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Mark Peterson 
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 Topic: New challenges
Posted: August 23 2010 at 3:11pm |
My dentist and I agreed to trade services. I would make his freshwater tank into a reef and he would do my teeth.  Seems simple enough, right. The tank is a 7 year old novelty tank which hangs on the wall. It was glass, but the glass broke so he had it re-built with acrylic. It now looks horrible with scratches all over. Unfortunately, it only took one hour of buffing and the tank started to leak! He doesn't want a regular tank on the floor, because it looks so cool on the wall. So now it's off the wall to either be fixed or replaced. It is only 4 inches deep!  
Edited by Mark Peterson - August 27 2010 at 4:17pm
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Spbeyond
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Posted: August 23 2010 at 3:25pm |
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WOW um what could you even do with that?
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90 Gallon Reef w/4 bulb 54W t5
I buy, sell and restore pinball machines. Got one in the basement? ;)
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Luckedout
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Posted: August 23 2010 at 3:41pm |
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What's behind the wall? What about building a tank into the wall. With only 4 in of space you're going to be hard pressed for equipment space etc,.
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-Ben
90g Mixed reef
www.body-balancechiropractic.com
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Rioreefer
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Posted: August 23 2010 at 3:42pm |
poor fishs 
Mark you are usally so good at giving the COLD HARD TRUTH.. your holding back and I know it...
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I dont mean to brag but, yeah it's 6ft long.
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bugzme
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Posted: August 23 2010 at 3:56pm |
Mark doesn't like gadgets so I'm sure he will figure something out 
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Jeff
125 tank
50 gallon sump
T-5 lighting
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I KNOW ROCKS THAT ARE YOUNGER THEN ME!! I AM A Realist! I write what I think!!
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Broman
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Posted: August 23 2010 at 6:06pm |
Need more input! Where is the leak in the acrylic - on the corners or on the wall? What is his current (freshwater) setup for filtration? Are you thinking of adding a sump or somehow using HOB type filters/skimmers for his setup? This sounds like a pretty cool challenge...
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60g Cube, 30g sump/refugium, 1 250W MH, 2 24" T5's
Ogden
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Mark Peterson
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Posted: August 23 2010 at 7:34pm |
Fish cruelty all right.  A tank that narrow would be like several of us living in a narrow
hallway no wider than we are tall. For exercise we would run up and down
the hallway. The Restroom is on the other side of the wall with the toilet sitting sideways next to the wall. The wall has steel studs and is the standard ~5" width. I'd like to brainstorm here. Please don't think about how it could be done, just throw out ideas of cool things that could be. Here's my brainstorm idea - A hex-ended tank like a 55 with cut corners sitting in the wall seen from both sides.
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badfinger
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Posted: August 23 2010 at 7:49pm |
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But then you see into and out of the bathroom right?...
If it were me I would knock out the sheet rock right behind the tank, and then add a hang on back refuge. That's about the only idea I can come up with for a tank like that... for lighting making or buying an LED setup would be awesome.
But if he is up with the idea of making the tank deeper (as deep as the studs are + whatever outside of the wall) get an acrylic tank custom made and maybe even a custom made sump either in wall or in a cabinet... then you would be talking at least nine-ten inch tank
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Corey Price
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Posted: August 23 2010 at 8:04pm |
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How about just a bunch of small fish, and maybe some soft coral? How about some small gobies? Possibly glue the rock to the back pane?
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Mark Peterson
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Posted: August 27 2010 at 4:06pm |
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The buffing was done with a strong magnet algae scraper and various sizes of "micro mesh". I would have used a stronger magnet, but the one I used still caused the tank to fail at the corners.
Thanks to my good friend Kris Fidone, I now have a new wall tank for my dentist, an improved model of the same wall mounted tank he started with. I'm happy with it because it's much deeper, more like 5" instead of 3".
This time it will be mounted properly so that it does not crack. It appears that the manufacturer is uninformed about the physics of glass tanks. They can be supported on the ends and last forever but if they are high centered they will eventually crack.
Now I need:
1. to find a T5 retrofit setup with three 36" or 48" tubes.
2. to paint the back and maybe some sand glued up from the ground level to give depth perception.
3. to glue a rockscape to the back. This is another situation where Utah Rock will be ideal. The small pieces that Donna and I picked up last time will be perfect to make caves and ledges up the back of this tank.
Edited by Mark Peterson - August 27 2010 at 4:16pm
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bur01014
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Posted: August 27 2010 at 4:14pm |
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I would look into Reefbrite's new LED strips instead of t-5s for such a skinny setup. (just an opinion) One strip is supposed to be equal to 2 ATI Blue plus bulbs .....They are super skinny and easily mountable, come in 24, 36, and 48 inch I believe.....problem is, they are somewhat expensive, but he is a dentist right? It would look amazing though.....they are perfectly balanced with just the right amount of blue hue...
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Mark Peterson
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Posted: August 27 2010 at 4:31pm |
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Yes, he and I discussed that option. The big problem with LED's is that the manufacturers still haven't caught on to how to use colored LED's to make colors "pop" while growing and fluorescing coral.
Blue/white is just plain, well, stupid. Sorry, but that's what I have said for many years about the PC industry and they just never caught on.
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bugzme
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Posted: August 27 2010 at 4:33pm |
I agree with the above post!! 
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Jeff
125 tank
50 gallon sump
T-5 lighting
Rum drinker, Carbon User
I KNOW ROCKS THAT ARE YOUNGER THEN ME!! I AM A Realist! I write what I think!!
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Jake Pehrson
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Posted: August 30 2010 at 4:19pm |
 Mark Peterson wrote:
Yes, he and I discussed that option. The big problem with LED's is that the manufacturers still haven't caught on to how to use colored LED's to make colors "pop" while growing and fluorescing coral.
Blue/white is just plain, well, stupid. Sorry, but that's what I have said for many years about the PC industry and they just never caught on.
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I would have to disagree. Although the majority of the LED fixtures are using white and blue, there are more and more RGB or RGBY (no whites!). That basically allows you almost an infinite control of your lighting color. Even some of the basic white and blue fixtures are adding some red and greens to help with better coloration.
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bugzme
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Posted: August 30 2010 at 4:26pm |
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Sorry but I have seen very few led tanks with colors popping (certain colors do) unless they are supplemented with good t-5's! Maybe I haven't found the site yet but they have awesome growth.
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Jeff
125 tank
50 gallon sump
T-5 lighting
Rum drinker, Carbon User
I KNOW ROCKS THAT ARE YOUNGER THEN ME!! I AM A Realist! I write what I think!!
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Luckedout
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Posted: August 30 2010 at 4:43pm |
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What about using something like Vida Rock that you can get custom made for the tank. Less headache for you. I would say do a zoa garden with some smaller lps. Then get some small fish. couple small clowns. Maybe a sixline or yellow coris wrasse.
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-Ben
90g Mixed reef
www.body-balancechiropractic.com
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CapnMorgan
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Posted: August 30 2010 at 5:04pm |
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The only bad thing is once you put them in there it will be a pain to take them out when that little coris wrasse gets to be 6" long. I would go with some of the smaller gobies like hector or rainfords. You could also do firefish, or clown gobies, or even a white rayed shrimp goby. If you could keep the tank cooler a catalina goby would also be cool. You could put a few sexy shrimp in there with a porcelain crab and a coco worm.
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Steve My Old 180G Mixed ReefCurrently: 120G Wavefront Mixed 29G Seahorse & Softies Running ReefAngel Plus x2 435-8
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Mark Peterson
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Posted: August 31 2010 at 9:31am |
Small fish? That's why I'll be spending some time with Nano Chris this Thursday. Painting the back of the tank to hide the wallpaper! I wonder if there is a somewhat transparent midnight blue that could be followed up by a mirrored background to give it the appearance of depth. How about a three coats of paint? A haze coating => aquamarine => midnight blue. Anyone? For aquascaping I have considered black landscape foam but am leaning toward gluing some sand and rubble(LBTR and LR) in reef patterns to the inside back. I hope this will also help make 4" have the appearance of greater depth. Jake, please offer suggestions as to where I could get these color popping LED strips.
Edited by Mark Peterson - August 31 2010 at 9:54am
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Jake Pehrson
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Posted: September 01 2010 at 10:28am |
bugzme wrote:
Sorry but I have seen very few led tanks with colors popping (certain colors do) unless they are supplemented with good t-5's! Maybe I haven't found the site yet but they have awesome growth. |
I would have to somewhat agree. I use T5s on my own tanks, and for most people T5 are the best choice (for now).
My point was not that LEDs are better. My point was address to Mark where he said:
Mark Peterson wrote:
The big problem with LED's is that the manufacturers still haven't caught on to how to use colored LED's to make colors "pop" while growing and fluorescing coral. |
Many LED light fixture manufactures are not clueless in regards to reef lighting and they have "caught on". In fact they are pushing the envelope on what can be done with reef lighting. Unfortuanatly most of the LED fixtures that would replace a good T5 setup are too expensive for the average hobbyest, but this will change over time.
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bugzme
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Posted: September 01 2010 at 10:55am |
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I agree.
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Jeff
125 tank
50 gallon sump
T-5 lighting
Rum drinker, Carbon User
I KNOW ROCKS THAT ARE YOUNGER THEN ME!! I AM A Realist! I write what I think!!
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