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  #101  
Old 04/06/2005, 03:36 PM
jthnhale jthnhale is offline
get your reef on
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Greenwich Village
Posts: 1,150
I just thought the same thing about my 120
Your right about the cost, everything gets magnified.
It's all the stuff you don't really think about, salt, ro replacement
filters, more bulbs to replace, bigger chiller, it does not end.
  #102  
Old 04/06/2005, 04:14 PM
Reef Addict II Reef Addict II is offline
10 & over club
 
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Waterford, WI
Posts: 678
Thats exactly why I went with a 180 from my 300g i had before.

Plus in WI the kw rate is about .08.

Check to see in your area if they have a budget plan, not for billing but for hourly rates.

Here I have a rate of .152 a kw 7am-7pm Mon-Fri and a .0293 rate for the other 108 hours of the week. I will run my lights MH from 8pm-5-6am and VHOS from 7pm-7am.

This should save me about $40 a month and have a bill about $55-60 a month(for the system only)

Steve
  #103  
Old 04/06/2005, 06:57 PM
Jamesurq Jamesurq is offline
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Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Greensboro, NC
Posts: 5,240
Steve, that's a killer deal. Wish we had that.
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  #104  
Old 04/06/2005, 11:22 PM
original-reefland original-reefland is offline
Standpipe Guy
 
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: New York
Posts: 2,247
Steve,

I can't get rates like that here that I know of. The electrical system is deregulated so technically I could purchase my electricity from other suppliers. However then I have "delivery fees" from my local hookup... so damn complicated I can't figure out the policy and thus I do nothing.... which I think is their plan.

I do however have "day/night" rates. From 11pm to 7am it is about 50% cheaper. That is when I plan on running the halides, its the time I do the laundry and dish washer, etc. I'll have the actinincs on a bit earlier so I can enjoy the tank a bit earlier.

I'm also already on a budget plan which spreads the cost over the year.
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Rich Durso

Visit My Chunk of the Ocean, click the Red House above.
  #105  
Old 04/06/2005, 11:38 PM
original-reefland original-reefland is offline
Standpipe Guy
 
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: New York
Posts: 2,247
UPDATE:

Fabricated a set of Durso Standpipes for myself (nice for a change). Got them installed.

Installed some plastic electrical wire hangers under the tank. This will keep my electrical wires that cross under the tank off the floor. They actually are PVC pipe hangers but they will work perfectly for hanging the electrical wires.

The sump is clean, looks as good as new. Moved the sump into possition under the tank.

Installed the bulkheads and single union ball valves for each bulkhead.

Cleaned the MAK4 pump and Iwaki MD70RLT pumps.

The skimmer is currently soaking filled with a freshwater and vinegar mix. That is a lot of water and vinegar. I have a dual beckett skimmer that is 40 inches tall and uses 6 inch diameter acrylic.

By the weekend I expect to have the sump linked in with water flowing. Have the bulbs in the AB Aquaspace light changes and the unit hanging. Possibly Friday or Saturday I'll be picking up the live rock.
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  #106  
Old 04/07/2005, 06:22 AM
Gawain1974 Gawain1974 is offline
Medieval French Monkey
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Madison, WI
Posts: 1,037
Just wanted to chime in and say that I've really enjoyed watching the process you're making on your tank and setup. :-)
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Les
The real voyage of discovery consists not of seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes. ~Marcel Proust
  #107  
Old 04/07/2005, 02:17 PM
missing Linc missing Linc is offline
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Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Somers, NY
Posts: 23
"I tell my wife the 180 will make a nice sump one day. She gets that look of death in her eyes."


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Ain't it the truth. Linc
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My mind is missing...it's lost on a reef somewhere...
  #108  
Old 04/08/2005, 12:49 AM
original-reefland original-reefland is offline
Standpipe Guy
 
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: New York
Posts: 2,247
Wooot!!!

Major progress today:

* Installed the MAK4 return pump (sounds like it has a bad bearing, but its working).

* Installed Iwaki MD70RLT pump (not hooked to skimmer yet).

* Installed a SCWD device between the returns.

* Ran a good chunk of the ventilation duct on one side of the room.

* Added another 50 gallons of water. This filled the overflow chambers and filled the sump up enough. I left room for water displacement of the rocks.

* Fired up the return pump and checked for leaks. Of course I found a few. Got them all fixed as far as I can tell. Getting the sump up and running is a major milestone.

* Added about 1/4 bucket of salt to bring the salinity back up.

Next steps:

* Plan on picking up some live rock tomorrow and some more on Saturday.

* Change all the bulbs in the AB Aquaspace light and get it hung.

* Build a little platform for the skimmer to sit on and get it linked into the system.
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Rich Durso

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  #109  
Old 04/08/2005, 12:53 AM
melev melev is offline
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Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Ft Worth, Tx
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Awesome. Keep posting images as you do this, as it makes the thread far more exciting to follow.
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Marc Levenson - member of DFWMAS
  #110  
Old 04/08/2005, 07:11 AM
original-reefland original-reefland is offline
Standpipe Guy
 
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Location: New York
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Will do... it was 2am when I made the post. Way to tired to process images.
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Rich Durso

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  #111  
Old 04/08/2005, 08:01 AM
Jamesurq Jamesurq is offline
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Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Greensboro, NC
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Or you could overkill it like Marc and post a half hour movie detailing the exciting world of running PVC plumbing.
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  #112  
Old 04/08/2005, 09:36 AM
LittleBlueGT LittleBlueGT is offline
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Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Winnipeg, Canada
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While you are setting up your tank it may be a good time to think about a possible upgrade to an OM 4-way. Having owned a SQUID and a 4-way, there is absolutely no comparison.

GO FOR THE FLOW!!!

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When all else fails, turn up the flow!!!
  #113  
Old 04/08/2005, 05:21 PM
original-reefland original-reefland is offline
Standpipe Guy
 
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Location: New York
Posts: 2,247
Quote:
Originally posted by littlesilvermax
While you are setting up your tank it may be a good time to think about a possible upgrade to an OM 4-way. Having owned a SQUID and a 4-way, there is absolutely no comparison.

GO FOR THE FLOW!!!

I'm using turbelle streams 6100 (3175 GPH) units for intank circulation. Flow rates between sump and display do not need to be that high. Lower flow rates make it much easier for a quieter overflow, reduced micro bubble problem, etc.

I have about 20x tank circulation in tank now, which will be expanded to 40x in a bit and I have 6x turn over between sump and display and 8x turnover just to the skimmer.
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  #114  
Old 04/08/2005, 05:22 PM
original-reefland original-reefland is offline
Standpipe Guy
 
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Location: New York
Posts: 2,247
I.... got... rock....

150 pounds so far. Just got it into the tank. Not sure from which island. Very light and open rock. 150 pounds may be enough rock for this project. Every large rock they had I grabbed.

I'll post some pictures tonight.
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  #115  
Old 04/08/2005, 06:38 PM
kakan kakan is offline
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Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Commerce MI
Posts: 478
I've been watching this thread from the beggining and the tank is looking awsome cant wait to see the new rock

Good Luck
David
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  #116  
Old 04/09/2005, 08:46 AM
original-reefland original-reefland is offline
Standpipe Guy
 
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Location: New York
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Here is a picture of Live Rock. Still boxed.

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Rich Durso

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  #117  
Old 04/09/2005, 08:50 AM
original-reefland original-reefland is offline
Standpipe Guy
 
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Placed the live rock into the display tank for curing. Obviously no aquascaping has been done. Rock are just palced in even spaced for water flow.

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  #118  
Old 04/09/2005, 08:53 AM
original-reefland original-reefland is offline
Standpipe Guy
 
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Location: New York
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Image from above.

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Visit My Chunk of the Ocean, click the Red House above.
  #119  
Old 04/09/2005, 08:57 AM
jthnhale jthnhale is offline
get your reef on
 
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Location: Greenwich Village
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wow, those are some nice sized chunks of rock.
Lights!
  #120  
Old 04/09/2005, 09:01 AM
original-reefland original-reefland is offline
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Location: New York
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The live rock is loaded with fresh acropora skeletons. My guess is that they were alive when the rock was havested. Some of these skeletons are 6 to 8 inches across some smaller.

I even found the shells of a baby giant clam. To small to make out the species, but it a nice bright white, scutes, ridge lines. If I had to guess T. squamosa would be an educated guess.

No obvious signs of macro algae, sargassum, which is great I hate that stuff. One rock was loaded with tunicates, mushed and rotted. Scrubbed them off.

No other signs of critters such as snails, brittle stars, shrimps. Only thing I've noticed so far is a tiny white sea star that typically fragment quickly. Only noticed one so far.

Overall I'm very happy with the rock, very light, very porus, interesting shapes that do not look like construction rubble. Be nice if it had some more coralline coverage but I can live with this.
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  #121  
Old 04/09/2005, 09:02 AM
original-reefland original-reefland is offline
Standpipe Guy
 
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Location: New York
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Quote:
Originally posted by jthnhale
wow, those are some nice sized chunks of rock.
Lights!
Cherry picked every one of them. I had the rock layed out all over the floor. Measured and weighed each one to grab every light yet large rock.
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Rich Durso

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  #122  
Old 04/09/2005, 09:31 AM
jthnhale jthnhale is offline
get your reef on
 
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Location: Greenwich Village
Posts: 1,150
that's great that you got to see, and pick the rock you wanted.
did you get any small stuff to glue frags to?
  #123  
Old 04/09/2005, 09:46 AM
Jamesurq Jamesurq is offline
Monkey
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Greensboro, NC
Posts: 5,240
fiji rock?

I wanna say some of those pieces look a little like Marshall Islands...
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  #124  
Old 04/09/2005, 10:20 AM
original-reefland original-reefland is offline
Standpipe Guy
 
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Location: New York
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Quote:
Originally posted by jthnhale
that's great that you got to see, and pick the rock you wanted.
did you get any small stuff to glue frags to?
Nope.. no small stuff. It'll be a while before I have to worry about frags.
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Rich Durso

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  #125  
Old 04/09/2005, 10:23 AM
original-reefland original-reefland is offline
Standpipe Guy
 
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: New York
Posts: 2,247
Quote:
Originally posted by Jamesurq
fiji rock?

I wanna say some of those pieces look a little like Marshall Islands...
Nope.. none of it is Fiji. Seems they don't stock that anymore. I'm not sure of which Island. They said the name... two words first with a V second sounded like a P.

Surades anyone?
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