garrettm's 187g In-Wall Build

What's wrong with a simple overflow as you have illustrated?

To reduce/eliminate bubbles in the line from the Lagoon to the Refugium as drawn, just make sure that red length of pipe above the words "Refugium (Sand/" is at least 1.5'-2' long. You appear to already have couple of 90° bends in it.

Dave.M
 
Hey Dave, nothing was really wrong with it at all. I just have the bad habit of trying to exhaust all my options before executing.

I ended up having the lagoon and frag tank drain on the same line and ran a separate line for the fuge. This way I can control the flow to each tank individually.

Some progress pics:

f73222f5f90bf12e7d7ae985f33f1494.jpg
015563d236cccb6ac368eef2b76ccf1e.jpg
7cbdc59745d3964b5eb400bba36135ac.jpg
 
After over a month of delay"¦"¦"¦UPDATE!!!!!!!!!

Last time posted I was planning on putting water in the tank by May 9th for the fill party. Well I ended up getting the plumbing done, water test complete, aquascape complete, and electrical mostly complete since then. I decided to take a break from posting because my timeline was so tight. Unfortunately I didn't take as many pictures as I originally intended or outline any of the processes that got me to where I am. I'll fill you in though.

Where do I start? Well, where did I leave off?


Plumbing"¦..it is finished! However, it wasn't easy. I can't believe how many trips I took to HD to pick up a coupling or extra elbow or more glue when I spilled it all over the floor. Most everything came together fairly well. I had a little trouble with the flexible PVC. Apparently it has the tendency to slide out a bit and get a little uneven. Some of my joints are a little off.

I only ran into one plumbing problem, at about 11pm one night I was ready to turn the pump on for the first time. I fired it up and heard the whoosh sound of water filling the pump and pipes, it was beautiful. I proceeded to look around for leaks and found a small drip coming from an elbow. No, problem I thought, let inspect this a little closer"¦.BOOOM"¦..The pipe comes out of the elbow and water hits me right in the face and starts to go everywhere! I forgot to glue one fitting :headwally:

Anyways, the plumbing was all complete and it was time to do some aquascaping!

This is what I ended up with.

<a href="http://s1219.photobucket.com/user/gmitch72/media/In%20Wall/35800E01-4344-4265-A27E-21AC78B2F381.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1219.photobucket.com/albums/dd427/gmitch72/In%20Wall/35800E01-4344-4265-A27E-21AC78B2F381.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 35800E01-4344-4265-A27E-21AC78B2F381.jpg"/></a>

<a href="http://s1219.photobucket.com/user/gmitch72/media/In%20Wall/D004D511-69D1-4E3F-B04C-BFBA61FE3F52.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1219.photobucket.com/albums/dd427/gmitch72/In%20Wall/D004D511-69D1-4E3F-B04C-BFBA61FE3F52.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo D004D511-69D1-4E3F-B04C-BFBA61FE3F52.jpg"/></a>

<a href="http://s1219.photobucket.com/user/gmitch72/media/In%20Wall/47EA7B93-2BBE-460F-924B-FAC61E5DA3A8.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1219.photobucket.com/albums/dd427/gmitch72/In%20Wall/47EA7B93-2BBE-460F-924B-FAC61E5DA3A8.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 47EA7B93-2BBE-460F-924B-FAC61E5DA3A8.jpg"/></a>

and the lagoon

<a href="http://s1219.photobucket.com/user/gmitch72/media/In%20Wall/3FB833C4-5ED2-4064-A825-2B79DFC724A7.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1219.photobucket.com/albums/dd427/gmitch72/In%20Wall/3FB833C4-5ED2-4064-A825-2B79DFC724A7.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 3FB833C4-5ED2-4064-A825-2B79DFC724A7.jpg"/></a>
 
As you may remember, I was planning on filling the tank on May 9th for our engagement/fill party. I spread out the sand the night before and started filling at about 11pm on May 8th. I am so bummed that I didn't take any pictures of the tank filling :facepalm: This is the best picture I can find where you can see the tank filling in the background.

<a href="http://s1219.photobucket.com/user/gmitch72/media/-1.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1219.photobucket.com/albums/dd427/gmitch72/-1.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo -1.jpg"/></a>

The party was awesome and one of the best parts, besidedes the tank filling, was the custom wine my brother in law made for us from his family winery!

<a href="http://s1219.photobucket.com/user/gmitch72/media/-11.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1219.photobucket.com/albums/dd427/gmitch72/-11.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo -11.jpg"/></a>

Up Next is Electrical!! hopefully I can make the post later today.
 
ELECTRICAL!

The power supply for the tank is run off two independent 15 amp breakers. The idea was to run a Neptune energy bar 8 of each of the lines. From the energy bar I would run 14g THHN wire to outlets located near the equipment.

A picture of the wiring in progress. The original plan was to have both energy bars located next to each other but in later pictures you will see that I moved them.

<a href="http://s1219.photobucket.com/user/gmitch72/media/In%20Wall/DAB570AE-0E7D-4907-A1CC-201D33A9CF89.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1219.photobucket.com/albums/dd427/gmitch72/In%20Wall/DAB570AE-0E7D-4907-A1CC-201D33A9CF89.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo DAB570AE-0E7D-4907-A1CC-201D33A9CF89.jpg"/></a>


I used some heat shrink wire wrapping that worked great.

<a href="http://s1219.photobucket.com/user/gmitch72/media/In%20Wall/BEAA8D14-650A-425B-AC86-04D0CF21ECB8.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1219.photobucket.com/albums/dd427/gmitch72/In%20Wall/BEAA8D14-650A-425B-AC86-04D0CF21ECB8.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo BEAA8D14-650A-425B-AC86-04D0CF21ECB8.jpg"/></a>

<a href="http://s1219.photobucket.com/user/gmitch72/media/In%20Wall/89A33B58-0DCE-48D0-882D-82DCA81CAAAE.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1219.photobucket.com/albums/dd427/gmitch72/In%20Wall/89A33B58-0DCE-48D0-882D-82DCA81CAAAE.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 89A33B58-0DCE-48D0-882D-82DCA81CAAAE.jpg"/></a>

The mostly finished product. I still need to do some wire management around the Apex.

<a href="http://s1219.photobucket.com/user/gmitch72/media/In%20Wall/F2C4D6F2-5CAB-4236-8FA1-871406EB6CDD.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1219.photobucket.com/albums/dd427/gmitch72/In%20Wall/F2C4D6F2-5CAB-4236-8FA1-871406EB6CDD.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo F2C4D6F2-5CAB-4236-8FA1-871406EB6CDD.jpg"/></a>

<a href="http://s1219.photobucket.com/user/gmitch72/media/In%20Wall/97CC0FF0-B493-4173-A234-6A0BB297D7B5.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1219.photobucket.com/albums/dd427/gmitch72/In%20Wall/97CC0FF0-B493-4173-A234-6A0BB297D7B5.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 97CC0FF0-B493-4173-A234-6A0BB297D7B5.jpg"/></a>

<a href="http://s1219.photobucket.com/user/gmitch72/media/In%20Wall/E698B1CC-0162-42BD-9124-10A929C42BA5.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1219.photobucket.com/albums/dd427/gmitch72/In%20Wall/E698B1CC-0162-42BD-9124-10A929C42BA5.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo E698B1CC-0162-42BD-9124-10A929C42BA5.jpg"/></a>

and a fun one....

<a href="http://s1219.photobucket.com/user/gmitch72/media/In%20Wall/F91CEB83-FDA8-410F-BFD0-1023ADCDCB10.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1219.photobucket.com/albums/dd427/gmitch72/In%20Wall/F91CEB83-FDA8-410F-BFD0-1023ADCDCB10.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo F91CEB83-FDA8-410F-BFD0-1023ADCDCB10.jpg"/></a>
 
I just saw your set up on the new BRS video. It took me a few seconds before I realized I had seen it before. Awesome job so far!!
 
garrettm said:
As you may remember, I was planning on filling the tank on May 9th for our engagement/fill party. I spread out the sand the night before and started filling at about 11pm on May 8th. I am so bummed that I didn't take any pictures of the tank filling :facepalm: This is the best picture I can find where you can see the tank filling in the background.

<a href="http://s1219.photobucket.com/user/gmitch72/media/-1.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1219.photobucket.com/albums/dd427/gmitch72/-1.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo -1.jpg"/></a>

The party was awesome and one of the best parts, besidedes the tank filling, was the custom wine my brother in law made for us from his family winery!

<a href="http://s1219.photobucket.com/user/gmitch72/media/-11.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1219.photobucket.com/albums/dd427/gmitch72/-11.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo -11.jpg"/></a>

Up Next is Electrical!! hopefully I can make the post later today.
Click to expand...

That there is some class! Congratulations! I'm glad the build is coming along nicely.
 
footyreefer said:
I just saw your set up on the new BRS video. It took me a few seconds before I realized I had seen it before. Awesome job so far!!
Click to expand...

Thanks footyreefer! We were really excited to see this as well!

Settings said:
That there is some class! Congratulations! I'm glad the build is coming along nicely.
Click to expand...

Thank you settings! it was a wonderful surprise from my sister and brother-in-law (whose family owns the vineyard)

Michael B said:
What a fantastic tank build - am enjoying the process & detail (congrats)
Click to expand...

Thank you! Michael, glad you could tag along
 
Well a lot has happened since my last post. We added fish and coral and things have been going very well.

Also, in some very sad news, we lost our cat Bott to a coyote. He was such a cool mellow guy that will be missed very much. I think he enjoyed the tank as much as we did. We miss him.....

<a href="http://s1219.photobucket.com/user/gmitch72/media/In%20Wall/81C3C9A4-2535-4E9A-B1F3-F3E7882ACD6D.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1219.photobucket.com/albums/dd427/gmitch72/In%20Wall/81C3C9A4-2535-4E9A-B1F3-F3E7882ACD6D.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 81C3C9A4-2535-4E9A-B1F3-F3E7882ACD6D.jpg"/></a>

Sorry for the gap in the time line but below are some of the pictures along the way.

Some Lighting pictures. I went with building my own frame ordered from ESTO connectors. The aluminum was very easy to cut on the chop saw and using a rubber hammer worked very well to tap in the connectors.

I went with 5 Kessil A360WE and then a 4 bulb retrofit T5 kit (still trying to figure out the best colors)

<a href="http://s1219.photobucket.com/user/gmitch72/media/In%20Wall/369C6FF0-AE6C-4DF3-9220-743BAB9191B6.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1219.photobucket.com/albums/dd427/gmitch72/In%20Wall/369C6FF0-AE6C-4DF3-9220-743BAB9191B6.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 369C6FF0-AE6C-4DF3-9220-743BAB9191B6.jpg"/></a>

The framing for the display tank light rack.

<a href="http://s1219.photobucket.com/user/gmitch72/media/In%20Wall/6D4EEC71-90F1-42E5-8D58-D349FD2D0818.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1219.photobucket.com/albums/dd427/gmitch72/In%20Wall/6D4EEC71-90F1-42E5-8D58-D349FD2D0818.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 6D4EEC71-90F1-42E5-8D58-D349FD2D0818.jpg"/></a>
 
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