Starting a 180, initial progress
- Thread starter chrisguy
- Start date
chrisguy
New member
Had to celebrate the new tank, so I added 2 peppermint shrimp, 3 Nasirius snails and a green clown goby. All additions looking good after a nice acclimation.
Hooked up the AC Jr and a DC-8 to control the lights. Had a hard time getting it to work until I stopped and looked to find that the cable I made didn't have the correct pinouts. I didn't realize that the cable needed to be a rollover with R-Y-G-B on one end and B-G-Y-R on the other. I had both ends the same (straight through) and couldn't figure out why it didn't work.
I still need to connect the DC-4 in the Sump area, just need to re-do a couple other electrical items first.
Hooked up the AC Jr and a DC-8 to control the lights. Had a hard time getting it to work until I stopped and looked to find that the cable I made didn't have the correct pinouts. I didn't realize that the cable needed to be a rollover with R-Y-G-B on one end and B-G-Y-R on the other. I had both ends the same (straight through) and couldn't figure out why it didn't work.
I still need to connect the DC-4 in the Sump area, just need to re-do a couple other electrical items first.
Henry Colf
New member
Chris, your tank is beautiful.I hope that everytime you look at it you smile and say to yourself "man I did this". You should be very proud of your tank and everything else that went into it.Just think this is just the beginning.NICE JOB.
chrisguy
New member
Thanks Henry!!! I gotta tell you I LOVE eating meals @ home now. I changed where I sat at the table so now I look at the tank while I eat. The funny thing is that even my kids seem to stay at the table longer, eating their whole meal, not just a small part, while they look at the tank with me.
It was a major undertaking to design and build and so far I am very pleased with the results. Like any project, there are a couple things I wish I had done different, but overall I am very happy.
It was a major undertaking to design and build and so far I am very pleased with the results. Like any project, there are a couple things I wish I had done different, but overall I am very happy.
KurtsReef
Premium Member
Yes, very similar to yours. The "main" side faces the dining room and the smaller side (Overflows/back) of the tank face the family room.
Same thing at my house as far as dining, the tank makes a great addition to the dining room. Now to win the lottery and add a second large tank between the dining room and formal living room.
Same thing at my house as far as dining, the tank makes a great addition to the dining room. Now to win the lottery and add a second large tank between the dining room and formal living room.
chrisguy
New member
Got some clean-up work done over the last couple nights. Not like the pressure of a little Reef Crawl to get you motivated. 
I believe that all of my electrical work is done. I should post a picture as I think the work is both functional and pretty clean. I hooked up the DC-4 to the AC Jr and have the Fuge under it's control. Also found some time to connect the Kalk reactor. I plan to run a full set of water tests as well as do a water change this weekend.
Next items are to get the tub drained, cleaned and out of the basement along with removing the hanging light. This will give that part of the laundry room back to my wife.
Overall the tank seems to look better and better each day. I do think that one of the XM 10K bulbs is a little yellow compared to the other two, so I'll need to track down a new one of those pretty soon.
I believe that all of my electrical work is done. I should post a picture as I think the work is both functional and pretty clean. I hooked up the DC-4 to the AC Jr and have the Fuge under it's control. Also found some time to connect the Kalk reactor. I plan to run a full set of water tests as well as do a water change this weekend.
Next items are to get the tub drained, cleaned and out of the basement along with removing the hanging light. This will give that part of the laundry room back to my wife.
Overall the tank seems to look better and better each day. I do think that one of the XM 10K bulbs is a little yellow compared to the other two, so I'll need to track down a new one of those pretty soon.
redrider911
New member
Chris, I think you should leave us in suspense. Wait for the grand showing at the reef crawl. The no-goes can wait till the Monday after. (insert evil laugh here)
chrisguy
New member
The Tub is outa here!!!!
Today I spent several hours removing the little critters that remained in the Tub. I had left a heater and a couple power heads in the tub after removing everything last Saturday. I didn't do any topoffs so the salinity was a little high. I was amazed to find a 7" brittle star along with 2-3 hermits and a ton of other little "things". Once I was satisfied that I had gotten out all that I could, I drained the tub and did a basic cleaning to get any loose debris out. I wanted this thing out of the laundry room so bad that I drug it out of the room, across the basement, up the stairs, through the kitchen and family room and got it out into the back yard. My wife was amazed that I got it out of the house all by my self.
The Tub is gone!!!
I have taken some pictures over the last couple days. This is from the kitchen looking down the side.
Looking through 6 feet of water. Looks yellow due to a bad XM bulb.
Looking down the tank from the Family Room.
FTS from the Family Room
Today I spent several hours removing the little critters that remained in the Tub. I had left a heater and a couple power heads in the tub after removing everything last Saturday. I didn't do any topoffs so the salinity was a little high. I was amazed to find a 7" brittle star along with 2-3 hermits and a ton of other little "things". Once I was satisfied that I had gotten out all that I could, I drained the tub and did a basic cleaning to get any loose debris out. I wanted this thing out of the laundry room so bad that I drug it out of the room, across the basement, up the stairs, through the kitchen and family room and got it out into the back yard. My wife was amazed that I got it out of the house all by my self.
The Tub is gone!!!
I have taken some pictures over the last couple days. This is from the kitchen looking down the side.
Looking through 6 feet of water. Looks yellow due to a bad XM bulb.
Looking down the tank from the Family Room.
FTS from the Family Room
Gary Majchrzak
Team RC
your aquarium turned out very nice, Chris. How are the drains working... are they silent?
chrisguy
New member
Gary & Chris - Thanks!!!!
The drains are very quiet. I was surprised as I expected them to make more noise than they do. I think part of it is my low flow through the sump approach. If I had the Marlin wide open things would be loud and messy.
Actually the noisiest part of the setup was once of the fans for the lights. I managed to clean that up and it got much quieter as well.
Between last Saturday's move in and yesterdays activities I feel like an old man. I've got aches and pains all over the place. I'm going to go eat a slow breakfast and enjoy the view.
The drains are very quiet. I was surprised as I expected them to make more noise than they do. I think part of it is my low flow through the sump approach. If I had the Marlin wide open things would be loud and messy.
Actually the noisiest part of the setup was once of the fans for the lights. I managed to clean that up and it got much quieter as well.
Between last Saturday's move in and yesterdays activities I feel like an old man. I've got aches and pains all over the place. I'm going to go eat a slow breakfast and enjoy the view.
chrisguy
New member
This week has been an interesting week. I was looking for a replacement bulb and decided to order a Hamilton 14K to test out. That same day, they day after I did some playing with the current bulbs, the yellowish XM bulb stopped being so yellow. Oh, well, I'm still looking for more "pop", so I'll still check out the Hamilton.
After the initial setup, all three of the anemones moved little, maybe an inch or so, likely to adjust to the new flow and lighting. That was until Wednesday when one of them decided to go for a walk. It moved down the rock work and to the other side of the tank. So far it's not in a position to stink anything of value. Hopefully it will stay put.
Got a call from my wife yesterday that the tank lights were not on. Upon further investigation the closed loop pump was also not on. It appears that the DC-8 went bad, possibly a blown fuse. I'm going to dig into that today.
More importantly a lesson learned. I will be changing the power connections in the stand so that the closed loop pump is no longer connected to the DC8. That will eliminate one more point of failure in the system.
After the initial setup, all three of the anemones moved little, maybe an inch or so, likely to adjust to the new flow and lighting. That was until Wednesday when one of them decided to go for a walk. It moved down the rock work and to the other side of the tank. So far it's not in a position to stink anything of value. Hopefully it will stay put.
Got a call from my wife yesterday that the tank lights were not on. Upon further investigation the closed loop pump was also not on. It appears that the DC-8 went bad, possibly a blown fuse. I'm going to dig into that today.
More importantly a lesson learned. I will be changing the power connections in the stand so that the closed loop pump is no longer connected to the DC8. That will eliminate one more point of failure in the system.
Conesus_Kid
Premium Member
Looks great, Chris!
You didn't actually think you'd have to stop tinkering, did you?
You didn't actually think you'd have to stop tinkering, did you?
