garrettm85
09-19-2007, 10:35 PM
So after many many long nights of wonderful dreams, I began to make my new venture a reality. In late July I started construction on my newest addition. It is an 8'x8' reef shed with a 4' deck designed to house both prop tanks(for corals, inverts, and macro algaes), and equipment and support tanks for the main 210g display.
Currently there are two 100g sumps tied together (one to be filled with live rock and one to house equipment),
two 75 gallon tanks (one a refugium and one a softies/LPS and medium light tank),
two 40g breeders (one sps and high light prop tank and one softies and low light tank),
1 hp chiller, 2 recirc skimmers, 5 stage RO/DI unit, lots of lighting and power equip, and tons of testing, dosing, and fraging equipment
My house stays lots cooler and quieter now with most of the equipment out in the shed. Especially the chiller. Everything in the display is doing wonderful and growing nicely. The temperature has been really easy to maintain and except for on really hot days, the chiller only kicks on every once in a while.
My refugium is so far the most interesting addition. I grow Chaetomorpha, Razor Calurpa, Grape Calurpa, and some Halimeda in it. The Calurpas and the Chaeto have done so well, that I have been selling some of it on ebay. I started with only a few handfuls of Chaeto and soon the whole top of the 75g was filled. There are 3 6500k 28w bulbs run over the top of it with a 5 inch sand bed and about 30lbs of rubble rock and 20lbs of fiji.
The prop tanks are just getting through the brown phase and I have been starting to frags some easier corals (zoas and mushrooms). It will take a few more months of acclimation to get this part really going. I have discovered a massive need for snails and hermits with the 3 prop tanks. The argonite plugs that I have curing and glass need cleaned frequently without too many snails doing the job.
The two 100g sumps have been very nice and have made maintanence much easier. Water changes are done with rubbermaid trashcans and are so easy now with the two large sumps.
There is much work still to be done on this project including the addition of both calcium and kalk reactors and the addtion of both brine and phyto culturing tanks, but here are a few pictures of the initial construction. I will add more within a few days of the current phase of the shed(much further along).
Here is the initial stage of the foundation
http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r167/garrettm85/DSC_0028-3.jpg
Here is the mostly complete foundation
http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r167/garrettm85/DSC_0033.jpg
Here is the side before walls are completely up (thats my awesome dad Rich and roommate Spencer)
http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r167/garrettm85/DSC_0038.jpg
And here is the front without the doors on yet
http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r167/garrettm85/DSC_0035-1.jpg
More will come tomorrow. Got to jet for the night, but will try and post asap.
Thanks for checking it out
Garrett
Currently there are two 100g sumps tied together (one to be filled with live rock and one to house equipment),
two 75 gallon tanks (one a refugium and one a softies/LPS and medium light tank),
two 40g breeders (one sps and high light prop tank and one softies and low light tank),
1 hp chiller, 2 recirc skimmers, 5 stage RO/DI unit, lots of lighting and power equip, and tons of testing, dosing, and fraging equipment
My house stays lots cooler and quieter now with most of the equipment out in the shed. Especially the chiller. Everything in the display is doing wonderful and growing nicely. The temperature has been really easy to maintain and except for on really hot days, the chiller only kicks on every once in a while.
My refugium is so far the most interesting addition. I grow Chaetomorpha, Razor Calurpa, Grape Calurpa, and some Halimeda in it. The Calurpas and the Chaeto have done so well, that I have been selling some of it on ebay. I started with only a few handfuls of Chaeto and soon the whole top of the 75g was filled. There are 3 6500k 28w bulbs run over the top of it with a 5 inch sand bed and about 30lbs of rubble rock and 20lbs of fiji.
The prop tanks are just getting through the brown phase and I have been starting to frags some easier corals (zoas and mushrooms). It will take a few more months of acclimation to get this part really going. I have discovered a massive need for snails and hermits with the 3 prop tanks. The argonite plugs that I have curing and glass need cleaned frequently without too many snails doing the job.
The two 100g sumps have been very nice and have made maintanence much easier. Water changes are done with rubbermaid trashcans and are so easy now with the two large sumps.
There is much work still to be done on this project including the addition of both calcium and kalk reactors and the addtion of both brine and phyto culturing tanks, but here are a few pictures of the initial construction. I will add more within a few days of the current phase of the shed(much further along).
Here is the initial stage of the foundation
http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r167/garrettm85/DSC_0028-3.jpg
Here is the mostly complete foundation
http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r167/garrettm85/DSC_0033.jpg
Here is the side before walls are completely up (thats my awesome dad Rich and roommate Spencer)
http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r167/garrettm85/DSC_0038.jpg
And here is the front without the doors on yet
http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r167/garrettm85/DSC_0035-1.jpg
More will come tomorrow. Got to jet for the night, but will try and post asap.
Thanks for checking it out
Garrett