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lastlight
Premium Member
Wanted to snap some pics for coral grow reference so here comes a bit of a photo dump! First a FTS now that I have the jackpost out... still not quite enough room to capture all 8 feet.
To see it a little larger click here
To see it a little larger click here
lastlight
Premium Member
Added T5s.
For starters this works like a dream. Front access didn't change a bit. I won't get blinded when I open the doors once I wire a depressable kill switch like a fridge door has (reverse tho lol).
This is a nightmare. Big ugly at the back. I think for starters I need some 4 foot pieces of that metal from the hardware store with the holes in it (think mechano set). Mount to those so they're at least STRAIGHT lol and then sort out some sort of lift. What I currently have in mind is more PVC! Use 1.5" vertical sleeves mounted to the ceiling for each 4 footer and then mount the lights to vertical 1". The 1" slides in the 1.5" and I just latch a tether to the back wall when I want in there? I don't know but it drives me NUTS right now.
For starters this works like a dream. Front access didn't change a bit. I won't get blinded when I open the doors once I wire a depressable kill switch like a fridge door has (reverse tho lol).
This is a nightmare. Big ugly at the back. I think for starters I need some 4 foot pieces of that metal from the hardware store with the holes in it (think mechano set). Mount to those so they're at least STRAIGHT lol and then sort out some sort of lift. What I currently have in mind is more PVC! Use 1.5" vertical sleeves mounted to the ceiling for each 4 footer and then mount the lights to vertical 1". The 1" slides in the 1.5" and I just latch a tether to the back wall when I want in there? I don't know but it drives me NUTS right now.
lastlight
Premium Member
I call my first acrylic creation Big Ugly. She holds 3 socks and stands on 4 legs. Excuse the crappy iPhone snap.
Not going to win me any craftsmen awards but not but bad considering I did all the cuts freehand with a skillsaw and drilled out the 3 openings with HUNDREDS of small holes. Sure is something to be said for having the right tools for the job but that can't be said about me! Can't wait to install her tomorrow!
Water feeds into that box in the front then heads down the raceway. Exits out the end should the 3 socks get dirty enough to not keep up.
Not going to win me any craftsmen awards but not but bad considering I did all the cuts freehand with a skillsaw and drilled out the 3 openings with HUNDREDS of small holes. Sure is something to be said for having the right tools for the job but that can't be said about me! Can't wait to install her tomorrow!
Water feeds into that box in the front then heads down the raceway. Exits out the end should the 3 socks get dirty enough to not keep up.
lastlight
Premium Member
Here's a video of my maculiceps!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5zQRXc7mNI
Initial impressions:
- I LOVE this fish
- He's a big boy but so far he's a gentle giant. Only fish that took issue was my gramma who took a few runs from his hidey hole lol
- He eats valonia and hair algae. Both floated by his cave and he ate'em up!
- Loves nori. Kole could care less about nori... I tore a sheet up and tossed it in. He ate every piece to float past his cave while he was strictly in hiding
- I'll be removing a few smaller rock piles with frags on them. I'll need to find new spots for them. I want to open up a few spots in the scape for him
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5zQRXc7mNI
Initial impressions:
- I LOVE this fish
- He's a big boy but so far he's a gentle giant. Only fish that took issue was my gramma who took a few runs from his hidey hole lol
- He eats valonia and hair algae. Both floated by his cave and he ate'em up!
- Loves nori. Kole could care less about nori... I tore a sheet up and tossed it in. He ate every piece to float past his cave while he was strictly in hiding
- I'll be removing a few smaller rock piles with frags on them. I'll need to find new spots for them. I want to open up a few spots in the scape for him
lastlight
Premium Member
And to bring this thread to the present... my filefish decided it loved to nip at my sps! Catching him (1") was not fun.
Here was fence 1:
I then proceeded to split that compartment with another fence (he was hiding in the rear rock pile) and as I was zip tying the inner fence (no pic due to rage meltdown) he slipped between a gap at the front of fence 1! I tried scaring him away when he was nearing it and the bugger calmly swam past. He was nipping my smooth skinned acro before I had fence 1 removed. Broke a few corals along the way !@#$
Fence 2 on other side:
Fence 2b:
Got him on the back half of this partition but he slipped into the front half after all was zip-tied. Took ages to dismantle the inner fence and lift it and scare him back to the much simpler (coral and rock) side.
I spent 5 hours removing colonies/towers and breaking stuff for a 1" fish. I had heard he was a risk to my LPS perhaps and I decided it was worth the risk. In the end he nipped my gorgs and SPS (when he really got into it we're talking a nip every 2 seconds!)
LESSON LEARNED!
Here was fence 1:
I then proceeded to split that compartment with another fence (he was hiding in the rear rock pile) and as I was zip tying the inner fence (no pic due to rage meltdown) he slipped between a gap at the front of fence 1! I tried scaring him away when he was nearing it and the bugger calmly swam past. He was nipping my smooth skinned acro before I had fence 1 removed. Broke a few corals along the way !@#$
Fence 2 on other side:
Fence 2b:
Got him on the back half of this partition but he slipped into the front half after all was zip-tied. Took ages to dismantle the inner fence and lift it and scare him back to the much simpler (coral and rock) side.
I spent 5 hours removing colonies/towers and breaking stuff for a 1" fish. I had heard he was a risk to my LPS perhaps and I decided it was worth the risk. In the end he nipped my gorgs and SPS (when he really got into it we're talking a nip every 2 seconds!)
LESSON LEARNED!
lastlight
Premium Member
Thanks guys! A lot simpler than some previous build attempts but I'm having fun with actual livestock =) I'm currently waiting out some gross brown mossy hair algae which is only growing on my new rock. You can see it in the pics above. The transferred / mature stuff looks clean. Must be leaching nutrients. I'm trimming it like a hedge with scissors and hopefully it subsides as it annoys frags and causes recession at the bases if left too long.
lastlight
Premium Member
Thanks =) Sorry yes the tank ran for 13 months and the two pics are about that timespan apart. I tore it apart shortly after taking the last picture.
Thanks the tank is 96L x 36W x 27H. I live 2 min away from Olddude here on RC and was 'inspired' after I saw his display.
I'm fairly old-school in terms of some of my equipment and prefer dedicated devices rather than trusting a full controller (I'm a weirdo).
- Deltec TC2560
- Profilux SA3 doser
- Ranco temp controller
- 4x250w radiums on hqi (m80) ballasts
- 4x39w and 4x54w T5
- Laguna 4200 return pump
- BRS single reactors for carbon and gfo
- 4 x 6105 (1 running on 24V. Fill dead spots as needed with 6025s)
lastlight
Premium Member
Thanks! Things generally look nicer in photos lol!
I had forgotten to post this better (for me) video of the tank and the maculiceps swimming a bit more. This was still T5 only...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YN3w-PxBZH0
I had forgotten to post this better (for me) video of the tank and the maculiceps swimming a bit more. This was still T5 only...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YN3w-PxBZH0
gofor100
New member
Love it! Great looking tank so far!
I'm actually in the process of my upgrade and it seems like we have a similar approach in our equipment ideals (keeping it rather simple). 'Course, your tank is over twice the size of my tank, but still the same basic foundation. :beer:
-Chad
I'm actually in the process of my upgrade and it seems like we have a similar approach in our equipment ideals (keeping it rather simple). 'Course, your tank is over twice the size of my tank, but still the same basic foundation. :beer:
-Chad
Great video. Love the tang. The lighting is really something special about this tank. This is now towards the top of my favorites list. I read through your thread about your other tank in your old house, that was coming along really nice also. But you've done a really great job here, I think I like this build better actually.
