My big DIYS project

[reef_dart21]

I am creating an eel pond with these specs:
6x6 square with 2x4
Black rubber as lining
Fake sand (from homedepot)
Custom protien skimmer (5 gallon drum with filtration balls, gravel,charcol and etc)
Wave maker
Lighting will be just normal florescent over top
Some LR with fake LR
Inhabinants will be:
Snowflake eel &Jewled Moray
or
Goldtail moray &snowflake
if you any any opinions or cristicism you may post also post if 2 eels would be too much or too little i would like a aggresive tank but ones that require only a low amount of light and do not DEPEND on lr Thankyou for yourtime (its great getting a raise ^_^)

 

[reef_dart21]

Exact fixture measurement
6' 00" x 6' 00" x 0' 3 1/2"
Made from pretreated 2 x 4
Going to be 3' to 4' deep with a 1' sandbed (some live sand form my mature reef)
normal lighting
Will be in basement so temp will be around 80
will have 2 big heaters
have all materials except what type of sand do i want? I forget.

Also would it be too much if i add a 6" map puffer? (110$ from lfs)

 

[keebler]

Originally Posted by Reef_Dart21
http:///forum/post/2786050
I am creating an eel pond with these specs:
6x6 square with 2x4
Black rubber as lining
Fake sand (from homedepot)
Custom protien skimmer (5 gallon drum with filtration balls, gravel,charcol and etc)
Wave maker
Lighting will be just normal florescent over top
Some LR with fake LR
Inhabinants will be:
Snowflake eel &Jewled Moray
or
Goldtail moray &snowflake
if you any any opinions or cristicism you may post also post if 2 eels would be too much or too little i would like a aggresive tank but ones that require only a low amount of light and do not DEPEND on lr Thankyou for yourtime (its great getting a raise ^_^)
Wait, like outside? Wouldn't rain and evaporation mess it up? Or is it inside?

 

[srfisher17]

How are you going to keep them contained? They can escape through a very tiny space. BTW, you sound like you're making a filter, not a skimmer.

 

[reef_dart21]

I have contructed a lid of 1meshlayer that was supposed to be for my outside pond (roughly same measurement but slightly bigger) to prevent A huge herring from getting my fish but i created a different method
so the lining should prevent them from escaping
the 1 layer of mesh wieght and/or velcroed down
and if not strong enough i heard chicken fencing works just as good

 

[reef_dart21]

Originally Posted by srfisher17
http:///forum/post/2786064
How are you going to keep them contained? They can escape through a very tiny space. BTW, you sound like you're making a filter, not a skimmer.
did i put skimmer............lol good eye though but ya a filter i dont nko how ot make a skimmer

 

[reef_dart21]

A problem that u might help with is should i create the pond elevated somewhat or from the ground?

 

[el guapo]

Honestly I think its not the most practical idea . A 6'x6' pond for 2 eel's is over kill. Not to mention the ability to view them is cut down drastically from above . Eel's are already not the most visible and active fish . Eel's are extremely adapt at escaping from tanks and can be a lot stronger than you think .As far as chicken wire goes you do realize that metal rusts when exposed to salt water ? Eel's are extremely messy eaters and create a large bio load . There is more to this kind of a project then just a trip to home depot to get some supplies . Honestly you should really invest some more time into research before you attempt this .

 

[aquaknight]

Originally Posted by EL GUAPO
http:///forum/post/2786991
Honestly I think its not the most practical idea . A 6'x6' pond for 2 eel's is over kill. Not to mention the ability to view them is cut down drastically from above . Eel's are already not the most visible and active fish . Eel's are extremely adapt at escaping from tanks and can be a lot stronger than you think .As far as chicken wire goes you do realize that metal rusts when exposed to salt water ? Eel's are extremely messy eaters and create a large bio load . There is more to this kind of a project then just a trip to home depot to get some supplies . Honestly you should really invest some more time into research before you attempt this .
My feelings too. With any type of wave action, it's going to be virtually impossible to see in. And for the species you listed, the Jeweled, the Snowflake, and the Miliaris, all of them stay at or around 2 foot as their max (the Snowflake does get about 2 1/2 feet, but isn't quite as 'robust'). With a proper tube structure, a 120gal (4'x2'x2') tank could house any two of those eels for quite some time, if not forever. Not mention loads easiler, and what will be cheaper to setup in the long run.

 

[reef_dart21]

well i have the wood and im still going to make a pond what what size do you propose?
i would just very agressive active fish since i cant afford a glass tank this size...
if you coul dgive me some ideas it may help me
I originally was going to do manta rays but did not now how difficult they are to keep....so i guess i do need mroe research and any ideas would help but i have alrdy constructed the filter.....

 

[aquaknight]

I would pretty much read all of Bang Guy's Lagoon Reef thread:
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/89071/lagoonal-reef
Then contact him if you have any questions. One of the LFS's has a very cool aggressive lagoon, that's about 12'x6'. Has a couple tangs, a huge Picasso Trigger, some Lookdowns, some Columbia catfish, a Harlequin Tusk, some puffers, and some others. It's actually not terribly hard to see the fish, flow is quite low, and all they have for filtration is a FW pond setup with a UV. They hook up a Coralife skimmer from time to time. It's a store, so it's pretty brightly lit and I think that helps viewing the fish. Perhaps consider some overhanging flourosecent fixtures. And they have no live rock, just some fake structures.

 

[hammerhed7]

I like the idea, I would do rays over eels personally. I think it would be difficult to contain the eels.

 

[el guapo]

A ray pond would be cool ! I would do a ray pond . You can hand tame rays to come eat from your hand and pet them , That would be a lot more interesting and entertaining the eels.

 

[reef_dart21]

Originally Posted by EL GUAPO
http:///forum/post/2788821
A ray pond would be cool ! I would do a ray pond . You can hand tame rays to come eat from your hand and pet them , That would be a lot more interesting and entertaining the eels.
how difficult are they to contain/keep?

 

[el guapo]

as long as you leave a few inches of space above the water and the top of the pond you should be ok . As far as how easy to keep.... As long as you pick the right species you should be ok .

 

[reef_dart21]

how bout a bluespoted ray?

 

[small triggers]

a ray would be a good choice, if you keep it with smaller, none aggressive fish. just please, dont pull a steve irwin.

 

[el guapo]

Originally Posted by Reef_Dart21
http:///forum/post/2789286
how bout a bluespoted ray?
Not a good ray for beginners. As I understand there are two that fall under the generic "Blue spot" one is almost impossible to keep alive even to experienced and the other is a little bit better but not much . I have never tried either so I am not sure . But I have had a cortez that was a very healthy and happy fish.

 

[reef_dart21]

Update
I have the frame all buit,filter, and waiting for bangguy to message me back on how to create a protien skimmer
here are inhabinants i decided
1 Tesselatta eel
2 Round Stingray
3 Porkfish at 10" each
MAYBYE
instead of a porkfish
A Shark