210G Upgrade / Build (Lots of Pics)

[dubes08]

looking really good ! ! !

 

[James404]

I tried to order through Felix and got nothing but the run around. He never kept his promises and I got sick of begging for service. I don't know if he's just really busy or what. I ended up going through leemar.

This doesn't sound like felix at all, perhaps he was very busy at the time. It is just him and his father that build the tanks from what I know. When I ordered mine he must have spent over an hour on the phone with me discussing the tank. We have talked multiple times since then to go over details.

 

[michael_in_nc]

I agree with James. That has been my experience as well. I think over the last couple of months his business has really exploded. I'm guessing he's having some growing pains, but my experience has been top notch.

 

[michael_in_nc]

The molding is going to change from the first mock-up. It's going to be a little "lighter". Not quite as thick and probably built to wrap over the top of the "skin". The end panels are together, doors, and the walnut frame are all done. Hardware is in, too. Mostly finish work at this point on the stand. Molding, sanding, assembly, finish.

Thanks, dubes. Where in MO? I grew up in central MO.

 

[aquaph8]

This doesn't sound like felix at all, perhaps he was very busy at the time. It is just him and his father that build the tanks from what I know. When I ordered mine he must have spent over an hour on the phone with me discussing the tank. We have talked multiple times since then to go over details.

I just talked to Felix finally. He sounds like a great guy and he explained the problems to me. Hopefully hes got all the kinks worked out now. Sorry to throw your thread off topic Michael. I hope your builds go really smoothly. I will be following both.

 

[michael_in_nc]

Aquaph8, no problem. Hope you find a tank that works well for what you're looking for...

 

[michael_in_nc]

Picture of the doors.

One of the doors showing the "bookmatching". I really like the way this turned out...

 

[michael_in_nc]

A shot of one of the door with the final milling work. Outside edge is rounded off and the back side is routed to make the door sit into the frame of the stand.

 

[michael_in_nc]

More stand pictures!

The end panel is removable. There are shelves inside to hold my electronic gear it's only about 6" deep, but will be sealed from the stand interior where the sump will sit. My current setup has humidity problems, so I wanted the electronics out of there. I also have fans for the sump interior to try and keep the humidity and temp in check.

 

[palmer373]

It's 1ft wider. 84 x 24 x 28.

245G.

eh i call that length not width but whatever :rollface: width to me is front-to-back. nice stand! 7 foot tanks interest me, they are 'odd' imo, stuck between 6 and 8 feet lol.

 

[michael_in_nc]

I don't think I've shown a shot of the new tank's home.

This is the living room right off the main entry. New tank will be where the current tank is located (75G). It will be moved to my son's room.

From the other side you can see the wall space better. It will definitely have an impact on the room, but there is plenty of space.

 

[HaleMoana]

It's going to look beautiful in that room. It is going to fit well in there!

 

[James404]

You have a beautiful home Michael. The tank is going to look really good in there.

 

[mattiej]

Michael, if you don't mind me asking but where did you get the MH system from? I will also be tagging along as I start my own 265 reef build. Basically I am using much the same equipment as you are but have not decided on the lighting. Will be nice to see what others are doing.

 

[michael_in_nc]

mattiej, the lighting is actually the piece that I've been the most unhappy with in terms of my decisions. On my 75G system, I went with an off brand MH / PC setup and it was built great and has worked great. I did the same thing this time around. I bought an Odessey (Aquatraders) fixture which is a cheap system (3 x 250W MH, & 4x96W PC). All electronic ballasts. Overall I think it will work fine, but the build quality is not there. The reflectors are not great (very flimsy) for one but the overall fixture is not very solid. I was considering LED, but it is still too new and expensive at the moment for my taste. Plus, I just really love the "shimmer" that MH gives. LED's are supposed to be close, but I don't think they are there yet.

My plan for now is to stick with the fixture I bought and maybe do some sort of DIY lighting project later. Maybe LED. We'll see. I'll need a new project later anyway once all this is done!

Check out James's build thread. He is working on a 225G, so it's close as well. I think he has a nice lighting setup.

 

[michael_in_nc]

Another stand picture. Looks like the top molding is the only thing left before finish work.

 

[pandimus]

Stand is looking nice, I like your choice of wood.

 

[pandimus]

approx how many boardfeet of wood is that gonna take?

 

[michael_in_nc]

pandimus, I think we're at about 60 board feet (for the walnut, not including the framing material) and don't have enough to complete the canopy. Will buy more soon as needed for the canopy.

RedXIII, the light is from aquatraders. I have fired it up and it worked fine, but since the tank's not up and running I can't give great feedback yet either way. I had a shipping issue that was mostly sorted out but not 100% by aquatraders. As I said, it's not built nearly as well as the more expensive fixtures. I saved a lot, so that may be the one piece that I upgrade down the road. I'll let you know how it works once everything is up and running.

 

[dzfish17]

Its been awhile since I've checked your progress. Everything is coming along nicely. I just bought an sro xp5000 skimmer and cant wait to see how it works. Im digging your stand too. Good job.