Starting 90g Reef Tank Build... Finally!!!

[kudora]

well did a water change, put a k3 in vinegar, raised the canopy and installed the t-5s today


i have pics too!!!!!


here are my t5 that came very well packaged

here is me trying to figure out what i need to do, notice the Tswift photo print out lol

we put a 2" extension frame that was slightly smaller then the original frame so the ballasts could sit safely over a lip, forgot to take a pic of the finished back tho
1st pic shows the extension, second shows were the ballast sits.

this is the wires before i cut them to fit on the ballast, they will sit behind a small lip so they are not exposed to the water

another view of the same photo

light test 5 min later

FTS

i had alot of help today, glad my dad has a small wood shop, and my brother inlaw works on electrical gadgets for a living.
plus all the questions answered about t5s from the club house over the last month

 

[timschmidt]

LOL I guess I unsubscribed to the thread. Love the BTA! I switched to Seachems matrix carbon in one of my reactors and my first reaction is that I am impressed with the pieces of carbon, they are spherical and quite tough. A simple rinse in tank water and let the reactor run a bit and this carbon stands up to my pump at full blast. How well it works is yet to be seen but I thought I would share my first impressions with the clubhouse.

 

[OwNeD162]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12989362#post12989362 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kudora
well did a water change, put a k3 in vinegar, raised the canopy and installed the t-5s today


i have pics too!!!!!


here are my t5 that came very well packaged

here is me trying to figure out what i need to do, notice the Tswift photo print out lol

we put a 2" extension frame that was slightly smaller then the original frame so the ballasts could sit safely over a lip, forgot to take a pic of the finished back tho
1st pic shows the extension, second shows were the ballast sits.

this is the wires before i cut them to fit on the ballast, they will sit behind a small lip so they are not exposed to the water

another view of the same photo

light test 5 min later

FTS

i had alot of help today, glad my dad has a small wood shop, and my brother inlaw works on electrical gadgets for a living.
plus all the questions answered about t5s from the club house over the last month

Looks great kudora!

 

[Schwe]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12988062#post12988062 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Tswifty8
Tank Love Shots :lol:

I LOVE YOU!!! And mrs. TJ, for playing along, too!

 

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12989439#post12989439 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by OwNeD162
Looks great kudora!

wow great picture documentation of the light system

For once I go to bed early and I miss all the clubhouse activity

 

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12989827#post12989827 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Schwe
I LOVE YOU!!! And mrs. TJ, for playing along, too!

what a great looking couple--TJ you look like a baseball player(athlete) and your girlfriend looks like a cheerleader

 

[kar93]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12989362#post12989362 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kudora
well did a water change, put a k3 in vinegar, raised the canopy and installed the t-5s today


i have pics too!!!!!


here are my t5 that came very well packaged

here is me trying to figure out what i need to do, notice the Tswift photo print out lol

we put a 2" extension frame that was slightly smaller then the original frame so the ballasts could sit safely over a lip, forgot to take a pic of the finished back tho
1st pic shows the extension, second shows were the ballast sits.

this is the wires before i cut them to fit on the ballast, they will sit behind a small lip so they are not exposed to the water

another view of the same photo

light test 5 min later

FTS

i had alot of help today, glad my dad has a small wood shop, and my brother inlaw works on electrical gadgets for a living.
plus all the questions answered about t5s from the club house over the last month

Looks great, good work. If you're worried about those wires then it might be a good idea to encase them in some sort of electrical conduit or housing because I remember a while back I hid wires were I thought no water would ever get but still I constantly found salt creep all over them and we all know what salt creep does .

 

[Schwe]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12989362#post12989362 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kudora
well did a water change, put a k3 in vinegar, raised the canopy and installed the t-5s today


i have pics too!!!!!


here are my t5 that came very well packaged

here is me trying to figure out what i need to do, notice the Tswift photo print out lol

hmmm... my guess would be that you ordered from reefgeek? They package the lights to survive WWIII!

 

[maroun.c]

Hopefully your WB on the camera is correct because this is a very nice light colour you're getting with those T5s.
Thanks for the documentation.
One question do you have to buy the "transformer" or ballast I guess for each of those lights?
Got my first T5 80 w 140 cm long but its transformer only lights up one bulb and costs around 140 usd. I was searching other models that would allow me to light up 2-3 bulbs with a single transformer to cut on the costs if not it will only be 1 additional Actinic T5 to the one I have plus the halides.
thanks for any info.

 

[HumanIMDB]

T.J., your whelk incident has my girlfriend and I worried about placing the order for our CUC...

We are planning on ordering the following this week:
5 - Astrea Snails
5 - Margarita Snails
5 - Cerith Snails
5 - Nassarius Snails
Blood Red Fire Shrimp

But are worried about the nassarius snails...

You can be sure that we will be inspecting every one before it goes into the tank. :eek1:

 

[kudora]

i do have a 60" tank and i was looking at the same problem maroun, it was grim who recommended the 48" t5s for my tank, i have to say i dont see any drop off on the sides of the tank. each ballast can provided, 54w x 2. i do think reefgeek has a ballast that runs 80w x 2.

 

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12990178#post12990178 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by HumanIMDB
T.J., your whelk incident has my girlfriend and I worried about placing the order for our CUC...

We are planning on ordering the following this week:
5 - Astrea Snails
5 - Margarita Snails
5 - Cerith Snails
5 - Nassarius Snails
Blood Red Fire Shrimp

But are worried about the nassarius snails...

You can be sure that we will be inspecting every one before it goes into the tank. :eek1:

where are you ordering if from--I'm looking for a place to get snails and just about everything living.

 

[HumanIMDB]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12990210#post12990210 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by capn_hylinur
where are you ordering if from--I'm looking for a place to get snails and just about everything living.

We're going to use <a href="http://www.jlaquatics.com" target=_blank>J&L Aquatics</a> for our CUC. We've ordered lots of dry goods from them and the live rock we got from them was amazing so we're hoping that their livestock is of the same quality.

I keep checking their <a href="http://www.jlaquatics.com/phpstore/store_pages/noteworthy.php" target=_blank>New & Noteworthy section</a> and dreaming about some of those rare specimens... They posted a Male Goldenback Trigger for $1599.00 the other day. If our tank was ready for it now, we'd probably order the Blue Spot Jawfish they have.

I'm sure we could get away with adding the Jawfish now, but we're sticking to our plan...let the tank cycle/mature for 6 months before adding our livestock, excluding the CUC which is being added this week (3 months).

We will likely get a few specimens from the LFS that we trust; <a href="http://www.fishgallery.ca/" target=_blank>Fish Gallery</a>. I don't believe they do online ordering but we trust the owner more than any other LFS in town.

We've also been looking at getting some coral from <a href="http://www.wickedfrags.com/" target=_blank>Wicked Frags</a> when the time comes.

 

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12990279#post12990279 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by HumanIMDB
We're going to use <a href="http://www.jlaquatics.com" target=_blank>J&L Aquatics</a> for our CUC. We've ordered lots of dry goods from them and the live rock we got from them was amazing so we're hoping that their livestock is of the same quality.

I keep checking their <a href="http://www.jlaquatics.com/phpstore/store_pages/noteworthy.php" target=_blank>New & Noteworthy section</a> and dreaming about some of those rare specimens... They posted a Male Goldenback Trigger for $1599.00 the other day. If our tank was ready for it now, we'd probably order the Blue Spot Jawfish they have.

I'm sure we could get away with adding the Jawfish now, but we're sticking to our plan...let the tank cycle/mature for 6 months before adding our livestock, excluding the CUC which is being added this week (3 months).

We will likely get a few specimens from the LFS that we trust; <a href="http://www.fishgallery.ca/" target=_blank>Fish Gallery</a>. I don't believe they do online ordering but we trust the owner more than any other LFS in town.

We've also been looking at getting some coral from <a href="http://www.wickedfrags.com/" target=_blank>Wicked Frags</a> when the time comes.

thanks Chris
I can vouch for wickedfrags---I know the owner--Dave Jelley
(totm June 2007)

 

[sieldan]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12989362#post12989362 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kudora

this is the wires before i cut them to fit on the ballast, they will sit behind a small lip so they are not exposed to the water

Kudora and Clubhouse Gang

A couple of questions if I may? First, how long is a '48inch' T5 bulb? And for you Kudora, what ballast is that, where did you get it, and how much?

Im on a severe shoestring budget so I am trying to make good usable now, easily upgraded later decisions. I want IceCap 440 and 660 ballasts, but the budget says not now. I have 6 sets of T5 ends. I am planning on wiring in normal output ballasts for now and just run a FOWLR. Once the funds are in, upgrade the ballasts and start adding corals. I just want to get my 90g up and running with fish as soon as possible. But I also want to do it right.

Thanks for the hijack yall. I envy each of y'all's tanks, and hope to have one as nice one day.

{back to lurking, and learning}

 

[martinphillip03]

If the tank is going to be a FOWLR why not buy one icecap ballast, the one that overdrives the lights, and just have 2 bulbs lit. Whan the money comes in buy another. You ca have light 2 and light 5 come on for now. Whaen you get more ballasts just rewire

Marty

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12990867#post12990867 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sieldan
Kudora and Clubhouse Gang

A couple of questions if I may? First, how long is a '48inch' T5 bulb? And for you Kudora, what ballast is that, where did you get it, and how much?

Im on a severe shoestring budget so I am trying to make good usable now, easily upgraded later decisions. I want IceCap 440 and 660 ballasts, but the budget says not now. I have 6 sets of T5 ends. I am planning on wiring in normal output ballasts for now and just run a FOWLR. Once the funds are in, upgrade the ballasts and start adding corals. I just want to get my 90g up and running with fish as soon as possible. But I also want to do it right.

Thanks for the hijack yall. I envy each of y'all's tanks, and hope to have one as nice one day.

{back to lurking, and learning}

 

[HumanIMDB]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12990687#post12990687 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by capn_hylinur
thanks Chris
I can vouch for wickedfrags---I know the owner--Dave Jelley
(totm June 2007)

Anytime Capn!

Cool. I've been drolling over the Man Of Steel Zoas he has. He told me he has some Superman Monti Danae and Digitata frags too. I love all things Superman so I will be getting those all of those for sure.

 

[Schwe]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12988062#post12988062 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Tswifty8
Tank Love Shots :lol:

Hey TJ, can you please post these up on the "I Heart MY Box O' Water" thread, please?

 

[kar93]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12990867#post12990867 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sieldan
Kudora and Clubhouse Gang

A couple of questions if I may? First, how long is a '48inch' T5 bulb? And for you Kudora, what ballast is that, where did you get it, and how much?

Im on a severe shoestring budget so I am trying to make good usable now, easily upgraded later decisions. I want IceCap 440 and 660 ballasts, but the budget says not now. I have 6 sets of T5 ends. I am planning on wiring in normal output ballasts for now and just run a FOWLR. Once the funds are in, upgrade the ballasts and start adding corals. I just want to get my 90g up and running with fish as soon as possible. But I also want to do it right.

Thanks for the hijack yall. I envy each of y'all's tanks, and hope to have one as nice one day.

{back to lurking, and learning}

<img src="/images/welcome.gif" width="500" height="62"><br><b><i><big><big>To The Clubhouse</b></i></big></big>

If you're on a budget I would recommend swingin by the DIY forum, you will pick up alot of things that you can do cheap and easy and will work just as good as one you would buy in your LFS etc. IMO, IceCap ballasts are the best but maybe someone else can help you out with that beecause I haven't had much experience with that.

 

[Tswifty]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12988149#post12988149 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by OwNeD162
SNAP! If i didn't know you lived in the US I could have sworn that was my mate standing beside that tank!
Tank is looking good, ...
Glad to see your girl still loves the tank even after everything she has bought has died, ...

Haha.

Thanks, yeah she secretly enjoys the hobby almost as much as me. It's pretty funny because she can walk into a LFS now and name more corals and fish than most of the employees.