Well sinse I'm back with a new better paying job. I have decided to complete a 180 gallon Reef Aquarium with no shortcuts and plenty of thought and comparison. This will be an image intense thread that I will update throughout every step of this project. I would appreciate everyone's suggestions and criticisms as an primary focus for the succes of this Reef Aquarium. No the first step is to clean algae and remove old sand and water from the aquarium to prepare for its new inception.
Okay guys. I truelly breaks my heart to say this but after careful consideration and calculation of total cost. My 180 gallon aquarium has been converted into a freshwater aquarium. This my be very disturbing for some individuals on talking reef but the upkeep cost are just too much for me to hold at the moment. :-( However, I have purchased a 47 gallon cube and I'm going to incude photographs and journal my setup of that tank so still plenty more photographs to come.
Sorry to hear that. There's no doubt that fresh water is easier and much less costly. And I agree with PSH, I've seen some large planted freshwater tanks that rival the nicest reef tanks I've seen.
Looking forward to seeing the 47 cube come to life.
Hello everyone, I decided to go out and purchase some new Marine Substrate and came across Seachem's Tidal Marine Substrate. The product claims to have the same properties of normal aragonite sand but higher levels of calcium and magnesium deposits. I actually liked the way it looked as well and thought I would give it a try. Before adding the sand I placed eggcrate along the bottom of the tank to prevent Live Rock from cracking the base glass. (I have an Engineer Goby who would probably make this nightmare come true.) Then I added 108 lbs. of Seachem's Tidal Marine Substrate. What do you guys think?
The sand definitely sounded different then aragonite sand when I was pouring it in. Almost sounded metalic. It seemed to fuse together more and I noticed that when I closed the glass lid of the tank that a fog began to cover the inside of the glass as though the sand where breathing. I'm not sure of what the scientific explanation is for this? The good point is that is cost $18.99 for a 22 lbs. bag of this stuff.
Last edited by JayBeDriften; 09-16-2006 at 11:19 PM.
Well I finally managed to start mixing some RO/DI water and completing the salt mixture using Instant Ocean Reef Crystals. Salinity was mixed to 1.025ppm When filling the tank I used a plastic bag to keep from causing as much of a sand storm as possible. I also added some krill to kick start the cycling process and a powerhead and heater to make everything just right.
Last edited by JayBeDriften; 09-19-2006 at 11:53 PM.
I was looking for a method of filtration other then having a sump due to having this Reef Aquarium in my living and having limited space to work with. I decided to go with the new Microprocessor controlled Fluval FX5 Canister filter which was rated strong enough for a 400 gallon aquarium. The price for this massive filter was $300.00 It cleared the sandstorm in the tank within 1 night.
Are you going to make a reef within the cube? If so, I have some ideas/questions....
It's pretty deep.. what lighting are you going to use? If this is not going to be a reef.. no harm, no foul.
I'm not a fan of canisters on reefs. Tried it... ditched it. It was strong, and scrubbed the water, but was a nitrate factory. I do use it on my seahorse tank, for now...as a
Finally, that'd make a kickin seahorse tank..but that is just my biased opinion
Finally, finally... Yeah... I'll still help ya out...even though statistically... yer probably a Yankees fan
Bronx, New York Ultimate Reef Aquarium Setup. 
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