Wish I lived closer. I'd love to see your tanks in person. But, as my friends will testify, I avoid leaving my zip code at all costs lol.
Isn't that a lot more work?
- Thread starter Dustin07
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wvned
Well-known member
So do I now.
They are just a shadow of their former selves. So am I.
I appreciate the bode of confidence, it actually does help a lot.
its funny you mention that and show your construction. I don't have any pictures of the one I built some 20 years ago, but it was very similar, WAY over built, to hold a 40g acrylic with a 20g sump lol. it was built 4 times stronger than the engineered one I have now designed to hold a 100 gallon DT and 30 gallon sump lol. actually, I guess my new system is 142 gallons over if you include the 12 gallon ATO freshwater tank they threw in for free.
lol we are getting that way, although traffic doesn't help. I used to drive into the city (Seattle) a couple times a week and these days its a couple times per year at best.
wvned
Well-known member
The sad fact is most places are all the same now. If I drive 30- 50 miles the same chain restaurants and places to shop are there.
The unique destinations dwindle by the day. The old ones we loved have closed so we are traveling to somewhere we heard about That's new. They tend to be trendy and expensive but not a good match to our taste. Frequently its disappointing and not worth the trip.
The unique destinations dwindle by the day. The old ones we loved have closed so we are traveling to somewhere we heard about That's new. They tend to be trendy and expensive but not a good match to our taste. Frequently its disappointing and not worth the trip.
Thats true, although I am starting to enjoy going to the movies again. Seattle is just getting obnoxious between $20 cheeseburgers, $40+ parking, and traffic that can take an hour+ just to get across town in some scenarios. But you're right, classic areas in Pioneer Square where the grunge era started are all closed, died off during COVID and much of the downtown architecture has been torn down and replaced by boring looking glass skyrises for Amazon. When we go out, we usually look for dives and new pubs that have decent food.
Last night got home around 9pm (weds family dinner) but I'm feeling better and better about this setup as the tank sits on the stand. it took me a couple weeks to really wrap my head around the last tank (the 425), the plumbing, intricacies, etc. I'm hoping to have water in the tank this weekend. I had planned for it last weekend but the doors threw me for a loop and as I pointed out above I was insecure about the construction strength.
wvned
Well-known member
I have had tanks from a 10 gallon Nanotube to a 240 gallon. You start tho see they are all the same in many ways. How the water moves around. How much you can put in them. Lighting and flow required.
So I hooked all of mine together. They are all the same now except for lighting. I have embraced the fact that the cheaper lights work fine once you get them set.
I am thinking about removing everything from mine, replacing the sand beds and fixing the scape in the 180 that has been complete knocked down by the eels with 90% less pulsing Xenia. There is $100,000 dollars worth in there at current prices though. Remediating 3 years of neglect while I had the knees replaced is going to be harder than I thought.
Also I have to fix the yard that went to heck last 2 years and my grass catcher is busted with no parts anywhere for the old cub.
Rake it all out and suck it up into the bags is broken.
So I hooked all of mine together. They are all the same now except for lighting. I have embraced the fact that the cheaper lights work fine once you get them set.
I am thinking about removing everything from mine, replacing the sand beds and fixing the scape in the 180 that has been complete knocked down by the eels with 90% less pulsing Xenia. There is $100,000 dollars worth in there at current prices though. Remediating 3 years of neglect while I had the knees replaced is going to be harder than I thought.
Also I have to fix the yard that went to heck last 2 years and my grass catcher is busted with no parts anywhere for the old cub.
Rake it all out and suck it up into the bags is broken.
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we have a similar timeline there. We sold our boat last summer to focus more on the house/yard and in 2023 my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer > mastectomy. She now has a clean bill of health, we rebuilt our deck (30yrs old) last month, and my outdoor priorities are restoring the yard (wrecked by contractors), rebuild her garden beds, and get the new tank dialed. I have a hard time figuring out how we ever had time for a boat before, but the neglect to our yard is evidence of where time was spent, lol.
wvned
Well-known member
It's kind of scary. Jill had a mastectomy for DCIS which is precancerous. We had the deck done last fall. No longer something I could do. I need to make the lights work again.
Never owned a boat though. White water is more a thing here then navigable waters.
I am just impressed that after a long stretch of neglect thing simply don't look the way I want instead of all being dead.
Never owned a boat though. White water is more a thing here then navigable waters.
I am just impressed that after a long stretch of neglect thing simply don't look the way I want instead of all being dead.
I'm going to be 43 this year so not quite an old timer, but I do have a penchant for keeping people off my yard. And I will say one trait I'm developing is slow and consistent progress is just as valuable to me, actually more valuable to me, then rushing to get something done immediately and giving up precious sleep or risking doing something wrong (LOL). So last night instead of finishing the leveling aspect of my new tank, my work consisted of me opening the cabinet doors and looking at how much space exists between the sump and the left outside wall incase I decide to put one more piece of support in there. (there's room).
Then, since growing season is just about upon us, I roughed in my wife's new garden boxes as we rebuild her garden this year. Ignore again, that things aren't level lol. we are experiementing with these new blocks this year since they were fairly affordable, very customizeable, and rotten pieces can be more easily replaced than our previous raised beds.
I'm hoping to get this garden "done enough" for her to be able to spend her time out there and me to be able to shift my focus back to the actual grass and of course the reef tank.
I'm going to send eshopps a follow up email now to see if they have status on my new cabinet doors.
Then, since growing season is just about upon us, I roughed in my wife's new garden boxes as we rebuild her garden this year. Ignore again, that things aren't level lol. we are experiementing with these new blocks this year since they were fairly affordable, very customizeable, and rotten pieces can be more easily replaced than our previous raised beds.
I'm hoping to get this garden "done enough" for her to be able to spend her time out there and me to be able to shift my focus back to the actual grass and of course the reef tank.
I'm going to send eshopps a follow up email now to see if they have status on my new cabinet doors.
I'm a little stuck until I make a home Depot run. Having a hard time getting return pump to fit and snapped a hose clamp. Guess that's a good thing though cause clearly it wasn't gonna last long.
I pulled the ATO tank the LFS had given me for free with the new AIO purchase. ($240 retail). I love it, but it consumes the entire spare cabinet that I want to use for electronics and supplies. I'm not sure what I'm going to do for ATO yet.
Skimmer and Macro reactor if I choose to use it full fit easy in the new sump. Reef mat will require some modifications I think
I pulled the ATO tank the LFS had given me for free with the new AIO purchase. ($240 retail). I love it, but it consumes the entire spare cabinet that I want to use for electronics and supplies. I'm not sure what I'm going to do for ATO yet.
Skimmer and Macro reactor if I choose to use it full fit easy in the new sump. Reef mat will require some modifications I think
Attachments
Wow, similar plumbing to my Pro Clear.
Right now my current return pump is a hygger with only a 1" tube option and it has to be pinched down to a smaller like 3/4". I have it fit over as you can see in that image with a stainless steel hose clamp. But it seems a little bit Jerry rigged. Any thoughts on that? I haven't tested it yet.
You could get a 3/4 to 1” pvc coupler.
For hose clamps near SW, I prefer the plastic ones.
premiumaquatics.com
For hose clamps near SW, I prefer the plastic ones.
Two Little Fishies 1 inch plastic hose clamp set - (6 per pack) | Premium Aquatics
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