Yev's 240g build and fishroom.

[fishguy242]

;Woot ;Woot ;Woot ;Woot

 

[Yevoc]

The glue and sand method was amazing however everything needs to be a 100% dry so the glue wicks into the sand.

I had bought acrylic rods and was planning on pinning the live rock to the dry. However I bailed on that plan wanting to get everything in the tank as soon as possible. I hit a snag with the affore mentioned union leaking and I ended up not wanting to stress anything further.

In the end I stacked the old live on the new dry. Since the dry rock was these 2 giant monolithic pieces it seems really stable.

 

[Yevoc]

The end of my vacation and the end of launch week.
-Removal of the old tank.
-A bit of demo.
-Finished floors
-Finished Drywall.
-90% of the trim.
-Lights mounted.

I have the stand skin to build (still debating style) and some trim pieces for the room but I am going to call this launch state.

 

[Yevoc]

 

[JumboShrimp]

I’m living through you for now!.. Glass Cages just started working on my 60” 150-gallon. Like you, I’m getting the Fiji overflow.

May I ask about your lights? I was assuming there is no room for clamps on the sides due to the euro bracing; what type of lighting rack did you go with, and are those clamps just barely hanging on for dear life (?)

 

[Yevoc]

I’m living through you for now!.. Glass Cages just started working on my 60” 150-gallon. Like you, I’m getting the Fiji overflow.

May I ask about your lights? I was assuming there is no room for clamps on the sides due to the euro bracing; what type of lighting rack did you go with, and are those clamps just barely hanging on for dear life (?)

The stock legs won't fit the euro bracing. The legs and plastic bracket the legs slide into have screw that lock everything into place pretty solidily.

The early pictures I used that to get a feel for the lights and the placement.

The pics today you can see I drilled eyelets into the floor joists and proper hung the lights with the included cable.

So yeah the included legs "work" but would be easy to bump off.

 

[JumboShrimp]

Oh, the legs were temporary— gotcha, makes sense now. Thanks!

 

[Yevoc]

No huge news currently, letting the tank settle in. Picked up a Powder Blue Tang and some Chromis.

Sent off my first ICP test.

The open top and hanging light grew on me so I am considering a more modern stand skin than I was originally planning.

 

[mattgsa]

Ok I'm loving your build thread. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Metcho]

Still mostly in a holding pattern.
I hard mounted the electronics on the back wall. Then mounted shelves...that I was going to put the 4 part on until I remembered the siphon.

Moved the dosing containers under the stand.

Fighting bubbles in the dosing lines. I could not get the 3mm lines on the barbs for anything. Still got to sort it.

Hey this might help next time you wanna get the 3mm dosing lines on microwave a mug of water to almost boiling then take out microwave and hold end of dosing tube in there for a min or so to get heated so it stretches easily over the barb. Do it fast. Hope that helps. Works for me

 

[JenK]

Wow! This is really spectacular! Can't wait to watch as you add more later!!

 

[Yevoc]

Weekend update.... on Tuesday.
I made the tank skin.
Oak and Oak plywood.

Glued, screwed, and routed

Really pushed the comfort zone with the woodwork and it turned out better than expected.

I decided to stain and seal skin.

I'll be honest I got semi-transparent stain and it turned out very opaque. It was basically black paint. Which I mean I would have not bothered with the cost of the oak if it was just going to look painted, but I digress.

So mounted via Velcro.

Drum roll..............................................

 

[fishguy242]

looks great,nice work

 

[Yevoc]

So it has been a while but I have been up to a few things...

 

[Yevoc]

I was a little early on that box but the system has been stellar. Either way introducing SPS at 5 weeks isn't for the faint at heart.

Factors working for me.
-Experienced SPS keeper.
-Half the rock was out of the old tank.
-I pre-cycled 2 bio bricks in the old tank.
-Fish load is still light.
-Was finishing a bottle of Vibrant during the transition.
-I directly went after BC's R2R pack for Acro that has been in the captivity for years.

All that aside I didn't tell you guys about incase it all went to **** lol.

 

[Yevoc]

The results....
A couple weeks out now. I did lose the Cream City Pinky. However everything else seems to be settling and most of them are noticably growing.

Final rockwork.

The coraline is starting to spread faster.

I checked out the PAR meter from my local reef club and am slowly bring the PAR up. Eyeballing it I was way under targets.

 

[Yevoc]

Still fighting my doser. I replaced my BRS kit with 5L jugs from a kitchen supply store and ran the dosing tubing straight into it. Still considering the DOS.

Also ran an airline for the skimmer to suck outside air pretty happy with that. Blue arrow is where I added it. Higher and more stable pH.

 

[Yevoc]

So my new buddy is settling in. A little bumpy at the start. The powder blue was not a fan but everyone settled in.

 

[Yevoc]

Also even harder than a normal fish to photograph. I think the camera thinks it is a shadow.

 

[Yevoc]

FTS for the day.

PAR is about up to where I want it.

Everything is purpling up.

New doser is much more stable.

Frags are start to pick up.

Only have to worry about the cat.

Something, something curiosity something.