Good evening fellow reefers (I just like referring to us with 'reefers'),
I've been absent from the hobby for a little over a year. It's been the first year in over a decade that I went without any type of aquatic pet.
The day I sold my previous reef tank was the day that I discovered just how much my family as a whole enjoyed this hobby: I guess I did all the work and my family (wife and two kids) silently enjoyed the views. Teenagers, and definitely the tweeners, loved the 'neon' glow that would appear under blue LEDs.
While I was fishless, tankless, and enjoying more free time, I never stopped planning for the next tank in my journey. My living room (den, place where we sit and watch tv, etc.) actually has an odd footprint. There is a 2' x 10' nook on one side. I've decided that my dream tank, which will be my next major project is either a large, quarter-circle tank (in the 150-200 gallon range) or a 5x2x2 150 gallon aquarium with built-in cabinet space and counter tops to either side. It was all I could do to not buy the acrylic 155 gallon tank that was recently listed for sale here because it was truthfully ideal for my dream tank.
With all that said, I'm preparing for my dream build in a way that probably isn't very normal. My last tank was a 125, and I hated the stage where I had this large tank with nothing but frags in it. I'll never do frag plugs in my tank again, except for temporary placements. For this reason, I'm planning (well actually in the process) to build a grow-out tank. This will serve as a home for my newly acquired frags while I work on the dream build. It's taken me 6+ weeks to get where I'm at currently with my grow-out tank. It may take me a year to build my display tank. Who knows, maybe I would beat the record currently held by Giuliano.
(I know he's making great progress, even with only 9 fingers).
The only other objective for my grow out tank was to make it presentable. I call it a glorified frag tank. Details below:
The lighting in my living room is terrible. Here's a sketch up design. while it's not 100% accurate, it's pretty close to actual.
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I actually built the base over a year ago. I built the canopy with lots of storage space in the top. I can't help but want a nice and tidy place to store test kits, spare parts, food, etc. Everything seemed so cluttered with my last tank. The upper doors actually extend down past the shelf but not all the way to the tank. I'm leaving a gap to promote good air circulation. And the real thing --- sorry for the crappy phone picture.
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Still a cluttered mess! But hey, we're making progress. I'm not happy with the paint job on the canopy. I need to do some light sanding and spray another coat and then apply some sort of top coat. It's a satin black finish.
The tank is a 33 Long (48 x 12 x 13). It is actually a pretty cool frag tank. I bought it from craigslist and it had already been drilled... in 6 places! This actually works well because i'm in the process of building an internal/external overflow. Here's the external part.
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well, my laptop batter is running low. To be continued...
I've been absent from the hobby for a little over a year. It's been the first year in over a decade that I went without any type of aquatic pet.
The day I sold my previous reef tank was the day that I discovered just how much my family as a whole enjoyed this hobby: I guess I did all the work and my family (wife and two kids) silently enjoyed the views. Teenagers, and definitely the tweeners, loved the 'neon' glow that would appear under blue LEDs.
While I was fishless, tankless, and enjoying more free time, I never stopped planning for the next tank in my journey. My living room (den, place where we sit and watch tv, etc.) actually has an odd footprint. There is a 2' x 10' nook on one side. I've decided that my dream tank, which will be my next major project is either a large, quarter-circle tank (in the 150-200 gallon range) or a 5x2x2 150 gallon aquarium with built-in cabinet space and counter tops to either side. It was all I could do to not buy the acrylic 155 gallon tank that was recently listed for sale here because it was truthfully ideal for my dream tank.
With all that said, I'm preparing for my dream build in a way that probably isn't very normal. My last tank was a 125, and I hated the stage where I had this large tank with nothing but frags in it. I'll never do frag plugs in my tank again, except for temporary placements. For this reason, I'm planning (well actually in the process) to build a grow-out tank. This will serve as a home for my newly acquired frags while I work on the dream build. It's taken me 6+ weeks to get where I'm at currently with my grow-out tank. It may take me a year to build my display tank. Who knows, maybe I would beat the record currently held by Giuliano.
(I know he's making great progress, even with only 9 fingers).The only other objective for my grow out tank was to make it presentable. I call it a glorified frag tank. Details below:
The lighting in my living room is terrible. Here's a sketch up design. while it's not 100% accurate, it's pretty close to actual.
I actually built the base over a year ago. I built the canopy with lots of storage space in the top. I can't help but want a nice and tidy place to store test kits, spare parts, food, etc. Everything seemed so cluttered with my last tank. The upper doors actually extend down past the shelf but not all the way to the tank. I'm leaving a gap to promote good air circulation. And the real thing --- sorry for the crappy phone picture.
Still a cluttered mess! But hey, we're making progress. I'm not happy with the paint job on the canopy. I need to do some light sanding and spray another coat and then apply some sort of top coat. It's a satin black finish.
The tank is a 33 Long (48 x 12 x 13). It is actually a pretty cool frag tank. I bought it from craigslist and it had already been drilled... in 6 places! This actually works well because i'm in the process of building an internal/external overflow. Here's the external part.
well, my laptop batter is running low. To be continued...
