The Front Desk Tank

[JamesHL88]

FTS:01/03/13







Sump:


110xh display
13 gallon DIY acrylic sump
Odyssea 4 bulb T5HO
Odyssea ps75
Odyssea 1000wp return pump
koralia 700
50lbs BRS dry rock



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ORIGINAL POST:

I was recently asked to convert a freshwater tank in the lobby at our local veterinary clinic. The tank is in rough shape with some scatches and calcium skum and the stand needs some TLC. I ditched the canister and temporarily replaced it with a five gallon bucket while i build them a custom acrylic sump for it, like the one in my personal build. Yesterday i added sand and dry fiji rock from BRS. The scape is minimalist with an arch that is vewable from three sides peninsula style. Today im mixing and adding the salt and RO water. Im gonna try the biospira cycle with this tank. Ive never started with dry rock before so i hope this works.

This is yesterday, before water.




More to come soon.

[Alkomist]

looks pretty clean. what are you plannig to throw in their?

also i like the scape!

[patback]

Looking foward to see how this comes out. Gl.

[GregBox]

This is a great scape! +1 on planned livestock.

[eitallent]

The tank looks super clean and the stand looks great too. Love the color

 

I really like the peninsula style view. Looking forward to more pictures!

 

 

 

More to come soon.

[jedimasterben]

moar pics.

[avbarr11]

Beautiful tank! Can't wait to see what you put in it

[JamesHL88]

Livestock will be basic hardy colorfull fish like blue hippo, damsels, flame angel. Just easy to care for eye catching fish for people who arent in to it like us. I have to keep it low maintanence. Maybe a few sckunk cleaner shriml a star and a CUC. Im in the process of filling it right now. Ill get an equipment list tonight too.

[jedimasterben]

In the long run hippo tangs need a much longer tank than four feet, so I'd leave those out. At four feet, you'll pretty much need to stick to the smaller bristletooth and yellow tangs.

[JamesHL88]

Way to be a downer ben

 

Edit: double post

[jedimasterben]

Just sayin'!

[1.0reef]

Looks into anthias, fairy/flasher/halichoeres wrasse, clownfish, and especially dwarf angelfish.

[jedimasterben]

 

 

GINORMOUS FRIGGIN SCHOOL OF ANTHIAS. DO IT.

 

 

[JamesHL88]

Project has been set back a day. i got the tank full of saltwater and went to test the drain when i realised that the stand pipe is cut way too low! What kind of ignoramous builds a custom overflow that drains half the tank in a power outage? Is this common to canister filter freshwater tanks or something? Either way i have to mcguiver a standpipe in the morining and fill half the tank back up. Sigh.....

[awpong]

Since your not doing coral, I'd stay away from large schools of fish such as anthias which will require lots of feeding.

 

Since it's fowlr, I'd go with larger predators such as lionfish, moray eels, non reef safe angels, and maybe a puffer or grouper.

 

They're eye catchers and can be fed relatively infrequently. They're a lot less maintenance than schools of anthias and flasher wrasses that need to be fed 1-3 times per day.

[JamesHL88]

I thought anthius had to eat a ridiculous amount or something. I want super easy fish in this tank since ill be paid to maintain it.

 

Exactly pong! Thats what i want is fish that i cant have in my reef.

[JamesHL88]

So far the equipmemt on hand is :

 

Coralife (t12 or t8 ? Im not sure) 3 bulb

Odyssea ps160 skimmer

Odyssea wp1000 return pump

Mesh filter socks

BRS carbon

Hydor koralia 750

Two 200w aqueon glass heaters.

Temporary 5 gallon bucket as sump.

50lbs BRS fiji rock

60lbs pool filter sand

[dormreefer]

I second the Lionfish and Puffer! Both are eye catchers and very hardy. People love them too!

[JamesHL88]

What can go in with a lion? This tank has to have a starfish and some color. These are the clients request.

[awpong]

What can go in with a lion? This tank has to have a starfish and some color. These are the clients request.

 

Triggers, groupers, tangs, angels, eels, etc...

 

Lions aren't as aggressive as most people think. If anything, they'll get picked on. Puffers for example will pick on the fins of lions. Some triggers will too, but usually triggers and lions can be kept in peace.

 

Possible suggestions for a colorful FOWLR:

 

Yellow Tangs

Volitan Lionfish

Niger Triggerfish or Humuhumu/Picasso Triggerfish

Marine Betta

Flame Angel

Banana Wrasse (will need more rock)

Foxface

Tomato or Cinnamon clowns

Small school of Bannerfish

Raccoon Butterflyfish

maybe a Harlequin Tusk

 

These are all relatively easy and colorful fish that should get along without may issues. The more aggressive species (i.e. Harlequin and Triggers) would just need to be some of the last additions.

 

Starfishes would also be hard in a tank like this. However, since your going fowlr, brittles or a chocolate chip would work. They're kinda bland though.

[JamesHL88]

In a FOWLR do i still put a CUC in it ?

[awpong]

In a FOWLR do i still put a CUC in it ?

 

Yea, you'll just want to invest in a CUC that won't get devoured by the fish. An urchin and brittle star would be an example. You can add snails, but they'll get dwindled down over time.

[1.0reef]

Don't get large fish, this is a show tank. not much length, width, or surface area.

IMO groupers, huge wrasse, almost all large angelfish, and triggerfish need more width and/or length.

Lionfish almost always don't go well with large angelfish, puffers, and triggers, and more smaller fish IMO is more fun/interesting to watch.

[JamesHL88]

Ok so after inspecting the overflow i realised that it is not water tight. So i dremeled the drain off below its lowest inlets, added a coupler, and glued a new standpipe in. It will require modification later ,as i estimate im only getting about 3 to four times display turnover an hour with this standpipe. But as long as the tank is running then my focus will be on building the sump because this five gallon bucket is unacceptable.

 

I added the biospira today and picked up these guys to add in the morning. Water testing and reefcleaners order to come.

 

[yoshii]

Red Chocolate Chip Starfish would be cool, and easy to take care of