Ace25's 75G Build Thread

Got the Vortech MP40w installed. Took a little adjusting and learning it is not a good idea to stick those cable holders they come with to the glass until you now that is where you want the powerhead. Had to use a razorblade to take one off and it wasn't easy. Koralias are removed, looks like I have two eyes in the back of my tank where they used to be on the overflow box. Vortech is set to about 90% power on a short pulse cycle and is making about a 1-1/2" wave in the tank now. Cool, but actually kind of distracting because my canopy doesn't cover the waterline all the time now, so I get the light coming though the glass on the low spot of the wave.

Initial impression. Cheap controller box, and the motor is right at the level of being abnoxious but just livable. 5db more and I don't know if I could handle it. Think of the sound like a quiet version of a street motorcycle taking off really fast in first gear then stopping, every second. Hard to describe... or type out the sound.. lol.. It is the motor making the noise, not vibration from misalignment. Definately lots of random "ocean" type flow now, corals swaying back and forth. I don't think I can honestly say it is worth $420 though.. $300 maybe.

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Bigger, fuller picture. I am tearing it down on monday to redo it and fix the SCWD problem. I have Mon-Tue off. During the teardown, all the loc-line arms and splitter are coming out, just going to have 2 flanges, one on each side against the glass. The football goal post intake around the overflow box will have the elbos removed and just be a T with strainers hidden under the overflow box. Then the new black frag racks will go against the back where the white ones are, but look much nicer and held on with magnets. New aquascaping I hope will make it come out looking real nice and not just a huge mound of rocks it is now. I kind of wished I could redo the PVC closed loop/floating reef frame and make it a little smaller but that would mean stirring up the sandbed and that isn't an option for me. So I will live with that.

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Thanks for the update. The vortech does look really cool though. Sorry that it is a bit loud. YOur tank looks killer. Love the two eyes in the back. hahaha.
 
What's that clear looking paper clip on the front glass? And what is it used for?
 
Algae clip to hold seaweed. Fish devour it in about 5 minutes though.

My chiller just kicked on and to compare the powerhead noise, it is about equal to the chiller in loudness. It is just that I have the powerhead set on pulse mode so it keeps ramping up speed, then stopping, every second or so to push the water and make a wave motion in the tank. One thing that was cool, the undertow is so strong on it that is cleans all the deitrus on the left hand side of the tank (broken sqwd side that had less flow) in about 30 seconds flat. As soon as I turned it on stuff was flying all over the tank, not any sand, but just dietrus from on top of the sand and in the rocks.
 
I buy dried seaweed at my LFS, it has brown, red, and green seaweed. I think different fish like different colors but i am not positive.
 
Ace, do they have the clips as well? I don't think I've seen that at my LFS but then they are more into corals and have a few fish.
 
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