New tank journal-Update #6-Refugium

[Mitchell]

Well its been 11 months since Ive had a tank up and running.

Thanks to Scott's help the stand got built today AND the wall got cut.

The stand is nice and sturdy ( um....overkill were Scott's words I believe) but I'm more than happy.

Even though the tank is 18" front to back I wanted the stand to be 24" for future tank upgrading ;) cause you all know I will ;)

And seeing as though the sump didn't sell, we cut the water reserve off of it and it is now in it's new home.

I have to do some hole patching on it but it will work fine.

4x4 legs, 2x4 frame and 1/2" ply for the top.

http://www3.sympatico.ca/mitchell.b/72gallon/stand1.jpg



We got the wall cut, leveled the stand and screwed it to the wall. I had a full sheet of drywall in the garage so we got it up to. 1 more sheet needs to be bought, and put up

The room needs to be wired with GFI's and I shall be doing that this week.

http://www3.sympatico.ca/mitchell.b/72gallon/tank1.jpg

More to follow

[Red-Sea]

Very nice Mitch, looks like it will turn out quite a setup.

Now just harry up & put some water in there...lol :D

[Sohal Tang]

ya hurry up get da watta in get da watta in!!! HEHEHE

Looks like fun....
Can ya visualize the day you turn on the lights for the
first time....

even better...can you visualize the day you turn on the
skimmer

and..the day you put first live rock in....

LOTTTS OF FUN SETTING UP A REEF EH MITCH!
Enjoy it! Looks like it'll be a beauty!

Congrats!

Tim
:)

[Michael_Lambert]

Good boy! .. get some water in there so the bets will start!

[afss]

Yeah Mitch..I am still having my doubt about its structural integrity with only using 3 inch screws and 4*4 I think maybe we should put a few more legs on it, and maybe a steel I-beam down the middle.

Just a thought

Scott :cheers:

[tyrisis]

LMAO.... And I was wondering when I saw the 100 gal stand at the LFS 3 pieces of press board deep, a front, top and bottom...
and was told would never have to worry bout it.... :) Mind you I did make my own after all...

Anyway looking good. Can't wait to see the finished product.


Tyson

[Michael_Lambert]

aww... No need :)

I used 2x4's and plywood for my stand for the 150G.. and it never collapsed!

[afss]

the compresional strength of a 2*4 is more than ample for a 72 gallon tank.

I have 2*4's on my 90. on the stand for 2 65 gallons....
having said that on my 300 i am using 6*6 :D but that is only cause i got them for free, otherwise i would use 4*4.. but there is a huge difference btw 72 gallon and 300 gallon.

Look at what the stands you can buy are made from.. 1/2 in mdf/fiberboard.. if that will hold a 90 then so with 2*4

Scott :cheers:

[Asmodeus]

i Have a 6 4x4 knotch out of the 4x4 to fit the 2x6 in to and have 1/2 press board as the top to let the tank to fit on.....

[Mitchell]

Well the tank is plumbed

Here is a shot of the back. Having kids i keep my heater in the overflow box.

First a layer of eggcrate went down, then 4 pieces of base-rock then the sand.

http://www3.sympatico.ca/mitchell.b/72gallon/back.jpg

The sump with a genx 4100 submersible return pump. It will eventually be hooked up to a seaswirl but for now is hooked up to the return line in the tank

http://www3.sympatico.ca/mitchell.b/72gallon/sump.jpg

The skimmer

http://www3.sympatico.ca/mitchell.b/72gallon/skimmer.jpg

[Sohal Tang]

Thats just great! Take good care of MY tank eh Mitch! ehehhehe
See you in mmmMMM lets see.....May 5th around the time
of my BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!! hehehehe :roflmao: :whipit: :roflmao: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:

[Mineral]

Looks good Mitch !!!! Cant wait to see the finished product !

[Red-Sea]

Looking good Mitch, Is that a Euroreef ES6-2 skimmer??? ;)

[Mitchell]

Danny

it's the ES6-1

[ajx22]

Lookin good thus far Mitch!! I heard that you picked up that skimmer!

HEHE...I can't wait for my new CS12-3 to show up!!!

[Mitchell]

Well

So far not much has changed. There is more rock in the tank, the skimmer is skimming.

Still waiting on lighting but the hydro has to get completed first.

2 separate circuits are being run into the room. On one will be the lighting and a SQWD and the other will have the heater, skimmer and return pump.

I picked up one of AJ's acrylic cubes for a refugium last night. They are about 40 gallons I think. So this weekend hopefully I'll get the stand done for it.

I did find out one unfortunate thing though. The overflow can't handle the flow I wanted, so my pump is dialed right down :( The standpipe is not big enough.

There is a second standpipe in the overflow for return water and what I eventually want is a seaswirl for return, so I'm going to turn that into a drain as well and hopefully that will do the trick.

So the seaswirl will handle the return water on the overflow end of the tank and there will be a SQWD on the other end of the tank running a closed loop. I'm planning to use a mag 7 or 9 for the SQWD.

For now, lighting will consist of 4x48" VHO. Eventually I will put a single 400w MH over the center of the tank and change all the VHO's to actinics.

Lots of eventuallys there....but they will have to wait. For those that know me are probably shaking there heads as they know

I DONT LIKE TO WAIT

but in time.

:wave:

I'll add pics later after the refugium is in place.

:bolt:

[Sohal Tang]

sOUNDS gREAT mITCH! so...lets see now..its Nov...Dec, Jan,
Feb....yep...SEE YA IN FEBRUARY!!! heheheohoha ROFLAMO!

Just kiddin ya of course...
SOunds great! Nice set up 400 + 4 x 110 neat!

Some day, someone is going to come out with a light
fixture that fits in your hand and has like 1000 watts of MH
power built into it!! I waiting for that dayyy hehehe

[Mitchell]

Water resistant drywall is now finished in the front.

Just need to tape and mud it.

http://www3.sympatico.ca/mitchell.b/72gallon/drywall.jpg

2 new breakers were added to my panel and 2 feeds are now in the fishroom.


The stand for the refugium was built and is in place. Still needs side supports on the stand and it needs to be plumbed.

http://www3.sympatico.ca/mitchell.b/72gallon/behind.jpg

[ajx22]

That's a PURDY refugium u got there!

:D

[Mitchell]

Yep...sure is AJ

Like I said in an earlier reply, this refugium came from AJ. Im sure he has more if anyone is interested

[Mitchell]

Well 1 light has been added so far. A single 400w eye. It sits 12" off the water but I am going to raise it to about 16/20"

I am still going with actinics as well.

Here is the back of the tank with my homemade reflector

[Mitchell]

Here is the front.

The rock still has to be aquascaped.

There is brown algae happening on the sand. As for Params.....well I hate testing BUT i may check tonight.

The skimmer is going ballistic.

[Mugster]

Originally posted by Mitchell
Yep...sure is AJ

Like I said in an earlier reply, this refugium came from AJ. Im sure he has more if anyone is interested

AJ, do you have any more of those? If so how much?


Kev :thanks:

[ajx22]

Originally posted by Mugster


AJ, do you have any more of those? If so how much?


Kev :thanks:

Yuppers...

More info here:
http://www.aquariumpros.ca/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1598

[Mitchell]

Well I have the holes cut above the tank so I can have front access and I raised the halide up to 20" above the tank. The light isn't on yet so I cant tell what it looks like. As it was before though, it was bakin my rock :eek1:

Should get to the aquascaping tonight or tomorrow.

I'm hoping to get the refugium up and running this weekend as well.

[Mitchell]

Tank has been scaped ( for now ;) :D )

A little cloudy but you get the idea. I took the powerhead and blew all the rocks down.

There are a lot of caves and crevices for the fishies and a lot of flat areas for corals.

Actually I think I MAY leave it as is :confused: :rockon:

Scott is probably pissing ( can I say that) himself laughing right now about me leaving the rock-work alone, but I just might.

The only spots that I don't like are both ends. Especially the right.

I will/may add more up top but not now.

Comments???

[Mitchell]

Here is a shot of the holes for front access.

They will get covered over either with doors or just raised pannels like a wainscotting effect.

[afss]

Hey Mitch.. Looks nice.... You are right tough i doubt you will leave it :>

For the right side.. what if you were to take that big rock on top and turn it 90 degrees clockwise (as we look at it from the front) and take that smaller rock under it and move it to the left... what would that do. Its hard to tell from a picture, but i think that might help. .

Scott

[Mitchell]

I managed to get off my butt and get the refugium online. The sand is a mix of SD, Caribsea and 15 pnds of miracle mud. Water is sent up to it via my return pump and it gravity feeds back to the main tank.

Whole shot

http://www3.sympatico.ca/mitchell.b/72gallon/fugetank.jpg

Closer

http://www3.sympatico.ca/mitchell.b/72gallon/fuge.jpg


Return to tank

http://www3.sympatico.ca/mitchell.b/72gallon/totank.jpg

[docjay]

Hey Mitch,
Is that refugium putting any air bubbles into your main tank with it plumbed that way? I am thinking about doing something similar with my next system.
Thanks,
Jay

[Mitchell]

Unfortunatly Jay it is.

I have to do some experimenting with it.

:what: :( :( :(

Right now though, I am more concerned with getting some life into it.

Thanks for the sand Daniel
;)

[Daniel Schubert]

Your welcome