37 gal column conversion to AIO with foam/rock wall

[Cubeman]

Originally Posted by maron6977

Always nice to keep the wife happy as well as work for your project !

That's half the secret to being able to spend money in this hobby is buying stuff the wife likes. Always end up buying more pretty things when she tags along

[Cubeman]

I'm now using a couple of Koralia 750's for circulation and have placed them both right at the bottom of the aquarium in the back corners. They're hooked up to a digital timer so they take turns being on independently and simultaneously as well as both off for a few hours. The small base footprint and the large turnover creates a great upwelling of current from bottom to top.


The problem this much bottom current created is I couldn't use my existing Fiji pink sand as it was too fine and would be stripped bare in certain spots and piled up in others. I picked up some coarser reef sand yesterday and because I only needed 20lbs the difference in price between live and dead was negligible so I picked up the live.


The tank was pretty cloudy for the rest of the day but was crystal clear 18 hours later. Left a bit of a "bathtub ring" around the top edge but that was easily cleaned with a filter sponge.

[lastlight]

the wall looks awesome i really like it. lends itself perfectly to column tanks.

and that shelf piece looks sweet just don't mount any sps at its edge or you'll be fragging in a month lol.

[Cubeman]

A little less permanent than your 93g rock wall but much snappier to look at than a painted background. Now if I could just take photos like you too!

[Cubeman]

One of the problems that has presented itself is one of the cords from a power-head. It was my intention to tuck the cords between the glass and the rock wall but one side was just too snug so it ended up looking like this.


Not wanting it to remain as visually distracting I took an old 18inch Eheim spray bar that I'd held onto for over a decade for just this exact reason and cut a slit in it lengthways.


I applied the same epoxy and sand treatment to it as I did to the back wall making it look like this.


I then squeezed the powerhead cord through the opening so it eventually slid freely inside the spray bar and placed it in the tank.

Close up of bottom cord entering spray bar from powerhead.


And the whole thing in place.


Obviously looks a little artificial right now in the newly set up gleaming white tank but figure once there is some coralline on it and a few corals in front of it I will be happier than if I'd just left the bare cord.

[Jordon]

Nice job on hiding the cord

[Cubeman]

Thanks - nice of you to leave the bright lights of nano-reef and visit the quiet end of town