[e_baer]

Another update: got a 40g breeder from my lfs. I decided to go with the 40 breeder indtead of a normal 40 because there will be a lot more sand for the plants to grow in. I will start the stand building tonight....I hope.

[plecosword]

sorry about your moms and wifes!

[e_baer]

Im starting the build right now, taking lots of pics. Ill keep you updated in a few hours. Got the laptop and camera in the garage with a heater....what could be better?

[e_baer]

Alrighty now. Here are a few pics of the build so far.

These are a few of the supplies you need. It includes a power saw, screws, screw gun, 2x4"'s, a tank, measuring tape, a heater(in cold areas), some plans on how to build it and a yawning dog.

[e_baer]

If you are wondering why there is black in his mouth, its just some freckles or something.



And as I was building the top frame of the stand, the battreries started to go low. So I got the spares and they were all dead. What are the chances of that? 3 batteries all dead.

So for now this is all I have.

[plecosword]

is that that 30g you whent to pick up at your friends the other day?

[e_baer]

Here is the top and bottom frames.



Here are the 'legs" of the stand. I made them 28" tall making the stand 35" tall in total.







I am still not done, I need to cover the ugliness with some nice wood and stain it, but that is a project for another day.

[e_baer]

Originally Posted by plecosword

is that that 30g you whent to pick up at your friends the other day?

Nah, when I got to his house the tank was cracked. So I went out to my LFS and got a 40g breeder instead. Much larger

[NATIVEVAMAN]

Ellott,that a very nice job.I would suggest two things.If you are going to have anything under the tank it might be good to take out that center support,you wont need it.Next time get a dewalt lol.And I am bery happy to not see any blood on the floor lol.

[NATIVEVAMAN]

Oh,and maybe you should move this up to the diy forum.

[e_baer]

Originally Posted by NATIVEVAMAN

Ellott,that a very nice job.I would suggest two things.If you are going to have anything under the tank it might be good to take out that center support,you wont need it.Next time get a dewalt lol.And I am bery happy to not see any blood on the floor lol.

well, what I will be doing is getting some plywood and adding it down there on the bottom. I will need to get some more 2x4's for a little support for the tank on the bottom, and another support in the back. but besides that and adding the stained wood on the outside I will be done.

Nope, no blood

And I forgot to add, the 2x4's are some sort of pine like tree, so now my room smells like a bucket of sap was spilled all over my room.

[e_baer]

I have been looking into sand. What do you all think of this stuff?

http://www.reefgeek.com/product/SeaF...s._by_CaribSea

or this?

http://www.reefgeek.com/care_&_maint...s._by_CaribSea

[NATIVEVAMAN]

It doesnt say anything about being live sand but it does say "engineered",like its not natural.And it is very inexpesive.To inexpensive to be live sand.

[e_baer]

Originally Posted by NATIVEVAMAN

It doesnt say anything about being live sand but it does say "engineered",like its not natural.And it is very inexpesive.To inexpensive to be live sand.

Hmmm...allright, thanks. I will have to email them and make sure its not live sand.

think this mud would be good to add in there?

Fiji Mud Refugium Booster 24oz (Saltwater Aquarium Supplies > Additives > Trace Elements/Vitamin > Coral Supplements )

As I was looking on ebay, I ame across this:

30LB NATURAL WHITE FIJI LIVE SAND + REFUGIUM KIT - (eBay item 250194331151 end time Dec-12-07 10:15:32 PST)

[graveyardworm]

For the sand bed go with sugar fine or finer. The refugium mud is fine to use and will help establish nutrients in the sand bed for the seagrass. If you decide to use some sort of mud substrate put it in first then put in your aragonite to cover it. Then slowly add water to keep the sand storm down. I use a dinner plate set on the sand with a bowl on it fill the bowl slowly so it trickeles down onto the plate then onto the sand. Do this slowly and you will have virtually no sand storm. Take some sand or LR from your other display, and place it in the new tank to help seed the new sand bed. Research deep sand beds and check around with different vendore for sand bed recharge kits. Billsreef.com, IPSF both have good live sand to help charge up the sand bed critters. You will need a diverse bunch of critters to help keep the sand bed stirred. Stay away from sand bed seastars. Reasearch all the purchases for the sand bed, many are listed as good sand bed stirrers when in fact they are bad for the sand bed, and while they do move through the sand and stir it, at the same time they are feasting on your sand bed critters.

[e_baer]

Yeah, I had read that about the sand sifter stars. Thanks I do need to research DSB's a bit more. I need to get a few more things for the tank before I add any sand. I will be adding the LS in icrements most likely so I can get a good depth that I like.

[rlcline76]

I agree with graveyardworm, I've used : : : : Indo-Pacific Sea Farms : : : :.

[e_baer]

looks like ill be getting this soon!

: : : : Indo-Pacific Sea Farms : : : :

Then I will also look into getting some non-live sand from another place. And no native, I wont get it from the NJ beaches lol.

[e_baer]

Well, went to the home depot today and got a 3'x8' piece of the pink styrofoam. It was just under 8$. I have a 6' bed on my truck so this light piece of foam was sticking out the back and today we had the windiest day I have seen in a while. I walked out of the store with it and it was like a sail, it almost blew out of my hands. I looked like a fool trying to get it to my truck lol.

[e_baer]

So, I will be drilling my 40g tank myself in about 1.5 weeks. Hopefuly the glass wont break! Native, if the glass breaks, Ill just get your grandaughter to do it for me lol..

[NATIVEVAMAN]

You want her to plumb it as well,she is 3,she can handle it lol.

[e_baer]

Hmmm...I think I can handle the plumbing, but the drilling might be a little difficult.

[e_baer]

So I am thinking of 1gallon (12lbs?) of miricle mud and 210lbs of "dead" sand and then 20 lbs of live sand. For all of this it will come to just about 185$. Will this get me some free shipping from marinedepot.com?

[NATIVEVAMAN]

WOW........are you doing a swimming pool?lol

[e_baer]

Well, its a 40g breeder so it is 18 deep by 30 or 36 long. So, in order to have a 5-6" DSB it will require a lot of sand. I WISH it were a swimming pool! I am a lifeguard durring the summer and as I sit at the pool, I think about how awsome it would be to have a pool as a reef.