Ladybug5234
Active Member
Hello all. Although I am not a fan of build threads, I think this tank is interesting enough to warrant one. Plus, I would like to keep some type of a detail log to refer back to later.
To begin, I acquired this tank in a partial trade for a large multi-coral rock + $100 cash on my end. Initially I got the tank for my classroom (I teach Math & Science), but after having to move classrooms a couple of times, I decided to just keep it in storage until I could set it up at home. So there it sat, until late February when my family and I finally found a semi-permanent home. To my husband's surprise, the tank was set up before we even moved in! LOL
Here are a couple of pictures from when I bought it:
The flat back measures 36", the straight sides 12", angled sides 9" and the front panel 24". It is 26" tall. The overflow area measures 20" x 5" and the spaces on either side of the overflow 8". The tank came with a custom wood stand and a flourescent strip light. The pump is an Aquaclear powerhead 802, which I haven't changed yet but I am researching to see if there's something better/more efficient (suggestions welcome). I am limited, however, to what will fit in the overflow compartment. For now, it's doing an ok job.
Since the return is on the left, I added a Koralia 3 that I had from my previous builds to the top right in order to counter-balance the flow and spread it out. So far it seems to be working well. There's surface agitation and no food seems to accumulate on the bottom either, and most importantly, there's NO sandstorms! But I cannot credit the lack of sandstorms to my powerhead placing efforts. It is actually due to the type of sand I used - 40 lbs. of Corapet sand #2 (a medium sized sand).
I started the tank with dry sand, a live bacterial booster and a large piece of Figi rock from a friend's established tank. I dosed Seachem Stability every day. A few weeks after setting it up, I added 50 lbs of Florida Caribbean live rock - my biggest mistake yet. This rock had been freshly harvested and came covered in algae and other living things, so it threw my tank into yet another cycle. It ran me $175 and it took lots of pruning, cleaning and brushing on my part, as well as a hundred clean up crew members hard at work in order to clean it all up.
Here's a picture of the forest before being completely cleaned:
Once the rock was clean, I set out to aquascape the tank. But I just couldn't find a good fit for the rocks I had. I tried letting a few days pass and rescaping again and again, but nothing helped. The rocks looked bulky and I just couldn't find a good placement. So, I switched out them again, this time for 40 lbs. of live Figi from a tank tear down. I picked these up at only $2/lb ($80 total)!! At the same time, I picked up my custom made wood canopy, which matches the stand perfectly (in style, not color - YET). The canopy ran me $140.
The canopy houses the LED fixture that I had Perry (Onedesign1) build me. He did a phenomenal job! It has 36 Cree 3w LED's - 6 NW, 6 CW, 20 RB and 4 Green, all on 90 degree lenses (except the greens, which I removed the lenses from so that there would be better spread). All this is powered by 2 Meanwell Drivers and managed by a DIM4 Controller. Everything is attached to a very sturdy U-channel frame that sits 8.5" from the water line, inside the canopy. LEDs & DIM4 Controller cost me $540.
So this is where the tank is today.
Obviously, the tank is still not finished (I'm working on adding a skimmer), but I am VERY happy with how it has turned out thus far. I LOVE MY LEDs and I find the aquascape pleasing, although a few changes/additions to the rock are foreseeable. The canopy is currently being sealed/waterproofed and painted to match the stand. Gas lifts are being added to the portion that opens up ($60) and a strip of weatherproofing material in order to eliminate the visible gap in the canopy.
Any questions, feel free to ask. I also welcome suggestions and constructive criticism. I'll try and keep the thread as updated as possible.
To begin, I acquired this tank in a partial trade for a large multi-coral rock + $100 cash on my end. Initially I got the tank for my classroom (I teach Math & Science), but after having to move classrooms a couple of times, I decided to just keep it in storage until I could set it up at home. So there it sat, until late February when my family and I finally found a semi-permanent home. To my husband's surprise, the tank was set up before we even moved in! LOL
Here are a couple of pictures from when I bought it:
The flat back measures 36", the straight sides 12", angled sides 9" and the front panel 24". It is 26" tall. The overflow area measures 20" x 5" and the spaces on either side of the overflow 8". The tank came with a custom wood stand and a flourescent strip light. The pump is an Aquaclear powerhead 802, which I haven't changed yet but I am researching to see if there's something better/more efficient (suggestions welcome). I am limited, however, to what will fit in the overflow compartment. For now, it's doing an ok job.
Since the return is on the left, I added a Koralia 3 that I had from my previous builds to the top right in order to counter-balance the flow and spread it out. So far it seems to be working well. There's surface agitation and no food seems to accumulate on the bottom either, and most importantly, there's NO sandstorms! But I cannot credit the lack of sandstorms to my powerhead placing efforts. It is actually due to the type of sand I used - 40 lbs. of Corapet sand #2 (a medium sized sand).
I started the tank with dry sand, a live bacterial booster and a large piece of Figi rock from a friend's established tank. I dosed Seachem Stability every day. A few weeks after setting it up, I added 50 lbs of Florida Caribbean live rock - my biggest mistake yet. This rock had been freshly harvested and came covered in algae and other living things, so it threw my tank into yet another cycle. It ran me $175 and it took lots of pruning, cleaning and brushing on my part, as well as a hundred clean up crew members hard at work in order to clean it all up.
Here's a picture of the forest before being completely cleaned:
Once the rock was clean, I set out to aquascape the tank. But I just couldn't find a good fit for the rocks I had. I tried letting a few days pass and rescaping again and again, but nothing helped. The rocks looked bulky and I just couldn't find a good placement. So, I switched out them again, this time for 40 lbs. of live Figi from a tank tear down. I picked these up at only $2/lb ($80 total)!! At the same time, I picked up my custom made wood canopy, which matches the stand perfectly (in style, not color - YET). The canopy ran me $140.
The canopy houses the LED fixture that I had Perry (Onedesign1) build me. He did a phenomenal job! It has 36 Cree 3w LED's - 6 NW, 6 CW, 20 RB and 4 Green, all on 90 degree lenses (except the greens, which I removed the lenses from so that there would be better spread). All this is powered by 2 Meanwell Drivers and managed by a DIM4 Controller. Everything is attached to a very sturdy U-channel frame that sits 8.5" from the water line, inside the canopy. LEDs & DIM4 Controller cost me $540.
So this is where the tank is today.
Obviously, the tank is still not finished (I'm working on adding a skimmer), but I am VERY happy with how it has turned out thus far. I LOVE MY LEDs and I find the aquascape pleasing, although a few changes/additions to the rock are foreseeable. The canopy is currently being sealed/waterproofed and painted to match the stand. Gas lifts are being added to the portion that opens up ($60) and a strip of weatherproofing material in order to eliminate the visible gap in the canopy.
Any questions, feel free to ask. I also welcome suggestions and constructive criticism. I'll try and keep the thread as updated as possible.
