200G IM EXT (First tank ever)

[vittpsu21]

Alright on the way home today we stopped and grabbed about 15 lbs of live rock and put it in the sump. Salinity and temp are pretty close but my plan is to also use the doctor tims with the rock! This will be my first time cycling a tank so I’m sure I’m about to feel real stupid and learn a lot!

I also turned on 2 of the mp60s on whatever weird setting I picked when I added them to Mobius! The water has already cleared up quite a bit from last night and I have a lot of stuff showing g up over the next few days that will keep me busy like the ATO res (all the rest is here), I also want to try to get my board done for one side so I can get this organization started before my ocd goes wild!

 

[Grallster]

I’d relax and slow down. Nothing good happens fast. Give everything a chance to settle in and let the heaters catch up.
You’ve waited 10 years, why rush now?

 

[vittpsu21]

I’d relax and slow down. Nothing good happens fast. Give everything a chance to settle in and let the heaters catch up.
You’ve waited 10 years, why rush now?

Fair point!

 

[vittpsu21]

The ATO has arrived, much nicer than I originally thought it would be. Hole in back for cable drawer to make adding water easy! Already had my ATO itself here so it would appear I can at least avoid the RODI refills relatively soon

 

[vittpsu21]

Alright built a nice box out of ply, placed it inside. Now it’s time to start organizing this disaster. PDU mounted on the top working nicely also

 

[vittpsu21]

Certainly not the best work I’ve ever done but much better then it was. I still need to figure out a few other things to mount like the third mp40 on the other side of the tank and eventually hook the lights up(though not turn on) and the refug lights but I still have 3 open slots in the pdu and some organization now

 

[vittpsu21]

Alright for now the 15 gal ATO will go here I think we will buy a cabinet with a table top and put this inside the cabinet but it’s up and doing its thing for evaporation

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Alright for now the 15 gal ATO will go here I think we will buy a cabinet with a table top and put this inside the cabinet but it’s up and doing its thing for evaporation

Nice looking ATO container! A table/stand there would look great!

 

[vittpsu21]

Well, little snafu this evening when measuring out the lighting. I liked the idea from Grallster and went with it for the Kessel AP9X and then buying the mounts to put them on in reverse to my drywall. This seemed particularly good as the eurobrace on our tank makes a normal mount near impossible! When I went to measure and plan a bit tonight (also still need to decide if I want to use 2-3 lights) I noticed that my tank is 9.5 inches from the wall and the tank itself is 30 inches. This brings our grand total to 39 inches from the drywall to the front of the tank, the mounting unit in the picture below is about 16 inches max from the wall to the middle of the light! Kessel directions suggest being half the distance of your tank to the middle of the light so I am somewhere in the range of 5 inches off! There is an extender that goes out a bit further than the picture to get to the 16 inch’s on the middle of the light! So I’ll need to come up with some solution for this or just accept or maybe even it will be good enough that far out from the wall!

 

[UncommonSense]

Well, little snafu this evening when measuring out the lighting. I liked the idea from Grallster and went with it for the Kessel AP9X and then buying the mounts to put them on in reverse to my drywall. This seemed particularly good as the eurobrace on our tank makes a normal mount near impossible! When I went to measure and plan a bit tonight (also still need to decide if I want to use 2-3 lights) I noticed that my tank is 9.5 inches from the wall and the tank itself is 30 inches. This brings our grand total to 39 inches from the drywall to the front of the tank, the mounting unit in the picture below is about 16 inches max from the wall to the middle of the light! Kessel directions suggest being half the distance of your tank to the middle of the light so I am somewhere in the range of 5 inches off! There is an extender that goes out a bit further than the picture to get to the 16 inch’s on the middle of the light! So I’ll need to come up with some solution for this or just accept or maybe even it will be good enough that far out from the wall!

Can we get more detailed photos of how this arm mounts on both ends? The max reach may be limited for sheer weight reasons!

 

[Grallster]

Yes, you have to get the hanging extension arms from Kessil.

 

[Grallster]

If you go with 3 lights—the middle one will be challenging to mount with the tank full. I had to get inside mine to mount that one.

 

[vittpsu21]

Ah both of these make sense in so 3 extensions and then it’ll make it. Does this extension replace that smaller one that came with it?

Yeah I was also very unsure on how I will get a third light up it just might not be possible with it full!

 

[vittpsu21]

This portion will go against wall to hold it

 

[X-37B]

I found this to be a design flaw on the IM EXT overflow box—the box really needs to be a bit deeper.
I’ve had to have some flow going down the secondary drain because if I don’t, either the water level in the tank is too low or it doesn’t skim the surface.

Yep my ext 170 use the main
and the second with the water level at #3. You can adjust the gate valve and the 2 ball valves. Once set the only thing that may need adjustment over time is the gate.
I use an ac pump for the return.
Been running it since day 1 and the system is 15 months now.
At this level I runs nice and quiet.

 

[vittpsu21]

So my options are either the extension against wall like Grall did or somehow find a way to hang them which I think considering my location would be very difficult

 

[vittpsu21]

Behind the drywall is some concrete block, so no matter what I knew this was going to be the worst part. My guess is some kind of tapcons into the wall to hold it will do it but will likely not be a good time for me when installing

 

[X-37B]

That's a tough one. Hanging may be the best option.
I built an 8020 cage behind mine 12' off the wall. It houses my ato, 10lb co2, all bricks and wiring.

I built an 8020 rack that sat on top of my 120. You could build one that sat on your euro bracing but the looks may not be acceptable.
It would not need to be as high as my old 120 because of the halides.

 

[Grallster]

Yes, the extensions replace the short piece the hanger comes with. I skipped the plastic piece and screwed the metal bracket to the wall

 

[vittpsu21]

That's a tough one. Hanging may be the best option.
I built an 8020 cage behind mine 12' off the wall. It houses my ato, 10lb co2, all bricks and wiring.

I built an 8020 rack that sat on top of my 120. You could build one that sat on your euro bracing but the looks may not be acceptable.
It would not need to be as high as my old 120 because of the halides.

Yeah I’ve been dreading this part but it’s the last thing I need to get done, even though the lights won’t be going on for a while. The uneven top makes hanging kind of interesting tbh because the ceiling and then the framed ceiling where the ducts are. I really am unsure