Build of my 60g nem cube
- Thread starter kalgra
- Start date
IowaReefer
New member
Jealous of the stand/ canopy/ awesomeness
kalgra
New member
Got allot done today!
I finished all the plumbing with the exception of the second Sea Swirl which still has yet to be delivered. Otherwise its ready for water so maybe just another day or so before I fill it.
I finished installing the hood fans and Radion power supply and built a sliding rail system for the Radion so I can easily slide it all the way to the back when I got my arms in the tank. I used some sort of adjustable curtain rods from Ace Hardware for the rails that are sort of shaped like a "C". I can slide the head of a screw up and down the channel but it wont fall out. Works really well. I used nylon washers with the screw so it glides really nice.
I finished all the plumbing with the exception of the second Sea Swirl which still has yet to be delivered. Otherwise its ready for water so maybe just another day or so before I fill it.
I finished installing the hood fans and Radion power supply and built a sliding rail system for the Radion so I can easily slide it all the way to the back when I got my arms in the tank. I used some sort of adjustable curtain rods from Ace Hardware for the rails that are sort of shaped like a "C". I can slide the head of a screw up and down the channel but it wont fall out. Works really well. I used nylon washers with the screw so it glides really nice.
kalgra
New member
I got them at Home Depot they are in the electrical conduit isle.
Thanks ive tried really hard to keep the look nice and clean.
Thanks! I got a buddy who aqua cultures then here in Colorado So he has got 3 of them waiting for me. I alslo got a rainbow bubble tip and Rose bubble tip waiting for me. I still looking for a green one and maybe a lemmon drop. One thinghs for sure I plan on having a lot of different ones. All of the nem will be bubble tips though.
kalgra
New member
Big time update.
I spend most of the weekend planning out my electrical setup for the controller, power strips etc. I made a panel I can mount everything to, which I can also remove if I need. It kind of serves two purposes one to give me a place to organize and hide all the cords but two as a blocker to protect the electronics from splashes, salt creep, and to keep all the electrical components up off the base of the cabinet in case water gets spilled.
The other big update,
rock, sand and water!!! Let the cycle begin.
I call this the Horse Head.
The water has cleared up nicely and I got all my cabling done and the controller programmed. It's amazing how many cables I had in this thing. Without the panduit and control panel I would have had a mound of unmanageable spaghetti.
I got the second Sea Swirl in the mail yesterday so I got that plumbed in last night. Wow these two Sea Swirls create amazingly random flow in absolutely every nook and cranny in the tank. Say what you will about them being bulky and old school they certainly still have their place in this hobby!
I also got a Spectrapure ATO set up which is Awesome! I've never used one of these ATO systems before and will probably never use another one now. It's so easy to program and has some really nice safety features built in as well as the ability to limit how much it can run in a day.
I originally had planned on having an ATO reservoir under the cabinet but ran out of room in a hurry. This ended up not being a problem because I already had a Spectrapure UHE RODI unit on hand that just needed a few replacement parts so I set it up in the laundry room just below the tank and drilled a tiny hole through the base board behind the stand and threaded a line down to a temporary 5 gallon container. I haven't finished setting up the RODI unit yet because im still waiting on the replacement parts as well as a 25 gallon reservoir I ordered from Tank Depot. It will be really nice to never have to worry about filling the reservoir though, I hated doing that on my old cube. The tank seems to be evaporating about a gallon a day right now and the return chamber in the sump is only 3.5 gallons so while I have a couple days of wiggle room I didn't want to risk forgetting to top off the tank and running the pump dry.
I spend most of the weekend planning out my electrical setup for the controller, power strips etc. I made a panel I can mount everything to, which I can also remove if I need. It kind of serves two purposes one to give me a place to organize and hide all the cords but two as a blocker to protect the electronics from splashes, salt creep, and to keep all the electrical components up off the base of the cabinet in case water gets spilled.
The other big update,
rock, sand and water!!! Let the cycle begin.
I call this the Horse Head.
The water has cleared up nicely and I got all my cabling done and the controller programmed. It's amazing how many cables I had in this thing. Without the panduit and control panel I would have had a mound of unmanageable spaghetti.
I got the second Sea Swirl in the mail yesterday so I got that plumbed in last night. Wow these two Sea Swirls create amazingly random flow in absolutely every nook and cranny in the tank. Say what you will about them being bulky and old school they certainly still have their place in this hobby!
I also got a Spectrapure ATO set up which is Awesome! I've never used one of these ATO systems before and will probably never use another one now. It's so easy to program and has some really nice safety features built in as well as the ability to limit how much it can run in a day.
I originally had planned on having an ATO reservoir under the cabinet but ran out of room in a hurry. This ended up not being a problem because I already had a Spectrapure UHE RODI unit on hand that just needed a few replacement parts so I set it up in the laundry room just below the tank and drilled a tiny hole through the base board behind the stand and threaded a line down to a temporary 5 gallon container. I haven't finished setting up the RODI unit yet because im still waiting on the replacement parts as well as a 25 gallon reservoir I ordered from Tank Depot. It will be really nice to never have to worry about filling the reservoir though, I hated doing that on my old cube. The tank seems to be evaporating about a gallon a day right now and the return chamber in the sump is only 3.5 gallons so while I have a couple days of wiggle room I didn't want to risk forgetting to top off the tank and running the pump dry.
Good_GReef
New member
Looking great so far. I'm definitely impressed with your neatness. Can't wait to see those nems living it up in there!
kalgra
New member
Thanks! There are definitely a few small things I would have changed. This is technically only my second build which I have fully planned and taken to completion so live and learn right. Other tanks were either aio or something that someone else had already designed.
kalgra
New member
A couple down sides I have noticed is the Eheim 1262 return pump I'm using is far louder than I would have expected based on the type of pump, people reviews, and the reputation of the company. I did buy it used so perhaps when I get a spare to have on hand I'll just buy new.
The noise may be a result of the toe kick on the stand. The toe kick creates a cavity under the stand that may be acting as a speaker box and amplifying the small vibrations of the return pump. However I did put rubber feet on the bottom of the pump so the vibration should be minimal I would think.
Another thing I would have changed is I should have gone with 1/2" sea swirls instead of 3/4" I think I would have gotten stronger steams out of them that way. With just one open I get a sand storm but two fully open not as much turbulent flow as I'd like. I ordered some eductors so hopefully that helps.
The other thing I regret is not thinking to put a union right after the barbed fitting leading up to the return for easy remove of the return pump. Taking that return out for maintenance or replacement is doable but is definitely going to be a pain. It's fixable for sure but not without some surgery. Lol
The noise may be a result of the toe kick on the stand. The toe kick creates a cavity under the stand that may be acting as a speaker box and amplifying the small vibrations of the return pump. However I did put rubber feet on the bottom of the pump so the vibration should be minimal I would think.
Another thing I would have changed is I should have gone with 1/2" sea swirls instead of 3/4" I think I would have gotten stronger steams out of them that way. With just one open I get a sand storm but two fully open not as much turbulent flow as I'd like. I ordered some eductors so hopefully that helps.
The other thing I regret is not thinking to put a union right after the barbed fitting leading up to the return for easy remove of the return pump. Taking that return out for maintenance or replacement is doable but is definitely going to be a pain. It's fixable for sure but not without some surgery. Lol
cilyjr
Active member
The cheap curtain rod thing is a pretty good idea. Though I might worry about at the weight of the light over time bending the rod channel that the bolt head is slid into. Though it is most likely not a problem. I use sols and I assume the radeon has a similar weight and they aren't that heavy.
kalgra
New member
Thanks, I assume you mean the Panduit for the cables? There are lots of places on line that sell it. Its expensive every where you go. I have no idea why its just plastic but its nice to organize cabling. Heres one place that has a pretty good prices.
https://www.google.com/shopping/pro....3&ei=kGmXUsC0EpLYoATl8oCgCg&ved=0CMIEEKYrMAI
The Radion is actually very light compared to the sol due to the difference in the heat sink. I have no worries of bending at all. However I do worry about rust and the fact is its just not quality so for now its just temporary. I ordered some of this to replace it which is way better but I couldn't find it locally. So I made due for the time being.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/400566138200
kalgra
New member
These ones where definitely a cheap grade steal I could tell when I cut them and filed off the burs. In any case the replacement stuff just looks better and I can counter sink some more screws along the length of the which probably isnt needed but makes me feel better.
kalgra
New member
cilyjr
Active member
I noticed you are going to use a 25 gallon reservoir for top off you are using a pump driven ato correct? I ask because I have gravity fed top off with a float valve rather then a switch. I worried about failure and I only have a 20 gallon reservoir for a total 220ish system. If it broke somehow and dumped all the water into the system I only lose a few points salinity. My rodi is turned on manually through my apex to make sure it won't flood that reservoir and in turn the tank in case of failure.
To make a short story long, you don't worry about that much water causing an issue if the float switch fails and sends too much fresh water up?
To make a short story long, you don't worry about that much water causing an issue if the float switch fails and sends too much fresh water up?
kalgra
New member
I would be worried if I had no fail faifs but I have an arsenal of fail safes in place.
I am using a peristaltic Spectrapure UPLC-II ATO system which I have a link to below if you want to read up on it. This ATO system uses a vacuum pressure system to determine the water lever that works really well and has no moving parts to get stuck or fail. it also uses a secondary emergency shutoff float switch and you can program this unit for maxim dosing amounts. I set it to the lowest which is 9 gallon total for the whole day. That still isnt good enough for me though so on top of all that I have a second emergency shutoff float switch hooked into my reef keeper to shut off power to the pump and have it programmed to turn on and off 4 times a day so even if all the other fail safes failed and the pump was stuck on it could only pump a total of two gallons per day with all 4 "on" periods running the entire time.
Right now the tank is evaporating about a gallon a day so that gives me some wiggle room for higher evap days. The sump can handle an extra two gallons if needed and it shouldnt effect my salinity to badly in the worst case scenario.
http://spectrapure.com/AQUARIUM/AUT...op-Off-System-UPLC-II-Liquid-Level-Controller
