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Gig 'em's "Maroon Lagoon" Build Thread


Gig 'em @ NDstructible

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So I have been SLOWLY building this tank since June 2012 and I thought I would finally start my build thread for everyone to see. The reason I decided to wait so long to post is because I like looking at build threads where it doesn't take a month (or 6) to post new pics of the build, so I've saved them up to post all at once.

The Tank:

I had my tank built by Stephen (All WYSIWYG) and it's all rimless with holes drilled in the back left corner

Dimensions: 36" L x 20" W x 16" T so about 50 gallons

I have a 30 gallon sump underneath that contributes probably 25 gallons to the total water volume bringing it to about 75 gallons total.

Stand: I built the stand myself and I wanted the stand to look original and somewhat modern. I built it so there are no visible hinges on the stand from the front, the entire front and corners open up when you open the doors and gives a full view of the sump area. The stand took a long time (with lots of mistakes) and still isn't perfect, but I like it and I hope you do too.

Light: I racked my brain for over a month and searched everywhere for the best lighting option. I wanted to do LEDs since my DIY LED build on my 10 gallon has proved to be successful, energy efficient, and doesn't produce much heat. I was going to build my own again, then I wanted to build my own with multichips, then I got fed up with not finding what I really wanted and decided to fold and buy a fully programmable manufactured light. I decided to buy an Orphek Atlantik because it was fully programmable, looked nice, and had a good spread of light throughout the spectrum. It's a little expensive, but I believe lighting is one of the most important variables in a reef and I wanted to make a good long term investment instead of replacing burned out crappy Chinese LEDs. The light is being built in Israel right now and should be here in March.

Anyway, enough details about the tank, pictures are better than words smile.png

Building the stand

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DIY Overflow

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Finished stand with tank

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Finished stand with tank and doors open

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Making my eel or jawfish cave

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Finished eel or jawfish cave

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Tank with cave in place

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Sump with supplement rack installed

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Tank with water in it and the cycle has begun!

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Wow! Looks great. I really like the way the stand came out and the tank is gorgeous! Great build. What are you planning on housing?

Thanks, I plan on stocking it with a bunch of maxi mini anemones, some BTA's, and SPS. I have a lot of little frags waiting in my tank right now to be transferred into the new tank.

Wow! Looks great. I really like the way the stand came out and the tank is gorgeous! Great build. What are you planning on housing?

I hope one of these stupid RBTA that have been walking around killing stuff in my tank. CYCLE FASTER DARNIT!

As soon as the light gets here...

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Do you have small holes in the jawfish/eel lair?

I'm wondering if having just that one opening would ever pose a problem with detritus build up without access to the sandbed critters to help clean it.

Or do those types of cave dwellers usually clean up their spaces?

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Do you have small holes in the jawfish/eel lair?

I'm wondering if having just that one opening would ever pose a problem with detritus build up without access to the sandbed critters to help clean it.

Or do those types of cave dwellers usually clean up their spaces?

Eh... I feel like adding more holes will just allow more junk and debris into the pipes. A jawfish would probably clean it out, and so would a vacuum hose if it became too bad.

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Yeah I can't imagine that being a peaceful living environment for them. I don't plan on my tank being THAT populated with anemones though rolleyes.gif

There was a nice yellow eye kole in there and one large blue one. Felt a bit sorry for them though. Kind of hard to relax when it's death in the lower half of the tank...

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Oh of course, it's going to be like a little metropolis of anemone crabs and shrimp. Although I don't know about the sexy shrimp, they seem to be pretty easy snacks for most animals

I bet it's gonna look awesome. Are you planning on adding shrimp and crabs to your nems?

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Lately, my favorite anemone crustacean has been my Spotted Cleaner/Commensal/Anemone Shrimp (Periclimenes yucatanicus). It hangs out in my Pink Condy (makes sense as both from Caribbean) but will sometimes hang out on a MMCA or Ricordea. It gets excited when I walk up to the tank and it's hungry. If it's really hungry, it'll hover and waggle its antennae. It's awesome.

A few days ago I was getting ready to clean up a little cyano and algae, and I noticed the Powder Brown Tang getting a hand (or a few little claws) from the Spotted Cleaner. I started to upload and post the video, but it's long and huge (may do later). Here's a pic from it, just ignore the GHA that's now gone.

PyucatanicusOnPBT_21FEB2013_zpsbf5c2908.

Besides my Porcelain Anemone Crabs (Neopetrolisthes ohshimai and Neopetrolisthes maculatus), I also like my Peacock-Tail/White Spot/White-patched/Glass/Pacific Clown Anemone Shrimp (Periclimenes brevicarpalis). I just call it my Peacock-Tail Shrimp. If anything gets too close to its anemone, including me, it vigorously waves its tail - pretty funny.

Aquarium_PeacockTail_Collage_27FEB2013_z

I found all those species at AD, but I've also found some of them at RCA.

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I got the blue at AD on 02MAY2012. The orange I got at RCA on 25APR2012. My favorite was a bright yellow MMCA that I bought at Gallery of Pets, also on 25APR2012, but it crawled into the rocks and presumed dead after about a month. So I've got 2x green/red, the one blue and the one orange.

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  • 1 month later...

I finally got my Orphek Atlantik yesterday. They were delayed by... I dunno, a couple of months, which annoyed me that I had to wait so long, but perhaps it will be worth the wait. I was up till the late hours of the night/early hours of the morning switching over all my anemones and corals to the new tank while doing my best to cut anything out with GHA attached to it. I just have to work hard to be diligent to make sure that it doesn't gain a foothold in my new tank. Hopefully without a large established population my lawnmower blenny and hermits will take care of it.

Anyway here are the pics I took with my phone last night.

newlight.jpg

Orphek.jpg

tank.jpg

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