My System. Water by April 1. 150g Show. "still dreaming"

CayeCaulker

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My Tank is currently a work in progress. Most everything I have sourced so far is used. It has been 15 years since my last system which was SPS mixed. I have been reading up and studying and think I have an even better understanding today than I did back then. I love talking to other reefers and learning.



My tank.jpeg
 
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CayeCaulker

CayeCaulker

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Update on the build:
I will edit this post with my current progress. It is great for me to type this all out so I can stay focused on the project.

>>. Work done so far <<
The goal is to get wet within 60 days! (looking at my ToDO list this could be a tall order"

Found a 150g Show used off Craigs List. Don't like the stand and hood. Selling those.

I met with the metal fabricator yesterday and ordered the replacement stand.

Ordered all my test kits. "most I sourced used from a local reefer". He gave me a great deal on 4 different Hanna meters. I ordered meters for tests that I could not get from him. Had to order new regents for the used ones. All have been checked out. I upgraded all the batteries to rechargeable lithium.

I was able to get two very large high power UV filters. The guy who sold me the tank and test meters gave them to me. I have not figured out their setup or condition of the lamps. I do plan on having UV

I was able to source two used Echotech MP40's. (need more) looking.

Sump and return pump sourced and ready. I may make some changes to the return pump solution. I want to build in redundancy.

Ordered filter socks

All the lighting has been purchased. Metal Halide pendants. Found a reefer selling NOS HEXARC (made in Japan) 14k 250W HQI metal halide lamps on eBay. I got them for $25 each! I have enough for three lamp changes. That should last me four and a half years at a 18 month relamp cycle. I am not sure how longs these will last but I expect them to make it 18 months. T5's fixtures. I do not have extra lamps for these but I am not worried about sourcing them. HEXARC lamps are getting sketchy to source.. I sourced some low cost electronic ballasts used by canabas growers on eBay. Have the cables and am ready to assemble. Waiting on final hood design to install.

Skimmer is ready to go.

Low iron glass covers and glass vacuum tool is here.

I have all my rock to build the aquascape

I have all the sand.

Electrical has been pulled.

extra engineered beams installed under the floor below the tank setup. My beams are running the wrong direction so I had to upgrade the floor with engineered beams. Will not be visible when basement and fish room are complete. There is a walkout basement below the show system.



>> To DO list! <<
* some items are not required to get wet but will be required before live stock coral. We will be months away from coral. I have never started a dead rock system so I don't expect this to go fast.

Order Granite for the new stand. "tank will sit on countertop height granite slab on top of stand" that match the granite I just installed in the kitchen.

Order heaters and design triple redundancy.

* Refigium lighting. This will be cheep. Probably a UFO off amazon.

* Order controller. "I have not decided on which one yet"

* Carbon and GFO filtering solution. No rush on these yet. I want to be able to manually turn them on as needed. I will probably run UV in front of these filters along with mechanical filtration on a as needed basis. I want the emergency protection of carbon / GFO and UV ready to go at the flip of a switch. I want to be able to run them standalone or in series / parallel as needed. I need to design the UV solution so I can drain it when not in use. I don't need scum growing on bulbs while I am not using it. I have not thought all the way through this solution yet.

Get the plumbing and pumps hooked up once the stand is in place. I need to figure out my backup pump. I have two options. 1. Keep a cold spare so in a emergency I can use the quick couplers and replace it in a few minutes. 2. Install a second pump and drill an additional supply line to the tank so I can run the pumps in tandem. I am leaning towards option 2. I have calculated pump return rates and the pumps I have chosen can easily be doubled up. My current pump is in the middle to lower tank sump cycle rate. Most all the flow will be power heads. The sump return will be for oxygenated water not tank flow.

Get the electrical finished and hooked up to the sub panel. "wires and boxes are already pulled and set"

Get plumbing in the walls to the basement fish room. I will be using a chase pipe so I can pull additional wires and pex plumbing if needed.

Get airline for skimmer to the outside of the house and get filtration figured out for it. I am thinking about a auto filter hack of some kind so it is easy to replace and service. Don't know yet. I know where I can get a free VW diesel filter box. I will probably hack that.

Test fixture height for the pending hood design.

Take Par Readings with water in the tank and plan and build the aquascape around those readings.

* Build Hood. "metal shop will make the hood out of Aluminum. I still have to design it." Waiting on pendant placing information. I want the hood totally enclosed but easy to service. I do not want any light spillage outside the tank unless it is through the tank it's self. I am still working on that design.

Get water softener installed and RODI system / Fill station equipment in the fish room downstairs.
I have already purchased the RODI setup. I need to figure out if my city uses Chloramine before I set it up.

* Power backup system needs installed on the sub panel. I am using 8 golf cart batteries on a 48v Commercial APC system. That will be backed up by a generator outside. Electrical has been pulled but not terminated. Find the generator. I want 7 days of power backup on site. I want to be able to get fuel to keep that going as long as needed. Generator will only need to run long enough to recharge APC system then can be shut down. I hope 8 golf carts batteries will give me a nice cushion but I have not tested the APC system against the tank needs yet. In reality I will probably want to hook up some basic house needs to the generator as well. Need to plan that out.

* Order panels for the stand and hood that matches the cabinets in my kitchen.

* Chiller solution needs figured out.

* Calcium reactor. This is a long way off if ever. I am going to start with two part and once the uptake gets to be a pain switch over to a reactor. Kalkwasser is not a good option for this setup as there will be little evaporation. I will wait for a deal to float by. I have plenty of time. Will need the dosing pump, and PH controller. I want to use a DC controlled recirculator pump. I want a second media chamber to gobble up any left over CO2. Will want to mix in a little magnesium media in the second stage.
 
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CayeCaulker

CayeCaulker

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Working on the heater solution.
I have decided to use 4 lower cost 100w titanium heaters with the temp control on top of the heaters. "wait don't flame me yet"

I am also going to use temperature controllers and back up that with a tank controller. I will set the temps on the heaters slightly above my target temp and control the heaters with a heater controller(s). So if the heater controller sticks on the heater will shut off on it's own anyway. And in the even that the double redundant heater power still gets stuck on it's only a single 100w heater and won't send me to the fires of hell all that fast giving me time to get alerts and react.

Also power cycling by the heaters will be reduced using a smaller heater which will extend the life of the heater. If I need 5 of them I will just add another.

I like a triple redundant heater solution with multiple smaller heaters. If I loose one it's no big deal. I can wait for a replacement to arrive in the mail. I will probably purchase extra units and throw them in the spares box.
 
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CayeCaulker

CayeCaulker

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I wanted to post a update to the build thread!

I was able to source a 12.5 kw Onan generator that runs off natural gas. I will have to build a cart and a enclosure for it. Will have to get the gas fittings. This will save me in the event of a total power loss. I am also installing 12kw of solar on my home and installing 20kw of battery once my roof is done. We should be good on the disaster front.

I found it on Facebook market place for $400

Getting the generator is the easy part. Restoring it and figuring out how to hook it up are the devil in the details. This generator has been sitting in a barn for over a decade maybe two decades. Lots of work has to be done before it is ready for use. If you want to follow along with the generator project you can read the restoration thread on Smokestack forums.

Follow this link: https://www.smokstak.com/forum/threads/onan-12-5jc-18r-restoration-and-use.221685/

tempImagenafKDY.png 41170F16-FBB7-4338-9795-07309039BBCD.jpeg
 
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CayeCaulker

CayeCaulker

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Build thread update:

The custom welded stand for my tank is complete. I need to pick it up when it stops raining. I will have to prime and paint it. I will also have to put a bottom in it. My welder is a little chronologicaly challenged so I did not order the granite top or the cabinet doors and facing until I knew he was done with it. I will order the granite and cabinet doors next week. Will have the stand picked up this weekend. If I had a wife she would kill me for having this stuff scattered in my home. :)

The correct pendants for the MH lighting arrived. So once the tank is mounted and plumbed in I will be taking par readings and figure out the correct distances to build the hood and the aquascape.

Still trying to scrounge MP 40 power heads. I have two so far. At this rate I have plenty of time to find the rest.

Progress is slower than I planned but the complexity keeps increasing. Now I am thinking about a fish room!
 
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CayeCaulker

CayeCaulker

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Got the granite top and the stand today. My buddy Frank helped me move it. The stand and the top cost $300 total. But we had to grind off the table wood and epoxied peices. I still need to drill it.

0CBE0FD7-1586-4917-A24C-CDD9424D5378.jpeg 51E7EC48-9CA5-44B6-BD29-12FE9833B9F0.jpeg
 
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A worm with high fashion and practical utility: Have you ever kept feather dusters in your reef aquarium?

  • I currently have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 64 36.8%
  • Not currently, but I have had feather dusters in my tank in the past.

    Votes: 59 33.9%
  • I have not had feather dusters, but I hope to in the future.

    Votes: 25 14.4%
  • I have no plans to have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 26 14.9%
  • Other.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
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