Soulpatch's build thread (ongoing)

[soulpatch]

Congrats, that's good news. I'm an analyst and <3 spreadsheets I'm glad you're moving into something you enjoy more.

I love spreadsheets as well but the problem with my job is the tons of coding I have to do to get to the actual analysis part. I am not a programmer so that has been tedious. I like to ask a question and be presented with data that I then massage to find my answer or use as base to set up test scenarios.

I really like the big cubes. I've always liked tanks with depth, and I think the "cube phenomenon" that is happening right now is really cool. In one of the original aquarium books I bought (fossa and nilsen maybe? one of the bread-and-butter of the hobby books) the author commented on how nice of a display a 100cm x 100cm x 100cm cube would make with a rock pile/tower in the middle. I happen to agree, and think it would be really cool to do, especially with an acropora reef crest themed tank.

Good luck with budgeting and all that. Still looking forward to updates going forward

I really like them too and will probably go custom so I can get it as I want. I want ability to do a bean animal drain and I might do a ghost overflow along back wall kind of like D2minis current tank but on outside of tank. It will be against a wall so I can afford to have it there. I am thinking a cascading rock wall from the back of the tank to the front. Kind of like you went off a ledge into the tank. I want the rock to stick out the top of the tank slightly as well I think for crabs to be able to leave the water. I saw that in another tank there they had a small pipe run up the inside fo the rock to make a sort of waterfall to keep everything moist which I thought was sweet idea.

TBS rock will start me off as well as I think I will contiue the tank as LPS only. I would like to try to get in some interesting brain and acan frags to grow out and resell. Some of the things people are producing with the acans are incredible and I would like to populate local market with some of them. Already talking to my LFS about it since he sells ultra rainbow acans in like a day and even colorful ricordea goes lightening fast. So who knows...Still time to think it over. If I go acrylic I might even get it up and running in the current house if we move our listing date past this upcomign spring.


Oh and I need to get pics but last night I picked up some more rock, 2 rainbow acan frags, a pink ric, and a cool purple ric with green outer ring. Tank is basically full for the moment till I remove my SPS that is not doing well (save for my purple stylo who is doing great)

 

[soulpatch]

I had to come home as the wife has a migraine tonight so no visit to the race trailer. That said I did break out the DSLR where I attempted to take some pics. No touchups so bear with me.

Ric rock:







One of the black ice clowns:


Acans:










Not great but a FTS nonetheless:

 

[BarryV]

Looks real good soulpatch. Lots of COLOR. I really like it.
Thanks for sharing.....
Barry

 

[\Clownfish/]

Beautiful!

 

[homer1475]

Loving all the color the ricordia and acans are giving you. I think I need some acans, when I find some that are reasonably priced.

 

[soulpatch]

Added dinner more color today though also finally took put my acro as it was not going to come back.

 

[soulpatch]

SO in a bit of a decision crisis. The wife has seen a rainbow bubble tip that she wants for the tank. I am not sure i could fit it without getting rid of some things and I worry it will go to the right side of my tank where I have my acans and such.

I could start it out in the back of my tank or I could move my torch and clams to give it the lower left and see where it goes.

What would you all do? Tell wife no or give it a go and have a happy wife and perhaps hosting clowns?

 

[ReefWreak]

The clowns may end up hosting something else if they haven't already (torch?, or maybe shop some fuzzy mushrooms and see what happens).

Honestly, I wouldn't risk an anemone in a nano unless it's a species specific tank, or a very wide/low tank where there is a lot of horizontal room. They also are known for walking to spaces that they want to be in, so they could cause damage that way as well, stinging all of the corals along the way.

I love anemones, but I haven't had one yet for the two stated reasons. If I had a giant house with tons of room, I would add a plumbed in anemone and clownfish only tank. Nice big carpet, a few anemones and other anemone commensal critters, nice separate place.

You're smart and you've done well in educating yourself about the hobby. You'll find a way to make it work, but you know you probably shouldn't

 

[homer1475]

Kind of the same situation today with me and my wife. Went for a drive to some LFS I found online. One had a baby marine beta(maybe an inch in length) she just had to have. We both saw an adult in another LFS long time ago and decided it would get to big to be in my little tank. I had to say NO several times until she finally agreed(yeah right, I heard about it for the three hour drive home). But then we saw a 60G cube for fairly cheap, nearly walked out with it. If I hadn't gotten the puck retrofit, I would probably setting it up right now.

 

[homer1475]

Double post

 

[soulpatch]

I know I probably shouldnt get one but the wife has ways of persuasion. I might pick one up Friday night as if it is trouble I can throw it in a QT tank and take it back. My guy already said I could bring him back whenever should he not work out and its not like there isnt something in his tanks I would quickly replace the anem for...

Reef - My clowns have hosted nothing thus far even though I have a larger torch they could fit in as well as some other items. They like to hang in the bottom corners of the tank. I can deal with some slight walking in my tank but not a large amount which is a worry.

Homer - I married a Puerto Rican girl. You come down here and try telling her no...

And you should have bought the 60 gal cube and gotten a second puck and the enclosure for it to hang above your tank.... then given it to me.

 

[homer1475]

I may still get the bigger cube, make it FOWLR(since this what the wife wants)and leave the biocube a coral tank.

You married a Puerto Rican girl, no I won't be coming there and telling her anything. I know better and value my life.

 

[soulpatch]

If it was a 90 gal cube I would be interested if cheap. I really want the 180 gal cube but would need to think about running some water lines and such through a wall and into another area so I can do auto water changes and such. No way am I doing buckets for that.

 

[JakeK]

The whole tank is really nice, but I think those acans and your rics are so cool. I wish i could find rics like yours locally. I picked up a bower and a lord recently.

 

[soulpatch]

yeah the acans are growing nicely and coloring up even more...

 

[\Clownfish/]

OMG! Still jealous of the ricordea and everything else really

 

[soulpatch]

so decided to put foot down on the anenome. Though now I am hoping that at Reefapalooza there is a decent tank vendor running a deal so I can upgrade to like a 90 gallon cube for now. I am not sure I want to spring into the 180 yet in my current house but if I can find a decent 90 for a good price I might pounce.

Reef you will have to help me carry it to my truck if that happens!!!

 

[ReefWreak]

lol fine, I'll be happy to help carry it.

I'm just a little jelly... 29g is the most I can hope to have in the current setup... Who knows what the future holds though.

I'm looking forward to meeting/catching up at reefapalooza.

 

[homer1475]

So I think I screwed up when I ordered everything. I got 2 vortech mp10QD and not the WQD models. What won't I be able to do with the apex and the wxm module?

I thought from reading that the WXM module was only if you had the WQD models. MY understanding now is the only thing I'll be able to do with the apex is turn them on or off, then control flow amounts through the vortech interface?

I know soul has them both, thats why I'm asking. Should I just return the ones I ordered and reorder the WQD's and the WXM module?

 

[soulpatch]

I dont have the MP pumps as I have a gyre. Though the WQD allow the wireless connection to the WXM module. I do not think you can use a cable to connect them and thus would need to swap them out.

I would post up in the ecotech or neptune forums first though so you dont waste your time.