Bayou Posted June 24, 2012 Author Share Posted June 24, 2012 can't wait to see it filled up Thanks! --- I am here: http://tapatalk.com/map.php?oxo5iv Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bayou Posted June 24, 2012 Author Share Posted June 24, 2012 I have decided that the monster chiller will not work. I did not run any plumbing for it. It was going to be too big to get stuck in a cabinet. It will be repurposed at the farm. If we get thru summer without too much financial strain(summers are slow) I think we are going to start growing sps corals again and it will do great on a system like that. Wavebox will be sent north too. --- I am here: http://tapatalk.com/map.php?j4viwk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckyuv Posted June 26, 2012 Share Posted June 26, 2012 this is the build thread i have been checking everyday and im getting antsy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bayou Posted June 26, 2012 Author Share Posted June 26, 2012 this is the build thread i have been checking everyday and im getting antsy! Thanks! This is the slowest build I have ever done! It drives me nuts to go to work everyday and see it unfinished. I am finally making some headway in the past week. I should get temple partially done this week(gonna run out of epoxy). I was thinking today of just getting some Portland and sand and using it like grout . Would be a lot cheaper than epoxy. I also hope to install the LED lights in cabinet and the exhaust fan in the cabinet. I have 2 ballasts for the LEDs. I will break the long string into 2 runs. One will have a switch on the cabinet door wired in so that when the door opens the lights will come on. Second will have a tight concentration of lights over fuge section of sump and will be on a timer reverse of tank lighting. I should be able to buy the controller this week. And if temple gets a few layers up I can add the sand. Also of note I ordered a few barnacles from EcoCeramics last week. They looked awesome and I had to get a few. And finally, I think I have decided to kick it old school and make the tank an SPS dominate system. Bring on the colored sticks!!! --- I am here: http://tapatalk.com/map.php?w32q3m Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bige Posted June 26, 2012 Share Posted June 26, 2012 I can't wait to see this together. It's gonna be sweet. Where do you work that they allow this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bayou Posted June 26, 2012 Author Share Posted June 26, 2012 I can't wait to see this together. It's gonna be sweet. Where do you work that they allow this? I'm a big fish in a small pond. LOL --- I am here: http://tapatalk.com/map.php?lldebc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bayou Posted June 26, 2012 Author Share Posted June 26, 2012 Foundation is laid! --- I am here: http://tapatalk.com/map.php?xnrkel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bayou Posted June 29, 2012 Author Share Posted June 29, 2012 A little higher today --- I am here: http://tapatalk.com/map.php?cmp2je Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bayou Posted June 29, 2012 Author Share Posted June 29, 2012 I bit down hard and pulled the trigger on more hardware today.Got the controller, lights, power heads, heaters, auto topoff, ORP probe and some odds and ends. Added up to WAY too much. Don't tell my wife! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+olaggie01 Posted June 30, 2012 Share Posted June 30, 2012 What controller did you get James? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bayou Posted June 30, 2012 Author Share Posted June 30, 2012 What controller did you get James? I went with the Digital Aquatics RKE Net. I'm not an IT guy and I find DA easier to use than Neptune Systems controllers. I have 3 Aqua Controler Pro's at the farm that I paid a premium for but I was never able to get all the bells and whisles to work. I just don't have the patience to learn how to do the programing. The RKE Net have an easy interface and has ability to monitor and control remotely. Exactly what I need. I went ahead and got the EcoTech Radion lamp. And 2 EcoTech MP10W for powerheads. Both were difficult decisions.... almost decided to go with 2 AI Sols.... and I really wanted to do twin tunze waveboxes but the one I had would not fit and I did not want to purchase 2 nano boxes. I figure I could do a lot worse! Plus with the external overflow and the small size of the powerheads the inside of the tank should be very clean and uncluttered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bayou Posted June 30, 2012 Author Share Posted June 30, 2012 Got to work on tank a bit this afternoon. Added another layer or stone. (This is taking a while, I can only do 1 layer at a time. The epoxy has to harden before I can add next layer. ) Also installed some cabinet lighting and corresponding ballasts. There are 2 circuits. One is "house lights" and they will come on when door opens and turn off when door closes(I hope!) Second is a cluster of lights over the fuge section of the sump. They will provide light for the macro in the fuge and will be on a timer. Both circuits are LEDs. Pics are not very clear, I will post more when I finish wiring them in and have an outlet to plug into. --- I am here: http://tapatalk.com/map.php?a0oim1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckyuv Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 lookin great dude cant wait to see it finished! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bayou Posted July 4, 2012 Author Share Posted July 4, 2012 lookin great dude cant wait to see it finished! Thanks! Been making progress the last 2 weeks. I should finish the temple this week and be able to add sand. --- I am here: http://tapatalk.com/map.php?p2ctcu 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckyuv Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 are you using a special type of epoxy for the temple or what? what are the layers made from? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bayou Posted July 6, 2012 Author Share Posted July 6, 2012 are you using a special type of epoxy for the temple or what? what are the layers made from? I'm using 2 part epoxy that is commonly used to mount corals to liverock. It is really strong(good) but really expensive(bad.... $12/tube and I will use about 6) but it is reef safe.... So that is what I am using. If I could start over I may have gone with grout or mortar. The stone is some I found in a stone yard near my old house. It is a sedimentary stone that was sawn into 1-3" slabs all about 4" wide and about 24" long. I think it was left overs from cutting tile and slabs. Really cool rock. I cut the stone for my last tank. Then I cut it again in more detail for this tank. If I can figure out how to finish the top it should look really good. I'm 10 layers up now... Running out of tank height and material! --- I am here: http://tapatalk.com/map.php?bsoky4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bayou Posted July 6, 2012 Author Share Posted July 6, 2012 Progress.... --- I am here: http://tapatalk.com/map.php?h0ma54 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+olaggie01 Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 Looks great James. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+brian.srock Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 Awesome Idea. If you do run out of tank I would just keep going up and have the top protruding out of the water with water running down it. Just a though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bige Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 That's really cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bayou Posted July 7, 2012 Author Share Posted July 7, 2012 Thanks for the kind words! I picked up sand tonight. Gonna head up there tomorrow and hopefully finish the temple, add the rock to the back and add sand to the tank. And between epoxy dry times I hope to wire in the door switch for the cabinet lights, install the skimmer, get the foam insulation under the sump and place the controller head unit and outlet. My cousin is gonna help so I should make good progress. Got him hooked on the hobby a few years ago! LOL Got a few deadlines at work to make on Wed but afterward I think I will have time on Thursday and Friday to get this thing ready for water! --- I am here: http://tapatalk.com/map.php?h13msx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckyuv Posted July 7, 2012 Share Posted July 7, 2012 bad *** man! are you going to mount coral on that or what are you planning on doing with your livestock? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bayou Posted July 7, 2012 Author Share Posted July 7, 2012 bad *** man! are you going to mount coral on that or what are you planning on doing with your livestock? I will be mounting corals to the temple. There will be a flat area in top for several, then some ledges.... When I run out of space I will mount to the temple itself. A few clams in the sand in front. Still working on the fish lineup. --- I am here: http://tapatalk.com/map.php?1dgj0m Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BBMarlin Posted July 7, 2012 Share Posted July 7, 2012 very cool idea! looking forward to when it gets wet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bayou Posted July 16, 2012 Author Share Posted July 16, 2012 Temple is DONE! And sand is in the tank! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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