Jeff's 150 Build - The Salt Box

[CastAway]

I 'm always excited to see this thread up top and secretly hoping to see a tank full of water.....

Well thanks Todd, sincerely. I really appreciate the motivation I find on this site. I sold a spare Iwaki pump today, and will place the order for my dry Pukani on Friday. Really, that was the last component I needed before salt water, so, God willing, it should not be long. :biggrin1: Tons still to do, water station, skin the stand to muffle the noise, and I will need some additional lights, but there's nothing that should keep me from starting the system and letting it begin to mature. I hope to share even the ugly (to most, but not me) photo's of algae, diatoms, etc., and the whole process. Thanks again for the encouragement.

 

[CastAway]

Puknai ordered. No going back on that now, phosphates be danged. Whatever it is, it is, I'll have to work through it. Naïve? Perhaps. But it's simply the best looking, lightest, most porous dry rock I know. In the end, I want a minimalist look, lots of negative space and open water column, and hope the rock will eventually be hidden altogether by coral. One hesitant step after another....

 

[CastAway]

Rock was delivered today. Eighty pounds, eleven pieces, and just a little breakage/rubble. I laid out all the pieces and am starting to turn and orient each piece, to begin to contemplate an aqua scape. Each piece indeed seems to have a definite top and vertical axis, as I knew it would. More pics soon, once I settle on some options.

 

[Rob.D]

The rock tower looks awesome Jeff!

 

[CastAway]

Thanks Rob. I had an idea for the towers. Although I've already cut a flat base on that particular piece, it's not stable as I'd like. So, the idea is to mount the bottom pieces on a natural stone tile - so that there's a broad enough base that it won't topple. Thing is, I'm not sure if the tile might leach anything. You know tile, will it leach?

 

[CastAway]

Decided against BB and bought sand for the display today; CaribSea CORAline and Seafloor Special Grade. Did not buy near enough, and will have to get more. Also picked-up a 44g Brute container and wheels. My experience so far with the pukani is that you can twist and turn and tweak a scape without end. I have an area or two I like and will keep, but am still working on the rest. Wish I had a couple more pieces, now that it's all in the tank - just not quite enough.

 

[Rob.D]

Thanks Rob. I had an idea for the towers. Although I've already cut a flat base on that particular piece, it's not stable as I'd like. So, the idea is to mount the bottom pieces on a natural stone tile - so that there's a broad enough base that it won't topple. Thing is, I'm not sure if the tile might leach anything. You know tile, will it leach?

Sorry I missed your question, natural stone is safe, most stone you will find is filled with a resin, I've seen a lot of people use it in reef tanks without any problems; I would use the unfilled stone, its most commonly called "tumbled marble", I would stay away from any "hard stone" aka granite, especially coming from China, granite from China has been known to be contaminated with radioactive substances. As far as I know ceramic and porcelain tile are totally safe.

 

[CastAway]

This could go on forever, seriously! Arranging, re-arranging, twisting, turning. Ugh!

I wanted kind of a minimalist look. I did not want the conventional "wall" of rock anyway. I'm trying to just commit to something, thinking that it's just a base for corals, and not the main aspect. Doing my best to maximize the lit surfaces, leaving gaps and passages, trying to be proportionally correct, etc. What do you think? Be gentle. :squigglemouth:

 

[D_Reep1106]

Rock work looks good Jeff. I don't see how you can stand having the tank this long and not having it wet yet. Well done with patience I've been building mine for about a month and its getting to me. Great Build.

 

[revhtree]

LOL! I always get mad when I try to arrange rock!!

 

[CastAway]

Rock work looks good Jeff. I don't see how you can stand having the tank this long and not having it wet yet. Well done with patience I've been building mine for about a month and its getting to me. Great Build.

Yeah, I cannot stand it. Compromising on my plans at this point, just to get it wet.

LOL! I always get mad when I try to arrange rock!!

Yes! Some nights, I just can't look at it. Rock is just an invisible base for coral, right? So why do we care so much? The tanks I like, and the type of look I aspire to, you don't even see rock. Ugh.

 

[rapture]

makes me want to sell everything and start over! great job!

 

[hung]

This could go on forever, seriously! Arranging, re-arranging, twisting, turning. Ugh! I wanted kind of a minimalist look.

It literally took me weeks to do my aquascape and since my tank isn't wet yet I continue to tinker with it. When I look at it sometimes I am still not happy with it.

Maybe you can provide some more pics with different angles of the aquascape so we can see the depth too. From what I can only tell from that picture is that it looks a little symmetrical.

Oh and it looks like you might need another light unit.

 

[CastAway]

Have plans for two Kessil's. Definitely need more light! This only adds to the doubt on the aqua scape really, given the shadows and focus. I am going for symmetrical. My objectives were, no taller than half the depth; slope from front to back, and an arch type frontal profile. I wanted the corals to fill the space, not rock. I have pics of other angles, but they really stink.

 

[TJ's Reef]

Hey bud, looking better and better. Now just to through you a curve ball try a 2-island aquascape like I did. To get the best use of my Gyre flow and visually get the most of depth to tank I went with the two mostly elevated off bottom rock island structures with an angled canyon in between running from front right to back left kind of like this [##\ \#*] Very happy with and feel probably my very best of 100's of aquascapes I've done in the past. Two plus years of excellent Coral growth and it's turned out just like it was originally envisioned..... a natural looking structure that is nearly completely covered in Coral.

Cheers, Todd

 

[CastAway]

It's finally wet! Filling now. Definitely need a booster pump for my RODI! This is going to take a few days. Need too many other things to buy the booster pump now though. As soon as the tank is full and water is flowing I'll post a new pic or two. Went with a shallow sand bed in the display, three grades of substrate - from CaribSea Seaflor Special Grade to the CORALine puka style - less than 1".

 

[hung]

Congrats on getting it wet finally, it's a great feeling right? What does your final aquascape look like?

 

[reefcandy]

Very Nice can wait to see this tank full of corals.

 

[CastAway]

What does your final aquascape look like?

I stayed with the arrangement from post 148. It'll change, I'm sure. Impatient maybe, just did not want to delay any longer.

 

[TJ's Reef]

Whooooot Whoooot Whooot Way to go Jeff, I knew you could do it bud and now the REAL FUN begins. Once this puppy is all cycled out let me know and will send you out a box of tried and true (all 10+ years of Aquaculture) SPS from my system, maybe just cover UPS/FedEx cost. I have never shipped out so am wanting to give it a go and plan to send boxes to my friends Floyd in AZ, Joe in FL, and Kevin in NE at same time ??? PM me if/when interested and we can work something out bud.

Soooooooo, now that its F-I-N-A-L-L-Y WET what are your Livestock plans for this Reef of yours ?????????????????????????



Cheers, Todd