IT HAS BEGUN!! Ehem, sorry...Build Thread.

Maximitsurugi

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This thread is as much to share with my Reef2Reef family that inspire constantly, as it is for team Ja-Reefing who is on this journey with me.

Well, after my first year and a half of learning about reefing and after having lots of failures and quite a few successes, I've decided to wipe the slate clean and try to do stuff right from the get go, meaning hopefully no aiptasia. Lol.

My old man had a huge tank made from half inch glass that he had to get rid of due to space and we decided to cut it down into a cube for him and a tank for me.

My current tank is a custom 54 x 17 x 19 undrilled tank. When I say custom I mean, some friends had some glass they were tossing out and I asked the glass cutter guy to silicone it up. I knew nothing of reefing, as it isnt really done much here on the island but along the way, the old man and I met a few awesome and crazy people scattered across the capital that helped guide us

First things first, the new tank is being assembled. Same dimensions as the previous but 22 high. I dont have the space for the width I wanted. We cant pull rock legally from the sea so we had to make them.

First attempt

IMG-20191214-WA0002.jpeg IMG-20191026-WA0028.jpeg 20191025_074906.jpg 20191025_073241.jpg
 
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Maximitsurugi

Maximitsurugi

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Well congrats on your new start
Did you just glue together coral rubble??

I went out and got a bucket of white sand and rubble from the shore of an islet close by, got some white Portland cement and some rock salt and worked on the mix. After doing it so often I can eye ball it but it took a while to get there.
 
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Maximitsurugi

Maximitsurugi

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After a month or two I fell in love with shelf rock and decided that "I and I" (Rastaman speak lol) was gonna try making those. I couldnt use the rubble anymore because it was large, tough to break and time consuming to boat out and get so I just bought a bag of aragonite substrate and continued. Started with a styrofoam mold but didnt like the edges so I just poured the mix onto a flat surface. Lots of reef2reef reading. My wife thinks I have another woman that I'm constantly chatting with late at night. dang you reef2reef notifications. Well if you guys dont tell her then I wont. Lol

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Maximitsurugi

Maximitsurugi

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Looking great for DIY rock!!

Lol. I put them in the sea with a net to get rid of the pH, weighted then down with a stone and in a shallow cove. When I went back for them, some were missing and the ones left behind got beaten with sand and gravel and changed to a darker colour. Oh well. Lol. Since I have the time off from work due to Covid 19, I started working in my scape. I've been inspired by the Bonsai style of scape and thought I'd try it. Made a couple if attempts and came up with this on Saturday.
 

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Maximitsurugi

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We dont have reef glue or epoxy here as there are no reef stores but I bought some JB waterweld. Turns out, batch was old and crumbly. Had to resort to using super glue/CA sprinkled with baking soda that forms an instant bond to hold the rocks in place. Pretty strong but I'll be making a little mortar to reinforce the joints and then soak them in fresh water to remove the pH while I do other stuff.

I feel I am now finished with my scape as of today unless of course you guys have some suggestions. I mixed a little rock I got from the beach for the structure to the right. Everything to the left is DIY. Below it is 1/8th inch Starboard as I'll be going barebottom this trip 20200513_111322.jpg 20200513_111316.jpg 20200513_095827.jpg
 

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Maximitsurugi

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Things going a bit slow with the tank build as my builder lives in a zone that was recently quarantined for a few weeks due to Covid 19. In the meantime, I bought some lumber and had a nearby "carpenter" called "$hitti" assemble the stand using rocket engineer's design. Had I my own tools it would have come out better. Safe to say, "$hitti" isnt a man of precision and I had to stand over him to get it assembled.

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Maximitsurugi

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Got it home while risking my future (cojones), and being arrested for how I transported it home but I was excited and chanced it anyway. Who knew a 56 x 33 x 20 inch stand could fit into a Honda Fit. Lol

Wanted to try paint and so I did but, I now know, I ain't no painter. In my mind, it would be a beautiful piano finish, so I primed and painted and was defeated by lack of experience a piece of wood furniture and a tin of paint. Shame! Shame! Shame!

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Maximitsurugi

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After my old man and I decided that what was in my head and what was in front of us weren't matching up, and being the stubborn Tauran I am, i decided, if i couldnt make it, I'd fake it. Went out, found black Formica and then tada!....I think.

Even tried putting the new skimmer under it to see how I'd lay out the sump.

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Maximitsurugi

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Now that we are almost all caught up, and while we wait on the tank to be done, I have a few questions for the R2R team.

1. What do you guys think of the sump and partitions? I want a place to hold frags and observe. I know persons are gonna say that pests will get into the display but I'd dip first. My worst fear is aiptasia from friends and I'm thinking I'd be able to watch new plugs there before I transfer them up.

2. Im also going BB and I've been watching the BRS vids about the delays and problems for the first year of BB. I wonder if sand in a tray in my fuge would offset this. Any thoughts? #reefsquad

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Billldg

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This thread is as much to share with my Reef2Reef family that inspire constantly, as it is for team Ja-Reefing who is on this journey with me.

Well, after my first year and a half of learning about reefing and after having lots of failures and quite a few successes, I've decided to wipe the slate clean and try to do stuff right from the get go, meaning hopefully no aiptasia. Lol.

My old man had a huge tank made from half inch glass that he had to get rid of due to space and we decided to cut it down into a cube for him and a tank for me.

My current tank is a custom 54 x 17 x 19 undrilled tank. When I say custom I mean, some friends had some glass they were tossing out and I asked the glass cutter guy to silicone it up. I knew nothing of reefing, as it isnt really done much here on the island but along the way, the old man and I met a few awesome and crazy people scattered across the capital that helped guide us

First things first, the new tank is being assembled. Same dimensions as the previous but 22 high. I dont have the space for the width I wanted. We cant pull rock legally from the sea so we had to make them.

First attempt

IMG-20191214-WA0002.jpeg IMG-20191026-WA0028.jpeg 20191025_074906.jpg 20191025_073241.jpg
Would you like for me to move this thread to the member tank section? That way you can get your build thread badge. :)
 
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