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TrueTricia's Beachside Build (size TBD)


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(edited)

Hello Fellow Reefers! So I'm still deployed and won't really be home until November, but I thought I'd use this time to start conceptualizing and planning. Being away from home means some details are fuzzy, but luckily my tenant is supposed to get me some measurements.

So, my idea: an opentop display aquarium connected to a fishroom under my stairs. See the picture for the anticipated location.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/y1WbUTNq2ZFcZKAC6
https://photos.app.goo.gl/B1tin2zdAytryt6UA

Caveats:
1. I would like the tank to take up the length of the wall, without blocking the area under the open stairwell. This may mean downgrading to a 90g with a 3ft footprint.
2. If I do block the area under the open stairwell, I have to find an alternative place for the robotic litterbox. This would likely be in the covered under the stairs area that will be the fish room.
3. My condo is modern, and therefore, all my designs must be modern and clean.
4. I want this to be a highly automated tank so I can leave for vacations, etc. and not worry regarding little things.
5. My RO/DI water mixing area will not be co-located with the fish room do to plumbing constraints. It will be located in these closets on my outside covered patio. Freezing temperatures need to be taken into account.

Current Equipment (guestimated since I'm not home)
1. 120g rimmed glass aquarium
2. Apex system w AFS module
3. Return pump
4. 40g Long sump
5. Skimmer
6. Dual dosing pumps
7. Heater for main tank
8. Random 5g and 10g tanks

Main Tank Equipment Upgrades and Purchases:
1. LED lighting system (AI Hydras or Kessils)
2. Neptune ATO Kit
3. Neptune Flow Monitor
4. Neptuve WAV Kit 
5. New probes (salinity, temperature, and pH)
6. Neptune ALD Sensor
7. New stand build

8. Apex PM2 Module

 

Fish Room Equipment Purchases and Upgrades and Setups
1. QT Tank (10g tank, air pump)
2. 40gL Sump setup (no purchases needed)
3. External Refugium or In-sump refugium
4. ATO reservoir
5. Stand for above set-ups
6. Possible copepod breeding set-up

7. AWC set-up (DOS pump)

8. Neptune optical sensors

9. Dual media reactor

Outside Storage Closet Watermixing Station
1. New RO/DI filters
2. Build mixing stand
3. Water containers for salt and fresh


Mixed Reef Tank Desired Fish (considering doing Maldivian/Indian ocean specific tank)
1. Anthias. Maldivian Resplendent Anthias of Lyretail. I saw them diving there and now I want them as a sentimental memory of those dives.
2. Captive-bred Clown pair(s) with anemome
3. Pellet-eating Leopard wrasse (saw in the Maldives as well)
4. Small tang (questionable)
5. Small reef-safe wrasse
6. Captive-bred Mandarin dragonets (here or in a separate tank)

7. Captive-bred banggai cardinals

I'm definitely going to need help along the way! Thank you in advance, WAMAS community!

Edited by truetricia2
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So let me get to the first few questions I have for the community:

 

1. Do any of you see a problem with a cat's automatic litterbox being in the "fishroom"?  I'm not concerned about them peeing in the tanks, rather any possible affect aerosolized ammonia could have on the sumps and other tanks.

 

2. Any recommendations for "waterproofing" the fishroom as much as possible?  I'm thinking floors and any electrical wiring that's in there.  The fishroom is an unfinished room with open studs.

 

3. Recommendations for getting plumbing through the wall from the main tank to fish room?  Cut exact-fitting circular holes?  Fill with foam for soundproofing?

 

4. Anyone have experience with the WAV pumps?  Are they worth it, or go with other Apex controllable pumps?

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My favorite tank so far has been my current build, 22 gallons. It's probably the cleanest build I've done, and I can't imagine keeping it sleeker and going any bigger. I don't mean that from outside aesthetics, I mean that from keeping the glass clean, rimless, salt creep, rockscape, coral placement, etc. IMO, the hardest part of a new tank is waiting for things to fill in, like corals to grow, and coraline algae. 

 

If you want high automation, there needs to be sacrifices, my recent position has me traveling a lot, and I've learned I can't have all my wants. I love tangs, but I've only got a nice pair of clownfish. Less fish, less problems. 

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1. Do any of you see a problem with a cat's automatic litterbox being in the "fishroom"?

 

This is likely to go wrong in the worst way unless the space is very carefully secured. I can imaging many different scenarios where your cat accidentally or out of curiosity knocks something important over or bumps something so that it's out of place. Like your ATO line, a float sensor, an Apex cable, or whatever.

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This is likely to go wrong in the worst way unless the space is very carefully secured. I can imaging many different scenarios where your cat accidentally or out of curiosity knocks something important over or bumps something so that it's out of place. Like your ATO line, a float sensor, an Apex cable, or whatever.

 

That is a very good point.  There are ways to mitigate that, but it'll take some thought.  

 

Assume for a moment that my wall is not 48" long.  This would mean my 120g tank would block a portion of that open under-the-stairs area.  I bought a stupid expensive robotic litterbox since I was going to be deployed and wanted to minimize care for them.  I need to be able to reach the litterbox to empty the automated trash collection and service the robot when it has issues.  If the tank blocks my ability to do that, I could put a door or door-like opening in the fishroom so that I can reach and fully service the robot from there.  This would keep the cats out of the fish room but still allow me to reach the box.  

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My favorite tank so far has been my current build, 22 gallons. It's probably the cleanest build I've done, and I can't imagine keeping it sleeker and going any bigger. I don't mean that from outside aesthetics, I mean that from keeping the glass clean, rimless, salt creep, rockscape, coral placement, etc. IMO, the hardest part of a new tank is waiting for things to fill in, like corals to grow, and coraline algae. 

 

If you want high automation, there needs to be sacrifices, my recent position has me traveling a lot, and I've learned I can't have all my wants. I love tangs, but I've only got a nice pair of clownfish. Less fish, less problems. 

 

I agree with you on waiting for corals to grow, travel, etc.  That's why my focus is going to be more fish and less on SPS corals and more on softies and LPS.  I love the movement of RBTA tanks as well.  I'll either be moving to Spain soon, or I'll be in Norfolk for the next 3-5 years.  I want to keep my tank flexible, but still allow me to travel for a weekend or week at a time.  That's not to say I won't do SPS, but probably only montis and other relatively easy SPS unless my life stabilizes a bit more (if ever).  

 

I also am in a much better financial position than I was for my last tank, and I can afford to have more automated equipment thankfully.  I want to set up the tank right, get all of the processes a bit more settled, and then worry about coral.  So I'll probably pay a bit more for some rock that looks coraline-covered (even if it's not), buy the web-connected equipment, etc.  I also have loads of rock sitting at home, but I'll probably only "cook" so much of it and then buy new rock that is lighter and easier to work with so I can achieve that cleaner look.  

 

Ideally, I'll have everything be able to be done remotely, including small water changes.  It doens't mean I won't do things by hand normally, but the ability to do remote work allows me more flexibility.  

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(edited)

Half the point of me writing this is to work through my ideas somewhere other than a notebook...which is what I do during boring meetings.  Not necessarily for replies.  Of course, feel free to comment, critique, suggest, etc.  

 

Stand Design Builds:

Modern white stand build with wood contrast door: https://goo.gl/images/A4ycpr.

Given that the majority of my equipment will be in the fish room, I plan on dividing up the stand into two parts.  On the left side (facing the stand), creating an open bookcase with shelving and framing it out on the inside including the return pipe that will be there, and then on the right side, putting a door for the fish items I want within easy reach.  I'll have a skimmate locker/bucket there for easy removal and (possibly) the ATO.  I'll also have basic supplies like a net and acclimation box in there.  My apex classic controller will be in there as well.  

 

I can't find an exact picture of what I want, but this is close, just the stand divided into two parts instead of three.  https://goo.gl/images/sjTg9q.  Here's pretty much what I think I want, including a sliding door for the covered part.  I love the look, just a bit different style for the door.  https://goo.gl/images/tJ8gWY  I can always adjust the dimensions to accomodate what I need to put in the "fish" side of the stand as opposed to the open storage.  Since my tank is rimmed, I'll build the stand so that the skinning covers the rim, or build a small shelf around the edge that does the same thing and allows for space to place small objects.  

 

The skimmate bucket will serve dual purpose.  It'll surve as the overflow for the skimmer, but it will also serve as the AWC waste bucket.  I will put optical sensors tied to the apex here (probably two for redundancy or one optical and one float).  The ATO container will also be here.  This is because the fishroom will be difficult to get large quantities of water in and out of, so access from the living room for water movement and waste emptying is ideal.  Hence the divided bookcase stand.   

 

Lights:

I'll hang my lights from the ceiling, similar to https://goo.gl/images/S7FPo5.  Another idea is to create a faux wood beam in which to hide lighting cords.  The problem with this idea is the ability to access the cords since it'll be over my tank, and thus hard to reach even with a ladder for any issues.  Of course, the lights themselves won't be in the beams, only the cords, so chance are I'll rarely have to do anythign once they're hung and plugged in (assuming an extension cord will be needed).  

 

I'm not doing a big canopy.  Since my tank is rimmed, I'll build a small one just to hide the rim.  Built into this will be mesh covering.  I'll also have a section cut out and velcroed in, so that it can be removed for easy tank access without removing the entire canopy.  Or build in a way to easily lift out the mesh interior for maintenance.  Still working through this design.  

 

Fish Room:

The wall against whcih the tank will go already has a GFCI outlet.  I'll need to build outlets on the inside of the fish room.  First, there needs to be light in the room, which there is not currently.  So I'll hang one up top.  Second, I'll build shelving in between the studs for storage of basic items, similar to https://goo.gl/images/apz3Qz.  This will allow me to maximize the floor space while still providing for adequate reef item storage.  

 

The wall shared by the tank will not have storage shelves.  Instead, this wall will house a stand for the 40gL sump, refugium and/or copepod breeding, Fish QT tank, and frag QT tank (maybe).  There will also be a board for the electronics and Neptune modules.  My dual reactor will also be mounted to the wall and plumbed into the manifold.  

 

I already have a divided 40GL sump.  If memory serves, it has two main sections with a thin third section between the two that is really ideal for bio balls or other filter media.  The main section of the sump will be plumbed for the water coming from the display tank and will contain the skimmer, the heater, and filter sock.  The skimmer will have tubing running through the wall to the skimmate locker/AWC waste bucket.  The probes (pH, temp, and salinity) will also sit in this section of the sump.  The pump for the AWC will pull from here as well.  The return pump will be in the second smaller section, and the ATO pump into this.  I'll also be adding a Neptune FMM module and system here.  I am debating switching out my current pump for the new COR, but may just do the flow module instead.  I'll also have the ALD module with one detector here by the sump and another in my stand under the main tank. 

 

I'd like my refugium to be separate from the sump as a HOB simply for space issues.  I'd also like to do some copepod breeding given my love for mandarin fish, but we'll see.  I'll also have a separate Fish QT here, and possibly a small frag tank.  

 

 

My plumbing will be done similar to the Marine Depot Blog advanced sump plumbing graphic https://goo.gl/images/dGD1jG.  I plan to have a manifold with expansion capabilities built-in and multiple shut-off valves.  One manifold will go to the dual reactor (phosban and charcoal).  

 

Watermxing Station Room:

My condo is two stories, and each story has a porch.  Each porch has a closed storage closet that is only accessible from the porch.  The second story has my plumbing, tankless water heater, etc.  This is where the hookup for the RO/DI system will be.  My RO/DI unit will be here, with the output line running through the floor to the lower story.  This will be where the water mixing station will be.  Given that these are outdoor storage closets, I have to think about how I'm going to protect the unit from being affected by freezing weather conditions.  

 

The actual water mixing station on the lower floor I envision similar to this: https://goo.gl/images/MfLXp4 or https://goo.gl/images/jb55Gm.  The top will be my pure RO/DI freshwater, while the bottom is saltwater.  The bottom will be on a roller, so that I can roll it into my living room for larger water changes.  There are some logistical issues with going from the patio to the living room, mainly a hump to get over, but this may be solved by having two rollers at varying heights, and transfering the bucket from one to the other, from patio to living room.  But we'll see.  The plumbing from the fresh to the salt will be flexible tubing so that the bottom container can be easily rolled away and put back.  The freshwater container will not be automated, so that an actual knob must be turned on and off.  So it can't run while I'm away.  I'm thinking about putting an ATO and float sensor with an audible alarm on it, but this can be done later if needed.  I'm thinking a timer that is alway set with a significant safety margin will be sufficient.  

 

Alright.  This is all I can think of for now....

Edited by truetricia2
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The only problems I have had with the fish you listed were my CBB requires fresh frozen food and requires it often. Paying a fish sitter to come by for me and drop in a frozen chunk once per day while I’m gone gets a little costly for a $40 fish (once a day isn’t enough in my tank but enough to keep it alive while I’m gone) also the other thing I’m struggling with is mandarins. I had rescued 4 of them looking so skinny and showing lateral bone line at LFS they are rarely fat at LFS anyhow as they quickly deplete any pod population in the 10g LFS and are purged of food at supplier. So long story short I got them skinny, they fatten up quick and grow well in my pod loaded tanks and then some went MIA for no reason. The good news is that two are still alive but it’s only been 6 months. So if you are set on them despite the warnings like I was I recommend buying the captive bred biota mjandarins. There is really exciting talk about them eating pellets and being all around stronger. I also recommend buying a used CBB as I had a ton of trouble finding a healthy one then had trouble getting it to eat frozen. I hate to start off so negative but my CBB has consumed so much of my dang time I just had to go on a rant about it lol. Anyhow Welcome back! To Wamas at least! Just follow your dream build, work out the kinks and go with it. Most importantly thank you for your service!

Edited by gmerek2
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My CBB gets mid-evil on littleneck clams so that is something you can try. I thaw them on the counter for about an hour and toss it in whole, all the fish enjoy tearing it apart. I usually leave it in the tank about two hours and then remove it. 

Edited by madweazl
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The only problems I have had with the fish you listed were my CBB requires fresh frozen food and requires it often. Paying a fish sitter to come by for me and drop in a frozen chunk once per day while I’m gone gets a little costly for a $40 fish (once a day isn’t enough in my tank but enough to keep it alive while I’m gone) also the other thing I’m struggling with is mandarins. I had rescued 4 of them looking so skinny and showing lateral bone line at LFS they are rarely fat at LFS anyhow as they quickly deplete any pod population in the 10g LFS and are purged of food at supplier. So long story short I got them skinny, they fatten up quick and grow well in my pod loaded tanks and then some went MIA for no reason. The good news is that two are still alive but it’s only been 6 months. So if you are set on them despite the warnings like I was I recommend buying the captive bred biota mjandarins. There is really exciting talk about them eating pellets and being all around stronger. I also recommend buying a used CBB as I had a ton of trouble finding a healthy one then had trouble getting it to eat frozen. I hate to start off so negative but my CBB has consumed so much of my dang time I just had to go on a rant about it lol. Anyhow Welcome back! To Wamas at least! Just follow your dream build, work out the kinks and go with it. Most importantly thank you for your service!

 

Good point on the CBB.  That was a dream list of fish...  I've kept mandarins before and had success with them.  I'm also a big fan of captive bred fish in general, so I'll be looking for a captive bred specimen regardless that hopefully eats pellets/frozen food as well.  But I plan on having copepod reserves and propogation on occassion to restock.  

 

If you have an animal that will eat frozen, or even if you're just trying to breed copepods for your corals, there are ways to harvest before going on vacation, etc that help to maximize your utility out of a crop.  I know people that breed sea horses, and they take their excess copepods and freeze them in icecube trays.  The animals won't still be alive when they thaw mind you, but if you have corals or animals that will eat them in the thawed state, they can be a good way to maximize the use of a harvest.  

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My CBB gets mid-evil on littleneck clams so that is something you can try. I thaw them on the counter for about an hour and toss it in whole, all the fish enjoy tearing it apart. I usually leave it in the tank about two hours and then remove it. 

 

Have you ever had a Threadfin Butterfly?  This species would actually fit into my possible Indian-ocean themed tank, but curious as to experiences with reefers in reef tanks.  Also, still not sure that any butterfly is going to be compatible with my care plans.  

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  • 4 months later...

So I've bought a new tank! It's a cube! 35x35x24. Here's some sketches of my stand build and beginning lumber requirements.

The stand is going to be split in half so that one part is cabinet and the other a bookshelf. There will be plywood on the top, a 1xX frame around the tank, with crown moulding between that and the remainder of the stand. The whole thing will be white washed.

I've indicated a cut out for my plumbing on the one photo. I've got a couple supporting slats on the bottom, plus supporting ones on the inside of the uppers. I'll be using a kreig tool to attach the wood together in most places. The sides of the tanks will use 2x2s that will both add support and be the outer "wainscoting" look. 500993a0fb136c5d2dcae4864e372bf1.jpgae49fb08d25f9fbc090270f4b160bac2.jpg9ed2e69220c15d49ca1bf44819ff4f4f.jpg

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I'd skip the bookshelf idea. You're going to want to use as much of the space as possible under the tank. My biggest regret is that my ATO container is only 3.5 gallons (maybe 4?) and I wish I could put a five gallon bucket as an ato underneath. Nice tank, that's a big cube!

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I'd skip the bookshelf idea. You're going to want to use as much of the space as possible under the tank. My biggest regret is that my ATO container is only 3.5 gallons (maybe 4?) and I wish I could put a five gallon bucket as an ato underneath. Nice tank, that's a big cube!
I'm keeping the bookshelf bc I have an entire fish room for equipment. 20g reservoirs are already planned. Plus my optional coral QT tank will be there occasionally.

But the tank fell through, so now the design is scrapped until I find another one that fits in the 42" space.

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  • 6 months later...

Well, I'm officially back for now!

 

The 120g Beachside build is underway!

 

A little background: When I previously lived in DC, I had a 120g mixed reef tank.  This tank wasn't my first SW tank, but it was the biggest and certainly the most challenging.  I learned the most from this tank compared to my previous tanks (when I lived in FL, I literally pulled SW and fish from the ocean with my collector's license and assisted in seahorse rehab from oil spills).  But the tank was full of second-hand equipment with no real plan to the tank.  I then moved to Norfolk for work, and never set up the tank after moving.  I quickly deployed for a year to the Middle East, where I dreamed of having my big tank back.  So fast forward to now...

 

After some health issues and other set-backs, I've finally found the time to really work on the tank.  I considered buying a new tank, but in the end, I've decided to set up my old tank rather than go through the hassle of a new one.  This past week, I built the stand.

 

The 120g stand has a 51" x 26" footprint built with 2x4s with a 3/4" plywood top and skinned in 1/4" plywood.  I knew that I wanted the stand to be able to house a sump in the bottom when I wanted, but it wouldn't need to atm (there's a fish room).  Therefore, it avoids mid-support beams to allow for easy integration of a sump if needed, and a conversion from the current divided design.  The stand is built based on the commonly circulated design, with multiple support beams across the bottom, and strategically placed support beams across the top.  The beams were situated to support a middle barrier (made from 1/4" plywood backed by 3/4" plywood for shelf support and a 2x2 beam at the front) going down the inside of the stand to create two separate compartments.  The beams were also placed to ensure that they did not interfere with plumbing the tank.  Of note, I used deck screws with weather proof coating.  The frame is supported by two separate 2x4s on each corner, and an additional support 2x4 to stabilize the stand but are not meant to support weight.  Next, the top 3/4" plywood had two sections cut out to provide space to attach bulkheads, while still providing structural integrity to the top.  The floor of the stand used 1/4" plywood supported by the many beams.  This provided the basic frame of the stand.

 

The interior of the stand is divided into two parts.  The left side of the stand is a bookshelf, with removable shelves.  The removable shelves were created by buying shelf pegs, and then creating a template for the holes in a spare piece of wood.  The template was used to create four sets of holes for the shelf pegs (and will be saved for future use).  It's very important to use the template to ensure continuity among the peg holes.  Also, ensure the drill is level as you drill the holes to ensure the pegs sit flat.  I then used prefab shelves from HD cut fit the interior measurements.  

 

The right side of the stand is a storage area for the tank, and will eventually have a cabinet door put on to hide the interior.  There's a shelf tucked into the nook created by the stand frame for food and other supplies.  Otherwise the interior is open to accommodate an ATO reservoir and/or electronics display.  

 

The entire stand was skinned in 1/4" plywood, and the entire thing painted with a basecoat of Kilz.  Afterwards, additional coats of white paint that match my walls were added.  Next, an Innovative Marine self-leveling mat was added to the top, and the entire stand leveled.  My flooring is tile, which I did myself, and therefore isn't perfectly even.  A few shims were necessary to make the tank perfectly level.  The tank, which was cleaned out from storage, was placed on top.  I painted the tank trim to match my walls, so that it fits into the house decor perfectly.  

 

Simple trim still needs to be added to hide some of the seams, and then pieces of acrylic will cover the overlap of the stand and siliconed against the sides of the tank to provide a more waterproof work area.  And then I need to add a door to the cabinet side.  

 

My plan is to move my small AIO 5g pico tank to the bottom of the bookshelf side to act as my coral/invert QT tank.  I'll have a separate fish QT tank that will be in a different section of the house.  I've got rocks curing upstairs in Rubbermaid tubs, and my additional plumbing supplies should arrive here on Friday (I had the bulkheads but not the gaskets).  I'm not going to do the final plumbing on the tank right away.  I'm going to put unions and check valves (closed) on the pipes and connect them to each other while I wait for a few other life things to develop.  The rocks will get moved in to aquascape and then finish cycling in the big tank.  Before that's finished, I'll have the fish room set up and the plumbing able to be fully set up.

 

Part of why I'm delaying is that I'm having surgery in a couple months, and there's a chance I'll be moving back to DC within six months... I don't want to get everything set up and not be able to access the fish room directly after surgery, or have to tear everything down immediately after setting it up.  I can give the rocks time to cure and tank to initially cycle while I get a better idea of probability of relocation.  

 

Photos will follow the discussion.  

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Here are build progression photos!bfbf4cc9e086712b2009e0c05d422fcf.jpgc663a2d07d84075c90f817a231969577.jpg78975d5766631f92f6f3ebde55475862.jpg9c20f32a7c6027f9d9c7b3a66af10d2e.jpg6de3c4557917f8093568e2124abc8f50.jpgefdb01485848fa4361c30d5a4aef205f.jpg3b5d5b786175511eb80587cf9e3d2155.jpgaaeb49f7be6dda98d5bb7f6901ffe752.jpg962c222e356d8a477ecc5187e2f8585f.jpg

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And the final touches... Now just to add trim and a cabinet door!

 

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I'm now set to have surgery in September, whereas I was originally supposed to have it two weeks ago.  I'm finishing some plumbing this week and water testing the tank.  Then the rocks will get moved in (aquascaped later), I'll add some circulation with a WAV pump, and let it sit for a couple more weeks.  I'll also add in some additional bacteria and some coraline algae to start that process.  The rocks have been cycling in a rubbermaid container for the last six weeks or so, and are already well on their way.

 

I also have two juvenile captive bred Black Ice Snowflake clowns from ORA. These fish are beautiful, healthy, and very interactive.  They started eating pellets by day three after shipping, and are now little pigs!  Before they get added to the tank, they'll go through a 50 day QT with API General Cure and TTM.  Since they came from ORA, I don't expect them to have any parasites, but they did go through LA facilities, which can be iffy now.  Every fish added to my tank will go through TTM and API General Cure treatments, even if they look perfect.  If they don't look perfect, then they'll get some additional treatments and time.  These guys are only staying in QT for so long (well beyond the TTM) because of my own time limitations and the tank's initial set up.

 

I've decided that rather than doing all captive-bred, I'm going to try to only do sustainably sourced fish.  This means a wider range of fish are available, while ensuring that I do my part to help with the long-term health of the ocean.  This should also decrease the likelihood of introducing disease into the tank and its inhabitants.

 

Sustainably Sourced Dream Fish Stocking List (in no particular order):

1. Juvenile ORA Black Ice Snowflake Clown pair

2. Juvenile Biota yellow tang(s)

3. Poma Labs Singapore Angelfish

4. Biota mandarin

5. Biota Coral Beauty

6. Biota/ORA blennies and dottiebacks

7. Five-ish anthias

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Good luck with the rescheduled surgery, Tricia. Wishing you a speedy recovery and positive outcome.

 

 

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3 hours ago, Origami said:

Good luck with the rescheduled surgery, Tricia. Wishing you a speedy recovery and positive outcome.

 

 

 

On 7/29/2019 at 7:40 PM, flooddc said:

Very nice build Tricia. 

best wish and quick recovery with the surgery.

 

Thank you both!  I'm actually going to be staying with my BF in Lake Ridge for a few weeks during recovery.  I'm hoping to have the 120g filled with water and running for a couple weeks by then.  If so, my little clowns will go in there.  If they're the only fish in a 120g aquarium, I imagine they'll be generally OK with an AFS set up and a single visit by the LFS for a water change.  My little room nano tank... I'm debating taking it with me honestly. It wouldn't be hard to disconnect and transport.  If not, I'll set up my apex to do some AWC on it, so it'll be fine.  It's a 5g, so I'm more concerned about the nutrient buildup in that one rather than the 120g.  

 

I wish we had a local reef club in the area and I could ask a local reefer to help out.  Luckily, the LFS only charges about $99 for a visit, and I think one visit will be sufficient.  My cat sitter will do some fish feeding as well.

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Here's an example of the door I want to build for the stand... just really mirror image of this and in white!  I really like the barn door kit with the top mount!

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  • 1 month later...

'm behind on my write-up for this build! A lot has happened, and now as I'm recovering from surgery, I've got time to actually write an update.

With the stand finished, I began water testing the tank, and slowly adding RODI water while checking for leaks. My water mixing station is in an exterior porch storage closet, so I ran the RODI tubing from there inside and into the tank, routing it through a spare PVC pipe to keep it in the tank.

 

The cats were quite interested in what was going on. Obviously, I'm going to need a screen lid. The tank sits just high enough that things shouldn't fall into the tank from the stairs, but the stair landing provides an easy access point to the back of the tank as well.  I used a sticky note to mark my progress, and to mark the waterline in case of any micro leaks that I wasn't seeing. After coming home from work, I'd check the waterline and see if there was any water loss throughout the day.
https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipO1v-UNefVB1VSqe7CMPf2ggga7cO_7sFYEdpWT

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipPb4X4lSBxsM4bErSR4ZXxj21IUb412lqeofsd3


Finally, after a few days, the tank was filled to just below the weirs on the overflows. At this point, the plumbing wasn't finished. I had plugs in the bulkheads, and had plumbed true union ball valves just below each bulkhead. These were turned off, and before filling the tank, I'd tested them to ensure there were no leaks.

 

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipOjbO6hXxWmicvlSyfnxWMKUiYvAzTPUWLW3q_-

 

The reason for all of this was an upcoming surgery. I wanted the tank to be just barely functioning because the water volume meant minimal maintenance needed for the 4 CB ORA clowns that would go in here. I stuck a HOB skimmer on the side, added a heater, and began setting up my Apex. All things that would allow the tank to function while I was recovering from surgery.

 

 

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