progress update on 500g setup

tank plumbing

tank plumbing

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8583418#post8583418 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cward
That is awesome!!! I smell a tank tour coming up:D

Tank tour...no doubt but really I smell glue fumes. Looks like someone should have a PVC glue high.

Really that plumbing in your basement looks what I would imagine under the streets of New York would look like only a lot neater... Is that a word???
 
um glue high... well lets just say that the windows have been open for the last few nights....

I just finished the CL and return lines.... Now all I need to do is to sink the GFI breakers into the box. This is the only thing I do not feel comfortable doing.

If anyone knows how to do that or knows someone who does please let me know. When I get back from vacation I want to finish the electric and fill up the tank.

As for the tank tour... I would love to have people over to look at it. I just need to get water and rock in it first.

The thing in the middle is one of the 2 two inch drains for the closed loop. It is raised so that the sand does not go into the pump. It is a closed loop so no real danger of everything draining out on power failure if that was what you were wondering.

I put in the OM 4 way tonight and that is really neet. I can't wait to see that thing im motion. I ran each outlet to each of the four corners of the tank. I will have the two oposite corners running at the same time making almost a swirling motion.

thanks for all the interest... Rock placement is the next hurdle then I get to start planning fish.

Thoughts are
Black tang(s) I'd love to have a small school of them
Chevron Tang(s)
Purple tangs
Flame angle
Coral Beauty
Mandarian gobie(s)
mated clown pairs
Black perculas
Black clarkies

who knows what else.... I just want to find stuff you don't see every day
 
Looks like you are really doing everything right! :thumbsup:
I just love that stand!

How about a Big Angel?? :)
 
Weeelllll.... not always, per se.

Some are better than others but it is still up to each individual fish. Blueface, Majestic, Regals, Gold Flakes and more have all been known to do well. Each have been known to nip also...
I had kept a Majestic for a good year with very little problems. She would *Once in awile* sample a stoney, just a taste. Never actually did any damage to anything. I've read that the sometimes just nibble at any slime that may be on the coral.

I just love Angelfish. Large and Dwarf.
 
Yeah me too... I was just afraid that they would eat the corals.... I would also hate to spend 200+ on a fish just to have to get rid of it if it did eat corals.
 
Yep. I understand completely.

I have been with out an Angel for a pretty long time, the longest since I have been in this hobby actually. I had been waiting to find 'the right one'.
She was found the other day and the purchase was made late lastnight. A mated pair actually. :)

I am a little nervous but very-very excited.

There are the Zooplankton feeder angels. Swallowtail Angel's Lamarck’s Angelfish, Watanabe's Angelfish or the Bellus Angel's (like Norm had).
Not quit as colorful but still very beautiful IMO, and reef safe.
 
I love angels as well, I am looking at adding a Potters, Lamark, Venustus, a male and female Swallowtail along with a male and female Bellus if I can fine them and maybe an Asfur... I am going to wait a little while as I would like to get the 220gal tank setup for a FOWLR so that if they don't work on in the 600gal reef then I am toss them over in that tank... Best of both worlds :p
 
OK I have 95% of the water in and the tank is running on closed loop now. I had a few small issues with some small leaks but they worked out pretty easily.

I did have my CL pump blow a gasket or something while I was at work the other day. My wife caught it realitivly quick and put a mix trashcan under it. I leaked out about 40 gallons before I got home.

I PM'd Phishy on one of his days off and he immediately called me back and said meet him at the store and he swapped out the pump for me! Now that's service! Highly recommend Phishy Business to everyone (of course everyone here already knows that.

Got home put in the new pump put water back up to just under the overflows and put in all the rock I had in sumps. Yeah I had a 100g sump full from the bottom to the top of Live Rock and it didnt even cover half of the tank. So Last night I ordered 500lbs online at $3/lb and it will be here Thursday for airport delivery.

Needless to say Thursday is rock placement day. I plan on putting the rock in the tank and letting it cycle before I bring it online with the rest of my system.

I have tested the water and everything is in line with where it should be now. I guess that was to be expected with the age of the water I had waiting and the way I mixed it but I was still supprised.

More to come as it happens!
 
here is an updated picture of the tank with some water in the tank... as you can see there is not much rock in the tank yet... why I ordered so much more... I put a couple of chromis in there for now but not sure how long they will stay there.

134785tankpic.jpg
 
Well there is just over 400lbs of live rock in the tank now... just need it to cycle again. (all livestock has been removed) I don't have the display turned onto the main system until after the amonia spike. I have the Closed loop running and plan on having pictures of the rock placement up as soon as the water clears up.

Jason and his wife came over today and helped me with the placement... we have been working since roughly 5pm so about 4 hours of rock aranging.

Turned out really good I think... we will see how good looks once the water clears up. I have about 100lbs of the rock left over that I have curing in the basement. I plan on just putting it into one of my sumps for filtration. I was really impressed with the rock I got... all large pieces awesome shapes, great textures, most pieces looked like coral (dead now of course).

well hopefully pics will be ready tomorrow.
 
The rock is absolutely amazing! Tons of huge pieces and great shapes. We made some really neat caves, overhangs, holes, etc.. Really excited to see how it turns out!
 
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