Mhucasey's SPS obsession
- Thread starter mhucasey
- Start date
mhucasey
Acros & wieners, oh my!
Look at you being all ROTM! Congrats.
Thanks!!
Thanks! The ATI Light fixture hanging kit is super easy to hang ONE light with. Hanging two that close almost made me lose it. Even though my measurements were right on, I had two fixtures that weren't parallel. I adjusted and adjusted for about an hour before giving up and putting the shield acrylic on the second fixture so I could go to bed. Then, of course, it swung into perfect alignment :blown:
mhucasey
Acros & wieners, oh my!
I was asked how the panels will be hung on the stand. I looked around at many options, including Speaker grill cover push mounts. I came up with Aluminum z-brackets normally used for picture hanging:
These are very easy to use, the holes line up nicely with the channel, so I just had to drill a few holes and screw them on. The bracket on the back of the panel screws on with 1/2" wood screws. The design of the brackets pushes the panel tight to the stand. The panel right now are just 1/2" plywood, they will get a surface treatment that will be pretty cool, and the top and bottom of each panel will be trimmed using white PVC trimboard. A 1 3/4 trimboard sill will close the gap between the panel and glass tank.
There should be essentially no visible screw or nail holes on each panel. I will rout a groove on the bottom side of the trim board for a place to grip the panel when lifting it away, and each board will use urethane weatherstripping to seal it to the stand.
I much prefer the use of removable panels to doors, they give you much better access.
These are very easy to use, the holes line up nicely with the channel, so I just had to drill a few holes and screw them on. The bracket on the back of the panel screws on with 1/2" wood screws. The design of the brackets pushes the panel tight to the stand. The panel right now are just 1/2" plywood, they will get a surface treatment that will be pretty cool, and the top and bottom of each panel will be trimmed using white PVC trimboard. A 1 3/4 trimboard sill will close the gap between the panel and glass tank.
There should be essentially no visible screw or nail holes on each panel. I will rout a groove on the bottom side of the trim board for a place to grip the panel when lifting it away, and each board will use urethane weatherstripping to seal it to the stand.
I much prefer the use of removable panels to doors, they give you much better access.
mhucasey
Acros & wieners, oh my!
A slight redesign of my larger pellet reactor was necessary as well. I reused a NextReef MR reactor for my DIY reactor and my inlet downtube was 1/2" clear pipe. When the reactor was running i could hear the pellets banging off the bottom like beebees. I was having a hard time getting the tumbling correct and there was something a little "off" with the corals after going to this reactor.
I realized last night that the difference between this one and the previous one was the downtime of the old reactor was 3/4" pipe. I swapped out the downtube and its churning nicely now, no more BeeBee sound. The 1/2" pipe was creating too much of a high pressure jet that was shooting the pellets against the bottom at too high of a speed. The 3/4" pipe creates a wider flow stream that does a significantly better job of moving the pellets.
With AIO pellets, you don't want to pulverize the pellets or it can release too much of the phosphate adsorber into the effluent stream.
I realized last night that the difference between this one and the previous one was the downtime of the old reactor was 3/4" pipe. I swapped out the downtube and its churning nicely now, no more BeeBee sound. The 1/2" pipe was creating too much of a high pressure jet that was shooting the pellets against the bottom at too high of a speed. The 3/4" pipe creates a wider flow stream that does a significantly better job of moving the pellets.
With AIO pellets, you don't want to pulverize the pellets or it can release too much of the phosphate adsorber into the effluent stream.
mhucasey
Acros & wieners, oh my!
The Aquarium is on-line!! Once the new tank was filled I installed the two Maxspect Gyres:
and got the tank really churning, then threw in two 50Lb Bags of instant ocean salt mix. Not my primary choice, but that was all the LFS had that was acceptable. I probably should have held out for better as the salt took forever to clear up and the DKH as a bit high for my taste. I tweaked salinity with the ESV salt mix I had on hand, but didn't need much to match the first tank.
I slowly opened the supply valve to the new tank and the water from it started to mix with the water from the old tank, just a trickle. After a few hours, I had some sliming from the corals in the old tank, so I stopped the mixing for a while and came back to it the next day. At this point, I just opened the valve full blast to the new tank and started to make the tanks mix. The New tank water was still cloudy. There was some more sliming from the SPS in the old tank, but nothing that looked too bad.
After the tanks mixed for a few hours, I moved over a few test frags to see if they would be ok in the new system.
and got the tank really churning, then threw in two 50Lb Bags of instant ocean salt mix. Not my primary choice, but that was all the LFS had that was acceptable. I probably should have held out for better as the salt took forever to clear up and the DKH as a bit high for my taste. I tweaked salinity with the ESV salt mix I had on hand, but didn't need much to match the first tank.
I slowly opened the supply valve to the new tank and the water from it started to mix with the water from the old tank, just a trickle. After a few hours, I had some sliming from the corals in the old tank, so I stopped the mixing for a while and came back to it the next day. At this point, I just opened the valve full blast to the new tank and started to make the tanks mix. The New tank water was still cloudy. There was some more sliming from the SPS in the old tank, but nothing that looked too bad.
After the tanks mixed for a few hours, I moved over a few test frags to see if they would be ok in the new system.
mhucasey
Acros & wieners, oh my!
While mixing, I started working on the new rock structure using the resin rocks. I honestly hate when threads send too many posts and photos on potential rock arrangements, so I only post a couple of these because these rocks are a different thing than most people have ever used.
They are resin, painted on the outside, and look very realistic. They are also hollow in places with strategically placed holes to let the air out. One of the four I got required a couple of extra holes to get it to sink
They are drill-able, but you must be very gentle with pressure or the bit can bite into the plastic and chip a chunk off.
I lined up the rocks and found a good arrangement and then drilled matching holes where they touched. I then pushed a rod of HDPE into the holes to form a flexible connection.:
Once all connected, I came up with this structure:
I plan on making three structures like this one(different shapes, of course). I got some marine epoxy and epoxied the rocks together at the connection points and the whole thing is very solid and looks good. I started moving corals over to the new tank and began gluing select corals to the plastic rock.
Sorry that the picture is so blue. I was able to attach a good chunk of the best Acros to the rock structure, and the corals seemed to be very happy in their new home:
They are resin, painted on the outside, and look very realistic. They are also hollow in places with strategically placed holes to let the air out. One of the four I got required a couple of extra holes to get it to sink
They are drill-able, but you must be very gentle with pressure or the bit can bite into the plastic and chip a chunk off.
I lined up the rocks and found a good arrangement and then drilled matching holes where they touched. I then pushed a rod of HDPE into the holes to form a flexible connection.:
Once all connected, I came up with this structure:
I plan on making three structures like this one(different shapes, of course). I got some marine epoxy and epoxied the rocks together at the connection points and the whole thing is very solid and looks good. I started moving corals over to the new tank and began gluing select corals to the plastic rock.
Sorry that the picture is so blue. I was able to attach a good chunk of the best Acros to the rock structure, and the corals seemed to be very happy in their new home:
mhucasey
Acros & wieners, oh my!
I also installed my ATO last night, its a Tunze Osmolator. When I built the first tank I searched far and wide for a reservoir tank and finally found this Gem:
the tank is normally used to hold fluids in an engine compartment and is closed with a cap. I just cut the top off and bolted it to the inside of the cabinet.
I installed a float valve inside connected to the DI supply, and dropped in the Tunze Pump - voila!:
the tank is normally used to hold fluids in an engine compartment and is closed with a cap. I just cut the top off and bolted it to the inside of the cabinet.
I installed a float valve inside connected to the DI supply, and dropped in the Tunze Pump - voila!:
mhucasey
Acros & wieners, oh my!
I was pretty stoked to find it
I got it from US Plastics, I think they sell them to people who are rebuilding old cars to hold coolant or wiper fluid.
mhucasey
Acros & wieners, oh my!
With both tanks on line at the same time luckily I can take my time removing each coral and rock, inspecting for issues, then moving to the new tank either temporarily or for permanent relocation. So far its going well, but I need to buy more plastic rock
I plan on soaking any rock with bryopsis in Hydrogen peroxide too...
mhucasey
Acros & wieners, oh my!
This is the tank, cheap, too
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?sku=8849&catid=934
I may get a few more of these to hold two part solutions actually...
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?sku=8849&catid=934
I may get a few more of these to hold two part solutions actually...
mhucasey
Acros & wieners, oh my!
Well so far I moved over the corals that will go on the first rock island and fixed them in place, and they seem very happy in their new home. I also have slow moved over some other coral colonies so the new tank looks a little like a frag farm. One colony wouldn't stand upright so I glued it to a piece of acrylic temporarily. Frags and pieces that are not going to be glued down now have been stuck on plugs for temporary housing.
Pictures on this tank are going to be challenging, its coming out seriously blue on the iPhone camera, this is with some simple adjustments:
I bought a bulk amount of bulbs, and put in an easy mix to start, which actually looks really good to the eye, very crisp white blue. The mix is:
4 Aquablue Specials, 2 Fiji Purples, 4 blue plus, 2 Superblue.
I will continue to move over SPS today, and hopefully get started on the stand build tonight for the 36" X 28" X 22" tank. All the pieces are cut and de-burred, i need to tap the holes and assemble now.
I finished the electronics panel yesterday, it will sit recessed between the two tanks:
Pictures on this tank are going to be challenging, its coming out seriously blue on the iPhone camera, this is with some simple adjustments:
I bought a bulk amount of bulbs, and put in an easy mix to start, which actually looks really good to the eye, very crisp white blue. The mix is:
4 Aquablue Specials, 2 Fiji Purples, 4 blue plus, 2 Superblue.
I will continue to move over SPS today, and hopefully get started on the stand build tonight for the 36" X 28" X 22" tank. All the pieces are cut and de-burred, i need to tap the holes and assemble now.
I finished the electronics panel yesterday, it will sit recessed between the two tanks:
reefwiser
New member
This is the tank, cheap, too
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?sku=8849&catid=934
I may get a few more of these to hold two part solutions actually...
Sweet good find.:beer:
mhucasey
Acros & wieners, oh my!
Thanks! It's funny, though, for me this feels like I'm crawling along
. Patience is easier reccomended than done for me, when I set up the first tank I had fish in it in less than 24 hours and a coral in 3 days...I still have 2 of the first 5 fish, the others were green chronic and they were in there for a year and a half till they killed each other off, I still have the coral too.The plastic rocks are awesome- even up close its hard to tell that they aren't real, and tying them together was very easy. One cool benefit of the starboard bottom and the plastic rocks is that I can move the whole island around to clean things
mhucasey
Acros & wieners, oh my!
Me too! Starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, I'm anxious to get the stand done and tanks in their final location
Similar threads
