Sherman Tank 120

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Hey is that your vehicle parked in th left hand corner???? Nice but hard to transport stuff from the LFS .
 
Hey is that your vehicle parked in th left hand corner???? Nice but hard to transport stuff from the LFS .

how do you think he gets around Debbie? :lol: :lol: :D.
it looks really kewl dood, keep us updated, by the way we have the same side table thingy :lol: .

I'm getting the itch myself a bit again

then scratch yourself dood :lol: :p .....well i can't wait for the 5 threads going when you start getting a tank :D .
 
Hey Jason,
Any updates now that the tank has had a week to clear? I am curious about how your paintjob looks on the back, I am getting ready to paint mine.

Tim
 
Sure, Tim. Here's the latest FTS. I need a lot more rock. One think you big tank people have probably taken for granted: It's AWESOME working with large rocks! Many of the rocks in this tank would never have fit in my 38g. There are so many more options. I have caves, tunnels, loads of texture, etc. All because I am finally able to use rocks larger than softballs.

Lighting is 2x250 DE 15K generics, 2x39w T5HO Actinic, 2x39w T5HO 10K. Also keep in mind, the very top corner is a little lighter than what's come through in the photo, but not a whole lot. You can also see a bit lower into the blue, it doesn't go full black as quickly as in the photo. Again, it's very close, though. Keep in mind, the camera had to expose for the sand and rocks, so the dark background gets lost in the shadows (i.e. the back is under exposed).

fts_20070820.jpg



What I've learned, even though I was told this previously: Go darker to lighter on the blues a lot quicker than you'd think. A friend suggested I consider straight up WHITE on the very top edge... but that seemed too drastic. It probably was, but I was still shocked at how muted and dark the colors became in the water.

The dappling/shimmer does look very nice on the blue, though, I'm proud to say. That came out very nice.

Here are the 5 actual paint cans I used, as a point of reference for color.
120back+paints.jpg
 
Thanks, everyone! Plack, I've actually taken on a new experiment, and specifically don't want timers or wave makers. I'm actually intentionally going with laminar flow, with specific reason. Not only that, but in time I'd like to see a pair of Vortechs on this tank, anyway. :)

Here's an article to explain why laminar flow may not be such a bad idea after all. Only time will tell with this tank, though.

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2007/1/aafeature#h5
 
so sherman i read that thread u posted and i didnt fully understand it the writer said he didnt like wave makers but then said you have to use them to attain the right flow anyway
is it saying if i have 2 pumps put them both on one end to make more water movment from one source?
 
Morgan, what I understand being said is "Use the powerheads to push water in the direction it's already moving, so you have momentum building up and working FOR you, rather than water constantly clashing against itself, wasting energy as the current push against each other." BUT, also use a wave maker/timer on 6 hour intervals, so the flow comes from the other direction, but you're only wasting momentum every six hours when you change water direction instead of every few seconds.

Imagine how much more water a pump would move pushing downstream, versus pushing up against the water. The argument is based around water momentum, and letting the corals themselves create the turbulence, since that's what they're naturally designed to do anyway.

In boats/airplanes/cars, and all sorts of transportation machines, we put a lot of effort into making them as aerodynamic (or hydrodynamic) as possible. We're trying to make them have as little interference with their environment as possible. This is also the case with fish and birds, it affords much less energy consumption. The exact opposite is true in the design of corals. They're all about energy absorption. I can't think of a more obtrusive shape than that of corals, and that's exactly what the article above talks about. You can have all the laminar flow you want, but it WILL NOT stay laminar. It will, as a mandatory matter of physics, become turbulent. It will hit corals. It will hit rocks. It will hit the small glass box and bounce around. Heck, it will hit its own reflections.

A while back, a rather interesting feature was put together. At first, I laughed at the whimsical silliness, but eventually took the time to read through it. It was amazing! The basic premise was that mathematicians and engineers were trying to figure out what shape would have the most possible surface area for its volume. A sphere is on the opposite side of this equation, its shape is the most efficient use of surface area to hold the same volume. As the math nerds started realizing their conclusion, it became apparent that the very shape they were looking for already existed, in corals!

http://openfordesign.msn.com/default.aspx?id=5tech1_wertheim&GT1=9166

Again, the design of the coral is extraordinary. In this case, they prove it to be mathematically the most effective use of physical space possible for what it's intended to do. I believe this to be true in the case of energy (water motion) absorption, as well. That's exactly what the coral is intended to do, so I want to see what happens when I let the corals do their job. Read the whole article. It's tedious, but falls together well.
 
This has been some seriously cool information, my wife has a degree in math and I have taken engineering math classes and to think about the shapes of corals and their use of available space from this perspective has been very interesting. I never really thought about it before.
Thanks Jason
 
It's finally aquascaped. The dust hasn't yet settled, but I'm impatient. I'm pretty excited about lots of caves and tunnels that a 2 dimensional photo simply can't convey, so you're gonna have to go with me on that part. :)

The gap at the top right will be filled with rock from my current tank. I'll build up a little more around the overflow to make the slope more dramatic, as well. I'll likely also replace the rock at the top of the left edge with rock from my current tank. I'll figure that out when the time comes.

second+aquascape.jpg


second+aquascape+left+side.jpg


second+aquascape+right+side.jpg
 
Hey J now thats is going to be a nice set up man,put some water in soon.:D
Oh this is waiting for you.
fijipremck2.jpg
Dr. Dee, here's some deserved credit for some AWESOME rock, just as you promised. Thank you. All of the rock you see with purple on it, came from you.
 
Looks great,i like the slope look.Are you going to put some LPS or other corals in the left side?I can see some big frogspwan or hamer.Is this tank going to be mix or sps?
 
Kevin, definitely a mix! Strangely enough, the flow is strongest on the far left side. I plan on filling all the gaps in the rocks, down by the sandbed with all the LPS. I already have a really nice ridge hammer, a beautiful frogspawn, and a nice sized torch. A couple acans are in the mix, as well.

The big cove on the far right (where that bottom rock is showing white) will be filled with a carpet anemone someday. Maybe by next summer, when the tank can handle it.
 
Krish, you're totally right. I can't wait. Even if for no other reason than not having to maintain two tanks any longer. I set a "no earlier than" date of November 1 for the coral transfer. I wanted to make sure everything was very stable. I have a lot to lose in the 38g. But with this newest rock, that timeline can be bumped up drastically. The rock I got from Dr. Dee was out of his display tank (he's setting up a new one, harass him for a thread), and that tank has been set up for 8 years, so the rock is extremely mature. I know I'll wait at least until we get back from Montana (very end of this month). I'll probably throw in a couple test frags as soon as we get back.
 
And here's the most recent shot of the 38g, so you can see what's coming over, and why I needed a bigger tank anyway. :)

fulltank_080607.jpg
 
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