600g Acrylic reef

[pwhitby]

Well, I think I am finally done with the main part of the aquascaping. All that remains to be done is fill in a few spots that still have PVC visible, but that pretty easy to do.

Here is the finished product:

the right side:

the left side:

the view down the length (from left side)

and the view from the right side:

Im pretty happy with how this now looks. I cant wait for the corals to start covering the rock and getting my corals out of quarantine and into the tank.

I have my next 4 fish in quarantine (2 six lines and 2 christmas wrasses). Once they come out I have to decide on the next set of fish. Im debating anthias or a large shoal of chromis, thens its a naso and a blue throat trigger. That may do for a while.

Hope you like,

Paul.

 

[Walter Costa]

Hi Paul;

I don't need to say that you have my(and most every one ) dream reef.

Very well project and done.

I don't know if I've missed something but would be nice to see some picts of your final setup. like sumps, pumps and equipment

 

[pwhitby]

walter, many thanks for the kind words.

Details of the equipment and stuff can be found by clicking on the redhouse....it links to a thread in my clubs forum.

I havent posted pics of the sump since I am still working on what will become the fish room....or the room formerly known as my garage.

Paul.

 

[Sanjay]

paul:

are you rock pillar "glued" or being held by cable ties ?

I am starting to think about aquascaping and looking for ideas.

sanjay.

 

[pwhitby]

Hi Sanjay,

No my pillars are purely balanced on top of each other with a pvc pipe running up through a hole drilled through each piece of rock.

The base/load is supported by a cross brace and two "T"s. See the pictures below:

the bare base/support

loading with rock, at random,

then the rock was removed, space made in the tank and the pillar reassembled and corals wedged/glued in place.

and then the finished product in the tank:

and after 6 weeks with T5s over this pillar:

 

[Sanjay]

Thanks, this is very much along the lines I was thinking.... but I was also planning to use Thorite to glue the rock formation together.

sanjay.

 

[pwhitby]

i didnt do that since i was building them underwater in a stocked tank. Plus I just knew I would be moving them, or adjusting etc.

Either way works well.

paul.

 

[pwhitby]

I took a picture of my tank earlier as the lights were coming on, I thought I would share.

The pillars have worked out extremely well, especially as the corals are now beginning to grow up and over them.

Ill take some more later once the lights are all on.

Paul.

 

[UnderwaterExotic]

Beautiful tank, i might of missed it but who built this tank?

 

[pwhitby]

the acrylic was done by a company in Dallas, cant remember the name. They mostly do stuff for public aguariums/hotels etc.

 

[pwhitby]

here are a few more:

and one of my favorites:

Paul.

 

[gws294]

Paul,
In a picture you posted in another thread, I saw you have a butterfly in this tank. Any nipping problems? Or is everything so large that it gets kind of spread around? LOL

 

[pwhitby]

pearlscales are considered reefsafe-ish. She did nip at a closed brain, thats all.

Paul.

 

[gws294]

I love the manner of butterflys, but I had a couple reefsafe-ish ones that seemed to like my clams after several months of being introduced into the tank. I had to move them out, but they did add a lot to the reef-like appearance of the tank.
I really like what you've done with yours...

 

[pwhitby]

Thankyou.

Ill be adding some new corals in the next few weeks 9currently in QT).

this bad boy:

and

and

Paul.

 

[serenity]

very nice build!

 

[pwhitby]

Thankyou.

Its now time to begin framing the wall out and begining the cabinet construction.

 

[Lordhelmet]

i havn't checked in this thread in ages. AMAZING! I didn't see maybe you posted it but I'll ask anyway. What did you use to drill out the live rock. a great big Masonry drill bit?

 

[pwhitby]

nah, a really cheap hole saw bit.

I stopped posting here since i was also posting in my club forum (click the red house for details)....

The hole saw was probably $15.

Paul.