My aquatic obsession continues...

[Wingin It]

I've always been a freshwater enthusiast. Anytime I looked at Saltwater I thought that it would be too hard, too much work and too much money. Well, ya, it is more work, and definately more money than my freshwater tanks, but I certainly enjoy watching the new tank!

I started with a used 72 gallon bowfront. I got a used Sea Clone 150 HOB skimmer and a used 48" PC lights/fixture all within my budget. I bought 2 new Koralia 3 powerheads and an older Fluval 404 canister filter. Unfortunately the fluval sprung a leak that I couldn't fix, so I had to make due with an internal filter for the time being until my upgrade is made.

http://i616.photobucket.com/albums/tt241/cfforbes_photos/Saltwater%20Tanks/SWDay1.jpg

I bought the internal contents of someone's 55 gallon and went to work putting it all together in my tank. Here's a pic of Day 1.

http://i616.photobucket.com/albums/tt241/cfforbes_photos/Saltwater%20Tanks/Day1withLivestock.jpg

I have a hard time waiting, and being patient...I guess Saltwater tanks and me should clash, but i've been fortunate enough to not have had any crashes or deaths.

Here's a pic of my tank as of a couple days ago...I really wasn't happy with it. The rocks are just a jumble and the zoas keep getting knocked off and the rubble on the sandbed is annoying. My orange spot goby likes to destroy everything and I was getting peturbed.

http://i616.photobucket.com/albums/tt241/cfforbes_photos/Saltwater%20Tanks/001-1.jpg

Then I saw how someone made their rocks look amazing and thought I could do better. So I got myself some more rock, probably 40 more pounds of it, and went to work. This is my latest look.

http://i616.photobucket.com/albums/tt241/cfforbes_photos/Saltwater%20Tanks/027.jpg

http://i616.photobucket.com/albums/tt241/cfforbes_photos/Saltwater%20Tanks/028.jpg

[trinac]

Hey! Great improvement there!!! :biggrin:

[mseepman]

One of the first things you're going to want to do is to watch the forums for a good used skimmer. Being that you're in Calgary, there are a ton of reefers there and you should be able to find one. The seaclone that you have is one of the worst on the market and will probably let you down in the long run.

Othewise, looking good!

[lastlight]

New rockwork is really nice. I like those two feet/columns stretching forward from the pile. Fish should enjoy all the hiding spots too.

[Wingin It]

Hey! Great improvement there!!! :biggrin:
Thanks Trina...i'm trying! If you look really hard you can see the birds nest you gave me! Thanks for that!

One of the first things you're going to want to do is to watch the forums for a good used skimmer. Being that you're in Calgary, there are a ton of reefers there and you should be able to find one. The seaclone that you have is one of the worst on the market and will probably let you down in the long run.

Othewise, looking good!
Thanks! I do realize I will need a good skimmer...but for the first tank, I didn't want to be one of those people that spent a schwack of money on the thing and then decided that SW wasn't for me. So now that i'm ok with it...a new/better skimmer is in the plans.

New rockwork is really nice. I like those two feet/columns stretching forward from the pile. Fish should enjoy all the hiding spots too.
Thanks! It took me awhile to get the rocks to a suitable, non-wobbly position. So for the time being, until something makes me tear it all apart and do it again, I won't! lol I really wanted to try the whole, "acrylic rod" thing like another member did, but my husband wasn't wanting to get his drill out...lol (does that sound wierd??)
I think the engineer goby must be hard at work 'cause I have yet to see him except for once since the change happened on Sunday afternoon and the tile fish are seemingly happy.

[kien]

Looks like you've got lots of room to grow stuff :-)

[lastlight]

my husband wasn't wanting to get his drill out...lol (does that sound wierd??)

Whaddya mean?

[Wingin It]

Looks like you've got lots of room to grow stuff :-)

Yes Kien, I do have lots of room to grow stuff!! LOL *hint, hint*
If you look carefully you'll see the awesome GSP you gave me in the left corner on the sand bed. The Tomato Clowns love making it mad! hahaha

[Wingin It]

I'm about to do a small jump upgrade, from the 72 bowfront to a custom 110 gallon. We built the tank and it's been tested for leaks (None, Yay!) and we just put the center brace on. Now to make a stand for it (uuugghhh) and somehow make the swap. The new tank is 4' x 2' x 21" (I think..haha). It will certainly give my fish more open swimming room!

[Skimmerking]

See I thought that you were a guy so your name should read MRS wingin it:biggrin:

What upgrading already, I can't speak, shame on you. while you are at it go 280 long is the key:mrgreen: just tell the hubby it has to be long its in the constitution of reef keeping.

looks great love the rock work.

[Wingin It]

See I thought that you were a guy so your name should read MRS wingin it:biggrin:

What upgrading already, I can't speak, shame on you. while you are at it go 280 long is the key:mrgreen: just tell the hubby it has to be long its in the constitution of reef keeping.

looks great love the rock work.

hahaha...nope, not a guy. ;)

280 long...ouch...too much work! lol We don't own the house...so moving that much would be scarey!

Hopefully I can remember how to stack the rocks back when I dismantle them all for the move!

[Wayne]

Wow thats a great looking tank! I am a huge bow front fan!

[Wingin It]

Thanks, i'm a bowfront fan as well, unfortunately, I do need the upgrade...so i'll probably sell the bowfront after that. :( It's so hard to get rid of tanks though!

[Wayne]

Thanks, i'm a bowfront fan as well, unfortunately, I do need the upgrade...so i'll probably sell the bowfront after that. :( It's so hard to get rid of tanks though!

Yeah I would like to upgrade to like a 120Gallon tank or maybe a bigger custom tank... Something like 4'W X 4'L X 2'H :twised:

[Wingin It]

Thought i'd post pics of the tank we made for the upgrade...
http://i616.photobucket.com/albums/tt241/cfforbes_photos/Custom110Gallon2.jpg

http://i616.photobucket.com/albums/tt241/cfforbes_photos/Custom110Gallon.jpg

And I thought i'd put up a pic of one of my more comical tank inhabitants...a spotted hawkfish.
http://i616.photobucket.com/albums/tt241/cfforbes_photos/SpottedHawkfish3.jpg

[Wingin It]

So I got bored today, and figured i'd go ahead and start on the transfer from the 72 to the 110...and I was just going to start with the sand!
http://i616.photobucket.com/albums/tt241/cfforbes_photos/New110Gallon.jpg
So much for just the sand, once I started I figured I'd just go for the whole enchalada.

http://i616.photobucket.com/albums/tt241/cfforbes_photos/New110Gallon3.jpg
It doesn't show in the pic, but the stand was built using a model that was posted by Kien awhile ago, and it worked out quite well with 2x4s and of course as I mentioned before we built the tank. Though, we didn't take into consideration the thickness of the glass when we did the length, so my lights are 1/4" too short. Something to consider for the next tank. lol Are we ever happy???!! :P

[kien]

Mmm.. Enchalada..

..Oh, um, i mean great job love the caves in the aquascape! :)

[Wingin It]

hahaha...trade you an enchalada for a coral?? LMAO

[Greenmaster]

Love the rock work... still not sure how I am going to do mine... still got time to wait.

[Wingin It]

Thanks Greenmaster, it took awhile, especially when the water was so cloudy when I started placing the rock, but eventually they all bridged the way I liked it. :)

[lastlight]

New tank's lookin' good! So you built the tank yourselves? You get bravery points for that =)

[Wingin It]

Thanks...I think it turned out pretty good. Just have to get my sump going soon now! Keeps dragging on and on.

[Zoaelite]

Looking good, I'm loving the aquascaping! So many arches and hidey caves, I loved my hawkfish until it carpet dived and was half eaten by my cats :sad: (Ya those innocent ones that laid on your feet a couple weeks ago).

[Wingin It]

Looking good, I'm loving the aquascaping! So many arches and hidey caves, I loved my hawkfish until it carpet dived and was half eaten by my cats :sad: (Ya those innocent ones that laid on your feet a couple weeks ago).

Oh harsh...they are cute cats though ;)
The zoas I got from you are doing REALLY good! Thanks for those btw!

[ALang]

Hey Levi,
Sure you don't want to bag those cats up for me?? Nice 4 acres for them to run and hunt in. Love that grey cat! We still talk about those cute cats of yours! LOL

[Zoaelite]

Cats NFS :mrgreen:

Brother on the other hand... $47.99, comes with free falling through your window drunk @ 4:00am in the morning. He also eat's your food and constantly tells you "Your coral is dieing you should just give it to me".

Haha, JK my brother isn't for sale for anything under $57.99 :lol:.

[ALang]

:lol::lol::lol:

[Wingin It]

Just thought i'd post some new pics, new corals, the tank is a bit more settled in.
http://i616.photobucket.com/albums/tt241/cfforbes_photos/Saltwater%20Tanks/003.jpg
http://i616.photobucket.com/albums/tt241/cfforbes_photos/Saltwater%20Tanks/002.jpg
http://i616.photobucket.com/albums/tt241/cfforbes_photos/Saltwater%20Tanks/001.jpg
http://i616.photobucket.com/albums/tt241/cfforbes_photos/Saltwater%20Tanks/004-1.jpg

[Sunee]

Great rockwork! Hope mine looks half as nice when I aquascape my new tank.

[Wayne]

Super nice looking tank. A thumbs up for building the tank! Awsome looking placement of the corals :lol:

[Wingin It]

Thanks guys!

I'm hoping that once I get my sump up that it'll clear up the "cloudy" look.

[spawn]

That new rock work looks awesome! I as well have a hard time with patience sometimes, but I'm learning with this hobby that it is definitely worth the wait 100% of the time, everytime.

[Wingin It]

Thanks! It always seems to be a work in progress and rocks are always being added and moved...another photo update will be put up hopefully next week after the sump is completed...seems to take forever to get it done ;)

[bvlester]

great rock work but there is space where there is nothing on it....

Bill

[Wingin It]

great rock work but there is space where there is nothing on it....

Bill

hahahaha...thanks Bill...care to contribute some frags to fill those bare areas?? LOL

[Wingin It]

Bought a Copperbanded Butterfly last weekend, and had the store hold it for me...but I guess it didn't make it, so I have picked another one and it's still at the store now...I'm really hopeing this little guy/gal makes it 'cause they're such beautiful fish. *sigh* it's so hard to play the waiting game...I really, really, really wanna bring 'em home right now! lol

[Wingin It]

Brought home my new Copperbanded...snapped a couple pics of acclimation and then when he went into the tank. Thought I'd share.
http://i616.photobucket.com/albums/tt241/cfforbes_photos/007.jpg
http://i616.photobucket.com/albums/tt241/cfforbes_photos/008.jpg
http://i616.photobucket.com/albums/tt241/cfforbes_photos/Saltwater%20Tanks/017.jpg

[Zoaelite]

Brought home my new Copperbanded...snapped a couple pics of acclimation and then when he went into the tank. Thought I'd share.
http://i616.photobucket.com/albums/tt241/cfforbes_photos/007.jpg
http://i616.photobucket.com/albums/tt241/cfforbes_photos/008.jpg

Whats with the cloudy water :S?

[Wingin It]

IDK...I'm going to stick a HOB on tomorrow with some Carbon in it to see if that helps...I don't know what else to do! It drives me crazy! ;)

[kien]

IDK...I'm going to stick a HOB on tomorrow with some Carbon in it to see if that helps...I don't know what else to do! It drives me crazy! ;)

Nice CBB! Carbon should help. You can also try some coral snow. Does wonders for water clarity. What form of mechanical filtration do you employ (if any) ?

[Wingin It]

Thanks Kien...I really like him.
If the carbon doesn't help then I'll take a gander at the coral snow for sure...'cause this is driving me bonkers.
I have a Cascade 1400 full of live rock and to try to clear it I stuck in some floss last week, but it's not helping, so i'll probably pull that back out, but before the live rock in the canister I had the full sponge/floss/carbon in there and just rinsed it in tank water (in a bucket of course). So it's been like this for awhile...I figured after I got the sump running that it'd clear up, but i'm slacking badly at getting the plumbing together so I just stuck the rock in the canister.