Winter project, 55g 'fuge

[_Sooner_2]

Ok, think I've finally got all the pcs together. I thought that after being the last shopper in Lowes last night, that I was set. That was before today's trip to a pond store in Moore and Ace Hdwe. :)

Here we go...

All the pcs laid out
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b169/faithinhim/DSC08508.jpg

Dialing in the new calc reactor
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b169/faithinhim/DSC08507.jpg

New fixture for the display
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b169/faithinhim/DSC08503.jpg

Plumbing into the garage
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b169/faithinhim/DSC08509.jpg

All cut up and ready
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b169/faithinhim/DSC08506.jpg

'fuge in the garage
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b169/faithinhim/DSC08511.jpg

:)

Ronnie

[sadsak]

Looken good keep us updated... please

[Russ Braaten]

In what way is this going to be a refugium? It looks like another tank in series to the main tank that you can watch from your car. :) Are you going to stick a very deep sand bed in it? Or fill it with lots of rock or with macro algae? Will you be sticking a skimmer in/on it? It looks too good for the garage.

Russ

[_Sooner_2]

Russ - I haven't decided if I will go bare bottom or with a substrate. I bought 60# of aragonite...but can't decide what to do with it. lol

I do plan to have a bit more rock in there. But, I'll wait till I decide on the bottom to put more in. It will have chaeto, hopefully a good size lump of it. This will make it a more 'standard 'fuge.'

Another reason for being in the garage was to set the lights on an opposite cycle. I woke up this morning and my PH was over 8.0 to start the day....first time in memory that's happened.

Ronnie

[VCoo71]

Ronnie
have you thought about overflow boxes?how close are the stand pipes to the back wall?
if a bulkheads cracks or needs to be replaced it would be much easier with the boxes

JMO
Charlie

[Russ Braaten]

Ronnie,

Let me double that thought Charlie has. I had a tank without the boxes and it was a pain.

Russ

[_Sooner_2]

man, I'm with you guys on the bulkheads. I'm prayin they never need replaced. My main tank has a drilled bottom for the closed loop. It's sitting under substrate...2 yrs now, no probs. Hoping for similar results.

I would have preferred boxes, but the price was right on this.

Charlie....how was Dallas???

[VCoo71]

Ronnie
you can always silicone in an acrylic overflow box/boxes.....just for peice of mind....
i had to replace a main tank bulkhead a month of so ago for Lori and if the overflow box hadnt had been there it would have been a very wet /main tank drained mess!!!!
Dallas was great ....great group of very educational speakers!
the Dallas club is very organized!

stopped by a few local shops and i have to say i wasnt really impressed.....we have the same selections here in norman at way cheaper prices!!!! an acro here at CCA is 65 where a smaller not nearly as colorfull one there is 99
i didnt buy a thing!

charlie

[captbunzo]

Ah, you were there, Charlie! I enjoyed it as well. :)

And nice work on that fuge. I'd vote for the sand for the additional bufferring and for the microfauna that will brew in there nicely without any predators to eat it up.

Also, for better (NOT gonnna CRACK!) bulkheads, look at these. They rock! I will NEVER use a standard bulkhead again.

http://www.aquaticeco.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/product.detail/iid/6835/cid/1885

[_Sooner_2]

Ok...progress on the winter project. Added: substrate, some more rock, another pump, and finally...some macro! woohoo

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b169/faithinhim/fuge1.jpg