Ohio Reef

Reef Discussion => Tank Profiles & Build Threads => Topic started by: andys1982 on January 03, 2014, 13:03:58

Title: Andy's Slow Day
Post by: andys1982 on January 03, 2014, 13:03:58

I’m having a slow day at work, so I've decided to try to throw together a thread of my 65g show setup.  Hopefully the photos I've got here on my phone will suffice.

My equipment is as follows:
65g reef ready show
55g sump
20g frag tank
10g fuge
Mag 12 return
AquaC EV120 w/mag7
2x200w heaters
20x3W cree leds

To give everyone a little of my history, I bought this 65g tank ready to go in 2002 for $100.  I was fresh into college and an aspiring marine biologist, so my interest wasn't solely recreational.  I found out real quick, however, that the many aspects of reef keeping made it an excellent hobby, and this build was pretty much unaltered and up and running for almost 9 years.  The only upgrade I made during this time was the addition of a diy metal halide setup, which, years later was the nail in the build's coffin.  By that time, my interest in the hobby had faded some, but I was still devastated when a fan failure in the canopy cooked the tank.  I tore the old girl down and it sat in the garage for over a year.  After several attempts to sell it, I decided in 2012 to set it back up with the help of my younger brother, who had been inspired to join the hobby a couple of years earlier.  What follows is my progress since.
 
(https://ohioreef.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg199.imageshack.us%2Fimg199%2F4751%2F4oxr.jpg&hash=766ca92ca1c7b37e802d700c75f51651c055b1e0)

Title: Re: Andy's Slow Day
Post by: andys1982 on January 03, 2014, 13:37:57

Because my interest in a standard mixed reef was very little this second time around, I initially set out to create a seahorse display.  I wanted to imitate a Caribbean environment, so it was mainly macro, ricordea, and several gorgonian sp.  Several years earlier I’d help my father setup and maintain a seahorse display with awesome results, I however was not so lucky in my choice of stock, and my horses got vibro and died.  At that point I was again struggling to maintain interest, and my brother helped to to pickup steam with several varieties of frags from his established display (thanks myreef!!).  In this picture from early 2012 I've abandoned the caribbean idea and am moving back toward mixed reef, however, many of the original carrib inhabitants are still present.
(https://ohioreef.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg62.imageshack.us%2Fimg62%2F4300%2Furq3.jpg&hash=bd406b656d7c96daa47c363ddcb0a36173f70a55)

Title: Re: Andy's Slow Day
Post by: andys1982 on January 03, 2014, 13:47:53

I really started to get excited when I got a super sweet deal on some anemones and a pair of jet black perculas.  I had never kept these in my reef before, but since I had almost nothing in the livestock in the tank (thanks again bro!), and they were so cheap, I decided to give them a try.
(https://ohioreef.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg13.imageshack.us%2Fimg13%2F4180%2F6c64.jpg&hash=0ad4cfbcf9e95662fb18ddd6ea02bec4bae0225c)

Title: Re: Andy's Slow Day
Post by: andys1982 on January 03, 2014, 13:48:54

(https://ohioreef.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg534.imageshack.us%2Fimg534%2F5884%2Fvfw6.jpg&hash=7da13a7d31eeca04f8c22dc506d31cfe62baff2a)

Title: Re: Andy's Slow Day
Post by: andys1982 on January 03, 2014, 13:51:30

What finally brought me back to full obsession was a deal on some led fixtures.  Here’s the original T-5s v. the leds.
(https://ohioreef.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg42.imageshack.us%2Fimg42%2F6806%2Fguzl.jpg&hash=02e3e3e4c3985460e5e45260fce1c60e2a13879f)

Title: Re: Andy's Slow Day
Post by: andys1982 on January 03, 2014, 13:52:15

(https://ohioreef.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg89.imageshack.us%2Fimg89%2F5306%2Fexq7.jpg&hash=a0e4b4675a449e03fa2a411cf7b048487d6c6539)

Title: Re: Andy's Slow Day
Post by: andys1982 on January 03, 2014, 13:59:46

I only needed two led fixtures for the display, and had bought three, so I decided to setup a frag tank.  Until now my sump had been under the tank, but since I have an extra room in my house, and I didn't want to have two separate setups to maintain, I decided it was time to build the "fish room".  I decided to put down some plastic so I can splash around some without ruining the floor.  I’m not sure what it’s called, but bought some stuff at Lowes, and put it down with a little caulk. 
(https://ohioreef.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg34.imageshack.us%2Fimg34%2F4603%2Fc5xe.jpg&hash=f8bbf962eec2717ab96f6ddc29eb9cefd7219e9a)

Title: Re: Andy's Slow Day
Post by: andys1982 on January 03, 2014, 14:04:28

I found a 55g on craigslist, and traded a couple of corals to a member for a 20g frag tank (thanks Travis!).
(https://ohioreef.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg577.imageshack.us%2Fimg577%2F7879%2F9fhj.jpg&hash=843d1bb90f8107dc8e96193359ef19108cc24fbc)

Title: Re: Andy's Slow Day
Post by: andys1982 on January 03, 2014, 14:05:09

(https://ohioreef.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg600.imageshack.us%2Fimg600%2F5343%2F89lx.jpg&hash=86d80231fa0467273c8009d6a0853cebdea16a64)

Title: Re: Andy's Slow Day
Post by: andys1982 on January 03, 2014, 14:06:47

Had to go rimless on the frag tank, and a fuge of course!
(https://ohioreef.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg41.imageshack.us%2Fimg41%2F6669%2Fwgoy.jpg&hash=2817b4530d32d3813a3e4aee9d8400887f5e33ab)

Title: Re: Andy's Slow Day
Post by: andys1982 on January 03, 2014, 14:09:31

And now I'm sitting back, stocking up, and watching things grow!  I made a rack for the frag tank and I've got to fill this badboy up!
(https://ohioreef.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg836.imageshack.us%2Fimg836%2F1711%2Ffqnc.jpg&hash=41cc7db172f22fa14b84fa6b8103a9567766d0dd)

Title: Re: Andy's Slow Day
Post by: andys1982 on January 03, 2014, 14:12:28

Also added more rock to the display, so I've got some space to fill there as well.
(https://ohioreef.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg856.imageshack.us%2Fimg856%2F33%2Fsdn9.jpg&hash=4860a056868e450be1ffc41d4112cb7dedbe0e99)

Title: Re: Andy's Slow Day
Post by: andys1982 on January 03, 2014, 14:14:20

More stock photo's.
(https://ohioreef.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg163.imageshack.us%2Fimg163%2F6058%2F9gvp.jpg&hash=ce260905eca36c8fb809b1659536e1241d87af0d)

Title: Re: Andy's Slow Day
Post by: andys1982 on January 03, 2014, 14:15:08

(https://ohioreef.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg9.imageshack.us%2Fimg9%2F9256%2Fuduu.jpg&hash=16c1e3f67ca65c6b24ad32a9b79f433196346330)

Title: Re: Andy's Slow Day
Post by: Mussin on January 03, 2014, 14:16:08

Nice set-up.

Title: Re: Andy's Slow Day
Post by: andys1982 on January 03, 2014, 14:16:28

(https://ohioreef.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg716.imageshack.us%2Fimg716%2F5441%2F5x68.jpg&hash=44319071ae4084dce972e135b3f3565680f6fe84)

Title: Re: Andy's Slow Day
Post by: andys1982 on January 03, 2014, 14:17:52

(https://ohioreef.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg89.imageshack.us%2Fimg89%2F2970%2Fn2ti.jpg&hash=bd9e7d12c9623691c95bcbd730679242b476fa3f)

Title: Re: Andy's Slow Day
Post by: andys1982 on January 03, 2014, 14:20:58

Well the day's almost over, so that's it for now.  Thanks for looking everyone!  Happy reefing!

Title: Re: Andy's Slow Day
Post by: lazylivin on January 03, 2014, 16:24:15

The BTA's make the tank now. Love the hobby history, thanks for sharing.

Title: Re: Andy's Slow Day
Post by: Travis8896 on January 03, 2014, 16:25:13

Very nice it looks like the stand and tank were made for each other. I'm glad it fits good and works for you.

Title: Re: Andy's Slow Day
Post by: andys1982 on February 08, 2014, 14:26:28

(https://ohioreef.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg38.imageshack.us%2Fimg38%2F5118%2Fwoj8.jpg&hash=4d66bff57bbad8db2d191c202eb01b4239aab684)

(https://ohioreef.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg600.imageshack.us%2Fimg600%2F6792%2Fvc0c.jpg&hash=6a1b4d50ffbeb1f5cc4fe45bea157770ac4d37e1)

Title: Re: Andy's Slow Day
Post by: Mussin on February 09, 2014, 18:45:30

Tank looks even better in person. Congrats...