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SkiCatTX
Sustainable Reefkeeping
Yes, that's the plan! I'm on it right now!
Man, it's super hard to get pictures during the day with the glass...I'll have to start taking all the pics at night now...
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SkiCat's Dream Build: [Saving The] Planet 180 - The Making Of An Epic Aquacultured Mixed Reef
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Man, it's super hard to get pictures during the day with the glass...I'll have to start taking all the pics at night now...
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SkiCatTX
Sustainable Reefkeeping
We have water!
I have 40 gallons in the barrel, it'll probably take the rest of the day to make enough...I'm starting to put some of the trim back on while I wait for the water to fill up. These panels bolt on from the inside. It was a tight squeeze trying to tighten the screws with all the equipment already mounted, but I did get them on.
I am putting some silicone "tape" around the top of the routed panels that partially cover the bottom of the glass...and support the edges of the tank a bit. I hope this cuts down on water getting into that gap and into the stand, or rotting the wood.
Fits tight like a gasket, seemed to work fairly well.
I have 40 gallons in the barrel, it'll probably take the rest of the day to make enough...I'm starting to put some of the trim back on while I wait for the water to fill up. These panels bolt on from the inside. It was a tight squeeze trying to tighten the screws with all the equipment already mounted, but I did get them on.
I am putting some silicone "tape" around the top of the routed panels that partially cover the bottom of the glass...and support the edges of the tank a bit. I hope this cuts down on water getting into that gap and into the stand, or rotting the wood.
Fits tight like a gasket, seemed to work fairly well.
JoshH
Tank Status: Wet...ish, growing things....
We have water!
I have 40 gallons in the barrel, it'll probably take the rest of the day to make enough...I'm starting to put some of the trim back on while I wait for the water to fill up. These panels bolt on from the inside. It was a tight squeeze trying to tighten the screws with all the equipment already mounted, but I did get them on.
I am putting some silicone "tape" around the top of the routed panels that partially cover the bottom of the glass...and support the edges of the tank a bit. I hope this cuts down on water getting into that gap and into the stand, or rotting the wood.
Fits tight like a gasket, seemed to work fairly well.
Could you caulk the top inside corner for a final seal so any water drips roll onto the face of the panel?
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Fits tight like a gasket, seemed to work fairly well.
That silicone tape did a great job, going to have to keep that in the back of my mind.
Good luck with bringing her up to life!!, SkiCat
Water day... ;Woot ;Woot
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SkiCatTX
Sustainable Reefkeeping
Perhaps I could, I hadn't thought about the corners, just up along the glass all the way around.
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SkiCatTX
Sustainable Reefkeeping
Thanks!
Wife comes by every 5 minutes to see if I have flooded the house yet... ;Nailbiting
Just read through the complete thread. All I can say is wow. The attention to every detail is fantastic. From the setback of the original AGE stand to where you are today is some serious work! Looking forward to following along. Always nice to see awesome local builds. 
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SkiCatTX
Sustainable Reefkeeping
Thanks, yes I'm OCD about most things, especially hobbies. I am glad to be getting this together for sure, it's taken months longer than I had planned to get to this point.Just read through the complete thread. All I can say is wow. The attention to every detail is fantastic. From the setback of the original AGE stand to where you are today is some serious work! Looking forward to following along. Always nice to see awesome local builds.
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SkiCatTX
Sustainable Reefkeeping
Thanks so much. It's strange, I'm way more stressed than relieved or excited I think. Perhaps once I'm sure it's not going to dump or crash all over the house on me, and the pumps are running, etc. I'll be more excited.
It doesn't help that all my family members keep commenting "Are you sure that stand can hold all that weight?", "What happens if all that water spills out?", "Are you sure you need to fill it that full?", on and on...not helping...
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SkiCat
Are you circulating water at this point?
Are you circulating water at this point?
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SkiCatTX
Sustainable Reefkeeping
It's now up to the weir and draining into the sump. I'm short about 10 gallons to be able to run it, so I'm watching the RODI one drop at a time...
We did have one issue so far, a minor leak in one of the unions that connects the return to the back of the tank. This one I had quickly connected right after they moved the tank and I didn't tighten it quite enough. Once the water got to the top and flowed back onto the backflow preventer, it started running down the plumbing. Luckily I caught it quickly, grabbed a towel, and then got it tightened. No other problems so far, that I have found anyway...we'll see once I'm able to turn on the return pumps...
There's a barely perceptible angle to the blue pipe and union nut at the top of this check valve, I failed to notice when I hooked it up. So it leaked on the left front side just a bit.
We did have one issue so far, a minor leak in one of the unions that connects the return to the back of the tank. This one I had quickly connected right after they moved the tank and I didn't tighten it quite enough. Once the water got to the top and flowed back onto the backflow preventer, it started running down the plumbing. Luckily I caught it quickly, grabbed a towel, and then got it tightened. No other problems so far, that I have found anyway...we'll see once I'm able to turn on the return pumps...
There's a barely perceptible angle to the blue pipe and union nut at the top of this check valve, I failed to notice when I hooked it up. So it leaked on the left front side just a bit.
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SkiCatTX
Sustainable Reefkeeping
It's now been circulating for a few hours, both return pumps at about 30%, no issues so far...
Both Gyres and both Vortecs are mixing up all the dirt and crud, which is hopefully gathering in the Klir roller. My plan is to let this run for 24 hours or so, then drain maybe half of the freshwater and fill it back up and add salt.
Even have the lights on now...man the Radion G5 Blues are reeeal blue...might have to play with them, or reconsider my T5 mixture. The picture is not quite the same color, it's not as blue live, but I can only adjust it so much with a phone pic...anyway, it's pretty close.
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SkiCatTX
Sustainable Reefkeeping
I haven't posted about it, but about a month ago I started a cycling tank using one of my 10g IM QT tanks. I filled it with salt water and added MicroBacterStart XLM and MicroBacter QuikCycl for Ammonia and let it cycle.
I put some sand, a bio block, and a huge bag of plastic media in to get covered in bacteria. My hope is that I can speed up the cycle in the 180 with this. Once I get the saltwater and temperature just right, I'll add these things in.
I put some sand, a bio block, and a huge bag of plastic media in to get covered in bacteria. My hope is that I can speed up the cycle in the 180 with this. Once I get the saltwater and temperature just right, I'll add these things in.
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SkiCatTX
Sustainable Reefkeeping
I did about an 80% water change with new RODI water, cleaned the pumps and any obvious dirt I could find, poured in the sand, and started adding salt.
I also put on the frame panels temporarily to check out the look. Almost there! I still need to sand and paint the doors, but I want to get the tank running first.
I also put on the frame panels temporarily to check out the look. Almost there! I still need to sand and paint the doors, but I want to get the tank running first.
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SkiCat,
It looks great!!
Thanks for keeping us updated, we're pumped up for you as well.
Is your overflow doing the job, and is it fairly quiet?
Thanks!
It looks great!!
Thanks for keeping us updated, we're pumped up for you as well.
Is your overflow doing the job, and is it fairly quiet?
Thanks!
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SkiCatTX
Sustainable Reefkeeping
Thanks for the support.
The Exotic Marine Overflow is doing great, completely silent once tuned. I ended up making the center trickle drain slightly higher so that the level in the outside box is a bit higher. This made the fall distance in the internal weir box slightly less so it didn't trickle slightly when the Gyres were on. It was only slight, but enough to notice when they were on or off.
Now it is completely silent. In fact, the only sound from the entire tank is the trickle of water flowing through the filter sock holes. It's leaking around the hole cover. I have a sheet of silicone coming today that I hope will allow me to stop that flow making it even quieter.
You can see water dripping down around the Klir hole cover.
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SkiCatTX
Sustainable Reefkeeping
The Cycle has started!
I added 2/3 of a bottle of MicroBacter Start XLM and some QuickCycl Amonia. I could have used the whole bottle, but figured I'd save some to add later.
I'll move the already cycled media over as soon as this settles in.
I added 2/3 of a bottle of MicroBacter Start XLM and some QuickCycl Amonia. I could have used the whole bottle, but figured I'd save some to add later.
I'll move the already cycled media over as soon as this settles in.
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SkiCatTX
Sustainable Reefkeeping
Ammonia is now below 0.05ppm and Nitrate is around 8, so we're making progress!
Added some TurboStart 900 today. This bottle is about half the recommended amount, but since I already have bacteria going I figured it should be fine, otherwise they may just fight each other...
Added some TurboStart 900 today. This bottle is about half the recommended amount, but since I already have bacteria going I figured it should be fine, otherwise they may just fight each other...
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SkiCatTX
Sustainable Reefkeeping
I have also been setting things up and configuring.
I programmed the Apex ATO settings this morning, and the DOS AWC yesterday...boy is that thing loud... At the first opportunity, I'm going to swap out the DOS for something quieter. Problem is, I want something that can be controlled through the Apex, or whichever controller. I guess GHL has one, but I want to see what Hydros is working on...
The WaveEngine is now running the 2 Gyres and 2 MP40s on various pseudo-random cycles. Sand is moving a bit, but not too bad.
I programmed the Apex ATO settings this morning, and the DOS AWC yesterday...boy is that thing loud... At the first opportunity, I'm going to swap out the DOS for something quieter. Problem is, I want something that can be controlled through the Apex, or whichever controller. I guess GHL has one, but I want to see what Hydros is working on...
The WaveEngine is now running the 2 Gyres and 2 MP40s on various pseudo-random cycles. Sand is moving a bit, but not too bad.
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