Well, I've started ordering my tanks and stand materials.

I'm going with 4 tanks for now.

2- 60 gal cube(24")
120 gal
180 or a 210

With outside overflow, starfire glass(I get a deal on it, so why not) and solid oak stand that will be bleached white, then shot with polyurethane, all glass and rimless.

Should look sharp.

Filter: wet/dry, sock micron and a screen prefilter, venturi CO2, seperate loop cnaister filter(Ocean clears for the larger and Via aqua 350gph for the 60's).

One of the 60's will have a nice chiller and a mega flow wave powerhead pump system to reproduce a tidepool flow.

I was considering doing the tiger sycamore wood, but the price was too good for solid oak and I'm a bit lazy. I can do nice finishes without much work.

Regards,
Tom Barr

Please post the whole setting up in a photo journal style for the forum. It would be hugely popular Tom.

Well, since each tank has a particularly in depth thought process and layout, it will be done(journal).

I will be doing the HC lawn no water method to start up a couple of the tanks.
Another is a cold water marine macro algae tank.
The 3rd will likely be a Tangy cichlid tank.

I wanted to do a SPS reef with a nice warm water macro tank but I think I'll be moving in about 1 year or so.........I'd rather wait till I'm in a place I will be at for a long time before doing that.

Regards,
Tom Barr

Look forward to seeing the in flight and finished photos of each project. Best of luck.....

Would be interested in hearing more about the trickle filter/co2 setup as this is similar to mine......

I envy you to have 4 new tanks to play with.............

what is HC stand for? what is the NO WATER MEHOD?
thanks

HC stands for Hemianthus Callitrichoides (Cuba), which is a beautiful, low-lying carpet plant.

The no-water method is a way of starting up a tank by growing HC emersed to start with. It's explained here: New(?) methoid to make a nice rug of HC before you add water

Well, placed the order.
The 180 will have 3/4" thick glass.
Heavy.

I got everything including delivery for a little less than 4k$.
An ADA 180cm tank alone is 2k$.

3 sides will be low iron starfire glass, it did not cost that much more.
I have 36 bags of ADA soil sitting here.............so that's not an issue either.
One tank will be marine macro algae so I ought to have enough ADA AS to do the other tanks.

I decided against a built in over flow.
I'll go with a basic pre filter over flow, likely a CPR, for the return and use lok line for the return flow.

I can remove these for a photo shoot.
I cannot with them in there:idea:

I did get holes drilled on the bottom for canister in line loops.
I have the wood and am making the stands.

So I have to get the lights and make the rail moving system, get a sump for each:

20 gals for the 60's
30 gal for the 120 and 40 long for the 180.
I'm using rubber insulation seal and plate glass for the sump design.

Basically the water will come to the bag prefilter, then flow into a wet/dry box with media, trickle through, (all sealed) then to the main part of the sump.

The wet/dry will have a venturi mazzei loop for the return.
I'll use a decent low watt powerhead for the return flow.

Canister loop:

For the 60's I'll use a Rena 450gph and a small sump
For the 120 and 180, I'll use the Ocean Clear's and a good return pump with higher flows, about 800 and 1100gph.

Media: mostly zeolite and open cell sponge.

One tank will have the grow in first method before filling with water for sure.
I have about a ton of wood and rock available.

So really, the filters, the lights are mostly what I need.
So sometime in Jan, 2008 I'll have them set up and started.

Regards,
Tom Barr

Is it too early to start thinking about our plant club getting a "field trip" to see how these are set up? It would be extremely educational for all of us.

In Jan or so.
I will not take delivery until after Dec 16th

The 180 is 3/4" thick glass, a full 1/8" thicker than the top of the line ADA glass, and it's starfire low iron.

Folks are welcomed over to take a look.
Likely best to do it after I get the tank's placed, set up with sediment, filtration and lighting.

The tanks will not have water until about Feb I'd say. I got work and other things happening too

Hopefully I'll have enough $$ to get them done around that time.
Lights and filter still need purchased.

I figure it's going to be another 1500$ for filters, 2000$ for lighting.

But then that's most of it.
I get my fish at the wholesaler, so I can get all sorts of selection and large schools.

I'm still torn with the 120 gallon. Warm Reef+ plant, Rift, or fully planted.


Regards,
Tom Barr

Cool!

What model mazzei are you using, and what size pump running it?

-Mike B-