Sunshine Coast - 10ft 500G build

[thebrinc]

Hey Guys

I recently moved to the sunshine coast and was wondering if there were any reefers around here?

I'm starting my 10ft 500G build and could use some ideas / muscle :) I have the stand welded up and the 10ft glass panels waiting for me in the garage... and 16 large tubes of RTV silicone of course!

Cheers,

[beauroy]

hey thats awesome,finally another reefer on the coast,i dont think their are to many of us out there. I currently am re setting my 72bowfront

[Myka]

Awesome! They say size doesn't matter, but sometimes it DOES!

[thebrinc]

Hey Beauroy, slim pickings eh? Good to make your acquaintance!

Any issues with power outages around Sechelt area? We bought in West Sechelt. Wondering how much time I should spend thinking about backup power...

[Myka]

Ask the guys in the lower mainland about recent power outages. :( It can happen anywhere - plan for it.

[eli@fijireefrock.com]

That looks like its gonna be a sweet build.My builders used as I recall 18 maybe 20 tubes of silicone.
What are the dimensions,I would help lifting panels but a little far from you and those could get heavy.

[beauroy]

Hey Beauroy, slim pickings eh? Good to make your acquaintance!

Any issues with power outages around Sechelt area? We bought in West Sechelt. Wondering how much time I should spend thinking about backup power...

Power goes out once and a while,my neibourhood has all underground power so it hasn't been that bad here,the only down side here is there are no reef shops,I always have to travel to Jl. If you need any help let me know,I'd love to see set up as I'm kind of going through withdrawal as my tank is down at the moment.

[thebrinc]

Thanks for the offer beauroy! I'll let you know how I progress... might definitely need a hand maneuvering those panels into place :) I have the stand in the house now. The original location wasn't working out so we went with option B. Think it's going to look sweet, it's huge!

Eli, the dimensions are 10ft x 3ft x 30" high... I would have loved to go 12ft but even fitting 10ft in the house will be a challenge for sure :) And then there's the price of starfire glass. Ouch. Can't wait to get your awesome shelf rocks in there one day! They're still boxed up and waiting for me in the garage.

Myka, wise words... I'm thinking of just getting an inverter for now and using my mobile generator in the garage, the two door one I drive around in ;p

[thebrinc]

Some pics of the stand move... on it's side the stand JUST slid through the door with 1/2" to spare :)

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-bEe_C0KJwHw/Vfbzdz1ZWzI/AAAAAAAAAFg/xMq0QCzwtw0/s912-Ic42/19.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-DurlyUUoMKE/VfbzeUrBQWI/AAAAAAAAAFo/eZAzHEvMNNE/s912-Ic42/20.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-okqTXaTzjyY/VfbzfqKakTI/AAAAAAAAAF4/ImxSPcd6ZMU/s912-Ic42/22.jpg

[Craigdillman]

Epic is all i got to say tagging along

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

That window on the left end of your tank stand position may cause major algae issues when you have the tank set up, if that is the final spot for this epic tank.

Just something to consider.

Anthony

[thebrinc]

Totally, hear you on the algae Anthony. I'll board that window up and vent out that way... get rid of some of the moisture :)

[Myka]

Is there a beam or concrete wall under that wall the tank is against? Which way are the joists running? Have you reinforced the floor at all?

[thebrinc]

Hey Myka. You bet!

Hence the change in location. Where I initially wanted to put the tank would have meant ripping up half the finished basement below (myself on a budget) for support but this new location is pretty sweet.

The tank will be sitting over a crawlspace, between a concrete perimeter wall and a beam underneath about 3 foot away and perpendicular to the joists... I wall also put 8 supports under the joists directly on top of the slab juuuust to be safe.

Even with my old 140G rimless, in a 2nd story apartment, I was always worried about vibration and bouncing floorboards. Hate having people over and then having to tell them to not all stand around the tank at once because the floor might break. lol.

[Myka]

Hey Myka. You bet!

Hence the change in location. Where I initially wanted to put the tank would have meant ripping up half the finished basement below (myself on a budget) for support but this new location is pretty sweet.

The tank will be sitting over a crawlspace, between a concrete perimeter wall and a beam underneath about 3 foot away and perpendicular to the joists... I wall also put 8 supports under the joists directly on top of the slab juuuust to be safe.

Even with my old 140G rimless, in a 2nd story apartment, I was always worried about vibration and bouncing floorboards. Hate having people over and then having to tell them to not all stand around the tank at once because the floor might break. lol.

:lol: @140-gallon story.

Sounds like good planning for the new tank, I'm not sure you need 8 supports though - just a small beam with a support on each end would be good. Or do a pony wall. :)

[thebrinc]

Soooo...

https://https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9cEJBgAJ3oA/VgHpJuJgD9I/AAAAAAAAAGU/H8Z5epAd2CM/s800-Ic42/24.JPG

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-GUgzu8V0sxU/VgHpI06tsfI/AAAAAAAAAGM/pPrljVICSOo/s800-Ic42/23.JPG

After spending much time and effort on getting the main panels in place and the main seams siliconed last night, I found a ton of bubbles and irregularities in some key places.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-b3sAsUyMUXg/VgHpKI47IqI/AAAAAAAAAGc/WYqPP57KbiM/s800-Ic42/25.JPG

More than I'm willing to live with... this is going to be a lot of water and livestock and I just wouldn't be comfortable with bad seams.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-31dLj45Uf5k/VgHpKnPplpI/AAAAAAAAAGg/eQoT1Xhu7P4/s800-Ic42/26.JPG

That's what $150 worth of RTV 108 looks like, don't think it's going back in the tube like that ;p

Ah well, I've stripped silicone before. I should be back to square-one in a week or so, assuming the new silicone arrives in good time. I can only get it from the states and then they insist on shipping it as HAZMAT, charging an arm & a leg for duties.

Just wish I knew what went wrong? I've built multiple tanks with the black RTV, maybe now I'm just seeing the bubbles for the first time?

Maybe it's the time involved with laying the 10ft beads (thought my hand was gonna fall off!), the stuff starts to skin a bit before I can clamp it.

[Myka]

Are you using spacers? Why not order a case of Aqueon silicone? Is that RTV stuff stronger or something? I think "a popular aquarium manufacturer" uses that SCS 1200 stuff.

[thebrinc]

Yeah I was using 1/16" spacers... but one got pushed out when we clamped.

The Momentive RTV 100 series is an adhesive, as opposed to the usual silicone which is a sealant, so it has way more tensile strength. With 10 foot seams I want the extra piece of mind and the price difference would have been okay if I didn't have to do the job twice!

Anyway, I have the panels apart & in the garage again thanks to some help from a new found friend. Going to try the dremel trick to get the silicone off faster than the razor blade route.

[Myka]

You're sure that adhesive is reef safe? I've never heard of it. How did you find out about it?

[spit.fire]

Yeah I was using 1/16" spacers... but one got pushed out when we clamped.

The Momentive RTV 100 series is an adhesive, as opposed to the usual silicone which is a sealant, so it has way more tensile strength. With 10 foot seams I want the extra piece of mind and the price difference would have been okay if I didn't have to do the job twice!

Anyway, I have the panels apart & in the garage again thanks to some help from a new found friend. Going to try the dremel trick to get the silicone off faster than the razor blade route.

might be cheaper to get some ge scs1200 from concept, reef safe and its a "structural" silicone (adhesive)

[eli@fijireefrock.com]

I would go with SCS1200 as its a product that has been used and tested.Be safe than sorry. Silicone when dry always has an air bubble or 2 not as much as seen in your photo.I you want SCS1200 and cannot find it let me know and I will see what I could do for you.
Never heard of using a dremel for removing silicone especially off glass, be careful on what tip you use.

[rynoe]

RTV 100 series is reef safe and provides a very strong bond.

[thebrinc]

Thanks for the input guys.

I love the RTV silicone, even though it's a little hard to get a hold of. I did some digging and found out about it online some years ago... mostly from DIY rimless builds. I used it for my previous build, this 100Gal seahorse Cube:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-qrBFr9JnJug/VgQl43RVtLI/AAAAAAAAAGw/8Pspe_Qv-DA/s800-Ic42/31.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-L9PVM2aULT0/VgQmILP247I/AAAAAAAAAG4/QKQYW7j8NFU/s576-Ic42/76.jpg

It dries really quick, skins in 5 minutes, which makes the process a little stressful though.

Thanks for the offer Eli, but I'm sticking to my (silicone) guns :) Besides, UPS is already en route with another 7 tubes & should get here by late next week. Gives me some time to catch up on the stand cladding and canopy design.

[rynoe]

Where did you source the glass?

[shiftline]

So I was debating getting a tank made. However it doesn't look too hard to do your self. Any tips?!

[SanguinesDream]

Definitely watching and subscribing to this epic build. I am so jealous.:mrgreen:

[thebrinc]

Rynoe, we have some contacts and could source the glass directly from a supplier through my fiance's work. Still cost just north of 2 grand though for the starfire. ouch

It's not too hard to build smaller tanks, as long as you do your research & buy a ton of clamps. That being said, after buying 14 clamps, good silicone and making wooden jigs you're probably not going to save much money compared to a off-the-shelf tank. Unless you're trying to build something custom or rimless... or 10 foot long :)

Looks like my silicone cleared customs this morning in Washington, should be here by Friday / Monday.

Still have 3 panels left to scrape... running out of fingers here. lol

Any ideas on where to buy schedule 80 plumbing supplies online this side of the border? My new small town surroundings seem to have left me Home Depot-less...

[mihaivapler]

Rynoe, we have some contacts and could source the glass directly from a supplier through my fiance's work. Still cost just north of 2 grand though for the starfire. ouch.
That's still a very good price ,I have a quote for a 4x4x10 tank 2 sapphire panels4x10 for 7000$

[mihaivapler]

Rynoe, we have some contacts and could source the glass directly from a supplier through my fiance's work. Still cost just north of 2 grand though for the starfire. ouch.
That's still a very good price ,I have a quote for a 4x4x10 tank 2 sapphire panels4x10 for 7000$

[thebrinc]

mihaivapler, what thickness of glass did they quote?

For 4ft tall they're probably going with 1", maybe even 1" laminated?

30" tall is really the very upper limit for doing a tank in 1/2" glass if you brace the hell out of it. With my waterline 2" below I'm only supporting 28" of water pressure plus the bottom is euro-braced in 6" wide strips so there's 1" for the silicone to attach to the sides. With the bottom 1" and 2" waterline there's only 27" of unsupported glass.

Although I'm aware that I'm on the limit with 1/2" glass the cost would double for 3/4" glass and with a proper 2" steel frame I'm confident it'll work. I'm also basing my build off two other reefers with the same dimensions and glass thickness that have had long term (5yrs +) success with their tanks.

[DAVE]

mihaivapler, what thickness of glass did they quote?

For 4ft tall they're probably going with 1", maybe even 1" laminated?

30" tall is really the very upper limit for doing a tank in 1/2" glass if you brace the hell out of it. With my waterline 2" below I'm only supporting 28" of water pressure plus the bottom is euro-braced in 6" wide strips so there's 1" for the silicone to attach to the sides. With the bottom 1" and 2" waterline there's only 27" of unsupported glass.

Although I'm aware that I'm on the limit with 1/2" glass the cost would double for 3/4" glass and with a proper 2" steel frame I'm confident it'll work. I'm also basing my build off two other reefers with the same dimensions and glass thickness that have had long term (5yrs +) success with their tanks.


Basically the same dimensions as my recent build. Shocked you went with 1/2". I braced the hell out of mine and I still went with 3/4". Coming close to limits with a 10' box of water is scary.

Nice work on the stand...looks very nice.

[mihaivapler]

mihaivapler, what thickness of glass did they quote?

For 4ft tall they're probably going with 1", maybe even 1" laminated?

30" tall is really the very upper limit for doing a tank in 1/2" glass if you brace the hell out of it. With my waterline 2" below I'm only supporting 28" of water pressure plus the bottom is euro-braced in 6" wide strips so there's 1" for the silicone to attach to the sides. With the bottom 1" and 2" waterline there's only 27" of unsupported glass.

Although I'm aware that I'm on the limit with 1/2" glass the cost would double for 3/4" glass and with a proper 2" steel frame I'm confident it'll work. I'm also basing my build off two other reefers with the same dimensions and glass thickness that have had long term (5yrs +) success with their tanks.

The quote is for 3/4" glass. 2 panels for 4x10 by 3/4" shapfire for viewing panels,as will be a room divider tank one panel of 4x10 for the bottom that is 2 3/4" panels laminated and 2 side pieces of 4x4 by 3/4"..and will be in the wall so does the have to be pretty so for that the tank will be framed with steel L profiles and lots of cross braces.its a bit scary so i think I will drop the hight to only 40"..another option was acrylic 1 1/2" for the same cost but I'm afraid of the acrylic bowing because of the 4 feet high and will be easier to scratch and in case that I want to change the house it will have to be cut in pieces and waisted so with the glass just cut the silicone and reassemble it..will research some more until then as this will happen next summer..

[mihaivapler]

And off course after the foundation will be built:)))))) will require a good one as it will be around 1200 gallon,so that gives about 12000 pounds including the tank the water and rock.....

[thebrinc]

Nice one! Sounds like an epic build. I'm a fan of glass myself... although acrylic is clearer, I wonder if 1.5" acrylic is clearer than 3/4" starfire...

UPS just dropped my silicone off and I have a friend coming over for the weekend to help with the build tomorrow.

Fingers crossed!!

[mihaivapler]

Nice one! Sounds like an epic build. I'm a fan of glass myself... although acrylic is clearer, I wonder if 1.5" acrylic is clearer than 3/4" starfire...

UPS just dropped my silicone off and I have a friend coming over for the weekend to help with the build tomorrow.

Fingers crossed!!
Yes it will be.can't wait to start it.not to mention my wife , she want a bigger tank for her blue tangs,she loves this guy's so much that after buying one we went over to another reefer and rescue another one that was sitting in his sump and few month later she went to the store and bought another 2 without telling me so I just ended up with 4 of them.poor fish don't know how they made it because she just dump them in the tank without acclimate them:))

[beauroy]

how are things moving along?

[thebrinc]

Major breakthrough! Some friends came over from out of town unexpectedly and I put them to work :)

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-GO-7byVuAOA/VhKqT7gj--I/AAAAAAAAAH4/lykoxS3Uh7Y/s912-Ic42/29b.JPG

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-vu2DGujgxD4/VhKqUuv5rVI/AAAAAAAAAIA/GlRyJ1dDnJs/s912-Ic42/33.JPG

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-wSgHKPT079w/VhKqW3isVkI/AAAAAAAAAII/Hdn58zC9ymc/s720-Ic42/35.JPG

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-5-TdHJFC24w/VhKqYyMUl7I/AAAAAAAAAIU/_2aKZ0pHX5Y/s912-Ic42/39.JPG

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-31n1dISFnLk/VhKqZclj9MI/AAAAAAAAAIY/pfsZOSGsaUA/s912-Ic42/42.JPG

We got the panels in place and the new seams glued. I used 11 tubes(as opposed to the previous attempt's 6) to lay the main seams so now I'm out of silicone again. lol. Good news is this time the seams look absolutely amazing! No bubbles and good spacing throughout as far as I can tell. Thing of beauty! I'll only be able to inspect the rear seam once I've taken the jigs off though... but it looks really good so far.

So happy it worked this time!! Woohoooo

I'll give the main seams a week to dry and then add the bracing, give it another week and then we have to lift this sucker up to get the foam underneath.

In the meantime I've been stocking up on plumbing supplies and have the Reeflo gold dusted off that I bought a couple months ago in preparation. One more box should be shipped by later this week with some valves and couplings.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--A5MK5O9HXg/VhKqTHg2rSI/AAAAAAAAAHw/jy423STeh-s/s912-Ic42/38.JPG

[mihaivapler]

Looks good

[thebrinc]

Hey Guys... so 3 days into my perfect silicone seams curing, still clamped, these bubbles / tears started forming in the center of the seams.
Anyone seen this before? Almost lost control of my bowels when I saw this last night and have been up googling ever since to no avail.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-oDx03TrcrXc/VhVVShII_bI/AAAAAAAAAIo/Y7E7T5T_-qQ/s512-Ic42/43.JPG

The darker portion in the photo is the structural seam, then the corner bead to the left and the blue painters tape...

Any chance that this is normal? That the black silicone does it too but you just can't see it?
I'm close to the end of my rope here :(

[Reef Pilot]

Hey Guys... so 3 days into my perfect silicone seams curing, still clamped, these bubbles / tears started forming in the center of the seams.
Anyone seen this before? Almost lost control of my bowels when I saw this last night and have been up googling ever since to no avail.



The darker portion in the photo is the structural seam, then the corner bead to the left and the blue painters tape...

Any chance that this is normal? That the black silicone does it too but you just can't see it?
I'm close to the end of my rope here :(
Could it be slight imperfections in the glass edge that is being filled in by the bubbles? I am no expert at tank building, but just a thought.

There are vendors (ie Dave at Concept) that are experts on this forum, and would be nice to hear from them.

[davej]

Is it possible that a change in barometric pressure has allowed a minute air bubble to expand?
As weather here has worsened barometric pressure usually drops.
No experience at all in this matter just trying to think outside the box.

[Ram3500]

I have some bubbles like this on my Concept built tank. I have never been happy with them but she hasn't sprung a leak yet. :wink:
Very nice build by the way

[thebrinc]

Thanks for the ideas guys!

I was just about ready to hurl myself off the roof when I had an idea!!

What if I just put steel vertical braces around the seams of the tank?? The top and bottom horizontal seams are well braced, it's just the vertical ones that worry me. To hell with the whole clean look I was going for... On a 10 foot span it wouldn't really detract from the view panels too much and that way I know it's not going to explode & drown the cats.

Thanks for the positive words Ram 3500! How long have you had the tank & what dimensions?

I would love to just make piece with the bubbles but there are multiple ones per seam and some are over 2 inches long. All of them in the middle (vertically) of the seams though.

[mihaivapler]

Hey Guys... so 3 days into my perfect silicone seams curing, still clamped, these bubbles / tears started forming in the center of the seams.
Anyone seen this before? Almost lost control of my bowels when I saw this last night and have been up googling ever since to no avail.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-oDx03TrcrXc/VhVVShII_bI/AAAAAAAAAIo/Y7E7T5T_-qQ/s512-Ic42/43.JPG

The darker portion in the photo is the structural seam, then the corner bead to the left and the blue painters tape...

Any chance that this is normal? That the black silicone does it too but you just can't see it?
I'm close to the end of my rope here :(
If is not between the glass panels(the structural part) the you can cut out that portion and clean very well and reapply the silicon. It might be even from the fast reaction of the silicon, you sad the silicon start to skin in few minutes..

[thebrinc]

Unfortunately the bubbles / cracks happened in the structural portions... in the worst one (photo) I'd say about 50% of the 1/2" structural part is compromised, left to right.

I'm going to do the steel bracing idea, very happy with the thought of not having to strip these panels down again :)

[mihaivapler]

The steel brace will hold it for sure.....

[spit.fire]

I have some bubbles like this on my Concept built tank. I have never been happy with them but she hasn't sprung a leak yet. :wink:
Very nice build by the way

pretty sure its a clear silicone thing, any custom tank ive seen with clear silicone has bubbles like that

[thebrinc]

Thanks guys, makes me feel a bit better... I think I'm still going to go with the steel braces though, just don't trust this thing anymore.

Made some minor progress, we got the euro-bracing on!

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-XGXEJikWz1A/VhgWlfN57-I/AAAAAAAAAI4/8WkI0kgTVfU/s800-Ic42/43b.JPG

A little hard to see, but I've got 4" of bracing running along the top perimeter and then three 6" braces running over the top, front to back.
Once the books, clamps and tape comes off I'll take some proper photos. Didn't want to climb inside the tank before everything's had a couple weeks to dry.

On a funny note, after putting the braces on I noticed the piece of MDF I used to stand on, inside the tank still. Lol, guess I'll have to chop it up to get it out. Somehow I always knew I'd forget it in there. MDF make good aquascaping? lol

5 More tubes of silicone on the way... This puts the count on 24 tubes and I'll probably need more before the overflow's done. This time I'm going with SCS 1200... half the price and free shipping with some true union valves and clear netting I found online. From the info I could find online it looks like it's pretty good at adhering steel to glass as it's a industrial glazing adhesive. Doesn't stick to plated steel though unfortunately so I'll have to do a lot of prep work on the steel angles once I find 'em.

On the topic of silicone, when you google GE SCS 1200 silicone and open the official spec sheet, the logo on the top of the document says "Momentive". GE has been licensed and trading under Momentive since 2006, so it's either the same or close to the same stuff I've been using... just cheaper and more readily available!

[thebrinc]

Thanks guys! Had a slow weekend with some family related travels but made some headway...

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-PgDNx53faZ0/Vh1D3XMvjhI/AAAAAAAAAJM/mLKVwvW6tQM/s800-Ic42/48.JPG

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-SFvIkPPtcNw/Vh1D4KST_WI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/yTIJswch8qY/s800-Ic42/51.JPG

Still some scraping and cleaning up to do but most of the bracing's been cleaned up. I'm still hesitant to climb inside or un-clamp the base as the seam there is well over 1" in some places and the silicone takes 7-14 days to cross link and cure proper. Can't wait to get all that tape out of there!

Meanwhile I've started unpacking some of my dry rock, you can see some under the stand. That one piece measures around 30" across:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rLwwkmHYM4E/Vh1E-Xa6jhI/AAAAAAAAAJg/HGAOS7UwBmY/s800-Ic42/47.JPG

I also got my hands on some more Seaflor special grade sand, so I have five 40lbs bags in total which should get me a 1" sandbed. I hope :)
At $50 a bag I've already started running out of beer money over here.

[byee]

On the topic of silicone, when you google GE SCS 1200 silicone and open the official spec sheet, the logo on the top of the document says "Momentive". GE has been licensed and trading under Momentive since 2006, so it's either the same or close to the same stuff I've been using... just cheaper and more readily available!


Great looking tank!!

My buddy at Oceans by Design in Seattle, WA builds all his custom tanks using Momentive SCS1200. It's an adhesive silicone and not just silicone.

[thebrinc]

Hey Guys, some updates!

I've got another shipment of plumbing supplies:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-XIzvsAEv6Jw/Vik4Gr2-okI/AAAAAAAAAJ0/HyeksY5z-NY/s640-Ic42/62.JPG

They finally got the stainless angles cut, and I have the vertical braces on:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-FLfAtomMpRY/Vik4HEAR2fI/AAAAAAAAAJ8/ZTE68G_38Xw/s640-Ic42/63.JPG

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-c_jZ8bjCdB0/Vik4HV-rj2I/AAAAAAAAAKA/vdxuPzfTj_k/s640-Ic42/65.JPG

Some really awesome large Pukani pieces arrived, thanks Eli! :
Check my foot for scale...

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Sv2vQxSFAFE/Vip0Y9eRuFI/AAAAAAAAAKc/uI6RjpmGFBg/s512-Ic42/67.JPG

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-aDLU_SDdmQ8/Vip0ZhObEMI/AAAAAAAAAKg/o5bviIrVxAs/s640-Ic42/69.JPG

Overflow box is glued and drying:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-aCToqZ_e2Oo/Vip0YEE66AI/AAAAAAAAAKU/sZZ4bLy-2NA/s512-Ic42/66.JPG

I'm getting really anxious to see if this thing holds water... I woke up dreaming about triggerfish! I'm thinking of giving the braces a week to dry and then figuring out how to get the foam in under the tank. lol. Any ideas?

I'm thinking of pushing the tank forward a bit so it overhangs, and then jacking the sucker up with the car jack & a 4x4 under the glass for support?

[sphelps]

A few comments on your seams

1. Silicone shrinks when it dries, so cracks and bubbles typically form with thick glass tanks due to the extra silicone in the seams. Some silicone brands shrink less than others and the effect is amplified if the edges are not machined flat and if spacers are used (more silicone = more shrinkage). Overall pretty normal and it's certainly not enough to cause a seam to fail.

2. To do large seams properly you should actually silicone panels together first and just let excess silicone be pushed out both sides. Once dry you cut out excess silicone inside and outside and let cure longer. Then you silicone your inside bead. Otherwise a good portion of that silicone in the seam will never cure. Its rare to see this done now a days, most builders won't bother but I've cut tanks apart finding uncured silicone in the seam before and I was also told this trick by people in the know.

3. Those steel "braces" are pointless unless you plan on welding them to cross bracing at top and bottom so all corners are connected. As it stands now they are just decorative trim covering your seams.

[thebrinc]

@ sphelps, thanks for the insight!

I hear you on the shrinking issues with silicone. I'm actually using the new "stretchmarks" as a sign of curing in the lower 1" seams. They're all over all the seams now after 3 weeks.

I'll paint the braces to fight corrosion. Although not perfect, the options are limited and these are a lot stronger than aluminum / plastic trim. Structurally speaking, the vertical braces help prevent bowing of the 1/2" glass and should help avoid any shearing. However, if it only serves to hide the visual imperfections in the seams, that's fine by me too :)

I am still adding a 1.5" stainless trim on the top as well to support the side braces.

All & all I'll sleep better with the braces on :) I hope...

[thebrinc]

It's full of WATER!

...but first things first. It was a real mind bender figuring out how to get the foam in under the tank. With 10 foot in length and no real way to lift this thing up I spent a couple of sleepless nights devising my master plan. I was going to tip the tank up from the front, slip some foam in there and then do the other side. The forces working in on it would be way less, although I would be point loading the bottom edge a LOT. That being said I only needed to lift this thing by 1/2". As always there were some issues but we figured them out and, long story short, it worked like a charm!

All you need is two heavy duty suction cups, two 4x4's and two cheap hydraulic car jacks.

A couple of creaks and groans later and the front was up. Had to synchronise the two jacks but all in all it was pretty painless.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JgkNPLx-akM/VjfwybqwcbI/AAAAAAAAAK8/XiPmN6x9MVI/s720-Ic42/72.JPG

With the foam underneath I put in a 2" floor drain into the crawlspace, just in case :)

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ZYE0CGTR-uI/Vjfwy7m8ixI/AAAAAAAAALE/fqITm9LnLmw/s720-Ic42/74.JPG

To be honest, the stress of filling this thing right in the house was more then I was comfortable with... but there comes a time when you have to suck it up and just do it! After sticking a hose pipe in there and running it for a couple of hours it seems to have been worth it! No leaks!

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-KCCGpEnkrTU/VjfwzTC8DDI/AAAAAAAAALM/0-ayh_w6mto/s720-Ic42/75.JPG

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-o8Rv2tFF1L0/Vjfwz2SG-BI/AAAAAAAAALQ/HZn7RiUx0d0/s720-Ic42/77.JPG

I'm thinking of keeping the tap water in there for a week to see what happens. Really impressed with how it settled, didn't even hear the floor creak once!
Fingers crossed...

The seams are mostly covered by the steel angles so it's hard to see how they're holding up to the pressure. I'll try and get some photos up close though.

So far so good!!

[Myka]

:eek:

[Slyguy00]

That is some sweet rock you have. It's going to look awesome when it's all done!

[beauroy]

mihaivapler, what thickness of glass did they quote?

For 4ft tall they're probably going with 1", maybe even 1" laminated?

30" tall is really the very upper limit for doing a tank in 1/2" glass if you brace the hell out of it. With my waterline 2" below I'm only supporting 28" of water pressure plus the bottom is euro-braced in 6" wide strips so there's 1" for the silicone to attach to the sides. With the bottom 1" and 2" waterline there's only 27" of unsupported glass.

Although I'm aware that I'm on the limit with 1/2" glass the cost would double for 3/4" glass and with a proper 2" steel frame I'm confident it'll work. I'm also basing my build off two other reefers with the same dimensions and glass thickness that have had long term (5yrs +) success with their tanks.

god that thing is nice! ive got to see this in person

[thebrinc]

We've made some good progress...

Got the stand's main cladding done: (admittedly I'm not the best at carpentry, but I sure as sh$t have enough clamps now!)

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-s795JfjSJX4/VkYl2F6LR7I/AAAAAAAAAMU/oycI2QFRy8g/s912-Ic42/79.JPG

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-RHsncmogU9I/VkYl4zaUpjI/AAAAAAAAAL0/5w_YIwLi55I/s912-Ic42/82.JPG

I also installed a dimmable 16 foot LED strip above the top euro-bracing, locked inside the steel frame... unexpectedly it lit up the clear silicone like a light-saber! It actually gets pretty bright and was thinking I could dim them for moonlights and fire them up at full strength in the daytime to eliminate some of the harder shadows that the Kessil pendants cast.

Really a cool effect, hope the fish don't freak out.

The area to the left of the stand was going to get a hinged wooden panel but the floating corner started growing on me... now we're thinking of putting a smoked acrylic panel on that end with the electronics behind it... it's really handy to be able to see the tank specs at a glance. Maybe a old phone or tablet linked to my Apex to display temperature charts and stuff.

Now for the fun part, aquascaping! It's amazing how cold 1" of water can be in early winter:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-VdoKiJCyAuU/VkYl5Wbmr8I/AAAAAAAAAMQ/vKrpdmpHzHE/s912-Ic42/84.JPG

My facial expression changed rapidly after sitting down ;p

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-gxvIKXG5-6E/VkYl68-VHNI/AAAAAAAAAMA/qLCliYkdFGo/s912-Ic42/85.JPG

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-963WDtWGUHE/VkYl7oRlX7I/AAAAAAAAAME/Pv9kXdd3E0M/s640-Ic42/86.JPG

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-6SA8c1ELnuc/VkYl8rqAY1I/AAAAAAAAAMM/nMuFMFkHcc4/s912-Ic42/87.JPG

RO-DI unit's been working overtime the last 4 days and I'm happy to report we're halfway there! This is going to take some patience.
I feel bad about all the waste water, but we've been having a rainstorm the last couple of days and there's now a creek running in front of my driveway so I guess there's enough water for the time being. I'll definitely plumb the rejected RO water into the garden by summer though.

I'm getting the sneaking suspicion I will need some more LR although the cube tank's pretty well stocked...

@ Beauroy : You bet man, you should swing by when she's full of water!

[Zoaelite]

Looking good :), will be staying tuned.

[beauroy]

where about in Sechelt did you move to?

[GoFish]

This is an awesome build so far! You have some cojones testing that for leaks in the house, yikes.
If you feel bad about the waste water when making RODI you could get a permeate pump, got mine here... http://www.thewaterguy.ca/catalog/view/aquatec-erp1000-permeate-pump-73.htm
I make about 70 gallons of RO to 30 gallons of waste. Then the waste gets used to either flush the toilet or water the plants in the summer, this time of year though I don't bother collecting the waste

Keep us updated on the detailed progress, looking good :)

[thebrinc]

Thanks Guys!

hmmm, cool idea Vancity! Thanks for the link.

Beauroy, we're in West Sechelt... I'll PM you our address once she's full of Water!

[beauroy]

How's the tank doing,haven't seen picks for a while

[thebrinc]

Hey Beauroy. Going really well thx! Things got a little crazy the last couple weeks with the family coming over for Christmas & all... updates to follow soon!
I've got some time off from now until newyears, you should swing by & have a look for yourself.

[lastlight]

concepts built my 400 on site and those same stretch marks appeared and i too was losing my mind. my tank held water so you should be ok!

[thebrinc]

Hey Guys

Time for a long overdue update!

I'll fast forward past the Christmas craziness with some photos.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Brv6m2Da4t8/Vnrt5p-jmDI/AAAAAAAAANA/J6VLhSQ-NiM/s720-Ic42/95.JPG

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-c21Ahm3Fy28/VpVS2MJZMCI/AAAAAAAAAOc/eUMdd-DzVvs/s720-Ic42/94b.JPG

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-F-ZWZHtamiE/VpVS2p-87lI/AAAAAAAAAOk/YVAqPahmkDM/s720-Ic42/94c.JPG


https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-laPZh7nvpss/VpVS3ZZPU_I/AAAAAAAAAOs/fBaL6PqvRJM/s720-Ic42/94d.JPG

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-KVbPJsZXqTQ/Vnrt8PbzT5I/AAAAAAAAANY/l97_SvyAH34/s720-Ic42/97.JPG

Long story short, livestock was moved from the 100G cube to the DT and doing really great! Fun to watch my Kole tang flopping / swimming from one end to the other... takes a while.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-QlXcIWiy35o/VpVRr04F_wI/AAAAAAAAAOA/lbvyEPPRM_k/s720-Ic42/106.JPG

The engineer gobies are also doing really well... they schooled for a couple days being used to their cramped 30" cube and then set off in different directions, destroying my aquascaping one mouthful at a time :) Seems like they've doubled in size in the last month.

QT cube is still full of new arrivals, going on 4 weeks of Cupramine now.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-uDSRbE43HH4/VnrypIAfDCI/AAAAAAAAANs/yUaWycr57c4/s720-Ic42/99.JPG

Regal tang had velvet and now everyone's gotta put up with the copper. Lesson learned, even with a larger QT it's not fair to combine this many new arrivals. Almost through the worst of it I hope, haven't seen any signs of it for almost a week although he's picked up a bit of HLLE from the Cupramine and stress no doubt. Feeding some Selcon and hopefully he'll pull through and have a stress free place to hang out soon enough.

Back to the build, after a minor flood, my Apex dying, and two faulty pumps (vibrate the fillings out of your head at night trying to sleep) the sump had to be moved and re-plumbed into the crawl space, directly under the tank.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-KSDMb-hNiXg/VpVS4GNiOKI/AAAAAAAAAO4/Q-TM8MVJ42g/s720-Ic42/107.JPG

I've also managed to get some more work done on the stand... putting in some shelving for the AV and books.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-fdQj1isyAmE/VpVRsdimQYI/AAAAAAAAAOI/R67hhIaPxpA/s720-Ic42/104.JPG

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rm6umRNAbSk/VpVRs3JvIzI/AAAAAAAAAOM/enzdi07DsQU/s720-Ic42/105.JPG

I gave up on trying to hoist the wooden soffit above the tank and am just using a 2x4 to temporarily suspend the Kessils above the tank. It's a temporary lighting solution anyway.

Finally got the Reef Octo Regal 300 dialed and it's skimming happily for the time being. It's a bit of a nuisance being so far away from the sump, especially in winter but I'll setup a closed circuit TV system of sorts and display it in the stand on a tablet of something so I can keep an eye on things.

[Animal-Chin]

OH WOW THIS IS AWESOME!


lol sorry, but your tank is really cool, couldn't contain it...

[Animal-Chin]

Did you have to support the floor somehow?

[thebrinc]

Thanks Animal-Chin! Yes, I have four 4x4 supports in the crawlspace, one under each corner of the tank. With the 2" steel stand and joists running perpendicular this thing is rock solid. Floor did not even creak when I test filled.

[maron6977]

Very cool . Nice to see it with fish & water . I'm impressed.

[ramasule]

Update please.

[thebrinc]

... travelling in Europe for our Honeymoon. Will update when we get home. No doubt I'll have my work cut out for me when I get back, missed a couple water changes!

[thebrinc]

Update time...

So after being away for a month the tank had some issues when I got back, as can be expected from skipping water-changes , overfeeding and a general lack of husbandry. The Sandsifting goby was also nowhere to be seen and hair algae had taken hold.

I removed what I could by hand, turned off all the lighting and increased the flow by upgrading my Reeflo Dart Gold to a Hammerhead. At the 11 foot head I was running the Dart was almost losing 70% of it's flow so it was time to do something about it.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_vdkiqPFWSkP4JZkMHRehDC5rlSHpXfkkKu8MicdlDtRtHQIoP Tqcqc97hOzQGnOXBR4jjHjvgxduSQukO-Aoksv_4nsRQAl5dKlfyT-nlWF-g191vTwCMFNuBLG6bPuJZghKp9UeX3_I6gqyP7_SfzZB3PYYiA d1tWNtuzBwmAVXiK9OqW2IpVGdLJZl5iNGvigbg5lPPHTYqDDj y0K8MPbjLMxgDSi3JKm5d1HTJE4axNrr8WH6kMG23ubjdgwOPc znMZs7p8RqxvlrbM8QxbVc7uAWAux_84LEeWpmohpn8SCb1P-i7Bv3ZMe2rjezOhcMTWKMtHdSNKBtRDxIsKTcjX80GSCsrhgUi By-T5SzdZ-nd23JXO6xVxPb43stTS1pKgPHehmthXhYF4C8u8mHJqtV757eu 7_rmoWDEom8Ex2yBpYXeus539CwEitxNqx1enGmOEoPb2ZPR4a zuGdgfO8cKrtQdZXC0YcsoW09gQWpnGwyz9HM-TqBFOsvNS4u_Vpi-Fn7d3pw7arW1vdpU8Pvr-7dEDbWuL9CUPkgXXn3SgbMl46IOepdc72Fb2g0L0M3BLpkTBRo ICfvDTjkqkRH1ofJrMPBWzNSMI2VvJO=w1351-h760-no

The tank cleaned up nicely, and just in time for it's upcoming 1 year anniversary! Now all I need to do is start stocking corals...

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/jHwUE1TZ7orLHk9bE1ZaOaGFTi4OyyOetw4IunXs7NZYLcVgTv e0lO8YZrcg12X2vlxZkvhvf3BAoCq1iwyKMabMGsQiar3Cv9e5 Hnb3lUh1n6k3G4G0aNMZ2hZRgKUKI2ojEL4J6m583MUc19rGEq gCUPiYkAiivRzyxRb4_1RthrDlQZqMYv7-udNCb2qPeLPPMLVrdtxsObikXNJWyfA2QguWbMQj1vIrLT_kaG zVjNUDVqGdgozAgNL4l-Npkaitf-nU9F1jDccp_Reqhrbbz024YYjJi9pJU03gaJXb0OxZS86G-8p4XXaC6qmuOD0ZqbyPG-VhIdq3QJVjPbsV-CCRW2JJd_Zh68tYlMDVD2KQ2HJEhbiijDV7MQdAzNidA7eYPwC bYo5rgnmK2SlYARNXmG4pcaBC2txqGer6HjZggUsQLtIjHm50t 1SHEJlKFMq86IDRiGURa8Q6Ij1E4ds-zi83L_XCXvtprUxgxvkHMCZBmi-zNsbcyrIxtHKkp8AeKi4BwmuOIYflGnVwZg1UFTu6VP9HFFywq Ck8tV4IcRgkEvJ6z044YMDWgLyVkWAxbL95IYQnbcKgRENScP4 p7sPXyId9D4wC-Ul_dtdj=w1351-h760-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/r-GNL4A5gYzl9v3TGRu5C7PKjb8ZvTPZW1qjiSvilPBHkwJZng20 iBv1IarlrGbP7-j2I6QaEkZym_TajLfbOc7yU8dWwgziM_zhfVU_tZVa7d5zU6Vo 8Wi5k1ZCbkj-eYSr936WGJ_q7LZaEOWAr-_QiCV5nw7SLs0wK4x70Qqt9z_cVeu-9NXIGDsyMWZG8Gyfon2v3ZRyn3_4SaA27DYKaOdSNp4kxv-S9Ecf4Xc-kRgz4B029ErG60z1O8KoQ_u4cQJ2fs4UWQtq5XENaQbf0tr7SZ fpw3nnnxzL5OI2KN6nrqXiqFxwe5IzqUYuLnYBDjbxTIyzrGCO QqBShhM8vYaWSarL11uwyb6N9GLO2Itzyxr77SHlUf1q2mDQ7F fpFCfO5NOnszgL0ceFRFeRZyYfGYDnQI5WutR0e-22bDwSuO2fMbo6V8yeJzkg1nqyn0YHSCPtbfvaHRT5RPj9sebc ILp6y6jEPfo6kupThFqXqSLBAbz1ZIPe8KqS3WauOlywQ5Zdar G97bAZJjge0htVgrMXk9-a-v5Ad5wzLq6WS9kirO1ANvgZMysGTBhU31WWNg02KJKea0zURXr mJTizsI9h8oOoh0nmsQjuCyU_=w1351-h760-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/6lXM7AYwFdiL9Vrx0u3WlNnac5wuIbnQ2hSxoKBdxscExLIUKB E25PSHO4PGBUUAoiWGNQdzUbzcXfqcfu314irg7cY4vbuwlsD7 lMQNILKs7ORcaHQAvaTOuMH4P6tWbGSL--yuYPjpPPSSlSEToSlxbQtng-Wts03Upq3B7mBP3wPVHCmhhse1jjFyKgG_6w-UwhccJ09oAqgMV1ROv632zgYMqkE2pQeH5qD236_cgZwQo4Tht nZ9dyjlWQqXhfGkPX_TcbCJ1thh79W2TeIKbOiaVb5VyIPrlKf XFwPUSVW4UQ_weh38tR_bQmYdL1SH1tDy4viEe46oDb4tPp6z6 pjKh9BymYWT_d9Q_ylinXBi_isdOOFk6HGw-ctJrxREiyyxg67TcKoYLZc9FKxy92PoOUuUTlaCT2fMy3xWE4P jn3yldSGSoLclDsq_mCgqyjiIXXMloo0UX5-q-sJ0zkDyZyQpMC5_gonqfoSpHkaJK3RlkraIR21oiX7CuHhrLw4 5OYmlLlpw53aqwv1kpX2WBcjuIPupuqixh4Smw3KH_bfzuV3E8 lYC6XGvmXN7NLT_0xTVnCzpOZKP11ok_c_In1SCZh-ug_rdkj4_8TUN=w1072-h804-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--YC3L1_bSFvaCdpDneXreo-sbdu5aKsEJ2fWCNlUXfUKlo9452cx5dbUJcl9X6tx63aGMExEX djzHYXLwLaD1ZGFUHOvXAN-7it24XZg1dyaM6vNA6K5D8wK0FljGCozOq385JNWpLOsbj_gcD RvsmJJUZLiax3nTFM-47T-6uu7S2EEY8bBX5NCHXdnMErb3-nVrApFJKlyW5VBZOuOHTsbQbRZ0vyN_8PHGi5otmciBZNLUX-gNo5jPx7_qOhvML8YwByzbXnc3W0h1HDrgB7i2z8vHsGGnqGLO JaBxrvuVJUTYb1GHs-y1vG0hjVOQSWjlJiqLmvajvS1VUfski4rXnYHywl9kcQu4H44N aU62TK_Us2W8BMKEc_2GAV8BBY44BvyYde9bZp-tFwJRluhz7EacoVneZ3V7KgbupB953fJqFGJwkdPVPQ5G0bOOW dIezkGbTDih9lkXdrZxqeiDf82OsEvcIDN4oWRmpX4vSRtXD9Y MoZgFY9eT-9UB27uzUFSYHGnAurSGhoU-B-c0srBza_OfXKoDb-ID7oeSfIX79Jm-7q5zVptPCEoxQEOeMu8ICnqinkPqnMHVAYeigogf1aDGCJMNiD-AsO_CEs=w1351-h760-no

Looking forward to getting rid of the remaining hair algae I put a couple Sandsifting gobies in QT along with a Scribbled Rabbitfish and a couple more turbo snails. That should do it right?

Well, wanting immediate satisfaction I dropped the snails straight into the DT, after acclimating them and giving them rinse and some toothbrush action, just to be sure.

Bad idea. Very, very bad idea.

Mega mundo bad.

10 days later the Kole tang has some discolored patches... yup, it's flashing. Hmm, I wonder... what's that on the 12 inch Naso tang? Ooh, a lovely white spot on his caudal fin, maybe he ran into something. Hmm, another white spot above his eye? Looking closely, (now getting down on my knees and gripping the tank stand with white knuckles). As the light catches the Kole you can clearly see, she's covered in spots! I get up and stagger away from the tank in disbelief, feeling the urge to projectile vomit, run away... or both... at the same time. Twice.

For the first time since starting this "adventure" in saltwater lunacy I was thinking of getting out. This tank has really taken a toll on my mental health and state of well being. The amount of time and money to set it up and then getting the rug pulled out from under me 1 day before the tank turns one year old.

Then again, without it I'd be bored out of my mind :) And I love my fish.

I did a lot of reading and decided to give it a day or two, I'm off to a overnight business thing the next morning anyway so can't act anyway.

A day later I get back and the Anthias start flashing and the tangs start showing more raised spots. I guess it's probably not Velvet 'cause they're still alive. Time to act none the less... I can't even look at the tank without getting a pit in my stomach so "hoping for the best and feeding garlic infused fairy dust" ins't an option. A couple tanks back I had a 140G rimless that had a dormant strain of Velvet for about 6 months. Everyone was 100% healthy, until they weren't. I lost every fish other than my cleaner wrasse in three days as I watched them dissolve in front of my eyes. Gruesome stuff.

This was not my vision for 2016's scary Halloween house decor so it was time to do something. No way to get a large enough QT anywhere (I'm a ferry ride away from the nearest serious pet store) so I decided to break the tank down and turn the display into a hospital tank. I'd have to remove the rocks to catch all those fish anyway. I've read good things about the absorption of Chloroquine and only a little bit will get into the glass itself but after leaving my LR and corals fallow for 3 months it should be okay. Run lots of carbon etc.

The sand and corals came out... only (insert sarcasm here) took 3 hours prep work and 6 hours of hard and heart breaking labor, thanks to the help of my friend Dave who brought over a Mag12 pump and some buckets.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Qyx2ujdDb1QTsnNkwmbIXW6yVe2CEoBpFPPuXuzKJQST_oGCKc SbiegWJs_1-Pn4-Wz2SDSUa9rA1yOwpUnos9RhvskfbB_g8RARG4uxOJDT6AMcLNZ 6MVF6LbVy0jR3rQdw03TXuOzL2OH8FOLXvoV4ILRzH7z1eeBwS NhthHLs3nNnmXxl0AA6Bzg0bY5JyvtfsCng8OKywx9U71pBLA_ EsrZKm3f47NNggyyABBUvGzWMuVImsS115UiPIW3mPp74SqmZ-cX17tVBqGaYGKE0g8-gv6SfanaI6K_NKDS8le4uERKfslCii1FxzJndim43LcWimAylO 3Oe7C_uNm1c87vDU5rkUlHKZzSWQwCLkYEm4ZOIMQDXudS4YOE Bxcd3qyDsu_DL-M27k0-kPyAYBhve5SzUgO2NKL5KKrP-ocRo7dNk676XMwOr9J50QsUTar12B7LiepGG5njuO4167xqHeC-AOvhxunjGebiyig0tR5D0rmDD0wUVbtHlq7R5zsrvDAin01Nbx dsMWXts0saJElftrraaJBxsIqRQWwO8RDYspyVBh0mtQl1sPxM oDUs3pzRXLdCsr2lM0sI90r3NA_GJU2RZ2fGJq5W8bhSN=w135 1-h760-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/8zG8LyBnyk0_Mpi3O5Bu9y2nDe52z-FtiC0_zvOxD5A2HcQjXSooSYNFXwoNSia5HPyXlQEyC_y6hol9 fP_prXIejWZMoADi8LZg-18Vf64UNyg0iisZAMLh7WfCD-xGA6ne8wkHmz9-qVp1RxoBTL60fsET5BTyF4kTfXK0wRbElNlmj0yib7IVLV-xfaWYOREB1pZ-NpWYPrGzxcG9u5mnFVAL909OhcrffyfECKvD6DdjnktNJWRHKU-Q4tEHIh_hiN0cOaZGDjGzkYdB6vxQ5ExKnl02VZdznl3iU4y-dekvbXdZMGeeIdhQ30Nwbe_iev5NrF9B0Rws5nVdw4KqPKOh2d B8sOXfndtLDS61QK4ecKw5NROQg2FeyM0AU9tgpmZ95bKLnjF-GrPbTzJ4iNIqWwUKe8y11Gjh5rVelp8ITr9vcYi6KbdrpIa1CZ AHySbX2c3UcGMVJiB_F48FzF0x4o5mFxDfHCqAxZXHEc7aLtol JcrPQhq15H_pLsoav5ejm5OxPfjnH1QuqtB-2YE4942Q-34MlQqPv_omT7HnsrL3x0yYTY4ZAWFmzw1Da_MPeuTRFNx2OBh LS5a12J9im65nWf5XxEehE7xNzULM=w1351-h760-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/u3KUWMMpRcCy0KWHNfcKVh5iShkr7QNgndICDNxNy-2Ar-T-ctItoRMHHPAQlh0RxzPilMlAN_to3nTlHfvUOLBbVJwcYCfEYU s7AnZn1mpJU-iBnFMJmc4fQ87ssvliM3HoBj3xdMPJcwMIuPg7RvNAalW6vraB nr6_pDaqbN0bJReyklI9K8lTcVqKYXkuqr8gD3-spjvPP16brgejkm_EwwVDeWkkDDggbRti2K2DM77_hIEoe-RXhdCzfJ3OTak082ugyN76pJLRUCd8YGGDvjgfXitpx9GmYSmj NqYjaVIqieeV_r18Hojj8dfxn_FykyRHUIjvGeVZjbwo2OewzK i3cxsebmwEBDl_6z6GwvUnDBfbamaE3DDPugTMpuzNrJEmGQcw q7nPyAcZRh_T9ZXoi1TuHbUInHd9AEriehiZoYfaGwGTC4X-_WJK2sZ-9JJ3a2hePrJRN9p0RPXwQ0hB0SSZxyWR7G70lD7mYgJB90qP9K SPw2VXJX7tb_n3n4A6vuYS9Ef6Is3ZoPboPgA4qcMk3j6VOfWM lMiiLzQareeUlEyOjP10FjBpiFtOWUQT5_xGBckBERzRv07kHW pdQ60aqTkU8tp6wkNwqCCP=w1351-h760-no

The two largest rocks had to stay in the tank unfortunately... no matter how hard I shook those Anthias would not leave their "hotel" rock. I even pulled the one by it's tail but it only doubled up and burrowed deeper into the rock. I'm hoping with weekly 60g water-changes to replenish the medication absorption won't mess with the efficacy of the CP too much.

We covered the front of the tank to keep UV out. Looks better than a bed-sheet or garbage bags :/

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Uy7CR7S5xRQwknXD3Q4zqCl341V1jI83ozY1GjTSUuj3eaA8OD vo2unuJrrfTVsyYEqeBfawom4Cou5z5FfFIeE8ZB7yODhTh1AP R0ujZbjpNufIUtAoyVpG51eyhWshY9OZhvQXAw4QxcR9nYmNIm ItZEspATOGpTaqJWoz3pk8oezANYjAqLrIGwBpkRrFYeYO7Ssv xxg9yzXvEig_qQe_miuCJECks-_udtRx24Si35_Fm7Bna9dekIYGNimowYHkXF-aqDs8cv8G5Q-Vd7rz9oDqxfdK5Eu-2iwZ8Jop0AfXIsYp8K3jsfBUiD2Dk4KAXM3VemVLr9-O87cGtE6NDef9Gpq_3N2pkvrfwH23NuQEP6YbkQK7TSCVueWNx C9zYufB-kSUezLgsT0sn6ZoOnRLoYqiABYUkbiBVXAtkt8JAg5FXTzlU2y bqukBKsKVjgRiTY7jCt9uD9BJyIdYU9H2U0urwzoT_SkFFx0mT hLnI87IuW5xZeWbW8eH-C2GziNUqNGbRYzu7-z7QE8cdsU9DSLitUJjkndqSSldjglp3ToTwa1syGTIjBJwceyf VRyVTT2eEdZ1kNrx-oohgtEbwCaA4ytm0XNkixhFYRjT=w1430-h804-no

I'll keep it up for 7 weeks and in the DT and then re-introduce the rocks and sand in Feb / March 2107. Balls.

Moral of the story... quarantine e v e r y t h i n g.

After 12 months of careful quarantine and stocking to make sure I don't make a hash of something that could turn into an overwhelming problem, I dropped my guard for two darn snails and royally screwed up.

The cursed snails passed away before the tear down anyway.

[tang daddy]

Any updates?

[thebrinc]

Updates...

So putting a 100G blowup pool in an un-insulated crawlspace turned out to not be the best idea for the coldest winter since 2008! Just took too many pumps, lights and of course heaters to keep it going and the evaporation was enormous. Just too much surface area. Other than that it worked great...

I set out to build a 40G frag tank for all of the remaining corals and some key live-rocks. I thought 1/2" glass would look cool, and it does! Total overkill on a 12" tall frag tank but it means I could try pull off some minimalist silicon techniques which turned out looking really cool.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/1I81nm8C1Isn5jY0O3Rj6iTnAiDpZOWweV4w7SfZZKW8hXuD0x 4SZUekAdbvfpI5jd8Fa9-laiMEYLNYTlhl-yYFnWx5PDIRyn3CmZQcQ-kLJ7o6nXlAqVZL1BTea-U_seZ4UHpgCMils3eyyLS9YiGBWAOXo6tjJ-9aDy7CZPvLZj6ZGszO0Je7BB8uMcKtFN5CAFYVY6q5wTRWccv-TRBVU1TQpfIqOeAp2zZ1BDXurmA4TSTOoWK-V0NSSuyh7qTFxrSu2mF2JFSk9k4HU1GMUzyPaj4cPtx9rnMDOw FDM3Zqk-vNqSuPkuAyFtieKpgzxIbrrz0PBX1u7IQCkSfgT--b0Ih-um2WsNF-kuvrJziVsHCIPxdY40b-v1Il4dq9ErFHelETA_nOWJOe3r5gAxy47h5wqXKeN4lxB88D_7 cU4HBCBalb9bWs6tBai8WdQwn9Q0CqzIlJkzsImFAPfvQQdFR0 hIYvjnimsJHu3nxZNyZOn9VTnhQPePWn1HfbMEJflx02pIwD00 0DL2owKvi4biBN8nGtARS9szrVAziIHkRbilrgGLyl9MtqfKNv JKrglcrAtOd9aHyQMto1AdwGdRrUt1ltRKKMKLr1kgP3CzJ3=w 1449-h815-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/IAPusev8YatV8lryUvo4LDBWu6Zf3_gfHR41AkQcz-nQi19WLd4dE968GPU6-ki-JIeOZhGs5FIdWhQ_PpHKQWS1sFgj22NoOZtZZQ8zqmCw16YuRg ik5JqkH1CSt2-EPUTqG2vrD5pIe5e4tlDusw-8mZESnT4V63UHMELBfnfCuUHRXBq2w0f9InjP9tBFeyXVCzbuL GynQ-z9zPSbqfpMYom-CrGu8CtSdSIehk7Eax9gs8NkjbsHL2Fq0KolxeMnLoHFM5JLiA 8UJ--GQUn4fYrqqGM9EsE98B7B8nVpRlDgRpXEnXqO0IzXuJEU_Ammb ApdS8yyxRct-YNK-28oWxk9wziIBXMnYSXV4Bi2Fra0RJ3Qx97RXM9J8uLlNbhMaOL RJR78mK1VvBwfFXPQ3ifQuChL90uQJjnql_-FYq5s3VbAxAd-6rVHO7DZMNkmAUk2ABWEOvAbLQEym5-oJ4rGaCGjaM5EYyVWFxpAVUC1G4977tFfFX-bTzVEXLRf9SIjmbiiD4o-14S1Q7Uwri2Cp1WOTlhHI3c28WL-UttCCqZuLKWBzQ5WG3CtygExOowz3ju3Je6WWVmmuOlFcLjwpc RxiORcVwslyuFeU7ZlyPA9=w1449-h815-no

The remaining rocks got bleached and assembled into rather elaborate and vertically unchallenged rockscaping. I'm still moving things around but have managed to create a couple of new and interesting areas with those and a new box of Marco rocks.

As of last week all the rocks, surviving inverts and corals (loosely dropped in) and fish are back in the same tank... all reunited and doing great. It's a bit of a blow being set back to the new-tank-syndrome stage after being so close to the 1 year mark but think it's for the best. White rocks and all ;p I have the sneaking suspicion there might still be some parasites left in the tank but after observing all the fish for 4 weeks after the 7 weeks in Chloroquinne could not draw any conclusions strong enough to warrant putting my livestock through more treatments.

The Kole tang got two spots, the day after I stopped treatment, on it's pectoral fin that didn't fall off or multiply in over a month and no one else as much as flinched / flashed / pooped funny or shook their heads at me.

In the meantime I've been making some progress in the fish-room. Plumbed in a 55G barrel to serve as a water-change zone so I don't have to turn the pumps off or drain the sump during water-changes. I simply isolate the barrel with ball valves, drain it and refill with premixed water. Also, I'm working on a remote DSB today to try and battle nitrates and algae in the year to come. I've always had great success with a DSB but the flow in my sump was way too high to make it work... ended up with fine sugar-sized aragonite sand washed into the display tank last time I tried.

Also, the Barracuda pump got some silicone carbide seals (U.S. Seal PS-1905), they REALLY work! If anyone out there is running a reeflo pump with a leaky seal this is a no-brainer and worth every cent. Every other factory seal kit I've used ended up leaking after a while on both this and the previous hammerhead gold pumps.

Overall I'm in good spirits about the tank and looking forward to the year ahead to watch it grow back to where it was. After 18 months of starting this build I get to glue my frags into place, TODAY!

[Myka]

I didn't see your update about the Ich!!! yeesh! I'm glad you made it out alive! Got any new pics?

[thebrinc]

No pics yet but I just glued the last frag down and there's potential for some cool growth areas!

I'm a little worried about Chloroquinne leaching out of the rocks... the corals are taking a long time to acclimate. Might just be my imagination.

[duncangweller]

Any more updates on this tank?

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

[thebrinc]

The tank itself is doing great! No issues at all... I've got some more full spektrum LED units hooked up that's making a real difference and plumbed in a 55g drum to the system that I can isolate, drain and refill super fast to make water changes a breeze.

Fish are super healthy, except for the one Sailfin tang that gets a little pale once every couple weeks but that might just be minir agression issues as she's growing largerthan the older Kole tang.

Corals however have been a bit of a challenge. I'm assuming there was a little chloroquine leaching at play for a couple months. I had little to no algea growth for a while and my corals slowly shrank. Lost all my zoas, mushrooms and even GSP colonys. Spofties like leathers and Colts grew enormous though.

I've been overfeeding the fish frozen food twice a day to keep any possible ich remnants at bay, which have led to some Cyano issues as well.

All that to say things have taken a while to get back to normal after the tear down and Xmas chloroquine nukeing but we're finally back to square one. I hope! Some new red shroom colonies are doing well and I'm hoping the water quality will support some new corals and nems that I have in QT now.

All that being said my lovely wife is 8 and a half months pregnant right now, so I'm dialling things back to an easy maintenance level for the next while.

I'll post some photos on Monday though if all goes to plan!