Englishrebel's 260 Gallon System Build
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EnglishRebel
Retired Rebel Reefer
Thanks Steve
The reason I don't really want to do that is that I would have to fill the tank with water, add salt, and get it up to temperature. I took the easy route by doing it dry.
The rock in my 55 is basically 25 LB of cured LR and more Eco Rox that is coloring up nicely. I am well pleased with the Eco Rox (Fiji) as it seems to color up quickly and it may be difficult to see in the photos above but there is a fair bit of color on the dry rock that will spread once I add water and lighting.Here's a couple of shots of the QT tank with mainly Eco Rox.
Here's the fuge with Eco Rox and LR
JRF
New member
Alan, I think it is coming along nicely and looking good...maybe you could make one area of the tank, perhaps one side, a colum rising higher , to keep it from being too symetrical ( using that titatium rod to support the colum ). Thats just my 2 cents, but really it is looking good !
EnglishRebel
Retired Rebel Reefer
Thanks Jeff
I'm trying to do that with the left hand side. I can still stack some LR on the top as I made sure the base was secure (took a lot of time to make sure the pieces locked together). I want to get close (if not above) the water level. Drop by and critique my work -- I would appreciate an experienced eye.
EnglishRebel
Retired Rebel Reefer
I finally finished up the trim around the tank. Here are the finished results. When it's permanently installed I will put a bead of silicone around the three sides to prevent water from getting down in between the glass and the wood.
I also installed the "dry" side components of the two Vortech MP40 in-tank circulation pumps. This is the one on the right side. I still have to make the doors that will hide it and the overflow box.
Here my cat (a Singaporean) is sunning himself in his favorite position.
Here's another shot of him, asleep (as usual. :rollface: )
I finished installing all the Eco Rox and went ahead and put in 160 lbs. of Carib Sea Reeflor Special Reef sand. I need to go to Lowes to get a fitting to connect my 1/4" line from the RO/Di unit to the 3/8" tubing that runs from the equipment room to the tank (I went with 3/8" thinking the reduced back pressure would speed up filling).
Lighting should be here next week so I can figure out how to mount the two racks to the wall. In the meantime I will be slowly filling the tank and making the doors to hide the overflows.
I also installed the "dry" side components of the two Vortech MP40 in-tank circulation pumps. This is the one on the right side. I still have to make the doors that will hide it and the overflow box.
Here my cat (a Singaporean) is sunning himself in his favorite position.
Here's another shot of him, asleep (as usual. :rollface: )
I finished installing all the Eco Rox and went ahead and put in 160 lbs. of Carib Sea Reeflor Special Reef sand. I need to go to Lowes to get a fitting to connect my 1/4" line from the RO/Di unit to the 3/8" tubing that runs from the equipment room to the tank (I went with 3/8" thinking the reduced back pressure would speed up filling).
Lighting should be here next week so I can figure out how to mount the two racks to the wall. In the meantime I will be slowly filling the tank and making the doors to hide the overflows.
The cat is dreaming of when you will stock the tank with yummy fish. 
EnglishRebel
Retired Rebel Reefer
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14889565#post14889565 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by WaterKeeper
The cat is dreaming of when you will stock the tank with yummy fish.
I had to take that one fish out as it was scaring the bloody heck out of him. :lol: :lol:
Moefish have been known to eat cats. Somewhat like Alf.
edandsandy
Active member
Alan, Your work is sooooo BEAUTIFUL!,
Congrats and your aquascaping too, it will all come together......
BTW... your cat is SKINNY, compared to the neighbors :lol:
Was he watching you work?
Congrats and your aquascaping too, it will all come together......
BTW... your cat is SKINNY, compared to the neighbors :lol:
Was he watching you work?
EnglishRebel
Retired Rebel Reefer
Thanks Sandy. That cat (his name is Elliot) is a PEOPLE CAT
Every waking hour he wants to sit on your lap (well ... err.... not EVERY hour as he has to go..... well you know....... to sit in his litter tray and contemplate where he'll sit next
). At night he either keeps my feet warm under the covers or sleeps on my chest with his nose about an inch away from mine.Did I mention he was a PEOPLE CAT :rollface: He used to like sitting on my lap watching Meerkat Manor on Animal Planet. Considering he sleeps all day and all night and my neighbors cat is always wandering around the neighborhood, I'm surprised that the neighbors cat is so fat and Elliot is so...... well SVELTE.
Trying to figure out the finish you used on the woodwork. Is it a spray poly? I can see some of the gloss but its hard to tell because if the resolution isn't high enough to see if there are brush strokes
What did you use for stain? dye rub or a traditional stain?
Btw, it looks very nice. Good job.
What did you use for stain? dye rub or a traditional stain?
Btw, it looks very nice. Good job.
EnglishRebel
Retired Rebel Reefer
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14892113#post14892113 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by wmilas
Trying to figure out the finish you used on the woodwork. Is it a spray poly? I can see some of the gloss but its hard to tell because if the resolution isn't high enough to see if there are brush strokes
What did you use for stain? dye rub or a traditional stain?
Btw, it looks very nice. Good job.
wmilas
I used a Varathane wipe on gel stain (Traditional Cherry). Almost all the wood is mahogany and as it's fairly open grained one coat was enough. The shelf in the second photo and the "rail" along the front of the tank are cherry as I ran out of mahogany. This being a fairly close grained wood it took two coats to match the rest.
I finished off with two coats of Deft Varathane gloss polyurethane.
EnglishRebel
Retired Rebel Reefer
IT"S STARTED
It's 7:30 Saturday morning and water is going in the tank. This is going to take a while.
It's 7:30 Saturday morning and water is going in the tank. This is going to take a while.
edandsandy
Active member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14890522#post14890522 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by EnglishRebel
Thanks Sandy. That cat (his name is Elliot) is a PEOPLE CAT
Every waking hour he wants to sit on your lap (well ... err.... not EVERY hour as he has to go..... well you know....... to sit in his litter tray and contemplate where he'll sit next
Did I mention he was a PEOPLE CAT :rollface: He used to like sitting on my lap watching Meerkat Manor on Animal Planet. Considering he sleeps all day and all night and my neighbors cat is always wandering around the neighborhood, I'm surprised that the neighbors cat is so fat and Elliot is so...... well SVELTE.
:lol:
We like PEOPLE cats.
Not the kind that do you know what in flower garden!
Glad to see water going in!
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EnglishRebel
Retired Rebel Reefer
Yes it's slow going Sandy. After two hours it's about two inches deep so by this evening we should be about 1/4 full.
It is the price one pays to have the best water possible to start one's tank.
EnglishRebel
Retired Rebel Reefer
I know Tom. I thought about pumping the RO water from my storage tank downstairs but in thinking about it -- yes it would put 40 gallons in the tank in fifteen minutes but then I would have to wait while the RO water was generated to refill the storage tank. By just hooking the RO unit to the tank it takes then same amount of time. DUH.
BTW the Moefish has been transfered to the rectangular tank under the kitchen counter. He seems to like it there with the others (the oleowrappper wrasses, the cornflakeus box fish, and the assorted mandarin teabaggers). :lol: :lol: :lol:
BTW how's the best way to remove the foam and bits of wood from the water surface that came from the sand (I didn't rinse it before putting it in). Trust me, lifting 40 lb. bags of Aragonite was bad enough without adding the weight of water to them. Also I didn't want to introduce tap water into the system.
Forgot to get a fish net huh?
Use a a fish net or brine shrimp net. You can also wait till the tank's water level reaches the overflows and place some filter wool on top of the sump return line.
Use a a fish net or brine shrimp net. You can also wait till the tank's water level reaches the overflows and place some filter wool on top of the sump return line.
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