Castle Grayskull Theme 240 gallon Basement in Wall Ghetto Build
- Thread starter smitch
- Start date
joejoe1055
New member
update?
how the chromis fairing?
how the chromis fairing?
smitch
New member
Chromis are doing very well. Super hungry, follow you were ever you go, have to check out what ever you drop in the tank. I dont know if you missed my update from a couple of minutes ago, but Im up to nine chromis now.
You guys made me go down and take a couple of photos (only one worth showing). Tank still has a long way to go...so be easy.
I have a ebay led light on the way..(hope it doesnt catch fire). Im going to run the led in conjunction with my compact fluorescent lights. In the picture is my single bright led from my mantis shrimp tank.
Still in the planning stage for my back ground. I've been doing research and found a shadow box design that I might try and mimic. My funds will be pretty tight as I purchased carpet for the basement.
You guys made me go down and take a couple of photos (only one worth showing). Tank still has a long way to go...so be easy.
I have a ebay led light on the way..(hope it doesnt catch fire). Im going to run the led in conjunction with my compact fluorescent lights. In the picture is my single bright led from my mantis shrimp tank.
Still in the planning stage for my back ground. I've been doing research and found a shadow box design that I might try and mimic. My funds will be pretty tight as I purchased carpet for the basement.
Augustus
New member
Wow man! Where do I start with this. First I think the castle greyskull idea and replica you made is awesome!
So you asked for suggestions or ideas and I have a few for you. Not sure what your plans are so maybe you already thought of this but I think you may need a few more pieces in there to sell it. I agree with you that you shouldn't go over the top or put action figures in there but I think you should make it like you said, it was a castle and it got flooded. I'm thinking you need a tower, like a cylindrical old castle style tower and I'd like to see it fallen over. Either the whole tower as if it was once connected to the side of the castle fell over or it broke in half and only the half of it remains. I think a small cobblestone road leading up to the entrance would look good and maybe a very dilapidated wall surrounding some of it would look great. I'm not suggesting making the whole wall or road. Just make a few pieces of the wall and a few loose bricks and scatter them around. Same with the road make a few small pieces of it and make it look like the rest is covered with sand!
I made a mock up in paint to illustrate what I was thinking, but I'm no artist and my pc crashed so I don't have photoshop at the moment so excuse the clearly amateur attempt.
Obviously this is your vision so take these as suggestions, I can tell already that this tank will be fantastic regardless! That said you did such a great job on the castle I'd like to see more of your work!
So you asked for suggestions or ideas and I have a few for you. Not sure what your plans are so maybe you already thought of this but I think you may need a few more pieces in there to sell it. I agree with you that you shouldn't go over the top or put action figures in there but I think you should make it like you said, it was a castle and it got flooded. I'm thinking you need a tower, like a cylindrical old castle style tower and I'd like to see it fallen over. Either the whole tower as if it was once connected to the side of the castle fell over or it broke in half and only the half of it remains. I think a small cobblestone road leading up to the entrance would look good and maybe a very dilapidated wall surrounding some of it would look great. I'm not suggesting making the whole wall or road. Just make a few pieces of the wall and a few loose bricks and scatter them around. Same with the road make a few small pieces of it and make it look like the rest is covered with sand!
I made a mock up in paint to illustrate what I was thinking, but I'm no artist and my pc crashed so I don't have photoshop at the moment so excuse the clearly amateur attempt.
Obviously this is your vision so take these as suggestions, I can tell already that this tank will be fantastic regardless! That said you did such a great job on the castle I'd like to see more of your work!
Attachments
Augustus
New member
Geez I just saw that latest pic you posted and its given me even more ideas!
You really need to change this:
Current Tank Info: I had the power, tank build started
to this:
Current Tank Info: I have the power, tank build started
Because you certainly have some creative powers my friend. This is going to look so bad *** once a few different colors of algae start growing and some barnacles and such grow. I can't wait to see what it looks like in six months or so!
You really need to change this:
Current Tank Info: I had the power, tank build started
to this:
Current Tank Info: I have the power, tank build started
Because you certainly have some creative powers my friend. This is going to look so bad *** once a few different colors of algae start growing and some barnacles and such grow. I can't wait to see what it looks like in six months or so!
smitch
New member
Amazing rendering!
The road is a great idea. I've thought of doing a bridge like in the cartoon. I really wanted to make a cement replica of the draw bridge. There would have to be a relief made out of plaster and then the final out of cement.
While I dont have cylinder or bricks made I do have a couple 'castle' pieces that I'll be adding. There is also some chiseling and drilling on the castle yet to come.
Thanks for the awesome ideas.
The road is a great idea. I've thought of doing a bridge like in the cartoon. I really wanted to make a cement replica of the draw bridge. There would have to be a relief made out of plaster and then the final out of cement.
While I dont have cylinder or bricks made I do have a couple 'castle' pieces that I'll be adding. There is also some chiseling and drilling on the castle yet to come.
Thanks for the awesome ideas.
trickedout900
New member
Sweet I love the castle, can't wait to see it all grown over.
smitch
New member
I now have two of my lights for the tank. I plan on running two more four foot florescent bulbs for overall coverage. I bought a double bright led light from ebay. Looks really good for 150 bucks.
Started the shadow box. Atleast I bought the film part. The film is a light blue. I wish it was a little darker but once I get my background on I think it will be good.
back room lights off
back room lights on
The tomato clown went in the other day. He came from my mantis shrimp tank. This is the new Orko.
Im still playing around with the rockscaping. All my rocks look tiny in the 240 tank. Two of the rocks are pinned with acrylic rods. Theres about fifty more pounds of rock left in my 72 gallon that needs to be transferred. Im going to let the 240 fully cycle before moving over everything else.
Started the shadow box. Atleast I bought the film part. The film is a light blue. I wish it was a little darker but once I get my background on I think it will be good.
back room lights off
back room lights on
The tomato clown went in the other day. He came from my mantis shrimp tank. This is the new Orko.
Im still playing around with the rockscaping. All my rocks look tiny in the 240 tank. Two of the rocks are pinned with acrylic rods. Theres about fifty more pounds of rock left in my 72 gallon that needs to be transferred. Im going to let the 240 fully cycle before moving over everything else.
supersantay
New member
Very nice build! Love the castle. All you need now is a replica He-Man and Battle-Cat.
JohnnyAirtime
New member
Nice work... With your thread title, I thought I'd see some crap ghetto stuff... but, I was mistaken. Very cool stuff going on here (I have a pirate fowlr tank for the wife), more more more!
... I too have a 240, and used all return pumps for flow. Yet, I drilled about 4 holes along the back wall and each has a split locline attached on the interior, one is a spray bar behind the rockscape. All are powered by (3) mag pumps. A Mag18, Mag12, and Mag18 in that order. One pump is split via a SCWD, and provides a bit of alternating current. I can't stand powerheads. They're unsightly, and a pita to clean around. I hope you can get the proper flow your looking for!!
All in due time! I'm watching the progress!
And your too small of a sump issue... why can't you upgrade the size of it (did I miss that)? I'm using an 80gal glass tank for a sump, and it's nearly too small for what I've got going. But, it works and allows for just a tad bit of siphon. BUT... you've got 40gallons of siphon?! Holy cow!! Why so much? Can that be changed with piping moved up closer to the surface, or something to get the height corrected?
... I too have a 240, and used all return pumps for flow. Yet, I drilled about 4 holes along the back wall and each has a split locline attached on the interior, one is a spray bar behind the rockscape. All are powered by (3) mag pumps. A Mag18, Mag12, and Mag18 in that order. One pump is split via a SCWD, and provides a bit of alternating current. I can't stand powerheads. They're unsightly, and a pita to clean around. I hope you can get the proper flow your looking for!!
All in due time! I'm watching the progress!
And your too small of a sump issue... why can't you upgrade the size of it (did I miss that)? I'm using an 80gal glass tank for a sump, and it's nearly too small for what I've got going. But, it works and allows for just a tad bit of siphon. BUT... you've got 40gallons of siphon?! Holy cow!! Why so much? Can that be changed with piping moved up closer to the surface, or something to get the height corrected?
smitch
New member
Big update....still not done though.
Got some more flow and another skimmer hooked up.
Carpet is in. Counter is up but still need some work. Starting to look done.
More castle pieces are in.
Skelator (Ol'Blue going on ten years old) and Evil Lin (Yellow, almost 8 years old) are in.
Got some more flow and another skimmer hooked up.
Carpet is in. Counter is up but still need some work. Starting to look done.
More castle pieces are in.
Skelator (Ol'Blue going on ten years old) and Evil Lin (Yellow, almost 8 years old) are in.
joejoe1055
New member
looking good
i like how u used the right side of the play-set as ruins(i use to own one)
would u mind sharing your fish and invert list with us?
i like how u used the right side of the play-set as ruins(i use to own one)
would u mind sharing your fish and invert list with us?
smitch
New member
my fish list is nothing special.
-Blue tang- aka o'l blue/ skeletor, 10 years old, almost died twice due to ick in the summer heat, almost got killed by a blind and crazy snow flake eel.
-Yellow tang- Evil Lin, 8 years old, was in the mouth of a frog fish like a dog bone twice.
-Flame angel- the Sorceress, 1 year old, no cruel stories
-Red Mandrin gobie, about 9 months old. This guy is really fat and seems to be doing well. She hides all the time. I went a whole month with out seeing her.
-Blue spot gobie, less than a month
-9 chromis, just over a month
-three emerald crabs, might of lost one
-one peppermint shrimp
-tiger serpent star, had for ever
-black cucumber, aka the black turd. had forever.
-a couple snails
Plan on adding another dwarf angle maybe another tang. That wont be for a while.
During the new tank I lost two chromis and two peppermint shrimp. All the old fish are doing very well. The blue tang got a couple of spots on him for a couple of days. He's doing great now and appears to love his new home.
-Blue tang- aka o'l blue/ skeletor, 10 years old, almost died twice due to ick in the summer heat, almost got killed by a blind and crazy snow flake eel.
-Yellow tang- Evil Lin, 8 years old, was in the mouth of a frog fish like a dog bone twice.
-Flame angel- the Sorceress, 1 year old, no cruel stories
-Red Mandrin gobie, about 9 months old. This guy is really fat and seems to be doing well. She hides all the time. I went a whole month with out seeing her.
-Blue spot gobie, less than a month
-9 chromis, just over a month
-three emerald crabs, might of lost one
-one peppermint shrimp
-tiger serpent star, had for ever
-black cucumber, aka the black turd. had forever.
-a couple snails
Plan on adding another dwarf angle maybe another tang. That wont be for a while.
During the new tank I lost two chromis and two peppermint shrimp. All the old fish are doing very well. The blue tang got a couple of spots on him for a couple of days. He's doing great now and appears to love his new home.
joejoe1055
New member
hows the tank coming along?
smitch
New member
Tank is going great! Thanks for asking!
I've been meaning to update this for a while. Thanks for giving me a reason to bust out the camera.
updates to the tank
sally lightfoot
Spider crab
porcelain crab, havent seen since I dropped in the tank
some snails
star polyp
kayan (sp?) tree small
coral beauty
I've had a couple of coral beauty's in the past. They are usually a passive fish. My current one is a brute. Him and the tomato clown are not good friends. Since putting the beauty in the tomato clown has become super aggressive towards everyone including me. I see the tomato getting a new home soon.
Other than the aggressiveness everyone is super healthy. My red mandarin is out all the time and looking pretty fat.
I did have a power head that I have for water changes fall out of an auto fill ro container and somehow create a siphon. The wife said she pulled out 15, five gallon buckets of water out of the basement. Not cool at all. I made sure that this will not happen again.
I've been meaning to update this for a while. Thanks for giving me a reason to bust out the camera.
updates to the tank
sally lightfoot
Spider crab
porcelain crab, havent seen since I dropped in the tank
some snails
star polyp
kayan (sp?) tree small
coral beauty
I've had a couple of coral beauty's in the past. They are usually a passive fish. My current one is a brute. Him and the tomato clown are not good friends. Since putting the beauty in the tomato clown has become super aggressive towards everyone including me. I see the tomato getting a new home soon.
Other than the aggressiveness everyone is super healthy. My red mandarin is out all the time and looking pretty fat.
I did have a power head that I have for water changes fall out of an auto fill ro container and somehow create a siphon. The wife said she pulled out 15, five gallon buckets of water out of the basement. Not cool at all. I made sure that this will not happen again.
Dangerwill
New member
That was an awesome idea! Well done
