Hello all!

I have been toying with the idea of firing up all of my big acrylic tanks for 2 years now. All of my aquarium projects have been postponed so that I could concentrate on lifting/ transporting/ digging/ placing/ plumbing/ wiring/ refinishing a 15000g fiberglass swimming pool in the back yard. And I have a 7 month old baby girl....

Anyway, she's about to start walking and the wife told me the 3 ag. tanks in the basement are going to have to go (for safety purposes.) All are round: 7' 400g, 6' 300g, and a 4' 150g.

So! For safety purposes I will be building out "the wall of water" using the following acrylic tanks:

http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=100&pictureid=545

all 3 are 550's

then I'll use the coffin:

http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=100&pictureid=548

as a sump. (385 gallons)

I have a Hammerhead Needlewheel pump, a Pondmaster AP-40 air pump, and some acrylic tubing I will be using to fab my own 24" diameter 65 gallon poly tank, tapered neck skimmer.

I've been HOARDING equipment and components for LONG ENOUGH!!!
It's time to construct... THE DEATH STAR!

Well.... maybe not "The Death Star" but something really cool, and big, and awe inspiring.

First: I AM NOT RICH, or even close... Quit hating already!
Second: God gave me these tanks for a reason.... albeit in rough shape.
Third: I PAY RETAIL FOR NOTHING!!! EVER!!!
Fourth: Sharks and fish are the name of the game, sorry reefers!
Fifth: I am a master of nothing
Sixth: I don't own CNC milling machines, welders, heavy equipment, or a massive shop. Matter of fact my shop used to be the 2 car garage in the basement that is now MANLAND. Effectively, I dont have a shop anymore...


All of that gibberish to say that this will hopefully be a reasonably attainable build thread with PLENTY of room for discussion. I look forward to any ideas, advice, and constrictive criticism. Now let me get some more pics together for you.

Thanks!

LUKE

holy cow....

Well alright Luke!

Following closely. Any help you need, just ask

Very Nice Luke! FO is def the way to go with this build - all in one room I assume?

someones over the edge haha ready to tag along

So these used to be my garage doors

http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=100&pictureid=1090

and my 2 car garage:

http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=100&pictureid=1087

This will be the wall of water:

http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=100&pictureid=1089

But know this will take some time as this machine:

http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=100&pictureid=1086

THE Billy Mays 5000 or BM5K needs to be operated regularly to maintain peak performance of mind and body!

Some of my Sharks:

http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=100&pictureid=1091

OK, I'm back to work

I will be building a small filtration closet to house the equipment/ noise/ humidity.
Likely bi-fold doors and a 8' x 3' closet.

Nice.

gosh, I wish you lived closer - Id love to help

gosh, I wish you lived closer - Id love to help

Gary, we are close the way I drive... hand the keys over and stop making up excuses not to volunteer...

:lol2:

Lets take your car then......:lol2:

I wanted to help drink that beer, not help with the tank...lol

Lets take your car then......:lol2:

I wanted to help drink that beer, not help with the tank...lol


I did run the tranny out of my 03 G35 so yea you might be safer going that route.. :D

What fun is drinking beer if you can't flood some floors..

I did run the tranny out of my 03 G35 so yea you might be safer going that route.. :D

What fun is drinking beer if you can't flood some floors..

Yeah, not looking to replace the tranny in my M35 just yet...or ever for that matter!

Luke - are you gonna do the 2 550's on each end and the coffin in the middle?

These are 2 configurations I am looking at:

http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=100&pictureid=1092

and

http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=100&pictureid=1093

I'm leaning toward # 2 because it will leave room for a theater screen on the wall later (between the 2 6' 550's.) Also the whole house is less likely to tip over if I put one tank on an adjacent wall!

Also the lager equipment closet will be nice!

The coffin will be on the floor of the equipment room as a sump.

I like #1 visually but your right, #2 has much more functionality...

Although with #1 you could drill some "pass thru's" and add acrylic tubes for the smaller fish to go from one tank to the next - now that would be freakin awesome!!!

who needs a theater room when you have those beautiful tanks to look at....heck, id cancel my cable..lol

My green moray would find said passageways very useful...

We could call them "portals of death..."

you could go with plan #1. Then just put a roll down screen in front of the 8' tank. I like the wall of water idea...

Jason

granted i know you said you are not rich, but with that being said have you ever thought about combining all the tanks together for one really huge tank? just a thought. but i am def along for the ride with this one. good lucK!!

Luke, that's going to look awesome!!! Can't wait to see this thing come together. I think we might have to put together an ARC trip to Luke's place!!

I would prefer one big tank for maintenance and livestock grow-out purposes, but these are what I have to work with. I thought about selling them all and trying to pick up a 1000 - 1500 gal acrylic on ebay, but the stars haven't aligned yet...

I considered cutting the tanks up and using the panes to make a concrete block tank but that's going to be a TON of work. And it's relatively permanent.

At some point my sharks are going to need a substantial pond. I'll be looking at building a greenhouse off of my home to house it from the elements. Probably a liner pond on slab built up 32-36" with CMU.... But we digress....

GOOD NEWS!! The wife said she's excited for me to get it knocked out! She even said all my geek friends (that would be you) can come over and help for a weekend or two!

I keep 4 on draft at all times so you may want to bring your crash helmets!

I would prefer one big tank for maintenance and livestock grow-out purposes, but these are what I have to work with. I thought about selling them all and trying to pick up a 1000 - 1500 gal acrylic on ebay, but the stars haven't aligned yet...

I considered cutting the tanks up and using the panes to make a concrete block tank but that's going to be a TON of work. And it's relatively permanent.

At some point my sharks are going to need a substantial pond. I'll be looking at building a greenhouse off of my home to house it from the elements. Probably a liner pond on slab built up 32-36" with CMU.... But we digress....

GOOD NEWS!! The wife said she's excited for me to get it knocked out! She even said all my geek friends (that would be you) can come over and help for a weekend or two!

I keep 4 on draft at all times so you may want to bring your crash helmets!

Schuweet! I need to come check this out Luke!

SUSTAINABILITY
I fully intend to provide for my fish for their lifetime. Hopefully 20 years or more. In order to do this I need to be realistic with regard to how much time and money I can contribute to this obsession / hobby.

The following are the primary considerations in the build:

1. ONGOING COSTS.

A) ELECTRICAL - I am currently using 21 kWh per day for my fish
At $.11 per I'm at $2.31 per day. That's already $60 per month...
My goal is to keep it under $100 per month in demand, or 909 kWh.

B) FILTRATION - Carbon and water changes do the trick. Also I've been growing out a good bit of Chaetomorph for nutrient export. I'll change out 50 - 100 gallons a month on average. Likely spending less than $50 per month here

C) FOOD - Believe it or not this is a chunk o change
Whole foods market has the frozen dressed smelt at $3.50 a lb.
Fresh squid and octopus are like $3-4 a lb. as well. The best though is the skewer fish or smaller bits that cant be sold as fillets. For $5/lb I am able to feed Grouper, Sea Bass, swordfish, etc. My fish eat better than I do!
Then Sushi Nori (dry green seaweed sheets) at Walmart for $3 or $4.
Top it all off with Boyd's VitaChem, and I probably spend $80 a month.
I know you cant possibly conceive of feeding a pound of fish 3 times a week!
Some of you SPS guys are probably stroking out just thinking about it!

2. STARTUP COSTS.

Sure I'd like to go Red Dragon all around and have a Bermuda or RK-2 skid delivered, but thus far, that's not in the cards for me....
So, I'll work with what I have, build what I need to, spend ONLY where I absolutely must, and automate / refine / tweek the system as time and money allow.

3. TIME REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN

Every single bell and whistle will not just cost you $$$ but time as well.
Clean it maintain it troubleshoot it break it fix it F*&% it!
All that "fancy pants" crap is exactly that, CRAP.
I bet most of the equipment fanatics also have an overclocked, liquid cooled, $5000 clear window computer that was stable for all of 3 weeks before it died.
Not my bag....

I am lucky to work from home so I can check on everything for a few minutes any time of the day. I'll clean out my skimmer every day or two and top off with RODI water every weekend. Since fish are not photo-synthetically particular, 40W shop lights could suffice. The more light I use, the more algae I grow.

Cleaning glass is a PITA! I will probably paint all but the front pane black on all tanks. Thats considerably less buffing out as well. Another vote for Configuration # 1 - The wall of water

Accessibility is also big here. I'm 6'6" 250 lbs and not very flexible. The long arms were helpful until I found all my tanks were 3' deep! Anyway I don't like getting in my tanks or climbing on top around etc.


4. AESTHETICS

I want my systems to look professional. I want all equipment discreetly placed. I want the humidity to be maintained. I want to hear little to no motor noise, crashing water or hissing air. I don't want to smell my skimmer.
I want to simply enjoy.

I did run the tranny out of my 03 G35 .....
:confused2:
didn't you know he was a tranny when you picked him up?



on the El Grande!... (big tank needs big pictures)..

looks awesome



talk to the butcher at your groceries and ask him for the trimmings from fish/meat/chicken..
you can pick it up on the cheap cheap..

I bring in pictures of my Eppies for the seafood guys at Whole Foods. I think they are the unofficial mascots for the department. They always send me home with something good!

Ron POIDH eh?
http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=100&pictureid=1095

DONT MESS WITH ME

Have a seat...

http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=100&pictureid=1096

I'm a big fan of beltfed firearms, but I'm not a big fan of buying the belts..

it's like a lottery scratch off ticket... over WAY TOO QUICKLY...

Especially through the old GE minigun!
.308 at over 1000 rounds per min.... possibly more expensive than reefing even!

I bet most of the equipment fanatics also have an overclocked, liquid cooled, $5000 clear window computer that was stable for all of 3 weeks before it died. .


Hey hey, it was stable for 4 weeks, before it died....

I just had an idea for one of the 3 tanks.

The 8'x3'x3' tank has a 3" sched 80 bulkhead in the bottom middle. A 3" standpipe serves as the overflow. I'm cutting the pipe down a foot!

How about only filling it to 24" then having a mangrove / tide-pool / lagoon zone?

I can grow out my shark pups, hatch my eggs, grow chaeto, sponge andmy LPS.

I'm thinking a 400W 20,000k for the LPS and a couple of 250W 10,000k home depots for the plants and algae.

I really like this idea because it is a fusion of my tubs (salt ponds) and my big tanks.

Then the mature breeder sharks in one 550 and the leviathan (BIG GREEN) in the other.


Also, forget the closet on the end of the room. I'm going with the wall of water, and I will center the 8' acrylic between the 6'ers. The wall is 29' which will have 6+6+8 = 20' of viewing area. That leaves me with (2) 4.5' equipment/ filtration closets between them.
If I bring the 8'er forward a foot off of the wall, I will have a continuous 29' wall with 2 doors. Then a 12" bar / drink shelf along the front of each tank....

What do you think?

with the space you have I would say put the tanks side by side for a 20ft continuous wall, and bring them a foot or two off the back wall. this will allow you to get behind them if you need to(and you will at some point since they are so deep front to back) and will maximize your fish closet size which trust me you will fill up FAST!

Storage under both 6'ers and the coffin 385g sump under the 8'er

what about Ro and salt water storage tanks? I like to have at least a 50% waterchange available.

I do have 55 gal drums that I keep outside. If I am topping off, I just let the discharge run directly into the sump. If I am making water for a change I'll just bring in the drum and mix it up. If I need to do an emergency water change I just use tap water and Sodium Thiosulfate remove chlorine. Then I just fill her up and mix the salt. I do keep at least 2 boxes of Instant Ocean on hand...

All of the water I change out I dump into my chaeto bin or mangrove pond outside. I figured out how do keep mangroves this summer. BRACKISH WATER to start. then bring up the salinity. Aquarium shops want like $10 a propagule... Theres a Hawaiian dude on ebay that sells like 25 for $15 + $10 S&H They are AWESOME with multiple leaves.

Alrighty, but you dont want to let your RO run straight to your sump for ATO. Doing small amounts like that will cause TDS creep and that is not good.

I have mine where the RO fills a 200g tank with a float valve, and then I tap off that to the sump with another float valve. And I just turn the RO on and off when the tank gets below 75g.

or if youre really lazy you can setup a cassion around the float valve in the RO tank :)

TDS creep?
I am of the belief that slow continuous changes are ideal.
I do have a count down timer rigged to the booster pump and the supply solenoid.
That keeps me from getting too much water on the floor...
I have decided that fish tanks do not belong on finished hardwood floors.
or any floor above another...
Since the space I am using once was a2 car garage, the slab has a perfect slope to it.
Once the tube from my RODI fell out of the sump.
I guestimate 30 or 40 gallons of water just trickled in a thin stream under my couch and under the new sliding doors out the back! Literally a single bath towel and DONE!
I have had an entire 5 gallon keg of stout blast off the picnic tap and send a stream of beer across the ceiling onto the wall over the washer, dryer, clean folded clothes on the dryer, then pooling on the floor until the keg was tapped.
Gotta love the concrete basement! Hot water hose, scrubber on a pole and a shop vac did the trick. My wife doesn't even know...

What Daniel means is that the RO unit if only turned on for short amounts of times will actually produce water pretty high in TDS.

10-4 thanks!

So here are some pics of the mother load:

http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=160&pictureid=1107

I couldn't believe my eyes!

http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=160&pictureid=1108

The tanks and equipment were removed from restaurants under new management. The fry cook or something was put in charge of the system removals. Apparently he didn't realize how much money somebody spent on these. They looked to have been just slid out of a truck bed onto the ground.

There was still water in this Dialyseas mini and it froze at night. The housings all blew out from the expansion. Sad.

http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=160&pictureid=1105

These awesome XXXL Fiji rock chunks were full of mud!
I probably picked up 500lbs or so.

http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=160&pictureid=1103

Then theres the whole wheelbarrow full of ballasts, pumps, reflectors, fans, etc. in various states of disrepair...

http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=160&pictureid=1097

A few nice timers:
http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=160&pictureid=1100

A nice SeaVisions Bead filter with pressure switch and actuated ball valves for automated backwashes.

http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=160&pictureid=1099

and so much more stuff I don't even know where to start.

I've been rebuilding pumps, reconditioning lights and ballasts, painting hoods, buffing acrylic, soaking and cleaning everything in between!

Like I said, God wanted me to have these tanks!

Sweet! My wife would kill me though because I would take my 2 weeks vacation on setting up all that. Sooo nice man. Glad you scored it

you are my kinda guy, building stuff just because its there!! LOL

you are my kinda guy, building stuff just because its there!! LOL
very well said

Yeah, I know!
These tanks have been a major PITA!
I have moved them ALL at least 2 to 3 times each (empty.)
I started brewing beer because I was running out of favors and needed something to entice my buddies to help with all of the heavy lifting! That and it's a TON of fun (plus a whole separate build project!) Then theres the equipment.... Another PITA.

this is crazy. I cant wait to see the finished product. You should definitely charge admission to enter your house

I just received shipment of my ozone generator. It's a big boy!
The Clearwater Tech P2000 and Electrical interface box on Ebay for $565 shipped!
New I'd be looking at $5000 +! I'm going to build my own regenerative air dryer from some Zeolite and cartridge heaters I have laying around the basement.

BTW it puts out over 5 grams an hour on dry air and nearly 15 on O2.

Now to tame the beast and avoid NUKING my system!

This will be the heart of my system:

http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=164&pictureid=1122

It is a fiberglass body 24" in diameter, 8' tall overall.

It will be set up recirculating via a Modified Hammerhead needlewheel pump.

Avast marine has a "swabbie" that will work perfectly cleaning the neck, and I will probably add a freshwater cup rinse down system to help keep me off the ladder. My unit is crated and I am awaiting delivery this next week!

SO EXCITED! :yay:

Quoting The Beastie Boys:

"Anybody got it any bigger than this?"

That thing's a beast!! This whole setup is going to be awesome. Keep the pictures and updates coming!

The skimmer is here!
The pic above does not do it justice.
The water volume (not including cone, neck or cup) is in excess of 150 gallons.

ya think a check valve may be in order???!!!
I never have trusted those darn things though!
Amazing how an adventurous snail can ruin your day....
That 385 gallon coffin sump will be perfect to arrest the 150 gal.
These were designed to accommodate a 5000g + aquaculture system.
The body is roughly the size of the RK-2 PE-75 skimmer.

I found another shark too.
I'll be adopting a juvenile male Marbled Coral Catshark in a week or two!

you mean a check valve to keep the skimmer from fully draining? If so just do a stand pipe.

Dang...cant wait to see this progress...and please post pics of the skimmer, i dont think ive seen one that big since ive been to warehouse aquarium in chamblee!

The skimmer is here!
The pic above does not do it justice.
The water volume (not including cone, neck or cup) is in excess of 150 gallons.

:eek:

ya think a check valve may be in order???!!!
I never have trusted those darn things though!


+1

Luke, I thought I was sick until I saw your skimmer holds more water than my tank! Dude you have it bad! :notworthy:

(I would love to see your set-up sometime, it's way cool!)

looks like that skimmer belongs in a missile silo, its huge

Sweet build! Cant wait to see it up and running. Is it just eppy sharks your keeping or do you keep any other types?

Thanks for all of the support guys and gals!
This has been a long and fun ride!

I just returned from AZ for our National Sales Meeting.
No, I didn't venture into Nogales, MX....
Bummer though, I love Latin America!
Anyway, I'll have more time to focus on the task at hand in the coming weeks.

I am considering some sort of ICBM paint scheme. Bare minimum a red nose cone and USA on the side! The thing dwarfs me! At 6'6" I rarely need to get on my tiptoes to reach something. I can barely twist and remove the neck / head (bayonet twist lock style) without a ladder. I'll get pics rolling ASAP!

Eppies are the name of the game right now. I have a local guy with a Marbled coral cat that I will be adopting. He will be a great tank-mate for my juvenile sharks (they are considerably smaller than mature Eppies.) My sharks get VERY aggressive when they are hungry. When I returned from my trip, one of my breeder females had been roughed up by the largest female. This is the season (breeding), and they are fighting amongst each other because the male isn't ready to roll yet. I'm hoping I can arrange for an early Christmas present to myself! I have found a BIG BOY (36") and am hoping the wife approves of this acquisition!

I have decided to get out of the coral gig and focus on my fish. I have a good bit of LPS and softies I will be posting shortly. I'v had all of these specimens for 2-5 years. Taking pics is not easy, as they are all a 300g tub. It will take me a few days to get them posted and get a count. Perhaps I can have some of you over for an afternoon in a week or two. I'll set up a sales thread this evening.

Here are some of the skimmer pics:

http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=194&pictureid=1181

http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=194&pictureid=1182

Some of the valves I've collected:

http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=194&pictureid=1180

Some of the coral I'm trying to get rid of:

http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=194&pictureid=1172

http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=194&pictureid=1174

A few more of the coral:


http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=194&pictureid=1175

http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=194&pictureid=1176

http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=194&pictureid=1173

http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=194&pictureid=1177

:D Any updates?

working on the skimmer and buffing out the 550's.
big 36" male Epaulette on the way!

Luke...your living the Dream Man....Doin It Big and making us all wish we were there to help out!!!

I'd like to go bigger. I found a new / old stock fiberglass swim-spa on Craigslist yesterday. I believe it is the same as the unit in operation at Warehouse Aq. in Chamblee. $3000 would probably take it. Not that I have 3000... I'd swap out these big acrylics in a heartbeat to land that pond!

The goal for this weekend is to have Big Skim up and running my Monday. I cant wait to extract some sludge! The big green moray is eating 1 lb of smelt every week! My water quality has gone downhill considerably since the acquisition. Then there's the 7 sharks....
Fun problem to have though!

Good People Brewing Company here in Birmingham has me installing their boiler, canning line, glycol system and other stuff...
Needles to say I have my hands full right now!
I just gave one of my best friends a frogspawn the size of a volleyball, a nice chunky ridge coral, a bunch of green toadstool leathers, some orange zoanthids, some palythoa mats and a few ricordea yuma and florida.
Partial payment for keeping an eye on my menagerie occasionally! He had to sign an affidavit protecting me from liability from my predators while I'm gone.

JK on the affidavit!

That made me belly laugh! You're a hoot.

The boiler is up at the brewery and I am getting close to being able to focus on the basement.
Strange thing happened to me:
4 months ago I let a US marshal move into my father in law's rental house here in Birmingham. I asked for his badge and conveniently didn't have it with him when I signed the lease. Now he's being evicted for non-payment and being a con artist. LESSON TO BE LEARNED FOR EVERYONE!!!!!! I can claim to be a cop, US Marshal, DEA, etc. and as long as I am "not acting in the capacity" i.e. pulling you over, banging in your door, detaining, etc. I HAVE DONE NOTHING ILLEGAL! I WAS FLOORED! After getting in touch with the US Marshals task force, they put me in touch with FBI. They called back and told me not to return to the house without a "buddy" and to never bring my wife and daughter close.... even in the car on the street! Anyone want to buy a rental house?
Freaked out, scared, and exhausted from this ongoing experience... Bear with me guys and gals... BTW I assume there are some lawyers floating around here, any advice for the court date? Yes, he is claiming i'm evicting him for retaliation for not addressing the "black mold hazardous elec., conditions, and malfunctioning AC" - all lies easily confirmed with my receipts. This guy is a Peice of work... He even scheduled me for a ride-along with his partner to recover a fugitive. even told me what to wear when the pick me up in the bulletproof suburban...

Reminds me of my dad. Long time ago he tried to evict a HUUGE guy from one of his houses and almost got into a fight with him. Next time he went over he was gone, but there were cops EVERYWHERE. Turns out the guy was a white supremisit and a cop killer.

AAAND guy who works with me told me he just evicted a lady from his rental that wanted to move in that day(before her check cleared). Well she did, the check bounced and 2 months later he had to get her out because she had not paid him one cent period.

Careful out there man, you never know.

Thanks Ender...
Sure doesn't make me feel better about the world though.
Glad I have the old CWP. I don't care if you are a 400 lb gorilla, the .410 - 00 buckshot in my Judge Public Defender will hurt a bit!
I guess if the barrel is rifled, you can carry a 5 round shotgun in your pocket!
Gotta love America!

AMERICA! F yea!
Freedom is the only way YEA!
:thumbs:

I feel your pain, I wish I never got into a rental property. What drives me nuts is fixing up the place after the tenant steals the light fixtures, water heater, and frig.

I caught my tenant's wife robbing my home yesterday at lunchtime. I chased her out of the house and got in front of her car. She tried to run me over. Jefferson Co Sheriff's Dept will screen for the warrant on Monday AM and arrest her that afternoon. She also threatened a neighbor at the rental property yesterday. I imagine this will not bode well for their eviction case on the 26th.
She made off with $565 and my piece of mind!
I really need to spend some time playing with my fishies....
Everything has just been SO stressful lately!

Really glad I wasn't carrying at the time. Or worse had a handgun on the kitchen counter.
or had my wife and daughter home....
A lot of things could have gone horribly wrong in that couple of moments!
I think a morning soak in the hot tub is in order!

Sucks

OK! Let's get back on course here!
I've finished buffing out the front pane of another 550 (6x4x3h) and will be setting it up this coming weekend. I used NOVUS again and it just keeps getting easier. I took pics and will post them in the am.

The wife is taking the baby to NYC to visit my siss... NOTHING CAN STOP ME NOW!!! I am so excited! I'll take off Friday and Monday and just kill it! I also am excited to meet some of you folks at the upcoming Saturday meeting in February. I will likely bring a truck full of stuff to trade or sell.
Luke

OK
I buffed out the other 550 (8x3x3h) over the BEAUTIFUL weekend. I am sore to say the least... I have the tank upside-down on the welded steel stand. Basically I stood up inside it and leaned into the front pane while buffing. I can attest to using NOVUS and all of the little things you learn on your way up the "learning curve." For example:

1. using # 3 (heavy scratch remover) is dangerous. I would recommend to anyone new to this stuff to just use # 2 (light SR) a dozen times. The increased grain size will allow you to build up heat quickly. You can EASILY create a melt or burn that will take 5x the amount of buffing the scratch would have taken to remove.

2. You need precise control (ie work the FACE of the buffing wheel, not the lip.) You will find when the buffer finds it's sweet spot, it wants to pull or push you. Brace your arms and resist, working in circles. You'll get it...

3. Remove your rings (DUH!). Then apply the compound to your hand and rub in circles over the entire pane. Have a fan and a good light on your work.

4. You have to let the compound dry. Apply evenly and put the fan right on her. After about 10 minutes I will run my hand lightly over the surface to work the wet areas in.

5. If you are impatient like I am, you will want to be buffing the inside while the outside is drying. Cool for the earlier iterations, but use this secret: When applying to one face, apply in diagonal streaks, on the other go circular. That way you can tell what side the scratches are on.

6. Take your time and realize this process will take all day or longer. I only was able to do the front pane of the 8'er (in and out) 6 or seven times before my arms gave out.

7. Concentrating on one area too much will create an optical distortion. Much like a big lens, light will be noticeably distorted if you are not careful. I will do a concentrated area and then follow up with the whole pane again.

8. Start just buffing the whole pane 2 or three times. Look for remaining scratches and then concentrate on them. Usually, the sand line and water line need 90% of the grease.

9. NOVUS is amazing stuff. You will be blown away at how well it works. Before and after are night and day difference. Dont stress the small (hair line and crazing type) cracks as they will disappear when the tank is filled.

10. Anybody who says "Oh that's too bad there's that slight imperfection in the viewing pane" instead of being impressed with the livestock should be asked to leave.

Now to clean up the Aquacontroller III PRO and all the probes.

10. Anybody who says "Oh that's too bad there's that slight imperfection in the viewing pane" instead of being impressed with the livestock should be asked to leave.



There you go! :)

Hey!

I had some friends over this weekend and managed to get some stuff done in the basement.

http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=211&pictureid=1258

This is the existing madness I am working with...

And this is the twin 550 up in it's new location.

http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=211&pictureid=1257

It sits exactly 48" off of the floor. I salvaged the original wood stands, cleaned them up and added additional bracing for good measure.
I had to add the row of 8" CMU blocks and the 2x8 P.T. top plates to make it a nice and stable base. Because the tanks are basically in my old garage, the floor is far from level. (Most garages have floors that facilitate water draining out the doors.) I had to do some creative shimming and I will fill gaps between shims with Great Stuff. I will do it just as I am filling to make sure I don't get over expansion.

I have to admit having the tank so high is AWESOME. Viewing pane from 4' to 7'. When sharks are swimming around above my head I think it will look really neat! It adds an entirely different feel to the tank and the room. I intend to raise the old 550 (other side of the room) up identically and get it perfectly inline with the one I'm bringing online now. Then I'll put the 8x3x3 550 in the middle and possibly a bit lower - probably 36" so viewing is easier while seated in the couches. The twins will be more like a bar height with 2 or 3 barstools and a 12" bar shelf along the front. The shelf will need to either be really strong so I can crawl on it to get up for maint. / feeding, or retractable/ removable/ fold-downable So I can get nice and close with the 6' ladder.

Any suggestions would be more than welcome.

Anyone see anything I've overlooked?

Thanks!

Luke

I read this thread and it depresses me that over here in the U.K my 4x2x1.5 is considered a big tank :(

cant wait to see a full wall shot when its done. That actually sounds awesome Full Wall Shot.

Hi Luke, we pm`d about me coming by but I have been busy and out of town. When you talked about coming by for the holiday weekend I didnt know what holiday you were talking about. Anyway everything is coming together great and I still want to stop by sometime.
Terry

:yay:

This is my new pair of Horn Sharks!

http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=211&pictureid=1326

http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=211&pictureid=1327

http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=211&pictureid=1325

Edit: This is the big new male Eppie!
Look at those claspers!
He came from a big breeding pool where by the looks of it, it was shark eat shark! Breeding these sharks is somewhat violent.

http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=211&pictureid=1329

Here is a pic at feeding time

http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=211&pictureid=1328

and here is the big green moray poking his head out for a look around

http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=211&pictureid=1330

Sorry that it's blurry, but staying out of the ER was my primary goal. I've been trying to get a good pic of the beast with his head out like 6 - 8" but it freaks me out that he may hop out and I'll be looking through a viewfinder.

Oh one day... sealed block room with a 5 x 10 viewing window. Ahhh...serenity. Who needs cable or satellite when you have friggen sharks?

So I am still alive and have started making more progress. I have buffed out the other 550 at least 4 more times since my last update. I was able to convince myself that it is as good as it is going to get. I'm probably just being a perfectionist here, but now is the time to do it if it's going to be done. In addition, I purchased some amazing Cuban pots with a beautiful patina for my eel exhibit. Kind of like the sunken galleon with the stack of scuttled urns amongst the rocks look... Knowing that god-knows-what was used for the color, I decided to buy some PolyGEM clear non-toxic coating material. I called the guys at ATM Las Vegas and asked what they used to seal the pay phone in the Tanked episode. Nice guys! Also, I removed most of my live rock and pressure washed the heck out of it on the driveway. Then I painstakingly balanced and leveled the big tank. From the pics you can see it is on a wooden stand which is shimmed by various pieces of wood stacked on CMU blocks. The room used to be my 2 car garage, and the floor is sloped such that water runs out the doors. This has been more than convenient for the few hundred gallons that is "misplaced" every year or two. Anyway, the leveling was one of the hardest parts of this process, but as I mentioned before, now is the time to do it right. A closed loop was installed in the overflow walls to accomodate some flow behind the rockwork and into the drain openings of the sunken pots to keep detritus to a minimum. The eel is pretty scary and I hope to rarely if ever have to get in with him. That means putting some serious forethought into the tank. Eventually, I have to finish this thing, so I have finally decided it's good enough and I'm going ahead. I have to get some pics updated and will post soon. Good to be back with ya!

Luke

I bet you were freaking out trying to make sure nothing leeched into the rocks. But it's been quite some time since the last update. How about some pics? :D

Moving the big green moray into his new pad!
Stay tuned for lots of pics!

Sorry it's been awhile but I have lots of progress to share.

Luke

:thumbs:

BIRMINGHAM!
Centre here. Close to Gadsden!!!!!! a LOCAL..

I thought I was at the NEXUS of the REEFING universe.... NO fellow reefkeepers around.....

!!!!!!

<--- close enough to help with stuff.. and non-stupid enough to not cause damage haha

b

http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/y524/hammolw/DSC_9888.jpg

Edit: http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/y524/hammolw/DSC_9887.jpg

http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/y524/hammolw/DSC_9890.jpg

http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/y524/hammolw/DSC_9894.jpg

http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/y524/hammolw/DSC_9895.jpg

http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/y524/hammolw/DSC_9903.jpg

What do you think?

Plumbing the whole wall to accommodate future expansions was one of the major tasks. At some point there will be a saltwater pond inside a 4 season porch behind the house. The way things are laid out, I can bring things on and off-line easily (or relatively so.) There is a 2" pressurized return manifold running along the back and side wall.

http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/y524/hammolw/DSC_9905.jpg

Then I have a 1" air manifold being supplied by a Pondmaster AP-40 which states it delivers 2900 cubic inches per min.

http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/y524/hammolw/DSC_9897.jpg

Each of the exhibits has (4) 3" bubble discs discretely placed inside the rock-work and along the back wall. It is nice to be able to maintain oxygenation in the tanks while work is being done on plumbing etc. with the return pump off. Also, the air pump only uses 40 watts of power and in the event of a power outage, will automatically turn on and run for 48+ hours on battery support. I do have a generator, but it's not an auto transfer unit. This system will be detailed in a future post.

http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/y524/hammolw/DSC_9898.jpg

Here you can see the 1" ball valve with the air line manifold. The 1" returns run to the base of the overflow weir and pass through 2 bulkheads. I have loc-line providing flow around the back, in the corners and even into the Cuban pots. There are drain holes in the bottom of each pot that were perfect for a 3/4" loc-line with eductor. This should keep the detritus build-up to a minimum.

Hanging plastic sheeting, cutting and mounting unistrut, leveling supporting and suspending the plumbing, you get the idea... It took me a quick minute!

And the best part - NOT A SINGLE LEAK! :yay:

Now for a couple dozen damsels, a cleaner shrimp or two and a big green brittle star.

http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/y524/hammolw/DSC_9901.jpg

Looking great Luke. We should have a remote field trip to see your setup one day. The Green Moray setup is really nice looking. Love the huge filter sock in the last pic.

wow so amazing !!!! you have been working hard on this!!! good job

i think hes nuts haha

looking impressive though!

Wow!!! Way to represent for Alabama!!! I'm in Montgomery, AL...

Very nice, love the Moray set up.

Thanks for all the compliments!
I fed the big greenie a good bit 4 days before I moved him, knowing that a hunger strike was likely. If you feed them within a day or two of moving or stressing them out, they will just regurgitate their last meal (from experience...) The first day I left the light off and let him get settled in. I should have expected it, but the eel basically moved in under the rocks and proceeded to "flex his muscle." He literally shifted a 25lb pot and several large boulders with ease. In addition, 2 of the 4 bubble discs were popped free from their air lines. Not looking forward to trying to attach them... (Looking for volunteers!) The great news is HE ATE! A lot! I typically feed every 4 or 5 days and he was very interested in all of the activity. I was concerned that he would freak out moving from a tub to an acrylic display with so much more visible activity. Turns out he is a ham and I catch him checking out my dogs and stretching out like a champ!
All things considered, I am elated with the transfer and the new setup. I'm glad that it is well received here in reef land... I acknowledge that this is very different type of display than you reefers are used to.

If anyone has any good ideas for tank-mates for the eel I am all ears.
Especially if you have seen a large specimen in the area lately.
My rules are:
If it dies it cant foul the entire system within a day - puffers
it cant be highly venomous - stonefish blue ring octo etc. - lion fish are more like a hornet sting I'm told, not like lop off an arm or fly in $20K anti-venom kind of sting.
I refuse to spend more than $2-300 on a specimen.
Probably forgot something...

Thanks again my friends!

Luke