Waking up from the nightmare build: the reboot

[Lowell Lemon]

I still like where you are going with this rebuild!

 

[sean rand]

Finished the epoxy painting:

A couple of thoughts...

-painting that far left clear end panel seems to have absolutely been the right move. It changes the whole dynamic of the tank. It just looks bigger. Especially when viewed from the kitchen and diagonally from that end. Gives it a lot of depth.

In my mind, the idea behind using the dark blue, rock structures, and light distribution was to mitigate the visual effect of those two corners in the tank and offer multiple different visual perspectives depending on which direction one was viewing the tank from. We’ll see how it plays out.

-one thing is evident right away when we view it with light hitting directly, and that is the sort of mountain effect of some sides of the boxes being highlighted by direct light and others sides being more shadowed.

Now, final light placements will have a lot to do with how much that manifests in the end. But it is going to be difficult to eliminate, especially if the goal is to keep as much direct light off those panels as possible.

But...I think I can make the uneven look work for me. Light manipulation, water movement, and structure placement can (again...fingers crossed) give the background a little more of a real open water look...imagine highlights from sunlight being refracted and focalized by wave action, giving the vertical light bars against the deeper blue backdrop that we see in the ocean.

Anyway...the blue backdrop sorta made me fall in love with this tank a little. It’s always amazing how something so minor can change everything.

Overall?

Very cool. What paint did u use for the inside of the tank?

 

[Gregg @ ADP]

Very cool. What paint did u use for the inside of the tank?

It’s a 2-part epoxy paint. Aquaculture grade from Pentair (although I doubt its different from any other 2-part epoxy paint)

Required a 7 day cure time

 

[sean rand]

It’s a 2-part epoxy paint. Aquaculture grade from Pentair (although I doubt its different from any other 2-part epoxy paint)

Required a 7 day cure time

Thanks. I wish I would have known about this paint b4 filling up my tank. My wife hates the black overflow boxes.

 

[Tastee]

Thanks. I wish I would have known about this paint b4 filling up my tank. My wife hates the black overflow boxes.

In an earlier post I am sure that Gregg mentioned using blue acrylic panels for the same effect. Perhaps you could attach these - either flat panels with Cyanoacrylate gel or even have a piece fabricated you could slip over the overflow box which is removable for cleaning - sorry not sure of the physical layout you have.

 

[KenO]

Sneak peek

Not sure how I feel about the free standing piece. Still moving some stuff around and still working on the light arrangement.

Those are firefish in the picture correct? Thought they would fight if you had more than one?

 

[Gregg @ ADP]

Those are firefish in the picture correct? Thought they would fight if you had more than one?

In a big tank with a lot of nooks and crannies, and a good supply of plankton-size food, and they’ll hang out in a loose group, often comprised of several pairs. As you can see in that pic, they have that whole big tank to spread out in, but all 7 I put in there hang in that one spot.

They’re a fairly social fish, but not properly schooling.

 

[Gregg @ ADP]

In an earlier post I am sure that Gregg mentioned using blue acrylic panels for the same effect. Perhaps you could attach these - either flat panels with Cyanoacrylate gel or even have a piece fabricated you could slip over the overflow box which is removable for cleaning - sorry not sure of the physical layout you have.

I had toyed with the idea of cementing that interlocking tape on the tank panels and the back of blue acrylic sheets so that they could be removed and cleaned.

I’m sure in 8 months you’ll see me back here saying I wished that I had done that.

 

[KenO]

In a big tank with a lot of nooks and crannies, and a good supply of plankton-size food, and they’ll hang out in a loose group, often comprised of several pairs. As you can see in that pic, they have that whole big tank to spread out in, but all 7 I put in there hang in that one spot.

They’re a fairly social fish, but not properly schooling.

Thanks everything if read about them says the opposite, that you can’t keep more than a bonded pair.

 

[Gregg @ ADP]

So, here is the semi-finished view from the living room side.

I’m still moving stuff around a little. Trying different shelf rocks on the rock wall, messing with the stand-alone piece, moving and angling lights. It’s getting there. Not really good yet, far from great, but...like I mentioned to @Sallstrom ...the difference between looking OK and looking great can be as simple as shifting something a few degrees.

It’s hard to capture depth in a pic, but the rock structure in the back has a lot of it. Very 3-D looking, with a lot of good spots for coral and a lot of good structure for fish.

Eventually (one hopes), the coral growth will take over that top part of the back structures and the rock level can drop a little (none of those rocks other than the large one upper-center are cemented. So, if the coral takes off like I think it will, I can adjust that height.

Thoughts? Recommendations?

 

[dantimdad]

Impressive!

So much better than before!

 

[Ronny Bello]

Nope I think you got it. Over think it and it will drive you crazy took me a year once before I got it right.

 

[Gregg @ ADP]

As far as restocking corals, I did the rocks with the goal (or maybe delusional hope) of having it established with somewhat distinct zones, and coral additions based on those that will do best in each zone.

Mapped it out like this:

Red: high light, high-med flow
Green: med light, high-low flow
Yellow: low light, med-low flow

I have a good idea of what corals are going to go where, but I am more than open to your ideas on specific corals as you see the layout.

Thanks!

 

[naterealbig]

So, here is the semi-finished view from the living room side.

I’m still moving stuff around a little. Trying different shelf rocks on the rock wall, messing with the stand-alone piece, moving and angling lights. It’s getting there. Not really good yet, far from great, but...like I mentioned to @Sallstrom ...the difference between looking OK and looking great can be as simple as shifting something a few degrees.

It’s hard to capture depth in a pic, but the rock structure in the back has a lot of it. Very 3-D looking, with a lot of good spots for coral and a lot of good structure for fish.

Eventually (one hopes), the coral growth will take over that top part of the back structures and the rock level can drop a little (none of those rocks other than the large one upper-center are cemented. So, if the coral takes off like I think it will, I can adjust that height.

Thoughts? Recommendations?

Hi Greg, I think all of this work you did looks excellent!. Much better than I could have done, certainly.

I'm not being critical, but just a note, as I'm petty picky when it comes to scape. My eye follows the rockwork astound the display very nicely, and it looks very natural. You have created a lot of depth with careful placement of the rocks, the perfect color of the background, and great use of negative space. If I had a critique at all, it would be this:. I'm not keen on the large round rock at the top of the left side - it doesn't look quite natural, and I feel like it pulls your eye away from the natural flow from the rest of that side.

I might also play around with the island a little bit. It looks almost perfectly vertical in the picture. I think some movement on it would help such as a large softie or an anemone. Also, some large plating corals around the bottom might look great - although any of these things will probably take a while.....

I think maybe if there was a way to lean it just a little bit, so it pokes out into the canyon some.....

Again these are truly semantics - I love what you've done. Keep us posted.

 

[Gregg @ ADP]

Hi Greg, I think all of this work you did looks excellent!. Much better than I could have done, certainly.

I'm not being critical, but just a note, as I'm petty picky when it comes to scape. My eye follows the rockwork astound the display very nicely, and it looks very natural. You have created a lot of depth with careful placement of the rocks, the perfect color of the background, and great use of negative space. If I had a critique at all, it would be this:. I'm not keen on the large round rock at the top of the left side - it doesn't look quite natural, and I feel like it pulls your eye away from the natural flow from the rest of that side.

I might also play around with the island a little bit. It looks almost perfectly vertical in the picture. I think some movement on it would help such as a large softie or an anemone. Also, some large plating corals around the bottom might look great - although any of these things will probably take a while.....

I think maybe if there was a way to lean it just a little bit, so it pokes out into the canyon some.....

Again these are truly semantics - I love what you've done. Keep us posted.

Thanks for the feedback.

I agree on the top left corner. So far, that’s the throw-away section of the tank, so I haven’t given the shape of that structure much thought.

The real issue is that the two corners on that side really need to be blocked because of the difference in light hitting them. But not a lot...just the actual joint on the acrylic needs to be covered. Too stark of a contrast. The overflow corner was easy, being back further. That dry chamber corner is a little more problematic.

Tactical counter-move would be to place a small light in that corner to highlight that dark side and even out the blue. In fact, now that I typed it out loud, I’m going to do that.

I would like to shave about 6” of height from that upper left corner piece and add a flatter table piece upon which to add some corals.

The stand alone piece I’ve gone back and forth with. I (and the fish) really love the effect of having a small chasm between two vertical walls. When looking from the other side, it looks really cool. Eventually both the wall and the stand-alone will be covered with coral, and I would really like to keep that small space between the two pieces.

I had considered building something so that bigger vertical piece could be horizontal and maybe 5-6” off the botttom, but when I tried it, it didn’t look quite the way I wanted it to look. Looked much more clunky.

The problem with the stand alone is having it and the wall far enough apart so that the wall shelves don’t look like they’re connected to the stand alone and making a bridge without eating up a lot of that negative space that I’ve worked to create.

The good news is that I can always move or remove it.

The other thing I wished that I had done is make that big center piece on the back wall structure be 6” lower. It’s cemented in, so that ship appears to have sailed.

 

[Sallstrom]

So, here is the semi-finished view from the living room side.

I’m still moving stuff around a little. Trying different shelf rocks on the rock wall, messing with the stand-alone piece, moving and angling lights. It’s getting there. Not really good yet, far from great, but...like I mentioned to @Sallstrom ...the difference between looking OK and looking great can be as simple as shifting something a few degrees.

It’s hard to capture depth in a pic, but the rock structure in the back has a lot of it. Very 3-D looking, with a lot of good spots for coral and a lot of good structure for fish.

Eventually (one hopes), the coral growth will take over that top part of the back structures and the rock level can drop a little (none of those rocks other than the large one upper-center are cemented. So, if the coral takes off like I think it will, I can adjust that height.

Thoughts? Recommendations?

I really like all of it. Love the large sand area.

If something isn't "looking natural", it will after some added corals and some time. It think the tank just needs corals and time now, and it will create a great looking reef. With this "base" I'm sure it'll be amazing.

About coral placement, just avoid the plating corals like Montipora and some types of Acropora at the top risking shading when they start to grow. Also staghorn Acropora's can be a pain if you place them high up in the tank. I'm sure they'll love it with high flow and light, but they grow fast and tend to stretch out taking up much light.

Great work Gregg! It's been really nice to follow this process and it'll be exciting to see this tank after a a couple of months.

 

[Gregg @ ADP]

I really like all of it. Love the large sand area.

If something isn't "looking natural", it will after some added corals and some time. It think the tank just needs corals and time now, and it will create a great looking reef. With this "base" I'm sure it'll be amazing.

About coral placement, just avoid the plating corals like Montipora and some types of Acropora at the top risking shading when they start to grow. Also staghorn Acropora's can be a pain if you place them high up in the tank. I'm sure they'll love it with high flow and light, but they grow fast and tend to stretch out taking up much light.

Great work Gregg! It's been really nice to follow this process and it'll be exciting to see this tank after a a couple of months.

Thanks!

It’s been hard work. In most cases where the redo is this extreme, I just advise doing a new tank. But that obviously wasn’t an option in this case. So, we do the best we can do, right?

Re: the acros and plating montis...I have several designated areas for corals that are going to grow out and cast shadows. Several points where the rock structure is already creating an overhang for plating corals, and I think a blue stag colony at the top of that stand-alone would look good as it grows upward. Maybe put some plating corals at the base.

Really, the main hope is to get coral on that back structure to grow out toward the front and get the focus off the back panels.

The lower levels will be a little challenging, but I’ve had things like mushrooms do well with most light blocked and just picking up light reflected off the sand. Thinking maybe just letting some Cyphastrea grow on some of those vertical surfaces that aren’t great real estate.

The lower levels with good to OK light will be good for some soft corals (no more Sinularia)

 

[Don Lidtke]

A more sane person would have wayyyyy less fun

Sanity is way overrated! LOL!

 

[Ashish Patel]

Man.. That rock wall is breathtaking!!! looks like a real reef! Iam pretty resourceful but I don't think 99% of ppl would have the gutts to pull that wall off.. so much respect!!!

 

[Gregg @ ADP]

Man.. That rock wall is breathtaking!!! looks like a real reef! Iam pretty resourceful but I don't think 99% of ppl would have the gutts to pull that wall off.. so much respect!!!

Hey, thanks a lot!

The idea has really opened things up for the aquascapes on some of my tanks. I’ve got a couple of tanks that have trouble areas for aquascaping w/o taking up a bunch of space. Now I have a way to open those tanks up. Really happy it worked out.

And now that I’ve done it, I can get a little more adventurous.