600 gal display/900+ gal build thread in the Chicago 'burbs.

[wmilas]

Miztic is coming over tonight to start the water testing. Things aren't 100% done but done enough I'll take some shots when I can, but I had a key logger install itself on my puter (my fault caught it before it was too late) and ended having to reinstall windows to be safe. I nneed to re-install photoshop so I can post some pics again

 

[wmilas]

Water is in the tanks! Well kind of. The Ro/DI unit is up and running starting to fill the fresh water bin. We tested the drain pumps and they work great. We ten filled the fuge and frag tanks and tested their loop back into the sump and that's working fine.

We then started filling the main tank with tap and its been over an hour now. Its so big its just taking forever. I'm going to have to stop it tonight and start it up tomorrow after work so I can play with the water levels in the sump with overflow on pump shutoffs ect.

After that I'll make the skimmer platform and then I'll be ready for sand and rock!

Also my lights shipped today so I should have them hopefully the end of the week. I'm starting to get excited

I took pictures but I can't post them until I reinstall photoshop

 

[erics3000]

Wohooo.. I cant wait to see your new pics...This whole build is to much for words................

 

[EnglishRebel]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13851925#post13851925 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by wmilas
I'll take some shots when I can, but I had a key logger install itself on my puter (my fault caught it before it was too late) and ended having to reinstall windows to be safe. I nneed to re-install photoshop so I can post some pics again

That's one of the reasons I switched to a Mac back in January. Much better OS IMO. I can also run Windows using a virtual machine inside Macs OS (Leopard) called Parallels. I called Adobe and they switched my Windows Photoshop to a Mac version for a reasonable cost.

 

[wmilas]

Well, I'm a linux man and use linux for almost everything. The one thing I can't use it for is Photoshop. I could run photoshop in a virtual machine but the problem is linux has no standard for work flow color correction. I'm very anal about the real pictures I take and not being able to manage real color profiles drives me insane... whats on the screen is NOT what comes out of my high end printer.

This will all go away as soon as nvidia and the rest of the card manufacturers pull their heads out of their @%^!#$#$es and make it so the graphics cards can handle the virtualization at the hardware level so stuff just "works". Right now when you use a virtual machine the inside of the virtual machine uses a "generic" card because it does not have direct access to the underlying hardware. This means no accelerated 3d, no nifty color correction, ect.

 

[EnglishRebel]

Yes Parallels is the same - it uses a "virtual" video card driver. This is why I use BootCamp to boot to Vista for games or AutoCAD. I have Vista on a separate hard drive in my Mac Pro so it's completely separate from Leopard.

 

[Dante_JoseCuerv]

Parallels, VMware, it's all the same basic idea... but I've switched to SuSe and Kubuntu due to my mac taking too many trips to the apple store due to failed hardware and crashing software... I just wish linux had a more universal installer available to it, and a slightly easier terminal to use... sometimes all that typing gets annoying.

Either way, hope to see some pics of this soon WMilas, loving the build.

 

[wmilas]

Completely filled the tank up and tested the backflow into the sump. I only had 2 small leaks, one of which was a misaligned union. The other is a slow drip off of a overflow bulkhead. I think a shot or two of silicone once its drained will fix it.

I started pumping out the tanks but I wont be able to finish it tonight. tomorrow I'll finish then start construction on the skimmer stand and start making small preparations to quiet things down a bit. The splashing racket was a little intense

My lights passed customs and are in Detroit somewhere. I should get them by Friday.

I went over to Bulk Reef Supply to buy a bunch of base rock and wouldn't you know, they are all out. NOW that I'm finally ready for the stuff I can't buy it

I guess I'll keep working on the electrical and lighting and start up the quarantine tanks when I can and at least get those things running.

 

[joe1584]

try macro rock basically the same as the bulk reef supply rock

 

[jyesum]

Just got done reading your entire thread. I am very impressed with your fabrication skills. Great educational thread and great install. Keep up the good work.

 

[kawicivic]

there is a thread in reef discussion about marco rocks that was dug up recently and there have been some Cust service issues with it recently. Someone said that the rock exports have been stopped until spring. They also posted a link for a place called livestockusa.com which is down until spring. Could be coincidental that the website is down until then, rock could be their only product (does not look to be the case from the homepage that is shown), or could be someone trying to knock marco rock. Completly unbiased based on what I have read: Marco rock has some nice stuff but is hit or miss on customer service. I really think it depends on how soon a shipment comes in after your order. The people that are lucky enough to get their order in before its sold out do well but it seems like shipments are far between and he has not been meeting demand as of late. Some people have said they have luck calling him and others have said they just get excuses.

Have you tried contacting BRS to see when they expect more rock in? Also just start watching the CMAS forum as I have seen quite a bit of rock going up for sale in the recent past. Decent pricing as well. By the time you finished the massive cycle that dry rock goes through you could probably stock the tank with established rock (only downside is if you were going dry rock to avoid pests)

 

[wmilas]

Kawicivic: good info. Couple of points.

I too read the threads about Marco rocks poor service. I don't need that headache, I'll be staying away.

I emailed BRS and haven't heard back from them. Maybe I'll give them a call today.

I really wanted to go with dead base rock with 40-80 lbs of live rock as seed. Why? As you mentioned I don't want the pests. In a tank this size the pests can be a complete can of worms. I'm going to have to cycle the live rock in either my sump or tank as I don't have the room or the desire to have tubs all over the place. I know if I cycle that amount of live rock all at once I'll have issues trying to find all the pests on it.

If I have to I might go up to the two brothers place in Lombard and have them order me cases of live rock. Thats last resort though as I don't want the pests.

The other issue is the Pukani and Shelf rock at BRS looks awesome. The ability for me to take my time and sculpt my sand and structures DRY before filling the tank up is HUGE.

Or I could go a third route and buy and pick rock slowly and just build it up over time.

 

[paulthomas]

I've bought Marco Rocks rock in the past and know MANY others who have as well. Their stuff is the best. I have never heard about any bad customer service issues. I do know that quality dry rock has been extremely tough to find as of late, but I don't know how that pertains to Marco Rocks' customer service. I suggest that you contact them directly if you have any questions/concerns rather than solely go by what's posted on the net.

http://www.marcorocks.com/

Paul

 

[Bax]

If you do go with dry base rock, do not under estimate the time it will take to cure that base rock. I have purchased base from two sources and found the same issue. It really has a LOT OF DEAD ORGANICS!!!!!!!

I have some MARCO , about 50 pounds, in a isolated tank with a skimmer for about 10 months now, no live stock, and my skimmer still pull out gunk. It is definitely better than 9 or 10 months ago , but still gunk!

I also blame the HIROCKS I used in an old 75 g for MAJOR cyano issues. So base rock may not have critter pests, but expect pest algae if you don't cure it well.

BTW, I just love this build! Just AWESOME!!!

 

[wmilas]

I sent an email to marcorocks to see the availability. We'll see what he says.

I ordered 80 lbs of the Caribsea lace to see what that stuff looks like. Was a little over a buck a pound so if its crap I'll just toss it

 

[xXReefXx]

very nice reef tank!!

 

[erics3000]

My 2 shelves were from Marco rocks. he sent me pictures and i was able to choose the shelves that I wanted. That is where i first realized 30 isnt wide enough for my preference.

Ther are a few places in Florida that has some nice base for about 2 a lb. Google it... if I find any i will post some links. You know i have too





hows the pc ..any new pics? hhahah

 

[Oldtimer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13670229#post13670229 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by wmilas

Filter tower. Top is Fuge (65 Gallon), 2nd and 3rd are 40 gallon breeders. The middle is a frag tank that can be isolated from the system. The bottom is a dedicated isolation for fish. Everything will be strictly treated before entering the main display.

I'm planning to pick-up some Birch ply tomorrow so I can make some shelves for my frag tank, fuge, skimmer and holding tank. I just took a look at your setup and I'm curious how you are securing your middle platform to the vertical studs. Did you use dowels or mortise the joints? Or just glue & screw it?

 

[wmilas]

I used pocket hole joints for everything. The only pace I did not use pock holes is I ran 2x4's along the back drywall and used screws straight through them into the studs. Everywhere else where there is a butt joint I used pocket holes. (Kreg jig and kreg screws) Used 2 pockets per butt joint.

Mortise might be slightly stronger but no way I was going to spend that much time on a utility shelf . I also would never screw parallel though the grain like some people do on a butt joint (unless doing something special like a pocket where the scewhead is perpendicular to the parallel fibers which holds the one side, and the screw itself is perpeduclar to the fibers on the piece its screwed into) Its asking for trouble as it splits the wood and that joint WILL eventually fail when its under stress.

 

[Oldtimer]

Ahh, Kreg jig. That's better. I've been meaning to get one of those for a while. When I first looked at the picture above, I thought you had screws running parallel with the grain which really concerned me since you'll have a few hundred pounds of water on that shelf. I agree that a mortise is way to much time for something like this even if it's stronger.

I like how you anchored the rear of the shelves to the studs in the wall. It sure opens up the sides for working room.

Are you planning to have your fuge return directly to the display? I'm wondering since it's on the top shelf. I intend to do so with mine. Nice food source for the reef.