Lanman 225-gallon tank build

[lanman]

FYI, you can buy RO/DI water in bulk from Centerville Aquarium and Superpets (that I know of). About .50 per gallon. Of course, you still need something to carry it with. I used 30 gallon rubbermaid tubs, filled 1/2 way, and made several trips, but then I only live about 1 1/2 miles from Superpets. Anyway, it may be an option if you really want to get it done this weekend and just need more water.

 

As far as the sub-panel, I'm curious, what is the advantage to doing this as opposed to just adding new circuits to your existing breaker box?

 

In this case - I'm not sure exactly where I want the outlets; so I'll run those myself. I also hope to use the same wall penetration (going to have him run it outside) for my emergency generator; which just happens to have a nice pad to sit on outside that area.

 

bob

[lanman]

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.

 

 

And I'm about 1/3 full!

 

 

bob

[ReeferMan]

What are you going to do with the bulkhead on the side?

[Tri Bui]

Bob,

 

You are very handy man the set up look awsome! nice work!

[steveoutlaw]

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

 

Bob - I would recommend priming the inside of the canopy and then painting with a high gloss enamel. It won't take long for bare wood to start getting affected by the salt water.

[Brian Ward]

Bob - I would recommend priming the inside of the canopy and then painting with a high gloss enamel. It won't take long for bare wood to start getting affected by the salt water.

 

I second that. I have Craig (BeltwayBandit)'s old tank and stand and the canopy desperately needs to be painted inside - the wood is in OK shape, but certainly not great. Highly recommend a 2-part epoxy but make sure it's designed to bond to wood. I used a Sherwin-Williams industrial product (Oil-based TileClad Epoxy) on the recommendation of one of the owners of Scales TFW. I definitely do not regret it.

[steveoutlaw]

I second that. I have Craig (BeltwayBandit)'s old tank and stand and the canopy desperately needs to be painted inside - the wood is in OK shape, but certainly not great. Highly recommend a 2-part epoxy but make sure it's designed to bond to wood. I used a Sherwin-Williams industrial product (Oil-based TileClad Epoxy) on the recommendation of one of the owners of Scales TFW. I definitely do not regret it.

 

 

I actually just used KILZ primer and an off the shelf high gloss latex finish. It worked great on my canopy.

[jason the filter freak]

Bob t5 ho? Or vho I can't quite tell

[lanman]

Bob t5 ho? Or vho I can't quite tell

T5's - lots of them...

 

bob

 

I second that. I have Craig (BeltwayBandit)'s old tank and stand and the canopy desperately needs to be painted inside - the wood is in OK shape, but certainly not great. Highly recommend a 2-part epoxy but make sure it's designed to bond to wood. I used a Sherwin-Williams industrial product (Oil-based TileClad Epoxy) on the recommendation of one of the owners of Scales TFW. I definitely do not regret it.

 

I was going to hit it with polyurethane; don't think that will do the trick??

 

bob

[bigJPDC]

where did you get those double rigs? I am guesing you have room for two SLRs under each fixture?

[lanman]

where did you get those double rigs? I am guesing you have room for two SLRs under each fixture?

Sunlight Supply makes them. Yes - each holds two 80W T5's; and they come with the German 98% reflectors. They are called 'Ready-Fits', come in 24", 36", 48", and NOW 60" (I might have been their first customer; two of the boxes didn't show the 60" on them, the other three did). I sent Sunlight Supply an e-mail asking them if they had any kind of 60" fixtures, and they said they just started making them. They aren't listed on the website.

 

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

 

BRK is a dealer for Sunlight Supply; I ordered them from BRK.

 

bob

[YBeNormal]

I was going to hit it with polyurethane; don't think that will do the trick??

 

Polyurethane will work and can easily be touched up later if needed. Spar Urethane would be better if you don't mind putting up with a strong odor while it is wet and having to deal with a longer dry time.

[lanman]

Update!

 

Tank is 2/3 full; 15 gallons more mixed up and ready to put in, and 15 more gallons of RO/DI to mix. Should get me within about 3" of the overflow. Good thing I'm getting the sump this evening!

 

Current lighting - 150W incandescent GE 'spot' in the ceiling.

Current cleanup crew - 1 redleg hermit crab and one Stomatella snail.

Current filtering system - 75GPH pump through a filter sock hung on a piece of string.

Current aquascaping - about 25 pounds of rock from my sump.

Current stocking - assorted feather dusters, two aiptasia, and this survivor:

 

Which is the 'ghost' of a green hairy mushroom that seems to have survived in the dark for 8 months. He probably considers that 150W light 'blinding'.

 

Cheers!

bob

Edited December 9, 2007 by lanman

[steveoutlaw]

bob - when you get the tank set up I would recommend a coral banded butterfly........mine took care of all my aiptasia and little feather duster/tube worms in short order.

 

Dont forget......all the rock you're getting from me is going to take up quite a bit of space and raise your water level up. Plus, you're getting about 35g of water from me as well.

 

Looking good so far!! Can't wait to see it complete.

Edited December 9, 2007 by steveoutlaw

[extreme_tooth_decay]

Current cleanup crew - 1 redleg hermit crab and one Stomatella snail.

 

Heh, I'm not sure that's gonna cut it!

[lanman]

The twins!

 

 

 

bob

[steveoutlaw]

The twins!

 

bob

 

 

Bob - Love the twins. BUT, it looks to me like you have both of them running through 1" pipe. I believe that only 600GPH will run through 1" pipe. You might want to consider running 2 1" pipes for the return.

[jason the filter freak]

Why did you go with two slaved eheims?

[lanman]

Bob - Love the twins. BUT, it looks to me like you have both of them running through 1" pipe. I believe that only 600GPH will run through 1" pipe. You might want to consider running 2 1" pipes for the return.

 

I hope you're wrong... Wavysea says that the + will handle 2000+GPH, but it only has a 1" barb connector as the largest. If that's so - I've been led astray.

 

bob

 

Why did you go with two slaved eheims?

 

Redundancy. One pump fails, I'll still have good flow. And by the way - the one on the left is the master, the one on the right is the slave. Because I said so.

 

bob

[dandy7200]

I can push 1800gph through my 1" piping on my chiller loop. 600gph is the draining capacity for 1" not under any pressure though.

[davelin315]

I hope you're wrong... Wavysea says that the + will handle 2000+GPH, but it only has a 1" barb connector as the largest. If that's so - I've been led astray.

 

bob

Redundancy. One pump fails, I'll still have good flow. And by the way - the one on the left is the master, the one on the right is the slave. Because I said so.

 

bob

 

I don't think that you'll have redundancy in case of a failure, what I think you'll have is water being recirculated in your sump and drawing from your main tank... if one pump fails, the flow from the other pump will go the route of least resistance, which is through the other pump and back into your sump. This will also make sure that water is drawn from your tank as I think that if faced with about 1' of head and probably 10' of head, the Eheim will end up acting like a venturi and pull water from the tank, regardless of a siphon break (this last part is a bit dubious knowledge-wise, may not happen as I haven't thought it through very well). If you're going with that set up, I would add check valves on each Eheim to prevent this scenario.

[dandy7200]

 

Redundancy. One pump fails,

 

 

 

Thats the reason for choosing Eheim. They wont fail. I've got buckets and buckets of Eheim parts, I'll make you a little birthday present......

[lanman]

Thats the reason for choosing Eheim. They wont fail. I've got buckets and buckets of Eheim parts, I'll make you a little birthday present......

 

 

Thanks for the Eheim parts! I won't have to CLEAN one of those little sponge filters for years! Dirty? Toss it!

 

I'll consider running them in series - but then I'll be trying to push 1800gph through a 3/4" pipe... Hope it doesn't explode!

 

bob

[bigJPDC]

Redundancy. One pump fails, I'll still have good flow. And by the way - the one on the left is the master, the one on the right is the slave. Because I said so.

 

bob

 

Bob, where do you come up with these ideas?

 

Sunlight Supply makes them. Yes - each holds two 80W T5's; and they come with the German 98% reflectors. bob

 

I was pricing out a T5 rig for somebody and saw that ReefGeek is also selling 'all you need are screws' kits with SLRs which is just incredible. No more wiring mess for me on the next tank.

[lanman]

Bob, where do you come up with these ideas?

I was pricing out a T5 rig for somebody and saw that ReefGeek is also selling 'all you need are screws' kits with SLRs which is just incredible. No more wiring mess for me on the next tank.

 

Jason said master-slave. So I had to decide which one was the slave.

 

You're right ... here is my 'wiring mess':

 

And here is my tank - - which will be overflowing into the sump in about 10 minutes (assuming my masterful plumbing job doesn't send it into the laundry room or something). But I still need about 40 gallons in the sump.

 

 

Getting close!

 

bob