DIY (Do it yourself) Canopy

So here we are with the new Metal Halide light fixture. The fixture literally flooded the surrounding rooms with tons of light. The house looked like a space ship from the outside from all the light being given off.
We decided it was time to build a canopy so we could sit comfortably in the living room without being blinded.
We got wood from homedepot and put one together and here it is.

Finishing touches and sanding

Turned out pretty good if I don't say so myself. Thanks Andrew! Great work!

A comparison of the old light to the new light

New Light (Pix is a little over exposed)

Old Light

NO COMPARISON!

The new light is 110% better

New Lighting on the 80 Gallon System

Today I got our Medal Halide Lighting for our 80 gallon reef system. Still a work in progress, but on the right track. The new fixture was ordered off ebay for $200. It is 2 Medal Halide lights 2 x 250watt and 15000k each. 6 blue LED moon lights as well.

I know it looks a little bright at the moment, but we still have an order of 100lbs of live rock that will be placed soon. Once it is received and we start stacking, the bottom of the aquarium will darken up from shadows. Our water now a shimmer to it that you can not get with PC lighting.

NEW PIXS OF DISPLAY TANKS

Here are some new pixs of our display tanks. We are fixing to start Aquascaping the 30gallon, so that will be another post by itself.

30 gallon

30 Gallon

30 Gallon

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

The 80 gallon setup is now where near finished. We are still cycling the tank. Another order of 100lbs of rock is still to come. Once We have the new rock, we will begin the aquascaping process to get it all nice a pretty before we start to add livestock.

We decided to go with a double sided viewing Aquarium in order to separate two rooms in the house, the living and dining room. In order for us to be about to accomplish this, we are having to basically build the right equipment we need. We will have a 30g refugium set up under the 80 gallon tank as well.

80 Gallon

80 Gallon

80 Gallon

80 Gallon

BTA DIED on 3/15/2010

Yep our Rose Bubble Tip Anemone, BOB, died yesterday around 6pm. From our water quality, we could tell that it was more of a stress issue than anything else. When we first got Bob, he quickly retreated behind a rock in the back of the aquarium. After some time, we got worried he wouldn't be getting enough light so we moved the rock he was attached to. After that, he stayed put for about 3 days in full light and then made his way under another rock.
He was doing fine until one day we saw him disk down in the sand. We tried to let him do what he was trying to do, but he got nowhere and shriveled up. We took him from the sand and set up a plastic container with holes to hang on the side of the tank in case he died, he would die in it. Once in it for a day or two, still looking all pitiful, we decided to let him go in the display tank and him to do whatever, if he died so be it, if he lived so be it. We were frustrated at this point.

R.I.P BOB

You will be missed

A couple hours into the main tank and he started to dissolve. That was That. We still believe the main cause was stress, with a dose from not getting enough light. We got him out and gave him the water grave he deserved. We love him.

BTA not looking good

The past couple days our BTA has looked liked hell froze over. I know the it will deflate to expel waste, but the bugger fell off a rock and has looked like death. Usually they will look like this for a couple hours, but it has looked like that for about 2 days now. Im am starting to wonder what I should do about it. Im SCARED!!!

Things are going great!

Since the clown fish incident, he has made a full recovery and is now doing great. Since my last post we have bought a Rose Bubble Tip Anemone and Mushroom Corals for our tank.

Mushroom Corals

Rose Bubble Tip Anemone

UPDATE

Things are coming along pretty well. I was to make a correction about the word usage I have been using. This Aquarium is not "MY" tank, but actually "OUR" tank. Me and my partner are in this together. I will now refer to the tank as "out tank" from now own.