melev

With the tank close to empty (still have to get out all of the sand and the last of the water, including in the overflows), I'm thinking about what to do next.

Wes is pushing for a huge upgrade. LOL It's always easier to get someone else to upgrade, after all. A bigger tank could be nice, but I know what the workload was for the 280g and have no reason to think it would be a minor adjustment for a bigger one. The truth of the matter is, larger tanks cost more every time. I may be able to go larger and use the lights I have now, and not have to add another MH pendant. POSSIBLY. Chemically, it takes more product to fix a problem, and can be very annoying. And water changes are bigger and/or more frequent.

While I was at the LFS today talking about my options, we also discussed the idea of pulling out my wooden platform and replacing it with a steel stand that is powder coated. It would be rock solid and there would be no reason to doubt its strength. (I'm honestly amazed at how little lumber tank stands are made out of, and how aquarium suppliers require us to buy them to maintain a warranty on the tank.) With the steel stand, I'd have fresh options:

• Go bigger - front to back.
• Wood panels along the front of the tank & side to access the sump and see in the refugium.

Some tank thoughts:

Current tank has been 72 x 30 x 30, replacement could be the same. Or it could be 72 x 36 x 30. Or 72 x 36 x 24 (on a taller stand). Or 84 x 36 x 24. Or 96 x 36 x 24. I'm liking the idea of more front to back (depth) because of the look of the tank. The 30" tall tank was always a pain when trying to reach stuff, and that never got any easier over time. A shallower tank would be nice, but with less water height it still is tough to get top down pictures (the focal distance of my macro lens is a minimum of 8"). At first, it'll be fine, but when the corals grow taller as they did in this tank, it was nearly impossible to get any more images.

To get a longer tank in the room, and a wider one, structural changes would be needed. Wiring would have to be moved. Plumbing would have to be addressed. Remember, my water heater was originally where the 280g has been, and those pipes are still in slab in that spot. With a steel stand, I could run copper pipes low to the ground and over to the garage and remove the CPVC pipes that have done the job for the past six years. An electrician would have to move some circuits that have been fine until now, because the bigger tank would take away some wall and where those outlets exist.

The bigger tank will likely use thicker glass. Thicker glass may mean I can't use the Vortech pumps, if it exceeds 3/4". I love using those pumps, so I don't want to find myself stuck with something else that I have look at. The return pump is a Dart pump. For a bigger tank, I still think the Dart would be fine as I don't rely on it for any flow. The Marineland 300g has an overflow at one end, and I'm liking that look. However, with a bigger tank, I don't know if that will still be possible or if the tank would require overflows at each end just to keep the surface skimmed. Of course, I could fabricate a coast to coast overflow to pour into the included overflow, but that box would spoil the clean background I prefer.

The taller stand would allow for my sump to be underneath including the Euroreef skimmer. That would be nice, letting me have more tank depth to work with at last. I feel like I'll probably have to make a new sump at some point just to keep everything new, like a matched set.

Using the same tank, none of this stuff matters. Still, I still could have a steel stand fabricated since I wouldn't have to spend cash on the new aquarium. If I get the tank fixed, I could sell it to help defray the cost of the new tank if I go that route. I can't make up my mind yet. Of course, without any prices yet, I can just dream...

What do y'all suggest?