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View Full Version : New 58g setup idea...opinions wanted/needed


kolokefalo
06/25/2007, 07:31 PM
First I will give you my theory and idea:

I would like to create a fringing reef tank. I am not interested in cramming in as many corals as humanly possible into my tank. Indeed only about 1/3 of the tank will be created with a type of "reef face" in which to place SPS, a few LPS. and mostly a few types of Ricordea. You wll have to use your minds eye to picture it since my wife's digital camera is all crapped out.

ok the tank is a 58 gallon Oceanic - 36 x 18 x 21

The right side of the tank will have a live rock face attached to PVC dropping down from 3" below the top right at a 45 degree angle (with various bumps and ridges) to the substrate. That is the extent of the rockwork. This "reef face" comes to an end approximately 14" towards the center.

From the center to 4" from the left tank wall is open substrate which I will use for a fungia or 2 and an open brain. Perhaps I will get real cute and try my hand at a Ritteri and a couple of true percs, but most likely not.

The far left 4" will be a very sparse live rock pile. Each piece will rest on the substrate and be no larger than 3 x 3. I will plant some shaving brush, maidens hair (attached to rock already), and chaeto. The chaeto will be held in place not by burying it but by my invention I call the "Chaeto blossom" It is essentially 5 loops of fishing line approximately 4" in diameter I loop the chaeto through and the bottom of these loops is superglued to a live rock piece. I used this in the past in my refugiums. It allows you to trim the chaeto and tumble it easily.

Some important things to note. This tank was a freebee from a friend whos wife was not shall we say "compatible" with an aquarium. She is a cat person. It is not reef ready and I will not install an overflow. I am essentially trying to compress about 500 yards of natural reef I have seen while diving off the coast near here into 36".

From the left or open side I will have a pair of 6045 Tunze blowing towards the reef face for 15 mins. Above the right side or rock face side I will have 1 Tunze 6025 blowing on an alternating 15 min cycle following just above the angle of the rock.

So far I have only sanded the stand (it looked like crap), and applied Mr. Wilsons 50% Quikcrete/50% oyster shell to the right side wall and at a sloping angle do where the live rock will end.

I hope you guys can picture what I am saying.

Anyway please give any input as to whether you think it is feasible or not. I am even toying with the idea of replacing the 2 6045 Tunze on the left side with a 5 gallon surge I can construct.