So, I've read a ton of tank builds over the years, gained lots of knowledge, do's and don't etc and decided its my turn to give a little back and start my own build thread
I've had marine aquariums on and off over the years, lots and lots of tanks. Everyone says get he biggest you can fit, and like everyone I never listened. I started off with a little used Boyu TL450, then an 80l BOYU, closely followed by a TL550, then an LED BOYU (cant remember the model - looks like the 550 but with an led hood) I've had an evolution aqua 900, 2 aquareef 275s, a few nanos and god knows what else, anyway about 3yrs ago i finished up with a 5ft sumped peninsula tank. I had this as a reef tank with some nice pieces, anyway 10 days before xmas 2017 I woke up one morning to a horrific noise and a half full tank, the tank had cracked between the overflow and return pipe in the weir box, drained out enough water that the return pump ran dry (the noise). I'd say 90% of my coral and fish died. I kept my 2 Picasso clowns, my goby and an anemone in a microhabitat optiwhite 60 and took the rest of what survived to my lfs and put the tank in storage, too close to xmas to try and get it repaired etc. That's how it stayed until last August. I was on holiday with my Mrs and we got talking, i was moaning about missing having a big tank etc, and she agreed to compromise - I could set one of my tanks up in the conservatory so I could have a few more fish. So on getting back to the UK I took one of my tanks out of storage, set it up got a few more fish and a couple of bits of coral and I was content (not for long) After the tank failed I had a vivarium commissioned for our 3 sugar gliders and we had this where my old tank used to live. So cut a long story short, after more negotiations than Brexit and what seems a higher penalty, we agreed I could get another large tank again. So plantation shutters are on order, we're looking at new kitchens currently, new curtains and a nice Tag Heuer watch and a new vivarium commissioned (to go in place of the tank in the conservatory) it was all agreed
2 weeks ago I placed an order for my s-650 (due July with the new red sea skimmer and their new red sea led's) Let the journey begin
I'm going for a reef tank once again, I went for the s-650 like most of the other owners, because there's nothing on show, its ready to use out of the box, and now they have ditched the c-skim, in theory I wont have to buy anything else for it. I have a Deltec 1651 if needed, I have a Hailea 300c chiller from my old tank (my get the Teco 500 though) Looking to use red sea pink sand, again for the same reasons as others (its coarseness) I have 50kg of Caribsea real reef rock (I probably have about 100kg of now dead live rock that I kept from my various tanks, but I'm probably not going to use this at all) I'll take some pics of the bits and pieces I've amassed so far in anticipation of the tank arriving.
I have a fairly new empty 8ft x 6ft shed that I'm going to insulate and board out and set my ea reef 900 up in and use this as my quarantine tank so I can get my fish and have them quarantined while my new tank cycles. I can store all my salt and water drums and other fish related stuff in the shed to keep the other half happy. Anyway Hi lol
I've had marine aquariums on and off over the years, lots and lots of tanks. Everyone says get he biggest you can fit, and like everyone I never listened. I started off with a little used Boyu TL450, then an 80l BOYU, closely followed by a TL550, then an LED BOYU (cant remember the model - looks like the 550 but with an led hood) I've had an evolution aqua 900, 2 aquareef 275s, a few nanos and god knows what else, anyway about 3yrs ago i finished up with a 5ft sumped peninsula tank. I had this as a reef tank with some nice pieces, anyway 10 days before xmas 2017 I woke up one morning to a horrific noise and a half full tank, the tank had cracked between the overflow and return pipe in the weir box, drained out enough water that the return pump ran dry (the noise). I'd say 90% of my coral and fish died. I kept my 2 Picasso clowns, my goby and an anemone in a microhabitat optiwhite 60 and took the rest of what survived to my lfs and put the tank in storage, too close to xmas to try and get it repaired etc. That's how it stayed until last August. I was on holiday with my Mrs and we got talking, i was moaning about missing having a big tank etc, and she agreed to compromise - I could set one of my tanks up in the conservatory so I could have a few more fish. So on getting back to the UK I took one of my tanks out of storage, set it up got a few more fish and a couple of bits of coral and I was content (not for long) After the tank failed I had a vivarium commissioned for our 3 sugar gliders and we had this where my old tank used to live. So cut a long story short, after more negotiations than Brexit and what seems a higher penalty, we agreed I could get another large tank again. So plantation shutters are on order, we're looking at new kitchens currently, new curtains and a nice Tag Heuer watch and a new vivarium commissioned (to go in place of the tank in the conservatory) it was all agreed
2 weeks ago I placed an order for my s-650 (due July with the new red sea skimmer and their new red sea led's) Let the journey begin
I'm going for a reef tank once again, I went for the s-650 like most of the other owners, because there's nothing on show, its ready to use out of the box, and now they have ditched the c-skim, in theory I wont have to buy anything else for it. I have a Deltec 1651 if needed, I have a Hailea 300c chiller from my old tank (my get the Teco 500 though) Looking to use red sea pink sand, again for the same reasons as others (its coarseness) I have 50kg of Caribsea real reef rock (I probably have about 100kg of now dead live rock that I kept from my various tanks, but I'm probably not going to use this at all) I'll take some pics of the bits and pieces I've amassed so far in anticipation of the tank arriving.
I have a fairly new empty 8ft x 6ft shed that I'm going to insulate and board out and set my ea reef 900 up in and use this as my quarantine tank so I can get my fish and have them quarantined while my new tank cycles. I can store all my salt and water drums and other fish related stuff in the shed to keep the other half happy. Anyway Hi lol