digidana
Member
we are rockin and rollin. the rock is where its staying for now, after playing with it forever. the fish got moved in today and are lovin the new digs. tho, sailfin got a little beat up trying to catch him. he's a fast little sucker. i was going to try to move them into the new tank a little at a time, but the nitrates were climbing in the old tank, i guess cause i took out all the rock? so i figured it was safer to move everybody over. nitrites and ammonia are at 0 and have been.
we still have a ways to go...lights and the skimmer will be next. we have to build the canopy and finish the "stand."
wanna see? i'll start with upstairs. here's a pic with the returns. we still need to get the flexible pipe so i can aim them. and this is before we put the light contraption we made back on.
then it goes through the cabinetry, through the floor, to the workshop. we bought a couple of cabinets from knox rail, but built the frame around them. i love it, because you don't have to stoop down to see in the tank, and i have drawers! i never see tank stands with drawers. i plan on putting little shelves between the cabinets and bookshelves on both sides of the tank. ...here's the workshop ceiling.
the water goes from the overflows, through those pipes into the first filter rubbermaid. there is a bucket on legs with holes drilled in the bottom, and a filter that i made with several layers of polyfiber and a charcoal pocket. when we get the skimmer, it will go in here also.
then it flows through a shower drain (thanks, rob from cr, excellent idea!) to the fuge. the fuge is a formed pond that we bought from lowes a couple years ago. its this model: http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=56567-1569-LP5718&lpage=none
the deep part is recessed into the tabletop so its not too high...but its deep enough for about a 7 or 8 inch sandbed. its seeded with live sand from the 55g. the shallow end is my mangrove forest with some live rock rubble. the chaeto is from chase...thank you very much!
flowing through another shower drain to the sump (a utility laundry tub), which has an overflow, in case we need to turn everything off and it settles at the lowest point.
there are 2 heater controllers, one upstairs and one down, that control 6 small heaters. and it has its own mini electrical box:
we're planning on running water to the workshop, and keeping mixed saltwater and freshwater on hand, and eventually probably a calcium reactor, and who knows what else...but for now, i'm happy the fish and rock are alive and happy.
so, the semi-finished product:
the right side:
the middle:
the left side:
my husband, richard, did all the plumbing and 95% of the planning...i just get to play with the fish. i think he did a great job, cause the "system" as i call it, is almost as much fun to watch as the tank!
we still have a ways to go...lights and the skimmer will be next. we have to build the canopy and finish the "stand."
wanna see? i'll start with upstairs. here's a pic with the returns. we still need to get the flexible pipe so i can aim them. and this is before we put the light contraption we made back on.
then it goes through the cabinetry, through the floor, to the workshop. we bought a couple of cabinets from knox rail, but built the frame around them. i love it, because you don't have to stoop down to see in the tank, and i have drawers! i never see tank stands with drawers. i plan on putting little shelves between the cabinets and bookshelves on both sides of the tank. ...here's the workshop ceiling.
the water goes from the overflows, through those pipes into the first filter rubbermaid. there is a bucket on legs with holes drilled in the bottom, and a filter that i made with several layers of polyfiber and a charcoal pocket. when we get the skimmer, it will go in here also.
then it flows through a shower drain (thanks, rob from cr, excellent idea!) to the fuge. the fuge is a formed pond that we bought from lowes a couple years ago. its this model: http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=56567-1569-LP5718&lpage=none
the deep part is recessed into the tabletop so its not too high...but its deep enough for about a 7 or 8 inch sandbed. its seeded with live sand from the 55g. the shallow end is my mangrove forest with some live rock rubble. the chaeto is from chase...thank you very much!
flowing through another shower drain to the sump (a utility laundry tub), which has an overflow, in case we need to turn everything off and it settles at the lowest point.
there are 2 heater controllers, one upstairs and one down, that control 6 small heaters. and it has its own mini electrical box:
we're planning on running water to the workshop, and keeping mixed saltwater and freshwater on hand, and eventually probably a calcium reactor, and who knows what else...but for now, i'm happy the fish and rock are alive and happy.
so, the semi-finished product:
the right side:
the middle:
the left side:
my husband, richard, did all the plumbing and 95% of the planning...i just get to play with the fish. i think he did a great job, cause the "system" as i call it, is almost as much fun to watch as the tank!
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