EnglishRebel
Retired Rebel Reefer
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14894972#post14894972 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by WaterKeeper
Forgot to get a fish net huh?
Fish net?? Yes I have one but I thought they were for catching fish. :rollface:
Englishrebel's 260 Gallon System Build
- Thread starter EnglishRebel
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Fish net?? Yes I have one but I thought they were for catching fish. :rollface:
EnglishRebel
Retired Rebel Reefer
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14896747#post14896747 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tonyf
Alan, I've been reviewing your tank build again and it depresses me so! Your furniture making skills and precison assembly of your tank is extraordinary. It makes my tank stand look like a packing case.
Tony
Now you're embarrassing me but thanks. You have to thank my wife as she won't let me get away with a simple stand -- she wants furniture. And as I have a fully equipped shop she expects nothing less. I remember once just after I got my shop set up, her hairdresser was over at the house advising her on landscaping (I know go figure -- must be the artistic thing
). Anyway she comes up to me and says that he is getting a friend to bring over a wooden bench that his friend had made and wanted my opinion. I gave her my opinion. 'Honey I just spent $10k on equipping a woodworking shop and you want me to look at a bench that someone else has made'. She got the message but then I had to build her a bench.This is the one I built. It's from an episode of the New Yankee Workshop.
edandsandy
Active member
OMG! Alan, now you are just showing off!
I'm impressed with your craftsmanship!
Now I need a favor :lol:
We have not figured out a way to hold the tank lid open for me to feed or move a piece of coral on the front of the tank, you get the idea.....
We have tried a number of way, nothing is working better that a broom handel from the garage for now.
side piece on a hinge for easy access of the magnet
this is the lid Ed is holding the lid up, (in these pics. the trim is not quite finished, it looks much better finished)
what would you suggest?
I'm impressed with your craftsmanship!
Now I need a favor :lol:
We have not figured out a way to hold the tank lid open for me to feed or move a piece of coral on the front of the tank, you get the idea.....
We have tried a number of way, nothing is working better that a broom handel from the garage for now.
side piece on a hinge for easy access of the magnet
this is the lid Ed is holding the lid up, (in these pics. the trim is not quite finished, it looks much better finished)
what would you suggest?
EnglishRebel
Retired Rebel Reefer
Sandy
You have several options. You could try these: torsion stay or a pair of these: gas struts. The former may suit your situation better because it appears that you don't have anywhere to attach the other end of the gas strut. Even though they show the torsion hinges holding a chest lid open it should work in the vertical as well.
BTW I'm jealous as Ed appears to have more hair than me.
You have several options. You could try these: torsion stay or a pair of these: gas struts. The former may suit your situation better because it appears that you don't have anywhere to attach the other end of the gas strut. Even though they show the torsion hinges holding a chest lid open it should work in the vertical as well.
BTW I'm jealous as Ed appears to have more hair than me.
edandsandy
Active member
Thanks Alan,
We tried several the gas struts from McCarr & Masters and could not make any thing work. the torsion stay looks like that might work! Thanks again....
How much water is in tank now
We tried several the gas struts from McCarr & Masters and could not make any thing work. the torsion stay looks like that might work! Thanks again....
How much water is in tank now
EnglishRebel
Retired Rebel Reefer
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14899092#post14899092 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by edandsandy
Thanks Alan,
We tried several the gas struts from McCarr & Masters and could not make any thing work. the torsion stay looks like that might work! Thanks again....
How much water is in tank now
Sandy
It's about 3/4 full. Should be at the overflow by this evening. I have one of the Vortech MP40s running on the RHS (the "wet" portion of the LHS seems to be defective as it doesn't want to turn). I have an email in to the manufacturer to get it sent back. I have the LHS one up high (about two inched below the water surface) and the RHS about 12" off the bottom but I may have to raise it up as the flow is blowing a furrow in the sand. These things are good but a little finicky in getting the wet and dry sides to line up perfectly. If they are offset a little they make a noise so you have to keep tweaking the wet side until the noise goes away.
It's just one more thing to tweak. :rollface:
edandsandy
Active member
WOW, that water is filling fast!
If you are anything like us, we just have to tweak any new toy! :lol:
If you are anything like us, we just have to tweak any new toy! :lol:
plyr58
New member
Alan,
Are you running th eline straight from the RO unit? Maybe I missed it, but how to you plan to mix your salt once it is full? are you just going to add salt a bag a t a time to the sump and let it circulate? If so you need to make sure that the circulation within the tank is really good or you will end up with a gradation in the tank water due to differences in the density of fresh and saltwater.
BTW, the trim looks great!
Are you running th eline straight from the RO unit? Maybe I missed it, but how to you plan to mix your salt once it is full? are you just going to add salt a bag a t a time to the sump and let it circulate? If so you need to make sure that the circulation within the tank is really good or you will end up with a gradation in the tank water due to differences in the density of fresh and saltwater.
BTW, the trim looks great!
tonyespinoza
Premium Member
alan - awesome and inspiring build!
i have always run BB, but am thinking of going with sand in my new project. i was thinking of building a similar support system for the LR. did you have any concerns about anaerobic areas forming between the acrylic/starboard/bottom? i really don't know if i understand what the big deal is, but i've seen some flames about this in previous threads and am wondering if you might be able to demystify.
i presume the starboard is to raise the acrylic up to the level of the lower bracing and protect the bottom of the tank?
thanks for sharing your work. it's fantastic.
i have always run BB, but am thinking of going with sand in my new project. i was thinking of building a similar support system for the LR. did you have any concerns about anaerobic areas forming between the acrylic/starboard/bottom? i really don't know if i understand what the big deal is, but i've seen some flames about this in previous threads and am wondering if you might be able to demystify.
i presume the starboard is to raise the acrylic up to the level of the lower bracing and protect the bottom of the tank?
thanks for sharing your work. it's fantastic.
EnglishRebel
Retired Rebel Reefer
Drew
Yes I ran a line directly from the RO unity. I'm adding salt directly to the tank and have one Vortech circulating water and it seems to be adequate (I have had to raise it once as it was causing a canyon in the sand bed). Salt water will tend to sink right?
Thanks for the complement -- I am well pleased with the trim. I was going to mill up some mahogany shoe molding but I think I will get oak from Lowes and stain it.
Thanks Tony. The Starboard is to protect the bottom from the rocks as my glass is not tempered. There should not be any problems as the plastic is pressed against the glass by the weight of rocks, sand, and water. I have sheets of acrylic with 1/2" dowels glued to them to support the rock. I don't want the rock either sitting on the bottom (expensive live rock covered in 3" of sand doesn't make sense) and I didn't want the rock supported by the sand as it could shift if the sand is disturbed. Make sense?
I hate it when the sand scratches up the glass bottom of my tank as it makes it hard to see into it when I drink too much and pass out on the floor.
Should be full by now Alan.
Should be full by now Alan.
tonyespinoza
Premium Member
hey alan - yup, totally makes sense. thanks.
EnglishRebel
Retired Rebel Reefer
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14903963#post14903963 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by WaterKeeper
I hate it when the sand scratches up the glass bottom of my tank as it makes it hard to see into it when I drink too much and pass out on the floor.
Should be full by now Alan.
Sort of like a glass-bottom boat upside down.
And yes it's full and salt was added this morning. I almost screwed up though Tom. I had about a 1/3 of a bucket of 160 gallon salt mix which I dumped in. I then opened a box of a 200 gallon mix and took out two of the four bags and put those in. So that's (160÷3) + (200÷4) which equals 153 gallons (I always hated differential equations :lol: ). I thought, better check SG before I dump in more salt. Guess what -- 1.026. My tank is (accounting for glass thickness and depth of water) 59x29x21.5 which is 159 gallons. I made the mistake of figuring the overall size and ignoring water depth. So 60x30x24 which gives 187.
Lucky I checked. Does the salt dissolve almost straight away? I just checked after 3 hours and it's still 1.026. Should it rise anymore?
Thanks
Most salts dissolve in a few minutes and any cloudiness is from minor components that do not change the salinity much at all.
EnglishRebel
Retired Rebel Reefer
Thanks Tom. It's still quite cloudy but not as much as before. It was a little cloudy before I added the salt -- probably from the sand (sand was added before water).
EnglishRebel
Retired Rebel Reefer
Elliot's on the prowl. :rollface:
Seriously, do I have to worry about him falling in?
He likes high places. Before we remodeled out kitchen and installed a built-in refrigerator, he used to jump onto the desk, up to the fridge, and onto the wall cabinets where he used to hit you with his paw as you walked by.
Seriously, do I have to worry about him falling in?
He likes high places. Before we remodeled out kitchen and installed a built-in refrigerator, he used to jump onto the desk, up to the fridge, and onto the wall cabinets where he used to hit you with his paw as you walked by.
Here is what you need next Alan
EnglishRebel
Retired Rebel Reefer
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14905407#post14905407 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by WaterKeeper
Here is what you need next Alan
Tom
Elliot said he'll take the one on the left. She looks like a cat lover. :rollface: He says he hopes she does mouth to mouth.
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