270g FOWLR and Fish Room Build (image heavy)

New&no clue

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I finished taping and mudding over the weekend, so painting will begin today.

In the mean time, I thought I'd post up what my current stock list looks like and get some suggestions to flush it out.

Currently Have
Clownfish pair (from the 60g cube)

On Order from TSM
1x One Spot Foxface
1x Naso Tang
1x Desjardini Sailfin Tang
3x Blue Hippo Tangs

Other Big Fish I'd Like
1x Powder Brown Tang
1x Emperor Angel
1x Blue Face Angel
1x Clown Trigger or Niger Trigger (can't decide if I want to forgo possible inverts for these guys)

Smaller Fish
This is where I'm not 100% sure what I want to do. A group of Anthias would be cool, but they seem to be harder to keep. A verity of wrasse could work as well.

Since the trigger and wrasse are know to go after CUC, I'd need to figure out some other tank cleaners if I got those guys.

What do all of you think for smaller fishes for my tank?
If you can't keep a CUC I would recommend a sand sifting goby. They will keep the sand bed clean.
 

Cwentz758

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I’ve had a yellow watchman who did a lot of sand work and I never had cleaner sand. I currently have a pink spot goby who just sifts and builds mounds where he wants, doesn’t really adventure more than where he wants his cave.
 
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Oberst Hajj

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I had a diamond goby that was awesome, unfortunately he jumped one day.

I’ve had a yellow watchman who did a lot of sand work and I never had cleaner sand. I currently have a pink spot goby who just sifts and builds mounds where he wants, doesn’t really adventure more than where he wants his cave.

What size tank did your little gobies keep clean?
 
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Oberst Hajj

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Following this awesome build. Your house is goals!!
Thank you. The build is coming along slowly, but it is getting there. I should have an update later today on the fish room.

We were pretty excited when we found this house back in 2017. About the only thing it did not have that was on my list was a good spot for a large aquarium and a fish room. At least I'm able to build a little fish room, even if the tank location is not the most ideal.
 

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Congratulations on the building looks great and I’ll be tagging along. I can’t wait to see the tank! I’m in the process of ordering the 310 from planet and want to see your overflow.
 
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Congratulations on the building looks great and I’ll be tagging along. I can’t wait to see the tank! I’m in the process of ordering the 310 from planet and want to see your overflow.
I'll be sure to post up some photos of the overflow. I really wanted to go with the 94" tank, but it would have looked to cramped in the room where it is going.
 

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I'll be sure to post up some photos of the overflow. I really wanted to go with the 94" tank, but it would have looked to cramped in the room where it is going.
Mine will be 96 1/2x30 1/2x24. It’s going on a wall that is 15’. It’s going to be a freshwater predator tank but I want it built to allow me to convert it to a reef tank eventually in the event I brake down my 180 reef.
 
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Oberst Hajj

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This was a pretty productive weekend for the build. I got most of the painting done in the fish room.
I started with a couple of coats of Killz All primer on the new drywall and a quick coat on the old painted drywall cause I already had it in the paint pan.

200gFishRoom-091752.jpg


Next up was cutting in all the corners and around the outlets. I'm replacing the outlets and covers with black ones, so I was not worried about getting paint on them.

200gFishRoom-115636.jpg


200gFishRoom-120542.jpg


I've always wanted to try my hand at painting some stripes in a room, so I figured this would be a good time to test my skills. I mean, if it comes out like crap it is only in the fish room and I'll pretty much be the only person that ever has to look at it.

The first step in painting stripes is laying out the tape. I used a laser level on a photography light stand to layout the bottom line first.

200gFishRoom-084917.jpg


I'm going to be doing two 4" stripes, one red and one black. To get an even distance, I just had to raise the light stand up eight inches and apply more tape.

200gFishRoom-091247.jpg


All done with the first round of taping.

200gFishRoom-093300.jpg


The trick to getting good crisp lines is to paint over the tape with the base all color. This seals the tape to the wall and the bleed though is the same color as the rest of the wall, so you can't see it.

200gFishRoom-094942.jpg


I did get 2 coats of red laid down, but it is still drying so I'll have to finish up the stripes after work this week.

While I waited on some of the paint to dry, I went ahead and dyed my unions for the plumbing. Here they all are disassembled and ready to be dyed black.

200gFishRoom-101424.jpg


And here they all are after dyeing.

200gFishRoom-112031.jpg


200gFishRoom-112036.jpg


I still need to put some dye on the bottom sides of some of the parts, but I'm letting them dry overnight before doing that.

With all the time and work I put into the fish room this weekend, I thought it only fair that I took a break and took the family to see the new 16k gallon saltwater tank at the new Scheels in Colorado Springs.

200gFishRoom-151357.jpg


200gFishRoom-151350.jpg


200gFishRoom-140621.jpg


Anyone know what this one is? The Wife like it.

200gFishRoom-140704.jpg


She also liked these little black and white fish, but I don't know what they are either.

200gFishRoom-140508.jpg


They had a several of my favorite fish, the Dasjardini Sailfin Tang.

200gFishRoom-151455.jpg


I did find it a little interesting that saw now clown fish, yellow tangs or blue hippo tangs. I can understand the yellow tangs in the current state of the world, but the other two you would think would be staples for public displays with kids around.
 

Devaji

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great job man. I hope to add a large FOWLR to my tanks one day.
one of my must have fish would be a porcupine puffer IDK something about those guys I really like.

hope you get your tank sometime soon. we want lots od pics when you do!
 

Janci

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Nice progress and beautiful pictures of the 16K new aquarium.

I think one of the fish is a Naso Lopezi.
The black and white fish seems to be a three stripe damsel.
 
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Oberst Hajj

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great job man. I hope to add a large FOWLR to my tanks one day.
one of my must have fish would be a porcupine puffer IDK something about those guys I really like.

hope you get your tank sometime soon. we want lots od pics when you do!

Thanks, I can't wait for the tank to get here either! I managed to get all of the red laid down last night and this morning before work I taped it and sealed it with red. So I should be able to lay down the last two coats of black for the final stripe this evening after work. Then it is on to building the stand for my sump and RODI reservoirs.

I'm going to try and go back to Scheels early one morning during the week to get some better pics. This past weekend was their grand opening, so it was crazy packed. They even had scuba divers in the tank waving to people as they came in the store.

Nice progress and beautiful pictures of the 16K new aquarium.

I think one of the fish is a Naso Lopezi.
The black and white fish seems to be a three stripe damsel.

Thanks. I think you are right on both accounts. They had a bunch of the three striped damsels in there and lots of them were hanging out together.
 
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Oberst Hajj

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I finished the stripes up on Monday.

Red paint laid down over the taped off area to seal the edges
200gFishRoom-042454.jpg


After the two coats of red dried, I taped off the black stripe.
200gFishRoom-052232.jpg


Sealed those edges with red.
200gFishRoom-060032.jpg


Next was two coats of black (technically, really dark grey).
200gFishRoom-200427.jpg


Then all that was left to do was carefully remove all the tape and checkout if all this time and effort paid off or not.
200gFishRoom-204848.jpg


200gFishRoom-205906.jpg


200gFishRoom-205854.jpg


There were some spots that needed touching up, especially in the corners. Note that the red in this next photo is much brighter then it actually is, it is more in the middle of this one and the photos above).
200gFishRoom-204905.jpg


I think it turned out pretty good for my first time taping and painting stripes. I did learn a couple of things doing this. First, do not paint over both edges of the tape when sealing a color, just paint over the inside edge of the tape. If you do this you will end up with a paint line on the outside edge that will show where you taped it off. It is not very noticeable since it is the same color as the wall, but it is there. Secondly, put down a really good coat of paint, or maybe even two coats, when you are color sealing the tape. I thought I had put down enough paint to seal between colors, but as you can see in that last photo, I still had areas were some of the next color bled through.
 
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Janci

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I would call that a success already.
Could not do it better and I love the colour combination.
 
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Oberst Hajj

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I would call that a success already.
Could not do it better and I love the colour combination.
Thank you. My wife promptly told me it looked like an automotive thing with the color combo I used. lol Hopefully it will look less that way once I get the sumps and equipment in there with all the red and black plumbing on them.
 

Devaji

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I finished the stripes up on Monday.

Red paint laid down over the taped off area to seal the edges
200gFishRoom-042454.jpg


After the two coats of red dried, I taped off the black stripe.
200gFishRoom-052232.jpg


Sealed those edges with red.
200gFishRoom-060032.jpg


Next was two coats of black (technically, really dark grey).
200gFishRoom-200427.jpg


Then all that was left to do was carefully remove all the tape and checkout if all this time and effort paid off or not.
200gFishRoom-204848.jpg


200gFishRoom-205906.jpg


200gFishRoom-205854.jpg


There were some spots that needed touching up, especially in the corners. Note that the red in this next photo is much brighter then it actually is, it is more in the middle of this one and the photos above).
200gFishRoom-204905.jpg


I think it turned out pretty good for my first time taping and painting stripes. I did learn a couple of things doing this. First, do not paint over both edges of the tape when sealing a color, just paint over the inside edge of the tape. If you do this you will end up with a paint line on the outside edge that will show where you taped it off. It is not very noticeable since it is the same color as the wall, but it is there. Secondly, put down a really good coat of paint, or maybe even two coats, when you are color sealing the tape. I thought I had put down enough paint to seal between colors, but as you can see in that last photo, I still had areas were some of the next color bled through.

dang man that came out nice I think I learned something to about painting strips.
 

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