This is going to be a slow moving project, as we’re moving sometime late spring or early summer and I’m not going to setup and tear down. I’ve always loved drop offs and bowfront so I decided to combine the two. I’ll construct the drop off using PVC sheet most likely, possibly glass. Doing experiments “gluing” up PVC at the moment, if that goes well I’ll be using that for sure, as I have enough woodworking tools that I can use to make all the cuts I need. First pic attached will be the general size of the dropoff.
I have a current tank running, minimal corals, which don’t grow as much as they should, a few healthy fish and a ton of green hair algae. Overall I’ve been a very unsuccessful reefer and have wanted out of the hobby, but I figured I’d give it one last shot and do my be at doing it right, or better at least. I wanted to seed the bio media I’ll be using in my current sump to kick start the cycle and maturity of the new tank. The only real issue I see is that I have vermitid snails, and I’m sure they will make their way to the new tank that way, they may on the frags anyway so maybe I’m fighting a losing battle there.
Plans are as follows...
-36 gallon bowfront tank
-Fabricated PVC drop off
-Sump - 40 breeder, internals fabricated with PVC sheet. ATO section at the end. Refugium area, possible small frag area depending on space. Sump will be remote, in garage on the other side of the wall from the tank.
- Lighting - pre ordered Reefi Uno, probably supplement with an OR3 24” bar.
- AWC - got lucky and scored 2 85 gpd stenner pumps (for $60) that I’ll use for 1-2 gpd automated water changes.
- Aquascape and rock - 100% DIY handmade rock and fixtures using Smooth-on Habitat black.
- Biofilter - some bio media in the sump, haven’t figured out which one yet, concerns are longevity and metal leeching.
- Inhabitants - Mixed reef, softy dominant. Current fish are a pair of clowns and a mandarin.
-Bare bottom or sand? I was initially planning on bare bottom with areas of sand (think natural looking sandboxes fabricated with the habitat black). I’ve recently come to like the jawfish though, and I’m not sure I want to build that deep of a “sandbox” and who knows if it would actually use it and not try to move the sand where it wanted.
- Skimmer - I haven’t used one before so IDK. My test results are always nearly 0 nitrate/ite. Yeah, I know not ideal for corals. I have a huge GHA issue, phosphate high, .25. I don’t know the source as I don’t over feed at all.
Anyway, long post. I’ll update as progress made, which will be slowly.
I have a current tank running, minimal corals, which don’t grow as much as they should, a few healthy fish and a ton of green hair algae. Overall I’ve been a very unsuccessful reefer and have wanted out of the hobby, but I figured I’d give it one last shot and do my be at doing it right, or better at least. I wanted to seed the bio media I’ll be using in my current sump to kick start the cycle and maturity of the new tank. The only real issue I see is that I have vermitid snails, and I’m sure they will make their way to the new tank that way, they may on the frags anyway so maybe I’m fighting a losing battle there.
Plans are as follows...
-36 gallon bowfront tank
-Fabricated PVC drop off
-Sump - 40 breeder, internals fabricated with PVC sheet. ATO section at the end. Refugium area, possible small frag area depending on space. Sump will be remote, in garage on the other side of the wall from the tank.
- Lighting - pre ordered Reefi Uno, probably supplement with an OR3 24” bar.
- AWC - got lucky and scored 2 85 gpd stenner pumps (for $60) that I’ll use for 1-2 gpd automated water changes.
- Aquascape and rock - 100% DIY handmade rock and fixtures using Smooth-on Habitat black.
- Biofilter - some bio media in the sump, haven’t figured out which one yet, concerns are longevity and metal leeching.
- Inhabitants - Mixed reef, softy dominant. Current fish are a pair of clowns and a mandarin.
-Bare bottom or sand? I was initially planning on bare bottom with areas of sand (think natural looking sandboxes fabricated with the habitat black). I’ve recently come to like the jawfish though, and I’m not sure I want to build that deep of a “sandbox” and who knows if it would actually use it and not try to move the sand where it wanted.
- Skimmer - I haven’t used one before so IDK. My test results are always nearly 0 nitrate/ite. Yeah, I know not ideal for corals. I have a huge GHA issue, phosphate high, .25. I don’t know the source as I don’t over feed at all.
Anyway, long post. I’ll update as progress made, which will be slowly.
