220 Gallons of Pure Awesome
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- Thread starter eranschau
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eranschau
Community Member
Picked up the protein skimmer - a Vertex Alpha 200 - from @Bulk Reef Supply yesterday. Looks like I'm going to have plenty of room left in that middle chamber. Might have to order some more stuff!
You'll also see hiding in the corner there a Waveline DC10000II return pump. I really wanted to go with one of those new EcoTech Vectra pumps based purely on how much I love my MP40s, but the pump isn't compatible with my Apex controller, and from what I've read, they have no intention of adding that capability. The Waveline is Apex-ready out of the box and had some great reviews on @Bulk Reef Supply 's web site. Now I just have to resist the urge to set it up in my bath tub just to see if it can shoot water to the ceiling.
You'll also see hiding in the corner there a Waveline DC10000II return pump. I really wanted to go with one of those new EcoTech Vectra pumps based purely on how much I love my MP40s, but the pump isn't compatible with my Apex controller, and from what I've read, they have no intention of adding that capability. The Waveline is Apex-ready out of the box and had some great reviews on @Bulk Reef Supply 's web site. Now I just have to resist the urge to set it up in my bath tub just to see if it can shoot water to the ceiling.
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domination2580
Reef-a-nator
Id say do the bath tub thing and record it for all of us to see!
d2mini
5000 Club Member
Awesome so far! Love the sump.
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eranschau
Community Member
I knew I wasn't going to be able to sleep at night until I was sure the thing would go down the stairs. Plus, it came in quite handy when it came time to start working on the aquascape!
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eranschau
Community Member
Spent most of this past weekend in the garage attempting to glue my fingers together. Also, I got the rock glued up. The pictures aren't the best, but there are basically two islands with the larger on the right. Lots of caves and hiding places. I stared at it for a good week before I was sure I was happy enough with it to start gluing things together.
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eranschau
Community Member
Started curing the rock last night. Woke up this morning and the water is already a lovely shade of puke and I can barely stand the smell. I hope that old canister filter I have still works... I'm gonna need to pour it full of carbon and run it just so I can stand to get near this thing for the next month.
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eranschau
Community Member
Thanks! The real trick will be putting it back together in the tank the same way I had it mocked up.
nrupaw
Active Member
Love the rocks you picked out, but based on your layout I just feel there would be quite a few spots where flow wouldn't reach and detritus might accumulate. Siphoning those nooks and crannies would be a major PIA.
SWE is my go to store too for advice and supplies
SWE is my go to store too for advice and supplies
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eranschau
Community Member
It's tough to tell from the pictures, but I tried to pick out rock and set it up in such a way that most of it was perched on "feet" and not sitting flat on the bottom glass/sand bed with that exact problem in mind. That being said, I had already planned on adding a diamond goby to keep things stirred up, and likely adding at least one MP10 to the back wall of the tank to help mix up the flow.
But since you brought it up... I may need to re-explore the egg crate idea just to make sure the rock doesn't sink too far down into the sand and create pockets where stuff can get trapped.
nrupaw
Active Member
[QUOTE="eranschau, post: 2934435, member: 45665.
But since you brought it up... I may need to re-explore the egg crate idea just to make sure the rock doesn't sink too far down into the sand and create pockets where stuff can get trapped.[/QUOTE]
Gothca
But to be honest I am not a big fan of egg crates. Traps detritus in there too. Also with a diamond goby you are always going to end up having some exposed egg crate
You'd be better off just resting rocks on the floor of tank and put sand around it. No issue of them sinking
Or do what I do - barebottom, with black bottom. You can use the flow to make detritus accumulate in 1 spot and siphon it out easy. Plus no sand means you can crank up the flow without sandstorms.
But since you brought it up... I may need to re-explore the egg crate idea just to make sure the rock doesn't sink too far down into the sand and create pockets where stuff can get trapped.[/QUOTE]
Gothca
But to be honest I am not a big fan of egg crates. Traps detritus in there too. Also with a diamond goby you are always going to end up having some exposed egg crate
You'd be better off just resting rocks on the floor of tank and put sand around it. No issue of them sinking
Or do what I do - barebottom, with black bottom. You can use the flow to make detritus accumulate in 1 spot and siphon it out easy. Plus no sand means you can crank up the flow without sandstorms.
Pamela
Active Member
What a wonderfully big room to build your glorious new aquarium in! Lucky you! Only thing is, I imagine you will be living most of your life in your basement. How could you not, with what you have planned? Excited to follow along...
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eranschau
Community Member
Gothca
But to be honest I am not a big fan of egg crates. Traps detritus in there too. Also with a diamond goby you are always going to end up having some exposed egg crate
You'd be better off just resting rocks on the floor of tank and put sand around it. No issue of them sinking
Or do what I do - barebottom, with black bottom. You can use the flow to make detritus accumulate in 1 spot and siphon it out easy. Plus no sand means you can crank up the flow without sandstorms.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, I was worried about that with the egg crate which is why I ruled it out. I've seen some stunning bare bottom tanks online, but my 75 is bare right now after having tossed the sand when I moved it into this house. It's honestly kinda ugly. Stuff grows all over it and it's a pain in the **** to clean. I'll just keep the sand bed shallow and hope the goby is a hard worker.
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eranschau
Community Member
Well, the good TV is also down there so I don't mind. And you should have heard me trying to explain to my real estate agent what, exactly, I needed in a "finished basement" to accommodate my hobby.
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