Parker's 29 gallon

[Double-O-Zilch]

Just picked up a BC 29 today with stand. I'm gonna go slow setting it up and would like to do a foam background maybe? Any thought, experience and changes you would have made doing a foam background would be appreciated. Already removed both false bottoms and cleaned it out real good. It also came with a skimmer so that helps. Spent all my loose funds and then some so time is not a problem! Pics to be added later.

[FireWater]

The problem I had w/ doing the foam background was how much space it took up in the tank display. Both of the backgrounds that I have done have expanded to about 2" into the tank. Doesn't sound like much until you do it in a small tank. Also, depending on your fish and clean up crew they like to pick at the foam.

[Double-O-Zilch]

Never thought about the critters picking at the foam. Don't like that idea. Also 2" of space would be a lot. Probably going to put the orange spot goby and the six line wrasse in there. Gobies and blennys are my favs so maybe another one or two? Haven't looked into the amount of fish I can put in there yet and any more would be down the road. Anyone got any other ideas for a background? I'd like to see something other than black plastic and I don't like my "wall" of rocks in the 14g.

[Still Learning]

Check out Glenn's build thread....he has some experience with the stuff.

http://www.maast.org/forums/showthread.php?t=55033

[FireWater]

I believe some folks have used an epoxy to cover their foam and it appears to hold up really well. I believe MrCob used it - maybe he can chime in with particulars. Also, you may be able to keep the expansion down if you really weigh it down with lots of sand and crushed coral immediately upon applying it - I mean having someone throw it down as you are applying it. I also highly recommend practicing prior to "show time" as it can be tricky. When I did my 90's background I tried 4 times before I was happy with it.

[NateDogg]

I have a BC 29. I didn't do anything to the back. In hind sight I think that I would have. It wouldn't have to stick out 2 inches all the way across. Mr. Cob put pipes for tunnels in his and that would be way cool for blennies. He also started an island/cave in the middle of his. But we can't all have such nice half circle tanks now, can we?:shades: As mine sits now, it has coraline algae all over the back with gsp, yellow palys, and teal palys growing over it. I glued a bunch of gsp to a magnet and I move it around the back wall. When it grows off onto the wall, I move it to start another colony somewhere else.

If I recall correctly Mr. Cob uses black pond foam that he sprays on over an epoxy. The epoxy goes on first so that the foam sticks. Otherwise you will have a floating island! He put together a very nice thread for his build. You should check it out.

[FireWater]

Here is Rob's thread.

http://maast.org/forums/showthread.php?p=699360#post699360

I will also try to dig one of Texreefer's threads up. He was the master foamer and the one that taught me.

[Double-O-Zilch]

Thanks guys. I've been looking at all the foam threads I can find. I used to be the mechanic for a couple spray foam companies so I understand open cell versus closed cell and soft versus hard. I'm thinking a good hard foam with open cell would be the way to go. Open cell would give bacteria a place to hang out and help in that process. I wonder if you'd get the benefits of foam with the epoxy over it? Mr. Cob's thread is what originally got me going this route and I would definitely like to here more about the pond foam. I'd really like to do the tubes for the fish to frolic through. Only bad part is my work week is beginning and the research will slow down. On the up side, that means money is still coming in!

[Double-O-Zilch]

The 29 shall be alive soon! Had fun playing with PVC and pond foam. Found out you really don't get a lot of foam for $13. Took two cans, one for the bottom, one for the back. It came out good and looks way better in person than in the pics. Enjoy what I think will be the blenny and goby dream house.

Melted the plastic so it didn't look so round.
http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z174/parkermarsh/100_0618.jpg
The false bottoms are good for something after all.
http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z174/parkermarsh/100_0619.jpg
Setting up the back.
http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z174/parkermarsh/100_0620.jpg
http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z174/parkermarsh/100_0621.jpg
http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z174/parkermarsh/100_0623.jpg
http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z174/parkermarsh/100_0626.jpg
Kind of hard to ell but the false bottoms became what I'm calling flower boxes. The plan is to put sand and corals in them, kinda like frag stands but better looking and not on the glass.

[Double-O-Zilch]

Finally up and running, just gotta go through the cycles.

[Double-O-Zilch]

Had a brittle star that came with the live rock I was worried wouldn't make it, but he did! How long should I wait to put zoas and other corals? Some sources say as soon as the water clears but I want to be safe.

[UTSAltwaterEnthusiast]

A LFS told me most stars cant be with coral unless its one of those sand shifting stars. I might be wrong tho.

I know i started to add my first zoas around my 3 1/2 week. But they are very hardy coral. Just add some liquid calcium and your good to go. calcium will also help with your coraline growth on the rocks.

[Kenya]

A LFS told me most stars cant be with coral unless its one of those sand shifting stars. I might be wrong tho.


Yeah i have heard the same but on Live aquaria they say they are compatible with reef tanks.

Now with adding coral i would give it around 4-6 weeks. But i would mainly wait until you see your water params are correct and not fluctuating. Then you would be good to start with some hardy zoas.

[Double-O-Zilch]

Gotta see him some more to make sure which type he is first. He doesn't like light but maybe will come around soon. According to this link I just have to make sure he's well fed.

http://www.aboutfishonline.com/articles/brittle-stars.html

[Double-O-Zilch]

Just did some night time recon and discovered there are more than one brittle star, there's at least three that I can see for sure. The rock I bought was around a 9lb piece that some one had taken in to AD. Wonder if the stars had something to do with it? Would multiple stars be a concern for a reef tank? Not sure I could direct feed like the article states since they hang out on the bottom of the rock and sure don't want them eating my corals.

[Gseclipse02]

looking good .. ...

the stars should be fine ... im sure your live stock will eat them, well if you have a wraase ...

[Double-O-Zilch]

The tank is going to be the future home of my six line wrasse and shrimp goby. I was thinking those stars look a lot like bristle worms and have got to taste better. Here is an FTS from today. One of the LR rubble pieces has three pieces of purple SPS on it, hopefully they will make it but not sure if the lighting is enough. Still trying to figure out the aquascaping. Should have melted the big round tubing like I did the others, hopefully coralline algae will hide all that before too long.

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z174/parkermarsh/100_0650.jpg

[NateDogg]

I like that set up.. especially with the pipes. Are the back ends higher up than the front. If not, I would be afraid that they would act as a trap for detritus and cause water probs. later. Not sure but it is something I have thought of in the past. I really like it though. Is that koralia a nano? Does it affect the returns? I thought about putting one there in mine, but I wasn't sure how it would affect the return flow.

[Double-O-Zilch]

Other than the Y pipe up front all the tubing is flat, just looks like that in the pics. I usually run the nano in my 14 and watched to make sure the returns were getting flow and they are. It tends to keep food circulating better with it on than off. Some food will still get by but overall I just leave it on when feeding in the day and turn it off at night for the acan, dendro and candy cane feeding. Then I have to worry about the cleaner shrimp stealing their food! I saw, I think, Justin running his nano in that position in his 8g and thought it would block the returns too till I tried it.