DFason's 35g Shallow SPS Build

[DFason]

Well after a 2 year break from the hobby I decided to get back into it! I play pro paintball so I was traveling across to Europe and Asia to play so I ran out of time to do reef stuff. Now I'm not traveling anymore and I built a tank! The tank and stand were DIY. I wanted the rock work to be like an Amano FW tank. Very simple but to the point.

30x18x15 3/8" Acrylic tank corner overflow 1" drain with 3/4" return
ATI Sunpower Fixture
2 - Tunze 6025's modded
Eheim 1260 return pump
H&S F90-1000 Skimmer
30lbs Live rock
20lbs sand

I currently only have a few frags in there.
Red Planet
ORA Green polyp Birdsnest
Purple Polyp Birdsnest
Green/blue polyp Cap
Blue/Green Tip Acro

Next week I have coming
Tyree Setosa
Purple Bonsai
Bubblegum Monster
Purple Rim Efflo
Lime in the Sky
ATL Pink cap

My final FTS SUCK and are washed out in blue. My camera was about to die and I couldnt snap anything good without it going dead. I will have better ones this weekend. I also have 10 red spot glass cardinal fish on there way.

Here's the build...
It all started with a rubbermaid container!

DIY Sump

DIY Stand

DIY Stand with top

Sunpower!

 

[DFason]

DIY Tank ( DO NOT build in your tank in your house take my advise! )

Leak Test

Rock and all!

Again these pictures SUCK. I will get better ones this weekend. I also have some small bubbles from my return hole being JUST above water level. I am getting loc-line to solve this.

Want to say thanks to pookstreet and SunnyX for inspiring me to start this tank up. Without drooling over theres over and over I would still be watching Planet Earth over and over

-Dave

 

[JustinReef]

Looks great so far!

 

[SunnyX]

Good job! :thumbsup:

It looks like you are off to a great start. You have a great foundation and I love the rockwork layout. I even see a few frags in there.

Just take it slowly and be sure to keep us updated and post more pics.

Ill be following along.

 

[DFason]

Thanks Justin and thanks Sunny. Really means alot coming from you!

I few things down the road I am going to do though....

DIY Sump - Smaller to fit other DIY Projects
DIY Nano Calcium Reacor, I have a Eheim 1048 pump already and have access to acrylic tube

One other fish I really want to get it a blue eyed goby. Thes are VERY small but would love to grab 4-5 of these guys.

-Dave

 

[DFason]

Here's a top down. I need to figure how to get the washed out blue to go away!

 

[Chrisrush]

Time to put that roomba to work. That's a lot of acrylic shavings.

Tank looks good. How do you like the sunpower? I'm interested to see how everything does with 4 lamps.

 

[DFason]

I love the light so far. I think I will be fine with the 4 bulbs being that the tank is small. The way I have the rockwork is the lights are over them and then there are indirect spots so I can add a chalice or micro here and there.

-D

 

[A.VOID]

"These pictures SUCK"

HAHA, looks good to me!

 

[macreefster]

great start dfason....keep us updated with pics.

 

[CFranklin25]

very nice, I have been planning something very similar!

 

[chem-e]

Great work so far. I can't wait to see how it turns out. I was also thinking about adding some cardinal fishes, but I've been holding off on adding anything new. Maybe once I see how great it looks in your tank, it might change my mind.

 

[DFason]

Thanks for all the compliments!

Well I put 11 of the cardinals in the tank ( they are only 3/4"-1" ) and all but one made it! They look stunning in the tank. Its very cool to see a school of fish in a small tank. I also got a yasha/pistol pair but they are in hiding for now.

I'm not sure what else I am going to put in my tank as of now but this should be it for a bit. I have 5 frags coming next week ( Setosa, Efflo, Purple Bonsai, Lime in the Sky, ATL Pink Cap ). I am going to let some of this grow out and only add a frag here and there from locals.

-Dave

 

[triton77]

nice work! Im planning on making my own cube, can you tell me where I can get the acrilyc from?

 

[DFason]

I purchased mine from piedmont plastics. They are only 2 minutes away from where I work.

-Dave

 

[DFason]

Well here are some pictures. I'm still working on this picture taking thing because I'm not to good at it! I just did my first water change and scared the cardinals to death with my monster hand so there off in the corner. Once things clear up I'll snap a picture of the entire tank. The yasha is paired up but they are posting up on the back side of the tank!

Hope you guys like the blah pictures

Yasha

Cardinals

Blue/Green Acro?

Red Planet

-Dave

 

[20longreefer]

very nice looking tank. cant wait to see it filled up

 

[DFason]

Ok a couple with messing with the exposer...

 

[DFason]

Just mounted all the new stuff. So here's the list for the tank now...

ORA Hawkins
ORA Red Planet
Tyree Purple Monster
ATL Pink Polyp Cap
Montipora Setosa
Purple Bonsai
Lime in the Sky Stag
Purple Digitata
Tubs Purple Polyp Birdsnest
ORA Green Polyp Birdsnest
Blue/Green Tip Acro
Purple Rim Efflo

So far a good start on the tank. I am still looking at getting some UFO micros,Bubblegum Monster Chalice, Dendro and a couple different SPS's.

I should have picture tonight or tm!

-Dave

 

[Lariviere]

love the cardinals! (apogon parvulus?)