d2mini's "Essential Focus" Mixed Reef Build

[xaflatoonx]

Amazing Dennis. The vision alone is priceless. Stunning!

 

[d2mini]

Beautifully done. What type of countertops are you going with?

A white marble style Quartz.
We were going to go with Granite but couldn't get anything that had a pure white base... it all had a gray tone.
The island will be waterfall on both sides and when the granite touched the gray tile floor it all looked too dingy.
And no way we'd go with real marble. So Quartz it is. lol :D

 

[d2mini]

Man you’re so awesome at this stuff! Beautiful

We have an architect! :D

 

[.Chris.]

Your tanks have always been an inspiration for me, going back to your Rimless Cube. The stand that's being built for my current build is inspired by that tank. Your choice of styling and looks has always impressed me, and I'm glad to see that it continues to this day. I can't wait to see your home when it's finished with the tank back in its rightful place.

Good luck!

 

[d2mini]

This was just too much fun so had to share! :D
Sneak peak of the backsplash tile. There are 16 different designs of 9"x9" black, white and gray tiles.
I spent two hours last night designing the layout. It's going all the way up one side of the range hood.

 

[reefwiser]

Pretty bold backsplash there.:)Dennis.

 

[d2mini]

Pretty bold backsplash there.:)Dennis.

LOL, yup! We really needed something to pop... i think this will do it. :D

 

[Brew12]

This was just too much fun so had to share! :D
Sneak peak of the backsplash tile. There are 16 different designs of 9"x9" black, white and gray tiles.
I spent two hours last night designing the layout. It's going all the way up one side of the range hood.

That backsplash should come with an epilepsy seizure warning! :p

I absolutely love it. Can't wait to see it on the wall!

 

[SlvrZ]

following after finally reading all the posts. been a fun journey so far!

 

[najer]

The shape of the window made my eyes go funny!
Looking very nice. :)

 

[d2mini]

Kitchen is basically done. We're moved back into it and cooking. Woot! :)
Still some small things to finish up in other areas.

 

[tripdad]

Very nice! Looks great!

 

[BantyRooster97]

Very nice. What kind of counter tops are those?

 

[d2mini]

Very nice. What kind of counter tops are those?

Quartz. :)

 

[Janci]

Wonderful. Congratulations.

 

[kschweer]

Love it! Gorgeous home Dennis!

 

[najer]

That looks great. :)

 

[BantyRooster97]

Quartz. :)

Very cool, I like it. Something different other than granite. I was wondering if it was epoxy. Saw a video the other day of a company that makes epoxy resin countertops, custom, right in your home... looks kind of like yours.

 

[d2mini]

Very cool, I like it. Something different other than granite. I was wondering if it was epoxy. Saw a video the other day of a company that makes epoxy resin countertops, custom, right in your home... looks kind of like yours.

Thanks. :) I've seen those resin ones... pretty cool. And floors... those are wild.
We would have wanted marble... in fact while walking around the stone yard looking at slabs, everything we were drawn to was marble. But it's way too porous and hard to take care of, especially with kids.
Quartz has the marble look (the patterns are actually printed in, kind of like laminate flooring) and has the strength of Granite. The only thing you have to be a bit careful with is extreme heat.
We really needed something WHITE. Granite, even the whitish ones really had a gray tone to them. Since we had the waterfall island, when it came down and hit the gray tile floor, it just all looked too dingy.
So the quartz was really the only option that worked for us.

 

[d2mini]

Hey all!
During the remodel I've had time to do something thinking about what I want to do when it's time to move the tank back into the main part of the house.
What I finally decided is not what I expected when we started.
The short of it is.... I'm taking down the tank. ;Jawdrop

EXPLANATION: I've been in the reef side of the hobby for more than a decade now. It's been amazing. I've never immersed myself into a hobby that deeply and for that long ever before. I've met some awesome people both online and in person, many becoming good friends. There's been up and downs, but I don't really remember the downs. Many of you have followed me through several builds, several home moves, have even seen us bring two awesome kids into the world, and sometimes the hobby. haha. I've learned so much from all of you, and I'm thrilled to have given back over the years and love it when someone tells me they've gained a thing or two from reading my build threads. I've even had the opportunity to work with and be sponsored by several of the big names in the hobby. It's truly been a blast. So it's for all these reasons that I don't really want to leave the hobby. The problem is... this past year or so has started feeling old hat. I can do this. Trimming colonies of SPS is almost becoming a chore. I'm just going through the motions. I realized what I need is a new challenge!

So I'm going to get out of reefing (for now) while I'm ahead and jump into a different part of the hobby. This may actually seem backwards to many of you, but I'm going to give freshwater planted a try. Nature Aquariums... Amano style.
This will be new for me, lots to learn. In typical d2mini fashion I'll be jumping in with both feet. High tech and all that. I've already been doing some research and I think I've decided on a tank/stand. We have a pretty incredible store here in Houston called Aquarium Design Group (ADG).

There's just ONE problem... @revhtree doesn't run a planted aquarium forum!! :(:(:( The planted forums are all so ;Bored in comparison.
So I'll still be hanging around! And I'm not saying I won't be back with another reef build at some point. I just need something different for awhile.

THANKS ALL!!!
Let the stoning begin. :D

And here's a repost of the last vid I made of the tank...