265 gallon project - Page 2

tentacles · #26 01/18/2007, 08:18 PM

I'm looking at the profilux or the aquatronica, and if the profilux works well with the streams, well that's one less thing to buy

niloc16 · #27 01/18/2007, 08:28 PM

the profilux also controls wave systems as well. i am getting the tunze wavebox soon so i'll let you know how, or if, it works well with the controller. i got some pics of the new additions. i got a 4" copperband butterfly 6" powder blue and a pinkish/purple green tip pink polyp acro colony (i'm hoping it will turn out to be a tricolor) and green colony. not sure on the family they are, if someone knows or thinks they may know please let me know. i spent alot of time today in front of the tank trying to get some good pictures. the acro's i'm finding really hard to take pics of because i cant the color to be true in the picture but i tried. but i'll let the pics talk for me.

niloc16 · #28 01/18/2007, 08:29 PM

niloc16 · #29 01/18/2007, 08:31 PM

rhunt · #30 01/18/2007, 08:41 PM

Sweet setup...very very nice!
Love the rock work!
And very neat setup. Mine isn't that neat with the wiring.

zachtos · #31 01/18/2007, 09:20 PM

So did you drill 3/4" holes in the liverock and slide the pvc into the holes, or did you just drill holes big enough to stick zipties through the holes?

niloc16 · #32 01/18/2007, 09:38 PM

90% of the rock already had holes that allowed me to just slide the rock over the pvc, the ones that didnt i drilled holes and then slid it over the rock. once the rock was on the pvc i then drilled small holes in the rock (if there wasnt already holes) to put zip ties through then secured it the pvc. i did it this way so that the zip ties werent structural and only used for positioning support. once i built the pvc i drilled tons of holes in it to keep dead spots of water within the pvc and these are what i used to put the zip ties through. it went a thousand times easier then i anticipated. i did not glue the pvc and that way i was able to build the structure with rock in sections outside the tank on the floor which is way easier to work with and then install the finished product in sections into the tank and assemble it there.

zachtos · #33 01/18/2007, 10:45 PM

so where'd you find a drill bit long/big enough to do that?

it's very creative, i would like to emulate this in my 240 gallon system that I'm building. I was going to use combination artificial GARF style rock w/ fiji

niloc16 · #34 01/18/2007, 11:14 PM

i didnt need a super long one, just average 3/4" masonry bit and if it wasnt long enough i turned the rock over and drilled from the other side, i chisled some rock with a screwdriver to make the holes bigger. the structure on the left i used 1/2 pvc and on the right i used 3/4" because the one on the right has a free standing archway so i needed the extra strength.

niloc16 · #35 01/19/2007, 06:55 PM

i got my calcium reactor hooked up today. dual chamber marintech and i'm using an eheim 1262 pump for supply. for media i'm using a type of 'reef bone'. i've heard very good stuff about this media so i'm trying it. this is the first reactor i have ever hooked up and used so input on my adjustments would be great. i've started with 1 drip effluent to 4 bubbles co2 per min. i tested the tank prior to starting the unit and i'm going to keep a chart of reactions in the tank compared to adjustments on the reactor.

i finally got some pictures of the mounting of my controller. excuse the wiring for now. i started to clean it up and then they are going to replace the powerbars for the controller so i'm going to wait until i get the new bars

i also installed the 3 fan assembly i bought for the profilux controller. it is a variable speed fan controlled by the controller but i need to get a 'y' adapter to hook it up so for now i'm just turning it on with the lighting. prior to getting this fan my tank was hitting 85.1 and now it stabilizes at 83.8. big difference for such a small unit. i'm worried though when i increase my photoperiod that the tank temp will rise as well. if it does then i will install some fans in the canopy

niloc16 · #36 01/20/2007, 10:32 PM

a few new additions that i absolutely could not turn down. i may have rushed this purchase but everyone does it, i couldnt help myself. let me know what you think

BTTRFLYGRL · #37 01/21/2007, 12:12 AM

OMG!! The rockwork is AWESOME!!

Although I wished I hadn't seen it...now I'm going to want to do somthing with the rock in my 240

Very nice tank!

niloc16 · #38 01/22/2007, 01:17 AM

thanks bttrflygrl. the rock work was actually quite easy. alot easier then i expected. it only took me about 3 or 4 hours in total to assemble the rocks. building the pvc was about 2 hours but that is because i used a hacksaw to cut it all and then later learned that for $14 you can buy a pvc hand cutter that cuts through the pipe super easy and clean, it would have taken me a 1/4 the time if i had this tool first.

orchidsnfish · #39 01/22/2007, 08:17 AM

Very nice rockwork. I really like this tank. Making me inpatient about getting my 265 set up.

Angela

invincible569 · #40 01/22/2007, 08:18 PM

Colin, where did you get the fan assembly from? thank you.

niloc16 · #41 01/23/2007, 12:47 AM

i picked it up from hidden reef in abbotsford, bc. alot cheaper then i expected

niloc16 · #42 01/26/2007, 11:05 PM

so i tried some top down pictures tonight. i also found my whipfin wrasse i lost, he is in my overflow. does anyone have a trick for getting a fish out of the over flow?

here is some new additions acclimating to the lighting

niloc16 · #43 01/26/2007, 11:07 PM

some top down of the rock work. i'm still learning to use the camera so the color is not great

niloc16 · #44 02/04/2007, 07:09 PM

i mounted a couple of my pieces yesterday and picked up a couple new ones. i'm a little nervous though because when these new pieces become acclimated i want to cut the base off and glue them to my rock but i have never fragged sps before and i dont know how brittle the pieces are. can the acro crumble when i cut it? i know it sounds like a stupid question but i have never done it before.

hatfielj · #45 02/04/2007, 08:07 PM

Absolutely Awesome Setup Man. Thanks for all the pictures! I can't wait to see this one mature. By the way, I think I have the same kind of laminate flooring in my kitchen

niloc16 · #46 02/04/2007, 11:27 PM

heres a couple end views as you walk down the hallway. i finally got my whipfin wrasse in a picture

quy_nquyen · #47 02/04/2007, 11:34 PM

colin that blue sps is AMAZING! i've never seen one that blue before

niloc16 · #48 02/07/2007, 09:47 PM

it was my first attempt at removing the frags from the plugs today. it was bloody nerve racking thinking i was going to destroy the piece. not much has changed lately with the tank. the algae bloom has died down, it was good because it only lasted about a week. anyhow here is some pics of the pieces mounted in their new locations

laomedon · #49 02/08/2007, 04:40 PM

Colin does your Centropyge loricula nip on your SPS or not at all? Had to remove mine, what I hated to do as it was the most beautiful fish we had :-( Beautiful setup you got there and also very nice selection on corals.

niloc16 · #50 02/08/2007, 05:25 PM

the flame angel leaves everything alone thank god. at first it was nipping a little at my motipora peltiformis but i think it was only algae he was after. i tried to catch him when this was happening but there was no chance i could get him. but i'm glad i left him because i love that fish and he is good right now with all the corals