Hi everyone,
Figured nobody gets tired reading another build thread. I'm very much a newbie, even though I did have a 50g saltwater tank in college a long time ago. Learned a lot reading all the threads, and figured it was time to start my own.
We moved into a new home a year ago, and have this big wall that we have not been able to find artwork for. After looking at oversized posters and artwork for months and not finding anything we liked (or within a reasonable price range), we were at a loss...until one evening I thought, "Wouldn't a killer aquarium look awesome right there?"
Fortunately my wife was totally down -- and thus began the whirlwind of research, perusing forums and watching YouTube videos. I decided to go with a Red Sea, in part because of a friend's recommendation, originally was considering the Max-S series, but then decided to go with the rimless look. Hoping to have a mostly coral tank; envisioning a somewhat more "minimalist" tank (not a ton of rock). Here's the list of goodies (nobody seems to complain much about how expensive this crap is, so I'll try not to do it):
Reefer 525 XL in white
Vortech MP40 (2)
Vectra M1
Kessil AP700 (2)
Bubble Magus Curve D9
Apex Controller
Cobalt Neotherm 300W heater
I got my new RODI cooking now. Got the AquaFx Barracuda 100g/day and it was a breeze to setup. Attached it to my outdoor hose bibb and running in through our doggy door . TDS of 0!
And here's the wall where the tank will be. I've bought some paint today to protect the drywall right behind the tank. I've read that some people have problems with the wall staining, or even with drywall damage or mold, and I've also read that some people have no problems at all. I'm not sure whether it's "a thing" or not, but figured, just in case. I couldn't easily find marine grade paint, so just got high gloss latex paint in the same color of the wall. Should be better than the matte paint that's already there.
Tank is arriving tomorrow night. Gotta give a shout out to all the guys at Neptune Aquatics. They weren't listed on the Red Sea website when I was looking for a dealer, so I initially drove out to Dublin to buy the tank. Fortunately, given its high reviews and some fancy online videos, I went to check out Neptune Aquatics the next day and was surprised to find they sold Red Sea. Robert and Cerissa were great, as was James. Spent lots of time there picking Robert's brain. Anyways, I bought the tank from them, and a couple of the guys are gonna deliver it tomorrow. Can't wait.
Once I get it setup and cycling with some shrimp and bacteria, I'll start thinking about my fuge. Will post as I go. Looking forward to meeting all of you, online or in person, one of these days.
Figured nobody gets tired reading another build thread. I'm very much a newbie, even though I did have a 50g saltwater tank in college a long time ago. Learned a lot reading all the threads, and figured it was time to start my own.
We moved into a new home a year ago, and have this big wall that we have not been able to find artwork for. After looking at oversized posters and artwork for months and not finding anything we liked (or within a reasonable price range), we were at a loss...until one evening I thought, "Wouldn't a killer aquarium look awesome right there?"
Fortunately my wife was totally down -- and thus began the whirlwind of research, perusing forums and watching YouTube videos. I decided to go with a Red Sea, in part because of a friend's recommendation, originally was considering the Max-S series, but then decided to go with the rimless look. Hoping to have a mostly coral tank; envisioning a somewhat more "minimalist" tank (not a ton of rock). Here's the list of goodies (nobody seems to complain much about how expensive this crap is, so I'll try not to do it):
Reefer 525 XL in white
Vortech MP40 (2)
Vectra M1
Kessil AP700 (2)
Bubble Magus Curve D9
Apex Controller
Cobalt Neotherm 300W heater
I got my new RODI cooking now. Got the AquaFx Barracuda 100g/day and it was a breeze to setup. Attached it to my outdoor hose bibb and running in through our doggy door . TDS of 0!
And here's the wall where the tank will be. I've bought some paint today to protect the drywall right behind the tank. I've read that some people have problems with the wall staining, or even with drywall damage or mold, and I've also read that some people have no problems at all. I'm not sure whether it's "a thing" or not, but figured, just in case. I couldn't easily find marine grade paint, so just got high gloss latex paint in the same color of the wall. Should be better than the matte paint that's already there.
Tank is arriving tomorrow night. Gotta give a shout out to all the guys at Neptune Aquatics. They weren't listed on the Red Sea website when I was looking for a dealer, so I initially drove out to Dublin to buy the tank. Fortunately, given its high reviews and some fancy online videos, I went to check out Neptune Aquatics the next day and was surprised to find they sold Red Sea. Robert and Cerissa were great, as was James. Spent lots of time there picking Robert's brain. Anyways, I bought the tank from them, and a couple of the guys are gonna deliver it tomorrow. Can't wait.
Once I get it setup and cycling with some shrimp and bacteria, I'll start thinking about my fuge. Will post as I go. Looking forward to meeting all of you, online or in person, one of these days.
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