New challenges
Printed From: Utah Reefs
Category: Main
Forum Name: General Discussion
Forum Description: Posts that don't fit in any of the other categories.
URL: http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=42991
Printed Date: July 16 2026 at 10:46pm
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Topic: New challenges
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Subject: New challenges
Date Posted: August 23 2010 at 3:11pm
My dentist and I agreed to trade services. I would make his freshwater tank into a reef and he would do my teeth.  Seems simple enough, right.The tank is a 7 year old novelty tank which hangs on the wall. It was glass, but the glass broke so he had it re-built with acrylic. It now looks horrible with scratches all over. Unfortunately, it only took one hour of buffing and the tank started to leak! He doesn't want a regular tank on the floor, because it looks so cool on the wall. So now it's off the wall to either be fixed or replaced. It is only 4 inches deep!   ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member 
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Replies:
Posted By: Spbeyond
Date Posted: August 23 2010 at 3:25pm
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WOW um what could you even do with that? ------------- 90 Gallon Reef w/4 bulb 54W t5 I buy, sell and restore pinball machines. Got one in the basement? ;) |
Posted By: Luckedout
Date Posted: August 23 2010 at 3:41pm
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What's behind the wall? What about building a tank into the wall. With only 4 in of space you're going to be hard pressed for equipment space etc,.
------------- -Ben 90g Mixed reef www.body-balancechiropractic.com |
Posted By: Rioreefer
Date Posted: August 23 2010 at 3:42pm
poor fishs
Mark you are usally so good at giving the COLD HARD TRUTH.. your holding back and I know it... ------------- I dont mean to brag but, yeah it's 6ft long. |
Posted By: bugzme
Date Posted: August 23 2010 at 3:56pm
Mark doesn't like gadgets so I'm sure he will figure something out ------------- Jeff 125 tank 50 gallon sump T-5 lighting Rum drinker, Carbon User I KNOW ROCKS THAT ARE YOUNGER THEN ME!! I AM A Realist! I write what I think!! |
Posted By: Broman
Date Posted: August 23 2010 at 6:06pm
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Need more input! Where is the leak in the acrylic - on the corners or on the wall? What is his current (freshwater) setup for filtration? Are you thinking of adding a sump or somehow using HOB type filters/skimmers for his setup? This sounds like a pretty cool challenge... ------------- 60g Cube, 30g sump/refugium, 1 250W MH, 2 24" T5's Ogden |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: August 23 2010 at 7:34pm
Fish cruelty all right. A tank that narrow would be like several of us living in a narrow
hallway no wider than we are tall. For exercise we would run up and down
the hallway.The Restroom is on the other side of the wall with the toilet sitting sideways next to the wall. The wall has steel studs and is the standard ~5" width. I'd like to brainstorm here. Please don't think about how it could be done, just throw out ideas of cool things that could be. Here's my brainstorm idea - A hex-ended tank like a 55 with cut corners sitting in the wall seen from both sides. ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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Posted By: badfinger
Date Posted: August 23 2010 at 7:49pm
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But then you see into and out of the bathroom right?...
If it were me I would knock out the sheet rock right behind the tank, and then add a hang on back refuge. That's about the only idea I can come up with for a tank like that... for lighting making or buying an LED setup would be awesome. But if he is up with the idea of making the tank deeper (as deep as the studs are + whatever outside of the wall) get an acrylic tank custom made and maybe even a custom made sump either in wall or in a cabinet... then you would be talking at least nine-ten inch tank |
Posted By: Corey Price
Date Posted: August 23 2010 at 8:04pm
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How about just a bunch of small fish, and maybe some soft coral? How about some small gobies? Possibly glue the rock to the back pane?
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Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: August 27 2010 at 4:06pm
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The buffing was done with a strong magnet algae scraper and various sizes of "micro mesh". I would have used a stronger magnet, but the one I used still caused the tank to fail at the corners. Thanks to my good friend Kris Fidone, I now have a new wall tank for my dentist, an improved model of the same wall mounted tank he started with. I'm happy with it because it's much deeper, more like 5" instead of 3". This time it will be mounted properly so that it does not crack. It appears that the manufacturer is uninformed about the physics of glass tanks. They can be supported on the ends and last forever but if they are high centered they will eventually crack. Now I need: 1. to find a T5 retrofit setup with three 36" or 48" tubes. 2. to paint the back and maybe some sand glued up from the ground level to give depth perception. 3. to glue a rockscape to the back. This is another situation where Utah Rock will be ideal. The small pieces that Donna and I picked up last time will be perfect to make caves and ledges up the back of this tank. ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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Posted By: bur01014
Date Posted: August 27 2010 at 4:14pm
| I would look into Reefbrite's new LED strips instead of t-5s for such a skinny setup. (just an opinion) One strip is supposed to be equal to 2 ATI Blue plus bulbs .....They are super skinny and easily mountable, come in 24, 36, and 48 inch I believe.....problem is, they are somewhat expensive, but he is a dentist right? It would look amazing though.....they are perfectly balanced with just the right amount of blue hue... |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: August 27 2010 at 4:31pm
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Yes, he and I discussed that option. The big problem with LED's is that the manufacturers still haven't caught on to how to use colored LED's to make colors "pop" while growing and fluorescing coral. Blue/white is just plain, well, stupid. Sorry, but that's what I have said for many years about the PC industry and they just never caught on. ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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Posted By: bugzme
Date Posted: August 27 2010 at 4:33pm
I agree with the above post!!  ------------- Jeff 125 tank 50 gallon sump T-5 lighting Rum drinker, Carbon User I KNOW ROCKS THAT ARE YOUNGER THEN ME!! I AM A Realist! I write what I think!! |
Posted By: Jake Pehrson
Date Posted: August 30 2010 at 4:19pm
I would have to disagree. Although the majority of the LED fixtures are using white and blue, there are more and more RGB or RGBY (no whites!). That basically allows you almost an infinite control of your lighting color. Even some of the basic white and blue fixtures are adding some red and greens to help with better coloration. ------------- Jake Pehrson Murray http://coralplanet.com" rel="nofollow - coralplanet.com http://utahbeeranch.com" rel="nofollow - :) |
Mark Peterson wrote:Posted By: bugzme
Date Posted: August 30 2010 at 4:26pm
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Sorry but I have seen very few led tanks with colors popping (certain colors do) unless they are supplemented with good t-5's! Maybe I haven't found the site yet but they have awesome growth. ------------- Jeff 125 tank 50 gallon sump T-5 lighting Rum drinker, Carbon User I KNOW ROCKS THAT ARE YOUNGER THEN ME!! I AM A Realist! I write what I think!! |
Posted By: Luckedout
Date Posted: August 30 2010 at 4:43pm
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What about using something like Vida Rock that you can get custom made for the tank. Less headache for you. I would say do a zoa garden with some smaller lps. Then get some small fish. couple small clowns. Maybe a sixline or yellow coris wrasse.
------------- -Ben 90g Mixed reef www.body-balancechiropractic.com |
Posted By: CapnMorgan
Date Posted: August 30 2010 at 5:04pm
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The only bad thing is once you put them in there it will be a pain to take them out when that little coris wrasse gets to be 6" long. I would go with some of the smaller gobies like hector or rainfords. You could also do firefish, or clown gobies, or even a white rayed shrimp goby. If you could keep the tank cooler a catalina goby would also be cool. You could put a few sexy shrimp in there with a porcelain crab and a coco worm. ------------- Steve http://utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=40637&PID=356246" rel="nofollow - My Old 180G Mixed Reef Currently: 120G Wavefront Mixed 29G Seahorse & Softies Running ReefAngel Plus x2 435-8 |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: August 31 2010 at 9:31am
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Small fish? That's why I'll be spending some time with Nano Chris this Thursday. Painting the back of the tank to hide the wallpaper! I wonder if there is a somewhat transparent midnight blue that could be followed up by a mirrored background to give it the appearance of depth. How about a three coats of paint? A haze coating => aquamarine => midnight blue. Anyone? For aquascaping I have considered black landscape foam but am leaning toward gluing some sand and rubble(LBTR and LR) in reef patterns to the inside back. I hope this will also help make 4" have the appearance of greater depth. Jake, please offer suggestions as to where I could get these color popping LED strips. ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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Posted By: Jake Pehrson
Date Posted: September 01 2010 at 10:28am
I would have to somewhat agree. I use T5s on my own tanks, and for most people T5 are the best choice (for now).
My point was not that LEDs are better. My point was address to Mark where he said:
Many LED light fixture manufactures are not clueless in regards to reef lighting and they have "caught on". In fact they are pushing the envelope on what can be done with reef lighting. Unfortuanatly most of the LED fixtures that would replace a good T5 setup are too expensive for the average hobbyest, but this will change over time. ------------- Jake Pehrson Murray http://coralplanet.com" rel="nofollow - coralplanet.com http://utahbeeranch.com" rel="nofollow - :) |
Posted By: bugzme
Date Posted: September 01 2010 at 10:55am
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I agree. ------------- Jeff 125 tank 50 gallon sump T-5 lighting Rum drinker, Carbon User I KNOW ROCKS THAT ARE YOUNGER THEN ME!! I AM A Realist! I write what I think!! |
Posted By: larhalli
Date Posted: September 01 2010 at 11:16am
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I wish I would have seen this post a while back. My thought would have been to build a false wall in front of the existing wall so a deeper tank could be used and you could increase the water volume. Below that a cabinet could be built to house the sump, or whatever else. As for LED lights or fixtures. To build a DIY LED fixture is about the same cost as buying a good combination fixture with metal halide and actinics. A fixture can be made to give that popping effect. You can customize the color combinations to get what you want and in the long run they will save you money over the life of the bulbs because they last about ten years compared to other lights which need to be replaced yearly and are expensive. ------------- Larry Halliday West Jordan |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: September 06 2010 at 1:15pm
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Thanks Larry. Can't do another wall. The Dentist likes the appearance of the Wall Hanging Aquarium. Thank goodness I have been doing lots of tanks without Sumps/Refugiums lately. I know just how to do it. Can you give me a lead to the source for color popping LED's? Our guest speaker didn't know that much about them, but I believe he is willing to look into it to provide me a custom fixture. Any help will be appreciated. ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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