Brian's 520 gal. Plywood Build + Fish Room
- Thread starter Brian Crook
- Start date
muttley000
MTS Sufferer!
Looking forward to that!
Brian Crook
New member
Alright folks, so here's what I've been up to over the past several weeks... (not all of which is directly related to the aquarium). This update is going to be a little different, with the pictures and text split up throughout.
My previous 220 gallon aquarium backed into the laundry/utility room, so part of this upgrade and new location of the 520 gallon was to recover and renovate the laundry room to make it a nicer place to be. So I tore down all the drywall, insulated with safe-n-sound, tiled the floor, installed a drop ceiling, tore out the old plumbing for the utilities and ran some new lines, ran some new electrical, etc... etc.. The end result being a much cleaner and brighter room for our laundry machines, sink, storage, and utilities. It's actually quite a large space in there now without the old aquarium. Even though this has nothing to do with the new tank, completing this reno affirmed for me that I made the right decision in upgrading.
Next up, I tore up the old tiles at the foyer/landing in the basement. There were two different types there previously (both different than the new ones I put down in the laundry room), so it was time for them to go. I replaced them with the same woodgrain tiles I used around the bar and fireplace area in the recroom to help tie everything together. I still need to complete the grouting and trim but you get the idea...
(old aquarium went through the wall on the right)
Back to the fish room, I've been working on running and organizing the wiring for my new lights which recently arrived. I opted to purchase three 24" fixtures of the new EverGrow models with higher end diodes (Cree, Osram, etc.). These fixtures are a little less expensive than some of the competition, but I am very impressed with them so far. These fixtures are positioned along the back side of the aquarium, with my three Kessil's positioned along the front. I've programmed them to blend nicely together and I couldn't be happier with how it all looks. This is definitely the best overall lighting I've ever had with any of my aquariums. I purchased an additional 16" fixture for use over the frag tank. With a little bit of clever maneuvering I used the wireless remote to create a separate lower intensity schedule for the frag tank light.
My refugium is also up and running now, with a few pieces of rock and (what started as) a handful of chaetomorpha. I put my old Vortech MP40 in the refugium, but only have it programmed to power on for 10 minutes at a time once every 4 hours just to help stir up the detritus and prevent stagnation. Flow through the fuge is pretty minimal by design.
My previous 220 gallon aquarium backed into the laundry/utility room, so part of this upgrade and new location of the 520 gallon was to recover and renovate the laundry room to make it a nicer place to be. So I tore down all the drywall, insulated with safe-n-sound, tiled the floor, installed a drop ceiling, tore out the old plumbing for the utilities and ran some new lines, ran some new electrical, etc... etc.. The end result being a much cleaner and brighter room for our laundry machines, sink, storage, and utilities. It's actually quite a large space in there now without the old aquarium. Even though this has nothing to do with the new tank, completing this reno affirmed for me that I made the right decision in upgrading.
Next up, I tore up the old tiles at the foyer/landing in the basement. There were two different types there previously (both different than the new ones I put down in the laundry room), so it was time for them to go. I replaced them with the same woodgrain tiles I used around the bar and fireplace area in the recroom to help tie everything together. I still need to complete the grouting and trim but you get the idea...
(old aquarium went through the wall on the right)
Back to the fish room, I've been working on running and organizing the wiring for my new lights which recently arrived. I opted to purchase three 24" fixtures of the new EverGrow models with higher end diodes (Cree, Osram, etc.). These fixtures are a little less expensive than some of the competition, but I am very impressed with them so far. These fixtures are positioned along the back side of the aquarium, with my three Kessil's positioned along the front. I've programmed them to blend nicely together and I couldn't be happier with how it all looks. This is definitely the best overall lighting I've ever had with any of my aquariums. I purchased an additional 16" fixture for use over the frag tank. With a little bit of clever maneuvering I used the wireless remote to create a separate lower intensity schedule for the frag tank light.
My refugium is also up and running now, with a few pieces of rock and (what started as) a handful of chaetomorpha. I put my old Vortech MP40 in the refugium, but only have it programmed to power on for 10 minutes at a time once every 4 hours just to help stir up the detritus and prevent stagnation. Flow through the fuge is pretty minimal by design.
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Brian Crook
New member
Here are some photos of the room overall. I now have a proper desk and workstation at the back of the room. I use this space for some of my other hobbies as well, mainly music and photography. On the wall where the old aquarium was (the dark purple one), I added a cold air return when I renovated the laundry room and put up some photos to add a bit of interest.
And a couple loose ends... Since I first started up my Reeflo Hammerhead pump, I had noticed a slight leakage at the seal. I inquired with the manufacturer and they shipped me a new mechanical seal. Installing the seal was pretty simple and the leak has stopped completely... so that's awesome. Very impressed with Reeflo's customer service.
My water chemistry test kits arrived too so I've started taking some samples and inputting them into my Apex. I'm dosing Alk/Calc manually for the time being (and minimally at this point), but will eventually automate this process when it becomes pressing.
Lastly, I picked up a ~6' long and ~1" thick piece of rough edge oak (complete with chainsaw mark) which I will finish and turn into a couple of shelves out in the recroom somewhere...
(taking apart the pump to replace the seal.... clearly quite a bit of leakage!)
And a couple loose ends... Since I first started up my Reeflo Hammerhead pump, I had noticed a slight leakage at the seal. I inquired with the manufacturer and they shipped me a new mechanical seal. Installing the seal was pretty simple and the leak has stopped completely... so that's awesome. Very impressed with Reeflo's customer service.
My water chemistry test kits arrived too so I've started taking some samples and inputting them into my Apex. I'm dosing Alk/Calc manually for the time being (and minimally at this point), but will eventually automate this process when it becomes pressing.
Lastly, I picked up a ~6' long and ~1" thick piece of rough edge oak (complete with chainsaw mark) which I will finish and turn into a couple of shelves out in the recroom somewhere...
(taking apart the pump to replace the seal.... clearly quite a bit of leakage!)
Brian Crook
New member
Missed a couple pictures...
Here's a quick photo of the frags which just arrived the other day, and another photo of my very stubborn carpet anemone which refused to move from its position right against my glass :headwallblue:... You can see that I have now positioned a powerhead straight at it in the hopes that it will concede and relocate.. I'd really rather not have to peel it off once again.
Here's a quick photo of the frags which just arrived the other day, and another photo of my very stubborn carpet anemone which refused to move from its position right against my glass :headwallblue:... You can see that I have now positioned a powerhead straight at it in the hopes that it will concede and relocate.. I'd really rather not have to peel it off once again.
JonezNReef
Member
Wow everything is looking awesome. Nem may be in a bad place for you but it and that clam look very happy with your new lights too.
McPuff
New member
Looks awesome. Can you share more information about those evergrow lights? They look like nice fixtures!
For your fuge, consider using a Mars Aqua grow light (300W) or similar (i.e., something with more power). I've got one of these and my chaeto is doubling in size each week.
For your fuge, consider using a Mars Aqua grow light (300W) or similar (i.e., something with more power). I've got one of these and my chaeto is doubling in size each week.
Brian Crook
New member
Thanks, the lights are the EverGrow IT5000 series (whichever number corresponds to the 24" version for the main tank and the 16" version for the frag tank). There are six independently controlled channels consisting of two types of blue, a white, red, green, and UV. Sorry I can't recall all the specifics but its easy enough to google that info. The interface is completely wireless and there are no controls on each unit which I really like. They each come with a wireless touch-screen controller however one controller can control all of the units. The controller is fairly simple in design but does what you would expect it to do without any bells and whistles. The "custom" setting allows you to set the intensity of each channel every hour. So after a bit of time programming it all it's a "set it and forget it" style of light. Cloud patterns and features such as this are not built-in to this light. 1% blue or 1% UV works well as a moonlight, though I think I will still have it shutoff completely and utilize my Apex LSM.
Each channel is controllable down to 1% which is pretty fantastic, considering my Kessils shutoff around 15%. The diodes are now all name brand which drives the price of these units up a bit, but still significantly less than the competition. As I mentioned before I was really impressed with these lights when I bought them, which is why I opted for the 16" version for my frag tank. They seem to be a nice balance of value and performance / quality.
Regarding the fuge, I am getting pretty good growth with just the 60w-equivalent light bulb over top, however I may upgrade down the road. I'm not sure how I feel about throwing yet another 300 watts of lighting into the equation though... but we'll see.
Brian Crook
New member
Here is a full tank shot, taken today:
JonezNReef
Member
He did the epoxy on page 3. By the time he's done it looks better than most pianos. Lol
damienpbuckley
New member
Here is a full tank shot, taken today:
Oh wow. That's amazing
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Yeah it looks really good! Lol. I was just wondering how he spread it. Did he just let it self level, tilt the tank to move the epoxy, or use a squeegee? I didn't see anything to where he mentioned it. Impressive work though.
Brian Crook
New member
Thanks! I calculated how much I needed to mix for each pour, mixed it up, and poured it all out just as the bucket started to warm. I used a squeegee to spread it all out faster, although in truth the self-leveling capability would have been sufficient, just a little slower. I then used a hair dryer to blow hot air across the surface and pop the microbubbles. Then I rotated the tank every which way and started the process over again. I wore respiratory protection when I worked over the epoxy.
One lesson learned: use a propane torch instead! Although my tank worked out, using a torch not only would have been a whole lot easier, it would have also been more effective at popping the bubbles. I didn't purchase a torch until I started making my bar ledge (as per manufacturer's recommendation) and wow is it ever easier than the hair dryer method! It also has the benefit of not blowing around dust particles. You just need to watch out that you don't burn the epoxy as it does begin to smoke rather easily.
Cheers
Thanks for the info. I'm assuming any squeegee would do?
Brian Crook
New member
Yup, pretty much!
Here's a quick update of some new coral I've added. I met up with a hobbyist out of the Toronto area and purchased some pieces from him. His selection was incredible, so it was a little tricky picking some pieces to get started with. He threw in a small frag of the beautiful "Utter Chaos" zoanthid, so that is now front and center in the tank. Here's hoping it grows (and quickly!)...
Brian Crook
New member
Yeah, he's quite striking, made all the more interesting by the fact that he is so elusive.
Thanks
