Popular Post Jimbo662 Posted November 25, 2017 Popular Post Share Posted November 25, 2017 Here we go again! Picked the tank up today from RCA and will start working on it in the next week. Planning for a mixed reef. I ordered it with an external overflow assuming it would be like a previous P.A. tank I had. They're no longer making the old version which was a glass box siliconed to the back of the tank which housed the drains and return. There was a small rectangle cut out of the back glass for the weir. Now they're using what they call their Tideline overflow...which is basically a ghost overflow and a return in each corner of the back glass. This will be a first for me to plumb this kind of set up. Equipment list so far: Tank: Planet Aquarium 130g Crystaline tank 60"x24"x21" Return: Reef Octopus Varios 6 Sump: Trigger Sapphire 39 Lights: Aquatic Life T5 Hybrid with a couple XR15 and an XR30 Skimmer: Either the Vertex Omega 180i or SCA 302 (gotta see which will fit best) Powerheads: 3 Neptune WAVs Controller: New Apex Dosing: Apex DOS ATO: Tunze 3155 Will be using Argonite special grade sand and a mix of reef saver rock and pukani. A vendor on R2R advertised he had a bunch of live rock that he had ordered for a customers build over a year ago which had just been sitting in a tank. He was selling for $1 / lb plus shipping. It looks like most of it is pukani and included some nice pieces...like a huge branching piece. I got 100 lbs. :-) 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jolt Posted November 25, 2017 Share Posted November 25, 2017 This is going to be a great build. The tank and stand are beautiful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbo662 Posted November 25, 2017 Author Share Posted November 25, 2017 4 minutes ago, jolt said: This is going to be a great build. The tank and stand are beautiful! Thanks for the help getting it moved! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdavis735 Posted November 26, 2017 Share Posted November 26, 2017 That thing looks awesome. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted November 27, 2017 Share Posted November 27, 2017 Nice Jimbo! That's going to be a sweet tank!If you haven't bought the sand yet, I'd look into Tropic Eden Reeflakes. Perfect grain size to not get blown around and almost zero dust. You almost don't even have to rinse it with first use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jolt Posted November 27, 2017 Share Posted November 27, 2017 +1 on Reef Flakes! Premium Aquatics is the only place I know that sells it though. 16% off at the moment ... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbo662 Posted November 27, 2017 Author Share Posted November 27, 2017 Doh... already bought the sand.Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbo662 Posted November 27, 2017 Author Share Posted November 27, 2017 I got the dry special grade which is 1-2mmSent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RicordeaFreak Posted November 27, 2017 Share Posted November 27, 2017 Sharp lookin' tank. looking forward to future updates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Dogfish Posted November 27, 2017 Share Posted November 27, 2017 Nice tank. Gonna be a good one. Tropic Eden Reeflakes sand. Do they bag different sizes for different fish requirements? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbo662 Posted November 27, 2017 Author Share Posted November 27, 2017 The website shows 5 or 6 different sizesSent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascha D. Posted November 28, 2017 Share Posted November 28, 2017 Great looking tank James! I wish I could have been there to help you move it. Are you going to go with an open top? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbo662 Posted November 28, 2017 Author Share Posted November 28, 2017 1 hour ago, Sascha D. said: Great looking tank James! I wish I could have been there to help you move it. Are you going to go with an open top? Thanks! We ended up having an extra person so moving it wasn't an issue. Right now planning to get another Artfully Acrylic lid for it. Don't want to take the chance... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascha D. Posted November 28, 2017 Share Posted November 28, 2017 Do you get a lot of algae buildup on the acrylic tops? It's been a long time since I've had glass tops and I remember cleaning salt, algae, and water off of them a lot. I currently have a canopy, but I'm not getting good enough ventilation. I could add a fan, but I am looking for less noisy options first. Screens seem popular. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted November 28, 2017 Share Posted November 28, 2017 Do you get a lot of algae buildup on the acrylic tops? It's been a long time since I've had glass tops and I remember cleaning salt, algae, and water off of them a lot. I currently have a canopy, but I'm not getting good enough ventilation. I could add a fan, but I am looking for less noisy options first. Screens seem popular. Jimbo's top is a super sexy screen top with acrylic on the edges only as supports and a feeding porthole. Its sleek looking and the only way you should ever keep a rimless tank with wrasses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbo662 Posted November 28, 2017 Author Share Posted November 28, 2017 50 minutes ago, Sascha D. said: Do you get a lot of algae buildup on the acrylic tops? It's been a long time since I've had glass tops and I remember cleaning salt, algae, and water off of them a lot. I currently have a canopy, but I'm not getting good enough ventilation. I could add a fan, but I am looking for less noisy options first. Screens seem popular. The frames are cut from polycarbonate so it's a lot stronger than acrylic and doesn't warp. They put clear mesh like you get from BRS in it. Here's a couple of pics...not my tank. In the 2nd pic you can't hardly see it. In the third it shows how they cut the tabs so the frame is just inside the tank and the tabs sit on the rim. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jolt Posted November 28, 2017 Share Posted November 28, 2017 I have two of those Artfully Acrylic tops and I love them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascha D. Posted November 28, 2017 Share Posted November 28, 2017 28 minutes ago, Jimbo662 said: The frames are cut from polycarbonate so it's a lot stronger than acrylic and doesn't warp. They put clear mesh like you get from BRS in it. Here's a couple of pics...not my tank. In the 2nd pic you can't hardly see it. In the third it shows how they cut the tabs so the frame is just inside the tank and the tabs sit on the rim. Pretty cool! I have a friend that has one like that and it is pretty sleek. It might be a good idea for my rimless tank if I ever decided to keep fish in it. My big tank is euro braced and would need three smaller frames. I'll have to check it out sometime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Dogfish Posted November 28, 2017 Share Posted November 28, 2017 Is the screen sandwiched between 2 layers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbo662 Posted November 28, 2017 Author Share Posted November 28, 2017 1 minute ago, Dogfish said: Is the screen sandwiched between 2 layers? they route out a channel. It's just like the aluminum screen frame you get at Lowe's / home depot where you put the rubber cord in to hold the screening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascha D. Posted November 29, 2017 Share Posted November 29, 2017 16 hours ago, Jimbo662 said: they route out a channel. It's just like the aluminum screen frame you get at Lowe's / home depot where you put the rubber cord in to hold the screening. The acrylic top looks like it covers the entire rim of the tank. Are you going to hang your lights from the ceiling? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbo662 Posted November 29, 2017 Author Share Posted November 29, 2017 The acrylic top looks like it covers the entire rim of the tank. Are you going to hang your lights from the ceiling?In the pic it's sitting on top just to show how the tabs are cut. I'm using 8020 brackets for the lightsSent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dustint21 Posted November 29, 2017 Share Posted November 29, 2017 I will be watching this closely. Are tanks are very similar. Mine is 60x30x22 I’m curious as to how you scape it. I just can’t get mine where I want it.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbo662 Posted November 29, 2017 Author Share Posted November 29, 2017 I will be watching this closely. Are tanks are very similar. Mine is 60x30x22 I’m curious as to how you scape it. I just can’t get mine where I want it....Yeah, that's always the fun / hard part.Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Good Greef Posted November 30, 2017 Share Posted November 30, 2017 On 11/28/2017 at 2:27 PM, Jimbo662 said: The frames are cut from polycarbonate so it's a lot stronger than acrylic and doesn't warp. They put clear mesh like you get from BRS in it. Here's a couple of pics...not my tank. In the 2nd pic you can't hardly see it. In the third it shows how they cut the tabs so the frame is just inside the tank and the tabs sit on the rim. Im also looking for an acrylic mesh top for my rimless. Sounds like yall are happy with the quality. Theres a long thread on R2R with several complainging about the turnaround time and lack of responsiveness. Id rather just order through them, but Its kind of spooked me and I was gonna explore if one can buy pieces from regal plastics for a DIY. But glad to see many here are satisfied. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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