Avandss 265 Montreal Build

[Biggar]

Great work. I hope you can convince wife to make front access.

Just the ability to feed the fish right out of your hand as you look at them face to face,makes it worth it.

It will be possible, but will have some limitations and moments of frustration. Nice build

 

[Scythanith]

I was convinced by my LFS to put front access in as well Link. My tank is 36" front to back. Aside from coral placement, he said feeding the fish from to front every once and a while will make the fish more interactive when people come to the front of the tank.

I love the huge reliefs you have in your stand! It's so refreshing to see a negative space in a "sump" area. That's a unique design feature!

 

[Scythanith]

On a side note, nice Pike

 

[derek.reef]

i must say something that really sucks, montreal's non-existent reef community!! i cant turn to anyone for help, we dont even have any clubs, nothing! in other words i cant make any reef buddies! hahah

this is not normal!

fellow Montrealer here. Been through discus, arowana, motoro rays, and have been reefing for 5 years now. don't be shy to PM anytime

Derek

 

[avandss]

I was convinced by my LFS to put front access in as well Link. My tank is 36" front to back. Aside from coral placement, he said feeding the fish from to front every once and a while will make the fish more interactive when people come to the front of the tank.

I love the huge reliefs you have in your stand! It's so refreshing to see a negative space in a "sump" area. That's a unique design feature!

So after speaking to the wife.... its not going to happen.. again i will drop it since i really do have the perfect wife in every other way!

i really wanted the display tank to have a little library on the bottom part to really give it that "built in" look, thats why the front lip is there.

btw your build is insane.... i love the snake section!!!!!!!

 

[avandss]

On a side note, nice Pike

Thanks, I had a freak day, i dont know if they were spawning or what but we took out about 35 pikes (10lbs-18.5lbs) that day

 

[derek.reef]

any updates?

 

[avandss]

yupp so we just finished installing a 20kw whole house kohler generator with an automatic transfer case, within 10 seconds it automatically starts and also sends me updated emails and txt messages!

i also installed 2 propane tanks, that should give me aprox 12 days of power in case of a major disaster, (last one was 10 years ago in our ice storm, 10 days with no power)

i installed the system as we have at least 5 power outages a year lasting anywhere from 2-8 hours

i will post detailed pics tomorrow

 

[derek.reef]

i also installed 2 propane tanks, that should give me aprox 12 days of power in case of a major disaster, (last one was 10 years ago in our ice storm, 10 days with no power)

haha! Smart thinking! i remember keeping my leopoldi rays alive by boiling water on the fireplace during that outage!

looking forward to the pics

 

[avandss]

alright the generator is installed and perfectly running!

here are a few pics

 

[avandss]

also had a drain installed under the tank

 

[avandss]

so now i have a HUGE problem, decided with the wife this week that we should buy a bigger house in the next 24months.....

this is bad since just setting up this tank the way i want it will take up to 12 months....

i have no idea what to do at this point, fowlr? this is killing me! 2 years to build this house, still has 2 months to go.... now we are looking for a bigger house

depressing....

 

[Scythanith]

That's crappy! Any way that the two years will take four years I'd say FOWLR. Get some sweet triggers and maybe some sort of emperor angel, etc.

Or say screw it and get a reef tank going and deal with the transfer two years down the road.

 

[dave.m]

I don't see why it has to be so black & white. Why can't you build and populate for a reef tank with everything except the corals? i.e. Get your rockwork set up the way you want and age the rock (but no sand). Populate with the fish you want in a reef and avoid getting anything that won't be reef-safe down the line. That way if/when you move you will have your reef already half way towards completion (if a reef tank is ever "complete").

Dave.M

 

[avandss]

i see what you mean, only problem is that the tank is built in the house, so i will probably have to sell it with something in there (it looks unfinished empty)

when we buy the new house, i will probably do the same built in (but go bigger, probably 120x35x35 and that could take a few months...

this is a disaster (worst part is that its my idea to move!)

fowlr... nice lion or something? i want to at least give it the wow factor when people visit the house (to buy)

suggestions? (we did decide that the occupancy date would not be before 24-28 months )

 

[derek.reef]

fowlr... nice lion or something? i want to at least give it the wow factor when people visit the house (to buy)

lion, yellow tangs, dory and/or nemo are the safest bets i'd say.

take what you learned (and all the equipment) with you to the next place! nemo doesn't need a back-up electricity supply...

 

[avandss]

lion, yellow tangs, dory and/or nemo are the safest bets i'd say.

take what you learned (and all the equipment) with you to the next place! nemo doesn't need a back-up electricity supply...

exactly what i was thinking....

 

[avandss]

Back in Business! we finally decided not to sell the house (we cant find anything as nice! ) and my wife is now pregnant with TWINS!!!!

reef tank back on track!

here are finished and updated pics

 

[avandss]

now i need your help,

for my sump, i have two choices

1- 48x18x24 90 gallon
2- 60x18x26 120 gallon

i would prefer the 90 gallon as it leaves lots of room under the tank to work with

for height i think i am ok, under my tank i have a clearance of 36''H and 96L

(dont mind the mess we just finished building) next week all the racks and crap behind the tank will be gone)



BEHIND THE TANK




custom metal rack that will hold my RODI reservoir, QT & Frag tank

 

[Myriam]

i must say something that really sucks, montreal's non-existent reef community!! i cant turn to anyone for help, we dont even have any clubs, nothing! in other words i cant make any reef buddies! hahah

this is not normal!

You don ´t know Reef Action?
I think most of the Quebec's reef community is on this forum ( including myself)
We would be happy to have you with us!
Your project is very interesting, I will follow!