300 Mixed Reef Build

[commonstranger]

To calculate water volume multiply length x width x height and divide total by 231. Best of luck Mel I know it will turn out great.

 

[Zef004]

Nice Mel. Glad to see you take those braces off. That's only thing I didn't like about that tank. Looking forward to see your build bud. I sure it goin to be nice.

 

[New Wave]

so.. this morning... i went to the metal shop and started the fabrication of my replacement braces... the idea is cool... so hopefully ill be able to pick them up this afternoon and install them shortly... cant wait to see them... i also stopped by the local window tint shop and grabbed the tint for the back... so basically there is tons of work to do this weekend :)

ok... so here are some photos from the work we did last night..
we installed the return and overflow plumbing... these are gurgle buster... something or others... made by bill from the 240.. the were easy to mod for the 300.. or shall we say 299.22 gal.. (according to rhetts formula 96x24x30)

and the under side

drains to where the filter socks will hang

this is the manifold... i built it in the 240 build.. but its too sweet to replace... besides... i probably couldnt buld it twice :)

threw the rock in... havent done the aquascape yet.. last time took me a week to do it... i played with it last night a little... but havent come up with anuthing yet...

so basically... heres the updated back shot... it looks MUCH cleaner than the 240 after the plumbing is installed...

and now to begin making the water... and we wait.... :-D

 

[Dowtish]

nice updates and pics. I wanna know more about these gurglebuster sumthinorothers...

 

[MoneyPit]

The Hofer Gurgle Buster is a nice device. You can see the build of one here. Hofer Gurgle Buster Construction

 

[New Wave]

yea.. he calls them hofer gurgle busters... or something like that... its a type of overflow... they are very quiet once you get them tuned... ill let bill explain a little more.. and ill take better photos and post them later of how they work...

 

[New Wave]

holy crap!!! i even spelled it right!!!

 

[gmoney243]

looking great so far bro cant wait for more pics :)

 

[ToXIc]

Do you have an ETA? Or just going doing it one day at a time.


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[New Wave]

i hope to have it running this weekend... but there is still alot to this build... so... if i have it mostly done in the next 6 weeks.. ill be happy... but you and i both know... the build is really never finised :)

 

[islander84]

Mel your memory is about as bad as mine! Lol! Looking good ill try and stop by in the next week or so.

 

[New Wave]

ok... we got some cool things done today... i had used window tint on the last tank... and i loved it... so we put the back tint on today... and tomorrow ill put on the sides...

i decided to not use foam under this tank because i kinda wanted to gain that extra 3/4" in height... so i called the manufacturer and they said that it was fine to not use foam under this particular tank... as long a it was pretty lavel on the stand... i decided here to go ahead and shim anywhere i could just to be on the safe side.. of course ill cut these later... :)

here is the braces i was talking about... its a take off of Barts idea.. THANK YOU BART... i had a metal fabricator make these for me... theyre not finished yet... but you can see the idea and how it should be more than effective for keeping the glass from bowing and still allowing virtually full access to the tank

basically... we just welded a nut onto the top af a piece of angle iron... and used a threaded rod to adjust the fit

\
and the most exciting work for today... we worked on the aquascape... it doesnt look as cool in the photos.. .but believe me... its freakin sweet... there is TONS of room for placing coral... and a TON of open sandbed... I LOVE THE WAY THIS LOOKS :)

YAY!!!!!! :)

 

[NeedBiggerTank]

You've been busy! Love your new aquascape and I see you're going with sand this time vs bare bottom?

 

[New Wave]

yea... i didnt want to go bare bottom last time... i originally used "premium grade" sand... it was terrible... the powerheads blew it everywhere so i took it out... i just never put sand back in it... because i was waiting to get new glass...

 

[pickupman66]

Looking great there buddy!!!!

 

[gmoney243]

Love it mel .. the 2 sections look great

 

[New Wave]

thank you to you all... :) but there is still a long way to go... but im stoked! its going to be GREAT! :-D
im mixing salt water now... hopefully tomorrow i can put the rest of the sand in... and start filling this puppy... wooohooo!!!

 

[islander84]

Rock scaping ROCKS!!! Love the two islands...i think it looks bada@# when the corals grow out between the islands and the fish can swim in between them.... what kind of sand are you using...looks like coarse aragonite?...

 

[New Wave]

im using carib sea live oragonite sand... i think its pretty standard... as far as course... i wanted something with some weight to it... ill be using 5 MP40's... so i hope its going to stick this time

 

[Dowtish]

only 5? hahaha