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Elder1945
03-29-2015, 01:03 AM
Hi everyone,

So here we go....

This tank has had 5 weeks of planing put into it at the moment. I am working on equipment list but I plan on stealing a lot off my 200 and selling the tank. I will have to order more MaxSpec 420r's and a new skimmer. I think overall though I have everything needed to make the big jump into saltwater.

Current Tank. 8 foot long 31" wide and 15" tall
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/DSC_0264.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/DSC_0264.jpg.html)

New tank. 16 feet long 31"-40.5" wide and 14" tall.
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/Tank%202015.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/Tank%202015.jpg.html)
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20150327_123803.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20150327_123803.jpg.html)
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20150327_131230.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20150327_131230.jpg.html)

Picked up all stand stuff yesterday and the acrylic comes in this week!

Aquattro
03-29-2015, 01:10 AM
Interesting design!

Pike
03-29-2015, 01:44 AM
Yeah looks like a nice project, I have the same lights and Im surprised at how high they seem to be in your picture. Do you mind sharing your settings and distance of lights from the surface ?

Skimmin
03-29-2015, 03:39 AM
That looks like a massive frag tank! Is there a reason you went with such a shallow design? Dont get me wrong. That tank has a massive footprint. Quite impressive.

Elder1945
03-29-2015, 04:17 AM
That looks like a massive frag tank! Is there a reason you went with such a shallow design? Dont get me wrong. That tank has a massive footprint. Quite impressive.

I like shallow tanks and how they look. This also has the benefit of having a large foot print reef tank without having to have a fish store attached to my house. Don't get me wrong I would not mind having a 1,300 gallon tank but I am not retired and on the younger side of the hobby. I am 28 :P, when I know I wont be moving and I have more time I might just go big (gallon wise).

This also helps in overall maintenance of the tank and my tangs will have 16' of room to swim!

Elder1945
03-29-2015, 04:21 AM
Yeah looks like a nice project, I have the same lights and Im surprised at how high they seem to be in your picture. Do you mind sharing your settings and distance of lights from the surface ?

I just use the presets now I haven't had time to mess around much with them. This is a added benefit of a shallow tank they only have to penetrate a water column of 14". The tank is 32" wide so 31" 1/2" acrylic and it covers nicely.

I think they are 16" off the surface of the water just looks higher from angle of photo. I will take a measurement tomorrow. Going crazy trying to finish basement and do a large build at the same time :P. I think next time ill do one at a time...

I am starting to go heavy on SPS now so with this build I will be using theses 2 lights and 4 more I believe. I might try 4 in total but i think 6 would be better.

I will have to see how it goes and how things respond. Overall tho the lights are awesome.

Elder1945
03-31-2015, 10:25 PM
Well Sad day and a good day...

I got my tank all transferred over to a 150 gallon stock tank. And the tank is now in the back of my truck headed to who knows where.
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20150331_175049.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20150331_175049.jpg.html)
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20150331_175037.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20150331_175037.jpg.html)

Myka
04-01-2015, 03:36 AM
What's with the weird acrylic piece on the old tank?

Elder1945
04-01-2015, 10:30 PM
What's with the weird acrylic piece on the old tank?

?? do you mean on the Stock Tank?? That was my FAIL at a lid :P had acrylic laying around and just made something quick to cover it...

The stock tank now has a apex on it so I am not going to run a lid.

If you are talking about the display tank I don't follow?? is there something strange about it?

Elder1945
04-01-2015, 11:07 PM
Equipment list as of now.

1x Super Reef Octopus 5000SSS Internal Protein Skimmer
2x Two Little Fishies Media Reactor – Phosban 150
1x Danner Supreme Aqua-Mag 24 Water Pump – 2400 GPH
5x Ebo Jager 250W Heater (17 inch) - Eheim
1x Spectrapure CSPDI 90GPD 4 stage w/ TDS meter
2x Cobalt Aquatics MJ-1200 Multi-Purpose Powerhead/Pump (295 GPH)
2x Jebao RW-20 Wavemaker w/ Wireless Capabilities (5283GPH)
2x Two Little Fishies Phosban Reactor Extension Kit
2x Marinepure High Performance Biofilter Media - 8"x8"x4" Block
1x Neptune Direct Connect 8 Module (DC8)
1x Neptune Automatic Feeding System
4x Maxspec Razor 420r 16k 160w

This is what I have on order for this build will start receiving the goods tomorrow threw April 9th-10th.

Acrylic is in my shop just going over final sizing and spacing and all that good stuff.

Still to order is,
UV sterilizer, 1x Neptune Automatic Feeding System so I can run 2 and who knows a bunch or random stuff I am not thinking of just yet.

I have my Apex from my 200 and other odds and ends that I will be using.

Thank you to Reefsupplies.ca and Colin at Reef Boutique.

Myka
04-02-2015, 02:27 AM
Haha yeah must be what you're calling a stock tank. That leads me to - what's a stock tank? :p

Elder1945
04-02-2015, 02:48 AM
It's a horse trough 150 gallon, lol all I could get to move my tank in.

Myka
04-02-2015, 02:39 PM
It's a horse trough 150 gallon, lol all I could get to move my tank in.

No, not that one, the glass tank with the lid with all the holes in it. I'm just wondering the purpose of all the holes? I'm snoopy like that. ;)

Wretch
04-02-2015, 02:43 PM
No, not that one, the glass tank with the lid with all the holes in it. I'm just wondering the purpose of all the holes? I'm snoopy like that. ;)

Just looks like bracing to me.

Elder1945
04-02-2015, 07:31 PM
No, not that one, the glass tank with the lid with all the holes in it. I'm just wondering the purpose of all the holes? I'm snoopy like that. ;)
The tank is all 1/2" Acrylic and has euro bracing. A little overkill but I used it for my lid's for the tank a lot easier to do this with..
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/DSC_0078.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/DSC_0078.jpg.html)
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/DSC_0079.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/DSC_0079.jpg.html)

Elder1945
04-02-2015, 07:36 PM
Look at what I got today!! Thank you ReefSupplies.ca for the fast shipping and great service.
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20150402_094914.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20150402_094914.jpg.html)
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20150402_095509.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20150402_095509.jpg.html)

Still waiting on my mag drive 24, lights and other stuff .. Also ordering a Apex gold now my Apex lite just wont cut it in this build.

Skimmerking
04-09-2015, 01:51 AM
giggity

Myka
04-09-2015, 02:32 AM
The tank is all 1/2" Acrylic and has euro bracing. A little overkill but I used it for my lid's for the tank a lot easier to do this with.

Yeah, that looks nice. Did you build it yourself? It looks professionally done.

Why are you using the MarinePure stuff? Isn't this a reef tank?

ReEf BoSs
04-09-2015, 04:09 AM
Yeah, that looks nice. Did you build it yourself? It looks professionally done.

Why are you using the MarinePure stuff? Isn't this a reef tank?

I've been ready abit about marine pure on other forums , it seems to be gaining popularity.

hillegom
04-09-2015, 03:32 PM
Marine Pure
Here is some propaganda:

Ceramic Bio-Filter Media with Vast Surface Area & Open-Flow Porosity. For ammonia & nitrite removal in fresh & marine aquariums. One MarinePure Sphere has the same surface area as 1,350 plastic bio-balls. Use in wet/dry filters, sumps or canister filters.

http://www.cermedia.com/marinepure-products.php

Myka
04-09-2015, 10:49 PM
I know what it does. It's not a good idea in a reef tank. If you have live rock, that stuff is a moot point. It doesn't "remove" ammonia and nitrite, it hosts nitrifying bacteria that will convert ammonia and nitrite into nitrate. It's nothing special as far as reefs are concerned. For tanks without rock, it's a good option. It is essentially the same thing as bioballs, but fancier. :)

Elder1945
04-10-2015, 01:18 AM
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20150408_155144.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20150408_155144.jpg.html)
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20150408_155147.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20150408_155147.jpg.html)
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20150408_174102.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20150408_174102.jpg.html)
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20150408_182133.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20150408_182133.jpg.html)
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20150408_192848.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20150408_192848.jpg.html)
Ok stand is almost done so tank is up next...

Elder1945
04-10-2015, 01:20 AM
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20150408_201540.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20150408_201540.jpg.html)
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20150408_201543.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20150408_201543.jpg.html)

Elder1945
04-10-2015, 01:23 AM
I know what it does. It's not a good idea in a reef tank. If you have live rock, that stuff is a moot point. It doesn't "remove" ammonia and nitrite, it hosts nitrifying bacteria that will convert ammonia and nitrite into nitrate. It's nothing special as far as reefs are concerned. For tanks without rock, it's a good option. It is essentially the same thing as bioballs, but fancier. :)

I am going for a less is more look in the tank and I would like not to have to fill it with live rock to the rim to support a large fish population. I will run 4 blocks and just have them in there for more surface area. No proof they work but gives me peace of mind.

As for the tank I build them and I am making the 16' tank as well.

Myka
04-10-2015, 01:51 AM
I mad jealous of your shop!

Elder1945
04-11-2015, 01:02 AM
Sorry for the bad pic's :P but I got more stuff....
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20150410_204528.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20150410_204528.jpg.html)
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20150410_204631.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20150410_204631.jpg.html)
So total of 5 lights 2 from my old setup and 3 new ones....

Elder1945
04-12-2015, 02:52 PM
Ok, So working on the lights and how I will end up hanging them.. I only thought I would have 4 razors but ended up with 5 (Thanks Colin :)).. So drywall is on its way in this week and tank starts this week I hope.

For an overall look I am going for super clean so I will be using Mustang "C1101 TOP FIXING WITH CABLE GRIP" for mounting to my ceiling

http://www.mustang-systems.ca/images/stories/pdf/cable/cable-1.5mm-Cable-Components.pdf

As for the ballasts for the lights I am playing with the idea of mounting them into the ceiling... We will see though..

So next step is finish skeleton of stand, paint it white or black.. The whole stand is getting finished in maple or oak but I might as well paint it, cant hurt...

Start the tank, The funny thing is that this is the easiest part of this build for me at least.

I am still waiting on a few peaces of equipment but have most of what I think I need for this tank.


On a side not I just went through all my Aquarium stuff from my old 210 and man I had a lot of random stuff :)

Elder1945
04-13-2015, 10:29 PM
The who, what and why...

So i have not really explained the who,what and why of this tank. So here it goes.

This tank was an idea I had for a while now about 11 months or so.. I wanted to start off in large reef keeping but did not really have the experience of keeping a larger then normal reef tank.

This is where the 210 8 foot long tank came in. I have never sustained a reef that big before. After doing that for 10 months I had a better idea on what was expected in keeping a large reef tank.

So here we are I am about to finish the leg part of the stand will have pics soon. Also decided to paint it white..

So that is kinda a small back story.....

The who..

So doing the initial budget for this tank was scary and fun at the same time.
I did not want to skimp on anything so I just budgeted for what I deemed the best. I planed on stealing a lot from my 210 but this ended up not working out . At this point to be honest I have thrown out the budget and just going with the flow :P..

As for my basement reno this is going well and is on budget go figure..

With the purchasing of everything that is needed for this build I am trying to stay local or at least stay in Canada when ordering everything. This has worked out great thanks to reefsupplies.ca and Reef Boutique. There is still a lot to get but I have a good start.

This in the end has cost me more since I deal in USD a lot and could have bought it all in the states considering I am there at least once a month. In the end tho I am a strong believer in supporting local business. So it will cost me more but I will have stores to go to and buy stuff at that are local. This is worth a lot more to me then saving a bit of money up front.

As for the why...

I honestly do not know why... The only thing I can think of off the top of my head is one day I was looking at my 7-8" Naso in my 8 foot reef and he just did not look that happy. I always wanted to see my tangs act more natural and swim. So why not 16 feet sound good right ..

In the end this build will only take another 4-6 weeks so that is the good part but will take almost 6 months to get it where I like it. This is always the way with me. The funny thing is my 210 was at that point right when i ripped it down.

My end goal in this hobby is to have a 4000+ gallon reef but this is a ways off as I think I will have to be retired to maintain it. Also ill be moving quite a bit form now to then. So when I am in my 50s and in the house I want to stay in and if I am still in this hobby that build would be fun.

I have always wanted a black tip reef shark but there is just no good way in keeping them(In my opinion). I do not want to pull one from the ocean and to be honest I think I would need a 40,000 gallon tank to make me feel alright about keeping one.

Elder1945
04-25-2015, 12:23 AM
So the last week I have accomplished a lot more then I thought would get done. This is where I stand now Acrylic is in glue is in and the stand is done. So next is the tank build. This will take a week or so with dry times.

All the 1/2" Acrylic 12 sheets :P
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20150424_150838.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20150424_150838.jpg.html)

http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20150424_150742.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20150424_150742.jpg.html)

Stand Pics :D
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20150424_140211.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20150424_140211.jpg.html)
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20150424_140222.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20150424_140222.jpg.html)
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20150424_150324.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20150424_150324.jpg.html)
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20150424_150330.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20150424_150330.jpg.html)
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20150424_150335.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20150424_150335.jpg.html)
And a pic of my new computer at work :P
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20150424_150750.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20150424_150750.jpg.html)

Myka
04-25-2015, 01:52 AM
I can smell that acrylic solvent from here. *barf*

Elder1945
05-02-2015, 11:16 PM
More pics of stand.... Still needs a few more coats of paint...
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20150427_165222.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20150427_165222.jpg.html)
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20150427_165226.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20150427_165226.jpg.html)http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20150427_165234.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20150427_165234.jpg.html)
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20150429_124016.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20150429_124016.jpg.html)
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20150429_124033.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20150429_124033.jpg.html)

Elder1945
05-02-2015, 11:23 PM
Ok, Here is the tank build going full steam..

The stuff needed to make the tank..
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20150430_152016.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20150430_152016.jpg.html)
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20150429_124058.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20150429_124058.jpg.html)
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20150429_150256.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20150429_150256.jpg.html)
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20150429_150304.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20150429_150304.jpg.html)
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20150429_154737.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20150429_154737.jpg.html)
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20150430_152020.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20150430_152020.jpg.html)
And some of the sides going on...
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20150501_142548.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20150501_142548.jpg.html)
Glue joint done..
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20150501_143039.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20150501_143039.jpg.html)

Reef Supplies
05-03-2015, 02:23 PM
nice work man!

shiftline
05-03-2015, 04:17 PM
Looking awesome. Can't wait to see this built!

mseepman
05-04-2015, 09:14 PM
Wow...nice build!

Elder1945
05-15-2015, 12:09 AM
Large update.... ITS IN!!

The last week was crazy with the basement and the tank all getting done. In the end though it was all worth it.. I still have a long list of stuff that needs to be done but the hard part is done.

Here are some pics... More to come just need to get them all uploaded.

Polishing.
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20150511_172521.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20150511_172521.jpg.html)
Tank trim in.
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20150512_205058.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20150512_205058.jpg.html)
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20150512_205108.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20150512_205108.jpg.html)
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20150512_205112.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20150512_205112.jpg.html)
You can tell by the shop and how much junk is around how busy we are there to.

Some of the smaller stuff I was making more to come on this..
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20150513_165208.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20150513_165208.jpg.html)

Background in...
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20150513_204753.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20150513_204753.jpg.html)

The standard wife shot in tank... :P
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20150514_195001.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20150514_195001.jpg.html)

freeze
05-15-2015, 03:26 AM
So awesome....

Myka
05-15-2015, 03:34 AM
Looks awesome!! I think you built the stand strong enough to hold 8 of those tanks! :D

Nuttyreefer
05-15-2015, 04:22 AM
Cool

Skimmer Juice
05-15-2015, 04:34 AM
truly epic , best dimensions ever

Elder1945
05-15-2015, 02:32 PM
Looks awesome!! I think you built the stand strong enough to hold 8 of those tanks! :D

Yes the stand is a bit overbuild but why not. :biggrin:

Craigdillman
05-15-2015, 04:35 PM
Yup i think someone said it ...epic

Elder1945
05-18-2015, 08:13 PM
OK so this weekend, did not due much I was relaxing... I did however get the lights up.

http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20150518_155758.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20150518_155758.jpg.html)

and got my sand, well a start we will see how this fills out the tank and go from there.

http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20150518_155818.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20150518_155818.jpg.html)

On a side note I did rebuild my gaming rigs.

http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20150219_104817.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20150219_104817.jpg.html)

finally got my nemo up :)

http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20150518_155836.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20150518_155836.jpg.html)

I also started setting up my apex's. I will be running 2 of them one for the main tank and another for the QT. More to come on this as I just started....

http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20150518_160838.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20150518_160838.jpg.html)

shiftline
05-18-2015, 10:34 PM
Thanks looks awesome. I can't wait to see it filled

Elder1945
06-10-2015, 11:34 PM
Large Update :)..

So in short it is up and running.. This was a crazy endeavor and will wright up the whole story this weekend and get all my pic's up. Kinda backwards update...

http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20150610_192414.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20150610_192414.jpg.html)

http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20150610_192426.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20150610_192426.jpg.html)

http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20150610_192435.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20150610_192435.jpg.html)

http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20150610_192443.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20150610_192443.jpg.html)

More to come....
and sorry for the bad pics just took them on my cell...

Bblinks
06-10-2015, 11:47 PM
Very cool, tagging along.

Craigdillman
06-11-2015, 01:26 AM
Awesome I'm loving the aquascape not filled to the brim with rocks like that

gregzz4
06-11-2015, 03:49 AM
That looks super awesome Elder!! Each section looks like a tank on their own, but the whole length is epic.
I also love the open sand bed.

Where'd you get the black trim ?

Duckhams
06-11-2015, 06:28 PM
Thats a really unique tank! You might need to add another AFS or two to manage/balance the feedings and to keep aggression down long term. Im looking forward to seeing more piccys!

Elder1945
06-13-2015, 01:28 AM
That looks super awesome Elder!! Each section looks like a tank on their own, but the whole length is epic.
I also love the open sand bed.

Where'd you get the black trim ?

I manufactured the trim from a product called Sintra it is expanded PVC that comes in a flat sheet so I can CNC it. It also can be welded same as acrylic to give you permanent bonds.

And thanks I wanted a open tank look never liked having 10000 pounds of rock in a tank.

Thank you all for the the kind words I will be posting more pic's this weekend.

Elder1945
06-14-2015, 01:53 AM
https://youtu.be/Adzh9NdrKoI

What I see looking at my tank.

Elder1945
06-20-2015, 06:10 PM
Bored so..... https://youtu.be/1yOYcURbgP8

jason604
06-20-2015, 07:58 PM
Beautiful tank!!! I love how the center part comes out.. Very unique. The massive skimmer in the middle is kind of an eyesore tho. Mybe U can put some sort of thin plastic sheet to cover that part to make a "fake wall" look that can be easily removed for maintainance

Elder1945
06-20-2015, 08:51 PM
Beautiful tank!!! I love how the center part comes out.. Very unique. The massive skimmer in the middle is kind of an eyesore tho. Mybe U can put some sort of thin plastic sheet to cover that part to make a "fake wall" look that can be easily removed for maintainance

:) yes I designed a cover that seamlessly goes over everything... Everyone that saw it on loved it but I tossed it.. I love my reef but I also love the tinkering and equipment that goes with it. I have a lot of fun in this hobby just with the equipment and messing with it. I made a decision not to hide what runs the tank for 2 main reason 1. The explanation above 2. I have a view of what is going on just by walking past my tank.

Skimmer Juice
06-20-2015, 09:13 PM
I would agree I love the look of the skimmer showing everything looks perfect . Believe Im going to attempt to build a tank for myself out of acrylic after seeing your build . Mind you much smaller lol . Also subbed to your youtube

Elder1945
07-10-2015, 12:40 AM
Sorry for the lack of updates and pic's... I was battling a ick/brook/velvet outbreak in my tank.. I lost.... :( I wish I had better news on what was going on but this is just how the hobby goes some times.

I qt everything that goes in my tank but must have missed a step or I go lazy on something.

I think it was a Engineering Goby that brought this on as this is the only thing I have added in weeks. Funny how a $10 fish can cost me $1500 in 2 weeks :neutral:.

So I have decided to pull the rest of my fish and hospitalize the ones that I can.

I will try to keep updates going but this will be a huge time sink..

On a side note all the coral and inverts are doing amazing :biggrin:.

gregzz4
07-10-2015, 01:40 AM
Well that blows ...
Are you planning on a fallow period for the DT now ?

Elder1945
07-10-2015, 02:32 PM
Well that blows ...
Are you planning on a fallow period for the DT now ?

Yes 6-8 weeks I think 8 would be best... The good thing is now I get to fully restock from scratch.. This I have not done in 4-5 years so I can't wait..

Myka
09-30-2015, 02:18 AM
Sorry to hear about the losses. Your fallow period is over now, have you been restocking? How's the rest of the tank doing?

Elder1945
09-30-2015, 02:32 AM
OK I am back :).. I went on a extended holiday and now am back to the forums.

I am in the process of rebuilding my QT tanks. I am switching over to the Nuvo Fusions two 10 gallon and one 20 gallon.

http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20150918_104124.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20150918_104124.jpg.html)
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/DSC_0004.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/DSC_0004.jpg.html)
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/DSC_0003.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/DSC_0003.jpg.html)

Also would like to share some of the sump setup and what runs this tank. Here is a top down view of the sump.
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/DSC_0001.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/DSC_0001.jpg.html)
Here is the shot of the apex and what runs everything. I just got the DOS system and still have to add it in the mix working on that in the next few week.
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/DSC_0002.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/DSC_0002.jpg.html)

Also re did my QT setup still working on it but its a start.
Old QT setup
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20150918_172825.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20150918_172825.jpg.html)
New QT Setup
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20150919_184338.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20150919_184338.jpg.html)
The pic's are a week old now so will update as I go.
I have my list of fish that I want to start stocking up on. This might change over the next few weeks but it is a start.

10x blue/green chromis I have purchased 25 witch now have 24 as one decided to jump to freedom.

4x yellow tangs this was originally going to be 20. The idea was to have just a yellow tang tank but this has changed. I will end up buying 8 or so to QT and pick out the best 4.

2x purple dottyback due to the price of this fish I might pick up 8 and pick the best 2.

2x diamond or something gobys with accompanying shrimp. I will also pick up a few and pick the best ones for the DT.

1x Blond Naso Tang... I would like one in the 4" range. I will be picking up 2 for sure and again picking the best one for the DT.

4x Clown fish still looking for what I would like to have as now there are hundreds of choices.

This will be my base to build on. I will end up adding a quite a bit more fish but this will get me started and I want to get into the full swing of my new QT/buying habit.

As you can see I have a new idea/plan on how I am going to buy and QT fish. When I walk into a fish store and look at fish to buy I do not usually have the time or they do not have the time for me to fully examine the fish or to see them eat properly. This has always aggravated me and I have decided to just buy over and above what I want to put in my DT and chose from there. This will allow me to better understand and evaluate the fish I purchase. I do not feel like standing in a fish store for 3 hrs a day over 2 weeks to make a fish purchase.

There is a draw back in the initial investment of the fish but this in my mind is outweighed in me having the best possible chance of success with my main display tank.

In the full picture I will be selling the fish I do not wish to keep at a reduced price to help offset the cost. The one thing I can offer to my friends and other people I know if the hobby is fish that have gone threw a full QT cycle. I think in the end this would be beneficial to me and my friends in the hobby.

I also wanted to post to thank Reefsupplies.ca for all of the support and the amazing customer support. Without them this build would have taken months longer and I would have ended up with the wrong skimmer.

There are a lot of places to order from in Canada but I must admit that Reefsupplies made my life easy on this build. They spent the time to go over all the equipment choices I made and discussed each one in depth. This in my opinion and experience in the hobby hard to find. They did not try to sell me the most expensive thing off there shelf but rather what would work best for my tank. This is why 90% of the equipment including my new QT system came from them.

Ok just wanted to say something as customer service in general is going by the way side. Tank is doing well will post some updated pic's later. I am toying with the idea of re wiring the whole setup to make it cleaner. This would be a interesting endeavor considering there are 100000 wires :p.

The Blue/Green Chromis are doing well in the QT I ended up giving 2 to my friend already as he just started in the saltwater hobby with a 29 gallon bio cube. The 22 I have left are doing great and seem to not have issues as of yet but still in the Copper faze of the QT.

In other news I have changed how I do water changes and would like some impute. I used to do large 30% changes once a mouth but now do 25 gallons every 3 weeks. This was more of a way to streamline the time and effort made on the tank. I have the DOS system that will hopefully be setup this weekend and in my mind will help with the lower amount and volume of water changes. I wouldn't mind some input on this as I do not know many people with large reef aquariums. Let me know what you guys do on your 300+ gallon reefs for water changes as this will help me better understand the ramifications of moving to this new schedule. Why 25 gallons :) just because that is what fits in the brute trash can lol.

I will be posting some more pic's later on the tank and will show the new lid's I have made. No more acrylic lid's warping all over the place. I changed them out with lexan so the top of my tank now looks a lot cleaner.

Sorry for the mix match post :) as I just rebuilt my main computer and was away for a while. Thank you Myka for reminding me to update this post I will be more and more on the forums as I can restock my tank now!

Myka
09-30-2015, 02:44 AM
You've been busy! I like the idea to use the Nuvo tanks for quarantine. Not only do they look great, but they are also super handy in their AIO capacity, plus they come in several sizes. What are you going to be quarantining the tangs in though? Not the Nuvos??

For water changes, how far away from your tank is your water storage area? Every system is different, but if you have a bathtub or better yet a laundry tub within about 30 feet that you can drain the tank into that's my go-to. If I gravel vacuum then I just go into a bucket while the rest of the tank is draining to the bathtub/laundry tub. Then for refill use a 3/4" hose and a big pump. If you can use the pump for mixing and use ball valves to switch it from recirculating to tank delivery that's the bomb. I also like to make use of quick connects for hoses for ease of use.

Elder1945
09-30-2015, 02:54 AM
You've been busy! I like the idea to use the Nuvo tanks for quarantine. Not only do they look great, but they are also super handy in their AIO capacity, plus they come in several sizes. What are you going to be quarantining the tangs in though? Not the Nuvos??


For water changes, how far away from your tank is your water storage area? Every system is different, but if you have a bathtub or better yet a laundry tub you can drain the tank into that's my go-to. Then for refill use a 3/4" hose and a big pump. If you can use the pump for mixing and use ball valves to switch it from recirculating to tank delivery that's the bomb. I also like to make use of quick connects for hoses for ease of use.

LOL no all the tangs will be QT in a temporary tank. I have a brand new 75 sitting under my stand empty that will be used for bigger fish.

The Nuvos are amazing and they will come in handy when I run into issues.
I will have them running all the time so will have better options when something goes wrong. One of the 10g will be a frag tank... Well that is the plan right now. I also find myself buying small fish I don't know why but just seems to happen that way.

As for the water changes I use pumps and brute trash cans. I have one for mixing saltwater and one for the old saltwater to go into. They have the dolly's on them so makes it easy to move. I was looking at two 100 gallon tubs for a saltwater mixing station but just do not see the need.

Myka
09-30-2015, 03:01 AM
LOL no all the tangs will be QT in a temporary tank. I have a brand new 75 sitting under my stand empty that will be used for bigger fish.

The Nuvos are amazing and they will come in handy when I run into issues.
I will have them running all the time so will have better options when something goes wrong. One of the 10g will be a frag tank... Well that is the plan right now. I also find myself buying small fish I don't know why but just seems to happen that way.

As for the water changes I use pumps and brute trash cans. I have one for mixing saltwater and one for the old saltwater to go into. They have the dolly's on them so makes it easy to move. I was looking at two 100 gallon tubs for a saltwater mixing station but just do not see the need.

:lol: Good plan for the tangs!

I don't see the benefit in rolling the bins to the tank rather than keeping bins somewhere else and using a pump to deliver. Hoses are easier to move than Brutes. :D Besides, those Brutes aren't big enough for a 350-gallon tank. You need more like 60-80 gallon saltwater mixing at minimum imo. That way you can store two water changes at a time which makes for less mixing, plus if you want to do a bigger change you can. You can also use tees and ball valves with float valves on your tubs to have your RO/DI system fill them for you. Open valve A and it fills up the RO tub, open valve B and it fills up the saltwater mixing tub. Easy peasey.

Elder1945
09-30-2015, 03:07 AM
:lol: Good plan for the tangs!

I don't see the benefit in rolling the bins to the tank rather than keeping bins somewhere else and using a pump to deliver. Hoses are easier to move than Brutes. :D Besides, those Brutes aren't big enough for a 350-gallon tank. You need more like 60-80 gallon saltwater mixing at minimum imo. That way you can store two water changes at a time which makes for less mixing, plus if you want to do a bigger change you can. You can also use tees and ball valves with float valves on your tubs to have your RO/DI system fill them for you. Open valve A and it fills up the RO tub, open valve B and it fills up the saltwater mixing tub. Easy peasey.

Ill have to agree with you :) I think in the next few weeks I will just get a mixing station built and done. Might as well do it right considering I am going threw all of this trouble.

Sounds like a fun weekend project.

Myka
09-30-2015, 01:57 PM
Check out agriculture supply stores for water containers. Sometimes they have models that aren't too pricey. A local store here has 145 gallon upright containers for $140 IIRC, and they have a little stand you can buy for another $40 so you could gravity feed to the sump. They are only 28" wide, so they fit down stairs, through doorways, etc. See if you can find something like these. You have to clean them with a long handled scrub brush, but I think their small footprint is worth it.

http://www.hold-onindustries.com/tanks/index.html#page/4

Elder1945
10-21-2015, 11:45 PM
Update!

I have re made my sump... I just finished a sump for Canada's Corals and liked the white so much I decided to copy Dan's Idea.
Here is the sump I built for them.
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20151013_164132.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20151013_164132.jpg.html)
Here is my new sump build.
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20151019_174551.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20151019_174551.jpg.html)
Still not done....
Old sump
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/DSC_0001.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/DSC_0001.jpg.html)
New sump
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20151021_192602.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20151021_192602.jpg.html)

Also got the DOS and DDR set up.
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20151021_192617.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20151021_192617.jpg.html)
I still have to re do the wiring to make it clean looking.. One day I will get to it....

The DDR came to me broken but I work with acrylic so was able to fix it. :(
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20151015_114634.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20151015_114634.jpg.html)
Not Happy about that but what can you do no one has them in Canada that I could find.

Update on Coral I have started my Zoanthid garden per say...
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20151021_192524_001.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20151021_192524_001.jpg.html)

And for good measure here is a FTS 2 weeks old but here it is.
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20151005_181546.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20151005_181546.jpg.html)

Still working on fish will update that soon.

Myka
10-22-2015, 02:28 AM
Sweet sump!! I wish I had the space, tools, and patience to work with acrylic.

Reef Supplies
10-22-2015, 11:45 AM
I also wanted to post to thank Reefsupplies.ca for all of the support and the amazing customer support. Without them this build would have taken months longer and I would have ended up with the wrong skimmer.

There are a lot of places to order from in Canada but I must admit that Reefsupplies made my life easy on this build. They spent the time to go over all the equipment choices I made and discussed each one in depth. This in my opinion and experience in the hobby hard to find. They did not try to sell me the most expensive thing off there shelf but rather what would work best for my tank. This is why 90% of the equipment including my new QT system came from them.

Thank you very much for the kind words! We truly appreciate you trusting us with your epic build!

I will print this out and post it in the shipping area to remind everyone that hard work always pays off!

Thanks again

Elder1945
02-17-2016, 02:00 AM
Tank Update!

This was taken with my S6.. Will update with better video and info soon!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGauuOHI_JQ

Elder1945
02-18-2016, 09:48 PM
New fish are in :)!!!!
I would like to thank Red and The Coral Reef Shop for these amazing fish.
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/DSC_0023.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/DSC_0023.jpg.html)

I also today ordered a few upgrades to the tank from reefsupplies.ca, I am going to be adding the ALD to my apex with 3 low-profile probes. I will also be changing my Jebo's that I currently run with the Apex WAV. I ended up going with 4 WAV pumps and 2 modules. The other option I was going to go with was the Maxspect Gyre XF130 x4 but it lost the coin toss :).

I will also be adding 1 more AFS to try to curb any aggression that is bound to show up due to the new inhabitants of my tank. Also a VDM module for some projects I have planed.

The only thing I think I am missing now is one more DOS system for dosing.. This will come later as I slowly switch into sps.

I will be taking some pics of my tank this weekend as it is doing quite well in my eyes. I also have a video interview with LEOPAZZO coming up that will be fun and hopefully answer some questions on my system. I know now that he is battling a crash on his tanks and hope he is still up for doing it.

Slykat
02-18-2016, 11:18 PM
Fantastic build, I like what you've done.
As for water storage container, check out these guys - Ontario Agra Piping And Supplies Inc. Got my 40G Ace Roto mold from them. I will be plumbing it. :biggrin::D

Elder1945
02-20-2016, 01:24 AM
:)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLHrz5JK6D8

Craigdillman
02-20-2016, 01:27 AM
Epic man!

Elder1945
02-25-2016, 12:30 AM
Put new lid's on the tank for the new AFS. Working quite well..
Old Lid's.
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/DSC_0056.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/DSC_0056.jpg.html)
New Lid's.
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/DSC_0057.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/DSC_0057.jpg.html)
Full Top shot of the tank.
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/DSC_0058.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/DSC_0058.jpg.html)

Elder1945
02-27-2016, 01:00 AM
Got my stuff in :)
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/DSC_0059.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/DSC_0059.jpg.html)
I also finished the new apex wall under my tank.
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/DSC_0060.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/DSC_0060.jpg.html)

FishyFishy!
02-27-2016, 02:30 AM
I also finished the new apex wall under my tank.


You got some skills! You're like a walking Neptune advertisement lol

How big is that Orange Shoulder?? Beautiful Specimen

Elder1945
02-27-2016, 03:21 PM
You got some skills! You're like a walking Neptune advertisement lol

How big is that Orange Shoulder?? Beautiful Specimen

I would say the Orange Shoulder is in the 12-13" range. Yes he has done well and he likes the Naso's.

The Apex wall just seemed to happen.

Elder1945
03-08-2016, 12:41 AM
Here is the start of the interview I did with LEOPAZZO TV.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZbESLEL0Ko&list=LLmiMPXOihc7hDNFR9jECRHw&index=1
Hope you enjoy as it was quite fun going over my tank!

Bugger
03-08-2016, 08:55 PM
Who did the paint job. Its really good

Elder1945
05-26-2016, 09:27 PM
Update time...

Here is the rest of the series that Leo did on my tank.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKSKQgq6rWE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYQ201g6omE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mG9yDlLVm1k

Also here are some updated shots of the tank that I just took. I am going to be re aquascaping the left side of the tank soon. This side seems to just be a bunch of random coral.
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20160526_164848.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20160526_164848.jpg.html)
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20160526_164833.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20160526_164833.jpg.html)
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20160526_164820.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20160526_164820.jpg.html)
As you can see I had to pull one of the Naso's he was not eating and was going down hill. I am working on pairing another one but this will take some time. I am waiting now to order a "School" of fish still have yet to decide on what fish I want to try.
Also the Black Cap Jaw fish are now mated.
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20160526_164806.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20160526_164806.jpg.html)
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20160526_165129.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20160526_165129.jpg.html)
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20160526_165137.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20160526_165137.jpg.html)

This is the state of the Apex.... I just picked up a new DOS and DDR....... Then they released the new Apex so now everything is on hold. I have mixed feelings about the new apex we will see. I have pre ordered 2 of them as they will not sell me a stand alone EB823451. I do not want to re wire my whole system to the re do it in a months time.
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m515/RottingHead/20160526_164933.jpg (http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/RottingHead/media/20160526_164933.jpg.html)
As for the release of the new Apex.... I don't think this went as well as they wanted...

Sorry for the bad pic's just took them with my cell... Will get out the D5100 soon :)

This is a copy past post...

SeaHorse_Fanatic
05-26-2016, 09:36 PM
My wife has requested clearer pics of the breeding pair of jawfish please. She may even let me get another Yellow Headed Jawfish to see if mine will pair up too. Thanks for that.

Anthony