Hey guys.
I have been lurking on this forum for a while reading up on a lot of builds documented so beautifully on here. There really are some talented reef keepers on here.
As this seems a friendly forum i have decided to make this the home for my new build.
A little history from me, i started this addiction around 3 years ago when i picked up a little 23L fluvial edge from a local couple. I then set about my mission to complete a task list which included every newbie mistake which i have completed fairly successfully.
Needless to say i have a little experience on what not to do, and less experience on what you should do.
My last tank was an 8 x 3 rimless, i had all the enthusiasm for this project when i started and set about getting the system set up just right, until work took off and i rushed the last and most important parts which then led to a series of problems and ultimately led me to shut the tank down.
I had every intention of bringing the 8 ft back to life after a bit of work, however we decided we would like to change the room around that it sits in and most importantly we wanted a peninsular tank. The 8ft was not suitable for this for a few reasons,
1. It was too shallow at only 450mm (18") so wouldn't give the look we liked,
2. All 3 sides were not optiwhite which i much prefer.
3. Maybe most importantly, it wouldn't quite fit!
Here is a picture of the 8ft system in its early days:
With that decided I found a new home for the tank, moved the remaining stock into temporary accommodation and set about designing the new system. There were a number of areas that i knew would need attention that i never got right in the first system: (in no particular order)
Luckily i have a building around 7M away from where the tank is to be housed which was perfect, my water change station is already there anyway so its made for the job.
On to the tank. My last 2 tanks have both been made by Aquarium connections here in the UK. Great quality and bulletproof, so there were no questions where it was coming from. As we knew it was set to be a peninsular this governed the maximum length of 7ft, so this left width and height, I have always loved wide tanks as i like a natural look to the way the fish can interact with their surroundings. I have always been governed by maintenance and reaching the back of the tank, since i can reach both sides of this one, 4 ft is where we settled and for height it had to be deep enough to view through sensibly so i went for just over 2ft.
For this who don't want to read my essay its 2100 x 1200 x 650 (7' x 4' x 2') - 3 sides optiwhite, 15mm glass with one piece 15mm laser cut brace.
I have also opted to go for a closed loop system for the first time, which i will supplement with powerbeads where needed.
I have a few ideas on the stand, but due to holdups with materials i cannot make it yet! So the tank currently sits in my front room gathering dust on its moving trolley.
Im afraid i have no ambition this time around to move fast on this project so anyone who is interested may have to wait a while for the tank to be running, i will however try to keep the thread updated.
Here is a photo of the tank in its temporary home. (For size reference that cat is large and weighs over 6kg)
If your still with me, thanks for reading.
I have been lurking on this forum for a while reading up on a lot of builds documented so beautifully on here. There really are some talented reef keepers on here.
As this seems a friendly forum i have decided to make this the home for my new build.
A little history from me, i started this addiction around 3 years ago when i picked up a little 23L fluvial edge from a local couple. I then set about my mission to complete a task list which included every newbie mistake which i have completed fairly successfully.
Needless to say i have a little experience on what not to do, and less experience on what you should do.
My last tank was an 8 x 3 rimless, i had all the enthusiasm for this project when i started and set about getting the system set up just right, until work took off and i rushed the last and most important parts which then led to a series of problems and ultimately led me to shut the tank down.
I had every intention of bringing the 8 ft back to life after a bit of work, however we decided we would like to change the room around that it sits in and most importantly we wanted a peninsular tank. The 8ft was not suitable for this for a few reasons,
1. It was too shallow at only 450mm (18") so wouldn't give the look we liked,
2. All 3 sides were not optiwhite which i much prefer.
3. Maybe most importantly, it wouldn't quite fit!
Here is a picture of the 8ft system in its early days:
With that decided I found a new home for the tank, moved the remaining stock into temporary accommodation and set about designing the new system. There were a number of areas that i knew would need attention that i never got right in the first system: (in no particular order)
- Auto top off system, i never got around to sorting it out on the last tank, simple but important!
- Lighting - I tried various things, none of which too successful for various reasons.
- Better filtration - I suffered with the filter socks not doing their job well, filer floss is my favourite method.
- More flow, I never got the correct amount of flow in the tank which caused numerous issues.
- Space! I ran out of space under the tank which led to equipment not being set up. I.e calcium reactor.
- Consistent water change schedule.
- Good amount of rock for both filtration and fish health / interaction. I ran with nowhere near enough.
Luckily i have a building around 7M away from where the tank is to be housed which was perfect, my water change station is already there anyway so its made for the job.
On to the tank. My last 2 tanks have both been made by Aquarium connections here in the UK. Great quality and bulletproof, so there were no questions where it was coming from. As we knew it was set to be a peninsular this governed the maximum length of 7ft, so this left width and height, I have always loved wide tanks as i like a natural look to the way the fish can interact with their surroundings. I have always been governed by maintenance and reaching the back of the tank, since i can reach both sides of this one, 4 ft is where we settled and for height it had to be deep enough to view through sensibly so i went for just over 2ft.
For this who don't want to read my essay its 2100 x 1200 x 650 (7' x 4' x 2') - 3 sides optiwhite, 15mm glass with one piece 15mm laser cut brace.
I have also opted to go for a closed loop system for the first time, which i will supplement with powerbeads where needed.
I have a few ideas on the stand, but due to holdups with materials i cannot make it yet! So the tank currently sits in my front room gathering dust on its moving trolley.
Im afraid i have no ambition this time around to move fast on this project so anyone who is interested may have to wait a while for the tank to be running, i will however try to keep the thread updated.
Here is a photo of the tank in its temporary home. (For size reference that cat is large and weighs over 6kg)
If your still with me, thanks for reading.
