My 150 Reef Photo Journal

[nikonosis]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7253692#post7253692 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by GoldStripe
After doing a lot a reading on Sanjay's and other sites I opted for these for a couple of reasons. One of which is the ability to fire any 250 watt bulb. If I wanted an SE setup I could still use the ballasts. They do not push the bulb or "overdrive" it like some ballasts do. I like the smaller size and they put out virtually no heat. I think they also a lot more effecient in power consumption.

I just looked at a couple of ballast for 250w MH.
Blueline magnetic 250 = 139.00
PFO HQI 250 = 119.00
Ice Cap MH 250 = 115.00

I know there are cheaper ones out there but just as an example. Plus with IceCap, the service and support is top notch. They have a sponser forum in here as well.

i was going to suggest evc, almost everyone says evc ballasts are the best electronic halide ballast made. I have also heard very good things about aro. I don't know if you have seen this page but you should look at it if you haven't.
http://www.cnidarianreef.com/lamps.cfm

 

[dilligaf_biker69]

If I am not mistaken the coralvue ballasts are electronic and will also run any bulb.....for price and service and quality I have stuck with the coralvues...Love the Reeflux 10K's I have now (++ 2 6ft vho actinics++)....growth and color on acros and purple rim caps are awesome....they explode now...had a XM 10K on the coralvue 175 ballast on my frag system (plumbed to main tank) and it looked yellow and I had a outbreak of cyno in it while in the main tank with the 250 Reeflux's had no cyno....(took awhile to order my 175 reeflux so I used a XM)...anyhow...I dont believe there is a comparison done by sanjay on the coralvue ballast and Reeflux bulb...but I love the look...just a thought

 

[GoldStripe]

In looking at Sanjay's eballast numbers, they were very consistent for all the brands he tested. The PAR numbers weren't exactly the same but very close. I already had one of the IceCaps that I will be running. I don't think I could go wrong with that brand do you? I haven't seen anything really negative about them.

I just checked out that page and the IC and ARO seem pretty close to me on most numbers, ac amps, line watts, line volts, etc.

I found the CoralVue for a 103.00 so it's a bit cheaper but I won't lose much sleep over that. I think one issue was that Sanjay didn't have a lot of info on the other eballasts at the time I bought my first IC one. I could be wrong there, I can't remember cause it was well over a year ago.

 

[GoldStripe]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7254098#post7254098 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rdmpe
You guys should keep track of all of your expenses just for kicks. You don't have to tell anyone

All I can say is figure $25/gallon just for starters :eek1:

Randy,
My wife is keeping track, I guarantee it. I just told her I bought some more stuff today and the first thing out of her mouth was how much was it? I think all the big ticket stuff is done for now, until I get a calcium reactor! :eek1: :eek2:

 

[nikonosis]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7254918#post7254918 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by GoldStripe
In looking at Sanjay's eballast numbers, they were very consistent for all the brands he tested. The PAR numbers weren't exactly the same but very close. I already had one of the IceCaps that I will be running. I don't think I could go wrong with that brand do you? I haven't seen anything really negative about them.

I just checked out that page and the IC and ARO seem pretty close to me on most numbers, ac amps, line watts, line volts, etc.

I found the CoralVue for a 103.00 so it's a bit cheaper but I won't lose much sleep over that. I think one issue was that Sanjay didn't have a lot of info on the other eballasts at the time I bought my first IC one. I could be wrong there, I can't remember cause it was well over a year ago.

No there is nothing wrong with the icecaps other than the older ones have a problem firing xm bulbs. The main reason i asked is because i didn't know if you wanted to save some money on halide ballasts that you could be spending on something else on your tank.

 

[tgunn]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7254944#post7254944 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by GoldStripe
Randy,
My wife is keeping track, I guarantee it. I just told her I bought some more stuff today and the first thing out of her mouth was how much was it? I think all the big ticket stuff is done for now, until I get a calcium reactor! :eek1: :eek2:

:lol: It's always going to be a money pit. There's always something to tweak or buy.

I'd hold off on the Ca reactor for a little while; I haven't got one yet and at around 6 months I don't really need one yet.

Tyler

 

[GoldStripe]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7260019#post7260019 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by nikonosis
No there is nothing wrong with the icecaps other than the older ones have a problem firing xm bulbs. The main reason i asked is because i didn't know if you wanted to save some money on halide ballasts that you could be spending on something else on your tank.

Oh ok I gotcha now. I thought maybe I was missing something. Actually my first halide setup was a no name on ebay and they were crap so then I kinda got paranoid about using off brand stuff. There is merit in the "you get what you pay for" cliche in this hobby. I thought I'd be saving money by making the stand and canopy but it really wasn't any cheaper to DIY. Granted, the way I did it would double the cost of a store bought.

 

[nikonosis]

well now a days there is several brands that are actually brands now, like evc, coralvue, aro, eballast/blueline, icecap, and a few others i can't think of. Some are alot more expensive than others and they can and do actually perform worse than some of the cheaper ones but its not a big margin.

 

[GoldStripe]

Yeah I noticed that. If I hadn't bought one of them a year ago or so, I'd probably use an ARO or EVC but oh well, live and learn I guess. I just hope this Oceans Motions unit is everything it's supposed to be. That was definitely extra expense that didn't HAVE to happen now.

 

[agarza]

Hi Dan, great thread, well planed project and it's coming along in an excellent way.

I'm planing on a 150 and have one question, Do you think that the Calfo over flow can be located as an external overflow?, exactly the way you have yours, but instead of draining with the dursos horizontally first I'm thinking vertically.

Great work, keep the pics coming I'm learning a lot as you go
Thanks for sharing.

Cheers!

 

[GoldStripe]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7268698#post7268698 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by agarza
Hi Dan, great thread, well planed project and it's coming along in an excellent way.

I'm planing on a 150 and have one question, Do you think that the Calfo over flow can be located as an external overflow?, exactly the way you have yours, but instead of draining with the dursos horizontally first I'm thinking vertically.

Great work, keep the pics coming I'm learning a lot as you go
Thanks for sharing.

Cheers!

Thanks for the compliments agarza!! Yes you can use an external box for the Calfo style. I have seen it done that way. However, they still used a very narrow box on the inside to provide the skimming action. Or, I've also seen people cut teeth or a weir in the back wall of the tank. This involves cutting the plastic trim, using a dremel tool or roto zip. In my opinion, it would be safer to use a very shallow internal box with the larger external box, either vertical or horizontal. I wasn't willing to do that on this big of a tank.

I've been slacking on updating the pics. Hopefully tomorrow I'll snap a few new ones. I'm trying to get my closed loop plumbed in. Finally have the inlets and outlets plumbed, inlet glued in. Next I've got to plumb the OM unit in. My starboard needs to be trimmed for the bottom as well. It never ends!!

 

[GoldStripe]

I got the closed loop plumbing all done tonight!! The ocean motions unit is plumbed in as well. Pics to follow shortly, waiting for my batteries to charge up :hmm4:

 

[GoldStripe]

I took a few shots tonight. My apologies if they aren't the best quality, I'm freakin' tired. Oh well, here we go.

Skimmer and Fuge feed from return pump

A front view of the sump:

 

[GoldStripe]

The back of the stand as it sits now:

The 4 way unit in place.

 

[GoldStripe]

And a top view of tank. The 2 coming from the 4 way will actually go down into the overflow and out via a bulkhead. I'm waiting a another drill bit now.

 

[mbdave]

Hey GS, this seems trivial with all the work you have accomplished, but you think you should install a union in the return pump suction so you can easily perform maintenance?

 

[GoldStripe]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7275988#post7275988 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mbdave
Hey GS, this seems trivial with all the work you have accomplished, but you think you should install a union in the return pump suction so you can easily perform maintenance?

Hey Dave, there is a union on the exit side of the return pump so I can take it offline. For the intake side, I was having cavitation problems with the union installed because of the flow restriction it created. I was advised to get rid of any unions or ball valves on the suction side. If the pump has to come out, I'll have to remove the bolts that hold the volute on the pump. If I could do that step again, I would plumb it somehow with the suction side using 1 1/2" pipe. Unfortunately, where it is now on the front of the sump, there is not enough room for 1 1/2" fittings.

 

[mbdave]

Ok

 

[GoldStripe]

Didn't get much done on the tank today but I've changed the return pump configuration. Instead of this:

which I wasn't crazy about anyhow because I had to throttle the return pump back halfway to stop the cavitation.

I'm going to redo it like this:

The pipe will have to pass through the fuge section and into the return area but I don't think that will be that bad. While I'm at it, I'm stepping up the intake on the pump to 1.5" so I'll have to get a couple more bulkheads to do it. This will allow me to run the pump wide open if I want to without cavitation. Any thoughts?

 

[GoldStripe]

This is the carcas of PVC that will likely be garbage. Oh well, what's 50 bucks down the drain!