youngreef180's 215 in wall build thread

[GregC]

Yep thats a pretty good summary, the amount of waste the skimmer now produces, is probably double what it was with the pump.
George, Honestly I don't know what the gallonage going thru it is without doing some math, I run a Reeflow Dart for my return so its probably half of that, the skimmer is only hooked up to one overflow. I used the same piping for the skimmer as with the other overflow, with the exception of some flexpipe right at the skimmer for hookup.

 

[Bednar420]

would you post or send me a pic of this overlow skimmer hook up? It sounds like somthing that would be great on the 240 predator im about to set up.

 

[GregC]

Yep Bednar420 I will post some up here in a bit on this thread.

 

[GregC]

Ok this pic is in the fish room, pipes are coming from the overflows I put a ball valve there to help control the flow, have not needed it so far.

<a href="http://s134.photobucket.com/albums/q112/gchilder/?action=view&current=100_3582.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q112/gchilder/100_3582.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

This is how I hooked it up to the ORCA.

<a href="http://s134.photobucket.com/albums/q112/gchilder/?action=view&current=100_3581.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q112/gchilder/100_3581.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

And the obligatory crud photo, I cleaned the cup about 5am this morning.

<a href="http://s134.photobucket.com/albums/q112/gchilder/?action=view&current=100_3583.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q112/gchilder/100_3583.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

 

[youngreef180]

I finally got a chance to knock out the aquascaping. I did pvc structures to supprot the rock allowing me to build a large arch on the right and a pillar on the left. I used a 1 1/2 inch hole saw to drill the rock then slid the rock over the pvc. A couple of smaller pieces were attached with zip ties to cover where the pvc was showing. Here is a couple of pics but the water is still very cloudy.

 

[jjmcat]

Looking good!

 

[youngreef180]

Need to thank Cody Crow for coming over and helping with the aquascaping. It was for sure a two person job so thanks!

 

[youngreef180]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14420836#post14420836 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jjmcat
Looking good!

Thanks jjmcat, Theres sure is a lot of room for corals once it has cycled and I noticed your tank was pretty full at the last meeting! lol

 

[magellan007]

I like the setup. And the rockwork is really interesting, too; lots of coral space as well as room for the fish to swim. It's coming along really nicely....it's gonna be a really spectacular tank I think. Keep it up, and looking forward to watching this progress.

 

[GregC]

Nice, lots of nooks and crevaces to put coral, good job.

 

[Bednar420]

Aquascaping a definate work of art! Im about to do the setup on a 24o and I've been planning on drilling the rocks and using acrilic rods. How did you get those rocks to hold such a great shape? Any advice would be very much appreciated.

 

[rbb213]

Looking good Youngreef180!

 

[jjmcat]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14420909#post14420909 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by youngreef180
Thanks jjmcat, Theres sure is a lot of room for corals once it has cycled and I noticed your tank was pretty full at the last meeting! lol

Its way to full!

 

[youngreef180]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14424438#post14424438 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Bednar420
Aquascaping a definate work of art! Im about to do the setup on a 24o and I've been planning on drilling the rocks and using acrilic rods. How did you get those rocks to hold such a great shape? Any advice would be very much appreciated.

Thanks I used 1/2 inch pvc to create the structures. You could pretty much create any shape the pvc fittings will allow but be sure to use T fittings to make large bases that run along the bottom of the tank to keep it stable. You definetly want to drill the rock alot larger than the pvc though so the rocks can be rotated till they fit nice and snug with the one below it. Also if you want to do some type of an arch you need to leave one of the fittings unglued so you can pull it apart near the top then slide the rocks onto the pvc until they meet in the middle before gluing that joint. Once your done you can use zip ties to tie the rocks over any spots where the pvc is showing.

 

[youngreef180]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14426185#post14426185 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rbb213
Looking good Youngreef180!

Thank you. How is that aqua c skimmer doing for you?

 

[youngreef180]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14421108#post14421108 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by magellan007
I like the setup. And the rockwork is really interesting, too; lots of coral space as well as room for the fish to swim. It's coming along really nicely....it's gonna be a really spectacular tank I think. Keep it up, and looking forward to watching this progress.

Yes that is the plan lots of crannys for corals with lots of room for the fish to get around. I always enjoy your avatars I really liked the one you had with the two mandarins great job!

 

[youngreef180]

Here is what the fish room is looking like so far.

Here is a closer view of the two refugiums that are plumbed together.

I built a spray bar for the first of the two tanks to hopefully keep the chaeto constantly turning. I have read that this is the best way to keep it growing and removing excess nutrients.

Both will have 6 to 8 inch sand beds to help with denitrification. What I am wondering is if I should use both for refugiums with chaeto in the upper tank and mangroves in the lower one. I could use the lower tank for a frag tank although all of my frags will go in the display for now. I guess at some future point if everything goes well for a while (knock on wood) it may come in very handy as a frag tank but it would be quite sometime before that is needed. So I guess my question would be is there any type of macroalgea other than chaeto that is a must have and would be helpfull in a second tank rather than in the first tank with the chaeto since I dont want to put anything in with the chaeto to keep it from turning.

 

[gimmic]

Are you planning on keeping the chaeto tank barebottom?

Mangroves would be nice in the second tank, you could incorporate that with a deep sand bed.

 

[youngreef180]

Well the first tank (chaeto tank) has about 3 to 4 inches in it already but I was planning on them both having 6 to 8 inch beds in them. Right now I am waiting for the new system to stabalize so I can move all of the livestock over including the rest of the live sand. Do Mangroves do much for nutient export?

 

[jjmcat]

I haven't had the best of luck with spray bars.I always had them clog up.