BIRTHDAY MONEY!!!

[YahooFishKeeper]

i figured out what im using my Bday money for. im going to customize a 30 long tank. theres going to be 3 sections. im drawing up a diagram on paint right now and an going to edit it into this post.

front view
Photo Xanga

birdseye view
Photo Xanga

theres going to be my pink skunk clown fish, my coral banded shrimp, and my snail from my 10 gallon tank in there. i am probably going to add more livestock. i am going to add more LR eventually, and more of a cleanup crew. in the section with the DSB i am also going to put some macro.

im getting these lights:
36" 2x96W Coralife Aqualight CF hood, 1x Actinic and 1x 10,000K, -Square Pin

 

[drumminfish]

Jenness, those pictures look like you were drunk when you drew them

 

[YahooFishKeeper]

Jenness, those pictures look like you were drunk when you drew them

your just jealous

i wont need to spend much money i dont think. i already have PVC pipe, a pump, and the plexi-glass from a previous project. all i will need to buy is more sand, and the tank itself. do you all think this is a good idea? i think it will be like a sump/fuge all in one plus i think it will look cool.

 

[Igor The Cat]

you could do it, but it would be better (read more water volume) if you just drilled the tank and ran a big sump, this may be cool but its not as good and will be PITA to clean.

cheers

-Java

 

[YahooFishKeeper]

i know its not as good as a sump for water volume, but i thoink it will serve the purpose of a refugium. how would it be a PITA to clean? i figured it would be easier since its all level.

 

[Igor The Cat]

why not include a fug in a large sump? lighting would be easier plus you would have more in tank room.

as for cleaning, small boxes with stuff in them are not fun, and unless you black out the front glass your gonna want to clean it a lot too.

-Java

 

[YahooFishKeeper]

im going to get a 36 inch long light so it will go over the whole thing, so lighting is all included. that eliminates the cost of having to buy a new light. i dont really have room for a tank this big plus a sump. its going on my (very sturdy) dresser. the boxes will be big enough to hold the pump, and big enough for a hand for sure, (the pump is dang big) but not so big as to take a bunch of room from the display. also if the front glass is clear i can grab and random critter that i see that has made its way in there.

 

[Igor The Cat]

go for it then, im just saying its not gonna look pretty, and a real sump would be a million times more beneficial.

-Java

 

[saltwater4life]

so this is going to be a display/sump/refug? sounds cool if i was you I'd put a blue or black piece of glass in front of the sump. Sounds cool though

 

[Mushroomman]

As I said before, its really not neccessary, nothing you really need the fuge for anyways... but if you want to do it be my guest. How low is the water level going to be? looks a bit low in the diagram.

 

[YahooFishKeeper]

i wasnt thinking strait last night when i drew that. the water level in the display will be really close to the top of the tank. i will get the water pretty high, then start the pump. that will make the water level in the sump/refuge area drop. the water will flow over the divider and through the eggcrate and into the sump/refuge area. once this happens i will just add water untill i reach the top in the main tank area. i was thinking the divider should be about an inch below the black rim. does that sound like a good space? possibly a little less otherwise i might not be able to raise the water level in the main tank very much higher.

 

[drumminfish]

I think I understand this a little better now than I did last night...were you going to start this today?

 

[Mahamotorworks]

I think this is an interesting idea. If it works it will be cool. Yes I know the more water the better but In this case this is the best she could come up with. This is my take on the tank YFK wants to make.

I wish the best of luck to you.

MAHA

 

[Igor The Cat]

another idea would be a HOB Fug, you can find them on EBAY for around $50, plus yoiu would have more in tank room to aquascape.

-Java

 

[YahooFishKeeper]

that is DANG SWEEEET maha! you have mad skillz! that is EXACTLY what i want to do! the thing is, i didnt have as much plexiglass as i thought i did. yes i was planning on siliconing today. i went out and bought salt, sand, the tank, and eggcrate. now i need to wait untill i get a little more money, so i can buy a sheet of plexi. im not worried though, because im having my birthday with my moms side of the family tonight. i will probably be able to get it tomorrow. for now im going to go out back and rinse my sand.

 

[Mahamotorworks]

It's just paint. That has been the key to most of my projects. I draw them in paint then, If I like it I draw it to scale on graph paper.

MAHA

 

[YahooFishKeeper]

i used paint too... guess i just suck. one thing i am doing different i think is instead of taking the PVC up and out its going strait from the pump through a hole (which i will drill) in the plexiglass and across the tank. the end will be capped, and there will be holes drilled in the PVC pipe. like a spraybar but underwater. and it will help keep nasties from growing behind my LR.when i get more LR and get done scaping it i dont even think the pipe will be visible. since im am purchasing more plexiglass i will try to get a scrap piece of blue or black that i can use between the pump area and the fuge. then you wont see it from the front, but still see it from overhead if needed.

 

[YahooFishKeeper]

alrighty... everything is siliconed and waiting. i have spent $175 in 2 days on all of this, and i cant wait!!! i am planning on putting the sand from my established tank in there when i switch it all over, and hopefully speeding the time it takes for my DSB to start denitrification. im my 10 gallon i have 3 little pieces of LR... its going to look so bare in the 30! im thinking of saving more money, and going to my not so LFS and picking up some LR, but that will be a while. i am flat broke... i will probably add a piece of LR at a time and maybe a hermit or a snail each time i go to the LFS. when everything is up and running and better established, i am going to get more fish, but im not sure what. any ideas?

PS... do i need a skimmer?

 

[Mahamotorworks]

I would water test everything outside first just to make sure that you dont have to drain, Empty sand then dry and reseal anything you may have missed.

Get some PICS I want to see how it turned out.

MAHA

 

[YahooFishKeeper]

i dont have a digital camera... which really sucks. seeing that everything is in the same tank and sharing the same water and no water is leaving the tank i dont think its necessary that it be exactly water tight.