Slightly Wide 500 Gallon Reef Tank

[JaySchulz]

Tonight we started working on laying the Formica on the inside of the canopy. It’s a pain in the *** to work with but the protection it should provide is very worth it.

I’ll start working on the smaller pieces tomorrow and hopefully finish it off.










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[halmus]

I just caught up with your build. Looks great! Love the location and tank dimensions.

Formica is a nice touch. Are you using contact cement or is this a product that has heat activated glue on the backing? I can’t imagine the toxic stink of contact cement in that beautiful space. Or, I should say I can’t imagine a wife tolerating that.

Keep up the good work.

[JaySchulz]

Originally Posted by halmus

I just caught up with your build. Looks great! Love the location and tank dimensions.

Formica is a nice touch. Are you using contact cement or is this a product that has heat activated glue on the backing? I can’t imagine the toxic stink of contact cement in that beautiful space. Or, I should say I can’t imagine a wife tolerating that.

Keep up the good work.

Thanks Halmus! After reading so many horror stories on the forums of people with large tanks experiencing water damage I knew I needed to protect the areas around the tank. I thought Formica was perfect because it is non porous and I could seal the whole canopy area.

I am using contact cement haha and yea it smelt pretty bad yesterday. She actually didn’t say anything now that I think about it.

[reefmutt]

I might have mentioned this already..
That wife of yours is a keeper!!!
Nice job so far.
Good to see the progress.

[Editour2]

following......nice dimensions on the tank.

[JaySchulz]

Originally Posted by reefmutt

I might have mentioned this already..
That wife of yours is a keeper!!!
Nice job so far.
Good to see the progress.

Haha she is an awesome wife and mom that puts up with my ****.

Thanks and Im hoping to finish the Formica tonight.

Originally Posted by Editour2

following......nice dimensions on the tank.

Thank you.

[vetteguy53081]

Im going to say one thing . . . . . WOW!!!!!!

[JaySchulz]

So I got the whole canopy lined with the Formica. The house smells horrible from the contact cement and Formica is a pain in the ***. Never again.

Tomorrow I plan on taking a router and file to the edges to clean it all up and caulking all the edges for a good waterproof seal. Also I’m going to start working on a good method to hang my 4 mh reflectors. I also might add supplemental lighting in the future and I know it will be difficult to work on because of the columns that hang below the ceiling. That said I want to implement brackets or hooks that are there if and when I want to add to the lighting in the future.








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[halmus]

I should have asked if you were using a charcoal filter face mask while working with the contact cement. That stuff is toxic. I used up over 16 sheets on my fish room counters.

As far as future proofing the lighting area with brackets, I really like unistrut. I found aluminum unistrut at Grainger and it allows for a lot of reengineering down the road. Or, 8020 products. A few lengths of either of those permanently mounted would allow for easy changes down the road without constantly drilling new holes in the Formica you invested so many brain cells and time installing.

[JaySchulz]

So the last couple days I’ve got a good amount done. I caulked the seams/edges of the Formica. I’ll need to touch up some places later on.

I started working on hanging the lights before I move the tank back. My first try was using the cables that Hamilton Lights provided to individually hang all 4 lights. I got 3 in and decided i wasn’t going to be happy. It was practically impossible to get them straight and then they wouldn’t stay straight. The weight of the bulb socket weighed down one end. It look way to unclean. And the biggest problem is that I couldn’t reach the inside cable should I need to adjust the height in the future. I decided to stop and take a trip to Lowe’s. Pictures of how it looked.









At Lowe’s I bought some different pieces to hang 2 lights together which would make the adjustment points on the outer most edge of the interior canopy. It the weight of the socket was not a problem and the lights are much easier to level out.











It looks much better.


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[Benson0219]

Nice work... looks great!

[Zacktosterone]

Awesome choice on the halide. Any reason you didn't go with the cozomule instead?

[JaySchulz]

Originally Posted by Zacktosterone

Awesome choice on the halide. Any reason you didn't go with the cozomule instead?

When I ordered I originally was going to buy the Cozumel and the girl from Hamilton talked me into the Cabo Sun instead of the Cozumel because they are in a canopy and cheaper. I honestly wish I would of just stuck with the Cozumel. Regardless if it’s in the canopy, I would of rather it looked better and the biggest reason I’ve kicked myself is because of the splash shield. You live and learn though.

[Zacktosterone]

Originally Posted by JaySchulz

When I ordered I originally was going to buy the Cozumel and the girl from Hamilton talked me into the Cabo Sun instead of the Cozumel because they are in a canopy and cheaper. I honestly wish I would of just stuck with the Cozumel. Regardless if it’s in the canopy, I would of rather it looked better and the biggest reason I’ve kicked myself is because of the splash shield. You live and learn though.

Some of the best tanks ever run that style of reflector (called lumenarc ) sanjay Josh used those over his 500 gallon for years. I'm probably going to buy a set to replace my cebu Sun with. How bright are those puppies

[Editour2]

2 things or concerns: I have installed formica on bathroom cabinets and sometimes over a period of time the moisture lifts the formica on the edges. I'm just wondering what the salt creep will do. Second...have you considered a light rack that could slide your lights out of the way, up/down and in/out for work on the tank and bulb replacement?

[Zacktosterone]

Originally Posted by Editour2

2 things or concerns: I have installed formica on bathroom cabinets and sometimes over a period of time the moisture lifts the formica on the edges. I'm just wondering what the salt creep will do. Second...have you considered a light rack that could slide your lights out of the way, up/down and in/out for work on the tank and bulb replacement?

That's a big deal. I would heavily consider a light rack. I have one. I wouldn't be able to cope without one

[Mknuwet]

Coming along beautifully

[JaySchulz]

Originally Posted by Editour2

2 things or concerns: I have installed formica on bathroom cabinets and sometimes over a period of time the moisture lifts the formica on the edges. I'm just wondering what the salt creep will do. Second...have you considered a light rack that could slide your lights out of the way, up/down and in/out for work on the tank and bulb replacement?

I had originally wanted to do an elaborate light rack but I became pressed for time on keeping the tank on the temporary stand. So my mom is actually getting out of the hospital today after a 6 month battle for her life. She will be moving into my study so I can help her get back to a somewhat independant life. The problem is the tank was on that temporary stand but it blocks my front door and the study that my mom will be staying in. I told myself I wouldn’t rush anything on this tank but this is unavoidable and I’ll have to make due.

I do think that although this light set up isn’t the elaborate set up I wanted, that it will do what I want it to do. I can raise and lower it easily. Also those horizontal pillars make it easy to add fans, supplemental lighting, or anything else.

Thanks that’s good to know. I’ll keep an eye on the Formica. I know a couple other reef tanks used it to line their canopy and have had long term success. If it starts to peel, lll have to reglue or seal somehow. The good news is that there’s multiple layers of protection.

[Editour2]

Originally Posted by JaySchulz

I had originally wanted to do an elaborate light rack but I became pressed for time on keeping the tank on the temporary stand. So my mom is actually getting out of the hospital today after a 6 month battle for her life. She will be moving into my study so I can help her get back to a somewhat independant life. The problem is the tank was on that temporary stand but it blocks my front door and the study that my mom will be staying in. I told myself I wouldn’t rush anything on this tank but this is unavoidable and I’ll have to make due.

I do think that although this light set up isn’t the elaborate set up I wanted, that it will do what I want it to do. I can raise and lower it easily. Also those horizontal pillars make it easy to add fans, supplemental lighting, or anything else.

Thanks that’s good to know. I’ll keep an eye on the Formica. I know a couple other reef tanks used it to line their canopy and have had long term success. If it starts to peel, lll have to reglue or seal somehow. The good news is that there’s multiple layers of protection.

Priorities.....family is first !!!

[JaySchulz]

Originally Posted by Editour2

Priorities.....family is first !!!

Always.


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[Zacktosterone]

Originally Posted by JaySchulz

Always.


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Nah. Fish are family

[JaySchulz]

Update time. Last night I got the tank back on the stand, started on the plumbing, got my RO/DI set up and started making some water.










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[Mknuwet]

Great build. Such attention to detail. Can way to see this full

[Blue Tang Clan]

Originally Posted by JaySchulz

I think this may be a first -- a TV in a fish tank!!

[JaySchulz]

Originally Posted by Blue Tang Clan

I think this may be a first -- a TV in a fish tank!!

Haha didn’t even notice that. I remember that commercial though. It was for hair loss. I was bummed out that I missed the number but I guess I have it now.

Speaking of tvs and fish tanks. I saw this the other day and I thought it was pretty cool. https://instagram.com/p/BdMsBSOhGIn/