afgun Posted August 27, 2010 Share Posted August 27, 2010 After a looong time my tank is almost ready to water test. I thought I'd document some of the build. It started life as a used 72x24x29 tank from an estate sale. Had a custom stand built for it last fall Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afgun Posted August 27, 2010 Author Share Posted August 27, 2010 Financial constraints prevented me from doing more with it for awhile... and then after doing a ton of reading, decided that I didn't want to use the reef-ready overflows, but instead wanted to do a closed loop system and an internal coast-to-coast (if I had to do it over again, I'd put the C2C external with slots feeding it). I had prof drill my tank. He did an excellent job, and very reasonable pricing!and the final result Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afgun Posted August 27, 2010 Author Share Posted August 27, 2010 I also had prof build my refugium and sump Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afgun Posted August 27, 2010 Author Share Posted August 27, 2010 Along the way I picked up a lot of equipment rather frugally, including a hammerhead for the closed loop. I'm glad that I bought a new seal kit for it and decided to install it before putting water in the system... this is what came out when I disassembled the pump! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afgun Posted August 27, 2010 Author Share Posted August 27, 2010 Then I went nuts with plumbing; if you think that it looks like a nest of snakes, well you're not alone. Buy some interest in PVC companies with me around! The closed loop intake (not finished) is the two ports in the middle of the back. The overflow (three in the upper left) dumps into the refugium and sump; the output are the center two at the top. The closed loop outputs to an Oceans Motions-4 and feeds the two bottom manifolds and the upper corners. Once I get the glass for my weir, I will water test the system for leaks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robb in Austin Posted August 27, 2010 Share Posted August 27, 2010 I thought my plumbing was out of control! Looks great so far. Label your lines before it's too late. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afgun Posted August 27, 2010 Author Share Posted August 27, 2010 I DID splurge on lighting. I got in on a group buy of Pacific Sun Deimos fixtures... 3x 160W Cree LED panels and 2x 80W T5s; I'm thinking the KZ Fiji purple bulbs, but am open to suggestions. The lights are fully programmable; you can adjust the color temperature, PAR, sunrise, sunset, simulate clouds, etc... I'm quite excited by this purchase and hope to be able to provide good feedback about these fixtures (and LEDs in general). With this fixture I hope to not have to use the chiller that I also got with the tank. I am working with my stand builder on mounting the fixture next week. We are planning on using cabinet slides to have the fixture move out of the way for tank maintenance... we'll see how well it works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afgun Posted August 27, 2010 Author Share Posted August 27, 2010 Label your lines before it's too late. Great idea, Robb. I'll get busy with the marker today and see if my neighbor has a labeler that I can borrow to make it all fancy-like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
versace Posted August 27, 2010 Share Posted August 27, 2010 Wow~~~ cool~~~! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pbnj Posted August 27, 2010 Share Posted August 27, 2010 I DID splurge on lighting. I got in on a group buy of Pacific Sun Deimos fixtures... 3x 160W Cree LED panels and 2x 80W T5s; I'm thinking the KZ Fiji purple bulbs, but am open to suggestions. The lights are fully programmable; you can adjust the color temperature, PAR, sunrise, sunset, simulate clouds, etc... I'm quite excited by this purchase and hope to be able to provide good feedback about these fixtures (and LEDs in general). With this fixture I hope to not have to use the chiller that I also got with the tank. I am working with my stand builder on mounting the fixture next week. We are planning on using cabinet slides to have the fixture move out of the way for tank maintenance... we'll see how well it works. LEDs on a 29" tank...that's a bold move. What are you planning on keeping (softies, LPS, SPS)? Continued good luck with your build....coming along nicely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesL Posted August 27, 2010 Share Posted August 27, 2010 Wow. This is one nice setup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afgun Posted August 27, 2010 Author Share Posted August 27, 2010 LEDs on a 29" tank...that's a bold move. What are you planning on keeping (softies, LPS, SPS)? Continued good luck with your build....coming along nicely. We're going to try a mix of all of it, slow as it goes. A PAR table from the manufacturer (conveniently at 29") We'll see how it works out. Anyone have a PAR meter that I can borrow to report actual numbers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afgun Posted August 27, 2010 Author Share Posted August 27, 2010 Wow~~~ cool~~~! Wow. This is one nice setup. Thanks, guys. I figured if I was going to do it, I ought to do it right. That and my wife wanted a nice furniture-grade setup in our living room! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derekreefer Posted August 27, 2010 Share Posted August 27, 2010 Simulate clouds .....way cool Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robb in Austin Posted August 27, 2010 Share Posted August 27, 2010 PAR of 200 at 29" and with a very steep drop off? You will have to be _very_ careful about what corals you stock _and_ where you place them. Regardless, it seems like a cool fixture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OgreMkV Posted August 28, 2010 Share Posted August 28, 2010 I DID splurge on lighting. I got in on a group buy of Pacific Sun Deimos fixtures... 3x 160W Cree LED panels and 2x 80W T5s; I'm thinking the KZ Fiji purple bulbs, but am open to suggestions. The lights are fully programmable; you can adjust the color temperature, PAR, sunrise, sunset, simulate clouds, etc... I'm quite excited by this purchase and hope to be able to provide good feedback about these fixtures (and LEDs in general). With this fixture I hope to not have to use the chiller that I also got with the tank. I am working with my stand builder on mounting the fixture next week. We are planning on using cabinet slides to have the fixture move out of the way for tank maintenance... we'll see how well it works. WANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wouldn't worry too much about the lighting. We have LEDs and our tank is too bright. I've got two SPSs at the bottom of the tank (doing very well) and almost everything else is migrating to the shade. LEDs are bright. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Hydro Posted August 28, 2010 Share Posted August 28, 2010 I really like the woodwork, going to be awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afgun Posted September 26, 2010 Author Share Posted September 26, 2010 I mounted the internal coast-to-coast weir after a false start and finally got around to leak testing it today. The good news is that it holds water. The bad news is that it doesn't quite hold all of the water. The weir (quite possibly the world's ugliest silicone job) has a few leaks. Easy to fix. The sump and refugium were modified by prof and me after he leak tested them... well, the modifications leak. Doh. Easy enough to fix with some weld-on. A couple of the bulkheads are leaking at the threaded in pipes... I think on those I simply forgot to put teflon tape on and tighten them. Then there are a couple of PVC joint leaks. Unfortunately both are on valves. Not sure if I could simply use some extra solvent on the leaky bits to seal it up, or if I need to get new parts and try gluing again. Advice? http://lh5.ggpht.com...00/DSC_0023.JPG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afgun Posted September 29, 2010 Author Share Posted September 29, 2010 Got some weld-on yesterday and today I believe that I sealed the leaks in the sump and fuge. I'll be water testing tomorrow. I also taped and threaded in the leaky closed loop bulkheads (I forgot to tighten them, which easily explains those leaks). I also spread some rain'n'shine PVC cement on one of my leaky PVC joints... crossing my fingers that it solves that problem. If it does, I'll do the same with my other leaky joint. Also siliconed the leaky weir. I'll water test that tomorrow too. The mount for the lights in the hood turned out awesome as well. I'll post pics once I have it all back together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
offroadodge Posted September 29, 2010 Share Posted September 29, 2010 cool...i'll have to come do a drive by (LOL) and take a look at this once its running. Looks like its gonna be nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisfowler99 Posted September 29, 2010 Share Posted September 29, 2010 I DID splurge on lighting. Holy crap! I just saw the price on that light fixture. "Splurge" isnt' the right word for it. Looks like it should be awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afgun Posted September 29, 2010 Author Share Posted September 29, 2010 I got a pretty significant discount off of list... I was in on the group-buy for the first of these lights imported. But it still wasn't what I'd call cheap. Only after I ordered the light did I stumble upon all of the DIY LED threads over on RC. Erk!. But I like the light so far, and we'll see how it turns out. Headed out to the garage to do a leak test on the sump and fuge in a few... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afgun Posted September 29, 2010 Author Share Posted September 29, 2010 Found another leak in the sump. Drained it back and will be welding it shortly... note to self: cheap union ball valves don't seal when one half is removed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afgun Posted September 29, 2010 Author Share Posted September 29, 2010 Weld-on sealed the leaks just fine, but unfortunately my 2" bulkhead is leaking... I've removed and reinstalled it a couple of times trying various levels of tightening, but it just won't seal. Could I have a bad bulkhead? Hole slightly too large? Any other thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afgun Posted September 29, 2010 Author Share Posted September 29, 2010 This is the kick-*** refugium and sump that prof built for me. The fuge leaked internally where we welded on a panel (didn't leak test it after) while the sump leaked in a corner (too much handling?) and at the bulkhead. I struggled getting the bulkhead to not leak today, and wound up going against the conventional wisdom and moving the gasket to the dry side... which stopped the leak. Yay! Props to prof also for the suggestion to use a shower liner to keep water from getting to the wood of my stand. It's PVC and you can cut and glue it with standard PVC cement (which I had to do as my stand is longer than the sheets this came in)! Tomorrow I will tackle the (hopefully) only remaining leak and then see about another full water test this weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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