Fish room rebuild

[rayn]

It has been decided that my current fish room needs a redo. Truthfully it is getting in pretty bad shape. Room is 10*12 connected to my bathroom. Bathroom is a plus as it we be redone at the same time and enables me to use the plumbing for the ro/di system and drain.

I have a thought on what I want, but I am posting some pics of the room dimensions. Give any ideas that may come...

 

[ReefFreak@]

hmmm a lot of potential, are you open to upgrading on a tank or staying with your setups you have?

 

[rayn]

Open to upgrades...ALWAYS!!! There is a 325 acrylic local for 1200, I would like to snag it but not sure.

 

[ReefFreak@]

ok so heres my idea for you. personally i know i can only handle one reef tank/saltwater tank at a time so i would take down your to separate take in place of that bigger 325 or whatever you can get your hands on. acrylic is very nice but has some cons one scratches just by looking at it and is costly i would go glass but thats just personal opinion. if you really want that 325 try to get them down to 1000. Not to make you jealous but i only payed 200 for this beauty.Right now its just a filter sock drier/junk collected but one will be my master piece. The point I'm trying to get across is there is good deals to be found and don't jump the gun on the first tank you see.

 

[rayn]

Multiple tanks really aren't a issue. Currently there are three running and a fourth just finishing cycle. I can't combine the two as one is temperate, aka cold water.

Agree that there are deals around, exactly why I haven't jumped on the 325, still looking.

Oh, if you want I can come take that parts holder off your hands :bigsmile:

 

[ReefFreak@]

lol as tempting as that offer is i would be kicking myself in the butt if i did. What would you wanna keep in your next upgrade? I've never had experience in a temperate tank what do you exactly keeping there?

 

[rayn]

Let me start with, I hope I don't offend you here. JUST going by post count, which really means nothing, I assume you are fairly new to salt? Could be way off. What do you want to keep? Large angels?...no reef. Predators?...possible softie reef but no smaller fish. Sps?...most likely fewer fish but nice sps colonies with the proper care. There is no one tank that can hold ALL your dreams together.

That said, I have a 40 lps tank, the 125 is large predator, the 150 is cold water, the newest tank is 120 and planning sps dominate. That is the next upgrade, sps and fewer fish to start. Point is that is where you get multiple tanks going, cause there is so much cool life out there to watch and learn about. Any other upgrade would be for more larger fish together.

Cold water is just that, temp never gets above 62°. Currently there are only two fish in there, though I am looking for others. One, Erosa erosa or pitted stone fish. Two, Parapterois heterura or bluefin lionfish. The bluefin hails from Japan and is a pain to find, much less keep alive. Mortality rates are staggering for this fish. Plans for this tank are a temperate reef eventually, coldwater marine aquatics will be my hook up there.

 

[ReefFreak@]

No don't worry about it I'm taking no offense. My story starts in 2011 i had a simple 10 gallon with hob. That lasted for about 2 months before it crashed. I got bummed and didn't have anything for about 6 months but got the itch again so after researching for a few years i got back in the game with a 2.5 pico bare bottom

After that went well i decided to invest some big money and thats where I'm at with my 65. So i guess you could kind of say I'm new and i new what a temperate reef was i just wasn't sure if you were just going to keep fish or some corals as well. Im not 100% sure but cold water corals are nonphotosythetic?

 

[rayn]

Nice pico!

Cold water has corals, I wouldn't consider them all non photosynthetic. There are plenty of smaller anemones though and that is where you get your biotype. Macro algaes as well. Fish are easy, its the coral, nem, algae that are tougher to get thriving in any tank. I generally start easy and add to my tanks as they mature. Why throw hundreds of dollars worth of coral in a tank when it isn't ready?

 

[ReefFreak@]

Thank you it defiantly had more potential but i new i was upgrading so stopped adding and started stock pilling lol. That philosophy is the best to have. Although sometimes its hard you go to the lfs and pretty much wanna walk out with a tanks worth of critters.I defiantly give you props for going outside of the box and doing cold water. Everything you see around my area is tropical. I don't even think a lot of people know about temperate.

 

[rayn]

Do some reading around the web. I probably wouldnt have either till I read a forum, got a book, then just had to have a fish. Then I do whatever is necessary to make that fish thrive. You have to decide for yourself your risk factor. Are you willing to loose 1-2-300 on a coral or fish?

 

[rayn]

Started the redo today. Fresh paint on the walls and found a set of kitchen cabinets for 90 bucks on Craigslist.

 

[ReefFreak@]

Got any pictures

 

[rayn]

Not yet. Still painting. Will in a bit I suppose. Got to do this almost wall by wall as I move current tanks around. Cabinets I am picking tomorrow.

 

[ReefFreak@]

sounds tricking aquariums are not the easiest to move. I have some exciting news, just bought 3 new frags!!

 

[rayn]

Sweet, what ya get?

 

[ReefFreak@]

Gold torch coral with green tips,Gorgonian,Voodoo acropora

 

[rayn]

Nice pieces.

One wall painted and cabinets are home, they need a redo though.

 

[ReefFreak@]

I like the color. Don't even need backgrounds. What are you using the cabinets for

 

[rayn]

Cabinets are for fish stuff storage and a work place. Some place to do tests, hold the QT and grow out tanks. There are 10.5' of base cabinets there, so I should be able to do a QT and grow out with a sump underneath.