Daplatapus's 210 upgrade

Nice! Well done.

Yes, get to your plumbing, and keep posting, please. It's really looking good.
 
Thanks Catherine! I'm headed to get plumbing supplies today so hopefully I'll get started on that in the next week or so.
I got 2 coats of white on yesterday, but the pics look exactly like the ones above :)

I also got an e-mail from Jeff at LifeReef last night... my new skimmer is on the way. YAY!!! I'm so fed up with my Vertex I have right now, it's not even funny.
 
Just a really crappy IN250. I know, you get what you pay for... it's running my 77 gal DT now. Bought it new a year and a half ago, have replaced the ceramic impeller shaft already and from the sound of it will have to replace it again soon. If I don't clean the air intake every other day, it WILL overflow. And don't even think of stopping the pump, because it will not restart. I've sat there for over 15 min trying to get that stupid thing to start turning again. NEVER AGAIN. If companies can't build decent equipment - even if less expensive, they shouldn't build them. Why would you put that on the market?

Sorry for the rant :)
 
I got a couple hours this aft to work on some of the plumbing. I had to fish all my lines up through the wall from the basement, so I opted to run that section in white spa flex. Only down side is how stiff this stuff is, but with a little grunt work I was able to get them all in. I'm planning running a Herbie set up, it's worked extremely well for me so far. Using Beananimal's flow guide, the numbers work for running a single 1" full siphon, but it seemed close, so I ran 2. This also gives me the ability to run Beananimals silent overflow should the desire hit me. I also ran a 1-1/2" safety overflow.
The returns are probably overkill. I'm planning on running 2 Waveline 12,000's. The output's on them are 1-1/4" so I ran 2, 1-1/4" lines. One on the front of the tank and one at the back. My plan is to run a line across the front with 3 - 3/4" loc-lines and the same across the back, each on their own pump. After the first 3/4" loc-lines come off, I'm going to reduce to 1", then when the second comes off, reduce to the final 3/4" loc-line.
Yesterday, I got most of the hardware I need for my cabinet doors although I've yet to order them. Hopefully that'll happen early next week.

Any suggestions on doing something different/better, let me know.
Anyway pics:

Lots of pipes for such a small hole





 
Look what I got in the mail today :D

There was one more box, but I forgot to include it in the pics :(




Oh, Look! It's nesting boxes!










48 3/4 total inches of AWESOME!!!!

 
Started on my rock work yesterday. Got some acrylic rod and a couple sheets for bases. The plan was for 2 pillars and an archway to the floating rock on the back right of the tank. But after looking at it for a bit, I decided that the rock work glued to the left side on the tank to hide the overflow gives the look of one pillar already. So I decided to just make 1 more pillar and 1 arch.
I'm not really happy with my arch - I may scrap the idea but would like some opinions.








Turns out the piece is too heavy for me to get into my tank by myself. I have to wait and see if I can get a buddy over to help me lift it in there. Meanwhile, it sits on a TV table beside the couch. :D


The Arch - It's not finished, I have a bunch of rock rubble I will be fitting in between the rocks to make it look like one piece instead of a bunch of rocks stacked together.





And and end view...



The tank is 24" front to back, I want to avoid the mistake I made on my current tank of too much rock and rock too close to the glass. As well I still have 1 or 2 large pieces of rock I'll with stack against the base of the arch, or sit in the front right corner so there isn't quite so much negative space.
 
I would just continue the arch towards the rock at far end to make it a loop. It can be crooked down the middle lengthwise.

Dave.M
 
Houston, the rock is in... now to get it where I like it, lol











Dave, I think what I don't like about the arch is it looks unfinished. It is, after all, only 1/2 an arch. So I am debating cutting some more rock, and stacking it underneath the one stuck on the glass to continue it down to the tank floor again, just like the cut rock on the left side pane, but it would come down to basically the back right corner of the tank.

Hmmmmmm.......
 
I used a propane torch and very, very slowly heated it up and gently bent it. It takes a while to get it going, but once it starts to bend it's pretty good. But it also tends to hold onto that heat, so you have to support it as it cools, or it will continue to sag.
 
Well, after sitting and looking at those structures a bit, I decided I really didn't like that arch where it was and that cutting more rock to make it look like it belongs was chasing my tail and probably was going to be wasting rock. So.... I decided to see what it would look like if I just switched the 2, placing the arch on the rock that was already cut on the left side and put the pillar on the right.
I have to say I like this way better and I think it just might work :)













 
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Well, I had the afternoon to work on the tank! I finalized my rock work and got the face frames on the cabinet and the trim!!!!!! WOOHOOO! and DAMN, it looks good if I do say so myself. Now, I'm getting eager to see water in it.
So, without further ado..... here's how it sits as of tonight.







 
Thanks Daniel. It may sound weird, but I think one of my best allies so far is the lack of time I've had to work on it. I get a bit done, then I have to wait a couple weeks to work on it again. In the mean time I see it every evening and figure out if I really like what's been accomplished so far, or hate it and need to fix something. Although it's been driving my wife batty....
 
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