Getting Into the Hobby - My Journey

[Umbra_Vipera]

As some of you have read in my other thread, I purchased a used salt water aquarium. If you want the full details you can go to my thread titled Advice Needed - May purchase used tank with livestock (http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=121457). In summary, my intent was to purchase a 75 gallon aquarium for a freshwater build. When I located the used aquarium, it was a running saltwater system so I changed my plans. All of the livestock and equipment were safely transported to their new home.

During the breakdown of the aquarium, a few things came to light (literally). The stand was not in the best of shape. Someone had custom built the sump. Rather than building the sump to fit the stand, they built the sump and cut the stand. The tank, while nice and very usuable, only had one hole in the overflow (which I knew before I bought it). Therefore, the return would have to go up over the back of the tank. Not exactly ideal for what I was wanting to do. But hey, I'm attempting to save money...so I'll do what I have to. The stand was repairable, but I'm not a carpenter...I'm a computer geek...so I went shopping.

A new stand from lfs and chain pet stores for a 75 gallon aquarium in my area run around $300 depending on style, etc. So back to craigslist.org I went. Was that ever a mistake! I found a listing for another 75 gallon tank and stand. This one was a setup for freshwater...but was a reef ready Oceanic aquarium. Asking price...$500. Sight unseen I shot them e-mail to see if they would take $300 for it. The reply...that would be fine! :wall: So guess what I've got now.....


http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/th_P8150065.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/P8150065.jpg) http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/th_P8150063.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/P8150063.jpg)
http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/th_P8150062.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/P8150062.jpg) http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/th_P8150060.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/P8150060.jpg)The overflow in this tank has two bulkheads so that I can do the overflow and return through the bottom. SWEET! :headbang2: The stand on the other hand is decent shape, but due to the decor of the house will have to be modified. I'm thinking about using 1/4" plywood with hardwood veneer to cover the stand and staining it to match. But don't forget my comment earlier...I'm not a carpenter. So obviously re-painting would be much easier. We'll see....
For more photos of My Journey you can see the entire photo album (http://s103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/).

[Pallen81]

Doing a great job. Gonna look spiffy I'm sure.

[FeatherDuster]

Very nice stand!

Surfing craigslist is a bad addiction :( I am currently trying to break mine but I still need lights for my fish tank and gosh darn it if I am not cheap xD

[Grins]

Fun, fun fun! A new tank build gets me giddy.

[dieselman]

Two 75 gallon tanks! Sounds like a lot of fun to me! :)

[Umbra_Vipera]

Two 75 gallon tanks! Sounds like a lot of fun to me! :)
Wouldn't it be cool if I could actually setup both tanks! I don't have the space or the finances to do that at the moment however. :headshake2:

I almost considered using one of the 75s as my sump! Imagine loading both of them in that stand and trying to push that up against the wall!!! :eek3:

[FeatherDuster]

Wouldn't it be cool if I could actually setup both tanks! I don't have the space or the finances to do that at the moment however. :headshake2:

I almost considered using one of the 75s as my sump! Imagine loading both of them in that stand and trying to push that up against the wall!!! :eek3:

You could always trade in the 75G for a small sump setup.

[Umbra_Vipera]

You could always trade in the 75G for a small sump setup.
That's a good point. I hadn't really thought about that.

Anyone got any recommendations on pre-made sumps?

[Mgamer20o0]

its a start.... keep us updated with many pics.

[Umbra_Vipera]

Ok...so the stand I bought needs a little refinishing. I got lucky and discovered that a friend of mine has an grandfather-in-law who does some wood working on the side. So last Saturday, I loaded up the stand and dropped it off. The verdict is still out as to what will happen. I explained my idea, but due to the design (curved edges, recessed doors, etc), it may prove to be a little more difficult to pull off than I thought. He talked about some painting technique that gave the apperance of wood grain. I politely explained that I'm not an artist. :) But on to the main point....

I picked up the second aquarium as you all know...the granite looking one...and included with the stand was a light fixture. It is not in the best of shape. It's real dirty and I was told that the bulbs were all burned out. I knew it was a MH setup because it had a seperate box (ballast box) to turn the lights on. The ballast box had one of two buttons missing from the front. It also had some sort of proprietary power cables that connected the fixture to the box. Based on the condition, as well as not knowing the age of the unit, I kinda figured that is was basically scrap at this point. I didn't really think too much about it.

The other night I went out to examine the fixture to see if I could salvage anything from it. That's when I found the label. Now please keep in mind...I'm still new at this and didn't have a clue what I was looking at. That is until a few minutes ago.

My search revealed that the light fixture is a Hamilton Technology Corporation's unit! :jaw:

So at this point I'm begging Father Time to speed things up so I can go home and really check this thing out. I'm not sure of the wattage of bulbs, whether they are VHO or compacts, etc. I'm still going to have to invest a little cash to refurbish it...but based on the retail cost of new... :shocked:! I got my moneys worth in that transaction out of the light fixture alone!!!! :evil_lol:


http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/th_P8150064.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/P8150064.jpg)

[BMorgan]

Sweet deal man. I hope it works out good. I can't wait to see you get all this set up.

[NFLBlitze1]

what kind of set up are looking to do?

[Umbra_Vipera]

what kind of set up are looking to do?
At this point...it looks like the sky is the limit.

In all seriousness though, I will most likely end up doing a FOWLR setup until I can get the aquarium stable. After awhile...if I can contain my excitement to wait...I think I'll move into a true reef setup. It appears that I have one of the most important components (the lighting) to accomplish that now.

[Umbra_Vipera]

I'm fairly certain that I had already posted this, but I'm guessing due to the recent forum server issues it was lost. :pc: Therefore, I'm reposting this in an attempt to keep my "journey" documented.

The stand and aquarium are finally in their new home! :headbang2:

In a previous post I mentioned that I was taking my stand to a guy to have it refinished. He had the stand three weeks and never touched it.:turtle: No sweat on my part, but I couldn't wait any longer. Therefore, I ended up picking it up and redoing the stand myself.

The before photos:
http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/th_P8150065.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/P8150065.jpg) http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/th_P8150063.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/P8150063.jpg)

The after photos:
http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/th_P9290042.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/P9290042.jpg) http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/th_P9290044.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/P9290044.jpg) http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/th_P9290049.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/P9290049.jpg)

The first two are basically the same shot. The first one is with a flash and the second is without. The second photo is a little blurry if you view the full size image, but the colors it that photo are much closer to what it actually looks like. Last but not least is a shot from our kitchen doorway. Please ignor that green table cloth. We were setting up for our daughters birthday party. :bday:

As usual, the costs that I incurred to redo the stand were greater or right at what it would have cost me to buy a new stand...but live and learn. :rant2:


The next part of the saga is typical of my "simple" ideas. I did some investigation into the power outlet that is perfectly placed behind the stand. Naturally, it's tied into a 15 amp circuit that is part of the master bedroom. Everytime the service power flickers...the breaker for the bedroom trips (crap electrical service to our house). So obviously plugging in 12+ more appliances isn't going to be pretty.:headshake2: (I guess I need to move my network equipment to another room as well!)

I'm really enjoying this hobby at this point! :duh:

[Umbra_Vipera]

Finally...I'm actually at point where I'm starting to "see" progress. Hopefully you can too! :D

http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/th_PA140109.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/PA140109.jpg) http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/th_PA140101.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/PA140101.jpg) http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/th_PA140105.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/PA140105.jpg) http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/th_PA140104.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/PA140104.jpg) http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/th_PA140103.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/PA140103.jpg) http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/th_PA140102.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/PA140102.jpg) http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/th_PA140100.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/PA140100.jpg) http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/th_PA140099.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/PA140099.jpg) http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/th_PA140097.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/PA140097.jpg) http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/th_PA140096.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/PA140096.jpg) http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/th_PA140108.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/PA140108.jpg) http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/th_PA140098.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/PA140098.jpg)

As the photos are evidence to...I have water in the system. It's just regular tap water right now to test all of the connections and to tweak the system flow slightly. Right now everything is running fairly smooth (at least for the last two or three hours since I filled it.) I have encountered a couple of things that I didn't expect.

The Durso has suprised me. I purchased the valve you see to "tweak" the flow as needed. However, there is no tweaking to do...I have it wide open and it works flawlessly. I was also suprised by the return pump...it moves a lot of water. Which basically just gets recycled back into the return section of the sump.

The biggest suprise of all...I actually did it ALL BY MYSELF!!!!! :woot:

[soccerkidbs]

that is a lot of plumbing... and that scares me... it looks amazing i would never be able to do that my self and the stand looks better than any stand you could have bought.

[Subliminal]

Your progress looks GREAT!

If I were you, I'd just go straight reef and don't even think about FOWLR. You've got big lights, so you might as well just know that's where this is going to take you.

Purple rock is only so interesting, ya know?

Any updates on that light fixture of yours? Try to get it working? Find out what it needs?

[Umbra_Vipera]

that is a lot of plumbing... and that scares me... it looks amazing i would never be able to do that my self and the stand looks better than any stand you could have bought. Your right...it's a lot of plumbing, but it really isn't that complicated. I'm working on a rough schmatic so that I can show everyone the actual layout...so stay tuned! :)



Your progress looks GREAT!

If I were you, I'd just go straight reef and don't even think about FOWLR. You've got big lights, so you might as well just know that's where this is going to take you.

Purple rock is only so interesting, ya know?

Any updates on that light fixture of yours? Try to get it working? Find out what it needs?I actually contacted Hamilton Technology and they are willing to build me a new ballast box for around $250. So I'm guessing it's gonna run somewhere in the area of $400 by the time I replace that, bulbs, and misc. supplies to repaint the housing. Plus, as you can see in the photos, I'm limited on the amount of space that I have available under the stand at this point. The ballast box is rather large, so I need to figure out a layout to build another stand for the ballast box.

[vorlx]

Looks great. Keep up the good work.

[Grins]

Can't wait to see water in it

[Umbra_Vipera]

Here is the actual layout of the sump/fuge.

http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/th_SumpSetupExternalSkimmerver2.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/SumpSetupExternalSkimmerver2.jpg)

A couple of points that aren't in the drawing. My drain bulk head is actually 1", but I used 1 1/4" rigid PVC for building my Durso stand pipe, as well as the drain line under the aquarium.

I also opted to use all 1" rigid and flex (spa tubing) PVC for the plumbing on the return to the aquarium. However, the return bulk head on the aquarium is only 3/4". From the return bulk head into the tank I continued to use 3/4" PVC. This should increase the pressure slightly (still need some flow tweaking) so that I can get good water movement, even though the GPH are going to be less than 10x.

[Umbra_Vipera]

During my initial testing of the system a couple of little things came up that needed tweaked. The only major issue was sound. This thing sounded like a 10 person spa sitting in my living room! So here are new photos of the "COMPLETED" plumbing system.

BEFORE: http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/th_PA140105.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/PA140105.jpg) AFTER:http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/th_PA210004.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/PA210004.jpg)

BEFORE: http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/th_PA140101.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/PA140101.jpg) AFTER:http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/th_PA210005.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/PA210005.jpg)

I changed out a few of the plumbing parts (fittings) and applied the insulation that you can see to lower the noise output. I've managed to reduce it by about 75% (that is not a scientific measurement).

Now it's time to move on to aquascaping. I'm in the process of getting some base rock ordered from Marco's, so maybe by next weekend, I can start on that small portion.

I'm guessing at the rate I'm going...maybe by Dec. 2008 I'll be ready for fish! :p:

[Reefscape]

looking loads better mate..can i ask what is so noisy to warrant the insulation?

Niko

[Umbra_Vipera]

First off we need to note I'm not a plumber :), so I have sized some of my fittings incorrectly. What I didn't know at the time is that a 1" union doesn't actually have a 1" id. It's more like 3/4" so I was getting a lot of noise from that. Especially, the one I placed directly after the return pump. That was replaced by a 1 1/4" union ball valve (closer to a 1" id). That helped a bunch.

Also, my pumps are probably larger than what my system really needs. I've got a 1" drain and 3/4" return in the bottom of the tank (the typical undersized factory ones). The smallest pump I'm using pushes 1000 gph at 3' and the larger one is rated at 1220 gph at 3'. The smaller one is used for the skimmer and the larger one for the return. There is no way I can push that much water through the display tank bulk heads, so most of the water is recirculated through the fuge, creating some "waterfall" sounds. Not to mention the fact that the larger pump does generate some noise. Not bad noise mind you, just the hum of the motor.

[Grins]

I have my water split into the sump so that the side with the fuge gets slower water than the rest of the sump. I had read you wanted slow flow though the fuge for optimal export of nitrates

[jowek7]

you could also get noise from your overflows if you hardpiped them in. because you have so many gph going thew that pipe that it is just dumping in to the sump really fast. my one friend had that problem. he changed the tube with flex and made the pipe a little longer and all the noise was gone. just incase you are having the same thing i thought i would put that in there.

[Umbra_Vipera]

you could also get noise from your overflows if you hardpiped them in. because you have so many gph going thew that pipe that it is just dumping in to the sump really fast. my one friend had that problem. he changed the tube with flex and made the pipe a little longer and all the noise was gone. just incase you are having the same thing i thought i would put that in there.
I originally had problems there as well but I've gotten that calmed down. For those that are interested...I used 1 1/4" pipe to build the Durso (as suggested on the Durso site) through the 1" bulkhead back to 1 1/4". If you look at the photos you'll see the following information. A little ways down, I used a 45 degree elbow, a short piece of pipe, another 45 elbow, another short pipe, and down to a upside down "T" fitting. It's my understanding that changing the angle slows the water and thereby quiets it down. Plus, the "T" allows for better exit area and allows the air out of the system a little better.

[Reefscape]

Is does quieten down the water noise too, also, as the tank ages, slime builds up on the inside of the pipe work which will also aid in quietening down the water flowing through them. I also agree with Grins about wanting a slow flow through the refugium area as this gives longer contact between rock/macro algae and water for export.

Niko

[Umbra_Vipera]

I'm actually kind of excited about one aspect of my system that I hope works out. Due to the limited amount of flow back to the tank, I have a bypass line that redirects some (if not most) of the flow back into the "return" section of the sump/fuge. This return is creating most of the sound at this point because it is turbulent. The water coming off of the pump is sent down the plumbing to the bottom of the section, flows across the bottom, and up the back side of the sump. I'm thinking that is the ideal area for my chaeto algae to sit so that I can "tumble" it for the most effective use of the algae. Correct me if I'm wrong, but that is what I want isn't it? In the photo below, left of the skimmer, you can see the "return" section of the sump/fuge. If you look at the surface of the water you can see the "wave" action in all it's glory.

http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/th_PA210009.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/PA210009.jpg)

[Umbra_Vipera]

While I've posted a few blogs here and there, I have not updated this since October so here are some new images.

http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/th_P2050176.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/P2050176.jpg) http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/th_P2050177.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/P2050177.jpg) http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/th_P2050188.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/P2050188.jpg) http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/th_P2050190.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/P2050190.jpg)
As you can see these images were taken without lights on in the house. I had the flash open, but the camera didn't seem to think it need to use it. Guess those MH put out some light! :) The tank is noticeably cloudy as it is just now going through the cycle, but it clears up a little more everyday.

http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/th_P2050189.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/P2050189.jpg) http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/th_P1270154.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/P1270154.jpg) http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/th_P2050181.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/P2050181.jpg) http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/th_P2050179.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/P2050179.jpg)
The first couple of images in this group are my 'Fish Containment System'. The FCS is extremely basic. If you can't tell, in the first photo, the "lid" is made from light diffuser with fiberglass screen material wrapped around it and then "stitched" on with plastic zip ties. When I originally took the second photo, the FCS wasn't completed. The portion in the back is now wrapped with the screen material. This closes the holes and blocks most of the overflow lighting (which kind of annoyed me given the location) without trapping the heat as much.

http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/th_P1270155.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/P1270155.jpg) http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/th_P1270156.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/P1270156.jpg) http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/th_P1270158.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/P1270158.jpg)
This group shows the Mighty Mite RO/DI installation, the 'heating coils' for the tap water and the floats in the sump use for my ATO control system. In the second group of photos above, illustrating my FCS, you can see one of the two float switches located by the Durso standpipe. All of the floats are tied to my ATO control system.

So ladies and gentlemen...we are OFFICALLY ON THE COUNT DOWN TO STOCKING TIME! :headbang2:

[Subliminal]

Hey Umbra,

What kind of pumps did you end up buying? I have an Iwaki pump that I bought for my closed loop that's actually a little small for what I wanted. It's 880 GPH, I believe, but I think another 100 or 200 would have done me a lot better.

Anyway, just curious.

[Umbra_Vipera]

Hey Umbra,

What kind of pumps did you end up buying? I have an Iwaki pump that I bought for my closed loop that's actually a little small for what I wanted. It's 880 GPH, I believe, but I think another 100 or 200 would have done me a lot better.

Anyway, just curious.
I ended up with a real sweet deal on a couple of used Little Giant Pumps. Once is a Model 3-MDQX-SC and the other is a Model 4-MDQZ-SC. The 3 runs my skimmer and the 4 is the return pump.

[Umbra_Vipera]

The tank is cycling nicely. Maybe with a little luck it will be complete by this weekend. Anywho...I thought I would throw up a few updated photos.

http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/th_P2210210.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/P2210210.jpg) Since my last photo series, I have moved the "lid" back to the front. It is much more aesthetically pleasing to have the light in the back. You can also see the construction of the lid a little better in this image.

http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/th_P2210211.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/P2210211.jpg) While it may not be obvious, this is one of two "shelves" that I built to hold my light fixture. The area around the stand that was designed to hold the fixture was a little narrow for my taste. Plus I was required to completely remove the fixture for any work in the tank because a slight bump might cause the fixture to fall. The lights would not actually hit the water, but a jolt while on could easily cause a hot bulb to burn out or worse break. The shelf is constructed of acrylic (Plexiglas) glued (Weld On #4) to the top of some light diffuser. I then drilled holes in the acrylic to allow for ventilation. The structure is more rigid than either material by itself and now allows me to position the shelves or the fixture in any manner that I need in order to access the tank below.

http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/th_P2220217.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/P2220217.jpg) I actually got my idea for the shelves above from a splash guard I built for the receiving area on my refugium. The guard simply slides in place and is easily removed. I also used a Dremel tool to cut out two holes to hold the skimmer return and the RO/DI water input.

http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/th_P2210213.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/P2210213.jpg) http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/th_P2220214.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/P2220214.jpg) I was experiencing warmer than desired temperatures in the system, so I decided to install a fan in the space between the lights and the top of the aquarium. The first image gives you a sense of where the fan is in the aquarium, while the second image shows you the construction of the light blocker/fish containment system. For scale, the fan is a 120mm/4.75in. square.

[Umbra_Vipera]

http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/th_P2270020.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/P2270020.jpg) The sand storm finally cleared so here's the left end.

http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/th_P2270024.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/P2270024.jpg) Here's a front shot.

http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/th_P2270019.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/P2270019.jpg) The right end.

http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/th_P2270017.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/P2270017.jpg) http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/th_P2270018.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/P2270018.jpg) Just a couple of random aquascaping shots.

[Grins]

You sure you aren't going too fast? Sincerely, the only thing I'd warn you about is having the rock on the glass like that. Makes it near impossible to clean it.

[Umbra_Vipera]

You sure you aren't going too fast? Sincerely, the only thing I'd warn you about is having the rock on the glass like that. Makes it near impossible to clean it.I don't know...maybe I'm pushing the timing a little bit. Perhaps I should slow down and do a water change during the cycle! :)

I understand the comment about the rocks against the glass, but I have my reasons. First and foremost...those are more like fragments, about 2 - 3" in size and therefore easily removed if needed. The reasoning behind it is two fold. Ascetics since the sand bed is so deep I wanted to break it up a bit and as a pod collector (I hope). The idea is that the pods will use some of those "protected zones" as homes. Then at night maybe I can walk up to the glass with a flash light and maybe judge the health of the population. I don't know...it's just an idea and I'll see how it works.

[Grins]

Good reasoning actually. I even scrape my back tank wall though so I'm overly picky about reaching the glass.

[Umbra_Vipera]

Everything but the back center should be easily reached in my case. I do have an extreme amount of flow straight down in that area though so I don't know how that will effect growth on the glass.

[Umbra_Vipera]

It's only taken seven months...but we have LIFE! :mwave:

So shall we dive in? :dive2:

http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/th_P3180068.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/P3180068.jpg) Here's what she looks like from the front room and yes...that is the front door.

http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/th_P3160031.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/P3160031.jpg) There's actually something in there?

http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/th_P3160020.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/P3160020.jpg) Why yes...yes there is. Here you can see the Bluegreen Chromis. All nine of them.

http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/th_P3180050.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/P3180050.jpg)http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/th_P3160026.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/P3160026.jpg) I couldn't take any more! Old Faithful here had suffered enough in that ten gallon for seven months. It was time for a new home...and she found one!

http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/th_P3180057.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/P3180057.jpg) Our first coral! Metallic green polyps. The flash really washed out the color. I've got a long way to go on the photography side of things.

http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/th_P3180067.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/P3180067.jpg) Here's our Cirrhilabrus solorensis! (aka. Clown Fairy Wrasse, Tricolor Fairy Wrasse, Solor Wrasse, Solar Fairy Wrasse, Red Head Wrasse, Solorensis Fairy Wrasse)

http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/th_P3180024.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/P3180024.jpg) Can you see the snail? I don't it helping or hurting spreading all that algae around...what do you think? :)

Well there you have it. Our first marine tank is under full swing!

:y220e:

[FeatherDuster]

The chromis look great together. Do they still school? My chromis schooled for the first three days and then scattered.

[Umbra_Vipera]

The chromis look great together. Do they still school? My chromis schooled for the first three days and then scattered.Their behavior is rather...well...interesting. In a good way...

They school most of the time in what I would call a loose group. It gets fun though at night. When the first set of lights goes out they huddle up real quick then go back to normal for awhile. When the next set of lights goes out they huddle again. Only this time it's like their saying good night to each other because then they divide up and each one goes to it's "bedroom".

[Umbra_Vipera]

Since FeatherDuster asked about the Chromis, here's a couple of videos. I just shot these last night.

http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/Videos/Aquarium%20Videos/th_6236e84f.jpg (http://s103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/Videos/Aquarium%20Videos/?action=view&current=6236e84f.flv)


http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/Videos/Aquarium%20Videos/th_d1ad3e6c.jpg (http://s103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/Videos/Aquarium%20Videos/?action=view&current=d1ad3e6c.flv)

[Grins]

Long time in coming but worth it! Love the fish selection so far as well as how you've used different levels of substrate

[Umbra_Vipera]

Long time in coming but worth it! Love the fish selection so far as well as how you've used different levels of substrate
Thanks! The fish stocking is almost complete. There are two other species that I want to add, a couple of Opistognathus aurifrons (Pearly or Yellowheaded Jawfish) and a Synchiropus splendidus (Mandarin). Obviously the Synchiropus splendidus will have to wait for several months to a year (but I think I've proven I have some patients...:)) and I need to let the current inhabitants work the tank over a little while I verify the system stability.

[Umbra_Vipera]

First the additions...

A "Christmas Tree Rock", a Lobophyllia, and Blastomussa merleti. The Christmas Tree and Blasto photos are rather bad, but the concept is there.
http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/th_ChristmasTreeRock.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/ChristmasTreeRock.jpg)http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/th_P4130005.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/P4130005.jpg)http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/th_P4130013.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/P4130013.jpg)
Here is Ricordea rock. This rock has several feather dusters on it, but one didn't show until that first night. It's taken up residents (or the Ricordea encroached) under the Ricordea. Neither one seems too upset by this.
http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/th_P4130021.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/P4130021.jpg)http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/th_FeatherDusterUnderRicordea.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/FeatherDusterUnderRicordea.jpg)

Now for the losses...

As to be expected with the Chromis...I'm now down to seven. One jumped and ended up on the center support brace of the aquarium. Given the fact that fish tend to flop around, I would have thought it would end up back in the water, but not this time. One I ended up euthanizing because of unknown trauma.

I also lost my wrasse. This one pulled a similar stunt as the first chromis, except it landed on some egg crate that was being used to hold my float switches. I have since redesigned my system somewhat to reduce the likely hood of this happening again. I'm unsure as to how and go about designing a shield of sorts for the center brace of the aquarium at this point however.

[journey0820]

I'm fairly certain that I had already posted this, but I'm guessing due to the recent forum server issues it was lost. :pc: Therefore, I'm reposting this in an attempt to keep my "journey" documented.

The stand and aquarium are finally in their new home! :headbang2:

In a previous post I mentioned that I was taking my stand to a guy to have it refinished. He had the stand three weeks and never touched it.:turtle: No sweat on my part, but I couldn't wait any longer. Therefore, I ended up picking it up and redoing the stand myself.

The before photos:
http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/th_P8150065.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/P8150065.jpg) http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/th_P8150063.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/P8150063.jpg)

The after photos:
http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/th_P9290042.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/P9290042.jpg) http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/th_P9290044.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/P9290044.jpg) http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/th_P9290049.jpg (http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m127/Umbra_Vipera/AquariumPhotos/75%20Gallon%20Setup/P9290049.jpg)

The first two are basically the same shot. The first one is with a flash and the second is without. The second photo is a little blurry if you view the full size image, but the colors it that photo are much closer to what it actually looks like. Last but not least is a shot from our kitchen doorway. Please ignor that green table cloth. We were setting up for our daughters birthday party. :bday:

As usual, the costs that I incurred to redo the stand were greater or right at what it would have cost me to buy a new stand...but live and learn. :rant2:


The next part of the saga is typical of my "simple" ideas. I did some investigation into the power outlet that is perfectly placed behind the stand. Naturally, it's tied into a 15 amp circuit that is part of the master bedroom. Everytime the service power flickers...the breaker for the bedroom trips (crap electrical service to our house). So obviously plugging in 12+ more appliances isn't going to be pretty.:headshake2: (I guess I need to move my network equipment to another room as well!)

I'm really enjoying this hobby at this point! :duh:

The stand is stunning!

[Umbra_Vipera]

The stand is stunning!Thanks! It took a loooooong time for me to refinish it. I have to say that I really like the design. Since I bought it used, I'm not sure what company built it but I'm guessing that since the tank is Oceanic the stand is as well. I like the appearance a lot better than most of the canopies that sit on top. I don't really like having to stand on a ladder to work on things in the display, but the extra height is excellent for viewing purposes and for installing the equipment underneath.