Hop's 300 gallon in-wall build

[Hop]

Well that would be the easy way to do things:lol: But no one ever said I do things easy!







I'm trying to get a bluer appearance than I have now and have kind of been looking at the following bulbs:

Hamilton 14k
Radium 20k
Aquaconnect 14k
Aquaconnect 20k
Megachrome 14.5k
Reeflux 20k

I see tanks I like with just about every one of those bulbs, but there is a huge difference from their tanks to my computer as far as color.

Price matters a little bit, but I'm really just looking for the right combination. I'll be running them on a standard pulse start ballast.

 

[Hop]

Well I pulled the trigger and grabbed the radium 20ks... I found several tanks that I really liked them on so I did it... Guess I'll have to get my current ballasts and bulbs ready for turn around:lol:

 

[Toddrtrex]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14297977#post14297977 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Hop
Well I pulled the trigger and grabbed the radium 20ks... I found several tanks that I really liked them on so I did it... Guess I'll have to get my current ballasts and bulbs ready for turn around:lol:

I have been thinking about trying them, but I am pretty happy with my XM 20K;s, and change scares me.

Will be interesting to hear what you think about them, and what the pictures look like.

 

[Hop]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14298033#post14298033 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Toddrtrex
I have been thinking about trying them, but I am pretty happy with my XM 20K;s, and change scares me.

Will be interesting to hear what you think about them, and what the pictures look like.

It was a tough choice and I just decided to do it before I could think about it. I was looking though this site and I liked the color and noted the slightly higher par over the XMs... So that combined with going back through some of my favorite tanks led me to my decision... Hope it wasn't a mistake:lol:

 

[Toddrtrex]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14298056#post14298056 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Hop
It was a tough choice and I just decided to do it before I could think about it. I was looking though this site and I liked the color and noted the slightly higher par over the XMs... So that combined with going back through some of my favorite tanks led me to my decision... Hope it wasn't a mistake:lol:

I am sure it won't be a mistake, everyone seems to love them. I will have to check out that link --- thanks. The PAR wouldn't be a concern for me -- 2 250s over a 58. The color would be what I personally would be looking at. Can't wait for you to get them.

 

[Hop]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14298076#post14298076 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Toddrtrex
I am sure it won't be a mistake, everyone seems to love them. I will have to check out that link --- thanks. The PAR wouldn't be a concern for me -- 2 250s over a 58. The color would be what I personally would be looking at. Can't wait for you to get them.

Should be a nice little project for the weekend I'll also replace the mis-matched hoods since I wound up with another of the larger ones.

So a few more months of OT and hopefully I'll be able to round out my equipment so I can focus on livestock!!!

• Second Vortec
• Controller for the wetroom
• Fix closed loop and install a OM Super-Squirt
• Calcium Reactor(can be added later)
• Finish the woodwork!

 

[Toddrtrex]

So wait, you are suppose to have your equipment all squared away before doing livestock?

That sounds like a good list, I really should make one for my 75, there are things that should have been done years ago that I still haven't done yet.

 

[Hop]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14298133#post14298133 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Toddrtrex
So wait, you are suppose to have your equipment all squared away before doing livestock?

That sounds like a good list, I really should make one for my 75, there are things that should have been done years ago that I still haven't done yet.

Probably but when I started this thing I knew it was going to have to be pieced together as I went. I just didn't have the budget I did with the 450... If you saw the medical bills from the four surgeries the family has had since I tore the 450 down, you would see how I could have had a whole lot more tank:lol:

 

[Toddrtrex]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14298144#post14298144 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Hop
Probably but when I started this thing I knew it was going to have to be pieced together as I went. I just didn't have the budget I did with the 450... If you saw the medical bills from the four surgeries the family has had since I tore the 450 down, you would see how I could have had a whole lot more tank:lol:

Want to compare those 4 bills with my 9?? (( and might be 10 ))

 

[Hop]

:lol: Probably not... It just seems pointless to have insurance sometimes since one surgery the insurance company said the cancer wasn't "bad enough" and only covered half and then the one on my son they said it was "pre-existing"... Grrrrr.

Oh well. I hope yours goes well. I just couldn't imagine that many. I've had 3 on my knee and that is enough until they put more steel and more plastic in!

 

[Toddrtrex]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14298198#post14298198 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Hop
:lol: Probably not... It just seems pointless to have insurance sometimes since one surgery the insurance company said the cancer wasn't "bad enough" and only covered half and then the one on my son they said it was "pre-existing"... Grrrrr.

Oh well. I hope yours goes well. I just couldn't imagine that many. I've had 3 on my knee and that is enough until they put more steel and more plastic in!

Oh wow, that would be hard to deal with -- the insurance company saying it wasn't bad enough -- would have had a few choice words for them. Lucky for me my insurance has been really good about all of mine.

Thanks, will find out next Monday if I did herniate the disc again, the doc thinks so, but wants to go over the MRI first.

Lucky enough I don't have any plastic and/or metal in me.

 

[Hop]

This is why I hate lighting. Last night I found a site that said that the radiums would fire with the pulse start ballast. Today I was cruising around and found a couple posts that said they wouldn't fire and you HAD to have a hqi ballast for them. In a panic I spent an hour and found this on a retailer's site "Pulse Start ballast. We recommend you use this on 250W Radium 20,000K lamps." So I guess I'll know for sure this week:lol:

 

[melev]

I've used both Radiums and XM 20,000K bulbs on my magnetic DIY ballast as well as the Coralvue electronic ballast. Both are a nice colored bulb when sandwiched between 10,000K bulbs & VHO actinics. I don't know that I have a preference between one brand and the other.

 

[Hop]

The boys at PA guaranteed it would work and suit my color choice. So that was nice. I'm probably going to run a 10K in between them and move to three halides instead of two. but the center one will have to be with a spider reflector since the other two hoods are so large that I only have about 10" between them. I'll know for sure this weekend when I get motivated, cover the tank and fire up the power tools! Hopefully I'll have the parts to make the rack raise and lower like I set out to do initially.

 

[psteeleb]

looking forward to seeing your changes, sounds nice.

 

[Hop]

Thanks Pete. it should be fun


I did get the closed loop fixed today so no more microbubbles.

 

[psteeleb]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14304352#post14304352 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Hop
Thanks Pete. it should be fun


I did get the closed loop fixed today so no more microbubbles.

sometimes even the smallest progress can make your day, especially when it's dealing with something that's been nagging you. But on the bright side; there is always something else to do in this hobby. :lol:

 

[Hop]

Well everything for my lighting upgrade came in except the bulbs, which won't be here until Tuesday. A little disappointing since I had the weekend planned, but not unmanageable. I should be able to get everything changed out except the ballast, mount the hoods and get the pully system installed so I can finally raise and lower the rack easier. So hopefully I'll get motivated enough to do that this afternoon. I didn't get home until after 3am last night from work, so I'm dragging today.

But I thought I would post a pic of the MSX250 cranking away. Here is a couple days worth of sludge. It is hard to get a good pic with it installed and running.

And for now this is how I have the access for the skimmer covered. I was going to do something more fancy, but I thought the white acrylic was easier

 

[melev]

I like the white acrylic cover. Maybe some type of ribs could be glued underneath to keep it centered and avoid it accidentally slipping out of the way when you are working in that area.

And of course, go clean your skimmer. :lol:

 

[Hop]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14341278#post14341278 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by melev
I like the white acrylic cover. Maybe some type of ribs could be glued underneath to keep it centered and avoid it accidentally slipping out of the way when you are working in that area.

And of course, go clean your skimmer. :lol:

If I notch out a bit more around the PVC wire cover it will pinch in there with the aluminum frame from the counter edge. Its another 5 minute project I keep putting off

Skimmer was cleaned at 3pm this afternoon. I also got the matching hoods mounted, but I couldn't find the pulleys I bought a year ago... So I have to set up so that I can just attach the pulleys and string the cable when ever I get around to it. I'll be using the chains as a back up for the cable system in case there is ever an accident. It will keep the hoods from falling into or on top of the tank. Didn't tuck any wires or anything yet since I figure I'll be swapping the ballasts and bulbs out Tuesday night.