225g Journal, mostly DIY rock (also 55g current tank pics)

[argan]

Made one of three reflectors today, for the DIY MH hood. I used aluminum flashing and aluminum rivets

A little rough on the corners







here is the light mounted and riveted



I powered up the lamp and got pretty excited. Bright!!

[argan]

some things i have done ramping up to the big tank since last post,

---Went to the frag auction, got 6 frags, 5 sps and a ricordia yuma.
All are doing well, with nice PE. The colors are where i expected they would be with just the PC lighting but i'd rather have Brownipora than Noneipora.
Getting some nice growth from the lavender Digita from JasonMck, and the TOTM stag and hydnophora from TomR .

---Started putting Nerite snails in my tank after seeing them in a friends tank.
Wow they make all my other snails look like slackers with the way they clean my glass

---Made another batch of rock, one with 3 teirs.

---Started cycling some of the dry Man-made rock in the basement with some seed rock from my tank.




The main reason my tank isnt wet yet is because my brother is living in the future tank room. poor planning on my part but he will perhaps be moving out at the end of august. By then i will have a stand and the hood will be done and most of the rock should be Alive.

[argan]

Long time since i updated, mostly because I was waiting for my bro to move out, and now he has.

So now i have all the DIY rock freshwater cured and saltwater alive. I would guess I made about 150-200 lbs. never bothered to weigh it. 2 big pieces went into my friends tank, but im happy with the amount i have for now.

For the auqascaping i'm toying with a few Ideas:

1) pvc arches and supports like Superfudge's and Niloc's tanks

2) Glass bottles and maybe a rock structure that looks like a Ship's bow coming out of the sandbed, for a shipwreck look.
(anyone ever seen a tank like that?) ***Dec. 11, This Idea Dismissed***

3) pondfoam on the back wall, but only on the upper half of it? so i can see behind the rocks

[Parker]

I've debated back and forth on going with pond foam myself, I still haven't made up my mind.

[argan]

For those people who have built walls and/or knocked them down for their Fish rooms, Do we have to worry about building codes or permits?

My brother-inlaw is a drywaller so he knows a bit about framing, should we be able to get by? or should i get a contractor?