joshuasamuels
New member
I never thought I'd say this to another guy, but:
Travis, that's a really nice rack you have there.
Travis, that's a really nice rack you have there.
Reefing on a Budget: 75g Tank Build
- Thread starter Travis L. Stevens
- Start date
Travis L. Stevens
New member
Finally! After a LONG wait, our paperwork has been processed, we're approved, and we moved into the new apartment Easter Weekend. We still have a few boxes left and a few tanks, such as the 75g, but when the 75g makes it over, I'll start making rocks, finishing the rack system, and get the thing running!!!
Travis L. Stevens
New member
I doubt that it will happen tonight, but I should be making the rocks for it very soon. I'm excited.
Travis L. Stevens
New member
I made a batch of rocks late last week. These are mainly going to be test rocks for the Ultimate DIY Rocks thread, but if they turn out well, they will be used in the 75g tank. I know it's not going to be enough, but it's a start.
Travis L. Stevens
New member
My Current Livestock
Even though the 75g isn't actually running, I got some new livestock for the tank that is sitting and growing in my 29g until I get this tank ready. Here are some pictures.
Purple Cap
I got this frag from Adam a while back as a thank you for helping him frag some stuff, and it surely has taken off recently. It is a gorgeous piece with a maroon body and blue polyps.
Orange Digi
I got this frag from Donny and Lori in Tulsa a while back at the OMAS Frag Swap. The pictures don't really show where it has grown very well because the camera can't get to it, but it has made a tremendous amount of growth. More outward than upwards. I disturbed it, so it's retracted right now.
My Newest Additions!
I just picked up all of these at Aquarium Oddballs Sunday morning before heading back home from the OMAS meeting. They are outstanding. You'll have to excuse the lack of polyp extension. They had just recently been placed in the tank, so they will take some time to get used to it.
Green Cap
I wanted to get the Neon Green Cap that Scott had, but I just couldn't break the bank for it. Instead, I got this more tempermental Green Cap for a lot cheaper. I'll have to go back and get the Neon Green Cap later.
Purple Base with Neon Green Polyps Cap
I'm very excited about this one. I had it once before and it had started growing, but the lightbulb meltdown that I had wiped it away. It's nice to have a replacement for it. The base is a little bleached, but it should come back as a deep purple.
Red Cap
Really, this is just a simple Red cap. Nothing special, but I like it! It already has quite a few tiny plates.
Green Body with Purple Polyps Danae
This is another frag of one that I had previously lost. I'm excited to get this one back as well as it used to be my best grower.
White Body with Green Polyps Cap
This is a gorgeous piece that I have yet to see available in Oklahoma until now. I think it might be slightly bleached out in color, but who knows. It's beautiful and was about 2" across for $45. Well worth it! I can't wait to see this one grow out.
Even though the 75g isn't actually running, I got some new livestock for the tank that is sitting and growing in my 29g until I get this tank ready. Here are some pictures.
Purple Cap
I got this frag from Adam a while back as a thank you for helping him frag some stuff, and it surely has taken off recently. It is a gorgeous piece with a maroon body and blue polyps.
Orange Digi
I got this frag from Donny and Lori in Tulsa a while back at the OMAS Frag Swap. The pictures don't really show where it has grown very well because the camera can't get to it, but it has made a tremendous amount of growth. More outward than upwards. I disturbed it, so it's retracted right now.
My Newest Additions!
I just picked up all of these at Aquarium Oddballs Sunday morning before heading back home from the OMAS meeting. They are outstanding. You'll have to excuse the lack of polyp extension. They had just recently been placed in the tank, so they will take some time to get used to it.
Green Cap
I wanted to get the Neon Green Cap that Scott had, but I just couldn't break the bank for it. Instead, I got this more tempermental Green Cap for a lot cheaper. I'll have to go back and get the Neon Green Cap later.
Purple Base with Neon Green Polyps Cap
I'm very excited about this one. I had it once before and it had started growing, but the lightbulb meltdown that I had wiped it away. It's nice to have a replacement for it. The base is a little bleached, but it should come back as a deep purple.
Red Cap
Really, this is just a simple Red cap. Nothing special, but I like it! It already has quite a few tiny plates.
Green Body with Purple Polyps Danae
This is another frag of one that I had previously lost. I'm excited to get this one back as well as it used to be my best grower.
White Body with Green Polyps Cap
This is a gorgeous piece that I have yet to see available in Oklahoma until now. I think it might be slightly bleached out in color, but who knows. It's beautiful and was about 2" across for $45. Well worth it! I can't wait to see this one grow out.
Travis L. Stevens
New member
Soooo true. Slow, but nice. If the new setup for DIY rock works out as planned, I could have my tank running with water in it in about 4 weeks.
Travis L. Stevens
New member
Revised formula with different ratios for strength with the same ingredients, but the method of Curing/Quring/Kuring is drastically different. It will take some experimenting, but there is a chance that DIY rock can be done from start to finish in about two weeks or less if we can work out the kinks.
Little Bitty
New member
Any updates Travis?
Travis L. Stevens
New member
Nope. I have a 3-day weekend this weekend. I hope to make all the rock for the 75g though. I have about 25 lbs or so ready to go, but I need a lot more.
Travis L. Stevens
New member
Finally, an update!!! It's been a while since I managed to be rested AND have a weekend to do stuff. On my birthday, Sunday, I had the energy and drive to work on projects. I finished a book I was reading and worked on the 75g. I got a few steps further in other projects such as making water for water changes, but I never did the water changes. Got ready to split my phyto, but didn't get to. You know. Things like that. Well, now on to the good stuff.
First, I had to take the aquarium off of the stand and get what was left of the sand out of the bottom. That wasn't too difficult thanks to the couch!
After that, I got the Eggcrate ready.
I then cut it to size and barely fit it in the tank as one whole piece
I didn't have much eggcrate left after putting that back piece on because Nick took a piece I didn't know I needed
But that's okay. I zip tied a couple long pieces of eggcrate together just the size of the overflow. Then it was all zip tied to the PVC frame work. I decided to leave off any protrusions from the back of the frame because I didn't think a 75g would have enough room for it.
That's the end of the first phase; the eggcrate is in and secured.
First, I had to take the aquarium off of the stand and get what was left of the sand out of the bottom. That wasn't too difficult thanks to the couch!
After that, I got the Eggcrate ready.
I then cut it to size and barely fit it in the tank as one whole piece
I didn't have much eggcrate left after putting that back piece on because Nick took a piece I didn't know I needed
But that's okay. I zip tied a couple long pieces of eggcrate together just the size of the overflow. Then it was all zip tied to the PVC frame work. I decided to leave off any protrusions from the back of the frame because I didn't think a 75g would have enough room for it.
That's the end of the first phase; the eggcrate is in and secured.
Travis L. Stevens
New member
Now here comes the next part; adding the stands for the pillars. This was a doozy. It was getting late at night, and I ran out of PVC. Come to find out, Lowe's changed their closing time on Sundays to one hour earlier. So, at 8:30pm, I was 30 minutes late. Scrounging through everything I had, I took the bottom off of Sonya's makeshift PVC bird feeder. After some Southern inginuity and man handling, I get the pillar stands worked into the frame work.
Phase 2 is complete! Now on to Phase 3. Phase 3 consists of making a lot of noise with power tools at 11pm-1am. Actually, I don't think I made too much noise. With a drillbit, a biting-sanding-metal-thingy, a dremel with a drum sander, pliers, and a file, I managed to make a really "pretty" notch in the back brace so the PVC drain can just squeak by.
And of course, once it is all done, I can put together the drain.
Phase 3 complete!
Phase 2 is complete! Now on to Phase 3. Phase 3 consists of making a lot of noise with power tools at 11pm-1am. Actually, I don't think I made too much noise. With a drillbit, a biting-sanding-metal-thingy, a dremel with a drum sander, pliers, and a file, I managed to make a really "pretty" notch in the back brace so the PVC drain can just squeak by.
And of course, once it is all done, I can put together the drain.
Phase 3 complete!
Travis L. Stevens
New member
On to Phase 4! It's time to put it on the stand and fill it with freshwater. I plan on Kuring the DIY Rocks in the tank, so I don't mind it being tap water. Plus, I get to test it for leaks!
Here it is on the stand, sitting in place.
Here it is with a little water in it
Here it is full
Here it is full, and running in all it's glory
Phase 4 is successful! But...with a few minor problems that I'll cover in a minute. But first, here is the obligatory Full Tank Shots
All together and lookin' good
I'm loving the T5HO's!
And of course, I had to add my first fish!
Here it is on the stand, sitting in place.
Here it is with a little water in it
Here it is full
Here it is full, and running in all it's glory
Phase 4 is successful! But...with a few minor problems that I'll cover in a minute. But first, here is the obligatory Full Tank Shots
All together and lookin' good
I'm loving the T5HO's!
And of course, I had to add my first fish!
Travis L. Stevens
New member
I've managed to encounter a few problems and fix them in time. One such problem was that I don't like to glue my PVC. I encountered a problem where the drain's bulkhead was really loose with the drainpipe. I made the inserting pipe a little longer and it fit much more snuggly. After filling the tank, I found that I still had a minor leak from it. Instead of gluing the PVC to the bulkhead, and ruining any future chance of salvaging the piece for other projects, I decided to take a few tubes of a reefer's best friend, superglue gel, and apply a seal all the way around the PVC. Now that it is dry, it doesn't leak, and if I had to break the tank down, a little brute strength should snap the PVC out of the bulkhead.
After all the leaks were fixed, I got to toy around with the flow. It looks like the overflow that I got from Jonathan a long time ago is just the right size. Any more flow to the tank, and it would be too much.
After making sure it's okay to play in the water, I got to play around with the flow, and even add a MJ1200. The flow is amazing. After adding the MJMod opposite of the return pumps, the waves at the surface of the water was almost high enough to touch the center brace
Without MJMod
With MJMod
After all the leaks were fixed, I got to toy around with the flow. It looks like the overflow that I got from Jonathan a long time ago is just the right size. Any more flow to the tank, and it would be too much.
After making sure it's okay to play in the water, I got to play around with the flow, and even add a MJ1200. The flow is amazing. After adding the MJMod opposite of the return pumps, the waves at the surface of the water was almost high enough to touch the center brace
Without MJMod
With MJMod
Travis L. Stevens
New member
Okay, here are the minor problems that I've encountered. I have a nasty habit of using permanent marker on the glass of my tanks to serve as a reminder of what I need to do. So, here's my To Do List:
The first on the list is "DIY ROCK!!!". Well, that's a no brainer that I need to do that, but hey I can be pretty forgetful.
Next on the list is to drill holes in the baffle walls in the refugium. It turns out that the weirs we made in the refugium area are wide enough or plentiful enough to handle the flow. So, the water is backing up nearly to the top of each baffle.
Next, is an Anti-Syphon hole in the return line. I shut the power off for an emergency test and forget about the return back syphon.
Next, I have to pick up some threaded PVC parts so I can attach LocLine to my return.
After everything was running, I found that the drain of the skimmer isn't big enough to handle all the flow, so the water will backup and flow in to the skimmer cup. I'll have to either widen the drain hole or add a series of smaller holes around it so the water can flow out easily. I'm thinking I'll drill a bunch of smaller holes.
I decided that the return line was quite powerful for a single entrance point. Instead, I would like some options for customizing my flow, so I'll probably split the return line in half so I can have LocLine on each end of the tank.
And lastly, I need to get my MJMod back from Nick, and help him fix his. Nick, don't worry about using it. This is a last minute project that I'm just planning for :thumbsup:
Other then that list, all is well. It will take some time to do all of this, but it was well worth the effort.
The first on the list is "DIY ROCK!!!". Well, that's a no brainer that I need to do that, but hey I can be pretty forgetful.
Next on the list is to drill holes in the baffle walls in the refugium. It turns out that the weirs we made in the refugium area are wide enough or plentiful enough to handle the flow. So, the water is backing up nearly to the top of each baffle.
Next, is an Anti-Syphon hole in the return line. I shut the power off for an emergency test and forget about the return back syphon.
Next, I have to pick up some threaded PVC parts so I can attach LocLine to my return.
After everything was running, I found that the drain of the skimmer isn't big enough to handle all the flow, so the water will backup and flow in to the skimmer cup. I'll have to either widen the drain hole or add a series of smaller holes around it so the water can flow out easily. I'm thinking I'll drill a bunch of smaller holes.
I decided that the return line was quite powerful for a single entrance point. Instead, I would like some options for customizing my flow, so I'll probably split the return line in half so I can have LocLine on each end of the tank.
And lastly, I need to get my MJMod back from Nick, and help him fix his. Nick, don't worry about using it. This is a last minute project that I'm just planning for :thumbsup:
Other then that list, all is well. It will take some time to do all of this, but it was well worth the effort.
Travis L. Stevens
New member
For those that want a better visual tour, I have video clips for everyone to view.
First, for those with a slower connection, this is a short ~5 second clip that just details the surface of the water and the water flow
For those with a high speed connection and some time, here is a clip that is about one minute long that takes a tour around the entire tank
First, for those with a slower connection, this is a short ~5 second clip that just details the surface of the water and the water flow
For those with a high speed connection and some time, here is a clip that is about one minute long that takes a tour around the entire tank
Travis L. Stevens
New member
I just watched that last video, and the clarity of the part of the sump is so dark, you can barely see it. Sorry.
