Coral Tank from Canada (1350gal Display Tank)

[nineball]

I like what chingchai said about the rock. I was going to say that you should just store your rock at the same salinity as you are going to keep your tank. I dont have much experience with this, but that is what I would do. Thanks for sharing this with everyone. Oh ya, all good things have to have a couple haters and many jealous people. I will be honest, I am very jealous. But in no way will I ever degrade something as beautiful as this. Thanks for taking care of everything with such class. Good luck and I really can't wait for more pictures. Haha

Thanks Garrett, I will try and keep the storage tanks as close to target values in the main DT as I can but it is good news to know that there is some latitude in getting there.

As far as jealousy goes Garrett, I wake up every morning without exception feeling as if I've stolen someone else's house. This is NOT a result of a quick trip to Vegas or a solid lottery win.......its a result of hard work.......nothing magical about it. I can tell you that the enjoyment of this kind of project goes up a thousand fold when you can share it with the likes of this group. So its more that just empty words when I say that this is truly our tank. The outcome will be ours and we can all enjoy the fruits of your contributions to that end. I'll be the guy in the corner wearing the heavy rubber gloves.......

Peter

 

[nineball]

Simply amazing. I wish I would have found this thread when it first started, it took me quite some time to read through it and I am still processing all the information. This tank is an inspiration to us all who invest countless hours and time into this wonderful hobby.


Look forward to the progress,
Dave

Thank you Dave and let me be the first to offer you a sincere welcome to our community. This does promise to be an exceptional learning experience for us all. Especially me...........:beer:

Peter

 

[nineball]

dont know if it was posted but what type of rock did you get and where from?

I have premium Fiji and premium branch rock from Jakarta coming from the source. I belive it is flying in first class based on the cost of the tickets!!!!!!!!

Peter

 

[Lytehouse]

cleaning rock

cleaning rock

Peter,

Cleaning and inspecting all that rock is a large (and of little fun task). I promise you, folks from the local club would jump at the chance. When our local guy with 600 gal tank needs anything done, all he has to do is post and he has to turn people away-- just for the opportunity to see the tank and be a part. People love to be a part of a project like this-- you just have to be willing to ask.

food and refreshment never hurt :beer:

 

[aquavista99]

Your tank is amazing but I am also really impressed with your garden as well!

this is the garden behind the aquarium..........

and thanks,

Peter

 

[mr.wilson]

I have premium Fiji and premium branch rock from Jakarta coming from the source. I belive it is flying in first class based on the cost of the tickets!!!!!!!!

Peter

Paying extra for fresh rock is the way to go. Most rock gets here via sea container and sits in warehouses for weeks or even months. Some rock actually has mold on it. You can tell how long it has been packed by reading the dates on the newspapers in the boxes. The newspapers are a great read. They are 80% society page where people pay to be photographed, 10% beauty contest results & photos of the daughters of the people in the society page, and 10% natural disaster and political corruption reports. Pretty much the same thing as our papers

You should take a look at this thread for some QT/HT tips. http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1128981

 

[nineball]

Peter,

Cleaning and inspecting all that rock is a large (and of little fun task). I promise you, folks from the local club would jump at the chance. When our local guy with 600 gal tank needs anything done, all he has to do is post and he has to turn people away-- just for the opportunity to see the tank and be a part. People love to be a part of a project like this-- you just have to be willing to ask.

food and refreshment never hurt :beer:

Thanks for the suggestion Lynn. I would normally be hesitant in asking for help like this. Your right its just my nature not to impose......However it does make good sense as I wouldn't have the experience to know bad from good in terms of the inhabitants. I did get a pm from someone who did offer to look after the Bentley while I was rock cleaning...........:jester:

Peter

 

[nineball]

Your tank is amazing but I am also really impressed with your garden as well!

Thank you aquavista, my wife gets all the credit for the gardens. As she would tell you herself, men are not capable of doing this because of the broken DNA. Apparently all men have this deficincy and only women can see it. Just ask any woman and she will confirm it. Mine does every day..........

Thank god she never reads these things.............

Peter

 

[Padrino]

Peter,
I have spent quite some time going through every post in this thread, in fact in still on page 25 approaching as quickly as i can. Like everyone has said you have done an amazing job. As an engineer, i will be totally honest with you, the build quality and the attention to detail has been second to none. That being said, i feel that there were a quite a few large aspects that were not properly addressed in the initial design stage. This was really first seen on page 24-25 which the closed loop, lack of flow and intention to use bio balls.

As i am designing my upgrade, (a 500 gallon+ system), which isn't quite to the same magnitude the size it shares a ot of the same major principals. I spent over a 1.5 years researching on RC before i built my first 90 Gallon. That was almost 6 hours every day after work reading every major build thread. I thought i knew a lot but you really learn more when you start the tank. That is the peak of the learning curve.

If i recall, this is your first reef aquarium which would be extremely intimidating as a first tank. For this, i cannot say enough, you have better than i ever imagined. I guess what i really want to say and i think some others have perhaps hinted this already. I would suggest that you perhaps have an open house for local RC members one day SOON. You would be surprised how many experienced reefers would come to see this and then you and your team could get all the solutions you need now.

Peter, I don't live around the corner, but if you needed advice or have any questions, you can feel free to PM me and request some help. I will drive down to Oakville and perhaps help your team with some issues.

Rob

 

[nineball]

Paying extra for fresh rock is the way to go. Most rock gets here via sea container and sits in warehouses for weeks or even months. Some rock actually has mold on it. You can tell how long it has been packed by reading the dates on the newspapers in the boxes. The newspapers are a great read. They are 80% society page where people pay to be photographed, 10% beauty contest results & photos of the daughters of the people in the society page, and 10% natural disaster and political corruption reports. Pretty much the same thing as our papers

You should take a look at this thread for some QT/HT tips. http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1128981

Thank you sir, I would say your societal depth perception is about as sharp as it gets. Your links are consistantly valuable, don't stop offering them regardless how much I may object or offer bloodshot photoshopped images of survivors in defense of the human cost of trying to absorb all that knowledge. The truth is that knowing that you are hiding somewhere at the end of the yellow brick road gives me the courage to keep this dream alive!!

Thank you.

Peter:hmm6:

 

[nineball]

Peter,
I have spent quite some time going through every post in this thread, in fact in still on page 25 approaching as quickly as i can. Like everyone has said you have done an amazing job. As an engineer, i will be totally honest with you, the build quality and the attention to detail has been second to none. That being said, i feel that there were a quite a few large aspects that were not properly addressed in the initial design stage. This was really first seen on page 24-25 which the closed loop, lack of flow and intention to use bio balls.

As i am designing my upgrade, (a 500 gallon+ system), which isn't quite to the same magnitude the size it shares a ot of the same major principals. I spent over a 1.5 years researching on RC before i built my first 90 Gallon. That was almost 6 hours every day after work reading every major build thread. I thought i knew a lot but you really learn more when you start the tank. That is the peak of the learning curve.

If i recall, this is your first reef aquarium which would be extremely intimidating as a first tank. For this, i cannot say enough, you have better than i ever imagined. I guess what i really want to say and i think some others have perhaps hinted this already. I would suggest that you perhaps have an open house for local RC members one day SOON. You would be surprised how many experienced reefers would come to see this and then you and your team could get all the solutions you need now.

Peter, I don't live around the corner, but if you needed advice or have any questions, you can feel free to PM me and request some help. I will drive down to Oakville and perhaps help your team with some issues.

Rob

Thanks very much Rob, your offer is noted and appreciated. I will definitely be reaching out to folks on this thread both electronically as well as in person. I think there are going to be 'theme' opportunities where I can try and tap an area of concentration from the experience that is surfacing in such a positive manner all the way through this.

Part of the reality I am dealing with at home is a project to add 4,000 sq ft of living space has taken its toll on my significant other who couldn't figure out why we needed to add even 10 sq ft in the first place! If I suggested a group visit to share in the tank experience it would be analogous to me saying oh, by the way, I've decided to add a bowling alley next to your hydrangea.

I need to give her a chance to absorb the last seven months of twelve guys in the basement with jackhammers. If it were just me, and all too often I get accused of being too self centered, I would have had an open house throughout the build to take advantage of all the wonderful support that has been evident in this thread. And you would have each had your own key. I think I would have given Mr. Wilson his own room. I still might at least name one after him!!!!

So with caution I will say at this point that visits, tours and hands on helping sessions are in the cards for as many as can benefit but there will be some brief window in the near term where I can give Judy a short respite from all the frenetic activity of the past year.

Sorry Rob, I know that's probably too much information..........

Peter

 

[Reefer Brian]

I couldnt find a FTS in the 85 pages of chatting, could someone please direct me to one.

 

[garrett9]

Thanks Garrett, I will try and keep the storage tanks as close to target values in the main DT as I can but it is good news to know that there is some latitude in getting there.

As far as jealousy goes Garrett, I wake up every morning without exception feeling as if I've stolen someone else's house. This is NOT a result of a quick trip to Vegas or a solid lottery win.......its a result of hard work.......nothing magical about it. I can tell you that the enjoyment of this kind of project goes up a thousand fold when you can share it with the likes of this group. So its more that just empty words when I say that this is truly our tank. The outcome will be ours and we can all enjoy the fruits of your contributions to that end. I'll be the guy in the corner wearing the heavy rubber gloves.......

Peter

And this is why I enjoy reading and following your build. My jealousy is good and keeps me reminded of what I want to work hard towards.

 

[mr.wilson]

The truth is that knowing that you are hiding somewhere at the end of the yellow brick road gives me the courage to keep this dream alive!!

Thank you.

Peter:hmm6:

I changed my location to "Toronto" from "Burlington" so you don't come knocking at my door at 3 am with a crab to identify Maybe I should have gone with "Mount Olympus"

 

[Padrino]

Thanks very much Rob, your offer is noted and appreciated. I will definitely be reaching out to folks on this thread both electronically as well as in person. I think there are going to be 'theme' opportunities where I can try and tap an area of concentration from the experience that is surfacing in such a positive manner all the way through this.

Part of the reality I am dealing with at home is a project to add 4,000 sq ft of living space has taken its toll on my significant other who couldn't figure out why we needed to add even 10 sq ft in the first place! If I suggested a group visit to share in the tank experience it would be analogous to me saying oh, by the way, I've decided to add a bowling alley next to your hydrangea.

I need to give her a chance to absorb the last seven months of twelve guys in the basement with jackhammers. If it were just me, and all too often I get accused of being too self centered, I would have had an open house throughout the build to take advantage of all the wonderful support that has been evident in this thread. And you would have each had your own key. I think I would have given Mr. Wilson his own room. I still might at least name one after him!!!!

So with caution I will say at this point that visits, tours and hands on helping sessions are in the cards for as many as can benefit but there will be some brief window in the near term where I can give Judy a short respite from all the frenetic activity of the past year.

Sorry Rob, I know that's probably too much information..........

Peter

Understandable and know that experienced help is always available even if it is over the telephone. Myself and others on this thread would be happy to help you ensure you don't have any deal breaker surprises

 

[mr.wilson]

These larger closed loop strainers (see attachment) will not clog up like the ones you have on there now. Alternatively, raise the ones you have a few inches up from the sand and put them on a horizontal tee with two strainers instead of one. Available here. http://www.jjdownsplastics.com/

 

[chingchai]

No, the QT system is a totally separate isolated tank easy to maintain and 'sterilize' on a continuous basis. The Mars system would be too cumbersome to clean up and maintain as a QT environment.

Also the Mars system is really two units comprised of a double and a single system. My plan currently is to use the smaller one for coral propagation and sort of an ideal environment to improve healthy coral for rotation into the main display tank as I have learned from watching you.......:beer: The lighting modifications will be extensive and each system has its own chiller and refugium. The pumps for each system control the flow in each separate tank but are universal to all the tanks in each complete system. I will run top off to the Mars Bars from the RO reservoir. They will not be plumbed into the main DT because I want to be able to fine tune each Mars Bar according to its purpose without regard to a negative impact on the main DT.

The double Mars system will be used mainly for fish. I suspect there will be times I will not be able to put or keep certain fish in the main display tank so I will still have a safe and healthy environment for them. I would also like to have the capability as knowledge and experience will allow to raise certain varieties of fish on my own but that is an ideal that will take some time and alot of experience. Oh and courage...lots and lots of courage.

I was also very impressed with your approach to your softie tank. Although I do NOT have the skill or knowledge to maintain the softies as you have so often said "don't try this at home" :hmm3::spin2:, I was really taken with your idea of incorporating a smaller specialized display tank in your fish room. My hope is that the Mars bars will allow as interesting environment to develop over time as the main display. I might experiment with the remote deep sand bucket for the mars systems as well so I can the majority of tanks bare bottom......but I'm getting ahead of my self.

For the moment I am focused on receiving my custom Diamond pool table tonight.........this has been along time coming. Cliff and I plan to christen it with a vintage beaujulais.........

Peter

Peter. Thank you for the answer.
That is very well planned.
Can't wait to see your pool table.:dance:

 

[nineball]

These larger closed loop strainers (see attachment) will not clog up like the ones you have on there now. Alternatively, raise the ones you have a few inches up from the sand and put them on a horizontal tee with two strainers instead of one. Available here. http://www.jjdownsplastics.com/

Awesome idea.......this is first on my agenda..........Thank you.

Peter

 

[nineball]

I couldnt find a FTS in the 85 pages of chatting, could someone please direct me to one.

 

[nineball]

I couldnt find a FTS in the 85 pages of chatting, could someone please direct me to one.

back side........