FINALLY. Alright so I'm ecstatic that my new aquarium build has started. I got the wood for my DIY stand today. It's gonna look sick!!! Aquarium dimensions: 36x24x12

Hopefully this is how it will turn out! I won't be running a sump, my mom doesn't want me to because she's afraid of a flood. So what I'm doing is I'm going to be hiding all the hob equipment.

Wow! Nice idea. Looking forward to seeing it.

Stand has been made! It's 40 inches tall :D

Hey guys, little early to start but what the heck, why not? Any stocking suggestions for my tank?

I really like your idea of having the back part of your stand. It looks real nice on the sketchup model.

Yeah that's what I really wanted! I might not go with the same canopy however. I'm gonna go with a bracket and hang my LEDs off of that

Oh alright. Open top aquarium look nice as well, especially when its rimless.

It's not rimless:(

Aw. I was hanging a light over my aquarium at one time and it still looked really nice with a rim, so it should still turn out good.

Yeah I'm not to worried about the aquarium look itself. I'm focused on hiding all the hob equipment!

Cool build :) Stocking is always the fun part. Well, all depends on how much you want to spend, but a nice show fish would be a helfrichi firefish or a fancy fairy wrasse ;). What's a tank without a midas blenny? :D Yasha gobies are really cool too.

I'm going bare bottom so no sand dwellers! Are some fish picky on the height? It is only 12" tall

oh oops didn't know it was BB. No wrasses :( Those are the best type of fish! :D Well anthias are really colorful. That's another option. I have a mail lyretail anthias and the markings are just gorgeous!

No fish aren't picky on height. They do fine in shallow frag tanks so don't see a problem there.

Actually, not all wrasses NEED a sandbed. I'm interested in a leopard wrasse!

I have a leopard wrasse and she goes to bed in the sand every night. I'm pretty sure most wrasses need sand beds for shelter and sleeping. Some sleep in mucus cacoons but I think those are not reef safe. My LFS kept several McCoskers wrasses in their frag tanks and they looked fine.

Mm, thank you for the info. I'll look into it more. Down the road I'd like to get an anemone. I like the bubble tip and the carpet. Got any pros and cons for both?

Bubble tips are great and beautiful. Their con is they can move over corals and sting them (as with all anemones). Carpet anemones are a threat to some fish especially gobies (as in they'll have a nice expensive meal) and can get quite large.

Anemones require established tanks (6-8 months). As with all anemones, if it dies, it can release a toxin that can kill corals and inverts. That's why you shouldn't add them too soon. I prefer the bubble tips, but it's really up to you.

Oh yes I know, they won't be seeing my tank any time soon! Just wondering! Cause If I were to get a carpet anemone, would it be happy with a bare bottom?

Yes definitely. I've seen them in plenty bare bottom tanks.