drummereef's 180g in-wall build

[drummereef]

UPDATE:


Hey guys, here's a short tutorial on how I fabricated a new probe holder for my sump. Hope you like it!


First I cut a piece of scrap acrylic I had from another project. It's 1/8" matte white stock. I drilled a couple holes for the probes I would be housing with some spade bits and started the bending process. Here it is on the line bender I made a while ago, ready for the first bend.

After the first bend, a few more to go.

Once all the bending was complete I had to drill a couple holes for the tap I would use to be able to thread on the thumb screws I bought for this project.

Holes drilled, time to tap.

I used this bit and tap set, Dewalt 10-32 threads.

And the matching Dewalt tap handle.

After some finish sanding to remove all the sharp edges it was complete!

Out with the ugly old...

And in with the new custom probe holder! I used some rubber O-Rings to keep the probes in place.

 

[iced98lx]

looks good! Where did you get the thumbscrews? Nylon?

 

[worm5406]

Very nice... Quick easy and simple.. SEE... it is a hobby afterall. Make your own stuff instead of buying it.

 

[drummereef]

I trust we'll see pictures as the rockscape comes together......

You know it buddy! Coming very soon.

looks good! Where did you get the thumbscrews? Nylon?

I had to buy them from eBay because McMaster-Carr only had them in bulk - since I only needed 2 for this project.

Very nice... Quick easy and simple.. SEE... it is a hobby afterall. Make your own stuff instead of buying it.

Ha! Exactly.

 

[drummereef]

UPDATE:


Two updates in one day?!? That's the kinda guy I am. :lol:

The tank has been through a journey over the last 5 years to say the least...

1. Marco Rock with Caribsea Special Grade
2. Marco Rock with Bare Bottom
3. Marco Rock with Tropic Eden Reefflakes
4. Marco Rock with Tropic Eden Reefflakes and BRS Pukani Rock (stock tank)
5. BRS Pukani Rock (stock tank) with Tropic Eden Reefflakes
6. BRS Pukani Rock (stock tank) with Bare Bottom
7. ...coming soon!


I removed all the sand over the course of two days. Ugh, A LOT of work!! It's the 3rd time I've done this on the tank and I do not look forward to it
(which is likely why I've been putting it off for months). I used tubing to siphon the sand into a filter sock which filled a 5 gallon bucket when it was all done.

Here's the tank bare bottom, again.

The rock I'm using for the display is coming from my stock tank. I have roughly 70lbs (dry weight) BRS Pukani rock to aquascape with, which I think will be plenty for what I'm wanting to accomplish - a minimalist but semi natural looking aquascape. The rock has been essentially "cooking" for at least a year. Here's the rock I will be transferring.

And the start of the new aquascape, not finished but I'm liking where it's going. I won't be able to add the center island until I transfer the corals from the eggcrate stand but it's getting there slowly but surely.

 

[drummereef]

UPDATE:


So I've taken a detour in aquascaping for a minute to add some sand. Overall I wasn't happy with the direction of the new scape so I have something fairly drastic in the works. But in the meantime I figured it was time to add some sand. Here's my process of adding sand to an existing established aquarium.


First, the sand I'm using this time around is Caribsea Ocean Direct Caribbean Live Sand Original Grade. After using Caribsea Fiji Pink (on my 40g), Caribsea Special Grade, and Tropic Eden Reefflakes I was looking for a sand that was... well, um... chunkier. I wanted something that resembled the real ocean floor more than the uniform grain size of the other products I've used. Don't get me wrong, there's absolutely nothing wrong with any of the sand products I've used in the past - just wanting to "mix" it up a bit. After weeks of searching I found exactly what I was looking for.

And before we get into a live sand / dry sand debate, there wasn't a decent non-uniform dry sand product available which is why I went the "live" sand route.

In reading the reviews of the product the biggest complaint seemed to be the sandstorm left behind when adding the sand to the tank. So how does one add the sand safely with minimal impact to the fish and corals you ask? With this! Drummereef's Special Sand Funnel Pipe! Ok, well it's just a piece of 2" Flex PVC with a kitchen funnel taped to the top.

Following the manufacturers directions for adding to an existing tank I rinsed 10 lbs of sand in 3 gallons of saltwater and decanted the rinse water before adding the sand. The rinse water was definitely cloudy but nothing out of the ordinary for fine grain sand products. I used a 1/2" cup measuring cup to add the sand to the pipe. Once the pipe filled with sand I SLOWLY released it into the tank.

I found that if I kept the end pressed against the overflow it really minimized the amount of dust that escaped from the pipe as I was filling the pipe with new sand.

This is the tank after adding 20 lbs of sand. 20 lbs of this sand covers a 2' x 2' area with roughly a 1" depth. I figure it will take another 20-30 lbs to finish filling the tank. I'm adding the sand in stages as to not disturb the inhabitants too much. The picture was taken immediately after the last cup went in. The tank was completely clear within 4 hours after I had completed the process.

Overall I'm really liking the texture of this sand. Hopefully it will stay this white. I love new sand.

Giant steps are what you take,
Walking on the moon
I hope my legs don't break,
Walking on the moon
We could walk forever,
Walking on the moon
We could live together,
Walking on, walking on the moon

 

[shaggss]

Wow Brett. That sand looks awesome. You just gave me a great idea! We can't get CaribSea in HK but I will definitely be mixing my sand for the new tank now.

Cheers!

 

[garrettm]

These great DIYs never get old. I've learned so much from this thread and it doesn't stop! The new sand looks great, and the description, even better.

 

[drummereef]

Wow Brett. That sand looks awesome. You just gave me a great idea! We can't get CaribSea in HK but I will definitely be mixing my sand for the new tank now.

Cheers!

That's great shaggss, glad you have some inspiration from this. I'm really liking the various grain sizes, really adds to the realism of the sand bed. I'm also pleasantly surprised at how well is stays put too. No sand storms whatsoever. And even the amount of dust that filters through my sandsifting goby seems to be less than other sands I've tried. Very satisfied so far.

These great DIYs never get old. I've learned so much from this thread and it doesn't stop! The new sand looks great, and the description, even better.

More to come! Thanks garrettm.

 

[drummereef]

UPDATE:


Got some new additions this weekend - thank you again Ocean View and Dudedah! There's more, just need to take better pics. And a FTS coming soon.

 

[iced98lx]

Woohoo! Nice looking frags Brett!

 

[drummereef]

Woohoo! Nice looking frags Brett!

Thanks Chris!

 

[drummereef]

Here's the FTS for today. Feels a lot like starting over. :lol: I'm going for an minimalist, ultra open scape - As few rocks in the display as possible this time around. As I acquire more corals I will add rock as necessary. But likely the corals will be on mounted on rubble and placed beside the existing pieces. I plan on doing a lot more LPS and even some softies, we'll see how that goes... I need a ton more pieces to fill this out. :worried:

 

[drummereef]

UPDATE:

After I had completed the new aquascape it was apparent I needed to do something with the corals that were growing on the temporary frag rack. I had some decent size colonies that needed a new home so I finally got around to properly outfitting the stock tank as a new frag tank.

First thing was to update the lighting. I purchased an Ocean Revive S026 LED fixture. So far I can't say enough good things about this - for how inexpensive it was. Solid build quality, quiet fans, clean mounting system, and the list goes on... I'm controlling each channel, White and Blue, independently through my Apex. We'll see how the corals respond but so far I'm very pleased.

'


Here you can see the LED colors. White, Blue, Purple, Green and Red.

I used the supplied mounting kit but had to buy some extra wire rope to extend the length a bit. I'm currently running the fixture 14" off the water surface.

This is what it looks like through the glass. Up next is some wire management!! Drummereef can't have random cables just hanging around like that!

A night shot.

The intensity I'm currently running is White 40% and Blue 60%. The frag rack sits approximately 6-7" under the water surface. I burned through about 50 frag plugs in no time and there still a bunch more I could frag. I feel a lot better knowing the corals are getting plenty of light and have an organized new home.

 

[RocketEngineer]

Here's the FTS for today. Feels a lot like starting over. :lol: I'm going for an minimalist, ultra open scape - As few rocks in the display as possible this time around. As I acquire more corals I will add rock as necessary. But likely the corals will be on mounted on rubble and placed beside the existing pieces. I plan on doing a lot more LPS and even some softies, we'll see how that goes... I need a ton more pieces to fill this out. :worried:

A guy close to me with a monster reef tank uses a system of small pieces of rubble glued to acrylic rods to mount his frags. They work a lot like frag plugs in that he can place them where he wants and move things around. Once he likes where things are, he glues the piece of rubble onto the main rock piece and it blends right in. If something gets damaged or he needs to move it, he can just break the glue and move the coral without demolishing the rock. It was a very neat idea.

Up next is some wire management!! Drummereef can't have random cables just hanging around like that!

There can't have messy wires in Drummereef's tank room. :sad1: Say it ain't so. You keep of that kind of behavior and you will loose the title of "Cleanest Build".

Can't wait to see the results this time around. Don't get discouraged, we all have our ups and downs in this hobby. And without your system, the rest of us slobs wouldn't have a pristine setup to be compared against.

 

[drummereef]

A guy close to me with a monster reef tank uses a system of small pieces of rubble glued to acrylic rods to mount his frags. They work a lot like frag plugs in that he can place them where he wants and move things around. Once he likes where things are, he glues the piece of rubble onto the main rock piece and it blends right in. If something gets damaged or he needs to move it, he can just break the glue and move the coral without demolishing the rock. It was a very neat idea.

Haha, thanks for the kind words RocketEngineer. Great tip about the frag plugs too!

 

[drummereef]

UPDATE:


Hey guys, since we hit 200 pages I thought I would update the project list. Here's all the project guides since the beginning of my thread. Hope you find something to help you with your tank!



Pg 1 Sump Room Construction
Pg 2 Stand Construction
Pg 3 Laminate Installation
Pg 5 Stand Trim
Pg 10 Return Pump Riser
Pg 12 Plumbing Sketchup / Plumbing Begins
Pg 13 Plumbing Construction
Pg 14 Plumbing Construction Continues
Pg 15 Plumbing Construction Continues
Pg 16 Plumbing Construction Continues
Pg 17 Plumbing Construction Continues
Pg 18 Plumbing Construction Finished / Fresh Water Testing
Pg 22 Reeflo Dart Seal Replacement
Pg 30 Basement Remodel
Pg 32 Lumen Bright Mini Reflectors / Lighting Sketchup / Light Rack Construction Begins
Pg 33 Light Rack Construction Continues / SWC 250A Skimmer
Pg 34 Light Rack Track Assembly / Utility Sink
Pg 35 Light Rack Track Assembly Finished
Pg 36 RODI / Marco Rock / Light Rack Wiring
Pg 37 Electrical Panel / RODI Panel
Pg 38 Conduit Construction / Light Testing
Pg 39 RODI Plumbing
Pg 40 Sump Room Trim / Aquascaping Begins
Pg 42 Aquascaping Finished / Water! / Tank Startup
Pg 44 Live Sand
Pg 49 Canon Rebel XSi DSLR
Pg 50 Tunze Osmolator / Top Off Plumbing
Pg 52 RODI Mixing Station / Algae Free Tiger Shark
Pg 53 Conduit Construction Finished
Pg 55 Drummereef's Bubble Killer
Pg 56 Quarantine Tank Setup
Pg 59 Algae Cycle / Drip Acclimation
Pg 60 NextReef MR1 Reactors / GAC & GFO
Pg 65 Manifold Updates
Pg 66 Warner Marine EcoBAK Biopellets / NextReef SMR1 Reactor
Pg 69 Hanna Phosphate Checker
Pg 73 DIY 2-Part / Brightwell Aquatics MB7
Pg 77 Neptune Systems Apex iPhone App
Pg 78 Neptune Systems Apex iPhone App Continued
Pg 81 Voltmeter
Pg 82 Aquascape Updated
Pg 83 Bottled Copepods
Pg 85 New Corals / Fragging SPS
Pg 90 Vortech Battery Backup
Pg 94 Apex Controller Panel First Look
Pg 95 Hanna Phosphate Checker
Pg 96 Korallen-Zucht Zeovit Additives
Pg 97 Apex Controller Panel Finished
Pg 98 NextReef SMR1 Biopellet Reactor Down Tube Mod

Pg 102 ZeoZyme / Bio-Mate
Pg 123 Easy DIY Kalkwasser Doser (Manual Drip)
Pg 127 Tech M Magnesium Dosing
Pg 131 Sump / Fuge Conversion (Temporary Fuge)
Pg 138 EcoBak / NPX Biopellet Comparison
Pg 141 Biopellet Reactor Effluent Skimmer Mod
Pg 142 Filter Socks / Filter Sock Uniseal Mounting Bracket Mod
Pg 143 Tropic Eden Reeflakes Sand
Pg 144 BRS 50ml/min Dosing Pump / Kalkwasser Upgrade
Pg 147 Vortech Battery Backup Mounting Panel
Pg 148 Biopellet Reactor Recirculation Mod Design
Pg 148 Eheim Jager Heaters
Pg 149 Dry Goods / Frag Station
Pg 150 Vortech MP40 Maintenance and Rebuild
Pg 150 Dosing Pump Silencing Foam Mod
Pg 150 Screen Tops
Pg 153 Remote Refugium Design and Build Begins
Pg 154 Biopellet Reactor Recirculating Mod Complete
Pg 154 Drywall Tips / Working With Drywall
Pg 154 Rubbermaid Stock Tank Fuge and Stand
Pg 155 Stock Tank Fuge Plumbing
Pg 156 Stock Tank Fuge Plumbing Continues
Pg 157 Stock Tank Fuge Complete
Pg 159 BRS Pukani Rock Cycling Begins
Pg 159 Seaklear Phosphate Remover
Pg 160 Seaklear Dosing Setup
Pg 163 Fuge Tank Lighting
Pg 166 Fuge Drain Gutter Guards
Pg 169 ATO / Kalkwasser Bucket Upgrade
Pg 170 LED Accent Bar Design and Layout
Pg 172 LED Accent Bar Build
Pg 174 Coral Compulsion Fuge LED and Pendant MOD
Pg 175 DIY Acrylic Bending Table / LED Cooling Fan Mod
Pg 177 Cable Sleeving Tutorial and Preview
Pg 182 Cable Sleeving Finished
Pg 187 GEO 618 Calcium Reactor
Pg 199 DIY Acrylic Probe Holder
Pg 199 Ocean Direct Caribbean Live Sand
Pg 199 Ocean Revive S026 LED Fixture

 

[iced98lx]

Wow! Awesome TOC Brett, that's a huge service as this thread has so many great things in it.

 

[drummereef]

Wow! Awesome TOC Brett, that's a huge service as this thread has so many great things in it.

Thanks Chris!

 

[drummereef]

So what would cause a Toadstool to go from ALL BROWN to this beauty, overnight?? The only thing I did was dose some Tech M to boost up my magnesium the day before. Have no idea what happened... but I'm not disappointed with the change.