Our mission

Thinking of making some changes. Suggestions?

seminolecpa

seminolecpa

Past President
BARcard
I am growing tired of my setup and am thinking or really changing some things up in my display tank. Totally frustrated with my lack of ability to do anything with the lighting and really am beginning to hate the bowfront and the limits it places on some things.

Kicking around a couple of ideas

Option 1- Expand or build a new hood to be able to add some real reflectors vs. the crappy polished aluminum I have now. My current hood is about 12" tall with a flip top (uses piano type hinges on the sides. Tried to put some luminarc mini's in the hood but essentially what I got was two very concentrated areas of light with shadows in the other areas. Thought about trying out a switch to t-5's but I am very limited with the depth and decided to punt on that idea. Downside... still limited in the front to back depth and high cost to build and or expand due to the bow front.

Option 2- More drastic option. Scrap the 72 bow and look for a larger tank (something that is max 4 feet long due to room size limitations) perhaps a 120G. Build a much more practical hood with perhaps some light rails or something similar. I would also have to have a hood (no pendants). I am terrified to run an acrylic tank just because I have literally no experience with them and am really concerned about the cleaning (have run nothing but glass tanks in my some 25+ years of keeping tanks). That said I do like the clarity of acrylic tanks vs. standard glass tanks and the weight issue is a big help as I am thinking that the weight differential between a 72G glass tank filled and a 120 acrylic tank filled is probably not that much of an increase. If I were go to go with an upgrade in glass it would have to be to something with a starfire or the like front pane.

Option 3- stop complaining and think of something really cool that would get me where I want with my existing setup... buy some new rock and totally redo my rockwork, add a couple of t-5's to my existing hood setup. Who knows.
 
Sorry Bryan but I am going to have to go with Option 2. Depending on the all mighty dollar I Think it would be really sweet to get a custom tank at 48x30x24 tank. The added depth would open up for some nice aquascaping. I guess it really just depends on what your ultimate goal is. But I think that tank size would be really nice
 
If this were me.... I'd get creative with the lighting before I started over but I'm frugal, or at least I try to be but it's hard in this hobby :) I'm sure there is a way to squeeze maybe 4 T5's in the small area's and squeeze in better reflactors too. It sounds like a fun challenge.
 
[quote author=islandcreation link=topic=5076.msg62356#msg62356 date=1225786469]
If money weren't a factor option 2. If it can be factor option 3.
[/quote]


If it were me, I'd make money not a factor. Do soem RC sales with your excess frags to fund the tank you want :)
 
Take a look into the Oceanic Tech series, they have Starfire fronts, or if you want to go REALLY wide, you can take a peak into the Marineland Deep Dimensions series, that are 36" front to back, also with starphire as an option.

Both have 48" options as far as length too, and you'll stick with glass.
 
I think option 2 as well, you're so limited with the bowfront. Plus if you're going to rescape you might as well move everything into a better (bigger) box.


Don't be afraid of acrylic, it's quite easy to take care of with the proper tools, shoot I'll come over and give you a primer.
 
I also say #2, who wouldn't haha. Like Mike said I would look at marineland deep dimensions. However like Jeremy said acrylic isn't all that tough to care for. Esp with a good magnet cleaner.
 
Why not glass? 120G glass tank is not that much heavier than 120G acrylic tank. If your floor can't handle couple hundreds lbs more, I don't think you should get a tank that big unless you do something about the floor/support. I think starphire is cool for a realllllyyy wide tank. I don't really think starphire is needed for a 24"W. The Oceanic tank, the glass is very clear IMO..

Oh I vote for option 2 incase you can't tell :D .. bow front suck for reef :(... I have a little one and don't like it at all.
 
glass isn't that much heavier than acrylic? maybe with all the water and rocks and stuff in there's not much of a difference, but I can lift a 180g acrylic tank by myself, yet a 120g glass tank requires at least two... with strong finger tips!
 
Yes, I'm talking about full tank Mike.. An empty tank sit in the garage not your house.. :D ... I don't consider couple hundreds lbs is that much heavier...
 
a bouple[quote author=Elite link=topic=5076.msg62374#msg62374 date=1225818870]
I don't consider couple hundreds lbs is that much heavier...
[/quote]


The estimate of a filled tank is 10lb/gallon. for a 120gal tank system weighing in at 1200 ish lbs, a couple hundred pounds is a fair bit heavier.
 
[quote author=tuberider link=topic=5076.msg62381#msg62381 date=1225820098]
Those starphire tanks are heavier that your regular glass tanks, I had to help move one recently and it was sooooo heavy.
[/quote]

Isn't star fire low led? shouldn't it be lighter :)
 
my logic was that some of the additional weight that I would be adding in increasing the water volume by 48g would be offset by the decrease in the weight of the acrylic tank vs. my current glass tank thus the net weight increase would be only about 300 lbs. The room is built very solid just don't want to push it.

Thanks everyone for being the great spenders of my money. I have grown quite tired of polishing the turd so to speak with the 72. Now I just have to play the "you promised me when I got you a house I could have a bigger tank" card with the wife and remind here the increase from the 58 to the 72 was only as a matter of moving convenience. The nice thing is I have all of the guts and oversized equipment in place to do an upgrade without have to shell out a ton other then the tank stand and hood. Have to decide now if I want to go new or used and plan this thing out well.

Do those with 120's go with 3 MH's or only 2? I have the extra equipment laying around to do either.

What would be your ideal setup as to position of the overflow, returns etc.? Again I want to do this right the first time and now sit here and do what it is that I have seemed to do in the past.

Is there a good site where I can look at different options as to the openings on the top of an acrylic tank? Pretty sure I am fairly familiar with the general setups of a these sized glass tanks. Since I would have to essentially do the tear down and set up in one day I want to make sure I plan for all of the potential working parts, draw things up etc.. don't think I would need or want to go with a custom sized tank as the standard 120 seems like it would work well with the space I have.
 
If you need, I have two floor support jacks that you can have Bryan. I paid ~$65 for them when I was going to upgrade to a 210G. LMK ahead of time cause I have to go under the house to get them out..
 
[quote author=LeviT link=topic=5076.msg62383#msg62383 date=1225820286]
[quote author=tuberider link=topic=5076.msg62381#msg62381 date=1225820098]
Those starphire tanks are heavier that your regular glass tanks, I had to help move one recently and it was sooooo heavy.
[/quote]

Isn't star fire low led? shouldn't it be lighter :)
[/quote]

Low iron, I'm not sure about shoulds and shouldn'ts it was the heaviest 3' long tank I've ever tried to pickup.
 
[quote author=seminolecpa link=topic=5076.msg62384#msg62384 date=1225820334]

Do those with 120's go with 3 MH's or only 2? I have the extra equipment laying around to do either.

[/quote]

Two Lumenarc minis would be perfect.

[quote author=seminolecpa link=topic=5076.msg62384#msg62384 date=1225820334]

What would be your ideal setup as to position of the overflow, returns etc.? Again I want to do this right the first time and now sit here and do what it is that I have seemed to do in the past.

[/quote]

You can come check out my tank anytime you want, it's eurobraced, with an external overflow. That would be my choice (of course I biased). I just got my camera last night, I'll try and snap some pictures when I have a little time to figure out how it works :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top