Budget doesn't exist in this hobby: Brian's 45g Build

[Myka]

That's an interesting overflow setup. I can't say I've seen one quite like it. It should work well.

[Myka]

Looks good!

[Etaloche]

I managed to make the brace last night before sleeping so that I can have a peace of mind when the tank is filled.



As you can see even after couple practice pieces my plastic bonding technique is still quite lacking...
Never done a piece with a big area to bond and didn't realize the cement wouldn't seep all the way to the middle.



Second try went better but still getting lots of bubbles



After all that, the long piece was scary to tackle but it actually ended up being my neatest bond yet.



Here's how it looks like on the tank. Luckily the imperfections on the bonds aren't really visible when looking at the tank so it won't bother me and keep me up at night haha



Leak testing!



Everything looks good, overflow working as it should.
I found that the airline tubing was not needed to allow the open channel to achieve a full siphon once the water level gets high enough.



All good in the sump too.



Uhhhh... so I think I'm ready to get some saltwater into this tank now!?

[The Guy]

Looks good Brian, your workmanship is very tidy and well thought out.

[maron6977]

Is there enough volume in your sump if return pump is turned off ? Watch out for back flow from returns !

[The Guy]

A small hole drilled at the water line on the back side of the return pipe also works well to break the syphon in the event of the return pump going off or a power loss, on page seven I think I see a check valve in the return piping which is a good idea too, make sure to keep it clean as those pesky little snails can cause it to stay open sometimes.

[Coasting]

Originally Posted by Etaloche

I've been looking to get a pair of RW-8 actually! Just need to save up for a bit to afford them + battery. I still want to upgrade lights, skimmer, and get some reactors hooked up. Gah, lots of saving up to do.

Theres always room to budget if you can handle waiting the rws can be ordered directly from china for much less then anyone in canada sells them for. I just picked up 2 and the new generation jebao 12000 from overseas.

[Myka]

Looks awesome Brian! Good job!

[tang daddy]

Great looking scape Brian keep up the good work!

[Etaloche]

Wow, more than a year has flown by now. I've been making lots of long term trips for longboard racing lately and broke my arm on one of the tours. The tank took a hit during that time, but I'm finally out of my cast and getting the tank back on course.

It's amazing to look back at how much some things have grown lately! I've started dosing more diligently and finally got a doser set up this week. SPS has taken off since dosing but I still cannot keep a euphillia alive for the life of me.

This birdnest was one of the first pieces in my tank


You just don't notice things are growing unless you compare them in photos I think haha


My SPS garden is finally settled in and growing well




GSP is starting to take over my zoa garden a bit, and the zoas are taking over themselves now that there is no room




This Crocea clam has been with me for couple months now and during neglect of the tank the clam seemed to love it. It's grown quite a bit putting on 3 new layer of scutes so far!
;



Xenia has taken over the right side of my tank but my clowns love it and hosts it as their home. I've just decided to let it run wild until I upgrade my tank one day.


New dosing setup


Full tank shot



I've also recently got into collecting exotic succulents, especially of the Haworthia species. I've been trying to find some specialty soil in Vancouver which has been proving quite difficult. I know many here are into plants as well as planted tanks which use similar substrate, so I'm wondering if anyone here might know where to find some of these stuff. I'm looking for anything along the line of akadama, turface, pumice, or crushed lava that is fine grade. Basically anything that provide great drainage for plants. Let me know if anyone has any idea where to find these substrate or alternative in greater Vancouver area thanks!