4 Foot Wall Tank - Project log and Product Review

[Reptoreef]

Sounds like a plan worthy of the "Dakar Dabble".

Repto

[dakar]

I haven't finished with the trim on the back side yet, but I couldn't resist, we are going with a medium sandbed (~1/2 bag Southdown) gives us about 2.5" deep to anchor the macros with and newly aged SW, pretty much tossed it in there for tonight. I really did consider, for about 3 seconds, testing the tank and everything with just FW, then filling up with SW but trial by fire is much more fun.

We're still deciding on whether to use live rock out of our display or to pick up some new rock to cycle her (I'm thining 20lbs or so of tonga branch) but my part of this project is just about complete so I'll leave the hard stuff to Angel to decide on.

This pic is with just the 15w strip lamp that came with the tank. The real lighting will be following shortly.

[Whoyah]

Nice. :thumbleft:

[Reef_Angel]

Wonderful! Pretty soon I get to play! Next we'll get that cycle started and before you know it, I will have my seahorse tank ready for its expensive little inhabitants! I can't wait! My husband did a fantastic job putting it in with minimal mess or fuss. I hope everyone enjoyed watching the tank go in step by step with Dave's witty commentary along the way! I couldn't believe how fast it went up! Thank you Bizarre Aquariums for making this tank possible for me & my family!!

Sincerely,
Susan Cochran
Captive Reefing - Administrator
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[ramoth41]

Looking good!!!!!
can't wait to see it with the ponies! I've always wanted to try them but I'm pretty much a chicken...! let me know how it goes and maybe I'll try some!
sarah

[Clay9Bess]

looks sweet... are ya gonna add to the lighting or filtration(small skimmer, etc... DIY, of course)???

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Hi! I'm interest in know how much you charge to install a 4ft. aquarium in side my wall with all the trimmings and lighting the works? Thanks for your quote and reply!!#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[dakar]

Wow thread hasn't been touch in quite a while.... I think summer got in the way or something. The lighting over the tank now consists of a pair of 36" T8 NO tubes. I did a Frankenstein on a couple of T12 fixtures that I got for a few bucks each, swapped out the T12 ballast for one that would fire the T8's and hacked the lamp holders into the fixture. Grabbed a couple of off the shelf Sylvania tubes, burning at 4400K a bit too much on the yellow side, the macros seem to enjoy it but they'll likely get changed out for a 6500K and an actinic tube. 20ish pounds of tonga branch.

We needed to relocate some critters from another tank so right now it's temporarily housing a pair of false perc's a basslet, a few dozen snails. Putting a good bio-load on it to boost the nitifying bacteria population, seems to be handling it pretty well.

I'll get some new pics taken and post then shortly.

Hi! I'm interest in know how much you charge to install a 4ft. aquarium in side my wall with all the trimmings and lighting the works? Thanks for your quote and reply!!

Clay9Bess, to whom were you directing this towards? You did not fill your location so we have no idea where you are to even formulate a guess

I sure hope it wasn't to me, I'm so far behind on my projects I need about six months vacation time to even start to catch up. But if you want to hire a contractor to do it I'll happily provide any other details that may not be posted here.

[dakar]

Well it's been a while since this thread has been updated, and seeing as how it's been wet for over 10 months now the whole system is pretty much matured enough to start looking for inhabitants, that and Angel has put in WAY too many hours this week getting it ready, not sure if she's done or if she even thinks she's done... but it sure is getting sharp.

I did change out the lighting, the T8's were just to clunky and in the way, so I recessed a 36" 96w 50/50 power compact retro into the wall above it, securing the ballast to a stud up and out of the way. Fit nicely and provides a much nicer lighting for the whole tank, and does not block access to the electical outlets.

Enough rambling on.... a quick shot I took this morning.

[perpetual98]

Lookin' good! What inhabitants are you going to go with?

[butterfly_babe4200]

Wow I want one of those!!! You need to come to my house!!!