NewMariner
Reef Tank Aficionado
Interesting. So your using two 3/4" sheets for your top? Im only using one, along with the neoprene he sent.
A Low Country Reef Tank....one more final upgrade
- Thread starter SPotter
- Start date
Interesting. So your using two 3/4" sheets for your top? Im only using one, along with the neoprene he sent.
SPotter
Active member
Osama
New member
Interesting discussion on the stand and media between tank and stand. I'll chime in as a non fish stand expert: First we need to listen to the tank manufacturer recommendation and terms of warranty carefully. That being said the concept of neoprene or foam pad makes sense to me ( a retired power plant structural engineer) as it would compensate for any ever so slight imperfection in either surface. Minute imperfection become a point of localized stress concentration that can in some cases be damaging depending on...
NewMariner
Reef Tank Aficionado
Whats even more interesting is that Steve and I purchased almost the exact same size tank from the same manufacturer. Steve was told nothing goes under it, and I was told neoprene should go under it.
SPotter
Active member
Let me just clarify something....James said that I could put neoprene under the tank if I wanted to but didnt feel the need for it. Maybe he told Tony to put it under his tank because its a steel stand and mine is wood.
Osama, your tank is glass and there are different requirements for glass tanks and acrylic tanks. Im told that acrlyic because of its more flexible than glass will form to imperfections in a stand while glass will not. The need for foam under an acrylic tank is another one of those long standing debates here on RC and if you do a search I am sure you find just as many guys that say you have to have foam under acrylic as how many will say you dont.
Osama, your tank is glass and there are different requirements for glass tanks and acrylic tanks. Im told that acrlyic because of its more flexible than glass will form to imperfections in a stand while glass will not. The need for foam under an acrylic tank is another one of those long standing debates here on RC and if you do a search I am sure you find just as many guys that say you have to have foam under acrylic as how many will say you dont.
Osama
New member
Steve I forgot that your tank is acrylic and your point is correct IMO about acrylic is more flexible and also that wood is also more forgiving than steel to imperfections. All that being said why not still have an added insurance of putting a neoprene pad if OK with manufacturer and if it does not affect the look of what you are trying to achieve at the end... Most importantly we await the tank to be filled and see all the goodies swimming in that beautiful tank of yours ASAP
SPotter
Active member
I am hopeful the tank will be filled and running by early July but those hopes are starting to fade over the last couple of days as some issues with my new house have come up. First one is the cement floor in my garage. The masons didnt put in any control joints and the garage is 20x22 so thats one huge slab of concrete. They are now deciding whether or not they can just use a wet saw and cut them or if the entire floor needs to be jack hammered out and then repoured. The second issue was discovered last night and it has to do with the electrician and the additional outlets I had requested for the tank. I had asked for 2 separate 20a dedicated outlets where the tank will is and then 3 20a dedicated outlets where the fish room will be built. After looking over the panel last night I discovered that they only gave me one 15a outlet under the tank and one 15a breaker that controls two quad outlets where the fishroom will be. I should be ok with the one under the tank but concerned about the fishroom. They put the 20a breakers that I paid for in rooms like the guest bedroom, guest bathroom and in my dining room. So I have a few wrinkles to iron out.
Osama
New member
Man Steve I thought I had a worrisome contractor doing some remodeling at my home last year. It seems that it is more of the trend with contractors or what. Regarding the DT and fish room and on a better note, I asked for two separate circuits of 20a each and Matt agreed that is the best approach from day one AND although it took him a lot more work than he planned for, he was determined to get them circuits in all inside rigid conduits. And the tank with all the stuff I am running needs all that dedicated circuits. DT has two pumps each on its own circuit etc... Regarding your grand display opening we are patient and will wait for your big event whenever it is. Dedicated circuits with sufficients amps is a necessity.. Good Luck and Good Patience to all of us in this crazy hobby of ours. I am retired now working harder than before with my pay being enjoying a beautiful tank and meeting new hobbyists!!! Good luck with the electrical and the slab issue
Sorry to hear that. Hopefully they don't have to tear out your garage floor. I would probably push then to square away the electrical especially if it isn't that far of a run to the panel and you already paid for it. My three radiums plus a few jeabos peak out at around 10 amps and that isn't counting the t5s that I only run when the MH are off. I'm probably going to run a dedicated 20 amp circuit or two at some point. For you its never going to be easier as when that tank is empty. 
SPotter
Active member
A Low Country Reef Tank....one more final upgrade
Yeah I will need them to definitely with no doubt correct the outlet by the tan since I will powering 3x250 mh's with the possibility of a 4th or going up to 400w's down the road, 2 dolphin amp master 4750 pumps for the closed loops, any supplemental lighting and the two flowwolf diverters.
What really aggravates me is that they put two outlets double outlets behind the tank like I asked but they tied them into one breaker and it's only a 15a instead of a 20a.
Sorry to hear that. Hopefully they don't have to tear out your garage floor. I would probably push then to square away the electrical especially if it isn't that far of a run to the panel and you already paid for it. My three radiums plus a few jeabos peak out at around 10 amps and that isn't counting the t5s that I only run when the MH are off. I'm probably going to run a dedicated 20 amp circuit or two at some point. For you its never going to be easier as when that tank is empty.
Yeah I will need them to definitely with no doubt correct the outlet by the tan since I will powering 3x250 mh's with the possibility of a 4th or going up to 400w's down the road, 2 dolphin amp master 4750 pumps for the closed loops, any supplemental lighting and the two flowwolf diverters.
What really aggravates me is that they put two outlets double outlets behind the tank like I asked but they tied them into one breaker and it's only a 15a instead of a 20a.
anbosu
New member
Hopefully they don't have to re-run the wiring, but I'm guessing they will.
I agree you'll need more than 15A running metal halides.
SPotter
Active member
I'm hopeful they can just tap into the wiring for my dining room where they put a 20a breaker. It's on the other side if the wall where the fish room will be.
Engineers come tomorrow to look at the garage floor.
dave.m
Active member
Anti-mold/fungus stuff is added to materials that will be used indoors in kitchens and bathrooms, i.e. where there's lots of humidity. It doesn't make sense to me that egg-crate/light-diffuser would have it. Why would anyone spend the extra money to produce it?
I am guessing it is more likely that the white egg-crate reflects a lot of light and that it is chemically attractive as a growing site for some types of marine life, including algae.
Dave.M
I am guessing it is more likely that the white egg-crate reflects a lot of light and that it is chemically attractive as a growing site for some types of marine life, including algae.
Dave.M
SPotter
Active member
dave.m
Active member
Oops! Darn, there was a thread where someone was concerned that white egg-crate may be causing high phosphates and algae growth in their tank. I seem to have managed to post my reply in the wrong thread somehow. My apologies for the error and any confusion I may have caused.
Dave.M
Dave.M
SPotter
Active member
No worries :lolspin: I have heard the same thing about white egg crate leaching po4.
SPotter
Active member
Looks like I'm back on track. The builders structural engineers examined the garage floor on Friday and said that it was fine. I didn't feel comfortable with his answer so I consulted with 3 different engineers today and they all had the same opinion. The builder let me know that the garage floor falls under the structural warranty which is good for 10 yrs.
Now for the electrical issues....electrician came out Friday as well and after some crawling around under my house and digging thru my panel they will be able to give me a 20a and 15a breaker under the tank and two 15a breakers in the garage. This should be more than enough. So fish room construction begins on the 21st and hopefully by the end of June I'll have all of the plumbing done and some rodi flowing!
Now for the electrical issues....electrician came out Friday as well and after some crawling around under my house and digging thru my panel they will be able to give me a 20a and 15a breaker under the tank and two 15a breakers in the garage. This should be more than enough. So fish room construction begins on the 21st and hopefully by the end of June I'll have all of the plumbing done and some rodi flowing!
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