Hello everyone and welcome to my build thread! While I won't be able to write out the full build tonight, I wanted to at least get this thread started and will add more details in the coming days.
Background
I've been reefing for a little over 3 years now, but I kept freshwater tanks for years before that--mostly tetras and neocaridina shrimp (I'm a simple man). When I first got into saltwater, I wasn't sure about the commitment. It all seemed so much more complicated than freshwater and I didn't want to start with a large tank if I ended up disliking it, despite being recommended to start with a larger tank. So, I started with a 16g BioCube and quickly realized I should've listened to those telling me to start with a larger tank
I now knew I wanted a larger tank, I wanted more aquaria; I just wasn't sure about the overhead required to get a larger tank set up with a sump and all the equipment.
To satiate my wants, I "temporarily" upgraded to a 29g tank in the interim while I planned out and built my 75g. And by temporarily (what was supposed to be 6 months) ended up being a year and a half
But, the wait was worth it! It gave me plenty of time to build a stand, acquire most of the equipment I wanted, and do lots of reading. While sometimes I wish I had just started with a 75g, being a new reefer and starting with smaller tanks taught me a LOT about stability, as well pests, nuisance algae, et al. When I finally got this tank set up, I felt very confident about starting (don't get me wrong, I'm still learning all the time and I know there's going to be some new challenges with this tank, I've already encountered things I wish I'd done differently).
Purpose
I decided to build a peninsula style to use as a room divider in my den. The den is an addition to the house built some time in the 50's and is kind of a long room, a little narrow at one end and was an awkward space to fill. It felt like a bowling alley! I decided a room divider would help break up the space, and allow me to section off the TV area in the den to truly make it a "den" and cozier, while also allowing me to view the aquarium from my living room. Since these are the two rooms I spend the most time in, it seemed like a great option (and truly, I'm quite happy with the layout- it does exactly what I was hoping).
My issue with most available aquarium stands is 1) they are typically made to be oriented against the wall rather than peninsula style, and 2) they're typically plain metal or shaker cabinet, or at most, a very sleek modern look. I wanted something that fit my aesthetic and matched better with my house, so I built it myself. This tank has now been up and running for coming up on 5 months, so it's a bit of a delayed thread.
(As a forewarning, my decorating choices and design style are certainly not for everyone. Some people love it, some people hate it. And that's okay! The important thing is none of you have to live with me and look at it everyday
)
With that, I present my 75g peninsula room divider:
That's all for now, I'll get more detailed with the actual build soon. Thanks for reading!
Background
I've been reefing for a little over 3 years now, but I kept freshwater tanks for years before that--mostly tetras and neocaridina shrimp (I'm a simple man). When I first got into saltwater, I wasn't sure about the commitment. It all seemed so much more complicated than freshwater and I didn't want to start with a large tank if I ended up disliking it, despite being recommended to start with a larger tank. So, I started with a 16g BioCube and quickly realized I should've listened to those telling me to start with a larger tank
To satiate my wants, I "temporarily" upgraded to a 29g tank in the interim while I planned out and built my 75g. And by temporarily (what was supposed to be 6 months) ended up being a year and a half
Purpose
I decided to build a peninsula style to use as a room divider in my den. The den is an addition to the house built some time in the 50's and is kind of a long room, a little narrow at one end and was an awkward space to fill. It felt like a bowling alley! I decided a room divider would help break up the space, and allow me to section off the TV area in the den to truly make it a "den" and cozier, while also allowing me to view the aquarium from my living room. Since these are the two rooms I spend the most time in, it seemed like a great option (and truly, I'm quite happy with the layout- it does exactly what I was hoping).
My issue with most available aquarium stands is 1) they are typically made to be oriented against the wall rather than peninsula style, and 2) they're typically plain metal or shaker cabinet, or at most, a very sleek modern look. I wanted something that fit my aesthetic and matched better with my house, so I built it myself. This tank has now been up and running for coming up on 5 months, so it's a bit of a delayed thread.
(As a forewarning, my decorating choices and design style are certainly not for everyone. Some people love it, some people hate it. And that's okay! The important thing is none of you have to live with me and look at it everyday
With that, I present my 75g peninsula room divider:
That's all for now, I'll get more detailed with the actual build soon. Thanks for reading!