The GF got kittens... so I got a bigger Tank - My 75 Build

braydonosu

braydonosu

Member
My 40 gal wasn't big enough, so I decided to start a 75. My Girlfriend wanted kittens and I said that I would allow it as long as I could get the 75.
I didn't take too many pictures during construction, but I can tell you that the stand is a 2 x 4 construction with Aspen pannels. I think that it turned out pretty well. The tank is a reef ready AGA 75 that I got for $80. I made a 20 gal long into a custom sump that has drains on either end (1 into the protein skimmer chamber, and 1 into a fuge) and 2 ~700 gph pumps. The specs:
Tank - AGA reef ready 75
Sump - AGA 20 Long
Circulation - 2 x ~700 GPH pumps, Korilia 3, 2 x Maxi Jet 1200 (Blowing behind rocks)
Light - Tek 4 bulb T5 + 2 x Nove retro fit 48" T5 (6 total bulbs)
Stand - 6' x 2' (Total height w/ Tank ~ 5')
Protein Skimmer - Coralife 125
Extras - 10 gal in line QT/water change tank, 5.5 gal Fresh water ATO.
We live in an old power bldg that they converted into apts - hopefully we don't move into a place with <10 ft ceilings because this tank may look weird then.


 
braydonosu

braydonosu

Member
I really need to get a DSLR camera to take better shots, but I can't bring myself to spend the $$$.
Anyway - here are my corals, I'll try to take similar shotes every month so that I can have a bit of a growth log.
Photos 1-21-2010
Purple Brush Gorg:


Pineapple Favites Brain:


GSP's:

Hammer:


Green Finger Birds Nest:

Bicolor Monti Cap:

Squamosa:
 
braydonosu

braydonosu

Member
This tank has only been up since December - I'm going to try to get about 3 more months out of the stock bulbs unless I see little to no growth or health issues. Thanks for looking guys/gals.
 
braydonosu

braydonosu

Member
The birds nest and monti and manderin just went in yesterday a few hours before these shots.
Thanks Nissan, I really like the look of the wood stand extending past the tank, plus with the top off and power center, I needed the extra room.
 
braydonosu

braydonosu

Member
Roofus: No lie, he sleeps like this sometimes

Olivia:

Both cuddling:

A coworker of my girlfriend had just adopted 3 kittens from a shelter, 2 weeks later her husbend found a cardboard box full of 4 kittens abandoned at a house that they were tearing down - they took them in. The kittens where ~5 wks old when we went to look at them. Olivie crawled right up in my girlfriends lap and fell asleep - So my girlfriend had to have her, Roofus walked right up onto her lap and tried to swallow olivia's head - I had to have him.
 
braydonosu

braydonosu

Member
The 75 is as big as I'll go until I buy a house and can have an inwall tank. Any bigger than this and it will be tough to move. And since I want to be out of Ohio by the end of this year, I nead a manageable tank.
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
Originally Posted by braydonosu
http:///forum/post/3215202
The 75 is as big as I'll go until I buy a house and can have an inwall tank. Any bigger than this and it will be tough to move. And since I want to be out of Ohio by the end of this year, I nead a manageable tank.
Good thinking.....If I ever had to move my 225G IDK what I would do....
Beautiful cats
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
Originally Posted by nissan577
http:///forum/post/3215211
there kittens!

UH...I think they are a little big to be kittens....and if they were kittens...RUN when they grow up

Did you build the bottom cabinet too? Or just the canopy?
 
braydonosu

braydonosu

Member
His "Best" quality is that he will walk into another room and start crying as loud as he can. He stops as soon as you walk into the room and pet him. We've figured out that he just wants to be in that room and he thinks that you should be there to pet him.
He also likes to jump on door frams, not sure why, but we don't like it. He'll stand up next to the fram and stare at you until you pick up the water bottle to squirt him, then he'll jump on the frame and run as fast as he can down the hall.
 
braydonosu

braydonosu

Member
I built the whole thing with the help of my uncle (he is a builder and has an amazing shop above his garage) and my step-father.
 
braydonosu

braydonosu

Member
So my Manderin didn't make it - not sure what happened - there one day, gone the next. During my weekend maintenence work I knocked something into my main drain pipe and created a slow drip leak - To anyone just starting a drilled tank - do it right the first time. I didn't have a pipe wrench so I just hand tightened the bulkhead and put silicone around the seams - big no no. So I got the wrence removed the silicone and tightened the bulk heads correctly.
Should be getting an order from SWF tomorrow - an oc clown to pair up my current one, a Leopard Wrasse, a Bicolor Blenny, and an ORA green tip leather. I'll update with some pics when they come in.
I'll also try to get some cat updates for you meowzer - they have finally learned that they rule the apt. We should have some pretty funny pictures.
 
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