Photo journal of my Miracles in glass starphire 280 (pics inside)

[Anemia]

I must be the only non-regular in this thread.

If I were in your shoes, I would take this opportunity to get a couple really killer non reef-safe fish. I've always wanted a personifer angel or a maculosis. It wouldn't take much to set the tank up to support that. It also probably wouldn't be too hard to find them a home when you do move. Then it's back to reefsville.

 

[cseeton]

Put a large lion or two in it, or perhaps a large Moray. They will prevent you from overstocking and don't need the large circulation rates that corals do.

Then go barebottom (or a little sand as your taste permit) with only a handful of rock pieces to give a little dimension - or a cave if you have the eel.

This is only my 2cents, but this way you can work out the piping system, enjoy the tank (if you like lions or eels, that is), and decide what upgrades lie in your tanks future...

 

[jthnhale]

just checking, any water in it yet?

I agree with all the ideas for filling it up now, forget about drilling through the wall. just get a simple sump made and fill the tank with some rock and cool fish.
you have the skimmer to handle a butt load of fish.

 

[NOLACLS]

Yeah maybe yall are right. If I went bare bottom with a few large chunks of LR I could defiantly throw some cool fish in there I guess. I had a 95 long with just fish...lg lions angels and things like that. I LOVE a nice blueface angel. Maybe I will devise a new simpler plan. Shoot I do have a empty 58 gallon tank. I could make that into a simple sump. At this point im so happy to see it on the stand!!! I had a bday party last night (turned 30 on thurs) and I had a lot of old HS friends over. They couldnt get over it when they first saw it. I dont think they have even seen something that size set up. Then we proceeded to put back 4 cases of beer...good times!

Let me get back to living at home and back to semi-normal and then maybe. Meanwhile I will give this some thought!

 

[ItsMee]

NOLACLS, I just wanted you to know that reading this thread is no easier than (and a lot like) a lot of foreplay with no sex. You cant set up a tank this far and not "do it." Its just not right. Your giving us all blue...errr....actinic balls.

 

[melev]

NOLACLS, I just wanted you to know that reading this thread is no easier than (and a lot like) a lot of foreplay with no sex. You cant set up a tank this far and not "do it." Its just not right. Your giving us all blue...errr....actinic balls.

It doesn't matter how you spell that out. That is just plain wrong. :lol:

 

[jthnhale]

Happy Birthday!
sounds like you had fun. :beer:

:celeb2: :dance:

 

[NOLACLS]

NOLACLS, I just wanted you to know that reading this thread is no easier than (and a lot like) a lot of foreplay with no sex. You cant set up a tank this far and not "do it." Its just not right. Your giving us all blue...errr....actinic balls.

:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

Now thats funny!


I may do the FOWLR on a simple scale.

 

[NOLACLS]

Happy Birthday!
sounds like you had fun. :beer:

:celeb2: :dance:

Thanks...and I did. It was needed.

 

[SunnyX]

Glad to see you finally have the tank on the stand.

Good luck.

 

[NOLACLS]

Sooo I went to the office and picked up the two MH ballast that got submerged in water. I wanted to see if they worked....plugged one in....bzzzzt....burrrrztttt....pooof, thing started pouring out the nasty smelling white smoke! Looks like they are toast!

So this FOWLR idea...I never gave it much thought before. Would yall do bare bottom or a thin layer of sand?

I can use my sump from the 110 and make a fuge out of a rubber maid container I guess. PH to feed my skimmer...smallish return pump since the sump is kinda small. Throw a seq dart on the CL still with the OM4way for the bulk of the flow. Handful of large LR and two of my MH's. That just might work!

 

[jthnhale]

with no coral to worry about i'd use sand, with SPS no sand, that's just me.

 

[ReefWaters]

With that skimmer I would consider not running a fuge. You don't need the food production from it, just the nutrient export. I just don't think it would be a big benefit. And it would be much easier not setting up a fuge on the system.

I would go with a thin layer of rock rubble and crushed coral with a bunch of brittle stars, snails, and other detrivores. No DSB. You will regret it when you go to move the tank.

On the lighting, I don't see the need for the MHs with fish only. But with that size tank you may need to purchase more fluorescence to make it look bright enough so its kind of a toss up. Go with whatever you already own.

Id also consider a 25w UV just to be safe. You could run it behind the return pump. You can get an AquaUV for around $150.

Just my 2 cents. FO is sounding better than an empty tank.

 

[ReefWaters]

My thoughts on stocking....

Id do the blue face and a V. louti (lyretail grouper). Or any Cephalopholis for that matter. Argus and Miniata are awesome.

I would then maybe consider an Acanthurus achilles. Or a pair.
Or even try an achilles with a powder brown (Acanthurus nigricans). I thought I read somewhere that they will hybridize in the wild but I could be wrong. That would be awesome to see in a display tank but probably VERY difficult.

One last concern I have is what you do when you switch back to a reef. What would you do with all these BIG fish? I just worry about them ending up in a system that is not as nice or with a less experienced hobbyist.

Good luck.

 

[NewMariner]

One last concern I have is what you do when you switch back to a reef. What would you do with all these BIG fish? I just worry about them ending up in a system that is not as nice or with a less experienced hobbyist.

Good luck.

All the more reason at that time to buy another tank

 

[jthnhale]

man now I want a big FOLR !

I have no room

reefwaters that's one beautiful grouper.

 

[ReefWaters]

man now I want a big FOLR !

I have no room

reefwaters that's one beautiful grouper.

Me too!

Groupers are incredibly smart too. I had a panther that would let me pet it. It would also lay on the bottom and watch TV with me when I was on the couch. No really, he would.

 

[NOLACLS]

With that skimmer I would consider not running a fuge. You don't need the food production from it, just the nutrient export. I just don't think it would be a big benefit. And it would be much easier not setting up a fuge on the system.

I would go with a thin layer of rock rubble and crushed coral with a bunch of brittle stars, snails, and other detrivores. No DSB. You will regret it when you go to move the tank.

On the lighting, I don't see the need for the MHs with fish only. But with that size tank you may need to purchase more fluorescence to make it look bright enough so its kind of a toss up. Go with whatever you already own.

Id also consider a 25w UV just to be safe. You could run it behind the return pump. You can get an AquaUV for around $150.

Just my 2 cents. FO is sounding better than an empty tank.

I wasnt sure about the fuge really. I have never run one before but planed on it for the reef. But I think your right...I guess my small skimmer should handle teh poo.

Would I have to vacuum the rock rubble/CC. I wouldn't do a DSB either is it was sand it would be just enough to cover the bottom.

I would use my MH's because I have them and would like to use them really. I have three 400watters but I could use only 2 and put them higher up to cover the tank.

I was going to run ozone on the reef...doesnt that accomplish the same parasite task in a way as a UV? I had a angstrom 25watter I sold some time ago

 

[NOLACLS]

My thoughts on stocking....

Id do the blue face and a V. louti (lyretail grouper). Or any Cephalopholis for that matter. Argus and Miniata are awesome.


I would then maybe consider an Acanthurus achilles. Or a pair.
Or even try an achilles with a powder brown (Acanthurus nigricans). I thought I read somewhere that they will hybridize in the wild but I could be wrong. That would be awesome to see in a display tank but probably VERY difficult.

One last concern I have is what you do when you switch back to a reef. What would you do with all these BIG fish? I just worry about them ending up in a system that is not as nice or with a less experienced hobbyist.

Good luck.

The blueface is a definite and I have had and loved the miniatas groupers, but did see a big lyretail before that was stunning. SO maybe one of those as well. I also love the H. tusk so maybe one of those as well.

Thing I wonder about is these types of fish are hard on hermits snails and brittles arnt they?? What would I use to clean up the sand/rockrubble/CC??

Who knows what I will do with them when I go reef...probably sell them to someone on here hopefully. I think the wife would smack me if I said I was getting another big tank for the reef now :lol:

 

[NOLACLS]

Me too!

It would also lay on the bottom and watch TV with me when I was on the couch. No really, he would.

Were you drinking/smoking while on said couch?

:lol::lol::lol:

I really like the groupers too...and lions. I would like to have a big Vol in there too.