35 gal to 80 gal upgrade.

[Chef Reef]

Not to big of a jump but i needed something to hold my adiction untill we move. i know i said i was gonna tear down my tank and hold off untill i move north, but well i just couldn't do it in the end. instead i upgraded a little to hold myself off untill i get my 110 or 210 gallon tank after i move. the stand i have can hold up to a 110 so if i decide to get the 210 i would need a new stand

First, wife helped me do alot of this stuff to from buying, sanding, and help staining the tank. she also picked out the cleaner shrimp, sailfin, along with the green zoas.

I had this 55 gallon tank and stand just kinda sitting in the house unused and i felt my rock work was kinda cramped. plus all the scratches on the tank were making it really hard to clean the algea with just a magnet cleaner.

so i cleaned it up with some vinager and water and looked pretty good. I made some water and started filling the tank up. kept about 15 gallons out of the old system.

Here is my old 30 gallon setup

and here is how i had the sump setup. (all you electricans, now is the time to cringe.)

After being shocked quite a few times and having stray voltage going through the tank once, and almost starting a fire twice.. I finally decided it was enough.

I put up the 55 gal and the stand in the picture. the stand can only hold a 10 gallon tank under it so that is what i had. that was working ok for the 2 fish i had, so it didnt bother me at first. quickly i started to hate it. the skimmer is rated for 100 gallons so in my eyes the biggest tank it could be on was that 30 i had so i bought a new skimmer.

I bought an ASM-G2 skimmer from Joe. obviously that was not going to fit in a 10 galon tank. so i used the 30 gallon. well i didnt want the sump behind the stand again becuase besides being shocked all the time it was turning my wall green. so i found this 5 foot tank that is about 3 times the size of the old stand that was half built, for dirt cheap. Was exactly what i wanted. It is solid wood, no cheap pressed wood crap.

Heres a shot with the ASM under it.

First i cleaned it up, sanded it, then stained it. Also water proofed it and drilled some holes in the back for plumbing and wireing.

 

[Chef Reef]

cont.

cont.

Here’s a shot with the 55 re filled up with it on its new stand.

Here’s a few shots of the sump.

I still need to add baffles to it but for now it works, and I have no micro bubbles.

here’s a full shot of the tank and sump

 

[Chef Reef]

Cont.

Cont.

Doors closed.

now some tank shots. some pictures are different because I’ still adding stuff to it.

 

[Chef Reef]

Cont.

Cont.

 

[Chef Reef]

Cont.

Cont.

There is also a cleaner shrimp not pictured and a green zoa colony not pictured. the greens have over 150 heads on it.

My tank has gone from this. (30)

To this. (30)

To this (30)

To this (30)

And to finally this. My 55 gallon with 30 gallon sump. I’m very happy with it so far.

My equipment is:

Tank - Aquatic enterprise 55 gallon glass tank
Lighting - coralife 46" 2-65 watt PC's.
Return pump - Rio 2500
Flow - Koralia 3, rio900, aquaclear 20, and return.
Filtration - HOB overflow, 30 gal sump, ASM-G2 skimmer, carbon,
100 micron filter sock 100lbs of LR.
Livestock includes - Sailfin tang, Zebra dart goby, Red cardinal,
SSS, pom pom crab, 2 cucumbers, 2 snails,
2 huge blue leg crabs, cleaner shrimp.
Corals include - Neon green rics, Pink with green mouth yuma,
Ice blue & white shroom, Blue and purple pimple
shrooms, Metallic pink zoas, Brown with green
center palys, Unknown green zoas, Xenia, GSP,
Red monti cap, Radio active dragon eye zoas,
ORA neon green birdsnest.


I will be getting a 4 bulb tek 4 ft fixture for lighting sometime this week hopefully as well. along with more corals.

 

[Chef Reef]

Thanks for looking, please tell me what you think and anything i should change or add.

 

[Chef Reef]

New tank shots.

New tank shots.

Here are the pictures of the green zoas, my hammer and some better pics of the mushrooms as well as a FTS.

Hammer just put in.

 

[macawmagic]

you might want to get that light a little off the tank top. water can spash up and who knows what.

 

[Chef Reef]

ya its temperary untill i can fine some legs for it.