fort's 57 gallon Rimless Reef Build

[fort384]

I swear things already look marginally better tonight. It has got to be psychological.

[CorallineAlgae]

Yeah, it's to soon to tell but I guess anythings possible!

[molliwopp]

Its always a pleasure looking at your tanks fort and the beauty of them overwhelms the jealousy.

[fort384]

Here are some updated shots from this evening.

I am on 1 week of dosing aminos, have added 2 doses. Growth is noticeably better. It has spurred a lot of growth in LPS, zoas, and SPS. Polyp extension is really nice too, as you can see on the macro shot of the branching monti. As for color, not sure if it is better or not... maybe a slight difference. We shall see how things continue to evolve. I haven't noticed any side effects, like increased algae growth, which I have seen complaints about. But, my PO4 and NO3 has consistently been at or near 0 for a couple of months, so I am sure that helps deter the algae. Anyway, onto the pics:

[fort384]

[Kio707]

I'm jealous of your camera Fort... Lol. Pics look really good.

[Sonomakid]

So jealous it's not even funny ! So are you for hire to help with my next build lol

[fort384]

LOL, I started my next build in earnest today... so I am tied up at the moment

[Sonomakid]

Oh I can wait, wife told me I had to wait a year lol, so can I get on the waiting list ?

[fort384]

Ok you are on the list. Is this pro bono work or can I charge exorbitant design fees?

Thanks all for the compliments. So far I am liking the amino dosing.

[molliwopp]

Do you actually aqua scape as a busines venture and do you visit the uk!? lol
I am in love with 2 pictures in particular. The 4th in the first set of pictures and the 3rd in the second set. They look so healthy.

Out of interest what camera are you using? Any specific lenses?

[fort384]

Oh if you like the zoas you will love my new build, which will be zoa-centric. They are very photogenic. The new build will have some very interesting species, eventually.

I use a Canon T3 with a Tamron f/2.0 60mm Macro lens.

And, no, my professional life has nothing to do with aquariums. That would be cool, but no. I am in operations management .

[molliwopp]

Originally Posted by fort384

Oh if you like the zoas you will love my new build.

And that, i have no doubt Fort. It gives me something else to look forward to this year too.... Lol im such a loser

[redsea]

Hi there,

I have been considering a tank like this for my saltwater setup. It is between either the Illuminata 57g, or the Deep Blue 57g. How do you like yours? Is the stand pretty sturdy (as I haven't heard great things about the Deep Blue stand).

Thanks!

[fort384]

I love the tank. You might have trouble finding the tank and the stand though because they stopped making it.

The one bad thing about the stand is the internal bracing. It makes it sturdy but it also makes it so you can only fit a 24" wide sump.

[redsea]

Thank you!

Maybe I will just try out the Deep Blue, as I am not sure I want to get a used tank for this build. How dare Oceanic stop making your tank.

Thanks a lot for the info!

[fort384]

Just googled the deep blue - tank looks pretty similar. The stand looks like it might have issues... just make sure you can get a sump down there and you have plenty of access. The illuminata stand has doors on both sides and the front, so acccess is easy. The deep blue tank stand looks like it has some really weird doors that could make fitting in a sump an issue.

[redsea]

Thank you for the helpful information.

I really hope the stand is sturdy, as I don't really want a tank on the floor (especially since this will hopefully be going on a second level). . I suppose they wouldn't be able to sell a product that didn't hold a tank though.

[Qube]

I have the deep blue stand for the 75g version. While it is a bit awkward at times, I manage ok. The support inside will limit how large you can go on your sump width wise.

[fort384]

Been awhile since I updated. Things are good. Coral is all growing well. My pump on my skimmer crapped out on me - so a replacement is on the way. Some updated shots: