Help
If you didn't know, we are upgrading the existing nine year old 72x24x18 tank to 72x24x27, same length, same hieght but 50% wider which should give better options for scaping. The reason for the upgrade is because the current tank is getting 'grown out' and the narrow shape is not great for aquascaping with large colonies which tend to over-shadow each other.
It's a process that started back in January when the decision to upsize was first made.
Originally I was going to make the tank myself, I've done a few large ones before so am not afraid of it, but I found I could get one ready-made for £50 more than the cost of the glass including delivery and warranty, so once I'd decided on that, the order was placed at the beginning of March and the clock started ticking, will the new tank arrive before the my favorite acros breach the surface?
To help with the new scaping, I got some dead-live rock with interesting shapes out of Jasons butts which has been curing in the garage since the end of January. Once it got thru the initial curing cycle, I plumbed the 350 litre water butt into the main sump so it should be well seeded by the time I change over.
Of course, a new tank wouldn't be the same without a new stand, or two in my case. The first stand frame ended up as a workbench because I wasn't happy with the wood, but thats fine, I could always do with an extra bench in the garage.
Because of where the tank goes and to make it appear less imposing, as per the current stand, the tank overhangs the base by several inches. This, along with the fact that it was a non-standard 27inches wide means I couldn't use an off-the-shelf stand, that would just be too easy. I enjoy making things anyhow.
I suppose I could have made one from steel or block and beam, but opted for the more conventional wood, and of course, in true reefer fashion, over-engineered and capable of supporting a family of large hefalumps no doubt!
Fortunately, past experience has taught me to allow it to be partially dissassembled to make it a little eaiser to move into the house when the time comes and once in place I can finish it off. Since it is in it's dissasembled state, you'll have to make do with a sketchup view...
For those who don't remember, my system was upgraded with a remote sump two years ago. This will remain unchanged since it does a stirling job.
With the rock curing and the tank on order it was time to think about some temporary accomodation for the livestock. It was already decided that there would be no hope of doing any the changeover in a day let alone a weekend, even if there were no problems, it was just too much work.
We are undecided about what corals/fish we willl keep and what will 'go', so a temporary home was required. I got an IBC 1000 litre container from Martin (cass1) that I cut down in hieght to make a shallow 4x3 tank which I put in the garage, plumbed it into the sump and started brewing some water. Two hundred and seventy litres later, it's ready to be 'turned on', or it was until I realised that it was stone cold and dumping 270 litres of cold tank water into my system might upset things a little, so I had to go out and buy a heater, jeez does it never end.
(Quick photo before I finished the insulation & lighting)
I've got a cover for the 'jacuzzi', as Ben called it, that will be kept on it when the lights are off. The water was up to temp this morning so I began trickling it into the main system. After 24 hours I'll begin upping the flow.
I'm not sure what to do about the fish. The plan was to put them into this tank, but thinking ahead, it could be a nightmare trying to catch them again, think I'd need a trawler net.
Well, thats where I'm up to right now. I haven't got a confirmed delivery date for the new tank, I expect it be this weekend or next week sometime, so the plan is to be very busy between now and then!
Cheers!
Chris
(off to brew another 100 litres of water just for the hell of it)
(sand, must order another bag of sand, that'll need to be washed as well)
(must start seeding the sand)
(must get some polystyrene tiles)
(must get some eggcrate)
(salt, gonna need some more)
(silicone, darn forgot to get that today, put it on tomorrows list)
