Best 'scaped 36X18 (68 gallon)

[1DeR9_3Hy]

Well if this thread looks familiar its because about two weeks ago i was looking to setup a 90 gallon and started a similiar thread. But after measuring and thinking and measuring, then thinking some more...i would be crazy to cram a 48X18 tank into the space i have selected.

However, a 36X18 tank (in my case, 24" high) would feet perfect. The manufacturer of this tank calls it a 68 gallon, so that is what i will call it.

Anyone have a jealuosy inducing 68 gallon that you would like to share with me? Anyone see any and bookmark or save the pics for future use? Id love to see them :D

[romanr]

I have a 65G with similar dimensions. The 65G is a pretty standard tank size and pretty popular for reef tanks. I'll see if I can snap a few pics for you tonight.

[Toddrtrex]

I have a 58, same foot print.

Here is a fairly recent picture of it. (( not sure if it is jealousy inducing ))

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y189/toddrtrex/Pic19.jpg

[1DeR9_3Hy]

Thanks guys :)

[romanr]

Sorry about the size/quality of pics
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http://home.att.net/~raul/108_2396.JPG
http://home.att.net/~raul/108_2397.JPG

[1DeR9_3Hy]

Great looking tank...what are you doing for lighting?

That tank really makes feel good about this size tank :)

[romanr]

Thank you. 400W 20K MH & 65W 10K PC.

[Fish'InMN]

I think there might be some rock under your red mushroom farm there Raul! Nice tank!

[romanr]

I know, crazy to think it started with just a few. Of course that was 6 years ago.

[1DeR9_3Hy]

Where are the details for your build/setup? Can you do a quick run down here?

A lfs near me just changed there MH fixture over one of there tanks. They said i could have the old Lumenarc 3's that were hanging over that tank for $50 each :) Yay it has begun!

[romanr]

Mine is a really simple setup. 10 gallon tank for sump. Remora Pro w/ Mag 7 hanging on sump. U-tube overflow with Quiet One 3000 return pump. The sump has about 20 lbs of live rock in it and the flow through it is about 600 GPH. Display tank circulation is a Koralia 2 and a Magnum HOT filter running carbon. Replacement water is RO w/ Kalk and is automated. A 1500VA UPS backs up the Koralia.

Lighting is 400W retro kit from Hellolights.com. Light is a 20K Coralvue. To contrast the blue of the MH I have a cheap 65W 10K Coralife PC fixture. I have no heater (Florida) and use 2 sets of fans to keep temp down. I do a monthly 25% water change and also replace the carbon monthly.

I have 8 fish which I feed heavily, 3 cleaner shrimp and a bunch of snails as a cleanup crew. The tank is bare bottom. Corals are mostly softies with a few LPS pieces, a gorgonia, 1 RBTA and 1 small carpet.

The tank was started in '03 as a 29g. Much of the rock, corals and the tomato clown are from that original setup. In '05 it became a 65G, a leak forced me to replace the tank with an identical 65 in ,08, it was then that the current aquascape design came together.

The stand is a iron open stand which I had reinforced with some extra legs, it has 4 coats of industrial grade anti-rust paint. A piece of marine rubber-foam sits between the tank and stand to help level things.

[Electrobes]

Man I'm lovin' these pics. :)

[1DeR9_3Hy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15090897#post15090897 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by romanr
Mine is a really simple setup. 10 gallon tank for sump. Remora Pro w/ Mag 7 hanging on sump. U-tube overflow with Quiet One 3000 return pump. The sump has about 20 lbs of live rock in it and the flow through it is about 600 GPH. Display tank circulation is a Koralia 2 and a Magnum HOT filter running carbon. Replacement water is RO w/ Kalk and is automated. A 1500VA UPS backs up the Koralia.

Lighting is 400W retro kit from Hellolights.com. Light is a 20K Coralvue. To contrast the blue of the MH I have a cheap 65W 10K Coralife PC fixture. I have no heater (Florida) and use 2 sets of fans to keep temp down. I do a monthly 25% water change and also replace the carbon monthly.

I have 8 fish which I feed heavily, 3 cleaner shrimp and a bunch of snails as a cleanup crew. The tank is bare bottom. Corals are mostly softies with a few LPS pieces, a gorgonia, 1 RBTA and 1 small carpet.

The tank was started in '03 as a 29g. Much of the rock, corals and the tomato clown are from that original setup. In '05 it became a 65G, a leak forced me to replace the tank with an identical 65 in ,08, it was then that the current aquascape design came together.

The stand is a iron open stand which I had reinforced with some extra legs, it has 4 coats of industrial grade anti-rust paint. A piece of marine rubber-foam sits between the tank and stand to help level things.

Hows the ten gallon working for the sump? No macro? How are your water params? I ask because chaeto is great at removing nutrients...but man those little strings that get into the tank drive me crazy...

How do your softies do in the tank? Much chem warfare? I have small 6" toadstool and a 4" neon green sinularia and every now and then (kind of rare, but it happens) one of the two will be closed up for a day or two like softies do when they fight. Do you have that problem?

How far up do you have the 400 watt MH?

Im currently setup to buy a used set of 250 watt lumenarcs tonight and a dual 250 ballast, but i wonder if a 400 watt wouldn't work just as well for me.

Very cool progression since you have started!

[romanr]

Did Chaeto once upon a time, what a mess! My water parameters are very good but I haven't checked them lately except for ORP, PH and Salinity. I find that having a bare bottom tank with proper flow directed at the bottom makes for clean water.

There is great competition for space and I have a "hands-off" approach. Let the strong survive. What I have now are the winners and are pretty much in equilibrium.

The MH bulb is about 6 inches from the top of the water. A small piece of 1/4 in acrylic from Home Depot covers the top of the tank immediatly below the bulb leaving most of the tank top uncovered.

I think a 400 is fine for my coral variety but that's because of the 20K spectrum. A good 10K bulb would probably burn some of my corals but if you are doing mostly SPS then it would be fine.

I've tried many things (equipment, lifestock, methodologies) and what I'm doing now is what has worked for me and is easiest to maintain.

[1DeR9_3Hy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15092882#post15092882 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by romanr
Did Chaeto once upon a time, what a mess! My water parameters are very good but I haven't checked them lately except for ORP, PH and Salinity. I find that having a bare bottom tank with proper flow directed at the bottom makes for clean water.

There is great competition for space and I have a "hands-off" approach. Let the strong survive. What I have now are the winners and are pretty much in equilibrium.

The MH bulb is about 6 inches from the top of the water. A small piece of 1/4 in acrylic from Home Depot covers the top of the tank immediatly below the bulb leaving most of the tank top uncovered.

I think a 400 is fine for my coral variety but that's because of the 20K spectrum. A good 10K bulb would probably burn some of my corals but if you are doing mostly SPS then it would be fine.

I've tried many things (equipment, lifestock, methodologies) and what I'm doing now is what has worked for me and is easiest to maintain.

Thats a nice paradigm for reef keeping :)

I ended up getting the two fixtures tonight. I dont plan on dominating the tank with sps, because i love softys so much (which reminds me, i grabbed a cool little softy about 3" long...it looks like a carnation coral but its tan/white).

Until i get the tank, ill just keep posting here about parts i collect. No point in making a build thread if there's nothing to build.

[needyreefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15085108#post15085108 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Toddrtrex
I have a 58, same foot print.

Here is a fairly recent picture of it. (( not sure if it is jealousy inducing ))

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y189/toddrtrex/Pic19.jpg

Its jealousy inducing :)

[Toddrtrex]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15095230#post15095230 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by needyreefer
Its jealousy inducing :)

Why thank you.

And here is my newest additions to that tank.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y189/toddrtrex/babypotter17.jpg

[1DeR9_3Hy]

Nice additions :)