The long Journey Home

lite_rider · Nov 7, 2020

For those of you that have been following my previous threads you’ll know all too well the pain and drama that we experience at the hands of a local central Florida custom acrylic tech builder.
link for those that need back story.

Florida acrylic tank builder Mario Vidakovic failure

Hey everyone I contracted a local Florida acrylic tank builder Mario Vidakovic to build my 200gal display tankas a replacement for my all glass 240g. This builder came well recommended in our community, I had a good experience up until I got the new tank home. The new display tank had many...

www.reef2reef.com

On a lighter note and moving on I am here to begin our new tank build thread and I will be uploading a couple of pictures of our new 150 gallon glass cages aquarium 72.5 long x 24.5 wide x 20 Tall.

lite_rider · Nov 7, 2020

That was the original tank being removed above

fishguy242 · Nov 7, 2020

yep i remember!!!be looking for them new pics

lite_rider · Nov 7, 2020

The long journey home, after a short deployment to South Carolina with the military I left for Tennessee to meet Joe at glass cages (probably the nicest person you’ll ever meet) to take delivery of our new custom glass tank and while there tour the company manufacturing facility and take stock of the building process that they employ to create such beautiful products.

I was presented with my purchase, (a work of art) toured the facility for what seemed like an hour. It was one of the most educational hours I’ve ever had. By the end of which time my tank had already been palletized, wrapped and loaded by forklift onto the back of my truck. I then learned that the gentleman operating the forklift was the same personnel that helped build my tank.
Pictures of Tank installation with help from the staff at TopShelf Aquatics

lite_rider · Nov 7, 2020

It’s been challenging finding the time to dedicate to this project working two hours away from home for weeks at a time, but my wife has been an incredible teammate throughout this very arduous process, Not only because she is an incredible woman that’s taking care of two small children at home while juggling all the household duties, or because she puts up with my plumbing errors during tank installation. It’s because she is he much more experience hobbyist that usually keeps me walking the street and narrow when making decisions about water parameters or coral selection and maintenance

lite_rider · Nov 7, 2020

Last month having finished the plumbing, 11/2” Bean Animal overflow drain installed and two 1 inch check valved return lines, the black starboard sections I purchased from glass cages was cut to size and placed at the bottom of the tank. I then transferred the previously used substrate and live rock that we had cycling from the old tank

lite_rider · Nov 7, 2020

New rock work created by Kevin at top shelf made a beautiful addition and gave us a place to plan or coral placement. first picture is of in-store display last picture is of it sitting on the left star board section in the new tank

lite_rider · Nov 7, 2020

Rock work substrate water and cycling time Which should be short because we are using a lot of what we already had up and running. More will follow soon

fishguy242 · Nov 7, 2020

looking great..glad you got straightened out,could not have gone with a better builder

lite_rider · Nov 7, 2020

fishguy242 said:
looking great..glad you got straightened out,could not have gone with a better builder

We are really thankful to Joe at Glass Cages, I can only say that he reached out to us unsolicited and rescued us from what was likely to be the end of our involvement in this hobby, if that is not a testament to the good that is still left in this word, it is at very least a testament to the leadership and compassion at Glass Cages. Obviously we are beyond happy with the new tank and the time and patients our local reefing community has shown us

lite_rider · Nov 8, 2020

Clearing up nicely

Joe Glass Cages · Nov 9, 2020

lite_rider said:
We are really thankful to Joe at Glass Cages, I can only say that he reached out to us unsolicited and rescued us from what was likely to be the end of our involvement in this hobby, if that is not a testament to the good that is still left in this word, it is at very least a testament to the leadership and compassion at Glass Cages. Obviously we are beyond happy with the new tank and the time and patients our local reefing community has shown us

@lite_rider Thanks so much for your kind words. The entire Glass Cages Team is appreciates the opportunity to support your Journey. I am glad you got to experience spirit of Glass Cages. Thats how we roll. Thank you again. Always available should you need some support or just a to talk tanks!