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Fritz's Home Display - Tank Build (1 Viewer)

we've had a flame in our 55 for over 2 years. i could probably count on my hands the number of times i've seen it nip at anything. it's never picked on our sexys or any of the ornamental crabs/shrimps we have & only seems to have nipped at the few sps/lps in the tank when we hadn't fed in a couple of days.
 
Flame is in... now I need to decide between a mystery or lots of cool crabs and shrimps....

I just think non-reefer guests are going to be impressed by the mystery wrasse more than sexy shrimp and pom pom crabs.
 
i think you would need a lot of sexy shrimp and pom pom crabs to see them regularly. might as well just go with the mystery! :biggrin: you could keep some skunk cleaners though? right?
 
Eventually the mystery will get too big and take them out. I wonder if it would take out cleaner gobies...
 
Set one. Illuminata
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Set two. 60 Gal in the corner with corner overflow. In this config I would probably go with the 90gal, I just don't see the space to do the rockwork the way I want... It would be great for a center island style though.
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I pulled the tank away from the wall so I could see how it would look with in the space of the 90 Gal
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The last set, I think you would have to stick with the 60 gallon... I mean you could do the 90 physically... but there would be SO MUCH waisted space in the back... already I hate wasting the space, but I really like the look. In this set I would be very limited in rockwork and not be able to do so much of the mag rock encrusting monti thing.
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So... whatcha think :beerchug:
 
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Right now I am waiting for quotes for the 90 rimless.... But I actually like the black trim
 
Illuminata - with a faux tree behind it FTW - the faux tree takes care of wasted space. The Illuminata gives you a ton more options - and hey - you get to join the rimless rank club!!!

Rock on Fritz!! :greenguy::biggrin:
 
Fritz remember what you told me about how hard it is for us short people to reach the bottom of a 90. Not sure if that will change your decision,
 
Not that 90. I think they call it a 92 it is 30"X30"X24. Even 24" is "too" tall.
I am entering a new phase of how I look at tanks. This tank is all about impressing other people. I want folks to say, "Wow the owner of SWE really knows how to set up an impressive display". "Not so much, oh he can collect great coral", or "farm acros fast" or "has lots of interesting stuff." So, for this one display I am willing to sacrifice some comfort for aesthetics. It even sucks more because I will need to choose a 400W instead of a 250.
One nice thing is I can grow my corals in my frag tank downstairs so they are not just frags when they go into the tank. I am getting great growth on my frag tank and will have all small colonies by the time they need to go in.
One compromise to go with such a deep tank though... SPS only (centric). I think a Mixed reef is better looking, but you often have to manage the corals from touching. I don't want to have to get my hands in there too much. I am going to use vortex so I will find something that has movement... perhaps one golden torch.... but not much.

Perfecto makes a 70: 30"X30"X18" I like that size better for reefing... but again this is my main display.

I am thinking of doing a "live rock" substraite.... where almost the whole footprint is rock. Kinda like our biocube is now. That way I have lots of filtration and I can throw a pump under the rock (which will be hovering on stilts). It really depends on what configuration I go with. though. If the tank is at a 45 angle from the wall... its island rock or bust. Li will be over soon and I can get his dictation... I mean opinions.
 
acharpenter said:
Illuminata - with a faux tree behind it FTW - the faux tree takes care of wasted space. The Illuminata gives you a ton more options - and hey - you get to join the rimless rank club!!!

Rock on Fritz!! :greenguy::biggrin:
Click to expand...

The other thing I was thinking at putting either tank at an angle is RO top of container!
One sucky thing about this space is there is no room to put anything beside the tank. Also, I am not sure if I can get any of the power from my back up generator sub panel.

I guess I got to treat Clint to Chinese food to take a look for me...:cool:
 
I vote for the first one as well. While I really like wider tanks, the one corner may stick out a bit too much to move around the table.
 
As far as room to maneuver the illuminata 60 or 92 are all fine. Al and I tested them and rolled around on the chairs. AND WE WERN'T HAVING FUN DOING IT! K... maybe a little. The 92 is going to be a little tight. But the table is an Octogon so its only an issue walking behind the chair during poker parties, normally no issue.
 
I like the 60 with the corner overflow in the corner best personally. The Illuminata is nice too but I don't like the dimensions of the actual tank itself, too narrow, or it looks too narrow from the perspective of the pictures. Both look good with where the overflow is.
 
Ya its a full poker table on the other side. We are quite proud of it. I have been using hand-me-down stuff my whole life, being a big prude with money. But Rain and I are finally settled down in this life.
The main repair/upgrade we did to the house was the bathroom though. Despite the fact I can see just how ugly my mug is...a bright, functional, organized bathroom rocks!
 
Li had a tough time deciding too. The illuminata is just such a nice looking tank. It definably looks nicer than the cubes. And the stand, though the quality isn't as nice as we would like, the look can't be topped by anything else out there (that being said the quality of all the stands has something to be desired, but custom is so much more).

Also he agrees that the cube looks better at a 45 than right against the wall. But, I am working with such a tight space and strange location it doesn't make sense to eat up that much space for aesthetics.

The bonus of being able to put the top off water in the triangulated space is moot since I couldn't reach that space.... suck.

So corner flow it is.
 
Li and I disagree on 2x2x2 or 30"x30"x2.

His points: You want it to look full like the awesome tank at F&S office. Packed! and I am shorter than the average bear... good luck picking up a frag that falls... I cant even reach the back of the 60 let alone the 92... and there is less room for the poker table.

My point: I always regret going smaller.

I definitely like the black trim so I am going to re-send quotes out.
 
It has been suggested...

One of the list of goals I have for this tank is

- Make something one of my customers could go home with... or at least close.

My systems are so ridiculously large that, as time goes on, I have a harder and harder time relating to the people I am trying to help. Having a reasonably obtainable aquarium, the good and the bad, will help me sympathize with issues and pleasures my friends are going through. :beerchug:

That being said, I will still likely have Bob custom me a sump similar to the one Bad Boy... I mean Maxreefer made. I don't want any equipment outside the stand, and I don't think I can fit a sump and a top off chamber with stock product.
 
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