drummereef's 180g in-wall build

Great, thanks Marc! So the back of your LB's looks like they are almost in line with the back glass of your tank. That's about exactly how mine will be positioned at roughly 17"-18" above the water (just measured again). I can come down a little but they will still be more towards the back than the front. This gives me hope I didn't totally screw up. :lol:

Does your tank get plenty of light in the very front angling them like this without the VHOs? Your tank is awesome from pics but how do you like the light in person?
 
drummereef said:
UPDATE:


Got the rails today for the light rack. They are Stanley 8' door track rated at 150lb per rail. I bought them from McMaster-Carr. Ordered on Monday, arrived on Tuesday. Great service and cheap shipping! :thumbsup:


Picture004-1.jpg~original


Picture002-1.jpg~original
Click to expand...

Drummerreef - awesome as usual! Love the idea with the eye rings. Anyway, I need to install a real light rack and yours is the best one I've seen yet. I went to the master-carr website but am not sure which of their products you have pictured here. Can you send a link or product #?
 
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drummereef said:
Great, thanks Marc! So the back of your LB's looks like they are almost in line with the back glass of your tank. That's about exactly how mine will be positioned at roughly 17"-18" above the water (just measured again). I can come down a little but they will still be more towards the back than the front. This gives me hope I didn't totally screw up. :lol:

Does your tank get plenty of light in the very front angling them like this without the VHOs? Your tank is awesome from pics but how do you like the light in person?
Click to expand...

The tank is plenty bright if that is what you mean. The coloration of the livestock is affected by the bulb choice. I'm my own tank's worst critic as I see everything I don't like. However, the coverage is good, and as you can see in my thread the corals near the front grow out well.
 
drummereef said:
Thanks prop-frags. Have you noticed any corrosion or rusting at all?
Click to expand...

Hope not - the tank doesn't have water in it yet. ;)

drummereef said:
That's about exactly how [my lumen brights] will be positioned at roughly 17"-18" above the water (just measured again).
Does your tank get plenty of light in the very front angling them like this without the VHOs? Your tank is awesome from pics but how do you like the light in person?
Click to expand...

I am putting in LMEs, and am wondering about minimum mounting height ... any one know if 10" above waterline will be too low? Tank is a 300DD (36" width)
 
melev said:
The tank is plenty bright if that is what you mean. The coloration of the livestock is affected by the bulb choice. I'm my own tank's worst critic as I see everything I don't like. However, the coverage is good, and as you can see in my thread the corals near the front grow out well.
Click to expand...

Awesome, thanks again Marc!
 
UPDATE:



We (me and my very patient father :D) hung the rails for the lights today! Still gathering the last few parts to hang the rack but it should be this weekend. Here's a sneak peak... :)


***Oh, and sorry for the not-so-good pics lately. Still trying to get the hang of my iphone. Doesn't handle low light very well, but it's quick to upload.



Picture003-1.jpg~original





Before I purchased the rails I really didn't know for sure how the eye bolts would attach to the wheels, other than seeing a few pics from afar. So here's how it works.



This is the original Stanley wheel set from the rail. Under the bolt plate (which is threaded) there is a nylon retaining nut that really helps lock the bolt down tight, and makes it possible to do micro adjustments to the bolt length. You can take this off and replace it with a metal nut if need be. I thought the nut was fine so I left it as is.


Wheels.jpg~original




The wheel set accepts a 5/16" bolt so I chose the appropriate size eye bolt for my application. I ended up going with Stainless Steel eye bolts even though there's no good way to insulate them. It's at least the least corrosive option I have access too. Guess time will tell how they hold up. ;) Here you can see the original bolt removed from the wheel set and the eye bolt installed.


EyeBolt.jpg~original
 
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Your patience and attention to detail inspires me :) You actually plan out and wait for parts to arrive instead of rigging stuff together like me... I gotta learn that.
 
There are surely some spray applications you can put on that eye-bolt, but I doubt it's necessary.
 
melev said:
There are surely some spray applications you can put on that eye-bolt, but I doubt it's necessary.
Click to expand...

agreed.

I'm loving the quality of all this, too. While my father-in-law is every bit as detailed oriented as what you're up to, my own dad is definitely a "get-it-done-yesterday" person and I've got too much of his blood in me. I sometimes want to see results over waiting to do it perfectly on the first go, so hopefully your build will keep me a little more honest.
 
platax88 said:
Your patience and attention to detail inspires me :) You actually plan out and wait for parts to arrive instead of rigging stuff together like me... I gotta learn that.
Click to expand...


Thanks platax88. :) Trying to pace myself now because I know if I don't I'll spend my kids inheritance on corals. :lol:
 
crvz said:
agreed.

I'm loving the quality of all this, too. While my father-in-law is every bit as detailed oriented as what you're up to, my own dad is definitely a "get-it-done-yesterday" person and I've got too much of his blood in me. I sometimes want to see results over waiting to do it perfectly on the first go, so hopefully your build will keep me a little more honest.
Click to expand...


:lol: My dad wants me to get this tank done so he can be rid of my old 40g that's still at their house! :D

Btw, the light rack is up. I'll post a pic tomorrow when there's better light to get a good picture. :)
 
The lights went up today. :dance: I would have fired them up but apparently PA sent me female quick connects for the ballasts instead of male ends. Dunno how I missed that when I first got them... I'll get Jeremy to send me out some replacements Monday. ;)


Picture699.jpg~original



I ended up going with chain since I was unsure of how the aircraft cable gliders would have held up with saltwater. This way it's all stainless from eye bolt to eye bolt. It was cheaper anyhow. :D I added a support brace, made of 2" flat aluminum, across the two upper eye bolts to allow the rollers to move together. It was a little funky before when they were moving independently. Rolls really nice now. :)


Picture702.jpg~original



I was trying to get out of the picture here. :crazy1: Now you can see my lame point and shoot. Don't :uzi: me.


Picture706.jpg~original
 
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Hey, I know you're probably pretty focused on the lights right now, but have you given any thought on what you were going to do with flow in the tank? I know you have a pair of vortechs and said you would transfer over some tunze streams, but what about the gph of the tunzes and placements?

I ask because I am upgrading to a 180 or 240 in a few months and was wondering what i would or would not need for flow besides my two vortechs.
 
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