Potomac Reef 2 - 500 gallons of fun!

[najer]

Nice work, following.

 

[emvanburen]

Today I had the ceiling painted, and as a surprise, my walls got painted too! Room is much brighter with white paint everywhere! I will likely end up with a light gloss gray on the walls for easy cleanup. Any suggestions? Also got my drawings back from the cabinetmaker. Getting excited!

 

[PanchoG]

Good to find you here my friend, following along !

 

[emvanburen]

Good to find you here my friend, following along !

Thanks Pancho!

Am in the slow waiting period while large expensive things are made. The room is essentially ready. G-floor is installed. Walls painted.
I just ordered the Seavisions CADS Cloth roller mat device. This is a bit of an expensive gamble but it looks well built and not as flimsy as most comparable products on the market. If this goes poorly it’s on me and not Mark, for sure! Hopefully not...
I’m working on my quarantine protocol. I think that I’m going to do a light feeding / acclimation quarantine of everyone. Fish already coppered may get some additional meds. Super quarantined fish won’t.
getting excited!

 

[PanchoG]

Thanks Pancho!

Am in the slow waiting period while large expensive things are made. The room is essentially ready. G-floor is installed. Walls painted.
I just ordered the Seavisions CADS Cloth roller mat device. This is a bit of an expensive gamble but it looks well built and not as flimsy as most comparable products on the market. If this goes poorly it’s on me and not Mark, for sure! Hopefully not...
I’m working on my quarantine protocol. I think that I’m going to do a light feeding / acclimation quarantine of everyone. Fish already coppered may get some additional meds. Super quarantined fish won’t.
getting excited!

How you are going really in big fashion, give some more pics !

 

[emvanburen]

Here is a shot of the long wall of future filtration. We will have the sump in the back corner by the water heater, then frag tank on a stand over the ejector pit piping, and 60” refugium on the wall up high, then my sink up front. I suggested removing the furnace and water heater to make more room but my wife applied common sense. Not sure where my quarantine tank will end up. My wife restricted it to this room...

 

[emvanburen]

Blue tape shows the extension of the tank. I think it will be impressive and fit the house.

 

[SPR1968]

Have you done an equipment list as yet ? For us to approve ? Lol

 

[AQUANATURE]

Have you done an equipment list as yet ? For us to approve ? Lol

Hahahahahahah don't bother get the basics sorted, reason why I say that I think I've changed my mind on skimmers about 10 times and some of the models twice I still have no idea maybe Tunze or Icecap LOL

 

[lavoisier]

Blue tape shows the extension of the tank. I think it will be impressive and fit the house.

That is going to be impressive.

 

[emvanburen]

Have you done an equipment list as yet ? For us to approve ? Lol

I present the following items for approval:
Bubble king 200 Supermarin Skimmer
MRC industrial sump with integrated UV
Abyzz return pump
Aqua logic inline heater
Trident and the Apex family of doodahs
Vortechs and seaswirls
Lights - LED and T5 combo. Not looking forward to changing bulbs but I want even wrap around lighting. Radions most likely.
MRC media reactors off a manifold.
Kessil h380 fuge lights
I’m starting out dosing but will move to a CaRx at some point when I’m out of chemicals and the volumes are up.
One partridge in a pear tree

 

[emvanburen]

I am starting to think about aquascaping. Since this will be 8 feet with the sides behind panes, and it has back overflows, I could have rock on both sides, and then an island or two in the center. Alternatively, I could go the very popular three island route. I think that with the 30" high tank and solid lighting, I will be able to get decent PAR towards the bottom but don't want to be mounting frags down there as it will be a pain to reach. Likewise, I want to keep a good amount of space at the top open for schoolies to swim and coral to grow. I think that will make the initial rockwork come up quickly off the bottom onto ledges that are more readily reachable.

After having looked at some very large tanks, there is little inside that gives away size and scale until you get to massive colonies. The shapes just seem to keep the same form but be larger. I welcome any ideas from those who have gone before!

 

[lavoisier]

I have an 8' tank as well and went with two islands while trying to keep a consistent 5::3 ratio. I think it is important to remember that over time, as our corals fill out, it will be the large structures that define our aquascapes. Smaller details will be lost, so think big to envision your tank in 5 years. I started this tank in March of this year.

 

[emvanburen]

I have an 8' tank as well and went with two islands while trying to keep a consistent 5::3 ratio. I think it is important to remember that over time, as our corals fill out, it will be the large structures that define our aquascapes. Smaller details will be lost, so think big to envision your tank in 5 years. I started this tank in March of this year.

I like the look of those two islands! How tall is your tank? Mine will be 30". It really is hard to envision the growth and still have it look nice before it happens!

I definitely want room for the coral to grow up towards the surface - my green slimer has been at the water's surface for over a year in my current tank - will be building a lower scape in the new tank.

 

[lavoisier]

Mine is 28"...I wanted to be able to reach the bottom!

 

[SPR1968]

My new tank is 28 inches deep (712mm) and it’s difficult to reach the bottom with my arm at maximum stretch, but just about ok.

As far as aquascape design goes, I spent months considering the options, designs etc., and this is what I finally did which may give you some inspiration or ideas. Remember also the coral growth you have in your own S650 and try and picture this in the new tank.

I started around this

110 Reef Aquascaping ideas | reef aquascaping, saltwater tank, saltwater aquarium

Oct 29, 2017 - Explore Derek Smit's board "Reef Aquascaping" on Pinterest. See more ideas about reef aquascaping, saltwater tank, saltwater aquarium.

www.pinterest.co.uk

And then also this

Portfolio Gallery - AQUATIC DESIGN CENTRE Ltd

Bespoke Aquarium Design, Wall Aquariums, Free Standing Fish Tanks, Home Aquariums, Commercial Fish Tanks, UK, International Architecture.

www.aquaticdesign.co.uk

Then I quiet liked this picture, but didn’t like it being to regimental with the 4 islands, although it’s beautiful of course. I spent hours looking at this picture, admiring it, but thinking I wanted it more natural looking. I don’t want to take anything away from the designers of this as it’s stunning, I just wanted mine a little different, but this was immensely helpful.

I speak with the guys at DD from time to time, and one if the Tank Masters is Stuart Bertram

If you look at the link below and then go into the August 2009 gallery you can see some of the initial pictures which show the basic aquascape layout, here for example

Gallery | D-D The Aquarium Solution

www.theaquariumsolution.com

So what a finally decided, was a sort of ‘hybrid’ version of the two. But what you have to try and picture in your mind, is the tank in 3 years time +, so I imagined the new tank with the growth from the S650

Im delighted with how it turned out, but of course were all different in what we like, so it’s just a matter of following your own ideas and designs to how you like it.

 

[emvanburen]

Shaun- what a great christmas present! I will peruse as we head west towards Colorado!

also- Apex Trident. Wow. So much easier than the Alkatronic. Thrilled to say the least.

 

[SPR1968]

Shaun- what a great christmas present! I will peruse as we head west towards Colorado!

also- Apex Trident. Wow. So much easier than the Alkatronic. Thrilled to say the least.

Your welcome.

I know how bewildering it can be when you start to think about it, and those pictures certainly helped me decide what I did and didn’t want the design to be like.

Enjoy Colorado, what a beautiful part of the US. I’ve toured all around there a few times in RV’s, mainly when it’s a bit warmer though! Lol

 

[emvanburen]

I suppose there are some harsh realities to contend with: 8 feet is big but not insane and 27” deep isn’t a lot compared to the shoppers as 36 or 48 inches. Visual depth is going to be a limitation. Seems like there are three main looks represented: the reef wall which conveys height and depth, the reef crest with a lot of water above for schooling fish and for coral to grow towards the surface, and the sand bed look. Similarly, There is the single / multiple sections of reef look ( with gap or canyon between), vs the multiple island / Bommie look (more distinct and separated with more space between). there All are amazing for sure. Given the 30” height, and my enjoyment of sand, I will likely have that look combined with the reef crest, probably stopping my rock work about 50% or so of they way up on average. It will look a bit sparse for a while but hopefully we will get some vertical growers to fill it in - my green slimer for instance.

 

[emvanburen]

.

Enjoy Colorado, what a beautiful part of the US. I’ve toured all around there a few times in RV’s, mainly when it’s a bit warmer though! Lol

It is something to behold in winter as well. The Rockies are an amazing part of country.