d2mini's 130g Rimless Cube
- Thread starter d2mini
- Start date
shrimphead
New member
d2mini had you considered putting all the plumbing in the middle of the tank, i know you've done it differently and it looks amazing but i was just wondering if it would be possible as was wondering how stable it would be to drill holes in the middle of the base rather than the side.
d2mini
Premium Member
cet98 - I'll try to do that this weekend.
shrimphead - yes, my original plan was to do a center column overflow. But then i realized how much real estate it was going to eat up in the center of my tank. Not so much on its own, but what sucked was the amount of space i was going to have between the overflow and the glass. It didn't leave much room for rock and stuff. Half the reason for this build was to upgrade from my 46g bow with internal overflow. In that tank i got really cramped for space and if I did a center overflow in the new tank, I was pretty much going to have the same amount of space (or lack of it). Putting the overflow in the corner allowed me to have a ton more open space for aquascaping. If I didn't have it set up as a full walkaround tank and instead had it up against a wall, I would have done a coast to coast overflow across the back. But for my setup, I felt the corner overflow worked best.
shrimphead - yes, my original plan was to do a center column overflow. But then i realized how much real estate it was going to eat up in the center of my tank. Not so much on its own, but what sucked was the amount of space i was going to have between the overflow and the glass. It didn't leave much room for rock and stuff. Half the reason for this build was to upgrade from my 46g bow with internal overflow. In that tank i got really cramped for space and if I did a center overflow in the new tank, I was pretty much going to have the same amount of space (or lack of it). Putting the overflow in the corner allowed me to have a ton more open space for aquascaping. If I didn't have it set up as a full walkaround tank and instead had it up against a wall, I would have done a coast to coast overflow across the back. But for my setup, I felt the corner overflow worked best.
adddo
“Goodnight, tiny humans.â€
d2mini
Premium Member
Awesome Hitchhikers D2!! By the way, Im on the waiting list now for the first ever ITech400 external! Can I see some more pictures of your Itech in action?
I might order some TBS live rock for my new tank, just seeing all the life in it looks awesome!! I just dont want any mantis!
Ya, I'll get more pics of the sump area this weekend. It skimmed for the first couple days after i put the sand and rock in but now there is nothing left in the tank to skim so not much to show as far as skim production. I need to get some bioload in there.
When my next batch of rock comes in, I'll probably do the hot water thing right away before putting each piece in the tank.
JustinReef
New member
Love this build! Great attention to detail!
What camera are you shooting with? The photos are very crisp and clear.
What camera are you shooting with? The photos are very crisp and clear.
:-O
See, i was gonna go with a 36x36 but for some reason i changed my mind.
Now i've changed it back.
You're tank is-just-gorgeous.
My boyfriend hears me oohing and aahing over your pictures because I'm in love with your tank lol.
Thanks for posting your build for us!
See, i was gonna go with a 36x36 but for some reason i changed my mind.
Now i've changed it back.
You're tank is-just-gorgeous.
My boyfriend hears me oohing and aahing over your pictures because I'm in love with your tank lol.
Thanks for posting your build for us!
Nicholas89
New member
Appears you have pistol shrimps, not mantis.
d2mini
Premium Member
Thanks! Nikon D700.
Haha, thanks! As long as your bf doesn't want to kick my *** I'm good.
Ya, i figured that out. The ones in that pic are pistols. I did catch two Mantis though.
d2mini
Premium Member
ok, here's a couple more of the sump area.
Still need to put some macro in the fuge and get my BRS reactor filled up and running.
And here's a couple more pics of the life that came with my rock.
A small mithrax crab hiding in the holes of a rock in the first pic, and then the top of another piece of rock showing some Halimeda (Money algae), some white sponges and other algae in the second pic.
cet98
"feed ur reef...feed it!"
d2mini...thanks for the sump pix
a few questions for ya...
1- what happened to the cork padding under the sump? why did you remove it?
2- I noticed that you have a gate valve on your drain from the DT...is that being used to regulate flow or just to cut off the flow all together in the course of maintenance?
3- curiuos about how effective your bubble trap design is working for you. I'm intrigued with the simple two panel design. How high is the first panel (the one with the holes at the bottom) as well as the second short panel?
4- what are you using to feed water into your dual reactors?
5- what is the overall height of your sump BTW? (I was thinking of making mine 16"H but yours looks much higher)
thanks again and as always, I look forward to your on going progress!
regards,
C
a few questions for ya...
1- what happened to the cork padding under the sump? why did you remove it?
2- I noticed that you have a gate valve on your drain from the DT...is that being used to regulate flow or just to cut off the flow all together in the course of maintenance?
3- curiuos about how effective your bubble trap design is working for you. I'm intrigued with the simple two panel design. How high is the first panel (the one with the holes at the bottom) as well as the second short panel?
4- what are you using to feed water into your dual reactors?
5- what is the overall height of your sump BTW? (I was thinking of making mine 16"H but yours looks much higher)
thanks again and as always, I look forward to your on going progress!
regards,
C
flipsideleo
New member
Man, dude! You're doing us Houstonians proud! Tank looks phenomenal!
Tank looks phenomenal!
d2mini
Premium Member
Man, dude! You're doing us Houstonians proud!
heh heh, thanks!
d2mini...thanks for the sump pix
a few questions for ya...
1- what happened to the cork padding under the sump? why did you remove it?
Had a little set back with some excess moisture from the completely enclosed stand. Going to have to vent the back wall of the stand. Had to pull the sump out, rip up the cork that was starting to get some mold on it, put down a quick coat of primer again on the floor, then hook the sump back up.
2- I noticed that you have a gate valve on your drain from the DT...is that being used to regulate flow or just to cut off the flow all together in the course of maintenance?
Both.
3- curiuos about how effective your bubble trap design is working for you. I'm intrigued with the simple two panel design. How high is the first panel (the one with the holes at the bottom) as well as the second short panel?
I think I have a few micros in the DT, but not bad. I keep flow through the sump kinda low and the sump itself looks crystal. I think the first panel is 10" inches or so.
4- what are you using to feed water into your dual reactors?
MJ1200 suction cupped to the front panel of the skimmer section.
5- what is the overall height of your sump BTW? (I was thinking of making mine 16"H but yours looks much higher)
18" high. The floor of the stand is raised several inches off the ground.
cet98
"feed ur reef...feed it!"
sorry to hear about the mold issue with the cork...uuurrghh! 
so, the gate valve is on the main drain of the "Herbie"? I did not know that you were supposed to restrict/regulate the main drain...or am I misunderstanding something, sorry...could you explain? (sorry to ask, but I tried to read the actual thread, but its SO LONG and theres so much bickering over there I can't seem to find any answers :lol: )
also, I neglected to ask the water level height difference between your "fuge" section and your "return" section...it looks to be a couple of inches...does it make any splashing noise?
sorry for the multiple questions, but your system just looks so well thought out that I'd love to somehow replicate your system where ever possible
(hope you don't mind 
)
thanks again!
C
so, the gate valve is on the main drain of the "Herbie"? I did not know that you were supposed to restrict/regulate the main drain...or am I misunderstanding something, sorry...could you explain? (sorry to ask, but I tried to read the actual thread, but its SO LONG and theres so much bickering over there I can't seem to find any answers :lol: )
also, I neglected to ask the water level height difference between your "fuge" section and your "return" section...it looks to be a couple of inches...does it make any splashing noise?
sorry for the multiple questions, but your system just looks so well thought out that I'd love to somehow replicate your system where ever possible
(hope you don't mind )thanks again!
C
d2mini
Premium Member
No problem.
Cork... issue here is not the cork but the excess moisture in the stand. For now the doors are open until i vent the back of the stand. Could put the cork or something else back in but probably won't bother at this point.
Herbie... yes, the gate valve is an integral part of this design. You need to be able to adjust the flow so the water level in your overflow levels out to where you need it.
Water Level... as water evaporates, the return level drops. I will eventually have an ATO system that will keep this to a minimum. I have one in my other tank and consider it a must have item. But for now, no... there is no water noise. The flow is slow enough to not be rushing over the edge.
Cork... issue here is not the cork but the excess moisture in the stand. For now the doors are open until i vent the back of the stand. Could put the cork or something else back in but probably won't bother at this point.
Herbie... yes, the gate valve is an integral part of this design. You need to be able to adjust the flow so the water level in your overflow levels out to where you need it.
Water Level... as water evaporates, the return level drops. I will eventually have an ATO system that will keep this to a minimum. I have one in my other tank and consider it a must have item. But for now, no... there is no water noise. The flow is slow enough to not be rushing over the edge.
theyammieguy
Active member
He's putting this Houstonian to shame.
cet98
"feed ur reef...feed it!"
Gotcha, thanks! I was under the impression that the overflow water level was regulated by utilizing the gate valve on the "return" pump not the drain...
by height, I meant the actual dimension between the height of the 10" high panel at the skimmer section and the lowest point of the routes on the panel to the return
(sorry for not being clearer with my original question )thanks!
C
