Restarting an old 280 build

Scythanith said:
Also, if possible I'd mount the DJ power centre above the work table heigh, maybe on the upper shelves? That will keep it out of harms way if water ever finds its way on to the counter, etc.

Cheers,
Scott
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I should probably take a few pics and update this build thread lol.


But that DJ powerstrip has already been mounted up. Here is the latest pic of it.

Also for circulation in the freshwater side of the mix station I just use a powerhead. You just need movement to keep the water from stagnating.

 
So felt like posting a pic of the seahorse tanks progress. It is really looking nice. No seahorses yet, but man are there a lot of pods for when there are. I think late June I may finally break down and add them.

The macro is growing in real nice:






 
RJT said:
Wowww great fish and control room. How is the noise level in your sons room?
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Really low I insulated the whole thing so there is a slight low level hum from the pumps, but that's it. Considering he can sleep in a college dorm room it's nothing he can't handle lol. He told me over spring break he did not even notice it.

Newbie Aquarist said:
Glad to see progress and your fuge is looking good.
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Thanks, it's actually a lot further along but I am waiting on the new fixtures from Rapid to come in before I do the big update. But I was looking at the seahorse tank yesterday and I really like how it is coming together so I thought I would share a few pics.
 
Tat sea horse tank is giving me some nastey ideas. I do have a 45 gallon tall tank in the basement 24" tall, 13" deep and 36" long. It would make a nice sea horse tank in my mind. But the wife it trying to talk me into going back to more fresh water tanks. She claims they are less expensive.

I'm liking your set up more so everytime you do an update. I had some fears initialy of what you would end up with but it seems those toughts were premature. Hopefully the snow is gone in your part of the country now. Wife is talking about visiting her brother soon and with luck I can see your set up first hand.
 
TropTrea said:
Tat sea horse tank is giving me some nastey ideas. I do have a 45 gallon tall tank in the basement 24" tall, 13" deep and 36" long. It would make a nice sea horse tank in my mind. But the wife it trying to talk me into going back to more fresh water tanks. She claims they are less expensive.

I'm liking your set up more so everytime you do an update. I had some fears initialy of what you would end up with but it seems those toughts were premature. Hopefully the snow is gone in your part of the country now. Wife is talking about visiting her brother soon and with luck I can see your set up first hand.
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I am hosting a meeting for our local reef club TCMAS on August 3rd. put it on your calendar and be there. If the number of folks I have talked to at the frag swap this past weekend and over the past couple of months is any indication, it's going to be a pretty good turn out. Also free brats and beer :) I know you Wisconsin guys can never turn that combo down lol

Really only one problem so far (other than my water/flooding escapades) and it was this. These are the returns to the main display:


010_10_21_2012.jpg


I wish someone would have noticed the mistake I made here lol it would have saved me a lot of rework. But next weekend I will fix the issue. Now that we are finally through March (it only took 63 days lol)
 
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My returns are my biggest issue even after a few years as well. But for me it is noise problem in our sunroom where my main tank is. I have them drilled out from the side like you do and every once in a while I get a big gargling sound from them, Along with the constant water fall sound as the water flows through the pipes.

Then my second remaining problem is when the power goes out. Everything is gravity feed to my basement so the gravity continues to pull the water out of the pipes and the pumps are no longer pumping up to the main tank. With 1 1/2 inch pipes they hold an extra 30 gallons of water that is roughly a little less than the volumn of my final sump in the basement.
 
MY problem is cosmetic. having both returns at the same height allows microbubbles into the display. It looks horrible (to me). What I should have done and will do not this weekend but next is pull that 90 off of the left return and allow that return to be completely submerged. It will be the main return and that will eliminate the microbubble problem. the return on the right will be the emergency or backup return if something blocks the left return.

My system is rather unique in that regard since I am returning directly to the tank from the filtration room instead of to a sump. I did not think about the possibility of introducing air via the returns. It is an easy fix that will require a lot of work lol. I have to move the 325 reservoir to get to those returns now. Fortunately other modifications I have made will give me some room to permanently move it so I will alway have full access to that return sump in the future.

It just means I have to store about 400 gallons of water to make these changes.. and then put it back when I am done.
 
Man that sounds like alot but then again it doesn't. It only makes it sound big because of the volume of water you have to store. Best of luck.
 
yeah really the hardest part has been waiting for the weather to change here in MN so I could bring on a reservoir large enough to hold the water.

Added some clowns to the clown tank :)





The Cleaner Shrimp is open for business





I need a much better camera I think lol but that is next year after my wallet has a chance to revive..
 
What rock did you use for the seahorse tank? Im in the process of starting a dwarf nano tank and I'm looking for setup ideas. I have 15lbs black/white arganite sand and I plan on growing caulerpa. I want to add some type of rock work for structure and I love the look of yours!
 
So I guess I owe this thread a few updates. This Friday is going to rock! I finally will be adding seahorses to the seahorse tank. I was going to go with 4 H Reidi but Seahorse Source will not have them for a few months. I really like the way Abbie and Dan communicate, so they are my preferred vendor for these animals.

They do have hybrids H Reidi/H Erectus that I am getting instead Here is the photo they sent me. 3 pair so 6 total.



Updated photos of the actual animals I am getting Will be this friday!
 
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So that's clowns in the clown tank, seahorses in the seahorse tank, And I guess the 280 is coming along as well. Sorry but I have a crappy P&S camera so this is what ya get :)





I still have a ton of odds and ends to get through and work is really busy but at least when those of you who can make the August 3rd meeting come over, there will be more than a bunch of dead rock and macro growing.

Not much in the way of fish. The 280 was up for 4 months before the first fish went in and I did not plan to stock any dragonets so soon, but Blessed had a pair he was selling cheap and I felt I had enough pods to keep these guys going. So the 280 has 2 scooter blennies and 1 golden assessor. should have been two but one thought she could squeeze between the glass and the rock I glued to it. She was wrong. I guess I didn't see that one coming.

The coral beauty I was going to add to the clown tank came down with ich in QT so it will need to get well before I can purchase any more fish.
 
I noticed your deep sand bed. I have used the deep sand bed for roughly 12 years now. But I'm slowly starting to slowly move away from it. It is great for a few years but eventualy it does get saturated and ends up duing out I'm finding. Some people wernt away from it because of that and others claim you simply have to renew it with a proportion of new sand regularly. Something to keep in mind for the future maintance.

Overall everything is looking good. I'd love to go as big as you did but we just don't have the room and another addition would not make my little woman happy. She says I spend more than enough on my tanks the way it is.
 
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