370G Tank Preview

TapeWorm said:
Hey reefboy,

Can i ask why you went with 250's instead of 400's?

Power consumption and versatility - I like the 250w MH/actinic VHO combo. I can mix and match the kelvin ratings as there are more options on 250w MH.

Also, because the of the front/back depth (46"), I wanted to have 2 rows of MH fixtures. I thought that it would be overkill to have 400w'ers. I also think that the replacement costs will be cheaper with 250w bulbs as I see the prices dropping faster for those.

I really wanted to go with the Lumenarc reflectors, but their size didn't allow me to use 2 rows and they don't have good enough coverage for just one row.

I was also worried about the heat...

Art
 
Here are a few pics of the DIY lights. I still have some clean up to do and cables to dress into the pillar, but at least they all fired up. After this, I think all that's left is to put the tank in place and finish up the plumbing...

Remember, these racks will be covered up by cabinetry eventually. There are three individual racks: the outer two racks have 3 MH Reefoptix pendants and 2 48" VHO's attached. The center one has 3 48" VHO's.

Front shot:
Front.JPG


Heres a close up of the MH pendant:
Top.JPG


Right side of the racks:
Rt_side.jpg


Underneath (the front rack is somewhat askew because the cables aren't dressed yet:
Underneath.JPG
 
reefboy1,
how wide is your overflow to fit the tunze in? I'm planning to do the same and would like to know.
 
greg65 said:
Some might argue that mdf or hdf will swell when wet....which is true. This is why we laminate it in plastic laminate (formica type material).

Melamine is a particle board covered in a pressure thermo foil. The foil is extremely thin. The nice thing about it is IF the edges are sealed, the material is pretty water resistant, and can be used.

Hey all,

Greg, is having the MDF laminate or melamine fully sealed really crucial? Will they really warp if water touches them. I only ask because I was in home depot tonight (I know you don't buy from them :) ) and there was this sheet of MDF just calling me to it. I was sooo going to buy it because my stand is coming in late this week, but it wasn't laminated. I then thought i better go home and ask greg, lol. So what do you think? Is it a resonable risk? Thanks.

Paul
 
Loup,

The smallest Tunze compartment is about 4.5" x 8". The 8" is mostly to accomodate the 2" bulkheads at the botom. The port in the face that the nozzle will poke through is 2.5" dia.

Art
 
Paul,

"really crucial"............................................. thats a loaded question.
I guess my answer would have to be YES. The material wont "warp" , it will swell up. We used to joke about saving money by buying 1/2" mdf and then leaving it in the rain till it became 3/4" :^)
I would use a marine plywood before i would use raw (unlaminated) MDF. Marine plywood is bucks though.
-greg-

Looking good Art!
 
Thanks Art,
Where do you go to get your lumber? They have some pressure treated stuff that they won't cut. How does regular plywood hold up? Maybe I should find a lumber yard.
Paul
 
kimoyo06 said:
Thanks Art,
Where do you go to get your lumber? They have some pressure treated stuff that they won't cut. How does regular plywood hold up? Maybe I should find a lumber yard.
Paul
Sorry, that should have been a thanks greg :)
reefboy1 said:
Paul,

I think alot of people use regular 3/4" plywood from HD. Just be sure to seal it.

Art
Thanks Art,
What do you mean by seal it? Paint it?
Paul
 
reefboy1 said:
Paul,

I think alot of people use regular 3/4" plywood from HD. Just be sure to seal it.

Art

I was thinking about doing that with some foam. But after you guys mentioned the MDF, I went in to HD and it felt so smooth. Are you guys planning on putting foam inbetween the tank and MDF? I was also looking at the formica stuff and considering ordering some of that, but didn't know if it would be strong enough.
 
kimoyo06 said:
I was thinking about doing that with some foam. But after you guys mentioned the MDF, I went in to HD and it felt so smooth.

There's sheets of formica back where the countertops are. The glue's right next to it. You could buy a couple sheets and cover the mdf w/ it. Only problem is a 4x8 sheet of formica is $40 something each. So it's not cheap unless you're doing a small project. HD also only carries 3/4 mdf. I may try to find some thick melamine if nothing else.
 
Paul,

Yeah, paint it with some water resistant paint.

I do plan to put a sheet of styrofoam between the tank and the stand for extra protection...I'm not sure it's needed as the top is _completely_ smooth...Greg did an awesome job on this (again, it's really ashame to cover it up).

Things are really starting to progress now...This weekend I found a spare hour and finished running the pipes under the house and up into the fishroom. This week I should be able to finish installing the sump, return pump (Dart), Calc Reator and Aquacontroller. Once all that's done the last thing left is to invite a few reefer buddies over to help put the stand in place.

Wish me luck.

Art
 
Hey Art,
Yeah goodluck with it and sorry to hijack the thread for a minute.

Hey Mikeo1210,
Yeah I saw the formica sheets and glue but money, effort, and time didn't seem worth it. It would be easier to just to custom order it since it is that much.

I think the plywood and painted would be the best option right now. Thanks guys.

Paul
 
Got a bit more work done on the fish room. This is the closet in my garage that holds the sump for the new 375gal and my existing 215gal. I totally remodeled it for the new sump.

There are two 2" drains (far left) and one 2" return that go down into the crawlspace and 25' to the tank. No baffles. I plan to put filter socks on the drains to control detritus and microbubbles - if that fails then I'll have to retrofit it. A Bubbleking 400 will sit in the middle with any luck.

I still have to dress the power cables and some of the hoses so excuse the mess.

Here's a pic of both sumps - the left side is the new (still dry) 105gal sump and the right side is the existing 75gal sump with H&S skimmer and refugium up top with a 57w UV and calc reactor.
fishroom6-05.JPG


Close up of the left side:
new_sump.JPG


A shot of the Schuran Jetstream 1.
CA_reactor.JPG


Close up of the plumbing on the Sequence Dart return pump:
pump.JPG
 
Keep up the good work. I can't wait to start on my 380 which is sitting in storage. I get my new house on 14th. Then the fun begins.
 
gfk, no the tank isn't placed yet. I still need to finish up running the duct's under the house for the ventilation system - then the site will be ready.

Here are a couple pics of the live rock I've been cooking since late Jan. There's about 600lbs of fiji, tonga and base rock in there...Extremely clean now. It looks somewhat bleached out in the pics, but there is still good color and a surpising amount of coraline growth. This rock will fill my 215gal softy and 370gal SPS tanks.

lr1.JPG


lr2.JPG


Sometimes when I look at this rock it seems like there's not nearly enough and other times it looks like way too much...Well, I'll find out soon enough.

Art
 
Thanks Chris - your advise really helps. Primer truely makes a difference (I found the clear stuff at Ewing). The pieces looked fused together. I never get that fused look without primer.

Art
 
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