.

I have 4 main chambers:

1. water inlet, yes, more bioballs, submerged this time just to kick off the filtration process (they came from established aquarium).
2. Chemical compartment, Phos guard, carbon etc could be added here as water flow is forced through the media.
3. Live sand bed, 2 layers bottom coarse top fine.
4. Pump chamber / water return, topoff floats are located in here.

These sumps seem to work well on the tanks they are attached to. I have live sand in the tank as well as the sump. NB. Live sand is home created ie bacterial, there is some micro life in there and added worms etc. Now have access to "real" live sand from great barrier reef, next time.... The small sumps are test units for a bigger version i plan for the 130 gallon tank (which may become a 150 - 180, other half permitting!).

Halides

Lighting on the main tank is by Metal Halide lighting, there are 2 x 150 watt m/h (currently osrams) and 1 x 40watt actinics and one 12" "nightlight" in an old 5ft industrial flourescent reflector. Ballasts are remotely mounted in a toolbox next to tank. There is a 4" computer fan at the end of the hood blowing air in to cool and another cooling the ballasts. There are 2 more actinics on the hinged front portion of the hood, 1 x 3ft (30watt), and 1 x 4ft (40watt). The Actinics come on about 1.5 hours before the halides and stay on for 2 hrs after they go out. Brushed aluminium is used as reflectors above the lamps in the halide hood, white outdoor paint for the actinics. If any Aussies want the part numbers for ballast bits please ask me later.

Additives: I make the following additives myself

• Redox plus - potassium permanganate solution 1g per lt
• Magnesium - 454 gms epsom salts to 1lt water
• Iodine - from vet
• Calcium - saturated solution of builders lime
• Have used hydrogen peroxide as well 1ml per gal @3%

Medications, Medications here are really non existent, most are for f/w market. I now use antibiotics, which i obtain from local vet supply. I have used the following anitbiotics with no ill effects

• Amoxycillin
• Metronidazole
• Streptomycin
• Erythromycin
• Augmentin
• Pennicillin
• Quinine Hydrochloride (proprietary medication)
• Trichlorofon (proprietary medication)

The Future heheh!!!! I plan to set up a dedicated 150 - 180 gal. Reeftank, My way, ie, not lfs. I have confronted one of the biggest lfs here in Sydney and asked as to why no live sand? The answer, "Why? We'd be cutting our own throats, if the tanks were as stable as reputed we couldnt sell additives, denitrification filters, ozone etc.." same ol same ol eh? Anyway as I was saying I plan to have approx a 150 gal tank. This will have a 300lt (80 gal) sump stocked with live sand. Water rturn will be via a 1/3 hp spa pump running into a manifold with approx 12 outlets. With only 2 - 3 outlets running at a time. Garden irrigation solenoids will control water return flow, by switching various returns off and on i should be able to get a real nice wave motion going on in there. The sump will be lit with hid lighting and have a refugium compartment, home to some macroalgaes and small copepod life etc.. Lightng will be 2 x 150 watt halides as a dawn / dusk cycle and a 400w halide on a lightrail for the main part of the "day". The lightrail tracks the light along the tank and back taking approx 5 mins to go from one end to the other.

Dosing will be by metered pumps, 2 choices windscreen washer motor (12v) or peristaltic pumps from a commercial dishwasher. Havent really decided that one yet. There will be 2 CC skimmers approx 5 ft high collecting from overflow and feeding sump. These will be housed in the cabinet of the tank. I was planning the cabinet similar to DBW"s with the tank enclosed on one side. This will allow all plumbing to be kept out of sight within the cabinet. Heating via submersible heaters and i gotta build a chiller for next summer! This will drop into the sump as well. Coat the freezing coils from an old bar sized freezer in fiberglass resin to saltproof. The whole thing, lights, returns, dosers will be controlled by a 486 laptop that will sit below the tank in the cabinet. It will also monitor some tank parameters The most expensive so far will be probes to monitor temp, pH, electrical current (if any), etc... This is going to take a while to set up but when done will let you all know how it goes. Then of course the dream....start by manufacturing the skimmers et.. then open an lfs with coral farm to supply inverts oh well one day.......

Hope you all enjoyed this talk, I'll admit, a bit brief in places but I could have waffled forever. Dont want to bore you all after all! If you have any questions, now will be the time to shoot, I'll do my best to answer quickly.

* dog ducks

What's the deal with all the bio-balls?

The bioball were only put in ther to "seed" the tank with some bacteria taken from established aquarium, never caused any probs so i left em in there

As regard fitting the panes in the sumps, are the little pieces you put in first placed flat against the sump wall, or perpendicular?

Remember "live sand" was not available. I place about 1" squares flat against the sides, then when set brace the baffles against these just mark out where you want the baffles with a marker on the outside of the tank

'Garden irrigation solenoids will control water return flow,' Here they have metal that comes in contact with the water. Are you worried about Corrosion, etc.?

Have checked the Hardie pope ones here in Oz and only stell part is a needle that the solenoid uses to slide on these are available in SS will cost a bit more but the best option at the moment, have interested the company with the all plastic idea thou so see what comes about

Why so many antibiotics?

Just experimenting when I worked in lfs, used to rescue a few fish that were hard done by vet ended up giving me the local universities vet science diagnosis booklet just dont like copper or proprietary meds here. PS different antibiotics for different purposes

Have you now removed the bio-balls?

Not as yet, they dont seem to cause any build up of negatives they are still submerged probably have little effect on system now so prob no dramas if i did remove them. Will eventually :) PS No bioballs used in the set up of Adams tank or planned in next setup

How much do you think this tank you are planning will cost to get running?

prob about 2000-3000 $AUS, a lot of diy the most expensive parts are the probes and the livestock

Where do you plan to mount the 2x150W on the new tank, so that the 400W can move up and down the tank?

Already have a lot of the gear now , sorry:) hood is planned to be about 18"-20" above tank and square in design 150's will mount flat against front top of hood with lightrail mounted above may even mount on the hood doors as yet but should have plenty of space

What are the float valves that you use in the sump for top up water?

The float valves are designed for hydroponic nutrient use and as such can handle a bit of salt build up they are known here by the name "autopot" pic should be on sumps page little green box just hook up a 4mm line and drop at level you want. Oh BTw float all plastic

With all that gadgetry, aren't you afraid that something might go wrong or worse yet, explode? ;-).

Nah, i must admit i have little respect for electricity, our circuits run on 240v and 10amp so plenty of current in standard household I usually get a sparky friend to check wiring for me as well, just in case!

What water do you use for water changes?

I use nsw which i get delivered in 1200litre 350gal lots nice man drives up in truck and pumps 1000 into vat and does a 200lt water change at same time, 70 bucks 1200lt

How do you mix your lime?

I mix lime in a 240lt drum, just dump 10kg in (22lbs) and fill then let settle I can refill this a few times before pH of solution starts to drop below 12 then replace 10kg dose the clear settled liquid PS was using a drum every 10 - 14 days

Do you use a SW pH kit to test the limewater?

Use a electronic meter accurat to 0.1 hanna test

Thanks for the great talk, Scott!