**former thread of the month** Rebuilding the Reef - Log of a 90 Gallon Restarted - Page 4

Jamesurq · 12/28/2004, 04:45 PM

This next shot shows the canopy that I'm working on (and the final aquascaping).

The canopy that came with the stand was MUCH to short to accommodate the lighting upgrade that I'm installing. The new canopy is about 15 inches tall - more than enough room for the lights.

The canopy (in this shot) is not anywhere near done. Many changes were made to the design. It's actually nearing completion as we speak - this progression is about a day behind...

Jamesurq · 12/28/2004, 04:47 PM

A shot of the rear bracing:

The canopy is 1/4" plywood over 1X2" poplar.

Jamesurq · 12/28/2004, 04:49 PM

The diagonal brace that you see in the front of this picture was just a temporary stabilizer and has been subseqently removed. I just didn't want it falling apart on top of the tank....

Jamesurq · 12/28/2004, 04:50 PM

Here's a pretty good shot of the aquascaping (sorry about me in the glare)...

Jamesurq · 12/28/2004, 04:51 PM

and finally a couple of other angles on the scape: this one at 45:

And this one from one side:

Jamesurq · 12/28/2004, 04:54 PM

The canopy is nearing completion.

The stain has been applied (matching AGA cherry stain - thanks AGA!!!) and 2 coats of polyurethane. 1 more coat of poly and we're good to go.

The lights have been installed to the canopy and I'm proud to say we have our first fish. Per request of my daughter and wife, a couple "clown fish".

I'll post pictures of them later....

Until then - I'm gonna finish that canopy!

5y5tem 0verload · 12/28/2004, 04:58 PM

Man you work fast. I wish my setup was rolling like this. Everything looks great. Again, glad you jumped back in w/ both feet.

thrlride · 12/28/2004, 09:26 PM

Looks great James!

thrlride · 12/28/2004, 09:27 PM

You were able to convince your wife to cut all those holes in the wall and floor? I can't even convince my wife to allow me to cut a 1/4" hole in the drywall. Women...

Jamesurq · 12/28/2004, 09:59 PM

No holes in the floor itself - all the plumbing goes in the wall and through the joists.... No damage to the wood floor....

Here's the completed canopy WITH LIGHTING...Big picture.. Woo hoo:

Jamesurq · 12/28/2004, 10:03 PM

Here's a big shot of the tank alone: I'm liking the lighting. It's super bright with the 400 watter in the middle. Can you see the shadow from the center brace? I can somewhat - but most will miss it unless it's pointed out or they're looking for it specifically:

Jamesurq · 12/28/2004, 10:05 PM

And now a closeup of the first fishy inhabitants:

lovetoreef · 12/28/2004, 10:43 PM

great work - not only speedy, but quality! what nice rock - where did you get it?? thanks.

Jamesurq · 12/28/2004, 10:48 PM

Thanks. The marshall islands stuff I got at the LFS - the deepwater tonga rock ( 4 big pieces on right side of tank) were purchased from exoticfish.com - he called them Vanisi.

@LVIN · 12/28/2004, 10:58 PM

hi James. just wondering if you ever experienced a "mini-cycle".

nice job anyways!

@LVIN

Jamesurq · 12/28/2004, 11:24 PM

nope. The rocks had been cooking in tubs for a couple of months - No cycle.

I'm sure that now my lights are operational, I'll start to go through that whole algae cycle again... I'm hoping I can keep it under control like I didn't last time...

@LVIN · 12/28/2004, 11:44 PM

do you still have any fish left from your old tank?

@LVIN

sdr209 · 12/28/2004, 11:55 PM

Great job james, great to see you back up and running, because I don't know how I would be. Well I'm in the process of upgrading to a 90gal from a 29, and I noticed you had a dual 175mh on there, I was wondering was that a decent amount of light for your corals; primarily SPSs? (of course more would have been better, but were the animals happy with 2x175w?)

melev · 12/29/2004, 06:01 AM

James! What a nice job turning around a really depressing thread! I don't know how you got motivated considering the obstacles I read in this thread and the other.

I cracked up when I read you used one bag of southdown when you couldn't find the amount you wanted.

The tank looks great, and the plumbing looks good. I like your idea about a larger hole in the Durso with a piece of paper towel in there to muffle the sound. I might give that a try on my 280g.

Mr_Quality · 12/29/2004, 07:00 AM

The tissue paper in the air vent is cute, but I suspect the air flow will likely vary over time as the tissue absorbs moisture and salt creep. Here is my solution, I cut a slit in the top pvc pipe so that I can slide the cap up or down to increase or reduce the size of the air vent.

I also noticed a few posts back that the water level in your megaflow was very high and your durso intake was almost completely submersed. That appears to be very near it's maximum flow capacity. I'd be nervous that any reduction in flow might result in a flood situation. Would you consider reducing that flow slightly?

Jamesurq · 12/29/2004, 07:05 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by @LVIN
do you still have any fish left from your old tank?

@LVIN

Nope - all fish, snails, crabs, worms and almost all of the corals perished.

Jamesurq · 12/29/2004, 07:07 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by sdr209
Great job james, great to see you back up and running, because I don't know how I would be. Well I'm in the process of upgrading to a 90gal from a 29, and I noticed you had a dual 175mh on there, I was wondering was that a decent amount of light for your corals; primarily SPSs? (of course more would have been better, but were the animals happy with 2x175w?)

I had great success with demanding SPS (acros) and clams in the top half of the tank - lower light SPS, LPS and softies did fine anywhere. The new setup has added a 400 watt overdriven Radium in the center - so I'm pretty sure I can put SPS anywhere. If you're looking for success stories with 175 watters look for "playfair". He has a 120 and when you see the pictures you'll see he's done pretty well with them.

Jamesurq · 12/29/2004, 07:11 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by melev
James! What a nice job turning around a really depressing thread! I don't know how you got motivated considering the obstacles I read in this thread and the other.

I cracked up when I read you used one bag of southdown when you couldn't find the amount you wanted.

The tank looks great, and the plumbing looks good. I like your idea about a larger hole in the Durso with a piece of paper towel in there to muffle the sound. I might give that a try on my 280g.

Thanks for joining in - I appreciate the support. I guess I got motivated because I'm so addicted. When you love the hobby this much, the obsticales that come up are just speedbumps.

I'm actually liking the very shallow sandbed. I do have 3 more bags if I wanted to deepen it.. I'm not planning on housing any serious burrowers, and there arent any spots that have so much flow they're bare...

Thanks.

melev · 12/29/2004, 07:16 AM

I'm glad you are staying addicted.

Are you going to restart your sand trade process to seed this new sandy substrate?

Stay in the hobby long enough, and you'll see stuff like this occur:

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...73#post3995773

Jamesurq · 12/29/2004, 07:19 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Mr_Quality
The tissue paper in the air vent is cute, but I suspect the air flow will likely vary over time as the tissue absorbs moisture and salt creep. Here is my solution, I cut a slit in the top pvc pipe so that I can slide the cap up or down to increase or reduce the size of the air vent.

I also noticed a few posts back that the water level in your megaflow was very high and your durso intake was almost completely submersed. That appears to be very near it's maximum flow capacity. I'd be nervous that any reduction in flow might result in a flood situation. Would you consider reducing that flow slightly?

The tissue paper reached full absorption and has continued to perform flawlessly. There have been no fluctuations in the water level. I keep the level high because I want it that way - it has nothing to do with the flow capacity and everything to do with the height of the standpipe. Example: I take the durso out, the overflow empties completely and continues to empty completely as long as the pipe is removed. I could keep the water level lower if I wanted to - but the point of a high standpipe is to avoid any turbulating water and cut down on the noise.

I think your idea of a variable hole is a good one - but it's not what I'm trying to accomplish. Any durso is going to suck air - regardless of how it is adjusted - and this will cause some sound. The tissuepaper provides a muffling to the sucking of air rather successfully.

If you read earlier in the thread, one of my major concerns was noise. The only sound that you hear now is a slight water movement where the surface is agitating and a very slight hum from the pipes vibrating in the wall. With a little insulation I'm confident I can remove the vibration - the water noise is quiet enough to not make me have to pee - so that's fine.

Thanks for the comments!

12/28/2004, 04:58 PM	#82
5y5tem 0verload Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Eads, TN Posts: 684	Man you work fast. I wish my setup was rolling like this. Everything looks great. Again, glad you jumped back in w/ both feet. __________________ Jeremy I know you believe you understood what you think I said, but I am not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.

12/28/2004, 09:26 PM	#83
thrlride Aka lemmywinks Join Date: May 2003 Location: Harrisburg, NC Posts: 8,017	Looks great James! __________________ Beer Snob Current Tank Info: 210 gallon FOWLR (H&S 200a-1260 , panworld 50px-x, 2x Vortech w/ WWD)

12/28/2004, 09:27 PM	#84
thrlride Aka lemmywinks Join Date: May 2003 Location: Harrisburg, NC Posts: 8,017	You were able to convince your wife to cut all those holes in the wall and floor? I can't even convince my wife to allow me to cut a 1/4" hole in the drywall. Women... __________________ Beer Snob Current Tank Info: 210 gallon FOWLR (H&S 200a-1260 , panworld 50px-x, 2x Vortech w/ WWD)

12/28/2004, 10:43 PM	#88
lovetoreef Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Canton, TX Posts: 763	great work - not only speedy, but quality! what nice rock - where did you get it?? thanks. __________________ Planning SPS AIO tank Canton, TX Reefing on and off since 2001 Current Tank Info: planning nano AIO

12/29/2004, 07:00 AM	#95
Mr_Quality Premium Member Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Falmouth, ME Posts: 1,135	The tissue paper in the air vent is cute, but I suspect the air flow will likely vary over time as the tissue absorbs moisture and salt creep. Here is my solution, I cut a slit in the top pvc pipe so that I can slide the cap up or down to increase or reduce the size of the air vent. I also noticed a few posts back that the water level in your megaflow was very high and your durso intake was almost completely submersed. That appears to be very near it's maximum flow capacity. I'd be nervous that any reduction in flow might result in a flood situation. Would you consider reducing that flow slightly? __________________ Mike I'm also 3_high_low's brother Current Tank Info: JBJ 28g Intermediate LED

12/28/2004, 04:45 PM	#76
Jamesurq Moved On Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Greensboro, NC Posts: 5,470	This next shot shows the canopy that I'm working on (and the final aquascaping). The canopy that came with the stand was MUCH to short to accommodate the lighting upgrade that I'm installing. The new canopy is about 15 inches tall - more than enough room for the lights. The canopy (in this shot) is not anywhere near done. Many changes were made to the design. It's actually nearing completion as we speak - this progression is about a day behind...

12/28/2004, 04:47 PM	#77
Jamesurq Moved On Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Greensboro, NC Posts: 5,470	A shot of the rear bracing: The canopy is 1/4" plywood over 1X2" poplar.

12/28/2004, 04:49 PM	#78
Jamesurq Moved On Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Greensboro, NC Posts: 5,470	The diagonal brace that you see in the front of this picture was just a temporary stabilizer and has been subseqently removed. I just didn't want it falling apart on top of the tank....

12/28/2004, 04:50 PM	#79
Jamesurq Moved On Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Greensboro, NC Posts: 5,470	Here's a pretty good shot of the aquascaping (sorry about me in the glare)...

12/28/2004, 04:51 PM	#80
Jamesurq Moved On Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Greensboro, NC Posts: 5,470	and finally a couple of other angles on the scape: this one at 45: And this one from one side:

12/28/2004, 04:54 PM	#81
Jamesurq Moved On Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Greensboro, NC Posts: 5,470	The canopy is nearing completion. The stain has been applied (matching AGA cherry stain - thanks AGA!!!) and 2 coats of polyurethane. 1 more coat of poly and we're good to go. The lights have been installed to the canopy and I'm proud to say we have our first fish. Per request of my daughter and wife, a couple "clown fish". I'll post pictures of them later.... Until then - I'm gonna finish that canopy!

12/28/2004, 09:59 PM	#85
Jamesurq Moved On Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Greensboro, NC Posts: 5,470	No holes in the floor itself - all the plumbing goes in the wall and through the joists.... No damage to the wood floor.... Here's the completed canopy WITH LIGHTING...Big picture.. Woo hoo:

12/28/2004, 10:03 PM	#86
Jamesurq Moved On Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Greensboro, NC Posts: 5,470	Here's a big shot of the tank alone: I'm liking the lighting. It's super bright with the 400 watter in the middle. Can you see the shadow from the center brace? I can somewhat - but most will miss it unless it's pointed out or they're looking for it specifically:

12/28/2004, 10:05 PM	#87
Jamesurq Moved On Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Greensboro, NC Posts: 5,470	And now a closeup of the first fishy inhabitants:

12/28/2004, 10:48 PM	#89
Jamesurq Moved On Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Greensboro, NC Posts: 5,470	Thanks. The marshall islands stuff I got at the LFS - the deepwater tonga rock ( 4 big pieces on right side of tank) were purchased from exoticfish.com - he called them Vanisi.

12/28/2004, 10:58 PM	#90
@LVIN Registered Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Dubai, UAE Posts: 123	hi James. just wondering if you ever experienced a "mini-cycle". nice job anyways! @LVIN

12/28/2004, 11:24 PM	#91
Jamesurq Moved On Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Greensboro, NC Posts: 5,470	nope. The rocks had been cooking in tubs for a couple of months - No cycle. I'm sure that now my lights are operational, I'll start to go through that whole algae cycle again... I'm hoping I can keep it under control like I didn't last time...

12/28/2004, 11:44 PM	#92
@LVIN Registered Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Dubai, UAE Posts: 123	do you still have any fish left from your old tank? @LVIN

12/28/2004, 11:55 PM	#93
sdr209 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: southbay California Posts: 506	Great job james, great to see you back up and running, because I don't know how I would be. Well I'm in the process of upgrading to a 90gal from a 29, and I noticed you had a dual 175mh on there, I was wondering was that a decent amount of light for your corals; primarily SPSs? (of course more would have been better, but were the animals happy with 2x175w?)

12/29/2004, 06:01 AM	#94
melev Moved On Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Ft Worth, Tx Posts: 43,217	James! What a nice job turning around a really depressing thread! I don't know how you got motivated considering the obstacles I read in this thread and the other. I cracked up when I read you used one bag of southdown when you couldn't find the amount you wanted. The tank looks great, and the plumbing looks good. I like your idea about a larger hole in the Durso with a piece of paper towel in there to muffle the sound. I might give that a try on my 280g.

12/29/2004, 07:16 AM	#99
melev Moved On Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Ft Worth, Tx Posts: 43,217	I'm glad you are staying addicted. Are you going to restart your sand trade process to seed this new sandy substrate? Stay in the hobby long enough, and you'll see stuff like this occur: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...73#post3995773