- Joined
- Jun 9, 2014
- Messages
- 42
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I want to welcome everyone to my build thread. It that been a long (2.5 years) planning process. Well most of it was waiting for money to be able to buy my components, but I wasn't sitting idle the whole time. There was a whole bunch of modifications needed to make sure that everything was going to be able to fit and work together.
But I loved every minute of it.
My first task was to figure out what kind of display tank I wanted to use. I was originally thinking about using a shallow tank (18 inches deep) to insure that all the corals I plan on keeping (mostly SPS) were able to get the proper amount of lighting, but then I started to think that I may not want to restrict myself to just highlight corals. There are many moderate to low light corals I really enjoy looking at in the LFS's. I started to think that a deeper tank may be a better fit for me.
So the hunt for a display tank began, and where do you go when you want to get a good deal and you don't mind if it is used. None other than craigslist!!!! It took some digging and a lot of patients, but I finally found a display tank that I liked. 48"X24"X31" and they guy selling it was letting it go for a heck of a deal $300!!!! The only issue with it was that it had already had been drilled. Not in the back but on the side.
After speaking with the seller I started liking the concept he was planning for. He was planning on installing it like a peninsula so he has 3 viewing sides, and have it sitting right beside his couch. After sitting and looking at the empty tank in my living room this is the concept sketch I came up with.
The main display tank (150 gallon) is the blue cube surrounded by cabinetry. The smaller green cube on the right is to be a 20 gallon exposed refugium. I have never understood why people hide them in there sumps under the display tanks. There is just as much to look at in a refugium as there is in your display. Also people often let there refugium get out of control . . . Out of site out of mind. I want to keep my refugium clean and show worthy so people can see the entire ecosystem not just the corals.
I will try to get back on later to post some more.
But I loved every minute of it.
My first task was to figure out what kind of display tank I wanted to use. I was originally thinking about using a shallow tank (18 inches deep) to insure that all the corals I plan on keeping (mostly SPS) were able to get the proper amount of lighting, but then I started to think that I may not want to restrict myself to just highlight corals. There are many moderate to low light corals I really enjoy looking at in the LFS's. I started to think that a deeper tank may be a better fit for me.
So the hunt for a display tank began, and where do you go when you want to get a good deal and you don't mind if it is used. None other than craigslist!!!! It took some digging and a lot of patients, but I finally found a display tank that I liked. 48"X24"X31" and they guy selling it was letting it go for a heck of a deal $300!!!! The only issue with it was that it had already had been drilled. Not in the back but on the side.
After speaking with the seller I started liking the concept he was planning for. He was planning on installing it like a peninsula so he has 3 viewing sides, and have it sitting right beside his couch. After sitting and looking at the empty tank in my living room this is the concept sketch I came up with.
The main display tank (150 gallon) is the blue cube surrounded by cabinetry. The smaller green cube on the right is to be a 20 gallon exposed refugium. I have never understood why people hide them in there sumps under the display tanks. There is just as much to look at in a refugium as there is in your display. Also people often let there refugium get out of control . . . Out of site out of mind. I want to keep my refugium clean and show worthy so people can see the entire ecosystem not just the corals.
I will try to get back on later to post some more.