Finally got it

[mfabrizio75]

Being that I just got paid from the new job I figured I would do wat any other reef nut would do... I bought a bigger tank. I got a 125g, and i need the assistance of whomever would care to give thier feed back. i want to know if i should just get an overflow box or attempt to drill the tank. also wat should i do about a return pump and i think im going to do a close loop system with between 2500 to 3000 gph of flow. for lighting i was think about going with a canopy with 2 175W and 1 250W MH but for secondary lighting i wasnt sure if i should get VHO, T-5, or PC lights. All of the lights will be Retrofit. And i was wondering How big of a sump i should get and if i should get the ASM G4 or if anyone knows of a better in sump skimmer for my tank.
thanks

mike

[mfabrizio75]

Oh ya i forgot i dont have a stand and i was wondering if anyone is handy with the woodworking (Cough) STACKER (Cough)... cuz i want to do a custom one.. there is no rush on that but i would like some input and ideas for it i sort of got a diagram drawn up and i think im gonna DL autocad and do the schematic in there.

[DeLiBoY]

Look into the Octopus skimmers. Fantastic skimmers for the price and many people are now using them. Calling them the ASM of a few years ago. www.octopusskimmer.com

[mfabrizio75]

Awesome ill check them out thanks

[DeLiBoY]

Also their is a very....VERY.....lengthy thread in the filtration and lighting forum on here.

[STACKER]

Mike, If you aren't in a hurry I'll be glad to help but I'm buried for the next 2 wweks (rush build job on top of my reg. work). I'd take the tank to a glass store and have them drill it for the loop and a center back overflow (2 holes for 3/4" bulkheads @ (1 3/4" ?) dia. 4" in from each end at the centerline of the back, and 2 for 1" bulkheads (same as the 3/4" I think) in the bottom center, back). Get an overflow kit for a 125 and you're close to getting there.

Don't skimp on the skimmer, go with the best you can afford even if you have to put it off a month. I suggest Euro, ASM or PM then the big Coralife SuperSkimmer and Octopus as cheaper alternatives.

Lighting... I'd either trade off the 250 for another 175 or both 175's for a second 250. I use VHO's but have no issue with T-5's but VHO actinics are true actinics where the T-5's are just blueish and look ok but don't grow like VHO does. they are lower powered to ballasts are cheaper and run cooler... 6 of one 1/2 dozen of another. Are you planning on a bling layout like Aptasia farmer?

For the Canopy and stand: no problem, you just need to decide of you want finished hardwood or painted etc.... I'm out of here till Mon. after work today so give it some thought and we'll attack it later.

D

[mfabrizio75]

Thanks Dale your the best. Ya im def not like aptasia farmer im going to take this slow im really tryin to pay off my credit cards right now. Its not an easy task. But as for everything else i was thinking ASM G3. also im not looking to get this tank completely operational until at the soonest end of september beinging of october i have no rush, "Patience" unlike a very dear friend of mine. i talked to a few ppl and there is a good glass shop they recommended so im thinking about going that route. So ya the canopy and stand is not a rushed situation. I wanna do this thing right im not gonna be 1000 dollars in the whole with another hair algea farm going on. but just let me know im off all weekends i might be going on a trip to atlantic city next month sometime but that is still in the works. let me know when your free.
thanks again

[coralfarmer84]

my setup is bling isn't it... lol. I got to get some pictures up, its looks really sweet so far. I'm in cali thou so won't be doing that anytime soon.... Are you still selling the icecap 660 dale?? LMK i might be interested once i have a job lol

[coralfarmer84]

patience?? mike mike mike.... you only live once right

[sportsguy247]

I would get 3 250w aquamedics ( they are pendents) and 2-4 vhos.

[coralfarmer84]

mike my aquamedics work great.... but they have since come out with HQI's with better reflectors but they cost lots of money. I'd stick with 2 175 watt retros on the sides and a 250 down the middle. As for supplemental lighting def go with VHO's. PC's and T5's cost more and IMO aren't worth it, especially since this is just going to be for looks (the halides will be doing the real work). Get rid of them crappy actinics you have that make the tank look like a disco ball and get some actinics that make the water look more natural instead of purple, that way you look natural and the greens still pop out and smack you in the face.

Also a G3 is more than enough for you dude unless you have dreams of a much bigger tank down the road. I have a G3 on my 240 for a year now and its worked great, even if you do want more in the future you can always do a recirc. mod to it.

You do a good job with ur tank now, all you really need is the upfront cost I'm telling you do it right you won't regret it... buy some quality liverock from someone taking down a tank so you get a good jump on coraline growth...

PS. honestly dude if i were you and this is all kidding aside I wouldn't get the halides till down the road. You can set this up and be successful at first because you don't really have a lot of corals (especially high light demanding ones) so you will be wasting the bulb which is only good for a year at most and a lot of electicity. I'd get maybe one 250 for now mount it in the center, do the vho's and then add lighting as need be. That way you have extra money to get some livestock in the tank so its pleasing to you instead of feeling you overspent and have a bunch of "swimming" room. Just my .02 Goodluck man

[coralfarmer84]

if i hit big in vegas today i'll make sure i hook your tank up with some cool dodads

[mfabrizio75]

ya the more i think about wat you said its not a bad idea to just get one light for right now and try to at least get some coraline growth. does anyone have a suggestion for RO/DI units let me know your thoughts that is my next purchase

[coralfarmer84]

good luck with that decision. I think the one i got is nice, i just need to get more pressure in the line to increase its output.

[STACKER]

All of a sudden Ryan is an expert eh? Must be that Bigger Tabk Syndrome setting in eh? LOLOLOLOLOLOL

Mike, I'm back... lived thru the weekend and will be killing myself 12 hrs. every day this week. when I see then light at the end of the tunnel we'll do this stand and canopy thing.

I'd go with a smaller skimmer too! The G3 is WAY overkill and a waste of $$$ you could put into LR and frags.

[mfabrizio75]

Thanks Stack, like i said im pretty much available every weekend so its whenever you got time and there is no rush.

so wat you guys are tryin to say the G-3 might be too much skimming also and i should go with the G2. cuz that is rated to i think 200 gallons

[coralfarmer84]

dude get the G3 i know you, you'll upgrade eventually and then you'll be sorry you don't have it. The price difference can't be more than 50 bucks.

[STACKER]

Bling... cha ching............ Spend like sommeone else is paying your bills. Wish I was young, dumb, and single again.. <rolling my eyes>

[mfabrizio75]

LOL i'd dont have the spending habbits my dear friend ryan seems to have. so ill see wat the consensus is from the older and more wiser crowd on which way to go with the great skimmer

[STACKER]

Fear not the Dark Side of the force... :) Looks like 2 weeks Mike. I have a week and 3 days to finish a big project then a 2 day install south of Columbus. After that I can go back to my normal sleeping and spending more time at home that here schedule. We'll figure out what you need and get it handled. Are you worthy of finish? I hate staining, painting and poly coating but don't mind the construction.

[mfabrizio75]

ya i can do that finish stuff on my own thats easy enough coat, dry, coat repeat. ill be ready to build whenever you are. 2 weeks seems like a decent time frame.

[STACKER]

No, it's sand, tack, coat, dry, scotchbrite.. repeat if you want a good finish. I hate it so I avoid it like Coralfarmer avoids employment LOL

[mfabrizio75]

lol ok ok well i knew the sand part but not the tack part. but it out cuz i figured the wood be already sanded somewhat. now as for scotchbrite and tack im lost so you'll just have to fill me in on that one

[STACKER]

Scotchbrite pads are the new Steel wool. Used to remove hairs, bristles, dust and other crap from the finishe between coats. Use tack cloth to remove the dust you made while scotchbrite'ing... that's only if you want an amazing finish.... you can simply apply a few coats of poly and be done with it too.

[mfabrizio75]

well then i guess i did know wat scotchbrite was cuz i have like for bags of steel wool pads that i used to stain my theater seats and bar for my basement. as for the tack cloth we'll work on that

[STACKER]

Like I said, that's up to you! Homey don't do finish LOL

[mfabrizio75]

lol oh no im gonna do finish for sure i have to finish it especially in my house my dad would kill me

[STACKER]

Good for you, I hate doing it. I'd rather have my fingers pulled off with vicegrips! :)

[mfabrizio75]

lol ouch that just sounds painful. umm i just found out the only weekend i cant do the stand would be the sept 9 and 10th i have my open water scuba diving test that weekend

[STACKER]

Should be done by then as ong as you have the $$$ to get all the materials (and beer for Stacker)! :)

[mfabrizio75]

Lol ya ill have the money for both and not that **** beer the good kind Papst blue ribbon

[STACKER]

fine with me! Free is my favorite kind....

[mfabrizio75]

sounds good ill buy you a forty of some colt 45 and a pack of black and milds. it will be just like a night out with ryans girlfriend

[STACKER]

Smooooth Baby! <voice of Billy D Williams>

[coralfarmer84]

lol don't be jealous

[STACKER]

Dude! Hows the tank this week? I'll send ya some softies that I bet you can't kill! LOL

[mfabrizio75]

LOL now you know he can kill them i mean he killed about 300 mushrooms

[STACKER]

I just don't understand his penchant for coral suggerage.... Maybe one day he'll slow down long enough to realize the er of his ways and means.... Or he'll do what I did and walk away for a year or 2. Or not.... :)

Mike, I'll be available to help you with a base and canopy just about any time. If you give me the outside dimensions of the tank and the desired height of base and room you need in the canopy I can draw something up or modify one of my many designs to fit. Just let me know and start chilling down the beer!

[mfabrizio75]

the tank is 73"x19" on the base. I assume that would be enough info for as far as the tank is concerned. As for the height as long as its not more than 3' and able to put a G-2 in which is ~22" high so i was thinking something like 28-30 inches that way i can fit a hood on top and not touch my ceiling. where the tank is the ceiling is about 6' high

[STACKER]

Ok, I'll draw something up. Basically you can either get the oak plywood and trim and some 2x4's and 1x2's for the structure or I can price it all out and you can give me the $$. Let me know what you wanna do anmd we'll make it happen.

[mfabrizio75]

We'll considering The only truck I have is a small S10, I dont think ill be fitting too much in that. If you wanted to meet me somewhere sometime I can do that too. I Won't have cash on me till next wed so if you were planning on doin it this weekend ill just charge it for right now. and put that money towards it on my next bill. but let me know what is easiest for you and what kinda beer you want. cuz im gonna have that so cold its gonna burn you. lol gotta love dry ice

[coralfarmer84]

dude did you buy the cobra. My tank is on the upward way. All the softies look great. As do the clams and my one piece of LPS that survived. All fish shrimp and inverts look great. All water parameters are in line ammonia is zero, nitrate and nitrate both zero also so soon as i get some cash i'll be rebuilding. Only problem i have right now is a nasty outbreak of algae.

[STACKER]

Mike, just let me know when you're ready and we'll figure it out. Are you sumping? Fugeing? Do we need to consider them in the base along with pumps and skimmer? I need to know all this before we cut one piece of wood. What pump are you using for return, what pump are you using for skimmer, how do you want to run plumbing? Etc. Etc.

I like Canadian or German beer best but I'll drink just about any. (malt liquor is out!) Bees is best when served at about 52 deg. F and only rednecks, kids, and amateurs have to have 'em ice cold so thye don't have to taste the true flavour... Sheesh!

[STACKER]

Ryan, Wait rather than spend! Let this one mature and balance gently. Give it a good 6 mo. before you start pumping SPS to it. I know you won't listen bu atleast now I can tell you I told you so (again).... LOL

[coralfarmer84]

O I'm going to wait with the SPS. I meant get some more fish here and there slowly... and by money i mean maybe 100 dollars a month so that won't get me much in terms of what I'm looking for anyways. I def. don't want to kill this bunch.... trust me. I still don't know what went wrong.... I packed everything well, everything looked great... Water was in check so what happened?

Mike you got a WS6... sweet dude. tell me more about it sometime. Is it a vert or a t top. Try not to have this thing in the shop every weekend like your other pontiac lol

[STACKER]

O2 depletion is my guess. That and your penchant for killing cool salt water stuff! O2 levels drop, one pllyp dies and chucks toxins tha tkills the neighbor and BAM the colony is dead! Heat is also a problem in closed and confined spaces. I have 2 boxes of frags for Fedex to take today and I'm worried they'll die before they get delivered tomorrow. Doodoo happens man, part of life... Sux but what choice do we have?

[coralfarmer84]

yea that was my guess. They were in the bags for a long time. but everything looked good the next morning for about an hour or so then it was all downhill. It was meant to be I guess. I'm just afraid it will happen again oneday down the road and don't want to really chance that so i'm trying to work on improving as always.

[STACKER]

Acclimation may have also been the added stress they just couldn't take. Also you prolly should have put them on a low light cycle for week or so before you moved so they would be more able to deal with dark for an extended period. 20/20 hindsight I guess. We live and learn...

[coralfarmer84]

I never thought about that. I just figured that I'd have a lower light cycle for the first week when i arrived. So i started them on 4 hours a day and bumped it about an hour every other day but they only made it about 24 hours. Some of the SPS lasted 2 days. None of the LPS made it more than 4 except for a pagoda cup coral which is still thriving and its 8 inches across so i figured the bigger ones would perish first if anything. I was just thinking hey they ship stuff for Indonesia and it makes it for the most part. Why couldn't mine have made it.

I oxygen packed everything. If the coral needed more oxygen then why did all the fish and inverts survive. I figured if the water quality sucked the shrimp and my blue linkia would perish immediately. They all survive and look great. Also two days in when most stuff was dying all of my brittle stars started falling apart. They were still alive when you touched them but in 5 or so pieces. I can understand theories but none seem to go hand and hand with my situation. I should have lost everything, it comes as a shock that even my clams still look great but yet I lost frogspawns and torches. I can see the SPS being very sensitive but still something should have made it

[STACKER]

Corals are alot touchier and especially LPS that can't retract their polyps. Like I said, in a bag of water when one polyp dies it will poison the rest. In a few hrs. the whole colony is doomed. Clams can close completely and stay that way for days. It may also be possible that you contaminated the water or over oxygenated 'em. Impossible to tell and certainly not worth worrying about now, days or weeks later. Just gotta move on and be a bit wiser. Ya can't win'em all even when you thing you did everything right. Ma nature pays you back for enslaving her kids! LOL

[mfabrizio75]

Ya Dale I'm doing a sump and fuge combination... as for pumps and plumbing i dont know wat to go with that is one of the things i was planning on seeing wat you said. I did draw up a lil design of my own a few weeks back that i dimentioned everything out along with the ballasts and pumps im figuring im gonna have one close loop pump and then the return pump. Ill have the money to work on this anytime really i would prefer next weekend but if this weekend is better for you we can do it then

[STACKER]

Next weekend is Labor Day Dude! I'm partyin' We'll have to sit down and go over everything then figure out what you need vs what you can live without immediately and go from there. There is a guy I know from Geneva who is selling an entire 125 setup, Tank, stand, canopy, lights, chiller, skimmer, sump, etc. etc. for $1200. I'm pretty suire sand and LR is included too. He's older and in bad health so he can't care for it anymore. I bet he's take $1000 and you could sell off what you doen't want or trade it for stock. Give it soe thought and let me know.

[mfabrizio75]

The only bad thing about that is i dont have a grand right now and im probably only gonna get around 500 for everything i got not including the rock

[STACKER]

Well, you'll be looking at $200 + for wood for a canopy and base unless you want to go cheap and paint it. Plumbing will be atleast $75 to 100 and a sump/fuge will be about $100 just for the acrylic. I'm guessing that you may want to pick a place to start and finich one stage at a time then move on. Or save your pennies and do it all at once later. If you do it half-a$$ed you'll regret it later.

[coralfarmer84]

dude spend some money you cheap a$$

[STACKER]

You tell him...

[coralfarmer84]

the way i look at it is the 125 stack is talking about is a deal. Chillers alone cost a lot, I know you won't need it but i but you could sell it and make some money back.

[STACKER]

Nobody listens to me!

[mfabrizio75]

I know guys it is def a deal, but i seriously dont have 1000 bucks to shell out right now im payin off credit card debt. its not alot but i still would like to be debt free other than my new car. as for the stand and canopy and that i could swing doing the stand and canopy now. and then in a month or so do the sump. I wanna take things slow but if we are out at the hardware store and that who knows i just might decided to do them all at once that way i can get my pumps/skimmer/lights next month.

[STACKER]

I think the smart money is on the meat and potatoes. Get the tank on stand and plumbed. Get the sump in place and all hardware setup. Then add the canopy and lights and get started. You don't need the skimmer until you are ready to cure LR or add stock.

[mfabrizio75]

thats exactly wat i think im gonna do build the stand and canopy then pay to get the tank drilled then plumb it and then do the skimmer

[STACKER]

I'd fire up the lights before getting a skimmer unless yoiu plan on doing both at the same time. Lights are more important early than the skimmer.

[coralfarmer84]

did you fix the lights yet or are you letting your precious corals die my friend

[coralfarmer84]

mike why don't you save yourself a lot of money and just upgrade to a big rubbermaid full of minnows. Then don't feed them to save even more money. Its brilliant my friend. you'll save so much money it won't really much matter if your tank is a cesspool. Look at it this way, you could use your tank as a way to make sure ammonia and nitrate test kits really work instead of always just reading zero. O wait lol, only difference between the "tank" i just suggested and your "actual tank" is that your tank is made of glass at the present time and not a rubbermaid. :)

As for Dale, whatever old folks home you escaped from is beyond me. I think I saw you on one of them Centrum Silver commercials lol.

and that jamokie character that never posts anymore. I figured out he can't post because he's too busy cruising the local bus stations for little boys.

Sincerely Ryan B. (burning bridges since 1984 :) )

[STACKER]

We don't got no stinking bridges you numbskull! Just wait till Mikes setup gets picked for tank of the month while you continue slaughtering corals and propogating aptasia.

Jamokie was working his tail off last I heard. Do you know what that is Ryan? A job? As in employment that doesn't involve trusts or spongeing off family.. ehem!

Stacker (Chucking rocks at glass houses since 1965)

[coralfarmer84]

i think you made a typo buddy. it should be 1865

[mfabrizio75]

LOL you guys are characters i must admitt... but MY new MUSTANG runs great boys

[coralfarmer84]

just remember GT's are matchbox cars compared to cobras lol

[mfabrizio75]

lol yes but they are the match box cars that have the spring loaded whieels... and cobras you can only push forward

[STACKER]

Ryan, Jealousy fits you perfectly! Just add some more fast tanner and hair gel, another bling earing and a speedo... you'll be all better! LMFAO

[coralfarmer84]

Dale aka geezer, it still boggles my mind that you even know what a computer is let alone know how to use it. I mean considering electricity didn't come about till you were in your 20's. Don't forget to change your depends and take your oscal this morning. LMFAO

[STACKER]

A small mind like yours boggles quite frequently. A product of a Youngstown education and a lifetime of artificail additives and feminine hair products...

[coralfarmer84]

so your not attempting to deny the fact that you were depends?? lol

[STACKER]

were? (Youngstown education, not even a spelling bee contestant) No, I'm pretty sure I'm on my first life and wasn't bladder incontinence protection prior. :)

Maybe in another 30 years (if I'm still alive) I'll need big boy diapers but 'm good for now. Thanks for being concerned tho.

[mfabrizio75]

LOL you guys are just hilliarious. but seriously when do you wanna build the stand i just got paid today???

[STACKER]

Next week in the evenings or Next weekend. I'm gonna chill this weekend because I've been killing myself her at work. You're gonna need sheets of oak plywood, oak molding (inside and outside corner and crown), top quality 2x4's, 1 x 2, and 1x1, cabinet doors, Stainless hinge stock, stainless screws, gorilla glue, stain and poly.

Stand will need a min. of 2 sheets 1/2 x 4 x 8 oak plywood, 6- 2x4x8 and 2-1x2x8's. you;ll aslo need a few sticks of molding. I suggest 4 doors. 2 at the front and one on either end (makes access a snap). I might be able to get you the doors either free or nearly so.

Canopy will need 2 more sheets of oak plywood, 2 1x2's and 2 1x1's, hinge stock and molding.

Like I said before, we need to sit down and go over what you want then we can determine the materials and sizes necessary.

[mfabrizio75]

Did you wanna meet next week sometime to go over plans on building it im free every night after 3 then im free on the weekend. really im only looking at building the stand/canopy right now and thinking if we can build a sump fairly inexpensive maybe we can do that too.

[DeLiBoY]

BEER PARTY!!!

[STACKER]

Whenever Mike. Mark Sayers (another local reef geek) is planning to come over to my place Wed. after 5 to look at some of the stuff I have to sell cheap and grab a frag or 2. I should be around all week as I don't have anything better to do :).

Plan on the sump costing about $100 in materials plus bulkheads and related plumbing. I have a pretty good source for Acrylic that sells drops and odd cut sheets pretty cheap and ships to the office for cheap too.

Beer = Good! :)

[mfabrizio75]

welll wed is good for me i just dont have a clue where you live i know its out in the boons somewhere but thats about it...

AND BEER = GRRRRRRREATT! just like tony the tiger

[STACKER]

Southington, cow country man! take 7/11 to 11 N to 82/5 W to 422 (parkman rd.) W. About 2 miles you'll pass the State Patrol Post. Turn Left (S) about 1/8 mile past (Barclay-Messerly Rd) about 1/4 mi., turn left at the stop sign (Helsey-Fusselman). I'm the second house on the left.

[coralfarmer84]

You can't miss stackers house, its the only one in his so called "town", directions as follow, get off freeway, notice "no man's" land. Pass a tree then a lake, then another tree, repeat this sequence for 20 or so minutes. See driveway made of gravel and mud. Notice hillbilly mailbox made out of straw. Proceed with caution :)

[mfabrizio75]

lol well stack wat time you want me to come up i work at wci so im already pretty much out there. ill just go into work a lil later and stay later

[STACKER]

Shoot Billy-Bob, we gotz us a seament driveway now and a indoor outhouse. When the sun is out we have warm water too!

Mike, I'm typically at work till 4 then home (8 min. drive to no mans land). Just call my cell 330-719-3530 in the afternoon to confirm. Any time after 4 should be good. I suppose you could meet me at the office and follow me to cow country... I'm across from Kent trumbull campusin Champion.

[DeLiBoY]

My wife used to be a manager at the Arby's right their Stack. She just got transferred to Columbiana.

[STACKER]

I bet she's spit on a few sammiches for me! :) j/k I'm sure I never gave her a rough time, it's bad enough working daily with single digit IQ support help (kinda like /coralfarmer dumb).