Here we go! After many years of learning, failing, succeeding and realizing what’s manageable for me, I’ve decided to start a build where I feel comfortable with investing my time and efforts to maintain a reef again.
Took me awhile to have the faith in my abilities to take this leap back into the hobby!
Getting the same tingling feeling when I started my first reef
34G display.. why?
Larger systems are more stable!
This is true but I’ve done picos, nanos, small systems all the way up to almost 500 gallon systems and as much as I want a larger reef, I just wouldn’t have the time and money to properly maintain and keep the inhabitants healthy! Took me many years to come to peace with that!
To the build:
The Frame: I’m using studs and MDF wood as the top and side panels. I selected MDF wood in hopes it would keep the noise from the sump down. Definitely going to seal it to prevent the MDF from absorbing moisture but I’ve never used it before on a reef build so anyone with experience please lmk! Kind of regretting it now....
Top of Frame: I selected pine to do a top that wraps around the bottom black trim of the tank.
Sprayed it down with a gallon of plastidip I had laying around.
Planed, sanded with a DA, and cleaned the pine with mineral spirits, prepping for boiled linseed oil stain. I choose pine bc of how light the grain is plus boiled linseed oil really gives it that cool effect! Finished with 4 coats of thinned down polyurethane applied with a cheap 4in wide foam brush. Super easy to lay down.
Using insulation board between the MDF panel and bottom of tank.
For the doors I’m going to attach using these cool sliding rails that lets me detach the doors to all the panels. I want them all to come off whenever I need too... all the years of hard to reach, back aching maneuvers are hopefully gone!
Thanks for checking out my first build thread!
I’ll update with equipment and plumbing next, going to be some odd combos bc I’m going to be using pretty much a ton of miscellaneous equipment that I have been keeping in storage from my other builds.
Took me awhile to have the faith in my abilities to take this leap back into the hobby!
Getting the same tingling feeling when I started my first reef
34G display.. why?
Larger systems are more stable!
This is true but I’ve done picos, nanos, small systems all the way up to almost 500 gallon systems and as much as I want a larger reef, I just wouldn’t have the time and money to properly maintain and keep the inhabitants healthy! Took me many years to come to peace with that!
To the build:
The Frame: I’m using studs and MDF wood as the top and side panels. I selected MDF wood in hopes it would keep the noise from the sump down. Definitely going to seal it to prevent the MDF from absorbing moisture but I’ve never used it before on a reef build so anyone with experience please lmk! Kind of regretting it now....
Top of Frame: I selected pine to do a top that wraps around the bottom black trim of the tank.
Planed, sanded with a DA, and cleaned the pine with mineral spirits, prepping for boiled linseed oil stain. I choose pine bc of how light the grain is plus boiled linseed oil really gives it that cool effect! Finished with 4 coats of thinned down polyurethane applied with a cheap 4in wide foam brush. Super easy to lay down.
For the doors I’m going to attach using these cool sliding rails that lets me detach the doors to all the panels. I want them all to come off whenever I need too... all the years of hard to reach, back aching maneuvers are hopefully gone!
Thanks for checking out my first build thread!
I’ll update with equipment and plumbing next, going to be some odd combos bc I’m going to be using pretty much a ton of miscellaneous equipment that I have been keeping in storage from my other builds.
