Anathema's 120G Rebuild.
- Thread starter anathema
- Start date
anathema
Guest
Thanks for the kind words guys.
Tank has been running now for 5 days with water in it, and I've tested things such as clogging one overflow, pulling out a standpipe and letting the water drain out of the box fast, and clogging half the overflow teeth. It passed all tests. If anyone can think of anything else to check, let me know. I'll be draining it in the next few days to glue in the closed loop outlets.
Off topic: holy crap I need to buy this tool!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXnHav1KTos&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Oh wait it's only in metric, doesn't cut thicker than 3/8" glass, and cost $800. Hmm sounds like I'm stuck with my $12 sawblade for now.
Tank has been running now for 5 days with water in it, and I've tested things such as clogging one overflow, pulling out a standpipe and letting the water drain out of the box fast, and clogging half the overflow teeth. It passed all tests. If anyone can think of anything else to check, let me know. I'll be draining it in the next few days to glue in the closed loop outlets.
Off topic: holy crap I need to buy this tool!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXnHav1KTos&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Oh wait it's only in metric, doesn't cut thicker than 3/8" glass, and cost $800. Hmm sounds like I'm stuck with my $12 sawblade for now.
anathema
Guest
Finally got some free time to stick some rocks together the other night. Reusing shapes from the previous tank with embellishments. I'm not going for the 2 island look, I'll be adding to this, but these are the basic structures. I'm going for as natural looking as I can get, yet still interesting. I'm going to add a partial wall on the back left of the tank, and possibly something in the front left corner. Positioning isn't final.
saltwatersig
Guest
Looking good
anathema
Guest
Well after several days of concrete work and matching pieces together this is what I came up with. I realize it's pretty busy, personally I wanted room to mount more corals over visual impact.
Front View:
End View:
I was trying for three planes from the back. Foreground, midground, and back wall. The back middle is a messy jumble intentionally, somewhat. For that area, I was going for a look like this: http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploader/2011Q3/terras%20007.jpg but decided to use the round rocks I already had to do it. I wanted a section to be very "cavey" like the ceramic systems. I'm not sure I achieved my goal, but I'm going to let it soak a while while I decide.
Oh, and there is another piece that will be a continuation of the wall on the back left that is in the temp tank because it has corals growing on it.
Also the pipe across the top will eventually be painted black, once I decide I'm ready to glue it and make it permanent.
Front View:
End View:
I was trying for three planes from the back. Foreground, midground, and back wall. The back middle is a messy jumble intentionally, somewhat. For that area, I was going for a look like this: http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploader/2011Q3/terras%20007.jpg but decided to use the round rocks I already had to do it. I wanted a section to be very "cavey" like the ceramic systems. I'm not sure I achieved my goal, but I'm going to let it soak a while while I decide.
Oh, and there is another piece that will be a continuation of the wall on the back left that is in the temp tank because it has corals growing on it.
Also the pipe across the top will eventually be painted black, once I decide I'm ready to glue it and make it permanent.
iCon
Supporting Member
I like where this is going - Can't wait to see it stocked. I have a random assortment of frags I was planning on giving away in the near future because I'm out of space... You get first crack at them whenever you're ready - Preferably sooner the better 
Shoot me a text/call when you're ready
Shoot me a text/call when you're readyanathema said:Front View:
End View:
anathema
Guest
Thanks guys!
Icon, I really appreciate the offer but it will be a couple weeks before I'm ready. I'm planning to move a couple softies over soon to lessen the load on the temp tank but I don't want to rush things. I kept all the rock submerged, but I did use a fair amount of Emaco400 and I want to be sure it's done curing. I'm not expecting a huge cycle but I did basically start over.
I ended up choosing a Reef Angel controller, and Roberto was nice enough to help me set up a script to specifically address the top off issue. I'm trying to sort out the rest of it, but I don't think I'll get it installed this week.
Icon, I really appreciate the offer but it will be a couple weeks before I'm ready. I'm planning to move a couple softies over soon to lessen the load on the temp tank but I don't want to rush things. I kept all the rock submerged, but I did use a fair amount of Emaco400 and I want to be sure it's done curing. I'm not expecting a huge cycle but I did basically start over.
I ended up choosing a Reef Angel controller, and Roberto was nice enough to help me set up a script to specifically address the top off issue. I'm trying to sort out the rest of it, but I don't think I'll get it installed this week.
anathema
Guest
Well, I thought I'd drop in and update, even though it isn't great news.
I've had a pretty busy winter, and some financial issues lately. The tank has suffered as a result. I've lost quite a few of the corals that were generously donated by members, and that really makes me feel crappy.
I have tried to keep up with my normal method of keeping a tank, but at the beginning of this rebuild I made some significant changes to my normal methods and they didn't work out. I spent the first few months chasing parameters way more than I am used to, and it seemed to affect the animals negatively. Maybe I just rushed things too much with the larger water volume. Shortly after I got things somewhat sorted out, I adjusted my bubble magus doser slightly. A week later, I noticed that levels in the containers hadn't moved and investigated, to find that I'd left it in a menu for a week while I was working, and had actually stopped dosing. This hit the SPS pretty hard, sadly.
All in all, after many little issues and mistakes since setting up this tank (and one big one leading to the need to rebuild) I'm getting pretty discouraged. At least the fish seem happy. Kind of thinking I may go fish only for a while...
I've had a pretty busy winter, and some financial issues lately. The tank has suffered as a result. I've lost quite a few of the corals that were generously donated by members, and that really makes me feel crappy.
I have tried to keep up with my normal method of keeping a tank, but at the beginning of this rebuild I made some significant changes to my normal methods and they didn't work out. I spent the first few months chasing parameters way more than I am used to, and it seemed to affect the animals negatively. Maybe I just rushed things too much with the larger water volume. Shortly after I got things somewhat sorted out, I adjusted my bubble magus doser slightly. A week later, I noticed that levels in the containers hadn't moved and investigated, to find that I'd left it in a menu for a week while I was working, and had actually stopped dosing. This hit the SPS pretty hard, sadly.
All in all, after many little issues and mistakes since setting up this tank (and one big one leading to the need to rebuild) I'm getting pretty discouraged. At least the fish seem happy. Kind of thinking I may go fish only for a while...
houser
Past President
Same boat here with that doser. Left it in programming mode so many times, days would go by, a week, who knows... It's way more fun to get mad at the shitty doser than fool (myself) who can't remember to program it right. POS.
Scroll down halfway on page 5 of my build thread for inspiration on how to remember.
Scroll down halfway on page 5 of my build thread for inspiration on how to remember.
bondolo
Guest
Work towards a tank you can afford (both time and money) to maintain and you'll have a tank you enjoy. Try not to be frustrated--your tanks and setup, for me, were the most interesting of last fall's tank tour. Mostly because I learned the most from your story and setup. I now have a very productive copepod setup inspired by yours. (2.5 gallons with a bubbler near a window)
Your bad crash and rebuild were also great learning opportunities and inspiring. Go slow and keep it fun and interesting. The next tank tour is still many months away. ;-) I'm also willing to contribute frags as many times as you are willing to keep trying them.
Your bad crash and rebuild were also great learning opportunities and inspiring. Go slow and keep it fun and interesting. The next tank tour is still many months away. ;-) I'm also willing to contribute frags as many times as you are willing to keep trying them.
anathema
Guest
I figured I owe you guys an update by now. This tank has taken a LONG time to settle in for some reason. I lost a few of the corals given to me by BAR members, sorry guys. However quite a few are still doing ok. I came back from AK this summer to alarmingly low CA and ALK, I had turned the doser down slightly, which I did last year too, but for some reason this year the tank used way more than I expected, even though I had less coral in the tank.
The fish are thriving, even the bad boy purple tang who is currently incarcerated.
I can't get my pictures of my tank to look pretty, so here are some blah ones.
The fish are thriving, even the bad boy purple tang who is currently incarcerated.
I can't get my pictures of my tank to look pretty, so here are some blah ones.
