ashish
New member
After few months of RC surfing I've decided this would be my ideal tank. I love the look of a open-top tank especially with MH lighting pendants (which I really have not seen with these ones). My ideal tank was inspired by all the folk of RC and I figured why not share with you all what I got from this great community.
MY ideal tank = Aquarium with starphire, rimless/eurobrace , open top, small overflow box, basic essentials to keep a reef, bonsai style aquascape (caves, overhangs), 60% SPS and 40% softies/LPS... How I think I can achieve this:
Tank will look similar to this 300 dd (minus the overflow in this picture)
<a href="http://s1324.photobucket.com/user/ashish0584/media/marinelandtank_zps43d8bacb.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1324.photobucket.com/albums/u613/ashish0584/marinelandtank_zps43d8bacb.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo marinelandtank_zps43d8bacb.jpg"/></a>
3 x 400 watt 14k hanging pendants powered with icecap ballast (no supplement on lighting, well maybe led's because I like my corals to :eek2
<a href="http://s1324.photobucket.com/user/ashish0584/media/LBPendant1_zps2c6e2a07.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1324.photobucket.com/albums/u613/ashish0584/LBPendant1_zps2c6e2a07.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo LBPendant1_zps2c6e2a07.jpg"/></a>
18'' center overflow siliconed/drilling (DIY); tunze wavebox won't be so noisy when the overflow box is centered! Never will I sacrifice aquascaping real estate for 2 overflow boxes that are impossible to razor blade clean. If you like coraline algae growing on your overflow box that's fine but the only place I like it on my Rock's.
<a href="http://s1324.photobucket.com/user/ashish0584/media/AOverflow24001_zps59c79b3d.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1324.photobucket.com/albums/u613/ashish0584/AOverflow24001_zps59c79b3d.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo AOverflow24001_zps59c79b3d.jpg"/></a>
Build the stand 45'' high like my current stand. 6'' ledge going around the tank with crown molding under ledge. white foam base, side, door trim. Picture below 2008 <a href="http://s1324.photobucket.com/user/ashish0584/media/tankstand_zps975c6642.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1324.photobucket.com/albums/u613/ashish0584/tankstand_zps975c6642.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo tankstand_zps975c6642.jpg"/></a>
With my current 120 gallon w/2 overflo's; you can see why I'd never go for a cornerflo or megaflo again as you have only 18" to play with ( not 24''), after you figure in the space you need from the back/front it's more like 12''
Aquascaping is one of my priorities; the more rocks you have the more crowded your tank becomes. You justify "I need more corals when you don't". The flow becomes restricted, corals out grow each other, Your bio load increases, your tank can crash!!. I'll go for a nice size structure on the right with caves and overhangs and a smaller structure on the left. No more than 30-40 corals, 10-20 fish.
<a href="http://s1324.photobucket.com/user/ashish0584/media/IMG_5262_zps05c42b13.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1324.photobucket.com/albums/u613/ashish0584/IMG_5262_zps05c42b13.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_5262_zps05c42b13.jpg"/></a>
<a href="http://s1324.photobucket.com/user/ashish0584/media/IMG_5457_zpsb5439063.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1324.photobucket.com/albums/u613/ashish0584/IMG_5457_zpsb5439063.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_5457_zpsb5439063.jpg"/></a>
Cap that of with:
2 sea swirls in the back
Tunze wavebox on the far back corner
Combination of Tunze/Vortech for circulation
protein skimmer: Reef octopus diablo
calcium reactor: koralin or geo
controller: Apex
Unfortunately, I am a very busy man at the moment and I mean I am never around my tank. I am getting married this July and soon as I am settled and my fiance stops driving me nutts (about our wedding) ill get to work.. My 120 (business tank) will still be running but this one is for me (in my home). While this setup is very simple and no way close to the tanks I've seen on RC; it's the best possible set up for me..that's why it's "MY DREAM TANK". I'd even do this tank in a 250dd 200dd just with less equipment, after seeing thor bonsai inspired reef its clear to me "it's not the size but the motion of the ocean!!!
MY ideal tank = Aquarium with starphire, rimless/eurobrace , open top, small overflow box, basic essentials to keep a reef, bonsai style aquascape (caves, overhangs), 60% SPS and 40% softies/LPS... How I think I can achieve this:
Tank will look similar to this 300 dd (minus the overflow in this picture)
<a href="http://s1324.photobucket.com/user/ashish0584/media/marinelandtank_zps43d8bacb.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1324.photobucket.com/albums/u613/ashish0584/marinelandtank_zps43d8bacb.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo marinelandtank_zps43d8bacb.jpg"/></a>
3 x 400 watt 14k hanging pendants powered with icecap ballast (no supplement on lighting, well maybe led's because I like my corals to :eek2
<a href="http://s1324.photobucket.com/user/ashish0584/media/LBPendant1_zps2c6e2a07.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1324.photobucket.com/albums/u613/ashish0584/LBPendant1_zps2c6e2a07.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo LBPendant1_zps2c6e2a07.jpg"/></a>
18'' center overflow siliconed/drilling (DIY); tunze wavebox won't be so noisy when the overflow box is centered! Never will I sacrifice aquascaping real estate for 2 overflow boxes that are impossible to razor blade clean. If you like coraline algae growing on your overflow box that's fine but the only place I like it on my Rock's.
<a href="http://s1324.photobucket.com/user/ashish0584/media/AOverflow24001_zps59c79b3d.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1324.photobucket.com/albums/u613/ashish0584/AOverflow24001_zps59c79b3d.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo AOverflow24001_zps59c79b3d.jpg"/></a>
Build the stand 45'' high like my current stand. 6'' ledge going around the tank with crown molding under ledge. white foam base, side, door trim. Picture below 2008 <a href="http://s1324.photobucket.com/user/ashish0584/media/tankstand_zps975c6642.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1324.photobucket.com/albums/u613/ashish0584/tankstand_zps975c6642.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo tankstand_zps975c6642.jpg"/></a>
With my current 120 gallon w/2 overflo's; you can see why I'd never go for a cornerflo or megaflo again as you have only 18" to play with ( not 24''), after you figure in the space you need from the back/front it's more like 12''
Aquascaping is one of my priorities; the more rocks you have the more crowded your tank becomes. You justify "I need more corals when you don't". The flow becomes restricted, corals out grow each other, Your bio load increases, your tank can crash!!. I'll go for a nice size structure on the right with caves and overhangs and a smaller structure on the left. No more than 30-40 corals, 10-20 fish.
<a href="http://s1324.photobucket.com/user/ashish0584/media/IMG_5262_zps05c42b13.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1324.photobucket.com/albums/u613/ashish0584/IMG_5262_zps05c42b13.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_5262_zps05c42b13.jpg"/></a>
<a href="http://s1324.photobucket.com/user/ashish0584/media/IMG_5457_zpsb5439063.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1324.photobucket.com/albums/u613/ashish0584/IMG_5457_zpsb5439063.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_5457_zpsb5439063.jpg"/></a>
Cap that of with:
2 sea swirls in the back
Tunze wavebox on the far back corner
Combination of Tunze/Vortech for circulation
protein skimmer: Reef octopus diablo
calcium reactor: koralin or geo
controller: Apex
Unfortunately, I am a very busy man at the moment and I mean I am never around my tank. I am getting married this July and soon as I am settled and my fiance stops driving me nutts (about our wedding) ill get to work.. My 120 (business tank) will still be running but this one is for me (in my home). While this setup is very simple and no way close to the tanks I've seen on RC; it's the best possible set up for me..that's why it's "MY DREAM TANK". I'd even do this tank in a 250dd 200dd just with less equipment, after seeing thor bonsai inspired reef its clear to me "it's not the size but the motion of the ocean!!!
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