Addiction wins, 450 gallon system begins

JohnL · #1 06/23/2006, 06:23 PM

This thread was automatically split due to performance issues. You can find the rest of the thread here: http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...86#post7616986

REEF-DADDY · #2 06/23/2006, 06:23 PM

I'll help ya

Hop · #3 06/23/2006, 06:27 PM

I must have mis-counted

I guess I finally split

And since this thread really lacks the luster or educates ground-breaking information, I won't be making a table of contents

Hop · #4 06/23/2006, 11:17 PM

Since it got lost in the thread split. I wanted to post the thank you again!

Quote:

Just wanted to thank MountainReef again for the frags this morning. He was doing some work related stuff in the town I live and took the time to frag some birdsnest and colt for my tank. Met with him bright and early and very briefly.

He also came up and saw the tank this evening after his work gig... So once again, Thanks!

I got the frags all acclimated and mounted. They are in the sump tonight, tomorrow I'm going to get them in the display. So hopefully I'll have some pics tomorrow sometime. I'm hoping on getting the trim work all painted and begin planning out the remaining doors. I'm thinking of offsetting the white with some fleckstone inserts in the doors or something... Still deciding on this one

Manderin · #5 06/24/2006, 12:15 AM

oh my someones been severely bitten by the saltwater bug

Hop · #6 06/24/2006, 08:45 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Manderin
oh my someones been severely bitten by the saltwater bug

I figured the title of the thread would have given that away

I got the trim sanded and painted today. Sat around with color swatches and tile samples trying to get the doors to the stand and canopy figured out as well as getting ready to finish up the room.

This morning I moved the frags I got yesterday into the display. They are just hanging out on the sandbed, getting acclimated to my lighting. Here are a few pics.

I mounted two of the birds nest frags to this one larger piece of rubble as it's going to go on top of the mantle rock on the left of the tank.

The third of the four frags.

Two of the three colt frags.

And a lousy pic of all but one of the frags hanging out on the sandbed

melev · #7 06/24/2006, 08:58 PM

Very nice. The birdsnest SPS are already polyped out.

Hop · #8 06/24/2006, 11:15 PM

Thanks melev. Yeah about two hours after I put them in the display, the lights started to come one and shortly after that I noticed the polyps were extending. And I thought to myself that this must be a good thing

jnarowe · #9 06/25/2006, 04:30 PM

Frags look really nice!

Hop · #10 06/25/2006, 05:05 PM

Thanks jnarowe! I hope they like the light I can afford them once they are moved to the upper portion of the tank

I spent a few hours this morning plumbing the second Beckett onto my skimmer again. The first time didn't work so well and I thought it was my pump. But after doing some reading, I realized that something was wrong. Not sure what it was, but it's working now

Excuse the mess of tubes, I need to run to the hardware store and buy some parts to clean it up. But I'll run it for a few days to see how it goes... I've been entertaining upgrading to a Deltec 902 or a Euro Reef RC750. I read that Euro Reef might be adding a new line of pumps to their skimmers in September, so I'm going to wait. During that time I'm going to evaluate the cost vs. function issue and decide later

Edit: Please excuse the red strap, but I felt that the weight of the two becketts over time would degrade the skimmer body, so for now it's adding a little support.

jnarowe · #11 06/25/2006, 05:10 PM

Build your own. It's easy, costs a lot less, and will perform better.

Hop · #12 06/25/2006, 05:24 PM

I've thought about it... I really like the RC style skimmer and with Eheim needlewheels

I dunno, I would need to research it better, I guess I have plenty of time. Maybe I can have a sticker made that says Hoptec or Hop's Reef then start mass producing affordable RC skimmers

So here is a quick picture of the trim work I've done. It's hard to see, but there is 1/4 round all the way around the viewing pane, a 3" shelf around the lower section of the pane and then crown molding at the top and under the shelf. I'll post better pics after I get the doors finished, the holes plugged and the last coat of paint on. And then tile the floor, add the HDTV, get rid of the monster computer desk, add two comfy lazy boys to the room (maybe this doesn't ever end

sloshesv · #13 06/25/2006, 08:59 PM

This is a major endeavor. You'll need time, money and some of the best people in the business around you. Good luck, amigo. You'll also need a lot of sammiches.

Hop · #14 06/25/2006, 09:49 PM

Ahh. The tile and woodwork are the easy part

I've been doing that for years. If you look back at the first picture of the very first page, I've done all the woodwork in the entire house. Even re-built the stair railing, turning each piece in the lathe myself. It's the parameters, dosing, LIGHTING (Par etc) and understanding chemistry that is the hard thing for me. The labor of building though... That's what I crave

The skimmer production house was just a laugh. I have no plans of making skimmers professionally. I'm sure all the big name companies are relieved to hear that

If I could project the finished product of this room via a few words, I would. Unfortunately I can't so I guess everyone will have to wait a few more months. Then I'll get back to building the tank, looking into Ca reactors, adding ozone etc...

jnarowe · #15 06/25/2006, 11:03 PM

Looking good. I am leaning toward getting some heavy hull timber and refining it for a dark wood box/bar around my viewing pane, and then either woven fabric set in resin or some kind of light wood for the walls. I need to make a trip to our not-so-local shipwright's wood supply house. Maybe something like 3" thick mahagony or iron bark for a nice curved bar?

MountainReef · #16 06/26/2006, 10:38 AM

That is a great pic of the polyps. I had to go back and look closely at my colonies because I have never seen the polyps so well. My poylps are definately all out but are hard to see with the naked eye.

They look like they couldn't be happier in their new home.

I really enjoyed the tour. The tank looks amazing and it was great to see all the plumbing in the flesh. Good luck and hope to see you in the future.

Hop · #17 06/26/2006, 10:07 PM

jnarowe: Sounds like a pretty nice idea... I like the bar aspect. And 3" thick would definitely give the balance needed with that monster in the background

MountainReef: Pleasure was all mine, thanks for stopping by. Wish that it wasn't such a rush, but I hope you got up to the falls. It's pretty nice up there!

jnarowe · #18 06/26/2006, 10:38 PM

Well, my euro-bracing is 2" thick...

Hop · #19 07/01/2006, 07:16 PM

I just got back from running to the big box home store and have all the wood needed to finish the stand/canopy

And almost enough wood to finish the other projects I have going on around the house... Now if I only had some time!

Looking at the birds nest it appears that there is some noticeable growth from the first pics

Something must be going wrong then!

I also ordered two Oceans Motions revolutions for the back, rear corners of the tank. Instead of adding more flow, I figured I would try to maximize what I already have with some additional randomization...

So I'm off to the garage to work on making real cabinet doors... I'll post some pics after they are built, painted and hung.

jnarowe · #20 07/01/2006, 07:28 PM

Can't wait to see it!

Hop · #21 07/02/2006, 12:55 AM

Well about six hours later and I'm beat. I got the four lower doors completed and test fitted. I still need to get them painted. Tomorrow I'll make the two canopy doors and get the rest of the trim work done. Hopefully I'll have enough time to paint

melev · #22 07/02/2006, 01:02 AM

And what is that called again? It seems foreign to me, for some reason. I don't get it.

Hop · #23 07/02/2006, 02:03 AM

Hmmm. Starts with a "W" I believe. I used to call it therapy, but after six hours of passes on the router table, gluing and screwing, I need therapy for my hands

jnarowe · #24 07/02/2006, 08:58 AM

Looks nice Hop!

Hop · #25 07/02/2006, 02:33 PM

On a semi-unrelated topic:

I've been thinking about turning my 125 planted tank into a lightly populated FOWLR. But I really don't want to add a sump, etc. So I've been trying to figure out how, with minimum overhead to equip it. I had every thing sitting around except a decent skimmer.

So I decided to take my Bak-Pak2 skimmer and mod it. I've been thinking about this for a few months. I decided that I was going to make it a recirulating skimmer by adding a needle wheel pump. But for the cost of that, I may have well just bought a ASM and added a sump.

So anyway, this morning I made the bak-pak a recirluating skimmer from just what I had laying around the house (couple of MJ1200s). It isn't pretty, but I'm testing it on the sump of the 450 now. We'll see how it does after a day of running in there

If it works out, I'll post some pics.