My 75 Gallon Build...

[psykokid]

I'd honestly paint the back and save your self some headaches With that nothing can get between the paint and the glass making it crappy. Any cover that allows space between the glass and the back of the tank will allow for drips and other bits of rubbish to get down between the layers and crap things up. Just speaking from experience here.

As far as the screen cover goes. The top of your tank has a lip on the top trim edge that the glass top would have sat in. What you do is measure the opening (length x width) and make your frame that sized. If you use plastic screen material you just get a roller and press it into place. Check out this thread for a how to. Yours is easier since its square.

[Bergy]

+1 for painting...

if you use the flat black finish, from rustoleum, a cheap 'cigar' roller and a plastic roller tray, you can be done in about 40 minutes, and $10

each coat willdry in about 10-15 minutes... put a fan on it to make it dry quicker..

Also, get wall mounted outlet splitter... something that will screw onto the wall outlet and give you 6 outlets instead of two.

then plug in the power strip you can not have too many outlets back there.

get some black wire ties for all the cords

also, no need for the glass lid... even when the glass is clean, it will filter/block out USABLE light

and no no on the eel!!!!!

[pinkorchid]

Can't wait to see the finished product :)

[Learner]

OMG!!! it's going to be really lovely 8)
I painted the back of mine too; Sets off the coralline growth really well.
Looking forward to seeing it come together.
Can't believe the prices you are paying over there, soooo cheap compared to here in the U.K  :'(
Tania.

[Just_Greg]

black backed tanx are the way to go.  adds lots of depth to the tank.

[kwest]

bill, why no on the eel? im wanting a zebra eel, supost to be reef/community fish safe..Keep in mind i dont want to go overboard with corals, just a handful of pretty ones...not like 20 kinds...lol oh and did i mention i really want an eel?

[kwest]

wow the mesh is a really great idea...I guess ill be taking a trip to the local Lowes/home depot to see what kind of supplies i need. Should it be weighted down any though? if i do decide to get an eel, how strong are they to push the top open a bit?

[Bergy]

for the same  reasons lanny/RAndyF indicated

They are cool and everything, but....

[Just_Greg]

here's my take on morays (i had a snowflake for 15 years):

they're great when small, and can be model citizens...until they get some size on them (possibly when they reach sexual maturity).  once they do, its tankmates are likely to simply "disappear" at night when it comes out to prowl (SF's aren't SUPPOSED to be piscivores).  also realize that any ornamental shrimp/crustaceans will be eaten (incl. hermits).  this is especially true of the "pebble-toothed" species like the zebra.

they also tend to get mean at this point...mine bit me...TWICE.  once, when i had my hand in the tank (i have scars from that time), and the other time, it actually stuck its head out of the water to bite me while i was changing a lamp in the canopy.

once established and eating, they are very hardy and will live a LONG time (mine finally died when a GFI failed and shut off the power to its tank (i had to keep it in solitary after it "turned").

once they get large, you can't GIVE them away (i couldn't find ANYONE who'd take it, even for FREE), so plan on having a 20 year relationship with the fish.

as much as i like morays, i'm done keeping them.  i'll stick with my scorps...(no pun intended!)

so...now that your eyes are open a bit wider, i suggest doing some additional research on them...ask folks who have kept them.

[kwest]

Made a visit to my local lowes during my lunch break. Picked up some black nylon mesh that is 1/2inch , smallest they had, and a window screen kit in black that already has the corners. Noe I gotta measure , cut, and hot glue gun. And thinks for the information on the eels just Greg, I'll be doing further research on these for the store couldn't get me one at the moment anyways. But what I keep reading about the zebra is they are very non aggressive, won't eat or attack my fish, and that they just try to escape. I hears they will only get somewhat aggressive by feeding times. I understand that I'd have to train him on a feeding stick, no problem there, for I do that Noe occasionally with my bubble tip anemone. I do realize my turbo snails could be at risk. Lol. So as of right Now I'll let it be till I research more and if they get or in stock I'll make my decision. Other then that, you guys think yellow belly blue hippo tangs  are good choice of fish to stock? Just a single one of course with no other tangs

[Just_Greg]

actually, Glenn_F is a moray expert.  IIRC, he currently has a zebra, as well as a few others, so he'd be a good person to ask.  i know he's been a bit busy, but he does pop in on occasion.  you might shoot him a PM and see if he answers...  i also have a fairly good friend i know from the SH forum who keeps eels...i'll see if she has a zebra.

as for the hippo tang, that's pretty much the bare minimum tank size for that fish.  one thing to consider about tangs is they're big swimmers, and tend to get "cabin fever" if housed in too small of a tank.  Bill had a sweet hippo, i'm sure he can give you the run-down on owning one.

[kwest]

Just Greg, what kind of livestock did u have when housing your snowflake? And anything you would have done differnetly with your stock?

[Just_Greg]

since i had the eel for so long (15 years), it went thru a few iterations...

when it was small, it lived in a mixed community FO.

IMHO, it did best in a FO setup with a volitans lion, red soliderfish, picasso trigger, and a porc puffer.

it also bunked briefly in a mixed softy reef with a foxface, CBB, leopard wrasse, BG chromis trio, chalk basslet, neon goby, LARGE green brittle, LARGE, MEAN CBS...

i really did like the eel, but once it got nasty, it really put me off...it killed/ate a few fish incl. a decent-sized mexican pinkfaced wrasse.

[kwest]

dang. But, i do know the snowflake eels are the more aggressive, not to to aggressive, but i know they somewhat are..

oh and another UPDATE:

appointment is tomorrow 11am central time. Hope everythings goes as planned. I will keep you guys updated and hopefully a couple hours after my appointment ill post up here. Thanks

[kwest]

well so far nothing has gone as planned. The guy building my sump and it pretty much ready and was carrying it to his truck thru a garage and hit the side of the tank on something layin off a table and cracked the tank itself. He said it would be next week till he could get another one. So instead i went to petsmart and bought another one brought it to him, and he is going to build this one and then come out here tomorrow and do it. Which sucks cause i work all day tomorrow. so its gunna be tomorrow night..DAMNIT