Yup, I'm going to post my build thread all at once for the masses. I think of the tootsie-roll slogan, how many licks to the center... but how many mods can I do to my nanocube to make it awesome! :lol:

Durrrrr, for some reason all this morning I was thinking there was a valve on the drain; but this is not the case... Slurpees when its -5C out makes the brain slow.

How is the noise with the plumbing done now ?

Hey I had a slurpee today already too! Weird.

Its not quite as cold here though. More like 8 I think.

No valve :)

I don't know about the noise yet because I dont have enough water. I need to make some more saltwater to fill the sump. Which means I have to go across the street and get some RO water. And I don't want to go back out right now! LOL.

I don't have a RO/DI unit anymore so I am using store bought RO water. Probably not the best water but its been working fine. I do test the TDS and its usually around 4.

I have a question for clam experts too. I have a Squamosa clam (I think) that I left in the sand for a day while I was aquascaping and it attached its foot to the bottom glass. I thought most clams were not suppose to be in the sand? My others are on rocks. It looks really good and I have tried but can't get it off the glass. Will it be fine like this?

It really had to burrow down quite a bit to get to the glass, I am surprised at how quickly it attached. The mantle on either side is touching the sand because of how deep it went.

You can tell me. I mean even if I do go get the same one I won't post pictures of it and even if I did everyone would still know you got yours first

LOL...sorry I am not trying to be secretive! I actually missed that!

Its a classic mid century modern design and actually quite common. The chair is designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and is known as the "Barcelona Chair" It was unveiled in 1929 at the Ibero-American Exposition, which was hosted by Barcelona, Spain.

You can either find knock offs for around $600-800 per chair or originals (not made in 1929 but made by Knoll Studio these days) for $6000-$10,000 per chair. The difference is noticeable :wink:

I am a huge Mid Century Modern fan...so I could go on all day! I try to collect as many pieces as possible. Gets more expensive than aquariums if you can believe it!

Not the best pic but my favorite piece is in the far right corner of the room in this picture...

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r.../Digi038-2.jpg

Just realized...I have no idea where the Barcelona Ottomans are in any of these pics! LOL. The chairs look funny without them...

Cool, Is this a sunroom? Question how do you find all the extra sunlight on the tank?
In the summer I get this algae on one side of my tank, its not the side closest to the window but the opposite side. Winter it goes away! Hard as heck to get off then magically poof it's gone. Back to your kitty and lizard love is blind. Love your tank too!

Dang your place is sexy... what's the deal??? What kinda place is that. Concrete floors concrete walls. I really like it!

Yeah its a Loft style Condo building designed by a European Designer to be artist live/work spaces. They have since opened it up to anyone but originally meant for artists only from what I have heard. The main entrance and hallways (outside my place) are HUGE and open and were set up to be an art gallery to host events. The most common question is "when are the floors going to be finished?" ;)

This is what the building looks like...

Front Entrance

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r...edimageopt.jpg

Outside

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r...12exterior.jpg

No sunroom. Its just a living space/main room of my condo. The place is very small actually.

I never get algae in my tanks...Its seems like I should for various reasons but just don't. I think it has a lot to do with all the Limewater I top off with.

superduperwesman

Here ya go...

http://calgary.en.craigslist.ca/fud/944080949.html

As for the tank itself...WAY too loud. The overflow is nice and quiet but the water near the bottom of the drain is LOUD. I have no idea how to fix this though. I think its just going to either have to stay like that or I have to try to get someone over who can drill another hole with the tank half full. I don't like that second idea for obvious reasons.

Its hard without seeing the tank in person but if anyone has any ideasfrom the pics, let me know!

The overflow in my tank was also very quiet, with the noise of the water entering the sump way too loud. I had a 1" return line from the pump and a 1 1/2" drain, with a gate value to control the output. I was told by co-workers that I was probably creating a vortex at the gate valve because the drain was to big. I then reduced the drain size in the overflow to 1". There was a considerable reduction of noise at that point.

After that, just for fun and because I had it, I attached a Tee to the bottom of the drain, below the water level. I don't know why it worked but it made a considerable reduction in the noise. The Eheim pump is now the noisest part of the tank.

Cool thanks

I think I am going to try to get another hole drilled in the tank. If your in Vancouver and have a diamond hole saw for a 1" bulkhead and are willing to drill my tank, let me know!

Actually the other option and I don't know if I like this is to take down the FOWLR and set it up as a reef instead. I was debating this originally but didn't want to see my Puffers go. Now I am debating it again just because having two tanks in here is really taking up a lot of space and the maintenance is too much for me I think. The FOWLR looks horrible now because I am spending all my time on the reef.

Hard decision.

Well, how I had been discussing with you about myself setting up a FOWLR aggressive tank ... After starring at my reef tank, I questioned myself "Why the hell wouldn't I want a reef setup in a bigger tank??"

In small spaces, do you need 2 salt setups, 2 cats, and a terrarium? I guess thats a trick question.. of course you need it all! But you get the point :)

Actually the terrarium is with my brother now. But I get your point.

My fiance really, really wants just the big tank. She is too nice to admit it but I know she does. When I mentioned maybe just keeping the bigger tank as the reef and moving the big fish to a new home, she seemed happy :)

I am not sure yet though. I need to find good homes first. That is the most important part.

The nice thing would be that the big tank is already plumbed nicely. I would change a few things but most would stay the same. Plus I could probably keep my Niger Trigger as he is reef safe. I just don't know if I would or not.

Nice pad man, do you live right beside burger king......
No worries not trying to stalk you or anything just looks familiar I use to work down the street and had lunches at BK all the time I remember looking at the place thinking this would be nice to live in someday.....

I am right beside Wendy's on 8th ave. near Broadway and Cambie.

Did it used to be Burger King?

SO I think the decision has pretty much been made...the FOWLR is being taken down. I have a few good homes for some of the fish and will find homes for the rest.

The tank is not going though...it will be the sump for the 68G. Sounds confusing right? :lol: Its 6' long and the 68G is 2.5" long (or wide).

Well I am going to draw up some plans and I will post them tonight. Basically the 68G is going where the 130 is now as a room divider. The stand will be 6' long but the tank will only take the the left side. The rest will be a bar that faces the TV. So it will be a 68G display with a 130G sump/refugium. I think the 130G will be divided up so that 4' of it is a refugium with a bunch of LR. In this section I will most likely keep one of my puffers! I can't imagine not owning a puffer! I just have to decide which one stays. Actually two will stay. My Green Spotted Puffer will be living in the fuge for sure as well. Then its between the Burrfish and Dogface. Man...how can I make that choice???

Drawings to come.

I do have to still drill the 68G with another hole because I need to be able to set up the herbie drains.

How hard is it to drill a tank?

This is the new design with the 68G with 130G sump. Beside the tank is a bar/table with viewable refugium below (about 3.5' will be viewable) through a sheet of removable acrylic. The area where you see the plumbing behind the tank is actually partly against a wall and party in a little alcove. It hides the plumbing perfectly and also fits a brute garbage can perfectly for auto top off. This all faces into the room and right at the TV. The only thing I don't like is that there is no room to put your feet under the table but the stools I have already have foot rests. Plus I doubt it will actually get used all that much ;)

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r...h/NewTank1.jpg

if you put the refugium before the skimmer, wont the skimmer take all the pods and everything out before they hit the tank?? just curious thought it was best the other way around.

Hahaa I meant Wendy's not BK must have been sniffing too much skimmate and after I saw your post in the equiptment section to confirm that yes it is. I think the new set up will be pretty cosher it already looks pretty neat that you can combine the 2 together. btw pm sent

I don't know but I have done it this way many times and it seemed fine. Pods are not likely to go over the baffles anyways and get to the skimmer. Especially in a 4' refugium. I didn't draw it since that was a quick 5 minute drawing but only half the drain goes to the far end and the rest goes straight to the skimmer. This is how I have set up all my tanks pretty much and been fine.

I wouldn't use the crooked pvc pictured in the drawing.... :)

Put in some more baffles, have the refugium seperate, have a big skimmer section, have the return in the middle. Have the drain go into both the skimmer section and refugium...then drain to the middle for return.

Here is a link to, I think, a nice design.
http://www.melevsreef.com/acrylics/sumps/f/sump_f.html

Yeah I tossed that idea out right away ;)

Sounds like a plan. To be honest that drawing was not a real plan for the sump, just a quick sketch to show where the refugium will be. I am set on keeping the fuge 4' long though because I am keeping one of my puffers in there for now. Plus aesthetically for viewing it needs to be 4' give or take.

Your idea with the return in the middle will work perfectly though. Thanks.

is it going to be right on the floor? are there going to be those chairs in the way cause if they are you really wont be able to see it very good, unless it doesnt matter to you at all, just a place to put some unwanted fish and other things.

I think you meant "see it very well..."

Anyways...

Its exactly where my viewable fuge is now and I have been very happy with it. Its not quite on the floor. The Bar stools do not cover much space at all. They certainly do not cover up 4'. I would say the "support pole" is about 3" wide max. So yeah I guess about 6" will be in the way.

I find your "unwanted fish and other things" ridiculous. Why would I keep unwanted fish? I am not really sure how to take that or what your point was?

Looks like a a cool design. Do you know what material your gonna use or what finish for the cabinet? I am running a sump with the return in the middle and I think it works great. I think doing it this way eliminates one obstacle at least for the pods (etc.)....they still have to survive going through the return pump:neutral:

No I am not sure yet but probably just the same MDF I am using now. Sealed and painted with a semi gloss black. One of my brothers works at an auto parts shop and can get me really cheap car paint. I may go with that.

The other option I am considering is counter top laminate. It gives a nice perfectly smooth finish. The problem is, I have not been able to find the right finish in laminate yet. Its not all that common to have glossy counter tops I guess.

The only thing I forgot to think about was that the tang is going to outgrow the 68 pretty quickly. I had planned to move him to the big tank once he did but if its not set up, there goes that idea...

My fiance's vote is to just use the big tanks current set up as the reef. She said she likes the new plan but thinks the bigger tank where it is now is still nicer. That way too she can keep her trigger.

So I am going to have to really think about this. I am not in a hurry. I do prefer not to spend too much more money though :wink:

This is the big tank a few months back (The canopy was not completely painted yet):

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r.../Digi039-1.jpg

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r...h/Digi051g.jpg

LOL...after seeing these pics, she may be right. It does make a nice reef. And I would do the lighting the same with it fading away down the length of the tank.

Dont take down the 130,put the bar in front of it.It really suits your place. I would love to have a tank like yours as a room divider and focal point.

Hmmmm...you basically said exactly what my fiance said earlier!

You guys are probably right. It is a great focal point. The problem is that focal point right now is not a very nice looking tank. Since switching it to a FOWLR and spending all my time on the reef, its gone downhill.

It would be pretty nice as a reef again and hey, no more plumbing! Its done! Plus that tank is very quiet.

So weird...without exception, every single acro that did NOT come from someone elses tank (which is most of them) died overnight. The one or two I got from members on here are ok but anything from the LFS I shop at died all at once. I have checked everything and all I can find that is different from a few days ago is alk. It rose from 8.3 to 10.2 I don't know how quickly though, it could have been overnight or over the past week.

Temperature, salinity, PH, Calcium, ect. stayed the same.

I just find this really strange and too bad because I have some really nice little acro frags I bought over the past three weeks.

What!

I moved the 68G to my bigger tank and everything looks great considering but I decided to measure my tank (I never had before) and its NOT 72"x20"x20"...Its more like 71.5"x19.5"x19.5" and thats including the glass thickness. Then I have the overflow about 2" below the water line. So when you do all the math, this tank is actually closer to 95G. Thats a huge surprise to me! For a while it was in the same room as a 180G I had and certainly did not look half the size!

Anyways, I will take pics soon. I am just building a canopy.

Ugh....My yellow tang has ich of course. He was QT'd when I bought him. 5 weeks. No problems, so he went into the display. The clowns he lived with were also QT'd. They went two months and no disease. He got really stressed after moving tanks the other day and now has a decent amount of ich.

I am so sick of dealing with this. I have QT'd and been so careful and still almost every tank I have ever set up gets it. I am done QTing for more than a few days anymore with this tank. If new fish look ok after a week of QT, I am not going to bother making them wait longer to go into the display.

Of the dozen or so members tanks I have seen lately, I would say all of them have very healthy looking, active fish and 3/4 of them have ich in their tank. It just seems to be such a wide spread problem.

Hopefully the small fish I plan on keeping can deal with it...

So this is where I am at...

Moved everything to the 95G...yeah its only 95G in the display. I was shocked. It would be 125 if I had it filled to the top but I have the water level quite low. So its a 95G with 75G sump (only about 40G water in sump though). The corals are ok but very dull after three days. The skimmer went nuts and skimmed the heck out of the water. I think its starving the sps to be honest. They still look ok but dull. I need more fish ;) The stand/canopy is not close to done. No doors on anything. We are choosing a stone or concrete looking tile for the stand and not sure about the canopy yet. Probably just painted though.

Here are the latest additions and tank shots.

Pair of Fang Blennies. They do not leave each others side. Sorry bad pic. I will have to try for a better one.

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r...th/Yeah045.jpg

And the other addition that I have only seen once is this Clown Goby. I think you get an idea from the second pic of how small he is!

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r...th/Yeah042.jpg

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r...th/Yeah044.jpg

And the tank from both sides. Its a room divider still.

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r...th/Yeah056.jpg

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r...th/Yeah059.jpg

The plan now is to fill this bad boy with tiny fish! All kinds of gobies and blennies, ect. I just have to find out how well they get along. Anyone have a general rule for these small fish?

Your yellow tang should kick that ich. I know I have ich in my tank but my yellow tang is one of the fish that never shows any sign of it. They must have better natural resistance than something like my achilles, which always shows it to some degree.

I like the rockwork in that tank! That will look fabulous in about 1 year.

Are you planning on doing anything more with your lighting? It looks like you are lighting the reef portion with MH, but not trying to light that sandy end too much. What is your plan there?