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02/08/2018, 09:24 PM | #101 |
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Location: The Woodlands TX
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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. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk |
02/09/2018, 08:46 AM | #102 |
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Location: Golden, CO
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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. |
02/09/2018, 03:20 PM | #103 | |
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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. |
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02/09/2018, 03:55 PM | #104 |
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I might have mentioned this already..
That wife of yours is a keeper!!! Nice job so far. Good to see the progress.
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Matt. Current Tank Info: 53x32.5x26 190g dt 60g of sumps 3 tank-100 gal frag system 6xAI prime 8xt5. 4x maxspect gyre. Skimz Dual internal sicce pump skimmer Deltec PF601s ca rx+Kalk stirrer |
02/09/2018, 04:06 PM | #105 |
Frank
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Suffolk County, NY
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following......nice dimensions on the tank.
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Frank Current Tank Info: 215 gal DT, 125 gal sump, 40 gal refugium w/ATS, 20 gal frag tank, reeflo orca skimmer, Knop HD calc reac w/2nd chamber, BRS dual reac, dart rtn pump, 2x tunze 6105's on seasweeps, 2x jebao PP20's, 30gal QT, LED/T5 Ltg, 1/2 hp aqualogic chiller. |
02/11/2018, 01:28 PM | #106 | |
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Thanks and Im hoping to finish the Formica tonight. Thank you. |
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02/11/2018, 02:05 PM | #107 |
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Im going to say one thing . . . . . WOW!!!!!!
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02/11/2018, 05:23 PM | #108 |
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Location: The Woodlands TX
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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. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk |
02/11/2018, 06:45 PM | #109 |
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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. |
02/14/2018, 10:05 AM | #110 |
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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. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk |
02/14/2018, 10:40 AM | #111 |
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Location: Goodyear, AZ
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Nice work... looks great!
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180 Gallon Reef Tank, Elite Aquatics Sump, Kessil A360we LEDS, AI Hydra 26 HD LEDS, Reef Octopus OCTO VarioS-6 Controllable DC Circulation Pump, Skimz Kone SK204 Skimmer, Vortex MP40 Powerhead. Current Tank Info: 180 Gallon Reef Tank |
02/14/2018, 02:50 PM | #112 |
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Location: Sault Ste Marie Ont
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Awesome choice on the halide. Any reason you didn't go with the cozomule instead?
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02/14/2018, 03:02 PM | #113 | |
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02/14/2018, 03:12 PM | #114 | |
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02/14/2018, 08:16 PM | #115 |
Frank
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Suffolk County, NY
Posts: 1,907
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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?
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Frank Current Tank Info: 215 gal DT, 125 gal sump, 40 gal refugium w/ATS, 20 gal frag tank, reeflo orca skimmer, Knop HD calc reac w/2nd chamber, BRS dual reac, dart rtn pump, 2x tunze 6105's on seasweeps, 2x jebao PP20's, 30gal QT, LED/T5 Ltg, 1/2 hp aqualogic chiller. |
02/14/2018, 09:45 PM | #116 | |
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02/16/2018, 06:47 AM | #117 |
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Coming along beautifully
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02/16/2018, 01:06 PM | #118 | |
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Quote:
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. |
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02/16/2018, 01:29 PM | #119 | |
Frank
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Suffolk County, NY
Posts: 1,907
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Quote:
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Frank Current Tank Info: 215 gal DT, 125 gal sump, 40 gal refugium w/ATS, 20 gal frag tank, reeflo orca skimmer, Knop HD calc reac w/2nd chamber, BRS dual reac, dart rtn pump, 2x tunze 6105's on seasweeps, 2x jebao PP20's, 30gal QT, LED/T5 Ltg, 1/2 hp aqualogic chiller. |
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02/16/2018, 01:40 PM | #120 |
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02/16/2018, 01:41 PM | #121 |
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02/16/2018, 01:44 PM | #122 |
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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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02/17/2018, 08:00 PM | #123 |
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Great build. Such attention to detail. Can way to see this full
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02/18/2018, 07:22 AM | #124 |
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02/18/2018, 07:49 AM | #125 |
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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/ |
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