monkiboy's 265g build thread

[monkiboy]

borrowing the club meter got a bet tedious so i got a new toy in the mail today. i am going to compare readings from the club meter once just out of curiosity but having my own will be loads more convenient and really helpful with coral placement on the new build. should be fun!

 

 

Edited September 16, 2013 by monkiboy

[smallreef]

toy-o-holic!

[monkiboy]

toy-o-holic!

yeah, maybe

 

where's the photo of that cerameco vida-rock piece in your tank and wet already?!

Edited September 16, 2013 by monkiboy

[smallreef]

I'm moving as slow as a slug on this build...wanted to work today...but worry got in the way..hopefully Wed. I'll get the sump in And the tank finished being cleaned out... I'm cycling my dry rock and waiting on my other cerameco pieces to get here!

Edited September 16, 2013 by smallreef

[monkiboy]

ok, so today i decided to remove one of the trim pieces from the first chamber area designed to keep salt creep away in favor of having a 2-3" more room in the back of the sump to navigate my skimmer body in.

 

 

thankfully, that was really easy work (maybe five minutes) with a circular saw and a jig saw - easier than i anticipated anyway. sanded it down and smoothed out nice and clean.

 

 

 

now onto the issue of the leak. this is where i thought it was coming from. not from any of the seams of the original tank but from where the two preexisting holes for the overflow drains where on the original tank design.

 

 

as you can see, a piece of black acrylic was laid over top from the inside to effectively seal this off.

 

so after draining everything, removing the sump yet again and all gear i had the sump outside for inspection.

 

filled up the various sections in parts where i could to isolate and ensure i found all leaks and problem areas.

 

 

no leaks along all original tank seams and even the new beefier and reinforcing baffles jeff/naga did for me were leak free - bonus!

 

 

 

i checked the underside where i suspected my culprit to be found et voila. one of the holes was leaking about a drop a second - no bueno.

 

 

the space to access from the top to try some weldon in the interior was too small and difficult to reach

 

so i had my godson, what kids are best used for if not to get into spots where our big adult cumbersome arms can't, put to work. it was messy but it couldn't be done any other way from the inside and he said "i got all the edges really good padrino" and proceeded to run off with sealant covered hands (that didn't end well but another story, haha).

 

 

 

now that was just stage 1 as i was going to go through all this trouble and not fix this 200%. so flipped the sump over and started working on the backside and sealed both holes (with the same dow 795 structural/building sealant almost completely to ensure leak free from both inside and outside. no way any water is getting out through there now!!

 

and just a matter of diligence and since i already had the sump outside, i went ahead and sealed all seams, baffles, etc. i dare say, i think after about a week and letting this thing cure properly, i should be good to go...again. fingers crossed.

 

 

[smallreef]

Wow...very thorough ... I was going to ask if you were go to make plugs to fit in the holes and use Weldon....but heck...your idea was great too,lol

[YHSublime]

Well done. Your patience astounds me

[smallreef]

l

Well done. Your patience astounds me

As does your use of child labor!

[AlanM]

Check that caulk to make sure it sticks to the acrylic.  I know it's building adhesive, and not entirely caulk, but it's still an acetoxy cure silicone, I think, so it might not stick well.  Seems like you probably sealed the heck out of it though, heh.

[monkiboy]

Wow...very thorough ... I was going to ask if you were go to make plugs to fit in the holes and use Weldon....but heck...your idea was great too,lol

thanks!

 

Well done. Your patience astounds me

i've been doing nothing but waiting so what's another week, right?

 

Check that caulk to make sure it sticks to the acrylic.  I know it's building adhesive, and not entirely caulk, but it's still an acetoxy cure silicone, I think, so it might not stick well.  Seems like you probably sealed the heck out of it though, heh.

i did some tests on acrylic pieces back when i used the dow 795 on the external overflow and it held surprisingly well on acrylic to acrylic. it was easier to remove than glass to glass but very resilient and solid bond. i will certainly be checking it out in a few days to see how it's doing, though!

[Cliff Puckstable]

Nice! So, what else do you have left to do?

[monkiboy]

Nice! So, what else do you have left to do?

the vida-rock structures arrive on wednesday! so get those in, arrange as appropriate and let the thing darn cycle already!

[Cliff Puckstable]

Yay! haha, cuanto mas? I wish I had patience like you. This has totm all over it.

[monkiboy]

Just read all 21 pages. Very neat build. Keep up the good work!

thank you, sir. i appreciate your input - have a great stay!

[DCReefer1964]

Man you must be important. I hear NAGA is always busy. Nice turn around. I wonder if he would have time to cut down that sump you are selling?

[AlanM]

So when do we start the monkiboy PAR meter rental thread?  Heh

[monkiboy]

 

Man you must be important. I hear NAGA is always busy. Nice turn around. I wonder if he would have time to cut down that sump you are selling?

not really - just caught him at a good time. i doubt he would be willing to cut down the other sump i have as he dislikes working non-new acrylic and trying to get new acrylic to place nice together. someone will have a right fit for it, i have two people interested. hopefully gone by next week. i'm tired of seeing it!

[scott711]

very nice!

[ridetheducati]

Marco,

 

Have you seen this...

 

http://www.derkroon.com/store/products/digital-flow-diverters

 

[scott711]

Marco,

 

Have you seen this...

 

http://www.derkroon.com/store/products/digital-flow-diverters

 

nice!  Do they sell it in the US?

[monkiboy]

hey tony! thanks for stopping by. i saw the release on reefbuilders back in march (http://reefbuilders.com/2013/03/20/derkroon-flowwol-water-flow-diverter-takes-oceansmotions-concept-11) and it's certainly right up my alley in terms of aesthetics, design, and what will likely be awesome performance but i really don't think i'd be interested in a CL with it and would likely run it off the return. and even then what swayed me away is the jumble of plumbing something like this requires and where all that would go in my tiny fish room behind/around/over my tank.

 

they have a lot of other beautiful goodies, too. i really like their sealed/submerged probe holder and reactors are spiffy. definitely a premium but when they work as good as they look like they will and are as sharp as they look, you can get away with that

 

 

nice!  Do they sell it in the US?

yes, they had reduced pricing with savings up to 20% of so for introductory buying, not sure if that's over now but probably is.

[monkiboy]

wanted to do something with the tank while the sump's new seals cure so i cleaned up the hanging kit yo-yo contraptions.

 

i removed the yo-yo thingies. i thought it was a good idea to use them to aide in lowering and raising the light fixture for maintenance and working in the tank but they were not the self retracting kind i thought they were and relied on one tightening and loosening a wing-nut on its side to free or grab hold of the cable. this proved to be less efficient than i had planned for and no easier and possible more complicated than just using the standard adjustable wire hanging kit assembly pieces. removing them also gave me about eight inches of vertical flexibility back so now the light can go all the way up to the top leaving just 2.5" above it vs 10" or so with the yo-yo thing-a-ma-jigs.

 

cleaner, less components, less points of failure, more vertical adjustment = win in my book.

 

Edited September 18, 2013 by monkiboy

[smallreef]

That light is so freakin awesome...I can not wait to see it light your cerameco pieces!

[monkiboy]

That light is so freakin awesome...I can not wait to see it light your cerameco pieces!

thanks - the sunrise/sunset left to right and right to left is AWESOME! i've been tinkering hard core with lightening and cloud coverage. it's pretty darn neat. useless to coral growth but loads of fun, haha!

[howaboutme]

thanks - the sunrise/sunset left to right and right to left is AWESOME! i've been tinkering hard core with lightening and cloud coverage. it's pretty darn neat. useless to coral growth but loads of fun, haha!

Did you mean lightening (like dimming) or lightning (elec charge)? If lightning, so the light will emit flashes of bright light to simulate actual lightning? So cool if that's what you meant!!! Must get video up of it, please.