Greybeard's Wide, Shallow Peninsula

[rinckemd]

Kind of difficult to get close ups... it's an odd shape, long and narrow. I was going to wait until the edging and bar top epoxy was in place to try and document it, but since you asked The artwork is sort of abstract. That's the artist that painted it's preferred style. The artist would be my daughter Kaitlyn, and she spent about 4 hours on this. She's a muralist in St. Louis... I'd be happy to give out contact info for anyone that might be interested in having something done.

The last image is the outside corner. I asked for a queen angelfish. Love them, and can't have one in the tank... so...

I love that your daughter did this. Really unique idea for the base.

 

[Greybeard]

I love that your daughter did this.

Me too She did the mosaic tile on my last stand, as well... Was going to tile this one, but I wanted something easier to wipe off when I spill water on it. Thought of the epoxy coat, and then decided that, if I was going to cover it with plastic, well, why tile? Paint is cheaper and easier... with a quarter inch of epoxy over it, durability won't be an issue...

Kaitlyn does good work. Most of the artwork in my home is hers. One of these days, I hope to be able to flood the market with early works of a famous artist

 

[Reefcowboy]

Well dome with the Epoxy! Makes us lok at it just as much as the tank now!

 

[najer]

What a great way to while away an hour or so on a Sunday afternoon (England), loving the build, be interesting to see how you get on with Triton!
I don't do water changes as I don't see the point, I have a large fuge and a skimmer.
I dose 2 part manually as well as ro top ups, ... stalking!
... oops, ... following!

 

[Greybeard]

Well dome with the Epoxy! Makes us lok at it just as much as the tank now!

Well, since the tank is empty, except for water... I hope to equal the stand with the tank contents... some day

 

[Greybeard]

What a great way to while away an hour or so on a Sunday afternoon (England)

Where in England? My father lived in Watlington, west out of London about an hour, for many years. I spent a good deal of time there in my teens.

Enjoy your Sunday afternoon

 

[najer]

Where in England? My father lived in Watlington, west out of London about an hour, for many years. I spent a good deal of time there in my teens.

Enjoy your Sunday afternoon

Bristol, west coast.

 

[Greybeard]

Initial rockscape... a bit cloudy, just added the sand yesterday. It was clearing nicely, until I started stirring things up Doesn't really top the list of inventive rockwork, but it's stable, and I like it... I'll like it better when it's covered in encrusting corals

Twin island idea.. sparse, minimalist look, is what I had planned. Billy's reef connection sent me exactly what I asked for, a couple big chunks, very little rubble. There's a bit more rock, probably 25lbs or so, that I've still got in my holding tank with the few fish and corals I have remaining from my old tank. I'm going to get this one started up as is... and add that rock when the bio filter is up and running. I'm trying Red Sea's Reef Mature kit... we'll see how that works out.

Plenty of room for fishes to swim, plenty of room for sand dwelling LPS, clams, etc...

My Vertex 180i skimmer, which I got slightly used from a friend, has a broken impeller shaft. Talked to Vertex today, will be getting one shortly. I'm fairly certain the friend didn't know it was broken, but that may well be why he couldn't get it working right from the start.

 

[Greybeard]

Wanted to grab some shots before the lights came on this morning. Getting a FTS of this thing with the light spill and the glossy 'shelf' around it is a real challenge... one that my photographic skills are not up to.

Cleared up nice overnight

 

[ksfulk]

Wanted to grab some shots before the lights came on this morning. Getting a FTS of this thing with the light spill and the glossy 'shelf' around it is a real challenge... one that my photographic skills are not up to.

Cleared up nice overnight

Man oh man is that going to look slick once its grown in. Are you planning on skinning the stand at all, or just leaving it exposed steel?

 

[najer]

Nice, scape looks cool now it has cleared, be interesting to see what you end up with with the rest of the rock in as well.

 

[Greybeard]

Man oh man is that going to look slick once its grown in. Are you planning on skinning the stand at all, or just leaving it exposed steel?

How 'bout bookshelf inserts... glass shelves, a white LED at the top of each one, natural oak surround matching the finish on the top frame... Something like this:

 

[Greybeard]

Nice, scape looks cool now it has cleared, be interesting to see what you end up with with the rest of the rock in as well.

Thanks.

Not sure how much additional rock is going in. I want to build up the back island a bit in height, but I'm thinking most of my additional rock is going to end up in the 'fuge.

 

[Janci]

Thanks.

Not sure how much additional rock is going in. I want to build up the back island a bit in height, but I'm thinking most of my additional rock is going to end up in the 'fuge.

The rock work is just right.
I suggest to leave enough space above the rock to allow water to flow easier.
It has a lot of potential and will be very nice with additional coral.
Well done.

 

[Greybeard]

The rock work is just right.
I suggest to leave enough space above the rock to allow water to flow easier.
It has a lot of potential and will be very nice with additional coral.
Well done.

Thanks. Establishing bio filter now... planning a trip to TL Reefs once it's up and running.

Flow is a challenge. I've got a 1900gph return pump, split to either edge of the short 'back' of the tank, and 2x 'Rossmont Mover' 3000gph flow pumps, one under each return line, aimed right down the glass. The flow pumps are attached to my Reefkeeper, and alternate once per minute. Flow is sufficient at the back end, might be OK in the center of the tank, and is a little less than I'd like to see at the far end. Nice, random currents, but not that strong. At the flow rates that I'm currently running, I'm moving sand around. I bought 'special grade reef sand', which has larger particle size than I'd normally use, and it's still blowing around some. Not bad, but some. As bio film builds up, it'll likely settle a bit... hopefully enough.

Water returning from the flow pumps is flowing down the center of the tank, which is where the overflows are, in a swirling, random pattern. I think it'll work out well, once it gets a little age on it. I can't say it's a strong current, but there's a lot of water moving... we'll see.

I've considered buying an MP40, drilling a hole in the stand shelf to run the wire through, and mounting it on the far end. Not ideal... I don't want the noise, and I don't want to look at it.... and I _really_ don't want to drill a hole in the stand surround. We'll see, but that's my very last option.

 

[Janci]

Thanks. Establishing bio filter now... planning a trip to TL Reefs once it's up and running.

Flow is a challenge. I've got a 1900gph return pump, split to either edge of the short 'back' of the tank, and 2x 'Rossmont Mover' 3000gph flow pumps, one under each return line, aimed right down the glass. The flow pumps are attached to my Reefkeeper, and alternate once per minute. Flow is sufficient at the back end, might be OK in the center of the tank, and is a little less than I'd like to see at the far end. Nice, random currents, but not that strong. At the flow rates that I'm currently running, I'm moving sand around. I bought 'special grade reef sand', which has larger particle size than I'd normally use, and it's still blowing around some. Not bad, but some. As bio film builds up, it'll likely settle a bit... hopefully enough.

Water returning from the flow pumps is flowing down the center of the tank, which is where the overflows are, in a swirling, random pattern. I think it'll work out well, once it gets a little age on it. I can't say it's a strong current, but there's a lot of water moving... we'll see.

I've considered buying an MP40, drilling a hole in the stand shelf to run the wire through, and mounting it on the far end. Not ideal... I don't want the noise, and I don't want to look at it.... and I _really_ don't want to drill a hole in the stand surround. We'll see, but that's my very last option.

Just for your information.
I have 2 MP40 at 1 side of the tank, same side of the return lines.
I notice little flow at the opposite side, even with the MP40s at full and little flow right between/under the MP40s.
I will consider to bring 1 MP40 to the other side to create a kind of circular flow in the tank.
Not sure if circular is the way to go with sps.

 

[Greybeard]

 

[Greybeard]

Quick note on my skimmer. I picked up a Vertex Omega 180i from a friend. He claimed that he never could get it adjusted right, and had replaced it with a new Skimz with a DC pump. Wasn't ever going to use it. I cleaned it up, and, when my tank was sufficiently far along enough for a skimmer, fired it up.

Sounded like a jet airplane.

A complete disassembly revealed a broken impeller shaft. A call to BRS gave me the number for the right person to contact, a few days later (and $50 poorer), I had a new impeller. I'm certain my friend wouldn't have knowingly sold me a broken skimmer without telling me... not sure how it got broke. Perhaps gummed up from his brief use of it, and it snapped when I turned it on the first time? Probably never know.

With a bit of adjustment, the darned thing skims like a champ. Fairly quiet, which doesn't hurt any. I'm not certain I like the angle cut PVC gate it uses to control outlet flow... seems to work OK, but it's a bit hard to adjust. I'm used to a plain old gate valve. I have to say, the screw gate that my friends new Skimz uses works great, but I'm not so sure about this one. Hard to turn, not easy to keep track of how far you're adjusting... I'm thinking a bit of a handle attached to the tube would be a good modification to make. Give you some leverage in turning the tube, and a pointer that's visible (it is marked, but you can't see the markings when it's in the sump) couldn't hurt. May play with modifying it some this weekend.

 

[Greybeard]

A few new shots...

System is up and running. Added the few leftover fish and corals from my old tank yesterday. Plan to pick up a few more fish this weekend. Local reef club is going to provide me with a few different macro algae samples and some SPS frags to get started with. I'll see how they do, get dosing dialed in, before I start spending real money on corals.

Couple full tank shots, couple whole room shots from different angles, and one of the sump closet.

Been a long journey, starting to get fun now

 

[TylerMoralez]

A few new shots...

System is up and running. Added the few leftover fish and corals from my old tank yesterday. Plan to pick up a few more fish this weekend. Local reef club is going to provide me with a few different macro algae samples and some SPS frags to get started with. I'll see how they do, get dosing dialed in, before I start spending real money on corals.

Couple full tank shots, couple whole room shots from different angles, and one of the sump closet.

Been a long journey, starting to get fun now

VERY nice! Great build. Can't wait to see those bookshelves in. Such a brilliant idea!

Now all you need is a nice sitting chair next to it so you can observe [emoji12]