ErikS

That's not a lob-stah, that's a salt-wa-tah crayfish. Sounds like an interesting trip !

That's the proper approach...............but..........if you HAVE to you can remove the nut, put a bead of silicone around the threaded portion & then re-tighten the nut (the silicone will seal both the backside & help seal the threads - DAMHIKT)

Nice pics! Love the efflo (& the tort)

Siphon as much as possible & then tilt the tank so that you can siphon most of the remaining.......then towel/sponge out the remainder? (of course what do I know I've been testing the pumbing using RO water)

Welcome, and no I don't think so....though one would think that there aren't any women in WAMAS at times

Welcome!

Cartridges? You can get the pre-filter & carbon @ the BORG or Lowes. Not sure if there's a local source for DI resin.

Um....ah.......one question - if some of us are helping Steve move his 120 the lighting "demo" is scheduled on the same day (2nd)???

Well the units I have are pendants so I'm not sure how we'd go about "testing" them.....but...if Lee brings the DE stuff I'd be happy to bring the 14K Phoenix (though they're new & unfired - might not be the final color). I wish the Ocean Lights I have didn't have a unique connector - I'd like to see how an M80 ballast fires DE vs an electronic (the M80 I have state that it's 290w).

Are you firing SE or DE? If it's DE I have a set of AB10Ks and a set of Phoenix 14K's. Also, depending on where I am in the upgrade I might have a complete 175w that I can donate to the cause. If I'm not ready - I DO have a CV 14K 175w bulb I can donate (about a year of burn on it). Ah...nevermind - lol - now I see the picture.

Around here? The Marine Scene used to carry Amiracle/Life Reef style overflows, not sure if they still do. IIRC mine was about $60 from them. The only real key to a bulletproof external overflow is to have a baffle between the drain & the u-tube - this makes it impossible to lose the siphon when the power goes out. If you look at www.lifereef.com (pre-filter) you can see the design to which I refer. Amiracle overflows can be found online for about $45. (http://www.aquacorals.com/ShopOverflows.htm) Slap in a "Stockman pipe" (about $3 worth of PVC) & you're good to go. Sumps, I have no idea, I can't remember seeing one for sale in the area...........BUT......... You can use any old fish tank for a sump. The partitions can me made from either acrylic or glass - lots of folks DIY a sump. Online vendors such as MyReefCreations, Premium Aquatics, and Marine Depot carry ready made sumps.

If it's a cannister filter you combat the nitrates by frequent media changes/cleaning (same goes for any mechanical filtration). Nitrates are not a problem with a sump, there's no mechanical filtration - just a skimmer. If you DO use mechanical filtration in a sump then it must be cleaned frequently (i.e. I use a filter pad which gets changed every couple of days). "Bio ball" type of filtration (like the macaroni looking media) house massive amounts of bacteria due to their surface area - this becomes what is called a "nitrate factory". As I mentioned this is great for fish as it can handle a large bio-load, but not so good for coral to which nitrates are toxic. The nitrates that do develop in a "berlin filtration" system are dealt w/ through water changes.

I'd concur, heck I have one on my 37g - and it's currently a FOWLR tank. It really does make life easy(er). I started the same as you, w/ a Fluval. The biggest issue with using a canister filter is nitrates which coral doesn't react well to. Nitrates are fine for fish, but not good for coral. Any "bio ball" organic filtration's final product is nitrates, this is fine for fish as it doesn't bother them - as mentioned not so good for coral.

Check the links section & look for the link to "Pez's" website, he has the simplest explantion of a sump & how it works I've ever seen. It's clear & to the point - it helped me out in the beginning (same reason, after reading it I pretty much said "aha"). (here - CyberReefGuru) Some of the pros for a sump are - 1. More water volume 2. A good place for equipment (gets it out of the tank) 3. Helps aerate the water (water is turned over to the sump & in the sump) = more surface area = more air introduced 4. Surface skimming, the water at the surface of the tank is "skimmed" by the overflow = no protien film & better air exchange. In reality they just make the tank easier to manage, a good place for a topoff, Ca reactor feeds, chiller loops, heaters, etc.

And to further Red Dog's comments - - Check the "endcaps", these little rubber hats keep the shaft centered & hold it still while the impeller spins. If they're worn the shaft will move & make noise - Check the shaft itself, if it has any score marks or signs of wear it will run "out of round", again it means noise - Check to see if the impeller fits snugly over the shaft if the hole is worn it will rattle - Check to see if the impeller slides & spins freely on the shaft (remember the shaft stays still & the impeller spind around it), binding can cause noise - Check for cracks or loose parts in the housing = vibration = noise Finally, unless it's really bad a new impeller assembly should fix it right up.

Ah, thanks - good to see not everyone suffers from CRS (can't remember...)

How much time do ya need? (a guess). I'm no expert but I've done a good bit of plumbing & know my way around most of the common tank equipment. You get the tank to the house & I'm sure we can get it setup. If you do a search you can find a good deal of info on moving tanks (such as having some pre-made saltwater, heaters, air pumps in w/ the fish etc). If you figure out a list I might/probably have some of the "holding stuff" (air pumps, heaters, powerheads, etc) My price? Easy, you must join WAMAS as a member :D Oh yeah, do ya play golf? Montclair CC memeber here

I forget the name but there's a place off 395 in Alexandria (near Marlo Furniture - limited hours, they're in the phone book. If I get a remission in alzheimers I'll post the name.

If you find 1/2" harwood veneered ply let me know where, outside of a specialty wood shop (even then it's rare). I've never seen 1/2" in full sheets in the BORG or Lowes. If you have a frame underneath there is no reason to use anything larger than 1/4" material for the sheathing. Nailed down the 1/4" will provided more than enough lateral support for the stand. The only "gotcha" will be the corners, you'll either have to miter them or cover then with some trim. The simplest way to cover the stand is to just glue & nail on pieces of 1/4" ply. Then drill a hole in one of the openings & insert router & flush trim bit, viola!! Instant door or access area. Note: if you use 1/4" you will have to beef up the area underneath the hinge(s), give the screws something to grab onto. Simple as adding a bit of scrap wood to the back.

Yep, same-same. The home made "glue-lam" beam. A tip for getting an even stain on materials like Birch ply is to use a gel stain OR apply a coat of sanding sealer prior to stain (light sand after the sealer). Shellac will also work. Basically you just want to seal up the easy soaking spots before applying a stain.

That black one looks pretty nice. The only advice I can offer for finishing is to choose the paint/finish wisely :D On my first stand I used some of that spray on textured paint (supposed to look like rock or something) - the total price was over $150 for the paint! (and I had to go to every BORG within 20 miles to get enough cans). Each spray can cost about $8 & covered about 1sq ft :D :D Live & learn. I've seen some nice faux finishes, can't help with ideas though (if it don't involve powertools I'm not much help). Are you going with pre-made doors? If so just remember to check the BORG for standard sizes before finishing the outside (DAMHIKT).

I wouldn't try to span the distance with a single 2x4, I think you'd get some deflection at that distance. Also, don't know if you've gotten all the material but 2 2x4 laminated together is far stronger than a 4x4....and...it will move far less (not that you'd need anything but 2x4s for the corners). For the front rail I'd definately use a pair of 2x4's, a ply sandwhich would be even better (if an open span is your goal).

Check local marinas (used in boat building) - or - try www.cuttingboardfactory.com an alternative material.

Sucks when they get it wrong....on the other hand lots of places call all Centropyge "pgmy" (often interchanged with "dwarf")....w/o the scientific name it all depends on who you're talking with. I.E, is the "pgmy" C. argi? (more common as cherub) C. resplendens? C. flavicauda? (and I forget the name of the one Michael is talking about - lol)

Well shortenting the pipes would cut a bit on friction loss - lol. Sounds like you had quite a bit of fun with the "adult legos" aka PVC. Think I'm goin to refer to that pic when I'm trying to plumb the 4 way - just to remind myself that if an 8-way can be done......... :D