VicSkimmr

Ok, thats the same stuff I was thinking of. The bigger question is how am I going to fit it in a MINI?

Will do. Thats another question I had actually... what type of Styrofoam do you normally use? Just the typical huge sheet you can buy at Lowe's? I figured that once its got 800 lbs sitting on it, it would be pretty much worthless.

Guys, As I couldn't sleep last night, I was trouble shooting potential problems with the design of the tank and I realized that I need to drill some more holes. The first one needs to be for the return. At first I thought I could just plumb it over the top of the lip, but then I realized that the way the light sits on the tank (and how I'll have to slide it to one end to the other to get access to the inside of the tank), that won't work. So I guess my only option is to drill a hole in the back. The other holes I need to drill are going to need to be in the brace. I'm going to be using 2 nanostream 6045's, and their cords have to go somewhere. I don't think it would look very aesthetically pleasing to have them wrap over the bracing since it comes in so far (which is fine, I like how the brace looks). My first thought was that I could just have the wires come through the hole for the overflow, but then I realized that if I did that I'd most certainly spill water as some of it would follow the cord instead of cleanly landing into the overflow box. So, I need to drill 2 holes in the brace that can accommodate the cords from the powerheads. So, does anyone have any suggestions on how I should go about doing this? Any tips on how to drill a clean hole? Should I be concerned with the acrylic cracking if I drill the holes too close to a seam? Jason

http://www.fishworld.com/img/032902/DSCN2388m.jpg Tell me it doesn't look exactly like one of those polyps. I still have no idea how it could survive though. Most people can't keep them alive in their tanks when they're healthy (and freaking ALIVE) to begin with.

I dunno guys, it looks exactly the polyps you'd see on a non-photosynthetic gorgonian to me...

Chances are that Purple Up is nothing more than pickling lime at 10x the price. How long has the tank been set up? It will take it a while to really start growing.

Oh come on, do you honestly believe we're going to take you seriously with a name like TROLL? :P

I can't attest to how it will do with corals yet, but the fixture itself is very well built and I believe I read somewhere that it is powdercoated. The only thing that surprised me was that the fixture didn't come with any type of shield to protect the bulbs. I guess it doesn't need one, but I'd feel safer if I had one. The mounting system I had to buy was really expensive, but it is also built very well and is made of the same metal as the main fixture. I put a good deal of felt on the parts that touch the acrylic and it glides over it like butter. Will do. I haven't decided on what magnet to use yet, does anybody have any suggestions? With my last tank I usually used a Kent Scraper with a plastic blade which worked surprisingly well. I actually can't remember any instances where I know it scratched the acrylic, but I doubt I'll go that route this time around.

Yeah, I had considered the MJ Mod, but I'm thinking that with 2 nano stream 6045's, I'll get a lot less velocity and a lot more actual flow, which will be good for all the fish and hopefully won't create a sandstorm. The somewhat final stock list is: Thornback Cowfish Cherub Angel A pair of clownfish 3-4 smaller fish (probably gobies and blennies) And further down the road either a Dragonfaced Pipefish or a Mandarin. If any of the fish decide to nip at corals, they'll be snatched up and replaced (with some leniency given to the cowfish )

Update! 12.26.06 Christmas came early! This is what I picked up last Friday from Jeff (NAGA)... Overflow: I gotta say, the craftsmanship on this tank is outstanding, and I couldn't have asked for a better person to deal with than Jeff. We built the frame for the stand on Saturday, it fits like a glove Then Christmas morning brought some more reef goodies :D This thing is a monster. Keep in mind this tank is 24" wide... <insert manly grunt here> Lights on! Here's the bulb selection I chose: Giessmann 39w Aquablue + ATI 39wActinic + GE 39w 6,000k ATI 39w Mid-day (11,000k) Giessmann Pure Actinic Giessmann 39w Aquablu + Lit with just the Aquablue +'s... And now with the entire lineup... You can't tell a huge difference from the pics, but the tank gets significantly brighter... although I may end up switching the Aquablue +'s and the Actinics around to give it a better dawn/dusk effect. Oh, and I got some live rock that I had given to my brother back! This Sunday morning we're finishing the construction on the stand, then its time to fill 'er up!

Oh, I should've been clearer. I'm choosing between the 3, only 1 will make it to the tank. Hmm, ok, so thats pretty typical of angels then. I was originally going to go with a Cherub Angel because I've had experience with them in the past and I've actually never heard an account of one that would pick at corals. Then I was told about the Potter's, and both the people I talked to that had one had said that it was pretty reef safe too. If I do end up getting the cowfish, I would probably be better to err on the side of caution with adding other potentially non-reef safe animals, so maybe I can knock the Potter's off the list (which would probably mean knocking the Bi-Color off the list too, as much as I hate having to do so).

Ok, so I've got Jeff working on the tank, but we changed the dimensions a bit. Now its going to be a 75 gallon tank, 36"x 24" x 20". I figured the extra 4 inches of height would never properly get used and it would take away from the shallow reef look that I'm going for. So... on to the fish! I've got the list narrowed down a bit, but I'm really torn between some of the choices, so maybe we can knock some of them out right away. Cowfish I've always, always been obsessed with these fish. I've always wanted to try one in a reef tank, but I'm not sure what type of corals they would snack on, if any. I know that their toxin shouldn't affect corals in any way, and the fish I'm looking to get, a Thornback Cowfish, seems to have a reputation for not releasing its toxin. I know this is probably not likely, but has anyone ever tried one of these in a reef? Dwarf Angel Cherub Angel Potter's Angel Bi-Color angel Does anyone have experience with these in a reef tank? Specifically with SPS and zoanthids? Rabbitfish I'd really like to find a rabbitfish to help with grazing on algae. I'm hoping to find a Virgate Rabbitfish, but I've been told that they aren't seen much in the hobby, despite not being very expensive. Is there a reason for this? That'll probably do it for the difficult fish. I'm fully prepared to build the stocking list around the cowfish in order to make it work, provided that it will suit otherwise. Any thoughts, suggestions?

Actually that would be great. I'm on the waiting list for them at Premium Aquatics, but I joined it late and I'm sure it will take forever to get them from there. Plus, any business I can give to members is always better.

First off, I reckon I should probably introduce myself and give a little backround about my situation. My name is Jason, and I'm a fledgling CPA-in-training at a small firm in Harrisonburg, VA. I just graduated from Coastal Carolina University (Myrtle Beach, SC) this past May, but my home has always been in the Harrisonburg area. While I was there I was a marine science major for the first 3 years, but I decided that that subject is better suited for a hobby for me instead of a career, so I switched to accounting. I just moved into a new place, so I think I'm finally ready to get back into the hobby. I've got about 5 years of experience with saltwater tanks, the past 3 being with reefs. My last tank was a 55 gallon acrylic that I sort of teethed on, there were a lot of lessons learned the hard way, but I had fun. Here's a pic of what it looked like at one point. More photo's can be found here. http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v62/VicS...p;addtype=local Anyway... to the new tank. Dimensions 36" x 24" x 20" , built by Jeff (NAGA) Goal I'm planning on setting this up so it will be viewable from 3 sides. The rock structure will be set up as a shallow reef system, so the rockwork will be low so the corals have lots of room for growth. It will be primarily dominated by SPS. Lighting A 36" Tek T5 fixture with 6 bulbs, I haven't decided on the bulb combination just yet. Filtration Probably around 60 lbs of live rock and a Euro-Reef CS-1 skimmer that I've got left over from my last tank. I'll eventually add a UV sterilizer as well. Water Flow I really want to grab a couple of Tunze Nanostream 6045's when they're released. Speaking of which, has anybody heard about them recently? I thought they were scheduled to be released at the end of '06? Thats about all I can think of at the moment. I've drawn up a fairly representative sketch of what I'm shooting for with the stand, although I found out that there's very little room for equipment under the tank with this setup, so please, any recommendations would be greatly appreciated on how to improve it. I assume I'll have to stretch it out 2" in every direction at the very least to get enough space for a small sump, a water top-off setup, and hopefully a calcium reactor or kalkwasser drip system. So, thats enough rambling I think. I got really bored this evening, so I figured this would be more productive than playing World of Warcraft, but all it really made me realize was that I have way, WAY too much time on my hands. Sorry for the wall of text! Jason

Thanks, its always good to hear the good and the bad before buying. I'm not too thrilled with having to go pick the tank up from them, but I've pretty well settled on those dimensions and I can't seem to find any other place that makes one like that. If anybody knows of a fairly reasonably priced glass shop (or maybe an acrylic shop, but I don't know if I want to go that route again), I'd definitely be up for using a different vendor, or if we have members who are adept at building tanks, I'd be more than happy to pay well for them to build me one. I drew up the diagram using Sketchup, which is basically a simplified version of CAD.

Hmm, ok. Are you pretty pleased with their craftmanship? Would you consider it clean enough to use as a display tank?

That seems strange that they would Eurobrace a glass tank. I would have thought it would be easier to use the plastic trim to help brace it just like they've done with the bottom pane. I'm giving them a call today anyway, so I'll have a chat with them about it.

Hmm, I hadn't thought about either of those options. I wonder how much extra they would charge for an external overflow box? I also didn't mention that the tank would be glass, do they still eurobrace them even if it isn't an acrylic tank? Thats easy enough to fix, it should add a good bit of usable space too I think.

I'm in the planning phase of starting a new SPS dominated reef, and I've got the first draft of it done. Ok, so here's the design. Its a 65 gallon wide tank from glasscages. The dimensions are 36"x24"x17". Viewable from 3 sides. For lighting, I think I'm going to try T5's this time, because I can't afford a MH/T5 combo, and the only reason I like MH is because of the shimmer effect it gives off. I was thinking a 4x39 watt Tek system, unless another company has come out with something of similar quality thats cheaper. Filtration will include a EuroReef CS-1 and about 40 lbs of live rock (I want to leave a lot of room for coral growth); the bioload will be light. I'm also planning on adding a UV filter later on. For water movement I'm still on the fence. I installed a closed loop on my last tank and it was complete overkill. This go around I was hoping to have 2 Tunze's and have them alternate flow, but apparently the low end models can't be used in that way. I could always go with 2 SEIO's if they are long lasting (or wait for the Tunze Nano Streams) as well. I'm all for constructive cristism and suggestions, I really want this tank to run well. Jason

Edit - I moved this to the beginners section as it probably belongs there rather than here. http://www.wamas.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=9222

Well, I paid my dues, I guess its time to wait till I get the priveladges I'm itching to get started on this tank, its been too long since I've had one.

Does anybody know whats up with HiRocks page? Its been down for a few days, I was really hoping to buy from them!

Thanks for the warm welcome I've already got the skimmer, a EuroReef CS-1 For lighting, I'm torn between 2x250 watt MH or T5's. Or maybe a combo of both. I just don't know! Edit: I guess I could describe the tank a little bit. Its going to be 36"x24"x17", from Glass-Cages. It'll be viewable from 3 sides, with the overflow box on one of the 24" sides. I'll post a diagram tomorrow to help illustrate it.

Hi guys, I just signed up, so I thought I should introduce myself. My name is Jason, and I've just moved from Myrtle Beach, SC to Harrisonburg, VA. I graduated from Coastal Carolina University (Conway, SC) with a BS in Accounting, but my first 3/5 years was spent as a Marine Science major. I've been keeping reef tanks for the past 5 years, but I recently had to tear mine down and sell everything because of the move. My last tank was a 55 gallon Acrylic SPS dominated reef that was full of problems. Anyway, I'm finally settling down in a townhouse (I've been living with my parents for the past 4 months) and I think its good time to get back into the hobby. I've got plans formulated, but I won't bore you guys with those just yet till I can play around with Sketchup for a bit. Its going to be a shallow SPS dominated reef tank (65 gallons), but I haven't hammered out the specifics. I hope to meet some of you soon! I've heard this is a great club. Jason Withers