ever get it just perfect?

[Mscott203]

Hi, I just wanted to drop a few Pictures of the tank now that everything is exactly as I want it. I never thought I'd say this but now I have every last piece of equipment I could possibly need. My tank is stocked with as many fish as I could possibly want, and I even have all the different varieties of coral that I really wanted. There are more I'd like to have but no need to spend any more money on frags. I can wait at this point to pick them up in trades and frag meets and such. Like I said I never thought I'd say this but "Its done"
Currently there are

2 worm gobies, 1 foxface lo, 1 volitan lion, 1 coral beauty, 1 maroon clown, 1 sailfin tang, 1 large velvet damsel.

open brain, trumpets x 2 varieties, shrooms x 4 varieties, zoos x 5 varieties, xenia, kenya tree, green birdnest, purple monti cap, candy cane, gsp, pagoda cup, palythoas, toadstool, hammer, cabbage

1 rbta, 1 red linkia star, 2 large brittle stars, 1 tuxedo urchin, 1 sand sifting star (and 1 sally lightfoot crab banished to the refugium)

200 pounds of live rock
100 pounds of crushed coral

probably 50 hermit crabs and snails of varias types, lots of little brittle stars, peanut worms, feather dusters, bristle worms etc.

equipment includes
125 gal tank drilled with 2 overflow chambers
50 gal sump with bioball filter
30 gal refugium w/ chaeto and lights of america fixture
2x250MH 10k pendants, 4x96wPC actinic, 24in t5 fixture 4-10k bulbs
euroreef cs6-1 skimmer,
2x mj1200, 1 seio 820, 1 sedra 3500 pump for powerheads
2x rio 2100 in sump
ro/di filter

I think thats everything heres some pictures, Not sure what Im gonna do now that everything is complete.
any suggestions

thought I'd add this link in to show you where the tank was 6 months ago.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=747185

 

[AIMFish]

How did the tang get doubled in the first pic?

 

[Mscott203]

that pic is actually 5 pictures merged, and that dang tang just wouldn't stay on one side, I'm surprised that hes not quintupled in the picture lol.
(I'ts just too hard to train a tang but I,m working on it)

 

[duec22]

I really like that lare piece of branch in the center...nice looking tank.

 

[Mscott203]

So, I wonder can anyone out there really say that they are done "setting up" their tank? Or am I just fooling myself?
Anyone have any suggestions to help me find ways to continue to make this a hobby and not just maintenance heavy piece of decoration?

 

[Sk8r]

This hobby has ways of handing us new challenges. And there ARE open slots in your arrangement.

 

[Mscott203]

so maybe you could offer some suggestions.
I was thinking that one day a calcium reactor may be necessary, but really not yet i dont think, maybe a chiller one day but fans seem to keep the temp just right even on the hottest days now that the summer is here.
Maybe a frag tank could be cool and provide me with at least another project to engage in/spend money on/convince my wife is necessary - oohhh hey maybe an aggressive tank hooked into the system would be cool.
any other ideas?
what else have yall done to keep the construction going?

 

[Sk8r]

Well, now, I think a second tank is just the thing: if *I* had room I'd run a goby tank with just about every exotic goby that wouldn't eat the others, complete with all the kind of intricate rockwork that would bring out their odd behaviors. Or you could take up sps. Or do a totally ricordia tank, with small fish: the shades on those are amazing. A total anemone tank. A frag tank would come too close to paying for itself...

 

[RobbyG]

The stand could use repainting

 

[ClamIAm]

Yah, after I have a tank set up the way I want it for a while, I usually end up setting up something else

 

[Amphiprion]

No, mine has never been 'perfect', but it has gotten to a point where I am most satisfied with it.

 

[Mscott203]

hmmm. your right the stand could stand to be beautified. That is the kind of advice I was looking for thanks. You know, I walk past that every day and you just become accostomed to it. We were actually thinking of making a project of it and doing some ceramic mosiac work all over the front. Yall think that might look nice? here is a better picture of the stand currently

 

[dastratt]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7597524#post7597524 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Mscott203
So, I wonder can anyone out there really say that they are done "setting up" their tank? Or am I just fooling myself?

I'm never done setting up, even if I'm not setting up something on my current tank I'm thinking about how I'm going to set up my next tank.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7597524#post7597524 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Mscott203
Anyone have any suggestions to help me find ways to continue to make this a hobby and not just maintenance heavy piece of decoration?

Maybe set up a frag tank if you haven't already? I was thinking about that.
:lol:

 

[mikey77]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7597885#post7597885 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RobbyG
The stand could use repainting

I actually like the stand. It's kinda cool and different. To each his/her own I guess.

 

[Mscott203]

I was thinking of replacing the crushed coral at some point with sand.
Can anyone point me to a thread that gives info on this process?
or just tell me what to expect as far as cost, time involved, potential problems involved etc...

 

[demonboy279]

thats a beautiful tank. youve done wonderful work to it. and how did u get 5 pictures to make that first one? i dont see a single life off anywhere as to where u pieced them together great job there to.

i like your idea of a frag tank. i think it would be something to keep ya occupied and even start bringing in the money to keep it going and wont have to burn your pocket as much haha.

from what ive heard switching to sand would be something you wouldnt regret. i dont remember the thread or id link ya to it but there is one on here. ask Bertoni in the new to the hobby forum i think he knows what one it is. he made the switch and said he couldnt be happier. i started with sand and aint had no problems with it.

i hope ya find something to keep it fun

 

[kevin gu3]

Nice.

What is the material on the floor that you are using for containing spills, and how did you produce the rolled edge?

 

[sttroyiii]

I would definitely change out the substrate. It sounds like a nice hard task you keep you busy!

You could build a canopy, or scrape the sides of the tank to keep yourself busy as well.

 

[K-Dubbs]

Well, I've put as much as I can into my 46 gallon bowfront. But I don't know if I can say it will ever be complete, right now I just need a bigger tank! :lol: Dr.Foster&Smith frag swap this weekend, i'll have to move stuff around to make room till I set up that frag tank! :rollface:

more images of select corals and such can be seen here:
http://s9.photobucket.com/albums/a58/K-Dubbs/

K-Dubbs

 

[Mscott203]

Kevin - The "pan" is actually half inch thick plywood, covered by linoleum (leftover from the kitchen). I placed a piece of 3/4 inch plastic tubing around the edge and rolled the linoleum over that then duct taped the edges of the linoleum underneath the pan.
We moved the tank recently from on top of hardwood flooring to on top of a carpeted floor and needed something to contain spills.
this worked perfect. When we moved we did 3 things differently that make a world of difference - left about 2 feet of space between the tank and the wall, built an electrical power center, and built this pan.

heres a quick picture of the pan, wall, and power center during "set up and move in"