# It's On!!!!!!!!



## altcharacter

Like donkey kong yo!!!

New tank is sitting outside as we speak


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## tom g

*woo hoo*

and ..................... the details are ..................................
dont leave us hanging dudeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee


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## altcharacter

hahahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Flexin5

OHHHH snaP post pics or GTFO lol jk


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## fesso clown

tank tease...


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## altcharacter

complain all you want but you'll have to wait until tomorrow to see it


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## Jmbret

*hmmmm*

 can't wait to see!


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## aln

pictures or it didnt happen!


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## Jmbret




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## J_T

I know! I know! 

LOL


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## 50seven

altcharacter said:


> Like donkey kong yo!!!
> 
> New tank is sitting outside as we speak


LOL yeah, my new 300G is sitting outside too. So far outside, it's still at the store...


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## altcharacter

Speaking of new tanks...I'm going to need your assistance Kev. The stand is steel but I'll need to make it look nice


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## altcharacter

So I got the tank up on it's stand and started taking picutes when I noticed that the bottom doesn't really seem like it's tempered. Could I be wrong?

Just to give people out there an idea of what tempered and non-tempered glass looks like I've put up a pic of my car with and without a polarized lens.


car by relax142, on Flickr

The top photo is without a lens and the bottom is with a polarized lens

Now here is the picture of my tank from the bottom. Although I need to clean up the tank to get a clear shot, we should atleast see something right?

006 by relax142, on Flickr


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## Fish_Man

Looks like the tank is still outside... I'm gonna come by and take it


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## altcharacter

If you want BBQ I would suggest not taking it!!!! What you should do is come over and get your glass lid


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## bigfishy

how big is the tank? 

looks pretty small in the picture


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## altcharacter

doesn't matter freshwater geek!!!


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## tom g

*lol*

come on dude enough of the tease lol ...........


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## aln

corals or it didnt happen


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## altcharacter

So the setup I bought off Kijiji is a 50g 36x18x19 center brace with 1/2" glass and the bottom is not tempered with 5/8" glass. It came with a 1 year old 2xT5HO Aquaticlife fixture, 50 ft python cleaner, emperor 400 filter, 50lb of gravel, home made stand...that i'm keeping!!!!

The tank alone is amazing. The previous owner didn't believe in cleaning the glass so there isn't a scratch to be found, or one that I can see. It's 1/2" glass all around with polished edges even though it has a brace.

The stand the previous owner made is made from 3" square steel tubing that was properly made and as the previous owner said "I didn't see anything I liked so I made something that cost me much more than I should have spent"

The light...well...i'm keeping that baby and I've already ordered it's twin to link up with from Flavio over at ARA. It's always a pleasure to call an awesome guy like Flavio and say "hay dude, I've got money to spend"

So as this build sits so far I'll be doing a bottom drilled tank with overflow built by J_T. I might do a herbie but more than likely to save space I'll be doing a durso. I have a durso now and I like it...so to all of you haters out there *SUCK IT!!!*

The only thing missing from this build (besides the pics) is a skimmer and possibly a new pump. I was thinking of doing the Eheim compact 3000.

So if anyone out there is selling a slightly used skimmer or a compact 3000 give me a shout.


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## tom g

*awesome*

great move dude hope to see pics as this develops .awesome find hope the price was right im sure it was 
cheers 
tom


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## altcharacter

I've told two people the price and they both gave very interesting reactions.


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## bigfishy

the price was like $75

2 months later, ~~~~ wife said tank is too big, going to downsize to 20G again!


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## altcharacter

She was the one that wanted a bigger tank so I have to oblige her right? My wife was pretty upset that I sold the 100g to Jason but she's glad a nice guy got it.

And I know Sig will say "you need a bigger tank" but this is really the largest tank we can put in the living room. Even this is going to be a challenge to make work with the space that we have. It's quite hard to tell people coming over "yeah, we decided a saltwater tank was more important than a dinner table."


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## tom g

*tank*

hey dave u wont have that big of isses u seen my breeder tank and its the same footpring and u seen my 58 and its the same footprint except a taller tank .i like the size cause it does not overwhelm a room or take up space as much as u think 
if u go with the bottom drill then u can push against the wall to save some space.
cheers


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## altcharacter

The stand before

003 by relax142, on Flickr

Filling the tank

006 by relax142, on Flickr

I already filled the tank with 2 liters of vinegar and am letting it sit as we speak. 
Also, the stand is painted already and ready to move


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## thmh

Looking good broski! 

-Tony


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## aln

keep it going and dont stop!


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## Jmbret

*woo!*

Very excited to watch this come together! Sweet deal!!


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## Flexin5

that stand will look great, maybe hit it with a coat of flat black tremclad or something but i like it.


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## altcharacter

It's funny that you say that Jay...guess what I did this afternoon??
Four coats of semi-flat black super tremclad.

And the tank has been sitting with water in it now for around 6 hours so I'm happy.

011 by relax142, on Flickr


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## Jmbret

nice job with the paint!


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## Flexin5

perfect imo!


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## TypeZERO

Nice work on the BJ dave  look real good


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## altcharacter

Alright Reefporn fans, here is your daily allowance of pics.
Today I scrubbed her hard with vinegar and a scraper from my tank and it came out pretty good. I would like to say I'm 90% happy with it. There might be a bit more scrubbing in the future but for now this is looking great.

A few small scratches towards the bottom of the tank on the inside but nothing to worry about in my opinion


001 by relax142, on Flickr


002 by relax142, on Flickr


003 by relax142, on Flickr


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## teemee

Looking good!


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## altcharacter

update...

With the deal I ended up getting a Aquaticlife T5HOx2 36" fixture so I ordered another linkable fixture from Flavio out in Milton and just waiting for it to come in.

Also ordered a overflow from J_T but just waiting for him to get some free time to make it.

Still trying to figure out what is going on with the sump. I ended up getting a 20g long from Jeff who got it from Greg so thanks Greg!! This should be a good fit but we'll see if it's the one I'll use

Also going with the CADlights pipeless skimmer since the noise rating on it is 5db. I'm looking to make this system as quiet as possible.

I'll be using the Eheim compact+ 3000 as the return pump. 

The 20g is completely sold off except the eheim 1050...so if anyone needs one at a cheap price give me a shout!

All of the inhabitants of the old 20g went into the 33g that I have in the basement. It was supposed to go to Alex but he's gonna have to wait


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## altcharacter

Alright, the tank is drilled and the overflow is being put in place as we speak. The stand is being built by an awesome builder so I'm quite happy with what is going on so far.

This new tank has been a dream of mine for quite a long time now but have never figured out exactly what I've wanted (or I should say "we" wanted)

The two things that I'm missing now are the skimmer and he pump.


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## aln

Keep it going !!


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## altcharacter

Update on whats happening!

Had an awesome stand dropped off for me by Kevin today. We are very fortunate on the forums to have such awesome guys helping us out with everything from answering questions to making overflows and stands.

The stand looks amazing and the overflow is already siliconed in place. The bulkheads are in also but not siliconed yet.

Thanks again to Kevin and Jon for helping me out on this build. I highly recommend if anyone needs any work done to call them (that is if they want to do it for you)

Anyways...on to the reef porn!


109 by relax142, on Flickr


100 by relax142, on Flickr


099 by relax142, on Flickr


096 by relax142, on Flickr


107 by relax142, on Flickr


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## fesso clown

Looks great Dave!


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## teemee

How did Kevin do that so fast?!
Looks great!
Fill it up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Flazky

Your stand looks amazing


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## Flexin5

coming along great dave! looks fantastic


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## thmh

You have the 2 best helper Dave... Iam pretty madjelly! 

-Tony


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## tom g

*tank*

nice job on tank and stand .......kudos to 57 ,awesome work.
did u end up using the steel stand inside or is that all built with wood.
awesome job.
cheers


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## altcharacter

stand was built with wood around the existing steel stand.


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## altcharacter

I picked up a MP10Wes yesterday at Big Al's tent sale for $175 and it works perfectly. I tried the other one that they had but it wasn't working.

Also bought a MP40 and resold it on AP!!!!


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## sig

is it just me, but I see there is enough place for the bigger tank 

*100% free webcam site! | Awesome chicks and it is absolutely free! | Watch free live sex cam - easy as 1-2-3*


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## Ciddian

Apparently Kevin is a MACHINE! I cannot tell you how well he did that stand, it is like flawless... It's seamed so nice in the inside. I want furniture made for my house now. LOL!

Dave, can you give me a heads up when you work out plumbing. I always wanted to watch that. My brain just doesn't handle reading about it, but I think watching would be good. Haha.


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## altcharacter

No problem Jess, I'll PM you so we can make a dinner date. Thanks for coming by yesterday but you should probably take those Leafs spinners off your car now.


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## Ciddian

Tell that to my mom... XD


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## teemee

is an mp10 going to be enough flow for the tank?


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## altcharacter

MP10Wes x2!!!!!


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## teemee

altcharacter said:


> MP10Wes x2!!!!!


 Okay, that sounds more like it!


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## altcharacter

Yeah BA's scarb had 2xmp10's and a mp40 and one of the mp10's was broken (bad controller) so I have to figure out where to get another one from.


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## altcharacter

Ok, so a update on what's been going on with this build.

Yesterday I went to fragfest and picked up the skimmer that I wanted from CADlights.
I'll be posting a review on it within the next few hours but so far it's pretty awesome.

The bulkheads are in place and the tank is ready to get plumbed. Anyone want to come over and help a buddy out with some plumbing? I have a massive amount of beer to help the time go by.

This tank should get wet by tomorrow hopefully


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## aln

CNt wait until we see this up and running  are ou going to start out with dry macro rocks??


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## Toofem

*Help*

Did you get er done??? Wish I lived closer... I'm a good helper!!! 

I hope you get her plumbed...


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## altcharacter

Been a bit busy with the tank and little by little she's coming closer. I went down to Lowe's to get some glass cut for the baffles on the sump and the guy totally butchered it. Now I have to return that glass and get my money back so I can go to a real glass shop.

Also picked up the skimmer, return pump, some of the fittings for the return, and a new power bar.

Here are some pics of the tank with the light on it so I can keep you guys happy. She'll be water tested soon hopefully!!


003 by relax142, on Flickr


015 by relax142, on Flickr

And yes Jon, I cut a few teeth out to make the return look sexy!


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## J_T

I knew you did when I saw the first picture... I cried a little... If you told me you wanted that, I could have put that spot in! 

I can bring the dremel over this week, and fit that in better if you would like.

Get water in it already! Dang.... The overflow teeth have cob webs on it!


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## altcharacter

The fit was really good when I chopped it. There's probably a 1/8" gap underneath so I'm not really worried about it.

Water will have to wait until I figure out the plumbing. I've been to Lowes, HD, and Rona and nobody has valves or the right fittings.


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## box1992

it is looking great so far


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## Flexin5

coming along great dave!


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## altcharacter

Picked up the "new" glass from a home hardware that I found by mistake. They had 3mm glass that's just a bit thicker than Lowe's sells and the edges were cut very clean so i'm very happy.

Also picked up a few pieces for the modified durso that's going in.

I'll post some pics tomorrow of the status


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## altcharacter

ok so the plumbing is loose fited in and working


006 by relax142, on Flickr


007 by relax142, on Flickr


008 by relax142, on Flickr


010 by relax142, on Flickr

I'm going to need some help fine tuning this baby but so far she is awesome.


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## tom g

*hey*

awesome job dude .. looks great so far , what kind of eheim did u end up getting ...
I would love to see that durso set up up close I like the way it does not take up the room . 
what lights are u gonna use on this set up ...
cant wait to see more .
cheers


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## altcharacter

come on over anytime Tom


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## tom g

*tank*

ok kewl thanks dave ......
ill msg u when I am free thanks again 
tom


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## Chaoticblissx

Alt, is that a DVD player under your sump? Lol, I hope you plan to move it somewhere else as the potential for damage from salt water and general humidity is insanely high with that setup. Other than that the setup looks great! Can't wait to see it once its cycled and stocked.


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## altcharacter

It is a 5 disc DVD system that someone gave me and I "tucked" it in there so the kids couldn't get a hold of it. It ain't staying there 

Here's a question for all you folks:
Should I cycle the tank with new water like you would do regularly or should I throw everything in the new tank from the old tank and add water and not worry about a cycle.

What do you think has less of a loss? I've heard of people filling their new tanks with fresh water and then adding 10 gallons of the old water to it....


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## 50seven

altcharacter said:


> 003 by relax142, on Flickr


Dood, totally epic aquascape...


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## Chaoticblissx

When I upgraded from my 36g to my 150g I ensured that first, all my parameters and levels were spot on for two months while I awaited the arrival of the 150. Second, I cured the additional live rock for the same amount of time in bins and monitored levels. When the 150g arrived it was set up with 10g of water from existing system from water change and 140g of new saltwater I had been mixing and making in storage drums for a week. New sand was seeded with sand from my 36g and the tank was allowed to circulate for 1 week. Next I added all my new cured live rock and left the tank for one week monitoring levels 1 to 2 times a day to ensure a cycle didn't kick in. 2 weeks to the day I transferred the contents from my 36 into the new tank and I didn't lose anything. 

I have another upgrade that should be arriving in a few more weeks. Gonna transfer my seahorses from their 36g ( the old 36g from above) into their new 50g long CAD Lights system. Additional live rock will again be cured/circulated for approx 2 weeks prior to the transfer however this time all the contents from the existing tank will be transferred within days of the new tank getting setup. I don't have the luxury of having the room to run both tanks simultaneously for more than a few days without the wife going crazy since 1) they are her horses and 2) the tank is in our living room. The plan is to hold seahorses in a temporary basic setup in another room while new sand is mixed with the existing sand in the new tank. The existing sand bed is only 1/2-1" deep and is cleaned often. Planning to keep new tank sand bed approx 1-1 1/2" deep. Existing live rock and new live rock will all be moved to new tank and I will let the tank settle for the day. Second day the corals will be transferred and hopefully by the end of the second day the horses will be in their new home. That's the plan and this will be the 4th time I've transferred contents from one tank to another. Each and every time is a little different but basically the same. Give as much time to each step that is required to keep the water clear and levels where they need to be and move the livestock last. The only reason I wouldn't consider this method is if a) you have pests you don't want in the new system either in the rock or sand or coral b) if you are setting up a new system and are not able to take your contents from the other system especially if your moving up in size. You can't take just a few pieces and expect it to work on the larger volume tank instantly. You have to add the appropriate volume of new sand and live rock required in addition to the existing. Sand should be washed and clean and live rock should be fully cured. 

As I said, this has worked for me. Not saying its the right way or encouraging anyone to follow my lead, just sharing my experiences.


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## altcharacter

Tank is leak free and ready to be cycled. I'll be working on a few things today with it like putting in the skimmer and switching over the lighting and such. Hopefully everything goes well


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## altcharacter

Updated pic. This was this morning around 9am or so when breakfast was being made. All the leaks are taken care of and the beast seems very happy. I have to work on making it a bit quieter but I'm fairly happy with it so far.

I have to wait until tomorrow to get her up and running since I'm out of salt and cash. Although most of the shops are closed tomorrow aren't they...dam


P1030110 by relax142, on Flickr


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## Flexin5

its coming along now dave! any idea for a rock scape? it's becoming a really clean setup.


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## altcharacter

It's going to be some type of Arch spanning the front left to back right, then a small tower in the front right...if you can imagine that. This should give the fish some spaces to hide and also make it look really clean.


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## thmh

altcharacter said:


> It's going to be some type of Arch spanning the front left to back right, then a small tower in the front right...if you can imagine that. This should give the fish some spaces to hide and also make it look really clean.


live rock or marco rock dave?


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## altcharacter

I'm thinking live rock but haven't really decided yet. I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

On a side note, the tank is full as we speak and getting ready to accept salt!!!
I'm still having a small problem with the durso but I think I should be able to work it out with a few tweaks.


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## jkoot

Awesome looking tank Alt!!

Check out the ceramic walls that Flavio has! I put them in my 90 with a couple towers and am extremely impressed with how it turned out. 

>jason


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## altcharacter

I'm not going for a cluttered look with this tank. It's going to be very streamlined and clean. I had the rock leaning on the back wall on the last tank but this one isn't going to have much clutter


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## aln

y not dry macro rock? more flexible to scape with and bends together well. you can do pretty neat scapes with it


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## altcharacter

I'm not rich! 
Marco rock would put me back a bit but isn't out of the picture totally


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## aln

hahaha  but isnt it cheaper then live rock? i heard Live Rock is like 7-10$$ 
marco is like 4$  per pound


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## altcharacter

Live rock you can get off most people on the forums for $3 a pound.


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## Dax

altcharacter said:


> I'm not rich!
> Marco rock would put me back a bit but isn't out of the picture totally


I guess the DIY cheap "live rock" demo from the bbq didn't make an impression on you?
If my tank still had space, I'd definately make a customized rock scape. Lot of possibilities.


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## altcharacter

I would have totally done the DIY route but I don't have enough area to properly submerse the whole arch. I would need another 40g or 50g tank and that I don't have


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## altcharacter

Officially been cycling for 6 days now and the substrate is starting to get some brown on it. This makes me very happy! I threw in a couple of rocks and 2 coral into the tank to help the cycle and the coral seem to be doing good...amazingly. What coral you ask? GSP and kenya tree!! All the nice coral are still in the holding tank


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## altcharacter

Ok so it's been like 8 or 9 days since the cycle started and I've been moving over once piece per day to ensure I don't crash the system.

I put my wall hammer in the tank to see how it's doing and within minutes it opened fully so I guess it's pretty happy. Then I put in the beautiful Maxima my wife bought at SUM yesterday to see how it would react and even the clam is loving the new tank.

The gravel is also pretty brown now and definitely happy about that.

So here's the question, should I start the skimmer now or wait until some true livestock goes in. I've put in phyto a couple days ago to help out the system and also the couple of pieces that are in there. 

On a side note, if you're looking for a clam race over to SUM since they are the best quality I've ever seen in the city. Only problem is the size is around 2" or so. Prices range from $69-$129 and the more expensive ones are definitely worth it. This clam was $89


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## Fish_Man

Can't wait to see everything in that new tank.


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## altcharacter

Alright, a few of you have seen what the tank is like but I thought I would post some real pics of what is going on.

ultra wide full tank shot

002 by relax142, on Flickr


004 by relax142, on Flickr


005 by relax142, on Flickr


007 by relax142, on Flickr

Tank is around 3 weeks young or so and the cycle was fairly uneventful. The skimmer is going on a dry skim for the last two days or so and I've been feeding phyto once a week. All livestock is in the tank except a few snails that I didn't move yet that might just die in the other tank due to neglect.

I'm also going to NAFB to pickup a few fish today


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## tom g

*tank*

awesome job dave .tank looks awesome ...
cheers


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## cica

Looks very nice! Good job.
Joe


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## Fish_Man

Looking good!~


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## Flexin5

Looking good dave! i saw the clams at SUM this weekend and i'm eyeing one of the expensive ones. you don't see them very often here for sale.


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## george

Dave, amazing view. Simple and relaxing. 

Is this the final rockscape or intending to change some more?


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## altcharacter

this isn't even close to what the final scape is going to be like.


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## disman_ca

Nice, so far so good.


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