new tank

[Krish]

The things we do for fish!(LOL) Looks great Mike. Good luck with the rest of your progress!

 

[Kensn]

Sheetrock, my favoite.. Nothing like getting dusty. Are you going tape and mud, or are ya hiring that out? Looks like progress is being made....

 

[Mike HArrington]

doing it ourselves LOL because I want t olearn and my Father in LAw knows how
\

 

[Mike HArrington]

well almost there but ran out of drywall LOL (need 6 more sheets to complete)

Here is the livign room completed and looking down the hall into the reef aquarium wing

Dehumidistat / thermostat control for exhaust in utility room.

The veiwing room The two nooks are for book shelves (ocean blue glass) that will hold my accumulation of reef aquarium books, National geographics, and aquarium periodicals.

A look at teh tank. Still need to build the soffit and around the top and the wall and door way that will lead to the utility room. But it looks so nice right now that even my Father in LAw is excited!

Exhaust fan behind tank

View from doorway leading in to the veiwing room

 

[Kensn]

Look so good I'm excited!!! I really look forward to your posts, can't wait for some pics of live rock laying all over the floor.

 

[Mike HArrington]

Ken,

I am using all reef ceramics in this tank with teh exception of a few pieces to seed with

I have been planning this tank for a year and to see it come to fruition is just wonderful. When my sump is corrected I will opst that. Its a custom design of my own that allows for a two sump system that dumps into a common return chamber. It is two sumps in one.

It measures 48*30*18

 

[Kensn]

Yep, as soon as I posted that I remembered that. See how excited I get.... Is that sump going to contain a fuge?

 

[Mike HArrington]

I originally designed it with th elow flow area in mind. The in let area are drilled for 4 1" bulkheads that will be valved with true unions from savko. Since I am going to use Zeovit though a fuge is not a good idea. So instead I am turning the one side into a fragfuge area. I have a spare 250DE Bluewave and pendant for that area and will light it on a reverse daylight or even maybe two light and dark cycles of 6 hours to see if I bump up the growth ( a good research project).

The other side is for the zeo reactor, carbon, and sponges.

 

[Mike HArrington]

Here are some [poor pics because I left the wrapping on (the manufacturere made a mistake that needs correction and is being taken care of)

and here are the two must have fish (a male and female Japanese Swallowtail Angel)

 

[Kensn]

Sounds interesting, can't wait for more pics.

 

[Mike HArrington]

Look before your post there are pics LOL

 

[Kensn]

Your too darn fast...

 

[Mike HArrington]

I guess I am am pretty quick LOL

 

[Krish]

Everything is looking really nice Mike! Just incase you didn't know, it's not the building that you need to be patient and take your time with, it's setting up the tank and cycling it. So hurry up already because we are all getting impatient here waiting for you to bring on the tank!(LOL JK).

 

[Mike HArrington]

Krish,

I am very anxious to ger started on the tank aspect of things and it is killing me looking at it all the time empty

I am going for a total experience here with the tank and the room that I will spend time in watching it. I think that the Roman decor (Marble or tumbled limestone floor) along with earth tones will be nice. The shutters on the tank for access will also hopefully allow glitter lines to be projected onto the ceiling (I am hoping). I have gone so far as to start looking at a couple chairs for the room

 

[Maryrosi]

Tank is coming along GREAT, Mike! Well thought out and like the design that you have set a goal for. Can't wait to see the Beast up and running soon. Is the sump all taken care of now?

 

[Mike HArrington]

Tom is working on it Mary abd it will likely be finished in a few more weeks.

I am looking at some circa 1960's mod chairs for the room and already have some pretty original art to go up. I came across a painter in Mdeira Beach Fl in March on vacation with my family. He does acylic painting but cuts the image into the canvas with oyter shells. I love the paintings and I have two smaller paintings. We might go back in April on vacation and if so I plan onm getting a few more. I might also call down to the shop he shows at and commision one fr the room.

 

[Krish]

Well, Mike I think it is going to really look great when you are finished because it seems like you have put some major thought into everything. Glad you are sharing it with all of us here on RF...I guess it's better here than over 5,000 members in your house!

 

[Mike HArrington]

After everything is done I do plan on an open house fro some of my local reefering friends. I have been fortunate enough to have received help in many ways from my local reefing community. One of the members is an electrician and he helped me plan it all out (I ran the wires but he showed me how) and he is hooking up to the panel and also helping with the electrical controls panel in the stand. Another friend does HVAC and yet another is a flooring specialist Without these guys and a great father in law I would not be to far on this. More people than myself have had a lot to do with this project.

I am going to start looking at colors for the walls and shelves maybe today just to try and get an idea of what I want to do with the walls. Also looking at a small glass door refrigerator for the room for refreshments

 

[Mike HArrington]

Well my sump is done so I am picking up tommorow.

Here are a few shots from today....