The build thread: 430gal. display
- Thread starter Ummfish
- Start date
Work has been moving forward. The display tank is done, except for the final cleanup!!! The installer guy was here today making up a list of parts he needs for the closed loop. The ceiling trim is done and the guy who did most of that has moved on to working on the basement stairs. So now I have the feeling that the rest of the downstairs trim will move very fast. The painter is supposed to start on the downstairs on Monday.
The second coat of spar varnish went on the area around the top of the tank today. That stuff is evil.
A couple of different views.
The view from the kitchen sink:
The view from the downstairs shower:
The view from the downstairs bathtub:
They are supposed to install (or at least do a dry fit) that bathtub Monday, too! It's getting there....
The second coat of spar varnish went on the area around the top of the tank today. That stuff is evil.
A couple of different views.
The view from the kitchen sink:
The view from the downstairs shower:
The view from the downstairs bathtub:
They are supposed to install (or at least do a dry fit) that bathtub Monday, too! It's getting there....
Equipment? Heck, I ordered two corals tonight. 
I couldn't pass them up; a couple of small, nice LPS from Live Aquaria. I've been trying to hold off, but I just can't any more.... They'll get to spend a nice, long time in the QT tank.
Actually, most of the equipment is a part of the deal or I already have. Speaking of, I need to dig my calcium reactor out of storage....
The lights are all here, for both the display (4 x 400W halide and 2 x 250W halide, and T5 [I think] fluorescents) and the fish room (T5s). I'm going to try actinics in the display but they tend to give me headaches so they may get replaced with regular bulbs. I'll certainly never have them on without the halides, in any case.
The timers for the lights will be mounted in the ceiling right next to the light fixtures and the wiring is all ready for that.
The pumps for the closed loop and returns are here. The UV is installed. I already have a couple of skimmers. I have a couple of other 250W MH retro fixtures that I can use over the macroalgae tank. Mike's getting me a kalk reactor and I have the dosing pumps all ready for that (have to dig those out, too). He's also getting the controller for me at some point.
I'll probably need some powerheads in the tanks downstairs, but I have several laying around.
Umm ... what am I forgetting?
I need to order salt, sand, more live rock. I wish someone sold Southdown around here. Sand is so expensive for, well, dead sand.
I'll need to get more equipment, though, when I start setting up the breeding setup. But, that can wait until I get closer to needing it.
What else am I missing?
I couldn't pass them up; a couple of small, nice LPS from Live Aquaria. I've been trying to hold off, but I just can't any more.... They'll get to spend a nice, long time in the QT tank.Actually, most of the equipment is a part of the deal or I already have. Speaking of, I need to dig my calcium reactor out of storage....
The lights are all here, for both the display (4 x 400W halide and 2 x 250W halide, and T5 [I think] fluorescents) and the fish room (T5s). I'm going to try actinics in the display but they tend to give me headaches so they may get replaced with regular bulbs. I'll certainly never have them on without the halides, in any case.
The timers for the lights will be mounted in the ceiling right next to the light fixtures and the wiring is all ready for that.
The pumps for the closed loop and returns are here. The UV is installed. I already have a couple of skimmers. I have a couple of other 250W MH retro fixtures that I can use over the macroalgae tank. Mike's getting me a kalk reactor and I have the dosing pumps all ready for that (have to dig those out, too). He's also getting the controller for me at some point.
I'll probably need some powerheads in the tanks downstairs, but I have several laying around.
Umm ... what am I forgetting?
I need to order salt, sand, more live rock. I wish someone sold Southdown around here. Sand is so expensive for, well, dead sand.
I'll need to get more equipment, though, when I start setting up the breeding setup. But, that can wait until I get closer to needing it.
What else am I missing?
Sigh. The tank's _not_ done yet. He still has at least one more brace to add along with a more thorough clean up.
Despite that, the first fishes and corals went in today.
Full tank:
The tub was dry-fit today. They still have to adjust the height a little and then they are going to mortar it down.
The tile guy should start the fun tile that goes above the dark tile tomorrow!
Despite that, the first fishes and corals went in today.
Full tank:
The tub was dry-fit today. They still have to adjust the height a little and then they are going to mortar it down.
The tile guy should start the fun tile that goes above the dark tile tomorrow!
I got a couple of new buddies today. A friend of mine had to break down a tank and offered me these. (Thanks, Ryan!)
He claims that they are always like this--inseparable. I didn't think tangs paired, but they seem awfully attached. And not aggressively.
My friend who brought them to me this morning lives _way_ up in the mountains and, unfortunately, the water was 57 degrees F when he got here. I opened the bucket and thought they were dead. No movement. I dropped a heater and airline in and they started moving a bit after about a 2 degree F rise. It was a looooonnnng acclimation (and I had two books go to press today), so I'm pretty wiped out.
The tangs took some food this evening before lights out.
He claims that they are always like this--inseparable. I didn't think tangs paired, but they seem awfully attached. And not aggressively.
My friend who brought them to me this morning lives _way_ up in the mountains and, unfortunately, the water was 57 degrees F when he got here. I opened the bucket and thought they were dead. No movement. I dropped a heater and airline in and they started moving a bit after about a 2 degree F rise. It was a looooonnnng acclimation (and I had two books go to press today), so I'm pretty wiped out.
The tangs took some food this evening before lights out.
Friday night photos. Starting on the closed-loop. There are two of these pumps:
One runs the water motion at through all of the holes in the bottom of the tank. The other pushes water up and over top of the tank.
So, about 10,000gph will be running through the closed-loop system and another 3,000gph will be coming up from the fish room in the basement.
Access to the crawl space:
More photos:
http://www.ummfish.com/remodel.html
The last photo is a 4 second exposure of the fiber optic lights in my kiddo's room. Pretty cool!
One runs the water motion at through all of the holes in the bottom of the tank. The other pushes water up and over top of the tank.
So, about 10,000gph will be running through the closed-loop system and another 3,000gph will be coming up from the fish room in the basement.
Access to the crawl space:
More photos:
http://www.ummfish.com/remodel.html
The last photo is a 4 second exposure of the fiber optic lights in my kiddo's room. Pretty cool!
Not a big photo update tonight because I didn't get over there with the camera in time to get some shots. The masons are just about done, though, so I should have some nice shots of that at some point.
The tank is "done." Except for the cleanup. The builder says that we can do a FW test on Dec. 1. Woohoo!
In the meantime, the backup generator is here!
The tank is "done." Except for the cleanup. The builder says that we can do a FW test on Dec. 1. Woohoo!
In the meantime, the backup generator is here!
Nothing new on the tank front but lots of new stuff going on in the house. If you are interested despite the lack of tank updates, here are the photos:
http://www.ummfish.com/remodel.html
http://www.ummfish.com/remodel.html
Howdy! I had a busy afternoon, so I didn't document most of the house, but here are a couple of new tank photos. This one is a self-portrait:
If you look closely, you'll see that the dursos are built, the top manifold is glued, and there are strainers for the closed-loop intakes, like this:
As a complete aside, all of the work on the staircase is really looking good. Hundred-year-old heart pine. Gotta love it!
Thanks!
If you look closely, you'll see that the dursos are built, the top manifold is glued, and there are strainers for the closed-loop intakes, like this:
As a complete aside, all of the work on the staircase is really looking good. Hundred-year-old heart pine. Gotta love it!
Thanks!
Given some concern that the strainers on the closed-loop intakes would clog too quickly and create too much suction, I talked to the installer about possibly going with his first choice of strainer. He is concerned that we can't hide it without using up way too much room in the tank and without it looking good. So, I decided to give it a try today.
Here's the strainer:
I added the old pieces of garden irrigation tubing too keep the rock off the strainer (I don't want to impede the flow) and to give me easy points at which to attach rock.
In progress:
And here's what they look like in the tank. It's a mushroom:
The idea is that I would later aquascape under and around the mushroom pillars, blending them into the rest of the aquascaping. The rocks on top are not attached so I can periodically remove them and clean the strainer. I used zip ties this time around because it was easy and not permanent in case we go another direction.
It's a bummer to see some of those coral skeletons again. Failures past. Ugh.
Thoughts or comments?
Also, two monster water containers. One fresh and one salt:
Return pumps and sump baffles:
Overflow on one of the 90s:
Whew! Thanks for looking!
Here's the strainer:
I added the old pieces of garden irrigation tubing too keep the rock off the strainer (I don't want to impede the flow) and to give me easy points at which to attach rock.
In progress:
And here's what they look like in the tank. It's a mushroom:
The idea is that I would later aquascape under and around the mushroom pillars, blending them into the rest of the aquascaping. The rocks on top are not attached so I can periodically remove them and clean the strainer. I used zip ties this time around because it was easy and not permanent in case we go another direction.
It's a bummer to see some of those coral skeletons again. Failures past. Ugh.
Thoughts or comments?
Also, two monster water containers. One fresh and one salt:
Return pumps and sump baffles:
Overflow on one of the 90s:
Whew! Thanks for looking!