robocop1906
Erick McLemore
Hey guys, I wasn't a part of R2R when I upgraded my tank from a 40gal cube to a 150gal so sorry I lack a lot of the progressive build pictures. When I was putting things together the last thing on my mind was taking pictures! Also, anyone in the Tomball area who propagates let me know!
Background: I've had a 90gal fish only tank since 2003. Lots of fish through the years and a bunch of casualties as a result of not QTing and frankly being green. Add the 40gal cube in an office wall I cut out in my prior house. Moved to Tomball in the new house 2007, which was a new build, so I purposely had them leave a hole where the 40gal cube would sit. The 90gal went upstairs. Got tired of traveling up and down the stairs to maintain the 90gal, so I ditched it. Got the reff itch so decided to plan an upgrade and attempt to do it right.
Prior tank: 40gal cube, overflow box to 10gal custom sump that I built, T5 lighting with a Reefbright strip. Live stock: Clown, purple dotty back, the green coral not sure what it is and at green plate coral, and some orange Zoas. I've had other coral in the past but nothing survived and I now know why (Torch, hammers, a couple of SPS frags).
New Tank: undrilled 150gal 48x24x31 tank from Glass Cages.com, the stand was all wood sitting on a Lowes's rack so I built it from scratch. The hole in the wall went from 24x24 to 48x31 so I had to cut studs, sheetrock and etc and re-sheetrock, texture and paint. The front of the tank is in a family room as you can tell but the back is a closet that under my second-floor staircase so I have nice "Fish Room". I spent months researching measuring and designing the new setup. Installation: Cutting the hole Sheetrocking and etc = easy. Stand build= easy as I used the template for Mr. Saltwater DIY youtube. Plumbing a bit of a nightmare because from the pics you'll see I ran the plumbing through some of the support beams in the stand. For the main plumbing, there was no leaks! I plumbed a line from my SW mixing tank to the tank that didn't have a plumbing leak, I didn't tighten a union and lost my original Gyre control! Expensive mistake! There was a lot of improvising and learning along the way. My APEX setup (Apex Controller System + FMM+Solenoid Valve+EB8 Energy Bar+Breakout Box+ PMK Par) has saved me from tragedy multiple times over so I'll swear by it. The cost was hard to digest up front and I wasn't completely sold but bought it anyway.
Fish Stock: Blonde Naso Tang, Yellow Tang, Clown, Two Azuzle Damsels, 3 Stripe Damsel, Purple Dotty Back, crabs snails
Coral: Green favia or Acan coral, not sure what it is, not sure the name of the orange zoas on the left; Green Star polops, Green Plate Coral, Rainbow Acan; Pink Gonis and a Wall Hammer;
I got bit by the Black Friday sale from Aqua SD bug and bought a bunch of frags! Currently QTing them until the first of the year.
Background: I've had a 90gal fish only tank since 2003. Lots of fish through the years and a bunch of casualties as a result of not QTing and frankly being green. Add the 40gal cube in an office wall I cut out in my prior house. Moved to Tomball in the new house 2007, which was a new build, so I purposely had them leave a hole where the 40gal cube would sit. The 90gal went upstairs. Got tired of traveling up and down the stairs to maintain the 90gal, so I ditched it. Got the reff itch so decided to plan an upgrade and attempt to do it right.
Prior tank: 40gal cube, overflow box to 10gal custom sump that I built, T5 lighting with a Reefbright strip. Live stock: Clown, purple dotty back, the green coral not sure what it is and at green plate coral, and some orange Zoas. I've had other coral in the past but nothing survived and I now know why (Torch, hammers, a couple of SPS frags).
New Tank: undrilled 150gal 48x24x31 tank from Glass Cages.com, the stand was all wood sitting on a Lowes's rack so I built it from scratch. The hole in the wall went from 24x24 to 48x31 so I had to cut studs, sheetrock and etc and re-sheetrock, texture and paint. The front of the tank is in a family room as you can tell but the back is a closet that under my second-floor staircase so I have nice "Fish Room". I spent months researching measuring and designing the new setup. Installation: Cutting the hole Sheetrocking and etc = easy. Stand build= easy as I used the template for Mr. Saltwater DIY youtube. Plumbing a bit of a nightmare because from the pics you'll see I ran the plumbing through some of the support beams in the stand. For the main plumbing, there was no leaks! I plumbed a line from my SW mixing tank to the tank that didn't have a plumbing leak, I didn't tighten a union and lost my original Gyre control! Expensive mistake! There was a lot of improvising and learning along the way. My APEX setup (Apex Controller System + FMM+Solenoid Valve+EB8 Energy Bar+Breakout Box+ PMK Par) has saved me from tragedy multiple times over so I'll swear by it. The cost was hard to digest up front and I wasn't completely sold but bought it anyway.
Fish Stock: Blonde Naso Tang, Yellow Tang, Clown, Two Azuzle Damsels, 3 Stripe Damsel, Purple Dotty Back, crabs snails
Coral: Green favia or Acan coral, not sure what it is, not sure the name of the orange zoas on the left; Green Star polops, Green Plate Coral, Rainbow Acan; Pink Gonis and a Wall Hammer;
I got bit by the Black Friday sale from Aqua SD bug and bought a bunch of frags! Currently QTing them until the first of the year.
