Lanman 225-gallon tank build

[st9z]

hey Bob,

Do you remember what kind of T5 kit did you use for your lights? BTW this tank looks even better in person!

[lanman]

hey Bob,

Do you remember what kind of T5 kit did you use for your lights? BTW this tank looks even better in person!

 

I have 5 60" Sunlight Supply ready-fit fixtures in a hood. That's 10 80W T5 bulbs.

 

bob

[lanman]

I had occasion to take some fresh tank pictures the other day:

 

Full tank (somewhat washed out)

 

 

Right side:

 

 

Left side:

 

 

bob

[vaironman]

Woah, the red monti cap on the back right corner and the green bali slimmer on the left corner are growing so fast since the last time I was at your place. It probably was only 2 to 3 months at most.

[Bendalat]

Bob,

 

Your tank is getting better and better everytime you post it.

[steveoutlaw]

Man - that cap is looking great! I still only have a tiny little piece of it (which is starting to grow pretty fast). Have you cranked up the CA reactor yet?

[lanman]

Man - that cap is looking great! I still only have a tiny little piece of it (which is starting to grow pretty fast). Have you cranked up the CA reactor yet?

 

Not yet... it is sitting in front of the tank right now, with the setup instructions on it I expect I will make the connections today, and turn it on tomorrow (when I'm going to be here most of the time so I can keep an eye on things). I need it badly now. Can't get my alk over 2.5 meq/L, even though I'm topping off about 4 gallons/day through my kalk reactor. That monti cap is eating up all the calcium I can put into the system. On the plus side, my pH stays between 8.02 at night and 8.40 (occasionally a bit more) as long as I keep fresh lime in the kalk reactor; so a little drop shouldn't hurt it too much. I want to run carbon, but that Valida up near the green slimer is just starting to get some polyp extension and color - it bleached out pretty badly when I put it up close to the lights. So I'm waiting on it to finish adjusting before I give it even MORE light.

 

Does anyone happen to know if Valida's tend to like slightly lower lighting?? I guess I could trade it's prime location with something else.

 

bob

[Highland Reefer]

Bob,

 

Is that the Green slimer I got from you at the meeting in the upper left hand corner of your tank. My green slimer is doing great. It stands out from all the other corals in my tank. Everyone who looks at my tank points at it 1st.

[ctenophore]

In my old tank, I had 4 colonies of one valida in different places. One was breaking the water surface 4" away from a 250w 10k, another was near the bottom (~28" away from bulb) and the other two were in the middle. The one at the very top grew the fastest but was a light purple, almost lavender with white polyps. The deeper ones were a lot bluer & darker purple, with green polyps at the growth edges and white everywhere else.

 

So they are pretty adaptable but I think they key is time as you mentioned.

[lanman]

Bob,

 

Is that the Green slimer I got from you at the meeting in the upper left hand corner of your tank. My green slimer is doing great. It stands out from all the other corals in my tank. Everyone who looks at my tank points at it 1st.

 

Yes - I call it the super-green, super-fluorescent green slimer. I got it from a tank breakdown. I'm glad it's growing well, so I can spread frags around - because it's just a super coral. I'm glad to see my colony encrusting down the stems... it spent some time in its previous tank half-buried in sand, and lost a lot of tissue off the bottom.

 

I actually started up my CA reactor today. I may shut it off before bed - just 'cause I'm chicken, and apparently it doesn't help much at night, anyhow. I make changes like these very ... okay very very slowly. I don't care if 18,000 reefers have done it before me without a problem - I'm just unlucky that way sometimes!

 

bob

[lanman]

Just an equipment note - the CA reactor is now running more or less properly - pH hovering around 6.9, and effluent dripping away. Hoping to see an increase in Alk soon.

 

bob

[tbittner]

PH of 6.9?

 

I hope that was a typo...

[lanman]

PH of 6.9?

 

I hope that was a typo...

In the CA reactor.

 

bob

[tbittner]

Ahhhh, ok. Thanks for clearing that up.

[lanman]

Now that I have the CA reactor chugging away - thought I would post a picture of the 'evil underbelly' of the system:

 

 

Grey Seas Kalk stirrer, Skimmer, and CA reactor. Will be setting up the media reactor next.

 

bob

[Vader]

More progress. Light fixtures - all laid out, and then found out I didn't have enough screws of the right size. 1000 screws in this house (not even counting the ones I have loose) - and 4 the right size.

 

bob

 

Are those T-5 or T-8 and where did you get those fixtures from? I've been looking for something like that for my tank.

[lanman]

Sunlight Supply 'ready-fit' lights. BRK is a dealer:

http://www.sunlightsupply.com/product.cfm?...ys%3D%26pgi%3D1

 

bob

[The Kerrnel]

Great setup! A few questions come to mind...

 

I read earlier in the thread that you used a planer on the 2x4's. Just wondering if you also used a jointer or just planed them down to the same dimensions? I've been considering beefing up my own shop but have very little room. I've been told I can do with a jointer to square up the stock and just go through several passes to plane for dimensions. A planer takes up less space and less cash. Wondering what your experience has been with the planer? Was it able to take care of bows or crowns?

 

How did you dress the top plywood? It looks routed, just wondering if that was cabinet-grade ply you used and routed, or if you dressed it with wood wood and routed that?

 

Next question was whether you finished your controller box with the AC3 and DC8's?

 

If you did, I'd love to see where you decided to put it within the stand. I'm thinking in my tank stand of using one end of the stand to inset-mount the DJ power strips and whatever controller items I have, covering them with a normal cabinet-style door. Looking for ideas.

 

Thanks!

Edited May 8, 2008 by The Kerrnel

[lanman]

Great setup! A few questions come to mind...

 

I read earlier in the thread that you used a planer on the 2x4's. Just wondering if you also used a jointer or just planed them down to the same dimensions? I've been considering beefing up my own shop but have very little room. I've been told I can do with a jointer to square up the stock and just go through several passes to plane for dimensions. A planer takes up less space and less cash. Wondering what your experience has been with the planer? Was it able to take care of bows or crowns?

 

How did you dress the top plywood? It looks routed, just wondering if that was cabinet-grade ply you used and routed, or if you dressed it with wood wood and routed that?

 

Next question was whether you finished your controller box with the AC3 and DC8's?

 

If you did, I'd love to see where you decided to put it within the stand. I'm thinking in my tank stand of using one end of the stand to inset-mount the DJ power strips and whatever controller items I have, covering them with a normal cabinet-style door. Looking for ideas.

 

Thanks!

 

I used the planer on some old boards (wormy pine, cut in a small sawmill about 20 years ago or so) for the decorative wood on the doors and base. I didn't use a jointer - just planed them smooth. They aren't even exactly the same thickness. SLIGHT bows and crowns planed out well - it just took several passes, and of course the wood ended up a little thinner.

 

For the top of the plywood - I put 1x6" pine boards on top of the plywood. I then nailed a piece of molding to the front - it's not routed. Or I should say I bought it already routed.

 

I ended up putting the control box NEXT to the tank. I still haven't screwed down the DC-8's, though I am using them:

 

bob

[The Kerrnel]

Awesome, thanks Bob!

[Vader]

Sunlight Supply 'ready-fit' lights. BRK is a dealer:

http://www.sunlightsupply.com/product.cfm?...ys%3D%26pgi%3D1

 

bob

 

Thanks for the link bob.

[The Kerrnel]

Thanks for the link bob.

 

I was looking at those last night...they're about $20-30 more than the one you have to assemble. Not bad. I may actually opt for these, though the 4x48" I was originally looking at actually comes with the bulbs for around $300. Decisions...

[lanman]

I was looking at those last night...they're about $20-30 more than the one you have to assemble. Not bad. I may actually opt for these, though the 4x48" I was originally looking at actually comes with the bulbs for around $300. Decisions...

 

They still don't seem to have the 60" lights listed. I may have been their first customer for 60" ready-fits. I had written them to ask where I could find 60" light fixtures. And he said they were just starting to sell them. 60" fixtures are hard to find - so I didn't have a lot of decisions to make.

 

bob

[st9z]

Hey Bob,

What kind of light bulb did u use for your T5s? ATI, Gis, or UVL?

 

thanks,

NIKI

[lanman]

Hey Bob,

What kind of light bulb did u use for your T5s? ATI, Gis, or UVL?

 

thanks,

NIKI

 

All Geisseman bulbs; a nice assortment, but I'd have to go look at each one to say exactly what I ended up with. I know there is only one pure actinic in there, and three of the 60/40? blue bulbs. I don't look forward to changing them all out in another year - kind of expensive!

 

bob