Loco's 59g rimless tank build

[YHSublime]

Thank you, I used black vinyl tubing 3/4" I bought at HD, it was $14.99 for 10 feet and I didn't use all of it.  After hard plumbing the drain lines and having no leaks in the hard plumbing, I wish I had hard plumbed then.  Buy meh, you live and learn. 

 

Interesting, I was asking because I am looking to do the same thing, but I already have it setup for a PVC return, just leaves me with four 90 degree angles on the way to the return, but it's only pumping up about 4' and over less than 2'.

[londonloco]

Looks great!  I use Airport express to hook up the Apex controller into my network.  Let us know how the Zeovit works!

Thank you, I have lights set up including "ramping", the heaters and wp25 on the eb8 right now.  I might add the ps and zeovit reactor later this week, but for now, I'm good.  I called Neptune today, and Gordon answered after 3 rings (it was right at 12:00est, they had just opened) as my controller (that little black box) stopped working.  He tried to get it to communicate with the office for an hour, but it was bad, so tomorrow back for replacement it goes.  Since my controller was bad, Gorden was nice enough to try to hook me up wireless, but he couldn't access the Comcast modem.  After Gorden was done doing as much as he could, I called Comcast.  Seems my modem doesn't support port forwarding, they gave me two model numbers that I have to exchange mine for tomorrow.  They did say the Manassas office has 28 of them in stock, anyone betting he was wrong?  Comcast has been and will continue to be the bain of my existence, IMO, worst co in the world.  Fios has been upgrading lines in my neighborhood all summer, shouldn't be long until I can change providers.  Until then, I'm stuck with Comcast, as it's only co that services my area (I tried to get Direct TV, twice, but I'd have to cut down my neighbors trees to get HD). 

[londonloco]

Interesting, I was asking because I am looking to do the same thing, but I already have it setup for a PVC return, just leaves me with four 90 degree angles on the way to the return, but it's only pumping up about 4' and over less than 2'.

I glued the HE double hocky sticks out of the drain lines, and I used that ugly purple primer, I'm not surprised they didn't leak.  I was just nervous as I had never plumbed anything myself, my husband always did it for me on my other tanks.  I've plumbed one tank and feel like an ole pro....lol...

[howaboutme]

Looks good! The light hanger looks much better painted black.

 

What are the dimensions of your tank? I didn't see that in earlier posts...

[londonloco]

Thanks!  There was some confusion about the dimensions in my first post because I couldn't make up my mind.  Adam was a trooper tho.  The tank is 36x24x18, and in the end, right before he ordered the glass, I changed it to all green glass, NO starfire.  The stand is 42x24x40, side and front doors are hung on by magnets and come off for full access.  Adam did a GENIUS job of making the stand, and with the doors with trim.  The higher stand really makes a difference when working with the sump. 

[londonloco]

Pissy day for the tank today.  Last night moonlights started shutting on and off in 15 min-ish intervels.  I unplugged them and went to bed.  This morning none of the blue lights would come on.  I unplugged them, waited a few secs, plugged them back in.  Popped the GFI.  I unhooked them totally from the apex and plugged them into a GFI I had by a sink.  Popped the GFI again.  Called Apolloreef, once Joe heard the story, he determined I probably had a short in the fixture.  He offered to send me a new fixture (two year warrenty on these fixtures), after I receive the new fixture, I could use the same box/packaging to send the old ones back.  Of course he asked for a security deposit which will be refunded once he receive's the old fixture back.  I am very impressed with the way Joe handled this.  I should be without lights less than a week, really doesn't hurt much, tank is cycling, nothing really needs light at this point. 

 

I decided to tie all the wires up nice and neat.  Oh yeah, that's a joke.  After working with it for over an hour, I nixed the "cable mate" in all 3 sized I bought, made sure I had drip loops on everything, looped extra wire together, took 3 cable ties to three areas, and was done with it.  I don't know how the electrical boxes get to look so neat on RC, I'm guess I'm just not that good. 

 

When I went to place the door on the elec panal, it didn't fit.  The other three doors fit perfectly, this one did also before I moved the painted stand out to the garage.  The only thing I can think of is in the heat, the wood swelled.  It will be an easy fix, I just didn't want to deal with it today.....

 

[londonloco]

Two days later, FedX says my lights are "On FedEx vehicle for delivery".  :clap: :clap:

[smallreef]

It was great meeting you yesterday! The tank looks great, can't wait till your lights get in and you can start adding things! You are soooo patient, hopefully some of that rubbed off on me,lol

[londonloco]

Thanks Kim!  Great meeting you yesterday also.  I try to be patient, but my 4 brats have used up most of it.....

[londonloco]

Been working on the Apex for the past few days.  Thank you tech support.    I now have lights ramping correctly, heaters and WP25 all programed correctly.  I need to buy a splitter to put the heaters on, program return pump and PS, buy an ATO and get it programed.  Then I'll work on wireless connection. 

 

I am starting to get tiny spots of algae on my sand, which I welcome, means the cycle is progressing.  Weds I'll test the water to see where I am.  Not a great fan of this phase, but it's necessary. 

Edited August 12, 2013 by londonloco

[londonloco]

Splitter on heaters and programed, return pump and ps on EB8 and programed for feeding.  My ATO should be in tomorrow, but the pump won't be here til early next week :(.  Tested my water on Weds, realized my refractometer was broken, not good.  Ordered another one, should be here early next week also.  Used a friends hydrometer, read 1.020 :eek: , added 6 more cups of salt to get it reading 1.025.  Good thing nothing is in my tank.  Ammonia and Nitrate read -0- using older api test kits.  Ordered Salifert kits, and yes, they will be here early next week also. 

 

I did find these at my local Ace today on sale for $5:

 

 

made in China, about 50 of them in different sizes.  Anyone have any opinions if I should use them on the return pumps on my tanks?

Edited August 15, 2013 by londonloco

[smallreef]

With flex hose....yep always use clamps...better safe than sorry...

If your worried about being made in china...maybe leave them in rodi for a few days?

[londonloco]

I always use clamps, but metal ones, they do rust after awhile, never seemed to bother my tanks tho.  So, if I left them in rodi for a few days, then what, test them for???  I do have a tds meter, but what else to test them for?

[YHSublime]

I wouldn't even worry about soaking them, imo.

[smallreef]

The only thing I worry about from china is food....being they seem to think melamine is a filler...

Plastic should be fine...being its already partly melamine,lol

I just thought if there could be any metals? But they usually don't absorb into plastic right?

[londonloco]

Avast ATO came in this weekend (thank you Incredible Corals).  The zeovit reactor I have uses a Eheim compact 600, and is the quietest pump in the house so I ordered a Eheim Compact 300 for the ato, of course it has an off size output.  After picking up my ATO from Adam and getting his advice, off to Lowes I drove.  I ended up getting this fitting:

 

 

and this hosing:

 

 

Got to use my cheapo clamps and had it done:

 

 

Followed the Avast directions and I now have a working ATO, first ever:

 

Also cleaned up elec board, and after reading other opinions about return pumps on a controller, placed my ps, return and reactor back on the DJ4:

 

My ps is pulling out yucky crap now:

 

I'm sure because my algae bloom has started:

 

Still have -0- ammonia and -0- nitrates by old api kits, salifert's should be here tomorrow.

 

I pulled off the acrylic overflow cover, and cracked it...so pissed.  I can still use it, but left it off until I talk to Adam about a better way to clip it, when water flows over the overflow, it bends it out on top and bottom.  Top is an easy fix, but the bottom is not.  Not a fan of the way the overflow looks, but then, not a fan of the whole tank with that ugly diatom and algae bloom:

 

 

This cycle is going to take forever.  I still have to get wireless connection to my apex and sand the side doors down to fit on carpet.  I'm planning on redoing my fw systems this fall, guess I'll be busy enough to leave this tank a lone for the next 6 weeks.

 

 

 

 

[smallreef]

Looking like its coming along...6 weeks....nooooooooooo like I said you have so much patience...I'd have some Tim's or other bacteria in there gettin it ready,lol congrats for getting things going...

[YHSublime]

Congrats on everything coming together. I just added rock last night, so now I wait with you, although you have a bit of a head start. Tank is looking really nice, I'm jealous of your algae bloom already, I chucked a huge piece of liverock into my sump with a pile of macro that I could care less if it dies or not, either way, it'll hopefully rock the cycle a bit. I can't see a way around the overflow box, any ideas? Cover it with corals?

[londonloco]

Looking like its coming along...6 weeks....nooooooooooo like I said you have so much patience...I'd have some Tim's or other bacteria in there gettin it ready,lol congrats for getting things going...

I'm going with Zeovit, and G Alexander over on his forum said since I'm using dry rock and only a tiny bit of live rock, the cycle will take 4-6 weeks minimum.  If I had started with all live rock I'd be picking out my cuc on Tuesday (14 day cycle).  I can wait, really not that big a deal.  And thanks for the congrats 

[londonloco]

Congrats on everything coming together. I just added rock last night, so now I wait with you, although you have a bit of a head start. Tank is looking really nice, I'm jealous of your algae bloom already, I chucked a huge piece of liverock into my sump with a pile of macro that I could care less if it dies or not, either way, it'll hopefully rock the cycle a bit. I can't see a way around the overflow box, any ideas? Cover it with corals?

Thanks!  Been following your build, your rock work is outstanding!  I'm loving the idea of your out of the stand sump, kinda like having another tank.  Bet when your done with those mangroves it'll look really nice. 

 

I have 2 separate friends at the beach right now, they are both bringing me back a gallon of NSW.  Hoping that will help the cycle along. 

 

The only thing I can think of is draining the tank down until it's dry and painting the inside of the box.  People on the planted sites paint their spray bars and returns all the time, doesn't seem to bother the fish or plants.  How long do you think I'd have to wait until I could flood it again?  I'm thinking at least 24 hours if not longer.

[YHSublime]

Thanks, I had help keeping it simple! The outside sump was out of necessity, as my other half was opposed to my building a new stand when she loved the 2.5' one I had. The mangroves idea was Brads brilliant idea, and I jumped at the though of anything to get that fake tree out of the way. I am the green thumb in the house, so if it's alive, I'm expected to care for it. Enough about my thread though, this is your build!

 

I don't know how much SW from the beach will help, maybe a little bit? I've always understood it as the water column doesn't house anything close to the rock. IMO a cup of sand would do you better, but this is not based on science, just a gut feeling about something I read somewhere, some time ago, so take everything I say with a grain of salt.

 

I would say 24 hours, just find out whatever paint they are using, and see what the instructions say. I don't think you'd hurt much if you drained it down an 1" or 2" below the box and let that powerhead still run. I would be super careful painting though, that's a cliffhanger of a job trying to not lose a single drop...

[londonloco]

What's keeping me from painting it...the drips!  I've got some time to decide what to do. 

[londonloco]

Tank has been filled for almost a month, it's getting harder to be patient and wait to add my first fish.  Week two I had diatoms, green hair algae appeared shortly after. 

 

On G's recommendation over on the Zeovit site, I've slowly added a snail CUC over the past 10 days, Dwarf Ceriths, Nassarius, Florida Ceriths, Nerites from Reef Cleaners (2.5 pico package)  and a few Turbo's from Artifully Acrylic.  Have to say, the Turbo's are cruising, most of the hair algae is gone.  Diatoms are totally gone.  Found two of the three nerites on the floor one day, plopped them back into the tank, after a few minutes they started cruising again....lucky.  I do have the items I need to make a screen top, have never made one before, so I'm procrastinating making one.

 

Here's a crappy pic from this morning before lights turned on:

 

 

I really need to buy a macro lens and learn how to use this camera.  Anyone want to save me the search and give me a good website that can help me take better pics of my tanks? 

[roni]

I like the rockwork.  Very nice and lowprofile and will look great once grown in.  I'm in the same point in terms of figuring out how to use my camera and take pics.  

 

I've been wading through the stickied threads on reefcentral, which may be a good place to start:

 

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=333197

 

and on macro lenses:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1762095

[londonloco]

Thanks Roni.  I was just having a "talk" with my DH and daughter about my b/d and a macro lens.  But I don't want them to spend 800$ on a lens, so suggested they find one used.  Their reply was "find one you want mom, we're not doing the research for you"...brats, all of them!  I'll def check out those threads.