A Reef Tank in the Desert - +/- 1,400 gallon system

danfeig said:
How can you not have a tank in Florida? Don't you have the ocean in your back yard?

Next time you come to Tucson, shoot me a PM and I'll be glad to show you the system. Hopefully things will have grown out by then!
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I know!!!! well I just picked up a fluval spec v (5 gallon) to make a pico system. Got some rapidled 6retrofit kit some acrylic and a heat sink. Gonna have a mini desk peninsula tank with maybe a fancy gumdrop coral croucher or a court jester goby

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2
 
wideawake said:
Hi Dan,
Just wondering.. with all the 3 sides of the display tank blacked out and no visibility from the fish room, don't you find it hard to perform maintenance or place corals?
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Hi Wideawake.

You know, it is a little bit of a challenge placing the corals on the rock. Cleaning hasn't been that big of an issue though.

For the coral placement, I have a sheet of plywood that lays across the tank. I climb aboard and reach down on the towers. I have long and medium sized tongs that I use. I have had to use a lot of Super Glue together with the Aquastick when mounting corals.

Cleaning is a little easier. I use a pool/spa pole connected with different cleaning pads. I have 4' scrapers, a 4' gravel vacuum and lots of magnetic glass cleaners. I am waiting for my MP40's to come in. Those will be pointed more towards the glass and I hope they will help keep the gravel and glass cleaner.
 
Dan, did you need to do anything special to support that plywood that you lay over the tank or does the tank itself carry all the weight? I can't remember did you have any cross bracing or is it just eurobracing? I'm trying to decide with my builder if I should open up front access over a 96 by 36 by 30 tank, I've had smaller (180g) in wall tanks with no front access and its been fine. But my new tank is going to be much bigger so I was leaning toward front access even though I don't really like that look, I like the nice clean look you have!
 
dotcommer said:
Wow, great build. Thanks so much for sharing all the pics and info. I love the auto fish feeder. I live in Scottsdale and would love to come down and see it some day.

I'm still working on the wife for a big tank. She really starting to see how amazing reef tanks are and likes my 60 gallon redsea max. I've been in the hobby for 7 months and still working on the education side.

It definitely helps when everyone who comes over is drawn to the tank.
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Thank you dotcommer!

Let me know the next time that you are in Tucson. I went through the same thing with my wife. For months, I would take my laptop out in bed and show her pictures of Chingchai's tank, David Saxby's, Jawsee's and many others. I'd go on YouTube and would show her videos of how relaxing and beautiful these tanks were to look at. She thought I was a kid in a candy shop!

After she saw how happy it made me - along with some other persuasive negotiation - she agreed.
 
danfeig said:
Thank you dotcommer!

Let me know the next time that you are in Tucson. I went through the same thing with my wife. For months, I would take my laptop out in bed and show her pictures of Chingchai's tank, David Saxby's, Jawsee's and many others. I'd go on YouTube and would show her videos of how relaxing and beautiful these tanks were to look at. She thought I was a kid in a candy shop!

After she saw how happy it made me - along with some other persuasive negotiation - she agreed.
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Now that's some serious psychological tactics right there.
 
milonedp said:
Dan, did you need to do anything special to support that plywood that you lay over the tank or does the tank itself carry all the weight? I can't remember did you have any cross bracing or is it just eurobracing? I'm trying to decide with my builder if I should open up front access over a 96 by 36 by 30 tank, I've had smaller (180g) in wall tanks with no front access and its been fine. But my new tank is going to be much bigger so I was leaning toward front access even though I don't really like that look, I like the nice clean look you have!
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Milonedp, my tank does have a steel brace surrounding the top and two cross braces. The plywood just rests on the steel braces. I figure that as long as I don't gain any more weight, I should be fine :hmm4:

I am glad that I did not go with front access panels, however, I am debating about having a few small 5"x5" openings cut in the drywall above the tank for feeding. I have been having discussions with the cantera tile store about crafting something for me.
 
danfeig said:
I am glad that I did not go with front access panels, however, I am debating about having a few small 5"x5" openings cut in the drywall above the tank for feeding. I have been having discussions with the cantera tile store about crafting something for me.
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I know I wish I had of planed for some way to feed from the front. It seems ashame when people walk up to the front Glass and fish scatter, but when I approach from the back where we feed all the fish come and greet me.
 
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Newbie Aquarist said:
Now that's some serious psychological tactics right there.
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Nah... psychological was when she said: "Honey, I know you really want a large reef tank in the living room." My response was... "It's okay dear, seriously, your happiness and you having your office there are much, much more important to me. I am fine with the small tank in the bedroom... Let me take you to that store you didn't want to go alone too."
 
danfeig said:
Nah... psychological was when she said: "Honey, I know you really want a large reef tank in the living room." My response was... "It's okay dear, seriously, your happiness and you having your office there are much, much more important to me. I am fine with the small tank in the bedroom... Let me take you to that store you didn't want to go alone too."
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Classic.:lol2::lol2::lol2:
 
Great Morning!!!

Great Morning!!!

Nothing like having the Federal Express man waking you up in the morning, shortly followed by UPS...

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Then when I add what I received yesterday...

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As you can surmise, it has been a very busy Saturday/weekend!!!
 
A Few Photos...

A Few Photos...

A few photos this evening as the lights are starting to fade down...

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jjk_reef00 said:
Awesome, lots of large sps! What livestock did you get? Looks like a banded coral shrimp and some kind of wrasse.
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Hey JJK.

I received 2 McCoskeri Fairy Wrasses, 2 Carpenters Flasher Wrasses, 2 Coral Banded Shrimp, 1 Pink Pin Sea Urchin, 2 Lopezi Tangs and a clean up crew.
 
Very nice thanks for keeping us up to date with everything.Have you decided to leave the lock-line returns at the bottom of the tank has is and let mother nature camouflage at some point? Mike
 
Looking great Dan, are you auto feeding with that little fridge. If so, can we get some more details on that?
 
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