View Full Version : 290G Peninsula Tank
mseepman
03-06-2010, 06:02 AM
Okay...so now that I have your attention...:twised:
This build thread has been a long time coming. Unfortunately, it's going to go pretty slowly so hopefully I can keep everyone's attention long enough to get this tank built.
For the last 10 months or so I've been trying to get started on a new house but every conceivable obstacle seemed to rise and stop us from getting anywhere. Thankfully, things appear to have started moving and I just signed off on the building permits yesterday so we've officially started spending our hard earned money.
The plan for this tank is a 84"l x 32"d x 24"h three sided Starfire peninsula tank. By my figures, this works out to about 280G. The plan also includes an external overflow 28" along the side of the peninsula buried in the cabinet work. I will be using the Bean Animal Overflow (if you don't know this one, I will put up a link further into the build).
Right now I haven't decided on who will be building the tank as the two builders I was considering the most have both closed their doors. Several people have PM'd me with new suggestions and so I have to explore some price quotes with these vendors.
The house will be a basement level entry and so the display will be on the main floor and I will have an 8 1/2 by 14' fish room on the ground level. My sump, fuge and future frag tank will all reside in the fish room. Along with these will be a laundry tub, RODI, FW storage and SW mixing tanks.
I've been gathering stuff for this over the last year and so far I've got the return pump (3600 Reeflow Blackfin), 2 x 6105 Tunzes along with the 7096 controller and an MP40W. I've also got various plumbing supplies, etc when they've been on sale.
My current 70g will end up migrating most if not all it's contents and inhabitants into the new display. Unfortunately, I've got a little problem with mushrooms in the 70 and I've yet to decide how to make sure they never enter the new tank.
Anyways, there's no doubt this will be a huge undertaking for me and I'm going to need a lot of help from everyone in order to make this work out right. Hopefully I've learned enough from this forum that the mistakes I make (and I'm sure I'll make some) will be small enough to get through without blowing too much extra dough. My better half has been very understanding about my need to build a house around my fish tank. Roughly translated, that "understanding" means we've established a budget together and if I know what's good for me, I'll need to stick to it.:biggrin:
andestang
03-06-2010, 05:19 PM
This sound like its going to be a nice build. I have very simular hopes of building something simular. I like the peninsula style tank for the veiwing purposes of being able to have full veiw of both length side glass panels. Came across the beananimal overflow awhile back, it does sound like a great set-up. What are you thinking for your lighting ?
Sweet! It's about time !!:lol: you've been dropping hints about this tank for a while :-). Looking forward to seeing it come together!
mseepman
03-06-2010, 05:51 PM
For lighting I'm going to be putting together a light rack very much like one done by Glassreef on RC. http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=13477526#post13477526
In the end I should have 3 x 250W MH with large Lumenbright reflectors as well as 8 x T5HO lights for actinic and accent lighting. I will also incorporate some moonlights though I haven't decided which ones or how.
My biggest concerns so far are how I will lift the light up and out of my way when I need to get into the tank. The canopy will be cabinetwork all the way to the ceiling. I haven't figured out what it will look like yet but I think it should match our kitchen cabinets.
Zoaelite
03-06-2010, 06:07 PM
Lookin forward to this build, I'm running a 170 Peninsula so a 280 is next on the list!
Wow!
Now this will be a tank Journal. :biggrin:
Can't wait to see this Mark. :mrgreen: I will definetly have to come up to Vernon to see this one. On second thought, maybe I better not... :twised:... might make me want one this size too.
mseepman
03-07-2010, 12:54 AM
Wow!
Now this will be a tank Journal. :biggrin:
Can't wait to see this Mark. :mrgreen: I will definetly have to come up to Vernon to see this one. On second thought, maybe I better not... :twised:... might make me want one this size too.
Haha, I don't doubt that this is not your last upgrade Leah. I'm hoping that I might be able to come see your tank next weekend since my sister-in-law should be popping (having her first baby) sometime between now and then in Penticton. No guarantees though as I'm not sure what my wife will think of me deserting the "event" to go oogle your new fish tank (is oogle a real word?)
banditpowdercoat
03-07-2010, 01:06 AM
Wheres the pics.....Aww I lost interest LMAO:razz:
mseepman
03-07-2010, 03:29 PM
Wheres the pics.....Aww I lost interest LMAO:razz:
Haha...would this be called a self fulfilling prophesy?
banditpowdercoat
03-07-2010, 03:42 PM
LOL, Pretty much.
Haha, I don't doubt that this is not your last upgrade Leah. I'm hoping that I might be able to come see your tank next weekend since my sister-in-law should be popping (having her first baby) sometime between now and then in Penticton. No guarantees though as I'm not sure what my wife will think of me deserting the "event" to go oogle your new fish tank (is oogle a real word?)
Hey Mark,
He he! :biggrin: I think that this will have to do me for a while. Can't just sit and gawk at my tanks all day need to do other stuff. :wink:
You are very welcome anytime you know and bring them too! Would love to see your daughter. :mrgreen:
Congrats to the Uncle. :dance:
Haha...would this be called a self fulfilling prophesy?
:lol: Funny that is exactly what I was thinking. :wink:
banditpowdercoat
03-07-2010, 04:20 PM
Hey Mark,
He he! :biggrin: I think that this will have to do me for a while. Can't just sit and gawk at my tanks all day need to do other stuff. :wink:
You are very welcome anytime you know and bring them too! Would love to see your daughter. :mrgreen:
Congrats to the Uncle. :dance:
Like what other stuff? Surf Canreef like me??!! :razz:
Like what other stuff? Surf Canreef like me??!! :razz:
Hey! Watch your step :wink: Mr. :razz:
banditpowdercoat
03-07-2010, 04:45 PM
Hey! Watch your step :wink: Mr. :razz:
What, am I about to step in some......
mseepman
03-08-2010, 03:07 AM
Okay so we all know that threads without pics just aren't as fun. So...since I am just going to get started on building the house, I figured a few pics of where we're going to put the house were in order.
Here's a shot of my wife (about 4 months pregnant) and I shortly after we bought the lot a few years ago. (yeah, it's really taken me that long to put this together)
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/SmallerLotpic2.jpg?t=1268020909
And here's what I'll be looking at whenever I find time to turn away from the tank.
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/SmallerLotpic1.jpg?t=1268020963
So now there are pics.:biggrin:
fishytime
03-08-2010, 03:12 AM
Nice view!......and should be a schweeeeet tank........
mseepman
03-08-2010, 03:21 AM
Okay so I have a question for those of you with external overflows. I rarely see any lower support on the overflow (like triangular supports), but it strikes me that the overflow holds a lot of water...sometimes 7-12 gallons and when I do the math on the weight of that...I get nervous.
Has anyone had issues with this? Have you seen some that have been built with supports?
When I got my first tank quote from Aquarium Obsessed they found humour in my worry about the overflows but they included the supports in the price because I asked for it.
ooh sexy.. and your plot of land ain't bad either.
Okay so I have a question for those of you with external overflows. I rarely see any lower support on the overflow (like triangular supports), but it strikes me that the overflow holds a lot of water...sometimes 7-12 gallons and when I do the math on the weight of that...I get nervous.
Has anyone had issues with this? Have you seen some that have been built with supports?
When I got my first tank quote from Aquarium Obsessed they found humour in my worry about the overflows but they included the supports in the price because I asked for it.
i don't think my external overflow holds more than 2 gallons :-)
xtreme
03-08-2010, 03:58 AM
I have a 280 as well and I just calculated my overflow to be about 4.7 gallons. No issues so far.
mseepman
03-08-2010, 04:09 AM
I have a 280 as well and I just calculated my overflow to be about 4.7 gallons. No issues so far.
The part that scares me is that your 4.7 gallons is not far from 50 pounds...along with the weight of the glass...hanging off of some silicone.
Maybe I'm just being paranoid. My overflow would be about 6.5 gallons.
Kryptic4L
03-08-2010, 04:20 AM
does the fact that your tank will be held together with the same stuff which will undergo far greater stress then 50 lbs pushing outward concern you ?
either way, if you really want to support it, a 2x4 or 2 should be easy enough to use for your purpose.
mseepman
03-08-2010, 05:14 AM
does the fact that your tank will be held together with the same stuff which will undergo far greater stress then 50 lbs pushing outward concern you ?
either way, if you really want to support it, a 2x4 or 2 should be easy enough to use for your purpose.
Well put! I guess that really is the way to look at it.:lol:
mseepman
03-24-2010, 08:30 PM
Okay...so I'm in need of some opinions on something for this tank.
I'm not a fan of holes in a tank. I've never felt that there was a need to drill a tank like swiss cheese and so I shy away from this.
In my new tank I will be having an external overflow and I will be utilizing the "bean animal" system which uses three pipes rather than the tradition two in a herbie overflow.
My question revolves around why people tend to "return" their water back through their overflow rather than via pipes up and over the top of the tank? I realize that looks have a lot to do with it, but this just strikes me as another point where my tank could "fail" or leak. My fish room will be in the basement and so my current plan was to return the water via a 2" pipe which would split at some point into smaller 1" pipes and then go over the top (which you can't see in my plan) and come down through the eurobrace in the tank at the far end to push water towards my overflow.
Does anyone see issues with this plan?
Lance
03-24-2010, 10:56 PM
Nope; No issues at all. Most people run the returns through the overflow purely for aesthetics. If you want them over the top do it. I've seen several tanks with the return line running along the euro-bracing.
mseepman
03-25-2010, 12:09 AM
That's what I was planning. Much in the same fashion as the tank Red Coral did at the Toyota store in Calgary if I recall.
Thanks for your response.
mseepman
04-18-2010, 03:57 AM
Okay...so although my house is no-where near ready (still at excavation stage)... I have ordered my tank. I've also ended up upping the size just a little bit to about 290G. Along with the tank, I've ordered a 6' sump as well.
Jay from Elite will be building this and given what I've seen of his tanks...this should be a beauty. Sorry for anyone who was wondering but I couldn't quite afford the 1 piece eurobrace so it will be a normal one.
Anyways...I wanted to give him a big thank you for all his suggestions about ways to improve the tank before I had even given him the order.
Now if I could just figure out where I'm going to store this giant while I wait for the house to be finished. But hey...there could be worse problems right?:lol:
lastlight
05-03-2010, 07:47 PM
Good choice on a builder you'll be happy with the tank I'm sure. As cool as the one piece eurobrace is I doubt it's worth the cost. I also wonder if they are prone to cracking at the corners. Guess it'd depend on the radii of the corners. I'm assuming you're getting mitred/polished edges? Those are a real nice option for looks on the corners and for safety/comfort on the eurobrace.
I'm jealous of that lot you picked up! Looks very nice =)
Hey Mark,
I could store it here if you Like. :twised: :wink: :lol:
And I could store stuff in it like... some rock, corals, fish... that kind of stuff. Of course I would have to get rid of everything in my living room...but a sacrifice I would be willing to make for a friend. :biggrin1:
lastlight
05-03-2010, 08:05 PM
Hey Mark,
I could store it here if you Like. :twised: :wink: :lol:
And I could store stuff in it like... some rock, corals, fish... that kind of stuff. Of course I would have to get rid of everything in my living room...but a sacrifice I would be willing to make for a friend. :biggrin1:
Don't be too kind. He may need to keep his boot somewhere :smile:
mseepman
05-06-2010, 05:15 AM
haha...Leah, thanks for the offer. I would hate to push you out of your living room.:biggrin:
I'm really happy that Jay is going to be doing the tank. Pricing worked out well and I am getting the polished edges. Jay is also doing a really nice sump for me and it too has polished edges.
As for storage, my wife appears to have agreed to get the boot from our garage so that we can store the tanks there once I go and get them from Jay in June. Without a doubt....I'm blessed with an amazing better half.
haha...Leah, thanks for the offer. I would hate to push you out of your living room.:biggrin:
I'm really happy that Jay is going to be doing the tank. Pricing worked out well and I am getting the polished edges. Jay is also doing a really nice sump for me and it too has polished edges.
As for storage, my wife appears to have agreed to get the boot from our garage so that we can store the tanks there once I go and get them from Jay in June. Without a doubt....I'm blessed with an amazing better half.
Jay&Colby built my tank last August and I just met the guy (Jay) for the first time two days ago :-) Great guy and he knows his stuff! This is going to be a wicked peninsula :-)
mseepman
05-28-2010, 08:44 PM
Well...although I wasn't ready for my tank yet...it was due to be complete for this upcoming weekend. Jay just contacted me to tell me that due to a forklift accident...all my glass (for both tank and sump) is smashed so it has to be re-done for the future.
Hopefully this is all the bad luck Jay or I have for the next while. Never like to see all that glass go to waste.
Mark,
Oh no! That is terrible. :sad: But at least you do not have to worry about storing it at the moment.
mseepman
07-13-2010, 04:21 AM
Well, I will be heading to Calgary this coming weekend in order to finally pick up my new tank and sump from Elite Aquatics. I know they make amazing tanks and I'm really looking forward to seeing the finished product. Jason has promised me some pictures of the build for this thread and so I should have those soon. Sadly, by the time I actually get to start using this tank I may be competing for the slowest build ever.
As my house is not ready, I've got to store this bad boy and it's little brother for the next handful of months. I've also got to transport it safely home from Calgary and over the Rockies. Knowing this, I've built a crate to ship and store the tank in (an adventure all by itself). Just fitting the crate in my garage has made my wife and I realize how big this tank really is compared to little 70g I have now.
Anyways, I'll get some more pictures up in the next few days to bring this build back to life. :biggrin:
lastlight
07-13-2010, 05:10 AM
Yeah even shots of the crate would be cool. I love all aspects of a big build!
mseepman
07-14-2010, 03:16 PM
Yeah even shots of the crate would be cool. I love all aspects of a big build!
Well in light of such a suggestion, here is a pic of the crate I've made for transporting and storing this big tank until my house is ready.
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/CIMG4498.jpg?t=1279120272
The wheels you see belong to a long flat dolly that I made which is not attached to the crate but only sits underneath it so that I can move it around my garage if necessary.
The piece you see on top of the crate is the base that I will be putting underneath the sump for the ride home from Calgary.
I will make sure to get pictures of us trying to load and unload the tank once I've got it.
lastlight
07-14-2010, 03:21 PM
Sweet!
Just coat that badboy with some marine epoxy and you've got a plyBuild! You'll need to cut a porthole =)
mseepman
07-14-2010, 03:42 PM
Haha...didn't think about a plybuild. hmmm...maybe two tanks in my future...lol.
andestang
07-14-2010, 05:08 PM
Looks great ! Maybe you can contract yourself out for Jay making crates for him :) Good idea with the dolly wheels, because you will think it is in a good spot and won't need to move it, then .....
Lance
07-14-2010, 05:15 PM
Looks great ! Maybe you can contract yourself out for Jay making crates for him :) Good idea with the dolly wheels, because you will think it is in a good spot and won't need to move it, then .....
You got that right! I had my 225g and stand stored in an unused, (at least I thought it was) area of my garage for several months before set-up. After moving the damn thing a couple of times I installed 4 casters to the stand.
That looks solid!! Have fun in cowtown!! :)
mseepman
07-14-2010, 06:36 PM
That looks solid!! Have fun in cowtown!! :)
Yeah, it's a very very short visit. We get in on Friday night after a 6 -7 hour drive, pick up the tank on Saturday, then head home Sunday.
I'm trying to line up bodies to help us get it off the truck once I get home...there's just not enough Canreefers in Vernon...lol.
Good-luck with the new tank pickup. :mrgreen:
Greenmaster
07-15-2010, 06:05 AM
I'm tagging along I like big tank builds :D
mseepman
07-17-2010, 03:29 PM
Well, we're going to pick up the tank this morning. I will try to get some pictures on here as soon as I can.
I'm a bit worried that there aren't enough people at the store to help get this thing on the truck. My wife has put down her foot...I'm not allowed to break it on the first day!
Should have called me out to help, would have been happy to :-)
I suspect you are all loaded up by now though.
mseepman
07-17-2010, 10:52 PM
Well, it took 1 1/2 hours to get the crate apart, tank out of the store and then onto the base and back into the truck. Colby and Jay needed to work together along with some help we provided to pull this thing out of the store. Man I need to work out more...haha These guys were very impressive! Pictures shortly!!
mseepman
07-17-2010, 11:14 PM
Here are some pics from the pickup:
Just starting to take the crate apart for the tank:
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/CIMG4502.jpg?t=1279408086
Here's my baby...
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/CIMG4505.jpg?t=1279408086
Here's me, looking pretty impressed with Jay's work.
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/CIMG4509.jpg?t=1279408086
Taking the crate apart
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/CIMG4515.jpg?t=1279408086
Out comes the tank:
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/CIMG4527.jpg?t=1279408224
Examining our handy work.
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/CIMG4530.jpg?t=1279408224
Tank going up onto the truck with the crate base under it.
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/CIMG4541.jpg?t=1279408328
Putting the crate back over the tank:
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/CIMG4546.jpg?t=1279408328
Putting the finishing touches on things for the future trip home:
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/CIMG4556.jpg?t=1279408426
andestang
07-17-2010, 11:35 PM
So jealous :) Looks awesome. Do I see a mirror back glass on the overflow end ?
mseepman
07-17-2010, 11:51 PM
Actually the overflow end is a smoked glass...it will be buried in a cabinet so with the darker glass, you should see nothing.
reefcanada
07-18-2010, 12:09 AM
I am glad your are happy with your new tank. Have a safe drive home and I will see you in a few weeks with your new sump.
Greenmaster
07-18-2010, 12:13 AM
The look on your face looks like mine did :D
Great looking tank Mark. Very nice crating job. Look forward to the build.
mseepman
07-18-2010, 03:19 AM
I am glad your are happy with your new tank. Have a safe drive home and I will see you in a few weeks with your new sump.
Make sure you make it back to the store as I left you some beverages there as promised!!::biggrin:
reefcanada
07-18-2010, 03:35 AM
Thank you.
Lance
07-18-2010, 04:14 AM
Beautiful tank Mark!
Now get that big boy home and get some water in it!
mseepman
07-18-2010, 03:07 PM
Beautiful tank Mark!
Now get that big boy home and get some water in it!
The saddest part of this story is that this beautiful tank will have to be stored for a while rather than get water. My new house is behind and it's going in there as I have nowhere for it in my current town-home.
I'll do my best to keep this thread going with my preparations, purchases and the house build but the real build is a while away from now.:cry:
TheMikey
07-18-2010, 03:55 PM
As with everything in this hobby, good things come to those who wait. Although it may not be the consolation you're looking for, just remember that every potential or actual purchase you make and record in this tank journal is going to be reviewed by all of us here at CanReef. Thankfully, all those equipment purchases and advice on equipment you may need won't be at the rushed apex of you trying to get your tank up and running.
Plus think about all those sweet equipment shots you're gonna take before the tank is even wet!
lastlight
07-18-2010, 04:00 PM
Lucky guy! Is that clear silicone for the euro?
And nice work Jay!
Greenmaster
07-18-2010, 05:38 PM
The saddest part of this story is that this beautiful tank will have to be stored for a while rather than get water. My new house is behind and it's going in there as I have nowhere for it in my current town-home.
I'll do my best to keep this thread going with my preparations, purchases and the house build but the real build is a while away from now.:cry:
I have been working on my build since back in March... I won't have water till some time in August, the best builds take a while and yours looks like it's going to be one of the best :D. Also it will give you lots of time to look at everyone's designs and figure out exactly what kind of set-up you are going to do.
This is the "real build" my build thread started with me jacking up my house and laying some new foundation... yours is starting from the ground up... literally :D. A sketch-up of the floor plan and explanation of your fish room etc. would be nice... possibly a photo of the construction of your house too :biggrin:
andestang
07-18-2010, 07:33 PM
You have a great start. I think the excitement(and frustration) of building a new house will help spread your mind to other things and ease the impatience of your tank build.
mseepman
07-20-2010, 04:42 AM
Okay, so here are some pics (since I know you all love them) of us unloading the tank.
I had this idea that we could plane some 2x4's down slightly and slide them into the slots in my crate base. As we would pull the crate out, we could slide another board in and a guy on each end could carry it comfortably forward.
Here's how it went:
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/Big%20Tank%20Move/CIMG4559.jpg?t=1279600345
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/Big%20Tank%20Move/CIMG4562.jpg?t=1279600630
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/Big%20Tank%20Move/CIMG4563.jpg?t=1279600659
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/Big%20Tank%20Move/CIMG4564.jpg?t=1279600693
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/Big%20Tank%20Move/CIMG4567.jpg?t=1279600743
http://http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/Big%20Tank%20Move/CIMG4568.jpg?t=1279600856
In the third picture you can see the dolly setup that I built to hold the tank and make it manageable in my garage. Each dolly can hold about 450lbs...so 3 of them should be good to go.
evrything is gonna be sweet but those pics look like a funeral procession.:razz:...lol
mseepman
07-20-2010, 05:05 AM
Haha, I didn't think about that but you're right!!
lastlight
07-20-2010, 05:13 AM
One wrong step carrying that beast and it COULD have been someone's funeral! Nice thinking with the 2x4s.
mseepman
07-20-2010, 05:18 AM
One wrong step carrying that beast and it COULD have been someone's funeral! Nice thinking with the 2x4s.
How did you know what I said during my pep speech before we started?:lol:
Greenmaster
07-20-2010, 05:30 AM
That was way better organized then my move... three guys slid it down some 2" by 10"s onto a dolly (not sure what it is rated for but it still rolls nicely)...
mseepman
07-20-2010, 02:57 PM
That was way better organized then my move... three guys slid it down some 2" by 10"s onto a dolly (not sure what it is rated for but it still rolls nicely)...
If only being organized got the rest of my house done!!
Next up is the sump which will be ready in a couple of weeks. Another tank done by Jay so it should be awesome! His work is really amazing!
abcha0s
07-21-2010, 12:25 AM
The picture links aren't working?? - Your tank sounds amazing. Please fix the links..
<It just occured to me that it might be the firewall at work blocking the images. I wanted to subsribe anyway.>
mseepman
07-21-2010, 04:41 AM
The picture links aren't working?? - Your tank sounds amazing. Please fix the links..
<It just occured to me that it might be the firewall at work blocking the images. I wanted to subsribe anyway.>
Welcome to my thread...I've been watching your tank build as well. Very detailed and well thought out.
mseepman
08-25-2010, 03:10 AM
Well, I want to give a big thank you to Jay for putting this tank together and making sure I got in one piece all the way in Vernon. It's an amazing piece of work.
So here are the pictures.:biggrin:
Full sump shot:
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/NewSump1.jpg?t=1282705683
Another shot from a different angle:
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/NewSump3.jpg?t=1282705716
The level of detail is awesome...filter sock holders built in...
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/NewSump2.jpg?t=1282705755
And finally...unlike my current little sump...no sharp edges anywhere...fully beveled.
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/Bevelededge.jpg?t=1282705798
If you are looking for a tank...Jay's stuff is worth the price when you see the quality.
Sebae again
08-25-2010, 03:30 AM
Wow! Looks too nice to use.
lastlight
08-25-2010, 03:30 AM
I have a sump he built as well. No more raw arms reaching in there which is a big plus.
Those sock holders are bangin'. Might have to get me some of those!
Lance
08-25-2010, 03:32 AM
Nice work.
reefcanada
08-25-2010, 05:46 AM
I am glad you are happy with it, now all you have to do is enjoy it. Once your house is done of course. lol
mseepman
08-25-2010, 06:00 PM
Yeah, and we're on the "never-never" plan for that one. I know...patience is a virtue...lol.
reefcanada
08-25-2010, 06:06 PM
one day when we grow up.
Newbies
08-25-2010, 08:43 PM
Just taggin along......nice sump with the built in 'fug.....I'll be back in Vernon next summer and hope to be able to see the inland Peninsula up and running hehehe.... if not I can offer myself to help carry it in with you.....but we are for your sake hopping to view it not carry it......
________
grape ape pictures (http://trichomes.org/marijuana-strains/grape-ape)
Holy crap Mark!! How did I miss this??? You're finally off the starting line!
GO MARK GO!!! :cheer2:
I really like the black silicone with the clear on the euro. That's slick. Beveled edges on a filter sock holder?? Now that's just bling!! :p
I'm happy you're finally getting the go on this project! Now, when's the house done?? :D
mseepman
08-26-2010, 04:31 AM
Well the house has been delayed over and over. I'm hoping that we'll see some movement in the next two weeks as the builder doesn't want things extending into the cold without having the exterior done. We were supposed to be going a long time ago so I got ahead of myself on the tanks...hehe. Got the best though:)
mseepman
08-26-2010, 04:33 AM
Just taggin along......nice sump with the built in 'fug.....I'll be back in Vernon next summer and hope to be able to see the inland Peninsula up and running hehehe.... if not I can offer myself to help carry it in with you.....but we are for your sake hopping to view it not carry it......
Are you back to Vernon to stay or just visiting? I will be in the new house by then so you are clear on the carrying part. If I'm not in the house...I'll probably be in the loony bin as I can't take any more delays!
Make sure you let me know you are here and you're welcome to come see whatever I have.
SeaHorse_Fanatic
08-26-2010, 04:37 AM
Gorgeous sump but wow that's a lot of baffles.:biggrin:
mseepman
10-09-2011, 05:43 PM
Well it's been a lot time since I updated this thread. It's not that I haven't wanted to...but as yet there has been little progress. Since things finally appear to be moving forward again...I wanted to bring it up to date.
After having the tank soooo long waiting on my delayed house, things finally started to move forward in April. Unfortunately, after only 2-3 weeks of construction we found out that a mistake on the lot survey put our basement a few inches too close to the setbacks. The city promptly halted our construction while they decided what to make us do. Here's a few pictures of how far we got.
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2011-04-15134141.jpg?t=1318181915
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2011-04-15134233.jpg?t=1318181957
Since then, the city has chosen to sit on their decision and after heavy lobbying has finally indicated that they will make a decision on my variance request on October 27...5 months of waiting.
In the hopes that things will turn out positive (meaning I don't need to spend $40,000 to rip out the basement and start again)...I have started my DIY LED light.
Since the tank is 84L x 32W x 26H, I decided to go with a fixture that was 72Lx24W which should cover the area where I will have coral. My light will encompass 180 Cree LED's including a mix of Royal Blue, Cool White, Neutral White and some Blues as well. Here's a picture of my planned layout:
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/LEDfixture3.jpg?t=1318139010
And here is what I've accomplished so far:
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/IMG_20111007_222924.jpg?t=1318182060
mseepman
10-11-2011, 06:51 PM
Well, I spent the weekend drilling 376 holes with a drill press...and I can say it would be too soon if I had to drill more.
Here's a shot of the cluster LED holes...marked to show which LED goes where. I will be using the BJB solderless connectors as I just don't have the time to do that soldering.
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2011-10-10165856.jpg
The cluster of LED's is placed on a 4" U-channel with 2" sides...it's about 1/4" thick. The rest of the LED's are on 2" U-channel...about 1/8" thick.
I placed my order with cdiweb.com today for my 6 drivers...3 HLG-150h-48B's and 3 ELN-60-48D's. Both are 3 weeks out once ordered. I will be doing parallel strings on both the Cool whites and Royal blues.
Lastly I need to order my fuses, terminal blocks, wire and resistors and I should be good to finish of the LED build.
I missed your update Mark! It's lookin good! I can't believe you're having so many stalls getting your house built. Jeez... I hope they make an allowance for you.
mseepman
10-23-2011, 02:36 AM
Variance meeting with the city on Thursday. Hopefully they will recognize how much they've affected me in time and money already.
As far as progress on the light...decided on a plexy splash shield...now have to figure out how to mount the shield in a way that lets me easily remove it for cleaning without taking down the fixtures. Am also planning a power lift for the light so working on that without the house, canopy or tank up can be a challenge.
mseepman
10-26-2011, 04:26 PM
Well, I got a little farther on my LED light last night. With two kids, it's always a challenge to get over to my brother's workshop where I'm building this.
I am planning an automatic light lifter on this and I've been trying to find a way to put it all together. Finally found Stainless eye-hooks for the cabling. Got the Stainless Aircraft cable coming too. Will go into the light lifter later as I can't put it together until the house is together...it will be pretty rudimentary.
Here's a shot of the hooks.
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2011-10-25202436.jpg?t=1319645125
And that got me to the point where I could start mounting LED's. I've chosen to use the BJB connectors for ease of use and no soldering. Not the cheapest option but compared to the price of Vertex or Radions, everything I do seems low cost.
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2011-10-25214023.jpg?t=1319646616
Only got two rows done so far. Even with the BJB connectors, it's still a lot of planning and then re-checking everything you do. The LED's you see below are the XP-E Blues and the XP-G Neutral Whites.
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2011-10-25214037.jpg?t=1319646682
Skimmerking
10-26-2011, 05:17 PM
looking good Markus Maxamis:mrgreen:
mseepman
10-26-2011, 08:17 PM
Thanks...This thing is going to be a lot of work...but I'm sure they will be able to see me from Space when I turn it on. Crazy how much light they HO LED's give off.
mseepman
10-27-2011, 08:25 PM
Well today was a disaster. We had our variance meeting to discuss the couple of inches that our back corner was too close to the property line and after hearing from several hot headed neighbors, the city told us to start over.
Now I am left the monumental task of either ripping out the entire basement or finding a way to cut out the couple of inches we need. This sounds easy but I designed the house and everything was fit exactly the way it had to be...I had no excess anywhere. On top of that, we have no real access on the side that would need to be cut out...neighbor has put in a rock wall right there.
It's just not my day today.:cry:
lastlight
10-27-2011, 08:32 PM
Sorry to hear that sounds like a total nightmare :sad:
Well today was a disaster. We had our variance meeting to discuss the couple of inches that our back corner was too close to the property line and after hearing from several hot headed neighbors, the city told us to start over.
Now I am left the monumental task of either ripping out the entire basement or finding a way to cut out the couple of inches we need. This sounds easy but I designed the house and everything was fit exactly the way it had to be...I had no excess anywhere. On top of that, we have no real access on the side that would need to be cut out...neighbor has put in a rock wall right there.
It's just not my day today.:cry:
for 2 freaking inches??? WTF?? Geez that's terrible that people can't cut you some slack for 2 freaking inches!
mseepman
10-27-2011, 09:31 PM
Funny thing is we have huge setbacks compared to places like Calgary. Over 8' on each property...what is it in Calgary now 8' total?
mseepman
10-27-2011, 09:50 PM
for 2 freaking inches??? WTF?? Geez that's terrible that people can't cut you some slack for 2 freaking inches!
I guess to be fair, it is only a couple of inches at the front of the house, but almost 5 at the back right corner.
asylumdown
10-29-2011, 05:48 PM
Man that really sucks. Do you have any recourse with the survey company? We are facing that exact issue with out house right now, the surveyors were almost an entire foot off in height in the backyard so now the grade level retaining walls back there are all too high. We just got the letter from the city inspector last week, so I'm still crapping my pants a little.
mseepman
10-29-2011, 06:50 PM
Man that really sucks. Do you have any recourse with the survey company? We are facing that exact issue with out house right now, the surveyors were almost an entire foot off in height in the backyard so now the grade level retaining walls back there are all too high. We just got the letter from the city inspector last week, so I'm still crapping my pants a little.
Unfortunately, no recourse. The city approved the original developers plans and so they don't even want to talk about how they were not right. Part of this whole thing may be the city covering their butts for not double checking things in the beginning. The City of Vernon is pretty corrupt. My brother built a new house in an older neighborhood. There were no sidewalks at all on the street. The city said he had to build a side walk in front of his house only (can you imagine how stupid that would be) but could get out of it if he "gifted" them a couple grand. Corruption!
mseepman
10-29-2011, 06:53 PM
So, worked the evening until midnight on getting these little LED's down.
Progress was slow...
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2011-10-28210354.jpg
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2011-10-28231741.jpg
Hard to believe how many of these little buggers there are:
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2011-10-28231759.jpg
Glad to be starting the next phase of wiring. Still waiting on my two bigger fans and on the drivers. Will also be doing a moonlight setup on here too. I haven't yet made my order from digikey.ca on the resitors and fuses but will do that this weekend.
Well today was a disaster. We had our variance meeting to discuss the couple of inches that our back corner was too close to the property line and after hearing from several hot headed neighbors, the city told us to start over.
Oh no! This is terrible. :(
With neighbours like that I would be inclined to find a different neighbourhood to live in. I know you're a stand up guy that made an honest mistake (that technically wasn't even YOUR mistake), you're the kind of guy that makes a GOOD neighbour, those people don't deserve you in their neighbourhood. What a bunch of jack---es.:mad:
On the brighter side (har har) your LEDs are looking pretty sweet.
riceboy
10-29-2011, 10:22 PM
Man that really sucks. Do you have any recourse with the survey company? We are facing that exact issue with out house right now, the surveyors were almost an entire foot off in height in the backyard so now the grade level retaining walls back there are all too high. We just got the letter from the city inspector last week, so I'm still crapping my pants a little.
Is this a brand new neighborhood?
mseepman
11-04-2011, 05:07 PM
Well, time to add the lastest steps in my LED build.
One of the challenges of doing U-Channel was how to cool it (if it needed it). I don't know that I will require cooling but I've planned for it none the less. The clusters of LED's on the large 4" channel will build the most heat and so I've put double the fans in there.
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2011-11-03212843.jpg
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2011-11-03212852.jpg
It was a real bugger to figure out how to attach the fans...finally found this PVC channel that I could cut down and screw to the aluminum to provide some real surface for the fans to screw down to. Not uber pretty...but no-one will see that part of the light anyways.
Then I had the challenge of not wanting too much noise. The 6 smaller channels are spread out so I only wanted one fan to cover each side group. Found this 22cm fan at Newegg...covers the whole area and will blow through the gaps to gently cool the area between the splash guard and the Lenses. These fans push over 100cfm and are dead silent.
You can vaguely see the fan here.
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2011-11-03214749.jpg
All of the fans will be controlled by a 5 channel fan controller. My plans are to mount the separate drivers into a PC box as decent sized project boxes are hard to come by in Canada. This will allow me to mount the fan controller as well and it should look cool.
Tonight I will start to run the wiring between the LED's.
sphelps
11-04-2011, 05:13 PM
Too bad about the variance, I know what it's like as I had a similar issue with my house which ended up being over only 2cm! We ended up settling a deal with the neighbor to buy 2cm of land of them which fixed the issue... Not sure if that's an option for you but perhaps worth looking into.
mseepman
11-04-2011, 05:42 PM
Yeah, we've looked into it...but after the city kept us waiting over 6 months with a partial build, the neighbors are ****ed and won't entertain the discussion.
sphelps
11-04-2011, 06:07 PM
cash speaks louder than words, if purchasing the land will solve your issue a written offer could spike the neighbors interest if the price was right. For instance if it's really going to cost $40K to fix it then offering half that to the neighbor will save you money and time and there's no way the neighbor would turn that kind of offer down.
Parker
11-04-2011, 07:16 PM
Some people amaze me, If my neighbor came to me with that issue my answer would be "I don't care, build away" That's beyond ridiculous. I had to sign off on my neighbors sunroom, even after they lied to me I still don’t care.
mseepman
11-04-2011, 09:21 PM
yeah, I was disappointed in the neighbor too. I've met them both and he seemed really nice...she instantly seemed difficult. I'm trying not to get too frustrated with them as I will have to live beside them for many years to come and our children are similar in age.
We have run into another problem related to getting space from the neighbor...the city has decided that we are a good example for demonstrating to other builders why it doesn't pay to make mistakes...they've already told us they would "kibosh" any attempts at subdivision to add sq. footage to my property from the neighbor. It's funny, the neighbor was mad because of the unfinished house for 6 months...which was because of the city...who then decided to prolong the problem by killing our variance request.
sphelps
11-04-2011, 09:55 PM
Wow that seems like total BS to me, unless they have reason to form a predigest decision on your builder I see no reason why they can legally prevent you from pursuing legal solutions. Actually never-mind, judging by the mess I went through it sounds about right although for me things seemed to be left more up to the inspectors than the county.
But on a second note if it's your builders fault then it's up to them to fix it, is it not? How are you responsible for their mistake?
mseepman
11-04-2011, 10:10 PM
Well, it comes down to this. Normally when a builder does a home for you...they have a good profit margin as well as an administrative fee built into the cost of the home. We had been waiting on my long time friend as a builder for years...but in the interim, we had 2 other builders quote on the job...When they give you per sq. foot costs...they are really really padding. When I wanted a breakdown from them...they had 25-40k in admin costs alone plus profit.
My builder and I worked out a cost plus program. I get every invoice for every single nail he uses...and I pay cost plus on that invoice. Labour hours are tracked at each guy's rate...and I pay cost plus on that as well. I have left him no room for any deviation and in this situation the city could be blamed for much of the problem. I just don't feel right in completely saying it's his cost to bear. I'm sure he will take much of it on, but I want to do the right thing. I've found that when someone is making nothing on a project...things don't go well...so part of my desire to assist is selfishly trying to make sure nothing else goes wrong or is poorly done.
sphelps
11-04-2011, 10:52 PM
IC, best of luck!
sphelps
11-04-2011, 10:53 PM
What controller and drivers are you using for your LEDs?
mseepman
11-04-2011, 11:02 PM
For drivers...I have a mix of ELN 60-48D and HLG150H-48B. I also have a moonlight driver for 4 little moonlights still to arrive. I have one inventronics driver as well that I'm not sure I will use yet.
As for controller..I was always planning on doing the APEX...but after seeing the Cerebra...I've been saving to get that bad boy. My conversations with Vertex indicate that it should be released soon and pricing should align with Profilux (expensive I know)
sphelps
11-04-2011, 11:28 PM
interesting combo, I like the phrase it will be released soon, don't hold your breath. What about the PWM module, how long for that? Shortly after soon I presume.
Actually I just wanted to make sure you're avoiding profilux and that whole PWM module POS. You might also want to consider a Arduino controller just for the LEDs, it's cheap enough to use as a stand alone controller for just the lights then you can add your dream control when it gets released (Although I'm guessing you're not in a rush these days). I found a guy that builds them to order to the specs you need for a reasonable price if you're interested. With the Arduino you can also add lots of features and controls to say control heat sink temp with the fans, after all you won't actually need full fan power all the time.
mseepman
11-05-2011, 06:25 AM
Thanks for the info...given my delays...I may have time to wait for the release...haha, is that the bright side of this mess?
mseepman
11-05-2011, 03:47 PM
I got a little more done last night so i thought I would make sure this gets updated.
My fan controller arrived. Nothing too special...this was made for pc fans. This one can be run without the PC motherboard with just direct power feeding it from a DC power source.
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2011-11-04211636.jpg?t=1320507920
Completed a diode test on all of the LED's with my multimeter and all were good.
I started wiring the lights. Now that I've done wiring on both a soldered fixture (my test fixture) and this bad boy with the BJB connectors....you have to be insane to solder. I keep waiting for the shoe to drop on what is bad about these but nothing so far has come to light.
Here's my progression:
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2011-11-04211558.jpg
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2011-11-04215229.jpg
And finally where I quit at midnight lastnight:
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2011-11-04232329.jpg
mseepman
11-30-2011, 11:58 PM
Well, a little time has passed since I last updated. I have been really busy so work on my light has gone slowly.
The good news is that despite the brutal treatment from the city on my house build...we figured out how to beat the building code and have done so without having to tear the basement out. What that means is that my house is once again under construction after 6 months of sitting there. Too bad now I have to pay extra to build in the winter.
Anyways, here's the pics...
Wiring of the main lights into their strings...done.
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2011-11-17212401.jpg
Moonlights have also been added but I forgot to take a picture.
Here's the house showing some signs of life!
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2011-11-30154425.jpg
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2011-11-30154549.jpg
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2011-11-30154524.jpg
asylumdown
12-01-2011, 12:36 AM
looking great, glad that things have been resolved. Are you and your neighbour square?
My favourite part was framing, things seem to go so fast at that point. Every day you go by, something major will have changed. Beats the electrical/HVAC/plumbing stage, where it can seem like whole weeks will go by without any noticeable changes.
fishytime
12-01-2011, 12:40 AM
LED looks good mang.....and that view is beautiful!
mseepman
12-01-2011, 03:24 PM
LED looks good mang.....and that view is beautiful!
Thanks...we've been sitting on the lot since before there were any houses there in order to save some dough and pay as much as I could of the lot off. It should be good day when I can sit in my living room and look outside to that view and inside to the 7' tank view!:biggrin: Not sure which I will be looking at more.
The framing does go very fast and I agree that it's be best part since you really see progress. Today they should be putting in the floor joists and pouring concrete at our front door/walkway and rear deck.
I have steel beams coming in to support where the tank will be going as well as the front deck. Not sure when those arrive though.
Okguy
12-01-2011, 03:53 PM
Looking good buddy! Hopefully the weather will hold off until the concrete and roof are in place.
I think my neck is going to be sore the first couple of visits swinging it back and forth between the view of the tank to the view of the lake!
lastlight
12-01-2011, 04:10 PM
congrats man those are pictures of victory!
brizzo
12-01-2011, 06:07 PM
Looking good Mark, nice to see you got past the bs known as the city of vernon!
Is the front of your house facing east or west? Not knowing your whole plan, but if you're facing west could the heat from setting sun be a problem for the tank? Just throwing that out there! :)
mseepman
12-01-2011, 06:44 PM
Thanks for the comments everyone. So glad that we are finally on the way.
As for the house position to the sun. The sun should be setting where most of the light is going to be hitting the back yard rather than the front windows. Even then, the tank is about 17' back from the windows so I doubt that heat will be an issue. Actually, I think that I might have to spend more time heating this tank as the fish room is in the basement and should be quite cool so sump/refuge water will get a good chance to cool down.
reefgirl189
12-01-2011, 09:01 PM
Wow this is going to be amazing. Congrats!
Congrats on the new house too.
Lance
12-01-2011, 09:32 PM
:thumb::thumb::thumb:
lastlight
12-01-2011, 10:53 PM
:thumb::thumb::thumb:
You have a triple thumb macro on your computer don't you Lance? :lol:
That things becoming as well-known as the kiener popper.
mseepman
12-02-2011, 03:08 PM
Well, got the moonlights working last night. Unlike the rest of the build, these had to be soldered so I wanted to test them out.
This is the 4 moonlight kit from Rapid which includes a little driver pushing them at 350ma
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2011-12-01210245.jpg
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2011-12-01210104.jpg
mseepman
12-11-2011, 03:13 AM
Well just because I've been waiting for this to happen for ages...I thought I would do an update on here of my house in its construction progress.
It's not a fish tank...but it's a major step towards one. :)
This is a quick shot of the front of the house (I know the pics aren't great but I was carrying a baby while trying to shoot these)
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/IMG_9136.jpg
Standing right where I am when taking this picture will be the 7' peninsula tank separating this room (the Living room) and the dining/kitchen area.
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2011-12-09154306.jpg
And here is the view when we're lying in bed...
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2011-12-09154203.jpg
Here is off my deck:
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2011-12-09154218.jpg
Lastly, here I am with my kids. Note the goofy grin on me...I'm imagining the tank already.
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/IMG_9142.jpg
lastlight
12-11-2011, 03:21 AM
lol kids just want a place to go to sleep and you're planning the tank (I can tell). Congrats man nice to see things turn around for you. having your life put on hold sucks!
Lance
12-11-2011, 04:24 AM
I love when the build gets to the framing. Things really start to shape up quickly when the walls go up!
Skimmerking
12-11-2011, 05:53 PM
what a place to live man well done, have to be a millionare to live there thou.
mseepman
12-11-2011, 07:50 PM
what a place to live man well done, have to be a millionare to live there thou.
haha..I wish I had those dollars...the okanagan can expensive but the quality of life is excellent especially if you have active kids. The reality is that this whole tank is going in on a shoestring budget and I've really actually benefited from the delays with time to save for additional parts.:biggrin:
mseepman
12-28-2011, 10:54 PM
Well, it seems that things never go fast enough when you want a build to get going.
Today I was a bit bored so I thought I would update my thread on how the house was coming...
We reached lock-up just before Christmas.
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2011-12-23105502.jpg
And if you can imagine a Tank sitting right across the room you see here (separating my living room from the Dining/kitchen) Right where the buckets are running all the way from the wall at the right.
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/IMG_9198.jpg
Then because I had the time, I thought I would run through my equipment list.
What I have already:
7'L x 32"D x 26"H starfire tank
5' custom sump/refugium
Reeflo Blackfin 3600 return pump (along with a spare 3600 Blackfin as well)
Octopus XP5000 INT Cone Skimmer
Octopus automatic skimmer neck cleaner
Elos Osmocontroller (auto-topoff)
DIY LED lighting (184 HO Cree LED's)
110 - 125lbs of rock (half curing & half dry)
Vertex UF-20 Biopellet reactor
2 x Two little fishies reactors for GFO and Carbon
2 x Tunze 6105 pumps with 7096 controller
2 x Vortec MP40W ES pumps
33G quarantine tank
2 x 300W Ebo heaters
What I still need:
2 x 75G or larger water storage tanks
Controller system
75lbs or more rock
New RO/DI system
dosing system
plumbing supplies to do up the fishroom
Anything I might be missing?
mseepman
01-10-2012, 04:22 AM
Well, time for another update. The house continues to progress. Here are few pics of where the tank is going to go...hopefully better pics than before. :)
In this pic, I'm standing on my stairs and right in front of me is where the tank will be. It will extend from that wall beside the fireplace out towards where I'm standing. Starting at the wall will be an enclosed sink (so my wife won't have me using the kitchen sink) and then the access to the external overflow.
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2012-01-09142653.jpg
Here is just another angle.
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2011-12-29123451.jpg
Here is a pic of my fish room...though it's still missing the far wall. It's 14' x 7 1/2'. I've had them plumb in three in-wall drains so that I have ready access for when I need to get rid of saltwater. There will be a laundry sink at one end and two big water storage bins at the other.
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2012-01-09142415.jpg
Lastly, I've been really too busy to work much on my DIY light...but I did get some stuff done the other day. I will be having two "control panels" with drivers, power bars, etc. Here is the simple one. Ignore the powerbar that is there, I just needed it for the layout aspect as I haven't decided on the controller I will be buying yet.
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2012-01-02164041.jpg
Each driver will run one string of 12 LED's. There is also the small driver for the moonlights and the power adapter for my fans on the light. At the front is a variable speed fan controller. It may not look pretty right now, but it will once it's enclosed in the stand.
lastlight
01-10-2012, 05:37 AM
Look at all that ROOM you have! Must be nice ya bast...
Again... looking great man I'm happy for ya and stuff lol :mrgreen:
mseepman
01-10-2012, 03:19 PM
Thanks Brett...and if you didn't read it on one of the other threads, I bought Prodibio for this tank (1 years worth) so hopefully I'll be starting it right from the very beginning.
Okguy
01-10-2012, 05:25 PM
Looking good Mark. When is the tank lift? I better start warming up... :lol:
lastlight
01-10-2012, 05:29 PM
Thanks Brett...and if you didn't read it on one of the other threads, I bought Prodibio for this tank (1 years worth) so hopefully I'll be starting it right from the very beginning.
Very nice man. I consulted with my financiers and they said 'HAHAHA' when I mentioned prodibio.
mseepman
01-10-2012, 09:15 PM
Kevin, the builder says that he doesn't want the tank in until almost the last thing...seems to think it might get broken or something.:surprise:
Brett, I found a boxing day price for it and got the price very very reasonable. Basically about $50/mth. If it means no algae and healthy corals...I spend that on short term fixes all the time. No guarantee's but I'm already seeing some results in my little 70 from the first dose of prodibio. I've changed nothing...yet 3/4 of my algae has gone away...and I don't know why.
mseepman
01-12-2012, 11:43 PM
So got a little farther last night on the light. Completed all the testing on several of the strings and wired them up for a photo.
What you see are two of the 4 led's on the center heatsink...the Neutral white and the Blue's. Both running at 700ma for testing. In the end the Blues will be run at 700 while those NW will be running at 850ma. I'm assuming that 184 of these little guys will light up that tank nicely!!!:biggrin:
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2012-01-11215253.jpg
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2012-01-11220755.jpg
Skimmerking
01-13-2012, 03:12 AM
Dude this light is looking great man can I ask u how long is this? And how wide is this?
What was your total cost for this light liking the way you built this
mseepman
01-13-2012, 03:46 AM
Thanks...I think this is going to turn out pretty good too!
As for size, it's a total of 6' long and 24" wide. I plan to put a splash shield of plexi on it that will be 2" wider on each side (total of 28" wide) that will be fixed with stand-offs to the fixture.
As for costs, now that I really dig into what I've spent, I'm looking at just under $2400 including taxes and I still have to buy the splash shield. That also includes about a dozen spare LED's between the different colors just in case.
My plan is to build a light lifter with a linear actuator as well but I haven't put that in the price of the light.
lastlight
01-13-2012, 03:53 AM
My plan is to build a light lifter with a linear actuator as well but I haven't put that in the price of the light.
:pop2:
mseepman
01-13-2012, 04:01 AM
This will be super simple...much simpler than what you did on your last build.
The actuator will simply be bolted to the ceiling with an eyebolt at the end of it. When the actuator retracts back it will pull on two stainless aircraft cables which are fed through pulley's to the eye-hooks on the fixture. Thus pulling it up. Letting the actuator out, will let the light down.
I'm using these to balance the wire above each end of the fixture:
http://i.ebayimg.com/00/$(KGrHqYOKiIE31QRwu4mBOH0cpHdoQ~~_3.JPG
lastlight
01-13-2012, 04:28 AM
Oh your actuator will hang vertical and simply extend/retract? That should be easy and very safe. Mine would have eventually tore my ceiling apart I'm sure.
mseepman
01-13-2012, 04:40 AM
Actually, I wasn't thinking vertical...I don't think I have room for that even with 9' ceilings. I was planning on bolting it to the joists horizontally. Why would you have torn out the ceiling...were you only using plugs or was it attached to solid wood?
lastlight
01-13-2012, 04:44 AM
I had that metal shoe on the end that was guided along the wooden channels. I was always scared it would snag on the wood like it did before I refined it. Doing so would rip the enclosure apart. Also over time the wire may have frayed on the metal bearings.
Fun project but not the safest way to suspend an expensive light lol. Made much worse for the nerves when you can't actually see the mechanism anymore!
mseepman
01-13-2012, 05:27 AM
I saw the same thing that I'm planning done online by someone else...will try to find it.
Paverdude
01-16-2012, 10:55 PM
if you don't mind me asking how much did the tank set you back?
untamed
01-17-2012, 02:48 AM
You mean...like mine?
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0079.jpg
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/Lightframe.jpg
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r118/untamed_photos/Aquarium%20Construction/100_0085.jpg
mseepman
01-17-2012, 03:02 AM
No...not like yours....I would need another degree to make something like that. Plus a lot more patience than I have left. :)
More like what is documented here:
http://www.kenargo.com/lightLifter/index.php
mseepman
01-17-2012, 03:06 AM
Although now that I think about it...I may be over-thinking things and maybe I just need to go with one of these and a couple of pulley's.
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200395356_200395356
mseepman
01-17-2012, 03:11 AM
Time for an update.
Worked on the light last night. Trying to get my second set of drivers organized for the "Parallel" part of the build.
Got plugs onto the three HLG150H-48B's and also setup the fuses and resistors for the strings.
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2012-01-15223845.jpg
The empty spaces on here are for the controller power-bar (whichever one I end up buying) and the dimming controller module (again based upon whatever controller I buy)
I have some quick connects coming that will allow me to disconnect the strings from the board and also at the light. Once they arrive and I see that they will work, I'll get pictures of them up.
mseepman
02-09-2012, 04:27 PM
So it's time for another short update to this slow slow build. My house is progressing quite nicely and I think we will be by mid April. Next week the wall board is going in.
Anyways...here are some pics! :)
My fish room as it progresses:
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2012-02-08162643.jpg
The builder had to disrupt my joy a little to tell me that this room is the most expensive per sq/ft room in the house when I look at what's gone into the whole build. Not something I really wanted to think about...lol.
Here you can see my return line (and backup return line). Notice that they used gentle sweeps so as not to create more head pressure. My pump will only use one of the lines...but if every anything goes wrong, I will have the second ready.
Also some of the outlets that will be mounted high in the room. In each box, the top right outlet will be switch controlled so that I can easily flip certain equipment on and off. These are also all on the natural gas generator so that they always will have power. Everything will be run off of a 60amp sub-panel in this room.
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2012-02-08162619.jpg
And here are my overflow lines coming down from the tank:
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2012-02-08162609.jpg
Lastly, though it's hard to imagine, the lines coming up through my floor to where the tank will be:
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2012-02-08173454.jpg
If you are wondering about the pex lines in this picture, I've put in a "hidden or covered" sink within the tank cabinet so that my wife won't complain about me using her's in the kitchen. :lol:
Sorry for the poor pics but it's just my phone and it was pretty dark out already.
lastlight
02-09-2012, 05:59 PM
hidden sink?! That is so sweet and the fishroom rough-ins are rad too.
mseepman
02-09-2012, 08:39 PM
Thanks Brett, I've tried to think of everything with this. (and I know that I've barely scratched the surface to be honest) but if I tell my other half that I've thought of everything...she suffers through it all much better.
Okguy
02-10-2012, 02:53 PM
Wow Mark, it is coming along nicely. I'm going to need a tour soon!
mseepman
02-10-2012, 03:02 PM
Haha...maybe we can work something out. What are you up to this weekend?
Okguy
02-10-2012, 03:58 PM
I think I'm pretty much free this weekend. I'll talk to the boss and send you a PM later on today.
mseepman
02-12-2012, 05:19 PM
Well while I was checking out the progress at the house today I managed to take a few pictures.
I know it can be hard to see where I am putting the tank in my previous pictures so I'm hoping this adds perspective.
The larger board on the floor marks roughly where the peninsula will come to when in place.
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2012-02-11153725.jpg
Here is another angle. This is what you will see when you come up the stairs from our front door.
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2012-02-11151326.jpg
The smaller 2x4 that you see is just marking the spot where the built in vacuum will come up through the stand. There will be a kick-plate suction spot at the base of the stand. My wife hates any salt creep that ever ends up on the floor so this will let me just sweep it into the vacuum quickly. (Happy wife, happy life)
wow, this tank looks like it might actually happen! :lol:
That looks like a great spot for a peninsula tank.
mseepman
02-13-2012, 05:13 AM
wow, this tank looks like it might actually happen! :lol:
That looks like a great spot for a peninsula tank.
Haha...you're not the only one who wondered. My wife as been very patient after having her new vehicle kicked out of the garage because the tanks have been sitting there so long. Though if you were to talk with my builder he regularly asks if he's building me a house or just a tank as I spend twice as much time reviewing the status of the tank related areas of the house.
The walls of my fish room are now up. I went with a 1/2" good one side fir plywood the will get clearcoated. I think it will look good and will be very functional as I can mount anything anywhere. Plus if I have to get to my in-wall plumbing, I can just unscrew the necessary board and access it. My pictures didn't turn out so i will have to get more tomorrow.
Well, all this time has given you a lot of time to plan it all out in great detail, which is good! It'll be rad once it all comes together. :biggrin:
SeaHorse_Fanatic
02-13-2012, 07:54 AM
Wow, these multi-year tank builds blow my mind. I've never spent more than a month or two planning and setting up a new tank (and that was only because I was moving into a new place and setting up two new 6 & 6.5" tanks in the new place before I moved there). Otherwise, most of my tanks are setup and running within a week or two of deciding to go ahead with it.
When I decided to tear down my fish room (dual 3' 65gs and a 90g wide with 75g sump and 20g above tank refugium) to convert it back into our second bedroom and set up a 210g reef with 75g sump instead, it was probably less than 10 days from decision to purchase to setup completion and everything transferred over with the old tanks torn down and sold off.
I can't imagine starting in 2010 and still in the building/planning process in 2012. You have far, far, far more patience than I ever will my friend.
Anthony
mseepman
02-13-2012, 04:14 PM
Haha, I'd like to call it patience but "forced patience" may be a better term. Having a young family and a very busy work life means that although I've had the time...I just don't know if I've covered every base. But this is getting much much closer.
I just can't wait to see my tank again. It's been crated for the entire time so I barely remember what it looks like. Though I remember how heavy this SOB is.
mseepman
02-13-2012, 07:29 PM
Pics of the fishroom:
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/Fishroom1.jpg?t=1329164101
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/Fishroom2.jpg?t=1329164070
Here you can see the 60amp subpanel:
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/Fishroombreakers.jpg
And here is the plumbing and electrical behind the wall.
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/In-wallplumbing.jpg
Blah, blah...it is just the stuff that guys think is cool...waiting on seeing this tank full of pretty corals and fish...not boring plumbing pictures UGH! Come on Mark! You could throw up some kiddy photo's...much better in my opinion. :wink: :biggrin:
mseepman
02-13-2012, 08:14 PM
Haha...will see what I can do Leah.
Haha...will see what I can do Leah.
:biggrin:
Okguy
02-14-2012, 06:17 PM
Hi Mark, thanks for the tour. The house is going to be fantastic. When I got home my wife wanted to know about the house. The patios, views, breakfast bar, amazing ensuite, theater room etc... and all I could talk about was the huge fish room lined with plywood, the natural gas generator that will run the tank durning a power failure and how you will even have a sink hidden in a cabinet next to the display tank. All she could do was shake her head. :mrgreen:
Very impressive and well thought out!
Blah, blah...it is just the stuff that guys think is cool...waiting on seeing this tank full of pretty corals and fish...not boring plumbing pictures UGH! Come on Mark! You could throw up some kiddy photo's...much better in my opinion. :wink: :biggrin:
Please keep including the "stuff for guys". Many of us have dreamed about building a house for their fish tanks. The pretty corals will grow for years and years but you will only build once. So please keep the updates coming!
fishytime
02-15-2012, 12:19 AM
I wonder what the record is for number of pages in a thread before there is actually a tank in the house???....:razz:
mseepman
02-15-2012, 12:35 AM
I thought Brett might have the record for slowest build but I'm coming on strong! (not the current 404 of course but his last tank.)
Don't worry Kevin, I will keep posting the build...its the only way I can cope with the anticipation of actually getting things going for real.
Skimmerking
02-15-2012, 01:19 AM
I thought Brett might have the record for slowest build but I'm coming on strong! (not the current 404 of course but his last tank.)
Don't worry Kevin, I will keep posting the build...its the only way I can cope with the anticipation of actually getting things going for real.
I thought Tony had the slowest build to date
just sayin:smile:
mseepman
02-15-2012, 08:53 PM
I thought Tony had the slowest build to date
just sayin:smile:
You may be right...all I know is that I'm starting to be a player in that race...and I'm not sure I like it. :redface:
lastlight
02-15-2012, 08:56 PM
You may be right...all I know is that I'm starting to be a player in that race...and I'm not sure I like it. :redface:
You're building a house at the same time that doesn't count lol. Even tho Tony hates that title he's not going to just give it up... after all it is a title =)
Reefie
03-10-2012, 05:54 PM
Hey Mark,
Good to finally meet you, the future title holder of "The Slowest Tank Build Thread". Haha J/K!
You're building a house AROUND your tank! That's kinda what I'm aspiring to do whenever we get sick of Downtown living and decide to get a house.
I hope the lights work out for the interim.
mseepman
03-10-2012, 11:26 PM
Thanks Ken, I'm just waiting for the power adapter for the stunners to come in and then I'll put them to good use for the next few months. :)
I will try to get an update on this thread going soon...All my time has been dedicated to finishing my LLQP designation of late.
mseepman
03-30-2012, 03:22 PM
Well, it's been a while and I thought a quick update would be in order. A lot of things are happening around the house, but not as much on the tank as I've been working to complete my LLQP designation.
As you can see, they've completed much of the painting:
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2012-03-21125254.jpg
Also, I've got a little further on the lights and have completed the fixture wiring and now I am just testing my parallel strings to make sure they are balanced. There certainly is a learning curve to this...especially when I only have time to work on it 1 night a week or so. :sad: I can say that the BJB connectors are really the bomb and make things much easier.
Because my drivers are on separate boards from my fixture, I used terminal blocks on the end so that I could install quick disconnects for when/if I ever need to take the light down.
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2012-03-27221649.jpg
Fortunately, once in the canopy, no-one will ever see the fixture itself (or the wiring haha)
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2012-03-20220322.jpg
Skimmerking
03-30-2012, 05:28 PM
That's it for pictures omg I can't. Elieve you man and you are living above a lake so get a outside picture or something
Get one of you biting the tank lol. I love the build mark well done
mseepman
03-30-2012, 11:59 PM
That's it for pictures omg I can't. Elieve you man and you are living above a lake so get a outside picture or something
Get one of you biting the tank lol. I love the build mark well done
Haha thanks. I will try to get a good picture from the Living room to show the view. I'll really have to figure out what I want to look at more...the lake view or the tank view. :)
mseepman
05-03-2012, 05:22 AM
Well, it's been a while since my last update. House is coming along but it never moves the way you want it to.
Thought I would share a picture of the fish room coming together. The walls of the room are all Fir Veneer and will be heavily laquered. I thought I would deviate from the standard white room and go with something a little different. Plus the sheets of wood allow me to access the in-wall plumbing and or electrical if ever there is a problem. Ignore the copper pipes you see. Due to the huge beams that were used to support the tank upstairs, it was more cost effective to put a few water shutoff's in this room rather than having to box them out under the beam and take them to my main utility room.
My HRV is a stand alone unit and will be mounted on the ceiling. The room has a stand alone 100Amp service and about half the electrical circuits are on an auto transfer switch with an 8kW Natural Gas generator.
By the way, the ceiling isn't that low, the picture was partially obscured by paper taped throughout the entrance as they are spraying the door trim this week.
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2012-05-02153653.jpg
gregzz4
05-03-2012, 05:29 AM
Nice to see some progress, but, is that it for pics ???
I mean, c'mon, a month and 1 pic .... :razz:
mseepman
05-03-2012, 05:40 AM
Haha...I have more but they weren't uploaded to photobucket yet. I thought people might be bored of house progress as this is really the only one that references the tank. We've mostly been working on the outside of the house.
mseepman
05-03-2012, 09:33 PM
Okay, so after not having too many pics, here are a couple more.
Fish Room continues to get worked on. The stand you see will hold my sump and another tank to be used for either fragging or Quaranteen (or two tanks)
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2012-05-03123302.jpg
This is another angle...My laundry basin will go here at the end of the counter.
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2012-05-03123317.jpg
Lastly, they have finished the rockwork on my fireplace and are preparing to spray my trim throughout the house. (thus why it is bagged)
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2012-05-03123343.jpg
gregzz4
05-03-2012, 09:36 PM
:smile:
mseepman
05-09-2012, 06:28 PM
Last night I finally found some time to do some finishing touches on the LED build.
Started by placing my lenses on the appropriate led's (at least I hope I picked the right ones:razz:)
Then with my brother's help we drilled and placed the new Plexi splash shield over the entire fixture. Those are the moonlights that are on in this picture.
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2012-05-08210921.jpg
I really tried to come up with some way to build an apparatus where I could slide the plexi in from one side, kinda like how many of the production units do it, but just couldn't figure out a good way. Thus I went with plastic spacers and stainless screws.
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2012-05-08210711.jpg
Rather than look at the cut sides of the plexi, I put on aluminum trim all the way around. This should further strengthen the plex from sag (although I doubt 1/4" will sag) and make it less of a lethal weapon when I reach into the tank.
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2012-05-08215239.jpg
mseepman
05-18-2012, 11:39 PM
A quick update for anyone who still has the patience to follow this build.
My contractor started on the stand and the canopy for the tank. This thing would hold 5 of my tanks, it's done so well.
Here's a quick pic of them starting to skin it:
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/IMG-20120518-00017.jpg
Here's a quick shot inside:
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/IMG-20120518-00018.jpg
And another:
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/IMG-20120518-00019.jpg
Lastly a little closer shot of how the corners will go: Note that this isn't attached, its just put there for my picture.
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/IMG-20120518-00020.jpg
1" plywood will be on top and there is even a hidden drain reservoir all around the tank hooked up to my sink drain beside the tank. It should be pretty sweet when it's all done.
My picture of the canopy didn't turn out so it will have to come later.
Reefie
05-19-2012, 12:12 AM
Rock SOLID stand!!!
Are you going to stain it or paint it? White would look really classy, I've taken to White lately.
mseepman
05-19-2012, 12:16 AM
It will actually be stained to match all the cabinets around it. All the trim is solid Oak and will be stained like my stair posts shown below:
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/IMG-20120518-00024.jpg
Reefie
05-19-2012, 12:56 AM
Oooh very VERY nice!
Lookin good Mark!!! Glad your house is finally coming together for you. :D
lastlight
05-19-2012, 04:40 AM
Looks awesome ;) pro jobs are always so polished. Love the standoffs for the plexi too. That can't really sag.
mseepman
05-19-2012, 05:02 AM
Thanks for the comments everyone. Glad this slow moving thread still has a few readers. Things are going to start moving a lot faster over the next 6 weeks as the stand, tank and lights get moved into the house.
lockrookie
05-19-2012, 06:40 AM
dude when you have a well thought out build like this ppl pay attention..we are addicted to that which we wish we had your contractors workmanship is amazing you will have a piece of art yu will enjoy for years to come....or curse at depending the situation.. so never apologise for the time its taking the end result is worth it.
cheers
Lance
05-19-2012, 07:28 PM
Looking good! I'm sure you could park a bulldozer on that stand!
mseepman
05-20-2012, 04:08 AM
Looking good! I'm sure you could park a bulldozer on that stand!
I may have to try that! :wink: Now we just have to figure out how to get this into the house. None of the doors are large enough. :sad:
Okguy
05-22-2012, 08:16 PM
Wow an update!
Looking good Mark.
I can't remember if you have doors or windows going out onto the patios. Any chance of getting the stand up there and in thru those openings?
mseepman
05-22-2012, 10:09 PM
Hey Kevin...good to see you on here. I have ton of windows...though most of the don't open. I think we've determined that a partial break down will be required. Stand is about 39" at its narrowest point.
I'm hoping the stand will make it into the house late this week.
gridley
05-24-2012, 04:14 AM
I've been following your thread for a few months - impressive. Sorry to hear about the stand issue - that hurts!
mseepman
05-28-2012, 05:37 AM
Well, time for another quick update on the lights.
Got them all hooked up to my new APEX tonight. Ran through some programs and then put them all on at once. Note that this is a picture through the plastic film protecting the plexi...which I believe is cutting the light by 30-40%. Most of the lights are on at about 75% here.
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2012-05-27211012.jpg
I have to say, it's pretty cool seeing the APEX put this through it's paces. The fixture is really quiet and you won't hear it inside the canopy at all. The fans are doing okay but right now, I'm a little concerned about heat at the two ends which are farthest from the fans. I will take my heat gun to read the temperatures after I get everything to 100% for an hour and see if it's within the LED specs.
Skimmerking
05-28-2012, 12:40 PM
WOW looking good buds :wink:
mseepman
05-31-2012, 05:10 AM
We're getting closer all the time. We figured out how to get the stand into the house and my contractor has been installing the shell today. Tomorrow we will hopefully see a lot of the exterior to the stand get installed.
Without pics...it don't mean much so here you go:
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/IMG_0877.jpg
Here you can see we're starting to put the exterior on:
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/IMG_0884.jpg
Here is the skeleton of the canopy:
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/IMG_0878.jpg
And from another angle.
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/IMG_0879.jpg
Sadly while test programming my LED lights, my APEX unit died and has to be returned to Neptune for replacement. It's only been on for 5 or 6 days so hopefully it's track record gets better.
mseepman
05-31-2012, 11:30 PM
Some more pictures from today's progress...this thing is huge.
Here is the view as you come up the stairs into the living area of the house.
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2012-05-31155202.jpg
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2012-05-31155323.jpg
The living room side:
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2012-05-31155231.jpg
The dining room side:
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2012-05-31155347.jpg
And my plumbing for the external overflow coming through the bottom of the sink area.
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2012-05-31155402.jpg
gridley
06-01-2012, 12:13 AM
This is looking fantastic! It must be exciting to see it coming together.
mseepman
06-01-2012, 12:16 AM
Yeah, finally some movement on things. It will start coming fast now.
lastlight
06-01-2012, 02:11 AM
Stand looks to be equal parts large and awesome. This is where all the waiting seems worth it!
mseepman
06-01-2012, 03:39 AM
Stand looks to be equal parts large and awesome. This is where all the waiting seems worth it!
Thanks...despite all the time its taken, now I feel panicked about how quickly its coming together.:redface: Tomorrow will be another big day of work getting done.
If anyone has trouble figuring out how it will all come together, join the club. The original ideas were mine...but my contractor has run with it to develop the finished look. Luckily, I've never seen him do a less than stellar job...so I have faith:biggrin:
Bugsy
06-01-2012, 05:11 AM
Looks great Mark, would love to see the new home and tank once its all done.
Where are you building?
:biggrin:
mseepman
06-01-2012, 05:41 AM
Looks great Mark, would love to see the new home and tank once its all done.
Where are you building?
:biggrin:
We're out above the beach in Lakeridge Estates in the Landing.
reefan
06-01-2012, 06:44 AM
Very nice, this should be a good one.
mseepman
06-26-2012, 10:36 PM
Well thought this thread needed a brief update.
We've been mostly working on retaining walls in the back yard so if things look like they are moving slow...welcome to my world:laluot_08:
The cabinet maker has been working on my kitchen back at his shop and tinkering a little with finishing the tank stand.
Here are the small (but I'll take what I can get) updates: Note that these are crappy phone pictures.
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2012-06-25113658-1.jpg
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2012-06-23150555.jpg
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2012-06-23150518.jpg
So exciting! I bet you will be glad to just get moved and settled in at this point. :biggrin:
Hope all is well with you guys and I would love to see some new pictures of the kids if you get a chance.
mseepman
06-27-2012, 12:12 AM
Thanks Leah. I will try to PM you some pics :)
justincgdick
06-27-2012, 12:57 AM
Thanks Leah. I will try to PM you some pics :)
Ohhh, I see. She gets special pics does she? :pout:
Edit: Wait... I missed the part about your kids. Now I seem like a creep. Nevermind...
This is awkward. Nice looking setup so far.
mseepman
06-27-2012, 02:41 AM
Ohhh, I see. She gets special pics does she? :pout:
Edit: Wait... I missed the part about your kids. Now I seem like a creep. Nevermind...
This is awkward. Nice looking setup so far.
Haha, I'll let it slip this time :lol:
mseepman
06-29-2012, 05:53 AM
Okay, so I'm in need of some advice here. If you look at the first picture above showing the entire stand, you can see that I have had them cut out space for my external overflow on the end panel. My plan is to run two 6105's and two MP40W's at that end to push flow towards the clear end. The problem that has arisen is that I will need to "cut-out" spots for those powerheads to fit at the end. Two will fit beside the overflow, while two will go lower down on the panel.
My question is which two should go lower? I think the Vortec's have a broader flow so they probably should go up high. Opinions or advice suggesting otherwise?
lastlight
06-29-2012, 05:56 AM
much better chance of keeping sand in place using the tunze lower down. they're more of a jet. I have two 6105s stacked on each other maybe 4" off my sand. aimed just ever so slightly up. The top one is 24V too.
mseepman
06-29-2012, 05:59 AM
That's what I was thinking too. Now just to get them to cut the holes in the right spots. If this is the only problem I face I will count myself lucky.
Everything is looking great!
Okguy
07-16-2012, 03:26 PM
Any Updates?
Is your builder still just using his left hand?
He's gotta be almost done :redface:
mseepman
07-16-2012, 07:47 PM
Haha....just his left hand is what it seems like sometimes. Not done yet but getting closer...slowly. Siding is half on and we're doing lots related to the yard. Electrical is more than half done. Gas is in. Flooring should go in soon.
michika
08-15-2012, 06:28 PM
I actually really like to see the house build progression! Its really cool to watch.
You're right, your LEDs look great! I think they came out looking excellent.
mseepman
08-15-2012, 07:16 PM
Thanks Catherine! As compared to some of the builds out there, mine isn't too fancy but it is coming together. Rather than use red LED'S I added 24 neutral whites which seem to add just enough in that spectrum for me. Still haven't seen it above water so maybe I'm blowing smoke but I sure hope not
mseepman
08-28-2012, 11:58 PM
Well, it's a small update, but right now, I'll take any update.
Got my generator installed:
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2012-08-23155205.jpg
Then the auto transfer switch was put into my fish room.
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2012-08-28150230.jpg
Since the transfer switch was finally in, I got lights in my fish room. All plugs and lights in the fish-room are on the generator, along with all plugs at the actual display tank and my refrigerators, freezers, furnace and some random lights through the house as well.
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2012-08-28150216.jpg
This room is getting the floor epoxied shortly and the walls are all getting several coats of "clear-coat". The wood look may not be fancy but it should be very durable.
Lastly, I guess it never hurts to show a pic on the progress of the outside of the house. They are painting it this week.
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2012-08-28144902.jpg
mseepman
09-10-2012, 10:44 PM
Okay, time for some more updating...this time, more tank related, though still small.
I spent Sunday on hanging my light within the canopy. Thank God for my brother and friends because with the weight of the light and the setup on the canopy, I needed three sets of hands to get it in there without wrecking the Oak.
I ran into some problems with my light lifter design...but nothing that I won't get fixed up by mid week. Here are some pics. Note that right now, the light is sitting on my "Red Green" style temporary stand (empty paint cans since it's all I could find in the empty house).
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2012-09-10133059.jpg
I'm using a linear actuator with remote control to pull the light up towards the ceiling and out of my way.
Here's the actuator:
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2012-09-10133110.jpg
Had to route a hole through the stand to allow for both the actuator and my wiring to pass through.
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2012-09-10133127.jpg
Lastly, here is how I balanced the light at each end. It worked really well and the light is level side to side.
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2012-09-10133226.jpg
The flaw in my design comes from the hooks used to hang it from the ceiling. Apparently, between the weight of the light and the power of the actuator, those hooks bend pretty easily. I was going to use pulleys but it made the light lower than I wanted...now I will have to use shorter closed loop hooks and pulley's in order to re-direct some of that force.
The whole contraptions works well...it just won't continue to do so for long as something has got to give in the current setup.
Acipenser
09-11-2012, 12:58 AM
I absolutely covet your generator setup, does it power any other part of the house as well ?
mseepman
09-11-2012, 02:44 AM
Yeah, it powers my refrigerators, freezer, some lights, and my furnace. They are really very reasonably priced now and the kits include the auto transfer switch. I used to sell these 8 years ago for 5x the price. Check out your local KMS Tools if you want to look into it further.
michika
09-11-2012, 06:21 PM
That lighting is going to be sexy when its done.
What were the original hooks you used made out of?
mseepman
09-11-2012, 07:02 PM
Those long hooks were the standard zinc coated ones available at BC Fastners. Even if I could find other ones, I think that the stainless steel cable would eventually start to wear through them. Those hooks are almost nine inches long.
My new plan is for about 5 inch closed eye hooks threaded through wood blocks both of which will be screwed into the ceiling. Those are as thick as your small finger. Then a 3 inch pulley will hang below that for the wire. Even if there is some horizontal pressure, the shorter length of hook and the encasement by the block should prevent any bending. :-)
mseepman
09-14-2012, 06:22 AM
Tonight I reworked my light lifter. Here it is in action now.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysyQ_S1wxso&feature=youtube_gdata_player
JDigital
09-14-2012, 01:58 PM
Very cool! Seems a bit loud, do you plan on sound proofing the cabinet?
mseepman
09-14-2012, 02:58 PM
You know what...my wife said something like that too! I actually don't intend to do that. Once cabinet doors are on, it will get quieter. Given how often I have to raise and lower my light now, I don't think I will be doing it very often. Especially with a fish room for doing water changes, dosing, etc.
I think the honest answer is probably that my wife will have to hear it with the doors closed and then we'll see if changes need to be made. :)
mseepman
09-17-2012, 06:42 PM
Very cool! Seems a bit loud, do you plan on sound proofing the cabinet?
After some further testing...I realized that I had some vertical pressure on the actuator arm at full extension. This contributed to both noise and I think wear if I had left it that way. Dropped the pulley's 3/4" and this has made a significant difference. Noise is less and I should have years of uninterrupted service out of this now.
got myself caught up on your build.. and wow! That's looking kick ass, man!
mseepman
10-19-2012, 12:18 AM
Thanks Kien,
I find it a real compliment when someone with your talent takes a look at my build.
It's coming along. I am hoping to water test the tank on the ground this weekend and assuming that nothing goes wrong, carry it into the house near the beginning of next week. :)
mseepman
10-21-2012, 02:59 AM
Well, today I needed to get ready for the tank to make it's big move from my current garage to the new house for installation early next week. I decided that after sitting on the tank for 1 1/2 years, I should water test it here before I put it inside my new house. Five of my friends came over to help and so with 6 sets of hands we lifted it off the dollies that I had it on and placed the crate on the garage floor.
The crate was built a bit like a stand so I felt that it could handle the weight of a full tank. Off came the top and in went some fresh water.
As expected....nothing burst. No leaks either. I made it about 3/4 full and then decided that I didn't need to further test it and waste water.
Here's some pics:
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2012-10-20152343.jpg
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2012-10-20152336.jpg
So...the not so exciting part was getting all that water out. I've been packing and only now realized that any pump with some gumption was out of reach...so a Maxijet 1200 was used to empty this thing...wow..that was painful.:redface:
Anyways, from here, hopefully the move over to the house goes well. The install should be interesting as they only left me 1/2" of clearance to put the tank in. Hopefully my next post isn't about a broken tank.
lockrookie
10-21-2012, 03:18 AM
If you had used warm water you could have at least thrown some power heads in and a heater made a whirl pool tub while you waited.
Sent from my porcelain aquarium
mseepman
10-21-2012, 03:31 AM
yeah...In my new house I thought of putting hot and cold taps in the garage...but this current place doesn't have that option. That water was sooo cold I couldn't put my hands in for long.
lockrookie
10-21-2012, 04:08 AM
If there's a will there's a way lol I was tempted on my 180
Sent from my porcelain aquarium
zhasan
10-21-2012, 08:52 AM
This is an awesome build! Really looking forward to see this tank full of livestock and thriving!!! I love the light going up an down automatically.
Is it normal to use generators out there or you just installed it for the purpose of keeping a back up to keep the reef going in case of a power outage?
mohammadali
10-21-2012, 10:21 AM
is this tank big enough to dive in it ? :D
mseepman
10-21-2012, 02:34 PM
This is an awesome build! Really looking forward to see this tank full of livestock and thriving!!! I love the light going up an down automatically.
Is it normal to use generators out there or you just installed it for the purpose of keeping a back up to keep the reef going in case of a power outage?
Thanks for the compliments! As for the generator, its not common but it should be since the are really very affordable! I got it for the tank but its really helping me everywhere!
mseepman
10-21-2012, 02:38 PM
is this tank big enough to dive in it ? :D
Well I'm 6'2" so yes I could submerge...but its better for my little mermaid...pic to follow once she gets up.:biggrin:
Nice to see water in that bad boy, even if its just temporary. Sounds like you're getting real close (to actually working on the tank) now! :-)
______
Sent from the future on my iPhone 10 using Tapatalk
mseepman
10-21-2012, 03:36 PM
I am and the stress is mounting! After sitting on this for so long, now I keep wondering if I've thought of everything(of course I haven't and I know that).
My builder made a few mods to my stand design (cosmetic only) but they have created some issues for how my plumbing might go. I'm going over to the house today to see what new holes have to be drilled to fit my plumbing.
mseepman
10-26-2012, 04:00 AM
Well today was the big day! The tank got moved into the new house and onto the stand. I really wasn't sure how it would go but in the end it went pretty well. Between my builder and his crew and a couple friends, everything went well.
Here are some pics:
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2012-10-25164836.jpg
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2012-10-25164629.jpg
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/mseepman/2012-10-25165304.jpg
The stress over that move has been haunting me for a bit. Glad its over and now I can focus on getting the tank plumbed. Gotta wait a little still until the fish room is complete though.
gridley
10-26-2012, 05:10 AM
Wow! That tank looks incredible inside that stand! Great job on the design and overall look.:biggrin:
gregzz4
10-26-2012, 07:30 AM
Holee mackerel :lol:
Very cool dude :mrgreen:
GracieLou
10-26-2012, 03:13 PM
Very nice! I love the peninsula room dividers, can't wait to see it filled!!
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