My 125 gallon build a.k.a. in the deep end...

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1cooljeep

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Jan 31, 2011
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Dave
Great looking! Very nice work.
That looks amazing, I've seen plenty of store bought stands that don't look nearly as good.
Wow, you do beautiful work; the tank and hood look amazing.
Thanks for the kind words and the interest in my build.

I have just read this ENTIRE thread and i have to say..... I AM COMPLELY AMAZED! I have been contemplating building my own stand and 150 gal tank (plywood tank) and have done a ton of research but this is certanly by far the most i have gotten out of any one source. Cant wait to see product completely finished.
Hope it helps! Clearly, I did what you are doing. Look and all the great build threads on the net. There are some amazingly talented people out there. Check out the build thread posted by WaywardSon. That is a great build.

very nice, can't wait to see it filled! What are you thinking about for stock?
I'm thinking planted freshwater. I would ultimately like to have discus in there. The pro's and con's are wearing heavy on my mind. I was thinking 6-8 discus, some rams, cardinal tetras, corys. The usual high temp tolerant tank mates for discus. But we'll see. Thanks for your interest.
 

1cooljeep

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Jan 31, 2011
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Let there be light...

I spent some time today working on the lights. I ordered a T5HO x 4 setup from Reefgeek about 4 weeks ago and its been sitting in a box in the corner taunting me ever since. Finally got to put it together and fire them up.

I first built an oak frame for the 60" lights to mount on, then attached and standoffs and end-caps. (sorry so blurry)

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I mounted the ballasts to the back of the hood and ran the wiring harness on the topside of the rack. There a 2 ballasts, each powering one Midday Sun and a Aquaflora bulb. With nothing in the tank the color appears fairly white. I know that pictures don't capture it but...

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Right now you may have noticed that my adjustment mechanisms is 4 small blocks of wood. I hope to mount some shelf standards inside the hood to allow for easier height adjustment. But hey, the lights work. They also get somewhat hot, so a hood cooling fan is in the works.

Excited to get to plumbing!

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Axcid

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Apr 18, 2011
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KC
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Phil
wow, i really dig the stand. I just may have to try something like that.
 

1cooljeep

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Jan 31, 2011
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Dave
Plumbing work

No updates recently as I've purchased a new computer and photo uploading has been limited during the transition. I have been working, however, and the tank should get wet today! It's been a long time getting to this point, but I've learned a lot and had fun on the way.

I am using three Eheim 2217 canisters for filtration. I used the standard intakes and modified the standard spray bars to work with my set up. I used Krylon black spray paint to try hide the green color. I'll have to see how the flow works and may need to modify the hole size and direction.

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I have two 200 Watt Hydor ETH in-line heaters on the left and right pumps. The center pump is going to be used for the CO2 injection system to come. I also have ordered three more sets of rapid-disconnectors for the outflow lines. This will allow me to completely isolate and remove the heaters and CO2 system for cleaning.

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I filled the tank with a mixture of eight 20-pound bags of Ecocomplete black and one 20-pound bag of Fluorite red. I like how the brownish-red breaks up the otherwise very black Ecocomplete substrate.

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I also picked out three pieces of African root wood from my local fish store. I scrubbed them down and soaked them for 24 hours in hot water to remove the dirt and some of the tannins. The water was tea colored for sure. Final positioning is up in the air, but this is my first shot.

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My twenty-five foot tank filler just doesn't reach, so I'm going to get a new one today and add some water. I'll let the filters run for a few days to get the water clear, then I'll start getting it cycled.

Let me know what you think. Thanks.

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1cooljeep

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Jan 31, 2011
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Detail shots of African root wood pieces

Here are some close ups of the African root wood pieces..

Left
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Middle
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Right
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spunjin

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Aug 7, 2008
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Pretty darn nice. You did it fast too, in just a little over 2 months now. Mine is going to take forever...just a warning for those following mine as well.
I like your stain too. It shows off the grain nicely.
 
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