Jason Rhoads

ERC customer service is amazing. They really do work for your business. Your Naso looks awesome!

Indeed! Makes my reef setup look like ghetto trash!

Classic!

I use Prime and let it sit/mix for 24 hours before I do the water change. I am in Prince William County and on city water. I also used this method when I lived in Fairfax county (one year); I was on city water there as well.

Good question! Hopefully the below will explain my reasoning a bit: The reason I use RO/DI vs tap for top off is similar to the logic of not using salt water for top off (i.e. using salt water in a top off would raise your salinity due to the addition of the salt remaining from any evaporated water you are replacing and the new salt in the water you are adding). I use the more-pure RO/DI water as replacement water to avoid a build up, in a similar fashion, concerning unwanted elements. When doing a water change I am essentially trading water which contains the same (roughly) quantities of elements as that which I am removing (not considering those elements which were used in coral growth). The main driver behind my using the RO/DI for top off water is that I do not like the rejection rate of an RO/DI unit, so I try to only use it where I feel I will see the most benefit (e.g. using it to make pure top off water). I have been running my tank like this for years with no realized ill effects (I keep mostly SPS).

I use tap water for water changes; RO/DI for top off though.

It sounds like you have a great plan in place. The only thing I can offer is to keep the lights dim in the temp tank for a few hours post-transfer. How long will the livestock be in the temporary system?

Did the coral die off before you changed the maintenance regimen? Is it possible that the alk swing killed your SPS which caused the Nitrate spike?

LOL! I like the way you think

109" long by 36.5" deep.

Haha, let me be very clear here: I will not build anything for at least the next 6 months! I am so tired of cutting lumber

I guarantee it! Unless, you actually plan ahead and have a bullet-proof design... but who does that?

Thanks! I am really happy with the space. And, with both sump and the refugium under the tank, I can reclaim the "fish room" that used to be on the other side of the wall. I will lose a bit of maintenance ease, but the trade off is well worth it. Plus, with the tank a full 42" off the ground, I have plenty of room underneath to do water changes and mess with the skimmer.

Thanks man, I wish I would have asked. But after my 100th trip to Home depot this weekend, I only need a few more things for this to be finished --yep, i went at 6am this morning, and still need to go back.... It is a perfect fit. I am glad too, because there was no way to test this before draining/moving the tank. As to the pad, there really is no need. I sanded the top twice (between coats of paint) and it is very smooth and perfectly level. With the trim on the glass tank any small bump here or there won't make a difference.

Indeed I am. I already have that done and the tank is sitting there now. I have it almost full, but need to finish the plumbing before I can top it off. I am going to share more in my soon-to-be tank thread, but for now these will do:

It actually cannot move in the long dimension do to where it is in the house. it fits so snugly that it essentially is attached to the walls on either side of the stand.

For anyone playing along at home; I went with (4) 2x8's. Two tied together to make the supports spanning the entire distance of the stand. So, it is now supported by (4) 2x8's and (2) 2x6's and (2) 2x4's; if that doesnt hold it then I don't know what will.

Good mantra.

Very, very, good point!

Wow, am I glad I stopped here before I started filling it up! I am going to knock out the little supports running perpendicular to the 2x6 beam and add two 2x8 beams (one on each side) to the current design. I am also going to work on the diagonal bracing Ken mentions and screw it into the wall studs when I get to the point of moving the old stand out of the way. Thanks a lot all!

Thanks Tom, your post hit just as I was typing my above comment. I am going to look into this design.

Would it be easier to scrap this design and use (4) 2x8's running across the top with two under the long seams (front glass and back glass) of the tank?

As much as I hate to cut into the glorious space this affords, I think that adding the center vertical brace is a good idea.

I wish I could put skin on the outside, but I built it to take up the space it is going into. I can skin the front, top and back, but not the sides (which is where it is needed I think).

Interesting point. I was thinking that the load would be mainly borne by the 2x6 beam. I can add some more vertical legs to the outer frame and run 2x4's under the 2x6 beam right at where the sides of the tank would be situated.