My 1st 180 RR Project, Cust Built stand/canopy Tunzes etc..

Good morning all,

Johnsteph10--- Thanks for the compliments, good way to start out the morning!!! I just looked up the euro reef skimmers and seeing that the one I could use costs about 800, I would rather for now stay with the asm!!, Ive heard many good things about both. I havent got my glass yet but will pick them up this week sometime. Been REALLY busy with work lately, it seems like everyone wants something done to their houses ALL at the same time!!! But thanks again for your input and welcome to my diary on the 180!!!!

Sam-- Yes my footprint alows it, BUT Im going to have to go with the G4+ ONLY because the G4x is 6" taller and I think with only 2 1/2" clearance to the braces on the stand, ill probally have some troubles cleaning and maintaining it. If you think thats enough room let me know, I really dont know where the parts that need to be cleaned are located!!!! Maybe 2 1/2" is enough room, Im just not sure.

Denny--Im starting to get a grip on the lighting thing, I think so anyways!! As far as what I want I have to mimic what they like. What Im planning on having in the tank isnt anything that lives really deep, or at least I dont believe they do, I went over the items Id like to keep in the tank with Jamie and thats why hes suggesting those specific lighting. And I do like the fact that in the long run thier more efficent and will cost less in the power bill section the T5HO's.

Welp its off to another busy day at work, gotta improve peoples houses!!!! Be back around 3 ish. Thanks all again
 
I know you are considering ASM. Someone mentioned EuroReef. I will start this with a disclaimer. I have an issue with the management of ER and anyone reading this should take note of this fact. They are built very well. You have to go through their sister company for service and parts. They work about the same as similarly sized ASM made skimmers. Their constructon is better. If you get one get a blem model . It will save you and you may not notice the blemmish at all. I would buy an ASM personally after seeing both in action and speaking with the owners of each company. If you want to spend $800+ get a H&S. Do not look back. If you think you will get into SPS and need a very clean tank, get better than ASM/EuroReef or get a bigger model. They do work very well. HTH and not confuse more.
 
Hey folks....

take a look here: http://www/Photos.aspx?AlbumID=4

this is a 55 with older rock I got about 4 years back
from TBS and a few corals from other places... after florida storms and some moves I had to get some new stuff from TBS.

in a day or so I will get some better photos and more as the tank settles in....

Thanks Richard !
( the guy who owns tampabaysaltwater.com )
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7315701#post7315701 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by figuerres
Hey folks....

take a look here: http://www/Photos.aspx?AlbumID=4

this is a 55 with older rock I got about 4 years back
from TBS and a few corals from other places... after florida storms and some moves I had to get some new stuff from TBS.

in a day or so I will get some better photos and more as the tank settles in....

Thanks Richard !
( the guy who owns tampabaysaltwater.com )
Click to expand...

DOH! sorry folks that link should read:

http://www.figuerres.com/Photos.aspx?AlbumID=4

My Bad !

more photos later as things stettle in and I can find my tripod!
 
wow cool looking stuff on those rocks denny!! Your site is comming along with the pics

Jamie, man this can never be easy!!!LOL OK where in the heck do you find blemish models of the ASM skimmers, I remember someone telling me about them but dont remember who are where!!!
 
WOW very nice, ill have to get a good camera once I get this 180 going, Im sooooooooo busy now with work I have no clue when itll be done!!! But I will put aside time for that and your stand, cause I do love building things!!!
 
Yeah like he said above. You won't find blemmed asm's. The material is cheap enough to start over if they mess one up. But a blemmed euro will be harder to break than a perfect ASM. If you never intend to drop it or hit it with a wrench, get the ASm.

There are at lleast two schools of thought on live rock sourcing. Some prefer the instant biodiversity of TBS. I do not. My first tank was set up with this rock, and I had more negative hitchicker, from gorilla crabs, to algaes, that I sold it all to a friend with a 300 and 10 tangs. He soda watered the crabs and the tangs made quick work of the algae. Which left it looking like boulders devoid of most life. Catch 22 I guess. You can certainly, and will, receive lots of life, and even a few corals, which can only be found on TBS. But I don't care much for these corals, and find them to be novelty bonuses, and that's it. I know others love theirs, but I had a different opinion. It is very biodiverse, nut this comes at the cost of weight, as it is very dense, you will need to purchase more. Also, there is debate as to the source of the base rock put in to the ocean to aquire the life that makes it live rocsk. SOme find it is no problem, I find it looks an awful lot like phosphate, mined from Florida's heartland, when broken. This is not a good thing as this limestone will break down and slowly release the phosphate back in to your tank, inhibitting calcification of good algae, clam shells, and stony coral skeletons. It may also lead to further algae issues. Not many people looking for a very clean reef go for TBS or keys rock. It has it's place and I am not calling it junk. I do not and probaly will never want it in MY reef. I am not after biodiversity at every curve. I am looking for more control then it allows. If you want the freshest, most full of life rock, buy the TBS. Keep in mind some, if not much, of this life are things we in the hobby look to eliminate from our reefs. My rock came with an awesome brittle star that I thought was the coolest. An arrow crab too. These both were removed after eating something from my display. These i essentially payed for. Twice. I prefer deepwater Tongan, kaelini, indonesian, and properly cured/cooked hatian .In that order. I am bullheaded though and like what I like. I have a mix of Tonga DW and Hatian lettuce leaf. along with the one tonga branch I have. Very unorthodox but...
FTS.jpg
 
Jamie, do you have a specific place you preffer to get your rock from? If so can you send a link my way, Thanks By the way, is that your tank??
 
I can not comment on the source of my rock other to say it was locally purchased, and not from the store I work at. Some of it is no longer available locally. I will not comment further as it would break my RC UA. My comments would be used against me as they would not be positive. I will not name the source privately either. I hope you understand. Sorry.

I will do my best to find you a good source locally. For kaelini, go pick it out from Exotic Aquatics in Dunedin. 580 near Belcher. $$$ but very nice . Similar to my tongan. Maybe even nicer colors. Lettuce leaf available a few places in Tampa. Indonesian, only online now. But nice.

It was my tank. 3 months ago. It looks better now. I have no current pic as I am still coral scaping it. Too many changes. About o sell a couple corals as they do not work in my master plan. And I just bought a bunch of different blue zoas I need to place.
 
Jamie---alrighty, Im not sure I understand why you cannot say where you got it from when you would be only helping those people make a sale, but than again I dont know the whole story, but its cool :) LOL

Denny-- wow thats a long report, but ill do my best to read up on it, believe it or not but I have to work today for alittle, busy, busy. I think im going to get the bulkheads today from the LFS since I have to get water again. I need to get a ro/di very soon, its kinda a pain getting water every few days. I know ill probally pay a ton to get it locally, but with how busy I am itll be worth it cause I dont really have the time now to keep going to the fish store! So if anyone knows of ro/di's I can get locally Id appericate it.
Thanks
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7319375#post7319375 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by pmike25
Jamie---alrighty, Im not sure I understand why you cannot say where you got it from when you would be only helping those people make a sale, but than again I dont know the whole story, but its cool :) LOL

Denny-- wow thats a long report, but ill do my best to read up on it, believe it or not but I have to work today for alittle, busy, busy. I think im going to get the bulkheads today from the LFS since I have to get water again. I need to get a ro/di very soon, its kinda a pain getting water every few days. I know ill probally pay a ton to get it locally, but with how busy I am itll be worth it cause I dont really have the time now to keep going to the fish store! So if anyone knows of ro/di's I can get locally Id appericate it.
Thanks
Click to expand...

Yeah, I got a Kent Marine RODI last year...

I can see already that the up-front cost is well worth it.

I have the Maxxima HI S unit @ 35GPD.

as I can't do in-wall pumbing in my apt I used the local Home Depot and got some fittings and a bundle of what they call "ice maker" tubing.

I just added a set of valves under a sink so I have a kind of "T" with shut off for the sink and the RODI, then my RODI output is on a long icemaker tube that I can just run out as far as I want to reach...

so I uncoil the tube to put it in my sump and turn the valve for regualr top off use....
no buckets to haul and it runs slow so no big water shock duing top off.

only down side is it's manual -- if I forget I could make a mess :rolleye1:

that's another thing I am trying to figure out...
get location where I can run the tubing and do an auto-shut-off
w/o tearing up an apt. I only rent !
:)
I hope my next move will be into my own house!
working on it but darn real estate prices are nuts around here.
and I really want to stay close to my job!
 
I understand, with gas prices and all staying closer is a better idea!! Where did ya get ya RO/DI from??
 
Marine Depot.

the unit comes like a kit with some instructions...

not hard to put together.

my unit is a 4 stage with a TDS meter and a flush valve.

the only costly parts to maintain are the RO membrane and the
DI cartrige.

I used a DI before the RODI and what a difference.

bare DI and I had to buy DI refills every month @ about $25 a pop.
with the RODI doing a lot of pre-filer before the DI I can do a DI refill about every 6 months.

the "pre filter" costs about 5 bucks
the carbon block is about 15 bucks
the HI-S DI is about 30 bucks
an RO memberane is about 75

you should be able to use the same RO membrane for about 4 years.
the DI will vari but figure at 6 months to have a new one

seems like the water here is turning my pre filter yellow really fast so I may start swaping them every 2 monthts
and the carbon block every 3-4 months.

I saw a *HUGE* drop in pest algea growth after the change.
I would guess that DI water was still passing on a lot of crap from tap water like phosphates and silicates and nitrates that the full RO-DI package is trapping

my TDS meter shows about 185 ppm on the source side.
ZERO on the output side most of the time.

here is the unit:
http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idproduct=KM1491
 
from what i understand most local places just sell RO filters like home depot. so IMO your better off spending the extra for the rodi. i bought the optima pro and love it from www.purelyh2o.com also has great costomer service. one thing i did find out though is check with you water company and make sure if they are using chlorimines in the water. if so get the unit with the chlorimines filter. as most filters will not take it out. also will kill your other filters much faster. and you start getting nitrate readings. if you get a chance call up Bryan at purelyh2o and he will talk it all over with you to make sure you get a unit that fits your needs.
 
Chloramines mostly pass through the carbon, and completely through r/o membranes. If you do not use di after r/o, and have municipal water containing chloramines, you must use prime or amquel, or similar to detoxify the r/o water. Di will take it out, but it does exhaust it more quickly. I find the Chloramine removing filters to be more expensive than bulk di resin to filter the same amount of water.
 
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