Well I guess it's time to start my build thread. :)

I built a rather large basement support system for my current 155 bowfront because I knew I would be going to a 400+ in the near future.

So after measuring, debating, and figuring out how much tank I could squeeze into this keeping room in my house this is what I ended up with:

92"x35"x28 3/4" Glass
3 sides Starphire (Black back and right side)
Eurobraced
48" External Overflow
Steel powder coated stand

The begining of this thread will focus on the upstairs tank build and then as I make progress in the basement, I'll update that section.

Here's the Keeping Room before the madness began and recent horrible shot of my 155 bowfront.

Awesome! Another steel stand tank thread!

Man! that 155 is aweful looking! pfft! (of course, j/k)

...and looking forward to this SWEET build BTW-

WOW!:eek: 1000 Gallon System

After figuring out the largest tank I could fit through the door opening and into the corner of the room, I came up with these:

http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/2TankFrontandBack.jpg
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/3TankSides.jpg
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/4TankTopandBottom.jpg
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/5OverflowLayout.jpg

Furniture out and 3/4" plywood down....

http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/6CIMG2220.jpg

Drywall cut for drains, return, and electrical to basement
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/10CIMG2274Medium.jpg

Thanks to a buddy for letting me borrow the drill AGAIN.....
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/11CIMG2275Medium.jpg

Had the joists reinforced in the basement under the tank.
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/11bReinforcement.jpg

Wanted an exterior exhaust fan above the tank to pull heat and humidity out but have no sound in the house....
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/12CIMG2293Medium.jpg
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/13CIMG2298Medium.jpg
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/14CIMG2297Medium.jpg

I'll wire it up and put the clean white cover on it shortly. :)

I was concerned with how I was going to get the tank from the driveway over a stone path and around to my back patio so I built a rolling dolly in hopes that I would need it.

http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/15CIMG2278Medium.jpg

So far so good, big ugly skateboard.
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/17CIMG2282Medium.jpg

Man, this build is going fast! haha I like people's pictures so I'll make this pic intense....

Because of the size of the tank compared to the size of the truck that brought it, this was extrememly difficult to get to the lift gate and then off of it in the rain....

we had to push it to almost 50% off the edge to be able to lower it. Then once we got it lowered, his shorter dolly wouldn't pull it off....here's comes my dolly to the rescue.

Put half on my dolly and half on his and we were able to get it all the way out and to the end of my driveway. :)

Shipping weight of the container and stand - 1,700 lbs. Shipped from Canada and I got the shipment about 60 days from when I placed my custom tank order, I was pleased.

http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/18TankArrives.jpg

Ready to be pulled apart
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/19Tankishere.jpg

After a couple hours of carefully pulling and prying....
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/22Uncrating.jpg

Why did you make your external the whole height of the back glass?

Beautiful tank by the way can't wait to see more.

They did a very nice job powder coating the very strong 2" steel stand. The stand is 92"x35"x40 so it BARELY fit through the opening with the door off. I got very nervous for a second thinking I made huge mistake in measuring.

With the plywood, stand, styrofoam, plywood and tank, it puts the top of the tank just under 70" so I don't have to duck too much to look in it and most people can look directly in the middle. :)

http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/20Standinplace.jpg

View from my living room
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/21ViewfromLivingRoom.jpg

Looking good man! Can't wait to see more.

Why did you make your external the whole height of the back glass?

Beautiful tank by the way can't wait to see more.

Yes. The overflow is 48x6x28 = ~35 gallons. You'll shortly see the tank is semi built into a new wall so this way I can get to the bottom of the bulkheads from below.

Thanks!

So I talked with Don from Premier Aquatics about helping me get the tank in the house. One of the best decisions I've made. Don and a couple guys came to the house to get the tank from the driveway to the stand.

I had them pick up a couple large sheets of plywood and my theory was we could put the tank on the dolly and simply roll it from the driveway all the way to the back patio. Very glad to say it worked like a charm. I can't imagine carrying that tank over slippery stones all the way from the driveway.

We easily lifted the dolly and rolled it into the house. Then we transfered it from the dolly to the lift that PA brought over.
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/23Lifttime.jpg

After some massaging, we got it in place and centered on the stand. :yay:
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/25tankinplace2.jpg

http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/24tankinplace1.jpg

A little different look to the room now....
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/24bTankinplace2.jpg

Looking forward to aquascaping with this depth
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/26tankinplace3.jpg

If you guys are looking for help moving a tank, I highly recommend Premier Aquatics. Great guys.

Here's a shot of the overflow from the side:
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/27Overflow.jpg

Started plumbing things to connect to the basement system.

http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/29CIMG2309Medium.jpg

This must have been an important call....
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/30CIMG2310Medium.jpg

Shoulders getting tired....
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/31CIMG2311Medium.jpg

Getting there
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/32CIMG2327Medium.jpg

through the overflow
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/33Overflowplumbing.jpg

View of the top eurobracing
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/34CIMG2329Medium.jpg

Overflow from the inside
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/35CIMG2333Medium.jpg

Here is the complete plumbing under the tank. Double ball valve unions for returns and drains plus the OceanMotions 4way....:D
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/36PlumbingUnderneath.jpg

http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/37PlumbingUnderneath2.jpg

From the side
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/38PlumbingSide.jpg

It's amazing how long plumbing takes sometimes.....

Looks and Sunds great! Looking forward to this build!

Helps having long legs sometimes....careful! haha
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/39Easyin.jpg

http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/40CrownDown.jpg

And what would a large tank build thread be without....
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/41MeinTank.jpg

Dave came over and helped me (did while I watched) do some of the framing so I could have the drywall hung....
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/42FramingStarts.jpg

Drywall hung - Really made a huge difference in appearance
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/43Drywall.jpg

http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/44Drywall2.jpg

Side Shot
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/45DrywallSide.jpg

http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/45OverflowShot.jpg

I debated for quite a while about what lighting I was going to use and what method I was going to use to support it.

I decided on 3 400w Coralvue dimmable ballasts + LumenMax reflectors + Radium 20k lamps + 7' of Super Actinic VHOs. Now how to stuff all that above the tank....

Found a few threads here and there about light racks and decided to build one. uh oh. haha

Here's the equipment shot:
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/46LightingPackage.jpg

Railing for the rack
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/47LightRackRails.jpg

Ceiling rails for the rollers
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/48CeilingRackRails.jpg

Starting the rack build
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/49LightRackbuild1.jpg

With only the reflectors fitted
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/50LightRackbuild2.jpg

Very nice! Let's see the basement!

Construction zone
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/51ConstructionZone.jpg

Couldn't resist - my gf handed me a "Catfish"
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/52Catfish.jpg

Mounting the rails to the ceiling above the tank
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/53InstallingCeilingRails.jpg

Lightrack test hang and plumbing above the tank complete.

http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/54LightRackHanging.jpg

Lightrack inside shot
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/55LightRackSideshot.jpg

I added some cross supports up top and it allows the rack to slide back and forth in a uniform fashion. When I slide it back against the wall, it gives me a ton of room to get in and out of the tank.:up:

Very nice! Let's see the basement!

Basement has 2 8ft sumps, 75g holding tank, 60g frag tank, skimmer, denitrator, RO/WC stuff, etc and is a mess.

Once I get things straight upstairs I will clean up that setup and post pics.

Painting
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/56PaintDay.jpg

http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/57AllPainted.jpg

Seems like things are coming together pretty quickly.
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/58AllPainted2.jpg

So that brings us to yesterday afternoon when I started the RO drip. 435 gallons = I am thinking 3 days since I have a booster.

http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/59LettheROFlow.jpg

After 24 hours the tank is about 30% full.

I am having Dave (Grouper Therapy) do the cabinetry/paneling above and to the sides of the tank.

I need to wire the VHO endcaps to the Icecap 660 harness next and then the lights will officially be completed and hung/tested.

Thanks for checking the thread out so far, many thanks to ARC members over the past year or so for all the knowledge and friendship.

That looks good! I wonder why I never thought of doing that before? Lol

This is such a sweet build. Thanks man

Teaser - Wait until you guys see the new skimmer. :)

This going to be a real nice setup.

Joe

This tank looks so much bigger in person, It will be a great set up.

looks great can't wait to see more

Great build Chris. Can't wait to see it done.

nice work!!

a+!!

Thanks for the compliments guys. I'm not known for having much patience so I am trying to take my time getting it setup, easier said than done. :)

WOW - Outstanding job so far. I really like the set up and cannot wait to see the finished goods.

Hey Chris Looks Great!!! Can you give me some info on the exhaust fan you are using? Also make sure you seal all the open wood framing behind your new walls with something, so you dont end up with any mold issues...

This is an awesome build Oz! Thanks for sharing it with us!!

Hey Chris Looks Great!!! Can you give me some info on the exhaust fan you are using? Also make sure you seal all the open wood framing behind your new walls with something, so you dont end up with any mold issues...

Thanks James. I am using the 4" from Fantech (http://www.fantech.net/rvf.htm). I am hooking it up to a tempurature/humidity controller to automatically exhaust the air.

Thanks James. I am using the 4" from Fantech (http://www.fantech.net/rvf.htm). I am hooking it up to a tempurature/humidity controller to automatically exhaust the air.

Nice! Looks like a good replacement for the exhaust fans that crapped out on me...Where did you buy yours?

Any more info on that controller?
I am looking into buying one too.

Robb

Wow! Looks like a great quality build!

Nice! Looks like a good replacement for the exhaust fans that crapped out on me...Where did you buy yours?

I'll check where I bought it in the am. I am also using the moisture resistent drywall. Forgot to say that.

Any more info on that controller?
I am looking into buying one too.

Robb

I'll try to hunt that link down tmo as well.

Chris, you are sick. Never the less, nice build.

Sweet build man! excellent choice on the Radium 20k's....I love mine.

Amazing job so far! I would have taken my six months to get that far along...

Chris, that's very impressive. Great job!

Nice! Looks like a good replacement for the exhaust fans that crapped out on me...Where did you buy yours?

Sorry James but I deleted the link to where I bought the Fantech from. I searched around online for a while and found it about half the cost of what Fantech retails them for. You're welcome to check it out if you're in the area. Very solid design, smooth spinning.

Any more info on that controller?
I am looking into buying one too.

Robb

I had one picked out but lost that link too, I suk. haha There is a standard one on Amazon right now for $75. I am going to order a controller shortly and I'll let you know which one I go with. If you find a nice one, let me know.

Sorry James but I deleted the link to where I bought the Fantech from. I searched around online for a while and found it about half the cost of what Fantech retails them for. You're welcome to check it out if you're in the area. Very solid design, smooth spinning.

No worries I'll find it! Do you have the PART# ?

No worries I'll find it! Do you have the PART# ?

Fantech #RVF4XL

Like this (http://www.westsidewholesale.com/193-cfm-exterior-mounted-centrifugal-fan-for-wall-and-roof-with-4-duct.html?cm_mmc=googlebase-_-na-_-na-_-na&cvsfa=1870&cvsfe=2&cvsfp=711168).

I bought the nice round inside cover/grill as well.

Looking good bubba!

That fan doesn't look like it'll pull much out. How did you decide on that particular fan? I tried a 6" (250cfm) fan on my previous system and it did a whole lot of nothing.

I still haven't figure out what I'm going to do this go around, so some info would be great.

Looking good bubba!

That fan doesn't look like it'll pull much out. How did you decide on that particular fan? I tried a 6" (250cfm) fan on my previous system and it did a whole lot of nothing.

I still haven't figure out what I'm going to do this go around, so some info would be great.

Was yours a fantech or Home Depot special? Both of my HD's gave up after about 7 months....

Looking good bubba!

That fan doesn't look like it'll pull much out. How did you decide on that particular fan? I tried a 6" (250cfm) fan on my previous system and it did a whole lot of nothing.

I still haven't figure out what I'm going to do this go around, so some info would be great.

I have an air vent under the tank and this fan pulls 193cfm. I also will have fans from the opposite side of the light rack blowing air across the water/lights towards that exhaust area.

I'll also have 1 less 400W MH than you.

Worst case is I upgrade the size or push/pull additional air from below.

So what did you end up doing?

Was yours a fantech?

Yes.

Was yours a fantech or Home Depot special? Both of my HD's gave up after about 7 months....

HD special. I thought 250 cfm would be more than enough. The unit never failed, though...well, it failed in performing, but it ran!

I have an air vent under the tank and this fan pulls 193cfm. I also will have fans from the opposite side of the light rack blowing air across the water/lights towards that exhaust area.

I'll also have 1 less 400W MH than you.

Worst case is I upgrade the size or push/pull additional air from below.

So what did you end up doing?

I had an air vent under the tank too. Then I tried just pulling from the canopy. Neither worked well for me.

So far, I have nothing planned. I've been trying to locate a more industrial option, but they're either too big, too loud or just insanely expensive.

I have an idea that may work really well. I just have to get a little spare time to locate all of the parts. Worst case scenario, it will be one of many failed experiments. :doh:

Eventhough it's a smiliar cfm to the cheapy you bought, the Fantechs are mostly for industrial use and should generate 0 noise inside.

VHO wiring complete on the rack. As soon as the wiring harness extension and VHO lamps arrive on Friday, I will attach the cooling fans and it's complete. Can't wait to see everything fired up above the tank.

http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/60LightrackVHOwiring.jpg

After 3 days of RO running, the tank is almost full.

There goes 2 boxes (8 bags) of IO used up.....

http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/61NACLin.jpg

Looks like I should be able to tie it into the existing system maybe this weekend. :up:

Dave came back by and took the final measurements for all the cabinetry that will finish out the look. If you want to see what's going to be done, tell him to hurry. :yes:

Man your moving FAST.....

Man your moving FAST.....

My goal is to tie it in this weekend but we'll see if that actually happens. Trying to set a record for fastest build thread in ARC history. hahaha

look great!!! cant wait to see this at the end. what are you going to do with your old tank.

look great!!! cant wait to see this at the end. what are you going to do with your old tank.

I need to post the old setup for sale shortly.

Coming along nice man!

I've seen it, its a nice system it will sale quick

Beautiful tank and home. Thanks for all the pictures!

Really nice looking setup man!

Tagging along

Update please!

Wow, very nice Chris. Let me know if you need help.

My god, this thing is intense! Can't believe I didn't see it till just now. That is one amazing tank and I CAN'T wait to see what you turn it in to!

Ok, I guess I have a few. :)

Trying the Pearl Beach sand as well:
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/62PearlBeach.jpg

and wow Shane was right, dust central with this stuff....
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/64SandinDust.jpg

Thanks again for the compliments - it's appreciated (and motivating).

Got my VHO lamps in last week and hooked all 4 up, fired up nicely.
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/65VHOTest.jpg

My light rack is 88" long so I couldn't use 2 48" lamps. The 48" and the 36" lamps with endcaps fit perfectly and will cover the entire tank width.

And the completed light rack assembled and ready to go on the tank
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/66Lightrackassembled.jpg

Saturday morning, I lifted the light rack up and placed it on the wooden holders I put on the tank for the hanging
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/67LightRackreadytobehung.jpg

So after talking my gf into helping me lift the light rack, we got it on the threaded rods and got the butterfly nuts started in all 4 corners. It's amazing how easy it is to raise/level the light rack with this setup. Right now the rack is about 17" off the water.

Here's a shot of just the VHO's over the dusty tank:
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/68VHOson.jpg

As you can see, I also bought and mounted 4 R2 moonlight units in the middle of the light rack.
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/69LightRackVHO.jpg

400W Radium 20K's - Until the cabinetry is finished, you can see this from a couple roads away! hahaha
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/70Radium20Ksfiredup.jpg

Closeup side shot
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/71Lightrackclose.jpg

Light rack hanging and on....
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/72lightrackclose2.jpg

Sand storm!!!

The dust is slowly settling and being contained by the filter sock....
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/73stilldusty.jpg

And finally, while a couple people were over last night I snapped a couple shots....first is with the VHO's only:
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/74VHOclear.jpg

...and the MH's. Can't believe how much brighter it is than my current setup, really can't wait to see fish and corals under these lights.
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/75400WMHclear.jpg

Tomorrow I hope to rinse the next 6 bags (thanks Shane) of sand and add it to the tank. I'll probably throw a few rocks in there and a Vortech or 2 to start the circulation and sand test (under flow).

I think Dave starts the cabinetry build tomorrow as well so be sure to bug him for updates on here so I don't have to. :D

Forgot to mention it really pays to be lucky sometimes. When I ordered the tank, picked the space, and cut the plywood to go over the hardwoods....I never checked the ceiling for floor joists to tie the top structure to! :doh:

It turns out that I luckily picked the exact right location for the front of the tank to set, it's perfectly underneath a floor joist that runs parallel to the tank! :thumbs:

I hate when you first add sand. Looks good nice and blue with the VHOs.

Joe

That last picture looks like you've got an embryo on an umbilical cord in that tank. It's alive! :)

I hate when you first add sand. Looks good nice and blue with the VHOs.

Joe

Yeah, I siphoned out as much of the top layer that settled as I could tonight but that just sparked it up again. I'll really rinse the next 6 bags but it looks like the dust is pretty much inevitable. Just going to have fresh filter socks and a lot of new salt water ready for when I tie this tank into the overall system. The good news is the water will have to go through 16 feet of sump before it returns to my current display. That should help.

I am really diggin the VHO's as well and I have the 400's dimmed down all the way for now.

That last picture looks like you've got an embryo on an umbilical cord in that tank. It's alive! :)

LOL, I thought the exact same thing. funny. can't wait to cut the cord.

The good news is the water will have to go through 16 feet of sump before it returns to my current display.

:eek:

I'm sure you said it earlier but I'm too lazy to look... What bulbs are you using???

I love the VHOs, I'm thinking of adding 2 to my 93... That is if I can ever get the water to clear up...:doh:

I'm sure you said it earlier but I'm too lazy to look... What bulbs are you using???

I love the VHOs, I'm thinking of adding 2 to my 93... That is if I can ever get the water to clear up...:doh:

3 400W Radium 20K's on Coralvue dimmable ballasts.

Great progress!

Professional

That looks great Chris! Those dimmable ballasts are sweet! Do those reflectors have glass covers to keep water out?

I'll try to hunt that link down tmo as well.


Hey,

you forgot my controller question - let me know, pretty please.

Robb

3 400W Radium 20K's on Coralvue dimmable ballasts.
Great, I'm already running the Radium 20K 400W, now all I need to do is get the right VHO bulbs... Which ones are you running? I just love the color you have and I think it would be perfect for my tank :)

Looking good,keep the pictures coming!

Nice! wathcing you build this out makes me want to start over... nice job!

Oz,

What did you use to drill down through the wall stud sill plate (to the basement below)?

I wish I would have done that in my townhouse since my garage is directly below my tank...probably too late now though.

Dustin

That looks great Chris! Those dimmable ballasts are sweet! Do those reflectors have glass covers to keep water out?

The Lumenmax large do not have glass cover options. I designed a solution for that in an earlier version of the rack but the lights will be so high off the water, I shouldn't have an issue. If I do, I'll put something in.

The way I built the light rack, I could put a thin piece of tempered glass on the track that the reflectors sit in.

Great, I'm already running the Radium 20K 400W, now all I need to do is get the right VHO bulbs... Which ones are you running? I just love the color you have and I think it would be perfect for my tank :)

I ordered the Super Actinics from Dr. F&S. Color is nice.

Oz,

What did you use to drill down through the wall stud sill plate (to the basement below)?

I wish I would have done that in my townhouse since my garage is directly below my tank...probably too late now though.

Dustin

I borrowed a 90 degree drill from a fellow reefer. Made the job a breeze. Never too late. :)

Hey,

you forgot my controller question - let me know, pretty please.

Robb

Hey Robb,

I think I replied a couple pages back. I lost the link of the one I was going to buy. Found a couple online including a $75 on Amazon I might try.

Might have overlooked that then - thanks and I will try to "amazon" it...LOL

I borrowed a 90 degree drill from a fellow reefer. Made the job a breeze. Never too late. :)

My concern is how much drywall I'll have to rip off the wall to be able to drill the holes -- what is the minimum about you could have taken off and still had room to drill two 1.5" holes?

Thanks!
Dustin

My concern is how much drywall I'll have to rip off the wall to be able to drill the holes -- what is the minimum about you could have taken off and still had room to drill two 1.5" holes?

Thanks!
Dustin

Since mine is going to be enclosed, I didn't care how much I needed to tear out. I took out more than was really necessary just to have enough room. Drywall is easy to have repaired so I made it easy on myself.

It depends on how many holes you want to drill and the size pvc you're gonig to run. I have 4 1.5" flex pvc pipes and an extra hole for electrical wiring drilled.

Had the joists reinforced in the basement under the tank.
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/11bReinforcement.jpg

Wanted an exterior exhaust fan above the tank to pull heat and humidity out but have no sound in the house....
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/12CIMG2293Medium.jpg
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/13CIMG2298Medium.jpg
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/14CIMG2297Medium.jpg

I'll wire it up and put the clean white cover on it shortly. :)Chris, where did you buy your exhaust fan? and what model did you buy? I need to install one in my fish room and I'm looking at buying one and installing it myself.

My concern is how much drywall I'll have to rip off the wall to be able to drill the holes -- what is the minimum about you could have taken off and still had room to drill two 1.5" holes?

Thanks!
Dustin

About 20" square. I know because I did the same thing... Oz is right - patching drywall is easy. Besides, repairing a 3x3" square is about as much work as repairing 24" x 24".... might as well open up to what you need.

Chris, where did you buy your exhaust fan? and what model did you buy? I need to install one in my fish room and I'm looking at buying one and installing it myself.

I put the link and model of the Fantech I installed in this thread couple pages back.

Forgot to post pics of the light rack pushed back to show the front access. Once all the way back, it it over 12" back from the edge of the eurobrace.
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/76LightRackBack.jpg

http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/77LightRackdistance.jpg

very cool man, very cool....

And while I am waiting for the dust to settle (literally)....

If I had a camera to take a macro shot this would be crazy looking. Up close the texture is amazing:
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/78AusFavia.jpg

And I guess I am an Aussie Sponge fan....this thing is iridescent purple. Colors change with different angles.
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/79AusPurpleSponge.jpg

and one more....
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/80AusPurpleSponge2.jpg

I rinsed the rest of the sand (6 bags) this morning and put it in the tank. Now I wait as I filter sock the water. Looks like it's going to be a couple days until the water clears up. ugh.

Love the sponges!

I put the link and model of the Fantech I installed in this thread couple pages back.

Sorry, I missed it. Thanks...

Where did you get those sponges?!?

tagging along. Nice job so far!

this is turning out to be a nice one!!! its looking great

I rinsed the rest of the sand (6 bags) this morning and put it in the tank. Now I wait as I filter sock the water. Looks like it's going to be a couple days until the water clears up. ugh.

I hear ya man...I bought that exact same sand for my 90g and I thought I would never get rid of the dust. In fact -- I never really got it to clear away. It would settle after several days, but then a fish would swoop the bottom with his tail, the Vortechs would hit the high end of their cycle, and the dust storm would start all over again.

I eventually siphoned it all out (or at least all that I could get to) and replaced it with dry CaribSea Aragonite "Seafloor Special Grade Reef Sand" by the 40lb bag full ($30 at Keen Reef). It rinsed really quickly and has never given me any trouble. It gets to the bottom of the tank and stays there. It's also very bright white under my halides which I love.

I say all that to say this -- you might want to consider removing that powder fine sand now while you can!

Dustin

Chris,
Your build is awsome. Your tank is just unbelievable.
Dave

Dude that blue sponge is nice! Did you find that local?

Dude that blue sponge is nice! Did you find that local?

Shot you a PM.

I hear ya man...I bought that exact same sand for my 90g and I thought I would never get rid of the dust. In fact -- I never really got it to clear away. It would settle after several days, but then a fish would swoop the bottom with his tail, the Vortechs would hit the high end of their cycle, and the dust storm would start all over again.

I eventually siphoned it all out (or at least all that I could get to) and replaced it with dry CaribSea Aragonite "Seafloor Special Grade Reef Sand" by the 40lb bag full ($30 at Keen Reef). It rinsed really quickly and has never given me any trouble. It gets to the bottom of the tank and stays there. It's also very bright white under my halides which I love.

I say all that to say this -- you might want to consider removing that powder fine sand now while you can!

Dustin

Hey Dustin,

Can you elaborate on your filtering ability when you tried the Pearl Beach? Where you using filter socks, live rock, fuge, etc? So the fine powder (not the sand) stayed in your tank and you couldn't get it out?

Hey Dustin,

Can you elaborate on your filtering ability when you tried the Pearl Beach? Where you using filter socks, live rock, fuge, etc? So the fine powder (not the sand) stayed in your tank and you couldn't get it out?

I don't run any filter socks, just live rock & Euro-Reef ER135 skimmer. Before I added the pearl beach, I rinsed each 40lb bag very well (or so I thought) in a 28g Rubbermaid container. The water never ran clear while rinsing, even after a LOT of rinsing, but it did get a little better....but I think that was mostly because the rinsing was simply washing away most of the sand content out of the Rubbermaid and all over my driveway. It was so powdery that I couldn't do much rinsing of it without washing it all away.

The CaribSea aragonite was a much different story, it's a "grainy" sand rather than a "powdery" sand so it was much easier to rinse and keep on the bottom of my tank. It also looks much better in my opinion, it gives a "white sandy bottom" look rather than a "tan muddy bottom" look to my tank.

Good luck with it, something like your setup is what I've always wanted to tackle.

Dustin

Excellent build thread Chris !!:thumbs:

This is alot of fun to follow, We'll have to include this in the "Tour of Tanks" !

Tank is looking great man, thanks for including me in the pics ;)

I'll post pics tomorrow but I tied in the new tank to the existing system so the tank is officially up and running. The sand/dust storm was so bad I couldn't even see any rocks in any tank! I was worried for a while but I added 7 filter socks and a canister filter (thanks Dave) and it 100% cleared up overnight. :)

I can officially say the Pearl Beach sand is dusty but beautiful. I put a couple vortechs I'm the tank in different places and so far no sand blowing around.

I was worried for a while but I added 7 filter socks and a canister filter (thanks Dave) and it 100% cleared up overnight. :)


Those Eheims are great, aren't they?

I think the cloth filter socks and 16' of sumps really did the trick with the canister doing the polishing.

Oh, and I went ahead and built the mesh screen tops today.

wow, absolutely incredible!!! It looks like you really planned this out well. I have seen alot of build threads but i have never come across one where the person actually constructed a dolly just for the tank!!! So what are your plans now for the dolly? LOL - I am anxious to see the continuing story of your thread. Great job and congrats on your accomplishments! :) Who needs RC when you have threads like yours on ARC!

wow, absolutely incredible!!! It looks like you really planned this out well. I have seen alot of build threads but i have never come across one where the person actually constructed a dolly just for the tank!!! So what are your plans now for the dolly? LOL - I am anxious to see the continuing story of your thread. Great job and congrats on your accomplishments! :) Who needs RC when you have threads like yours on ARC!

Thanks Chris.

Dolly is now just sitting outside taking up space, I am probably going to demo it and use the wheels for some other mini project.

Originally I added 6 bags of unrinsed Pearl Beach sand in to the tank while it was disconnected = huge sand storm of fine particules. It settled but a layer of silt covered the sand bed. Tried syphoning but after 10 secs, you couldn't see in the tank so I left it.

Then I rinsed the next 6 bags and added it to the tank = huge sand storm, go figure.

Wed I decided to plumb everthing in and barely open the return valve to SLOWLY incorporate the super cloudy new tank water to the existing system over the course of weeks. A few minutes later after running up and down the stairs, it was really too late - huge sand storm in the entire 700 existing system! :eek:
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/81Cloudy155.jpg

That picture was taken about an hour after it happened. I could barely see rocks when the dust cloud it the existing display. I added more filter socks (8 total - including 4 55micron) and a canister filter. by the next morning, the tank was clear and all fish and corals were unaffected. :thumbs:

Since this picture was taken, all the new heaters have been relocated to the basement, 2 Vortechs were added, and there are no more wires hanging over the edge. Surprisingly, I put 2 Vortechs in there on high with 1 almost midway down the left wall and NO sand is being blown around. This is a very good sign.
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/82Allclearedup.jpg

I also built the mesh screens, here are the frames.
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/83Meshframes.jpg

Tomorrow I hope to re-wire my AC3 DC8's and DC4HD to control the new tank light rack instead of the 155 Maristar lights. Once this is done, rocks, fish, and coral will start transfering over! :D

Sweet!

A little off topic, what kind of step stool is that? I'm about 280lbs and all of the ones at the store are limited at 200lbs. I've tried them, but don't feel very sturdy on them. Since the top of my tank is around 5' high, even I (at 6'4") have a hard time reaching stuff on the sandbed and have to get on my tip-toes, which makes me very uncomfortable around my halides as I've burned my arms several times trying to reach down in the tank.

Tank looks great and so do the light racks!

Any update on the cabinetry yet? I'm anxious to see how the tank looks in the room as a whole.

Sweet!

A little off topic, what kind of step stool is that? I'm about 280lbs and all of the ones at the store are limited at 200lbs. I've tried them, but don't feel very sturdy on them. Since the top of my tank is around 5' high, even I (at 6'4") have a hard time reaching stuff on the sandbed and have to get on my tip-toes, which makes me very uncomfortable around my halides as I've burned my arms several times trying to reach down in the tank.

Tank looks great and so do the light racks!

Any update on the cabinetry yet? I'm anxious to see how the tank looks in the room as a whole.
Great question on the stool. Same boat
Great build OZ. Any idea on new additions on the stock list? Just curious if you are upgrading for a specific fish or few

search 'platform ladders' at HD or Lowes for the stool. Drywaller supply places have ones that are higher rated and height adjustable, but for $22: http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=146404-287-AP-20-MP6&lpage=none

Sweet!

A little off topic, what kind of step stool is that? I'm about 280lbs and all of the ones at the store are limited at 200lbs. I've tried them, but don't feel very sturdy on them. Since the top of my tank is around 5' high, even I (at 6'4") have a hard time reaching stuff on the sandbed and have to get on my tip-toes, which makes me very uncomfortable around my halides as I've burned my arms several times trying to reach down in the tank.

Tank looks great and so do the light racks!

Any update on the cabinetry yet? I'm anxious to see how the tank looks in the room as a whole.

I'm 6'5" and 240. I bought this one at HD and it was only rated for 200-225 or so. It is very sturdy under me and my gf has also stood on it with me with no problems. I wouldn't do jumping jacks on it or anything but it seems to hold up nicely, better than I expected.

Dave (Grouper Therapy) is working on the cabinets (I hope). :)

Great question on the stool. Same boat
Great build OZ. Any idea on new additions on the stock list? Just curious if you are upgrading for a specific fish or few

We have the stock list pretty much done. There will be a few from the currently display being sold and then add a few new guys.

search 'platform ladders' at HD or Lowes for the stool. Drywaller supply places have ones that are higher rated and height adjustable, but for $22: http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=146404-287-AP-20-MP6&lpage=none

Man that is inexpensive. that's less than half of the HD one, not sure if that equates to quality or sturdiness.

Looking good man!

Man that is inexpensive. that's less than half of the HD one, not sure if that equates to quality or sturdiness.
same brand, same model, different stores.. who knows?
Is yours Werner brand? if so it's the same one I believe.

Update.

All the livestock and Rock has been moved to the tank now. Aquascaping took a few days but looks pretty cool, I love the 3' depth. Half the corals are in and I'm tweaking the lighting before the rest go in from downstairs.

I also moved the 4 Vortech's to the tank this weekend.

I started cleaning up the wiring in the basement and I'm a few weeks away from having that presentable enough to share some pics.

I only have 2 tangs and 1 eel left to sell from the 155. That tank/stand has been sold already.

I got achance to visit Chris and see his setup.....Tank is impressive as is...should be truly gorgeous after tank is trimmed out with the cabinets, etc.

I got achance to visit Chris and see his setup.....Tank is impressive as is...should be truly gorgeous after tank is trimmed out with the cabinets, etc.

+1 :up:

Went to Lowe's today and found the ladder, it was $40...didn't get it. Maybe after Xmas....

I let the dust settle a bit after moving all the rock and fish over to the new tank and started looking at the PAR I was getting.....

At the lowest point (because of the VHO's on the bottom) the 400w Radium 20K lamps were 13" off the water. The par was not bad at all and most people would have been happy with the results.....well, I wanted to make sure I exhausted all options before I settled on a ballast/lamp/reflector combination.

So with help from a few fellow ARC members, I was able to test different reflectors, lamps, and ballasts.

Here is a chart of my test results for any PAR nuts out there.

http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/OzmentParComparisons.jpg

I would love to see a 20K 1000W lamp (preferably Radium) but at $200ea, hard to buy one just to test.

Talking with Mojo, it would be awesome for a store to have all the combinations available for rent so people could try different setups before buying everything only to replace it all.

Adding....

With the LumenBright reflectors at 13", the par was great but there were distinct columns of light that I couldn't deal with.

Why they don't make a LumenMax Large reflector with the same hammer finsih plus a mirror finish like the Lumenbrights is beyond me. That would be the ultimate.

They do make a Lumenbright Mini Wide:

http://www.reefspecialty.com/Lighting-Reflectors-%7C-Pendants-CoralVue/c14_28_112/p365/NEW-Coral-Vue-Lumen-Bright-SE-mini-WIDE-Reflectors/product_info.html

They do make a Lumenbright Wide:

http://www.reefspecialty.com/Lighting-Reflectors-%7C-Pendants-CoralVue/c14_28_112/p365/NEW-Coral-Vue-Lumen-Bright-SE-mini-WIDE-Reflectors/product_info.html

I am not sure if the Lumenbright Large reflector I am using is standard or Wide as the dimensions are the same. How can you tell? I wonder how much of a difference the standard vs wide would be with regards to spread?

I used a Lumenbright Large (as tested) 20x20x9 as the tank is 36" deep (front to back)

All compared: http://www.coralvue.com/lumen.html

I am not sure if the Lumenbright Large reflector I am using is standard or Wide as the dimensions are the same. How can you tell? I wonder how much of a difference the standard vs wide would be with regards to spread?

I used a Lumenbright Large (as tested) 20x20x9 as the tank is 36" deep (front to back)

All compared: http://www.coralvue.com/lumen.html

Not sure Chris. I have never owned one. I would call or email Reef Specialty and talk to them about it. Mike Leonard is the owner of Reef Specialty. They are pretty fast about returning emails. They also have a Forum on Reef Central. You could post there as well for info.
Dave

Through my recent research on reflectors, I found that the Lumenbrights shouldn't be used any lower than 18" above the tank for optimal spread.

Through my recent research on reflectors, I found that the Lumenbrights shouldn't be used any lower than 18" above the tank for optimal spread.

I was about to disagree with you, but are you referring to distance from the water to the bulb, or water to the bottom of the reflector?

I have three LB Mini pendants, and standard distance from water to the bottom of the pendant is 12"-13", with the bulb 4" higher than that. You can opt to go higher of course.
Dave

Bulb.

I'll have to see if I bookmarked the page that showed tests vs. Lumenarc and Lumenmax reflectors.

No disagreement if it is the bulb. You definitely get spotlighting if you go lower than 17"-18" bulb to water.
Dave

I tried a Lumenbright Large reflector / Radium 20K lamp at 18" from the water as you can see. I still saw a column of light compared to the the LumenMax as expected. With more LumenBright reflectors, it looks like there would have been a small dead spot in the top of the back wall and the par out of the light column is almost nill.

Actually you can't see because I didn't post those figures, sorry. :)

I have the MINI Wide's... the only difference is that the wides spread light a little differently than the regulars.

I have the MINI Wide's... the only difference is that the wides spread light a little differently than the regulars.

:up:

Waiting on a reply on RC for the availability of LumenBright Large + Wide reflectors. It looks like the wide is only for the mini's. Go figure. :(

Chris, It was a pleasure to meet you and check out your system. Awesome!

s

Chris, It was a pleasure to meet you and check out your system. Awesome!

s

Nice meeting you as well. Thanks for the compliment and I hope you enjoy the fish!

I was over at Oz's place yesterday and happened to have my camera with me. I took some quick pictures - I'll do better with TOTM duties - I promise. :)

Here are some pics of his basement setup, including Oz hugging his skimmer. :)

And some of the display itself. Note that the 1000 watt halide that we were testing is on the left - the right two are the puny 400's.

I have to caveat those pictures - the basement is still a huge mess although I am making slow progress and all the corals in the display are in temporary places until I bring all the bright stuff up from the frag tank. :)

Thanks for everything Chris.

Lookin Good!

The question is how many 1,000 would you need?

Joe

If I go that route - only 2 with the Lumenmax reflectors and lamps at about 22" above the water.

Oh wow, major construction going on there... at least if you'll have it cleaned up pretty quickly at the pace you're going. I, too, want to see the basement/sump area!

Thanks for the frags Chris!!

I think I enjoyed the tour and talk about lighting more than the coral
(And that is saying a lot!)

My wife just shook her head when I asked her if she wanted to see my new lighting layout. I agreed to do nothing until after Christmas.:up:

How long until the promised fish shows up?
Dave

What a beauty!
Good to see you holding what's dear. I would hug that skimmer too.
Tank layout is so clean and nice

what a difference those little 600watts make huh?
I actually have a couple 1000W setups to go into my garage/sump room if I ever get around to completing it. I knew they were bright from test firing them, but man that puts it in perspective.
Size of that skimmer was deceiving until you stepped in the show scale.

Go with the 1000's!

Have you checked to see what kind of power the 1000 watters actually pull? I'm betting they don't really pull 1000 watts.

Thanks for the frags Chris!!

I think I enjoyed the tour and talk about lighting more than the coral
(And that is saying a lot!)

My wife just shook her head when I asked her if she wanted to see my new lighting layout. I agreed to do nothing until after Christmas.:up:

How long until the promised fish shows up?
Dave

Great meeting you Dave. I hope all the frags and such are doing well. Let me know how things grow as I expect pretty fast in your setup.

Sooner than later on the fish given the pressure from the gf. :)

Glad I could help.

Have you checked to see what kind of power the 1000 watters actually pull? I'm betting they don't really pull 1000 watts.

I mentioned what Tim was saying that they only pulled in the 800w range but Chris said his meter was reading 995 from the wall so there goes that hope. :)

I need to buy a meter myself to check that draw as well as the Hammerhead on the skimmer.

That 1000w is an obvious difference! So nice!
And that blonde naso of yours is...stunning to say the least!
I think the tank looks great already! Can't wait to see it months from now!

I mentioned what Tim was saying that they only pulled in the 800w range but Chris said his meter was reading 995 from the wall so there goes that hope. :)

I need to buy a meter myself to check that draw as well as the Hammerhead on the skimmer.

The HH pulls about 335-350 watts (about what it usually pulls).

That's dissapointing about the 1000 watters. I was hoping they'd pull less wattage. Have you tried overdriving a SE 400 watter? Now would be the time to try it. I'm thinking if you can push it to 500-550w, you would get some solid numbers. Actually, I may have a chart in my desk...let me look.

The HH pulls about 335-350 watts (about what it usually pulls).

That's dissapointing about the 1000 watters. I was hoping they'd pull less wattage. Have you tried overdriving a SE 400 watter? Now would be the time to try it. I'm thinking if you can push it to 500-550w, you would get some solid numbers. Actually, I may have a chart in my desk...let me look.

With a bulb lifetime of about 7 0r 8 hours. You should just break down, quit being cheap, and buy the sun.

I'll sell it to you for cheap...

Great progress report, I wish I would be so organized yet quick to get things done

Robb

With a bulb lifetime of about 7 0r 8 hours. You should just break down, quit being cheap, and buy the sun.

Man,

Your one liners really bust me up!

The HH pulls about 335-350 watts (about what it usually pulls).

That's dissapointing about the 1000 watters. I was hoping they'd pull less wattage. Have you tried overdriving a SE 400 watter? Now would be the time to try it. I'm thinking if you can push it to 500-550w, you would get some solid numbers. Actually, I may have a chart in my desk...let me look.

I have the Coralvue's overdriven (10%) for these tests and that's all these ballasts can push.

I know you may be going with these Lumenbright Large reflectors. For your tank and unless you don't mind the columns of light, you might have to put them 20" off the water and overdrive the crap out of them to get really good par half way down your tank. With your tank dimensions, I looking forward to what setup you end up going with and what par you get.

FWIW, I have the LB larges, and the bulbs are 20" off the water (running 400 watt CV eballast- no overdriving and reeflux 20kk bulbs), with no spotlighting, and ridiculous PAR. I was getting over 1000, 1" under the water directly under the bulb, and cant find a spot under 275 in the 25" tank.

FWIW, I have the LB larges, and the bulbs are 20" off the water (running 400 watt CV eballast- no overdriving and reeflux 20kk bulbs), with no spotlighting, and ridiculous PAR. I was getting over 1000, 1" under the water directly under the bulb, and cant find a spot under 275 in the 25" tank.

How about some more specs J?

What are the dimensions of your tank? 84x24x24? You're only running 3 reflector/lamp sets?

The 1000 1" under is consistent with what I am seeing. So you're getting ~500 PAR half way down your tank?

I have a 28" tank height so apples to apples would be your par 10" of so from the bottom to my middle = 350-400 which would also be consistent but with the lamps lower for me.

I'll continue to try different things regardless. Thanks for the feedback.

72 X 24 X 26 with 3 reflectors, bulbs 20" off the water. To be honest, I dont have it charted, I just know that I was absolutley blown away with the numbers for the 20kk in the "hottest" (read brightest) spot of the tank, and how bright beven the dimmest spot (barring caves, etc) was (the absolutel corner of the tank). If you are looking for maximum PAR at the sandbed, you may need to look at 8 mini reflectors or so. If youre gonna stick with 3 big reflectors, youre gonna have a trade off. There is only so much light, and it will either be focus down, or spread out, it cant be both. FWIW, IMHO, there is absolutely, without doubt, no reflector better than a Lumenbrite.

I don't think I've ever seen an actual FTS from your tank Jeremy but I can see how you don't get columns with the lamps that high and on a 6' tank. Seems like the extra ~2' do make a difference.

With regards to 8 minis, even with 250w's that's 2000 watts, more reflectors, more ballasts, etc. 2x10002 20K's in the Lumenmax at 22" or so will give me more than enough par and no light columns.

If they don't make a WIDE version of the Lumenbright Large then the 2 1000's look like the way to go.

I do agree though that for the right application (most) the Lumenbrights are great reflectors and really push the light down into the tank.

FWIW, IMHO, there is absolutely, without doubt, no reflector better than a Lumenbrite.

To be pedantic, you can't really say that one reflector is better or worse than another- they offer different spreads. LB's give the most focused beam, but that may not always be the most desirable output...

To be pedantic, you can't really say that one reflector is better or worse than another- they offer different spreads. LB's give the most focused beam, but that may not always be the most desirable output...

I disagree. Reflector manufacturers can absolutely create different ways to spread/focus/disperse the light. Thats like saying all camera lenses are equal. Are they?

I guess, to clarify, one reflectors manufacturers designs may be better than another. I will argue this viciously, afetr seeing it in person.

I don't think I've ever seen an actual FTS from your tank Jeremy but I can see how you don't get columns with the lamps that high and on a 6' tank. Seems like the extra ~2' do make a difference.

With regards to 8 minis, even with 250w's that's 2000 watts, more reflectors, more ballasts, etc. 2x10002 20K's in the Lumenmax at 22" or so will give me more than enough par and no light columns.

If they don't make a WIDE version of the Lumenbright Large then the 2 1000's look like the way to go.

I do agree though that for the right application (most) the Lumenbrights are great reflectors and really push the light down into the tank.

I only mentioned the 8 minis as a counterpoint to the "column" appearance, which you seem to despise. I udnerstand that. But, as I said, tehre is only so much light that can be produced by a single bulb. Whether it is focused (with high local PAR), or spread (with diffuse PAR) is teh conundrum youre in. You can have it both ways without a tradeoff- IE- more reflectors/more bulbs/etc.

I disagree. Reflector manufacturers can absolutely create different ways to spread/focus/disperse the light. Thats like saying all camera lenses are equal. Are they?

I guess, to clarify, one reflectors manufacturers designs may be better than another. I will argue this viciously, afetr seeing it in person.

We're getting way off topic, but I'd equate it to saying that a 500hp race car is better than a 500hp tractor. They simply serve different purposes. I agree that one manufacturer may be faster (or have a more focused beam), but that doesn't necessarily make it "the best" - just the best for certain situations. If your criteria for reflectors is only "the most focused beam", then I agree, the LB's reign surpreme. But when you look at a situation like Oz's, where he's trying to spread that same light out some more, then LB's may not be the best choice.

Having said all that, I also run LB mini's.... :)

We're getting way off topic, but I'd equate it to saying that a 500hp race car is better than a 500hp tractor. They simply serve different purposes. I agree that one manufacturer may be faster (or have a more focused beam), but that doesn't necessarily make it "the best" - just the best for certain situations. If your criteria for reflectors is only "the most focused beam", then I agree, the LB's reign surpreme. But when you look at a situation like Oz's, where he's trying to spread that same light out some more, then LB's may not be the best choice.

Having said all that, I also run LB mini's.... :)

500 HP tractors are FAR superior. DUH!!

Seriously though, I disagree again. For aquarium applications, the prupose of reflectors is to reflect light into the aquarium to maximize usable light. IMO, there is no Spread vs. focus debate. They ALL focus light, some just better than others. Otherwise, we would say that a flat piece of painted white metal is no worse than a lumenbright. The both erflect, just in different manner, thereffore theyre equal. Obviously, this isnt true.

What I think Oz is looking for is the panacea, which, sadly, I dont think exists. By his own admission, he wants maximum PAR (which comes with focus) and maximum spread (which defeats focus). You cant have it both ways with the same thing. There is a tradeoff.

I got my money on Mojo banning Jeremy... haha This is a good read. Thanks fellas

What makes something better for 1 person might make it worse for another - that's Mojo's point.

For my application, the Lumenmax are "better" than the Lumenbright in that they provide a strong dispersed light vs. focused beam.

Maybe Jeremy's sole preference is getting the maximum PAR into his tank and because of his tank length, the Lumenbrights accomplish this without any dead spots or columns. For him, that works. I am looking for the exact same thing and at this point, the Lumenbrights at 20" do not provide it. 2 1000w Lumenmax do. For someone else tin foil and hanger wire may be the best for them, not for me to say (or care).

So at this point, the Lumenbrights are the best for Jeremy and the Lumenmax are the best for me. Anything beyond that is just arguing to argue. I do appreciate the facts from other successfull reefers - tank dimensions, PAR values, overall look, etc.

Sorry to detract. Nice build. It will surely be a gorgeous tank.

Sorry to detract. Nice build. It will surely be a gorgeous tank.
Got it wrote down. Sending it to the Smithsonian today!!!!!

lol David!

I say go T5's :)

I like bat wing reflectors. :)

Joe

I like bat wing reflectors. :)

Joe


Actually I like the Tin Foil suggestion! If you crinkle it up "just right" you can get that spread and PAR you have always wanted :D

I like bat wing reflectors. :)

Joe

Mine suprisingly worked well!! Good coral growth and color before the bryopsis decided to ruin my life, lol!

I really need a 1000W 20k lamp to test with. Come on, I know you guys have these laying around. :)

Ok I will chime in with my 2 cents. I do think the LB is a great reflector but with 1000 Watters it is not that much of an issue. They will get the job done with any reflector. These lamps are HOT as hell so I would be more worried about the heat. (I am speaking from experience ;) )I think you need to go with the Sunlight Supply fixtures with the duct work to vent them outside the house. The 1000w will make your A/C unit obsolete in that room they will heat up that room 10 degrees and your water 20 degrees. And just adding a vent to the cabinet is not going to do much you need to vent the fixtures. Also run a dedicated circuit to the lights at least a 10 gauge wire anything smaller will melt. ;)

I really need a 1000W 20k lamp to test with. Come on, I know you guys have these laying around. :)

I might have one I know I have a 14k I will look tomorrow...

Ok I will chime in with my 2 cents. I do think the LB is a great reflector but with 1000 Watters it is not that much of an issue. They will get the job done with any reflector. These lamps are HOT as hell so I would be more worried about the heat. (I am speaking from experience ;) )I think you need to go with the Sunlight Supply fixtures with the duct work to vent them outside the house. The 1000w will make your A/C unit obsolete in that room they will heat up that room 10 degrees and your water 20 degrees. And just adding a vent to the cabinet is not going to do much you need to vent the fixtures. Also run a dedicated circuit to the lights at least a 10 gauge wire anything smaller will melt. ;)

Would love some more details and thanks for chiming in, any and all info/experience is very much appreciated. Could potentially save me a lot of time, $, and effort.

What setup did you try?
How high off the water were they?
What ventilation did you use?
Are you using them now or did you go back to 400's?

As you can see, I won't have a canopy and the air around the lights will be pushed from fans on the left and pulled out of the house via Fantech external fan. I know it's not much but the next step is the Sunlight vented reflectors and have that air circulate from downstairs, through the reflectors, and out of the house.

I wish I was content with 350 PAR half way down the tank!

Are you serious about using 1000 watters? Good lord Man you got it bad.

I might have one I know I have a 14k I will look tomorrow...

He's using the 14K lamps that I had on my tank when I had the 1000's...

Hey Mojo, what are/were the heat differences from 2x1000 vs 4x400 since you've run both?

Hey Mojo, what are/were the heat differences from 2x1000 vs 4x400 since you've run both?

Hmm. I never measured it. I'd guess that overall, the 2x1000w's were hotter than the 4x400w. It's difficult to measure because the 1000w's were concentrated in one place and the 400w's are spread out. Even with the spread, though, I believe the 1000w's were hotter - I'd estimate by about 30%...

Which is in line with the watt increase. Thanks.

Which is in line with the watt increase. Thanks.

Actually the 1000s will use less watts I think they pull around 780 watts ea if I remember correctly. And the 400s pull almost all of that and if there being over driven. Fuhgedaboudit… :)

Chris and I tested the power utilized by each 1000W ballast both from the breaker in the panel and from the wall plug to the ballast. ~1000watts were being pulled by the ballast to power the lights. Unfortunately, these ballasts use every watt advertised. :(

Christmas Day update:

So as you can see above, I wasn't thrilled with the Par, color, spread, etc from 3x400's with multiple configurations so with extreme hesitation I agreed to try 2x1000's above the tank.

Needless to say, the PAR was great and I could get away with only using 2 Lumenmax reflectors.

I decided to completely rebuild the light rack. Ugh, I know.

http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/LightRackrebuild3Large.jpg

The bright side is I could build it better because I learned a few things the first time, the wiring would be much cleaner, and I could build so if I decided to go 4x400 later on, I could use the same rack with no problems. I also offset this rack so the lights would not be centered but more to the front of the tank.

http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/LightRackrebuildLarge.jpg

http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/LightRack2dLarge.jpg

http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/LightRack2cLarge.jpg

http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/LightRack2bLarge.jpg

Moonlights remounted are nice and bright
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/LightRack2Large.jpg

The 1000w lamps I had over the tank were Hamilton 14Ks. At 22" above the water, I was getting an average of 450-550 PAR below half way down the tank. :up:

The color was nice with a blue tint to it as you can see on the left side in the FTS already posted.

I wanted to try a 20K set of lamps to get a little bluer. I ordered and received 2 Helios 20K lamps yesterday. Put them in this morning and the color is awesome.

I am going to let them burn in for a few days and test the PAR. Even if I have to lower the rack from 22" down to 18" or so, I will have no dead spots in the tank.

I am waiting on Dave to finish the cabinetry/doors so I put a piece of temporary plywod above the tank for the holiday.

I changed the white balance setting on my point and shoot. This is pretty accurate.

http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/20K1Large.jpg

http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/20K13Large.jpg

http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/20K2Large.jpg

The cat could care less about the tank or the fish, he's wierd.
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/20K4Large.jpg

A few clams
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/ClamsLarge.jpg

Merry Christmas!

Oh yeah, the dark areas that come down at an angle are from the mesh screens. I originally made 3 due to 3 reflectors. I will most likely make 2 larger ones now to elimate those angled dark areas.

Side Shots
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/SideShotLarge.jpg

http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/SideShot2Large.jpg

I can't capture all the caverns and caves well. It's very open despite what it looks like in pictures. I made the walls go in front and behind each other which is hard to see.

Looks Great!

Looks really beautiful man, Congrats. Now all we have to do is convert you to T5's and then our jobs done :-)

coming along great! awesome job!

Looks really beautiful man, Congrats. Now all we have to do is convert you to T5's and then our jobs done :-)

Figure out how to get 500-600 PAR over half way down a 28"H tank without the lights being .0001" from the water and I would be the fastest convert ever. :confused2:

It's come along pretty quickly, time to figure out where the corals are going to go, kills some aptasia, and start the epoxy party. haha

Chris,
Sunlight Supply has a new reflector out called the Magnum XXXL. Just learned about this from Tim At Keen Reef. Has the option of active cooling. The 8" opening (cooling duct diameter) model is L38.5" x W29.5" x H9.29". You can also buy a splash lens for it.

Saw a pic in the Sunlight Catalog and it looks like a Lumenmax on steroids. Seems it would have nice light dispersion for a tank with dimensions like yours. I think the reflector was $220 and the glass was $25. Don't know about prices from our other Sponsors.
Dave

Chris,
Sunlight Supply has a new reflector out called the Magnum XXXL. Just learned about this from Tim At Keen Reef. Has the option of active cooling. The 8" opening (cooling duct diameter) model is L38.5" x W29.5" x H9.29". You can also buy a splash lens for it.

Saw a pic in the Sunlight Catalog and it looks like a Lumenmax on steroids. Seems it would have nice light dispersion for a tank with dimensions like yours. I think the reflector was $220 and the glass was $25. Don't know about prices from our other Sponsors.
Dave

Thanks Dave. I was waiting on them to release a newer version of the old smaller rectangle / active cooling reflectors. I need to see one in person to really compare the reflective surface types.

Definitely something to keep in mind in the spring of next year. Those are huge! 2 = 6'6" of reflector? Wow.

With it being cold outside and the 1000W lamps 22" off the water, I have no heat issues of any kind right now. The chiller hasn't had to come on in a long time. Temp is staying 78-80. I am not even running my fans on the light rack yet and my external exhaust isn't hooked up.

Hopefully someone else will guinea pig these over the next few months and post PAR readings. If Sunlight sends me a couple, I'd be glad to do it for everyone's benefit. :thumbs:

There is a business in Atlanta called Atlantis Hydroponics, and they sell a ton of Sunlight Supply. I believe they sell a lot to people that like to grow their own *cough cough* "vegetables".

They may have a floor model on display. I think they have displays of all their Sunlight Supply reflectors. They have 2-3 locations around Atlanta.

http://www.atlantishydroponics.com/

I need to give thanks to Kevin from Warehouse Aquarium. He's brought in some amazing livestock for me recently. Here are samples:

First is this nice male / female Hawaiian Flame Wrasse pair. The male is so bright and docile, let's me pet him and eats from my fingers after 4 days in the tank.
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/FlameWrassepairMedium.jpg

Next is the largest Borbonious Anthia I've ever seen, about 5". Eats like a horse.
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/BorboniousAnthiaMedium.jpg

Then something I've been waiting for for quite a while. A pair of Australian Copperband Butterflies. We could watch these two swim together for hours.
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/AusCopperband2Medium.jpg
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/AusCopperband1Medium.jpg

And check this guy out - an Australian Pineapple (Pinecone) Fish! He is already eating frozen foods during the day (light). About 5".

He has bioluminescence strips on each side of his mouth that "glow" during lights out. Very cool to see 2 green dashes swimming around at night!

He's "ugly cute". haha

http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/Pineapple2Medium.jpg
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/Pineapple1Medium.jpg
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/Pineapple3Medium.jpg
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/Pineapple4Medium.jpg

Very nice addations, good job oz!

awsome how much was the pinaple fish he is awsome.

Don't ask. Let's just say I'm glad I sold all my old equipment (including light to you). :)

lol i hear ya.

i got pics of the light on my biuld now i got a cheapie 14000k in middle i think im going 14000k on middle and one side the third will stay 20000k ill use it for my softies on that side lol.

Those are some AMAZING additions! I love both of those pairs of fish! And I've always thought the Pineapple Fish were really really cool but have never known anyone to have one. Good job, Oz. This tank is going to be insane.

Looking good man! Hope those CBB's don't chomp on the clams. I miss mine sooooo much! But picking on clams was not sitting too well with me.

Thanks atreyu917.

Hey Lee, no issues at all so far. They have only picked things off the mantles down by the sandbed. Been in there a week so my hopes are high, I really like them.

Is the pineapple adapting to bright lighting well? Ive been very tempted and close to getting one, but I didnt want to terrorize them with too much light. Nice butterflies too. I, too, hope they avoid the clams. Are they picking at the mantles, or the slime, or items that land on the mantle?

Amazing tank. Learn a lot by reading this thread :)

Is the pineapple adapting to bright lighting well? Ive been very tempted and close to getting one, but I didnt want to terrorize them with too much light. Nice butterflies too. I, too, hope they avoid the clams. Are they picking at the mantles, or the slime, or items that land on the mantle?

To acclimate the Pineapple slowly I have him in my fuge right now. Very docile place, not a ton of flow so live and frozen brine stay in the column a while. I was concerned that he would only eat at night but he's already eating while the fuge light is on. He has places to hide but stays out most of the time now. I have a cleaner shrimp in a see through container in with him to try and train him that they are not food. He hasn't made any aggressive movements towards that shrimp which is a good sign. Going to take it slow.

The butterflies are only nipping at the substrate at the bottom of the clam and very rarely. I'll keep an eye on them though. I will try hard to get them eating frozen foods so they know there is a constant food source. The clams had already dug themselves nice little dents in the sand and I haven't seen the fly's nip at anything on the mantles or even clam shells yet.

Very nice build OZ makes me want to start mine just a few other projects to complete first.

Nice fish!! See ya Friday!

Nice fish!! See ya Friday!

Man I hope so. :tongue:

:D

The CBB I had went after the clams in siphon tentacles then shortly there after, right at nipping the mantel itself. Granted I had the CBB for a year before he started to do so...sooo it may never happen to you. I always keep my tank well fed, so I know that wasn't an issue. Guess clam was up there on his liking. Good luck man, they are beautiful that's for sure!

To acclimate the Pineapple slowly I have him in my fuge right now. Very docile place, not a ton of flow so live and frozen brine stay in the column a while. I was concerned that he would only eat at night but he's already eating while the fuge light is on. He has places to hide but stays out most of the time now. I have a cleaner shrimp in a see through container in with him to try and train him that they are not food. He hasn't made any aggressive movements towards that shrimp which is a good sign. Going to take it slow.

The butterflies are only nipping at the substrate at the bottom of the clam and very rarely. I'll keep an eye on them though. I will try hard to get them eating frozen foods so they know there is a constant food source. The clams had already dug themselves nice little dents in the sand and I haven't seen the fly's nip at anything on the mantles or even clam shells yet.

Cool, on both accounts.

Nice Additions! Love the CBB pair.

Looking good Chris!

The Pineapple fish is doing great. Loves PE Mysis shrimp and eats a ton with the lights on and is no longer a shy fish. I put a camel back shrimp free in the tank along with the cleaner shrimp in the container. After over a week the camel is still in the tank unharmed. So tonight I fed more mysis and released the cleaner. The cleaner walked right by the pineapple and he didn't even pay really any attention to the shrimp! Big success.

Now I need to get him a bit more aggressive while eating. He has a tendancy to wait for the food to land on the bottom before eating it and in the display, there won't be a ton of food making it down there.

The Aus Copperbands are also doing great. 1 eats PE mysis aggressively and the other picks at it a little but is more concerned with what's on the rocks. Neither have been interested in my overpopulated aptasia farm. Hopefully this will change with time.

Finally got the aquascape (rocks) how I want them and I'm going to start putting corals where I want them to grow out.

Also upgraded the return to a Hammerhead and built the new WC system which makes things 100000% easier now.

Hopefully pics soon.

Thanks for the compliments.

Dang, CO2 bottle ran out today. Guess I'll be heading to that Beverage place tmo for a refill.

There needs to be more of those around.

Wow Chris... everything is looking great! You've made a lot of progress since I saw it last, looks amazing. :yes:





D

You can also swap CO2 bottle out at the gas supply place right across from Marine Designs. I've been a customer there for about 7 years.

$10 at Beverage Control in Tucker- refill in less than 10 mins. :)

Tank looks awsome Chris.

We need pics.

We need pics.

You first. :) You're way overdue. I'm curious how your CL is doing. Hopefully I can get out to MRC tomorrow. I need a couple more CR-6 main chamber sponges.

You first. :) You're way overdue. I'm curious how your CL is doing. Hopefully I can get out to MRC tomorrow. I need a couple more CR-6 main chamber sponges.

Bah, I'll get some pics up. My closed loop is grooving. Dead silent and good flow. I had to modify the om4 in order for it to work better, but it's all good now!

Sponges? Don't you need a cool new kalk reactor too? :)

$10 at Beverage Control in Tucker- refill in less than 10 mins. :)

That's a good thing to know. My place is moving to Suwanee in a while, so I'll get that addy from you next time I have to refill.

where's the new pictures?! :):Banane25:

Wow, it's been a while since I updated this thread.....got busy - no fun.

Dave came back by and we finished up the cabinetry build out and it came out better than expected. (That's what you tend to get working with GrouperTherapy).

I still have to paint it and once I do, I'll post more pictures of that part. We built a very cool side entry mechanism that I'll show with pictures as well. I may paint it tomorrow. However, I have updates on livestock and a few pictures.

First an updated tank shot. I am in the process of putting corals all over the place and nothing is really set yet.
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/TankShot.jpg

And couldn't resist this shot of the tropical reef and snow in the same shot....
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/TankandSnow.jpg

I moved the Pineapple (Pinecone) fish up to the display after teaching it to eat PE Mysis and NOT cleaner shrimp. Now the irony is all the cleaner shrimp hang out with him at night, really funny to see.
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/Porcupine.jpg

And this is what happens when you go see Kevin at Warehouse.....you never leave empty handed or not happy. Picked up a Achilles / Gold Rim Hybrid that's pretty sick.
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac98/cozment/HybridandNapple.jpg

Also we added a large square spot anthia, powder blue, and african cleaner wrasse. I think there is 28 or so fish in the system now. Almost done.