My 280g Custom upgrade.....

[SPotter]

Thanks for joining in Tim.

Updates.....
I started painting the back panel last night and need to do some touch up tonight to finish it. Im going to pay a tank installer to come by Saturday and help with the plumbing (help = he's going to do it). So my plan for the rest of the week is to clean the inside of the tank, rinse the substrate and put in the tank, rinse all of my rock off and do the aquascaping and finally get the water filling it up sometime on Thursday night or Friday morning.

Question about the substrate and rock.....what would you put in first? Im thinking that I might put the rock in first because I have to climb into the tank to set it up and if the substrate is in....its going to be uncomfortable. I did sand first then rock on my first tank. not sure if it really matters.

[Dustin1300]

I always do rock and then sand. If you do rock first against the glass you won't have to worry about the rock settling down and any tumbling. On large display I'm going to use acrylic rods and lots of epoxy on the aquascaping to secure it but not sure on your plan.

[SPotter]

No rods but I did get the bonding stuff that marcorocks sells. Im not planning on anything that will need rods to it.

[mwminer]

We're going to do marco rocks for the basic 'scape but going to do a lot of rods and mortar. We've got a lot of what will be large fish and they are destructive! They told us to do rock first and then substrate. My rocks have got to be so there can be no earthquakes!

[SPotter]

Started messing around with some rocks. the base is made up of Marco and the top is brs shelf. I have three large pieces like that. I now think I have too many rocks.

[Dustin1300]

I guess it's better to have too much rock than not enough Looks like you've got a lot of plumbing stacked up back there?!

[SPotter]

Agreed on both comments!!!! I must have been tired when I was placing my order with BRS for my bulkheads because I received 6 1.5" thread/thread bulkheads when I needed 3 slip/slip bulkheads for my overflow which by the way I also ordered. I have to put together a return box and send them back since I dont think I will ever have a need for those. You should never do plumbing or ordering online when you are tired.

[mwminer]

How tall is that rock configuration? Like how it looks!

[SPotter]

Originally Posted by mwminer

How tall is that rock configuration? Like how it looks!

I meant to measure but forgot. I am going to guess and say its about 12".

[SPotter]

Aquascape 1.0....



I know I said this was the fun part but I really hate it. It was really hard doing this on my own because I basically had to load all of the rocks in the tank, climb in and try to arrange them. Im going to get try and lay it out on the floor or a table first tonight and then put it in the tank.

[Dustin1300]

Always is harder being a one man operation on something like this. I would help if closer and then you could have helped me on my 600 gallon aquascape

I really liked the way in which you did the table rock on the mock aquascape. That top shelf would give some really good shadows which would add a lot of character to the tank IMO.

[SPotter]

New RODI filters......

th_2012-03-01203931.jpg

Now only 45 +/- hours to go.....

th_video-2012-03-01-20-48-44.jpg

[rpjaws74]

have to agree I like the first picture better how you aquascape

[SPotter]

Originally Posted by rpjaws74

have to agree I like the first picture better how you aquascape

Agreed! I ended up taking everything out of the tank last night and once its filled half way I work on doing it over but will get that structure I built in there for sure.

[david00061]

I had help. He was in tank I was out.

[SPotter]

Originally Posted by david00061

I had help. He was in tank I was out.

Its so much easier when you have help. the guy that's going to help me with the plumbing tomorrow is going to help with the rocks too.

[willandcorina]

Great looking setup can't wait for more update. What size is the 80 gallon frag tank it looks wide and shallow

[mwminer]

The first configuration was the best! How tall are you planning to make your highest rock formation?

[SPotter]

Originally Posted by willandcorina

Great looking setup can't wait for more update. What size is the 80 gallon frag tank it looks wide and shallow

Thank you! the frag is a deep blue professional frag tank. its 48x24x18. it really makes a great shallow reef tank.

[SPotter]

Originally Posted by mwminer

The first configuration was the best! How tall are you planning to make your highest rock formation?

Hey Matt....not too high. Id like everything to have a lot of room to swim and grow.

Tank is 3/4 full now and the install begins in an hour. I did end up having to repaint the back last night at 11 pm. I had used latex roll on paint and finally looked good after several coats. well I put one of my powerheads on the glass and paint started to peel off. I was actually able to pull the entire back off in 4 strips. fortunately I bought 2 cans of krylon so I busted those out. by 1am the tank was painted, my wife was mad about the fumes and I had a killer head ache. the back of the tank isn't that nice too look at....took me a while to get the hang of using spray paint on glass but....the viewing side looks great. I need 1 more can for some touch ups but that's it.

[mwminer]

What fish are you putting in? I think I will have to go higher than that in mine. I've got several fish that dig and will be very large. My panther grouper and humu trigger are the worst. But they will be large fish, especially the grouper. I don't want them to get stuck when they grow overnight. My humu did that 3 times in my 165 and fortunately the rocks were not glued together, I could get him out. He is a lousy architect and insists on building everyone else's house! And now the grouper has built 3 houses over the last month! I think if I have a couple of formations that are 15-18" high that would work. What do you think?

[SPotter]

Originally Posted by mwminer

What fish are you putting in? I think I will have to go higher than that in mine. I've got several fish that dig and will be very large. My panther grouper and humu trigger are the worst. But they will be large fish, especially the grouper. I don't want them to get stuck when they grow overnight. My humu did that 3 times in my 165 and fortunately the rocks were not glued together, I could get him out. He is a lousy architect and insists on building everyone else's house! And now the grouper has built 3 houses over the last month! I think if I have a couple of formations that are 15-18" high that would work. What do you think?

I think that would be ok or a little higher. I haven't finalized my stock list yet. I am leaning towards schools of fewer species rather than 30 different fish. Definitely doing lyretail anthias since I have a female right now that is in the process of becoming a male....I call her "Pat" for now. I have a yellow tank and will probably add a couple more of them too. I definitely want a pair of angels either bellus or wantanbei angels.

[SPotter]

Rock work is done....was not able to include the first structure I built but I am very happy with the way this came out....

Image.jpg

Image 3.jpg

Image 4.jpg

[SPotter]

There is no way I could have done this on my own or at least in the 5 hours that it took.

Image 2.jpg

Image 5.jpg

Image 6.jpg

Image 1.jpg

Water is still filling up. I estimate that I have another 50 gallons to go. Pumps should turn on tomorrow morning

[Floyd R Turbo]

Maybe I missed this in skimming the thread before, but is that overflow box set up for a BeanAnimal?