300 Gallon SPS Build w/ DIY Trim Removal, Eurobracing, Foam Rock, etc. Lots of PICS! - Page 13

pheinzig · 08/09/2010, 12:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Texastravis

Too much turnover is actually bad, a lot of people make the mistake of having too much turnover. Too much flow through your sump allowing nothing to settle and the calarpa wont grow very well.

Absolutely dead spot on! I don't know why people think you have to have water racing through your sump. Save the turn over for you Close loop, and power heads.

You want water to move gentle through he sump/fuge. Thats how the magic happens. My Overflows are capable of 1,500 GPH each, and I have them only using about 300gph each. I split my drain to the left and right, with the return in the middle:

Thats a 55g sump that has 2 seperate chambers, I can do whatever I want to either side, and control the flow individually to each one:

(I cut the drain a little shorter, and added a 90 degree elbow so it doesn't blast the bottom of the sump)

Oh for foam wall, I know its a little late...but for your future builds check this out:

I packed it with softening salt I picked up at homedepot. Let it dry into the foam. When I rinsed it off it looked pretty cool:

Looks like a porous lava rock.

Texastravis · 08/09/2010, 01:28 PM

Yeah I was aiming for about 1200 GPH turnover.

Texastravis · 08/12/2010, 09:37 AM

Siliconed the rock background to the bottom of tank. Have to wait a week or so before I can test to see if it holds....if it does I will then put on the centerbraces in which I will have to wait another week before filling it up with water......

LAME

Texastravis · 08/12/2010, 09:37 AM

I will be working on the canopy and finishing sanding the doors/trim in the meantime.

Texastravis · 08/15/2010, 09:09 PM

Got braces on.

[IMG]

[/IMG]

[IMG]

[/IMG]

jmurr8484 · 08/15/2010, 11:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Texastravis

Got braces on.

[IMG]

[/IMG]

[IMG]

[/IMG]

So with the braces in, are you done/pleased with the aquascaping?

Texastravis · 08/16/2010, 06:11 AM

Quote:

So with the braces in, are you done/pleased with the aquascaping?

Think so! My only concern would be the silicone not holding the background down, Although, I think it will hold just fine. Just need to put my 2 columns in and I am done (I did measure to make sure the columns could fit with braces on before I put the braces on). I have several large rocks covered in zoas and things that I will place in their loosely but other than that I am done on the aquascaping.

beex215 · 08/16/2010, 07:08 AM

i was lost for a moment. i though you went onto a new tank. i was like where did the braces go?

legolas100 · 08/17/2010, 06:59 AM

YAY! You're Back! Shibby! lovin the build, sux with all the walls you've run into but you'll get there bro!

DeepSeaBeauti · 08/17/2010, 11:11 AM

sick tank build. just spend 2 hours reading through. lol Good thing im at work
]

Nathan.Titulaer · 08/17/2010, 11:42 AM

your tank looks really good. I feel your pain on the foam floating. i tried building a cave for fresh water and coated foam in concrete an it kept floating. I did not want to use silicone so I just kept adding concrete to it. After about 20pds worth I just threw it away.

eckel82 · 08/17/2010, 05:40 PM

What if you added some more foam on the top of the existing foam rock untill it touches the brace. Then it would be mechanically locked in place. Just a thought.

buy_baff · 08/17/2010, 07:34 PM

^ that sounds like a excelent idea.

Texastravis · 08/17/2010, 09:37 PM

That does sound like a pretty good idea. Problem is that I would have to find some more foam and I feel as though I would some how have to epoxy it as well. I would hate for the UV lights to rot the foam out!

I think that I will leave it for now and if my silicone doesnt hold it when i fill her up this weekend I will do just that!

oscarsdad608 · 08/18/2010, 06:19 AM

The problem with doing that is the foam will keep expanding. I would hate to see it expand enough to pop off your bracing. I would just silicone it the right way and be done with it.

eckel82 · 08/18/2010, 06:32 AM

I feel like the foam would expand in the path of least resistance. So it may expand forward into the display but not upward with enough force to damage the bracing. As for the foam degrading under the intense lighting I don't have a clue. Perhaps you could play it safe and use a different material to bridge the wall against the brace. IDK but looking forward to seeing the result. The wall looks great by the way.

EnderG60 · 08/18/2010, 10:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oscarsdad608

The problem with doing that is the foam will keep expanding. I would hate to see it expand enough to pop off your bracing. I would just silicone it the right way and be done with it.

not if it has a free direction to go. In a confined space maybe....

Texastravis · 08/18/2010, 11:17 AM

Correct. Even in a confined space it wouldnt because their would be any free oxygen to make it expand and harden, it would just stay in its liquid form.

superduty · 08/19/2010, 02:27 PM

have water yet?

Texastravis · 08/20/2010, 06:31 AM

I think I might wait until tomorrow. Although, its pretty tempting to fill up today

hebygb · 08/20/2010, 08:00 AM

There was a reefer on here before that found that the foam above the waterline did not perform well, broke down and discolored from the UV light spectrum. I would wait for the silicone to dry. It should hold. Mine did.

Rhodes19 · 08/20/2010, 08:01 AM

Wow, what a build! That is going to be awesome. Good job. I'm tagging along!

Texastravis · 08/20/2010, 08:41 AM

Sounds like a plan. Lets hope my silicone holds.

Texastravis · 08/22/2010, 07:31 AM

WATER!

Filled up last night and all went well thank god! Stand didnt collaps, background didnt float, and tank didnt bust a seam! Time for celebration! Excuse my appearance, I had been working on deck/pond project allllll day.

[IMG]

[/IMG]

[IMG]

[/IMG]

chimmike · 08/22/2010, 07:36 AM

One thing I disagree with is limiting flow through the sump. The sump isn't meant to be a "detritus collector" via settling. Rather, IMO, higher flow prevents gunk from settling in the sump causing potential nitrate spikes and requiring vacuuming. Also, the higher flow recycles the nutrients back to the main tank to feed the corals! I particularly don't like detritus settling in the SB in the 'fuge as well.

Tank looks great ! keep it up!

08/15/2010, 09:09 PM	#305
Texastravis Moved On Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Texas Posts: 573	Got braces on. [IMG][/IMG] [IMG][/IMG] [IMG][/IMG] [IMG][/IMG] [IMG][/IMG]

08/17/2010, 06:59 AM	#309
legolas100 Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: New Zealand Posts: 227	YAY! You're Back! Shibby! lovin the build, sux with all the walls you've run into but you'll get there bro! __________________ 120 Gallon Build Thread: 13 Year Olds 1st tank! Check my homepage in profile. Current Tank Info: Setting up 120G

08/17/2010, 11:11 AM	#310
DeepSeaBeauti Will Fielitz Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Patchogue , long Island Posts: 1,151	sick tank build. just spend 2 hours reading through. lol Good thing im at work ] __________________ I can never figure out why my wallet is empty. But my tank sure is awsome looking. Current Tank Info: 300G DD reef tank, 100g sump 40g breeder set up as a refugium, C-skim skimmer, , 2 165w LED and t5 setup, BRS reactor for carbon and GFO. Fish: lawnmower blenny, 12clowns, Watchmen golby, FoxFace, Yellow angle, 6line wrase.

08/17/2010, 07:34 PM	#313
buy_baff Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 1,180	^ that sounds like a excelent idea. __________________ 150g sps display with basement sump.

08/18/2010, 06:19 AM	#315
oscarsdad608 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: wi Posts: 243	The problem with doing that is the foam will keep expanding. I would hate to see it expand enough to pop off your bracing. I would just silicone it the right way and be done with it. __________________ After this the tank will be finished I swear. Current Tank Info: I use everyones left overs

08/09/2010, 01:28 PM	#302
Texastravis Moved On Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Texas Posts: 573	Yeah I was aiming for about 1200 GPH turnover.

08/12/2010, 09:37 AM	#303
Texastravis Moved On Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Texas Posts: 573	Siliconed the rock background to the bottom of tank. Have to wait a week or so before I can test to see if it holds....if it does I will then put on the centerbraces in which I will have to wait another week before filling it up with water...... LAME

08/12/2010, 09:37 AM	#304
Texastravis Moved On Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Texas Posts: 573	I will be working on the canopy and finishing sanding the doors/trim in the meantime.

08/16/2010, 07:08 AM	#308
beex215 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: philly, pa Posts: 208	i was lost for a moment. i though you went onto a new tank. i was like where did the braces go?

08/17/2010, 11:42 AM	#311
Nathan.Titulaer Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: San Diego Posts: 213	your tank looks really good. I feel your pain on the foam floating. i tried building a cave for fresh water and coated foam in concrete an it kept floating. I did not want to use silicone so I just kept adding concrete to it. After about 20pds worth I just threw it away.

08/17/2010, 05:40 PM	#312
eckel82 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 25	What if you added some more foam on the top of the existing foam rock untill it touches the brace. Then it would be mechanically locked in place. Just a thought.

08/17/2010, 09:37 PM	#314
Texastravis Moved On Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Texas Posts: 573	That does sound like a pretty good idea. Problem is that I would have to find some more foam and I feel as though I would some how have to epoxy it as well. I would hate for the UV lights to rot the foam out! I think that I will leave it for now and if my silicone doesnt hold it when i fill her up this weekend I will do just that!

08/18/2010, 06:32 AM	#316
eckel82 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 25	I feel like the foam would expand in the path of least resistance. So it may expand forward into the display but not upward with enough force to damage the bracing. As for the foam degrading under the intense lighting I don't have a clue. Perhaps you could play it safe and use a different material to bridge the wall against the brace. IDK but looking forward to seeing the result. The wall looks great by the way.

08/18/2010, 11:17 AM	#318
Texastravis Moved On Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Texas Posts: 573	Correct. Even in a confined space it wouldnt because their would be any free oxygen to make it expand and harden, it would just stay in its liquid form.

08/19/2010, 02:27 PM	#319
superduty Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 2	have water yet?

08/20/2010, 06:31 AM	#320
Texastravis Moved On Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Texas Posts: 573	I think I might wait until tomorrow. Although, its pretty tempting to fill up today

08/20/2010, 08:00 AM	#321
hebygb Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Elmhurst, IL Posts: 2,207	There was a reefer on here before that found that the foam above the waterline did not perform well, broke down and discolored from the UV light spectrum. I would wait for the silicone to dry. It should hold. Mine did.

08/20/2010, 08:01 AM	#322
Rhodes19 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Charleston, SC Posts: 971	Wow, what a build! That is going to be awesome. Good job. I'm tagging along!

08/20/2010, 08:41 AM	#323
Texastravis Moved On Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Texas Posts: 573	Sounds like a plan. Lets hope my silicone holds.

08/22/2010, 07:31 AM	#324
Texastravis Moved On Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Texas Posts: 573	WATER! Filled up last night and all went well thank god! Stand didnt collaps, background didnt float, and tank didnt bust a seam! Time for celebration! Excuse my appearance, I had been working on deck/pond project allllll day. [IMG][/IMG] [IMG][/IMG] [IMG][/IMG] [IMG][/IMG] [IMG][/IMG]

08/22/2010, 07:36 AM	#325
chimmike oxygen abuser Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Parrish, FL Posts: 5,089 Blog Entries: 2	One thing I disagree with is limiting flow through the sump. The sump isn't meant to be a "detritus collector" via settling. Rather, IMO, higher flow prevents gunk from settling in the sump causing potential nitrate spikes and requiring vacuuming. Also, the higher flow recycles the nutrients back to the main tank to feed the corals! I particularly don't like detritus settling in the SB in the 'fuge as well. Tank looks great ! keep it up! __________________ -Mike Tankless wonder Geaux Noles!