Well, the story goes a little something like this.
Started with a custom Pico reef (12.5 gallons) and didn't like the rockwork:
I have a pretty sweet little Biocube 14 that I wanted to upgrade, and the above wasn't much of an upgrade!
So a local club member was selling his Mr. Aqua 22 Long, here's before he tore it down and sold it to me:
https://flic.kr/p/Y2TZfE
Well. The gauntlet has been dropped. Couple of things:
1. It didn't come with a stand.
2. It had a built in overflow, and that takes up real-estate! The tank's small enough already, lets not make it any tinier.
So I started addressing the stand. Local club member built a stand for me using some red oak I had previously been working with, a combo of resin, glow in the dark powder, and filling in the cracks. I wanted something that would keep the live edge of the wood, but also keep it sleek. I wanted a rim on the stand, because every good tank needs a ledge for a beer.
I'm getting ahead of myself, stand's getting built, so I need some dimensions. I know that I'm going to install an overflow, just not sure what I'm going with. I ended up going with Eshopps S external overflow, very pleased with results.
Empty Mr. Aqua 22 L. This is NOT the stand, but my media console. Tank would have worked great here, but didn't want it under my TV bc of soundbar, and lighting (more to come on that)
https://flic.kr/p/Y2TZfE
Look at all that wasted space!
https://flic.kr/p/Y2TZfE
Yaaaaas, this is better:
https://flic.kr/p/Y2TZfE
So this baller tank ends up being ready, sans doors, check out some of these deets:
https://flic.kr/p/Y2TZfE
underneath, the only real remaining trace of the resin/glow in the dark powder. Subtle, and nobody really would ever know its there except for me:
https://flic.kr/p/Y2TZfE
Brings me to here:
https://flic.kr/p/Y2TZfE
Some decisions being made pre and post. Sump will be a Trigger Systems Ruby 36. Plumbing will be red and white. Skimmer, Reef Octopus Int 110 (super pleased with this sump btw) also matches my color scheme. Lighting will be an ATI Sunpower, x1 coral plus x1 Fiji Purple X2 Blue Plus. Fuge is powered by a 15" XHO Reef Brite. Custom 5 gallon ATO container, Tunze ATO. Pump is a mag 5. Enough flow without anything else, but will add an MP-10 onto the back glass.
https://flic.kr/p/21sC2bY
Currently tank is cycling with LR in the sump, one piece in the DT from a friends fuge, about 20lbs of dead rock, 20lbs of Fiji Pink, and I have added after a month a giant hermit crab, and a conch snail.
The uglies starting:
https://flic.kr/p/H1s4Vz
Plan is to let it cycle until the New Year, and then move my biocube into this. Will be a mixed reef, but I appreciate zoanthids, so will be choosy. Also, maybe some nicer SPS, but will give some birdsnest a shot first before I start messing around in that game. Thanks for reading if you've made it this far!
Started with a custom Pico reef (12.5 gallons) and didn't like the rockwork:
I have a pretty sweet little Biocube 14 that I wanted to upgrade, and the above wasn't much of an upgrade!
So a local club member was selling his Mr. Aqua 22 Long, here's before he tore it down and sold it to me:
https://flic.kr/p/Y2TZfE
Well. The gauntlet has been dropped. Couple of things:
1. It didn't come with a stand.
2. It had a built in overflow, and that takes up real-estate! The tank's small enough already, lets not make it any tinier.
So I started addressing the stand. Local club member built a stand for me using some red oak I had previously been working with, a combo of resin, glow in the dark powder, and filling in the cracks. I wanted something that would keep the live edge of the wood, but also keep it sleek. I wanted a rim on the stand, because every good tank needs a ledge for a beer.
I'm getting ahead of myself, stand's getting built, so I need some dimensions. I know that I'm going to install an overflow, just not sure what I'm going with. I ended up going with Eshopps S external overflow, very pleased with results.
Empty Mr. Aqua 22 L. This is NOT the stand, but my media console. Tank would have worked great here, but didn't want it under my TV bc of soundbar, and lighting (more to come on that)
https://flic.kr/p/Y2TZfE
Look at all that wasted space!
https://flic.kr/p/Y2TZfE
Yaaaaas, this is better:
https://flic.kr/p/Y2TZfE
So this baller tank ends up being ready, sans doors, check out some of these deets:
https://flic.kr/p/Y2TZfE
underneath, the only real remaining trace of the resin/glow in the dark powder. Subtle, and nobody really would ever know its there except for me:
https://flic.kr/p/Y2TZfE
Brings me to here:
https://flic.kr/p/Y2TZfE
Some decisions being made pre and post. Sump will be a Trigger Systems Ruby 36. Plumbing will be red and white. Skimmer, Reef Octopus Int 110 (super pleased with this sump btw) also matches my color scheme. Lighting will be an ATI Sunpower, x1 coral plus x1 Fiji Purple X2 Blue Plus. Fuge is powered by a 15" XHO Reef Brite. Custom 5 gallon ATO container, Tunze ATO. Pump is a mag 5. Enough flow without anything else, but will add an MP-10 onto the back glass.
https://flic.kr/p/21sC2bY
Currently tank is cycling with LR in the sump, one piece in the DT from a friends fuge, about 20lbs of dead rock, 20lbs of Fiji Pink, and I have added after a month a giant hermit crab, and a conch snail.
The uglies starting:
https://flic.kr/p/H1s4Vz
Plan is to let it cycle until the New Year, and then move my biocube into this. Will be a mixed reef, but I appreciate zoanthids, so will be choosy. Also, maybe some nicer SPS, but will give some birdsnest a shot first before I start messing around in that game. Thanks for reading if you've made it this far!
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