In-Wall 180 Project

[jarhed]

Hey folks,

So, after being on this site for exactly a year on 4/16, I bought a house (for the tank, my wife thinks it was because we wanted more room), and began planning my tank.

I've torn out a small coat closet in the living room and will basically be extending the closet out and putting the tank in wall.

I'll be cutting out the carpet in the area of the new interior fish room and placing the stand directly on the concrete, after I seal it. On the back wall of the room, I'll mount my RO/DI unit, a sub-panel, any controllers, etc. There will be two new 20amp circuits dedicated to the fish room.

The tank will be viewable from the front and from one side, so it will be a corner mount. Not being a professional framer or drywaller, this should prove to be a challenge, but I love a challenge! :D

I have a monster beckett skimmer (can be seen in the gallery) that is upgradeable to a dual. Not sure if/when I'll be doing that, as I think it should handle a 180 with a moderate fish load just fine. It's 40" tall. My auto-topoff will be designed in the next couple of weeks as will the sump. Sump will most likely be a 60gallon that I'll drill three times, one outlet for the skimmer, one for the calcium reactor (that I dont have yet), and one for the return pump.

I purchased a 72" 3x250watt MH canopy from someone here with two VHO's. That will be suspended from the ceiling with some mechanism that will allow me to raise or lower it for tank service and cleaning.

In the ceiling, there will be an AC duct extended to the room, an attic vent fan, and an outlet for the lighting fans to connect to the single exhause duct that will run from the room to a pre-existing vent or a new vent, depending on whether or not the span will be too long. I'll be afixing two high volume fans to blow across the water surface also to aid in cooling. I know this sounds insane, but I'm trying to go sans-chiller. SoCal Edison has already gotten theirs from me, and didnt even bother buying me a drink first or calling me the day after. :fun1: :sad1:

Anyway, here it goes:


:http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/58756Picture1_028.jpg

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/58756Picture1_029.jpg

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/58756Picture1_030.jpg

I found a drain to the tub from the bathroom next door. Wondering if I can figure out a way to use it, or if I should use it. I have a septic tank, no sewer. :confused:

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/58756Picture1_031.jpg


More to come later! :wavehand:

[jarhed]

Closed loop pattern and skimmer pic. The tank is done. Picking it up on 4/14 from Coral Oasis in Irvine. With the drilling, and overflow, it only cost around $500. DEFINITELY go see these folks! Just stay away from my damn tank on the floor in the front of the store! :smokin:

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/58756180closedloop.jpg


http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/5875615_1_b.jpg

[zoocrazy]

sounds cool, keep the pics coming!!

[Reef Addict II]

Yes keep us updated :)

My fishroom is ready and I get my 180g system Sat :)

Good luck with your construction

Steve

[jarhed]

Thanks Steve!

Do you have pics of your construction anywhere?

[jarhed]

DOH!!

Never mind! I found em! I got my tank today. It's on my back porch. I cant stop looking at it.

[Bax]

IMHO, I would not plumb your waste water into your septic ... that said like'n the rest of your plan so far!

[jarhed]

Thanks Bax!

Wasnt sure. Dont really know much about septic. Sewer I could care less about. Got pics of the tank comin next!

[Bax]

Back east septics are like gold and ANY extra Bio load is BAD!

Can't wait to see your 180! I am getting ready to move and I am planning a 180 to 210ish sized reef tank for the new house. I'll follow with interest Jarhed.

Good luck! Have fun!

[jarhed]

Thanks Bax!

Yeah, I'm from Pennsyltucky originally. WE ARE!! - Penn State!!

:thumbsup: :celeb2:

We had a septic tank when I was growing up but it was dug up and filled in back in '76.

[Reef Addict II]

Yes I have them on this thread:

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=554495&perpage=&pagenumber=1

Doh, i just seen your second responds hehehe, oh well

and a ton a pics on my website (little red house)

Going to bed now, getting up at 4am to head to IL :):)

[jarhed]

New Pics!

Pics of the demo process. At least some of the pics. Wife almost coughed up knee cartiledge when she came to see what all the noise was. My 2-year old son loved it! :smokin:


going......
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/58756Picture1_001.jpg


going............
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/58756Picture1_002.jpg

GONE!!!!!
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/58756Picture1_007.jpg

Another angle
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/58756Picture1_009.jpg

My sweet little girl!! :bum:
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/58756Picture1_010.jpg

Shameless plug :mixed:
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/58756Picture1_014.jpg

[jarhed]

Off we go!

I decided to break out the plastic card and head to Home Depot for lumber this Saturday morning. Borrowed the father in law's saw, purchased a powder driver to set the base of the wall/frame into the concrete. Worked out pretty well.

Now, I dont think I did too bad a job never having been a carpenter. I can rebuild engines all day long in my garage, but carpentry is something I've never had the occasion to master.

That being said, I did manage to build a monster stand and it certainly appears to me to be extremely stable and way overengineered.

I cut the carpet out of where the room will be on Thursday night, so I was a little ahead of the game.

Then, I put two strips of pressure treated 2x4 on the floor and shot them in:

http://devildog1.home.mindspring.com/fishroom/Picture1.jpg

http://devildog1.home.mindspring.com/fishroom/Picture2.jpg

Feeling way too sure of myself, having successfully shot in the base, I went ahead and built the stand, then tested it out by putting my huge keister on it.

http://devildog1.home.mindspring.com/fishroom/Picture3.jpg

Not to bad. It almost didnt fit in the sliding door because it's 32" deep. Had to force it and almost break the glass door. :hmm5: Yes, the tank is only about 25", but I wanted that shelf on the rear to put two closed loop pumps and whatever tools, food, supplements I'll be using every now and again.

You'll notice that the braces on the rear side of the stand are not reinforced, but I will be finishing that some night this week.

http://devildog1.home.mindspring.com/fishroom/Picture4.jpg

http://devildog1.home.mindspring.com/fishroom/Picture5.jpg

Two questions for those carpenter/engineers out there:

a) Being that the stand is 32" deep, and the tank is only 25" deep, am I going to be putting any undue stress on the 3/4" plywood underneat the rear of the tank, considering that the rear rim of the tank WONT be directly supported by the stand itself? Would I need any joists to run from front to back underneath the plywood?

b) Some of the verticle reinforcements (on the outside) are not completely touching the rectangular frame at the top to support it. A testament to my poor cutting skills with a circular saw. It's a wonder I still have all my fingers. I've crammed paint stir sticks in any gaps that they would fit in and will sand down and insert the others also. Will the thin slivers of paint stir sticks provide the right amount of support in the gap?

Waiting for your guidance/opinions! :)

[jarhed]

Since I have never really posted pics of my 40 gal in about a year (in the gallery), I figured I'd show you what I'm moving up from:

http://devildog1.home.mindspring.com/fishroom/40gal1.jpg

http://devildog1.home.mindspring.com/fishroom/40gal2.jpg

http://devildog1.home.mindspring.com/fishroom/40gal3.jpg

http://devildog1.home.mindspring.com/fishroom/40gal4.jpg

[Reef Addict II]

Looking good so far :)

Since its a 180g glass, most of the weight will be on the corners, I would put one more 2x4 on each end underneath the cross piece, where the corner of the tank is(will be).

This will also help you (b) question. Make sure the 2 pieces you put in fit snug. They should pretty much stay there by themselves before you put any nails in.

Keep the pics coming :)

Steve

[jarhed]

Thanks Steve!

I'll cut the extra pieces and put them in tomorrow. I'll do them just as I did the ones up front. Overengineering never hurt I figure.

[bheron]

awesome so far!

GO PSU!

[AcroSteve]

Looking good so far. Sweet blue sponge.

Do like reefadict suggested and add two extra front-back braces to support the plywood.

[Bax]

Lookin good jarhed!!!

Keep the up dates coming! ...

... and that is a great sponge!!!

[jarhed]

Thanks all!! BTW, the sponge came from Coral Oasis in Irvine.

I've been framing all day, managed to get the door done, now trying to finish the first leg of the upper wall on the side with the door. I have it up, but it's not even, there is almost a 1" difference from front to back. Just a little slant in the ceiling that I didnt take into account, not to mention the extra 2x4 I didnt consider. I must be getting tired.

Going to let my screwdriver battery charge back up, take that leg down and cut the studs in it down to size. Going to begin at one length of stud on one side, then end with a different size stud on the other, then just run the 2x4 along the bottom of the studs. That will make up for the almost 1" difference. Hopefully, I'll be posting pics of FULLY completed framing tomorrow night. Gotta rent a sawsall tomorrow from HD to pull out some old top plates from the old closet.

[jarhed]

Well, I cant wait. Gotta let you guys see what I've been up to all day. Like I said, I'm not a carpenter and this is by far the biggest thing I've ever tried to do with wood, but I'm actually pleased at how well it's going. Remember, NO LAUGHING!! :cool:


I had a little help so maybe thats why it has been going well: :p
http://devildog1.home.mindspring.com/fishroom/430051.jpg

I'm not really sure now this little section of upper wall is hanging there. Screws only. Has to come down anyway, it's on an angle that I have to compensate for AND the opening is not big enough (I'm so blind I didnt see that second top plate DUHHH!!). :eek2:
http://devildog1.home.mindspring.com/fishroom/430052.jpg

As you can see, the extra legs are in where the back corner of the tank will be. Remember, this tank will show on this side and the front.
http://devildog1.home.mindspring.com/fishroom/430053.jpg

Ok, now this is really irritating the mess out of me. This is a doorbell that is wired in, and its' transformer that I have to find in the fuse box and disable, then terminate, then pull out from the attic, then find another doorbell that I can put somewhere else. What a nightmare. I'm NOT an electrician, so if you dont hear from me, start praying for a speedy recovery or the positive dissolution of my charred soul!!! :worried2:
http://devildog1.home.mindspring.com/fishroom/430054.jpg

Last shot for tonight, I'll try to fix that side curtain wall (what DO you call that anyway?) and get the front completed on Sunday. Only thing left then is drywall, paint, putting the sump in, and putting the tank on the platform. I cant wait!!
http://devildog1.home.mindspring.com/fishroom/430055.jpg :D

[hdtvguy]

Good work on the framing. As for the door bell when you disconnect the power off that thing. Get yourself a wireless one it will save you one big headache. I did the same thing and glad I did! Look at HD when you are there.

[chevytrks]

As trying as it seems at times, I am sure the finished product will be worth all the extra effort. Looks like you aren't missing a beat Jarhead. Keep up the good work.

[jarhed]

Originally posted by chevytrks
As trying as it seems at times, I am sure the finished product will be worth all the extra effort. Looks like you aren't missing a beat Jarhead. Keep up the good work.

Thanks Chevytrks! :D

Yeah, it's a challenge but ya know what? I think I found a new love! I love this stuff!!! Maybe I'll get good at it someday.
:smokin:

[Reef Addict II]

Looking good :thumbsup:

Perfect spot for the 2x4 to support the back side as we talked about :)

Steve

[jarhed]

Uh oh,

Someone apparently broke in, drugged me, and finished the framing because there is NO way I could have done that!!!

Seriously, I managed to finish it, not one nail in the entire construction. Everything looks fine although there is some very minor unevenness (nothing bad at all) but the picture frame around the tank will hide it, if it's even noticeable anyway.

Also, you'll notice that the "fishroom" is more of a "fish closet", but if I plan it out carefully, I'll be able to fit everything in there and be able to work back there no problem.

I just cant believe the whole thing hasnt collapsed yet! :lol:

http://devildog1.home.mindspring.com/fishroom/5105.jpg

http://devildog1.home.mindspring.com/fishroom/51052.jpg

http://devildog1.home.mindspring.com/fishroom/51053.jpg

http://devildog1.home.mindspring.com/fishroom/51054.jpg

http://devildog1.home.mindspring.com/fishroom/51055.jpg

Yeah, I know, WHAT A MESS!!! :D I'll start cleaning in a minute.

Thanks to everyone who guided me along, I really appreciate it. There is obviously a LOT more work to be done, so dont be scarce!

:thumbsup:

[jarhed]

Kewl!!

Found a 60-gallon Acrylic tank (for my sump) for only $60!! Woohoo!!

I'm picking it up on Sunday.

[Bax]

perfect! ... you'll have water in there in no time!!! :)

[ricky1414]

Very nice job jarhead!! Just one question, what's up with the shoe, bro?:D

[jarhed]

HAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!

Sorry, just took off my drywall dust covered shoes to step on the carpet and take a pic! Even though the carpet was already a mess, I didnt want to make it worse.

[bheron]

yea, that move really saved the carpet there :-)

Nice work! Let's see how the drywall holds up. Looks like it will to me.

[jarhed]

Yeah, I think it'll stay up. I still want to reinforce it by putting hangars around the rafters though. May not really do anything but it'll definitely make me sleep better.

[Julio]

boy, that youngster can sure do some great work, i need to hire him for my next project.

[bheron]

you mean those metal brackets? that would help for sure.

[jarhed]

Originally posted by Julio
boy, that youngster can sure do some great work, i need to hire him for my next project.

haha!!!:lol:

Yeah, he's a very industrious young man! Why, a couple days ago, he put his pants on all by himself for the first time!

I'm so proud! ;)

[ricky1414]

Originally posted by jarhed
haha!!!:lol:

Yeah, he's a very industrious young man! Why, a couple days ago, he put his pants on all by himself for the first time!

I'm so proud! ;)

Then he's one up on me...;)

[mako56]

Jarhead that stand looks like it could hold up two tanks, very nice.

[jarhed]

Originally posted by mako56
Jarhead that stand looks like it could hold up two tanks, very nice.

Thanks Mako!

Like I said, I'm really proud of it because I've never taken a power saw to that much wood in my LIFE. I look at it every night in awe and wonder who exactly possessed me and made that happen! :lol:

[Guelphie]

Hi jarhed,

Pardon my ignorance, I'm not familar with the ins-and-outs of such a large tank, but do you have any concerns about evaporation in your self described tank closet?

Never mind. Re-read your opening post. Missed the last couple of sentences


Some day, I'll stop living vicariously through the large-tank-forum and get my **** together enough to do a tank like this.

[jarhed]

Originally posted by Guelphie
Hi jarhed,

Pardon my ignorance, I'm not familar with the ins-and-outs of such a large tank, but do you have any concerns about evaporation in your self described tank closet?

Never mind. Re-read your opening post. Missed the last couple of sentences


Some day, I'll stop living vicariously through the large-tank-forum and get my **** together enough to do a tank like this.

:lol: :lol:
Well, I lived vicariously through the Oregon Reef, Melev's expertise, Weatherson and many many others for a year. I figured it was time to start a project.

Yeah, hopefully the vent fans will work. I'm crossing my fingers because I'm not an HVAC expert. I just have to pick the most powerful, efficient, and quiet one I can afford and route it the correct way. Hopefully, bringing an AC duct into the room will help, but I have to shut it off completely during the winter so I'm not blowing heat into the room.

This makes my head spin.

[mako56]

So for lights you have 3 - 250 watt metal halides and 2 - 110 watt vho's? I am planning the same type of thing I got 3 -250 watt DE halides and 2 or 4 (can't really decide yet) 110 watt vho's but I think 2 should be plenty.

[jarhed]

That might be plenty, but I'm no lighting expert. My lighting was purchased here on RC. I think it was manufactured that way. I've seen something almost exactly like it in the Aquaticeco catalog, so my guess is thats where the seller got it for his 180. Nice setup too, push-pull fans, white background (I wouldnt mind if that had chrome or aluminum reflectors though), and not too heavy.

Just gotta figure out a way to hang it and make it moveable so I can service the tank from behind.

[mako56]

I have allot of room so I will be putting mine on a track that I can push out of the way. I am going to try to build a some sort of canopy myself. Was it a used setup or does someone here put these things together?

[jarhed]

It was a used setup. My tank is going in wall so the light canopy just needs to hang.

[got2lb]

Jarhead: it looks like you're on your way to a very nice setup! I wish I had a place to build mine inwall like yours. About the lighting if you hang it from the ceiling above your tank and put it on some kind of pully that you could lift up and down I would think that would work for servicing the tank. It looks like there's almost 2 ft from where the top of the tank will be to the ceiling. Might be easier that way than some sort of track. Anyway looking good!

P.S. You'll have to get you're little helper his own little nano tank he can pound on :D

[mako56]

I guess maybe I should start a thread of my new 180. To get a few better ideas.

[jarhed]

Boy what a busy day!! I even managed to mow the lawn! :p

So, last night I cut out the plywood base, this morning went and got some semi-gloss paint and painted it. Screwed it onto the stand, then cut out the access hole for the overflow pipes. I did install some cross bracing/joists on hangers underneath the plywood by the way. I know I may not have needed it, but I think I'll sleep better at night knowing they are there.

I racked my pea-sized brain for a way to get bodies in the house to help me place the tank on the platform and came up empty, a normal result of my brain housing group in action. :lol:

At around 6:30, I decided that I was not going to wait anymore and I wanted the blessed tank on the stand TONIGHT!!!! :mad2:

After bailing the rainwater and mosquito larvae out of the tank (and some little things that looked like VERY active red bristleworm babies!!!), I rigged up some 2x4's as sleds (see pic) and slid it across the patio to the back door.

I continued this lay track/push tank pattern until I got it inside and next to the side of the tank (see pic). I got on the end nearest the stand and picked it up chest high. Noticing that dirty water was dripping off of the bottom (condensation), I had the wife crawl under the tank while I held it up on end, and dry it off with a towel. No point in making the ugly rose/pink carpet any more filthy, right? :confused: Either way, that carpet is gone as soon as we can decide on the right color hardwood floor to install.

I "walked" the end of the tank on the 2x4's toward me and the stand til it was overhead and could rest on the edge of the plywood. Then I went to the other side, picked it up, and slid the tank the rest of the way onto the stand.

Now, before you freak out laughing, remember, I was a competitive bodybuilder until a few years ago and was leg pressing over 1100 lbs for reps twice per week. It was all in the legs, trust me. The only thing that bothers me is that I couldnt get the foam underneath the tank the way I set it up there. Maybe I can get a couple bodies later on to help out with that.

And here you see the result after shimming the stand quite a bit to try to get as level as possible.

http://devildog1.home.mindspring.com/fishroom/57051.jpg

http://devildog1.home.mindspring.com/fishroom/57052.jpg

http://devildog1.home.mindspring.com/fishroom/57053.jpg

[Nemo_0916]

Hey guys! I saw this today along with his old 40G ... WOW talk about a nice and clean setup! Being so clean makes up or a lot! :) Rafael, keep up with the pics! ;)

[jarhed]

http://devildog1.home.mindspring.com/fishroom/57054.jpg

http://devildog1.home.mindspring.com/fishroom/57055.jpg

http://devildog1.home.mindspring.com/fishroom/57056.jpg

http://devildog1.home.mindspring.com/fishroom/57057.jpg


Anyone else need help placing a tank? I'm serious!! Where there is a will, there is a way! :D

[Nemo_0916]

Holy CRAP! How did you get it in??? Did you put your son to work to get that thing in there!?!?!?!!? ;) .. nice!! lOOKS great!!

[jarhed]

Originally posted by Nemo_0916
Holy CRAP! How did you get it in??? Did you put your son to work to get that thing in there!?!?!?!!? ;) .. nice!! lOOKS great!!

:lol: :lol:

Thanks!!! This is the result of PURE STUBBORNESS mixed with a little FOOLISHNESS, and a small dose of DISREGARD FOR PERSONAL SAFETY.

Works every time! :D


Oh, and of course, Mini-me (Raphael III) did whatever he could to help. Had to literally MOVE him out of the way so he wouldnt get hurt! I love that little man of mine!! ;)

[mako56]

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!! I found four strong boys or young men I mean (seems like when you get older everyone is a boy,,LOL) to bring my tank in. That's awesome jarhead. Mine had to go down steps though but looks like you could of master that easy enough.

[jarhed]

hehe

Well, stairs are an entirely different story!

I do have a question for all those big tank folks out there. When I'm behind the tank, looking at the rear bottom trim, I noticed there is a little gap between the trim and the plywood. The corners are all supported well, but right in the middle there is a gap, and it's bigger at the middle where the overflow is.

Should I worry about this? Are big tanks really supported at the corners? Should I add two more joists under the plywood to drive the plywood up to the trim and support the middle of the trim?

Am I worrying too much? Should I seek counseling? Should I just shut up and go to bed? :D

[rtwoody4]

I'm going to use a electric hoist to move my lights up and down
heres a link if your interested only 79.00 dollars

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=6970&productId=120327&R=120327

Bob

[mike660r]

Can you post a photo of the issue you are having?

[jarhed]

Sure, here ya go:

http://devildog1.home.mindspring.com/fishroom/Picture1.jpg

The shim underneath the trim is where the gap is the biggest. Not very big mind you, but it's there, which makes me nervous.

Any ideas?

[jarhed]

Originally posted by rtwoody4
I'm going to use a electric hoist to move my lights up and down
heres a link if your interested only 79.00 dollars

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=6970&productId=120327&R=120327

Bob

Hey thats NICE!! Does that plug into a regular outlet?

[AcroSteve]

As far as the shims go, Are they just along the back?

I would place one at each end of the tank if required and just above the supporting 2x4's underneath. Just lightly shove in the shims you have and then break or trim them flush. I have one or two on my tank.

[rtwoody4]

Yeah it plugs into a standard plug. I was playing around with it today and it works great
It appears to be well built It has a brake that locks the line so there's no way it will ever drop the lights
Bob

[jarhed]

Originally posted by AcroSteve
As far as the shims go, Are they just along the back?

I would place one at each end of the tank if required and just above the supporting 2x4's underneath. Just lightly shove in the shims you have and then break or trim them flush. I have one or two on my tank.


Yeah, just along the back. Dont think I have any room at the ends of the tank. Only space for them is in that middle portion. My concern is that with the weight of the rock, sand, and water, the center could bow downward, putting undue stress on joints and glass(?).

Maybe I could just cram a shim at each end of the gap itself?

BTW, I have no shims underneath the back trim now, I just put that one in there to illustrate the gap I found. I was always under the impression that you dont want to put multiple shims underneath the trim because it would put pressure points in uneven places?

[Bax]

Dude! ... can't answer your shim question, but when I set up my 180 are you available for placing the tank in place?

[jarhed]

Originally posted by Bax
Dude! ... can't answer your shim question, but when I set up my 180 are you available for placing the tank in place?

:D

Of COURSE!!!

Just jet me out to Jersey, we'll place the tank and frame out if you want, then just get me to Harrisburg, PA so I can see my son! :lol:

[ScubaRaven]

I used foam insulation under my tank to ensure it sat evenly but then again, it wasn't glass. My last tank (a 100) was setup the same way yours is with the shimmies. I had it up for a couple of years with no probs.

By the way... nice job getting that tank in such a tough spot! You did that all by yourself??? Who took the pic? :p

[jarhed]

My wife took the pic. She stood there looking at me like I was some kind of nut (I am) while I picked up the end, yelling about how I'm gonna hurt myself, how that is so dangerous, blah blah blah yakity yakity clickety clack! :lol:

Odd that she didnt really have much to say when I got it up on the stand though. hehe All I did was rest one end on the stand, pick up the other end and push. Not hard at all. Would have been easier but the paint on the platform was still sticky.

[Nemo_0916]

Rafael, you CRAZY!!

[jarhed]

Originally posted by Nemo_0916
Rafael, you CRAZY!!

:D :D

Yup!!!

Got the sump today, cleaned it out. Has some holes drilled, most of which I will be plugging, one I'll be using to feed my calcium reactor.

I'll post pics tomorrow.

[jarhed]

Not sure how I screwed that up but I must have overwritten a pic. The pic above of the floor should be the pic you see here:

http://devildog1.home.mindspring.com/fishroom/58051.jpg

[SaltyMember]

Very nice setup. I am putting a 125 FOWLR in a basement wall, so I appreciate the pics.

One question, did you use anything to seal the wood stand?
I was thinking of painting it or using some sort of polyurethane.

[jarhed]

Glad I could help Salty! I've learned so much about how to do this from the other threads on this site in the past year. This is without a doubt the best place to get your information.

[Fliger]

Dude, that is so sweet. I always see in-tank walls that only display the front. I would NEVER do that! The side shot is almost as good as the front!!!! I love it, can't wait to see more pix!

If you want a couple weeks vacation, drive out to AZ - you can stay at my place in return for you doing some construction. ;-)

[jarhed]

Originally posted by Fliger
Dude, that is so sweet. I always see in-tank walls that only display the front. I would NEVER do that! The side shot is almost as good as the front!!!! I love it, can't wait to see more pix!

If you want a couple weeks vacation, drive out to AZ - you can stay at my place in return for you doing some construction. ;-)

HAHA!!

Yeah, actually I have a neighbor that loves looking at my 40gallon from the side. Thats what made me decide to have the side open for viewing.

I have lots of friends in AZ, in the Phoenix area, since I lived there in 99. I'll be GLAD to come out, thinking about coming out Memorial Day weekend anyway. Only one problem: you really dont want me doing your construction. Thats the FIRST time I've ever framed a wall! Still debating whether or not it wont collapse! :lol: :lol:

[cediss]

Great progress Jarhed! Can't wait to see the final product as I'm sure you feel the same way. Good luck!

[ScubaRaven]

hmmmm... you're pics are working Jarhed

[jarhed]

Traffic/bandwidth issues. Going with another alternative

[ScubaRaven]

I just post my pics here at reef central, then attach them... unless you've used up your rc space...

[jarhed]

Ok,

Until I can figure out how and if I can update the path to the previous pictures hosted at EarthStink (bandwidth ran out), I've put the new pictures on my commercial site.

(Mods, can I pretty please have access to change the image paths??:( )

Here's what I've been up to:


My 60gal Acrylic sump (The brick is holding weld-on for a crack):
http://www.bayberryliving.com/images/51801.jpg

Another shot:
http://www.bayberryliving.com/images/51802.jpg

Wider shot, you can see I quit being afraid of drywall and started putting it up:
http://www.bayberryliving.com/images/51803.jpg

And even the corner bead:
http://www.bayberryliving.com/images/51804.jpg

Shot inside the closet with the green board ready to be secured. Yeah, I was playing around with the blue paint! :D
http://www.bayberryliving.com/images/51805.jpg

Did I mention that drywall sucks?
http://www.bayberryliving.com/images/51806.jpg

It REALLY sucks. Messy, dusty, sloppy, and joint compound is even worse!
http://www.bayberryliving.com/images/51807.jpg

More to come!!

[Reef Addict II]

Looking good :thumbsup:

Now get it finished!!!!! hehehe


Steve

[jarhed]

Originally posted by Reef Addict II
Looking good :thumbsup:

Now get it finished!!!!! hehehe


Steve

:lol: :lol:

I'm with ya on that one!! This has gone from a "boy this is going to be a fun project" to "Damn, I just want the friggin water in it already!!!".

Still have electricity to run, waiting for my calcium reactor, AC ducting, plumbing, then finally, filling the thing.

Maybe about 3 weeks out(?)

[Bax]

Looks good jarhed!

I see you are using Krylon paint, I used HD (America ..whatever they call it) for chalk boards, it is excellent, designed to be scratch resistant, it appears to be. I painted my 75 a while ago have been doing lots of piping and such, amd not a nick. Don't know if it comes in blue, I went black.

It's looking great, the 60 seems to be an excelllent fit in your FR.

[jarhed]

Thanks Bax!

Yeah, I saw another post where someone used Krylon, and it turned out pretty nice. Stuff dries in 15 minutes! Stinks bad though when spraying. REAL bad. I like Krylon because of that color. Even with the black overflow, it should look ok. Color doesnt matter in the long run anyway because it'll mostly be covered by rock and plenty of coraline eventually as I actively encourage coraline growth.

[TheCoralReef731]

looking good.

[jarhed]

Shot a couple pics. I suck at picture taking and the camera sucks, but I'm trying to show the gap I found on the left corner of the tank.

I put some water in there just to get some weight on the stand and try to settle things in. The left corner as viewed from the front wasnt even touching the stand when it was empty. I put some shims underneath the corner to give it a little support.

Overall, with this much water in it, there is only a 1/8" slant in the tank.

I'd appreciate your input. Good? Bad? Shall I shim the entire front section of frame? Should I tear the whole damn wall down and start over? :D


http://www.bayberryliving.com/images/gap1.jpg


http://www.bayberryliving.com/images/gap2.jpg

[LittleBlueGT]

1/8 inch isn't too bad at all.;) I would do one of two things.

Leave it alone. Don't have shims under the glass, it puts uneven pressure on it.

Shim the whole thing with some self leveling product that it poured into place.

[jarhed]

Thanks!

So, you wouldnt even put shims underneath that right corner? Thats really the only place that is a supporting point that shows a gap. If I dont at least shim that corner, then fill it, I'm afraid the tank will bend down 1/8" to try to meet the plywood. I'm I completely off?

[LittleBlueGT]

I am not exactly sure what you are asking, but, you want the tank evenly supported on the frame.

Hope that helps.

[jarhed]

Yep, that helps. What I was saying is that there was one corner of the tank that didnt have any contact to the plywood platform, yet the tank itself was level. So, I put a couple shims under that corner. Now all four corners have contact with the plywood. I think I'm going to leave those there, go ahead and plumb, then fill it all the way with a garden hose and test it. No creaking or anything last night with the partial fill.

[LittleBlueGT]

Originally posted by jarhed
Yep, that helps. What I was saying is that there was one corner of the tank that didnt have any contact to the plywood platform, yet the tank itself was level. So, I put a couple shims under that corner. Now all four corners have contact with the plywood. I think I'm going to leave those there, go ahead and plumb, then fill it all the way with a garden hose and test it. No creaking or anything last night with the partial fill.

I understand now. I would still ensure that the stand is evenly supported on the WHOLE frame.

[jarhed]

I see. So, I'll just put the shims all the way up (only about a foot) from the corner toward the center of the tank underneath the frame. It's not much, but that little 1 foot gap makes me nervous.

Also, I'm not going to shove them in hard, just enough that they make firm contact and are snug. That way the entire frame, all the way around, has contact with the plywood platform.

Thanks for the help silvermax!

[jarhed]

Good day/Bad day

Not sure which? Came home and the AC, which was set at 77, was blowing semi-cool air. More like moist air. The inside temp was 81 degrees. :eek: It was a hot day here in the "valley of the dirt people", so I figured the unit probably gave up. It's an old Whirlpool with a manufacture date of 1984. The house was built in 1985. It's officially reached the end of it's intended life span. The 40gallon was ok, so I just setup a fan to blow into the canopy.

Bad or good?

Well, I knew when I bought this house two months ago that the AC unit would eventually have to be replaced. I know NOTHING about HVAC, but looking at that old unit, I somehow knew that it would have trouble making it through the summer. I kept saying, even two weeks ago, that I should just break down and get the thing replaced. Even chatted with my neighbor about it last Sunday.

Called a service guy, he came over and LAUGHED at the unit!! :lol: Said he just got done replacing one just like it today! haha!! He said he could probably fill it up with refrigerant but he'd be back out doing it again next month or fixing something else. I figured since I bought this house for two reasons: to build a huge reef tank and for an investment (SoCal population is moving this way), I might as well go ahead and replace it. It'll end up raising the value of the house anyway. The tech was really cool and said he would go ahead and install my AC duct into my fish closet at the same time, no extra charge! :D

bad day or good day?

I'd say it's a good day!!! :rollface:

[chad508]

as far as leveling the tank can't you just use a sheet of foam under it to take the uneveness out? i had the same problem and foam fixed mine perfect.

[jarhed]

Well, I was going to go with foam, and still have some styrofoam in the garage, but the biggest problem is that there is no room to pick the front of the tank up because of the overhanging wall. The bac can just be rocked forward no problem and the styrofoam shoved underneath.

I would try sliding the tank back, placing the styro, then pushing back forward, but you and I know exactly what would happen to the styrofoam if I did that. :D

[LittleBlueGT]

Styrofoam does not make up for a unlevel stand. It just evens out any imperfections. I would always prefer to carefully shim a framed tank.

[bheron]

wow, great job so far jarhead. you seem to be doing great with the drywall - much braver than i am. nice work. and it looks like your method of hanging the top portion is going to work.

this part about the uneveness of the tank is intruiging me since i'm about to partake in a similar project.

littlesilvermax - can you expand on your thoughts to "carefully shim a framed tank"?

[LittleBlueGT]

Originally posted by bheron
littlesilvermax - can you expand on your thoughts to "carefully shim a framed tank"?

You want to have equal pressure on all points around the perimeter of the frame. When the tank is sitting on something unlevel it will flex a bit. If you shim it with it flexing a bit it might not be shimmed enough and you will have extra strain on the tank.

On the other hand it is easy to overshim it and have the tank flex a bit the other way. Same outcome.

Take your time, be very careful. This isn't something you want to redo!

[jarhed]

Your exactly right silvermax!

I had to be careful inserting shims because say I put in three or four under one corner going inward toward the center, if I put them in too hard or forced them, more of the tank would actually come up and you'll see even more of a gap underneath the frame.

It's actually quite easy to change the level of a huge tank like that with those little shims. I put them in just a little snug. No forcing or anything. The weight of the tank, especially when full, will see to it that they dont move. All I did was fill in the gaps.

[Bax]

jarhed

Your industrious efforts have inspired me, I have had a new 75 laying around the office in various parts and boxes for six months now. I have every thing I need to to start but the time to put it together. Well, had a slow day today and just went crazy asembling and doing final touches to the stand. I got to the part where you need to put the tank on the stand and see how the plumbing will line up and no one was there to help. So... I got out the 2 x 4s hiked up one end on the stand and got to the other end and shoved ... tank is now in place and will be wet tested this weekend.

This mehtod of placing your tank, of a size that you should never ever lift alone, should here to for be known as the "jarhed method" of tank placement ... unles you break it then it's the "bonehead method". Thankfully, today I was a jarhed.

Thanks for the inspiration :)

[jarhed]

Originally posted by Bax
jarhed

Your industrious efforts have inspired me, I have had a new 75 laying around the office in various parts and boxes for six months now. I have every thing I need to to start but the time to put it together. Well, had a slow day today and just went crazy asembling and doing final touches to the stand. I got to the part where you need to put the tank on the stand and see how the plumbing will line up and no one was there to help. So... I got out the 2 x 4s hiked up one end on the stand and got to the other end and shoved ... tank is now in place and will be wet tested this weekend.

This mehtod of placing your tank, of a size that you should never ever lift alone, should here to for be known as the "jarhed method" of tank placement ... unles you break it then it's the "bonehead method". Thankfully, today I was a jarhed.

Thanks for the inspiration :)

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!!!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

The Jarhed method! ROFLMAO!!!! :D :D

Thanks! Well, Durso has his overflow pipe system, I've got the "load the tank onto the platform" system. Kewl! :bum:

[LittleBlueGT]

Originally posted by jarhed
Your exactly right silvermax!

I had to be careful inserting shims because say I put in three or four under one corner going inward toward the center, if I put them in too hard or forced them, more of the tank would actually come up and you'll see even more of a gap underneath the frame.

It's actually quite easy to change the level of a huge tank like that with those little shims. I put them in just a little snug. No forcing or anything. The weight of the tank, especially when full, will see to it that they dont move. All I did was fill in the gaps.

Sounds like you have it under control. Keep in mind that the tank is probably twisting ever so slightly with the gap there. Therefore you might have to do just a little bit more then "fill in the gap" when inserting the shims. Not much more but a bit more.

[jarhed]

No problem. I'm just trying to make sure that the long ends are filled now, then when I fill the tank, make sure there is no gap on the sides. Not easy!!!

[TheCoralReef731]

any more progress

[jarhed]

Well, it was a little hot the past couple days because the AC is dead, so while I'm waiting, I'm going to do a few things late tonight and tomorrow night. I bought some plexiglass to put dividers in my 60gal sump. All I have to do is cut out the pieces.

I plan on drilling the sump this weekend too, but I want to make sure I know what size holes to drill. I'm going to have a Korrallin 1502 Calcium reactor, a feed for the beckett skimmer and a feed for the return pump. So, all I have to do is figure out what size holes, then go to HD and get the hole saws. I'm searching RC now for ideas.

I did pickup some wire for the two circuits that will be dedicated to the room, and two outlet boxes and 20A outlets. Those two will feed a board filled with most likely the American DJ switches and outlets for each switch. Just gotta go get the breakers, run the wire, order the American DJ switches, and get the boxes and outlets. I have plenty of plywood laying around to attach to the wall.

If I can get all that done overnight tomorrow, I'll just relocate the RO/DI unit Sunday night. Then I have to design my autotopoff. I'm thinking something about 10 gallons, plastic (easy to cut a hole for a small bulkhead), then a shutoff float for the DI feed, then a float to gravity feed the sump the kalk water mix that will be in the 10gallon. The 10gallon will be a pseudo kalk reactor. There will always be kalk sitting in there and a small pump kicking on every now and again to saturate the new DI water.

[jarhed]

Ok folks,

I had an epiphany last night. Obviously, never having built a stand before, I tend to want to overbuild the one for my 180. So, I fell asleep for about 15 minutes, then as usual, I woke up (chronic insomniac). I had this picture in my mind of what would make me not worry about that stand.

Since the stand is 32" deep and the tank only about 25", I put two joists (seen as the brown vertical lines in the picture) across from the front to back, sitting on joist hangers and screwed into the frame. I figured since the plywood is obviously warped, showing a mini-gap between the frame and the plywood, I'd change things around.

If you look at the picture, it represents looking at the tank and stand from the top down. The tank is outlined in blue, the current stand outlined in black. The wood squares are where the 2x4 posts are, doubled in the middle and underneath the rear corners of the tank, and tripled on the corners. You'll also see the existing two 2x4 joists going from front to back.

What I want to do is remove the two 2x4 joists, and install two sandwiched 2x4's across the span of the tank underneath the rear frame since the rear frame currently has no direct support except the corners and joists. The new doubled beam would be bolted together and held up on each end by doubled 2x4 posts. The new beam is shown in RED.

To whit:

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/58756stand.jpg

If I can get that up tonight, there will no longer be ANY need to worry at all about any sagging in the plywood or non-support of the rear frame. That doubled beam will support much more than I intend it to be used for, even though it's span is going to be about 66" (62" total unsupported between the new posts).

Look good?

[Bax]

jarhed, you are a true wako, get some sleep!


But it sounds like you'd be getting a lot more sleep with a stiffer structure under your tank, so if U can make the change without ripin out sheet rock, go for it.

[jarhed]

Originally posted by Bax
jarhed, you are a true wako, get some sleep!


But it sounds like you'd be getting a lot more sleep with a stiffer structure under your tank, so if U can make the change without ripin out sheet rock, go for it.

HAHAHAHA:lol: :lol: :lol:

Sleep? Nah! Sleep is overrated!!! Got too many things to do ya know. Part of my master plan to take over the world. :strooper:

Yep, all I have to do is put the 2x4's together, put them underneath the tank and raise them up. Almost a non-issue. About an hour of effort. THEN maybe I can get some sleep.

On another note, I did manage to finish all of the outside drywall. Still a little sanding to do in some areas that were still drying yesterday, but I skim coated and sanded about 98% of the entire exterior wall. Please remind me next time to NEVER skim coat a section of drywall again! After two showers last night, I still found dust in my ears this morning!! :eek: It was EVERYwhere. Including in the sump area of my 40gallon! Water change happens tonight.

I think I had to pull apart and clean the filter in my vacuum three times yesterday. What a mess. And I'm still not done cleaning up.

Also managed to get two baffles in the sump. It's going to be very simple. Just like the tiny sump I have underneath the 40gal now:

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/58756sump.jpg

BTW, in an acrylic sump/tank, if I put in the baffles using regular aquarium silicone, will the baffle manage to hold the tank walls together so they dont pull apart during the normal bowing? I put huge pavers on the back of the tank to flatten the bowed back when I glued the baffles in. I have some Weld-on, but wonder if the silicone would be enough to hold the front and back together.

[Bax]

I don't think silcone does as good a job of holding to acrylic as a cement like weldon does. Silcone is better for glass, but if you got bowing glass you got bigger trouble!

Maybe you should use the weldon maybe even with some extra stays for strength and then silocone the seams after it dries.

[jarhed]

Kewl,

I did one of the two baffles with Weld-On. I could always cutout the first one and use Weld-On to put it back. I'm also going to cake some more weld-on around the sides of the second baffle to make sure it's in there good. Only have two more baffles to go after that, then some holes to drill. I'm assuming holes for a 1" bulkhead for both the return pump and skimmer pump.

[jarhed]

Kewl,

Done with the beam. It's HUGE and very strong. Took all but an hour and a half. Now I definitely need to find something to brace it, probably some small 2x4 sections. It's like two table legs. Wants to fall either way theoretically, even though I have it shimmed real tight.

Maybe this is overkill or whatever, but that tank aint goin nowhere! NOW I can sleep peacefully knowing that if I fill the tank, I wont wake up to an ocean on the floor of my house.

;)

[jarhed]

duplicate, mods kill this double post?

[TheCoralReef731]

Can't wait to see more updates. (=

[jarhed]

I'll get some new pics asap

[Bax]

Get some sleep first

[jarhed]

Originally posted by Bax
Get some sleep first

:lol: :lol:

Well, I cant be productive when I'm being a lazy sleeping bum. I get a couple hours every night. Enough to keep me from seeing things.... except for that G.I. Joe climbing the wall here in my office, and those miniature geese flying in formation around my head....:eek2:

Ya know, my Sr. Drill Instructor at Parris Island told us: "Good Marines NEVER get tired!!!" Not sure why, but I still remember just about everything they said.

[jarhed]

Went to the post office today to pickup my package. In it were the following:

Korallin 1502 Calcium Reactor (with busted pipes up top, Eheim works GREAT!),

10# CO2 tank

Regulator with selenoid.

$300.00

Feeling like I stole an expensive piece of equipment: Priceless!

Have to pay for both the inlet and outlet assembly (around $60) and beg someone for instructions since it came with none, but I'm happy! What a deal!

Tested my lights tonight. Replaced two VERY bright VHO's with Actinics (I got about 7 replacement VHO's and three MH's with the deal: $450 total - Browsing the selling forum is WORTH it!)

The MH's worked beautifully. MAN it's hot though! I have to rig up some sort of shield as the closed light box has an inlet and outlet fan, and the outlet blows directly against the inside of the drywall. I'm thinking a sheet or two of galvanized steel. Thoughts?

Get my AC installed tomorrow, including an extra duct, and should go pickup my ceiling vent fan (gonna need it) this weekend.

[jarhed]

Hi folks!

New pics!

Spent Saturday finishing drywall sanding and getting some primer on the wall. Here it is finally done. Just needs paint, some trim around the tank, and the carpet reattached:
http://users.adelphia.net/~jarhed/images/53001c.jpg

I cut out the two joists underneath the tank and replaced them with one huge double 2x4 that spans the length of the tank. I think I'll sleep better now. It is located directly under the tank frame:
http://users.adelphia.net/~jarhed/images/53001a.jpg

Finished painting the back of the tank and got all my plumbing ready. Should finish that in a couple days. The sump is complete, all baffles glued in also. That will be in a later pic:
http://users.adelphia.net/~jarhed/images/53001b.jpg

Also got the RO/DI lines ran. From the garage where the unit is, through the attic, and down the back wall. The white tube will be for the tank, the yellow goes through the wall, directly into the refrigerator in the kitchen. No more cloudy stinky tap water and stinking ice from the ice maker. Woohoo!!!:D
http://users.adelphia.net/~jarhed/images/53001d.jpg


More later! :smokin:

[Bax]

Sweet!

[chriscobb]

Looks good anymore pics

[jarhed]

More coming, Chris.

I'll take pics of the completed sump tonight (60gallon acrylic tank, partitioned into intake, refugium, return chambers).

I also picked up a 32 gallon Brute for my water changes. That will be crammed into the back corner of the room and will use a rio 2100 for mixing and sump refill via a hose. Simple setup. I'll build a stand over that to put my Sterilite 20gallon container (Walmart $3.50) that will be the topoff reservoir. I'll dump a container of kalk in there, possibly use an old Rio 600 to periodically stir the ro/kalk mix, and an aqualifter on a float switch to refill the sump when level gets low. The aqualifter is working fine now on my 40gallon. No rushing home to check the sump water level anymore to see if my siphon drip of kalk has kept up with the evap or if kalk deposits have completely closed the airvalve. :rolleye1:

Nice thing is I have the aqualifter pulling water from a 5-gallon jug that I fill maybe once per week, rather than the 2.5gallon jug that I was dripping/siphoning kalk from. Sometimes it quit dripping, sometimes it dripped to fast, lowering salinity to dangerous levels. Auto-topoff folks, it's worth it!

[jarhed]

More pics!!!

Closed loop (dry fit):
http://users.adelphia.net/~jarhed/images/closedloop.jpg


60Gal Sump/Refugium with GenX PCX40 return pump:
http://users.adelphia.net/~jarhed/images/sump.jpg

[qwuintus]

unions?

[AcroSteve]

And valves

[jarhed]

Good points, both of you! Doh!!:eek1:

They are sitting on the floor underneath my feet. I was wondering why they were looking at me funny! :D

A union on each connection (space permitted, I'm a little worried about fitting unions on the closed loop return bulkheads), a valve on each closed loop pump outlet after the union (the vertical span of spa-flex), and a valve on each end of the closed loop feeds.

[Bax]

jarhed

Unions and valves on both feed and returns so you can pull the pumps for service. Set the pumps a little lower on shelves if you need more room to do it. You won't lose any flow to head as it's closed loop only to friction thru the union and valve, but it U need to pull'em, it'll be worth it.

What are those, Little Giant 3-MDQXs? With 2 of them that should be nice flow!

[Bax]

Oh, I see you'r thinking to put them at the tank bulk as well. I don't know that U need to that, just at the pump with the BV between the Union and pump on feed and return. once lose, U can always deal with the spaflex at the bulkhead if needed.

Like'n this set up :)

[jarhed]

Kewl, thanks Bax!

Yeah, I figure definitely on both feed and return. I figured putting a union on the output side, then the valve just like you said. Dont think I'm putting unions on each individual return hole though. I figure the pumps will definitely be coming off every now and again for cleaning.

The pumps are an Iwaki (dont remember exactly which one) and a Little Giant 3. Have another Little Giant to feed the Beckett skimmer and a GenX for a return pump.

[usafresq]

OOOrah jarhead this project is looking AWESOME! I can't wait to see more.

Kevin

[jarhed]

Got off my lazy behind tonight and put the valves onto my closed loop. Still debating whether or not I should throw some valves next to the output for the closed loop. As you can see, not much space there and the spaflex is already pretty tight together. I imagine if I extended one drain out about three inches or so, I could put a valve in there. It'll be a VERY short span of Spaflex then! :D

http://users.adelphia.net/~jarhed/images/valves.jpg

[qwuintus]

nice job using spa flex.. is it noisy?

and i think you coulda done without the first union after the elbows on the bulkheads. no point since there no valve there to stop the tank from draining

[AcroSteve]

Valves look good. I agree that you could eliminate the unions closest to the tank on the suction side.

One thing I do with my unions is keep them consistant as far as in and out go. Does not matter for funtionality, but it helps if you have to swap things around sometime.

[jarhed]

Originally posted by qwuintus
nice job using spa flex.. is it noisy?

and i think you coulda done without the first union after the elbows on the bulkheads. no point since there no valve there to stop the tank from draining


Thanks Quintus, I havent gotten any water through them yet to see about the noise level. Good point on the unions, but I put them there because I havent decided whether or not to attempt to squeeze some valves on that end of the spaflex. Maybe I'll give it a shot this weekend. I bought 10' of spaflex and it's all in little pieces everywhere!!:mad2: What a waste.

I'm trying to think of situations where I may want to remove the spaflex from the outputs and just cant come up with anything. I know I'll be pulling the pumps every now and again, but thats about it. I can shut down the valves before and after the pump to pull pumps and keep water in the spaflex. Any ideas?

BTW, my RBTA split two days ago. Looked ok, and both were sitting on the back of the 40gallon, the baby trying to hide underneath the overflow. Came home yesterday and the baby was inside the overflow. When I reached for him, he dropped into the water and then through the u-tube. I managed to get him and put him back in the tank, but I cant find momma! :eek1:

Where oh where did momma anenome go? She's not in the sump, she's not in the overflow, I PRAY she's not stuck in the overflow tube! Cant see her under the rocks... :confused:

[8BALL_99]

lol wow that sux,, She is probably in a hole somewhere..

Your setup is looking good.. I think you will be very happy with it.. I would LOVE to have an area I could set a tank with a equipment room behind it..

[Surf]

Originally posted by jarhed
My 2-year old son loved it! :smokin:


Lol, you DO realize that by the time he's 4 he'll have tried to demolish his room in the same way, right? Kids soak it all in:)

[captbunzo]

Nice work. Very pretty tank!!!

[jarhed]

Thanks all!! :D

Still cant find the momma anenome. No biggie. Baby seems to be doing fine. Nemo decided to jump out of the tank for some reason. Didnt see him all day on Friday and most of the day Saturday. Found his dried up body on the floor near the back of my 40gallon. RIP buddy. Guess he was a little ticked that his home decided to act weird.

Got the plumbing done last weekend. Even ran electricity and didnt kill myself! :lol: I filled the tank with the garden hose to look for leaks, found a couple, fixed em, filled it again and the sump. Fired up the closed loop, works fine, although my Little Giant 4MDQ-SC isnt as quiet as I'd like it. The other closed loop pump is an Iwaki MD30 RXT, nice and quiet. I fired up the GenX PCX40 return pump.........

:eek1: :eek1: :eek1: :eek1:

That thing is LOUD!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I closed the fishroom door and went into the garage and STILL heard it!!! But it works. No leaks. Entire plumbing system is beautiful, including my modified Stockman Standpipe (no room for the turns in a Durso).

I'm calling Marine Depot today to go pickup a Pan World 50PX-X (Supposed to be quieter than an Iwaki). I had to valve back the GenX because I hadnt closed up the top of the Stockman standpipe to provide more drainage flow and the GenX started sucking air, so it may have run down around 1000gph. I figure the Pan World will give me 1110 (down from 1190 in the GenX) and could possibly eliminate the need to meter back the flow. I really dont want to spend the money, but I cant bear to hear that GenX anymore! :mad2: That piece of garbage is for sale cheap!

Pics coming tonight!

[bheron]

interesting feedback on the GenX. thanks.

looks great so far!

[Bax]

jarhed

Nice to hear you've got water in there.
I have a Little Giant 3MDQX-SC on a CL on my 75 in my office and I can't think when it's running. Glad to hear the Pan Worlds are so quiet, got a 50-PX comming in the mail :)

I'll use the LG on my next project so no worries.

[jarhed]

Thanks guys!

I dont think the GenX is supposed to be that loud, but last night I put some earplugs in and went to the computer to search RC and found several references to how loud the GenX is. I think mine is just old. Sounds like metal on metal!! Like dragging a car down a concrete highway on it's roof!! :lol: :lol:

I figure another day or so playing with the tap water, then it's drain time again. It should take me about 3-4 days to fill the tank with RO/DI with my 75gpd system. That doesnt take into account how much R/O water goes through my fridge for drinking water.

I still have to hang the lights, come up with an affordable but effective and simple control panel system. Still debating building a switch/plug system on plywood or using the American DJ switches. Either way, all of the pump outlets WILL have GFCI's on them. Not playing with fire here, this house costs too much for where I live to let it burn up! :mad2:

[bheron]

Jarhead - cant wait to see what you come up with for the power panel. i love what some of the poeple have done with theirs. i think the DJ power strips looks the best and easiest (?).

one thing, I dont think you'll need to get GFIs on all your outlets. I think you can just put one on each circuit to cover all the outlets on that circuit?

[jarhed]

Originally posted by bheron
Jarhead - cant wait to see what you come up with for the power panel. i love what some of the poeple have done with theirs. i think the DJ power strips looks the best and easiest (?).

one thing, I dont think you'll need to get GFIs on all your outlets. I think you can just put one on each circuit to cover all the outlets on that circuit?

Yeah, thats actually a good point bheron. If I do the DJ strip, I'll pull three lines off of it to three individual outlets with GFCI for the pumps so they arent plugged directly into the strip. One for the skimmer pump, one for the return, and one for both closed loop pumps. I figure definitely putting GFCI wherever electricity meets water. Possibly even connect the calc reactor feed and circ pumps and the "plug in on demand" water mixing bin pump (Rio 2100). I figure the heater(s) will be ok on the light circuit (I ran two 20amp circuits, one for pumps, one for lighting).

Thoughts?

[Project Reef]

Hey Jarhed,

This is Ali, I talked to you on the phone a lil' earlier today. Sweet set up bro. Nice job with that electrical stuff. ;) Anyway, Good luck with it, it has a heck of a lot of potential.

[jarhed]

Thanks Ali!

Just hooked up the pump! Thanks again for all the advice!

[jarhed]

Well, after a long and sweaty weekend, I'm finally on the home stretch.



I tidied up the wiring in the attic, but still need to pin down and seal the wires at the top of the fish room.
http://users.adelphia.net/~jarhed/images/electrical.jpg


Finished plumbing on the closed loop. Found a few leaks. It appears that I was tired enough to completely forget thread tape on the screw in's. Easy fix. You'll notice a 3/4" pipe sticking out of the closed loop feed on the left. This is for draining for water changes. There will be a valve, then an elbow pointing down, then the pvc to hose adapter. I'll just hook up the hose and let it drain into the street. I'm horrified of destroying my septic tank and I'm sure saltwater is not good for the grass:
http://users.adelphia.net/~jarhed/images/loopfinished.jpg


Here is the overflow. Had to do a stockman standpipe because a Durso wouldnt fit. Works fine but is a little low. The waterfall sound back there is horrible. I plan on making the standpipe about 5" taller to alleviate this issue and cut down on all the splashing and inevitable salt creep. I havent capped the 3/4" pipe at the top yet, but will and add some air hose and a valve to increase the drain flow. Right now, the drain wont keep up with the new Pan World return pump I got today (GenX was WAYYYY too loud!):
http://users.adelphia.net/~jarhed/images/overflow.jpg


Here is my sump. You cant see the last section where the PanWorld is pulling for return, but it's there. I had to meter back the PanWorld because it's too fast for the overflow until I can finish the standpipe properly. BTW, the PanWorld is plenty powerful and lemme tell ya, it's so quiet I had to get down on my knees to make sure the thing was on!!!:lol: I'll be replacing my brand new Little Giant loop pump with a PanWorld also. Have another Little Giant for the skimmer but we'll see if that one gets replaced:
http://users.adelphia.net/~jarhed/images/sumparea.jpg


Your thoughts? Concerns?

Only things left: The HVAC guys will duct the AC into the room this Saturday, the Little Giant loop pump on the left will be replaced with a Pan World (much quieter pumps!!), I still have to plumb in and mount the skimmer, put my mixing tub in, build a stand over that for the topoff water container, and a shelf over that for the ballasts. Then, I have to build an electrical control panel and hang the lights.

Not too far to go! :D

[qwuintus]

looking good, whats the T for on the closed loop? you going to be sucking something up?

[jarhed]

Originally posted by qwuintus
looking good, whats the T for on the closed loop? you going to be sucking something up?

hehe!! :D

Nah, it's for draining for water changes. I'll be putting a valve on there, then an elbow, ending in a garden hose adapter. The pump of course will be off when draining. Just gotta figure out where to put a mark on the tank so I know when I've hit 20gallons and can close the ball valve.

[captbunzo]

It looks like you have one of those check valves I have seen on the internet for $20-$30. I assume you got that so you had less to worry about concerning failing check valves?

How much more reliable to you guess them to be?

[jarhed]

Actually, I got the check valve from a LFS in Irvine, CA. ONly cost $17. Not sure I've seen the other type of check valve, except the ones at HD which are spring loaded.

[Lincutis]

Jarhed, I have been following the thread. Nice work. Waiting to see it occupied. Thought I would drop in a note. If you get a piece of rubber and screw down the pumps it may reduce that vibration and quiet them down.

[jarhed]

Good point Lincutis,

I was definitely planning on screwing them down, wasnt aware that would reduce the vibration though. Thanks for the tip!!

Folks, just so you know when I respond to questions about who built this system, the response will be myself and friends on RC. Honestly, without your guidance and advice, I'd have no clue where to start. I have never done anything like this ever and wouldnt have even tried were it not for watching the build and progress of folks like Weatherson, Steve Weist and others, and the guidance of you folks with much more experience.

Please feel free to add your tips and advice anytime. Dont hide! :D

[Bax]

jarhed

I use a piece of foam pad under my pumps when I screw them down really helps cut down on vibration.

[Ehydo]

Originally posted by Bax
jarhed

I use a piece of foam pad under my pumps when I screw them down really helps cut down on vibration.

IF the screw holes do not have rubber gromets you might also want to put those on and mount with a screw and washer.

[jarhed]

Kewl,

I'll definitely do that. None of them really have rubber feet, but I'll fashion some out of some thick mouse pads or something.

I corrected the Stockman Standpipe tonight, tested, then emptied the tank. Well,... it's still draining into the back yard now. The first baffle in the sump decided to give and one of the last baffles decided to give a little. The first baffle is the one I used only silicone on. Duh!! :hmm6:

The other baffle, which also borders the center fuge area, was glued with weld-on, then siliconed over top. There is a LOT of water flow through that 60 gallon sump! So, I'm going to re-glue both back in and as usual, seal them with silicone. I think the first one came off from the natural bowing of the acrylic tank. Just pulled the silicone right off. The second one that was glued was probably the same thing. That tank is going to bow no matter what I do. I couldnt think of a way to cut the baffles with a bow in them that would meet the expected bow of the tank, so I guess I'll just have to keep my eye on it. :furious:

Anyway, snapped a couple pics of the stockman re-construction:

http://users.adelphia.net/~jarhed/images/stockman001.jpg

http://users.adelphia.net/~jarhed/images/stockman002.jpg

I put a piece of RO tubing and a valve in the cap to the 3/4" pipe to control the rate but even with the valve all the way open, it went through flushing cycles. So, I just cut the tube down to a smaller size and removed the valve, ...... no more flushing. Perfectly consistent draining with no noise at all! :D

[qwuintus]

is that 1.5"? man for a 180 id have at least of those

[NexDog]

Great project. Mine is coming up quick and I'm a little scared because I have not alot of plumbing knowledge. Great to see how much everyone helps so that does make me feel better. I'll be leaning on RC alot more than you!

So, the big question....when does the saltwater go in? :)

[jarhed]

Originally posted by qwuintus
is that 1.5"? man for a 180 id have at least of those

is WHAT 1.5"? The standpipe is 1.25" but once it hits the bulk head, it's 1.5". Trust me, it drains FAST and HARD.

NexDog, believe me, I've never done ANY of this stuff, including plumbing, until I came to RC. In the past 13 months, I learned enough to enable me to build this.

Saltwater should go in as soon as I get the lights hung and the AC ducted. Hopefully, they will get done this weekend.

[Lincutis]

I'm laughing cause I put two 2" drains for a 75 with a reeflow dart pump. Talking about overkill. I didn't want to dial down the pump too much.
I changed my design to run dual 75 gallon tanks and now that second drain will end up being the inlet for a fuge.

[Ehydo]

Originally posted by jarhed
Kewl,

I'll definitely do that. None of them really have rubber feet, but I'll fashion some out of some thick mouse pads or something.

The first baffle in the sump decided to give and one of the last baffles decided to give a little. The first baffle is the one I used only silicone on. Duh!! :hmm6:

The other baffle, which also borders the center fuge area, was glued with weld-on, then siliconed over top. There is a LOT of water flow through that 60 gallon sump! So, I'm going to re-glue both back in and as usual, seal them with silicone. I think the first one came off from the natural bowing of the acrylic tank. Just pulled the silicone right off. The second one that was glued was probably the same thing. That tank is going to bow no matter what I do. I couldnt think of a way to cut the baffles with a bow in them that would meet the expected bow of the tank, so I guess I'll just have to keep my eye on it. :furious:



You should only use Weld-on on the acrlyic. THat will hold just fine. IF you use silicone you will find it blowing around your tank. If you need a thicker weld-on use #16 it will replace the need for silicone.

As for the bowing. IF you add all of your baffles and attach them with weld-on it will make the tank bow less. THe bow then will start from the first baffle.

And the mouse pad will work fine for lowering vibrations. That is what I use.

[jarhed]

Thanks Hydo,

I'll go get some #16 because what I have is obviously too thin. I'll reinforce the ones that stayed and reattach the one that is off with it. The sump runs pretty well, but in the first chamber where the overflow drains to, there is plenty of bubbles with just tap water. Salt will have MANY more bubbles and the problem is that is where the skimmer will pickup. I'm thinking about building an acrylic box for the drain to go into, shorter than the first baffle, then it can run over the top of that into the main chamber so the skimmer can pickup.

Thoughts?

[bassman57]

is there anyway you could take some pictures of the entire sump so i can see how you have it all plumbed. I am thinking of doing somthing just like this.

[jarhed]

Sure, I'll get one tonight when I get home. It'll be easy now because I pulled it to fix the baffles.

[jarhed]

Pic of the sump. The valve on the right side is for the skimmer pump pickup, the one on the left is for the return pump pickup. The first baffle on the right is the one that came loose. Going to go pickup some #16 and "git-er-done!!" :D

http://users.adelphia.net/~jarhed/images/sumpdetail.jpg

[jarhed]

BTW, how does one hang

This behemoth:
http://users.adelphia.net/~jarhed/images/lights.jpg


From here?:
http://users.adelphia.net/~jarhed/images/ceiling.jpg

There are no hanging points on the light box itself, it does have an acrylic lens, and the rafters go the same direction as the expose wood you see in the ceiling. The AC duct will be installed on Saturday probably above the flourescent lights you see in the pic.

[bergzy]

what kind of lights are those?

is it a modified vho lighting strip?

the halides that i have all use glass uv lens. but all i run are de bulbs and they require a uv filter glass. i think acrylic, esp being that close to the halide bulbs, may melt.

also, i dont know if the light you got was designed to be hung as a pendant, it may not be a good idea to find out by hanging it. i would think that pendants were constructed to be more rigid to withstand any flexing that may occur. of course, it may be light enough that the whole thing doesnt flex. my pendants are horrifcally heavy because the ballasts are located in the fixture. most other pendants use a remote ballast.

as for not having any hanging fixture hardware on the light themsleves, i would be hesitant to try only to find out that they were not meant to be hung.

looking good so far!!!:)

[NexDog]

What you just do is screw in beam at either end a few inches below the ceiling. There has to be some studs in there that you can attach them to. Then run a few beams lengthwise that sit on the beams you screwed in and hang the canopy from that. There's one joist in the middle in the ceiling by the looks of it that you attach everything to for extra space. Think that's what I'd do if I had no overhead beams but then again, I'm pretty dumb. :D

[jarhed]

Basically, it's a custom fixture, sort of like this:

http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_lighting_metal_halide_fixtures.asp?CartId=

White interior, three MH's, two VHO's. Push-pull fans. Not too heavy, but bulky. The ballasts are remote. Not sure how the person I bought it from mounted it, but it was over a canopy on a 180 that he had. Mine of course, have to be mounted in wall somehow.

I'm kinda thinking that I could make some sort of brace to mount them on like a canopy on a freestanding tank. Gotta be careful how much weight I put on the hanging wall though. My original plan was to somehow hang them from the rafters or hang some sort of track from the rafters so that I could slide them from front to back. I should be able to mount them high enough to still get plenty of light but not bleach out the corals, and to be able to reach into the tank for maintenance.

[Ehydo]

Drill the fixture and put Eye Bolts in it.

[jarhed]

Originally posted by Ehydo
Drill the fixture and put Eye Bolts in it.

That is exactly what I was thinking to hang them from the rafters. Not sure how strong the steel is though. I imagine if I went through the shell AND the inside white reflecter it may hold, or is this not a good idea?

[bergzy]

i have jerry-rigged a lot of stuff with great success...but i would hesistant to do it with lights that were not meant to be hung.

i would have mentioned the eyebolt along with really wide washers to distribute the weight and force etc...that's very easy to solve...

but...

my main concern is something you already were looking at...if the metal is strong enough to hold it. it is an awfully big fixture to come crashing down if it should ever decide to give way. since i can't see it physically, you of course, are going to have to be the judge of that.

[WAGERJA]

just use some big washers and you'll be fine....

Edit: what Ben said...

[Ehydo]

Fender washers. Ask your local Ace Hardware helper. Put one on each side and put nuts on both sides.

[jarhed]

Awesome. I can also put a long strip of metal on the inside and put the eyebolts through that to add extra strength too. That way the weight will be distributed more evenly along the metal strip rather than just around the bolts and wide washers.

I think I'll give that a try. Thanks all!

BTW Bergz, get some frags ready, I'ma comin!! :D

[jarhed]

Originally posted by Ehydo
Fender washers. Ask your local Ace Hardware helper. Put one on each side and put nuts on both sides.

Fender washers? Not sure if I've ever seen those before.


Edit: Oh, ok. Just found them on Google. Just very wide washers. Good to go. Eyebolts, a strip of steel running the length of the light box, and fender washers.

[scooters reef]

Uh oh. You're catching up to me! I better get working again !!!!

Will have to get pics to update my own though. Have gone a long way even if plenty left to do.

At least when you pass me up I have a somewhat justified lame excuse: "But, I was working on the entire basement, not just my tank!!!"

Looking good there Jarhed!

[scooters reef]

LOL

You're a MUCH neater plumber than me too!!! Although, I made the additional mistake of purple primer and blue glue so it stands out that much more! Oh well, is all hidden in a room anyway.

Hmmm, didn't think a Marine would be able to do that :)

[Ehydo]

Originally posted by jarhed
Eyebolts, a strip of steel running the length of the light box, and fender washers.

I do not think that you need the strip of steel unless the light box is really flimsy. In that case I would use a aluminum strip not steel unless you want to paint it.

[captbunzo]

Hehe - want to talk about anal-retentive plumbing... :)

My first attempt at plumbing my sump was pretty sloppy looking. Then I cracked a bulkhead and decided. And I learned alot during the first install about how I would have done things different (placement of unions, valves, etc.)

And so I redid it all and the second job was much nicer. The back of my tank stand is 1/4 plywood. For the return in and out, I screwed a bulkead into the hole in the stand to provide better stability to the pipe going through there - it has worked awesome!

And I used Q-tips to apply the PVC primer and glue for every joint. The result - almost no visible purple nastiness.

Pretty crazy, I guess, but I love the clean look. ;)

[Ehydo]

Originally posted by captbunzo
Hehe - want to talk about anal-retentive plumbing... :)

My first attempt at plumbing my sump was pretty sloppy looking. Then I cracked a bulkhead and decided. And I learned alot during the first install about how I would have done things different (placement of unions, valves, etc.)

And so I redid it all and the second job was much nicer. The back of my tank stand is 1/4 plywood. For the return in and out, I screwed a bulkead into the hole in the stand to provide better stability to the pipe going through there - it has worked awesome!

And I used Q-tips to apply the PVC primer and glue for every joint. The result - almost no visible purple nastiness.

Pretty crazy, I guess, but I love the clean look. ;)

You may see purple on my joints but I have never had a leak. I always have glue push out the edges along with primer. I treat it like soldering...The more flux (primer) the better the solder sticks (glue). Same principle just different materials.

You could always primer up the ends then sand the purple off. While your at it sand off all the pipe markings also.:rollface:

[jarhed]

Originally posted by scooters reef
LOL

You're a MUCH neater plumber than me too!!! Although, I made the additional mistake of purple primer and blue glue so it stands out that much more! Oh well, is all hidden in a room anyway.

Hmmm, didn't think a Marine would be able to do that :)

ROFL!!!

Well, I dont know if I'm gonna catch up anytime soon! I'm finding it impossible to find any Southdown, Oldcastle, Hardcastle, stupidcastle, whatever sand, and I'm NOT paying friggin LFS prices!!!! :mad2: Not to mention, I've spent WAY too much on my CC's! I gotta cut back or make some GIANT payments or something. Going to go slow now until I get some DI water in there with sand and salt. Forget whether or not a Marine can do it, I didnt think I could do anything NEAR this scale! Like I said, I surprised and amazed myself with this monstrosity. :D

Ummmm, neat plumbing? You think so? I think it's a mess! Your supposed to use primer when plumbing PVC? :eek2:

Ehydo, thanks for the tip! I'll make sure it's aluminum. I dont think the box is flimsy, I just need to be able to sleep without freaking out when I hear creaks in the house. :lol:

Thanks for the kind words and tips everyone!

[scooters reef]

Actually, it's the blue glue that stands out on mine. I globbed it in good on every joint and had it dripping all over. I think I ended up with more on myself than I did on the pipes :)

I considered clear glue, but not being 100% comfortable with the plumbing in the first place, I at least liked being able to visually see the glue better as I applied it.

[scooters reef]

We went through the same thing on the sand. Since she was anxious my wife pretty much led the effort, driving all over town and calling across half the state, picking up possibilities to check out or test. She finally called and said we WILL just get some at the LFS because she was tired of the hold up. She went to 4 different stores and cleared them out of everything they had that would work :)

I understand the CC thing too !!!! Between this tank and an entire basement finishing we've been running them up too! We just decided we would have to slow down and catch up for awhile too. AFTER the whole basement and landscaping is done I will probably get everything appraised and refinance, but I don't want to count on it.

[cediss]

Originally posted by Lincutis
I'm laughing cause I put two 2" drains for a 75 with a reeflow dart pump. Talking about overkill. I didn't want to dial down the pump too much.
I changed my design to run dual 75 gallon tanks and now that second drain will end up being the inlet for a fuge.

I too overplanned with two 2" stand pipes, but on a 180 reef and a Reeflo Barracuda that I didn't want to dial down. It was still more than I needed, in fact I could have got away with one 2." It's the overflow teeth that are the limiting factor for me, but luckily for me the water drains at the top of the teeth (approx 2" height) without mod. to teeth. I am pushing atleast 3000 gph conservatively!

[jarhed]

Got a few things done this weekend. First of all, the idiot HVAC guys never bothered showing up, nor did they return my phone calls. I'm harrassing them by phone tomorrow to find out exactly why they are so worthless. Anyone wants to know who they are so you can avoid their horrible communication skills and non-existent customer service in the Inland Empire, email me and I'll let you know who they are. Just dont go through Home Depot for your HVAC needs. Were it not for those toothless losers, I'd be putting water in the tank now.

Started building my electrical panel. I have 16 outlets total, with four of them switched. If I need to add another switch later, it should be pretty simple. I stole ideas from right here on RC and found a little help on some Home Improvement DIY sites regarding electrical work. Here's the first one of the panel just about done:
http://users.adelphia.net/~jarhed/images/panel1.jpg


Here it is mounted looking into the closet from the door. BTW, the junction box is NOT yet permanently mounted:
http://users.adelphia.net/~jarhed/images/panel2.jpg


Here it is from against the wall in the closet, looking toward the door. You'll notice the original two outlets up at the top of the picture. They will be replaced with GFCI.
http://users.adelphia.net/~jarhed/images/panel3.jpg
http://users.adelphia.net/~jarhed/images/panel3.jpg


Picked up a vent and installed it over the door. The temp in the room, even without any machinery running, went down immediately. Should have done this when it was sitting in the back of my mind as I was putting up sheetrock. A friendly HVAC expert on another thread told me to definitely do it. Not bad for $6.95.
http://users.adelphia.net/~jarhed/images/vent1.jpg

I also picked up some chains and eye bolts, along with some S-hooks and wide washers to hang the lights. Before I do that though, I'm trying to find a vent hose that will fit around my square 4" light fan so I can duct the hot air to the attic.

Be back soon with more pics! :D

[Forestal]

looking great. the fan venting into the attic is a great idea, you could probably even use dryer venting bent snugly around a small pfo fan

are you wiring the junction box into the original two outlets? i like that...my setup has a million extension cords and plugs all mashed together....

i dont think i could do the wiring, so i will get an electrician

[jarhed]

Originally posted by Forestal
looking great. the fan venting into the attic is a great idea, you could probably even use dryer venting bent snugly around a small pfo fan

are you wiring the junction box into the original two outlets? i like that...my setup has a million extension cords and plugs all mashed together....

i dont think i could do the wiring, so i will get an electrician

Yep, the junction box will be wired to the original two circuits. The top 8 outlets will be on one circuit, the bottom 8 on another. The bottom four outlets are switched for the closed loop pumps, the return pump and the skimmer pump. The others will be an "always on" situation.

You can do the wiring. Just steal the ideas from me or anyone else on RC. Thats where I got it from. I've never done electricity in my life and didnt think I could do it, but I managed to figure it out. Matter of fact, I've never done carpentry and drywall either, but it's a half decent job, wouldnt you say?

[Ehydo]

Originally posted by jarhed
I'm trying to find a vent hose that will fit around my square 4" light fan so I can duct the hot air to the attic.

Be back soon with more pics! :D

Look at gutter drain adapters(square to round). You should be able to find one that will fit over the fan and then put dryer vent tubing on the round side.

[bheron]

[b]"Thats where I got it from. I've never done electricity in my life and didnt think I could do it, but I managed to figure it out. Matter of fact, I've never done carpentry and drywall either, but it's a half decent job, wouldnt you say?[\b]

- Thats thebest part of this thread. Youre an inspiration man. The electricity is something I'm starting to understand but dont want to do myself. But youre making me think maybe I can!!

Thanks

[Ehydo]

- Thats thebest part of this thread. Youre an inspiration man. The electricity is something I'm starting to understand but dont want to do myself. But youre making me think maybe I can!!

Thanks

Everyone can. Go to www.lowes.com and watch the tutorials. They are very informative.

[jarhed]

Good idea Ehydo!!

Never thought of that! Like I said before, WE built my reef, not just me. I did the grunt work (sawing, nailing, wiring), but the plans all came from RC.

[captbunzo]

Yes, most people can do basic electrical work --- JUST PLEASE read up first, follow the lowes link, find good information on the web.

Get a tester to tell you if the wire is live. Turn off the circuit. Follow the basic rules. And, when in doubt, stop and ask us some questions here.

Fire = BAD
Electrocution = BAD

Now that I have been scary, let me say again. Anyone with basic common sense can do basic electrical work.

Paul

[conda]

Good advice.

After finishing my basement myself and doing all of the electrical work. I could not for the life of me figure out why my lights would dim and/or flicker. Well, my nephew came over, he is an electrition, and checked my wiring. After hearing him laugh for about 15 minutes I knew I did something wrong.

Don't do what I did and twist all your wires with just the wire nuts. :eek: Twist the wires with a needlenose first, then twist on the wire nut. He even adds electrical tape over that for a better connection.

Originally posted by captbunzo
Yes, most people can do basic electrical work --- JUST PLEASE read up first, follow the lowes link, find good information on the web.

Get a tester to tell you if the wire is live. Turn off the circuit. Follow the basic rules. And, when in doubt, stop and ask us some questions here.

Fire = BAD
Electrocution = BAD

Now that I have been scary, let me say again. Anyone with basic common sense can do basic electrical work.

Paul

[jarhed]

Good stuff Conda! Thanks, I'll use that tip!

[Bax]

jarhed

Excellent progress my man, excellect!

Just be careful about venting moisture into the attic, if the attic is not adequately ventilated you can develope mold, trust me, you don't want that. jarhed I know you're in SoCal where your attic is probably a bazillion degrees, but others be careful!

[jarhed]

Good point Bax! One question though, isnt moisture heavy and settle to the bottom like cool air? If thats the case, I think most folks can leave a gap at the bottom of the fishroom door to let it escape, but you'll still have to let the heat out of the room somehow. Am I way off on this?

[Morgandy]

I'm just sitting hear laughing about the knee cartiledge thing!! Hope she's okay now. Also, hasn't your wife told you to always keep 3-4 spare batteries charged so you can't 'rest' when doing 'jobs' around the house? (I trained my husband well!!) :thumbsup:

And, can I borrow your cutie son to help me out sometime?

This is looking good, I always learn so much from the start-to-finish jobs, (and wish I'd known about RC before we put ours up 3mths ago).

[jarhed]

Originally posted by avansickle
I'm just sitting hear laughing about the knee cartiledge thing!! Hope she's okay now. Also, hasn't your wife told you to always keep 3-4 spare batteries charged so you can't 'rest' when doing 'jobs' around the house? (I trained my husband well!!) :thumbsup:

And, can I borrow your cutie son to help me out sometime?

This is looking good, I always learn so much from the start-to-finish jobs, (and wish I'd known about RC before we put ours up 3mths ago).

HAHA!! Yeah, she's alright. She doesnt know anything about batteries, screwdrivers, tools, or ..... well, anything at all about project management. Knows a whole lot about MTV though!!! HAHAHA:lol: Honestly, if I dont slow down and get some sleep some day, I'm gonna keel over! :eek2: I have about three projects going on at one time. The tank, the garden and landscaping, and finishing a beautiful cherry (my stain job) Mission Area Table.

I'm absolutely SURE my son would LOVE to come to your house and help you "fix it" as he puts it, especially if it means hammering on things or breaking things! He even has his own little yellow nylon tool belt and plastic tools!!

:lol:

[Morgandy]

Jarhead, another thing (I read first few pages, last few pages, now in the middle pages (I'm loving this thread and laughing so hard at your humor).. You said:

"Ok folks, I had an epiphany last night. Obviously, never having built a stand before, I tend to want to overbuild the one for my 180. So, I fell asleep for about 15 minutes, then as usual, I woke up (chronic insomniac). I had this picture in my mind of what would make me not worry about that stand. "

Well, next time your resting while your drill battery is charging, go to these 2 links if you haven't seen them, about what we obsess and worry about with our tanks..they're hysterical!

I'll have more commentary/questions as I finish the thread. I want to see how you resolve hanging the lights because I want to add something like that somewhere in front/behind the 2 MH pendants we have.

Also, as many tanks as I've watched now, this is the one I'm going to refer to most for upgrades/fixes as we do them. thx!!

Obsessed: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=608644&perpage=25&pagenumber=1

Worried: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=607976

[jarhed]

Thanks avan!

Yeah, I do have a very odd sense of humor (Marine Corps did it to me!). :D

Yeah, I've seen a few threads in the 13 months I've been cruising this site that have made me question the sanity of the writer (like THIS one for example!!). This hobby is quite an obsession! You almost have to be in order to justify spending as much money as we do to build walls, do drywall, buy tanks, expensive equipment, etc, just to put water in, mix with expensive salt and expensive rocks and expensive life.

Oh man........... I just realized how much money I've spent. :eek2: I have to do something to forget about it, or blame it on my wife! :lol:

Well, thanks for the kind words. I hope I have uncovered a few mysteries that makes it easier for folks to DIY. If I can do it, trust me, ANYone can. Remember folks, I went into this with NO construction experience, other than as a laborer and the few poor drywall jobs I've tried on someone elses house.:cool:

[jarhed]

Two appointments set to install my AC duct, two appointments blown off completely by the installer. Nice. :mad2:

Good thing is that my HD credit account was to pay for the majority of the AC install. I froze the credit account. They'll be calling soon cause I'm sure they want their damn money. Either way, Home Depot Service Escalation and I will be talking to them on a three way call tomorrow morning. I'm not happy (that is a huge understatement) and I'm going to see to it that Home Depot drops them as an installer.

[conda]

I had Home Depot installers install a rug in my basement. Well, one of the installers stole my drill, back pills, harrased my dad while he was watching my baby, and other BS. I drilled HD and they gave me the rug, installation, tools, and even threw in all the baseboard for free!

Keep on them, they seem to really stand by their customers.

[jarhed]

They better. It's not even HD's fault. Granted, they are worthless in the store. Almost impossible to get help and guidance like they advertise, but this was an installer that they contracted to do their AC installs. Absolutely horrible.

[got2lb]

It seems like HD holds this reputation all around the US. It's great going there and being in the store for 3 hours for a few small things because everyone that works there are a bunch of morons! :D

Lowes has awesome customer service. I bought a water heater from them, I picked it up at the store and brought it home. When I got it out of the box it had a big dent in the bottom of it. It probably wouldn't have affected it in anyway but I didn't want to take the chance. So I gave them a call and they told me I could bring it back. Of course they act like I live right next door. I live 35 miles away and I would have to borrow a truck (again). So I told them that I think they should just bring me a new one up to my house. I talked to the manager about it and without hesitating he said no problem. I just about started yelling at him until it clicked that he said they would actually do it. :D

Lowes is awesome but you pay more for that service. At least 10% more than HD up here anyway.

Matt

[jarhed]

35 miles!!!!!!!! :eek2:

Thats funny! You fully expected to have to fight!! haha!!:lol:

Yeah, Lowes is a little more expensive but now that you mentioned it, they are much more helpful and have more knowledgeable folks on staff. A couple electricians in the electrical isle helped me out at HD. Completely embarrassed the little snot employee that was trying his best to give me bad advice. hehe

[Morgandy]

I've been reading the HD posts to my husband last night and tonight to show he's not alone... he would SQUASH them under his army boots if he could, and finish it off with a bayonet I think...I've told him for years to stop bothering going there, even though it's just a mile away. He/we always leave there and drive further to Lowe's for the simplest things. He gets kind of postal if he has to deal with HD and their staff. (sorry if anyone reading works for them).

But, it must s$#&*#*ck being held up on this utmost of priority tasks you're undertaking cuz of them..

[Ehydo]

Originally posted by avansickle
I've told him for years to stop bothering going there, even though it's just a mile away.


Here is the deal between Home Depot and Lowes. Home Depot is the place you go if you know what you need and need it now. Lowes is the place you go to if you kinda have an idea of what you need and can wait. At Home Depot you can get it today for less and at Lowes you can special order it and get it in a week or two and pay more.

True DIYers and contracters go to HD and everyone else goes to Lowes. I do not think that one is really worse than the other. I shop at both but if I need an obscure part or electrical item I go to HD because lowes will just have to order it.

[jarhed]

One huge difference you forgot Hydo, Customer Service.

[Ehydo]

Originally posted by jarhed
One huge difference you forgot Hydo, Customer Service.

I have had more problems returning things to Lowes than Home depot. I do not know much more about their customer service than that. I never would hire a contractor from either. To be a lowes or HD installer all you need is a business license, insurance and except the rates they pay.


As for your AC I would check with your electric company. They suggest reputable contractors. To be a lowes or HD installer all you need is a business license, insurance and except the rates they pay. I would also suggest a AC with a high SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) rating. The higher the number the better efficiency. We are talking about 20-30% increase in efficiency over AC systems installed in the late 80's.

[jarhed]

Well, the system is already installed. I just need the monkeys to come back out and finish the job. They have to run a duct into my fish closet and install the stand underneath the unit and remove the wood pallet it came from. Of all people, HD had to assign these idiots to come do my house. Geez, I have very little patience for people who dont do what they say they are going to do. If you promise something, DELIVER. PERIOD. Setting appointments and not showing up is one of the worst things you can do to me. It will absolutely guarantee that I will be furious, NOT a good place to put me. :mad2:

[conda]

Ehydo: Well said about HD and Lowes. I agree.

I don't even bothering asking any employee for advice anymore, I just find it on the internet. The only questions they get from me now is: Where is this? or Where is that? Half the time they can't even answer those two questions. :confused:

[jarhed]

Originally posted by conda
Ehydo: Well said about HD and Lowes. I agree.

I don't even bothering asking any employee for advice anymore, I just find it on the internet. The only questions they get from me now is: Where is this? or Where is that? Half the time they can't even answer those two questions. :confused:

HAHA!!! :lol:

Your right conda! Well, I escalated the issue with HD and they called the contractor, who apologized profusely... AGAIN. This time she said there WILL be someone at my house at 3:30pm today. Said it was her fault (no kidding) as she didnt make sure that the work order got into someone's hands. She's the same one who lied to me when she said she called all three numbers I put on the contract to get my HD credit information. She called my home number, during a weekday. Didnt bother with the cellphone or office number, that would have required effort I guess. :rolleyes:

[Ehydo]

Originally posted by conda
Ehydo: Well said about HD and Lowes. I agree.

I don't even bothering asking any employee for advice anymore, I just find it on the internet. The only questions they get from me now is: Where is this? or Where is that? Half the time they can't even answer those two questions. :confused:

I actually tell them to leave me alone. I will find it faster if I do not have to slow down for a HD employee to follow me.

[captbunzo]

Honestly, I think they both suck. I like Home Depot, because I collect Ridgid woodworking tools (sort of). And I have a Lowes nearby, and it's ok.

But generally, customer service from either sucks. When I need someone, there is noone there. And when I do find them, they usually (95% of the time) don't have a clue.

I love our Lowes - has a display near the entrance and exit saying "over 40 products installed", or something. And they right above that display, they have an 8.5x11 page advertising for jobs for installers.... I have asked before, and they barely have any installers employed.

I like to say to myself as I leave, "over 4 products installed". (snicker)...

Sorry for the bad attitude. Just used to asked for help and getting the wrong answers.

I asked about eggcrate once. They had no clue what it was. So I pointed above our heads at the stuff in use for the lights. They told me they didn't have it. Nonetheless, 15 minutes later, I stumbled across it in the store.

GRRR.....

[APorter]

You guys got me LOL at work. On more than one occassion I've walk up to someone after they were talking to an employee and have told them "This isn't what you want, you need this one here." Also, my HD needs to hire someone to do inventory management.

[captbunzo]

Hehe. Been there. Same for Best Buy -- stood and listened to a sales person unload his sales pitch to a couple parents and their teenage daughter, trying to get them to buy some excessively expensive computer, even though they were saying they didn't have a lot to spend.

When he walked off, I walked up and gave them some better input about what they should buy.

Grrr.... !!! :)

[conda]

Don't even get me started on Best Buy, lol.

If I got paid for all the consulting I've done after their employees did their damage, I'd have my tank hobby paid for.

[jarhed]

Originally posted by APorter
You guys got me LOL at work. On more than one occassion I've walk up to someone after they were talking to an employee and have told them "This isn't what you want, you need this one here." Also, my HD needs to hire someone to do inventory management.

ALL HD's need to do some inventory management! :D

[jarhed]

THREE STRIKES, THEY ARE OUT!!! :mad2: :mad2:

Ok, so after apologizing profusely with the Home Depot Escalation rep on the phone, the JFK Heating and Airconditioning people in Riverside decided to blow off the appointment we had set for 3:30-4:00pm today!! :mad2: :mad2:

As you can imagine, I'm almost homicidal right now. I'm trying to stay calm, but in the meantime, I've sent them an email asking why through their website, I've left a message with their answering service (apparently they leave work at 4:00 or earlier in the afternoon) telling them that I want my deposit back, they will not be able to charge my HD card, and they need to come get their AC unit and air handler.

I've also called the escalation rep and told her that our relationship was over and I want my deposit back. I called another HVAC place in Riverside and I'm waiting for a callback for them to come over and estimate the job. I did make it explicitly clear that I needed a company that will fullfil their promises and keep appointments.

I'm going to go get drunk now. I dont even drink but it's high time I started.

:mad2: :mad2:

[jarhed]

Ok, Home Depot of course, closes at 8:00pm on the East Coast, so we are SOL here on the west coast, so I cant call Customer Care to freeze the card from any charge attempt from JFK. I'll call them at 5:00am to make sure that happens and that they arrange to have their HVAC unit picked up.

Called my Chase Visa card to dispute the $1150 deposit I put on the unit. Forms are in the mail. Waiting for the other contractor to call back.

[gumbybc]

man, and i thought I had a reason to be ****ed at HD. One guy funally got fired after i told the manager the advice he was giving, and that he told me that they did not carry the item i was looking for, and it was going to be a big order. I guess he had another complaint on file, so that was it for him...one down....only a few hundred thousand left to go. :-)

On a better note, i love your project so far. it is amazing the skills that you can learn jut by paying attention when someone talks, or when they are showing you how to do something. The tank is looking great...keep up the good work.

[jarhed]

Guess who showed up!! :mad: :mad: Only 2 1/2 hours late too!!! :mad2: :mad2:

I gotta bone to pick with these cornholes!! I'm calling that orifice tomorrow and demanding a discount of some sort for inconveniencing me for FIVE DAYS!!!!

[jarhed]

Originally posted by gumbybc
man, and i thought I had a reason to be ****ed at HD. One guy funally got fired after i told the manager the advice he was giving, and that he told me that they did not carry the item i was looking for, and it was going to be a big order. I guess he had another complaint on file, so that was it for him...one down....only a few hundred thousand left to go. :-)

On a better note, i love your project so far. it is amazing the skills that you can learn jut by paying attention when someone talks, or when they are showing you how to do something. The tank is looking great...keep up the good work.

Thanks Gumbyc!!

Yes, I have absorbed a LOT from RC! Honestly, my tank is a copy of about 10-15 setups that were here on RC. Even the carpentry was stolen from here and from a few jobs as a laborer that I did over 10 years ago.

[conda]

Yeah, forget about HD for now, where are you at on the tank? Last time I remember, you were doing some wiring.

I just got my in-wall 150 stand done--not by me though, I pay for crap like that or I won't sleep. Running the electric and planning the tank and sump now. Been sifting these forums for ideas.

[jarhed]

The monkey's are putting in the AC vent as we speak. I'm shooting daggers at them the entire time. I'm calling the idiot dispach "person" tomorrow and letting her have it! Then I'm calling HD Customer "Care" and telling them I think I should have a discount of some sort. Think $500 is enough for trying to drive me insane for five days?

Now that this is going to be done, I can finish the electrical connections, do a home invasion to steal Southdown(just kidding!) and finish repairing my sump. Should be filling it up by Saturday evening with DI.

While it's filling, I'll be trying to find a mixing bin that will fit (the 32gal Rubbermaid is too big) and building a stand for the skimmer and the Autotopoff/kalk bin.

[conda]

Originally posted by jarhed
The monkey's are putting in the AC vent as we speak. I'm shooting daggers at them the entire time.

I wouldn't give them any crap until the unit is completely installed and working. It's probably not their fault anyway, it's HD and the owner of the sub-contracting business that is at fault.

Good luck.

[jarhed]

Hmmm.. guess I better get a small fan to attach to the sump too.

[jarhed]

Yeah, it's definitely the idiot dispatchers fault. She's one nut away from half a brain. Stupid trailer trash toothless ditz. And a liar too. I'll tell that story some other day.

[gumbybc]

My roommates thought I got ****ed at stuff like this. They all said we should be brothers or something. Have you thought about doing the tank as a Bare Bottom? all that flow seems like it would kick up quite the sand storm in there.

[captbunzo]

ah, go with sand. it looks much prettier... :)

[got2lb]

I would still put a stop payment on your card!!! They made you wait 5 days! SO CAN THEY!! :D Fair is Fair

And there are lots of idiots when it comes to HD. Good thing they're an Equal Oppurtunity Employer that way they get all the stupid people :D

Oh yeah, and if it were me I would definately go sand on the bottom. At least an 1" or 2".

[jarhed]

Nah, no bare bottom for me. I like the look of sand. Not for DSB or anything either. Just for looks. It'll be vacuumed regularly, just like Steve Weast's monster tank in Oregon.

[Morgandy]

Oh the suspense until you said they showed up...I SWEAR, cable, power, appliances, deliveries will drive you MAD and make you miss so much work (but luckily I work at home)....so, post some pics soon to show where things are at, sounds like that was the last worst hurdle??

[jarhed]

Yeah, the worst of the hurdles are over. Nothing really changed since last weekend, other than I'm slowly glueing the baffles back into the sump. Hopefully they'll hold better now. I'm a complete disaster area when it comes to Weld-On. What a mess!! :D

Gotta hang the lights too, thats another thing I had planned for the weekend (four hours). So,

Build a stand for the skimmer and plumb the return(gotta go up because the return is low) (1 hour)

Buy a smaller trashcan for mixing water

Build a stand over the trashcan to put my topoff bin on

Pickup an Iwaki for the closed loop from Marine Depot(not going to use the Little Giant)

put some leftover clear acrylic from HD on the bottom of the tank to protect against the rocks (about 20 minutes)

Finish wiring into the junction box (about an hour)

Pickup a Kent Float valve for the topoff bin

Pickup a bunch of extension cords so everything can reach the panel

Oh yeah, build a shelf over the topoff bin for the VERY HEAVY ballasts (about another hour)

Pickup some Loc-Line nozzles for the returns and for the closed loop returns

Pickup some 1" hose to feed the skimmer

Pickup a cheap clip on fan (a powerful one, I want serious evap)

Fly to Fiji and steal sand from the reefs :D

Start filling with RODI

think I can get it done by Sunday? Obviously, there is another hundred or so bucks in there. Picking up two large buckets of IO on Tuesday from Coral Oasis, so hopefully I'll be ready to start mixing the salt by then. Once the salt is mixed, I'll put the base rock in and start aquascaping. Woohoo!!!

[jarhed]

Oh yeah, and get the picture frame cut to frame the front.

[Morgandy]

GEEEEEEEz....we slammed ours in and now I want to retrofit a bunch of stuff and do it 'more' right..your patience amazes me. Your lack of patience with WRETCHED HD well understood.

[jarhed]

Originally posted by avansickle
GEEEEEEEz....we slammed ours in and now I want to retrofit a bunch of stuff and do it 'more' right..your patience amazes me. Your lack of patience with WRETCHED HD well understood.

:p

[Ehydo]

Jarhed,

What kind of fish are you putting in the tank?
Do you have a QT tank setup?

[conda]

Take alot of pics of your aquascaping attempts. I'd be interested in seeing what works and what doesn't.

[jarhed]

Ehydo,

I'm probably going to go with the same lines as I have in my 40gal. I'm thinking a Bi-Color Angel (because I LOVE the color), a diamond Goby to help keep the sand stirred and clean, one or two blue Tangs, two clowns, a school of Chromis, and maybe another one or two colorful, reef-safe fish.

Have a 10gallon tank in the garage that I use now for a QT, but havent used it for months since I havent bought any new fish in a while. I think I can probably set that up somewhere in the house thats nice and cool and use it with daily 1gal water changes and PVC pipe for hiding. Toss a little POS Rio in there for circulation. Nothing fancy.

[jarhed]

Didnt think I'd give up that easily did ya? :p

Ok, been busy as usual. Last weekend was a marathon to finish this nonsense and get water in the tank. Started filling the tank Saturday night and was finished by Monday night, including the sump.

Spread the rock out on the patio and realized that a) I didnt have enough and b) the "Our Best" rock that I got from Ebay was nothing but golfball sized solid garbage that is completely unuseable in the display tank. :mad2: I'll never buy from there again. I paid for medium sized (5"-10") porous rock that was shown in the ad, I got the next lowest sized stuff.

On the other hand, the Reeferrocks.com order is absolutely beautiful stuff!! It looks like he MADE it out of southdown. Just beautiful porous and very light! That is going on top with the rock from my 40-gal.

I'm not buying any live rock because there is enough life in my 40gal to seed this 180 just fine. Hopefully, I'll avoid any significant cycle also.

Anyway, on to the pics:

Here is the room done (yeah, I know it's a mess!!)
http://users.adelphia.net/~jarhed/images/done.jpg

The skimmer pump plugged in. It's a Little Giant pressure rated. Works beautifully with my single beckett skimmer, even at 40" tall.
http://users.adelphia.net/~jarhed/images/skimmerpump.jpg


Here is the system running. Only one CL pump will be running at a time. Both on a 6 hour cycle with a 15 minute overlap (stolen directly from the mouth of Weatherson! :lol: )
http://users.adelphia.net/~jarhed/images/running.jpg


Sucking out the golfball rock dust that I ended up tossing into the fuge:
http://users.adelphia.net/~jarhed/images/rockdust.jpg


The beginning of what I hope will be a fuge filled with a huge variety of life:
http://users.adelphia.net/~jarhed/images/fuge.jpg

Got a few giant rocks in the main tank, not putting in the Reeferrocks until I finish building a decent base to aquascape with. No point in putting the pretty stuff underneath, right?

Still waiting for Southdown sand. Have two bags of sand from a LFS. Got a little deal, so I didnt entirely go against my promise of not paying LFS prices for sand. We have a group buy for Southdown going on here on RC and I have my own little deal going where I'm trying to get my hands on another 15 bags to use for myself and sell (at cost) to other folks who are starved of it here in SoCal).

More later! :D

[Bax]

looks great jarhed

[jarhed]

Thanks Bax!

BTW, the little wooden shelf I put over in the right hand corner that is holding the ballasts will actually be holding a topoff/kalk water tank. The one I got from WalMart shattered when I tried to drill it to mount my Kent float valve. :eek1: Just a little hole though.

So, lesson learned. That one is now holding the contents of a cardboard box that was in my closet. :D The ballasts will need to be mounted higher on the wall on a shelf of some sort. That huge one is HEAVY so I'm open to any and all suggestions on shelf building. The small one appears to be able to be hung vertically with well placed screws.

Since the huge 32gallon trash can is too big for the room, I'll be putting a slimmer 31 gallon rectangular can in there underneath the shelf you see in the corner. That will be my mixing tank..

Not rushing any more though. Gotta rest the credit cards. :eek2:

[Bax]

Those credit cards must be melting by now :)

[jarhed]

Yep, gotta let em cool down. A little sand and some rock I think is all I need now. Gonna sell off the 40 breeder with overflow, sump, no-name skimmer, Rio's, Coralife PC's, stand and canopy, that will be put back on the cards.

[Ehydo]

Originally posted by jarhed
the "Our Best" rock that I got from Ebay was nothing but golfball sized solid garbage that is completely unuseable in the display tank. :mad2: I'll never buy from there again. I paid for medium sized (5"-10") porous rock that was shown in the ad, I got the next lowest sized stuff.



Email them and complain. The guy that sells the stuff is really nice. I emailed him before I made the purchase and I asked if he could hand pick larger rocks for me. When I received the box I got about 5 very large pieces and a few small ones.

[jarhed]

Well, it was well over three months ago so my rights to complain are pretty much over. That'll teach me to inspect the contents FULLY next time I get an order from anyone.

Truthfully, it's not even the size of the rock that will prevent me from ordering from there. It's just that NONE Of the rock, including the large base rock I did manage to get from him, are solid, non-porous boulders. I'm looking for porous volume not weight. Reeferrocks is the best rock I've ever seen and will probably get more of that soon.

[conda]

Have any pics of the reeferrocks?

[jarhed]

Originally posted by conda
Have any pics of the reeferrocks?

I'll snap a couple pics tonight. They are unbelievably light and porous. Much better than the pics on their site.

[jarhed]

Ok,

Got the livestock and coral moved over. Water parameters are stable. No nitrates detectable (new water, I wonder why).

Everything seems fine but the RBTA baby (which is a TRUE BUBBLE tipped, unlike his mom, who I couldnt find) was attached to the bottom of a rock. I set the rock at the same angle as it was in the 40gal, so I'll wait til he "sees the light" and comes out of hiding. I'm a little worried. Most corals look ok, but the Pink Pompom Xenias took the move pretty hard.

The sponge broke in two places but I have the pieces sitting on a rock. Hopefully, they'll attach and keep growing. I sliced up the GSP down to a manageable size and the rock is standing upright on top so I can pull it out and trim it every now and again.

As you can see, I still need more rock. Waiting to see the quality that Coral Oasis gets, and I'm considering another order from Reeferrocks. Everything is still cloudy but the skimmer is pulling anything available, as is my too-small bag of carbon. It should be clear by tomorrow I think.

Whole tank:
http://users.adelphia.net/~jarhed/images/finished1.jpg


Reeferrocks order. Isnt that the nicest rock??!!
http://users.adelphia.net/~jarhed/images/finished2.jpg


The right side with my rock from the 40gal and the Ebay order on the bottom. Very solid stuff, very few holes. The small stuff I got ("our best") is in the fuge. Not worth putting in display because it's too small:
http://users.adelphia.net/~jarhed/images/finished3.jpg

Thats it for now! I need more fish and coral! Feel free to donate interesting and colorful fish! :D Guess it's time to replace Nemo. I'm going to wait til I'm sure the water is perfect though. I have my bucket of sand from the 40. I'm going to clean it with fresh salt water and dry it thoroughly in the sun. Then it will go through my screen to pick out the heavy stuff.

[jarhed]

BTW, snails are really stupid. As soon as the Turbos got into the big tank, they headed for the upper rim, where they proceeded to dry out until I knocked their retarded behinds back into the water.

[NexDog]

Looking good. Your CL plumbing is so damn pretty and I know I'll never be able to do a job like that. I'm just going to go the other way a Tunze setup. It's going to be a battle without having to worry about CL plumbing.

How do you plan on cleaning the front glass? As it's glass you can hack at it a bit but still doesn't look like an easy operation.

[jarhed]

Actually NexDog, the CL is very very easy to plumb. You cut the Spa Flex with a utility knife and put the PVC fittings on there. Trust me, I think it's easier than using inside the tank pumps. There is always that time that the Tunze may fall or be misdirected, then you have an instant sandstorm. Not to mention, no more reaching inside of the water to pull a pump for cleaning. Overall, I would say that the CL is going to SAVE me time and energy. The plumbing took me about two hours.

Front glass will be cleaned with a long handled scraper and sponge. About 3.5' long. No, it wont be easy, but what is? It's the appearance that I'm looking for and in-wall was the neatest look that I've ever seen. Worth a minute or two standing on the back ledge over the tank and scraping every now and again, IMO. Honestly I dont think it would be any harder than being able to reach it from the front, other than I wont be able to see the coraline clearly (until I get an acrylic box to look through).

[Ehydo]

Jarhed,

If you did not rinse the dry rock and sand you will have a problem every time that the rock or substrate is disturbed. This includes high flow. In a week or 2 it will be crystal clear and you will notice that the fine particles are covered be a layer of larger sand.

[Reef Addict II]

Looking Good :thumbsup:

Nice to see your in the home stretch :)

Steve