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OF2F's New Tank: Round 3

36K views 189 replies 17 participants last post by  onefish2fish 
#1 ·
Well, Im at it all over again. For those of you just joining us feel free to catch up:

Round 1
http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/...fish2fishs-bowfront-salt-tank-progress-17236/

Round 2
http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/...videos/onefish2fishs-new-one-round-2-a-20611/

and Round 3 is here! stay for the fight, im hoping for a knockout! :lol:

Well.. after a few personal ups and downs over the last year or so i decided im not fully happy without a tank. To be more specific, a saltwater tank.
The tank is something i do have, which is a 40 breeder, but over the course of however long it takes me, just about all equipment will need to be purchased ( more like re-purchased :roll: ) all the way down to the refractometer.
The plan is to set up the 40 breeder with a 40 breeder sump ( already built back home just have to go back and pick it up ) leaving me with about 80 gallons of tank volume. ( i say "about" because the sump isnt full to the rim. ) i am also hoping i can dig out one of my old skimmers to use on this tank as well as that would save me a great deal in itself. im not even sure if i still have any of them.
this isnt going to be the fastest of builds, so i hope i didnt ruin anyones lunch by not having a bunch of progress to show.
A big part of the plan i cant decide on yet is if i want to have most, if not all my flow come from the return pump and loc-line setup or invest some cash into a wireless vortech mp10. either setup would have a "clean look" IMO but those vortechs arnt cheap and i think the end result i would like 2 of them which just cracks the piggy bank even more. i guess i could always start with one.
In the next month i should be ordering a few things for this tank. I think my first 3 purchases are going to be a 700gph glassholes kit, AWI RO/DI, and 80lbs marco rock that will come dry and need time to establish itself. the dry rock process alone is going to put this tank on hold for awhile, but this will allow me to get working on the stand and save some money for this project. i warned you it would be slow. :-(
 
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#91 ·
its up on the top of my canopy, pretty high up. so far ive found the bigger cat up there once and since then i keep the door to my fish room closed. ( i actually keep it closed because i caught the little one in a bucket of eco complete eating it :roll: )
they might not take 5 years to breed, it could take longer or not even happen at all but thats my goal.
 
#99 ·
thank you! im just as excited to follow along in your tank thread, so dont forget to take lots of progress photos ;-)

Onefish!!! I've missed ya... Your tank is looking spectacular!!!!!

Gigantic pods and fancy powerheads! I <3 Clarkiis, so you're going to "try" to breed them huh?
welcome back trukgirl, thank you, my tanks off to a great start but LONG from anywhere i want it to be.

the clarkiis are sweet. im going to "try" breeding them, but its more of their choice :roll: lol, i do understand nothing may happen, but thats okay. its a long term goal and only time will tell.
 
#100 ·
my tanks temp is now at 73 degrees. (up from 70 ) i noticed one heater wasnt on earlier today so i fixed that problem however i might still need to upgrade atleast one of them. i am also hoping to get another reef keeper lite and my tanks lights shortly. i have to see how things go but these purchases, short of the heater may not happen until after christmas.
one of my original light plans involved knock off LEDs but that plan has since fell through. im still searching for what im looking for but may just settle with some sort of t5 set up with 2 of the icecap 660 ballasts i have laying around.

half decent shot of a sexy shrimp.
 
#105 ·
funds are, and will be alittle tight atleast until christmas but many things slow my progress of this tank. the lights i was going to purchase have been sold out for sometime now but i just may have found a better alternative. i think santa might bring me these.
any good fish store is atleast an hour and a half drive from me and i refuse to support a store that does not know what they are doing ( thats what keeps them in business )
im in no rush to fill my tank, im enjoying the slow process of things.

i picked up a fire cleaner shrimp.. i should have went with the skunk because they're more out in the open and i knew this but i wanted something in the tank that i wouldnt see every day and this was fitting.


fresh out of QT, 2 Allardi clowns

Female


Male


I wanted Ora Spotcinctus clowns for awhile but not long after i got the clarkiis i found these and had to have them. None of these pictures show their true detailed beauty but heres the best i got of the female


full sump shot


full tank shot


my current livestock is now:
x2 clarkii clowns ( sump )
x2 allardi clowns ( display )
x1 red fire shrimp
x3 sexy shrimp ( one has been missing since acclimation, so 2 )
bunch of different snails
 
#108 ·
thanks willow, i love these clowns..


KF7, the foam cannot make fake rocks unless you have something to attach it to or weight it down with as foam will float.
cement can be tricky. i suggest saving for qaulity rock and reading up while doing so. good flow to the rock along with a skimmer will be your tanks filtration, dont want to skimp there IMO..
you could always make a few pieces of cement rock for your base (read about methods) then use more pourus quality rock ontop but id prefer to use just all the good stuff myself. marcorock is some awesome rock with plenty of holes for micro life, might not hurt to look into that.
 
#109 ·
Thanks for the advise. I won't need the live rock and don't want to provide the current and lighting for it. I'll be using a Rena XP3 and a home made coil denitrator. I don't care for sump/skimmer setups. I really think making my own rock (cement or resin) will give me the best aesthetic options.
 
#112 ·
some minor changes to the scape,



left side,


right side,


and i sadly have to report my male clarkii did not make it, i came home the other day to a dead fish

i think a friend is going to take the female clarkii now when i get the chance to see them and im eventually going to get another pair of something
 
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