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Michael Hoaster said:
I of course will post pics of the new fake wall project. I'm looking forward to it!
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Yes, that is what I was referring to, the future/progress, like you did with your other thread during the construction. People will be interested in how you do things, especially if they wish to set up a tank like yours, or have similar goals. I don't mean to imply that you won't do that, rather that we are looking forward to it.
 
Thanks Kevin! Since the new fake wall will be much more involved, I'll be sure to post pics and explanations for what I'm doing. Man, I'm looking forward to showing off some progress too!

Sam.basye turned me onto his foam technique that I think will be an improvement over what I did originally. I tended to do long lines of foam, which didn't look natural. I ended up sanding it down, so it didn't really matter, but still, I'd like it to look more natural. Sam did random dollops. It looks good! I'll probably end up sanding down this one too, so it goes with the other one. Still, I think starting with more natural looking foam can't hurt.

As with the original, I'll want to keep this wall as thin as practical. Less foam, less buoyancy. I actually think sanding was good to trim it down, as well as to open up some of the cells to help take on water.
 
He's alive!

OK, so I snapped some pics for ya! These are from my QT. Besides quarantining, I'm also doing some Damsel Testing. I've been looking into damsels lately, and I was curious to see how these two got along. They both have a reputation as being more mellow then the usual damsels. And I love how sturdy they are. Talbot's Damsel and Springer's Damsel.


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System progress: today I cut out larger openings over the flow-through partitioned end of the tank. I need them as large as possible for better access. I need to figure out where everything's going to go. I'm also trying to visualize the new fake wall. I bought foam and egg crate.
 
Great choices on the damsels. You shouldn't have problems with either one. I've got a Talbott's now and think it's great. Very pretty, fun personality, and clever.
 
Thanks McPuff. Yes, the Talbot's been great, so far. The Springer is a little less mellow, but still a lot less aggro than a typical damsel. Plus they eat flatworms.
 
Thanks Kevin. I'm continuing my bullet proof fish theme, so I had to look at damsels. I loved the first damsels I had, in my first marine tank. I had always thought it would be cool to revisit them down the road. So now I'm looking at these mild mannered versions.

I'm also continuing my theme of multiple fish of each species. Since my tank isn't huge, it makes sense to use smaller fish. I'm hoping to keep multiple schools of sturdy, community fish, in a fairly peaceful community. I also plan to keep another harem of Royal Grammas. That experience was pretty awesome. This time I want to have three or four different schools swimming about. With all the colorful, small fish, it should be dazzling!
 
The Talbott's would be a nice choice for a small group. You could also consider some yellow tail damsels. They are also quite docile and have terrific color/contrast. The grammas are a must-have! I need to get another for sure. Had considered a trio but not sure I will actually do it.
 
Thanks Kevin! The trick will be getting all the fish to coexist peacefully. The order of introduction, and the understanding of each species' tendencies, like what level they tend to hang in, will be important. Getting a preview of them in QT should help a lot.
 
Agreed McPuff. The Talbots' look to be a good choice for a school. I'm not sure about the Springer's Damsel yet. Still watching.

I'm sure you could pull off a trio of grammas. They'll form a mini harem, with the largest one becoming a male, and the other two will stay female.
 
You have been doing your research and your stocking plan seems like a good one. Now it will be up to the fish to behave. I don't know much about those particular damsels, but if it works out, they will add nice color and activity to your tank, filling out the entire middle of the water column. With a tall tank, that will really make things pop!
 
I still have a few more damsels to test, but I'm excited about keeping these beautiful fish for sure. My QT is much more interesting to watch these days!
 
Sure! Any suggestions?

I've noticed than just the two that I have seem to hang at different levels. I've yet to see them quarrel. I think that will be one of the keys to success with multiple damsel schools. If each group prefers different spaces, that should go a long way to preventing friction.
 
For sure I'll be keeping mollies again. They're such a great utility fish. Probably not permanently in the display, but definitely from startup through the algae phase. I've got some juveniles in QT right now. Gambusia are an interesting option. I'll keep them in mind.
 
I'm hoping to make some progress Saturday. Getting the wave box placed and figuring out where everything is going to go will be a real challenge. The front chamber of the side sump will need to be dry now, to accommodate the magnets that hold the wave box in place. So I'll have to move the float/fill valve for the auto top off, the heater, and the canister filter return. Plus I want to integrate my UV back in the system so it's hidden and ready to go.

I'm thinking I'm going to have to hide some of it IN the new fake wall, since I can add space behind it. I'll be getting creative with the egg crate!

Another concern is, will the wave box work with the other two pumps' arrangement? I'd like to test everything, before it's set in stone, or rather, foam. So I may have to fill the tank with tap water, check out pump function, make any adjustments, then drain it again.

It helps to write this stuff down, to help me wrap my head around it all. This is definitely the most complex part of the re-do. Getting it done will go a long way towards finishing the system changes. I am so ready to fire up the ecosystem!
 
Another underwhelming day of progress. But it is something. I got the heater and sensor placed. I got the float valve placed. I got the new canister filter setup, with CO2 intake. That is all. I'm finding every time I get started, I find stuff I need to do BEFORE I can get to what I wanted to do.

Next I want to get the UV setup done. I haven't quite decided how I want to do it, but I'm looking at it and thinking. I should be able to house a submersible pump in the new fake wall. That will be the hardest part. The UV unit will sit above the tank. In and out hoses, power cord and done.

Then, finally I can place the wave box. I will consider filling the aquarium and testing the pump setup, before committing to everything, with the foam. I'm concerned the main return output may be too close to the wave box output, in the spot I'm thinking of placing it. Testing seems like the only way to know.

I guess this is the pace I have. Not fast, but steady…
 
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