Jasonanatal's 150 gallon "Lets Bring Out The Big Boy" Reef Aquarium.

[Jasonanatal]

Well everyone I have had just a little vacation from the Forum and the hobby and now I'm back and I think it's time to start something new. I'm fortunate enough to have found a great position with a Law in Midtown Manhattan so what better way to celebrate then to go by the motto "Work Hard and Play Hard". I will be purchasing and transporting my new 150 gallon Oceanic Reef Ready Aquarium to my apartment in the Throggs Neck section of the Bronx tomorrow morning and I'm really excited. Now don't get me wrong I make good money but I'm not a millionaire so this tank will take time to grow into a full blown Reef Aquarium. But I will keep photo-document with detailed information as much as possible. I will make every attempt to spare no expense in parts and equipment but I do have a a Wife (into Freshwater Planted Aquariums), a Son and a Puppy who still need to eat.

 

[Jasonanatal]

Craigslist Makes Dreams Become a Reality

Well you have to go by the old addage "Ones man's garbage is another man's treasure". Well this was exactly the case on Craiglist for me. So I enlisted the help of one of my friends and jumped in my trusty Honda Element and for $325.00 and a little elbow grease I had the foundation for my new Reef Aquarium. (150 gallon Oceanic Reef Ready Aquarium and Black Wooden Stand.

However, for $325.00 it came with a price. The rear of the Oceanic 150 gallon Reef Ready Aquarium was painted black and not with Latex paint. Just standard flat black paint. Also the wooden Oceanic Aquarium Stand was severly water damaged within the interior and numerous amounts of scuffs and scrathes on the exterior. Also the hings of the doors are rusted. So I have some work ahead of my but hopefully picasso can turn this in need of work into a work of art.

Photograph - The 2007 Honda Element 4WD EX, perfect for moving large aquariums.

Photograph - Me and my friend Richie in front of my apartment with the Big Boy Reef.

 

[Jasonanatal]

Restoring the Oceanic Reef Ready Aquarium.

The back side of the Oceanic 150 gallon Reef Ready Aquarium was painted using standard Flat Back paint which present an issue.

- First I had to decide what method to use in order to remove the paint without damaging the Aquarium. Since the placement of the Aquarium is in the center of my living room I wanted to be able to see through on both sides.
Unforuntately most chemical cleaners in the market that would have assisted in softening up the paint but most lkely could have had long term effects on future Aquarium inhabitants so I opted out of the easy road. Instead I decided that a single edged razor blade combined with a little elbow grease would do just the trick. We'll see if I am intitled to the fruit of my labor.

Photographs - With a single edged razor blade as my tool and 6 days of patient scrapping. The black flat paint was removed.

 

[Jasonanatal]

Oceanic Wooden Stand Restoration Project

Well the Oceanic Wooden Stand for this 150 Oceanic Reef Ready Aquarium was exposed to constant water spilling from it previous owner. I deemed after seeing the stability of the stand that I could restore it and add some reinforcement for my added piece of mind. So I have broken down the project into phases to complete for the entire restoration.

- Phase #1: The entire Oceanic Wooden Stand will be sand down by hand to remove chipping paint and unsightly areas. This also includes the removal of screws that the previous owner had placed in to guide wires.
- Phase #2: Once the sanding has been completed I will purchased wood beams to be placed at strategic points within the Oceanic Wooden Stand just for that extra added security.
- Phase #3: Pressboard will be added over the existing base and rear of the Aquarium and screwed in.
- Phase #4: The final process will include the Oceanic Wood Stand being primed with Latex White Latex Paint and finished with Black Hi-Gloss Paint.

 

[Jasonanatal]

Delivery of New Photography Equipment.

Well I got my new toy delivered today. The Canon Digital Rebel XTi 10.1 Digital SLR Camera with 8 gigabyte Ultra Memory Card. This thing takes some awesome photographs for the money. Now all I have to do is purchase a Macro Len from Canon and the were good to take some professional photographs.

 

[Kiel'thalin]

Hey, what are the dimensions of that tank? I am looking for the biggest tank I can find that is only 20 inches deep...

 

[lilchris]

Good start, I will tag along on this one. I have looked on Craig's list myself but haven't found what I am looking for, I want a 180.

Just remember to take your time and enjoy the journey/

 

[macreefster]

i've moved two kids into school (one in the bronx, the other in manhattan) in nyc and i can appreciate just what a hassle moving such a tank would be! did you actually fit that tank in the honda? was david copperfield helping?..lol. nice tank. my son graduates in three weeks so i'll be in nyc, will the tank be completed by then so i can see it?....just kidding...lol. please keep up posting your progress.

 

[Jasonanatal]

Reply to Kiel'thalin.

Reply to Kiel'thalin.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12416379#post12416379 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Kiel'thalin
Hey, what are the dimensions of that tank? I am looking for the biggest tank I can find that is only 20 inches deep...

Kiel'thalin, the dimension of the Oceanic Reef Ready 150 gallon Aquarium are 72 Inches Length x 18 inches Depth x 32 Inches Height.

 

[Jasonanatal]

Reply to Lilchris.

Reply to Lilchris.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12416596#post12416596 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by lilchris
Good start, I will tag along on this one. I have looked on Craig's list myself but haven't found what I am looking for, I want a 180.

Just remember to take your time and enjoy the journey/

Lilchris, I will definitely enjoy the journey on this. But I have to remind myself that good things never happen fast. You know how impulsive us Reef Keepers can be. Thanks for tagging along.

 

[Jasonanatal]

Reply to Macreefster.

Reply to Macreefster.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12416654#post12416654 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by macreefster
i've moved two kids into school (one in the bronx, the other in manhattan) in nyc and i can appreciate just what a hassle moving such a tank would be! did you actually fit that tank in the honda? was david copperfield helping?..lol. nice tank. my son graduates in three weeks so i'll be in nyc, will the tank be completed by then so i can see it?....just kidding...lol. please keep up posting your progress.

Macreefster, actually the Oceanic 150 gallon Reef Ready Aquarium did actually fit into the back of my Honda Element along with the Wooden Stand. I actually had to remove the two back seats to accomplish this and left the clamshell hatch open to accomodate the 3 or 4 inches in length that didn't allow the hatch to close. The Honda Element actually had a great feature which is a scratch proof flooring which came in handy. However, the Aquarium will not be completed for some time due to funding restriction but I will definitely keep you posted.

 

[Jasonanatal]

Addition of my Megaflow Overflow Kits

Well I finally purchased my Mega-Flow Overflow Kit for both overflows. Courtesy of Tim's Aquatics. This being my first true Reef Ready Aquarium I finally got the measurements of the Bulkheads that I required (1 Inch for the drains and 3/4 Inch for the Returns). Unfortunately I didn't bother to check if the Bulkheads would accomodate PVC Piping and they don't so I will be placing an order shortly to get the correct Bulkheads.

Photograph - Mega Flow Overflow Kits from All Glass Aquariums Courtesy of Tim's Aquatics.

Photograph - Dual Loc-Line Returns where included with these kits.

 

[boozeman]

good luck on your build :thumbsup:

 

[Jasonanatal]

Reply to boozeman.

Reply to boozeman.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12456159#post12456159 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by boozeman
good luck on your build :thumbsup:

Boozeman, that you for the Aquarium blessing.

 

[Jasonanatal]

Restoration of the Oceanic 150 gallon Reef Ready Aquarium & Wooden Aquarium (In Progress).

The Oceanic Wooden Aquarium Stand that I purchased from Craigslist was severly water damaged but in my opinion still able to be salvaged. So with alittle time, effort and dedication I began my work. I started off by removing all excess screws that were left in the Oceanic Wooden Stand that were possibly used to hold up wires for equipment. Then the Oceanic Wooden Aquariums Stand was sanded down very slightly to provide a surface that the paint would bond to. I taped off the bottom rim of the Aquarium with standard Painter Tape so that I would actually paint the Aquarium itself. I choose Hi-Gloss Black Latex paint so that it would provide some protection should water spill from the Aquarium into the Stand. The Aquarium itself was filled with Tap Water and 1 gallon of Distilled White Vinigar and left for 3 days to remove the excess salt creep and algae from within the Aquarium. The Doors are still not connected to the Oceanic Wooden Aquarium stand since I am in the process of restoring the rusted hinges.

Photograph - The Oceanic Reef Ready Aquarium & Wooden Aquarium Stand before the restoration.

Photograph - The Oceanic Reef Ready Aquarium & Wooden Aquarium Stand after the restoration.

 

[kar93]

Looks good, Nice work on the stand. :thumbsup:

 

[maxheadroom]

Nice job so far. What do you plan on for livestock?

 

[Jasonanatal]

Reply to Kar93.

Reply to Kar93.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12537449#post12537449 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kar93
Looks good, Nice work on the stand. :thumbsup:

Kar93, thank you very much for the compliments.

 

[Jasonanatal]

Reply to Maxheadroom.

Reply to Maxheadroom.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12539270#post12539270 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by maxheadroom
Nice job so far. What do you plan on for livestock?

Maxheadroom, thank you for the compliments but I'm not currently sure on what livestock I will have in the Aquarium since this is still in the design stages.

 

[amehel0]

nice work so far! i like the honda too.