Hawg Pharm
Member
OK, so I've finally decided to do this. It's been a long time in the making.
But first off, the introduction:
I'm a 40 something year old pharmacist (like you couldn't tell from the name) from North Arkansas who typically answers to the name "Kevin" or whatever name my patients and customers wish to call me (you'd be surprised).
Like so many others, I started out with a freshwater tank. It was a ten gallon tank I kept in my dorm room 25 years ago and I loved it. The biggest tank I've ever had up to this point was a 55 gallon tank filled with soil from my garden and various plants and fish. It hit a point where I liked the plants as much as the fish. But, I always looked longingly at some day having a saltwater system.
With the encouragement I received from folks here as well as my first college room mate who has since kept a reef aquarium, I've decided to give it a try. I have seen so many impressive displays here and my goal is to first and foremost have fun and the second is to attempt to reproduce just a fraction of what I see here. Anything above and beyond that will be seen as a blessing. Also, I never truly intended to do a build thread but the ability to pick the brains of some of the best in the hobby put me over the top.
I'll need all the help I can get. I'm not a perfectionist. Some of the photos I've seen of fish rooms where everything is neat and perfect looks unobtainable to me. I'll just be happy to make it all work. Plus, I'm doing things that might be considered "off the wall" to some. You'll see later what I mean.
And, to be honest, I feel kind of funny starting my journey in the large reef tank section. Yes, my tank qualifies, but just barely. I feel like I'm putting down a quaint cabin in the middle of a beautiful gated community filled with immaculate brick houses.
So here is what I have thus far, just waiting to get wet. Sitting in my dining room is a 48.5 x 30.5 x 30.5 (187 gal) tank. It's been there over two months now. You can imagine the lack of enthusiasm my wife already has for this project. Of course, it didn't help that I confiscated her exercise room to be my new fish room. Yes, concessions were made, but they are all future concessions. Needless to say, the project has been an issue of contention from the start. Thus far, I have lost the battle of the "spouse factor". That being said, the pressure is on to make this something she will eventually enjoy. The length of the tank was determined by my initial location for the tank and stand in the den. It was the only spot that worked. After I ordered the tank, I decided to go for broke and stick the darn thing in the wall so I could have access to the room behind it. I have all of you with fish rooms to blame. Yes, I've wanted a fish room for 25 years after reading about them, but seeing them on the forums and realizing I had a once in lifetime shot at having one sealed the deal. Well, it did for me anyway. The wife still gives me that look.
If I had known that I would eventually lay claim to that room, I would have ordered a longer tank. But, I was also worried at the time about weight and size since I don't have double doors and my maximum clearance was about 35 inches. However, the glass tank I ordered ended up being a hybrid, with the bottom made out of PVC. It weighs considerably less than the 110 gallon monster out in the garage that currently houses about a 100 pounds of rock. I also have a 150 pounds of rock in the bathroom portion of the fish room which was moved there in a hurry one night after the temps outside started to rise above a level I deemed safe for the live rock. That 110 gal out the garage will eventually become, for better or worse at the moment, my sump. Plus, I've got a 45 gallon fuge.
So, all together and considering I'll leave 45 gallons or so for play in the sump, I'm starting out with about 300 gallons total. Plus, I plan on building this for some future expansion. We'll see.
So, thanks for stopping by. I appreciate all comments and suggestions. And now, I'll go see if I can figure out how to start posting pictures of this work in progress. It's going to be a long, bumpy ride.
But first off, the introduction:
I'm a 40 something year old pharmacist (like you couldn't tell from the name) from North Arkansas who typically answers to the name "Kevin" or whatever name my patients and customers wish to call me (you'd be surprised).
Like so many others, I started out with a freshwater tank. It was a ten gallon tank I kept in my dorm room 25 years ago and I loved it. The biggest tank I've ever had up to this point was a 55 gallon tank filled with soil from my garden and various plants and fish. It hit a point where I liked the plants as much as the fish. But, I always looked longingly at some day having a saltwater system.
With the encouragement I received from folks here as well as my first college room mate who has since kept a reef aquarium, I've decided to give it a try. I have seen so many impressive displays here and my goal is to first and foremost have fun and the second is to attempt to reproduce just a fraction of what I see here. Anything above and beyond that will be seen as a blessing. Also, I never truly intended to do a build thread but the ability to pick the brains of some of the best in the hobby put me over the top.
I'll need all the help I can get. I'm not a perfectionist. Some of the photos I've seen of fish rooms where everything is neat and perfect looks unobtainable to me. I'll just be happy to make it all work. Plus, I'm doing things that might be considered "off the wall" to some. You'll see later what I mean.
And, to be honest, I feel kind of funny starting my journey in the large reef tank section. Yes, my tank qualifies, but just barely. I feel like I'm putting down a quaint cabin in the middle of a beautiful gated community filled with immaculate brick houses.
So here is what I have thus far, just waiting to get wet. Sitting in my dining room is a 48.5 x 30.5 x 30.5 (187 gal) tank. It's been there over two months now. You can imagine the lack of enthusiasm my wife already has for this project. Of course, it didn't help that I confiscated her exercise room to be my new fish room. Yes, concessions were made, but they are all future concessions. Needless to say, the project has been an issue of contention from the start. Thus far, I have lost the battle of the "spouse factor". That being said, the pressure is on to make this something she will eventually enjoy. The length of the tank was determined by my initial location for the tank and stand in the den. It was the only spot that worked. After I ordered the tank, I decided to go for broke and stick the darn thing in the wall so I could have access to the room behind it. I have all of you with fish rooms to blame. Yes, I've wanted a fish room for 25 years after reading about them, but seeing them on the forums and realizing I had a once in lifetime shot at having one sealed the deal. Well, it did for me anyway. The wife still gives me that look.
If I had known that I would eventually lay claim to that room, I would have ordered a longer tank. But, I was also worried at the time about weight and size since I don't have double doors and my maximum clearance was about 35 inches. However, the glass tank I ordered ended up being a hybrid, with the bottom made out of PVC. It weighs considerably less than the 110 gallon monster out in the garage that currently houses about a 100 pounds of rock. I also have a 150 pounds of rock in the bathroom portion of the fish room which was moved there in a hurry one night after the temps outside started to rise above a level I deemed safe for the live rock. That 110 gal out the garage will eventually become, for better or worse at the moment, my sump. Plus, I've got a 45 gallon fuge.
So, all together and considering I'll leave 45 gallons or so for play in the sump, I'm starting out with about 300 gallons total. Plus, I plan on building this for some future expansion. We'll see.
So, thanks for stopping by. I appreciate all comments and suggestions. And now, I'll go see if I can figure out how to start posting pictures of this work in progress. It's going to be a long, bumpy ride.
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