mightymizz
New member
Nice detailed posts!! Thanks for the effort and great looking build so far!
Viewpoints – A Photographic Journal of my Reef Tank
- Thread starter urbaneks
- Start date
needmore-reef
New member
Wow! I would send just as much time looking below at the equipment as I would the Aquarium! Very impressive, will you be hosting tours??:inlove:
urbaneks
New member
Viewpoints - 4/25 Responses to Feedback
Viewpoints - 4/25 Responses to Feedback
Viewpoints - 4/25 Responses to Feedback
mightymizz - I'm glad that you like the detail I'm adding to my journal entries, I hope that the extra detail goes to help someone both in terms of my successes and failures. I know I'm thankful for many of the detailed entries that I've read on the forums.
needmore-reef - Its funny you mention that, we had family over for Easter dinner and a few of our guests spent more time looking at the equipment setup than they did my fully stocked 28g Nano Cube. As for tours, if you are ever in Chandler, AZ give me a PM, I'd love to share.
Hookup - Thanks for the compliment. I had not thought about how much time goes into making things simple. I am definitely a fan of KISS (keep it simple stupid) Again, thanks for the view and post.
Viewpoints - 4/25 Responses to Feedback
Viewpoints - 4/25 Responses to Feedback
mightymizz - I'm glad that you like the detail I'm adding to my journal entries, I hope that the extra detail goes to help someone both in terms of my successes and failures. I know I'm thankful for many of the detailed entries that I've read on the forums.
needmore-reef - Its funny you mention that, we had family over for Easter dinner and a few of our guests spent more time looking at the equipment setup than they did my fully stocked 28g Nano Cube. As for tours, if you are ever in Chandler, AZ give me a PM, I'd love to share.
Hookup - Thanks for the compliment. I had not thought about how much time goes into making things simple. I am definitely a fan of KISS (keep it simple stupid) Again, thanks for the view and post.
shandy_say
New member
Very nice build! Everythings so neat and tidy! Keep it up! 
urbaneks
New member
Viewpoints - 4/28 Responses to Feedback
Viewpoints - 4/28 Responses to Feedback
Viewpoints - 4/28 Responses to Feedback
shandy_say - Thank you for the view and reply. Your positive comment is appreciated more than you know. As for keeping it up, I will have a new update tomorrow. I took some photos today of a few changes to my plumbing and hardware added to the stand.
ayckorea - That is great, I'm glad to hear that you've read my journal on my nano reef. The Nano was a great intro to reefing, I'm excited to apply what I've learned to the new tank. It's also great to be able to setup my equipment the way that I want it. Thanks for the views here and on the Nano.
Lamball1 - Thanks for the compliment on my Nano Reef. I'm very hopeful that my new tank will far exceed what I was able to do with the Nano. I've got a good start going. I've had water running in the tank now for a week with live rock. First water test is done and we are moving right along in the cycle.
Viewpoints - 4/28 Responses to Feedback
Viewpoints - 4/28 Responses to Feedback
Very nice build! Everythings so neat and tidy! Keep it up!
shandy_say - Thank you for the view and reply. Your positive comment is appreciated more than you know. As for keeping it up, I will have a new update tomorrow. I took some photos today of a few changes to my plumbing and hardware added to the stand.
ayckorea - That is great, I'm glad to hear that you've read my journal on my nano reef. The Nano was a great intro to reefing, I'm excited to apply what I've learned to the new tank. It's also great to be able to setup my equipment the way that I want it. Thanks for the views here and on the Nano.
Lamball1 - Thanks for the compliment on my Nano Reef. I'm very hopeful that my new tank will far exceed what I was able to do with the Nano. I've got a good start going. I've had water running in the tank now for a week with live rock. First water test is done and we are moving right along in the cycle.
mightymizz
New member
Looking forward to the update tomorrow!
urbaneks
New member
Viewpoints - Cabinet Hardware
Viewpoints - Cabinet Hardware
Viewpoints - Cabinet Hardware
In an effort to dress up my cabinet and make it more functional I added some hardware from Home Depot. Based on other finishes in our home I decided to buy hardware that was finished with brushed nickel. Coincidentally, the brushed nickel also matches the cables that support the Geisemann light and really ties the light and the cabinet together.
When Cadlights build their stands, they don't leave much room between the top of the doors and cabinet. As a result, opening the doors is a challenge without some type of handle. After looking at all of the handles and pulls available, I decided on a simple rounded handle. The cost for the pair was just $4 and adds to the beauty and functionality of the furniture.
Door handles installed on the cabinet
I like to have towels on hand to accommodate adhoc maintenance or emergencies. Rather than having a towel sit in the stand, I bought two towel hooks which I installed on the inside of the left door. The location makes it easy to grab a towel and ensures I have a couple on hand when needed. My wife originally bought some microfiber towels for the kitchen but I quickly reallocated them to the tank. The towels are very absorbent and super soft which makes them usable on my acrylic sump without worry of scratches.
In addition to the towel hooks, I also like to have a roll of paper towels handy. I found a paper towel holder that matched the other hardware and decided it was a nice addition. The paper towel holder is installed on the inside of the right door.
Final Installation
Viewpoints - Cabinet Hardware
Viewpoints - Cabinet Hardware
In an effort to dress up my cabinet and make it more functional I added some hardware from Home Depot. Based on other finishes in our home I decided to buy hardware that was finished with brushed nickel. Coincidentally, the brushed nickel also matches the cables that support the Geisemann light and really ties the light and the cabinet together.
When Cadlights build their stands, they don't leave much room between the top of the doors and cabinet. As a result, opening the doors is a challenge without some type of handle. After looking at all of the handles and pulls available, I decided on a simple rounded handle. The cost for the pair was just $4 and adds to the beauty and functionality of the furniture.
Door handles installed on the cabinet
I like to have towels on hand to accommodate adhoc maintenance or emergencies. Rather than having a towel sit in the stand, I bought two towel hooks which I installed on the inside of the left door. The location makes it easy to grab a towel and ensures I have a couple on hand when needed. My wife originally bought some microfiber towels for the kitchen but I quickly reallocated them to the tank. The towels are very absorbent and super soft which makes them usable on my acrylic sump without worry of scratches.
Photo of the towel hooks installed
Photo of the towel hooks with microfiber towels
In addition to the towel hooks, I also like to have a roll of paper towels handy. I found a paper towel holder that matched the other hardware and decided it was a nice addition. The paper towel holder is installed on the inside of the right door.
Paper towel holder installed at the top of the right door
Final Installation
Dog boy Dave
New member
Nice build cant wait to see the livestock.
urbaneks
New member
Viewpoints - 4/30 Responses to Feedback
Viewpoints - 4/30 Responses to Feedback
Viewpoints - 4/30 Responses to Feedback
mightymizz - Hope you enjoyed my last update, I know that looking at hardware is not that exciting but until my tank clears up from the little bloom thats going on, I don't want to post any rock scape/tank photos.
aquainas - That is too funny that you were there when the sump came in. It is a very nice sump but as with any thing it could be improved. The two things that I wish were different are 1) the opening where the down pipe comes into the sump. It's very small and difficult to pull filter socks in and out of. 2) The baffle between the fuge and the skimmer compartments is not accessible, I'm afraid over time this could become a problem. At any rate, thanks for the view/comment, hope to catch up with you some time at Reef Culture.
Dog boy Dave - Thanks for the compliment. I too can't wait to start stocking it. The cycle is well on it's way so it should only be another couple weeks. I have a few larger colonies from my Nano that will go in right away.
Viewpoints - 4/30 Responses to Feedback
Viewpoints - 4/30 Responses to Feedback
mightymizz - Hope you enjoyed my last update, I know that looking at hardware is not that exciting but until my tank clears up from the little bloom thats going on, I don't want to post any rock scape/tank photos.
aquainas - That is too funny that you were there when the sump came in. It is a very nice sump but as with any thing it could be improved. The two things that I wish were different are 1) the opening where the down pipe comes into the sump. It's very small and difficult to pull filter socks in and out of. 2) The baffle between the fuge and the skimmer compartments is not accessible, I'm afraid over time this could become a problem. At any rate, thanks for the view/comment, hope to catch up with you some time at Reef Culture.
Dog boy Dave - Thanks for the compliment. I too can't wait to start stocking it. The cycle is well on it's way so it should only be another couple weeks. I have a few larger colonies from my Nano that will go in right away.
urbaneks
New member
Viewpoints - Plumbing Improvments
Viewpoints - Plumbing Improvments
Viewpoints - Plumbing Improvments
Since posting the first update on my plumbing I've made three improvements that I felt were worth updating here on the Reef Journal. First was an improvement to the Reef Octopus Skimmer, the second was to my down pipe and the last was simply installing a check valve on the return line.
After getting the skimmer hooked up, I was very disappointed with the amount of noise and splash that I was getting from the output pipe. The noise was bad enough but I was getting an incredible amount of salt creep on the sides of my sump due to the splashing from water leaving the skimmer. After visiting the Coral Vue website, I found that they sell an optional Output Vent (pictured below) which they wanted $50 for but could not ship because they had not setup a distribution network yet. First of all having something for sale that you can't actually buy is not good business. Secondly, selling PVC parts for $50 that should be included with the skimmer is just wrong.
I was able to use the picture supplied and a coupler that was supplied with the skimmer to build my own output vent for $7. For those of you with a Reef Octopus Skimmer, here is quick summary on how to build the output vent. The parts needed for the output vent are; 1 1/4" PVC T and Cap along with ~7" of 1 1/4" PVC pipe. The two photos below should be more than enough for anyone to build themselves a Vent Pipe. The result is outstanding. The skimmer makes zero noise, zero splash and works perfectly. Well worth the $7.
Here is the finished product. For just $7, I now have a silent, splash free skimmer
The second improvement I made to my plumbing was to the down pipe which brings water into the sump. When I first started the tank up, the down pipe was very noisy due to air gurgling and air escaping from the bottom of the pipe all at once. I can't take credit for the improvement as i was given the tip by an employee at my LFS. The simple fix was to ensure the down pipe extends 1/2 way down the sump and then cut slits about a 1/4 of the way through down the length of the pipe. This allows the air bubbles to break up and escape through the smaller slits rather than leaving the pipe all at once. The cuts were made using a table saw. Here is a picture of my down pipe after it had been modified.
The last update I made to my plumbing is not pictured but was a simple check valve that I installed on my return line. Because of the depth of my return in the aquarium, my sump would not hold all of the water that would back stream into the sump when the return pump was turned off. This obvious problem was something I overlooked in my planning but was easily fixed with a $3 check valve from Home Depot. I'm also happy to report that I did not have to learn this lesson the hard way.
Viewpoints - Plumbing Improvments
Viewpoints - Plumbing Improvments
Since posting the first update on my plumbing I've made three improvements that I felt were worth updating here on the Reef Journal. First was an improvement to the Reef Octopus Skimmer, the second was to my down pipe and the last was simply installing a check valve on the return line.
After getting the skimmer hooked up, I was very disappointed with the amount of noise and splash that I was getting from the output pipe. The noise was bad enough but I was getting an incredible amount of salt creep on the sides of my sump due to the splashing from water leaving the skimmer. After visiting the Coral Vue website, I found that they sell an optional Output Vent (pictured below) which they wanted $50 for but could not ship because they had not setup a distribution network yet. First of all having something for sale that you can't actually buy is not good business. Secondly, selling PVC parts for $50 that should be included with the skimmer is just wrong.
Pictured is the $50 Output Vent on the Coral Vue website that you can not actually buy.
I was able to use the picture supplied and a coupler that was supplied with the skimmer to build my own output vent for $7. For those of you with a Reef Octopus Skimmer, here is quick summary on how to build the output vent. The parts needed for the output vent are; 1 1/4" PVC T and Cap along with ~7" of 1 1/4" PVC pipe. The two photos below should be more than enough for anyone to build themselves a Vent Pipe. The result is outstanding. The skimmer makes zero noise, zero splash and works perfectly. Well worth the $7.
Here are the parts you will need to build an output vent. The black coupler was supplied by Reef Octopus, the rest of the parts can be found at any hardware store
Here is the finished product. For just $7, I now have a silent, splash free skimmer
The second improvement I made to my plumbing was to the down pipe which brings water into the sump. When I first started the tank up, the down pipe was very noisy due to air gurgling and air escaping from the bottom of the pipe all at once. I can't take credit for the improvement as i was given the tip by an employee at my LFS. The simple fix was to ensure the down pipe extends 1/2 way down the sump and then cut slits about a 1/4 of the way through down the length of the pipe. This allows the air bubbles to break up and escape through the smaller slits rather than leaving the pipe all at once. The cuts were made using a table saw. Here is a picture of my down pipe after it had been modified.
Photo of modified down pipe
The last update I made to my plumbing is not pictured but was a simple check valve that I installed on my return line. Because of the depth of my return in the aquarium, my sump would not hold all of the water that would back stream into the sump when the return pump was turned off. This obvious problem was something I overlooked in my planning but was easily fixed with a $3 check valve from Home Depot. I'm also happy to report that I did not have to learn this lesson the hard way.
urbaneks
New member
Viewpoints - 5/15 Responses to Feedback
Viewpoints - 5/15 Responses to Feedback
Viewpoints - 5/15 Responses to Feedback
landy - I'm 3 weeks into the cycle and actually took a few photos of my rock scape today. I'll work on getting them posted tonight. Thanks for the props on the tank. Hope the "Shattered Viewpoints" ends up being a great tank for you once you get it repaired. Thanks again for taking it off of my hands.
Orcrone - Thanks for the compliment. Actually all the excess wire is wired to the back of the board. The trick is to use as much of the board as possible and route the wires in circles. I highly recommend some type of panel. It's the number one way to a clean setup.
Viewpoints - 5/15 Responses to Feedback
Viewpoints - 5/15 Responses to Feedback
Lets see that FTS. :bounce3:
Don't be shy, the inside of the tank look as neat and orderly as the rest of the build.
landy
landy - I'm 3 weeks into the cycle and actually took a few photos of my rock scape today. I'll work on getting them posted tonight. Thanks for the props on the tank. Hope the "Shattered Viewpoints" ends up being a great tank for you once you get it repaired. Thanks again for taking it off of my hands.
Orcrone - Thanks for the compliment. Actually all the excess wire is wired to the back of the board. The trick is to use as much of the board as possible and route the wires in circles. I highly recommend some type of panel. It's the number one way to a clean setup.
landy
New member
should have glass next week!
you are very welcome
i will post a few picture when all done.
landy
urbaneks
New member
Viewpoints - Aqua-scape
Viewpoints - Aqua-scape
Viewpoints - Aqua-scape
It's been 3 weeks since I started the cycle on my tank. In terms of a cycle, I really have not had one. My ammonia has never registered higher than .25 with a Salifert Kit and my nitrates are currently at .2 after 3 weeks which is consistent to what they were after the first week. After the second week with no ammonia spike, I added a McCosker's Wrasse with no effect to the water parameters.
I've been wanting to take some photos of my aqua-scape but have waited due to an issue I've been having with my tank. The tank is crystal clear in the morning but gets a bit cloudy into the night. I have been adding MB7 to seed the tank which I think is contributing to the nightly bacteria bloom/cloudiness. Today ended the 2 week MB7 loading phase so we will see how the tank responds.
Here are a few photos that I took this morning of my aqua-scape. As with any scape there are things that I really like about it and a few things that I don't care too much for. I have to keep telling myself it will all look different once the livestock starts going in. My goal for the aqua-scape was to create a trench running through the middle of the tank. I've tried to capture the trench in a few of the photos. I never get to excited about aqua-scaping photos, it's the coral shots that I'm after. It shouldn't be much longer. I will give the tank 1 more week which will mark a full month before I start adding some corals.
Another FTS from the other side of the tank. The trench is visible from this photo
Viewpoints - Aqua-scape
Viewpoints - Aqua-scape
It's been 3 weeks since I started the cycle on my tank. In terms of a cycle, I really have not had one. My ammonia has never registered higher than .25 with a Salifert Kit and my nitrates are currently at .2 after 3 weeks which is consistent to what they were after the first week. After the second week with no ammonia spike, I added a McCosker's Wrasse with no effect to the water parameters.
I've been wanting to take some photos of my aqua-scape but have waited due to an issue I've been having with my tank. The tank is crystal clear in the morning but gets a bit cloudy into the night. I have been adding MB7 to seed the tank which I think is contributing to the nightly bacteria bloom/cloudiness. Today ended the 2 week MB7 loading phase so we will see how the tank responds.
Here are a few photos that I took this morning of my aqua-scape. As with any scape there are things that I really like about it and a few things that I don't care too much for. I have to keep telling myself it will all look different once the livestock starts going in. My goal for the aqua-scape was to create a trench running through the middle of the tank. I've tried to capture the trench in a few of the photos. I never get to excited about aqua-scaping photos, it's the coral shots that I'm after. It shouldn't be much longer. I will give the tank 1 more week which will mark a full month before I start adding some corals.
Here is a full tank shot with the stand and light included
Another FTS from the other side of the tank. The trench is visible from this photo
A closer view of the middle portion of the tank. I plan to use tabling acros and montis to create layers within the trench
One last photo, again showing the trench that runs through the center of the tank
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