RW09903
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Posts posted by RW09903
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3 hours ago, YHSublime said:
So have you taken the sump out of the crate yet?!
Second that!
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That's a massive sump! Are you planning on additional nutrition control aside from the roller mat?
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Live rock in! I performed a separate bleach and acid bath back in November 2021. I started curing and seeding shortly after. If you choose to accelerate the curing process with bleach and acid bath yourself, make sure all the precautions are taken to ensure your safety!
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16 hours ago, monkiboy said:
Sand/no sand?
No sand, I'm planning on going SPS dominant. I glued ABS board to the bottom.
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17 hours ago, YHSublime said:
Looking great! Will you be able to clear a skimmer height wise? It seems tight, but maybe that’s bc the tank is so big!
It was close but just enough room to get it in.
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Ohh, the tank finally got wet this evening. No leaks so far! The next phase will be the aquascape!
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ValaWan's Reef is due for an update. After taking a couple weeks away from the build, I finally started plumbing the overflow and return. The sump is a 120 gallon Pure Reef System from the original breakdown. I'm going with a herbie overflow.
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2 hours ago, wildcrazyjoker81 said:
Looking great man! Really sucks what happened to the original tank, but the 300DD has been known to split at the seams long term, so I think it was just meant to be. Plus the Planet Aquarium tank is a much much better tank in build and quality. I guess I need to sit down at some point and start my thread too
Ben Stiller binge
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2 hours ago, roni said:
Glad you started the thread and didn't let the cracked tank stop you! Can't wait to follow along.
Thank you. I was close to scrapping and waiting until the kids were older.
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4 minutes ago, lynn.reef.nerd said:
Following a long Ron!
I've got nothing on your Sea Shed! ? hmm. Did I just rename your build? ?
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7 hours ago, flooddc said:
Congrats Ron on the new dream build. Looking forward to see it filled up.
Thank you, Chuck! I hope all is well with you and your family.
6 hours ago, monkiboy said:thanks for posting and sharing. we can keep each other accountable with kids and new reef builds!
Yes sir! Thank you for encouraging me to do this.
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7 hours ago, YHSublime said:
Yo, Ron, I won’t accept the children pictures. That tank is big enough for YOU to pretend to be a merman.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Public Service Announcement: Rustoleum paint stinks! Use it in a well ventilated area. I added my first fish in the process as well. They were picky eaters so I had to trade them away.
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The tank is here! After placing the order back in November, it took an additional 9-10 weeks to finally arrive. As previously mentioned, I didn't want to risk CRACK v 2.0, so I had my buddies comany do the hard work this time. Boy they made it look easy. In hindsight, let gravity work for you.
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1 hour ago, howaboutme said:
Wow! I was just about to ask how 300G became 280G. I think you just answered it. I remember that 300G. It was very impressive. Keep it coming!
36 minutes ago, YHSublime said:Ron! Amazing, was wondering what was going on with Tony and his setup. I remember he had this giant emperator that would grunt every time in was there. It was so cool! Can’t wait to see what you do with it!
I idolized his TOTM from WAY back!
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2 hours ago, Abe said:
That’s exciting! Looking forward to your build
Thanks! I'll try to keep the content light hearted to keep thread entertaining ?
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While cooking dinner a couple days later, my wife chuckled while staring at me. She says "Ron, it looks like a piece of your heart chipped away with the panel of the tank." ? Wifey has jokes! On a more serious note, she wasn't lying. I was still devastated ?
She knew what the build meant to me and encouraged me to look into a replacement. Unfortunately, 300 DD were on backorder everywhere. At this point, I started looking at other options, including custom. During my search, I came across the Planet Aquariums Mega Matrix line of Aquariums. I decided to inquire about the 72x30x30, 280 gallon aquarium. It fit the 72" footprint and the 6" width difference allowed me to push the stand flush with the wall.
I reached out to a buddy on mine who works as an Install Manager for an aquarium build company in Wellington, DE. The comany was able to work out a quote my wife and I were comfortable with (included was delivery and tank setting). The build was on again!
Since my wife was supportive of this process, I decided to name the build after the both of us. ValaWan's reef!
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All the fun began on moving day. I enlisted the help of several family members and a few people friends on WAMAS. We meet at Tony's house and brainstormed a way to get the tank out! I rented an electronic stair lifter and the WAMAS suction cups to assist in the process.
It took a little while but we managed to get the aquarium to the top step. Crack! No, not the tank, but a few of his ceramic tiles. The weight of the tank plus the metal frame of the stair lifter was too much, even with plywood between the floor and the lifter. Thankfully, Tony was handy enough to repair the tiles without any issues.
Back to the tank move. After we loaded the truck, the aquarium was on its way to its new home. We pulled up to my backyard and worked the tank to the top of the basement stairs. The electronic stair lifter worked getting the tank up, why not use it to bring the tank down. We strapped the tank and began the decent. First step and CRACK! Yes, the tank this time. The tank shifted ever so slightly and placed all of the weight on a corner of the back panel. I was heart broken! ? Tank never made it in the house. Something about the possibility of 300 gallons of water on the floor didn't float well with me or the wifey.
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Prior to moving day, I had to build a stand that could support the weight of the aquarium filled (approximately 2600 lbs). I also needed to make sure there was enough room to fit the sump and equipment underneath. To do so, I copied Tony's blueprint for his DIY stand. He used a mixture of 2x4's and 2x8's. The stand was built to support two corner overflows. I had help from a family friend and fellow reefer, Ariel. I couldn't thank him enough!
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Hello All,
For those who do not know me, my name Ron. As a WAMAS member for nearly 10 years, I've met many reefers who helped me navigate through the sea of information. Mike, @miggs76, introduced me to the forum after I met him on Craigslist ?. Several months later, I bought my first acropora from Tony, ridetheducatti. I was at awe with the 300 gallon setup, it quickly became my dream system.
Fast forward to fall 2021, Tony reached out to me to see if I was interested in buying his entire setup. The deal was practically turnkey; I couldn't refuse! The only thing I had to do was build a stand. My dream of having a 300 gallon aquarium was finally in motion... or so I thought.... and this is where my journey begins.
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On 4/9/2022 at 8:33 AM, monkiboy said:
Thank you, sir. Hope to see your new build on here soon! Will you be sharing on WAMAS?
Ask and you shall receive ?
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Wow Marcos! This looks amazing. Can wait to see the finished product!
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How do you like using the ATI Straton LEDs?
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The tank is 72.5x30.5x30". It'll be only the width of the stand which will be larger.
Lynn's Fish Room
in Dedicated Tank (Build) Forum
What's your total volume of H2O in the she shed currently? Hope everything is on the up!