Bleighs Red Sea 650 Peninsula... yet another tank in my house

Bleigh

The best bad influence
View Badges
Joined
Jan 15, 2019
Messages
9,074
Reaction score
22,373
Location
Charlotte, NC
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I’m starting another tank. It’s the first reef tank that I’ve bought brand new for the purposes of salt water. I’m super excited. It’s in the house, the lights are up, I’m waiting on a few plumbing pieces and will be starting the aquascape on this nice rainy day. Hoping to try some kind of infinity shape with some arches and low caves for wrasses/gobys. This will primarily be an lps tank and will have sand. My lfs also modified the stand so that both sides have doors.

Current Gear:
Red Sea 650 peninsula
Red Sea light hanging kit
2 mp40’s
2 radion g5 Xr30 pro’s
Varios8 pump

image.jpg
 
OP
OP
Bleigh

Bleigh

The best bad influence
View Badges
Joined
Jan 15, 2019
Messages
9,074
Reaction score
22,373
Location
Charlotte, NC
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Getting the table set up to start playing with some aquascaping. Trying to figure out a pvc t to keep track of height.
 

Attachments

  • 5E1A40AC-D036-4530-95EE-16921FE253EC.jpeg
    5E1A40AC-D036-4530-95EE-16921FE253EC.jpeg
    249.5 KB · Views: 131
OP
OP
Bleigh

Bleigh

The best bad influence
View Badges
Joined
Jan 15, 2019
Messages
9,074
Reaction score
22,373
Location
Charlotte, NC
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
nice! I have a 650P as well. so I'll be her for the ride. mine has taken for ever to get up and running but hope to start stocking around the 1st of may.

how did your LFS modify the doors!? I so wish mice could do that.
They got an extra metal support bar and made the back panels into doors.
 
OP
OP
Bleigh

Bleigh

The best bad influence
View Badges
Joined
Jan 15, 2019
Messages
9,074
Reaction score
22,373
Location
Charlotte, NC
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Aquascape lay out is done. I just have the stacked now. I want to break them up some so it’s not just a wall of rocks and I plan on shortening one of the arches and lenthinging the other across. Lots of cave spaces and ledges.

D3362465-33F6-4550-86DD-CE0D5B0EAE69.jpeg

74152F77-54D5-4AD6-8BF2-93234FBCEB54.jpeg

Above is from the living room side.
7C078A70-EE52-4077-A03F-F0491407AE65.jpeg

Above is from the end of the peninsula

D2130607-E768-4712-9D51-F0233F89D105.jpeg


Above will be the view from the kitchen.
 
OP
OP
Bleigh

Bleigh

The best bad influence
View Badges
Joined
Jan 15, 2019
Messages
9,074
Reaction score
22,373
Location
Charlotte, NC
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I’m having such issues with the e-Marco 400 mortar. It is not setting like it has in the past. It’s drying to a dirt consistency and just not hardening. I’m wondering if I have a bad Bucket. It’s super frustrating!
 

Billldg

My Gem Tang Is Watching You
View Badges
Joined
May 14, 2018
Messages
17,478
Reaction score
121,885
Location
Georgia
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I used Marco grey mortar and didn't have any issue. I did find that, depending of how wet or dry you mixed it determined how it dried. The drier you mixed it the sandier, if that's a word, lol, it was. It needs to be like a supper thick milk shake consistency to use properly. I used one and started on a 2nd with my scape.
 

DaddyFish

“5 percenter”
View Badges
Joined
May 6, 2020
Messages
1,238
Reaction score
1,717
Location
Dallas NC
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
@Bleigh I found that mixing it with a bit more liquid to, as someone posted earlier, the consistency of a Hardees milkshake works best. You can also pre-moisten the rock before you apply the mortar if you need the mortar to be thicker and more self-supporting. But if the rock is dry and the mortar is dry, it won't bond properly.
 
OP
OP
Bleigh

Bleigh

The best bad influence
View Badges
Joined
Jan 15, 2019
Messages
9,074
Reaction score
22,373
Location
Charlotte, NC
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I used the mortar for my other aquascape and it was perfect. I called the consistency “just melting ice cream”, aka, milkshake. LOL. The newer bucket I have is just not doing the same thing as the older bucket. (The older bucket is perfect, the newer bucket is having issues.)

And @Billldg that was just stacked and balanced to see if I was going to like the pattern I was going for. I’m breaking up the rocks and working with much smaller pieces now. That side changed a bit too to be more supportive. Let me got take a picture.

image.jpg
 
OP
OP
Bleigh

Bleigh

The best bad influence
View Badges
Joined
Jan 15, 2019
Messages
9,074
Reaction score
22,373
Location
Charlotte, NC
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I agree, just a bit more liquid and prewetting the rock helps the bond!

Also... Following!
I have not been wetting the rock. That’s a good tip. I’m about to go spray it down though.
 

A worm with high fashion and practical utility: Have you ever kept feather dusters in your reef aquarium?

  • I currently have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 68 37.4%
  • Not currently, but I have had feather dusters in my tank in the past.

    Votes: 61 33.5%
  • I have not had feather dusters, but I hope to in the future.

    Votes: 25 13.7%
  • I have no plans to have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 28 15.4%
  • Other.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
Back
Top