evilc66 Posted March 18, 2009 Author Share Posted March 18, 2009 Tell me about it. I was sweating bullets. I'm still pushing for getting the tank ready for water for the end of the month. I think I can get the plumbing done by the weekend. I have Friday off work, so lots of time to play Link to comment
w1dude Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 Sorry for the bad luck, can't wait for some more pic updates! Link to comment
evilc66 Posted March 18, 2009 Author Share Posted March 18, 2009 Ok, PITCHERS!!! Pile-O-PVC! Octopus NW110 skimmer. Looking forward to seeing how this does. BRS media reactor. Going to be fed by a MJ900 Here is the MH installation. You can just see the ARO ballast in the back. Nice short distance between the ballast and the bulb. The ballast and all connections are sealed, so I didn't think twice about putting it above the tank. Crap shot, but you can kind of see how the glass is just below the frame. Just below level with the lamp, you can just see the fixture. Right at the level of the fixture, you can't see it. Awesome Link to comment
divecj5 Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 Looks freaking awesome. This is going to be a killer setup no doubt. Link to comment
w1dude Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 Since you have ARO ballast i want to ask you, do you ever have any problems with it interfering with your TV? (not trying to steal your thread) Link to comment
cracker Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 That is going to be absolutely spectacular. Good luck with the plumbing! Link to comment
ajmckay Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 So glad the second tank survived the drilling...phew. Someone earlier in this post mentioned re-enforcing holes drilled through glass... That seems like an interesting idea to me. I know that many people never have problems, but I'm sure there are a lot of people who have cracks later on due to stresses in the glass/rocks falling etc... Due to the nature of glass fractures, I'm thinking that using some sort of fail-safe would be a nice thing to have. I think even painting the glass works to some degree in minimizing stress to a particular area. Evil, what do you think about the idea of re-enforcing glass? My next tank will be drilled (whether by myself or from the manufacturer, I'm not sure), and I certainly wouldn't want any cracks or anything once the tank is up & running. Link to comment
evilc66 Posted March 18, 2009 Author Share Posted March 18, 2009 Looks freaking awesome. This is going to be a killer setup no doubt. Thanks Since you have ARO ballast i want to ask you, do you ever have any problems with it interfering with your TV? (not trying to steal your thread) Haven't seen an issue yet, but my TV and the ballast are on different circuits in the house. I don't have a TV in my office, but I haven't seen any issues yet with this ballast, a Ballastwise 70W, and the 150W Sunpod ballast on any TV or my computer monitors. That is going to be absolutely spectacular. Good luck with the plumbing! Thanks. Going to try and tackle more of that today after work. Someone earlier in this post mentioned re-enforcing holes drilled through glass... That seems like an interesting idea to me. I know that many people never have problems, but I'm sure there are a lot of people who have cracks later on due to stresses in the glass/rocks falling etc... Due to the nature of glass fractures, I'm thinking that using some sort of fail-safe would be a nice thing to have. I think even painting the glass works to some degree in minimizing stress to a particular area. Evil, what do you think about the idea of re-enforcing glass? My next tank will be drilled (whether by myself or from the manufacturer, I'm not sure), and I certainly wouldn't want any cracks or anything once the tank is up & running. Depends on the thickness of the glass, the quality of the hole drilled, and the stresses placed upon it. Anything uner 3/16 of an inch I would consider reinforcing with an additional glass or acrylic plate larger than the hole. The 30B and 40B tanks are pretty thick, and under normal circumstances won't be an issue. I honestly think the first tank breakage was a fluke based on the way it cracked. Link to comment
evilc66 Posted March 20, 2009 Author Share Posted March 20, 2009 So, plumbing this thing is worse than one of those million piece jigsaw puzzles. At least you know what it's going to look like in the end, and you know all the pieces are there. I'm getting there, but boy is it taxng the noggin' Link to comment
NanoReefNovice Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 Whats kills me is the multiple trips to the hardware store, i never get what i need the first time. Link to comment
evilc66 Posted March 20, 2009 Author Share Posted March 20, 2009 Your not kidding. I'll be going back for my third trip this afternoon. Link to comment
Giga Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 is the mh reflector the one from hellolights? Link to comment
evilc66 Posted March 20, 2009 Author Share Posted March 20, 2009 Same. I ended up getting the kit from Aquacave. Link to comment
evilc66 Posted March 23, 2009 Author Share Posted March 23, 2009 Well, after three more trips to Lowes (much better pvc selection than HD), all the hard plumbing is done and cemented in. I ended up using vinyl tube to plumb the closed loop for simplicity in the small area that the Super Squirt was in. Works out pretty good, but Lowes stiffed me on the tubing. The rack that stated 3/4" had a roll of 1/2" on it. Didn't notice until a few minutes ago. I really wanted to have the plumbing complete today So close, yet, so far. Sump is up next. There could even be sand and rock in it by next weekend. I told you guys, I'm determined to get it finished by the end of the month. Link to comment
danktank Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 WOW! this is gonna be SWEET! im tagging along for sure. I am seriously thinking about upgrading my 20L to a 40B over the summer (and then having the 20L for a sump/fuge) but im having second thoughts about it because im goin to college in 2 years do i dont want to d oanything TOO major but a 40b with a 20L sump is def in my future....(might even get LED's ) edit: i can't wait to see the led fixture over the 40B and hopefully to see built pics! Good luck with everything! Link to comment
NanoReefNovice Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 I cant stand these big hardware stores. HD no pvc pluming parts, how many sq ft and no selection on pvc parts. Not to mention how many times ive done the same thing u did due to their mislabeling. And if you ask someone something you will regret it b/c they will take you on a tour of the place having no idea where anything is either. Link to comment
evilc66 Posted March 23, 2009 Author Share Posted March 23, 2009 Just picked up the right tube and hopefully things will go smoothly. The only thing that I can hope for is everything to be leak free. Link to comment
Mr. Fosi Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 Well, after three more trips to Lowes (much better pvc selection than HD)... Same here vis a vis PVC selection. I spent an hour at HD looking for what I want, got frustrated and left, stopped at Lowes because it was across the street and found what I needed in ~2 min. Link to comment
Reefer Al Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 Uggh, I wish you would hurry up!!!! This is going to be sweet.................... ! Link to comment
evilc66 Posted March 23, 2009 Author Share Posted March 23, 2009 I got one piece installed in the short period of time I had free at lunch. Hot water works wonders on vinyl tube to make it more pliable. I have class tonight, so that kills most of my time to work on the tank this evening. I should have no trouble getting the last of the tubing in. I did start on the sump last night after finding out about the wrong tube size, and left frustrated. I figured my time was better spent working on something else instead of sulking around the house. I got the dividers and the bubble trap cut, and the bubble trap glued to one of the dividers. Next will be siliconing and glueing (acrylic dividers) the remaining parts in. Don't think I'll be able to get this done today, but tomorrow looks good (no class). Link to comment
evilc66 Posted March 23, 2009 Author Share Posted March 23, 2009 Tubing is in. Noticed that I forgot the parts for the closed loop supply. That could have been a mess! I'll pick up the parts from lowes on the way home from class. Link to comment
deepdvnarq Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 looking sweeeetah! looking forward to seeing it done! Link to comment
evilc66 Posted March 23, 2009 Author Share Posted March 23, 2009 looking sweeeetah! looking forward to seeing it done! Me too! Link to comment
Pcyc Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Hows the LED light looking? tanks still looking smooth evil Link to comment
chazde3 Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 I probably will. Depending on how things go this weekend, I might start drilling the heatsink. I have to drill over 120 holes, and then tap most of them Makes me glad I'll be drilling and tapping on a cnc mill. Tapping that many by hand would suck. Link to comment
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