After 15 years I'm doing it..Dream reef
- Thread starter X-FACTOR
- Start date
asnatlas
New member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7382863#post7382863 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by X-FACTOR
I went to hawaii a few months back and the first thing that happened was our rental got broke into and we lost all of our camara gear (6500 dollars worth) so I am scrounging and borrowing to get a camaraBut the good news is the tanks and stand is in place and the live rock is ready to go...I will try to post some pic's tonight.
Did you get the return email about the pond shawn? could you open it?
DOH , I am sorry to hear about your loss... I know if it was me I would be P***ED as hell...
No I didn't get your e-mail... When did you send it ?? Are you able to resend it ??
X-FACTOR
New member
I sent it a couple weeks ago, I will try to resend it to you ...(I need to find the file again).
The only camara I have right now is my phone, so the pics suck but here are a couple new one's, I will get some live rock ones soon as well as plumbing.
One from the very begining
and a couple for size reference..My lovley daughter is the model
NCreefwannabe
New member
MORE.... im on board for sure!!
X-FACTOR
New member
Yes, I have used them before, I have already designed the surge tanks (and collected the equipment) they will be electric ball valves and timing relays that dump into glass troughs that will flood the entire width of the tank instead of a couple pecies of PVC pipe in the corners of the tank. I am trying to do this with no bubbles.
NCreefwannabe
New member
any updates?
X-FACTOR
New member
UPDATE: it is getting close..
It has been very hectic in for me over the past couple months, so I have not been able to check in much. The reef is moving along quite nice (although the finish carpentry is going slow) as of today I have the following stuff completed on the tank:
1100 pounds of live rock (tank has been cycling from june 10th? to now)
400 pounds fine aragonite sand (no faux sand bed....I wussed out)
Surge devices (2x55 gal) are in and almost done (55 gallons in 20 to 25 seconds) I have video of some tests if somone can host it. (these are cool!)
2 barracudda pumps one open, one closed with a 4way
Most of this stuff has been done for a couple months, It has been slow going to get the hood (6 feet tall) suspended from the ceiling but it is finally done, it is weighing in at around 3000 pounds fully loaded with surge tanks, fuge, chiller, lighting, CA02 reactor, phyto reactor, etc. It is a little strange when you climb up in the hood way above the tank and think about how much weight is hanging over the tank. The small "species" tanks around the bottom are almost done they will slide in and out on slides for ease of cleaning etc. I will try to check in a little more now we are getting close to adding the finishing touches to the system.....it is pretty insane so far.
It has been very hectic in for me over the past couple months, so I have not been able to check in much. The reef is moving along quite nice (although the finish carpentry is going slow) as of today I have the following stuff completed on the tank:
1100 pounds of live rock (tank has been cycling from june 10th? to now)
400 pounds fine aragonite sand (no faux sand bed....I wussed out)
Surge devices (2x55 gal) are in and almost done (55 gallons in 20 to 25 seconds) I have video of some tests if somone can host it. (these are cool!)
2 barracudda pumps one open, one closed with a 4way
Most of this stuff has been done for a couple months, It has been slow going to get the hood (6 feet tall) suspended from the ceiling but it is finally done, it is weighing in at around 3000 pounds fully loaded with surge tanks, fuge, chiller, lighting, CA02 reactor, phyto reactor, etc. It is a little strange when you climb up in the hood way above the tank and think about how much weight is hanging over the tank. The small "species" tanks around the bottom are almost done they will slide in and out on slides for ease of cleaning etc. I will try to check in a little more now we are getting close to adding the finishing touches to the system.....it is pretty insane so far.
X-FACTOR
New member
I have about 300 pictures of the setup process from dry tank to how it looks now so I will start posting them soon.
The canopy is engineered to hold 10,000 pounds and the joists are engineered for 10 times that, the canopy is connected in 6 spots to the steel joists and is able to be raised up and down at each spot to get it level, it is floating about an inch above the tank, you can reach up and move it with your hand.
It was quite a task to get all of the logistics worked out, it is a 360 degree viewable tank so I cannot really have a equipment room (although the r/o and salt mixing tanks are 75 feet away) But the biggest problem was that because of the surge tanks I needed a large sump so I could pump out 100 gallons at a time with out sucking air as well as surge in 100 gallons without overflowing onto the floor.
I ended up putting in a 240 gallon tank for the sump, problem is it takes up most of the inside of stand. Between the H&S A300, the 240 gallon sump, the barracuda pump and the 4 species tanks on drawers as well as all the plumbing, the stand is full. That is when I decided "hey why not put the equipment room above the tank". So the planning began from that point.
The canopy is engineered to hold 10,000 pounds and the joists are engineered for 10 times that, the canopy is connected in 6 spots to the steel joists and is able to be raised up and down at each spot to get it level, it is floating about an inch above the tank, you can reach up and move it with your hand.
It was quite a task to get all of the logistics worked out, it is a 360 degree viewable tank so I cannot really have a equipment room (although the r/o and salt mixing tanks are 75 feet away) But the biggest problem was that because of the surge tanks I needed a large sump so I could pump out 100 gallons at a time with out sucking air as well as surge in 100 gallons without overflowing onto the floor.
I ended up putting in a 240 gallon tank for the sump, problem is it takes up most of the inside of stand. Between the H&S A300, the 240 gallon sump, the barracuda pump and the 4 species tanks on drawers as well as all the plumbing, the stand is full. That is when I decided "hey why not put the equipment room above the tank". So the planning began from that point.
ZoeReef
New member
WOW! You are a king of innovation. What a massive system.
I missed the purpose of the structure in which the tank is housed. Home..business?
From a visual point of view, the canopy/suspended fish room pulls your eye. My guess is that it will compete with the tank for attention. Any thoughts on how to break up the overhead mass visually? I'm no designer but I know that light color of the wood pulls the eye much more than dark would. I'm really interested in what you're doing here. Thanks for posting!
I missed the purpose of the structure in which the tank is housed. Home..business?
From a visual point of view, the canopy/suspended fish room pulls your eye. My guess is that it will compete with the tank for attention. Any thoughts on how to break up the overhead mass visually? I'm no designer but I know that light color of the wood pulls the eye much more than dark would. I'm really interested in what you're doing here. Thanks for posting!
ZoeReef
New member
I found this pic in a post while browsing and I thought there might be a conceptual graphic that might spark an idea.
IMHO Your canopy/fish room could visually overwhelm that gorgeous tank. Look at the graphic under the balcony. It has a series of shades of blue. I'm not suggesting this graphic but as long as you have such a heavy visual mass above the tank I bet there is a way to make it add to the visual experience.
andy
IMHO Your canopy/fish room could visually overwhelm that gorgeous tank. Look at the graphic under the balcony. It has a series of shades of blue. I'm not suggesting this graphic but as long as you have such a heavy visual mass above the tank I bet there is a way to make it add to the visual experience.
andy
X-FACTOR
New member
LOL King...I don't think so just a poor hobbyist with an idea.
The tank is in my store in Southern Utah right off I-15 if anyone ever wants to stop in and climb up in the canopy feel free to do so.
From the picture the canopy is very intrusive, but to be honest when your in the store or coming in the store you are at eye level with the tank and don't "notice" it as much. From the front (the opposite side from the picture) of the store to the tank is only about 8 feet so there is not really a way to take in the whole thing. From the back of the store you really get a good look at it and it is pretty big, We are going to "Burn" the wood before it is stained and finished so it will be darker than it is now, I hope that helps.
We are thinking about breaking it up with some paintings or cutouts of fish etc. I will probably ask for help from everyone here if we decide to go that route.
The tank is in my store in Southern Utah right off I-15 if anyone ever wants to stop in and climb up in the canopy
feel free to do so.From the picture the canopy is very intrusive, but to be honest when your in the store or coming in the store you are at eye level with the tank and don't "notice" it as much. From the front (the opposite side from the picture) of the store to the tank is only about 8 feet so there is not really a way to take in the whole thing. From the back of the store you really get a good look at it and it is pretty big, We are going to "Burn" the wood before it is stained and finished so it will be darker than it is now, I hope that helps.
We are thinking about breaking it up with some paintings or cutouts of fish etc. I will probably ask for help from everyone here if we decide to go that route.
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