45g rimless

DRC Archive Member Tanks
1

Okay here are the photos of my new 45g rimless. I will throw in the pics of the stand building process which took a lot longer than I expected. My hubby doesn’t like the aqua scape, but he never does. Please offer up your opinion, both good or bad.

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Wow, very nicely done tank. Clean professional looking install. Very nice work on the stand.

Can’t wait to see it stocked!

3

Looks great. I think I would still paint the back.

4

Look great Ellen! You work quickly. What did you end up going with for lighting? Hang a MH?

5

Wow Ellen

Looks AWESOME!!! Thats skimmer looks pretty cool! ;D

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[quote=“Gordonious, post:2, topic:2074”]
Wow, very nicely done tank. Clean professional looking install. Very nice work on the stand.

Can’t wait to see it stocked! [/quote]

Thanks Jon. I still need to put the door on. It is a contrasting grey color to match my light hood. Building the stand was the easy part. It is nice and level. Painting it was not good… I am a lousy painter.Your frags will probably be the first corals in the tank.

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[quote=“billrob71, post:5, topic:2074”]
Wow Ellen

Looks AWESOME!!! Thats skimmer looks pretty cool! ;D

Thanks billrob. I like the skimmer too![/quote]

[quote=“Jocephus, post:3, topic:2074”]
Looks great. I think I would still paint the back.[/quote]

Yeah, I will have a black background. I just didn’t want to paint it. I know I would have screwed it up somehow.
Thanks.

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[quote=“IanH, post:4, topic:2074”]
Look great Ellen! You work quickly. What did you end up going with for lighting? Hang a MH?[/quote]

I am going to use a ATI sunpower 6 bulb T-5. I love my T-5’s.

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Oooo 6 T5s over that should be plenty of light! Should be nice.

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Wow thats alot of light . Everything should do great

11

it should just sparkle. great job, e.

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Yeah, I will have a black background. I just didn't want to paint it. I know I would have screwed it up somehow. Thanks.

Ellen - vinyl, vinyl, vinyl!!! The best thing i have ever done was letting Andy put black vinyl on my 265g. It will cost you about $5 and take 5min for a tank that size. Very easy to do(WAY easier than painting) and much better looking IMO!

hubby doesn't like the aqua scape, but he never does
I dont like most of the rocks, but i think the aquascaping looks great for what you had to work with. No matter how good you can aquascape, the shape of the rock makes it or breaks it. I really like the formation in the front right. Very dynamic.

Overall, very professional and clean job. Love the equipment choices and the tank is AMAZING! We have very similar tastes! What brand tank is that? It looks like the new perfecto except for it being rimless.

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[quote=“logans_daddy, post:12, topic:2074”]

Yeah, I will have a black background. I just didn't want to paint it. I know I would have screwed it up somehow. Thanks.

Ellen - vinyl, vinyl, vinyl!!! The best thing i have ever done was letting Andy put black vinyl on my 265g. It will cost you about $5 and take 5min for a tank that size. Very easy to do(WAY easier than painting) and much better looking IMO!

hubby doesn't like the aqua scape, but he never does
I dont like most of the rocks, but i think the aquascaping looks great for what you had to work with. No matter how good you can aquascape, the shape of the rock makes it or breaks it. I really like the formation in the front right. Very dynamic.

Overall, very professional and clean job. Love the equipment choices and the tank is AMAZING! We have very similar tastes! What brand tank is that? It looks like the new perfecto except for it being rimless.[/quote]

Thanks for your honest opinion Shawn. I agree the rocks I used aren’t the best just what I had left over from the stuff my neighbor gave me. The tank was built by Cadlights and I am happy with the way it turned out.

I have heard of people using vinyl before. Do I buy it at an auto parts store? How do you apply it? I only have about 5.5" space behind the tank. Will this be enough room to get it on the glass?

[quote=“moliken, post:11, topic:2074”]
Thanks Paul.
it should just sparkle. great job, e.[/quote]

14

its self adhesive… but gonna be tricky keeping it from sticking b4 u r ready! can absolutely be done, but gonna be a pain in the ars.

beautiful tank btw ;D

15

what kind of skimmer is that? im considering a cone upgrade, but trying to find one on a budget. rite now im looking at an i-tech, but what i can buy, the 100, isnt what i need, the 200.
very nice. i need a stand, but am very lowsy at making nice and level edges, can ya help me out?

16

No problem on base rock entero. After you get it covered in bright colored corals, no one will even notice the rock.

Hmm? Does that vinyl go on like window tinting, with a little water and a squeegy?

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[quote=“addicted2reefin, post:15, topic:2074”]
what kind of skimmer is that? im considering a cone upgrade, but trying to find one on a budget. rite now im looking at an i-tech, but what i can buy, the 100, isnt what i need, the 200.
very nice. i need a stand, but am very lowsy at making nice and level edges, can ya help me out? [/quote]

The skimmer is an ATB multiuse. I don’t know what kind of budget you have for a skimmer, but the ATB will run you a little more. They are quality set and forget skimmers though, well worth it in my opinion.

As for getting the stand square and level here is what we did

  1. Buy the best boards you can find. Make sure they are straight to begin with. This is not easy!
  2. Use a square
  3. Use clamps
  4. Pray…LOL…

It really isn’t as hard as it looks. I had more trouble with the painting and finishing.

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Does that vinyl go on like window tinting, with a little water and a squeegy?

Yep, very easy. Andy uses windex but im not sure if there is an advantage of using one liquid over another. I know the sell liquids used just for applying tint/viny but windex works perfect. It might be tough to do with the minimum amount of room behind the tank but because its so small i dont think it will be to bad.

19

I got the lights hung today and the black background on. I just went with a standard background as I already had it from a previous tank. I have been dropping a few pinches of fish food in the tank everyday, to see if I am going to get a little mini cycle. I have had most of the LR cooking in my garage all summer long so I may not get a cycle at all.

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Lookin GOOD GolfC