N2950H's Waterbox Frag 80 Build
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N2950H
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Thanks, PelzerC. Having just completed my cycle, I'm starting slow with a couple clowns and some zoas. In the next month or so i'll add some LPS (torch, hammer) and a BTA. I would love a Six Line but i'm not planning to cover the tank so that's not gonna happen. Thinking about a Midas Blenny, a Kohls or Bristletooth Tang in the future. I've never attempted SPS so that is in my plan as well, just not sure where to start.
Janci
Staghorns will prevail
I still have a lot of wire cleanup to do behind the control board, but here is what I did for my electronics. I may pull the board a lot closer to the front, still undecided on that. Initially I didn't want to waste the space, but I also don't want to store a bunch of stuff in front of the controls and displays.
Great set up and I love what you have done with the electronics.
As I am interested in the frag 80.4 as well, can I ask you the following question?
How did you fix those supports with magnets inside the stand? Just glue and screw?
I am wondering about the overflow. Does this still comes with a removable top weir?
About the piping: do the overflow pipes (the part in the tank, not the ones under the tank or in the cabinet) come installed or is this to be done by you?
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N2950H
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Hi janci, and thanks for the kind words.
For the supports behind the control board, they are actually L-shaped you just can't see the rear legs. Those two pieces of each leg were glued and screwed together, then I just screwed each support into the sides of the tank stand.
The overflow does in fact come with a removable top weir.
None of the piping comes pre-installed, but it will literally take you 5 minutes to install with no special tools, glues, or anything like that.
I'm still very happy with my setup, and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a setup with similar dimensions.
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N2950H
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I'm about a month in now so I figured I'd post an updated photo.
A couple weeks ago I dealt with some dinos in the sandbed and on the rockwork. I woke up one day to some pretty nasty stringy stuff with the tell-tale bubbles on the end. Wanting to know exactly what I was dealing with, I bought a decent microscope and ID'd them primarily as the ostreopsis variety. I got some good advice here as to how to deal with them, but since I was still very much in the new tank phase I just let it run its course. Over a 2-3 day period things got pretty nasty looking, but after sucking most of the big chunks out it turned around pretty quickly and now appears to be almost entirely gone. At least, none that I can detect just by looking at it.
Water parameters seem to be staying rather stable and I just introduced a couple SPS frags (which I have never attempted before). Still loving this tank and having a lot of fun (re)learning how to do all of this.
The only change to my setup I'm currently considering is switching to the Hydra 52s instead of the 26s. I feel like the spread of the 26s isn't quite where I want it to be.
A couple weeks ago I dealt with some dinos in the sandbed and on the rockwork. I woke up one day to some pretty nasty stringy stuff with the tell-tale bubbles on the end. Wanting to know exactly what I was dealing with, I bought a decent microscope and ID'd them primarily as the ostreopsis variety. I got some good advice here as to how to deal with them, but since I was still very much in the new tank phase I just let it run its course. Over a 2-3 day period things got pretty nasty looking, but after sucking most of the big chunks out it turned around pretty quickly and now appears to be almost entirely gone. At least, none that I can detect just by looking at it.
Water parameters seem to be staying rather stable and I just introduced a couple SPS frags (which I have never attempted before). Still loving this tank and having a lot of fun (re)learning how to do all of this.
The only change to my setup I'm currently considering is switching to the Hydra 52s instead of the 26s. I feel like the spread of the 26s isn't quite where I want it to be.
Janci
Staghorns will prevail
I'm about a month in now so I figured I'd post an updated photo.
A couple weeks ago I dealt with some dinos in the sandbed and on the rockwork. I woke up one day to some pretty nasty stringy stuff with the tell-tale bubbles on the end. Wanting to know exactly what I was dealing with, I bought a decent microscope and ID'd them primarily as the ostreopsis variety. I got some good advice here as to how to deal with them, but since I was still very much in the new tank phase I just let it run its course. Over a 2-3 day period things got pretty nasty looking, but after sucking most of the big chunks out it turned around pretty quickly and now appears to be almost entirely gone. At least, none that I can detect just by looking at it.
Water parameters seem to be staying rather stable and I just introduced a couple SPS frags (which I have never attempted before). Still loving this tank and having a lot of fun (re)learning how to do all of this.
The only change to my setup I'm currently considering is switching to the Hydra 52s instead of the 26s. I feel like the spread of the 26s isn't quite where I want it to be.
This is gorgeous.
I cannot believe these tanks are been taken out of porduction.
Love it! If there is one drawback to the WaterBox it is def the lack of space underneath I’m forever banging my head!I still have a lot of wire cleanup to do behind the control board, but here is what I did for my electronics. I may pull the board a lot closer to the front, still undecided on that. Initially I didn't want to waste the space, but I also don't want to store a bunch of stuff in front of the controls and displays.
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N2950H
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Thanks, LadyMac!
Tdlawdo, I know what you mean. On the left side I moved the control board to the front of the cabinet which gives me more room for cable management back there. On the right side, I do wish there was a bit more room to work but it's not terrible.
One thing I really do appreciate about this stand is how easily the doors come off and go back on with their quick releases. I never really thought of this as a nice to have, but it sure is great to get those doors out of the way when doing some major work underneath.
Tdlawdo, I know what you mean. On the left side I moved the control board to the front of the cabinet which gives me more room for cable management back there. On the right side, I do wish there was a bit more room to work but it's not terrible.
One thing I really do appreciate about this stand is how easily the doors come off and go back on with their quick releases. I never really thought of this as a nice to have, but it sure is great to get those doors out of the way when doing some major work underneath.
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N2950H
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You and me both, man. I thought I could get away with just the two Hydra 26s since the tank is so shallow, but I don't quite get the coverage I wanted. I'm currently watching the classifieds for another 26 or perhaps a pair of 52s.
motortrendz
2500 Club Member
It's funny I have a deeper tank(front to back) I started with 2 26s, then wound up with 3. then got 2 52s, now I actually have 2 52 across the front and 2 26s behind it. And i fi ally got the light coverage and coral growth I wanted.
Have a feeling your gonna wind up with 2 rows of lights as well.
Have a feeling your gonna wind up with 2 rows of lights as well.
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N2950H
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Thanks! I'm fairly new to the CNC router but not to CNC in general (I built a large plasma table several years ago). So far I'm pretty happy with my Shapeoko router kit. I have the XXL which has about a 33" x 33" cutting envelope and would recommend it if you want something under $2k.
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N2950H
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It's funny I have a deeper tank(front to back) I started with 2 26s, then wound up with 3. then got 2 52s, now I actually have 2 52 across the front and 2 26s behind it. And i fi ally got the light coverage and coral growth I wanted.
Have a feeling your gonna wind up with 2 rows of lights as well.
Man I sure hope not. I'm really starting to take a liking to scolys, so I think I can bias the lights toward the rear a bit and leave the front sandbed a little dimmer for those guys. Hopefully that will let me get away with just the one row.
flsoccerace
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Curious about where you ended up in your lighting. I just picked up a used 80.4 today and lighting will most likely be my next purchase. Any decisions that you love or advice you care to give for this model?
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