75g Reef Build

[papagimp]

Let me start by saying.. "it's not my fault"

By helping out a fellow reefer who needed to get rid of some livestock in a hurry, I've been fortunate enough to inherit sufficient rock/sand/livestock/stuff to toss together a new tank. Jess and I planned on upgrading the 58g to one of our 75g's but with all the new aquisitions we decided to just start a second project Yippee!!!!

 

[Lytehouse]

It only a matter of when, not if :lmao:

 

[papagimp]

It only a matter of when, not if :lmao:

as often as I preach that to newbies and I still fell for it myself Love it!

I've got pictures going and all for the sump I'm making for this tank, I'll get them posted after I get it all completed. Cut the glass baffles last night (remembering once again why I like to use the plexi glass instead, who would have though the manufacturer was serious when he said "caution, edges are sharp" ) I'll be getting them in place this evening after the meeting. Going uber simple, return pump and skimmer sections only so bascially just a 3 baffle bubble trap and plenty of room left for customization later on but the plan is to integrate either a stand alone refugium or work up the nifty algae scrubber I had planned. Most likely gunna to ATS since I wanna start culturing some pods anyways when I get my phyto cultures going again. Hopefully I can get the tank drilled tonight as well. We are actually drilling and plumbing another 'spare' 75g and we'll end up transfering the contents of the one I pictured to this. Everyone should have a couple spare 75's around lol, they come in handy in a pinch.

 

[papagimp]

Leaking bulkhead.... and to top it off, Jess told me ahead of time "I think that's gunna leak, it' needs another gasket right their!" and sure enough.... aarrrrrrrrggggg.

 

[ghellin]

So full speed ahead on the 75 poor poor 58

 

[papagimp]

lol, the 58g is doing great I'm kinda at a standstill on it though until I upgrade the lighting, but even being what it is, the leathers seem to be doing well under them. I did have to rob the skimmer though, which I'm okay with for now, getting the ATS going and put together a few "carbon reactors" last night from some pvc fittings. Once I do a last leak test this evening, the 75g should be completed, then I can get back to my 58 (I did strategically keep the 58g in the living room, so naturally I'm going to want that setup looking as good as I can get it)

 

[papagimp]

Siliconed in some baffles. Drilled for a 1" bulkhead for the incoming water from my overflow, added in the mag12 return pump (little big but I'll give it plenty of head loss until i find an appropriate replacement)

Drilled for a 1" bulkhead, and using the overflow box from an eshoppes external overflow, simply triple gasketed in a 'reef ready' system to my 75g. The standpipe thingy is simply added for modification at a later date when I decide how I'm going to do it up properly.

Put together this 2" pvc 'tube' to hold carbon. Used some filter floss in the ends, filled er up and ta-da, a carbon reactor.

Family helping out

And finally, finishing touches on the aquascaping, some coral placement, and pretty much finished. Had to fiddle around with all bulkheads though due to some small leakage, everything good as of this morning though.

 

[Lytehouse]

nice modifications and fabrications

 

[papagimp]

thanks I wanted to go cheaper than buying several of the BRS reactors, although I love the look of them, Hopefully this will work out just as nicely. I really love the idea of using that external overflow (inside section) for the overflow. Got that idea from Ryan (RCPauf) tank, he had done similar and aside from having to triple gasket the thing, not to shabby and I didn't have to permanently do anything other than the bulkhead hole, which Im really wishing I had gone a tad bigger. A 1" bulkhead is very limiting for flow rate, even though I was kinda hoping for a smaller than typical flow rate through the sump anyways. I still have to shorten the return line for an exact fit, right now theirs probably 5-6' of hose coiled up behind the tank to add to the headloss since that mag12 pushes about twice what the overflow can handle. But between the hoses, and the reactors, theirs not too much flow in the tank, in fact, I could use some bigger koralia's for sure.

one fun aspect that you can't tell from the pics, this tank is extremely close to my bed, so I can lay down and stare at my fishies The sump/overflow noise reminds me of one of those 'waterfall on cd' things and actually is rather soothing when I went to bed last night lol. (I should make a CD with "reef tank sounds" for us horrifically addicted fish nerds lol)

 

[pierced_rainbow]

Here are a few updated pics of the tank.

 

[lauremf2002]

Lookin good!