52 Gallon Flat Back Hex Aquarium Build

I just picked up the aquarium, stand, and wet/dry filter up from a family member on Sunday. It has been scratched up pretty bad in the front, so we're going to turn the aquarium around once we set it back up, so that the back is facing forward. It has been running for 4 years. We left some water in the tank to keep the live sand alive and have been keeping the live rock moist since then until we figure out what we want to do with it. I was trying to figure out what I want to put in the tank. I was thinking either a reef tank or a predator tank with some low light corals. I really don't have much money, so the predator tank sounded like really good idea. What do you guys think I should do with it? I'd love to hear your ideas!

 

Bump

 

Bumpity bump. I'm also thinking of doing a Maxi Mini or Flower Anemone tank with some low light corals, fish, and Sexy Shrimp.

 

I need ideas guys

 

Hello, Camkha.

How mangy gallons is the tank? Personally, I would go all reef. To cut down on cost you could do mainly zoanthids/soft corals, with some LPS. You won't (or shouldn't) have to dose, lighting doesn't have to be all that intense, and being mostly a softy tank, you have some room for error if need be.

If the tank is acrylic, scratches can be buffed out. Same for glass, though I think it may be a bit more work. If they are on the outside like mine (just noticed it a few days ago) then that will be even easier to repair with some acrylic/glass filler if the scratches aren't too bad.

 

Just noticed the thread title...52 gallons. Well, whichever side you do decide to use as the back, I would paint black for a nice contrast against corals when shooting photos.\

P.S. - Is that your reef tank in your avatar?

 

The tank is 52 gallons plus around 10 gallons for the Wet/Dry. I was thinking of doing Zoas. I''m also interested in having Maxi Mini and Rock Anemones. Do you know if they have similar lighting requirements? Also, would they be able to coexist?

The tank is made of glass and the scratches are on the inside. The tank was in a house that my aunt was renting out and the people in the house liked to move the rocks around : It still looks okay backwards, as strange as it may seem.

 

I am definitely going to paint it. My mom insists that we paint it blue, but we'll see.

I wish that was my tank. I took that picture at the Denver Aquarium.

 

She had a SW tank in a house she rented out? That sounds awesome, if they just wouldn't mess with things in the tank!

I'm not all that familiar with light requirements for maxi-mini anemones, though I do think they will do OK with lower light corals like zoanthids. Just put it higher up on your aquascape. They are rock-boring(sp?) anemones anyway, IIRC.

My Dad wanted our tank background o be blue as well - "because the ocean is blue". I won in the long run. This is my second tank and they've both been painted black (see my avatar).

Mention how good corals will look in photos if you paint it black.

Well I like that photo.

 

Yup. She rented it out to them. When we picked it up we couldn't see in the tank because of the algae the people never bothered cleaning. We took the opportunity of cleaning it while the water was siphoned out.

I like the fact that the Rock Anemones look like giant Zoas. I will be able to put the Anemones a bit more than half way up the tank. I'm pretty sure that they bury their foot in the rock.

Thanks for the idea for convincing her

I thought the picture came out alright from an iPod camera.