John Hernandez
Community Member
At the end of last year I started thinking about upgrading my aging aquarium. My 75g was many, many years old and had started out as a FOWLR tank that was active for about 13 years. My very first saltwater fish was a clownfish and I had him for the full 13 years I had my tank. Towards the end I was battling a terrible algae bloom and I was losing. Looking back I am positive it was due to poor water quality as there weren’t great sites like this one to learn from back then. My inexperience had caught up to me. Finally I lost my favorite fish and it was at this point I gave up. Flash forward several years and I decided to give it another go. So I dug out my old stuff, bought some new stuff and decided to go all in with fish and coral this time around. That was January of 2017.
(my old setup)
I had never tried corals before and quickly became obsessed. I attended Reefapalooza in Orlando and every local Frag Swap. I joined The FMAS and by December of that year I knew I wanted to upgrade. I didn't like the hang on back overflow. I hated the way the returns looked and the cabinet was dated. I needed a plan and some cash. The plan was free so I started there.
Ideally I wanted a rimless tank with low iron glass at least in the front. Also a little more depth front to back. So I started looking online for a used system but in the end I contacted Gaston at Tankmeusa in Miami (www.tankmeusa.com). I couldn’t be happier with that decision. He is a perfectionist and the tank he built me was truly a work of art. The low iron glass is the difference of standard def and HD.
I decided to build my on stand and went with a rustic look. To match the decor in my house. The frame I built with 2x4s and the outside was made from wood I picked up from pallets. I aged the wood with a steel wool & vinegar stain. I wanted to add a drawer on the inside of the cabinet for storing small items that I use all the time and also to double as a worktop when open. I use this for acclimating fish and coral and also as a place to put things during maintenance. The other thing I wanted was for the doors to slide open instead of out. There are also doors with magnetic catches on both ends. The left side gives access to the Reefkeeper and the right side gives access to the end of the sump and filter socks.
(my old setup)
I had never tried corals before and quickly became obsessed. I attended Reefapalooza in Orlando and every local Frag Swap. I joined The FMAS and by December of that year I knew I wanted to upgrade. I didn't like the hang on back overflow. I hated the way the returns looked and the cabinet was dated. I needed a plan and some cash. The plan was free so I started there.
I decided to build my on stand and went with a rustic look. To match the decor in my house. The frame I built with 2x4s and the outside was made from wood I picked up from pallets. I aged the wood with a steel wool & vinegar stain. I wanted to add a drawer on the inside of the cabinet for storing small items that I use all the time and also to double as a worktop when open. I use this for acclimating fish and coral and also as a place to put things during maintenance. The other thing I wanted was for the doors to slide open instead of out. There are also doors with magnetic catches on both ends. The left side gives access to the Reefkeeper and the right side gives access to the end of the sump and filter socks.
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