Thanks. You are one of the people who inspired me to go for it.
A Capital Dream - 400g SPS build
- Thread starter rockworm
- Start date
Thanks. You are one of the people who inspired me to go for it.
I previously mentioned that I wanted the lights to be accessible. The easiest way for me to do this was mount them from the ceiling on sliding door hardware. The plan was to mount the kits parallel to each other and hang the light rack from them.
System accomplished
This was a challenge. It is important that both rails be square to the wall and equidistant between each other at all points on the length, otherwise the rack would snag up and not travel the full length.
I spent a lot of time measuring and remeasuring before everything was snugged down.
The rails are supported on a 1.5" thick board. I could not get a 2 x 6 that was not twisted. I used poplar hardwood and pine. The poplar 1" would probably have worked by itself, but I added a little extra for greater strength. The wood that is forefront in the picture is securely attached to the false header that you see. The wood in the background had top be set into the ceiling drywall had to be anchored. I was concerned about the weight pulling on the anchors, so I used 5 that are rated for 200 lbs each. That ought to hold for a while. I should note that the each barn door hardware kit is rated for 250 lbs.
The roller is a hang down type.
Everything is level, square and plumb. The track rolls very smooth.
System accomplished
This was a challenge. It is important that both rails be square to the wall and equidistant between each other at all points on the length, otherwise the rack would snag up and not travel the full length.
I spent a lot of time measuring and remeasuring before everything was snugged down.
The rails are supported on a 1.5" thick board. I could not get a 2 x 6 that was not twisted. I used poplar hardwood and pine. The poplar 1" would probably have worked by itself, but I added a little extra for greater strength. The wood that is forefront in the picture is securely attached to the false header that you see. The wood in the background had top be set into the ceiling drywall had to be anchored. I was concerned about the weight pulling on the anchors, so I used 5 that are rated for 200 lbs each. That ought to hold for a while. I should note that the each barn door hardware kit is rated for 250 lbs.
The roller is a hang down type.
Everything is level, square and plumb. The track rolls very smooth.
scubadan206
Member
Subscribed.
I like the mad science realm.:twitch:
I like the mad science realm.:twitch:
Thanks. lol. I plan to clean that up. However, it is not a priority because it all works. Plus no one would dare touch anything for fear of it blowing up.[emoji95]
Thanks. Got to get you over real soon.
Time to look at the light rack. Here is the full foundation of the light rack (ignore the diagonal perforated metal at the far right that parallels the t5 end caps. It got in the picture because I did not notice it.). I will incorporate a wood frame on it after the tank is on the stand.
As discussed previously, the rack is mounted to the barn door sliders and pulls out fully from over the tank.
The light rack is made up of two elements. First is a rectangular frame that suspends from the rails. Second is a floating rack (not secured) that sits in the rectangular frame. I will be installing a couple pulleys that will allow me to lift the front face of the rack upward to provide access to the tank. The back face of the frame will act as a fulcrum to allow the front to lift.
I said previously that there will be supplemental lighting. I mounted four of the four foot T5 retros on each side with the Reefbrite LED's in between the two rows. All of these units are fairly light, so I screwed them to 1" pine strips/ The T5 ballasts were mounted on the back side of the pine.
It is the T5's that sit on the strips. The LED's are set in between the strips to provide for the passive cooling they use. I just added a simple cross support that they screw into.
You can see that the lights are angled into the tank. I just used two different length corner braces to attach them to the aluminum cross members.
The short brace is on the inside and keeps the side closer to the MH's. Th longer brace is used to drop the outside. this should help reduce the shadowing that the Lumenbrights create.
Here you can see the effect of this design.
And if you look real close on the left you can see some of the Lumenbright pendants (on top of the freezer that currently has 15 lbs of Bacon and other meats, i think. I just know that it has Bacon.:bounce2:
The wiring for the T5's and LED's will exit at the left of the tank and will be set up on Profilux timers.
And that is the light rack. At this point, I have no idea what colour T5's I will use. I will defer that to another day.
As discussed previously, the rack is mounted to the barn door sliders and pulls out fully from over the tank.
The light rack is made up of two elements. First is a rectangular frame that suspends from the rails. Second is a floating rack (not secured) that sits in the rectangular frame. I will be installing a couple pulleys that will allow me to lift the front face of the rack upward to provide access to the tank. The back face of the frame will act as a fulcrum to allow the front to lift.
I said previously that there will be supplemental lighting. I mounted four of the four foot T5 retros on each side with the Reefbrite LED's in between the two rows. All of these units are fairly light, so I screwed them to 1" pine strips/ The T5 ballasts were mounted on the back side of the pine.
It is the T5's that sit on the strips. The LED's are set in between the strips to provide for the passive cooling they use. I just added a simple cross support that they screw into.
You can see that the lights are angled into the tank. I just used two different length corner braces to attach them to the aluminum cross members.
The short brace is on the inside and keeps the side closer to the MH's. Th longer brace is used to drop the outside. this should help reduce the shadowing that the Lumenbrights create.
Here you can see the effect of this design.
And if you look real close on the left you can see some of the Lumenbright pendants (on top of the freezer that currently has 15 lbs of Bacon and other meats, i think. I just know that it has Bacon.:bounce2:
The wiring for the T5's and LED's will exit at the left of the tank and will be set up on Profilux timers.
And that is the light rack. At this point, I have no idea what colour T5's I will use. I will defer that to another day.
Time to take a break from the build and take a small look at my current 220g. I can't quite figure out how to take good pictures, so I only have a few that look very good. I used my Samsung S5 for these. I do own a Nikon D80, but I bought it for my daughter's use. I now have it, but haven't a clue how to use it properly. One of these days I will dig out the manual. :worried:
Mandatory FTS
I know, bottom few inches is clouded by coraline algae. Did I mention how much I dislike a 30" tall tank.
My little dragon corner. green and red.
An unknown smooth skin. It is more gray with blue tips than the picture shows.
Pink nauti
Following are a couple SPS with serious polyp extension.
A nice orange setosa
Close up for polyps
Mandatory FTS
I know, bottom few inches is clouded by coraline algae. Did I mention how much I dislike a 30" tall tank.
My little dragon corner. green and red.
An unknown smooth skin. It is more gray with blue tips than the picture shows.
Pink nauti
Following are a couple SPS with serious polyp extension.
A nice orange setosa
Close up for polyps
Rybren
Well-known member
Ward,
Thanks for having me over today. I can't wait to see the 400 filled with water and especially livestock.
The 220 looks great. The fish are all fat and happy and you've got some serious colour going on in your corals.
Thanks for the Red Dragon. It's an awesome piece and is a great addition to my tank. I've got it down low for now.
Cheers,
Jerry
Thanks for having me over today. I can't wait to see the 400 filled with water and especially livestock.
The 220 looks great. The fish are all fat and happy and you've got some serious colour going on in your corals.
Thanks for the Red Dragon. It's an awesome piece and is a great addition to my tank. I've got it down low for now.
Cheers,
Jerry
Today I take a break from the 400g build because Santa paid a little visit.
I received 2 Mitras LX 6200 LED's that I will be using over the 75g. I was one of the people that jumped into the LED arena when the PFO Solaris was introduced. I have the Solaris H4 unit without the power supplies and a second unit without the power supplies (warranty) that was sent for parts. They are taking up space and I am not sure what I will do with them. I will probably find a local reefer, who likes to tinker with LED, and give them to him/her.
I have been reluctant to use LEDs because MH with T5 provides proven light for SPS. Hence the reason I am going with this combination over the 400g. I decided to experiment with LEDs again and bought the GHL Mitras. Yes, I could have gone with cheaper lights, but I am a fan of Profilux and have had it since 2009.
I also got the PLM-PWC, the Mitras wireless addition for Profilux so that I can control the lights through the controller.
Each morning I go to the basement to take a quick look at the controller display to check the sensor readings. I could fire up the laptop, but it takes too long to fire up. (Cheap, actually very cheap laptop). Now, I will admit that if I can find an easier softer way, I will. So Santa delivered a Profilux Touch. The Touch can be setup remotely and has the ability to display all the information I need, without having to take that strenuous stair exercise each morning. Awesome technology. :lolspin:
The new Profilux equipment will be used on the 75g.
For the 400g, I received a Gyre 150. This will give me two 150's (one in 220g now) plus two Tunze 6101's (in 220g) for water movement. I also bought 4 1.5" bulkheads (I forgot to get the 1" I need, doh, so I will pick them up locally), 20 feet of 1/2" acrylic rod for scaping, Luxcore ballast (150w-250w), Radium 250w bulb and two 72" x 36" mesh screen for the tank cover.
Now I am off to work on the 75g. This way I can procrastinate on cleaning up the room that will house the 400g.
I received 2 Mitras LX 6200 LED's that I will be using over the 75g. I was one of the people that jumped into the LED arena when the PFO Solaris was introduced. I have the Solaris H4 unit without the power supplies and a second unit without the power supplies (warranty) that was sent for parts. They are taking up space and I am not sure what I will do with them. I will probably find a local reefer, who likes to tinker with LED, and give them to him/her.
I have been reluctant to use LEDs because MH with T5 provides proven light for SPS. Hence the reason I am going with this combination over the 400g. I decided to experiment with LEDs again and bought the GHL Mitras. Yes, I could have gone with cheaper lights, but I am a fan of Profilux and have had it since 2009.
I also got the PLM-PWC, the Mitras wireless addition for Profilux so that I can control the lights through the controller.
Each morning I go to the basement to take a quick look at the controller display to check the sensor readings. I could fire up the laptop, but it takes too long to fire up. (Cheap, actually very cheap laptop). Now, I will admit that if I can find an easier softer way, I will. So Santa delivered a Profilux Touch. The Touch can be setup remotely and has the ability to display all the information I need, without having to take that strenuous stair exercise each morning. Awesome technology. :lolspin:
The new Profilux equipment will be used on the 75g.
For the 400g, I received a Gyre 150. This will give me two 150's (one in 220g now) plus two Tunze 6101's (in 220g) for water movement. I also bought 4 1.5" bulkheads (I forgot to get the 1" I need, doh, so I will pick them up locally), 20 feet of 1/2" acrylic rod for scaping, Luxcore ballast (150w-250w), Radium 250w bulb and two 72" x 36" mesh screen for the tank cover.
Now I am off to work on the 75g. This way I can procrastinate on cleaning up the room that will house the 400g.
Dont know why some earlier pictures came out as giants. I had resized them, but they still come as monsters. Probably user error.
Teaser time. I spoke with the builder today. The tank will be crated and shipped Friday. It will take 3 to 5 days to get it, so I will probably have it here by mid-week next week.
Here is what it looks like so far:
Need less to say, I am now getting excited. Still lots to be done before it arrives, but now I have an idea of when it will arrive.
Teaser time. I spoke with the builder today. The tank will be crated and shipped Friday. It will take 3 to 5 days to get it, so I will probably have it here by mid-week next week.
Here is what it looks like so far:
Need less to say, I am now getting excited. Still lots to be done before it arrives, but now I have an idea of when it will arrive.
Acrononomus
New member
Awesome ! Keep those updates coming!!!
I will, for sure. In the past, I have not kept any kind of journal. I wish I had because it always suprprises me how much things change over time. I remember the failures of some things in my first 90, the almost total velvet wipeout of the 220g when it was a FOWLR, the succrsses of finally growing SPS. Even through all that, the aquarium is a great comfort for both me and my wife.
Tomorrow is clean up the room day. It has been the workshop for the light rack and other stuff. I have to make room for the delivery. With any luck, I may also get the Mitras mounted over the 75g. I find the build challenge one of the more gratifying stages of the aquarium hobby.
Well I got some good news today. The tank is done and is being crated for shipment today. I received a few pictures from the builder.
This is the right side of the tank. You can see the external overflow with the 2 holes for the 1.5" drains and 1" return. The overflow has black acrylic to hide the plumbing. The overflow is 20" long and will be hidden inside cabinetry. The front 16" will be visible because I did not want to give up the full side view. The left side has been made the same way.
You can also see that the back is covered with black film om the outside.
Here are a couple more pictures:
The final countdown has begun. There are still more preparations for its arrival and I will be updating more this weekend.
This is the right side of the tank. You can see the external overflow with the 2 holes for the 1.5" drains and 1" return. The overflow has black acrylic to hide the plumbing. The overflow is 20" long and will be hidden inside cabinetry. The front 16" will be visible because I did not want to give up the full side view. The left side has been made the same way.
You can also see that the back is covered with black film om the outside.
Here are a couple more pictures:
The final countdown has begun. There are still more preparations for its arrival and I will be updating more this weekend.
I have had a busy few days and thought it time to catch up on what is going on. The tank stand is a little lower in the front than it is in the back so will have to be shimmed. However, I don't want to shim until the tank is on it because the stand may settle a little more. In preparation for the eventual leveling, I added shims on the inside.
The shims protrude out the front by about 1/8" to 1/4" so I can see where I placed them. I did this because I am hoping that I wont have to lift the stand bottom after the tank is in place. I know where the interior shims are and can mate them to shims from outside the stand.
And why don't I want to lift the bottom? Because there is 400 lbs of sand sitting on it.
I really do not want to move them again until I put it in the tank. In reality, 80 lbs of the sand will be used in the 75g.
The shims protrude out the front by about 1/8" to 1/4" so I can see where I placed them. I did this because I am hoping that I wont have to lift the stand bottom after the tank is in place. I know where the interior shims are and can mate them to shims from outside the stand.
And why don't I want to lift the bottom? Because there is 400 lbs of sand sitting on it.
I really do not want to move them again until I put it in the tank. In reality, 80 lbs of the sand will be used in the 75g.
I finally got the light rack pulley system set up.
It is a simple 2 pulley mechanic that makes lifting the light rack easier for me.
In the lifted state.
I now have some headroom for maintenance.
The core of the light rack is done and I am happy with it. It rolls forward and can be lifted making maintenance work much easier. I intend to create a finished wood frame so it looks more like furniture than a metal monster.
It is a simple 2 pulley mechanic that makes lifting the light rack easier for me.
In the lifted state.
I now have some headroom for maintenance.
The core of the light rack is done and I am happy with it. It rolls forward and can be lifted making maintenance work much easier. I intend to create a finished wood frame so it looks more like furniture than a metal monster.
Similar threads
