~TJ'S 125g ~ Building of the Reef~

[FLipp]

DIY! haha.

 

[stanleo]

I love it!!! Does your flame angel nip at the corals a lot and cause a lot of damage to them? This is what I want eventually.

 

[TJ's Reef]

Thanks Guys, finally getting comfortable with my Nikon D3100 and feel that the true colors are starting to show in the pics. I spent two plus hours the other day rearranging corals to fit some newly traded additions from Duane (trido) and some Z's & P's from 'Joe Knows Reefs'. I've associated the need to rearrange my aquascape to add coral like one of those 'Tile Puzzles' with the one missing square you need to slide this way and that to solve, but in my case not just 8 tiles in 9 spaces more like 71 tiles in 72 spaces...... never as easy as it seems it should be. I'll post up some new pics later this week to show changes and maybe my new Radiant Wrasse that just came into our LFS for me.
Benny, I'll try and get back with you on what I actually ended up using on my array both emitter brand/color, quantity and placement. I am in need of taking it off tank to do some replacement of two fried emitters, darn Blochii Tang keeps splashing/spitting water at them when begging for his nori.... and replacing a few older Epistar emitters with newer Cree ones from my stash.

Cheers, Todd

 

[TJ's Reef]

Stanleo, both of my Angels Flame and Fisheri nip/taste corals though primarily my Pocillopora and don't cause any real damage. One big advantage to having such a high density of coral as no one particular colony gets to much attention.

Cheers, Todd

 

[427HISS]

If you guys want to see a lot more pics of the build and where it is today, here's a couple link's. Todd, his talents and tanks are amazing !
(I don't think he wants to show off too much) lol :tongue:

125g tank-
125g Reeftank Stand Build Photos by Old-Salt | Photobucket

75g tank-
My 75 Gallon Mixed Reef Tank Photos by Old-Salt | Photobucket

Video-
http://s742.photobucket.com/user/Ol.../VID_20131213_171314_298_zps09641c44.mp4.html

 

[stanleo]

So if I want to get a flame angel I should probably wait till I fill the tank with more corals. Sadly I only have four right now and I think they would get pretty destroyed. Thanks, i will wait. Seriously I love your tank and I want mine to shine like this one does some day!

 

[mfinn]

Stanleo, both of my Angels Flame and Fisheri nip/taste corals though primarily my Pocillopora and don't cause any real damage. One big advantage to having such a high density of coral as no one particular colony gets to much attention.

Cheers, Todd

Yeah, same here in my 240.
I see my flame going around and occasionally nip at something, but never really going back to the same spot.

 

[427HISS]

So if I want to get a flame angel I should probably wait till I fill the tank with more corals. Sadly I only have four right now and I think they would get pretty destroyed. Thanks, i will wait. Seriously I love your tank and I want mine to shine like this one does some day!

(The tank is so beautiful, I think the corals are,.........FAKE) !

 

[TJ's Reef]

(The tank is so beautiful, I think the corals are,.........FAKE) !

Nooooooo....... they are not FAKE Kevin, I just have mad Photo-Shop skills and way to busy being retired to keep up with real fish and corals



Cheers, Todd

 

[427HISS]

Ah,....I see ! lol

You daman Todd !
Hope mine turns out half as good as your tank, corals, fish, stand, lighting, plumbing, glass, rock, sand, water quality, pumps, electrical, pvc, tubing, mounting, staining, wood working, clamping, painting, nailing, and,.....screwing. :tongue:

 

[TJ's Reef]

OK All, here is some 'Top Down' pics of my unreal corals just for fun. These were all taken with my Droid Razor Max while rearranging to fit the Ricordia rock a few days back. Pics are roughly left to right above tank.




For size reference the ^Maxima Clam^ is 5.5"

Here is a pic of my LED array to show layout with the two missing/fried emitters on right end yet to be replaced.


Annnnnnd Cherry lumber for the start of my canopy build...... after a two year delay


Cheers, Todd

 

[Genesis Corals]

Beautiful! The cherry wood canopy will be a great final touch.

 

[trido]

Pictures can never do the vibrance of all these coral justice. I picked up another awesome frag from Todd and when I brought it home, it just doesn't look quite as rich and colorful. Your DIY LED has a spectrum that cant be beat.

 

[joekool]

Wow looking very nice Todd.

Excited to see what my new led lights are going to do for my corals.

 

[TJ's Reef]

OK, not much of an update but did make quite the mess in my shop in the process of starting my canopy build. Rough planed Cherry lumber then ran through my jointer before cutting in biscuits to laminate 9" sides. This will be a 3-sided facade separate from the hinged top that I can slide off to do maintenance etc... I'll show the structural elements to do this as I go along here.

Planer MESS, love this stuff.... anyone have a pet Hamster in need


Biscuit Joining


Laminating/gluing and clamping up sides


Unclamped cleaned up excess glue then ran final passes through Planer before setting up Table Saw to run dado's for one of the inside structural ribs/glides that will sit on tanks top edge and overhang 1-5/8" to cover waterline.



I will leave them in place to keep lumber from warping until final assembly when they'll get glued in place. To be continued...

Cheers, Todd

 

[skinz78]

Dang, looking good Todd! I'm going to have to come check it out some day!

 

[TJ's Reef]

Thanks and anytime your on this side of the Sound Chris. Hopefully get back to it tomorrow for a bit, need to add another dado for upper rib then set up the Router Table for some beading detail to match stand.

Cheers, Todd

 

[427HISS]

Looking great buddy !

 

[TJ's Reef]

Thanks Kevin, and another lil update for today's effort at this build. I ended up running almost mirror-image dado's for the top structural rib of the same Birch material in which the aluminum framework will lightly rest on. This Birch material is left-over from a past job and has a nice nearly indestructible Catalyzed Conversion Varnish finish to it, so saving one bottom side to rest on top of tank and other for topside where any standing water will not harm it. I also ran a dado in the bottom of Crown Molding to fit over rabits I notched into top of sides forming a tongue for better adhesion. It will be a lifting point for removing the canopy and needed to be very secure.

End profile view of how the structural ribs/rails work, Crown applied over tongue and an idea of the beaded molding I need to make and will hide the glue joint nicely.


inside view


To be continued...

Cheers, Todd

 

[joekool]

Looks great. Send me your table saw and table. Nice guide too! I would do more woodworking with that. Maybe you could make stands as your come out of retirement phase.

Cant wait to see it finished. Kind of like I can't wait to get my new lights I ordered but I have a feeling that I may be waiting some time.