DIY Concrete Aquarium 5,000 gallon - Anderson Family Reef

[dca22anderson]

These guys need to be target fed right? What does he eat?

Yes they do which is why I throw a party in my head every time I see his smiling little face!! LO

I chop up 14 large Costco shrimp a night and feed just before the lights tone down. That shrimp goes everywhere and he has learned to find some bigger chunks and eat them up.

He also eats my cleaner shrimp I believe if the big fish eat all the shrimp before he can get to it… (I’ve put in over 10 cleaners and none can be found)

 

[dca22anderson]

 

[jsker]

Looking good!

 

[samson78945]

Thank you for checking it out Sam and for your kind words!

I love this stuff and have for years! Finally was in the position in life to give it a go!! (I’ve had a SW tank since I was 10 - turning 50 this year)

It’s so fun working to get the tank up to speed for all the livestock. I have some mystic monti starting to color up on some rock from the 720… super excited about what that will bring in the future!

I would love to help you build your dream tank one day!

So my wife is paying the power bills (by design) as they come in (ignorance is bliss) With the rate hikes and me keep adding gear it’s getting up there. I’m over a few hundred dollars a month of my target spend.

Here are the top three things I did to save money:

1- heat exchanger using my two hot water heaters already in the house

2- gravity fed the skimmer directly from the tank overflow (use to feed it with a HH gold)

3- swapped out 400 watt MH lights for LED Cannons at 165 watts

One thing I would have done differently would be to build a big concrete sump against the back of the tank at the same time as I was building the tank. With Bill not coming through on the sump, and the big commercial sump builders super high pricing I have had to daisy chain a few bins and tubs together to make it all work which has added to the complexity and leak point potential. Eventually I will just build a giant sump that houses all the filtration gear in one spot. What I did so far is working good but I do want to simplify it some day so it will work great!!

Thanks for checking it out and coming along for the ride!

Best, Dave

I am going to take you up on that offer one day! I have a good spot in my house for a 300-400 gallon, but I know one day we are going to move to our forever home. Then we can have some fun!

Great idea having her pay the bills! I will start doing that too. Thanks for the idea!

Yes, unfortunate situation with Bill. At least you are able to adapt when a difficult situation arises. Everything looks great! Can't wait for me!

Best,

Sam

 

[dca22anderson]

I haven’t seen this dude in a few months. Looks like he is going for some easy pickings on the viewing panel!!

 

[McPuff]

That pump is crazy big! Guess your flow issue is solved! :0)

 

[nuxx]

How's your Sohal?

I was always to scared to keep one in my 470... just felt I had a really nice balance and didn't want a bully, thought maybe he'd get too big as well.

 

[dca22anderson]

That pump is crazy big! Guess your flow issue is solved! :0)

Seriously can check the flow box!! It’s really amazing!!

 

[dca22anderson]

How's your Sohal?

I was always to scared to keep one in my 470... just felt I had a really nice balance and didn't want a bully, thought maybe he'd get too big as well.

He’s great, getting bigger and bigger!

 

[nuxx]

He’s great, getting bigger and bigger!

When they get long streamers it's awesome!

 

[dca22anderson]

When they get long streamers it's awesome!

Agreed! One of my favorite tangs for sure! Love the streamers!! (Little aggressive but good once established)

 

[nuxx]

Agreed! One of my favorite tangs for sure! Love the streamers!! (Little aggressive but good once established)

Always what I was worried about.

Probably would have been added last and have been small.

Feel the two Achilles would have bullied him.

 

[dca22anderson]

You know you have lost it when you are out on Holiday and see a rock like this and think “man that would make a great fish swim through rock, how do I get that back to the tank!” LOL

 

[GBRsouth]

You know you have lost it when you are out on Holiday and see a rock like this and think “man that would make a great fish swim through rock, how do I get that back to the tank!” LOL

The scary part is, it would probably fit in your tank!

 

[flagg37]

You know you have lost it when you are out on Holiday and see a rock like this and think “man that would make a great fish swim through rock, how do I get that back to the tank!” LOL

Were you out hunting?

 

[dca22anderson]

The scary part is, it would probably fit in your tank!

LOL! Maybe the next one!!

 

[dca22anderson]

Were you out hunting?

With my good friends that were hunting, I was doing the hauling out

 

[GBRsouth]

With my good friends that we’re hunting, I was doing the hauling out

I hope that came out wrong! It sounds like you're hunting your friends!

 

[Lowell Lemon]

I hope that came out wrong! It sounds like you're hunting your friends!

Ah, yes they graduated from Vice-President Dick Cheney's school of hunting!

 

[dca22anderson]

I hope that came out wrong! It sounds like you're hunting your friends!

Thank you! Yes my friends were hunting Red Stag and I was hauling them out…