215G In Wall Build

[hawaiianwargod]

The ocean in your living room is awesome!!!

 

[Louis]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9485325#post9485325 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by topshotta
Yeah - from the pictures I don't think you need any additional light in the middle. I think it looks good as is. The LED's though for moonlighting will be cool. Nice choice of tank btw - brand and size. I wasn't familar with the 215 and google'd it to get the dimensions - nice!!

It's a great tank, 72x24x29. Plenty of room for rockwork and for fish to swim. As soon as the moonlights are back in stock I'll get a few and post more pics!

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9485331#post9485331 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by hawaiianwargod
The ocean in your living room is awesome!!!

What more can anyone ask for?

 

[topshotta]

Are you going to add corals down the road?

Where did you get the Luminarc III's and what application you using for your plans - there's are extremely professional designs!

 

[Louis]

topshotta, I actually bought the L3's used from a guy in town. I think they are cheapest on reef exotics right now. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to link the site but it's not hard to find

I designed the light rack and the refugiums in Sketchup best part about it is that its freeware!

 

[Randy1]

How do you in-wall guys see into your tanks? I need to see in the tank when doing maintennce, placing corals..ect. Seems like it would be very difficult to see what you're doing with see through the front glass.

 

[Louis]

You can see with the pumps off but its not as good as a front accessable tank. It takes a bit of patience but it can be done. For me the results are worth it, a picture frame into the ocean!

 

[topshotta]

So - you going to add corals too - what are you thinking of doing if so? Also - keep forgetting to ask you - where do you live - with this tank in your garage you've got to be somewhere fairly warm? I couldn't do your exact setup here in Ohio, unless I had a heated garage!

 

[Louis]

This is hopefully going to be an SPS dominated tank. My big thing is to see how many fish I can keep and still be successful with SPS. I plan on adding corals once I install the refugiums. I may even plumb in a 100G Rubbermaid Oval for increased volume and easy water changes.

I live in South Texas, San Antonio to be exact. I am actually going to have more problems keeping the system cool than I am heating the tanks. I had an insulated garage door installed to help control the room temperature. So far its made the heat stay in, which is not a bad thing except that my chiller is not running yet. I'll be looking into venting solutions very soon.

Whats the garage temp like in Ohio?

Louis

 

[topshotta]

My garage temp is presently about 30 degrees, but that's because it's a detached garage. My wife and I are hopefully buying a new home this summer - that's if we can sell our current house. We are getting ready to put it on the market. Looking for a home with a finished basement or one that can be finished, as that is my plan - to build the aquarium into a non load bearing wall in the basement. Sump and everything will be in the utility room. If I do go the in the wall route I think I'm going to leave the tank accesible from front (ie: flaps or somethin). I'd like to get a clean look, but still be able to access it from the front as well as the back.

 

[Louis]

Wow, thats chilly! I cant say much about basement setups because I've never actually seen a basement, the ground in Texas is primarily rock so its rare to have one.

Front access is very well worth it. Although even if I did it all over again I think I would do the same thing, only I would make sure to get a brick with no top bracing. Would have made things easier.

UPDATE:
I added a few more fish to the tank. I added a Beautiful 8" Sohal Tang, a few cleaner wrasses and living in my sump is a 6" Adult Emperor Angel. The angel wasn't looking too great when he arrived but seems to be a little better today. I am going to have to get extreme on the feedings because he hasn't wanted anything I've offered yet. I may just take some spongie live rock from my curing vat and see if he wants to nibble on it.

I feed a home made blend that is composed of brine shrimp, mysis shrimp, blood worms, cyclops, spirulina flake, squid, shrimp, scallops, muscles and spectrum pellets. Along with a full sheet of Nori. I feed this blend every afternoon after work.

More updates still to come.

Louis

 

[topshotta]

I'll likely go with glass and probably Oceanic. I have an Oceanic 135 right now, but it has center bracing. It was setup as a freshwater planted tank for years and once we move I'll probably use it as a sump or set it up in the utility room as something else - aggressive fish only or something? I'm really liking the dimensions of your 215 - I used to work for an Oceanic distributor and we did do custom (non-center braced tanks) from time to time. They were a little more expensive, but no center bracing was really nice. It's my understanding that Oceanic and All-Glass are now one company? Did your 215 cost about $1100?

 

[Louis]

All-Glass purchased Oceanic a while back. They still aren't over the move and are finally starting to ship Oceanic again but in very small quantities. The bad thing about the company change is that they are not going to bring the full line of Oceanic tanks back. Oceanic now has an Ultimate line of aquariums that will feature low iron glass with a much heftier price tag. I retailed the old style 215g at $950.00 and the Brick at about $1,200.00 but the new version which I dont think is a brick style will probably be near $1,400.00! These prices are for the tank alone!!!

I've been looking into Perfecto's new lineup of large tanks and they are pretty nice, they have a 220G & 265G that are priced right and look great, maybe consider checking those out when you're ready for your next tank.

That 125 sure would make a nice sump/fuge!

 

[topshotta]

By brick - do you mean without center brace? Perfecto is nice too, but I've not seen one with overflow. My 135 is without overflow too unfortunately.

 

[Louis]

Yes, without a center brace. You can probably drill your 135 on the back.

 

[Louis]

As promised a comparison of my lighting, before and after.

2x400w Hamilton 14k in Spider Reflectors

2x400w Hamilton 14k in Luminarc III Reflectors

2x400w Hamilton 14k in Luminarc III Reflectors w/ 2x72" VHO Super Actinics

And Actinic Only

As you can see photography is not my strong point, but here are some fish pics!

Copperband Butterfly & Cleaner Wrasse

Sohol, Sailfin & Copperband

The reason I wanted a large reef tank:

Another of Mr. Emperor

 

[Louis]

The Best, I mean refugium stand, has been built. This thing is a monster!

I think I'm going to need a ladder....

The third tank still needs to be drilled, I'll try to do that tomorrow...
For now I have to putty, sand and paint this thing, stay tuned!

Louis

 

[hawaiianwargod]

Looking great Louis!!! Btw, what kind of bike is that? looks like it has Kandy paint.

 

[Louis]

It's a Yamaha V-Star Custom, it has flames painted in the undercoat. She's pretty

 

[SOULEMAN]

just a question, do u think that in the middle of your tank there is a shade spot where the 2 lights are not hitting? do u think by adding that 250 to the middle might cover that? Also i think your tank is gorgeous and u did a great job on the rock work and light rack.

 

[Louis]

Thank you, Souleman!

There is a dim spot but after reading some of the threads about heating up your glass center brace I decided it's not worth it