lastlight's 225

[lastlight]

Well this one's going to be slow. The wife prefers me to pay the bills and keep our daughter happy so I'll build my new reef on the scraps she tosses me I guess!

Here's what I had planned:

- 225 gallon tank (72x30x24, all 1/2" except 3/4" bottom, black silicone, 3 sides starfire, eurobraced, black plexi back, external overflow)
- Sump (dimensions unknown right now)
- (3) 250w mh in Luminarc III's
- (4) 39w t5 supplementation
- Bubble King 250 Supermarine
- Geo 618 calcium reactor
- Geo Kalkwasser reactor
- (2) Eheim 1262 returns, each feeding a seperate manifold on top of the tank
- (2) Tunze 6101 Streams
- (1) Tunze Wavebox (This is a maybe if I feel brave)
- Profilux controller

Here's what I have actually done to date:

- 225 gallon tank (72x30x24, all 1/2" except 5/8" bottom, black silicone, no starfire, eurobraced, black painted back, external overflow)
- Sump, fuge and water change reservoir
- Sfiligoi Stealth 12x80W
- Bubble King 250 Supermarine
- Dart Gold feeding a seperate manifold on top of the tank
- (1) Tunze 6101 Stream, (2) Tunze 6100 Stream
- Tunze 7095 Multicontroller
- Tunze Osmolator
- Ranco dual-stage temperature controller
- Approx 150lbs dry rock
- Approx 100lbs sand (thanks Coleus)
- 4 stage ro/di (thanks Snappy)

[lastlight]

Sunday was my first bit of progress on the build. I went and picked up a bunch of 2x4's, wood glue, 3/4" plywood for the top and bottom, 5/8" plywood for the sides and a whole schwack of screws.

First step was to build the bottom. I assembled the basic bottom frame and then attached it to the 72x30 3/4" bottom to square it up. Every part of the stand is glued and screwed.

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/2008-04-27-at-02-46-53.jpg

Next I attached the verticals bits that help align the top frame.


http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/2008-04-27-at-05-00-53.jpg

Here you can see the top frame which is the same as the bottom one.

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/2008-04-27-at-05-01-08.jpg

I temporarily pegged the top frame up before I cut and installed the other vertical 2x4's.

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/2008-04-27-at-05-50-37.jpg

There are 2 additional 2x4's pinned around each of the corners. These are the ones actually bearing all the weight. No screws are under load. The weight is on the top frame, then onto the 8 2x4's and then onto the bottom framework. The first 4 2x4's merely serve to help me get the load-bearing ones on straight etc. Things are leveled up by adjusting the height of each corner individually on the 4 guide posts. My floor was not totally level so this fixed that nicely.

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/2008-04-27-at-09-27-21.jpg

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/2008-04-27-at-09-29-05.jpg

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/2008-04-27-at-09-29-22.jpg

Next I cut and put in the floor of the stand.

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/2008-04-27-at-10-44-25.jpg

After the floor was in I added extra vertical bracing. Two in the front and one in back. The front ones are spaced as close as possible to allow a 4 foot sump to be pushed in straight.

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/2008-04-27-at-11-15-46.jpg

The 3/4" top goes on.

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/2008-04-27-at-11-52-02.jpg

And here's two views of where I finished at tonight. The 5/8" sides have been put on. These prevent the stand from moving from front to back. A front will also be put on to prevent shifting in the other direction. I can run at this thing and it budges not a hair.

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/2008-04-27-at-13-07-26.jpg

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/2008-04-27-at-13-08-27.jpg

Well that's a wrap. Not bad for a 'lazy' Sunday afternoon!

[Pan]

Looks good.

Do you use that fireplace a lot?

[mseepman]

Looking good so far. Looks like you found the perfect spot for the tank, but like he's indicating above, watch the use of that fireplace for heat.

[TJSlayer]

Very nice stand is very similar to the one I just built and setup

http://http://www.saskreef.ca/forums/showthread.php?threadid=5263

[digital-audiophile]

Nice build! I love the picture on the wall too!

[Parker]

Looks great.. Look forward to seeing it come together!

[Tom R]

Great start.

Building the Reef on the scraps she tosses you looks like it will be top of the line. That equipment list is an impressive start.

Tom R

Well this one's going to be slow. The wife prefers me to pay the bills and keep our daughter happy so I'll build my new reef on the scraps she tosses me I guess!

Here's what I have planned:

- 225 gallon tank (72x30x24, all 1/2" except 3/4" bottom, black silicone, 3 sides starfire, eurobraced, black plexi back, enternal overflow)
- Sump (dimensions unknown right now)
- (3) 250w mh in Luminarc III's
- (4) 39w t5 supplementation
- Bubble King 250 Supermarine
- Geo 618 calcium reactor
- Geo Kalkwasser reactor
- (2) Eheim 1262 returns, each feeding a seperate manifold on top of the tank
- (2) Tunze 6101 Streams
- (1) Tunze Wavebox (This is a maybe if I feel brave)
- Profilux controller

[lastlight]

Looks good.

Do you use that fireplace a lot?

We moved into the house in Feb and haven't even turned it on to burn the nasty film off the glass yet. We rarely used our last one either so I'm safe there.

Nice build! I love the picture on the wall too!

Hey thanks! Im actually selling prints of that if you're *really* interested. Man that was shameless.

Great start.

Building the Reef on the scraps she tosses you looks like it will be top of the line. That equipment list is an impressive start.

Tom R

Hey everyone starts out ambitiously! I'm sure that list will change when I realize it's going to take me 10 years to get it all together hehe. My wife is actually really excited to have a tank in the house again and she's going to disneyland after waiting her whole life so I plan to leverage that after!

[Lance]

The wave box would be very cool! Go for it!

[calkrog]

are you planning on having a removable brace in the front. thats a long stretch with a lot of weight on just a 2x4.

[lastlight]

There is a 4 foot span across that opening. I'd really LIKE to put a vertical brace there...it just makes access difficult. Any other opinions on this? I might remove those two front braces and replace them with 1 inn the center and just deal with it. With an opening that's around 30" on each side I might be able to get a sump in there later I'm not sure. I wish I had the sump to test that.

What about this idea: I trim those front two supports shorter and insert another horizontal 2x4 on top of them spanning all the way across the front. So the front would realy be 2x8. Extending this idea to span that horizontal 2x4 across the actual corners would be nice but it's all glued and would be a real chore to rip apart...

[digital-audiophile]

Hey thanks! Im actually selling prints of that if you're *really* interested. Man that was shameless.


Sure I would be interested! :) PM me with a price if you could. I didn't know you were an artists, I'd be interedt to see some of your other work too.

[Delphinus]

Cool stuff. :)

You could always double-up a 2x6 or 2x8 in behind the front beam maybe if you wanted to keep the area brace free.. I built the stand for my 280g using a 2x6 and a 2x8 doubled up to cover the span and when I had water in the tank I measured for any signs of deflection and could not find anything even after 2 months. I'm not a structural engineer though so I'm not sure if there's a better criteria.

[lastlight]

At this point I think what I will do is simply make the center opening narrower. It's a little over 4 feet wide as it is but I'm not sure why i wanted to be able to push a 4 foot sump straight in. If i make that gap say 3 feet wide instead i can still slide the sump in and I don't think a 3 foot gap would be trouble at all.

[Delphinus]

Don't really see any reason why that wouldn't work either. :)

[lastlight]

What do ppl here recommend for a sump? I was thinking a 75 gallon or something. That would be 1.5 feet wide and 4 long. Think i could fit that in there through a 2.5 foot opening given the stand's front to back width of 2.5 feet?

I think I need to rig a cardboard tank and test that one out lol...

[lastlight]

So I decided to play it safe and moved the support to the middle. I also added a bit of support to both middles. I should still be able to fit a 72 gallon inside I think.

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/DSC_0001.jpg

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/DSC_0002.jpg

[mseepman]

Probably a good idea on the center brace. Your sump will just have to be a little taller to make up for the length that you can't get in there.

[untamed]

I believe that you screwed the plywood ends on? Maybe you could just unscrew the plywood from one end and slide the sump right in from one end. Then just screw the ply back in place.

[Ya Dude]

maybe have a door on the side so you could put a sump in that way

[Ya Dude]

hey untamed your idea wasnt there when I posted my idea,I swear ,I swear
but a door can be used more than once .If ya like

[lastlight]

How about a door on EACH end to make both of you happy?

The sides are screwed and glued. I doubt I could remove them at this point. I'd prefer to only be able to use a sump I can fully remove later if need be. Not sure the need would ever arise but like you said I can go with a taller one. I should have plenty of room as I don't think I'll run a refuge. I have a feeling that any useful fuge needs to be bigger than what I have space for in there.

I had considered placing one on a shelf in the stand. I do have a lot of height to play with. The innner height of the stand is more than 3 feet!

[mseepman]

Don't discount the benefit of a fuge. As for size...how is it that CPR can sell a hang on fuge (not big at all) if size/volume is so important? The important part is for the nutrient export and for the opportunity for pods to safely reproduce.

This is just my opinion but I know my numbers got better when I added my small fuge with my sump.

[lastlight]

I was reading an article by Eric Borneman in which he said for any significant nutrient export the volume of the fuge would need to be as large or larger than the display to be of great significance. The majority of the same export would happen in the display anyways.

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-12/eb/index.php

Myth 13 discusses this.

I do see the benefit as far as pods etc but I'm not sure how many make it alive into the display from an in-stand fuge after passing through a pump. I likely will have one because every little bit counts and it will up my total volume and stability.

[digital-audiophile]

Are you thinking about running zeovit on this tank? If so a fuge would actually do more harm than good.

[lastlight]

A few weeks ago I was actually just planning a 90 cube and intended to use Zeo. With a tank this size I don't want to put that much money out monthly just yet I don't think so initially I won't be. I think having a great skimmer and doing reguar water changes will take me far.

My main reason for wanting to run Zeovit was algae-related. My last tank was choked by the stuff and it frustrated me to no end. I've learned a few things and also plan to use supplemental lighting this time. I found I was running the halides way too long because I wanted to watch my tank all the time. This will allow me to view the tank longer and hit it with intense light for maybe 6 or 7 hrs a day. If I find myself battling algae again I'll reconsider Zeovit.

[lastlight]

Not a whole lot different as far as my build goes. I've been busy getting the stand ready for the tank which should be in my hands sometime next week.

This is the completed stand with 3 coats of melamine and all cracks and bottom joints sealed with silicone. You can barely see the 1" drain opening in the back right. The idea is that any mishaps drain directly to the basement thus avoiding the wife's wrath. The stand can hold around 2" of water itself. I will perform water changes by opening a valve that feed a 1/2" pipe hovering just over the 1" drain hole.

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/DSC_0382.jpg

Better look at the swissboard backing. The smaller holes are for letting heat out of the back while keeping my cats out of the stand. The large openings are to allow the drain lines to feed the sump. I imagine I might end up using a few of the vent holes as well for running pipes.

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/DSC_0383.jpg

A look behind the stand which is set to allow for 6" deep external overflow. I'm not exactly sure what size the overflow will be but I can slide the stand to give me anywhere between 4" and 10" so I have my bases covered.

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/DSC_0385.jpg

[mseepman]

Looking great so far! Good thinking on the drain.

[gqlmao]

Tagging along, looks promising and for sure a good tank journal!


Stanley,

[Dobber]

just a noob giving his two cents worth but if your wanting to be able to remove the sumps for some reason why don't you run two connected with a 2 inch pipe for leveling purposes that's what i did and i have a refugium in one sump and in the other i have the mixing chamber and the protein skimmer chamber and i still have room for a 22 watt lifeguard UV sterilizer on the end

[Dobber]

also another idea is to run an external protein skimmer that way you don't hasve to worry about a skimmer section in your sump and just run it in you water out line that way you can have a bigger fuge which i would never go without and still havew alots of room for other things like calcium reactors ATO section mixing chamber and other things.

PS: i have a tank with the exact dimensions of yours and mines a perfecto corner overflow i don't know what yours is but i run the same dimensions and i run two sumps connected with some pvc

[lastlight]

Thanks for the input =)

My plan is to have a sump on the left to hold my skimmer, heaters and pumps and two seperate tanks on the right. One will be the fuge and the other will be my ATO reservoir and my new SW mixing tank.

This sounds similar to what you're talking about. Do you have a thread?

[Dobber]

no but i should start one on the build of my tank unfortunately back when i started my tank al i had access to was two megaflow 3 sumps but im going to build my own sumps once i get a router and acrylic because iver done it before but i had it under my 90 gallon and i sold it when i switched the ninety over to freshwater i will start a thread on my tank build

[lastlight]

Look forward to it!

And holy cow...say what you just wrote in one breath lol...

[Dobber]

i have big lungs lol i have no time for punctuation

[ILIKECOUGARS]

You can barely see the 1" drain opening in the back right. The idea is that any mishaps drain directly to the basement.

Just wondering, Is your tank located on a upper floor with a basement under. Thinking about the weight of the tank.

[lastlight]

yes the tank is in my main floor livingroom.

I had the builder pour an 8 x 3 concrete footing in the earth and change the two 2x10 laminated beams to FIVE 2 x 14 laminated beams. I then added my own jackposts on top of the footing about 2.5 feet from the beams. so my tank is supported directly under the front and back.

I had the engineers re-enforce for a 500 gallon tank as overkill. In the end the footing was not needed so I added jackposts to add more stability so the footing would not be wasted.

[lastlight]

Here's the footing:

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/footing.jpg

Here's the beams:

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/beams.jpg

[sphelps]

This will be a cool tank, I helped setup a display tank at Bayside Corals here in Saskatoon. Very similar, same dimensions, controller, tunze setup, uses BK skimmer and so on. Only picture I have is after initial setup, if you're in the city sometime you should check it out. Super nice tank with all the goodies we all can only dream about.

http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r265/BaysideCorals/display2.jpg

[lastlight]

That looks promising already =) I like the rock structure on the left. Is the right side reef ceramics?

Cut my foam for the top and I'm told I'll have the tank this friday! The foam isn't tacked down...what do people typically do? I want to avoid gluing it due to hardened glue spots maybe making pressure points but I'm guessing when we try and get the tank on there they'll move and cause us grief...

Mounted the 3/4" sliding doors tonight. There is a bit of warp in the left side but I'm going to attach a vertical piece of plywood near the inner end of each door to pull the panels a bit flatter. Since the doors don't open 100% this extra plywood brace inside the door won't quite hit the stand's 2x4's. These are 22" sliders and are safe to 100lbs. I did some mods to the safety stops to give me a few extra inches of slide and after comparing the wobble at full extension to the original configuration it is the same. They wobble a touch when fully extended but are rock-solid when fully closed. A 5/8" plywood lip will be attached to the tops and sides of the doors to receive tile as well, then the sides will have an additional layer of 5/8" plywood to flush them to the door ends.

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/DSC_0394.jpg

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/DSC_0396.jpg

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/DSC_0397.jpg

[sphelps]

Good idea on the doors, that'll create a nice clean look, very slick.

The right rock structure is a reef ceramic. Something I would use if I could go back. It's got lots of cupped areas, perfect for placing corals.

[lastlight]

I've finished the structure that will receive the tile now. I replaced the plywood doors with maple veneered plywood since it was a much straighter/flatter product. Shame to tile over it as it's a nice board but oh well.

The doors have a lip screwed and glued onto their tops and ends. The sides of the stand were built-out 3/4" to flush with the new door lips and these ends also now have a lip on top so the tile strip for the stand's top is level around the 3 sides.

When the doors are shut the stand is a perfectly flush box so hopefully the tile plays nice and will do the same. The plywood trim for the tile is about 1 cm away from the foam's edge so it won't interfere. I'll tile once the tank is on the stand and filled so I can tile close to the tank's glass with all deflections observable. I had tiled around my 400 gallon before filling it and it bowed so the glass touched tile in a few spots which was scary...

Next I'll be removing the doors and painting their insides.

Here's some pics:

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/tilebox1.jpg

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/tilebox2.jpg

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/tilebox3.jpg

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/tilebox4.jpg

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/tilebox5.jpg

[Brent F]

The doors look great. They should give the tank a nice look when done.

[mseepman]

I'm really enjoying this build thread...you have some great ideas!!

[lastlight]

Now if only I had money to actually DO anything reef related haha. Thanks for the comments!

[Parker]

This is going to look amazing when done!

[lastlight]

Well some progress again. This time I have the tank itself to show. I opted for no starphire and looking through it now I honestly think I'll be happier with regular glass. I hear starphire scratches easier, this isn't too green at all and I had weird distortions with my last starphire tank.

I had *removed* build this for me and they did an awesome job. Ground and polished edges, black silicone and eurobraced with a few holes. Getting the tank into the livingroom was pretty easy but to get it up on my high stand (44") we hauled my kitchen table over. We got it on the table first and from there onto the stand. Extra thanks to *removed* for delivering this beast to my door at no extra charge.

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/tank1.jpg

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/tank2.jpg

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/tank3.jpg

[Lance]

That is one fine looking tank! I agree, I see very little green at all. I've got a 225 Sea Star coming next week with starphire front. I've heard from some owners that the starphire glass does scratch easier and others say no. I personally have never owned it before, so I don't know. I've seen other tanks with it and I really liked it. I'll guess I'll soon find out.

[Delphinus]

Oh - I think I saw your tank at the store before it had the bracing or box on it.

"Shore is purdy" :)

[lastlight]

Oh - I think I saw your tank at the store before it had the bracing or box on it.

"Shore is purdy" :)

Does EVERYONE get to go into the back room there? I thought I was all special getting to see the operating room table and stuff. Yeah that was mine you saw!

[TheBits]

The tank is looking pretty sweet. Definitely fit for the bits!

Love,
TheBits

[Midknight]

Coming along for the ride. Looks sweet.

[Delphinus]

Are you kidding? He'd chase me out of there with a shotgun if I got anywhere near. He had the tank out in front, you had to walk right by it to get at his fish tanks :p

Does EVERYONE get to go into the back room there? I thought I was all special getting to see the operating room table and stuff. Yeah that was mine you saw!

[lastlight]

Since this build is slow I will tend to update for ANY progress lol.

By extreme luck Gold's had my skimmer in stock! This won't see any electricity for months unfortunately. It's a BK SM250 and the thing oozes quality. The lid is a WEAPON. Hopefully it can skim too =)

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/bk1.jpg

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/bk2.jpg

Next item will be a Dart Gold that I have on order. I really hope the new (original) Baldor motors are as quiet as I've heard.

[lastlight]

A bit more progress to report...

I've got most of my plumbing parts now and I began connecting it all. This pic shows the 4 1" returns into the tank. These will tee to 1.5" flex pvc that will snake behind the tank to the pump. The 90s are slipped on right now because there isn't enough clearance to rotate them all the way around and I don't want to commit at this point. I may use some 45s for the middle two returns to get some flow between my planned rock islands/piles.

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/returns.jpg

These next two pics show the two tanks I tried my hand at building. I picked up 3/8" glass and went to town and I'm really happy with the result. I water tested successfully and then added the first baffle. I may not add anymore actually. Will do a wet run and see how the bubbles are. Space was at a premium so I don't have a large return area so more baffles might actually increase noise. I'll see...

The tall tank is basically an extra 20 gallons of system volume I will have in circulation. To do a water change I'll shut it's feed valve, flip a switch to run a little eheim that always sits in it...draining it into the basement drain (via the safety drain in the bottom of my stand). Then I'll turn a valve on my mixing tank hidden in my office (other side of the wall, in a cabinet) to top up the tank and open it's feed valve back up to bring it 'online'.

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/sump1.jpg

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/sump2.jpg

Once my flex pvc arrives and the baffle cures I'll get these into the stand and hook it all up! Really excited to be able to fire my Dart up. My fuge will be a 15 gallon tank on a shelf inside the stand but I likely won't build it. Just need to plumb everything to make sure a stock 15 (24x12x12) will fit. Cheaper than custom and I'm nearly out of black silicone anyways.

[Sebae again]

Nice job on the tanks! Now everyone will want you to build them one. What material is the black back of your display tank?

[lastlight]

Hey thanks =)

The best part is they hold water! I was a little worried as I filled them even tho I was pretty careful in their construction. Only hiccup was putting a massive gouge in the table when i slid the sump over a bit lol. You can see it extending past the left side of the sump in the last pic.

The back of the tank is paint. I think the builder used a marine enamel. The 1/8" acrylic backs I had siliconed into my previous tanks buckled and warped which i really didn't like. This will allow me to scrape the back religiously like any other panel too.

[Chaloupa]

OUCH! That is a nasty gouge!!! But everything looks excellent! I'm looking forward to the build! (bet you are too!)

[lastlight]

I moved the tanks into position. Nearly broke my back and hit my head not once but twice on the opening. Hopefully not an indication of what maintenance is going to be like lol.

I found a new use for an interlocking playmat my wife wasn't using in her dayhome anymore as well! I placed the 'nice' side down since it's disney princesses =)

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/sump3.jpg

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/sump4.jpg

[Delphinus]

My suggestion for the table is a brown crayon (no really, it's worth a try).

Tanks look great. Man I love the look of a new tank, the clean lines and everything.

Where'd you pick up the tru-union valve?

[lastlight]

Thanks Tony.

Yeah washing the table seems to have helped a bit. I noticed later I put two gashes in there haha but I think it's crayon time.

The 2" TU ball valve is from Bulk Reef Supply. I picked up a 1.5" and 4 1" of the same style and I'm glad I did since they are well built and turn so nicely. I bought all my fittings, valves and pipe from BRS. I'm waiting on a few more things from them to finish my plumbing. My black flex pvc should arrive same day (27th) so I am pumped.

[lastlight]

So the stand is officially completed. I was happy to get this done before the tile we used on the fireplace got discontinued or something! These photos show the finished exterior and the plumbing I did inside. 2 inputs into the sump that wrap behind the skimmer are for the refugium drains. That will be a 20 gallon on a shelf somewhere in there. Thanks for lookin'!

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/tiled1.jpg

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/tiled2.jpg

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/tiled3.jpg

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/tiled4.jpg

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/tiled5.jpg

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/tiled6.jpg

[Leah]

Send us more!
Imagination A++ - I love creative people, its so inspiring. This is some project.
Does the tile match the fireplace of course it does. Did you design this yourself
where, did you get the ideas......Iam a FANNNNTASTIC! HE HE! Can hardly wait
to see what goes in.

[Skimmerking]

looks really good good idea on grouting the tops into a angle and leaving no grout lines on main doors.

[Lance]

Very nice job. I love the tile.

[Delphinus]

"Wow" hardly does justice..

[TJSlayer]

Incredible truly beautiful.....

[brizzo]

Very clean! I like the sliding doors very much

[JDigital]

That is a great looking setup so far... The tank itself looks great! When will it see water?

[lastlight]

Thanks guys =)

Be a while yet. Second child on the way doesn't help lol. Next up is my light rack which will be angled aluminum with a wood skin but with 3 reflectors, bulbs and a schwack of t5s it is going to require some careful saving. The build thus far has all been done with money I can scrape up on the side. I used to have a pretty nice collection of out of print cds =)

[Trigger Man]

Can't wait to see more updates, I like the idea of the sliding front and matching it with the fireplace

[lastlight]

Just snapped some shots of the new light after I got it mounted to the ceiling. It is a 12x80w Sfiligoi Stealth T5. Has some nice features such as true individual reflectors per bulb, 6-fan active cooling and a 3-piece glass shield that spans the entire bottom of the fixture. I left it out for the shots.

I'd love to show some pics of it firing bulbs. The hilarious part is that bulbs are not in my budget for a while it seems.

Interesting fact: I was precariously straddling the sink on top of the kitchen island with my camera nearly touching the ceiling for shot number two. Since the top view is my favorite of the light and nobody is ever going to see it I thought it deserved some sweet lovin'.

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/sfiligoi-stealth-1.jpg

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/sfiligoi-stealth-2.jpg

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/sfiligoi-stealth-3.jpg

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/sfiligoi-stealth-4.jpg

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/sfiligoi-stealth-5.jpg

[Delphinus]

Wow, very clean lines. Your pictures belong in a brochure. :)

[christyf5]

Very slick! Can't wait to see water in it :cool:

[lobsterboy]

nice job, :mrgreen:

[bignose]

Your tank is very clean. The matching stand and fireplace gives a very professional look. I'm impressed good job on your build.

[JDigital]

That is a gorgeous setup you got going..

12x80W... Wow... that is gonna look like a nuclear explosion :mrgreen:

[tang daddy]

a long build but well worth the wait this is what a dream tank should look like.

I guess one way of looking at it is it's almost like morgaging a car only payments are whenever you want!

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

Wow! Looks amazing.

Now I can't wait to get my new tank (mid Feb.) :) Its the exact same dimensions but just 2" shorter making it about 20G less. And I have an internal overflow instead of external.

Hope it ends up looking half as good as this!

Can't wait to see it filled up.

[fishytime]

Wow....Im suffering from some serious light envy here. Looks wicked man!

[Rbacchiega]

How on earth did I miss this thread?! That is by far the nicest stand I have ever seen. In-fricken-credible.

Tagging along

[Stones]

Your tank build is coming along very nicely. I'm sure you will be very impressed with that fixture once you get some bulbs in it. Have you found a source for the 5ft T5 bulbs yet?

[lastlight]

Thanks for all the nice comments...

I'm still a complete noob as far as tank husbandry goes so I'm hoping this tank will be a massive improvement in that respect. I was very sloppy the last time around but I'm going into this one armed with a mountain more reading under my belt.

Last tank was softies and LPS and I had casualties even with these. I'm not surprised as I'd sorta just dump calc and alk into the tank and test every now and then. This tank will be primarily SPS if all goes well so I'm planning on being more diligent and prepared.

The old tank I think also was a little light on the hardware side of things.

I think the ASM G1-X I was sold was really under-sized. I also never got around to saving up for a second 250w mh so i only had one inside a spider reflector to span a 3.5 x 18 x 18 area. Hardware isn't everything but I believe it will help me out a great deal.

[lastlight]

Have you found a source for the 5ft T5 bulbs yet?

It appears that I can get the ATI bulbs I want from Proline (through Golds) or through Aquarium Obsessed. Have only gotten a price from AO and it was really good. My light arrived in-tact and quickly so I'm not adverse to giving Will some more of my business.

Red Coral can get in KZ, Giesemann and Aquascience bulbs for me but ATI are what I'm really after (based solely on reading the T5 thread on RC).

There is always reefgeek for the ATI bulbs as a backup too tho in the end that would likely cost me more.

Question for T5 users...I understand that a whole bank of lights goes out if one bulb burns out. Is this true? If so I think in the case of hard-to-get bulbs I may want to order a couple extras of each kind...

[mseepman]

I think the Canreef sponsor "progressive reef" also has ATI bulbs...you might want to check them too.

[lastlight]

Not 80w unfortunately. I did ask but thanks though...

[Red Coral Aquariums]

It appears that I can get the ATI bulbs I want from Proline (through Golds)

Red Coral can get in KZ, Giesemann and Aquascience bulbs for me but ATI are what I'm really after (based solely on reading the T5 thread on RC).



That is strange as proline doesn't carry ATI and that is where I would order the 80w KZ and Aquascience from. HMMM as you said you do have other options for the ATI bulbs. BTW nice setup.
Kevin

[lastlight]

Nothing's set in stone Kevin. If you could please PM me a price per bulb for the different brands perhaps I can be tempted =)

[Stones]

I did quite a bit of research into T5 lighting before I switched over from my old metal halide setup. Like you, I also was planning on going with all ATI bulbs despite how hard they were to come by at the time. Then I stumbled across this article:

http://translate.google.ca/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://www.atoll-ra.fr/index.php%3Fpage%3D43&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=1&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dati%2Bvs%2Baquascience%26hl%3Den%26rl z%3D1T4ADBF_enCA273CA273

Seeing as aquascience bulbs are carried by most of our Canadian vendors, I thought I'd give them a try based on the results of the above experiement. So far I'm very happy with the 22K and 15K bulbs however I haven't tried any of the 17.5K duos yet. The 15K bulbs are more like a 10K bulb though as they emit a much more yellow colour than my Kz 14K New gen bulbs.

[lastlight]

Interesting article which I had indeed come across myself. The corals under the AS certainly look better. Wish they had measured PAR and not LUX as the par is what matters I believe.

Regardless of what brand I go with it seems that a few places will order in 80w but none appear to regularily stock them which is too bad.

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

Any updates? :D

[lastlight]

Lol I'm living through you right now didn't I tell you?

I have finalized my purchase list. I need to survive taxes, my wife's upcoming unpaid maternity and hopefully hold onto my job. After that we'll see. So no updates here until at least june or july I think.

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

Lol I'm living through you right now didn't I tell you?

I have finalized my purchase list. I need to survive taxes, my wife's upcoming unpaid maternity and hopefully hold onto my job. After that we'll see. So no updates here until at least june or july I think.

Ha! And here I am going slow to try to pick up a few more tricks from your build :) I really wish I had caught your stand leveling method sooner.

I also have to think about my job right now and hope I can find a new one after my contract ends in July. Ugh...taxes...I forgot its that time of year :neutral:

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

:boink:









:noidea:

[lastlight]

Lol!

I'm currently clinging to my job and stockpiling every extra penny I have. Trust me you'll know when I'm through with this phase. My tank won't see another cent until markets turn around.

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

Lol!

I'm currently clinging to my job and stockpiling every extra penny I have. Trust me you'll know when I'm through with this phase. My tank won't see another cent until markets turn around.

:puppydog:

[lastlight]

ReefGeek came through for me! 6 ATI Blue+, 3 ATI Aquablue Special, 2 ATI Pro Color, 1 GE 6500K.

I really need to learn how to shoot what my eye sees it's crazy hard! The first 3 pics show the overall color/look pretty acurately but not nearly as intense and bright as it is. The last pic displays the rocks and interior of the tank very close to how bright it is.

Anyone have tips for me? I used my rock to set my white balance but my eyes see the tank lit very bright and also the distinct colors of the tubes. My camera can't see it all at once under my control...

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/t51.jpg

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/t53.jpg

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/t54.jpg

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/t52.jpg

[Rbacchiega]

mmmmmmm lights.

Looks gooot!

[Delphinus]

Disco!!!

[lastlight]

If you guys play the reflections JUST RIGHT you can make out what I was wearing :wink:

[Rbacchiega]

??? Girl Underwear??? aaaand, I think I see the outline of a black lace bra in there too....

[brizzo]

I have finalized my purchase list.

What's left on the list for the rest of your build?

[lastlight]

I'm waiting on a pair of drilled 33 gallon tanks to wrap up my water-change station in the adjacent office. Will post pics once they're plumbed in.

Remaining items:

- ro/di
- 2 x tunze 6105
- profilux with doser (doing 2-part or balling)
- heaters
- test kits
- salt
- 2-part supplies

I figure I could use my old seio 620s and dose manually for a while so the ro/di and heaters would get me started with water I guess. I've waited quite a while now so I may just leave it empty until I have everything on my list.

[brickwood]

Awesome build. I love the stand. Very well thought out build.

[lastlight]

Few more updates on my build. I've been working on adding my water-change station to the office that shares the wall behind the display tank. I bought the modular units for home entertainment at ikea. We used these upstairs in the tv room and really liked them. I beefed up the cabinets a ton with plywood, metal brackets and 2x4s then mounted the entire thing to a few wall studs.

This shows the tank in the livingroom and the water-change station on the other side.

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/wc1.jpg

Looking into the office...

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/wc2.jpg

[lastlight]

Doors open.

A 33 gallon will sit in each cabinet on the right. Each tank will have an emergency drain plumbed to the basement. The top tank will have a float valve and hold freshwater. A valve will empty to the bottom mixing tank. To add the mixed water to the display the eheim will be on a switch.

On the left will sit the Profilux, dosing jugs, test kits etc. A small fridge I have kicking around is tucked beside the desk on the other wall for frozen food.

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/wc3.jpg

The pvc is the drain to the basement. The drain in the display tank stand also connects to this line in the wall. The flex hose will connect the eheim to the 20 gallon tank sitting under the display tank.

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/wc4.jpg

I ran 3 dedicated 15A circuits up to here. I need to mount receptacles in here somehow. I left the wall socket accessible as well. You can see one of the metal brackets here. What I did since the ikea stuff is half cardboard is I placed a 2x4 inside the other cabinets and attached the bracket to it through the shared cabinet walls. I re-enforced other areas like this as well as attached a horizontal 2x4 to the back of the stand (it mounts into the other 2x4 re-enforcements) and pinned this to the wall studs.

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/wc5.jpg

[lastlight]

The 10 gallon i picked up from canreefer outtafocus tonight.

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/crusty.jpg

After I gave it a little love. I wanted to replace his bulkheads since I wanted them 1" all the way to my sump and they reduced to hose/ less than 1". Not until after I sawed the pvc off the bulkheads did I notice these were siliconed in from gasket and nut side. I had to drill the plastic and pry like crazy to remove them!

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/wc6.jpg

This shows the area where the fuge will sit or should i say float. I'm building a shelf so it sits above my return piping. It will be fed off that manifold (that also currently feeds into my 20 gallon waterchange reservoir under there). Two drains into the sump gives me peace of mind when running this in-line like I intend to.

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/wc7.jpg

Other side of the stand. Hard to see but I plumbed a mag3 i had kicking around in. To do a waterchange i isolate this 20g reservoir by shutting it's manifold feed off (it normally is always in circulation with the sump). Then I flip a switch and the mag3 empties 20g into my basement. I attached some type of threaded nipple i found in the irrigation section of HD to the intake and then trimmed it to leave maybe 1mm of space between the tank bottom. It empties NEARLY all of the tank before catching air. The topoff comes from my mixed water in the office. The tie-wraps you see on that pipe are directing the clear flex tubing from the water-change cabinet into the tank.

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/wc8.jpg

[lastlight]

Stand drain heading to basement. Hard to see clear flex hose connecting water-change station to display.

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/wc9.jpg

Under the floor in the downstairs bathroom. So glad I chose t-bar ceiling for down there!

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/wc10.jpg

Here's where I got REALLY LAZY. I had a drain put in the floor for what I thought was going to be a fishroom. It happens to lie beneath a benchpress I barely ever use. I managed to snake it in somehow! The junk I tossed in the window to keep the neighbors from gawking at me when I run is sorta permanent now unless I cut the pipe lol. GHETTO I know...but Tony told me to do it this way.

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/wc11.jpg

[lobsterboy]

sick man, i cant wait till you start to fill it.

[Delphinus]

Wow, I was all set to say I wasn't worthy to even be reading this build thread ... until that last photo. :p

[Rbacchiega]

looks fantastic

[andestang]

This is a very nice build, everything looks so neat and classy. In the last pic did I spot a roll of toilet paper for just in case when you go a little too heavy on the weights ? :laluot_26: Can't wait to see water in it.

[Snappy]

Yep it needs water.:wink:

[lastlight]

Lol how on earth did you spot the TP? I had to look for a few seconds before I found it! I had a cold for a while and running with a stuffed nose is fun so I had some nose cleaner on hand =)

Thanks guys. This thing WILL see water one day!

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

:faint:

[JDigital]

Damn!! Really really nice setup so far.. Giving me a few ideas actually for my big tank.. :mrgreen:

Can't wait to see this with water.

[spoot]

That basement shot is quite a contrast from the rest of the house LOL

[Rbacchiega]

That basement shot is quite a contrast from the rest of the house LOL

+1 I'm waiting to see pictures of the well and the room where he's raising moths LOL

Just kidding.

Can't wait to see this full in another couple months...(years?)

[Lance]

Really great looking build! Looking forward to seeing the grand finale.

[fishytime]

12 pages and no water yet...whats it gonna be like when youve got sumpin in the tank?....no pressure:lol:

[Rbacchiega]

THIRTEEN pages!

[lastlight]

You guys and gals need to change your preferences =)

This is the beginning of PAGE FOUR the way I see it here. Looks a little less depressing that way ya know?

And please...you guys want to know what my basement REALLY looks like?

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/dayhome1.jpg

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/dayhome2.jpg

I turned my brand new basement into that psychedelic horror in less than a month after we moved in lol.

[Delphinus]

How do you find time to do all that?

[JDigital]

How do you find time to do all that?

I woulda thought he'd grown out of all those childish toys... :lol:

[lastlight]

My wife runs a dayhome and the sooner I finished the basement the sooner we could stop using our main floor as a dayhome after we moved! I can cope with my daughter's toys laying around but 6 kids' toys laying around is brutal!

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

My wife runs a dayhome and the sooner I finished the basement the sooner we could stop using our main floor as a dayhome after we moved! I can cope with my daughter's toys laying around but 6 kids' toys laying around is brutal!

Whoa...yeah 6 kids toys is a lot!

I can't even deal with the friggin' cat toys I find laying around my condo...

Obviously I do not have the patience yet for kids :neutral:

[Delphinus]

I have 2 cats and 2 kids and not a whole lot of sanity left. If it isn't toys it's hairballs or something. Or poo. My God my life is awash in poo. Some people have dogs in their lives. I have enough poo in my life. Don't get me wrong dogs are great. But they poo too. Please. No more poo.

[lastlight]

Yeah I gave in and we tried a dog once. A wiener dog. That was a divorce brewing on four stubby legs so he was ousted. I'll be a 2 cats 2 kids guy on may 14th myself. And I feel tired NOW.

[Delphinus]

Congrats! Do you know what you're having yet or do you like to be surprised? Me, I figure there are enough surprises so I was happy to know beforehand. We kept it a secret for everyone else though, they had to wait until both boys were born to find out.

That's awesome. I mean that from a "thank God I'm not the only one" kind of way. No I'm kidding. It's awesome for you. Good luck with everything. :)

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

I have 2 cats and 2 kids and not a whole lot of sanity left. If it isn't toys it's hairballs or something. Or poo. My God my life is awash in poo. Some people have dogs in their lives. I have enough poo in my life. Don't get me wrong dogs are great. But they poo too. Please. No more poo.

I think that's why I like cats...they just take care of their own poo. I mean I have to clean the litter box but that's fine since they take care of the 'messy' part.

I'd say 'dealing' with the fish poo is WAY worse than the cats poo.

[lastlight]

Yeah we know. Going to be a boy this time around. My wife said she'd keep it a secret but typical for her...everyone knew in a couple weeks lol.

I honestly have no IDEA what I'll do with a boy. I really have this girl thing mastered and totally don't wanna get ****ed on (literally). Only time I ever changed my nephews diaper he nailed me! I am prepared this time with these ****Shields they call peepee teepees haha.

[lastlight]

I think that's why I like cats...they just take care of their own poo. I mean I have to clean the litter box but that's fine since they take care of the 'messy' part.

I'd say 'dealing' with the fish poo is WAY worse than the cats poo.

I have no trouble cleaning my skimmer cup or siphoning tankwater with my mouth as a startup for some weird reason. The litter is my job and I really hate doing it. I did the dog thing tho and that was a bazillion times worse.

wth...'bazillion' is in canreef's dictionary. 'CANREEF' itself isn't lol.

[Rbacchiega]

I'll officially be screwed if I get pregnant and have a little girl...wth am I going to do with a little girl?!?!

Congrats on the the boy when the time comes though...that's exciting. I'm good with babies once they're past the blob in a blankie stage (figure 6 months) until they're about three...when the start coping attitude I'm done with them until they're old enough for the bar LOL (kidding)

You guys should try your hand at cleaning reptile crap...infinately worse than cat or dog.

But since I've restarted vodka dosing, the skimmate that gets pulled out is disgustingly thick and stinky.

(like how that was a super hijack and then came sort of back on track talking about fish and all)

[lastlight]

Here she is. Sits on a stand that needed to extend a little over my return valve. Closest bulkhead will have a strainer and be the drain, other is emergency drain. I ran out of sch80 90s so you see the extravagant result for the over-the-top return from the manifold!

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/fuge.jpg

[Delphinus]

Ohhhh, the fuge. I was all "here WHAT is" and looking back 2-3 pages to see what the context was and then realized it was mentioned in the title of the post.

Man, that's a lot of pipes and valves and stuff. Looks really neat.

[Rbacchiega]

I really like the look of the grey plumbing...WAAAAAAAAAAY nicer than the white. Is it more rigid too?

[lastlight]

The grey stuff is seriously WEAPON material. It's at least twice as thick-walled as the sch40 white pvc. My plumbing alone is pretty heavy. I lose flow, it cost more and had to be shipped but it looks great haha. I'll bet I could have a reef by now if I wasn't so fussy!

[karazy]

I'll bet I could have a reef by now if I wasn't so fussy!

Hahaha, that should be part of the reefers anthem.

the tank looks awesome! im super excited to see what it ends up looking like.
and that light fixture is fricken crazy!

[Rbacchiega]

shipped? From Where?

[Delphinus]

BRS probably?

[new but handy]

couldn't someone just buy CPVC from anywhere? It's pvc for electrical conduits. It's the same as pvc (as far as I know) and it's grey.

[Delphinus]

Schedule-80 pipe is also grey. It's rated for much higher pressures than we really need but you can't argue against that it looks cooooooool. :lol:

[lastlight]

Ok the tank looks 10x cooler under light AND water. Do I win a biscuit?

This is freshwater of course lol. Leak-free so far! Going to run it all day and hope for the best. I'm leaving the house for most of the day too which seems pretty smart to me.

And yeah the plumbing was from BRS.

Coolest thing is with sunlight in my livingroom the auto whitebalance has capture the look perfectly! Tho your mileage may vary since every monitor is diff.

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/wet1.jpg

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/wet2.jpg

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/wet3.jpg

[plutoniumJoe]

This is one of the most inspiring tanks I have ever seen. The sump and everything is just so clean and perfect, I bet you are almost hesitant to put fish in it. Can I ask how wide your euro bracing strips are and do they sit on top of the edge pieces or is that just how it looks.

Joe.

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

Saaaaweet!

I wouldn't put fish in it. Or saltwater. This set up is just way too clean and nice looking to ruin with livestock. You will just get algae and crap ruining the look. Fish are too messy. Keep it modern and sleek just how it is now. I think the rockwork is absolutely perfect!!!

[kodak]

That is a beautiful set up, nice job!!!

[sharuq1]

What an absolutely gorgeous setup. It's like TOTM and not even filled yet. :biggrin: Is that a Bubbleking?

How did you get the front doors to slide? Just drawer sliders or something. (Probably dumb question, but I'm handy-impaired) Is that tile over wood? Is it sealed in any way?

Tell us more about the sump, looking at all that pipe is making my brain hurt <confusion> :lol: ok...that and severe sleep deprivation, lol!

Can you give me any idea how much it's all costed for setup? Interested in doing something similar some time far in the future and I'd like to know what I'd be in for. (If you're comfortable telling me, that is-feel free to pm, if that's not too forward....:redface:)

[lastlight]

Lol. I totally remember my first reef and yeah everything looked so clean and tidy. The reef part has a tendancy to make everything look a lot worse! My mistake was not using a wipe-friendly paint last time around. I used melamine for everything and you can wipe it like a counter-top so I'm hoping to keep things relatively clean down there.

I was out all day today and the system still holds all the water I placed in it! RELIEF!

Thanks for the kind words but realize my only running tank was pretty pathetic looking. I lost quite a few corals and algae choked everything. I appreciate the compliments but please visit my thread once I have a reef lol. I'm really hoping I've learned as much as I think I have while I've been tankless.

The sliding doors are nothing more than drawer slides mounted to the face of the stand. The plywood has tile on it correct.

The eurobracing I think is about 4 inches wide but that's just a guess.

[lastlight]

My new baby boy has been in the NICU for a week now. Tonight he had nearly all his tubes etc removed an we got to hold him! Been a really rough week but I felt like updating my thread with the good news. Hopefully take him home this weekend!

Bryce and daddy crazy-eyes.

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/baby1.jpg

Cuddletime.

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/baby2.jpg

[Delphinus]

I had no idea you guys were in ICU. Hope you guys get to bring him home soon (and congrats on the new addition BTW, he's beautiful, hope he does better soon. Know how you feel - my now one-year-old went through ICU for a week or so when he first came into the world).

[fishytime]

Hey congrats yous two.....and congrats on having water in the tank....guess they were both a nine month long project huh?:razz:

[Skimmerking]

Brett we have a lot in Common man. My wife used to run a day care in our home too. upstairs then i hated coming home to 8 kids in the house. so I converted the down stairs into a day care for here kitchen and all. Then all the kids were down stairs. :biggrin: but still when i was off i had 8 little ones wanting to feed the fish that i had in my FOWLR tank the 170 gal. they all wanted to touch BIG Daddy BLUE the Koran Angel... lol

On the other note Our son was in NICU for 2 months premature. with every type of hose in his body from a rare lung disorder not allowing his lungs to develop so he had to have shunts put in his lung to allow the fluid to drain out. so getting to hold him after the tube were out was amazing. seeing you in the picture is priceless man, well done. and the tank looks great too empty, one good thing that you wont have to test or feed the tank.

[lastlight]

Hey thanks guys =) He took a tiny step back from his nasal prongs to a helmet giving him oxygen with a bit of pressure. He had just come off his helmet so that sorta sucks but things still look really good. 2 months in NICU I can't imagine.

This kid's gonna get SPOILED. I told the wife already. ANYTHING he wants for daddy's tank like Tunzes or Profilux...I mean it's only right to make his little world PERFECT.

[Rbacchiega]

I can see already he's telling you to get a profilux with dosing system.

Beautiful baby boy Brett

[Lance]

Well done on both the baby boy and the outstanding job on the system. Congrats Brett!

[muck]

Congrats Brett on the boy!!
I think you will find that while boys will try to pee on you at every diaper change (at least mine does). They are a lot of fun as well. And a few years from now at least you won't be only playing tea party and princess dress-up every spare moment. :razz:

Oh and the tank... SUPER FAB!!

[lastlight]

last couple days have had their ups and downs. Totally brutal when your little guy takes steps backwards and is on machines you thought you'd never see again. This morning however my little reefer is off his nasal prongs... No tubes anywhere! Getting closer to taking him out of qt and letting him into the dt ;)

[fishytime]

Great news Brett:biggrin:

[JDigital]

last couple days have had their ups and downs. Totally brutal when your little guy takes steps backwards and is on machines you thought you'd never see again. This morning however my little reefer is off his nasal prongs... No tubes anywhere! Getting closer to taking him out of qt and letting him into the dt ;)

hahaha! I see what you did there... :lol:

[sharuq1]

He's gorgeous, congrats both of you! Have they needed to put him under light therapy at all?

[lastlight]

No we dealt with jaundice with our daughter and we'd gladly have gone that route this time. He had fluid in his lungs and he's had issues adapting to breathing outside the womb. The term Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension was mentioned in the beginning but they weren't sure 100%. All I know is he did really well today breathing entirely on his own!

[mseepman]

That's great news! I hope he's home with you soon!

[lastlight]

He's coming home in 12 hours!

Maybe I'll take a pic of him in the tank so this is a little more relevant?

[karazy]

He's coming home in 12 hours!

Maybe I'll take a pic of him in the tank so this is a little more relevant?

you must be excited! congratulations!

maybe when he's older, you can hook up a hamster ball to an oxygen tank, and let him go scuba diving in the tank.:lol:

[BlueAbyss]

Wow, this is excellent news! This is a tank journal after all, and since it's your tank, I think you should be allowed to journal all you want :biggrin: I agree that a FTS with child is in order though :lol:

[sharuq1]

How's little Bryce doing?

[lastlight]

Someone dug my thread up on RC so I thought I'd waste some bandwidth here as well.

Only change is I plumbed the fresh water tank and mix tank into the cabinet. There are 3 valves. The 3 divert water into the display, back into the mix tank for mixing or direct to basement drain for rinsing the tank out.

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/33s.jpg

Next on my list is installing a powered lift for the light. It will involve a linear actuator mounted to the ceiling and a few grooved bearings. Already I find it impossible to access the tank so it needs addressing now. I hope to have the light lift parts in a month or so.

And Bryce is doing awesome thanks for asking!

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/bryce.jpg

[lastlight]

Tonight I finally attempted what I feared might be impossible. I had originally planned to drill a hole in the wall behind the tank, right against the ceiling and drop my wire down into the wall. Then I'd pick it up with a magnet on the office/water change cabinet side somewhere and drill into the wall to fish it out. Then just run it into the back of the cabinet where my outlets are.

Then I planned for a way to have the wire be totally hidden on the tank side (emerge right from the ceiling into the actuator) and on the cabinet side (enter into the cabinet from the basement just like my drain pipe).

Here are the pics!

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/wire1.jpg

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/wire2.jpg

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/wire3.jpg

To do this I followed these steps:

- drilled hole where actuator assembly will mount to ceiling
- loosened and pushed aside the heating duct in upstairs washroom which straddles the wall between the tank and the cabinet
- ran string with weight on its end down into the basement from the bathroom through the studs where another vent pipe travels.
- ran another string from cabinet into basement through same cold air return hole that my water drain goes through
- tied those strings together in the basement (above drop ceiling in basement bathroom)
- ran wire through ceiling hole and got really lucky and was able to reach it from the bathroom heating duct hole
- tied wire to string and voila!

Anyways it's a huge relief. Building the lift mechanism *should* be the easy part now!

I've ordered all the parts I'll need. For anyone interested the total cost of the lift is around $300.

- 24" stroke linear actuator with brackets. rated for 150lbs
- 12vdc 2A power adapter
- 3 position toggle switch
- 3 u-groove bearings

The actuator has built in limits so i'll be able to flip the toggle up, light moves up 2 feet and stops on it's own. When I'm done in the tank it will lower all the way down and stop as well with a flip of the switch down. I can of course place the light anywhere inbetween which will be nice for acclimating new corals.

[kien]

don't forget to properly acclimate your new addition when you bring him home. :biggrin:

[lastlight]

Lol! In that pic I suppose he was being drip acclimated. Was being fed a bit of finger to ease him through the transition.

[Dez]

Brett,

You're tank build is so inspiring. There is so much attention to detail. I was wondering for a while how the build was going as I always look forward to your updates. Sometimes you just wonder if it's going to work hey? I'm glad you were able to fish that wire through the wall/ceiling.

My daughter was 4.5 pounds when she was born (premature). In Sept she'll be 3 - that's crazy. She is talking, walking, counting, reading.....just amazes me. You'll look back and just say "wow" in a few years when your little one is running around!

Keep the little updates coming. I enjoy them.

[lastlight]

Yeah my little girl is 2 years old on the 11th. I keep having more fun the older she gets so I'm definitely looking forward to growing my son out from a small frag as well =) Thanks for the nice comments. Waiting for these parts is killing me. Not having access to the tank has really bothered me since the day I hung the light so I'm really eager to fix that and MOVE ON.

[lastlight]

Received the actuator in the mail today. I just lifted a 24-can box of diet pepsi 24" into the air with nothing but a 9V battery!

Is this update worthy? Lol...maybe not but COME ON!

[banditpowdercoat]

OK,where did you get the actuator from???? I wana play with something too

[lastlight]

http://www.firgelliauto.com/

I was pleased to discover they were Canadian. But my freakin' order shipped from the US so I was dinged at the door today for $40.

[mseepman]

You know we need to see pictures....detailed pictures. You've given me the idea that I need to handle my future lighting so now I gotta see how an expert like yourself did it.:biggrin:

[lastlight]

Still waiting for my power supply and grooved bearings. I'll definitely post step-by-step pics detailing how I did it...if it works!

[lastlight]

I've already built and tested a very rough prototype. I used it to lift a length of pvc pipe to the joists in my basement. I wanted to ensure that my bearing layout would lift the object evenly on both ends and work out any kinks. That first demo had one major problem and that was the pivoting end of the actuator shaft. The shaft itself rotates and the rotating bracket on its end can simply slide and counter the shaft's rotation. The issue was that the bracket was turning a lot too...especially when retracting the actuator. If this happened with my light on wires it could be disastrous!

My final build has a 3-sided channel for the bracket to slide within. This has corrected the issue entirely.

Parts:

- 3/4" maple, screws and glue
- actuator
- 3 grooved bearings
- various brackets, nuts and bolts.

Here is the unit. All that need to be done to it is drill a hole to feed my 12VDC power into it from the ceiling. When I'm done testing it on the ceiling I'll mount my floating cover. It will be a 60 x 18 maple panel...large enough that the ends can be open but from the floor you cannot see the guts above it.

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/lift1.jpg

This shows where the two wires will connect. The blue wire runs on 2 bearings and the red on one. Two were needed for the blue wire to turn a pushing movement into a pull. So basically when the actuator extends 24" the light goes up 24". When it retracts the light will rest where it currently does...a few inches from the water's surface.

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/lift1b.jpg

View of the actuator shaft and bracket.

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/lift2.jpg

Close-up of one bearing/bracket.

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/lift3.jpg

Just a neat shot down it's length.

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/lift4.jpg

You can see the 3-position toggle switch on the back of the stand. It's all wired and ready to go. Thanks for lookin'!

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/lift5.jpg

[Dez]

My favourite part of this update was the computer. Glad to see you're an Apple guy :)

[mseepman]

This is very cool, in spite of the fact that you're an apple guy:lol:

How did you calculate how long the blue wire needed to be compared to the red? Can you take a couple of other pictures of how the actuator is attached to your maple base?

Thanks

[lastlight]

The prototype proved the fact that the lengths don't seemingly matter. I think maybe because the bearings are the same size and they don't do any funky doubling up. From what I saw my pvc test rig went up evenly. Even if my light ends up going at a slight angle (or angel), It won't be a big deal assuming it's very slight.

[lastlight]

So tonight was a bit frustrating. The good news is I got the lift mounted on my ceiling. I don't trust the 5/8" enough to stand on it so this was a really tough task leaning out over the tank. In the end a step-stool, box of pampers and a bunch of children's books came to the rescue to hold the assembly in place! Props to Sfiligoi for making one hell of a sturdy light. I'm sure I could stand on the thing. It has ZERO flex.

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/lift6.jpg

Now for the bad news. The bracket on the end of the screw/shaft still seems to do what it wants especially under load where the forces are quite high. The fixture I'm guessing is 60lbs or so with the glass shields so I'll have to adjust my guide for the bracket to allow it to orient like it does under weight and that's it. I need to ensure the bracket always does exactly the same thing in both directions. If it doesn't and something catches after my cover is installed it will rip the entire thing to shreds. 150 lbs of force it's capable of.

The bigger letdown was the fact that the angle brackets I have the bearings mounted to bent under load. The bearing on the far left is mounted closer to the wood and it bent far less. One of the bearings for the other wire bent a lot. I was foolishly thinking these brackets were ok because the forces are downward only and they felt solid in that respect. Of course the forces on them are horizontal as well! So I need to swap these with wide brackets that allow zero movement in the horizontal axis.

Slightly bent:

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/lift8.jpg

Really bent.

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/lift7.jpg

On a positive note these issues can be easily fixed. The side with the slightly bent bracket lifted up about 4 inches before I chickened out. It was an incredibly smooth motion! The other end didn't lift at all though.

I'll update with a video tomorrow night when I have new brackets installed...

[lastlight]

Success!

Movie 1:

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/lift_up.html

Movie 2:

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/lift_down.html

Here is a shot of the piece of aluminum i bent with great difficulty. It keeps the bracket on the actuator from spining and is also nice and rounded so it doesn't tear into my wood. There is a long piece of aluminum on top of the wooden guide base to allow even smoother sliding. I need to tweak the bends in the 'shoe' however because it's a touch too bulky and the actuator is maybe a few millimeters from fully retracting. This means the built-in limit switch currently doesn't work and the thing grinds to a halt. The limit switch on the fully extended side won't ever be used. Turns out my ceiling clearance is JUST shy of 24" so i'll have to stop the lift myself when it's high enough.

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/lift10.jpg

Here are the beefier mounts for the bearings. ZERO sag/bend after I drilled additional screw holes right where the bracket bends 90 degrees. Wasn't fun since all i had was a nail to pound and a standard wood drill bit lol.

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/lift11.jpg

I'm letting the lift hang suspended 1 inch above the 2x4s to ensure nothing sags over the next day. Will also run it plenty with the guts exposed. When I'm satisifed I'll attach the decorative bottom.

[fishytime]

Wow Brett, that is soooo cool....great job. So when do you start marketing your lifts? ...I could use one:wink:

[Dez]

Brett,

That is pretty neat. Props to you. Just wondering why it's so much louder going up, then coming down. Or is it just the placement of the video camera that makes it appear this way?

[lastlight]

The actuator works it's metal butt off going up. Going down you have the 60+ lbs of the light helping you out. Woke up today and it's still hanging lol.

The metal shoe was seriously my last-ditch effort. All other options somehow stuck and risked tearing my ceiling apart. This is the LAST one I'm building haha!

[mseepman]

Wow, this looks and works great. Your build really leaves nothing out!!

[lastlight]

Mark I forgot more detailed pics for you but that second last one shows how I just used a pair of brackets to pin the actuator in. Long bolts with some wooden spacers make it super tight. There is a bracket with a bolt that fits into the back of the actuator to keep it from sliding under force...

[Stones]

That light fixture lift you built is awesome. Sure answers the question of the third hand needed to raise or lower a fixture suspended by cables. Top shelf job as always.

[mseepman]

Excellent, thanks for the info!

Mark I forgot more detailed pics for you but that second last one shows how I just used a pair of brackets to pin the actuator in. Long bolts with some wooden spacers make it super tight. There is a bracket with a bolt that fits into the back of the actuator to keep it from sliding under force...

[Lance]

Nice work my friend.

[Skimmerking]

that is freaking retarded , but i love it man.:smile:

[lastlight]

I came up with new units of measurement tonight!

When shimming the 3/4" decorative box up into place I was adjusting by book increments. Larger adjustments called for an 'm.c. escher hardcover' up for example...and to fine tune I began increasing by several 'dr suess hardcovers' before finishing with a couple carefully placed 'children's softcovers'.

I haven't got a metric conversion table prepared I'm sorry. The moral of the story is buy your kids books =)

So after measuring about 50 times I carefully cut two holes and drilled pilot holes for the mounting screws. I was terrified because the box is 3/4" maple, heavy and my margin for error is small. Had to hit the 3/4" maple mounts dead center and avoid any other areas since wires are moving within. Fitting the wires back into place with the box mere inches from it's final resting spot was brutal. It essentially took me over 3 hours to prep and hoist it into place before securing it.

It's 95% done. Just need to fill the screw holes with filler and touch-up. In the future any maintenance on the light/bulbs will need to be done suspended or I will have to attach temporary weights to keep the wires inside on their bearings. Be a NIGHTMARE to remove the box and do this all again!

You can see in the pics that I removed the wooden training wheels. 100% committed now although I quite literally cringe when operating it. I'll learn to trust it with time lol.

Up:

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/light_up.jpg

Down:

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/light_down.jpg

[BlueAbyss]

OMG, that's brilliant! I didn't think it would look quite that clean when it was finished... beautiful work!

[Doug]

Excellent work Brett. Looks very good. Now thats slick.

[Carmen]

That will be one incredible tank!

[fishytime]

:shocked!: Friggen sweet Brett:hail: (this coming from a finishing carpenter.)

[lastlight]

I didn't think it would look quite that clean when it was finished...

If this is my wife...I'm onto you. Stop spying on me at Canreef =)

Thanks for the nice comments guys.

[Delphinus]

Took me a second to remember what you meant by training wheels but yeah OK now I see - haha, yep, committed now! :) Neat idea and looks great!

I wonder if you're gonna have to put something over that switch though, like a lockable thermostat cover or something of this nature. (If this were in my house there's no way the kids would leave that alone. "Oooh! Sweet cause and effect! More! MORE CAUSE AND EFFECT!!!")

[lastlight]

Lol yeah I had thought of that. It is recessed far enough back that a child can't reach the switch and the gap between tank and wall is too narrow for anyone (including my massive biceps) to fit. I think I'll leave the adapter in the cabinet in the other room unplugged when not in use though.

[Delphinus]

Oh, hahahaha, yeah ok that's a perfect K.I.S.S. approach. :)

[lastlight]

Perhaps I could divert a few volts to the tip of the switch itself by means of a HIDDEN switch hehe.

[lastlight]

Well my better half has given me the green light to spend money to buy basically everything except my profilux. I freelance on the side (designer/programmer) so it's seriously time to pump a few projects out so I can get this thing RUNNING!

To order in the very near future:

- 2 x 6105
- 1 x ro/di
- enough 2-part to last me a couple years
- salt
- dry rock
- test kits, heaters. refractometer etc

Thanks for all the nice comments!

Btw I've been told I can run the tunze without a controller in the meantime at default full speed. If anyone disagrees please let me know.

[Pazil]

Btw I've been told I can run the tunze without a controller in the meantime at default full speed. If anyone disagrees please let me know.

This is correct... however the 7096 multi controllers are much less than the 7095 controllers and much better imo..... I think they are just under $200.00 cad. I did a review on this in the review section if you want more info on them.

[lastlight]

I'll check it out. Can my mac interface with it?

I'm 99% sure I'm holding out for a profilux...

[lastlight]

Of course I did just read that and it sounds AWESOME. I'll already have some cheap timers for my lights so perhaps I should have the controller right off the bat too and just get the standalone doser later.

[lastlight]

So I'm a Tunze guy now =)

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/tunze.jpg

The package I bought includes:

- wavebox and wavebox extension
- 1 x6101
- 2 x 6100
- 7095 multicontroller
- 2 x tunze rocks

I had some fun with the wavebox with the tank not circulating. I was only able to hook up one of the waveboxes due to me breaking the little 24V jumper on the transformer for the extension when I was cleaning and checking everything. I've ordered a new jumper.

The problem was when I turned my return pump on! The water level rises too high and there isn't enough clearance on the top of the waveboxes to allow for proper functions. A real bummer as I was looking forward to trying waves for a while.

I'll be selling both units once my new 24V jumper arrives. If anyone is interested please let me know. Both boxes are less than a year old according to the original seller and the pumps both run perfectly.

I'm also selling the rocks I think. I'll figure out what I'm keeping after the mounting clips for the streams arrive.

So the puzzle is getting REALLY close to done now!

[kien]

So I'm a Tunze guy now =)

whoa, that's some eye candy you got there :-)

[JDigital]

Just curious why you didn't go for the 7096 controller?... More features and about half the price. Plus it's got USB to program it...

Nice stuff none the less! :mrgreen:

[lastlight]

Seller was unwilling to part out ;)

[Navarchus]

tunze is the best!

[lastlight]

I'm loving playing around with these things. The streams are very loud in the rocks but it's rock on barebottom. I'll have to test them out with sand. The stream on the back wall is near silent I am really amazed. Now I'm thinking of placing the two on the back wall in the traditional spits but unsure where and how to place the third. In a rock blowing along theback might be sweet.

Still heartbroken about the waveboxes not working in the tank tho. I recall reading that the pumps in them are actually 6201 streams if you swap one thing out.

[christyf5]

How much clearance do you need with the return pump going? I have the tunze magnets on my wavebox and I find if you put them on and carefully move them up the tank, you can get that little bit of an extra shove to get the wavebox the right clearance above the water. Currently the water level is just below the top of the wavebox (the top grate that slides across the top of the box is just barely out of the water) and mine works fine. You may want to give that a try if you haven't already.

[lastlight]

Oh I thought the water had to be at that blue line? Maybe I need to play with it a bit more when I have both boxes running. I think I can manage about 1 cm of box above the water line.

Do you have a center overflow? I also found the operation of the wavebox to be pretty darn loud with all the water spilling in there. My herbie is silent!

[Tomjay]

I have my wavebox controlled by the profilux and its set for 2 seconds....you should use your wavebox controller instead of the multi-controller, once you have it dial-in its sweet watching the softies and Anemone sway in the wave even some of your fish will swim against the wave (current) pretty cool to watch.

Oh I have mine at the blue line also remember you should have no obstruction in the path of the wave

[christyf5]

Oh I thought the water had to be at that blue line? Maybe I need to play with it a bit more when I have both boxes running. I think I can manage about 1 cm of box above the water line.

Do you have a center overflow? I also found the operation of the wavebox to be pretty darn loud with all the water spilling in there. My herbie is silent!


As long as that blue line is just below the water you're good to go. I find its a bit designed like a durso. Having the whole thing submerged (I didnt' read the instructions when I first got mine "instructions? who cares, lets get this baby running!") and sunk the whole thing. Its very bubbly and messy that way. Having the top above the water allows for silent running and no bubbles.

I don't have a center overflow, just an end one. That sucks about the noise, I see you already have them for sale :razz:

[lastlight]

Lol yeah just one was too loud. The herbie, the bubble king etc. I've put too much effort into making this quiet enough for my livingroom. I was hoping itwas quieter. Doh!

I think raising the water level in my overflow would help. Oh and not pushing 2500+ gallons per hour through my sump ;)

[TheBits]

Well lastlight,
Your ALW is moderately impressive. I might have to get your plans so that I can build one of my own. Of course I'd put it to better use in the bedroom as an "Actuated Lady Winch", and I'll need one that's capable of lifting 300+ lbs. If you really want to do something spectacular with your tank you will email me and allow me to mentor you to become a true aquarium master. To further sweeten the deal, I have provided an artists rendering of what your tank could look like with my guidance. I'll be expecting your call shortly.

Master Bits.

[lastlight]

LOL.

Sorry guys. TheBits is some guy from work that's been hitting on me for months now. He was terminated last week. Good luck buddy and keep your planted-tank dreams to yourself =)

[parkinsn]

LOL.

Sorry guys. TheBits is some guy from work that's been hitting on me for months now. He was terminated last week. Good luck buddy and keep your planted-tank dreams to yourself =)

I was wondering what that was all about :lol:

Oh and the build seems to be coming along nicely

[lastlight]

Essentially when a co-worker is trying to reach you on msn and you're slow to respond this is what happens. I've been trying to get him addicted to reefing but no dice.

[lastlight]

Test.

http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z142/fokusbmw/sigpic22599_10.gif

Haha! As if that's not the scariest thing EVER. I saw it in Oceanic's avatar and just had to make it part of my build.

[banditpowdercoat]

LOL.

Sorry guys. TheBits is some guy from work that's been hitting on me for months now. He was terminated last week. Good luck buddy and keep your planted-tank dreams to yourself =)

Hitting on you?

[lastlight]

Just a stab at the guy in case he came back to check my thread again =)

[Van-rookie]

any update on your tank build ?

I really admire your patience :wink:

[lastlight]

My freelance career is picking up steam so I hope to turn my layoff-slump around and get this thing running SOON =)

I need heaters, test kits, salt, rock, ro/di, truckload of 2-part and I am ready. Really close you could say!

[lastlight]

Few terrible shots without any white-balancing:

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/nothingnew1.jpg

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/nothingnew2.jpg

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/nothingnew3.jpg

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/nothingnew4.jpg

And proof that my wife has given up. She didn't even bat an eye at me soaking some nasty rocks next to clean dishes, food, and baby bottles:

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/build/dirty.jpg

Rocks are from Pazil. Some pretty large shelf pieces. I'm really stoked to make some sweet overhangs with these badboys. Other than 2 new rocks...got 25lbs calcium, 25 lbs magnesium and 10 lbs di from littlesilvermax. Pretty tiny update but every bit helps (to keep me from giving up!)

[fishytime]

Dude....your so close, that there is no point in starting that pool:razz: Thats gotta be one of the sexiest emptyish tank Ive ever seen.

[Dez]

Brett,

Your build always keeps me in so much suspense. I definitely want to visit you if you'll let me one day when I'm in town. Everything is so "perfect" and I'm intrigued by your style and though in doing everything. Props to you man.

Des

[lastlight]

I'm always down for visitors...but I'd prefer to have some life in there so my wife doesn't laugh at us congregating around an empty glass box haha.

[TJSlayer]

That's looking incredible man, been following it since the start, you sure have created a unique and stylish tank!

Going to be awsome once you get things going inside!

Cutos! to you

TJ

[mseepman]

I know you hear this all the time, but....AMAZING!!!

It looks great...can't wait to see some life in there.

[lastlight]

Thanks again guys! I'm really excited to have a living reef again you have no idea =) As silly as it sounds...having had one before it really leaves a hole in your life when it's gone.

[shrimpchips]

I just went through this whole build, and it's amazing - everything in and under the DT looks so clean and organized. Hopefully my upgrade will come together as nicely.

When you get the Profilux and the doser, you won't regret it. The whole line of products is awesome :)

[lastlight]

Thanks!

You might recall an old poll/thread I started about multiple/simple controllers vs one big fancy controller. I have changed my mind not to mention gotten a Tunze 7095 already so I've started down that route.

I'll be running a dual-stage Ranco courtesy of Chad here once my dear mother-in-law in Whiterock picks it up from him. Simple timers for my lights and then a stand-alone doser later on when my demands (and income) increase.

After I got over the fact that the Profilux would have looked so badass I was really happy to have convinced myself to go this route. Many people may think that's crazy I'm not sure!

The doser really is the only unknown now to me. Heaters will be whatever is cheapest as the Ranco assumes all control.

I've narrowed my search to the following:

- Grotech
- Litremeter III
- Profilux standalone
- Masterflex medical grade

I see pros and cons to all four. I'd get the Grotech if I could get one but you pretty much can't. Don't want to buy from overseas and then need help or support. I think the Profilux and Litremeter are close in quality but the Profilux is cheaper and cooler. The Masterflex is by far the most accurate based on my reading but there are so many different units etc that my head spins plus it's not a buy it and plug it in sort of thing.

[lorenz0]

oh man i have been waiting to see water in this tank for a while now.

btw the tunze 9075 is a great unit. personally i prefer it to the new computer calibrated one due to how much of a hassel it is to use it from the sounds of it. plus tunze never includes great instructions which i am sure you have noticed lol. dials are easy, its just finding the right setting which can be a bit tricky

[lastlight]

I'm also a Mac user which I'm sure would have made things a hassle with the 7096. I also don't want my laptop anywhere near my tank. I already spill enough other things on it while I eat/work haha.

[kien]

Funny you should mention that.. When I got my profilux I had to install VMWare on my Mac so that I could run windows on it just so that I could run my profilux config software. Otherwise I have no PCs in the house. Being able to access it wirlessly is a godsend though.

Tank looks awesome btw, except for the lack of livestock. Other than that it looks great :-). I suspect you are going to have some enjoyable evenings in this coming winter.

[mseepman]

I've narrowed my search to the following:

- Grotech
- Litremeter III
- Profilux standalone
- Masterflex medical grade

I see pros and cons to all four. I'd get the Grotech if I could get one but you pretty much can't. Don't want to buy from overseas and then need help or support. I think the Profilux and Litremeter are close in quality but the Profilux is cheaper and cooler. The Masterflex is by far the most accurate based on my reading but there are so many different units etc that my head spins plus it's not a buy it and plug it in sort of thing.

I've read many good reviews of the BRS 2-part doser and it's very well priced.

Here's the link: http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/Two-Part-Kits/c52/p844/BRS-2-Part-Doser--%281.1-mL-Per-Minute%29/product_info.html

If you are doing the multiple timer thing, take a look at Glassreef's build on RC as I believe he's using the "Drew's dosers" from BRS in the same way you want to. Both dosers from BRS seem quite capable. Here's the link: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1601313&page=5

Hope that helps in some way.

[lastlight]

Funny you mention Glassreef as he uses the Masterflex. I'm a big fan of the work he's done!

[mseepman]

He actually gave up on the Masterflex. Take a look at the link I sent and you will see that he replaced it with his Litremeter which was doing the dosing. He then had to find pumps for dosing and chose the Drew's dosers off Bulk Reef Supply.

[lastlight]

Wow really?

Well that might help me narrow things down as I didn't want to mess with ebay and putting together the darn things no matter how accurate they are. I'll have to catch up on why he ditched them as he was a real proponent of them before.

I might even look into hamsters on high-end german-built hamster wheels to drive a few dosing heads at this point. That way I don't have to make this tough decision!

--------

Just read that entire page and he spells it all out clearly thanks! It sounds like given the choice he'd have gotten another LMIII but it was too expensive. I'll have to read more on those dosers.

[shrimpchips]

I actually have a profilux standalone (since I didn't know I would get such a good deal on a profilux controller bundle only a few weeks later), but the unit is absolutely rock solid and easy to use.

My decision was based in part by my tank size - 28g including sump. The litermeter's minimum dose is 50ml at a time - so not only would I really have to dilute things, but also have very large containers for everything.

Instead I chose the profilux as it's cheaper per pump, and more importantly it doses a minimum of 1ml instead of 50 ml (great for dosing things like VSV, vodka, etc), and great for small volumes like my tank.

I can't wait to see your build all come together. And now I wants all gray piping and fittings too :D

[mseepman]

It's not hard to want our tanks to look better after reviewing this thread. There's part of me that is afraid to see the salt creep cluttering up the beauty of this tank..:biggrin:

[mseepman]

I might even look into hamsters on high-end german-built hamster wheels to drive a few dosing heads at this point. That way I don't have to make this tough decision!



Good thing you live in Alberta...Our previous NDP government grouped hamsters under our Minimum wage law and so that option is out for most of us.:wink:

[lastlight]

LMAO!

Thanks again for the nice words guys. I'm really curious if some well aimed insults or criticisms might light a bigger fire under my butt and speed this thing up =) Feel free haha.

The Profilux is likely going to be the way I go. For a while comparing it to the LMIII I though the latter had machined metal rollers but they're plastic just like the Profilux so I'll likely choose based on looks (just like I did on pipe) and cost since they're close in almost every way.

[conix67]

Definitely one of my favorite tank journals! Some patience you got, one and half years later still no livestock :D

Awesome tank and thanks for all the details provided. I learned a lot already, and gives me ideas for my future setup. Thanks for sharing your experience with us.

[lastlight]

Ok I just tested my Tunze Osmolator. I just think this thing is the GREATEST! Makes me feel much safer than my old setup with ro/di plumbed straight to a float valve!

Learnign curve to it tho. I had the emergency float switch mounted upside down in the bracket so for the first few minutes all I heard was the alarm sounding (since the float was sitting in 'too high' position) and my wife yelling at me to 'shut that thing up'.

I just love the Tunze website. Every manual there and they're well written. I figured it out and I have one salt bucket perfectly topping up another salt bucket!

WOOT.

[fishytime]

Very cool toys in deed....probably the single best thing Ive added to my system so far.