Addiction wins, 450 gallon system begins
- Thread starter JohnL
- Start date
I go back to night shift Tuesday, 6pm to 6am. I wanted to get this done as it's hard to run saws and drills in the house when the family is sleeping. I can make all the noise I want in the shop, but in the house would result in the ol' frying pan over the head trick from the wife!
It's boy
Actually it's an PF601 Calcium reactor. I picked it up for a really good deal from someone here on the board that only had it running a few weeks and had to get out of the hobby
Too bad he didn't have an Ap1003 Deltec or a H&S A300 skimmer lying around too
Actually it's an PF601 Calcium reactor. I picked it up for a really good deal from someone here on the board that only had it running a few weeks and had to get out of the hobby
Too bad he didn't have an Ap1003 Deltec or a H&S A300 skimmer lying around too
LOL if you only knew the truth
Here are a few of the not yet publicized cost saving approaches to Hop's tank
1. Wetroom construction. The wetroom was constructed for a total of about $300 including electrical... A friend of mine woks for a hardware store and got everything at cost.
2. Stand and canopy enclosure. The majority of the stand and canopy enclosure was built with the same wood the tank was shipped in. I bought new 2X6 for the heavy construction, but all the 2X4s and the wood wrapped around the frame is plywood that James used to ship my tank in As far as the lower and upper doors, I spent 19.99 on 1/4" birch plywood and about $30 on 1X2 birch sticks that I made three passes through the router table with to make the trim pieces. All the crown molding and the ledge were made from MDF from an old entertainment center I kept around. A few passes with the router and each was done. The 1/4 round was all left over from four years ago when I installed pergo floors in out kitchen and hall way.
There are many many more ways cheated the reef-cash-vacuum gods and I'll let the secrets out as topics come up
Here are a few of the not yet publicized cost saving approaches to Hop's tank
1. Wetroom construction. The wetroom was constructed for a total of about $300 including electrical... A friend of mine woks for a hardware store and got everything at cost.
2. Stand and canopy enclosure. The majority of the stand and canopy enclosure was built with the same wood the tank was shipped in. I bought new 2X6 for the heavy construction, but all the 2X4s and the wood wrapped around the frame is plywood that James used to ship my tank in
As far as the lower and upper doors, I spent 19.99 on 1/4" birch plywood and about $30 on 1X2 birch sticks that I made three passes through the router table with to make the trim pieces. All the crown molding and the ledge were made from MDF from an old entertainment center I kept around. A few passes with the router and each was done. The 1/4 round was all left over from four years ago when I installed pergo floors in out kitchen and hall way.There are many many more ways cheated the reef-cash-vacuum gods and I'll let the secrets out as topics come up
Melev: Thanks, I won't say that the trim design wasn't kind of stolen from a mass marketed brand, but mine are about 3/8" thinner and the edges are more crisp
J: And yes, anything to cut costs off the build! I did spend quite a bit in sand paper getting the plywood smoother than it was.
sloshesv: You know the only thing he bothers is the pods. He ventures all day looking for pods and defending his little nook, but he has never shown interest in any of the corals...
:rolleye1: Yet!
J: And yes, anything to cut costs off the build! I did spend quite a bit in sand paper getting the plywood smoother than it was.
sloshesv: You know the only thing he bothers is the pods. He ventures all day looking for pods and defending his little nook, but he has never shown interest in any of the corals...
:rolleye1: Yet!
divecj5
New member
Thanks
Thanks
Hey Hop. Been reading through your thread over the past couple of days and finally reached the present. Although I'm only getting ready to start on my own 55 gallon tank in the coming weeks, which is more of a betta tank compared to yours , thanks for all of the great information that is on this thread. I, along with the others, are glad that you've stuck it out and things are just looking amazing with the tank.
The wood work looks great and I'm sure you're glad that that's finally done. Congrats on the somewhat new job now and can't wait to see how things come along.
Adam
Thanks
Hey Hop. Been reading through your thread over the past couple of days and finally reached the present. Although I'm only getting ready to start on my own 55 gallon tank in the coming weeks, which is more of a betta tank compared to yours
, thanks for all of the great information that is on this thread. I, along with the others, are glad that you've stuck it out and things are just looking amazing with the tank. The wood work looks great and I'm sure you're glad that that's finally done. Congrats on the somewhat new job now and can't wait to see how things come along.
Adam
I spent Friday scraping the panes and the last bit of mystery algae of the back walls. After letting that settle down a day, I blew off all the rocks and did a 50 gallon waterchange, completely draining the sump and mopped it up, scraping the coraline off the sump walls.
I had to remove one of the OM revolutions as my birdsnest on the left side were not really liking the new flow, but I left the one on the right in tact. Everything else seems to be doing OK.
The systematic chromis genocide has begun. I noticed Friday that I was down one and then yesterday I witnessed the entire group pinning one into the rocks and eating him alive. I don't think he was sick, he had been eating and looking healthy on Friday.
One quick full tank shot, minus the mystery green algae
I had to remove one of the OM revolutions as my birdsnest on the left side were not really liking the new flow, but I left the one on the right in tact. Everything else seems to be doing OK.
The systematic chromis genocide has begun. I noticed Friday that I was down one and then yesterday I witnessed the entire group pinning one into the rocks and eating him alive. I don't think he was sick, he had been eating and looking healthy on Friday.
One quick full tank shot, minus the mystery green algae
OMG !!!!
So I am getting down to my last bucket of salt, so I go to the new big name box store (might end in the letters "CO", but I don't want to publicly slam anything here). I find a 160 gallon bucket of IO. I grab it and throw it up on the counter. I was just about to swipe my card when the summer-time job teen says "$79.54". Darn near spit my partially digested lunch out at her.
So after I asked about the near 200% mark up, they wouldn't budge on the price. So I walked out a little frustrated and the 60lb girl had to carry the bucket back... Guess I'll be doing some on-line ordering for salt, because apparently shipping it to Colorado on a big truck with all the other stuff going to the fish store, really jacks the price up
So I am getting down to my last bucket of salt, so I go to the new big name box store (might end in the letters "CO", but I don't want to publicly slam anything here). I find a 160 gallon bucket of IO. I grab it and throw it up on the counter. I was just about to swipe my card when the summer-time job teen says "$79.54". Darn near spit my partially digested lunch out at her.
So after I asked about the near 200% mark up, they wouldn't budge on the price. So I walked out a little frustrated and the 60lb girl had to carry the bucket back... Guess I'll be doing some on-line ordering for salt, because apparently shipping it to Colorado on a big truck with all the other stuff going to the fish store, really jacks the price up
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