introducing my 870gal tank (pics ahead)

[Joao Monteiro]

Great work, Ralph ! A beautifull tank from any standard.

And with our costs for electricity (here in Europe) - your US guys are so lucky... - , that sure doesn´t come easy at the end of the month.

Starting with two questions:

- Your fish list
- I see you used PVC for the back pannels. Which kind and thickness ? Was it painted dark blue ? how is it supported at/attached to the top of the back glass ?

I just set up a 210g and am still working on the back glass. The tank (2nd hand) has a light blue plastic film glued to it but it doesn´t convince me. I´ve been planning on something similar to your pannels.

[rommelgin]

off the hook right there!! someday.......

[hawaiianwargod]

Tank of the Month!!!!

[Paikuhan]

That is a very nice set-up, Thanks for sharing

[bkwudzjeep]

WOW!! I just returned from Kassel and would have driven to see this!! Very nice job Ralf!!

[pedropsk]

WOW!!! that is an amazing setup!!!
feel free to post as many pics as you want! ...please!

[Reef Man]

Thanks Ralf, I think you showed all I need.
Can you explain how is the flow of the water?
I can see some tunze devices, but not tu much pipes around the tank for the water flow.

Thanks.

PS, I will borrow alot of ideas from your setup

[RalfP]

@all
stop this!, i'am already blushed (but thanks anyway ;-))

Joao,
you're so damn right, about 3000 Watts of light at high noon above a tank in Europe proves that you're really mad about reefkeeping ;-)

I am feeling like you regarding the back cover of my tank. I want to be able to look into it,
behind the rocks.
Thinking about searching a lost fish and not being able to simply take a lamp and look behind the rocks makes me nervous.
So what i did was taking black foam-PVC from the local hardware store, which is sold there
for different handicraft purposes.
It is PVC but somehow foamed. Its 3mm thick (0.12"?) plates. As they are made of PVC foam, they can be easily processed with a simple cutter and still feel like solid plates.
I have 3 of them behind the tank and glued (PVC-glue) a PVC made U-bar to the top of each with the U opening pointing down. (U-bar made of 2 L-bars glued together).
I now can hang em on the back of the tank or take them away as i like.
The dark blue colour is d-c-fix (a self-adhering foil off the roll) in colour "marin-blue", as it
is used to pimp up old furniture.

bkwudzjeep,
Kassel is still 4-5 hours drive from Hamburg, but as i was told people in the US are used to
driving long distances. Germany seem way to small to get used to that .

Ok, finally the "not coral"-list (sorry, for not having the english names for all of them,
hopefully i got the ones i have right).

-adult Siganus magnificus (Magnificent rabbitfish)
-Chelmon rostratus (Copperband butterflyfish)
-adult Acanthurus pyroferus (Chocolate surgeonfish)
-Acanthurus leucosternon (Powderblue surgeonfish)
-adult Ctenochaetus strigosus (Spotted surgeonfish)
-5 Pseudocheilinus hexataenia (Sixline wrasse)
-15 Pseudanthias dispar
-Amblygobius phalaena

-about 200 algae eating hermit crabs
-some Lysmata debelius (Fire shrimp)
-Alpheus frontalis (Pistol shrimp)
-about 200 algae eating snails
-some sand “cleaning” sea cucumbers
-sand “cleaning” starfish (Archaster angulatus)
-different sea shells from 2 to 15" Tridacna
-some higher algae

I like my P. dispars most, the 15 keep most of the time in a close shoal together






The Foxface is about 7-8" long





Ralf

[cwegescheide]

Oh man!!!!

Incredible setup...

[Joao Monteiro]

Originally posted by RalfP
[B]Joao,
you're so damn right, about 3000 Watts of light at high noon above a tank in Europe proves that you're really mad about reefkeeping ;-)

I´m dealing with "only" 840, and still...

I am feeling like you regarding the back cover of my tank. I want to be able to look into it,
behind the rocks.
Thinking about searching a lost fish and not being able to simply take a lamp and look behind the rocks makes me nervous.

That´s exactly it !!! And as tanks go bigger we see less and get more nervous...
Thanks for the explanation, it was perfect. I´m also planning on those PVC foams (I´ve found only grey around here), I´m only having some difficulties in deciding the color. Some dark-blue or black, perhaps...
I think for the top, a single "L" glued to the pannels will make the necessary "U" for them to be attached to the top of the back glass. Am I wrong ?

Just love your dispars. Congrats !
I´ll try a school of 11 or 13 threadfin cardinals (Apogon leptacanthus) in my tank - if I can find them here in Portugal - and 4 or 5 Lyretails anthias (p. squamipinnis)

p.s.: nervous about the worldcup ?

[Typhon]

Impressive to say the least!!!

[RalfP]

Joao,
theoretically you're right with the "L", but i think the "U" has a bigger part to be glued
to the pannel. "L" would be only the thickness of the material (3mm?) as contact area and
the "U" the high of itself.
If you glue the pannel inside the "U" it'll be as close to the glass as with the "L" version
but much more stable i guess.

Great idea with the cardinals... i've only seen them on pictures.
Read about them, that they'll stay very close together in their shoal and developing their
true colour only in the reef tank (not in the dealers tank).

p.s.: worldcup: well... have no cards... half Hamburg is already mad about it ;-)

[plancton]

Nice Frame

[AcroSteve]

You German's have all the cool stuf.

Very nice. So clean and well laid out.

What maintenance do you do to the sandbed?

[sonofgaladriel]

I've found my new inspiration to go bigger! This is an incredible set up! Very beautiful and natural looking. Looks like a reef reefscape to be sure.
I'm in the process of setting up a tank of very similar size and I will be using yours as a guide.
Thanks for sharing this beauty!!!
Wundebar!

[juststartingout]

Ralf, ausgezeichnet!!!! Sehr freundlich getan.

[Skipper]

Ralf, you have a private message.



What a great tank!!!!

[EricBrian]

Doch, hast'e gut gemacht. Wenn ich noch in noch in D wohnen wuerde, haette ich mich soeben auf dem weg nach Hamburg gemacht um das prachtstueck vorort zu besichtigen.

Tank of the Month.

[BetiumInside]

TANK OF THE MONTH!!!
I'll call you when ever I win the lottery for some good advice.

[Michelle L]

Ralf, your tank is absolutely breathtaking. I've not seen one this nice before unless it was a public aquarium, and even then yours is just as nice.

Also, I think you speak fluent English. Very well done!

[818]

Damnnn son!!!! TOTM for sure!

That is one hella of a tank. Id kill for that set-up

Sam

[Bebo77]

Originally posted by My F1sh R D34D!
Damnnn son!!!!!!!

lol that is to nice.. and so well planned out.... between you and Iwan my head is spinning.....

[tfetter]

All I can say is WOW, I am simply blown away by this tank. I can only imagine seeing this in person. Thanks for sharing your pictures and please post more If this does'nt say TOTM I don't know what does.

[1SickReefer]

Simply amazing, I don't know where you ppl come from every new thread I see like this, they just keep getting better and better,

This is by far one of my most favorite yet! Thank you for allowing us to view such a perfect work of art.

Please keep the pics coming.

[Lockes]

I want one!!!!