DuffyGeos

Wow Issac! those two pics are awesome! especially the second one!

VVS... too funny! and anytime you can manage to post a picture of Mila on a reef tank site, and there is some context, by all means have at it!

You and Steveoutlaw are the head of my advisory board!......That is what I need! I need a official board of advisors that have done multiply tanks, and have been doing this for a while. Any applicants? The pay is nothing! You will get free beverages when doing onsite reviews....I know... a DREAM JOB! I have taken about 150 pics already. Some with my phone, some with a smaller Nikon, and I just shot about 50 with my (I mean my companies) new Nikon D5200. I just have to figure out how to get them from the camera on to this forum. Anyone with some quick advice? Maybe there is something under the photo section on WAMAS, I just have not had a chance to look. I am also computer challenged. It is my wife's fault (see how I can blame everyone else for my misgivings) she has a Masters in Computer Science from John's Hopkins so she always gets frustrated watching me try and figure out how to do something on the computer that she just takes over.

Thanks Issac! I love your system. My son still can't stop talking about your GSP swaying in the water! Let me know if you want to stop by and see the different phased from the start. Thanks! I will go over the whole set up later, but in general: - 8' x 16' main room. - 6' x 3' entrance hallway - 15' x 3' closet area that starts as a walk in, then extends under the stairs where the last 5' is a dog leg left.

Yea took a while, then I changed screens and forgot to save, so I had to redo one page and try to remember what I had said. Thanks! Does not matter, You have one beautiful system now, and I like your ideas for the one you want to do next to it. Now go swimming so you can get that SCUBA cert.! I love your cube! Seeing systems like yours made me want the wider open swimming area, I just think they look better. IMO Thanks Niki! I need to touch base with my tile guys, I still owe you a tile estimate. What did you ever decide on with Steve's old tank? I think I saw you had changed directions.

SYSTEM: -DT will be built into a wall with it sticking out 8"-12'+/- into the room. It will be viewed from the gym and the fish room at the same time and needs to look good from both directions. - 96" X 30" X 24" Acrylic DT with exterior overflows on both ends 14"-17" wide+/- (Artfully Acrylic - Adam) - 6 (30g) QT, Hospital, refugium, and what ever else tanks on their own sytems - 65" x 29" x 20" sump......yes it is a monster. - 2 frag tanks that will cover a 70" x 24/30"+/- area. one for QT, and one for grow out. - Water changing system: 2 100g-200g tanks for RO/DI & saltwater - Utility sink, counters, storage, refrigerator, chiller, venting system with humidity control, lighting, and separate electrical panel. - all the goodies to run these systems I think that is it....at the moment.

Continuation of the criteria: 4- The tank maintenance must be simply, or automated: I don't plan on spending 2 hours a day doing maintenance (unless I want to ). Water changes must be with a turn of a valve or two, monitoring systems must be able to be checked from my phone, and automated if possible. 5- QT & Hospital tank systems for fish and corals: I am willing to take my time and do things right. I would like to get these systems set up so nothing gets into my DT or frag tank. I want to make sure the fish and coral are all taken care of before introduced into those systems. 6-Systems are set up right: This includes electrical, venting, and plumbing. I would rather have a little overkill then skimp on something and pay for it later.

One reason for the delay is that I ordered a Nikon D5200 camera and kit that showed up as a Canon something, something, something... that fit in my pocket. All I saw was red as I realized I would be waiting another week to get my new camera. I did take pics with another camera at the very beginning, which is OK but not the same quality. So I will need to figure out how to post pics from my new camera and not my phone. I am looking for input from the WAMAS community so I don't screw up too much. Going from 16g to a total system in the range of 700g is a little daunting, but I think I have done enough research to start getting my feet wet....as long as it is not the whole basement. So here is my criteria for the system and the fish room: 1- Aestheitcs are everything: I may save some money up front with items that can be upgraded later, but I will not skimp on something that can not be replaced easily. 2- The basement can not flood: Really, it can't. I have thought long and hard on this one and basically will be building a waterproof fish room. My goal is that I can run a open hose on the floor and it will fill up the room to a point where it will go down the new floor drain that I just cut in through the 5" concrete floor (there will be a whole entry on that). 3- Form will follow function: Yes this is an old architectural saying (a little different wording), but it really does matter to me. I have already mentally moved items around just so the space will work better (at least that was the thought process) Please correct me if you think I am about to make a major reefing mistake.

It has been a long time coming, but I need to get this build off the ground. I have spent way too much time buying half of WAMAS's used equipment over the last 5 months and a 1/4 of all frags that have gone on sale. Part of my journey was to meet as many people as I could, and to see some really amazing systems. Since seeing so many systems I have decide to change my original plan and do what I really want to do. Being a Landscape Architect I always tell my clients to "do it right the first time, and do it when you are really ready to invest in it".....well I am going to take my own advice, and that time is now. I have spent many nights reading threads from our club and Reef Central: D2Mimi, ChingChai, Drummereef, monkiboy, steveoutlaw (my cousin), davelin315, cetenophore, YHSublime, DCReefer1967, ridetheducati, dave w, & of course copps. So obviously I have caught the disease as have many of you. I will try and post a pic at some time of my first tank. A saltwater 20g or 30g in 1979-1984. Yes it had a cutting edge under gravel filter, and I managed to keep some nems. and a few fish for a couple years. I think the financial limit of 2-3 fish (you can only mow so many lawns in the 8th grade) probably saved the whole system, along with weekly water changes. My next system wasn't till 2004-2006. I joined WAMAS and we had MACNA here down in Crystal City. That was a 29g that survived a move, but not a dive trip to the Dominican Republic where my brother-in-law was put in charge of the tank for more then a week. My existing system was started in Dec 2012 and is an IM 16g Nano. It was a Birthday / Christmas present to one of my son's.....so I blame him. The new system being built right now is my wife's fault....she wanted an 3/4" Annularis Angel that she thought was pretty. (sorry, just got pinged on my phone, something new was posted on WAMAS's WTB/WTS/FREE forum!) OK I am back. After making sure she was emotional attached to the fish I explained to her that it might grow....well maybe a little,,OK it is going to be massive and we we need to take out another mortgage to fund the fish room to keep this little guys happy and health. So the odyssey beginnings.....

DSA :cry: :cry: :cry:

So I have decided to stick with the clear bottom tank, and paint the stand white. I will work on getting this build thread together this week if possible. I have promised a lot of people!

Update: So here is where we are: White: 3 Clear: 6 PVC: maybe one Purple: 1 3D: 1 Wait this is getting off track.

So I was over at my long lost cousin's house -Steveoutlaw (for real, we are cousins) for our first meeting was today!! He voted for the clear bottom. Soooooo.... Update: So here is where we are: White: 3 Clear: 6 PVC: maybe one Clear is pulling ahead.

Update: So here is where we are: White: 3 Clear: 5 PVC: maybe one It seems that so far the Clear bottom people say it won't matter in a year, and the White Bottom people think the light reflection and matching the sand color do help. I assume (which is never safe) that the color of the stand under the clear bottom would matter if the sand is not present.

Have not decided yet. I will have 2 sheets of 3/4" plywood painted white, and I might have a layer of Azek composite on top of that. I just received a sump that is white on the bottom and ends, but is clear on the sides and the baffles. Looks pretty cool...and it is a monster 65" x 29" x 20" ! I might start a poll on how many reefers have ADD, ADHD, & OCD.....it comes up a lot. I would have the ADD & OCD symptoms.

OK- so far it is: 3 whites 1 clear (PM from DCReefer1964 before I posted this and he thought I should poll people)- good idea!

Just watched them, love it!

That is one thing I was wondering about. I also think it will not show as many scratches as a clear bottom. thanks for your input Brad

The Quick question (like there is ever a quick question in this hobby)- I have to put together a tank build thread, which I will do, and will cover all of this in the build later. I have Adam with Artfully Acrylic building me a 300g tank 96" x 30" x 24" tank that will be in the wall and viewed from both sides. I am going to have exterior overflows on both ends that will have black acrylic to cover the pipes. My question is what color should I do the bottom? I am thinking I want a little sand for wrasses, but I don't care if it gets blown around. I am looking to have a heavy fish bioload, and see what I can do with some SPS. This may change, but that is where I am at the moment. Right now it is suppose to be clear, but I keep going back and forth with a black or white bottom option. The white would reflect the light, but might be hard to keep clean if it is seen. The black would hide "dirt" and scratches better, but would absorb light. Or do I go clear and paint the wood below a bright white or black? What are your opinions? Thanks, Ken

105 looks great!!....but I kinda liked the Rubbermaid in the garage. It had a lot of depth when you looked down at it on the floor. The black back ground and bottom really did show the colors and forms of the corals....maybe it is just me.

wow.......

Great pics! Nice color and depth on the pics. Especially the acro pics. What camera and lens are you using?