It is always more work than you think. Aka: the insomniacs tank.

[Dolf]

I have the 180 ½ full of SPS and ½ full of LPS with a bunch of rock work half way through the tank to keep high flow on one side and lower flow on the other. This is not ideal and with the recent addition of a few frags and a colony of the Aussie SPS from Red Coral (thanks Doug) I have run out of room on the SPS side of my main tank. It is amazing, really, how quickly you can fill 180 gallons of space...

Fortunately I bought Kien's shallow reef and now have an excuse to set it up. Unfortunately, the “bump” over the threshold of my door at home cracked the back pane of glass moving it in. It was a small, internal crack hidden in the overflow but I have decided to play it safe. After cracking the back pane I had a short consultation with my significant other on what to do. (For those who do not know me, the “significant other” is one of the more sane voices presently inhabiting my mind.) Anyhow, the decision was quickly made that if the back pane of glass is cracked that the front pane should immediately be replaced by a sheet of starphire glass.

So, the build thread will, it appears, begin with a short tutorial on how to rebuild a tank. The back pane is off and I will post pictures next weekend when I figure out how. The new front pane is on order and I am now arguing with my significant other that if the whole thing is already disassembled that I should replace one of the short sides with Starphire as well. So far I am loosing the argument.

After the tank is apart it needs to be glued back together (I promise not to use super glue.) After that the stand that needed to be cut in two in order to move it will need to be hammered back together in a way that will support hundreds of lbs. Finally, the tank and stand that I was originally going to run beside the large tank will need to be taken down and this tank put up.

Anyhow, summer is almost here and it is nearly jet ski season. So while I promise to keep this thread updated as I compete tasks I can honestly say that you may forget about me over the next few months as the ice comes off the lakes and is replaced by myself and a screaming little two stroke for the summer and fall months.

[kien]

D'oh!! That sucks about the crack . If you want any help putting those panels back let me know! I may have some experience in that department plus I have tools that can help :-). Well.. Just corner braces, some nylon tape and silicone.

should be pretty easy actually.

[Dyspnea]

Ouch that hurts! At least you can "upgrade" the tank even further

[Dolf]

Thanks Kien;

I may just take you up on that. Right now I think I am just replacing the front (though I keep wonering if doing the side in Starphire would be a good idea as well). Really, it would probably be $50 and a bit more time. As we all know there is an infinate amount of time between midnight and 6:00.

Anyhow, I figured that I would do an "anti build thread." Whenever I read about people they have the plan and the tank will be stocked, lit, skimmed and filled in a week or less. I am saying a year or better.

On that note I can honestly say that I have no real "plan" for what the tank will look like. I am going to practice the art of Zen and just "go with it" on this one.

[fishytime]

pssssssssst Danny......have I told you, your FN crazy????......but in a good way......and I like it!

[ALBERTA REEF]

You need a bigger tank.