My 180 4sided viewable in-wall build

Man things realliy picked up over the last couple days. I really like the aquascaping as well, I can't wait to see the coral grown out on it. Keep the pictures coming.
 
dang amazing, subscribed. is that 2 achilles i see? maybe some stocking lists are in order? sorry for all the questions but im known for them. also did you cement the pvc used in the return? maybe i could do something like this with my 55.

Thank you palmer373 for the encouraging words.

There is only one Achillies tang... He's ( she's?) doing well but always shown signs of ick.. Eating well but is definitely the hardest fish I have.

I'll do a few posts on the fish in the system with photos.


As for the pipes, there are a few photos of the assembly of Marco rock hunks, bits and pieces using epoxy and tie wraps. I'm torn on if it was a good process... It's a good end result! But very labour intensive.

The number one challenge was the rock work. Above all it was the most difficult. Being the tank is only 25.75" wide and viewable from both sides, it's like trying to aquascape in a 13" wide tank, twice... And going all the way to the top...
 
Man things realliy picked up over the last couple days. I really like the aquascaping as well, I can't wait to see the coral grown out on it. Keep the pictures coming.

I am quite happy with the look of the rock work myself. There are things I would do differently, but not so much that a restart is required...

I'm currently growing in the lower layers of the tank first... To give them a head start compared to the upper tower pieces which will block some light.

Thanks again for your support!
 
Disaster?

I am angry and frustrated... I'm angrated!

I've been loosing little gobies for the past few weeks... Add a few and withing a few weeks they are gone.

Turns out it's the intakes pulling 6000+ gph from gold series hammerheads in one input will pretty much kill any small fish... Found a few today...

I've got to find a solution... Tonight I started to mod the intake vent.. I think I found that by opening it up.. And down sizing to a gold series dart... 4200gph... My problem is solved ... Maybe....


Arghhhhor!!!
 
I was searching for inwall treatment when I happened upon this thread. It is looking real good.
When mounting a tank inwall, it seems there are two methods. One involves the tank sitting flush with the outside wall, resulting in a window effect inside. the other method, which I see you going to use, involves having the tank flush with the inside wall. The concern I have with this is that the top front of the tank will be covered with the wall, and any framing treatment you give the wall will be exposed to the top of the tank and potentially deteriorate. What material will you use to frame around the opening of the wall, and how will you protect from deterioration of the framing? hopefully you understand what I mean. I think the tank flush with the viewing side will look much better, but increases exposure of the wall to salt water.
Thanks for any suggestions as I want to do an inwall but am hung up on what I see as a potential problem.

Alas, I looked more carefully at your pictures and realized you are going to have the top of the tank accessible from the front, resulting in a sort of canopy wall. This should minimize any splash or salt creep coming in contact with the wall. That is probably the best arrangement to make all around. Thanks so much for the inspiration!
 
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It would have made this build soooooo much easier if function was the lead....

but it is not... form must dominate all decisions. That said, it has to be a viable environment, so that keeps the other side in check.

Faced with two options, I chose the one that maximizes form....

thanks very much for looking!
 
Two updates!

One deserves photos, so the new skimmer will have to wait before being discussed..

The second, we are booked for MACNA 2010! Who else will be there? I'd like to meet as many people as possible! Let me know if you are going to be there! If so, I'm going to help out friends of mine in the reef wholesale on the vender floor when I'm not in many of the seminars!

Who's going! Who wants to grab a coffee or a drink?
 
Back from MACNA... Good times...

The new skimmer is assembled and waiting installation... Photos to follow


The entire display will be torn apart and redone. The plu,bing will be redone to fix several issues with the current scape... This is painful, but required.

Live and learn.

Thanks for reading
 
Oh no. what kind of plumbing issues? and did you get anything nice from MACNA?, Did any body reveal some shocking news or come out with the latest and greatest gismo? I heard that EcoTech revealed there MP60.
 
This was my first MACNA.

I found the corals good, but nothing that blew my mind... Was hoping for some $1000+ corals etc..

The MP60 was ther in person and bucking huge waves in a big 100gal+ tank... Huge waves.... Very impressive power and all around looks like it's true to the legacy thus far.


The tear down is due to the cl inputs drawing 6500gph on a single 4" input is killing critters... I need to fix that, and the fix, to do it right, is to start over...
 
This build is not dead. :) Just slow.

The tank has been torn down completely and being rebuilt. I have a good photo-log of the tear-down and rebuild progress that I will post up soon. Photos say more than words after all.

I'm pleased so far, but the real work is getting the aquascaping just right.... and as we know there is no such thing... so i'm shooting for just-right-enough.

Stay tuned.. should be done next week.
 
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