calvin415 Posted October 13, 2008 Author Share Posted October 13, 2008 Thanks guys, I'm got the first coat of primer on the stand doors, RO/DI mounted, all 12 bulkheads installed and closed loop pump (Dart) mounted in the stand. Just have to get the plumbing pieces tomorrow and I'll get to work on plumbing the CL and then I can put some water in it to test the CL flow... It's pretty cold here today so I didn't get to work on the sump at all, hope to get the pieces cut tomorrow for it. Quote Link to comment
JKUNZ Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 Looks awesome!!! By the way, I live in Michigan...it's usually cold here this time of year, no excuse though. (I'm waaaaaay to anxious to see this done) Quote Link to comment
revaltion131 Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 1/2" OSB on bottom, 1/2" drywall, spray foam to level the tank, 3/4" oak ply, 1/2" foam, 1/2" acrylic. Again, each hole took a while... Good lord, you weren't kidding! Quote Link to comment
calvin415 Posted October 16, 2008 Author Share Posted October 16, 2008 Nope, no kidding. Well I'm 99% done with the closed loop, just have to get some 1" tubing to connect it all... I thought I cut these holes large enough to tighten the bulkheads but my channel locks aren't long enough to reach up to tighten them. I ended up lifting the entire tank 1" to slide some locks under the tank to tighten the bulkhead nut... Oh well. Tomorrow is supposed to be nice and I hope to get some outdoor time to finish working on my cabinet doors, and sump work. The catch is we have our 18wk ultrasound appointment in the morning (hopefully we'll know the sex of our next child tomorrow) and I'm sure we'll end up on the phone with family for a lot of the day. Updated pics tomorrow... sorry. Quote Link to comment
calvin415 Posted October 17, 2008 Author Share Posted October 17, 2008 Well here's my update: It's a boy! Wow, that makes 3... We were hoping for a girl, so I guess this leaves us with a house of manhood and chaos. Here's the progress I've made on the tank... Sump pieces are all cut, 1 sump is assembled (just have to attach the bottom) and the second one is almost completely assembled, should have it done tonight. 3 of the 6 doors have been painted and just need a final sanding, the other 3 have been primed and should be painted tomorrow. Here's some sump shots: The T's will have a strainer on each end (5 T's 10 strainers) and 4 returns which will be split into 2 loclines (8 heads total). Here's the Dart plumbed up: and the feed pipes, the bottom one is the drain line (2") w/ 5 1" bushings and nips, the upper one is the return line (1.5") w/ 4 1" bushins and nips. Here' my dilemma today, I think I'm going to have to buy lots more tubing and connect them to nips further away to keep the kinks out of the hose. And for a test fit, here the skimmer in the first sump under the tank, zone 1 will be for skimming, zone 2 will be for acclimating new fish or to seperate existing fish... This will connect to Sump 2 with a 2" pipe with strainer to keep fish from swimming through to zone 3 which will be fuge, and finally zone 4 which will be for return and ATO float valve. Quote Link to comment
JKUNZ Posted October 17, 2008 Share Posted October 17, 2008 wow..........awesome. Quote Link to comment
Kentanner11 Posted October 17, 2008 Share Posted October 17, 2008 Well here's my update: It's a boy! Wow, that makes 3... We were hoping for a girl, so I guess this leaves us with a house of manhood and chaos. Congrats!!! Here' my dilemma today, I think I'm going to have to buy lots more tubing and connect them to nips further away to keep the kinks out of the hose. What if you didnt use braided hose? Non-braided is much more flexible! Quote Link to comment
calvin415 Posted October 17, 2008 Author Share Posted October 17, 2008 (edited) What if you didnt use braided hose? Non-braided is much more flexible! I used the braided, hoping it would help keep it from kinking... I've used the standard vinyl tubing and I find it kinks even worse. I think I either need a softer material (like a silicone based tube), or I have to use more of it to keep it straight... I just can't find a softer material in 1" ID. Edited October 17, 2008 by calvin415 Quote Link to comment
Tbone675 Posted October 17, 2008 Share Posted October 17, 2008 what about spa flex.....more rigid? i think softer will kink more. Quote Link to comment
calvin415 Posted October 17, 2008 Author Share Posted October 17, 2008 Been looking into it, but it doesn't bend as tight... I think I'm just going to have to buy lots of tubing and run the connections to nips further away to keep the bends to a minimum. Kind of sucks at almost $2/ft. Quote Link to comment
ckumlien Posted October 17, 2008 Share Posted October 17, 2008 This is really inspiring Quote Link to comment
fewskillz Posted October 17, 2008 Share Posted October 17, 2008 Looks GREAT! I love the build part of an aquarium. I guess thats why I'm an engineer... Keep up the good work, as always! Quote Link to comment
calvin415 Posted October 17, 2008 Author Share Posted October 17, 2008 Thanks guys! I picked up 25' of clear vinyl tubing today along with tons of clamps... We'll see how far that lasts. Quote Link to comment
calvin415 Posted October 17, 2008 Author Share Posted October 17, 2008 Boths sumps are basically done, just some polishing to finish, I also built a new Ca Reactor for the 225 at my folks... I don't think it's as pretty as the last version, but I think this one will be easier to use. Aluminum screws to prevent any corrosion but allow for maximum torquing. Quote Link to comment
travisurfer Posted October 17, 2008 Share Posted October 17, 2008 wow, everything looks great cal. this tank is truly an inspiration. i really like the idea of a pygmy angel trio or a school of gobies. can't wait to see the progress. congrats on the next little calvin. Quote Link to comment
lakshwadeep Posted October 18, 2008 Share Posted October 18, 2008 The first picture of that reactor made me think the countertop was actually the floor. I thought it was an enormous reactor as high as the microwave! Quote Link to comment
itzclayyo Posted October 18, 2008 Share Posted October 18, 2008 The first picture of that reactor made me think the countertop was actually the floor. I thought it was an enormous reactor as high as the microwave! LOL me too!! I was like wtf?!? Quote Link to comment
calvin415 Posted October 18, 2008 Author Share Posted October 18, 2008 (edited) wow, everything looks great cal. this tank is truly an inspiration. i really like the idea of a pygmy angel trio or a school of gobies. can't wait to see the progress. congrats on the next little calvin. Thanks Travis! The first picture of that reactor made me think the countertop was actually the floor. I thought it was an enormous reactor as high as the microwave! LOL! I got the same reaction on that other site. That was totally an accident! I didn't even try to get the counter to line up with the floor! LOL me too!! I was like wtf?!? LOL! A reactor that large would be cool, but man if it was that large, I'd only need like a drip a minute to keep up with the demands of any tank! Edited October 18, 2008 by calvin415 Quote Link to comment
The Propagator Posted October 18, 2008 Share Posted October 18, 2008 Damn good job Calvin ! Quote Link to comment
Kellie in CA Posted October 18, 2008 Share Posted October 18, 2008 I am so excited to see how this one turns out. Such a cool idea!!! Quote Link to comment
soundman Posted October 18, 2008 Share Posted October 18, 2008 The first picture of that reactor made me think the countertop was actually the floor. I thought it was an enormous reactor as high as the microwave! LOL! I got the same reaction on that other site. That was totally an accident! I didn't even try to get the counter to line up with the floor! Come on now.......you did that on purpose......admit it. Awesome Mega Reactor! Quote Link to comment
mikellini Posted October 18, 2008 Share Posted October 18, 2008 Well, the maxijet would have to be the size of a child's head... Quote Link to comment
ChasingChickens Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 any updates? Quote Link to comment
FischeHaus Posted October 26, 2008 Share Posted October 26, 2008 +1 updates. My favorite build, keep it up! Quote Link to comment
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