Doug's 300DD Starphire Reef Build

[virginiadiver69]

Doug... very impressive work!
I belong to the foam/rock wall club myself and love the natural look it adds to a reef tank.
The granite is beautiful. A local reefer has used it also and I think it adds a whole new dimension to a build like this.
Your fish list is inspiring... all of my favorites! I have been hesitant on pushing the envelope with all of those Tangs but I might rethink my stocking plan now.
What is that Acro in your avatar?

 

[leslie hempel]

awsome . nice looking tank and i love the equipment choice..

 

[Reef Happy]

you'll certainly enjoy those bits. I used some similar when I built my previous stand and canopy. look forward to seeing the progress!

Oh yes, looking forward to working with the bits. Work begins this week on the canopy and cabinet doors.

Doug... very impressive work!
I belong to the foam/rock wall club myself and love the natural look it adds to a reef tank.
The granite is beautiful. A local reefer has used it also and I think it adds a whole new dimension to a build like this.
Your fish list is inspiring... all of my favorites! I have been hesitant on pushing the envelope with all of those Tangs but I might rethink my stocking plan now.
What is that Acro in your avatar?

Thanks for the compliments. Been set up for several months and the rock wall is beginning to take on the same look as the rest of scapping. Glad to hear someone pipe in with the foam rock wall.
The granite was I thought a good idea. I wanted to set the cabinet work off. I still need to finish the doors out since I am back from honeymoon now.
My avatar is a Purple Loripes. You like?

awsome . nice looking tank and i love the equipment choice..

We did alot of forethought into equipment. All coming together. Continue to visit. More progress to come.

It is sooo beautiful ..and design is well thought out ! More pics please

Thanks. More pics to come. Wanted something alittle different but funtional. We are happy with the design.

 

[RocketSurgeon]

Looks great!

 

[virginiadiver69]

My avatar is a Purple Loripes. You like?

It's stunning!

 

[110galreef]

Sorry I forgot to update on the question of the hammerhead gold. Yes, I have run the closed loop briefly at first. I am just running the tunze 6105's at the moment. I valved back the hammerhead at outlets 50% and still have more flow than needed.This hammer head along with the flow accelators really rock. I am considering dropping down to the dart.

First off great build! The rock wall looks good...and I am not a huge rockwall fan!

Question:
Have you ran the Hammerhead Gold w/o the accelerators? Wondering how it compared w/o them? I am considering using this pump for a CLS in addition to some Vortech's.

You mention maybe throtling back to the Dart....that says a lot for an SPS 300gallon tank!

 

[Reef Happy]

Looks great!

Thanks. Continue to visit. In the process this week of finishing the doors for stand and canopy.

It's stunning!

Yes, it is a sweet little colony. Almost lost it in the tank upgrade, but was able to save it. It is starting to color up again which is a good sign.

First off great build! The rock wall looks good...and I am not a huge rockwall fan!

Question:
Have you ran the Hammerhead Gold w/o the accelerators? Wondering how it compared w/o them? I am considering using this pump for a CLS in addition to some Vortech's.

You mention maybe throtling back to the Dart....that says a lot for an SPS 300gallon tank!

Thanks for the compliments on the rock wall. And yes I did run the hammerhead gold with the accelerators. But way more flow than was needed with the accelerators. And I did go with the Dart gold and must say very pleased with it. Plenty of flow and not as noisey.

 

[110galreef]

Thanks for the compliments on the rock wall. And yes I did run the hammerhead gold with the accelerators. But way more flow than was needed with the accelerators. And I did go with the Dart gold and must say very pleased with it. Plenty of flow and not as noisey.

Wow so a SPS dominated tank 300gals & flow is all from
2 6105 tunze's, CLS powered by a DART gold (plus penductors) & a dart for the return.....

How much flow from the return would you say you have? I am definitly gonna use a smaller pump on my return, but planned penductors & a pressure rated pump for that.

Hmmmm you have got me thinking hard on my CLS pump now & may be able to cut back on them, save some sound & energy usage!! I wasn't sure a lower head pump of say the dart Gold would work with the penductors. :bounce1:

 

[Reef Happy]

Wow so a SPS dominated tank 300gals & flow is all from
2 6105 tunze's, CLS powered by a DART gold (plus penductors) & a dart for the return.....

How much flow from the return would you say you have? I am definitly gonna use a smaller pump on my return, but planned penductors & a pressure rated pump for that.

Hmmmm you have got me thinking hard on my CLS pump now & may be able to cut back on them, save some sound & energy usage!! I wasn't sure a lower head pump of say the dart Gold would work with the penductors. :bounce1:

Running my dart on the return I am probably about 1700 gph. As far as the CL and the dart gold I run on it is rated at a max 4200 gph compared to the dart it is rated at 3600 max gph. But then again I am running the accelarators along with the gold pump. You can't go wrong on the dart gold in my opinion.

 

[Reef Happy]

Been working this week on finishing out the doors for the canopy and stand. Everything is cut sanded and ready for stain.

First 3 pics are the router cuts on rails, stiles and panels.

Canopy doors ready for stain.

 

[Reef Happy]

Got stain...

 

[Reef Happy]

EZTUBE Aluminum tubing came in. Light rack is now complete and LED's mounted!!!

 

[110galreef]

led's and light rack look good. Also good cabinetry ....i am not a master wood worker at all...nor have the tools or patients!

 

[dahenley]

how do you like the EZ Tube?
i have seen it on a few builds, and like it, but would like some hands opinions. is there anything that you dont like about it?

 

[crvz]

how do you like the EZ Tube?
i have seen it on a few builds, and like it, but would like some hands opinions. is there anything that you dont like about it?

From my experience (I used estoconnectors, very similar, though the connectors are a bit different), the assembly will sag a bit at the connectors. Otherwise I've been very happy.

 

[jpsika08]

Great work Doug! The illumination looks great. Have you measured the PAR of these?

 

[dahenley]

From my experience (I used estoconnectors, very similar, though the connectors are a bit different), the assembly will sag a bit at the connectors. Otherwise I've been very happy.

can you elaborate a little? (here or in a PM?)

 

[crvz]

can you elaborate a little? (here or in a PM?)

So Doug's setup here looks like a good design... it's just one tube running the length of the light rack. If you check out what I did here, you can see I have sections for each of the pendants to sit in. If I were to lift mine at each end as you can see it in that post, it would sag down in the middle (even without the loading of the pendants). As a result, I will have to add some support along my build (which is not yet in operation).

 

[Reef Happy]

led's and light rack look good. Also good cabinetry ....i am not a master wood worker at all...nor have the tools or patients!

Thanks. I have accumilated the tools over the years and done other projects that has given me the experience. And yes, lot of patience and time. Just as the hobby or fishing anyone can do it if you have the right tools.

how do you like the EZ Tube?
i have seen it on a few builds, and like it, but would like some hands opinions. is there anything that you dont like about it?

I like the EZ Tube. Easy to put together. I got mine pre cut to the measurements needed. They suggest this when ordering. So far see nothing I would change.

 

[Reef Happy]

From my experience (I used estoconnectors, very similar, though the connectors are a bit different), the assembly will sag a bit at the connectors. Otherwise I've been very happy.

can you elaborate a little? (here or in a PM?)

I have mine screwed to the top canopy in load bearing spots. So I can't see that I would have that same problem since there is no weight on the ends.

So Doug's setup here looks like a good design... it's just one tube running the length of the light rack. If you check out what I did here, you can see I have sections for each of the pendants to sit in. If I were to lift mine at each end as you can see it in that post, it would sag down in the middle (even without the loading of the pendants). As a result, I will have to add some support along my build (which is not yet in operation).

Your light rack looks sweet. Gives me some good thought in the future. Nice thing about these racks they can be taken down and modified.