New Project Time!

**Phurst** · 08-02-2010, 11:08 PM

Well, it's been a while since I made you all hate me with some nice freebies. I'm making up for lost time

A good friend of mine was cleaning out some extra gear, and asked if I would be interested in a free 40 gal tank. I said sure, but didn't really ask any questions. I popped over to his house after work today, expecting to pick up a 40 breeder. Well, that's not what was waiting for me, this was.

Custom acrylic 37.5 with bent front corners, and full euro bracing. Matching custom acrylic stand with door and dual fans, matching custom acrylic hood with fans and a 175w halide, and a cute little acrylic ATO container. All for nothing.

Here everything is after a good acid soak and scrub. The tank will be going where my current 15 gal frag tank is, and will be plumbed into the sump of my 150, as my frag tank is now. I'll move my calcium reactor under this tank for easier access.

So, the question becomes, what should I put in it? I'm open to suggestions, but I feel it's going to need to be a reef, seeing as how it came with a halide.

**rayme07** · 08-03-2010, 02:00 AM

You lucky duckling, that is one AWESOME tank. I think that tank would look awesome with some Acans, chalices, and zoe's with a few clams!!

**Phurst** · 08-03-2010, 09:35 AM

I think I'm actually leaning towards a carpet anemone and a pair of clowns.

**rayme07** · 08-03-2010, 07:28 PM

That would be sweet!!

**CarmieJo** · 08-04-2010, 01:26 AM

Pearson, that reflector is looking pretty salty. If you want, I will drive on up and pick the whole thing up so you don't have to look at it.

**Phurst** · 08-04-2010, 09:16 AM

LOL, thanks for the offer Carmie

Yes, it is. Needs a good wipe down. I'll do it before I mount the actinic T5s I have for it.

**Phurst** · 08-05-2010, 09:35 AM

Got the tank plumbed last night. I've decided to go with a carpet, and to move my two super mean maroon clowns into that tank with it. Since the carpet prefers to bury it's foot in the sand, typically at the rock/sand interface, I'm building a "cove" of rock, and hopefully the anemone will go right in the middle. I need to pick p some more rock, but it's not urgent, since I won't even begin to think about picking up the anemone until both the 150 and this tank stabilize from the recent trauma.

Here's a terrible iPhone pic.

**rayme07** · 08-06-2010, 12:18 AM

Its looking good, I cant wait to see your carpet anemone in there!

**Phurst** · 09-07-2010, 10:41 AM

Time for an update. I upgraded the MH to a 250w and added 2x24w actinic T5s. I moved the maroons out of the 150 some time ago, and just picked up a beautiful blue haddoni carpet this weekend.

The frags on the sand bed are just awaiting mounting in the 150. They'll live here a bit longer until I can get the current outbreak of HA in that tank under control.

**Rostr02** · 09-07-2010, 07:10 PM

Tank looks great. Thanks for the update

**SaltyDawg** · 09-07-2010, 09:19 PM

Sweet looking tank. But if you say you got the nem for free I'm gonna puke..lol

**Phurst** · 09-07-2010, 09:27 PM

Not QUITE free, but not far from it.

See what LA wants for one here:

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/p...catid=1393&N=0

I paid $20

**SaltyDawg** · 09-07-2010, 09:48 PM

Close enough.

**Rostr02** · 09-08-2010, 10:39 PM

I think phurst is in the mafia and all his "gifts" are protection payments . . .

**saltaddict** · 09-09-2010, 06:23 AM

Phurst - I have a larger version of the same tank but I didn't get it for free!!!!! You walk into some amazing deals.

Very nice set up and I love carpet. Congrats

**CarmieJo** · 09-09-2010, 10:06 AM

Wow, what a beautiful carpet! And of course you got a great deal!

**Phurst** · 09-09-2010, 10:29 AM

LOL, thanks. The truth is, if I didn't get great deals, I wouldn't ever get anything at all

I reef on a SERIOUS budget!

In reality, the credit must go to my local reef club. Besides the occasional good deal at a LFS, everything else comes from my fellow reefers. We have a very friendly, helpful and close knit group of people. We freely give of what we have to one another. I get a lot of great hookups, but the street goes both ways. I've given away boxes and boxes full of spare gear, tanks, extra bulbs and anything else that may be laying around. New members almost always get loads of free starter frags, and anytime a fellow member is over at my house, it's rare for them to not leave with a frag or two just because they see something in the tank they like. If it's fragable, they get a piece. With this group, what goes around comes around. I do what I can to hook up other club members, and they do the same for me. I regularly have to tell people "not yet" because my friends are anxious to refill my 150 with frags after the big crash. Last night was an excellent example. We had a member post last night that her tank was leaking. Within an hour or two she had offers of buckets, fish traps, space in peoples tanks to put stuff, a 100g rubbermaid trough and a spare 265g tank. Members were at her house until well after 4AM helping her empty the tank and find places for everything. I could not be luckier than to be involved with such a great group of people. So yes, I get great deals, but it's not because I'm lucky, or in the right place at the right time, but because of my outstanding fellow reefers