Soulpatch's build thread (ongoing)

Well decided that I will be selling my rapid led lights for the biocube. With the T5 unit coming in for the big tank I only need 2 Kessils on it and can leave my third on the biocube. Should they sell should pay for about 1/2 the rock I need for the big tank.

Going to go the cheap route for a bit as well with the dosing containers and ato container. I need to get this tank up and running and the funds I would have spent on that is better served for livestock and the leak detector module I want to get for my Apex.
 
soulpatch said:
Well decided that I will be selling my rapid led lights for the biocube. With the T5 unit coming in for the big tank I only need 2 Kessils on it and can leave my third on the biocube. Should they sell should pay for about 1/2 the rock I need for the big tank.

Going to go the cheap route for a bit as well with the dosing containers and ato container. I need to get this tank up and running and the funds I would have spent on that is better served for livestock and the leak detector module I want to get for my Apex.
Click to expand...

They worked for what you needed it for. I've been watching the build, just not too much to comment on. I'm interested to see your impressions of using spa-flex. Nobody mentioned heating/baking it, so maybe people don't do that anymore, but I thought people used to do that to get it to flex to just the right positioning.

You have time before you need to have the dosing regimen perfected. I'm still using gallon water jugs from the supermarket with a hole poked in the cap. You probably won't have to dose for a while, with regular water changes of the tank volume that you're going to, but when you do start dosing, you can always use cheap containers until you're really up and running and have the funds. Really you will be evaporating quite a bit more as well, so you might get away with kalk topoff for longer with the bigger tank?
 
I wont need the spa flex to bend as I am only going to use it in straight sections. Majority of the plumbing will be rigid PVC that I will be painting. I picked up blue, red, and orange last night to paint with. I know I will do blue for main drain and red for emergency. Still torn on whether I want to use blue for the return or another color like grey.

I have orange and I think I will keep that for the electrical conduit and the panel I will mount the controllers to. Orange is my favorite color so regardless if it clashes or not I need to use some in the tank stand somewhere...
 
I would do blue for main drain, red for emergency, white or grey for return, and orange for electrical. Just makes sense to me that way.
 
What about orange for the return, since it's like the "hot" line, and then yellow for electrical?

Still, either way it sounds awesome. Can't wait for it to come to fruition.

I was about to PM you a deal on 2 6x54" T5s (Tek premium and an ATI) but I re-read that you already ordered from Premium Aquatics, so hopefully you're set.
 
Yeah I've been reading through his build thread also, just haven't commented on it. BTW I really like the way you did lights in the cabinet. :thumbsup:
 
ReefWreak said:
What about orange for the return, since it's like the "hot" line, and then yellow for electrical?

Still, either way it sounds awesome. Can't wait for it to come to fruition.

I was about to PM you a deal on 2 6x54" T5s (Tek premium and an ATI) but I re-read that you already ordered from Premium Aquatics, so hopefully you're set.
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Yellow. Na. HA HA. I have enough pink and yellow in my house between the wife and daughter. They are lucky I am not doing everything in camo orange.

Always happens when you buy something that you see it for sale days later. The one tek fixture I had seen online as he is actually up the street from me (confree I believe) but I wanted a name brand fixture that looked good should I go without the canopy so I passed on it. I was down to ATI and Geisemann so went with the ATI since I got 15% off on the fixture.

I will try to avoid looking at the classified ad for the ATI though so I continue to feel like I got a deal. HA HA
 
homer1475 said:
Yeah I've been reading through his build thread also, just haven't commented on it. BTW I really like the way you did lights in the cabinet. :thumbsup:
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Thanks on the lighting. I have the same light strips in my racing trailer and have been impressed with them. I need to put on some more brackets so that they are fully secure as the moisture will wear down the adhesive around corners but they are good to go for now.

build thread...what build thread lol

I will start a large evolution and build thread shortly as I add a few more things and get her wet. I anticipate plumbing to be done this week and a first water run not long after. Wanting to do it with RODI so I dont have any residual TDS or anything anywhere in the tank. Start with just filling the overflow to check for initial leaks then fill entire tank. Will take me just shy of 24 hours to make the water needed. Probably have to set up a pump or get a longer portion of RODI line to route to the tank.



I also am thinking more and more that I will switch the cube to be plumbed into the main tank. Would allow me to worry about only one systems water volume and I can more easily consolidate everything (reactor, dosing, ato, ect) into the stand of the 150.
 
soulpatch said:
Yellow. Na. HA HA. I have enough pink and yellow in my house between the wife and daughter. They are lucky I am not doing everything in camo orange.
Click to expand...

[SARCASM] REALTREE! [/SARCASM]

soulpatch said:
I also am thinking more and more that I will switch the cube to be plumbed into the main tank. Would allow me to worry about only one systems water volume and I can more easily consolidate everything (reactor, dosing, ato, ect) into the stand of the 150.
Click to expand...

I definitely like that idea. I always love when people have all of their systems plumbed together, I think D2Mini has his setup that way as well. The only issue I have with it is that then you can't use one as a QT tank (even though Mike Paletta felt pretty confident about using a plumbed-in QT tank as long as it went through UV before going to the rest of the system, but I wouldn't risk it). So I'd still consider a separate QT tank.
 
Ok not a technically a "build thread", more of a "is my plumbing looking good" type thread.

Question though, where did you get the lighting? And I'm assuming it runs off 110?
 
ReefWreak said:
[SARCASM] REALTREE! [/SARCASM]



I definitely like that idea. I always love when people have all of their systems plumbed together, I think D2Mini has his setup that way as well. The only issue I have with it is that then you can't use one as a QT tank (even though Mike Paletta felt pretty confident about using a plumbed-in QT tank as long as it went through UV before going to the rest of the system, but I wouldn't risk it). So I'd still consider a separate QT tank.
Click to expand...

I have a seperate 10 gal to use as needed with all the equipment. I will probably buy a 20 or 40 gallon tank as the fish grow larger so I am covered should the need arise. The biocube would turn more into a frag tank (or potentially a display refugium)

Homer - Here is link to lights: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004T0BM0O?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01
 
Start of the items to be sold from my cube:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2550249

Coming shortly will be the nano ATO and aquamaxx hob-1 once I plumb it into the main tank. Probably do the in tank media basket as well. Everything else I think I will salvage for spares or for QT setup... SO if you are interested in any of those coming items let me know and we will work something out.


For the big tank I ordered Building an Obsession top off and 2 dosing containers as well as their camera lens box. The ATO and dosers will have float sensors in them so I can set up alarms and power down equipment as needed. Rock will be ordered this weekend to be shipped out on Monday. Settled on Reefcleaners dry rock and will be getting in 180 pounds so I can play around with it and set up the design as I want. Probably order in some acrylic rods or something once I have an idea of how I want it.

This weekend the plumbing gets painted (starting tonight I assume) and I will do inside the overflow pipes as well so everything is set up. I know some dont glue inside the overflow box but I will be. I would prefer to spend $10 on a new bulkhead and some plumbing then have air or leaks affecting flow from the box. Hopefully everything is dried and fitted end of day tomorrow so I can run a small water test then build up for the final water test next week.

Should my water test go well then cycle will start soon as my rock comes in. Exciting to be going from a 30 gallon system to roughly a 210 gallon when I add in my sump and the cube being tied in. Need to get my water change area set up and ready to go though. HA HA. I aint lugging all these buckets for a 40ish gallon water change. I need to plumb in some runs so I can more easily drain and fill...
 
So it begins.

5b8e6a05463b6fd3c45f027873f8b34d.jpg
 
That's it? We need another update. :)

And a better shot of the sump skimmer.....just because I want to see how you have the swimmer's output flowing.
 
Right now it sits as you see it. I need water in the system to figure out how I want to reaim the outflow if I do anything. Even with editing done things it is tight in my sump. I still have to find where all my marine pure is going to go as well. Mainly in fuge area but I do have a good amount.
 
So little update on the big tank.

I am so glad I have the 150 gallon a day RODI but with my brute can it is going to take me till the end of tonight to have the tank full. At least I am running all RODI through it though so I can add salt directly to the water when I am ready instead of draining and refilling. No sand or such has been added as of yet so still a big empty tank.

3 issues I had today.

1 - The Mag 18 pump for the skimmer was loud as heck. Put it onto some neoprene and much better but I will be replacing that pump in the near future. Probably just get another fluval pump like my sp6 return I have.

2 - Refugium line. The way I did the break to the refugium off of the main drain seems to not want to flow enough as it is easier for the water to go directly to the drain. I will remedy this I believe but cutting the spa flex I have on it and installing a gate valve after the T instead of before. This will allow me to have finer control of where the water goes. I do only have a ball valve on the line to the refugium so I hope that doesn't come back to bite me but I shouldnt need precise control there so I should be fine.

3 - This is more a lesson then an issue. One should remember to check that they have turned all gate valves to the off position before starting a 3000+ return pump. On the plus side the new paint did what it was supposed to do and was a quick wipe down. I was scared for a split second that I did not glue something right but when I saw where the water shot from I knew immediately and proceeded to call myself a dumba**

All in all the tank should be ready to go. I have the heaters in the sump, the sand is sitting by and the rock should be in this week. I still dont know when my T5 fixture will be in but I do have the Kessils to live off of in the mean time and can wire them in to start all that.

My hinges should be in this week too for another cool feature I am doing in the stand for my electrical... Trying to keep things tidy and I think this will serve perfectly. Server rack conduit is painted so I can organize and hide electrical. I will grab myself a nice power station for now and leave the apex on the cube till I am done my cycle and can move the items out of the cube and into their temp QT tank so I can treat for algae on my corals.

All in all crap just got real with the new tank. Excited to get things in it and get this project cycling.

Still to do:

move controller
take down biocube
plumb biocube into big tank with overflow and return off my manifold
install doser
install ato
install AWC
build and install water change station (2x4s to make a stand for my brute and new storage container. Need to plumb them together and get 1 more cheap pump to pump water up to the mixing container.)
organize stand with dosing containers and ato container
buy and install apex IO relay and leak detectors
buy bulbs for T5 unit
buy fish and cuc

all said I figure the tank will be cycling by the end of this week as I dont need much for that (return pump and heaters really). CUC to be ordered an put in end of this month or next once cycle is done and I start to get algae. Order in fish and my LFS will treat for me and QT in dedicated tanks. I will do TTM when I get them home after he has them for a month and in the tank they go. Since I will get them all from him should I have an outbreak after he treats I will be covered...

Coming along but dang this is a slow process. In a way glad I did not order in a tank or go down the path of trying to build my own stand. The time waiting around would have been a drain.
 
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