Project: 50 gallon cube (upgrade)

[asmujica]

So, after some planning and finding a good glass shop, I finally have a new tank.

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/8807IMG_1312.jpg

Its dimensions are 23x23x23 made out of 9mm thick glass. It has eurobracing and a 1 inch bulkhead drilled in the box.

[asmujica]

Its going to be supported by a steel stand, covered in many layers of rust proof paint.

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/8807IMG_1309.jpg

The stand covering and the canopy are going to be made of matching wood. I still haven't decided the stain I want to apply. I am looking at a dark rustic looking stain which I still haven't found.

I will be posting updates in this thread as to how the setup comes along and how I am going to achieve the transfer from the already established tank.

[corro]

awesome tank! ok ... here come the questions!!!

did you put it together yourself?
what is the bttm brace made of?
what are the dimensions of your overflow?

nice job! looks great! cant wait to see it all stocked.

[gumbybc]

awesome man, i deffinately want to follow this one!

[Dlckwood]

Very cool. What was your insperation tank to get this one?
DLCKWOOD:p

[asmujica]

corro, to answer your questions:

did you put it together yourself? Nope, but sure felt like it :P
what is the bttm brace made of? Aluminum, I wanted something to protect the tank against chips during installation, not so worried about rust since I coated it with a lot of rust proof paint.
what are the dimensions of your overflow? 7x5 inches

Dlckwood its just a shape I like I guess. Although I was convinced even more when I saw a nano cube that had some awesome rock formations which I though would be even better in a larger tank. Let me see if I can find it so you can get an idea.

Hopefully, tomorrow I will be getting my sump, which has a slight mistake that hopefully won´t generate problems down the road. Will post pics as soon as I get it.

[Lunchbucket]

DANG YOU!!! you have basically done the tank I have been thinking/dreaming of :( oh well at least i know what it looks like :D i am looking into starfire glass or acrylic w/ a few twists ;)

more updates
Lunchbucket

[Pewe]

Very nice asmujica :)

Saludos desde al tierra del tequila:D

[corro]

Originally posted by asmujica
corro, to answer your questions:
what is the bttm brace made of? Aluminum, I wanted something to protect the tank against chips during installation, not so worried about rust since I coated it with a lot of rust proof paint.


again! sure looks nice!

so, did you just have the bttm brace custom welded for your tank? along with the stand?

[asmujica]

lunchbucket saphire must be skyrocketing your price for your tank, mine cost me 200 bucks!

pewe saludos de vuelta, oye ya has probado el tequila el conquistador, en especial el blanco suave?

corro yes I did, the same guys who made my tank made the bottom brace and the stand. They had it finished in less than a week. I am still waiting for the sump though, but that is because of some measurement problems we had. Hopefully I can go pick it up today.

The stand is something that not everyone will like, its 1 meter tall so that I could have space below for the sump and a 10 gallon tank below the sump (ro/di kalkawasser auto top-off). I am also sorta tall, so I hated having to lean down to watch the tank while standing...

[Lunchbucket]

kind of found one place that was about 75bucks more but shipping would be 175 added on. i could find one for about 400-450. drilled, overflow, EVERYTHING

Lunchbucket

[asmujica]

I've got the sump, but to my surprise it has 2 flaws. Can you spot them?http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/8807IMG_1314.jpg

I am going to fix one right now, the other one I don't know if I will be able to fix it.....

[Lunchbucket]

HELL YEAH that is what i like to see...a ER in a NICE sump w/ TWO floats :D

great job!!
Lunchbucket

[asmujica]

Thanks for the compliments lunch.

Well, the first flaw is that the first baffle should be drawing water from below, not from above. The second flaw is a direct cause of the first, because now the water overflows on top of one of the floats. I don't foresee a problem with the float problem, and if there is a problem I could just attach a piece of glass on that area so that the water does not crash down onto the float.

The baffles are what really concern me, since I do not know if water will flow to the heater area (right below the skimmer) and if bubbles are still going to reach the return pump.....

[Algae Blenny]

Great looking tank. But are you going to cover the stand or is it just going to open like that?

[Lunchbucket]

well at least you can cut the silicone and re do it...at least it isn't up yet...you can fix it.

Lunchbucket

[asmujica]

Algae Blenny yes its going to be covered in wood, and there are going to be two levels inside the sump. The sump will be above a 10 gallon tank that is going to be used for Kalk and auto top-off. To the left there will be a sealed compartment for the electronics of the tank.

Lunch tomorrow I will redo the baffles in the sump. Should not be much of a problem....

[shaw]

very nice, what kind of lighting will you use?
thanks

[asmujica]

shaw right now I am going to use the 192 watts of powercompacts that I have. I simply do not have the funds right now to buy the HQI fixture I want.

Hopefully, by this summer I will be getting a PFO pendant, either 150 or 250 watts, I will not be using any sort of supplementation with that lighting scheme. The most complicated part of the proyect has been by far the sump. Everything just barely fits (maybe its because of the size of the return pump sedra 900ga) or the amount of stuff I want to fit under the stand.

I need to fit the sump, a 10 gallon tank, and a sealed area for all the eletronics (powerstrips, ballasts, plugs, etc.)

The most interesting part of this proyect will be the aquascaping. Hopefully it will come out incredibly bizzare and the most important piece of the tank. I have already been practicing with some rock I have around here to see what to do, so far it looks promising, to me at least, my gf does not know what the heck has gotten over me.

[asmujica]

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/8807IMG_1319.jpg

Someone asked me for a top-down shot so here is something better. You can see the area where I messed up royally.

The main problem is that the heater chamber has little to no flow. Additionally, bubbles are not quite eliminated using this setup since the first baffle must grab water from below, and the last baffle drops on top of a float switch, which may or may not cause problems, but the water should be coming from below.

Hopefully, someone is learning from my mistakes. I will post pictures of how the sump SHOULD be later on when I fix it.

On the left the water drops from the tank, it passes through the skimmer chamber, then drops down into the heater chamber to go through the baffles, it then goes to the return pump chamber where there are two floats, the highest one is the safety float which is always on and turns off when water reaches it, the lower switch activates the auto top off mechanism. Both float valves can be bought at grainger.com manufacturer number m8000, they cost 10 bucks each here in Mexico.

[corro]

asmujica: what was the thickness of your steel stand? i'm looking at having one done also... :)

do you mind if i ask how much the steel frame cost you to have done?

thanks

[asmujica]

corro each brace measures 2x2.

It cost me...... 45 bucks!!!!

LOL......

Hopefully tomorrow I will have the sump fixed. I've already begun getting the sand for the new tank. I will be shooting at a 1.5 inch depth. DSBs in Mexico are not practicall, you can not get critters to stir it so I will have to do with a lot of flow.

The flow will be achieved with the sen900 conected to a scwd, which I think is too little for the tank, so I am going to hide either one or two powerheads in the intricate rockwork creating flow where it would have been impracticall and an eyesore for a powerhead to be. Since I will be using pvc piping for the rock structure, I will also be redirecting the flow via the pvc so that it will be directed towards the back wall. It sounds good, but who knows how complicated it will turn out.

[Pewe]

pewe saludos de vuelta, oye ya has probado el tequila el conquistador, en especial el blanco suave?
No, esta bueno? para probarlo :beer:

[asmujica]

Originally posted by Pewe
No, esta bueno? para probarlo :beer:

Yo practicamente no tomo nada, y este realmente si me gusto... Hay cuatro versiones, el blanco suave, blanco fuerte, reposado y añejo. Solamente he probado ambos blancos.

[reewik]

I have a 42 hex as you stated the aquascaping is going to be a challenge. I really wanted mine to look different then the norm. I just reajusted the structure last night and will be posting some picts on my site tomorrow. I had all the rock in the middle and that was just to darn boring for me.

You mentioned a cabinet beside the set up for the electronics. I opted for the electronics to be under the stand and the sump to be in a cabinet.I have a 15 gallon in the cabinet. The glass shop did a great job.

I will be following this site for some pics.

[asmujica]

reewik the electronics will be inside the stand, inside a cabinet. Having a 39.5 inch high stand helps for cramming everything under there. I want it be EXTREMELY clean.

I don´t want the tank to invade the room, I want the tank to be a part of the room.

[gbishop]

Hi,

I have just finished upgrading to a very similar set-up to yours.

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=300860

It will be interesting to see how both our tanks progress over time and probably how different they will look.....

Good luck :)

[reewik]

asmujica,
So i guess my setup takes up the whole room, just trying to help!

[Lunchbucket]

gbishop - NICE i am gonna go to your thread and post there as to NOT hijack this thread!

Lunchbucket

[asmujica]

gbishop nice tank! I will be hidding my powerheads inside the rockwork, I will post pics as soon as its done.

reewik sorry reewik didn´t mean to sound harsh, the tank is in my bedroom and its the only room in the house I decide what goes where. I designed all the furniture inside the room and I had to work with some things I already had a as a kid.

[reewik]

no problem asmujica..... Thanks for the reply

[3_high_low]

Very nice cube!

Hey in this threads title, when you typed the word "Proyect", was that a typo or just your accent?;)

[asmujica]

Originally posted by 3_high_low
Very nice cube!

Hey in this threads title, when you typed the word "Proyect", was that a typo or just your accent?;)

I originally typed proyecto but I thought speaking spanish on the thread would irritate some. So, its a typo.... :D

[asmujica]

Today I started playing around with a PVC structure to hold the rocks.

Here is a frontal view.

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/8807IMG_1320.jpg

[asmujica]

Side view.

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/8807IMG_1321.jpg

[asmujica]

Top View.

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/8807IMG_1322.jpg

[asmujica]

There is a place where a powerhead will be conected. The structure still lacks where the flow is going to be diverted to and a more stable foundation.

I am playing with the pvc pipes with the scwd also as you can see in the pics.

Do not look at the neglected tank on one of the pics plz :D

[asmujica]

After much research I have decided that I am going to use a two part epoxy paint to paint all the pvc fittings so that the rock stand is virtually invisible. I already had a 1 inch concrete drill bit to drill the holes in the live rock.

For those that are interested, they sell the two part epoxy here:

Two part black epoxy (http://www.aquaticeco.com/aquatic1v1/itempg.icl?orderidentifier=ID107448985337527146F&eflag=0&iteminfo4=0&itmid=4449&passitemid=4449)

[bulldog12]

Is your tank custom made? I am looking to get a cube tank as well but cannot seem to find a manufacturer that makes them.

[asmujica]

bulldog12 yes it was custom built. I live in México and a guy here built it for me.

Over there your can probably get it from Oceanic, Interamerican and Glass Cages.

[reewik]

I am just patiently awaiting the aquascaping process. As mentioned before I have a 42 hex. This is a difficult tank to aquascape. I imagine yours will be too.

[corro]

bulldog12: oceanic does make a 56gal cube ... any oceanic dealer can order it for you. the down side IMO is that it has a corner overflow. it is listed on their website. --> here <-- (http://www.oceanicsystems.com/products_dimensions.html) 56 -- 24 ½ x 24 ½ x 23 ½ -- in the RECTANGULAR CUSTOM AQUARIUMS section

i was quoted about 450$ with a couple of extra holes drilled.

[asmujica]

reewik its going to be quite interesting. Right now I am in the process of locating the two part epoxy paint to paint the pvc pipes. Did you notice where the powerhead is going to be hidden? There is a piece of the powerhead sticking out of the tubing.

corro I didn´t know oceanic made a cube tank in that size. This shape is really interesting, as long as the aquascaping goes as planned it should be amazing.

[reewik]

If you don't mind me asking, what did you pay for the cube to be made?

[asmujica]

Originally posted by reewik
If you don't mind me asking, what did you pay for the cube to be made?

It was 200 bucks, drilled, with the acrylic overflow and with .90 mm thick glass.

[reewik]

That is an awsome deal. I wish mide was drilled with an overflow.

[asmujica]

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/8807IMG_1323.jpg

Well, its been a slow. I painted the back of the tank black, which looked pretty good.

Tip: When painting tank cover every part you don't want sprayed with paint. You can also see the "finished" rock structure frame.

[asmujica]

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/8807IMG_1324.jpg

Here is a picture of the corrected sump with the flloat switches installed. The heater just barely fits down there....

[asmujica]

The stand and hood will be ready in 15 work days. Its going to be made of encino with a dark stain.

[kmu]

Cool looking tank and sump mujica, Felicidades...

[asmujica]

Thanks KMU. The most challenging aspect of this tank is the aquascaping. I am still messing with the rock structure.

What lighting did you finally purchase?

I am having a 150 or 250 watt dilema :D

[ROBZ]

asmujica,
tu aquario esta buenisimo!!!! felicidades
awesome setup!!! love the cubes:cool:
;) :D , if you can go with the 250w will pretty much grow anything if you go with the double ended bulb much better too!!!





Robie

[asmujica]

Thanks Robz. Yes the 250watt HQI is pretty tempting. Electricity over here is pretty high, we pay $14 dolars per kilowatt hour.......

[ROBZ]

If you decided going with the 250w hq,i I recommend getting an electronic ballast, either icecap or hellolights (small very low heat and durable had them both)and definatelly more efficient. IMHO

hope it helps.
good luck anyway!!!

[Lt Hudson USMC]

bulldog12-
Glasscages.com builds custom tanks, and they will be in Raleigh in May. I am ordering a 120 Gal (36x31x25)

[Cheapreef]

Your tank looks strangely familiar.:D Had mine setup about a year ago, too bad the LFS that built the tank built it way too thin.:eek: Anyway you r tank looks like it will be very nice.:beer:

http://www3.telus.net/public/winger9/mycube.jpg

Clinton

[asmujica]

Cheapreef looking good. :thumbsup: What are you doing for flow/lighting?

Any tips for setting up that size cube?

[Cheapreef]

Just so you know the tank had a early death, bottom fell out about 2 months after setup. The tank was build too thin. I was using a mag 9.5 for the return which was going to be hooked to two DIY sea swirls. I was also going to add a mag 7 on a closed loop for added flow, which would have brought me up to 40X or so. The lighting over the tank was a 175watt 10k Ushio 8" off the water, corals loved it. Other equipment i used, a DIY Beckett, DIY calcium reactor and DIY kalk reactor. The only tip i would have is skimm the hell out of it.:D

Clinton

[asmujica]

Ouch, cheapreef did you add styrofoam to the bottom to distribute the weight?

Did the stand only grab the tank by its edges?

[corro]

cheapreef: how thick was the glass and how big was the tank?

[Cheapreef]

No, no styrofoam just 1/2 plywood. The tank sat flat on the plywood and was perfectly level. The tank was only 1/4" thick, should have been at least 3/8" and maybe a 1/2" bottom. The tank was 45 gal 2' X 2' X 18".

Clinton

[corro]

i'm sorry... that was a sweet looking tank.

[Cheapreef]

Thanks Corro, i really liked that tank it's been my favorite so far. Asmujica, i hope to see some more pics of you aquascaping soon, i'll be redoing my 30gal cube soon and i was thinking along the same lines as you've started.:)

Clinton

[asmujica]

Cheapreef I will post some pics of the progress soon. I redid part of the structure to make it look more random/natural and drilled holes in the pvc, on monday I will be purchasing the epoxy paint (safe for food contact) and I will be painting the structure as well as the return tubing. I had one hell of the time locating that paint....

[polymorphus]

more pics of your rock and PVC please

[asmujica]

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/8807IMG_1325.jpg

Here is the pvc structure painted black.

[asmujica]

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/8807IMG_1326.jpg

Side view.

[asmujica]

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/8807IMG_1327.jpg

Return plumbing painted black.

[asmujica]

This stuff is incredibly gooey. I used up very little of it. If it doesn't dry out as planned I will add a second coat, which I think is unecessary at the moment.

Also, do this outside. It is sort of dangerous to do it inside.

I don't know if you can see the texture I tried to apply in the pictures. Hopefully, it will attract coraline algae growth very quickly.

Almost all of the pvc is going to be covered in rocks, painting it was done to avoid having white gaps.

[polymorphus]

Ouch aren't you worried about the paint affecting your tank?

[Cheapreef]

Asmujica, looking good. Hope to see some rock strapped to that suff next time.:D

Originally posted by polymorphus
Ouch aren't you worried about the paint affecting your tank?

If you read the whole post and go to the link about the paint you'll fid out it's nontoxic and is used for saltwater aplications.

Clinton

[asmujica]

Originally posted by polymorphus
Ouch aren't you worried about the paint affecting your tank?
I was wondering when someone was going to ask that :D

Thanks for claryfing Clinton.

What do you guys think of the structure? I think it will lend itself to have some very interesting rock formations.

[Cheapreef]

What do you guys think of the structure? I think it will lend itself to have some very interesting rock formations. [/B]

Can't wait to see it all in the tank, looks like it should be a nice column/cave structure.

Clinton

[asmujica]

Stand/hood are available in a week. I am not a patient person and the wait is driving me crazy. That and having a 50 gallon tank with its sump empty on my bedroom floor. Its just not feng-shui..... :lol:

[asmujica]

Today the tank is scheduled to be finished. The PVC fittings took quite a while to dry up, so if you are planning on using that type of paint get ready for the time it takes to dry up.

I will be posting pictures of the stand hopefully later on today.

[nemonemo]

Tagging along to see how rock on the pvc turns out. I got a 60 gallon cube 24 x 24 x 24 and not satisfied with my aquascaping.

[saltyFISHscales]

im tagging along to see the return pumps and flow rates.... i current have a 60 gallon cube and want ideas on more circulation. thanks looks great!

[bulldog12]

I wanna see this bad boy put together.

[Wind]

peoples post more of your cube tanks!!

[asmujica]

Me - So, how is the stand/canopy going?
Carpenter - It's going fine.
Me - So, at what hour are you going to be here with it?
Carpenter - I don't know.
Me - What do you mean you don't know?
Carpenter - I don't know if It is going to be dry today, maybe tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow.
Me - But the sun is out.
Carpenter - Oh....
Me - Well can you bring it over tomorrow?
Carpenter - Maybe.
Me - How sure are you that you can bring it over tomorrow?
Carpenter - Not entirely convinced.
Me - Uh..... Ok, see you tomorrow then.

:confused:

[Lunchbucket]

nice carpenter

Lunchbucket

[asmujica]

Originally posted by Lunchbucket
nice carpenter

Lunchbucket

I think he was inhailing the stain that he was applying on the stand/hood. :bum:

Carpenters aren't that common here in México, all houses are made of concrete. This was the best one within my budget

:rolleyes:

It was very "interesting" explaining what I wanted to him. :rollface:

[Pewe]

It was very "interesting" explaining what I wanted to him.
Ja, me lo imagino :D

I hope to see pics of you aquascaping soon ;)

[asmujica]

Stand and hood came in today, stand had several faults which will be corrected. Hood will have to be completely redone.

Was excited too see the stand/hood only to notice all the defects it had. I had to send it back. Its going to be a looong week.

Hopefully, by this friday I can beggin seting the tank up.

[willra]

If you don't mind, what were the problems with it?

[asmujica]

Originally posted by willra
If you don't mind, what were the problems with it?

Well, let me list them: :D

Hood:

no front door
not the same size as base, smaller, so it created a not so visually aesthetic look.
Detailing



Stand:

From a cube it went to a rectangle, doors not incorporated into stand but built almost outside of it. Will be incorporated into stand now.
Visible hinges
Detailing


I am deeply impressed on the hardness of the wood I chose. I don't foresee any problems with humidity affecting the wood.

The height of the stand is perfect, I don't need to be sitting down to watch the tank and at the same time the tank can be viewed sitting down.

[asmujica]

Guess what came in today :D http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/8807IMG_1339.jpg

[asmujica]

With the doors open.

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/8807IMG_1340.jpg


There are doors on the other side, to access the electrical compartments. I'll take a picture later on.

Today is going to be a busy day...

[Cheapreef]

Looking great.:thumbsup: Any pics of the hood yet. Keep us informed.

Clinton

[maxxII]

Very Nice!!! I like the clean lines of this...
Looking sharp!
Nick

[Wind]

looking hella good!

[reefingagain]

looking good cant wait to see it filled :D

[asmujica]

Working on it as I type. Damn sand buckets way tons......

Note to self: do not fill 6 gallon buckets with sand.

[Lunchbucket]

yeah yeah....looking good

hey whaqt is the tank below the sump??

Lunchbucket

[Sardaukar]

Can't wait to see how your setting the rocks up. Im still not exactly sure how your going to work that with the pvc but should be interesting. Im setting up a 15" cube myself. Long live the cubes! :D

[asmujica]

Its LOUD!! Need to get some flexible pvc pipes, put some vibration thingy under the sump, and make the durso longer and make the overflow holes larger.

Other than that everything is peachy.

Lunch the bottom 10 gallon tank is for top off kalk.

[asmujica]

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/8807IMG_1341.jpg

Here is an after shot 3 hours after adding sand. The euroreef skimmer pulled out all the milky water. It was amazing!!! :eek1:

The rock formation still lacks certain key rocks, which we could not place while the tank was milky white so we just dropped them in there. We dry tested it and it covered all the portions we missed.

I need to check the noise issue. Its so loud its ridiculous. Even if I cover my ears I can still hear it pretty loud. I sure hope I can find some flex pvc tubing tomorrow and have this all sorted out.

On a good note, the baffles are working incredibly well.

I also need to increase the size in the overflow slots.

My little fish are sleeping in a rubermaid tub allong with some rock and corals.

Anyone have any suggestions as to reducing the noise problem?

I need to increase the durso's height, the size of the overflow slots, replace the rigid tubing with flex pvc and we are doooone....

[Pewe]

Very nice stand asmujica, i like de aquascaping concept...

:wavehand:

[corro]

look'in NICE! is the rock setup with your PVC brace structure?

[joedelt]

can you give some more shots of both sides of the open stand. im setting up a similar tank, and am mooching for ideas :)

/john

[Sardaukar]

Wow that looks really cool! Are you connecting the rocks to the PVC somehow or just balancing them on the framework? Thats really creative and I like how it looks.

[asmujica]

About 98 perfect of the rocks are either drilled and inserted into the pvc structure or they are zip tied to the rock. The rest of the rocks are used to cover up some spaces that where still visible and needed to be covered up.

So far so good, need to make a trip to HD though...

[Sardaukar]

Would you mind taking some pictures of the rock structure close up? Sounds like a great way to utilize the space in your tank :)

[asmujica]

Sardaukar I will post pics as soon as I place all the rocks where they should and when it clears up a bit more. I had to turn off the return pump off in the night because of the noise so the skimmer has just been turned on.

[reefingagain]

looking good....yes raising the durso will reduce the noise

[cone9]

Nice looking project, asmujica!

Thanks for posting your progress - I'll be watching.
Tanks that put us outside the box of the more typical rectangle offer a lot of interesting challenges and opportunies not present in the more traditional shape. I have a 35 hex - never thought I'd ever want a hex tank(it was a gift from my wife), but now I really like it!

[asmujica]

The proyect was almost a complete failure. I glued the durso too short and could not cut it in the reduced space of the overflow in order to extend it.

Thanks to some quick thinking I got a flexible cable thingy for the dremel and I am currently cutting the tube. Its slow, but its working. I placed some pieces of wood to protect the acrylic overflow box.

I also found some nice rigid clear tubing with a 3/4 diameter. I will be installing it later on in an attempt to reduce noise even more.

There was a slight accident with the container I was using to hold the fish, it burst and spewed water all over the place. The fish where captured and a quick acclimation was done to introduce them to the main tank. It currently has a heater and two powerheads giving flow in there.

I am amazed at how the rock formation diverts flow. I would guess that these two powerheads would be more than enough for this tank, IF I was not going to be using the return pump with the SCWD.

The canopy should arrive wednesday and tomorrow I will be using a temp canopy to place a single pc bulb on top to help the corals out a bit.

The corals look upset, specially the leather.

Hopefully, everything will pull through ok. :(

[Holokai]

oh no! that's terrible. hopefully they'll all make it. Hows the floor?

[Mantisshrimp248]

looks GREAT, I'll be tagging along

[asmujica]

The floor is made of some sort of tile. So it was not affected. A few carpets had to be pressure washed and they are drying at the moment. They have been breathing very harshly, but they all accepted food.

[Mantisshrimp248]

Good Luck

I hope they will survive

[Holokai]

well, thats some spot of good news.

[smurf04]

keep the pics coming this is an interesting setup, although your tank is coming around as you'd like many ppl are learning, good luck

[joedelt]

asmujica,
could you post some ore pictures of the inside of your stand, i'd like to see how you got everything to fit :)

thanks

/john

[asmujica]

Thanks guys for the encouraging words. I am down to my last inch and a half that I have to cut. It has been a very very slow process.

I started this thread so that people could learn from my mistakes so I hope you guys are paying attention ;)

joedelt I will post pictures as soon as I have this crisis under control. I had to take a small break because one of the cutting tips broke off and is inscrusted in the pvc, I need to let it cool down so I can rip it out.

The pvc fumes are extremely toxic, I had to open the windows on my room to let some air in even though it is very cold.

[joedelt]

good enough, i did the same think you did or vice versa (i built my stand last year) going tall to get more space.

good luck with the problem solving :)

[asmujica]

I've finished cutting the tube!!!!!! :dance: :dance: :dance: :dance:

Now to clean the mess that is inside the overflow....

:(

[smurf04]

sounds like alot of fun there. I think everyone can always learn something from someone even if the teacher is a newbie. Not that im saying you are because i sure am

[Lunchbucket]

i learned that i like threaded bulkheads for my drain line...then i can just unscrew the pipe and take it out to service it.

Lunchbucket

[asmujica]

Originally posted by Lunchbucket
i learned that i like threaded bulkheads for my drain line...then i can just unscrew the pipe and take it out to service it.

Lunchbucket

I guess I learnt that the hard way. I am not going to glue the new pieces I am going to be putting in tomorrow morning. All that dremeling made me feel as if I was in the doctors office. What an awefull sound.

smurf04 I still consider myself a newbie and I think I will always be one. There is always something new to learn, specially if you hang out here a lot.

[sr3w]

I like building tanks. And so I'd like to watch this thread.

I built a 24x24x12 (LWH) tank out of 1/4" glass. It sounds great, but since I don't have a halide, I have to have a hood. And consequently, it's hard to see what's actually in the tank without being right down next to it. Nuts.

Scott

[Holokai]

know what that means?

New stand :D

easy fix, tough move :)

[Snooker]

you glued the dursos into the bulkheads?

that would be a job

[joedelt]

anything new?

[asmujica]

I've finished cutting the tube inside the overflow. A lot of debris got stuck inside the tubing so I had to cut it from below and I am currently installing it. Part of the tubing will be only joined by silicone/pressure so that if I need to remove it later on I can do so.

http://www.dremel.com/html/images/products/attachments/large/225.jpg

This thing, along with the cutting discs saved the day. I am eternally gratefull :D

I am off to vacume the inside of the overflow to remove any residues that may still be in there.

[asmujica]

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/8807IMG_1342.jpg

[asmujica]

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/8807IMG_1343.jpg

Hey, I found the ruler thanks to the pic.

LOL

Never mind the mess, I am still trying to figure some stuff out..

Need to eliminate the noise issue entirely....

[corro]

wow! nice job on the sump! that looks like a *perfect* fit!

[joedelt]

asmujica
are you using a metal fram to support the sump? we are doing similar things in reverse, i'll post a pic later today so you can see. i have the refugeum draining into the sump with the sump on the bottom. im goign to use a t from the return line to feed the sump and have a standpipe in the refuge to gravity drain to the sump.

really cool idea with the physical partition to the powerd side of things. you 'may' want to think about a fan for in there too.

[Lunchbucket]

looking good...i like to see a ER in there :D

Lunchbucket

[Wind]

is the higher the riser tube u set = the drier the foam will be?

[Lunchbucket]

NO other way around. the lower the riser the drier the foam

Lunchbucket

[asmujica]

FIVE STAGES OF A PROJECT


1._________________ Wild Enthusiasm


2._________________ Hopeless Despair


3._________________ Search for the Guilty


4._________________ Blame of the Innocent


5._________________ Praise and Honor for Non-Participants

:eek2: :D :lol:

[melev]

I believe your sump has too much water in it. When you turn off the return pump, does it overflow?

Other than that, you've had quite a project on your hands. I just finished reading the entire thread. That heater compartment is really pretty worthless. :(

[asmujica]

Melev in the pic the sump was running alone. You can see the return pipe cut down, that is why the water level is so low. The heater compartment has worked out pretty well for me now that I have it running, even though its pretty cold.

When I turn off the pump it does not overflow, I calculated the amount of water that would overflow into the sump and had the sump built accordingly.

Normally, the heater compartment gets a lot of water movement.

Today I will be getting my hood and I will also be installing the plastic pvc tubing.

I've been reading into adding a product called peel & seal in an attempt to reduce the noise even more.

[asmujica]

Hood came in today, it looked really nice. It didn't fit on the tank though, so he took it back to correct the problem.

The fish and corals seem to be recuperating. The fish are now breathing normally and the torch is beginning to show some polyp extension.

Tomorrow I will be posting some more pics of the completed setup.

Melev do you know if they sell Peel & Seal in Lowes there in Dallas. My folks are going to take a trip there and I asked them to get some for me in order to eliminate some of the sound.

Thanks

A friend of mine helped me make the transfer and make the rock structure. The tank project would have been imposible to accomplish without him.

[melev]

I've never even heard of Peel & Seal. I was wondering what it was and if you were going to post a picture of it. How are you applying it to your project? It sounds like a sound proofing item, so far....?

[asmujica]

Its a product similar to dynamat used in cars, it would be placed on the bottom glass of the sump and in the sides that touch the wood in order to eliminate even more vibrations. If I have stuff left over I plan on covering the whole sump area to soundproof it even more.

Car Test (http://www.street-innovations.com/peelseal.html)

Another example (http://www.cardomain.com/memberpage/404294)

I've read a few threads on car forums where they have located this stuff in Lowes in dallas. Lets see if my parents can find the stuff.

[melev]

Wow, that's pretty neat. I've got to get me some for my car doors! :)

[Lunchbucket]

hey now i didn't know they had that stuff at Lowes....asmujica how does it compare to dynamat? that stuf is SPENDY...i would like a CHEAP alternative...would like to do the doors, trunch, under the carpet...basically everything i can...Escort ZX2's just don't have that much sound dampaning in them :( :( if i could get his stuff cheap i would do it!!

Lunchbucket

[asmujica]

Lunchbucket I sincerely don't know. Supposedly its a bit thinner, but with the cheap price you can add two layers of the stuff. I will also be trying it out on the car to see how well it works.

Marc if you go out looking for it this weekend tell me where you got it from. My folks are on a plane right this instant to dallas. If they locate it I will tell you where they got it.

[asmujica]

I am waiting to posts pics of the rock structure after I take the time to clean the glass :)

[Holokai]

*taps foot impatiently*

[gooberz]

I must say that this is a awesome thread.. I have read it from start to finish and makes me want to run out and buy a cube tank.. Great Job on the tank asmujica , and keep the pictures coming..

Cheers,
Henry

[asmujica]

joedelt no, its supported by wood. The biggest problem so far has been noise, which I soon to hope eliminate.

I don't want to use my old mag float :D My girlfriend surprised me and ordered me a algae free magnet so I am patiently waiting for it to arrive.

[asmujica]

Thanks gooberz for the compliment. It has been pretty interesting thus far.

[joedelt]

i snapped a couple in stand shots of dry fitting everything under the stand so i'll post those later today so we can compare notes :)

im in the process of painting and sealing all the internal wood structure so when the tank arives its all set and ready for plumbing.

right now im trying to determine if i want an external or internal return pump.
/john

[asmujica]

joedelt that sounds like a neat idea. I would recommend you think of soundproofing the thing so that you won't have issues of it being too loud.

[asmujica]

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/8807IMG_1344.jpg

[asmujica]

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/8807IMG_1345.jpg

[asmujica]

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/8807IMG_1346.jpg

[asmujica]

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/8807IMG_1347.jpg

[asmujica]

As you see, the hood is here :D

I will be installing the flexible pvc tubing in a few hours and will be placing the hood with the lights then.

Hood will have a 150 or 250 watt hqi reefstar pendant in there later on, I need to sell the old tank to get my lighting. I want to try hamiltons 14k hqi bulb.

[joedelt]

looks good,
i just ordered the 250w hqi setup from reefgeek. 360 for everything including bulb and all the wiring.

im going to look @ soundproofing, i moonlight @ bestbuy and we sell dynamat, so im hoping to get it cheap :)

/john

[Lunchbucket]

looks pretty sweet :D

Lunchbucket

[melev]

Very nice. Are you sucking air into the canopy with your fan?

[reewik]

The tank is looking good. Can't wait for the watter the clear I am sure. More pics?

[asmujica]

melev the the fan is indeed blowing air into the tank. I have one set the same way inside the sump area.

reewik the water cleared up in less than a day thanks to the skimmer. I will be posting a full tank shot soon. I am off to install the canopy right now.

[asmujica]

Here is a teaser pic :D

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/8807IMG_1348.jpg

[reewik]

When are you getting your lights again and what are you getting. 150 w MH?

[asmujica]

reewik I am working on installing them right now. I am also going to install the flexible pvc tubing so that is what is holding me up somewhat. I need to bend it in a certain direction so that it retains that shape.

I need to make another trip to hd. I just noticed I bought an extension that does not allow a three prong plug.

I still haven't decided if i want a 150 watt bulb or a 250. Right now its going to be powered by two 96 watt powercompacts (powerquads).

[reewik]

I would go with a 175w. That is right down the middle. You can keep the 2 pc's as actinics and add a 10,000k mh. You have fans so that should not be a problem. Are you going for the double sided or the single bulbs?

[asmujica]

Double sided. I trully want to run a one bulb operation. Getting pcs here from the united states is a pain. Two bulbs have been broken during transport.

[joedelt]

hey there
here is my Stand (http://www.msu.edu/~jacobs35/cubetank/Stand.jpg). Once my stand gets here i'll start my own thread and link, but thought you'd like to see a familiar site.
(its a big photo, beware :) )
/john

here's to us with cube's :beer:

[corro]

Originally posted by joedelt
here's to us with cube's :beer:

i hear ya! I'll bring my cube thread back to life this weekend with some new pics also :D

great job asmujica --- looking great!

[Sardaukar]

Wow that really does look awesome! The live rock formation looks great.

[reewik]

You could run a 175 watt 20,000k xm

[joedelt]

way more light out of the DE bulbs, just have to check the research.

[Chin_monster]

Originally posted by asmujica
I trully want to run a one bulb operation.

I thought so too. . .

Especially if you're want a bunch of sps corals I'd avoid running a single MH fixture. The single point source of light causes the skelton of sps colonies to self shade themselves. Given a little time the tissues in the shaded areas begin to recede.

I'd seriously recommend supplementing a single MH lamp with some other source of light, whether it be VHO/ PC/ T5, etc or a pair of MH lamps side by side (say a foot or so apart) in order to get light in the shaded areas of a single MH lamp. The spread of the other lighting types is very worthwhile utilizing.

A secondary consideration with a single bulb lighting package is that if there is a bulb failure there is no light for the tank. A spare bulb is a must.

Both of these situations have caused serious problems for me with my tank.

[Wind]

what can u do if they self shade and budget is a limitign factore? jus tlet it be?

[corro]

chin_monster: do you have any pics of your cube? i'd love to see some more aquascape LR pics

[Chin_monster]

Originally posted by corro
chin_monster: do you have any pics of your cube? i'd love to see some more aquascape LR pics

PM me with an email address and I' can send some pics. The size limitations make my pics really small on RC.

_______________________

As to budget limitations, I'd really try to have at least a bulb or two of actinic-type light covering the full length of the tank (or as close as practical) in addition to the (1) MH fixture (whether the other(s) are ran with "blue" or white bulbs would open to personal consideration).

The alternative would be to grow frags out and prune heavily to try to prevent the envitable shading. Not really practical if buying colonies though.

For somewhat nonsensical appearing reasons I've ended up w/ three MH fixtures on my tank each running a couple hours a day in series across the tank.

From scratch, it'd be a pair of lamps each running half the photoperoid, maybe w/ a little overlap. And maybe a couple "actinic"-type (VHO, etc) lamps to make the colors really glow.

Anyway, that'd be my 2 cents for tonight.

[joedelt]

i think the signifigant difference is with the 2x2 cube vs the 3x3 you really are set with one light on a 2foot spread. im going to use vho on my tank byt its tight to get them in w/ the halide fixture in a canopy who's interior demensions are ~ 23x23

most halides @ around 8 inches have a perfect 2 foot spread. but with the 3x3 your going to end up with gaps around the edges with a single bulb?

just a thought
/john

[Chin_monster]

Originally posted by joedelt
i think the signifigant difference is with the 2x2 cube vs the 3x3 you really are set with one light on a 2foot spread. im going to use vho on my tank byt its tight to get them in w/ the halide fixture in a canopy who's interior demensions are ~ 23x23

most halides @ around 8 inches have a perfect 2 foot spread. but with the 3x3 your going to end up with gaps around the edges with a single bulb?

just a thought
/john

I might have missed something, but I think this is the explanation.

The dimensions are actually 30" X 30" X 24" and it was designed to only light the center 2' X 2' originally (keeping light off the glass panels and hopefully much of the algae growth too -that was the idea). To utilize all the available footprint and use it's limitation to my advantage -and spare my algae pad.

The idea of a single fixture does definately seem to be ideal. You get a nice 2' X 2' spread of light with excellent intensity and penetration. Simplicity.

What happened:

Bulb failure = no light. Bad, very bad. At least a week to obtain replacement (warrenty). Idea -have a couple older fixtures from previous tank (250's) in closet. Install on either side of original 400 socket until new bulb arrives. Save $$$ for more corals, instead of another phallic lightbulb -this good. (Time passes, waiting for replacement bulb) Wow, receding tissues growing back, this is good. Get bulb back finally, install. Run each of 3 fixtures a couple hours a day w/ minor overlap. Save electricity -buy more coral. Continued improvement and coral happiness.

Anyway, I'm done with the stupid neanderthall guy thing now. It's late.

-P.S. Are you planning the use th e shorter (metric) VHO lamps or cocking the lamps to gain enough room to fit inside the canopy?

One of the considerations I had in building my tank was to allow the use of linear (VHO, etc) bulbs without being cramped for space. Bulb selection is the pits though.

_________________________


But to the more revelent topic more pics. Awesome little tank.

[asmujica]

joedelt try placing a carpet below the sump to help eliminate some vibrations. Also, placing the sump without touching any of the sides helps a lot. Cool looking stand, when can we see some pics with water :D

[asmujica]

Chin_monster I plan on keeping a mixed reef. I plan on buying a back up bulb just in case.

The SPS I plan on buying will be some encrusting, 2 plate corals and a few acroporas.

The main concern I am having at the moment is if a 150watt hqi bulb will be enough for what I am planning. Electricity and heat are a big concern here in Monterrey.

[Chin_monster]

The 150-watt lamp should maintain a decent selection sps corals, on the other hand maitaining colors would another matter. There are many interesting corals corals could be appropiate, nearly all of them show more vibrant coloration under higher lightning intensity.

As examples I have got orange capricornis that grows decently well under PC intensities, it is orangish brown when grown under these conditions. Under moderst intensity MH it is solid orange, while under intense light it is glowing neon orange. I've got green damacornis, pink damacorinis, bali green slimer and a green lettuce leaf pavona that do much the same thing. They'll all live fine under PC intensities, but not give the colors.

And finally, judging from personal experience, you would would likely be money ahead to buy the bigger wattage lamp. Most likely you'll end up buying it anyway. It is cheaper to build it out "right" the first then to replace equipment and possibly livestock along the way.

Your tank is looking good BTW. Keep was posted as to its progress.

I had a heartattack several weeks ago when I was looking to down-size to a 24" cube polished glass tank (like yours). The even with my discounted price it would've cost me $525. Ouch. Nevermind, needless to say that idea got put on hold for a while.

You got a deal on that tank.

[Lunchbucket]

Chin_monster - where you price that at?? i have a few quotes and 525 wasn't even CLOSE to what i got...mine were way lower.

also if you do go smaller...SELL ME YOUR 90 CUBE!!!!!

Lunchbucket

[Chin_monster]

LeeMar quoted the tank. Built out of 1/2" glass (not required and most of the excessive cost), w/ two holes in the bracing and the internal box. These guys have the best built tanks of our local builders here in So Cal. Unfortunately they aren't cheap.

I have another builder (Visio) which I know would be substancially cheaper, however the details tend to show it. However, the last few tanks I've seen built by them have been much better though. I've got one of their tanks that I use for a sump, the display was made by LeeMar.

I was thinking of dumping a few hundred cardinal tetras into the 90-gallon and making it into a planted tank at the time.

[Lunchbucket]

ahh...well as you get prices shoot them my way via email...might ahve another place to check out

Lunchbucket

[asmujica]

I am liking the rock formation even more every day. Fish hang out in cool places, specially the royal gramma who likes to hang out upside down.

Tying the rocks together like I did left a whole lot of frag placement holes that will look awesome. I can't wait till I finish installing the hood. (yes, it still is not installed since I am waiting for a few pieces of pvc to dry.

Thanks guys for the info on the lighting part.I know I will end up buying a 250watt setup. I still am confused at what to buy if I want to buy a reefoptixIII pendant.

[Chin_monster]

Originally posted by asmujica
I still am confused at what to buy if I want to buy a reefoptixIII pendant.

According to a thread I just read, they come with a pair of close eye hooks that you could just hang it from inside your canopy.

PIC (http://www.gavinadams.org/gallery/album02/P2060468)

[asmujica]

chin_monster I am confused as to what hardware I will need along with a hood. Something like hood, pfo ballast and what cable do I need to connect the stuff?

I haven't read anything good or bad about the blueline ballasts so I don't know if I shoud get those.

[joedelt]

asmujica,
take a look at reefgeeks.com

reefgeeks (http://www.reefgeek.com/products/categories/lighting/104332.html)

i just ordered the reef optics set from them. it comes as a kit with all the wires included. 359 for ballast, lamp, reflector, and all necessary equipment. (250W DE/HQI)

for the R0III+ you use little L brackets to mount to canopy. the eyebolts are used for the PFO minipendant., there is a link that shows this on the above website.

i ordered mine friday, so once the kit gets here i'll snap a couple pics for you.

/john

[joedelt]

it was only 20 dollars more to go from 150 to 250

/john

[Chin_monster]

The sever went down last night before I could post a reply. However, I think I believe that anything was was going to say has been covered.

The only other thing would be concerning the Blueline ballasts -I haven't heard of any experiences with them either. The only thing I can recall is the I've heard that electronic ballasts used to have a significantly higher failure rate.

I've been happy with the ASM HQI ballasts I've got. They are, however, expensive and ungodly heavy for their size. The 250-watt ones are about 25-lbs each -solid chunk of lead it seems. Oh boy, imagine the shipping costs.

They are also quite unusual appearring compared other ballasts.

[BlAcK_PeRcUlA]

:eek1: :eek2: :eek: :eek1: :eek2: :eek:

[melev]

I know one guy in our club has a blueline ballast. The hook-ups are just like RCA jacks, which is kind of neat. However, he's on his third one in less than 2 years. :(

[asmujica]

Hmmm, how are the blue wave ballasts then?

[corro]

icecap makes a great ballast and their support is fantastic! also ... premium aquatics will usually match price and shipping on most stuff. not sure about reefgeek, but from my reading they seem top-notch also.

[asmujica]

What I have read about the icecap ballasts is that they use up 25% less energy but give out 25% less light.

[corro]

hmmm - i wasn't aware of that ... i'll search around for more info.

[joedelt]

i've been doign a lot of searching and reading. the trick seems to be as follows. for DE/HQI, standard magnetic ballasts drive the bulbs as they were intended to be used.
electronic seem to work best with SE bulbs.
if you look @ the research Sanjay did. a 250DE on the standard ballasts were the ideal lighting solution, pushing as much light as many 400W bulbs.

so for the money, and light output, the 250DE's seem to be the way to go.
as i said before, this is what i ordered, with free shipping btw.

/john

[asmujica]

I finished installing the pvc tubing which reduced the noise somewhat. My folks did not find the elusive peel and seal so I am going to try an locate it here in Mexico.

All the rocks are covered in sand, I will be purchasing a turkey blaster to help clean then up.

The hood is completely installed and the tank is now 100% operational. My bulbs look very yellowish, so getting the MH bulb has become a priority.

joedelt I read sanjays article the other day and it was quite interesting. I still haven't decided what bulb/ballast/reflector combination I am going to use, but something 14k sounds attractive. I am looking into hamilton's 14k hqi bulb.

I will be posting pics soon.

All my fish made it through the ordeal ok, my corals are another matter. I lost a leather, a torch has one head remaining and a hammer is almost completely gone. It was a very sad transfer. Thankfully I am going to trade my old skimmer for some corals to fill up the spaces the old ones left.

[asmujica]

I discovered why it looked so yellow.... I only had one light on.... :lol:

[asmujica]

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/8807IMG_1349.jpg

[asmujica]

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/8807IMG_1350.jpg

[asmujica]

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/8807IMG_1351.jpg

[asmujica]

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/8807IMG_1352.jpg

I still need to clean the rocks and place the ruble rocks in the spaces that the tubing is visible. I will try and post some pics of the arc that was formed with the pvc tubing.

[melev]

It looks very nice!

[reewik]

Lookin good. Keep em comin!

[Pewe]

Yea, nice very nice asmujica:)

[asmujica]

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/8807IMG_1353.jpg

That is one days worth of skimmate!!!!! :eek2: :eek1:

Its a new tank!!!

[Lunchbucket]

WOW!!!!!!!!!!! can't wait to see how much i get when i upgrade to my 60gallon cube!!!!

i get less than that in 1 WEEK now

Lunchbucket

[corro]

lookin good asmujica. thanks for all the pics!

lunchbucket: do you have a thread going or any pics to share? i was thinking it would be cool to have a "show me your cube" thread. :D

[asmujica]

I have finally "decided" on my lighting. Its going to be a Blue Wave 3 - 250watt Remote Ballast - HQI,
Sunlight Reef Optix 3 Doulbe End 250 watt HQI Pendant and a METAL HALIDE 250W 14K HQI DOUBLE-ENDED BULB from Hamilton.

Hamilton Bulb (http://www.hamiltontechnology.com/shop/index.php?shop=1&cart=61701&cat=5&)

Ballast and Pendant (http://www.sunlightsupply.com/aquarium/index.shtml)


The skimmer is nuts, I don't want to go empty the cup right now but I know it needs to be done now. :smokin:

Anyone have any comments on the lighting? I haven't heard much about the 14k bulb nor the blue wave ballast which concern me a bit.

[joedelt]

same setup i got, except from reefgeeks. if you havnt ordered already, make sure your getting all the parts you need. most places dont include quite everything. also the one from reefgeeks actually includes the timer on the ballast which i thought was kinda cool
/john

[asmujica]

joedelt would you mind posting some pics of the 14k bulb?

thanks

[joedelt]

oh i got the 10k bulb, sorry, but its not here yet, it shipped yesterday, and will be here monday :)
we have surisingly similar setups. we have same skimmer, similar sub structure, im thinking of skipping the pvc structure, not sure yet :)

[asmujica]

joedelt the rock structure really adds to the tank. Without it it would have been just another tank. I am really liking its look and I can't wait to have it all covered in corals and coraline. Its going to look awesome.

reefgeek.com site appears to be not functioning properly at the moment. Did you see if they had the 14k bulb?

[joedelt]

they dont have the bulb on the website, so i dontk now, you'd have to ask greg.
/john

[Zaphod]

just taging along. can't wait to see what the tank looks like when it is done.

[reewik]

Looking forwad to seeing that light. How much room do you have between the rock and the glass asmujica?

[Cigar]

looking good

[asmujica]

Thanks guys.

reewik it varies from place to place. There is one spot where I can't fit the magnet in there. I will try to rotate the rock some on the pvc structure in an attempt to correct the problem.

This skimmer is mad, there is absolutely no comparison to my old remora.

[reewik]

What is the skimmer brand and where did you get it?

[asmujica]

reewik its a euroreef es5-2, I got it from marine depot.

[reewik]

Dang that sucker cost some cash. You say it works really well hey? Does the collection cup come off pretty easy for cleanup?

[joedelt]

reewik,
that skimmer is awesome, i have the same one

one of the best lessions i learned, buy it once and buy it right :)

/john

[asmujica]

Eric you just twist the thing below the cup and you are done.

You can get a blemish at h20tropicals.com for less, supposedly the blemishes are just cosmetic and don't affect performance.

[reewik]

Thanks they are out of stock. I have marked it in my favorites.

[Lunchbucket]

it is a KICK arse skimmer

i got one of the FIRST ones shipped out (only on the market since jan of 2003) and haven't had a problem w/ it. IT ROCKS. i can't wait to see what it will do on the upcomming 24" cube!!

Lunchbucket

[joedelt]

lunch, did you finaly order one? a cube that is?

[reewik]

Thanks guys I will def keep that in mind. Mine still works ok but I would like a new one soon.

[asmujica]

reewik there is an interesting thread about euroreefs in the lighting and equipment forum that you may find very interesting. I am sure you will be entirely convinced about them once you read it.

[reewik]

Thanks a ton!

[kmu]

More full tank shots please...

I want one...

[asmujica]

kmu I am getting some new tank algae. A toadstool died in the tank, it was a shame because it was my favorite coral and it had a huge spot where the other corals would not bother it in the tank, it released some of its nutrients the first week so I assume that is what the skimmer is removing at the moment. I want it to settle down some before taking some pics.

I will also be ordering the peel and seal stuff to help with the noise. The flexible tubing, which you can see in one of the pics, reduced the noise tremendously, but I am sure it can be reduced even more by adding this insulation.

On a side not I am getting some bubbles into the main tank. The amount of flow going through the small sump is not helping. I am asuming that since the skimmer is new it is still in its break in period and will reduce the amount of bubbles coming out into the tank somewhat. (Lunch do you have any comment on this?)

[melev]

Give your plumbing two weeks to slime over, and your microbubbles should be pretty much resolved.

[asmujica]

Thanks melev, I was thinking of adding a algae scrubber type thingy inside the baffles in an attempt to reduce some microbubbles. The plumbing itself has only been running three days since I could not turn it on before because of the noise.

I am going to be getting the peel and seal from here.

http://store.yahoo.com/amhs/peelsealalro.html

[melev]

I'd avoid any pads, sponges, or socks at this point. Just give it some time.

Do you see microbubbles in the return section? Use a flashlight to check.

[asmujica]

Yes there are some bubbles in the return chamber. I hadn't noticed the amount of bubbles the durso produces!!!

Can the problem be caused by the lenght the return tubing is submerged into the sump?

[melev]

This is where it get's tricky. Could you post another picture of it now that it is set up?

I like to put LR rubble in the intake section to help break up the bubbles. You could put a tall container in your sump to have the drainline dump into. Like a square rubbermaid container like they use to store a loaf of bread. Fill it up with tons of little rocks, and drill holes at the base. Water will come out but the bubbles won't.

Or use a taller container where the water overflows into the sump. Just keep in mind salt spray as you figure it out. Keep in mind it takes 2 weeks for the pvc to slime over, including your durso.

[asmujica]

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/8807IMG_1354.jpg

[asmujica]

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/8807IMG_1355.jpg

[asmujica]

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/8807IMG_1356.jpg

There, you can see the amount of bubbles the durso is producing. Maybe if I add some sort of pre-baffle in the small compartment to the left I can eliminate some bubbles.

That or apply your idea but with an acrylic tube, fill it with rocks and place the return in there.

I am open to suggestions.

[Lunchbucket]

joedelt - well i haven't officially ordered (paid for it yet) but the builder knows and is gonna buy the materials. he said it should be done about the 3rd week in March...give or take some time just in case....so yeah it is comming up ;) i want to start building the stand this weekend.

mine will be acrylic though....not sure how i feel about this yet but i haven't had an acrylic tank yet....a VERY new experience!!!

tank should be about 52-53gallons w/ the 1/2"acrilic inside dimensions

asmujica - more pics please!!

Lunchbucket

[asmujica]

lunch what part of the tank do you want more pics off?

I will be posting a detail of the rock structure soon, showing the points that need to be covered up with frags/rock rubble. I haven't gotten around to doing it yet since I've been extremely busy.

[joedelt]

lunch
you may actually get your tank before i get mine :)
myreef is building my tank.
i've been putting money into all the hardware. the next big thing is the calcium reactor. i havnt decided which one to go with.

the one suggestion i can make to you is build the stand tall. you really need the space inside to get all the power tools to fit :)

/john

[joedelt]

asmujica
do you have your sump physically resting on that smaller tank below it? if so do you think thats wise? that would mean that your sump only has a couple contact points.

really cool to see the setup.

[reewik]

You could slap a shelp on top of the other tank for added support. Just a piece of wood that is. Any one know how to bend acrylic? The skimmer I have was made to hang on the back of the tank. There is a curved bottom which I want to straighten out... Do I use heat and what type of heat?

[joedelt]

reewik
a small hand held torch will work, just keep the flame moving so you dont burn anything. dont try to force it and make sure you have either the ability to dunk in water to cool, or a support created for the new angle you want
/john

[reewik]

Propane? Or a flame thrower...lol

Thanks Joedelt

[joedelt]

even one of hte hobby ones you can get at radio shack might work great for such a small application :)

LOL, flamethrower :) only if you mess up :)

/john

[reewik]

I did not know Radio shack sold anything like that. I will ck it out.

John, again thanks

[Lunchbucket]

joedelt - i only have to buy the tank and my wavemaker, some rock, another heater...pretty much it

the stand is gonna be 36"L x 28"W x 30" T all drawn up and ready to go. these dimensions allow me to hide my co2 tank and my ca reactor in there

Lunchbucket

[asmujica]

joedelt the sump is resting on top of two beams at either end. I am planning on adding another piece of wood to act as a shelve when the sound insulating material arrives. Everything is a tight fit!

Making a custom stand tall is the only option IMO. I hate to have to bend down watch a tank. Even now I am looking it downwards when I look at it. It seems it was the best compromise I could come up with.

[asmujica]

Sound insulation - Ordered
250 watt hqi pendant reefoptix - Ordered
Blue Wave 3 hqi ballast 250 watt - Ordered
Hamilton 14k 250 watt DE - Ordered

Things are taking shape :D

[asmujica]

The SCWD stopped switching today. I am going to take it out, replace it with a simple t union and try to figure out what is wrong......

[joedelt]

my lights get here monday, and im hopefull to build the canopy in the next couple of weeks. i work at a university and one of the art professors makes pieces of art out of wood. im gonna have a modern art canopy. im thinking maybe pyrimidal or something totaly atypical :)
/john