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benapilot
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Thanks! It's been long process, but the patience is starting to get rewarding!!
BenaPilot's 75 Gallon Build
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Thanks! It's been long process, but the patience is starting to get rewarding!!
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benapilot
Active Member
Thanks! The 75 is a great size. Four foot tank, yet still shallow enough I can reach to the bottom! It's the biggest I could do for the spot in my house.
ScottMyers123
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I just read the through your thread and I have to say great work on the everything. I love your attention to detail.
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benapilot
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427HISS
2500 Club Member
benapilot, wonderful job, so much that I may copy your plumbing.
How well do you like the products from Custom Aquariums ?
I have the round small grate type, but I feel I want more surface skimming from either Custom Aquariums or the "coast-to-coast overflow box", from Melev's Reef.
http://www.melevsreef.com/catalog/coast-coast-overflow
How well do you like the products from Custom Aquariums ?
I have the round small grate type, but I feel I want more surface skimming from either Custom Aquariums or the "coast-to-coast overflow box", from Melev's Reef.
http://www.melevsreef.com/catalog/coast-coast-overflow
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benapilot
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Thanks for the compliment.
I really like the overflow and return. The H2Overflow is well designed and looks good in the tank. No comparison to a coast to coast when It comes to surface skimming- you'll definitely get a lot more with malev's product. The H2Overflow will give just about as much as,say, a standard corner overflow. If I were to do it again, I'd probably get @TaylorPilot 's Exotic Marine overflow, but I had the H2O all plumbed up before discovering Taylor's product.
As for the Siphon Stopper, it's a great design- looks and works great. No regrets there. Could I have DIYed one myself? Yes, but it wouldn't have looked as polished or worked as well.
Good luck and let me know if you need any help with your plumbing (I'm no expert, just done it once. Lol).
I really like the overflow and return. The H2Overflow is well designed and looks good in the tank. No comparison to a coast to coast when It comes to surface skimming- you'll definitely get a lot more with malev's product. The H2Overflow will give just about as much as,say, a standard corner overflow. If I were to do it again, I'd probably get @TaylorPilot 's Exotic Marine overflow, but I had the H2O all plumbed up before discovering Taylor's product.
As for the Siphon Stopper, it's a great design- looks and works great. No regrets there. Could I have DIYed one myself? Yes, but it wouldn't have looked as polished or worked as well.
Good luck and let me know if you need any help with your plumbing (I'm no expert, just done it once. Lol).
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benapilot
Active Member
It has begun.... Tearing down the 46 so i can replace the flooring and get the new 75 in!!!
I built a little stand for a 20H to keep all my live rock and corals for the duration of the switch.
I built a little stand for a 20H to keep all my live rock and corals for the duration of the switch.
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benapilot
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The 46 bow front tank is gone, orange laminate flooring ripped out, walls painted, and new flooring is just about done! Here's my plumbing and electrical going down into the crawl space for my auto water change system and ATO.
I used to run my ATO out of a couple water jugs in my tank stand. Now I have a pump in the laundry room plumbed into my 15 gallon RODI storage jug. I extended the power lines to the ATO and new saltwater pumps so they'll plug into the controller in the tank stand.
I used to run my ATO out of a couple water jugs in my tank stand. Now I have a pump in the laundry room plumbed into my 15 gallon RODI storage jug. I extended the power lines to the ATO and new saltwater pumps so they'll plug into the controller in the tank stand.
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benapilot
Active Member
Got the tank moved in today!!!
This thing is especially large in the little 12x12 room it's in! My wife and I both agreed that it looks better without the hood. So now I'm ditching the hood, T-5s and will be buying a hanging kit for the Hydras.
This thing is especially large in the little 12x12 room it's in! My wife and I both agreed that it looks better without the hood. So now I'm ditching the hood, T-5s and will be buying a hanging kit for the Hydras.
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benapilot
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Originally the tank was going in the corner of the room where the span of the tank would be across two floor joists. It didn't look good in the corner so we put it in the middle of the room.
While in the crawl space relocating the water lines, I noticed the tank was going to be in the middle of a long span of one floor joist. I called a friend of mine who has a lot of home building experience and he said it might not be a bad idea to reinforce the joist. So, here's what I came up with:
While in the crawl space relocating the water lines, I noticed the tank was going to be in the middle of a long span of one floor joist. I called a friend of mine who has a lot of home building experience and he said it might not be a bad idea to reinforce the joist. So, here's what I came up with:
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benapilot
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It's all set up!!
It took a couple days, but I put just over 80 gallons of RODI water in, and 40 cups of Red Sea Pro Salt.
I let it set over night with the heaters running, and was able to put my live rock and corals in. I built a mound on one side of the tank leaving the other half for TBS live rock, which, by the way, should be coming Saturday!! Woo Hoo!!
Next came the hanging kit for my Hydra 26 lights. I really like the modern look- more importantly, so does my wife.
The Vertex Omega 130 skimmer has been a learning curve. It was overflowing like crazy for a couple days. I ended up raising it up a couple inches and seemed to do the trick. I know these skimmers take a couple weeks to break in.
I've tried my best to make my electronics and cords neat and tidy. It's a challenge not to have a rat's nest of wires!
IMG_5951 by benapilot, on Flickr
IMG_6007 by benapilot, on Flickr
DSC05072 by benapilot, on Flickr
DSC05070 by benapilot, on Flickr
It took a couple days, but I put just over 80 gallons of RODI water in, and 40 cups of Red Sea Pro Salt.
I let it set over night with the heaters running, and was able to put my live rock and corals in. I built a mound on one side of the tank leaving the other half for TBS live rock, which, by the way, should be coming Saturday!! Woo Hoo!!
Next came the hanging kit for my Hydra 26 lights. I really like the modern look- more importantly, so does my wife.
The Vertex Omega 130 skimmer has been a learning curve. It was overflowing like crazy for a couple days. I ended up raising it up a couple inches and seemed to do the trick. I know these skimmers take a couple weeks to break in.
I've tried my best to make my electronics and cords neat and tidy. It's a challenge not to have a rat's nest of wires!
IMG_5951 by benapilot, on FlickrIMG_6007 by benapilot, on FlickrDSC05072 by benapilot, on FlickrDSC05070 by benapilot, on Flickr
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Looks nice!
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What a great build. I have 2 Hydra 26 hd's on my 72 gal bow front and the really work well. I you would like the settings for the Hydra's let me know.
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