OK. Just jumped onto 3Reef and downloaded a few pics of what my tank was like in 2008. I don't have any when it was looking really good several years later. This was a used 75g I bought that came with lame lighting (good for fish only), a few Koralia 2s, a Rio 2100 return pump and a no name skimmer (it really did suck, right along with its no name pump). Actually, that Rio was used x4 years and it never faltered. The tank itself leaked after a time and I upgraded to a 90.
Below is probably 4 months in. You can see my REALLY GREAT aquascape. Here's what I did.....I took rock and piled it up against the back glass. A lot if thought went into that!
The sump came with the DT. It was a 15 high. I had plumbed it using what it came with (soft piping). Eventually, I switched this out for a 20 long, did my own baffling and replumbed using PVC. Lord, did I hate that skimmer!
Still the 75, I had it going in an acceptable direction. Same sump tho. Parameters were stable and I think this was about 6 months in.
By the time 2010 rolled around I had something I could be proud of. It looked great.
