OK... I figured since everyone is kinda back and forth on either the TRT or ARC forums, I'll start over here and maybe copy things over there if I have time... Hope this is in the right part of the forum, it looked like this was the most appropriate to me... I really wanted to start this about 10 days ago when I started the project, but it has been eating up all my time!!! I'll post everything I've got to date, everyone please throw out your comments, concerns, ideas or criticism as it will probably help me out in the long run...:up:

Alright, to start off, I bought a 6 month old 180gal RR AGA and a nice diy stand from Mark on TRT 2 weeks ago... The stand is sturdy, it's made of furniture grade ply but lacked doors... After talking my wife into letting me move the china cabinet out of the formal dining room and putting the tank in there:yes: , I realized the stand needed a face lift to better suite the decor... So far that is pretty much all I have been working on for the last 10 days!!! My plans are to get water in this thing by the 31st, not sure if that's going to happen or not... I've got 530lbs of rock in a stock tub in the basement that's been down there for a month and a half now, however, it came out of a tank that had been up for years, so it didn't have to cycle(didn't have much growth on it, It's got more now than when I got it). I'll go over the list of equipment here shortly after I get some pics up...:thumbs:


Here's how it looked when I got it from Mark...

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/Fromthestart.jpg



Here I started securing all the facing boards on the stand...

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/SecuringFaceBoards.jpg




Started to add the Advantec flooring...

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/StartedtoaddAdvantecfloor.jpg




Flooring is installed and completely sealed...

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/Floorallsealedup.jpg



I've got more coming, I know it doesn't look like much in these pics...



David

OK... Day 2 of the build, still not alot of visual progress, just ruining a perfectly good looking stand... Sorry Mark, I'm sure you put quite a few hours into it... I finished resecuring the face boards, added a top bar support rail, and started to reface the stand... It is refaced in solid hardwood bead or planking...


Finished securing face boards

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/Finishedsecuringthefaceboards.jpg




Added top bar support rail, there will be a 4 to 5 inch wide bar platform around the tank

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/Addedtopbarsupport.jpg




Started refacing

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/Startedrefacing.jpg



Right side refaced

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/Rtsiderefaced.jpg




Still more to come...:thumbs:


David

Alright, a little more VP going here... I finished refacing the whole stand... I actually faced over alot of the openings for the doors and then used my router with a 1/4" flush trim with a bearing to cut it back down and give a smooth edge... I also started on the columns on the right side of the stand...


Refacing complete

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/Completelyrefaced.jpg



Started RT side column

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/Addedrtsidecolumns.jpg



Front shot

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/Frontshotwithrtcolumns.jpg



Stay tuned... It gets better, I promise...:D



David

Alright... I had to take a 3 day break from the project-gotta work sometime:d'oh: Luckily it's only 3 days a week!!! Well, I added the rest of the columns and started to trim out the right ones by adding top bolsters... Also put a piece of scrap crown on the right side to see how things will look when the bar top is added...


Added Lt columns

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/AddedLtColumns.jpg



Trimmed out bolsters on topside of RT columns

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/AddedColumnBolsters.jpg



Another Angle

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/FrontShotColumnsHalfDone.jpg



Idea of what the bar top will look like

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/Ideaofhowbarwilllook.jpg


So now you see why I ask "Will It Ever Be Done"?!!!!

One Day...


David (still more to come)

Alright, now were pretty much caught up... Made alot of progress yesterday, trimed out almost everything and got the bar cut and biscuited together... Forgot to mention a few days ago, also cut a 72" x 25" piece of Advanted and put it under the tank itself... This stand has got to weigh a ton by now...

Left column trim out

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/Leftcolumntrimout.jpg



Starting to take shape

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/Startingtotakeshape.jpg




Looking better

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/Lookingbetter.jpg



The Supervisor...

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/Thesupervisor.jpg



Making the bar top

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/MakingBarTop.jpg



Another angle

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/AnotherAngle.jpg


Alomst all of the trim work is done... Just need someone to come and fill holes and sand her down, any volunteers?...:D



Oh well...


David

OK... That brings up to date... The glue on the bar has dried and it is solid, gotta love biscuit joints!!! Time to start filling holes, sanding down, pick a stain color, paint the inside (going to use a new Behr bathroom and kitchen product-it dries hard as nails)... Then I've got to stain it, stain again, poly and poly, then onto the plumbing... Not to mention I still have to build a canopy and get all my lighting together, I'm thinking of going all T5's... Lots of work still!!! Oh, and I've got to work tomorrow, so it will stop for another 3 days:boo:


Bar top assembled but not attached yet


http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/BarRightSide1.jpg



Another angle... Sorry the camera died before I could get some front shots

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/BarRightSide.jpg


Alright... Back to work I go... Hope someone enjoys looking at these, please feel free to criticise or comment on it... Any ideas would be greatly appreciatted as well...



David

:wow: - very nice work so far! Keep the pictures coming - it's always cool watching a tank come together!

I'd be a little concerned about the carpet over the wood floors, though. If you have a spill over a few gallons, it'll just sit against the wood floor...

Thanks Mojo...
I had thought about the carpet/flooring issue before we moved the tank in... We put a folded blue tarp under the carpet hoping it would allow the carpet to dry and yet still protect the hardwood... I think you can see part of it hanging out behind the tank in some of the pics... Not sure if it will work or not, hopefully it won't get tested too many times...


David

david, very good work ya got going on there! i wish I was motivated to finish up the rest of my stands, yes plural, I have two at the house that I just gave up on. My mitre saw died on me and I havnt gotten a chance to go back to HD and get another one......maybe one day when work dies down a lil bit.

I'm going in for the show. Great work so far.

Well you did it!!! After seeing that ive decided to make my own stand! Thats so nice. GREAT WORK!!:yay:

Thanks everyone for the replies... Been filling holes and sanding all day... Also put some rope trim on, I'll try to round up some batteries for the camera and take some pics...


David

Wow. That looks great! Keep up the good work Big D.

-Andy

Thanks Andy... It's going to take alot longer than I thought...


Here's some more pics from today... No huge changes that a camera will pick up, lot's and lot's of sanding... Hand cramps...Ouch!!! :wow2:

I did add some rope to the bar top, I'm sure there'll be some folks that really like it and some that really don't... I was unsure about it, but my wife thoght it definately needed it, I think it does add alot to it... Let me know what you think, although it would be a royal PIA to change since it's glued and braded on...



Front shot

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/FrontShotwithrope.jpg



Left Side

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/LeftSideRope.jpg



Close up of the rope... Note the bar holds a beer nicely!!!:cheers:

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/Ropecloseupbeerholderworks.jpg


Well, it's back to work tomorrow, so there won't be much progress for the next 3 or 4 days... :boo:


David

that looks awesome. Great job with it so far... i can't wait for it to be completed.

>After talking my wife into letting me move the china cabinet out of the formal dining room and putting the tank in there.
Wow, She's a keeper:thumbs:

>It's going to take alot longer than I thought...
Ya Think? :cheers:

Nice Job.

Just curious... you did all the work inside? Dosen't that make cleanup a @#$%

Routers and biscuit joiners are both messy :yuk::yuk:

Still, you seem to get more done in a day than I do in a month...

Great job!!!!!!!!

[/B][/FONT]



Thanks JohnQ... To answer your questions, yes I did do most of the work inside... My router actually came with an attachment that allowed me to hook it up to the wifes vacuum... As far as the jointer, I was actually able to take those boards outside to cut the joints... All in all, the worst clean up has been the sanding and it wasn't all that bad...


David

Thanks everyone for the replies... Still trying to get the inside painted-just can't seem to talk my wife into doing it :boo: ... Maybe tomorrow...


David

>Still trying to get the inside painted-just can't seem to talk my wife into doing it

You've done pretty well so far. If I tried this route, I'd be looking at an ice pick in the ear! :unsure:

Something about it keeping the carpet clean after I gone...

your gonna fill THAT with salt water???

but it might leak onto the wood and throw off those perfect seams lol.

I think you should leave that one, set up a nice plastic stand 8g nano next to it.

seriously awesome work. looks like this is far from your first cabinetry project.

Here's an update... Once again, not a lot of visual progress... The inside is now painted and the entire outside has been gone over with a flashlight to find any imperfections which were filled and sanded... I'm going to go pick up the stain today and start staining it, it's going to be a dark cherry finish... As you can tell by the boxes inside the tank, I've also been gathering equipment... So far the list includes:

(2) SEIO 1100's
(2) SEIO 1500's
(1) SEIO Controller-need another
Knop Model C Calcium Reactor w/bottle, regulator, & solenoid
(2 1/2) buckets of Koralith for the reactor
MRC MR2 w/Mag 18
Ocean Runner 6500
Ocean Runner 2500
55 gal tank for sump
Octopus 3000 controller with PH probe, Temp probe, & X-10 controllers
200W Titanium Heater
Fuge Light



Still have to sell off some other equipment so I'll have the cash to buy T5's... I've got 1 ballast and (2) 36 inchers now... I plan on going with 5 ballasts total with (10) 36 inchers... Either that or (6) 5 footers with a stagered offset to prevent any low light spots in the tank...


Painted inside



http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/PaintedInside1.jpg





Painted inside

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/PaintedInside2.jpg



Oh Yeah... I have now taken over the entire dining room... The tank has been moved to a different wall-this thing weighs a TON!!! It's now sitting on 5 "I" type ladder joists which are directly supported by the concrete wall of the basement... I'm hoping this will be enough support for this thing without having to add anything... Any engineers care to give their opinions?... I can take some pics of everything below if needed...



David

When your tank is in the basement then you need to worry, but i think you will be alright! :lol2: HAHA:lol2: the only thing is that your stand is level im sure your not a dummy though. i know when i attempt what your doing, I'll be cussing about getting the thing to level out. LOOKS FANTASTIC!!!:yay:

I have two additional I-beam joists under my 240g (for a total of 5 joists), supported in the middle of a 16' span by a concrete wall on one end and a 2x6 wall on the other, and the floor hasn't moved in the past two years.

You'll be fine.

When your tank is in the basement then you need to worry, but i think you will be alright! :lol2: HAHA:lol2: the only thing is that your stand is level im sure your not a dummy though. i know when i attempt what your doing, I'll be cussing about getting the thing to level out. LOOKS FANTASTIC!!!:yay:


Well if it ends up in the basement, we'll have a good spot to put an indoor hot tub in at least:lol3: ... That's when I'll give the dining room back...

I've put a level on this thing 5 or 6 times a day when I'm working on it... She's straight as an arrow...



David

I have two additional I-beam joists under my 240g (for a total of 5 joists), supported in the middle of a 16' span by a concrete wall on one end and a 2x6 wall on the other, and the floor hasn't moved in the past two years.

You'll be fine.



Thanks Chris... I figured if I moved to this wall, I should be good... I was actually going to contact you about it, I remebered that you had posted a thread about a structural issue but didn't remember the outcome... That's going to save me a few days work and some $$$ for sure!!!


David

Here's some updated pics... The finishing on the stand is almost done, still have to sand down the bar top and then put on some type of poly sealer... The finish is going to be a distressed, kinda old look... Let me know what you think about it, I'm sure there'll be some that don't really like it... I will tell you, it's a lot of work and makes a huge mess sanding the stain off after it dries, but we like the way it looks... Also, I painted the back of the tank black, nothing major, just took a lot of paint... I used Rust Oleum indoor/outdoor semi-gloss black and brushed it on... It took 5 coats, the last one was real thick...


Front


http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/Front1.jpg










Rt Side



http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/Side1.jpg









Black Back



http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/BlackBack.jpg

GREAT CHOICE!!! I love the finish, you hit the nail on the head grand slam outta the park on that stand. Great job! Now if only you could mass produce me one haha:D

Beautiful look. I like the distressed look. The bar aoround the tank is a must if you build your own tank (I have mine that way too)... very cool!

I love it! You are doing a great job. :yay:

That stand looks great

Thanks everyone... Wasn't sure how it would go over, but I love seeing the grain of the wood and the rustic finish... It would also go great in an entertainment room with a pool table, a bar, and some nostalgia :cheers:


Zanski, I'd loose money on the mass production at this rate... I'd be lucky to get 2 out a year :lol2: ... But as far as helping out on yours, I think we could work something out ;)



Big D

Looks GREAT! Nice work!

I would be in line if you choose to mass produce these also. The last time I built something out of wood was in my 8th grade shop class in 1994. I think I made a jewelry boxed that was never completed.

That stand looks fantastic!

It looks fantastic!

Thanks everyone... Wasn't sure how it would go over, but I love seeing the grain of the wood and the rustic finish... It would also go great in an entertainment room with a pool table, a bar, and some nostalgia :cheers:


Zanski, I'd loose money on the mass production at this rate... I'd be lucky to get 2 out a year :lol2: ... But as far as helping out on yours, I think we could work something out ;)



Big D

Right on man! :up: Im moving in Jan. and ill be ready to rock a stand shortly after. :thumbs: I dont think i even took woodshop in school, i think the last thing i built was those wooden bird houses that all you have to do is glue the pieces together

Wow, It's been awhile... Alright, I know it shouldn't take this long, but I've been working around 70 hrs a week at work which leaves little time for anything else... The tank has made some progress, but is far from done... I got the 55gal sump together which has 3 baffles on the skimmer side and one on the fuge side, the return pump is in the center... The tank is plumbed with rigid plumbing on the drains and flex pvc on the return lines... All lines have valves for maintenance... I stepped up the pipe/hose's to accomidate larger valves which have the same size ID as the original pipe/hose to prevent restriction... I have decided to go with a DSB after alot of thought and research-At one point I was thinking of going FOWLR BB... The flow through my sump will be pretty slow in relation to the tank size to allow for better contact time in the fuge and skimmer... This should also keep plumbing noise down... Here are some pics-The hood is just temporary until I build the new one, but I couldn't resist making it look like the rest of the stand for now so I trimmed it and then sanded and stained it... Also, I picked up a ReefKeeper II-I love it!!!


Oh yeah,forgot to mention... One HUGE reason for the delay-Note the new wall color and wall frames behind the tank... We decided if we were going to change the decor in this room, now was the time to do it... The upper part of the walls are done in a Ralph Lauren Suede paint which is a PIA to put on, but looks good when it's done... The room is about half way complete and we're already on our second gal of paint which wouldn't be too bad if it wasn't $37 a gal:o ... Oh well, I took over the dining room, so it's the least I could do!!! :thumbs:


What a MESS!!!

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/DSCN2092.jpg





Sump and Plumbing




http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/DSCN2093.jpg

is that true waynes coating? I love that stuff! The room looks great, and the obvious, tank is stunning.....cant wait to see that thing filled already, even tho its not going to be BB :)

Absolutely amazing craftsmanship.!

Looks really really nice. I would take a picture of the thing that I hammered together and call a stand but I am afraid that you would fall over and bloody up your beautiful dining room. :)

Awsome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

IT'S ALIVE!!!


Thanks for the comments guys... After a huge bulkhead disaster :boo: (guess it could have been worse), the tank is up and running!!! There's something to be said for quality parts... When I was putting the overflows together a few weeks ago before the tank was moved into place, I had a pile of bulkheads to choose from... I figured I would go with some new ones I had picked up from someone getting out of the hobby for a while-BIG MISTAKE!!! Let's just say I wish I had used some of the older ones as it would have saved alot of work and clean up... I did a leak check on all the connections and fittings several times after filling the tank and getting all the pumps going... Everything was fine for the first few hours and then I noticed one of the drains was leaking at the bulkhead, so I decided to try to tighten the pipe that was threaded into it-BIG MISTAKE!!! It started leaking alot worse... I quickly threw a towel behind the tank and started pulling the tank side plumbing in the overflow... Well, it wouldn't budge and it started pouring water out below... I had my daughter grab the shop vac and proceeded to suck the overflow dry and then started disassembling the plumbing below to get the bulkhead out... Once I got it out, I couldn't really find anything wrong with it for a while and then I noticed the nut had slop in it when it was on the threads... I compared it to another bulkhead that had been used and it was night and day... The bulkhead I had installed had a very poor tolerance fit on the threads and could actually be forced to pop to the next lowest thread:o ?... Man, what a piece of crap!!! I checked the other overflow and guess what-it was dripping:boo: ... So I sucked it dry and changed it out also-What a MESS!!! Anyway, just wanted to share-maybe it will help someone one day if they are setting a tank up...

As far as progress, I made an angled mount piece for the ReefKeeper II and mounted it so it can be accessed easily, drilled an output pipe for the fuge and installed it, added 80lbs of dry sand and 80lbs of live sand in the main tank, put 20 lbs of live sand in the fuge, filled with water (half of which was the original cycled water from when Mark had the tank), and added 100lbs of LR (only 6 pieces-they're pretty big chunks)... I used the trash bag method which worked for not clouding up the tank while filling it, but as soon as I fired up the SEIO's, it got cloudy as hell... I'm running (2) 1500's and (2) 1100's... The flow is incredible, only problem is they're moving the sand where ever they want to :doh: ... I've also tried to eliminate cords crowding the cabinet area as much as possible by installing clamps on the back to secure them...


Here's some pics:



Full Front Shot

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/EarlyFullFront.jpg




Sump

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/EarlySump.jpg




ReefKeeper II

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/ReefKeeper.jpg

Clearing up... Well, the tank is really starting to clear up and everything is running smooth and very quietly :thumbs: ... I mounted the fuge light, added some cheato and a little chunk of rock to the fuge (will add more), and moved some probes around... The MR2 is really starting to produce some dry foam and the slow flow through the sump seems to be working great-the fuge side is much slower than the skimmer side-that's why the left valve is closed much more than the right... I'm going to have to figure something out on the sand because the SEIO's are just pushing it everywhere... I'm going to start with trying to point them up a little higher...


Here's some more pics:


Sump

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/SumpCloseup.jpg



Sump


http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/Sump.jpg



Tank


http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/Front.jpg





Big D

PM'D ya Big D.

I'm going to have to figure something out on the sand because the SEIO's are just pushing it everywhere

cough cough...BB....cough cough....ah hemm, sorry, had tickle in the back on my throat, what we talkin about now??? lol.

Dude wow!! Simply put... Awesome!!

Also, I noticed something. The door holes in the stand are HUGE. Were you not going to put doors on the stand, just leaving it open?

ah hemm, sorry, had tickle in the back on my throat


Yeah, I heard something was going around :lol3:



Big D

hehehehe, seriously tho man, that tank is looking amazing! What you plannin on puttin in there?

Dude wow!! Simply put... Awesome!!

Also, I noticed something. The door holes in the stand are HUGE. Were you not going to put doors on the stand, just leaving it open?


Thanks Dustin... As far as the doors, I plan on making 2 doors per opening for a total of 4, they'll be about the size of normal tall kitchen cabinet doors...


Big D

I've decided everyone is going into the new tank... That's 4 tanks down to 1... Here's a list, it'll be a mixed reef to say the least: :D

Fish

Mated pair of Ocellaris
Yellow Tang
Cinnamon Clown
Blue Green Chromis (He's a trooper, the only one that made it)
Maroon Clown
Lawnmower Blenny
Manderin Dragonet

Hope all the clowns do OK together, we'll see... Only have 2 Anemones and 4 clowns :huh:

Corals

Green BTA
Rose BTA
Green Monti Cap
Orange Monti Cap
Redish Orange Monti Cap
Pocillopora (2)
Orange Digitata
Merulina
Candy Cane Colonies (2 medium size, 1 Frag size)
Pink Birdsnest
Hydnophora
Staghorn
Several Acro's
Yellow Cup
Dark Orange Plating Monti
Hammer's, Anchor type (One 3 headed and one 2 headed bright green)
Blue Milli
Lots and Lots of Zoos and Polyps (12 colonies, some large some small)
Several Mushrooms (some rics, yumas, and giant harry)
Galaxia's (2 colonies, one green tip, one whiter tips)
Yellow Sun Coral
Acon Lord Orange and Gray
Large Purple Finger Leather
Anthelia
GSP's (3 different types)
Goniopora
Neon Green Alien Eyed Favia
2 Toadstool Leathers
Pink and Green Open Brain
Green Welsophilia Brain
Frogspawn ( One medium colony with 2 large heads and 1 frag size neon green)
Hammer (Grape Coral)


Others

2 Crocea Clams ( 1 about 4 inches, 1 about 2.5 inches)
2 Large Feather Dusters
Lunar Sponge


Woooo, never had to list everyone before... I'm sure I'm missing a few... :)




Big D

thats awesome man, cant wait to see everything all in the tank.

Man my maroon went to TOWN on my percs. He could stand the competiton. But, now they have a good home. Thanks again kevin!:up:

Thanks Dustin... As far as the doors, I plan on making 2 doors per opening for a total of 4, they'll be about the size of normal tall kitchen cabinet doors...


Big D

Right on! can't wait to see it! I love the finish on the stand.:up:

Zanski...No problem for giving your percs a good home. They hare happy in my 90, even with my tomato that makes your maroon look like a perc. everything is fine with them except for the time they decided to go into the overflow box! But got them out and found a blue chromis in there too, SCORE!


Now for this amazing tank! I love the stand and all the hard work is definately paying off. Sorry for your leaks.

Zanski...No problem for giving your percs a good home. They hare happy in my 90, even with my tomato that makes your maroon look like a perc. everything is fine with them except for the time they decided to go into the overflow box! But got them out and found a blue chromis in there too, SCORE!


Now for this amazing tank! I love the stand and all the hard work is definately paying off. Sorry for your leaks.

Nice, little *******s hahaha:D

But got them out and found a blue chromis in there too, SCORE!

BWA HAHAHAHAHAHAHA, oh thats the best thing I've heard inna long time.

Did the leak mess up the carpet/floor? How many gallons did you loose do you think?
Maybe the sand will stop blowing around so much if you give it some time. I have heard of others say the sand gets weighted down later and will not blow around so easy after a little while (week or so).
That is some list you have for the tank. :)
Could you please take some pictures of how you have your RKII mounted. Maybe some pictures from behind the unit. I really need to mount my little display as well. I have had it sitting on the floor for about a year! Thanks
:)

Well, I fixed the sand problem... I adjusted the flow on the SEIO's down a little and pushed the corner ones down further into the tank and then pointed them up at an angle... The tank cleared up in a matter of hours and I don't have sand dunes any more... It's been clear now for a few days and is running great, only thing is, I can't stay away from it... I feel like a kid on Christmas morning and this is my new shiny toy!!! I put some large frozen krill in on Wednesday to try to spike the ammonia and it hasn't budged from zero... The only thing that has really changed as far as parameters is the nitrates, they've gone up a little from zero... I expected this since I saved half the water that was originally in the tank to prevent a cycle... I added 2 more T5's, 48 inchers... I wanted to get 6 more, but Sam won't have the rest in stock for a few days... I'm running (2) 36" and (2) 48" right now... Hopefully I'll pick the rest up next week... :D


JustOneMoreTank,
As far as the leak, I think I only lost about 3 or 4 gallons... Most of it was caught by the inside of the stand (glad I sealed and painted it) and the rest by the overflow and a towel I had thrown behind the tank when the leak first started... I was so glad when I pulled the towel out to find the floor and carpet completely dry. As far as the RK II, I'll get some pics up tomorrow... I owe a few folks pics now, been busy Ho Ho HO'ing up the house :thumbs: ...


Big D

stand looks awesome! Stain is a great color.

I think it looks like real amateur stuff to me. I saw one at Walmart that looked as good as that one. :eek: Wholy Cow it looks great. I imagined what you were putting together, but didn't expect that. It looks great man and you did a wonderful job. I would expect no less from you. For those of you wondering who the heck I am, I'm Big D's (I gave him that name) best bud from Texas :shades: just checking in on his progress on this monster. I keep hearing about this hobby, but hadn't seen it. Now I want one.:tongue2: Get on the next plane to Texas and get mine going. Great work buddy. Post pic's when the fishy's are in. :fish:

RT

Welcome RT.

I keep hearing about this hobby, but hadn't seen it. Now I want one.:tongue2:. :fish:

RT


STAY AWAY!!!!!
lol:thumbs:










j/k

I think it looks like real amateur stuff to me. I saw one at Walmart that looked as good as that one. :eek:

RT


Man, I can't believe you posted that on here... Now everyone's going to know where I get all my design ideas :D ...


You know it's bad when your best bud's gotta register at a reef forum just to get in touch with you :eek: ... That's why Zanski's saying "Stay Away" :lol2: ...


Well,
Here's some updated pictures of the tank, I've moved almost everyone in from my 54gal, I told my wife it was looking a little crowded and I probably needed to get a bigger tank :eek: , she acted like she didn't even hear me :confused2: ... The peaks in front of the overflows are each made with 3 pieces of rock and are actually more like arches (hard to tell in the pics), the fish love swimming through them... I tried to get some better shots, but these T5's really screw with my camera, I'm going to have to figure out some better settings :) ... I'm running (8) T5's right now and may add 2 more when I build the canopy... I'll try to get some better pics, also forgot that I owe a few folks some close up shots of different things, I'll try to get them up this weekend...


Tank on 12-28



http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/Front1-1.jpg




http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/Front2.jpg



http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/Right.jpg





Big D

Beautiful!

Looks Great!!!! How are those SEIOs working out? Also, did you ever get the doors installed?

David,
Your tank is looking great! Nice aquascaping with the open areas leaving plenty of swim space.

these T5's really screw with my camera, I'm going to have to figure out some better settings
The left side of the tank looks like it has a more natural color balance than the right side. Is it just my tired eyes or do you have more daylight colored lamps on that side?

Thanks Sam... Good eye on the lights... I picked up (1) 36" daylight from you when I got the last load of lights because I thought I already had one for the other side (running 2 36" T5's side by side in the middle of the tank), but after I installed them, I realized I had bought a pure actinic the first time instead of a daylight so I am running one of each right now... I'm probably going to pick up one more 48" kit from you and I'll pick up the other 36" daylight then, or maybe another actinic, still have to decide... I like the look on the right side of the tank better, but I'm worried about all my sps not getting enough light if I go actinic, we'll see...



Here's a few more pics, I've been playing around with the camera and found a really cool feature that adjusts white balance for your current ambient conditions... These were taken with only actinics, yet they are as bright if not brighter than the ones with the daylights on...



Tank on 12-30


http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/Front2-1.jpg




http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/LeftSide.jpg




http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/RightSide.jpg





http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/RtSide2.jpg



Big D

Your tank looks awesome! Great work!!! Is that a purple monti cap on top?

Thanks Sprayin... The monti was actually dark orange when I picked it up from Pilz, but under my halide in my 54gal, it turned to a dark red-burgandy color and has been growing like mad, it's not like a regular cap, It's spreading flat instead of scrolling around itself... It looks kinda purple because of the actinics and that's actually the bottom you see in the pic, we'll see what it does under these T5's...



Big D

Forgot to mention the new purple guy in the lower right corner of the last pic... He's very cool, comes up to the glass to say hi all the time and get's along great with everyone :thumbs: ... Thanks CapBay...


Big D

Wow. I haven't looked at this tread for a while. Your tank is awesome. Keep up the great work!

BIG D!! AWESOME JOB!:thumbs: :thumbs:

Looks Great, I almost got one of those Tangs too the other day. Hows the plate tree?

Looks Great!!!! How are those SEIOs working out? Also, did you ever get the doors installed?


Thanks Matt... The SEIO's are great, just real powerful so I had to tweak their positioning a little to keep them from blowing sand everywhere... Atill ahven't got the doors on yet, I may end up buyingthem premade to save some time since I've still got to make the canopy...


Big D

Atill ahven't got the doors

How about that for spelling :lol2: It's supposed to say "Still haven't got the doors on yet"...


It's been a Loooong work week... I need a :cheers: ...


Big D

Looks Great, I almost got one of those Tangs too the other day. Hows the plate tree?


Thanks Joe... You should have picked one up, I've considered getting another one or two and making a "Purple Tang Gang", but that would be it for fish I think... Probably going to get rid of my tomato clown and little yellow tang and just keep the guys I've got in the tank now... I lost the little Regal, another powerhead fatalitly-it was weird though, he got stuck behind it and wedged himself between the glass and the cord... I got him out, but he didn't last long after that, probably the stress :sad: ... He was expensive too :boo:

The plate tree is doing great, it looks like they get a little tiny bit bigger every few days, probably just my imagination though... They swell up like they are happy everyday, not sure when they'll come off of it or if I will have to take them off of it?... Might have to get with Melisa...


David

that looks awesome!

The tank looks great Big D. Is that a red monti at the top of the tank?

The tank looks great Big D. Is that a red monti at the top of the tank?


Thanks falisu... As far as the Monti, well it's yet to be determined what he'll end up as... When I got him, he was kinda burnt orange, but under my halide in my 54gal tank, he turned a burgandy-red/maroon color... Now that he's been in the new tank under the T5's, he's once again turning colors, he's a lighter burgandy color with pink edges... All of my monti caps have started showing signs of major growth since I moved them over, I have several small pieces that I saved from the move (they are very fragile) one is actually a pink orange color-hope he stays that way but he'll probably outgrow it...


Big D

Here's a few new pics... One is a closeup of the Monti's, the other one is a very unique rock I've had for about a year now... I always forget that I have 3 clams in the tank since their is one embedded on the top of this rock, he's just not real pretty to look at though... The rock also has a few rics and some Anthelia on it which hasn't been too hasppy since they got moved over... You can also see some zoo's on the right and my Acan on the left...


Monti's and Clams




http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/Montis.jpg



Clam Rock



http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/ClamRock.jpg





Oh yeah, here's one more... Some folks might wonder what the little Monti under the caps is, here's a closeup ( a little blurry, he's only the size of a quarter), picked it up at Marine Fish for $17:




http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/Superman.jpg








Big D

Could you please take some pictures of how you have your RKII mounted. Maybe some pictures from behind the unit. I really need to mount my little display as well. I have had it sitting on the floor for about a year! Thanks
:)


JustOneMoreTank, sorry it took so long, here's a few shots of the RKII from behind... I made the mount piece from 4 pieces of wood instead of routing out an opening in one piece, then i nailed them together, filled any voids and painted it... HTH

I also mounted my chiller which the RKII controls... The chiller cost me a fortune, it has had to kick in a few times already and cools great!!! :D


RKII


http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/RKII1.jpg



http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/RKIi.jpg



Chiller


http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/Chiller.jpg


Big D

Big D, I hope you don't mind but I am swapping my 135 to a new 180. I love the stand rehab you did and I am hoping to build a stand VERY similar to yours. I am also planning a 55 or 75 gallon fuge/ sump underneath. I am not planning on a center brace on the front panel though. Instead I will laminate two 2x6 boards into a "header" to make access underneath a little easier. I hope to be able to post pics as it goes along but school starts back tomorrow (ARGH) What a time to start this project, huh? Thanks for keeping us all posted. Let's see some pics of that hood when you get to it! Thanks, Scott
P.S. Immitation is the best flattery!

I love the chiller! Very cost effective.

I love the chiller! Very cost effective.

hahaha yeah man!

Thanks Joe... You should have picked one up, I've considered getting another one or two and making a "Purple Tang Gang", but that would be it for fish I think... Probably going to get rid of my tomato clown and little yellow tang and just keep the guys I've got in the tank now... I lost the little Regal, another powerhead fatalitly-it was weird though, he got stuck behind it and wedged himself between the glass and the cord... I got him out, but he didn't last long after that, probably the stress :sad: ... He was expensive too :boo:

The plate tree is doing great, it looks like they get a little tiny bit bigger every few days, probably just my imagination though... They swell up like they are happy everyday, not sure when they'll come off of it or if I will have to take them off of it?... Might have to get with Melisa...


David

They will push each other off when they get big enough. sorry for the delay in posting I havent been on in a while. TTYL Joe

The tank looks 100000 times better in person. Possibly the nicest and cleanest set up I ever saw. Just the right amount in the right spots makes it beautiful. Good work man hopefully new pics soon.

Jimmie

Thanks Jimmie... Glad to hear you got your clean up crew going... I'll have to get some new pics up since I've gotten rid of the big SEIO's in the middle over the Monti's and replaced them with Koralia's on the edges of the overflows... I was able to get the Stylaphora in, but it's probably going to have to be trimmed down since it's so big, I'm going to give it a little time to recoup though... The acro went in my 54...


David

Glad to hear everything fit in the tanks. Hopefully the catspaw will do good for you. The clean up crew is on a see food diet right now. :lol2:I know it was a lame joke but atleast I can see patches where they are eating. I'll get the picture of before and after. Can't wait to see your pictures.

SO when do we get to see a pictur of your finished materpiece and your wife's smile?

Thanks gpenley for the compliment, I'm waiting on Sam to finish installing a lift on his canopy to see how it comes out... If it works out, I'm going to give it a shot on mine... You can check out his setups and progress at this link:

SamsReef (http://www.samsreef.com)<<<---


Big D

:photo:

Please.

OK... Here's a few quickies... I've been messing around with the camera again so disregard the quality...


First is a few full tank shots to show how much better it looks with the Koralias... Second is a few to show how my Monti Caps are actually growing down away from my T5's :doh: ... I don't know how far down they'll grow, my green one is at least an inch down...



Full Tank 1


http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/pic1.jpg


Full Tank 2


http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/pic2.jpg


Monti Caps Growing Down-Crazy Growth :thumbs: !!!

01/11/07

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/Montis.jpg

02/05/07


http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/Montis1.jpg



Big D

wow, BigD this stand is awesome! this is almost EXACTLY what i had in my mind when i started mine, minus the bar with rope trim, but that is a pretty good idea... and also, so that is a monti in post #82 the 3rd picture down? i have a tan one like that that has been in my tank since i bought the rocks and i could never figure out what it was, i assumed it was a sponge or something...

OK... Here's a few quickies... I've been messing around with the camera again so disregard the quality...


First is a few full tank shots to show how much better it looks with the Koralias... Second is a few to show how my Monti Caps are actually growing down away from my T5's :doh: ... I don't know how far down they'll grow, my green one is at least an inch down...


Big D

Interesting how your Capricornus are growing. I have something similar going on with a red/orange colony in my tank. I am using a 150w 20K DE light (about 8-10" away from the coral) so I am not sure that it is the lighting. The flow pattern is similar to yours with a lot of water movement coming from above and behind flowing over the top of the coral and down the front of the tank. I feel that the flow is having more influence on the growth. It will be interesting to see how your growth pattern changes now that the SEIOS have been moved and the Koralia are in a different position.

Your tank is looking great! ;)

Hey thanks for the pictures of your mounting job of the RKII display. I had already put a hole in the side of my stand and mounted my AquaController Jr. It looks ok how I have it. It is done and off the floor. My wife got a puppy so it motivated me to get it off the floor so that it doesnt get chewed up. Nothing like waiting forever to get something done that needs to be done. :)

Interesting how your Capricornus are growing. I have something similar going on with a red/orange colony in my tank. I am using a 150w 20K DE light (about 8-10" away from the coral) so I am not sure that it is the lighting. The flow pattern is similar to yours with a lot of water movement coming from above and behind flowing over the top of the coral and down the front of the tank. I feel that the flow is having more influence on the growth. It will be interesting to see how your growth pattern changes now that the SEIOS have been moved and the Koralia are in a different position.

Your tank is looking great! ;)


Thanks again Sam... Never thought about the flow which completely makes sense as that's how they get their scroll pattern, I should have realized it :doh: ... I tried to mount the Koralia's to my overflows to get a better flow pattern when I first putthem in, but that wasn't happening... Their magnets aren't strong enough to hold on a MegaFlow since it's actually a chamber and not a solid piece of plastic... I also tried to turn them in more towards the center of the tank, but once again the magnets couldn't handle it and the pump would actually turn itself counter clockwise after a few minutes to where it was blasting the bottom of the tank :boo: ... I'm going look around and see if anyone has found a better magnet to use with them...


David

Nothing like waiting forever to get something done that needs to be done. :)



I know exactly where your coming from on that!!!


David

holy crap david, no wonder you havent had time to swap stuff, thats just insane, i gotta come see it. that is a killer setup.

Yeah, this looks really, really nice! Really like the way you put everything together, especially the stand and the rockwork!!! :D

Good job!

Oh, I forgot to ask for updated pictures!!! ;)

Oh, I forgot to ask for updated pictures!!! ;)
I guess not, huh?

Sorry Thiago... Been working on getting a better camera, looks like I'll be buying one next week. In the meantime, here's a few current shots of the tank from the ol' point and shoot. My father in law is going to loan me a set of rail and style router bits so I can get going on the doors. I'm still trying to get a final design going on the canopy-hopefully it'll be coming together soon.




Full Tank Shot (now and then)


http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/FullTank.jpg


http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/Front2-1.jpg




Center Close Up


http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/Mid.jpg


Left Close Up


http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/LeftCLose.jpg


Right Close Up


http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/RightClose.jpg



I Love This Guy (Blue Linkia)


http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/BlueStar.jpg



The Other New Guy (Hoping it's a male, he's full of personality and eats out of my hand, I can even pet him) Sorry it's blurry-he's fast.


http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/Naso.jpg



Frogspawn (Thanks Darren, started out as 4 heads a few months ago, now it's 7)


http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/Frog.jpg



Hopefully the next pics will be a lot nicer than these with some good Marco's...


Big D

Hey David,

all of your monti caps have interesting growth patterns. Do you have something blowing directly at them?

Also, if you haven't done the Tunze Nano mods yet, you should really consider it. :)

Let me know when you are ready to frag that spawn... very nice.

Yea, looks good!

How long have you had that linkia for? Are you feeding it?

Couple of questions about your lighting, if you don't mind: Is that just T5s you're running? Is the picture pretty close to actual color? What color bulbs are you running and how many? And why is it that the two ends are darker?

Hey David,

all of your monti caps have interesting growth patterns. Do you have something blowing directly at them?

Also, if you haven't done the Tunze Nano mods yet, you should really consider it. :)


Wei, they are definately growing odd. I now have the 4 tunzes (6025's)for flow instead of the Korallias and SEIO's. I guess the flow mainly runs across the top of them, but it's pretty turbulant in the cnter of the tank where they are. I did the mod on all 4 of them after running them for week or so, huge improvement and only took about 15 mins per PH, gotta love the Dremel. I changed out one of the 6500 K T5's for a pure actinic, but now my orange/pink cap isn't quite as pink as it was so I think I'm going to change back.


David

David,

What is going on with your caps?? lol First they start growing downward and now it looks like they are growing upwards. And the blue guy looks good. Last time he would never come out so I could see him. Congrats on the the new addition to the family.

Jimmie

Let me know when you are ready to frag that spawn... very nice.

Thanks Cameron... Shouldn't be long now. The heads are divided, but still need to grow out a little more.


David

Yea, looks good!

How long have you had that linkia for? Are you feeding it?


I've actually got 4 stars in the tank right now, 3 Linkia's and a bumpy orange. I know it's a lot, but two of them I kinda rescued. They are all doing great, I haven't tried to feed them. The big blue one in the pic I picked up from the Avarium along with the Naso a few months back-both were priced great and are very healthy!!! :up:


Big D

Couple of questions about your lighting, if you don't mind: Is that just T5s you're running? Is the picture pretty close to actual color? What color bulbs are you running and how many? And why is it that the two ends are darker?


I don't mind at all... I'm runnning all T5's (6 x 54W and 2 x 39W) with 80 watts of Halogen for shimmer (hopefully will be changing to superbright LED's shortly for whiter color). The halogens have to be turned off to take pics or they come out orange. The ends are darker due to lack of bulbs being directly over them, but they aren't really that dark and it's a good place to keep my lower light demand corals. All the colors are very close to what it looks like in person, I reset the white balance on the camera evertime I take pics. The only difference is the darkness, hopefully that will change when we get our new camera. Here's an old diagram of my lighting, the only thing that has changed is the left 36" AquaBlue is now a pure actinic:


http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/Lighting.jpg



Big D

David,

What is going on with your caps?? lol First they start growing downward and now it looks like they are growing upwards. And the blue guy looks good. Last time he would never come out so I could see him. Congrats on the the new addition to the family.

Jimmie

Thanks Jimmie. As far as the Caps, I'm pretty sure it's flow related like Sam mentioned a few months back. I moved everything around to get more stuff in, but for some reason the green one is still growing down. He's growing alot faster than the other guys too. How's your tank coming along? Are you ready for some stuff yet?


David

Hey David,
The green cap was big last time I seen it. How are you liking the new tunze set up? My tank is coming along good just had one issue with an emerald crab that thought my rock should be in different locations. I think I am finally ready for some stuff now just shoot me a pm whenever you are free.

Jimmie

David the tank is lookin great! Is that a yellow mille there? When ever you care to frag that guy, let me know I have some things to trade or some cash to toss.

your tank looks very clean and neat. Not like mine where everything is everywhere.... How did you manage the aquascape? Cement? Looks very good. Want to sell off any of the sps colonies???

After 3 months, it's time for new pictures! :D

agreed ... and need to do a distance shot... I 'd like to see the canopy.

:D

wow, your tank is amazing!!!

That is truly as good as I would like to be one day :up:

Excellent work:fish:

your tank looks very clean and neat. Not like mine where everything is everywhere.... How did you manage the aquascape? Cement? Looks very good. Want to sell off any of the sps colonies???



Wow... Haven't checked this in awhile. :doh:

Thanks Ouling, as far as the rock work, it's all just stacked. I try not to cement unless I really have to. As far as selling any SPS, I'd have to quit buying them first. :D


Big D

After 3 months, it's time for new pictures! :D


agreed ... and need to do a distance shot... I 'd like to see the canopy.

:D


I agree... They're coming here in a few minutes. :D But I can't take any of the canopy yet, 9 or 10 months into this build and I still haven't started on the real canopy yet. :roll:



Big D

wow, your tank is amazing!!!



That is truly as good as I would like to be one day :up:

Excellent work:fish:




Thanks guys... it's still very much in progress.



Big D

Wow david, I do not know how I have missed this thread all this time... Nice...

Alright, here's a few updated shots taken a couple of nights ago. About 6 weeks ago, I came to the realization that I needed more places in the tank to put all the corals I keep buying. :confused2: So I decided to bring up about 60lbs of the big rocks I had in a stock tub in the basement and do a little more aquascaping. Well, about 10 hours later it was somewhat done. The "Great Wall", kinda what I was trying not to do, but I didn't have much choice. It turned out OK, the rock was more like base rock, but it has colored up nicely.


I've added to my equipment list also. I picked up a large fluidized media chamber from Sammy and a huge kalk reactor from George. I'm running Pura Phoslock and carbon in the FMC to keep everything as clean as possible, and the kalk reactor I'm using to try to keep my PH up (I'll be setting up the calcium reactor very soon). I've also started using micron filter socks on my overflows that I picked up from Sammy at Aquabuys- these things are awesome. I never would have thought I needed to use them, but it's incredible how much they can remove and they can make the water super clear. You just have to make sure you get 2 sets so you can change them out every 4 days to clean them out. I started with one set and it's a pain not having the spares to put right back on.


As far as livestock, I've added a lot!!! It's an SPS dominant mixed reef. As far as fish, there are 8: A Naso Tang, Purple Tang, 2 Hippo Tangs, a Blue Chromis, a pair of mated percs, and a Manderin Dragonet. As many know, I lost my Crocea clams in the powerbuy fiasco. Well recently I picked up a beautiful Crocea from Brian01. It fits perfect on my large flat rock in the middle of the tank. The large Derasa I got from Doug made it through the whole ordeal and has been doing great.


OK, enough of that, here's some pics:




Full Tank Shot


http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/FullTankShot.jpg



Right


http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/FrontRight.jpg



Left


http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/LeftSide-2.jpg



Clams


http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/Clams-3.jpg


Crocea and Creamsicle Digitata


http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/Clam.jpg



Another Right Side Shot (Plate Tree On Bottom Right)


http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/PlateTree.jpg


Blowpops


http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/BlowPops.jpg


More SPS Higher Up In The Tank


http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/SPS.jpg



Yellow Milli


http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/YellowMilli-1.jpg







Big D

I want that RBTA if he splits!!!

looks sweet!!

glad to see the rbta finally came out. I think the time I was there he was hiding. On the third pic down the frogspawn next to the Derasa was that the same golf ball size one you had last time I was there?

Wow david, I do not know how I have missed this thread all this time... Nice...


Thanks Brandon, it's been buried for a while now...




I want that RBTA if he splits!!!


I've heard that a few times. :D I'll let you know if he does. I really thought he would when I moved him to this tank but he's resilient.


David

looks sweet!!


Thanks Chris... looks like it's time to start dosing bleach huh... :lol2:




On the third pic down the frogspawn next to the Derasa was that the same golf ball size one you had last time I was there?

I picked that guy up from Darren earlier this year. I got it with 4 branches and 4 heads, now it's got 8 heads on 4 branches. One of them has Cameron's name on it if I ever get around to it.


David

Looking great!

Awesome man!

still one of the nicest tanks I've seen....its come a long way David! Very nice looking!

Looks very nice and how big is that big big clam on the bottom?

Just the other day I was thinkin'...dang...I wish Big D would post some new pics of his reef. :fish:

Your psychic powers have improved! ;)

I have become addicted to the 200 micron filter socks. I tried them and have had great improvements on water clarity. Looks like you are seeing the difference. Your pictures even look more clear. Your reef is excellent...just let it grow!

Glad to see my old milli is doing well. I have new tank with a large frag of it than is starting to grow well again.

sweet setup bigd, maybe someday i will post my set up i just dont think its good enough to show, but you'res class act. sal

Looking great!


Awesome man!


Thanks guys...


David

still one of the nicest tanks I've seen....its come a long way David! Very nice looking!


Thanks Lee,


Wow, one of the nicest... are you sure.



David

Looks very nice and how big is that big big clam on the bottom?


Thanks Ouling... As far as his size, I'd say he's about 7 inches-that's not with one of those funny rulers. :D


Big D

Just the other day I was thinkin'...dang...I wish Big D would post some new pics of his reef. :fish:

Your psychic powers have improved! ;)


I keep hearing that... :)


Your reef is excellent...just let it grow!



Thanks Sam, I've gotta quit buying stuff and do like you said... let it grow!


David

Glad to see my old milli is doing well. I have new tank with a large frag of it than is starting to grow well again.


Glad to hear your back in the game kzoo... Everything I picked up from you is doing great. The smaller Milli you gave is getting BIG, his nickname is Chewbacca... he's the hairiest one I've got.


David

sweet setup bigd, maybe someday i will post my set up i just dont think its good enough to show, but you'res class act. sal


Thanks Sal... I know yours is good enough to post, I've seen a few shots of it here and there. You've probably got one of the best FOWLR's in the metro area, let's see it!


David

Looks good

Looks good


Thanks Casper... I need to move up to at least a 240, I'm out of room! :confused2:


David

My gosh! Beautiful tank and your stand and canopy is just gorgeous! Very Nice!

awesome work david!
Looking great. Love the wood work ... eventaully i'll get around to staining my stand/canopy ... but i'll be rebuilding the canopy before i do so.

Seems like you are having great growth witht he T5's ... I'm running all T5's as well ... my growth ha stopped though - i shut my calcium reactor off, and have not been dosing ... Few weeks downt he road i'll be setting up the CA reactor again .. then growth will resume.

What temperature do you keep your water at?


Take care - and best of luck with your setup,

marco

My gosh! Beautiful tank and your stand and canopy is just gorgeous! Very Nice!


Thanks revhtree... hopefully I'll be able to post some pics of the stand with the doors on it real soon. :up:


Big D

awesome work david!
Looking great. Love the wood work ... eventaully i'll get around to staining my stand/canopy ... but i'll be rebuilding the canopy before i do so.

Seems like you are having great growth witht he T5's ... I'm running all T5's as well ... my growth ha stopped though - i shut my calcium reactor off, and have not been dosing ... Few weeks downt he road i'll be setting up the CA reactor again .. then growth will resume.

What temperature do you keep your water at?


Take care - and best of luck with your setup,

marco


Thanks Marco... everything seems to be growing pretty good, especially since I added a monster MRC Kalk reactor (thanks George).

As far as temp, I've got an RKII that controls it, I've got it set to fluctuate between 78.0-78.5. Every now and then it'll reach 78.7 during the day, but it comes back down within 30 mins or so. I've been thinking about taking it up higher since I picked up another heater, I've heard folks are having better growth rates at higher temps. Probably gonna need that other heater just to keep it in the 78 degree range once I put the EX-3 in. :D



David

that tank will be worth a lot when u get through.

next time you take pics , can you take pics of your filtration ?

Ok, I think it's time for new pictures including the new skimmer in action as well! :D

David,

did you ever get the skimmer up & running on it?

Ok, it's not just me waiting for news on the skimmer, then! ;)

please some pics i have been watching this tanks thread for a while but no pics.

Ok, I think it's time for new pictures including the new skimmer in action as well! :D
Again, I must plead! :)

Alright... Thiago's right, this is well overdue for an update.

As with most setups, mine is constantly changing. I added the DAS EX-3 skimmer back in late July. It's been performing pretty well, I have found that they need to be thoroughly cleaned about every 3 months. The skimmer is fairly loud without some means of muffling the venturis. I've tried numurous ways of doing this and as of right now, I have them running into three of the holes that are drilled in the top of the collection cup. This should also allow for "moist" air to be drawn into the skimmer and hopefully help prevent buildup in the venturi inlets (a known issue with Aquabees).


Here's some shots of the skimmer and newly remodeled sump finally in place. In these shots, the skimmer had some DIY mufflers on it which worked very well in quieting it down.




Sump Side



http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/Shot3.jpg



Skimmer Side




http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/Shot1.jpg




Front Shot




http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/Shot2.jpg







Here's some shots of the skimmate, this is about a three days worth.





Skimmate



http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/Skimmer/CloseUp.jpg





Cover Off



http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/Skimmer/TopUp2.jpg













Big D

Awesome Dave!!! The white background under the stand makes everything look so clean. I really like that. It's kind of looks like a sterile OR room in a hospital.

Along with equipment, my livestock is constantly changing as well. I continue to add corals, mainly SPS, even though I have absolutely no room. :roll: In addition to corals, I have made some changes in my stock of fish.

In October, we lost one of our favorites, Sweetlips our Naso Tang. :sad: She died of an internal parasite which despite treating, just wouldn't go away. She will be missed, out of all the fish I've owned, she had the best personality of them all. She would come up to the glass whenever we were near and try to get our attention. She would also eat right out of your hand.

In addition to Sweetlips leaving us, I also traped my 2 large Hippos and my Purple Tang. The Hippos were continually breaking corals chasing each other around as well as rearranging the tank by putting my smaller corals where ever they thought they should go. The Purple had gotten too big and aggresive for what I planned on putting in, so he had to go too. They all went to good homes.

Once I got the tangs out, I added some new guys that I picked up, a Moorish Idol and a Copper Banded Butterfly. Both of these guys are pretty difficult fish, I never would have bought (or recommend anyone buying) a Moorish Idol from an LFS. This guy was from a fellow reefer getting out of the hobby. He was in kinda rough shape when I picked him up, but after about 6 weeks in QT he had made some great improvements. He eats like a pig, I feed him Ocean Nutritions Angel Formula at least once a week since it's loaded with sponge. He also eats pellets, flakes and frozen without any porblems. The Copper Banded is a little more finicky. He made quick work of cleaning hundreds of small feather dusters from the tank. :up: I rarely see him eat prepared foods, he mainly picks at the rock for pods and what not.



Here's some shots of them:





Trooper (Moorish Idol)



http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/Trooper6.jpg





Ralphie (Copper Banded)



http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/Ralphie.jpg





The Two Together




http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/Trooper5.jpg







Big D

Awesome Dave!!! The white background under the stand makes everything look so clean. I really like that. It's kind of looks like a sterile OR room in a hospital.


Thanks Dave... just wish I could keep it that clean.

In October, I also added a few huge clams. One of them came from Ouling when he was clearing out his tank... and the other, Hugo, came from Cameron. They are both Derasa's which brought me up to three large Derasa's in the tank. Along with this came a larger demand for calcium. :roll: I picked up a Schuran Jetstream1 to help deal with the demand, but have yet to put it in action (one day I'll get the time :roll: ).




Full Tank Shot(10-06-07)



http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/FullTank-2.jpg





Big D

And what about the doors David????

Now on to December. I had rearranged some of my lighting and added a GE 6500K to the mix of T5's. I really like the color I get now with the daylights on, it's a bright purplish white hue. Here's an updated diagram of what I'm running now:




Lighting




http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/T5Setup.jpg





Actinics



http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/DSCN3282.jpg





Daylights




http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/DSCN3297.jpg







Big D

And what about the doors David????


Jimmie, you just had to bring up the doors... :huh:


I built 4 raised panel doors for the stand about 3 or 4 months ago and have yet to finish them. They are still sitting next to the tank, unstained and not mounted... :roll: but I plan on fixing that his week (hopefully). I highly recommend, if you're going to build a stand and canopy, DON'T FILL THE TANK UNTIL THE WOOD WORK IS DONE!





Big D

Well, that brings this up to date some what. I started battling Nitrate problems in November. I believe it's mainly due to my Moorish Idol needing to be fed twice a day. If he doesn't get fed, he starts picking, that's why some of the LPS has been slowly moved from the tank to my daughters nano. I recently added a Midwest Aquatics sulfer denitrater to the system to help bring them back down. I also gave metal halides a shot on the tank for a few days, but it just wasn't the look I wanted. Everything has been growing like mad, my SPS are starting to reach out and touch someone. :doh: I've resorted to just letting them battle it out and for the most part haven't had any issues. Here's some more random, recent pics:





Tank w/Halides



http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/Light.jpg




Male Clown Guarding Eggs


http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/Eggs.jpg





Center of Tank



http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/DSCN3197.jpg




Close Up


http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/DSCN3194.jpg




Right Side



http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/DSCN3270.jpg





Full Tank Shot




http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/DSCN3265.jpg







Big D

Simply Marvelous!!!

Thanks for the new background David. If you someone to help or clean out some corals you have my number.

Beautiful man!

Thanks guys... :up:




David

Jimmie, you just had to bring up the doors... :huh:


I built 4 raised panel doors for the stand about 3 or 4 months ago and have yet to finish them. They are still sitting next to the tank, unstained and not mounted... :roll: but I plan on fixing that his week (hopefully). I highly recommend, if you're going to build a stand and canopy, DON'T FILL THE TANK UNTIL THE WOOD WORK IS DONE!





Big D

David, we need pictures of the aforementioned doors (finished or not) as proof of their existence. I think you're fibbing.

Judging by all your Discovery-Channel-HD-like pictures, I know where all your time is being spent... and it isn't on woodwork.

'fess up.

Very nice. I have always wanted a moorish Idol maybe one day.

Joe

David, looks great!!! Really impressive!


That skimmer is awesome! Some great stuff you're pulling out, it looks like. One tip, if possible, run the air lines either to outside (with a filter) or the basement/attic. Your skimmer (and tank) will appreciate the clean air a lot better than the "dirty air." Also, you'll get rid of the noise. ;)

Your tank is just amazing! I have dreamed of having a tank just as beutiful as yours. Do you have any shots of your lights? With the reflectors and all. I am thinking of retro fit and would like to see how yours is.

Lookin great David. Let me know when would be good for you so I can stop by and check out the tank.

amazing tank. one day i would love to have a tank similar to yours.

Big D....all I can say is .....WOW...makes me wanna thow a rock thru my tank...:sad:

Nice! What halide setup are you running now?

Makes me realize all I have is rock in my tank lol

Gotta see it in person...it is pretty!

David, your tank looks awesome! I'd really like to see it in person.

Simply amazing! Awesome job Big D!

So when are you fragging again..... ;)

David... WOW. that's a very pretty established tank.

Nice!

Thanks everyone for the compliments... :up: here's a few answers to some of your questions:






Do you have any shots of your lights? With the reflectors and all. I am thinking of retro fit and would like to see how yours is.

Just looked and it's odd... of all the pics I've got, I don't seem to have any of the retros. Looks like they are getting ready to get an upgrade anyway... I'll post some of the new setup. ;)



Lookin great David. Let me know when would be good for you so I can stop by and check out the tank.


We'll work something out soon Lee... that Digi's still got a hint of a purple hue to him though. :huh:





Big D....all I can say is .....WOW...makes me wanna thow a rock thru my tank...:sad:


C'mon Danny... I know you've gotta have some nice pieces that you've found in the bottom of some of the shipping boxes. :yes:





Nice! What halide setup are you running now?

Actually, I only ran halides for a few days. I was quickly back to running all T5's like what's shown in my diagram above.



David, your tank looks awesome! I'd really like to see it in person.


We'll have to work out a date/time Bud... trust me, it's a long drive though from your neck of the woods. :yes:



Simply amazing! Awesome job Big D!

So when are you fragging again..... ;)

Pretty much anytime, my stuff can usually use a trimming... :thumbs:



David... WOW. that's a very pretty established tank.

Nice!



Thanks Jin... just wish I could keep mine as clean as yours. :doh:






David

David, we need pictures of the aforementioned doors (finished or not) as proof of their existence. I think you're fibbing.


Ahhhhhh... finally, some proof.

Unlike aliens, Sasquatch, and Nessy... I have viable proof that such doors do exist. Behold, 2 of the 4 doors that will one day adorn my stand:



Pic 1


http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/Doors1.jpg





Pic 2


http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/Doors2.jpg






Pic3



http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/Door3.jpg








If I had only known how much work goes into building raised panel doors :doh: ... I probably would have just bought them. Very, very time consuming!!! Not to mention, the tooling alone needed to build them is probably pretty close to what it would cost to have them built (this is not including the wood). These shots were actually taken a few days ago, as of now, all 4 doors are fully stained and will be sanded down and pollyed to match the stand next week. :up: Then, all they will lack is routering the recesses for the hidden hinges and mounting them on the stand.




Big D

pic's of the long awaited on doors...score....nice job...Big D....an yes I do have some cool stuff..an thought my tank was cool til I tagged your thread..well done bud....this has got to be one of the best looking reefs on here...pat yourself on the back ..

big d ...its tanks like yours that make me keep workin at this hobby. thats really beautiful.

:yay: Sounds like its time for a grand showing of the stand being complete with doors. I guess this means a few beers and drooling over you tank.

Jimmie

D - The doors look great! I love to work with wood, too bad it doesn't like to work with me.:bash:

I get my frag tank back up and running I'll have to break out the fraggin' shears and come pillage your tank. Don't worry, I carry cash!:D

Dude, those doors are bad ***!

Nice job on the doors David! They're a bit of a pain to set up, but if you're doing a bunch (you've seen my basement--i've done a bunch!) it gets easier each time!

Wow... thanks everyone for the compliments!!!

George, you mean I've gotta build more of them? :confused2: Actually, I do... if I want the canopy to match the stand that is. I'm dreading it already.

Well, thought I'd share some shots of some new pieces I picked up lately to add to the tank. Both were picked up locally, I was amazed to find them.




Acro... nice find! :D (sorry for the crappy pic, only the actinics were on)





http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/Crayola1.jpg





Acro #2 ...another nice find(similar colors to ATL Incredible Hulk)




http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/HulkAcro2.jpg











Big D

Nice man! PM'ed some questions.

Is this your first time building doors? They look great. The first set I made didnt come out near as nice.

Ahhhhhh... finally, some proof.

Unlike aliens, Sasquatch, and Nessy... I have viable proof that such doors do exist. Behold, 2 of the 4 doors that will one day adorn my stand:

If I had only known how much work goes into building raised panel doors :doh: ... I probably would have just bought them. Very, very time consuming!!! Not to mention, the tooling alone needed to build them is probably pretty close to what it would cost to have them built (this is not including the wood). These shots were actually taken a few days ago, as of now, all 4 doors are fully stained and will be sanded down and pollyed to match the stand next week. :up: Then, all they will lack is routering the recesses for the hidden hinges and mounting them on the stand.

Big D

wow... Impressive!!! Do you have a breakdown on how you actually assembled these? What tools did you use, etc?

Thanks

Nice man! PM'ed some questions.


Thanks Smoothie...




Big D

Is this your first time building doors? They look great. The first set I made didnt come out near as nice.



Thanks Brett... these are my first. We'll see if George is telling the truth about them getting easier.




David

wow... Impressive!!! Do you have a breakdown on how you actually assembled these? What tools did you use, etc?

Thanks


Thanks Linda

As far as a breakdown on how I assembled them, hmmmm... well I can definatly list the tools. I should have taken some pics while making the pieces, but I was really learning as I went. Trial and error. :yes: I used several pieces of scrap mdf that was the same thickness as the Poplar I wanted to use on the doors.

As far as tools, here's what I used. First thing of course was a router. I've got a nice Dewalt that I got from my family for Christmas a few years back, it's great. I also used my miter saw and table saw to cut everything to size. I picked up a door makers router bit set from Harbor Freight (http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=2775)and used a 1" round over bit for the edges that I already had. I quickly found out that my Dewalt router wouldn't fit into my Ryobi router table, so I picked up a very nice Bosch table at Lowes. Having a good router table makes things soooo much easier, but they're not cheap! Lastly, I used various clamps, a framing square, tape measure, finishing nailer/compressor, and saw horses. Like I said earlier... it would have been cheaper to buy them, but then I couldn't say "I made it". :D



David

Do you have a biscuit joiner? That looks like the toughest part.

Think I'm going to have to keep my doors simple. Heck, I may just hang a shower curtain.

:D

I have a biscuit joiner, but didn't use it on the doors. Actually, the only thing I have used it on is the bar top aroound the tank. It's a very, very simple tool to use. It's actually so easy, it's fun to use. :yes:




David

One more question, then I promise I won't but ya for a bit... What did you use for stain? I got the 2-in-1 (http://minwax.com/products/onestep/Polyshades.cfm) process (Minwax), but I'm not sure that's how I want to go. I have the Minwax conditioner to put down first, but before I do all that, I need to set all the brads and fill. Can you give a very quick outline? I know I have to do a lot of sanding... hope I can have this done by next weekend. You say you stained and then sanded?

Oh yeah... you can't settle for simple doors, I know Loren has to have some mad skills, he can build you some nice doors!!! :thumbs:




David

One more question, then I promise I won't but ya for a bit... What did you use for stain? I got the 2-in-1 (http://minwax.com/products/onestep/Polyshades.cfm) process (Minwax), but I'm not sure that's how I want to go. I have the Minwax conditioner to put down first, but before I do all that, I need to set all the brads and fill. Can you give a very quick outline? I know I have to do a lot of sanding... hope I can have this done by next weekend. You say you stained and then sanded?


Hmmm... well, I've tried the all in one route before and wasn't happy with it. I do use Minwax, but I stain first, then poly. The conditioner is good, and yes you'll be sanding a lot!!!

Mine is a little different due to the finish I'm looking for (a lot of the stain gets sanded back off). I start with a very fine sanded piece, stain it with rags. Then sand it back down t oget a worn, rustic look and start with the poly coats. I usually use at least 3 coats of poly with very fine sanding in between, and after the final coat, I hit it with some super fine steel wool (I think it's 000).



David

Lorens building simple but nice doors.

Those doors are very nice indeed.

Lorens building simple but nice doors.


:lol2:


Thanks for the compliments Loren... simple but nice is a good choice, Linda's probably going to change her mind soon anyway... well, at least that's how it goes around here! :doh:

Incredible job on those doors! I thought about doing my own, but the task looks so daunting and buying them outright was very expensive!

I ended up with a totally different route, but you actually did it! That's awesome!

Ok, forget about this tank... When is the new one going up? :D


I helped carry it today. Second time already! ;)

Incredible job on those doors! I thought about doing my own, but the task looks so daunting and buying them outright was very expensive!

I ended up with a totally different route, but you actually did it! That's awesome!




Thanks Raj... still haven't got them hung yet. :roll: Maybe by the time you get back. :D




David

Ok, forget about this tank... When is the new one going up? :D


I helped carry it today. Second time already! ;)


SWEEEET!!! Now I know who to call when it's time to bring the beast home! :D It was good seeing you last night T. :up:





David

Clearing up... Well, the tank is really starting to clear up and everything is running smooth and very quietly :thumbs: ... I mounted the fuge light, added some cheato and a little chunk of rock to the fuge (will add more), and moved some probes around... The MR2 is really starting to produce some dry foam and the slow flow through the sump seems to be working great-the fuge side is much slower than the skimmer side-that's why the left valve is closed much more than the right... I'm going to have to figure something out on the sand because the SEIO's are just pushing it everywhere... I'm going to start with trying to point them up a little higher...


Here's some more pics:


Sump

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/SumpCloseup.jpg



Sump


http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/Sump.jpg



Tank


http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/Front.jpg





Big D

How does your refugium work with that spray bar is that where the water enters the refugium???

You're correct, that's the line that feeds water into the refugium. I actually have a different sump now, but that setup worked great. It diffused the water so it wouldn't stir up the sand but it still gave enough flow to keep the chaeto happy. My newer sump uses filter socks to accomplish basically the same thing, but they really don't allow enough flow for the chaeto.





Big D

SWEEEET!!! Now I know who to call when it's time to bring the beast home! :D It was good seeing you last night T. :up:





David
Nice to see you too, man!

When you come up to get the tank, just get Mike or Sal to give me a call and I'll come help load it on. :)

Big D, you know if you want to help me redo the stand and build a canopy for my big tank I'll let you help me :D :D :D :D :D

Tank, and stand look awsome...

Thanks Harley...

As long as you bring the beer and there's no "Beer Blocking" I'm in... :D that's gonna be a lot of wood to sand! :yes:





Big D

I tell you what I'll spring for a keg... and my friend I will never beer block you... again:cheers:

Hey David, check your PMs please. I need some help!

Bud

Haven't posted in a while... thought some updated pics where in order. :up:


Here's some shots I took a couple nights ago...




Full Tank Shot


http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/FTS1.jpg






Right Side


http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/RtSide.jpg







Another Angle




http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/FTS4.jpg










I'm going to have to dig up some shots from this time last year and compare for growth... :eek:











Big D

As always, your tank looks amazing!

dang man. that looks awesome! great job. those two monti's are huge.

Geeze D, where have you been? Tank, crazy looking as usual :)

Good to see you back on here. The tank looks awesome!

Thanks guys... the tanks just kinda running on idle right now. I couldn't tell you the last time I added any livestock. I do know that it needs a good fragging though!


Lee, as usual, I've been putting in waaayyy to many hours at work... plus my son started little league this year and we're still playing! Today is their first game in the USSSA World Series. :D Never would have guessed they would make it this far, most teams were done 6 weeks ago. We've had a lot of other things going on too... crazy as usual. :doh:







D

Wow, Dave. It looks really nice!!

How long have you had those clams and how much have they grown in there?

Awesome tank as always. That's great news on your sons team. My little boy started tee ball this year. I can't wait until he gets up there.

Alright alright, I'll let you slide then :) Good deal with your sons team, hope they win it all!

David the tank looks great. But I think its time to step it up to something bigger. Hope your sons team wins.

Jimmie

P-H-E-N-O-M-I-N-A-L TANK!!!! Its tanks like yours that keep me trying in this hobby. really nice.

David! The tank looks amazing! Let me get a few frags off you in the future when your schedule settles down :)

best.tank.ever

Awesome tank!

I hope to someday have a tank half as beautiful as you have!

Thanks everyone for the comments... :up:


I've been wanting to post some before and after pics so here goes:





About a year ago...




http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/FullTankShot.jpg

About 2 months ago
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/FTS4.jpg




And here's the most recent shot of my tank and the new guy Thumper, really cool Sargassum Triger...






Thumper








http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/Thumper2.jpg






D

I just cannot believe the growth, especially the monti's. What is your calc. level

Here's another comparison...




This is the tank a few days after everything was added

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/Front2-1-1.jpg
About 2 months ago
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/180%20Gal/FTS4.jpg








D

I just cannot believe the growth, especially the monti's. What is your calc. level


Last time I checked, it was low... around 380ish. I have a real hard time keeping up with the demand. I tried a Schuran Jetstream 1 reactor, but it didn't work out (probably due to me not using a peristaltic pump). Now I'm running a Korallin 1502 and dosing a diy 2 part until I can get it dialed in.





D

It's very hard to see, but my Pink Birdsnest is in the first picture on the left towards the top of the peak. Now it's the size of a volleyball.





D

I am getting more SPS, started with all softies, never had calc issue until lately. Use to always be in the 450 range, but I also tested around 380 about a week ago.

Yep, they'll suck it up... clams are worse. :yes:






D

Breath taking big D. Just wow!!!

Yep, they'll suck it up... clams are worse. :yes:






D

especially the giga's.

D; interested in your DIY 2 part, is it patterned or similar to Randy's on RC?

Where are my nems BigD?

especially the giga's.


You got a Giga's?.. wanna sell it? :D I've been looking for a nice one for a while.



D; interested in your DIY 2 part, is it patterned or similar to Randy's on RC?

It is... actually it's his recipe modified a little. I picked up my Calcium Chloride from a concrete company, so I had to adjust it a little.






D

Where are my nems BigD?


They're in the tank Steve... looking good. The crab's still mean as hell too. :yes:





D

Breath taking big D. Just wow!!!


Thanks man... :up: I'm almost dreading setting up the 300.





D

Nice, the crab is one of the things I miss most, maybe I'll get another nem, and another crab, they are really cool. Is he still on one of the small nems?

Amazing tank! Great job.

any updates?

Amazing tank! The growth shots are unbelievable. I gotta go work on mine now....lol

Thanks everyone... thought I'd update with my latest additions. I picked up a new skimmer (used, but new to me) for the tank. It's a 6 month Octo Pro powered by an Askoll 1500 needlewheel pump, similar to the Bubble King Red Dragon. I've got it running in a rubbermaid for now.... all I've got to say is WOW!!! :up: Amazingly quiet and pulls a lot of air.



Here's some shots:




Skimmer



http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/Octo%20Pro/OctoPro.jpg



Pump




http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/Octo%20Pro/Askoll.jpg



Foam Head






http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/Octo%20Pro/FoamHead.jpg










D

Of course a new skimmer means I need a redesigned sump... :roll: does it ever end? :confused2:

After I found the skimmer, I started looking around to see if I could find a sump already fabricated to save some time and trouble, but couldn't find anything that I liked. After looking at several designs, I came up with a design that I think will work.

I decided to stick with a 50 gal breeder. It's a nice wide tank and it'll fit under the stand with a little coercion. :unsure: I'm using 3/8" thick PVC sheeting for the baffles instead of acrylic since it's easier to work with. The skimmer area will take up the left half of the tank which presented a challenge when it came to a fuge and return section. I decided to make the fuge section on the front right of the tank and the return area in the right rear. The fuge area will drain into the return section through a filter media chamber which will hold anything from filter floss to carbon or whatever is needed at the time. Here's some pics:






Tank



http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/New%20Sump/Tank.jpg



PVC Sheets




http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/New%20Sump/PVCCut.jpg




Cut PVC



http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/New%20Sump/PVCCut2.jpg




Glueing Carbon Box



http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/New%20Sump/Glueing.jpg



Attaching To Baffle


http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/New%20Sump/Glueing2.jpg



In The Tank



http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/New%20Sump/Left.jpg



Right Side


http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/New%20Sump/Right.jpg




Another Angle


http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/244268/New%20Sump/Front.jpg







D