R_MC Posted September 23, 2016 Share Posted September 23, 2016 Hi All, I've had quite a few tanks over the past few years (http://www.bostonreefers.org/forums/showthread.php?130331-Reef-Journal-V2-Now-with-more-water). I enjoy the hobby a lot and wanted to finally take the time to do it right. Each previous build has been a bit of a hacked together set of craigslist finds and dirty diy - this one is new and clean. It's the exact tank I've been eyeing for quite a while. After flip flopping between the cadlights 70/45 and the redsea 350/450xl for months I've pulled the trigger. The light is built completely from scratch and is a 6 channel Bluefish controlled spotlight LED (300W) and 2x 24W T5 hybrid. If you're interested in the build you can read more here: http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/372331-narrow-reflector-for-the-nanobox-v3-array/ It has been in the works for 6 months and damn it feels good to finally see it come together. I'll be running a SWC160 skimmer, Jebao RW circulation, Dosing Pumps, Reef Angel automation and will be experimenting with filter socks for the first time. The tank arrived today (heavier than I thought). I put together the stand and couldn't help but set up a dry run before the big switch tomorrow - wish me luck! 4 Quote Link to comment
CrazyEyes Posted September 23, 2016 Share Posted September 23, 2016 That light is seriously crazy. I love the mix of modern and rustic with the build too. Love the light mount. Quote Link to comment
gmanreefer Posted September 23, 2016 Share Posted September 23, 2016 looks like a great start. Love the light fixture and the tank looks very sharp. Following along! Quote Link to comment
R_MC Posted September 24, 2016 Author Share Posted September 24, 2016 Broke it down and stood up the new tank yesterday. I keep forgetting how much labor is involved. Now for some shots of the good the bad and the ugly: Amazing how much fit in that little tank. Some quick concepts for a new scape addition - though after looking at the unpacked suitcase above... not sure where it will go . I bet you can smell it through the tubes... All the problems start once we add water... At this point I was strongly considering keeping a nicely lit glass box. Making water... Transferred the coral from the buckets at this point as they had been deprived flow for long enough - still have the coral / fish in the flat tote. I'm no wire management expert - here's some of the sump equipment. Skimmer - skimming / filter sock / marine pure block. Pretty tight in that first chamber. Sump was missing from the setup - luckily a local shop had a spare for cheap. This is an odd chamber setup, but I'll give it a shot. Next morning and everything is leak free - a bit cloudy and no aquascape yet. Will be introducing the remaining livestock after it all stabilizes a bit. 5 Quote Link to comment
CrazyEyes Posted September 24, 2016 Share Posted September 24, 2016 Wow! That's really only I can say. Quote Link to comment
R_MC Posted September 25, 2016 Author Share Posted September 25, 2016 Worked on the scape today - lots of drilling and cursing. Reused almost all of the coral from the last tank. I'll likely be shedding a few pieces to open up more water (rear right hand trumpet/gsp rock). I'll post some more once the water clears and the coral is a bit less pissed. 8 Quote Link to comment
RollaJase Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 Beautiful tank and I love the light. It was great watching you piece the light together over the months, I think it turned out fantastically. 1 Quote Link to comment
xiaoxiy Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 Love the scape! Quote Link to comment
DaveFason Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 You always think, " hey this will not be to hard ". Then after starting you realize... Same thing happened with my Drop off. Tank turned out great! Quote Link to comment
Orangutran Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 Wow--Gorgeous tank! Quote Link to comment
TheKleinReef Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 Did you post this to imgur?! I saw your post yesterday. Hahah Seriously though, this is beautiful 1 Quote Link to comment
R_MC Posted September 26, 2016 Author Share Posted September 26, 2016 Did you post this to imgur?! I saw your post yesterday. Hahah Seriously though, this is beautiful Guilty - they got the update first (reddit.com/r/reeftank) . Also, that's my repository for photos I post here. The linked photos above are all hosted on imgur. 1 Quote Link to comment
TheKleinReef Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 Guilty - they got the update first (reddit.com/r/reeftank) . Also, that's my repository for photos I post here. The linked photos above are all hosted on imgur. Haha I just thought it was funny that I saw them sifting through user submitted. Quote Link to comment
R_MC Posted September 28, 2016 Author Share Posted September 28, 2016 3 day update. The jebao pump that came with the tank has failed already - so sad. Luckily I had a 10 year old Eheim 1250 that still works a treat. Flow is a little low but the tank is silent again. Other than that, the typical break in period is occurring. Expecting a bloom of some kind soon but the coral are slowly finding their happy place. 5 Quote Link to comment
R_MC Posted September 29, 2016 Author Share Posted September 29, 2016 Day 4 and some Macro shots of my favorites settling in. 7 Quote Link to comment
ajmckay Posted September 29, 2016 Share Posted September 29, 2016 Nice tank! I'm reading through the light build now as well - looks like quite a beast. Liking the corals you have showcased - that hammer makes me wet. Not sure that putting it upside down in the shallow tub was a good idea though! I also really like those blue/green candycanes. Is that a ceramic filter block in the sump? What size Jebao do you have in there? Finally - what do you use to anchor your rock together (and the hammer I presume)? Good luck I'll check back - love the pics. Quote Link to comment
akashi Posted September 29, 2016 Share Posted September 29, 2016 what kind of tank is that if i may ask? i love your build. Quote Link to comment
R_MC Posted September 29, 2016 Author Share Posted September 29, 2016 Nice tank! I'm reading through the light build now as well - looks like quite a beast. Liking the corals you have showcased - that hammer makes me wet. Not sure that putting it upside down in the shallow tub was a good idea though! I also really like those blue/green candycanes. Is that a ceramic filter block in the sump? What size Jebao do you have in there? Finally - what do you use to anchor your rock together (and the hammer I presume)? Good luck I'll check back - love the pics. It is a marine pure block - they're great. Using a jebao rw-8 To anchor the rock I used 3/8 acrylic rods. It was pretty easy to drill the rocks with a masonry bit. what kind of tank is that if i may ask? i love your build. Hi Akashi - its a cadlights 70g artisan ii. Thanks Quote Link to comment
R_MC Posted October 4, 2016 Author Share Posted October 4, 2016 Quick video update using a gopro. Light level was pretty low - video was shot in the evening as the reef-sun was setting. Let me know if you have tips for better quality when using a gopro. 3 Quote Link to comment
DaveFason Posted October 4, 2016 Share Posted October 4, 2016 Curious which GoPro you are using? The blues kill the GP sensor. Quote Link to comment
R_MC Posted October 4, 2016 Author Share Posted October 4, 2016 Curious which GoPro you are using? The blues kill the GP sensor. Hey Dave - its the 4 black. Typically, great quality - but I think the light level was too low here. Also, yeah... Blues totally fry the sensor, even at low iso. I used a "warming filter" here but it didn't have a dramatic effect. Quote Link to comment
DaveFason Posted October 4, 2016 Share Posted October 4, 2016 Hey Dave - its the 4 black. Typically, great quality - but I think the light level was too low here. Also, yeah... Blues totally fry the sensor, even at low iso. I used a "warming filter" here but it didn't have a dramatic effect. I know it is cheating but I have had been success if you use the GP to turn the lights at 100%. I have a GPBlack 3 but really considering the GP5. Quote Link to comment
R_MC Posted October 6, 2016 Author Share Posted October 6, 2016 Tank in the morning light: Looking forward to the rocks evening out in coloration. Still need to organize the aquascape a bit as it feels a little messy. 8 Quote Link to comment
Orangutran Posted October 6, 2016 Share Posted October 6, 2016 Damn, the sun lit tank looks amazing!! 1 Quote Link to comment
R_MC Posted October 7, 2016 Author Share Posted October 7, 2016 Thanks! It gets an hour or two of sun in the morning. But my light cycle starts up around noon and closes out at 10PM. I think I should probably move to a more natural light cycle for the best coral health, but the only time I can view the tank is in the evening. X_x 1 Quote Link to comment
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