Starting my 25 gal

[jeffb3t]

Well, it's been running more than a week and YEAH!!! no leaks. rock is in as well. maybe one more piece would help but everything looks great. now for the light.....

 

[N1ceDrgn]

Glad to hear it's coming together. Where are you gathering your LR from? Also, what kind of substrate are you using?

 

[TPS-Dive]

I'd like to thank Mike for all the live rock. I'm still working on the hood so no lights yet.

 

[N1ceDrgn]

What kind of lighting are you going to use? HQI or something similar?

 

[TPS-Dive]

Would you believe a 250W metal Halide. The substrate is beach sand (and broken beer bottles) that I scooped up in waist deep water.

This hood is like putting together a 500 piece jig saw puzzle where you have to make the pieces. It's turning out to be more work than the stand.

The tank is now 2 weeks old. We tested the water and its ready for fish. Anyone have a small clown fish they want to get rid of or sell?

 

[magrath]

No fish; however, I have a ton of softies I could frag out of my tank for you.

Brad

 

[jeffb3t]

It might be a bit before he is ready for coral. The hood is still being built but we decided to fill it and let the cycle run so when the hood is done, it's stocking time.

 

[N1ceDrgn]

Even after you get lighting on this, I'd still give it some time. Once it gets direct lighting, you may still need some time for bacteria to grow. Running it now and letting ambient light get things started isn't a bad idea but once it has direct lighting you may get another bloom or two.

 

[jeffb3t]

Just due to the size of it things will be taken slowly. We expect a good bloom to happen once the light is fired up but by starting it off now it has a chance to start maturing.

 

[TPS-Dive]

Another shout out to Mike to say thanks for the Chaeto.

Slowly making progress on the hood. I glue about 2 pieces on a day. At this rate it will take me 9 days to finish the back third of the hood. Maybe by the end of March I'll have everything done

 

[jeffb3t]

We really need to donate clamps for TPS. I have 3 for you....

 

[TPS-Dive]

I have most of the pieces cut now. I ran out of wood so I couldn't finish one side. I had a friend mix the paint for the hood. I could find the color "off the shelf".

 

[jeffb3t]

Getting there... Slowly but surely!

 

[TPS-Dive]

Another update. All the "tiles" are glued on. I also have 4 new clown fish, 2 blue and yellow damsels, and a cleaner shrimp

 

[TPS-Dive]

Tested a couple of methods for the roof. I tried applying plaster with a brush but it was pretty messy. What worked the best was putting the plaster in a plastic bag, cut the corner off, and squeezed the plaster on like cake frosting.

 

[Sango-chu]

maybe for your next one you can try using that "crackling" spray paint they sell in the Arts and Craft store....might work, or maybe not...

 

[TPS-Dive]

I'm starting to glue the end caps on now. The back legs for the hood are really giving me problems. I'm going to attach doors to the back legs to hide the pumps and over flow. The first time I cut the doors too short and didn't close the distance between the tank and the back legs. I had Jeff cut me two new doors. They turn out beautiful until I started glueing the end caps on. The doors are slightly too tall and won't clear the end caps now. I'll have to build a header and cut some height off the doors.

 

[TPS-Dive]

Here it is with the back legs attached. Finished all the end caps today. I should start painting tomorrow. Maybe by the end of this month I'll be done.

 

[TPS-Dive]

Its been a hard couple of days in this 25 gal of life. In a battle to the death I lost one blue hermit crab to another and today a blue damsel went carpet surfing. He was FDOC, Found Dead On Carpet, when I returned from a meeting.

 

[TPS-Dive]