Figured this would be a good way to introduce myself to the club.
My name is Drew (and my wife, Jana, occasionally attends events with me). I am a recent transplant from the San Francisco Bay Area. Moved out here at the end of April due to a job transfer. Since then I've been super busy around the house, but finally got uit up and running. I just put my first inhabitants yesterday and wanted to share. I've been keeping aquariums since I was younger than I can remember, and have had s/w since about 2002.
A few years ago my wife and I decided to start a coral farming enterprise and we converted the garage to mostly a "fish" room with my car pushed off to the side. Unforunetly she has had a few back surgeries and we couldn't continue with it so we shut it down a couple years after we started it. Although we are still very much into aquariums.
2 Of the Aquariums up and running (Jan 2014):
4 of them up and beginning to be stocked:
The "display" (aka tank in the living room):
Scoly during feeding time:
Plate Coral:
The last of the frag tanks:
Ok that's enough of the old pictures... onto the new!
This 65g tank was given to me from a member of my old club. He was getting out of the hobby and gave the stand aquarium and canopy to me. I moved everything out here, but once here I didn't like the stand as it wasn't as sturdy as I liked and it had some salt damage to begin with. So if I wanted to keep it I would have to strip it and re-seal it to begin with. I am planning on putting a facade of a black plastic around it attached by magnets. I hope it'll look clean... we'll see!
Squaring up the new frame:
Stand completed and being stained:
Testing with water in the garage:
Threw some of the rocks in to start the cycle:
As of this morning:
The "light" structure is custom by myself. Using 2040 Extruded aluminum, and 3D printed tank adapters that I designed and printed.
So at this point i have some hermits and snails in the tank. I used the Red Sea Starter Kit that promises to be "reef mature in 21 days". I am past the 21 day point, but I don't trust it being really ready. All my fish are back in California being watched by a co-worker and reefer that had several spare systems running. I also gave him all my corals and just asked for frags of them when I am ready.
My plan at this point is as long as nothing goes wrong with the inhabitants in there now, to add a fish or two in the next 1-2 weeks. Then maybe a 2 weeks later ask my friend to overnight my fish (a couple clowns, and potters angel). I had a Christmas wrasse and a flame tip tang also but the wrasse passed away and the tang was "borrowed" by another tank that had an algae problem.
This isn't my long term tank, but it's enough to get started for now. This is the first house we've bought so it's really nice to not have to worry about a move or a landlord changing things up on us.
Equipment List:
Unknown Brand 65g
Skimmz UP18 (got from someone out here on CL)
Jebao TW-25 (controlled threw Jebao to Apex adapter)
Jebao RW-4 (controlled threw Jebao to Apex adapter)
Jebao DCT-1200
Neptune Apex Classic
2x RapidLED Corona
My name is Drew (and my wife, Jana, occasionally attends events with me). I am a recent transplant from the San Francisco Bay Area. Moved out here at the end of April due to a job transfer. Since then I've been super busy around the house, but finally got uit up and running. I just put my first inhabitants yesterday and wanted to share. I've been keeping aquariums since I was younger than I can remember, and have had s/w since about 2002.
A few years ago my wife and I decided to start a coral farming enterprise and we converted the garage to mostly a "fish" room with my car pushed off to the side. Unforunetly she has had a few back surgeries and we couldn't continue with it so we shut it down a couple years after we started it. Although we are still very much into aquariums.
2 Of the Aquariums up and running (Jan 2014):
4 of them up and beginning to be stocked:
The "display" (aka tank in the living room):
Scoly during feeding time:
Plate Coral:
The last of the frag tanks:
Ok that's enough of the old pictures... onto the new!
This 65g tank was given to me from a member of my old club. He was getting out of the hobby and gave the stand aquarium and canopy to me. I moved everything out here, but once here I didn't like the stand as it wasn't as sturdy as I liked and it had some salt damage to begin with. So if I wanted to keep it I would have to strip it and re-seal it to begin with. I am planning on putting a facade of a black plastic around it attached by magnets. I hope it'll look clean... we'll see!
Squaring up the new frame:
Stand completed and being stained:
Testing with water in the garage:
Threw some of the rocks in to start the cycle:
As of this morning:
The "light" structure is custom by myself. Using 2040 Extruded aluminum, and 3D printed tank adapters that I designed and printed.
So at this point i have some hermits and snails in the tank. I used the Red Sea Starter Kit that promises to be "reef mature in 21 days". I am past the 21 day point, but I don't trust it being really ready. All my fish are back in California being watched by a co-worker and reefer that had several spare systems running. I also gave him all my corals and just asked for frags of them when I am ready.
My plan at this point is as long as nothing goes wrong with the inhabitants in there now, to add a fish or two in the next 1-2 weeks. Then maybe a 2 weeks later ask my friend to overnight my fish (a couple clowns, and potters angel). I had a Christmas wrasse and a flame tip tang also but the wrasse passed away and the tang was "borrowed" by another tank that had an algae problem.
This isn't my long term tank, but it's enough to get started for now. This is the first house we've bought so it's really nice to not have to worry about a move or a landlord changing things up on us.
Equipment List:
Unknown Brand 65g
Skimmz UP18 (got from someone out here on CL)
Jebao TW-25 (controlled threw Jebao to Apex adapter)
Jebao RW-4 (controlled threw Jebao to Apex adapter)
Jebao DCT-1200
Neptune Apex Classic
2x RapidLED Corona
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