Hang-on-the-Wall reef aquarium
Printed From: Utah Reefs
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Forum Name: Tank Threads
Forum Description: A place to show off your tank build.
URL: http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=78310
Printed Date: November 21 2024 at 12:37pm
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Topic: Hang-on-the-Wall reef aquarium
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Subject: Hang-on-the-Wall reef aquarium
Date Posted: November 25 2015 at 2:13pm
Can't believe it - after ~25 years in the hobby, this is my one and only build thread.  Below is how my dentists freshwater tank looked in 2010 before I changed it to a reef. There were hardly any fish and they were continually jumping out. I discovered that the heater and the light were keeping the water at about 83.
  As you can see from the top pic, this acrylic tank was all scratched. I started to remove the inside scratches with a strong algae magnet and micro-mesh. It couldn't take the pressure and started leaking. It was a pretty old acrylic tank.  My dentist did not want a regular tank on a stand with a sump and he didn't want a sump hanging on the opposite side of the wall(the restroom).  Yea! I found a new glass picture frame tank, gathering dust in the backroom of Fish-4-U. Thanks Kris  Here it is fresh out of the box:  I ripped off the cheap steel picture frame and cut pieces of it to fashion a reinforcing bottom pan and brackets for top and sides. Generous amounts of aquarium silicone were slathered on to secure/support the bottom edges of the tank in the pan and to keep the braces from rusting. Dimensions: 40" wide x 4.5" deep(front to back) x 21" tall. Here it is with sand, ready to be placed on the shelf on the wall.  Hmmm, I guess I forgot to take a good picture of the shelf on the wall. Here is a fuzzy view looking up at the bottom of the shelf.  ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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Replies:
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: November 25 2015 at 3:27pm
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New brushed steel picture frame pieces were manufactured by a local sheet metal shop and I found very short bolts to hold it together and give it the right look to match the outside veneer of the dentists office. Utah Rock pieces were glued together with Gorilla Glue to form the nice aquascaping. (In this pic the steel is still covered with protective plastic.)   Here it is without the picture frame. I used the same large PC light fixture. "L" brackets support the fixture on the wall and flipped "L" brackets reach the top edge of the tank keeping it secure against the wall. The shelf is made of an oak plank supported by two brackets secured to the metal wall studs.  With the light further from the water than previous, there was no need for a heater.  ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: November 25 2015 at 3:34pm
Skip forward to 2013 and almost 2 years away from Utah, living and working in paradise  . Cared for by a tank maintenance company, the tank looked poorly with tufts of hair algae all over. The LS and LR had been changed out during my absence. Not because it wasn't good stuff, but because the company did not know how to care for this little aquarium. Until added prior to this pic, Snails and Hermits were practically non-existent and PO4 removal media was not being utilized. TLC, time and some tank raised Nemo's made for a lovely 2013 holiday season:  Illuminated by a Hamilton 48" 36x1W LED light strip.  ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: November 25 2015 at 3:47pm
As it looks today: Circulation is two Maxijet 600's at opposite ends shooting water at each other. Makes for good turbulance. Everything is always swaying in the turbulence.  Looking down at the new Hamilton 36" 18x3W LED Light Strip with PWM Dimmer installed just today, turned to about half power/intensity for acclimation. The shimmer on both the background and the aquascaping is intense.  Tank location: Garden View Dental, 1356 So. 2100 E. Aloha, Mark
 ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: December 11 2015 at 8:21am
Yellow Tang introduced December 1 started peeking out.   Tank mates:  Aloha, Mark ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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Posted By: superman1981
Date Posted: December 11 2015 at 2:26pm
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That's a really cool tank, Mark! What are the actual dimensions of the tank? ------------- Sure you are, you are Crappy Reef Club Member #1 -Chk4tix 6 gal nanocube 65 gal http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=78639&title=tims-65-gallon-build" rel="nofollow - build thread |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: January 29 2016 at 3:17pm
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Sorry, I missed the question until now. From a post above: Dimensions: 40" wide x 4.5" deep(front to back) x 21" tall. It's only filled about 18" deep so 40x4.5x18/230 makes it 14 gallons. That's it. Aloha, Mark ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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Posted By: phys
Date Posted: January 30 2016 at 3:50am
| I'm surprised that tang can turn around lol |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: December 15 2016 at 8:03am
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The Yellow Tang has been in the tank for 13 months and is still going strong, despite a recent cold spell. The furnace failed to heat the office over the Thanksgiving Holiday. From what I was told, I figure the temperature got into the low 60's. The male Maroon Clownfish was the only mortality, all other animals survived. Now I'm facing a different problem but it's actually a repeat problem. It looks to my eyes like the light fixture is losing intensity. As before, I believe it's the LED power supply that needs replacing. A thread covering some of the issue, where I received some excellent advice is here: http://utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=78197" rel="nofollow - http://utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=78197 It makes sense to move that over to this build thread. Here is my comparison of two Mean Well LED driver (power supply) options: Option 1 The Mean Well GS90 A12-P1M posted above (in the other thread) is still a black plastic case 6"x2.5"x1.5, but it has a 2 year warranty, unlike the close to zero warranty of the $6 Kastar unit. It has the advantage of being similarly compact and fully insulated as power supplies used previously. The downside is bulky wires that require bundling to fit the whole thing in the space between the tank and the picture frame. Option 2 The Mean Well metal cage style RSP-75-12 is a bit larger at 6"x4"x1. It has a better warranty of 3 years. Though larger, it has raw wire connections rather than standard cords. I need to look again at how it could fit in the available space. At the right in this pic the metal picture frame is just barely visible. This creates a channel where the powerstrip, plugs and wires must fit. And then there is the potential salt water damage issue which might also void the warranty.   Thanks for looking. Aloha  ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: December 15 2016 at 8:26am
While I was writing all this, editing and adding a pic and then linking both threads (can you say "over acheiver"  ) this really helpful information came in this morning in the other thread.
Thanks Krazie/Jeff. That cinches it for me. The GS90 A12-P1M is in my Amazon Shopping Cart. Aloha and Mele Kalikimaka ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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Krazie4Acans wrote:Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: December 17 2016 at 9:05am
It has stayed about the same size, though it's belly is continually round from grazing on Caulerpa. ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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