Bears 40 Gallon Build thread..

Bearsfish

Non-member
As promised here is the build thread.

I will not bother with the "this was the plan, but now..." I will simply start off where I am currently with this build.

The tank is a 40 (ish) corner bow front tank (some calculators say 43, the person I got it from said 45, and other calculators say 40 gallon). It turns out that there is NO information on this tank form US companies and the closest I can find is in the UK. Which is a pain in the backside since I wanted a cover for this tank. So I am going to be making a glass / PVC sheet cover for this tank. The cover will be detailed in another post when I have pictures of actually making it. (materials in-home, just no time right this moment)

I have built a 2 foot x 4 foot stand for this tank..

Here is a picture
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My intention was to make this into an AIO, however there have been some complications with the materials I wanted to use. I mention this so that when you see the next pictures you will understand that the paper mock walls may or may not be involved in future planning.

Here is a picture of the tank with potential rock work. (note: once the cover is in place the wife will not have to hold the lights up.. as it is right now, she is easier to find this way.

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More information in the next post.
 
So I guess a little history is actually needed.. not much but enough.. I have had saltwater tanks in the past and I have learned a great deal from them..

In my first tank I learned about researching live stock before its in the tank. Chemical warfare that resulted in a tank that looked like milk and a total loss will teach you a lot.

My second and 3rd tanks taught me to plan my gear a bit more in advance and not upgrade every 40 seconds. (5gal to 20 gal, to 29 gal, to 50 gallon with sump in about 5 weeks).. This tank was far more successful but also taught me that when outside things create a situation where you need to sell off - Keep some of the gear!!!

So on tank 3, I kept my powerheads, rock, a bucket of salt, and lights..

Lights are on my freshwater and the plants grow so well that I could not take them back.. Besides, the shape of the current tank requires a bit more creativity for the lighting..

As you can see in the last post I have 2 lights one larger and one smaller to ensure light throughout the tank.

Ok on to water. In the bast I have used bottled RO water and had no issues. I was planning to do this again... Until last night when my wife left the lights and ran out to buy me this
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She found a great deal on Facebook and grabbed this up for me for $60!!! I am super pumped..

Ok that is it for the moment.
 
Oh I guess I should clarify. I am open to all questions, input, and feedback. That is after all the purpose of a forum.
 
In this hobby you definitely learn through mistakes. I still keep cheeping out on things that I eventually will still buy the better ones later. Keeping certain things definitely helps since we all know that we can’t stay away for long lol
 
The corner tanks are interesting shapes to work with. Are you planning on painting or covering the two flat panes, or leaving them as side views?
 
I was unsure until you asked. But the more I write out the answer the more clear it becomes. I will be leaving these as a side view. This way if there are any issues, I can see and address them right away.

Besides I can always do it later. Painting a full tank is a pain, but I have done it before. I use craft acrylics and generally go very slow. With this much space around the tank, there is lots of room to get in there if needed without a lot of moving everything.
 
tested and the RO/DI works great!! Almost time to get wet...

Last night after my homework was completed my wife and I tried cutting glass for the first time..

This cover is in three sections. Front is PVC sheet, then glass (plastic is there to protect from the rough edge and to help open that section when needed) and the last glass corner is siliconed into place. THe corners were cut on this section to permit wires to be fed through..

additionally, I decided making this into an AIO was going to waste to much space so I am adding a small Canister filter instead..

Here is a pic of the cover(s)
 

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This waiting is DRIVING ME NUTSSSSSSSSSS
LOL. It is to be expected. I know. I am not rushing. I just want to witness any sort of change..

So ran the first ammonia test last night. As expected 2.0 ppm...

I am considering tossing a bottle of BB in there to move things along.....

stupid dental procedure suddenly became needed and I have to push back buying the additional rock I wanted to put in here... But I can always add the new rock in its not an urgent need.
 
In an effort to get things moving along just a little quicker I grabbed a live rock.. not certain that this is the final scape but it sure is pretty

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me too!!!

I just want to see that Diatom bloom so I can start working on the CUC. I saw a few really nice packages at reef cleaners and I build a few just for fun to see what I like best. Of course, now it is just driving me nuts since I cannot actually put anything in this tank yet..

I suppose I should start planning out my fish and coral lists...
The family and I have a few loose ideas, but it may be time to get these a bit more focused.
 
First fish and corals going in! 2 clowns some trumpet corals, hammer, GSP, mushrooms, and xenia I think.. pictures as things get moving..here are some drip acclimating pix
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