Did some experimenting tonight and found if I changed the drain size from 1 1/2" to 1" in the overflow and added a tee to the bottom of the drain, it is quiet as can be. The water level in the back is set just below the top of the emergency drain. The only thing I can hear now is the Eiheim pump and it is very quiet.

So we drained the freshwater and started to put the light rack back together. With any luck I should be starting to put saltwater in it tomorrow night.

Looks Like a nice set up what are you planning with this one mixed reef?

Congrats on getting the noise level down to an acceptable level, sounds like it was a frustrating experience with lots of experimenting. Sometimes that's the only way since every system is different in it's own little way.

Good luck with the rest of the build, it looks great so far.

It will be a mixed reef. I have a dozen or so SPS's, a few LPS'S and I like zoanthids and mushrooms. So I guess mixed it is.

The one thing I am really unsure of is which fish to stock it with. It's hard to make a decision when you like them all.

Wow, looks great! Can't wait to see more pictures, when you get stuff in and I am pretty
curious to see the fish you pick.

It's finally mostly done. The light rack has been rebuilt and just needs a little bit of tweaking to make it easier to hang the lights. Will probably have another small bracket made upto hang the light on. The tank has been pushed back into it's corner and started putting water in tonight. It has about 8" now and will take a few days to fill it.

I'm mixing the salt right in the tank with a Quietone 4000. I was thinking of filling the tank with water and salt. Then filling the sump with RO water to the minimum operating level and adding the appropriate amount of salt to the tank. Then get the overflow running. Over the course of a couple of days this should get all the salt mixed in. During this time I wouldn't be adding any rocks or sand.

After a couple of days, I would add the rocks, which should then bring the sump level up to where it should be.

Today I've started adding rock that has been cooking for a few months. Set up a temp 150 MH light to help see in the tank and possibly start the cycle. I'm not very good at making up my mind and sticking to it, so the arrangement of the rocks could take a week or two. I choose today as the birthday of the tank since I'm adding something kind of alive, even though it's only dead rocks. If I were to choose the date of the idea, the tank would already be a year old.

Does anyone know of a drill that you can use to drill holes in rock underwater? Perhaps and air or dremel attachment?

electricity and water are very scary to mix...

May I ask why you don't take the rocks out to drill?

you can make a template of your tank out of cardboard wrap a garbage bag on it and then lay the rocks on that so you kinda get a feel for the dimensions of the tank.

I just thought it would be nice after you have all the rocks just right to be able to drill a little hole for a frag plug instead of using epoxy.

After months of planning, waiting and redoing, here's what we're looking at tonight. I have never been so happy to see a sand storm.

http://www.canreef.com/photopost/data/508/IMG_0142.JPG

ahh the good oh SFTS -> sandy front tank shot
Glorious isnt it