A Reef in the Sky

I love your ingenuity!

How did you end up doing your backdrop?

I've got a new 8' tank coming my way soon and I would like to do something similar
 
Happy Birthday Andrew! Have a good one! Hands off of those equips for the mean time and enjoy your day with friends and family! :)

That background is AMAZING!!!!!!!! Now you need to tell me who did that, I want one too! :D :D pls pm me the guys' info :)

Now I have more reason to visit hongkong this coming May!!! Loving your tank buddy! Its been my inspiration since its inception! :)
 
Firstly, thank you all for the PM's and messages wishing me a happy birthday. Very kind of you :celeb3: Although it was not the original plan, it was nice to see the tank in person for the first time on my B'day.

I have been looking all over to find that Light lifter. Is this the item that was used?

http://www.bofumotor.com/index_in.asp?id=16
Doesn't seem to be. There was a post a few pages back stating to Google "tubular winch/lifter" from memory.

Doesn't look exactly like the one he is using.... his has the 'windup track' for the wire.
Correct...

i love the background on the tank!!
Thank you. It was very difficult to get it done here in HKG. I even inquired at some shops in the US.

You rock dude!

Now I need to convince my wife we need to vacation in Hong Kong so I can check this bad boy out in person.

LOL! Thanks Clint, for sure. You can check out the 'fish street' too!

all I can say is......

Happy Birthday Andrew!!! :celeb1::celeb1:

(oh, and I'm subcribed to your amazing "vision"...:) )

C :)
Thank you very much.

I love your ingenuity!

How did you end up doing your backdrop?

I've got a new 8' tank coming my way soon and I would like to do something similar
Thanks, I created a what I was after on 'photoshop' (see a few pages back) then tried to find someone who could do it. The goal was to have it printed on sticky film (like contact for your school books, etc.). Ended up being rather cheap.

Happy Birthday Andrew! Have a good one! Hands off of those equips for the mean time and enjoy your day with friends and family! :)

That background is AMAZING!!!!!!!! Now you need to tell me who did that, I want one too! pls pm me the guys' info :)

Now I have more reason to visit hongkong this coming May!!! Loving your tank buddy! Its been my inspiration since its inception! :)
Thank you Vic. Mimi took care of the printing side. It was a big hassle for her as many shops said they could not do it but she managed to get it done.

Just like me, the plan is to have the tank finished for my birthday, April 7th. What a great birthday gift!
Thanks Thomas, good luck with it!

Very nice Andrew! Happy birthday btw ;)
Hope to see your project in person in about a few months :)
Leonardo
Thanks Leonardo, for sure. Keep me updated.
 
Delivery!!!

Yesterday afternoon finally arrived after many months of planning, re-planning and waiting for all the parts of this project to come together.

Below are some pictures but of course... more to follow.

My Vision
TankViewBackground.jpg


My Reality :bounce1::bounce2::bounce3:
RoomView2.jpg


Room shot... note: Reefers Best Salt (RBS) waiting patiently.
RoomView1.jpg


I am impressed that cabinet is exactly how I planned. Must have done something right :spin2:
DSCN3960.jpg


Rimless Shot
RightCorner.jpg


A long Rimless shot
RimShot.jpg
 
More Arrival Pictures

The rear side of the sliding doors. The sliding hinges, made in Japan but purchased in the US work just as planned.
Hinges.jpg


I didn't plan on having these magnetic clips but the builder insisted as it made the end door more stable.
MagneticClips.jpg


Waiting for ATO container and dosing stand/containers. The "French Cleat" hooks work as planned.
ATODosingSection.jpg


This was very important to my design. No pipes showing above and hopefully the CJ's will work nicely and quietly.
OverflowEyeLevel.jpg


Thanks to the great work of Chris at 'nautilusreef.com' everything fitted nicely. The reflection shows the small pump with check valve fitting nicely too.
InsideOverflow.jpg


As planned... holes drilled and waiting testing
Piping1.jpg


Most of the rocks should hide this
Piping2-1.jpg


Waiting to be covered with power boards and wires
PowerBoard.jpg


Just as planned with a slight modification due to the height of the return pump. Undo unions and slide the sump out. Simple right?
Plumbing1.jpg


Now the real fun begins very soon!
 
I am very impressed with your planning. Planning and seeing how much of your plan changes, or in other words is very exact is almost a hobby in itself.

You did a great job! Thank you for sharing your work :)
 
Amazing build! Love the great planning and attention to details and finish :) May I ask what material your cabinet doors are made of?
 
I like all of your hard work and dedication.
On a quick note this tank has many many many details that are simply excellent, one that I think might not work is the pump in the overflow to maintain flow at the base of the overflow and avoid that particular deadspot.

As a suggestion( perhaps the actual holes on the PVC may have to be bigger to accomodate for excess debris and so forth that may clog the holes( even against pressure)- the pump inside the overflow is genius but can you access it to address detritus and maintenance?
 
where can i get these led strip lights:dance:

Picked up some great Blue LED lighting which will be used on the setup.
Lights3.jpg


Lights1.jpg


Cool looking LED lights. Will these fasten to your ATI? If so, how? Where did you pick these up. I've got two T5 fixtures and would consider doing to same thing if they looked aesthetically pleasing on the fixture itself.

Thanks![/QUOTE]
 
mouth watering everything andrew! you did a great job from planning to realization!

mimi definitely did a very good job! she did your winch too right? im still thinking if im going to get a light lifter as i might have a light rack constructed
 
I am very impressed with your planning. Planning and seeing how much of your plan changes, or in other words is very exact is almost a hobby in itself.

You did a great job! Thank you for sharing your work :)
Your welcome and thank you very much.

Looking great Alpha! Everything turned out as plan. The tank looks amazing.
Thanks Mav... now I need to get it looking like your tank! Beautiful!!

I love the fade on the back wall.
Cheers, I am very happy with so far.

Amazing build! Love the great planning and attention to details and finish :) May I ask what material your cabinet doors are made of?
Thank you. Cabinet doors are wood painted with lacquer paint from memory.

I like all of your hard work and dedication.
On a quick note this tank has many many many details that are simply excellent, one that I think might not work is the pump in the overflow to maintain flow at the base of the overflow and avoid that particular deadspot.

As a suggestion( perhaps the actual holes on the PVC may have to be bigger to accomodate for excess debris and so forth that may clog the holes( even against pressure)- the pump inside the overflow is genius but can you access it to address detritus and maintenance?
Gasman... great to hear from you. Yes, I also fear that the pump may not be strong enough but will give it a go. The current holes are drilled small to allow me to assess and make larger if required (which I suspect). The piping is not glued together to allow ease of removal.

I was planning on not having much sand back there as most should be hidden by the rock but will have to wait and see.

It is a bit hard to see from the picture but there is enough room for me to access, undo the union on the check valve and pull out the pump for any required maintenance.

Of course, if you (or others) have any suggestions/concerns please mention because any input is greatly appreciated.

Soooo sweet!

I'm very jealous!

Congratulations!
Thank you but please don't be.

where can i get these led strip lights:dance:

Cool looking LED lights. Will these fasten to your ATI? If so, how? Where did you pick these up. I've got two T5 fixtures and would consider doing to same thing if they looked aesthetically pleasing on the fixture itself.

Thanks!
I bought them here in Hong Kong. Many different types available.

mouth watering everything andrew! you did a great job from planning to realization!

mimi definitely did a very good job! she did your winch too right? im still thinking if im going to get a light lifter as i might have a light rack constructed
Thank you Vic. It is slightly larger than I was expecting but no complaints.
Mimi is the one to contact for the background but she did mention that she probably wont do anymore as it was a real hassle. Ask anyway.
Yep, I designed the light box and they provided the light lifter and had the box made.
 
forgive me if this was asked and answer previously Andrew, but... IF, in the event the small pump (located at the bottom of your overflow) needs to be cleaned or replaced, how do you approach doing so?...
it looks to me to be an extremely "tight space"... :(
 
Man, this built is something else! I applaud you for thinking outside the box. There several awesome ideas here for others employ and build on. Really great work :thumbsup:
 
I love the clean look of this tank and stand. The light lowering/lifting winch is amazing. I would guess this idea will be standard equipment on all the extreme builds soon. The best part is when you lift the light, it still shines on the tank so you are able to see what you are doing inside the tank. Genus.
 
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