How not to build a 750/1500 gallon build thread-Khaosinc 3/5/71-8/30/11

[dcforester1]

WOW, I stopped reading this thread when you went into the hospital. My wife asked me about it, and I looked it up. I couldnt believe the crazy turn of events. Keep up the great work, and take care of yourself. What a great project. God Bess you and Tink

Derek

 

[alphaferret]

glad you are back on to the tank topic -that means u must be a bit better. Good read! Good luck w/ tank and health!

 

[tangtang clown]

Just finished the entire thread, almost cried twice :sad1: b/c I wasn't sure if you were still with us when I tried to post and it said "sorry, post closed" and my heart sank. Glad to see you are "hangin" tough, Pun intended from an earlier post of you hanging from what used to be a doorway. YOU ROCK!!!!

 

[Ninong]

Good luck with the tank and your health issues.

 

[khaosinc]

I actually got motivated yesterday... Cleaned the acrylic, moved some rocks/corals around to make them happier (I hope) also moved the lights a bit. I have nothing exciting on one side of the tank at the moment, so I saw no reason to light it for the time being. The Betta and the PJ cardnals seem to like it over there as well.

Also removed one of the baffles in the sump. I couldn't believe how much had sprung to life on it in the last couple months on it. I want to build a rack to get the LR off the ground and give a better place for scavengers (that I haven't added yet) to work their magic. and seperate the various macros to one side more for my own asthetic desires than any other reason.

I'm thinking I will toss some T-8's over the dark side of the tank so I can see in there as much as anything else. I figure 6 4'ers should be fine if I don't have anything specifically growing there untill I can get some better lighting. I also got all the measurements so I can cover the tank. Losing 5 gallons + a day is a PITA.

Next project.... get the carbon canistar filter up and running again... clogged it with sand and jammed the pump. I'll be using an old Fluval FX5

Enough of that though... how about some pics.

looking down 10' of fun...

FTS minus algea on the walls.

the 'dark side'

 

[khaosinc]

the cave

the arches

rubble + most of my surviving softies..

 

[khaosinc]

One of the mellowest maroons on the planet...LOL been with me since the beginning of the last tank.

some of the dozen different zoa frag that will hopefully take over the arches someday..

a very happy something or another

big 'shrooms'

the obligitory 'Nemo'

the Magic teleporting wrass... as much as this guy moves, I can't imagine him in a smaller tank

The brains...

more Zoas, and some yellow softie that is recovering from being shriveled to nothing in the couple months I was basically tankless

2 Korila 8's and 1 Korilla 4... blows water clear across the 10' tank with no problem.... they are met by the same thing on the other side.... lots of flow I also have a mag 18 as a retturn pump...

 

[khaosinc]

oops missed the pic

 

[khaosinc]

Still need to clean up wires, and make everything safe..... thats coming. Next big projects are the hoods for the 8' sump and the tank itself. Haven't finished my thought process on that. It will most likley be in 2-3 pieces for the simple need of being able to move the dang thing.

 

[oldreefer76]

I Love the way you use what ever you have laying around and incorporate it the T8 are a good idea, everything is looking good, and am glad you are doing better, had me and others scared for a while

 

[mako199]

This is an incredible build and defiantly worthy of the thread of the month. Get well soon and take it easy please.

 

[garrettm85]

This is the most amazing thread that I have ever read! I mean that with every bit of my reefkeeping soul! What a motivation and what a freakin awesome community we have here! I am so glad that your tribulations have thus far been going well given the far more than minor hickups that slowed your build down.

I would love to come up some time and check out your system. I don't live too far south of you and could probably make a fun Seattle trip out of it aswell. From what I can tell you are yours are some Bada$$ people and we happen to have some bada$$ beer down this way that you might well enjoy.

Great thread and I look forward to following your systems progression. Also I wouldn't mind contributing a few frags to that mini ocean!


Garrett

 

[khaosinc]

I'm usually up for visitors, but keep in mind if your in the area, I work nights. Mornings are scary and bright in my opinion...

and I'm always up for beer, though I can't drink like I used to... damn anti biotics.

 

[muttley000]

Tank is looking great, I admire your drive through this whole thing, and am intensly jealous of you big tank!:mixed:

 

[gradth]

Well wow is all I can say. One of the locals in my area posted this on our local forum and I just spent 2 hours and about 6 beers reading it:eek1:

Khoas, this build is truly amazing. Glad your finally feeling better and best wishes to your health. I will keep tabs on this one for sure. Not sure if I was gonna laugh or cry half the time. I cannot wait to see whats next.

Thanks for posting all of this. Makes me want to get cracking on my stalled build.

 

[Luckless]

I was just googling around for custom tanks (Was actually looking for a fresh water at a bit of an odd ball shape at 55 to 60 gal to fix my room) and came across this thread. While it had nothing to do with what I was looking for, I read the whole thing.

Good luck with your recovery, and hope your tank goes well.


I wonder how hard it would be to build custom tanks that fit in the space below the main tank for water storage. Or what is going there? I wonder how safe it could be to cut a hole in the middle of the floor and sink a custom tank for water storage there. Cover with a sealing lid. Would make mixing salts easy, and free you from having to lift bags. Just open the hatch and kick the bag over.

 

[khaosinc]

eventually the stand will be skinned. For the most part I intend to use it for some more organized storage of all the misc. parts I have floating around from lots of years in this hobby and the inability to resist a good deal.

Cutting a hole in the floor would involve a jackhammer and moving the tank... neither sounds like alot of fun.

While I was hoping to plumb a tank in to the main system, I think I have resigned myself to putting a large tank in the laundry room, and mixing water there. The only option to make things work at that point would be 2 pumps and float shut offs, and at some point that just sounds like a flood waiting to happen. I think my 'attached' water change tank will have to wait untill I do the addition to attach my shop to the house which will be at least next year unless I win the lotto. (granted that would involve actually playing, which I dont)

of course if that happens, I'm moving, and the 750 might be the sump.... I saw this place that makes 30' x 5' x5' tanks....

 

[khaosinc]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15583081#post15583081 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by gradth
Well wow is all I can say. One of the locals in my area posted this on our local forum and I just spent 2 hours and about 6 beers reading it:eek1:

Thanks for posting all of this. Makes me want to get cracking on my stalled build.

man after my own heart...

 

[khaosinc]

and even better... after screwing around with it on weekends for a month, I finally think I have my skimmer dialed in where I want it. I've been ignoring it for a while figuring I had such a light bioload even if I habitually overfeed everything. Its a euroreef 750, and this is 2 days of yuck...

I have it gravity fed off the overflow, and have been using ball valves as I couldn't find gate valves in the size I needed at the time, then slowly adjusting the air flow on its 4 pumps. Touchy little bugger, and I only played with it when I could be around for a while to watch it.

Tank already looks cleaner.

 

[herozero]

i haven't really wished i was back in school up at Walla Walla, but I got on this thread SUPER late and really wish I were back up there. the drive to seatlle would be well worth it. Northeast of Bellingham puts you near SNowqualmie?

I am amazed at how so many people have rallied to support mr. khaos. and on top of that we get to look at a shamu tank. couldn't ask for anything more. what a great group of people. i'm glad to be apart of the community.

PS--kind of late, but my 2 cents: donkey shows, not as cool as one might think. one of many negatives living so close to the border.