jenna Posted September 23, 2012 Author Share Posted September 23, 2012 http://reefbuilders.com/2012/03/27/kangs-korean-reef-aquarium/ This is an amazing example! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenna Posted September 23, 2012 Author Share Posted September 23, 2012 http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2008-07/totm/index.php Oh my...beautiful. (drooler) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate213 Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 Pros to MH: lower cost, proven to grow corals, standard in hobby, easy to setup. Cons to MH: heat, energy consumption, changing bulbs yearly. Pros to LED: lower energy consumption, lower heat, no yearly bulb changes, dimming capability, customizable spectrum. Cons to LED: not proven, new to hobby so people have mixed results, high initial cost, more difficult to setup properly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenna Posted September 23, 2012 Author Share Posted September 23, 2012 Yeah, I guess because I've seen so many good results with MH it makes me lean toward those! Not having to buy new bulbs does have its appeal though! Seems like they'd pay for themselves after a while. And considering we'll have a hood on our aquarium, the lower heat output would also be a big advantage. Ahhhhhh too many options!! (scratch) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harold B Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 I've had my 250DD for just shy of two years or so. Reefnjunkie has seen it and knows what I'm talking about (they couldn't keep up with a dart). But your in good hands. And these tanks are awesome, easy to clean, dont have to worry about scratching it all the time. I have a build thread on here with it, called " The Marineland 250DD experience" Is your 75g sump going to be located away from the tank? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenna Posted September 23, 2012 Author Share Posted September 23, 2012 I heard that starphire actually scratches easier because of the lower iron content! Funny how everyone has a different experience Our sump will be going underneath the display. I trust that we're in good hands and will get it set up right; we've had lots of help from day 1! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThePremiumAquarium Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 In terms of glass tanks, the starfire glass can indeed scratch easier but it doesn't scratch nearly as easily as acrylic. I think that's what Harold likes about it. Those that have had both acrylic and glass tanks will almost always prefer glass. The problem comes when one desires a larger, more custom tank. There are very few good glass builders out there and none real local that I know of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenna Posted September 23, 2012 Author Share Posted September 23, 2012 Oh ok lol. It hadn't dawned on me that he was comparing acrylic to starphire glass. (whistle) I'm currently online browsing through photos of aquascaping using acrylic rods. Looks like so much fun to do but I have no idea how! I think we will need some assistance! Haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenna Posted September 23, 2012 Author Share Posted September 23, 2012 Also.... I think I'm gonna have to go with the red oak! I just found pics of the Monterey red oak stand/hood online and I think it's gorgeous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kriz2fer Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 Here are some real modern aquascapes... http://reefcentral.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=1658490 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenna Posted September 23, 2012 Author Share Posted September 23, 2012 Here are some real modern aquascapes... http://reefcentral.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=1658490 Yes, minimalist aquascaping is the perfect description for what I'd like to do with this tank! Plenty of interesting focal points but lots of open water and room for corals to grow in. With such a big tank I don't want it to be overpowered by too much rock. I already have about 100+ lbs of rock in my 90 gallon and I feel like it's too much. When I set up the tank, I started with a couple boxes of dry base rock and a few pieces of live rock to seed it. Pretty soon I kept visiting the LFS and finding more and more interesting LR pieces I just HAD to add and pretty soon my tank was pretty overloaded haha. I really need to get some pics posted.... I don't just have a "wall of rock", I have some caves, swim-throughs and an overhang but it's still a little crowded IMO. I believe I'll have way more options with a deep dimension tank, because I'm not forced to have my rock up so close to the overflow boxes and the back glass (I kinda hate that!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harold B Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 OK the reason I asked about the sump is because i've seen different builds on RC and alot of people complain about the Marineland stand made for the tanks because thier so short. They cant fit certain things in there because of the height. Marineland said they had to do it that way because any taller and it wouldn't fit through most average home doors, which I can understand I had to build mine inside the apt. Just a heads up, check out the dimensions and then see if you'll be able to fit what you'll want/need in there. I know i've heard alot of complaining about not being able to fit properly sized skimmeres in the stands cause thier so short. But that external reefoctopuss with the hy5000 would fix that in a jiffy? haha More of somthing for Garret to consider as i'm sure he'll steer you in the right direction. Thats the beauty of this forum and others like it, I know any heads up info I could've and did get when starting a big project like this just helps things go smoother and eliminates surprises and we all learn a little somthing. Good Luck with your build I know it'll be exciting every step of the way. Kinda like what Emerald### said building and starting new tanks is really one of my most favorite parts. Sorry Kim couldn't remember your #'ers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenna Posted September 23, 2012 Author Share Posted September 23, 2012 Oh I appreciate all the input and advice! Listening to other people's experiences is invaluable! We are still very new to the hobby and won't even pretend like we know a lot... I feel like we know the basics at this point, but I know that we haven't even scratched the surface when it comes to the knowledge one gains through years of trial & error.. So, what would be good to know next is the height of the 75 gallon we'll be using. We're going to trade in our 90 for a 75 and use that since it'll be shorter. I know that the Marineland Monterey stand will be 29" tall... I have a feeling there won't be a problem... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitchell Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 Harold brought up a good point. The standard 75 gallon is 21" tall and you say the stand will be 29" tall. Now that 29" is the external height of the stand, your internal height could be a few inches less than that depending on how the supports are. So now let's say you are down to 24" of internal height; that leaves you just 3" of clearance between the top of the 75 gallon and the inside of your stand. There is no way you could reach into your sump with just 3" of clearance, let alone place and remove equipment. Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThePremiumAquarium Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 Once the stand comes in, we will measure and adjust plans as needed. It may be that the 75g will be too tall. I have thought about it but I think there is a good possibility that we can make it work. If bit then we will probably have to go custom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenna Posted September 23, 2012 Author Share Posted September 23, 2012 Once the stand comes in' date=' we will measure and adjust plans as needed. It may be that the 75g will be too tall. I have thought about it but I think there is a good possibility that we can make it work. If bit then we will probably have to go custom [/quote'] Sounds good to me =D The build is definitely the most exciting part for me, even if it doesn't go exactly as planned =D Is there a date that you are anticipating the stand & tank will be in? We still need to assemble a moving crew & I'm thinkin' about painting the room that it's going in =D Lots to do to get ready for this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefnjunkie Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 we will probably have to go custom Custom=$$$$$ DOH! I have a 'custom' tank, and 2 custom sumps, and a custom frag tank (laugh) HAHAHAHAHA, welcome aboard (whistle) But I would do it all over again. I'm looking forward to the build thread(clap) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenna Posted September 24, 2012 Author Share Posted September 24, 2012 LOL...mhmmm... I died a little inside when he said we might have to go custom. But, it's all for a good cause, right?! (rock2) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate213 Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 LOL...mhmmm... I died a little inside when he said we might have to go custom. But' date=' it's all for a good cause, right?! (rock2)[/quote'] Custom is the way to go for most things in this hobby. Everyone has different needs and goals. If a manufacturer sold a perfect setup that worked for everyone, we would all buy it and then figure out how to screw it up so that we could customize it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenna Posted September 24, 2012 Author Share Posted September 24, 2012 So, if a 75 gallon won't fit well inside the stand, then what's an appropriate sized sump for a 300? I definitely don't want to/can't have the sump located anywhere else at this point in time. It NEEDS to go below it. But I definitely want to have as much water volume as possible... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kriz2fer Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 You can just talk to wannareef and he can build you a custom sump to fit perfect under your stand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenna Posted September 24, 2012 Author Share Posted September 24, 2012 Ok If the 75 gallon doesn't work out like we've been thinking then I'll do that. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsoz Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 I have the PERFECT rock for you. It is HUGE! It is just over 40 lbs all by itself. It took up about half of my 75g tank. A big tank needs a big centerpiece rock. No need to drill and rod your rock if you have a perfect rock to start with. I will sell it at $2/lb. That is a steal compared to what you would pay in a LFS. Ha ha. send me a PM if you are interested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitchell Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 You can just talk to wannareef and he can build you a custom sump to fit perfect under your stand. +1 Charles is making my custom 80 gallon sump and my custom 250 gallon tank Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenna Posted September 24, 2012 Author Share Posted September 24, 2012 I have the PERFECT rock for you. It is HUGE! It is just over 40 lbs all by itself. It took up about half of my 75g tank. A big tank needs a big centerpiece rock. No need to drill and rod your rock if you have a perfect rock to start with. I will sell it at $2/lb. That is a steal compared to what you would pay in a LFS. Ha ha. send me a PM if you are interested. I just PM'd you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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