solitude127
Proud user of IO Salt!
The pics don't work for me 
Christygirl's new Leemar 180 build!
- Thread starter christygirl
- Start date
christygirl
Well-known member
Quick update....
So Friday was a great day!!!!
I got the corian Top installed. It looks like my tank is embedded in a 3 1/2" thick slab of salt. Pure white, Sharp corners. Tight Fit!
Then Saturday, I went to the Mullins Brothers shop. I came across an 8 x 80 Tek Light for sell.... Got a smokin deal on it!!!! Anyone who knows the Mullins, knows that they make great deals!
I still intend to buy the Powermodule down the road... I actually think I am going to get the hybrid. But, I don't have $2,000.00 to spend right now on just the light fixture....
This fixture has 8 lamps with 2 ballasts. So the middle four go on as one set and the out 2 on the front edge and back edge go on as one set.
This, coupled with the Apex 5 LED Lunar set will allow me to have a moon, dawn, day, dusk, moon cycle much like my current 100 gallon LeeMar.
Well, I took it home and got it installed on the stand:
It is hard to see in the picture, but the wires for the light go up into the light stand and out.... It is a real clean installation!
Well, I was so jazzed about the light that I started to plumb the returns.
I am using Flex PVC. This way, No Hard Angles to slow water down.
Here is one picture showing the right side of the tank for the back side.....
All in all, A good weekend! This week, I need to make the P-LAM pipe bracket to hold the return lines and drain lines straight.
By the way, I calculate the weight of this tank to be about 1,000 lbs empty right now.... I have to work from behind the tank in order to do the plumbing.
Solution:
Teflon Furniture sliders from Lowes.... $5.00! A little 2x4 to lever, and BANG.... the tank glides easily across the floor to move in and out to work on....
Don't worry!!!!! these will go away once the plumbing and all of the rear work is complete.....
I feel like I made some progress this weekend!
So Friday was a great day!!!!
I got the corian Top installed. It looks like my tank is embedded in a 3 1/2" thick slab of salt. Pure white, Sharp corners. Tight Fit!
Then Saturday, I went to the Mullins Brothers shop. I came across an 8 x 80 Tek Light for sell.... Got a smokin deal on it!!!! Anyone who knows the Mullins, knows that they make great deals!
I still intend to buy the Powermodule down the road... I actually think I am going to get the hybrid. But, I don't have $2,000.00 to spend right now on just the light fixture....
This fixture has 8 lamps with 2 ballasts. So the middle four go on as one set and the out 2 on the front edge and back edge go on as one set.
This, coupled with the Apex 5 LED Lunar set will allow me to have a moon, dawn, day, dusk, moon cycle much like my current 100 gallon LeeMar.
Well, I took it home and got it installed on the stand:
It is hard to see in the picture, but the wires for the light go up into the light stand and out.... It is a real clean installation!
Well, I was so jazzed about the light that I started to plumb the returns.
I am using Flex PVC. This way, No Hard Angles to slow water down.
Here is one picture showing the right side of the tank for the back side.....
All in all, A good weekend! This week, I need to make the P-LAM pipe bracket to hold the return lines and drain lines straight.
By the way, I calculate the weight of this tank to be about 1,000 lbs empty right now.... I have to work from behind the tank in order to do the plumbing.
Solution:
Teflon Furniture sliders from Lowes.... $5.00! A little 2x4 to lever, and BANG.... the tank glides easily across the floor to move in and out to work on....
Don't worry!!!!! these will go away once the plumbing and all of the rear work is complete.....
I feel like I made some progress this weekend!
solitude127
Proud user of IO Salt!
Very Nice. Very Clean. How high do you have the lights?
harveymeister
New member
Tank is coming along nicely!! Can't wait till it sees first water. This is gonna be one heck of a DT.
christygirl
Well-known member
Mike,
Thanks.. The lights are about 12" up... But, The hanging kit is fully adjustable. What height do you suggest? By the way, it was you who put that idea into my head about the hybrid T5 / LED from ATI..... I can see that you would be a very expensive person to hang around with.... Any thoughts on the Reef Octopus skimmer with the Diablo DC5000 pump?
Harvey,
Thanks. I am excited to put water in this as well.... I have a few items that I still have to build that will slow me down just a little bit. Plus, I am still waiting for my DC10500 pump.
Mark,
Thanks for the compliment. I am going for a clean look to this tank.... I am going to try to keep all items off of the glass and very few items on the sand... Mostly on rocks on the sand.... We will see if I can carry that thought all of the way through.
solitude127
Proud user of IO Salt!
No personal experience with those skimmers but from what I hear, they're very good and very affordable.
I'm glad I was able to corrupt you for the ATI LED/T5 Hybrid.
If I had the money, I would definitely be all over that as well. But the light you have will do very nicely until then. For your current light, I would start out at the 12" and lower if needed. your coral will tell you if they need more light. I have my Powermodule at 10" right now.
christygirl
Well-known member
No personal experience with those skimmers but from what I hear, they're very good and very affordable.
I'm glad I was able to corrupt you for the ATI LED/T5 Hybrid.
Mike,
Cool.... Thanks for the info.... I will start at around 12" and move down as i can.
As for the skimmer They do look good and I hear good things as well.... I am a little concerned about the availability of their pumps....
dodgerblew
Team RC
Who are the Mullin Brothers?
reefermad619
New member
I'm looking at aquamaxx for my skimmer. Good pumps, lower power draw, and pretty quiet from what everybody says about them. Larry at aquamaxx recommended the cone 3, or the em500 when I was looking to set up a 180 and 100 gal sump. Well, about 220 gal total volume.
christygirl
Well-known member
Rik,
The Mullins boys own mystic reef. Always a fun place to check out. Jeremy is the lets make deal guy and Adam is the one who is published quite often.
Reefermad619,
I will look into those. Thanks for the tip.
reef_of_flames
Member
Looks very elegant with that stand! Can't wait till the tank is wet 
solitude127
Proud user of IO Salt!
Any updates?
christygirl
Well-known member
Foselone. Thanks. I appreciate that. Still along way to go.
Looks very elegant with that stand! Can't wait till the tank is wet
Reef of flames. Thanks for the compliment. I can hardly wait for the water as well.... I am getting anxious.
Mike.... Check the next post out! I did a lot of plumbing....
Grimjaw. Thanks.... I see that you are new. This forum is great for getting ideas on how to spend your time and money!!!!!:beer:
harveymeister
New member
+1 to that!!! Every time I look at this thread, I get more and more ideas. Not sure why I keep torturing myself by coming back. LOL!!! I must be a glutton for punishment.
christygirl
Well-known member
OK.... Plumbing update....
So, I know I haven't posted in the last week.... I just was able to get the last of the parts. Well, the last of the parts except.... my pump. Still irritated about that.
So, I wanted to assemble the return valve portion of the plumbing this week.
Each return consists of one gate valve, one check valve, and 3 unions.
Each gate valve will have one half of a union. This way, if one of the gate valves go bad, I can replace it with one gate valve and one union.
So I want to paint the check valves.
Here is a painted one
Here is one of the return valve assemblies. There are four.
This is the valve body assembly. please note: there is only 3 ports on the assembly. The fourth valve will be in line with the last 90 at the end of the assembly. That last 90 will feed the chiller and then the chiller out will go to the 4th valve assembly that will be installed in the same line as the other valves..... This will make more sens soon.
Here is the valve body with with the lower half of the union installed.
Here is 2 pictures of the whole assembly.
OK.... Next is the mounting board....
I need to make that.
So, I know I haven't posted in the last week.... I just was able to get the last of the parts. Well, the last of the parts except.... my pump. Still irritated about that.
So, I wanted to assemble the return valve portion of the plumbing this week.
Each return consists of one gate valve, one check valve, and 3 unions.
Each gate valve will have one half of a union. This way, if one of the gate valves go bad, I can replace it with one gate valve and one union.
So I want to paint the check valves.
Here is a painted one
Here is one of the return valve assemblies. There are four.
This is the valve body assembly. please note: there is only 3 ports on the assembly. The fourth valve will be in line with the last 90 at the end of the assembly. That last 90 will feed the chiller and then the chiller out will go to the 4th valve assembly that will be installed in the same line as the other valves..... This will make more sens soon.
Here is the valve body with with the lower half of the union installed.
Here is 2 pictures of the whole assembly.
OK.... Next is the mounting board....
I need to make that.
dodgerblew
Team RC
Great job
