ReefQueen
Amphiprion Admirer
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2016
- Messages
- 2,116
- Reaction score
- 3,140
- Location
- Pittsburgh
- What state or country do you live in
- Pennsylvania
Ah the long awaited lionfish build, it is finally happening! I always said I wanted to do this when we moved, well we moved 2 weeks ago and within a week of moving day I had already purchased the new tank. I haven't finished unpacking yet, but you know, priorities! Actually we got 2 little beauties in at work that I couldn't say no to, they are what has put unpacking china on the back burner. I went to an LFS that usually doesn't have many tanks on hand and they just happened to have a reef ready 65, the EXACT tank I was wanting for this build! The owner said for $50 he would throw in the used stand, canopy and sump outside, so I went home with my shiny new tank (not so shiny stand) and $200 less in my wallet. I love a good deal! The stand and canopy needed some love, so I spent part of a day sanding and about 3 days staining, painting, and sealing them. I had some help from "Bob the builder" while my husband did this own thing with some furniture going in his man cave.
you can really see the difference in this pic. I should have taken a before pic of both, but you get the idea.
Of course it rained most of those days so I had to finish in the basement, at least I got the sanding done before it started. I am pretty pleased with how it turned out. While I was working on the stand I had the tank full of water to check for leaks, it passed. I was planning on using the proflex sump I have sitting in my garage, but I hate that sump and it's ridiculously thin acrylic, so I decided to use the sump that came with the tank. I wish I had taken a before pic because this sump was for sure home made. It has a nice solid body, but also a random toilet flange that nobody could figure out the use for, possibly for holding filter socks, although I can't see how. It was also drilled for an external pump, but I plan on running internal so I patched it up and cut off the toilet flange. It has no baffles, which I am fine with because I have not decided on a skimmer yet so I will not have to worry about the footprint holding me back. I do plan to section off a place for a fuge at some point. I decided to put the tank in the "sunroon", which actually was once a porch that has been enclosed and doesn't really even get tons of sun because of all the trees around the house. It is my favorite room in the house and I "graciously" gave one half of it to the kids as a play room, the other side is mine for my tank, my books, and some comfy chairs to replace the giant sofa bed across from the tank now! I also painted the back and side where the overflow is black. I plan on picking up some trim and staining it to match the stand because I really dislike looking at the black rim on the bottom, the top will be covered by the canopy. The canopy only opens from the top and is taller then me, which sounds like a huge PITA, and it will be, but you know what it will also do? Keep the kids from sticking their hands into a tank with venomous fish lol. I am maybe 5', maybe, so I need a step stool to work in the 90 anyway, and also to reach the cereal in the cabinet above the fridge
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We picked up plumbing yesterday before we went to see end game, but by the time we got home it was too late to start. My handsome hubby worked 15 hours today and came home and plumbed my tank, he does plumbing and HVAC so he can make it looks nicer then I can lol.
I am thinking I might do some macros in this tank, but I have not fully decided on all of the livestock and some on my maybe list will eat macro. I REALLY REALLY want a Rhinopias, but I don't think that's the best idea with smaller lions. I currently have it filling with water but it looks like I will be about 15 gallons short, so I will have to finish filling tomorrow, which is fine because it is way past my bedtime! Tomorrow I plan to finish filling her up, rinse the sand, throw in some of the rock sitting in my basement with all my fish and corals from the 90 (shhh that's the other thread that I will update at some point soon) and hopefully really get this party started!
you can really see the difference in this pic. I should have taken a before pic of both, but you get the idea.
Of course it rained most of those days so I had to finish in the basement, at least I got the sanding done before it started. I am pretty pleased with how it turned out. While I was working on the stand I had the tank full of water to check for leaks, it passed. I was planning on using the proflex sump I have sitting in my garage, but I hate that sump and it's ridiculously thin acrylic, so I decided to use the sump that came with the tank. I wish I had taken a before pic because this sump was for sure home made. It has a nice solid body, but also a random toilet flange that nobody could figure out the use for, possibly for holding filter socks, although I can't see how. It was also drilled for an external pump, but I plan on running internal so I patched it up and cut off the toilet flange. It has no baffles, which I am fine with because I have not decided on a skimmer yet so I will not have to worry about the footprint holding me back. I do plan to section off a place for a fuge at some point. I decided to put the tank in the "sunroon", which actually was once a porch that has been enclosed and doesn't really even get tons of sun because of all the trees around the house. It is my favorite room in the house and I "graciously" gave one half of it to the kids as a play room, the other side is mine for my tank, my books, and some comfy chairs to replace the giant sofa bed across from the tank now! I also painted the back and side where the overflow is black. I plan on picking up some trim and staining it to match the stand because I really dislike looking at the black rim on the bottom, the top will be covered by the canopy. The canopy only opens from the top and is taller then me, which sounds like a huge PITA, and it will be, but you know what it will also do? Keep the kids from sticking their hands into a tank with venomous fish lol. I am maybe 5', maybe, so I need a step stool to work in the 90 anyway, and also to reach the cereal in the cabinet above the fridge
.I am thinking I might do some macros in this tank, but I have not fully decided on all of the livestock and some on my maybe list will eat macro. I REALLY REALLY want a Rhinopias, but I don't think that's the best idea with smaller lions. I currently have it filling with water but it looks like I will be about 15 gallons short, so I will have to finish filling tomorrow, which is fine because it is way past my bedtime! Tomorrow I plan to finish filling her up, rinse the sand, throw in some of the rock sitting in my basement with all my fish and corals from the 90 (shhh that's the other thread that I will update at some point soon) and hopefully really get this party started!
it was very late and with the sides painted and being too short to see into the overflow box I guess I mixed up which side was which lol. I actually fixed the return last night. I just swapped for a DC pump, lowering the flow did the trick. I threw on my reef octo skimmer from the 90 and some carbon in a reactor to clear it up so I can play with the rock scape tonight.
