[olsaltybastard]

Here it is folks!! I should be good to go for setting up the 215g tank next week. I bought it a few weeks ago, and took the time to clean off all of the coralline algae and stuff that stuck to the glass.

I have spent several weeks building the stand for it. I still don't know exactly how I am going to go about attaching the doors, but I don't need doors to make it work. It's not perfect, but built about 1,000 times better than any stands produced by Oceanic or AGA.

Over the past 2 months, I have had about 100 lbs of Marshall Island live rock "cooking" in my garage. I went ahead and drilled several holes through each piece. A fiberglass rod will be inserted into the rock, and subsequent pieces will be stacked on top of each other. This should go a long ways to assist in flow rather than the usual rock wall. I then procured some Tonga table rock to give a bit more variation to the scheme. There is going to be lots of open space for corals to grow and fish to swim.

Speaking of flow, I ordered a pair of Tunze 6201's to compliment the two 6100's I already have; there is going to be LOTS of flow going on in here!! I just need to get the magnetic hangers for them and I should be set. This is much more expensive than a closed loop, but I like the idea of little power usage and not having to drill holes in the glass.

I ordered a single piece of cutting board (starboard) for the bottom of the tank. I was going to seal it into the tank, but silicone does not stick to silicone very well. It would have made a tremendous mess, and probably not have been much better than leaving it alone in the first place.

The skimmer is still the Deltec APF600; I see no reason to upgrade this skimmer as of yet. I am still within the manufacturers ratings and haven't really put it to the test.

The plumbing is going to be done in stages. I already have PVC on the tank now, and not quite happy with it. I will use spa-flex for the time being and take it from there. I would like to go with an external, flow rated pump rather than a Mag12 or Mag18. This means I have to drill my sump, which means I have to empty it, blah, blah, blah. This will be a nice winter project when it's 40 degrees outside and raining. I will eventually end up with PVC again, but it will be a bit more basic than what I have right now.

Today, I set up a 65g tank that will be a temporary home for the fish during the transfer of tanks. Tomorrow, I will transfer 50lbs of rock that is currently in the display, and begin the task of transferring the fish over as well. This way, I will not be pressed for time and I can let the new tank take a few weeks to do any last minute cycling that may occur.

The worst part about this thread???? I dropped my camera in the river back in June, and haven't replaced it. That's right, I have NO pictures of this setup!! A 215g tank, Deltec skimmer, Tunze streams, and not a single picture!! This thread really does suck!! Maybe, I'll borrow the camera from work and take a few pics, maybe I won't!!