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02/03/14

TotM March 2014

This month's Tank of the Month belongs to Andy Kimpton

View a video of Andy's tank on his YouTube Channel.

Inhabitants:

* Ocellaris Clownfish x 1
* 1 x Juvenile Port Jackson Shark (Hatched in Nov 13 in tank from egg found on beach after storm in July) (Thanks to Dr Kate Rodda (PJ Researcher) from PIR(SA) for advice)
* 1 x Juvenile Moonlighter
* 3 x Yellow Eye Mullet
* 2 x Old Wives
* 2 x Dragonet
* 1 x Southern Pygmy Leatherjacket
* 4 x juvenile Toothbrush Leatherjackets
* 1 x juvenile Horseshoe leatherjacket
* 4 x Sailfin Goby
* 4 x Bridled Goby
* 2 x Little Weed Whiting
* 1 x Cobbler
* 2 x Tasmanian Blennies
* 1 x Zebra Fish
* 1 x Luderick
* 4 x Common Shore Eels
* Rock Pool shrimp and various other local shrimp species
* Snapping shrimp
* Waratah Anemone
* White Stripe Anemone
* Sand grit Anemone
* Cunjevoi
* Ascidians
* Sea Urchins
* Crabs
* Hermit Crabs
* Squat lobsters
* Bristle Stars
* Vermillion Sea Stars
* Biscuit starfish
* 11 armed starfish
* 2 Greenlip Abaloneand Pipis (Live aqua cultured from Springvale fish monger, quarantined and cleansed at home prior to release into tank)

How big is your tank?
Total volume 2000 litres.
Display 2400 x 750 x 750 (1300l) - Refugium 750 x 750 x 600 (300l) - Sump 1800 x 600 x 450. (400l) Stand 3000 x 900 x 1100(H) 50 x50 x 3mm square tube frame powder coated and marine ply sealed bases. End cabinets stock kitchen cabinet flatpack item from IKEA which house controls and power systems.“Ajustafoot” stand feet (http://www.ajustafoot.com.au/) at 600 centres (each rated to 1000kg) this protects tiled floor.

In event of power outage refugium and sump has total +20% capacity of full potential overflow from display. (well below all outlets and returns) Circulation in short term power outage is from airstones on rechargeable air pump which cuts in when power goes out and 12V deep cycle battery with inverter for 1 of the return pumps. Good for about 6 hours. (longest in 3 years is 40 mins). I have tested small PC type UPS backup for 1 recirc pump and was ok for a little over 2 hours

This full set up weighs about 3000kgs so not an option for a non-reinforced timber floor and is on a tiled concrete slab.

What equipment are you using (filtration, lighting, heater, CO2 gear etc)?
Lighting: Illumagic LED(1200), supplemented by 2 (600)T5 white and actinic and LED in sump, Illumagic has been programmed to lower lighting levels as no corals means no high intensity lighting, but lighting cycles including moonlight are great. ATO using Tunze Osmolator and 100 litre reserve behind cabinets. Average consumption of RO 5 litres per day at 20deg C. Own 5 stage RO unit in garage with 210 litres of stored RO.
2 x Overflows from display each with 2 x 50mm PVC pipes to refugium (1) and sump (3) 4 25mm PVC return lines with loc-line extensions and turbo jets alternating from each 15000 l/hr pump via 2 x SCWDs .
2 in-display Sicce Voyager 4 recirculation heads on an alternating wave maker controller. This water movement changes water greater than 10x per hour and provides chaotic currents minimising debris and waste settling (similar to inshore reef wave movement)
Auto feeder for midday sinking pellet feed .
Considering a Teco TC 20 Chiller to lower temperature closer to 18Deg C constant but max temp has yet to impact negatively. Biggest plus is size of tank to manage temperature variations.

Filtration: Refugium with Deep Sand Bed, (has advanced small crustaceans, stars and worms in sand. Macro Algae: ,Sump Marine Sources Skimmer 18W UV, Mechanical filter pads and sponge and bio filtration with 4 Marine Pure large blocks, deep sand bed and finally carbon pads and sox in return section. All water parameters tested fortnightly and well below expected levels and remain constant. Water change 20% - 30% every 8 weeks which is used for vacuuming and any nuisance algae and detritus removal. Water collected from southern bay area (greater tidal movement and higher quality) using 12V 3700GPH bilge pump ans 1000l bulky box and transferred into food grade 1000l bulky box with recirc. through multistage canister filter and pump. I use IPad App to record all activity on tank (Check out AquaPlanner Pro on iTunes for $3.00). It is great to review history and seasonal variations and activities which may impact tank.

What aquascaping have you done (gravel, plants, corals, etc)?
1800 Malawi Background extended in length and depth by hand carved and painted HD Polystyrene block , faux turtle rocks, local live rock, sponges, kelp, various macro algae ( various local caulerpa etc) and Local (back surf beach) sand in tank and deep sand beds (DSB). DSBs were seeded with 40mm plug sections of substrate from seagrass beds

How much time do you spend maintaining your tank per week?
In my experience tank performance and inhabitant health is predominantly impacted by effort and attention to detail so I spend quite a bit of time including most Saturdays either on collection hunts or maintenance, experimenting, changing aqua scaping and most week day evenings just tweaking, thinking what I could do better, researching and just enjoy watching. Sounds a lot but more involved because of “want to” rather than a “need to”. Water Chemistry is very stablewith zero or negligible levels of key measured (Aquaplanner plotted) and tank can be left for up to 10 days without major technical intervention (other than feed) if we go away. Lots of great Apps to assist in research on temperate local Vic marine fauna and flora from Museum of Victoria.

What do you feed your fish?
Live pippi and green lip abalone from Springvale fishmonger which are quarantined in separate tank to rinse and cleanse then kept in refugium deep sand bed until fed out, abalone also controls some algae in main tank and some sliced and frozen as food. home-made sheets of minced prawn, pippi, octopus, squid, phyto/zoo and flakes. Spectrum and One Ocean marine fish formula small sinking pellets, Frozen and Live brine shrimp (cultivated at home and from lfs), Live hand caught mysid shrimp, copepods/amphipods, rock pool or hinge beak shrimp as a treat when weather and time permits. Many of the inhabitants also graze on the seaweed, kelp and other algae in the tank.

Tell us some interesting/unique about your tank?
Having kept aquaria on and off for most of my life in different forms moving to and focussing on a temperate marine tank and creating a local biotope representative of Port Phillip Bay has been a great and rewarding challenge and has raised so many peoples interest in what is actually in the Bay in our own backyards, Hatching the PJ Shark has been fantastic. Technology and equipment advances and price competitiveness makes temperate very accessible and an interesting alternative to tropical marine.

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If you'd like to be our next Tank of the Month winner, please email photos or youtube videos with a brief description of your tank, and the species being kept to online@coburgaquarium.com.au. The winner receives a $50 gift voucher that can be spent in-store or on-line. Good luck!