Arminius

I expected that result with acrylic - tablesaw/router for low melting point materials. Custom aluminum light racks/hanging systems would be an easily marketable reeftank item, as well as custom LED housings, vent fan covers...

Cool machine you're working with there.

Ask away, Toby. It also seems there are plenty others that seem gosh darn handy here as well. Can lend a hand when I have the time as well. Just getting back into the swing of things after the scare with my pops, but I have to spend a lot of time on the computer, so the forum is up on my desktop like 10-16 hours a day.

Most of the responses I got were a bunch of "never going to be big enough"; "asking for TBD"; and "nice grow - up enclosure get ready to build a new one in 2 months", that kind of thing. Gary goes in the bathtub, outside on warm days, gets diverse food and has staring contests with the big dog. When I got him he was in a 10 gallon with 3 others. It's true he was a baby, but what happens to the ones that don't sell? Anyway, he seems happy - just had some lettuce and a super worm and accidentally fell in for his first swim. Now he's giving the big dog the evil eye from across the room...

+1 on the PAR38's

Looks nice fishman!

Gary is cruising around fine now...thanks to any and all who care at all he won't take any food yet, but he'll be hungry soon enough. Yeah I am calling this an almost-done-deal, and have already started collecting gear for the reef build - going to jump on the BRS group buy and see I how much more I can flesh out the build with what I have left inthe budget. Thanks everyone for checking this out - I have gotten a way better response here than on the reptile forums...nearly everyone there was telling me how I was wasting my time.

Wow those guys sound a lot like me - skeptical of the work of those unknown.

+1 on nelz3's advice - that thing is small enough to move - drain a little off the top so you don't splash out everywhere, get all the stuff out of the way and move it - you won't have to move it that far and you can just make it out to be a really complicated water change. Of course I have no idea of your house layout, but anything can be done - 40+29 gallons is only like 560lbs, less displacement...(whistle)

25 years keeping fish, 20 years saltwater at one point I had 3 tanks (75 & 40 gallon reefs and a 90 gallon FOWLER) in a ~240 sq ft apartment in Santa Monica...

I'm not worried, and he won't take food - he has been finicky after it started raining and the temp cooled off. He also just went through a molt, plus the new setting so there is no telling whats going on in his little reptile brain - he is also now showcased in the living room where all the dog action is - before he was in my studio where I am pretty still and silent for long periods. He'll come around. Thanks Derbird. Still haven't worked on the waterfall. I don't really care that much right now - I have so much other crap to do.

Well Gary has been in there for like an hour and hasn't moved an inch...wary of predators or something I guess. [ATTACH]13482[/ATTACH] Much bigger apartment, maybe he feels like he'll get lost...

Great algae scrubber material maybe?

I have been following this news since you first posted the article.

You can get them for a dollar at Ross and the DollarTree...it actually seems like a good idea. They even come in all those designer colors! Scam on $.50 worth of pvc and a scrunchee scrubber...took me awhile to see the price...holy cow!! 20 bucks!!!! geez...

Cool tank - good startup. Firefish are really cool, good looking out with the lid - +1 on these guys being jumpers

Hey Toby - how close is the fit of the other hood? It might be able to be repaired/modified. I can help walk you though it or you are welcome to bring it over so tools are available.

If you need big pieces especially for ball heads and unions, swimming pool supply places have the best prices. Good luck with the venture.

Dang now I wish I had went, oh well , the intake manifold had to come off the truck today or I would never have gotten to it. Sweet looking setups all around.

thanks garrett - yeah and he'll also be able to swim someplace besides the bathtub for once in his life. He deserves the room - we were moving stuff around when I thought my dad was going to have to come live with me and broke the 60g he was in...He's been in a 22 gallon translucent rubbermaid for like 2 months. I know lame, right? I would have put him in one of the 2 tanks I got 2 weeks ago, but I didn't want him to get sick or something if I didn't clean them out properly. If he does outgrow this one, the next one is going to be at least 1.5x as long if not 2x - so 6' or 8'...

Well it took some doing, but it's in the house. Too many times pieces were left around the shop and some of the plex got scratched, blew out the front right corner when I set it down and leaned it to get the dolly out...but it's done. I don't care anymore it is what it is - functional and still looks reasonably good. If I had to do this all over again I would have do it way differently, used glass instead of acrylic, made more tests of the waterfall, built the background first and the cabinet around it...the list goes on. Oh well when and if Gary outgrows this thing I will have the fore-knowledge. I had never done a sculpted background in an enclosure before...live and learn. I'll get it all plumbed back up later and then Gary goes in tomorrow morning once the water warms up. Yeehaw! [ATTACH]13473[/ATTACH]

I have read the same, Garrett - and having it isolated in a bucket with valves for and aft would make it easy to dump without risk of stirring up a bunch of marine creature death juice...

Forget the glare - sweet joins and seal lines Fishman! That is going to be a nice little tank. Show us some pics when you water test it later this week.

Feel free to hi-jack, really, if it is not reef related obviously. When I get my shop more rounded out I will probably show off some other things sometimes. That desk is definitely something to show off.

That's really great to read, Kori. Post a pic or at least let me know how they work out.