Man, when you guys start talking, you really keep at it...
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13255093#post13255093 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by chrismunn
:thumbsup:
Thanks!
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13257162#post13257162 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RyanEG
Just read through this entire thread cover to cover and love it, two hours of well spent time.
What about using a finishing putty for autobody? With several coats over the course of a day you could easily fill that gap and have a nice looking finished product? For about 60 bucks plus hardener it would be done, solid as a rock and made to be painted.
Thank you for the in depth discussion of your acrylic work. Im planning an acrylic tank cover and your methods will be very helpful. Nice work on the stairs too!
Thanks! I think I have a solution with shims and expanding foam...
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13282395#post13282395 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by levon15
What happened?
With what?
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13286238#post13286238 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by spear reef
bump?
Update at the bottom of the post...
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13286342#post13286342 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by hahnmeister
8x80 watt T5s alone is enough. 6x39 watt T5s over a 40B (36x18x16h) was a bit on the high side and 2 of the 6 bulbs were giesemann actinic 03's (most of the output was from the 2x aquablues and 2x blue+ bulbs). If I were to do it again, I would have used a taller tank... like a 50B or maybe even a 58/65g. I just say this because with the higher power density of the 5' T5's (watts per foot should put them at 6' long), and the likelyhood that you will be using higher quality reflectors than I was (I was using the Tek light)... I bet you will have enough light to grow SPS on the sand and cause your lower light corals to fry. Thank goodness that you will have a foot at either end to give some shade to your shrooms, open brains, and scoly's... Your tank is pretty much 4x the length of a 40B, but narrower and shorter. 8x80? Whoah. And THEN you might add some VHO's? Thats overkill man.
Heck, you might get away with just 6x80 watt T5s and 3 at a time on Icecap660 ballasts. Then you can use those nice wide SLS Tek2 reflectors too... hella bright. Or 8x80... but I dont think you will need more than this.
We'll see how bright 4 bulbs per side it and if it's not bright enough, I'll be replacing the blue with white and adding VHO's for blue... I would love for 4 bulbs to be plenty!
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13286847#post13286847 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by melev
That's just silly, Hahnmeister. Didn't you know he's custom-ordering a 12' Solaris for this tank?
Yep, and Marc volunteered to pay for it too! What a guy!
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13286890#post13286890 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BeanAnimal
That's just silly, Melev. My preference would be TWELVE 250W 20K SE XMs in PFO parallel reflectors with magnetic ballasts and UV shields hanging about 18" off the water.
If I had a second circuit that would be sweet!
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13286924#post13286924 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by melev
That's just silly, BeanAnimal. I think he could just get some cool 70's fiber optic lamps and have them cascade over the water like Olympic fireworks.
Now that's just silly. LOL!
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13286965#post13286965 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BeanAnimal
That's just silly too Melev. Who would light it up with 70's fiber when they could use lava lamps and chemical glow sticks instead. You know they come in actinic blue don't you?
If it were me though, I would prefer sonoluminescence. Anybody have a spare neutron genrator?
LOL!
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13286968#post13286968 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BeanAnimal
UPDATE on the tank status please
Coming at the bottom of my post...
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13287068#post13287068 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by melev
That's just silly, BeanAnimal. He just needs to bottle up some fireflies. Far less chemical radiation issues.
LOL!
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13287164#post13287164 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BeanAnimal
That's just silly, Melev. This is an aquarium thread. It would be much more on topic and relevant to talk about bioluminescent Lingulodinium polyedrum, Cnidarians, and fish. They are the ultimiate low carbon footprint aquarium luminaire.
I hope I am not violating the TOS by saying that we at BeanAnimal labs soon hope to be able to provide the glowing dinos in quantities for even the most modest reef lighting budget.
Lost...
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13287503#post13287503 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by logiktest
:lol:
Ditto
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13287517#post13287517 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by logiktest
I've been subscribed from day one. Aside from the staircase haters, this thread is awesome.
My first thought looking at this thread, I had to ask myself if you would ever be able to eclipse the imagination, ingenuity, and craftsmanship of your nano. Well so far, your on track to blow that old nano tank clear out of the water. Keep up the great work.
What happened to the "using self leveling epoxy" idea? I must have missed the reason for not wanting to use it.
LOL! Thanks!!! I didn't want to try another "experiment" I just wanted it fixed.
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13288014#post13288014 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BeanAnimal
I don't think calvin wanted to head down another uncharted path that had the possibility of creating a hard to undo mess. It worked well for me and some others, but the comfort level did not appear to be what he was looking for.
Couldn't have said it better myself.
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13288119#post13288119 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Azazael13
I think both BeanAnimal and Melev are being silly, and obviously missed the part where he said he was moving this tank out side to be light by the sun, even if it was never actually said.
Now if you two are done being silly I can very seriously say that we need a stair update. I know I for one am very uneasy talking about fish tanks at StairCental.
LOL! Stairs just need poly and then installed.
Who's talking about fish? 1st rule of ReefCentral is you do not talk about Reef. LOL!
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13288185#post13288185 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by hahnmeister
Thats just silly you two.... considering the depth of the tank, I think he should get a single plasma vapor bulb... about 2000 watts, and pipe it in over the tank with fibre optic cable like they do in the Smithsonian.
Hmmmmmm, nope sorry, can't pull that one off either. LOL!
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13288308#post13288308 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by yousmellsfishy
OK, I'll play. That's just silly. Why suppliment the lighting at all? Isn't the ambient light in the room already sufficient?
(I guess now thread of the month hope is now pretty much shot)
Of course it is... What is everyone else thinking??? I might go all out and put a shop light under the sofit. LOL!
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13288378#post13288378 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Midwest Express
Awesome tank! 
taggin along!
Thanks!
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13288498#post13288498 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jnb
I vote either [3 48 6 bulb] or [4 36 6 bulb] ATI Powermodules - silent, cool running ( to the water )sort of, vary the heck out of color, enough dawn to dusk, no external ballast to find a place for, darn pretty,............
Sure... You gonna pay for them too? LOL!
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13288751#post13288751 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tigerarmy40
my thoughts for lighting would be 3x ic660 with two setups running 4x48" retro on both ends of the tank and center one running a 4x36" retro...overdriven bulbs would get you plenty of light and good spread 
just my 2 cents...
That was the orignal plan, but after talking with Steve (Grim Reefer aka The Worlds T-5 King) he thinks 8x80 run with just WorkHorse Ballast will be more then enough for the tank. So again extra VHO's will be my back up.
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13288938#post13288938 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by hahnmeister
If you are serious, I hope you know you are on crack then too...lol.
I think that would kill SPS on the sand even. Imagine a 4'x15"x15" tank... 46gallons, with 320 watts of T5's over the top. Thats hella bright man!
LOL!!!! Not necessarily, I've got 2000 watts over a 60x36x24 with SPS right up top!
Okay here's my update:
Nothing new...
Sorry, Saturday's fence build took me 12hrs to complete (yes I did it solo, hence the time), Sunday is off, and Monday I donated my time to helping a 14yr old start to build a 10g nano so he could get addicted like the rest of us. LOL!
What needs to be done is just finalize the leveling (put some water in the tank and see if I'm truely level), then pull the tank down, re-paint the stand (exterior paint) and then set it back on the tank for foam. Once that's done I can drill it, plumb it, trim it, and get to work on the sump and canopy.
As for the stairs, I hope to have them done this week, then all that's left is the banister which I have hired out (materials are already purchased and ready to be installed as well), just waiting to finish the stairs.
Thanks for all the feedback and votes for ThOTM I appreciate everyone's thoughts, comments, and humor to keep me going.
-Eric
