cmcneils reef savvy build thread

[PR_Reefers]

Nice!!! looking forward to seeing more....btw I like the sump too!! first one like this I've ever seen...1smile1

 

[cmcneil]

thank you sir,i have built the last 4-5 sumps for myself this same way as far as materials go.i just like the look better than acrylic and i do better pvc work than i do acrylic work

 

[Just Clownin Around]

im sure Felix can drill for a closed loop Rich.i went that route on my old 150g and wont do that again,the plumbing alone cost me over $300 on the closed loop since i had 6 outlets with a home made ocean motion clone.it was all unioned and valved for disassembly.what a PITA lol ill stick with my vortecs

i hate my vortechs. i got rid of one and will be getting rid of the other one after i donate my tank to a local school that is getting into aquaculture. they are just too loud for me.
hey you coming to the meeting at my house this weekend?
im doing a talk on clown breeding

 

[cmcneil]

I'd like to but don't think I can,my dad is in the hospital and I have family in town seeing him so I doubt I can.I wouldn't mind getting a pair of clowns like you just sold to Troy,those were bad azzzzzz.what vortec might you be selling?I need another for the new tank.

 

[Just Clownin Around]

mp40w
i also have an extra dry side for it

 

[Just Clownin Around]

im working on some sick stuff with the clowns

might be releasing a bnw picasso here pretty soon if all goes well. they are in grow out now.

 

[cmcneil]

Shoot me a price for the mp-40w Rich.I do need a larger pump to make a wave and that pump would do it.as for the clowns,I don't even want to know the price lol those just sound out of my price range.

 

[cmcneil]

not much has been done in the past few days except picking up corals.i am getting my return pump saturday,im getting a tunze 1073.02 to feed the tank.i have owned the older version of this pump before and the new ones are really nice.they are so quiet you have to put your hand on it to even know its running.here are a few of the corals i picked up off of some locals who were taking down their tanks.i got these pieces for literally a steal.
the first is the ATL halloween milli,it is a decent sized colony at roughly 4"x3" and tabled out.
top down

front view

the next is a huge ORA red planet colony,this thing is 9"x5" and super nice.
side view

top down

close up

i also got a super nice frag pack from another local who is well know in our parts for top notch high end frags.he is the one who sold WWC the true aquascene icefire enchinata they now have that they sell frags from.i was able to pick up an aquascene icefire enchinata,paletta pink tip acro,pink lemonade,a super blue tenuis,and a sick acro plana for the low low price of only $50 for all 5 frags lol.how can you beat that????????he has a few others im going to get in a few weeks but i didnt have more money to spend since i have to buy my return pump on saturday.

 

[bluepit]

awesome build dude.nice sump

 

[cmcneil]

awesome build dude.nice sump

thank you for the compliment

 

[cmcneil]

.....update time.....
I have made some changes to my lighting plan for this tank.I was going to go all LEDs again but am not 100% sold on them as a primary light source.that being said I will be running a single Lumenarc elite 250w MH with 28 LEDs for actinic and extra spread.I have figured out how to set the lighting up to give me the maximum spread for full coverage for my tank.I will need to buy two 24"x1" heatsinks and cut my exsisting heatsink in half.I need to buy 4 more royal blue LEDs as well.once setup I should have the best of both worlds.i will get the growth from the MH and the pop from the LEDs.here are a few google sketchup drawings i worked on today that show how my lighting will be setup.im really begining the google sketchup thing
i also picked up my return pump,i was going to get a tunze 1073.02 but the price was just too much.i ended up geting a sicce syncra silent 3.0 which is the same pump as the tunze with a lower price tag.

Top view of the lighting fixture

bottom view of the fixture

 

[swannyson7]

Nice build so far! I've always wondered about using thermoplastic welding to try to assemble some reef related equipment. How strong of a bond do these units produce? Also, any suggestions on a reasonably priced plastic welder? I've looked at the cheapo ones on harbor freight, but wasn't sure if they were a waste of $$.

 

[cmcneil]

The welds are very strong when done properly.if done correctly the sheet will break before the weld will.you would think it would be opposite but it really isn't.when I do test welds for customers I will weld two pieces together then break them.when they break the sheet tends to break above or below the weld but never at the weld.If you want a reasonably priced welder look into a kamweld or sealy.however even those can cost several hundred dollars.you also need an oilless blower,those cost a pretty penny as well.you can get the blowers from aquatic ecosystems.they are the same blowers used in large scale fish farms.they use them to oxygenate the water.if you want the best welder you can buy get a wegner.they are German made and very nice.I use a wegner at work and some of the welding tips alone cost $150-300 each so it isn't a cheap thing.the harbor freight ones are complete crap and not worth the shipping cost much less the price they ask for them.

 

[swannyson7]

Kinda what I figured. Glad I didn't waste my money, lol. Sounds like a handy tool, but not something that I'd get enough use out of to justify the cost. Looks like I'll be sticking with acrylic and Weldon...

 

[cmcneil]

BTW I have made everything from sumps to skimmers to reactors and all of them are thermoplastic welded.

 

[mapn4reef]

cmcneil, I just picked up my Reef Savvy tank on the 7th, I think I might have seen your tank there in production (when is yours due to be finished?). I'll start a build thread soon. Even though we had a lot of foam under and on both ends, the tank shifted and it sustained a small chip on the bottom pane near the back corner. I sent pics to Felix and he call me today (Sunday) to discuss, and it's just cosmetic, and I can repair it by siliconing the chip back in. Still made me a little sick feeling, as these tanks are a work of art, not to mention not the cheapest. Look forward to your build.

 

[cmcneil]

i doubt you saw my tank in production,Felix told me to expect delivery around late july or early august.what are your tanks dimensions?i am really excited to get the tank but kind of glad it will take a few months to get it.it gives me time to build everything and collect all the equipment needed so once the tank arrives i can set it up right away,at least thats the plan.im considering getting a tunze nano wavebox for this tank and just using my single mp-10 to keep the bottom clear of detritus.i was thinking of getting an mp-40 to make the wave in my tank but HATE the mp-40's impeller design since it doesnt have a top shaft support.the mp-40 is IMO always going to have longevity problems with the shafts,maybe one day ecotech will redesign the mp-40 to be like the mp-10 and mp-60 which both have fully supported shafts.

 

[mapn4reef]

My tank is 48x28x20... I got most equipment, but I bought a used sump and discovered some "glass issues" when we broke off the frame during move...so I'm in the hunt for one, and a return pump...I got to do a floor reinforcement project (as the tank location will be above garage running parallel to joist), some electrical, and a few other things...I'm a few weeks out from setup I'd say...

 

[Paul_N]

Looking good! Nice work on the sump and from the pics of your last stand I can see this one is going to look great also. Looking forward to seeing this one completed..:bigsmile:

Love the idea with the lights. I have MH's for my 220 I'm setting up and not ready to jump in all the way with the leds so I was planning on just adding for supplemental for now.

I really need to sit down and learn sketchup also....:sad:

 

[cmcneil]

Those are awesome dimensions mapn4reef,should be a nice setup.
Paul,I have been running all Cree LEDs for around 6 months now and just not fully satisfied with what I see.I think using a halide in conjunction with the LEDs is the way to go for now.I considered T-5/led but the cost is too high and I'm getting a killer deal on a halide ballast and possibly an elite reflector.kind of hard to pass up the halide idea when you are trading frags for the ballast and possibly a reflector and all you have to buy is one MH bulb,4 royal blue crees,and two 24"x1" heatsinks and your lighting is done.that's about as cheap as one can get.the fixture will be 24"x15" and the tank is 30"x24" so I should get good coverage around the entire tank.