# 185 Gallon (72"x24"x25") High Tech build



## andrewss (Oct 17, 2012)

this one will be good


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## Immortal1 (Feb 18, 2015)

Looks like a good start!


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## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

Bit of progress tonight!

Here I just finished the top and upper trim










Propping up the doors to see roughly what they will look like. tbey will be mounted even spaced between upper and lower trims.










Primer on after some filling.


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## MadRiverPat (May 3, 2013)

Really enjoyed your 70 gallon. Looking forward to what you end up doing with a tank this size.


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## exv152 (Jun 8, 2009)

Very exciting build. I did something very similar with my 125g (skinned a 2x4 base with finer wood). How did you manage to attach the nicer wood panelling without any noticeable nail gun marks etc? 

And I found if you use a quality paint roller it makes a very clean finish.


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## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

exv152 said:


> Very exciting build. I did something very similar with my 125g (skinned a 2x4 base with finer wood). How did you manage to attach the nicer wood panelling without any noticeable nail gun marks etc?
> 
> And I found if you use a quality paint roller it makes a very clean finish.


I didnt use a nail gun! 

All nails were hammered in the old fashioned way (carefully) and center punched to sink in a little bit. All of the nicer wood is glued and nailed using 2" finishing nails

Bump:


MadRiverPat said:


> Really enjoyed your 70 gallon. Looking forward to what you end up doing with a tank this size.


Thanks! Ive done 6 foot planted tanks before, but never one that was 2 feet front to back.

Here are some previous efforts:

From 2004:









From 2008:


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## jimbo662 (Aug 4, 2013)

WOW...I wouldn't call those "efforts" I'd call them Successes!


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## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

While I guess yes, they were technical successes I never felt the aquascape was what I wanted. Yes, plants grew, but I never achieved the look I wanted. Im trying harder this time


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## jimbo662 (Aug 4, 2013)

LOL...I hope I "don't achieve the look I want"


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## The Dude (Feb 8, 2011)

Wow, you got some serious talent. The stand looks awesome. I saved the pics so I can use them for my 180 gallon stand build. Will you log the canopy build as well? What wood dI'd you use to skin the stand. Did you cover all of the 2*4 wood with the nicer wood or did you fill and smooth the 2*4's. It looks very professional and it's a beautiful piece of furniture. Do you have a theme you are going for with the new tank? What are you going to stock? What are you using for filtration? Lighting? Do you plan to inject c02?


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## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

Thanks! The front and ends are skinned in Pine but I left the back as 2x4 's. I filled any significant gaps with plastic wood before priming but that was minimal. I'm going to add a few trim pieces to hide a few of the corner joints but it's coming along.

I will be documenting the canopy build, but a lot of the components are built already. You can check out the original build in my 70 gallon thread (link in my signiture).

The rest of the plumbing and electrical will be detailed as the build progresses, but it will be a rapid switch over from the existing tank.


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## exv152 (Jun 8, 2009)

GDominy said:


> I didnt use a nail gun!
> 
> All nails were hammered in the old fashioned way (carefully) and center punched to sink in a little bit. All of the nicer wood is glued and nailed using 2" finishing nails


Well nice job, especially considering you're doing this yourself with a hammer. Your attention to detail is obvious. Are you planning a canopy, and if so, I'd like to also see pictures of the canopy build. I'm in the process of redoing my 125g, and I'm thinking of redoing the stand & canopy, so this is very informative.


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## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

The Dude said:


> Do you have a theme you are going for with the new tank? What are you going to stock? What are you using for filtration? Lighting? Do you plan to inject c02?


Theme? Not sure, Im going to arrange stuff in a way that looks good. I like to fly by the seat of my pants.

Stock: Cardinal Tetras, Marble hatchetfish, Roseline barbs, gold barbs, loaches.

Filtration: Currently underfiltered with a Rena XP3 but will probably end up with a Fluval FX6 (parts are easy to get locally so its a good choice)

Lighting: 60 Cree XPG Cool White LEDs, 61 Cree XPE Royal Blue, 24 Cree XPE Red, 12 Cree XPE Green. Lots of light!

CO2: I already inject CO2 using a crappy Milwaukee Regulator and 10 lb bottle. Reactor is an Aqua Medic CO2 Reactor 1000 driven by a Mag 350 Pump.


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## luckymoney (Dec 31, 2014)

As someone who's wishing one day I can get a very big tank like yours, may I ask how much is your budget?


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## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

luckymoney said:


> As someone who's wishing one day I can get a very big tank like yours, may I ask how much is your budget?


$1500 for tank and stand (Canadian). I already have everything else.

Canopy materials will cost me about $300


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## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

I have worked 50 hours in 3 days, so the new aquarium is completely paid off. Im excited. I will begin more work on the stand as soon as I get back in to town tomorrow night (if I dont pass out for 2 days that is)


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## aja31 (May 25, 2013)

This one should be great! I love your previous tanks, the 2004 one is one of the best tanks I've seen.


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## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

Finally back home from days out of town. I probably should be sleeping but I wanted to get the first couple coats of paint on.

I'd like to get the doors on the stand in the next day or two


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

Hey Gareth, good to see you are still in the hobby. Looking forward to see this develop!


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## MadRiverPat (May 3, 2013)

Wow both those tanks were great to see. 

Keeping a 6 foot planted with discus is on my bucket list.


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## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

Little more progress..


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## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

Wasserpest said:


> Hey Gareth, good to see you are still in the hobby. Looking forward to see this develop!


Hey! Ive been around in the hobby the whole time, but was reefing for a lot of it. Im not as active in discussions these days as I am crazy busy, but I'll be updating this thread a lot


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## Phil Edwards (Jul 18, 2003)

Nice start G-man. Looking forward to seeing it planted.


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## chris.rivera3 (Apr 15, 2008)

Nice!!! What type of rocks are those?



GDominy said:


> Well, the original plan had been to purchase a 265 gallon used and turn that into a massive planted tank. That deal fell through at the last minute (after I had already started dismantling the existing 70 gallon) so I had to act fast.
> 
> I ordered a 185 Gallon tank from a local shop and the tank is now in the process of being made.
> 
> ...


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## skoram (Aug 9, 2012)

if you didn't think your previous tanks were that great, I can't wait to see how this turns out if you are going to "try harder." subscribed.


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## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

It's a thing!










It's even level!


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## BigJay180 (Jul 20, 2014)

Congrats! Your previous six foot incarnations were absolutely gorgeous, this one is going to be even better.


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## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

chris.rivera3 said:


> Nice!!! What type of rocks are those?


They are local stone, I went on a harvest around some of the local cliffs. I'm not entirely sure what it is, but its non reactive and pretty inert.


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## Immortal1 (Feb 18, 2015)

Stand looks great! Lookin forward to some pics with water in them


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## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

3 weeks till the tank arrives so more to do in the interim. Canopy next!


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## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

chris.rivera3 said:


> Nice!!! What type of rocks are those?


Further research indicates this is Basalt


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

My dream stand would be one like that, but with natural wood tones instead of primed and painted. Just stained, and coated with some clear PUR varnish. Always hate to cover up the nice wood textures. Painting does hide the imperfections though! Of course, it needs to fit with the rest of the furniture/style as well.


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## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

If I had the budget to do the entire stand in a nice hardwood, that would have been what I would have done.

Our house is very modern (was built last year) so picking a finish is quite difficult. Monotone colours work well however. I had thought about going white, but my wife decided that black was easier to match with our other furniture.


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## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

Christmas came early. Tank just delivered


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## thezachammer (Feb 19, 2015)

that stand looks awesome man, and black silicone looks super clean...i really wanted to do black on mine but it already had clear between the panels:/


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## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

Been busy, first rough aquascape.


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## Kntry (Dec 26, 2013)

Great build.

I'm almost finished building a new stand for my 75. It's 37" tall so I can see the fish without getting on my knees!

I was contemplating putting a piece of plywood on the top instead of leaving it open, now I know that's what I want to do! Thanks.


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## andrewss (Oct 17, 2012)

well that was fast! I think it looks really great! Well done scape


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## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

Lots more to do. I have a ton of fissidens to attach, canopy to build, and some sort of background.

The wood arrangement is temporary as they are still waterlogging. I'll make things a bit nicer once they sink on their own.


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## jimbo662 (Aug 4, 2013)

Wow, you didn't waste any time!


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## Mitashade (Jan 8, 2015)

Oh my god, this is so great! It's your first planting, and it's already fantastic. The though of being this matured is kind of bringing tears of joy to my eyes. A bit over the top, but totally sincere.

More photos soon?


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## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

I'll be taking some real photos as soon as the tank clears a bit.

I had to work fast as the old tank was crashing following its move. Everybody seems to be happy in the new setup though!


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## lamiskool (Jul 1, 2011)

man super excited for this tank! already looks like its going to be a stunner!


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## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

Just a quick walk by

https://youtu.be/GqndGeq5o-E


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## Perryboat (Jul 11, 2012)

Wow! Very nice.


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## Kindafishy (Jan 14, 2015)

That video looks great! Are those 2 little puffers swimming in there? I don't think I've ever seen yellow freshwater puffers before.


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## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

Yep. Those two little pea puffers are supremely effective snail control!


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## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

Getting clearer now. Ignore the 2x4's on top of the tank. They are holding the old canopy up until I get the new one built.


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## fishophile (Feb 6, 2012)

That's a great looking tank and it came together really fast. Any chance you plan on making a plant list?

Did having the window so close to your old tank create any problems?


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## IWANNAGOFAST (Jan 14, 2008)

amazing as always!


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## andrewss (Oct 17, 2012)

great video! with videos you really get a sense of scale with these large tanks that sometimes the photos dont do justice


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## jimbo662 (Aug 4, 2013)

Wow, that did come together quick. I really like the big island look.


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## RynoParsons (Nov 13, 2012)

Nice scape. Love it. Not really fast growing plants easier to maintain.


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## Phil Edwards (Jul 18, 2003)

I don't check for a couple days and BAM, it's done. You're a beast! Lovely looking tank, sir. The barbs look really good in there.


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## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

Nowhere near done! The wood is still being weighted down with rocks, I havent attached any plants using thread, canopy still needs to be built... lots to do.

Money and Time have just run out for the moment however, so Im taking a rest for a week


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## Kntry (Dec 26, 2013)

Awesome job!

Do you think the sand is going to stay white? I sure hope so.


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## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

The sand is actually quite tan in colour.
Its Carib Sea Sunset Gold


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## zeldar (Jun 24, 2009)

I love this tank and the separate green islands you've created. Especially the anubias and the tiger lotus! 

Also love the other 6' tanks you've done, simply amazing!


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## audioaficionado (Apr 19, 2011)

That's exactly the size tank I want. I'd settle for an 8' 240gal if I had to.


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## lee739 (Oct 12, 2014)

GDominy said:


> I didnt use a nail gun!
> All nails were hammered in the old fashioned way (carefully) and center punched to sink in a little bit. All of the nicer wood is glued and nailed using 2" finishing nails


Good to hear of some proper construction techniques....
Stand and tank look great! Staying tuned....


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## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

I totally wanted an 8 foot 240, but it was $1700 more than the 185! Maybe in a few years after the wedding is paid off. This size will do for now though


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## mysticalnet (Dec 2, 2007)

Subscribed


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## andrewss (Oct 17, 2012)

We want moar pix


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## mysticalnet (Dec 2, 2007)

GDominy said:


> I totally wanted an 8 foot 240, but it was $1700 more than the 185! Maybe in a few years after the wedding is paid off. This size will do for now though


Erm just wondering, how much was your wedding? !


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## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

mysticalnet said:


> Erm just wondering, how much was your wedding? !


Wedding hasnt happened yet, but will probably end up just over $20k


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## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

Tank is clearing up nicely. Ive been stupid busy and haven't had a chance to bust out my camera yet but here is a phone pic from tonight.










The co2 tank ran out today so it's going to be tough to get it filled before next week. thankfully I have about 3 liters of flourish excel kicking around so I can keep things going.


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## mysticalnet (Dec 2, 2007)

Very nice. How do you deal with high light and anubias? They grow rather slow and tend to get algae, even with CO2.


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## mysticalnet (Dec 2, 2007)

GDominy said:


> Wedding hasnt happened yet, but will probably end up just over $20k


20K is not too bad. Congratulations on the upcoming wedding!


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## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

Thanks! We're pretty excited 

The Anubias grows slowly but I have enough of it that I can clip a few leaves every so often and it stays looking decent.

The old tank was way too much light. This current setup is going to be much better. The added height of the tank with no optics on the leds makes the light much less intense. It's also helping keep algae off the sand.


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## Xirxes (Aug 18, 2008)

*185 Gallon (72&quot;x24&quot;x25&quot High Tech build*



GDominy said:


> Wedding hasnt happened yet, but will probably end up just over $20k



Good luck man! Weddings blow up in cost. Just try to downscale the perfect day!


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## BoxxerBoyDrew (Oct 16, 2005)

WOW!!!!

FREAKIN AWESOME TANK MAN!!!!!! SUBSCRIBED!!!

WOW 20K for a wedding! We did ours on the MAJOR CHEAP!!! Hotel Banquet room, Few Friends and Family, I was working 2 jobs at the time Midnight to 6:30am at one place then went in a 9am and drove a delivery van 2,500 miles a week at the other! Looked at the calender and told the wife to be, " I am going to be off both jobs on this day here, so I guess that's a good day to get married!" LOL $500 Later it was done! We were only 18 years old at the time though! But that was over 20 years ago, and we are still going strong!!!

Anyway I hope You have a AWESOME Wedding day Buddy!!!! No matter what the cost, you will remember it the rest of your life! Just remember not to lock your knees when standing at the alter!!! My buddy did, and he passed smooth out!!!! LOL Got some good pics of that!!! 

Back to the tank. I really dig the layout! It will be stunning when you get the wood waterlogged, and all the plants in where you want them and they fill all the way in! It look 100 times better than most tanks I have seen already, and it puts anything I have ever attempted to shame, but you truly have a green thumb for Planted Aquariums!!! The Video was cool as well!

I didn't realize dwarf puffers got that big! I have only seen them at the LFS as babies! Yours are good sized puffers! How old are they, and do they bother any of the other fish? 

I can't wait to see the tank mature and the canopy get built! Nice job on the stand too! I do quite a bit of wood working myself, and while I like stained stands I totally understand why you painted yours, as I have done the same thing before! I also used that spray on "stone" texture that came out in the late 90's on a few of mine. It actually looked pretty good! It was also nice not to have to do all of the sanding and super fine detail work that you have to do when staining hardwood too!!! LOL 

Anyways KEEP UP THE AWESOME WORK, and Best of Luck to You and your Future Wife!!!
Take Care,
Drew


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## Aquadawg (Aug 18, 2012)

Very nice tank. I have done a few island tanks myself and love them.


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## mysticalnet (Dec 2, 2007)

Xirxes said:


> Good luck man! Weddings blow up in cost. Just try to downscale the perfect day!


 http://www.weddingbells.ca/planning/wedding-trends-in-canada-2014/ 

According to this article, Vancouver Canada 2014 average wedding cost is $31,685.


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## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

mysticalnet said:


> http://www.weddingbells.ca/planning/wedding-trends-in-canada-2014/
> 
> According to this article, Vancouver Canada 2014 average wedding cost is $31,685.


Yep. We are lucky because I work for an AV production company. All of our lighting, Sound and AV gear is free for the wedding, and our music is being done by my buddy who runs a very successful wedding DJ company. That saved us a ton. We also got the venue for half price, but the catering bill alone is going to be about $7500.

We've managed to do a lot of stuff on our own, so $20k for a wedding of 140 people isnt too bad


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## mysticalnet (Dec 2, 2007)

GDominy said:


> Yep. We are lucky because I work for an AV production company. All of our lighting, Sound and AV gear is free for the wedding, and our music is being done by my buddy who runs a very successful wedding DJ company. That saved us a ton. We also got the venue for half price, but the catering bill alone is going to be about $7500.
> 
> We've managed to do a lot of stuff on our own, so $20k for a wedding of 140 people isnt too bad


Lucky indeed! 20K for 140 people is not bad at all. Food is always the most expensive.


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## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

Took a few pics tonight. Sorry about the photo quality, I worked 75 hours this week and I'm bagged. Didn't get to start on the canopy yet but the temporary lighting is doing ok for the time being.


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## mysticalnet (Dec 2, 2007)

Beautiful! !


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## jimbo662 (Aug 4, 2013)

Love the full lush look you've got going.


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## andrewss (Oct 17, 2012)

one of my favorite tanks! looks so good


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## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

Quick little video update:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GD0XLLm7qI


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## Kindafishy (Jan 14, 2015)

It's marked as private


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## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

Oops! Should be fixed now


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## Freemananana (Jan 2, 2015)

Is that a red tail shark in there? My screen was small, so watching the video was tough and my quality was pretty poor haha. Anyway, the tank looks great! I love it!


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## exv152 (Jun 8, 2009)

GDominy said:


> Lighting: 60 Cree XPG Cool White LEDs, 61 Cree XPE Royal Blue, 24 Cree XPE Red, 12 Cree XPE Green. Lots of light!


 ​ Awesome setup BTW. Will you be posting pictures of your LED build in this thread?​


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## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

exv152 said:


> ​ ​ Awesome setup BTW. Will you be posting pictures of your LED build in this thread?​


Yes, The fixtures are already built, but the canopy construction still needs to happen. Time has been limited so I havent started that yet.

I will have detailed progress shots as soon as I begin though, bear with me


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## andrewss (Oct 17, 2012)

nice short video 

love the tank! 

will you get the pearl a mate?


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## dru (Mar 9, 2013)

This tank is amazing!


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## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

andrewss said:


> nice short video
> 
> love the tank!
> 
> will you get the pearl a mate?


Pearl may move to another tank, I have a small group of croaking gouramis on the way from Singapore. We will have to see if they get along.


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## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

Things are finally growing, algae receding, doing pretty well!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lgw4qbC14K4


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## chayos00 (Sep 22, 2013)

Looks really good!


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## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

http://youtu.be/mnV4pzG2rxM

Been a while! got my hands on a few more pieces of wood. Everything is doing very well.


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## Phyzix (Mar 20, 2015)

GDominy said:


> http://youtu.be/mnV4pzG2rxM
> 
> Been a while! got my hands on a few more pieces of wood. Everything is doing very well.


Great video it all looks excellent!


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## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

http://youtu.be/oUCqEaA0xiM

I'm getting ready to gut and reshape this beast. I need to thin this out considerably and I want to redo all the stone.


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## ua hua (Oct 30, 2009)

That's looking really nice. A lot of action going on in there with all the different fish swimming about. Are you constantly changing out the sand for new fresh sand? It looks fairly clean looking. Most of the time I see sand used it gets dirty looking and needs constant attention.


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## ikuzo (Jul 11, 2006)

great tank !
man that rainbow shark is huge. i just realized that this is a huge tank when i watched the video. really, photos can't be a better presentation than a video. nice looking healthy plants. but isn't it a pain to clean those white sand tho?


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## andrewss (Oct 17, 2012)

love the videos! such a brilliant tank


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## HunterX (May 19, 2012)

Looking great. Do the Gold Barbs eat your plants at all? Also I was wondering how you filtered this beast!


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## Krislhull (Oct 9, 2015)

Nice looking tank. I am currently looking at getting a 210 gallon tank and I am like the design of your aquascape. How much sand do you have in it, and how much rock?


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## klibs (May 1, 2014)

Very nice. All your layouts have turned out to be beautiful


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## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

HunterX said:


> Looking great. Do the Gold Barbs eat your plants at all? Also I was wondering how you filtered this beast!


Currently there is a Rena XP3 on the left (Soon to be replaced with a Fluval FX6) and a fluval FX6 on the right

Bump:


Krislhull said:


> Nice looking tank. I am currently looking at getting a 210 gallon tank and I am like the design of your aquascape. How much sand do you have in it, and how much rock?


There is probably about 100 pounds of sand, 60 pounds of Flourite, and 200-300 lbs of Rock (approximate)

Bump:


ikuzo said:


> great tank !
> man that rainbow shark is huge. i just realized that this is a huge tank when i watched the video. really, photos can't be a better presentation than a video. nice looking healthy plants. but isn't it a pain to clean those white sand tho?


The sand is more of a tan colour. Every couple of weeks I take a turkey baster to it and stir it up so it doesn't get nasty. Tank has been running for 5 months or so and the sand has barely discoloured.

Bump: Inherited a few more plants. Im still trying to figure out the best lighting conditions to film this tank, as with the various LED colours and options I can use its tough to get accurate colour representation in video. I will be experimenting with this over the next bit, as I want to shoot a high quality Video before/after I do my massive rescape.


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## Aquarium_Alex (Jul 28, 2014)

This is incredible! Are you takashi amano in disguise???

Honestly, I've spent quite a few hours drooling over "island" tanks, but this one has to take the cake. 

I saw a video of your 70 as well and that was equally stupendous.

My hats off to you sir!


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## SHFT (Sep 30, 2015)

Hehe the tank with the Red-tail shark who apparently is a dick


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## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

Just a few more shots


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## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

Starting to tweak things a bit now..


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## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)




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## burr740 (Feb 19, 2014)

Looks great man. How's the other light build coming? Any idea what kind of PAR you have currently?


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## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

burr740 said:


> Looks great man. How's the other light build coming? Any idea what kind of PAR you have currently?


New light build is in a holding pattern currently. Our wedding is in 10 days, so my time has been a bit tied up.

It will be a two part process, first wave will be building canopy and adding a third pendant. 

The second wave will be adding the extra led fixture and t5s


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## aja31 (May 25, 2013)

Love this scape!

What is the turnover rate of flow in the tank? Do you use a bunch of powerheads or just the canisters?


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## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

The flow is simply from the two canisters, and the 350 gph pump that drives the CO2 reactor.

I've been contemplating adding a few circulation pumps


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## almostbeef (Jan 14, 2008)

Looks awesome Gareth .. Can't wait till your lights are done and the canopy.


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## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

It has been a while, but here is a quick update.

New canopy has been built, and Ive finally got the algae on the run. Had to make a couple of tweaks to my dosing routine and I have dramatically altered my lighting schedule.


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## end3r.P (Aug 31, 2015)

Gorgeous. I would love to see a "how-to" or build thread for these island-type setups. I don't understand how you get that nice, full, almost spherical look to the islands. I suppose having a deeper tank helps, but it would be cool to see someone plant one to see how it's done...


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## Oghorille (Jul 1, 2015)

I agree with end3r, would you provide some info as to how you planted the Anubias to achieve that look?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

Its pretty easy honestly. I just built up the hardscape, and placed the anubias around it. Most of those anubias plants are around a foot long so they placed pretty easily. I've been growing them for 3 years.

I added some extra wood last night, here are some shots:


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## end3r.P (Aug 31, 2015)

GDominy said:


> Its pretty easy honestly. I just built up the hardscape, and placed the anubias around it. Most of those anubias plants are around a foot long so they placed pretty easily. I've been growing them for 3 years.


Wow -- foot-long anubias? Cool. 

So is there a significant amount of hardscape hidden in those islands by the plants? In other words, it is built up to a significant height with hardscape and then planted heavily? Or is that almost all plant mass?


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## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

end3r.P said:


> Wow -- foot-long anubias? Cool.
> 
> So is there a significant amount of hardscape hidden in those islands by the plants? In other words, it is built up to a significant height with hardscape and then planted heavily? Or is that almost all plant mass?


There is about 6-8" of height with stone and substrate, the rest is built up with the wood, and giant masses of plants!


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## skanderson (Jul 25, 2010)

sorry if I missed this in the earlier posts, but what type of lily is that in the tank. I looks huge compared to the standard red lilies I see.


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## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

This is just your run of the mill Red Tiger lotus. It's just happy


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## klibs (May 1, 2014)

Gorgeous tank


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## gaga43 (Oct 14, 2010)

Wow I wish I could have successes like this!!


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## Greggz (May 19, 2008)

Really beautiful stunning tank. Just love the aquascape, a job very well done!!

And one more thing.....how did you embed the video on this site? Been trying to figure out but have made no progress.


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## islanddave1 (Jul 5, 2013)

Who built this tank.........I am from Canada too and am currently looking for a competent builder.

Thanks


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## Cornishrooster (Mar 3, 2016)

Greggz said:


> Really beautiful stunning tank. Just love the aquascape, a job very well done!!
> 
> And one more thing.....how did you embed the video on this site? Been trying to figure out but have made no progress.



Found this online Greggz, maybe it'll help. https://www.lotro.com/forums/showthread.php?453935-How-to-embed-a-video-into-your-forum-posts

Cheers
Mike


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## monkeyruler90 (Apr 13, 2008)

wow beautiful tank!


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## number1sixerfan (Nov 10, 2006)

This tank is absolutely amazing. I think this just inspired my new 90 gallon tank coming in. Amazing job!


How do you even plant a mountain/island like this? lol


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## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

I havent posted in a long time, so here is a quick update!

Tank was totally rescaped a few months ago, and I have really cleaned up the equipment. I took this shot a few nights ago. Im about to do a bunch of drastic work on this rig to get it cleaned up for a tank tour, so I should have more photos soon.


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## Greggz (May 19, 2008)

Very nicely presented as always. Well thought out and executed at every level.

And that includes the impressive equipment display as well. Looks well organized and the lighting is a nice touch. May have to add that to mine. Tired of fumbling around with a flashlight after all these years.


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## farrenator (May 11, 2011)

Superb


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## chayos00 (Sep 22, 2013)

Greggz said:


> Very nicely presented as always. Well thought out and executed at every level.
> 
> And that includes the impressive equipment display as well. Looks well organized and the lighting is a nice touch. May have to add that to mine. Tired of fumbling around with a flashlight after all these years.


The stand light is indeed needed! I got an led light setup from Amazon that's been working great in mine if you need a link to one. 

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk


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## SKYE.__.HIGH (Mar 18, 2017)

1) You work for fluval !!! This explains so much.

2)What is the plant that I have circled in your first scape. 








Ps: I personally like the latest scape the most. This is how my tank is going to be setup with long bending branches with carpet plants and to one side it will be open and to the other it will contain more plants than water. Love it.


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## Opare (Sep 9, 2015)

Spectacular setup, and loving the new scape even more than the previous ones!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

SKYE.__.HIGH said:


> 1) You work for fluval !!! This explains so much.
> 
> 2)What is the plant that I have circled in your first scape.


1) I totally don't work for Hagen/Fluval. I'm fat and the shirt is comfy lol. I don't work in the industry any more but I used to run an aquarium outlet.

2) Anubias nana


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## SKYE.__.HIGH (Mar 18, 2017)

GDominy said:


> 1) I totally don't work for Hagen/Fluval. I'm fat and the shirt is comfy lol. I don't work in the industry any more but I used to run an aquarium outlet.
> 
> 
> 
> 2) Anubias nana



It looks so much smaller in such a large tank. Thank you


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## chayos00 (Sep 22, 2013)

Question I have based on your last youtube video, what C02 regulator do you have. In the beginning you mentioned that you have a crappy milwaukee regulator, but you seemed to like whatever you are using now. What regulator are you running? I assume a dual stage one right? Also how long does your 10lb tank last for you?


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## DigityDog70 (Jan 20, 2017)

GDominy said:


> I havent posted in a long time, so here is a quick update!
> 
> 
> 
> Tank was totally rescaped a few months ago, and I have really cleaned up the equipment. I took this shot a few nights ago. Im about to do a bunch of drastic work on this rig to get it cleaned up for a tank tour, so I should have more photos soon.




Stunning, I'm now trying to find info. On your setup. Hopefully it's posted somewhere. Really like the level that you have the tank sitting.


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## DigityDog70 (Jan 20, 2017)

GDominy said:


> Thanks! The front and ends are skinned in Pine but I left the back as 2x4 's. I filled any significant gaps with plastic wood before priming but that was minimal. I'm going to add a few trim pieces to hide a few of the corner joints but it's coming along.
> 
> I will be documenting the canopy build, but a lot of the components are built already. You can check out the original build in my 70 gallon thread (link in my signiture).
> 
> The rest of the plumbing and electrical will be detailed as the build progresses, but it will be a rapid switch over from the existing tank.




Why use nails vs. all of the modern day screws with the easy to use heads and the efficiency of an electric drill gun? Just curious, eager and learning. 

I'm getting ready to purchase a 180 myself and am considering building my stand. 

I like your work, it looks great and thanks for sharing, this project is very inspiring. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

chayos00 said:


> Question I have based on your last youtube video, what C02 regulator do you have. In the beginning you mentioned that you have a crappy milwaukee regulator, but you seemed to like whatever you are using now. What regulator are you running? I assume a dual stage one right? Also how long does your 10lb tank last for you?


I had Alan Le custom build one for around a Victor SGT 500 stainless regulator. It's a thing of beauty. Dual solenoids and needle valves.

I use five pound tanks, and they last about a month


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## chayos00 (Sep 22, 2013)

GDominy said:


> I had Alan Le custom build one for around a Victor SGT 500 stainless regulator. It's a thing of beauty. Dual solenoids and needle valves.
> 
> I use five pound tanks, and they last about a month


Cool thanks! I've seen some of his and they are nice, just pricey for me at this time. Good to know about the tanks and their size. 

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk


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## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

islanddave1 said:


> Who built this tank.........I am from Canada too and am currently looking for a competent builder.
> 
> Thanks


It was built by h2o aquariums on vancouver island, it would cost a fortune to ship.

If you are mid Canada try concept aquariums. Not sure about the east coast though

Bump:


DigityDog70 said:


> Why use nails vs. all of the modern day screws with the easy to use heads and the efficiency of an electric drill gun? Just curious, eager and learning.
> 
> I'm getting ready to purchase a 180 myself and am considering building my stand.
> 
> ...


Structural pieces are all screws. Trim pieces are glued and tacked on using finishing nails. Never use nails for stuff like this unless it is strictly for attaching decorative pieces like trim.


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