My 240, My 240/Basement Fish Room, My 240/Basement Fish Room/built into a full wall bookcase and focal point of house addition.

[JGT]

Based on that foliage, you must be fairly close to Westchester!
Great job on tank and bookcase

@albano, you are quite the detective. I am in Fairfield County CT. Howdy neighbor.
Thanks.

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

@JGT, very nice execution. Looks really nice.

This is @Sisterlimonpot ’s



I’d love to eventually see a video of yours in action.

That is time lapsed video of the light rack moving back and forth to reduce shadowing from the single source LED lights.

Here's a 5 year old video of the light rack and how it moves out of the way for tank access.

In that 5 years, I've only needed to move the lights back 2 times. It's a great option to have and definitely worth the effort but I've yet to fully automate the rack because of how often I actually need it out of the way.

 

[Miami Reef]

@JGT, very nice execution. Looks really nice.


That is time lapsed video of the light rack moving back and forth to reduce shadowing from the single source LED lights.

Here's a 5 year old video of the light rack and how it moves out of the way for tank access.

In that 5 years, I've only needed to move the lights back 2 times. It's a great option to have and definitely worth the effort but I've yet to fully automate the rack because of how often I actually need it out of the way.

I’m amazed by how creative and smart people can be. Engineering and building was never something I could do, but it’s fascinating watching how people like you do it.

 

[kevgib67]

An absolute stunner, I would never leave the house not to mention the room!

 

[JGT]

@JGT, very nice execution. Looks really nice.


That is time lapsed video of the light rack moving back and forth to reduce shadowing from the single source LED lights.

Here's a 5 year old video of the light rack and how it moves out of the way for tank access.

In that 5 years, I've only needed to move the lights back 2 times. It's a great option to have and definitely worth the effort but I've yet to fully automate the rack because of how often I actually need it out of the way.

@Sisterlimonpot. Looks great. I use mine weekly. I’m a bit of neat freak when it comes to algae so I like to get my 36” algae scraper and get the algae both green and coralline near the sandbed. If I couldn’t raise the lights out of the way, I’d be cursing up a storm every time I hit my lights. Also placing frags mid tank and lower this really comes in handy. I can get shoulder deep with no issue if need be.
Since I can control it from my phone or keypad it makes it real easy to use. It also has upper and lower set limits so I can hit a button and it raises and lowers to the same height every time.

 

[JGT]

Not sure where to start so figured I’d start at the beginning. Growing up, I had a bunch of FW tanks largely mixed tropicals.

When I got older I figured I’d try my hand at saltwater. We’re talking mid 1990’s. So got a custom made 135 gallon and stand and I was on my way. Plan was to house a bunch of saltwater fish until I came across a magazine called Freshwater and Marine Aquarium magazine. In that issue I saw corals being kept in aquariums and I was hooked. For some reason I still have about 30 issues in a box on my attic.

Went out and got a Hamilton Metal Halide/VHO canopy and couple of hundred pounds of Marshall Island live rock from my LFS and got the tank up and running.
Had wet/dry filter with bioballs from Thiel along with a built in skimmer. External Iwaki pump and a couple of power heads on a device that would turn each one off and then on creating a current. Sorta.

Had it in a pre-war condo and I wasn’t sure the floors would hold. Luckily, they built things really well back then so no issues. Only problem was Metal Halide fixture created so much heat I needed a chiller and in summer my electric bill from running my AC was thru the roof.

I had a RO but no DI under my kitchen sink and ran the tubing along my floor to the sump that had a float valve.

Have a few pics but back then no digital cameras yet so it’s old school prints. Coming up in a bit.

 

[JGT]

Throwback Tuesday…1990’s reef tank. Still have this tank, stand, hood, wet/dry filter sitting empty in basement.

 

[JGT]

Next up is the back story to my current tank.

I broke down the 135 when I bought a house and had to move. Was in my house several years but hadn't set the tank back up. Had lots of home projects occupying my time so didn't have a chance to focus on the tank.

I went out lunch one day with a business colleague who was in town from Colorado. During lunch, we got into talking and found out we both had a love for reef tanks. In fact, he was moving himself, and had a 240 gallon tank along with a stand, sump, and canopy he was looking to get rid of. He then asked me if I wanted it and I said hell yeah, but how much? He said, don't worry about it, you just cover the shipping from CO to CT and we'll be good. So while I figured shipping wouldn't be cheap it was still cheap compared to buying that tank and all of that equipment so I agreed.

So a few months later he told me it was packed up and ready to be shipped. It arrived and the driver used a forklift to move crates into my garage. When I contacted my buddy to ask him what I owed him he said, no worries, it's on me. I just bought the company that made the tank! (My buddy just had newborn twins so I sent him a bunch of baby clothes as a way of thanking him.) So there I was with this nice tank, stand and equipment and I paid 0. And there it sat in my garage for the next 17 years, while life happened and got in the way of me setting it

Until....(to be continued)..

 

[JGT]

Few individual coral pics..

 

[dandi]

Awesome tank congrats. I am in Dutchess County

 

[JGT]

Thanks a lot! Not too far away. Another neighbor. Howdy!

 

[dandi]

Do you remember Reef Splendor?

 

[JGT]

Yes, going back a ways . Weren’t they in Hopewell?

 

[dandi]

Yes that was my facility

 

[JGT]

Yes that was my facility

Oh, wow, small world. What happened?

 

[dandi]

The initial venture was to cultivate and wholesale medium-sized coral colonies, a passion of mine that quickly flourished, outpacing our supply capabilities. This led us to supplement our offerings with imported wild colonies and fish, expanding the operation significantly. However, this expansion diluted our core focus and, after considerable thought, led to the business's closure. Reflecting back, I realize that my true calling was in growing coral, and given another chance, I would remain true to that first love.

 

[JGT]

Ah, sorry to hear it didn’t work out.

 

[Daniel@R2R]

Absolutely beautiful reef!!

 

[JGT]

Absolutely beautiful reef!!

Thanks man! You shamed me into a Build Thread. Thanks for the nudge. It needed to be done.

 

[JGT]

My Blue Jaw Triggers courting and preparing the sand for eggs. They attack my algae scraper when I go near the sandbed. They do the courting spiral and chase each other and the male takes on a vivid shade of silver. Horny buggers but no eggs yet.