kokaneejr Foam Build redo

[kokaneejr]

Hey here I am again it almost feels like groundhog day!

Well here goes, A few months ago my wife and I were looking at some of the interesting foam builds on ReefCentral and decided that we would try it. After all she wanted a Lionfish and I didn't want it in my reef so we had to build another tank.

We found a matching tank and stand and started to plan. We looked at our favorites and incorporated a little of all of them. We wanted to make a background out of foam with some shelves and rock combined. Then to make it look natural we would then cover it in fiberglass resin and sand and make a few lone standing rocks with tunnels and caves as Lionfish don't like to much light.

The first thing to do was to buy some eggcrate, zip tie the rocks and begin foaming.

Finish each panel and then on to the next. Here you can see our crafty side with some well cleaned shells added in.

The two products we used. The Resin was painted on, then we found out throwing the sand was the best way to get it to cover.

Here are the panels ouside just after the sand was resined on.

And Finally fit them into the tank.

I fit them with just enough room so when I add the sand I wont have to worry about them floating, also I added large rocks for the same reason.
Now all I have to do is to move my other tank a few feet and add water.

My buddy who is moving is giving me a coral beauty for my reef and I am thinking of taking a Tomini for the first fish in the new on after a few weeks of cycling. Not 100% sure yet though.

Oh Yeah here are a couple of photos for Ken and Guy. The Carson is a beautiful spot and about 4 hours away from Petaluma.

<a href="http://s158.photobucket.com/albums/t100/kokaneejr/?action=view&current=IMGP2329copy.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t100/kokaneejr/IMGP2329copy.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

See you at the meeting,Craig.

 

[blazing]

looking good any updates?

 

[clayspst]

put the fish in the tank

 

[Reef Bass]

Nice job with the posting (again), your foam, resin and shell craftiness (again), and the beautiful trout in the net! That's some fine looking scenery there.

Too funny Clay. I had the same (evil) thought!

 

[kokaneejr]

Well I finally got around to updating the tank thread. Some of you heard my trials and tribulations at the last meeting so I will be brief.

My buddy came over and we moved the reef tank into its new home then we brought the foam tank inside. Now all I had to do was finish painting and add water.(Sorry Clay and Ken fish will come later when cycled)

I finished my painting and added my chair rails and the dining room was finished.

The next day I was so excited to use my rodi system and fill the tank!!

While my wife was at work I began filling the tank 5 gals at a time. Everthing was looking good about 15 gals in when the left overflow piece floated to the top. I was O.K. with that so I removed it and continued on. Then another 10 gals in the big cave surfaced with a splash and porpoised out. This was funny as my wife said she didn't know if she could get it out as I was worried about dead spots. Well with no help from me that sucker popped right out!!
I figured at that point all that would float were gone and I was home free. I filled the rest turned on the pumps and looked for leaks. The middle foamed arch was trying to come off the bottom just slightly so I wasn't to worried but just to be safe I placed a rock on it. Wrong move as it shifted and it too porpoised out of the tank. Lucky for me it was a little off center or I think it would have damaged the center brace.
Well all our fancy front pieces were gone so I put the rest of my dry rock in the tank and waited for it to clear.
After a couple of weeks now I am still happy with the background and we are still going back and forth about what we want to do. Maybe softies and non reef safe fish?Wrasses, hawkfish and a small trigger? Not completely sure yet but I tossed a piece of zenia and star polyp in as testers and they seem fine so far. I need to upgrade my light as the ballast on one half is dead but I have a couple of weeks of cycling to go.

Here is a photo I took this a.m.

Can't wait for the fishies:dance:

 

[kokaneejr]

Well after adding the xenia and some other small frags and watching a small brown algae bloom happen I have been getting good readings for a few days. I figured I would add a couple fish. A short trip to Ceasers and two small bangaii cardinal fish were first in today. Maybe photos tomorrow but till then I will let them acclimate. I still need to fix the ballast on one half of my T5s so other thing will have to wait.
My wife has her heart set on a pair of Gold Bar clowns so I am still undecided on the other fish to add.

See you all at the Christmas party.

 

[kokaneejr]

Hey guys,

Time for an update..

Crazy fish people that we are my wife and I took a 1 1/2 hour trip to Blackhawk the other day as someone was selling a mating pair of Maroon Gold Bar clowns. We got there and he put the clowns an anenome on a rock into a 5 gallon bucket for us and gave us a tour of his soon to be dismantled tank. A once beautiful 150 gal in wall custom build with seperate sump room closet. He only had a few things left but amazingly he had a 8 inch Damsel!! It was bigger than his Powder Brown and Sailfin Tangs and it looked like a monster version of a little one. He said it had always been docile and a good citizen.
I tried to talk him out of a piece of live rock with a huge piece of "Devis Hand?" on it but he wanted to take the rock to his store to get credit for a nano that he was downsizing to.
So we made the deal for $80 and left. 1 1/2 hours letr we get home and drip the bucket. I put the rock in the tank and find 2 5-6 inch long tentacled anenomes a few small toadstools and a fan worm colony attached to the rock. I then ad the fish to their new hhome and the immediatly host an anenome and start digging a new home. Now when he asaid they wer big he wasn't kidding she is about 5-6 inches and he is 3-4. They supoosedly lay eggs all the time so we shall see. they are supposedly 6 years old so I hope to have a few more good years left. Maybe baby rearing is in my future. They are both beautiful fish and I will post photos later.

 

[kokaneejr]

Photo update

Sorry about the photos as The clowns were busy today rearranging things but you get the idea.

FTS

Some algae to work on but for now I will let the clowns be.

Female Gold Bar with Anenome(sorry dirty tank and the male was hiding from me) The anenome is about 6 inches across for scale.

I will work on better ones.

 

[niblit]

looks awsome

 

[kokaneejr]

Here are some better shots of my new Gold Bar Maroons. I am still having a little trouble because they love to dig out under the anenome. They have been doing well except I think they want to drag their Chromis friend to their anenome.

Male snuggling

Male and anenome

Female and anenome

Finally Female closeup.(never knew they had small whiskers)

Hopefully I will have some mating going on soon. Then I will get to try to keep the babies alive:rolleye1:

 

[northbay-reefer]

I love that fish and used to have one, but it will be MEAN and territorial, watch out for your hand and fingers ... LOL

My ex caught me trying to spear that fish with my home made mini spear gun and mumbling to myself "ITS MY HOUSE B.....ch" LOL .... anyway it reminds me of the southwest commercial "gotta get away?" LOL

 

[GreshamH]

:lol: Oh man I can sympathize with you NBR

They usually go right for the soft webbing between your fingers as well.

 

[jedheuer]

cool fish and nice photos. good luck with the (potential) babies!

 

[crispyreef]

NIce build, it already looks mature.I got some fish catchin stories too.

 

[BPro32]

Was just looking through all the foam back tank pics and came across this one. I like the idea of using old snail and hermit shells I'll have to try that.

 

[Reef Bass]

Yeah Craig howzabout an update with some pics of tank now that some time has passed? And how are the GB Maroons doing? Still have all of your fingers? :spin2:

 

[kokaneejr]

O.K.
I will get a new shot of my tank. Updates have been I got a new/old skimmer from Grant last month but low and behold it didn't fit. I will have to design a new sump or get out the hammer and fix this one.
The Maroons are doing fine just not showing any interest in breeding, they have a couple of cleaner shrimp, a lawnmover blenny, a orchid dottyback, and a chromis as friends. I just put a flower pot in to see if they are interested in using that to breed in as they are constantly trying to get a clean spot in the tank.
One of my favorite things so far is a cool bit of macro algae growing in the tank. Photos to come soon.

 

[kokaneejr]

Hey all,
Fianally got around to updating my Foam Build. It is doing pretty well although I have the Monti eating Nudis in both tanks. This one only has 2 quarter sized Montis so I will be through with them in a shorter period of time.

This tank has an amazing bunch of macro algae of all types. Not sure if it has anything to do with not having a skimmer but it is neat and different anyways.

Here is a quick photo of the tank.
<a href="http://s158.photobucket.com/albums/t100/kokaneejr/?action=view&current=IMGP2260copy.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t100/kokaneejr/IMGP2260copy.jpg" border="0" alt="Foam July 2010"></a>

Funny thing,I put a clay pot in the tank to see if the clowns might use it to breed on and within 5 minutes one of the anenomes jumped right in it!!
Oh well we will see in time.
<a href="http://s158.photobucket.com/albums/t100/kokaneejr/?action=view&current=fishpot.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t100/kokaneejr/fishpot.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

See you next time

 

[Reef Bass]

Tank is looking good!

Yes, I believe you are correct that being skimmerless allows macro algae fueling nutrients to remain in your water.

Anemones are wonderfully weird. It's interesting to see and hear about their preferences, like for powerheads or clay pots.

 

[NeonFish]

How are you handling the byropsis?