[michelle's ocean fantasy]

Originally Posted by plecosword

i dont see the colony michelle? But stace will probably have a whole family of them by next year! lol

Sorry- it is under "clams/anenomes" look at the 3rd row down- 1st picture: colony of red coco worms

[plecosword]

Oh k I see it now!

[Marine1]

Sorry to change the subject, but patrick1234 that is an awesome avatar. My wife is a nurse, sees a lot of IV bags. She would get a kick out of yours. Great avatar.

[michelle's ocean fantasy]

Agreed- it is a cool avatar!!

[stacef]

Sorry guys, have been away for awhile with two sudden family emergencies..

But--We are back to planning our home piece of the ocean. Thank you for everyones input on ideas! I would like to keep them coming. Any ideas on sand?? Where to get it? Should I be getting like 2-300 lbs from different places? I am thinking I am going to be needing around 1000 lbs of sand, and 1500lbs of LR. You think this is enough? I am hoping so

We already have the skimmer figured out, a My Reef Creations industrial size, I will get you all the details later. I am waiting to hear from our glass place to see how big of glass we can get to decide what length of lighting I will need. Is MH suggested? Or T5's? Which are still just as quality, but cheaper to run, being there will be so many more bulbs than just a typical say 150g tank..

My boyfriend has been trying to figure out all of the plumbing and such, to get a grasp on how it all works seems I am the one that has been researching it, and he needs help learning it to help build it!

I am unsure of who posted the picture of the tank in the Culvers, but we want to do our rockwork like that... pillars, probably, 5 of them, more towards t he back of the tank rather than towards the front. We are thinking this so that the fish that need to swim long distances (tangs) can do their laps in the front of the tank.

Also--This is just a thought throwing it out there. I can't help but think to myself of my dream since I was 6 and at Sea world. To someday keep stingrays. I can't help but think to myself...this is the PERFECT tank for them.. but then I have to choose, my stingrays, or my gorgeous FOWLR basically.. ahh decisions.

[plecosword]

FOWLR would be a cheaper opinion, how deep will it be? and you never gave me the plans!! lol But how about coco? No side tanks?!?!? But but

[stacef]

Hahah, No side tanks, they won't be necessary with such a large system.. plus the 90g fresh, plus 2 20g FOWLR in the kids rooms... that will be plenty, and will show it in our water bill! haha. We do not know how deep it will be yet, we are waiting for our local glass shop back in michigan to call us back to see what the biggest they can get us.

Now---How thick of glass does everyone suggest??? It will be just the front piece being glass..What do you all think??

[plecosword]

i THINK, THE TYPE OF GLASS WOULD BE important!
The glass will be over 1" probably, so Starfire glass? IT will give it a crystal look I think, but really I have no idea! well just look for yourself! http://www.reefbuilders.com/forums/l...html#post73226 youll see the pic there what I mean.

[thelastmucci]

I would agree with Starfire..glass can be anywhere from 8mm to whatever that works out to in inches (hey I'm american I don't know metric) Anywhoo you would want something pretty think...think about you have to hold all the water back from exploding all over your house (now that would suck) I would personally go with the Stingrays....if you going big you might as well go all the way..although I don't know where your going to buy any. Also why not do both T5's and MH...your probably going to need at least 2 MH's bulbs going across and some serious t5's...but that's the setup I"m going with and honestly think it's the best of both worlds..yes it will cost more but I think you'll be more happy.

[plecosword]

Anthony, she is a she, and you know shes! lol Stace doesnt like eels! so dont know about stingrays. But I be she wil have triggs all over!
But I do agree with the T-5 and MH combo, would be nice, but I would go with T-5s, since it would come out cheaper, and only if it were to be FOWLR. The bulbs would last longer.
im still trying to imagine a cement tank, just hard, is the back going to have a rocky look?

[stacef]

Originally Posted by thelastmucci

I would agree with Starfire..glass can be anywhere from 8mm to whatever that works out to in inches (hey I'm american I don't know metric) Anywhoo you would want something pretty think...think about you have to hold all the water back from exploding all over your house (now that would suck) I would personally go with the Stingrays....if you going big you might as well go all the way..although I don't know where your going to buy any. Also why not do both T5's and MH...your probably going to need at least 2 MH's bulbs going across and some serious t5's...but that's the setup I"m going with and honestly think it's the best of both worlds..yes it will cost more but I think you'll be more happy.

Ok guys, My mind changed. I want stingrays in the HUGE tank. haha. And do the 220 a FOWLR gosh... I have to research rays, I know there are freshwater ones, which would be a lot easier in such a large tank, and then do my 220 FOWLR and just get a 100g sump for that. Yup that's what we're doing, we have talked about it, and that's the route we want to go! hah.

[stacef]

Hey Mario, check out the links that I listed through the thread, it shows another guys tank very similar to what we are going to be doing!

[plecosword]

is it the 1300g system?

[Lowej82]

Originally Posted by stacef

I am unsure of who posted the picture of the tank in the Culvers, but we want to do our rockwork like that... pillars, probably, 5 of them, more towards t he back of the tank rather than towards the front. We are thinking this so that the fish that need to swim long distances (tangs) can do their laps in the front of the tank.

:

Just a thought I am sure one of the three wiseman will chime in

maybe with the pilars you could run a mh setup or T5 directly above the pilars, rather than lighting the entire tank, when the fish are close to the pilars under the light they will glow then when the get a little farther away might looks as if they swam off deeper darker areas of the reef. if going with 5 pilars maybe do something like * . * . * with plenty of room between and behind for swiming areas, If you can make sense out of this * . * . *

[stacef]

That makes perfect sense!!! I never thought about that.. just lighting about the pillars.. that is a great idea, and may have WONDERFUL lighting effects. Anybody see a negative in this?? I do not, but I do not know everything.. I am thinking just quickly after reading yours, have the light go say a foot out of each side of the pillar, so possibly just 30" MH's 3 of them above each pillar. Great Idea, thank you!! Gosh everyone on here is soo helpful.

[Lowej82]

Here is how the culvers tank is lit......

the lights were recently revamped. there are now two 1,000w 10k ushio bulbs in huge lumenmax reflectors (rated for 4'x4' spread) over the open portion of the sandbed and then four 400w 14k ushio bulbs and 4 blue t5 bulbs over the center column.

[Jeremy0322]

That is alot of freaking lighting...

[Lowej82]

yea picture paying the bill for lighting alone..... also here are some pics of that tank from about 3 weeks ago


well not pics but a link to them

BNARC - Bloomington/Normal Area Reef Club Forums-viewtopic-Updated Pictures

[stacef]

Thank you John!! I am just in awe of the culvers tank.. next time I am in the area I might have to.. What am I saying? I WILL stop and take a look at it.

[stephaniesquires]

Wow - Hey Stace, I have an idea for you that might be cheaper and easier to maintain. Rather than building several monster tanks, just build a house underwater, you could have a Ray garden, a reef patio, plenty of room for feathers!!! Sounds like you have some great projects planned, can't wait to see them develop....

[Lowej82]

Originally Posted by stacef

Thank you John!! I am just in awe of the culvers tank.. next time I am in the area I might have to.. What am I saying? I WILL stop and take a look at it.

your welcome, I cant wait to get the kids up there to see it. Its about an hours drive from where I am.

[plecosword]

Man stace, i still had you were you were going to have a 220 display with side tanks.
I just cant imagine it, but I was at a book store and of course my brothers were reading about the human body, robots, cars, and me FISH! haha and
well it just gave me a good idea maybe you coul have one of those skimmers that sit next to the tank and have it take water directly form the overflow. them to skimmer, then to sump. if you have 2 overflows, them 2 skimmers? how does that sound?