5*Chris Posted May 7, 2020 Share Posted May 7, 2020 Take my hand, we're going on a journey. Some might have come across my "I hate UPS" post. I still hate them, but a little less. This all started with a Fiji cube 38g peninsula, crack, bang, smash and two attempts of delivery later, I decided to go this route. Bulk reef supply gladly refunded me after the second failed UPS delivery attempt. Started the order with a Fiji cube overflow and sump along with various fittings, valves, pipes, and ended with an order on Adam & Eve for something special for my wife (but that's a different journal on a different site) for unknowingly allowing me to blow my budget all over this build (pun...no pun🤷🏽♂️). The funny thing is I sold one of my beautiful Flowerhorns to help purchase the Fiji cube 38g and than later sold the 40b he was living in. I was in a rush thinking my 38g would be delivered the next day and needed the stand, so I accepted a lowball offer of $50 which included tank, canister filter, heater, and led. Only to come full circle and build a 40B. What's funny about that? Petco isn't having their $1 per gallon sale so I paid $85 for the tank. Ok enough chat Equipment: 40B w/ Brooklyn stand that I'm currently skinning with stained Baltic birch plywood Sump- Fiji cube 20 (first sump ever, but this thing is beautiful) Overflow- Fiji cube 800gph (awesome, slim overflow box comes off bulkhead for easy cleaning) Skimmer- Icecap K2-50 Ato- Tunze Return pump- (Currently mighty jet 538 but ordering a Jebao dcp-3500 today) with 3/4 RFG Reactor- Two little fishies Phosban 150 plumbed in to return line (will be setting up as a chaeto reactor with a IM chaetomax light) Powerhead- Innovative Marine wavelink, I'll either add a second one or go gyre Lighting- currently a Hydra 26, Miro4 t5 retrofit kit on its way Heater- dual Aqueon pro 150s with Inkbird controller Picked up 40lbs of Fiji pink sand yesterday and will be transferring rock and live stock from my 29g. Never plumbed a sump before so hopefully it goes smooth and fingers crossed my bulk heads don't leak. But, if all goes well, it should be up and running by tomorrow. Time for coffee... Don't mind the mess, I'm building stuff. Te Fiti was watching me. I tried painting the back black, but it peeled. So I just used good ole backing 3/4 RFG is huge, hopefully I can't get proper flow through it Not bad for never drilling a tank before. I was sweating my ass off thinking I'd UPS this tank 😂. But went very smooth, only took about 30min. I didn't have a template for the 3/4 return 35mm bit, so I cut out the center of a Voss water bottle cap that I previously used on a homemade skimmer lol. 5 Quote Link to comment
debbeach13 Posted May 7, 2020 Share Posted May 7, 2020 I think this is going to be one of those positive making lemonade when life gives you lemons stories. Looks like a well thought out system and great job drilling for the first time. Wishing you and your new tank adventure all the best. 2 Quote Link to comment
5*Chris Posted May 7, 2020 Author Share Posted May 7, 2020 24 minutes ago, debbeach13 said: I think this is going to be one of those positive making lemonade when life gives you lemons stories. Looks like a well thought out system and great job drilling for the first time. Wishing you and your new tank adventure all the best. Thank you and I think you are right. This was actually the route I was thinking about going before I purchased the 38g. I really wanted a rimless peninsula, but going through the motions on this tank really makes it more rewarding for me. Now if I could figure out how I want to plumb this thing lol. Any recommendations would be welcomed. Quote Link to comment
whisnantrider Posted May 8, 2020 Share Posted May 8, 2020 Following along. I have been debating the same basic set up as an upgrade to my IM 30L, except not peninsula. I’m just afraid I will regret not going with a rimless tank. 1 Quote Link to comment
5*Chris Posted May 8, 2020 Author Share Posted May 8, 2020 13 minutes ago, whisnantrider said: Following along. I have been debating the same basic set up as an upgrade to my IM 30L, except not peninsula. I’m just afraid I will regret not going with a rimless tank. I feel the same about rimmed vs rimless, but I did go from a IM Lagoon 25 to a standard 29g. At first I missed the clean rimless look, but the only time the rim has bothered me was trying to mount my ato float switch, I don't really notice it anymore. Quote Link to comment
5*Chris Posted May 8, 2020 Author Share Posted May 8, 2020 Finally finished the drains. Extremely happy how it turned out, hopefully the feeling doesn't change when water is flowing through them. Getting ready to start on return piping, fingers crossed. 4 2 Quote Link to comment
whisnantrider Posted May 8, 2020 Share Posted May 8, 2020 1 minute ago, 5*Chris said: Finally finished the drains. Extremely happy how it turned out, hopefully the feeling doesn't change when water is flowing through them. Getting ready to start on return piping, fingers crossed. Looks good! Quote Link to comment
5*Chris Posted May 8, 2020 Author Share Posted May 8, 2020 Finished the return line. Leaked tested several points in the system over several hours. Last test to fill up the tank and get it running. I had 1 small leak in the return piping at one of the unions. Now for the bad. Throughout the plumbing I left enough PVC between fittings in case of a leak and I needed to cut out that fitting, this is the one spot I did not do this. Good thing it's a leak at a union, except somehow I got two different types of 3/4 unions and the particular union in that spot is a smaller design and isn't showing up at home depot, even though I bought it there. That union is basically attached to the t section that reduces to 1/2" for my reactor. And being a noob my placement of my check valve (which I actually thought was pat on my back worthy) keeps the whole return line full of water. Good thing for my t section for my reactor, I was able to drain the pipe by opening the valve. But now I have to cut it out, reorder the 3/4 spigot to 1/2 slip reducer and 1/2 barb fitting and redo it lol. That's my rant! But it's actually been a great day and it was great to see my tank up and running. 1 1 Quote Link to comment
Chadicus Meridius Posted May 8, 2020 Share Posted May 8, 2020 Let’s hope that doesn’t get damaged in the mail 🙂 1 Quote Link to comment
5*Chris Posted May 8, 2020 Author Share Posted May 8, 2020 Good news!! The pipe was leaking, but it's because I'm a complete idiot. Never been so happy to be so dumb. Go ahead, make fun of me 🤦🏽♂️🤦🏽♂️ 1 Quote Link to comment
5*Chris Posted May 15, 2020 Author Share Posted May 15, 2020 In it's spot. Time to mix salt and get everything connected. Still need to figure out how I'm going to handle mounting lights, can't drill into wall or hang so I'm going to drink my coffee and hopefully brain storm with a severe hang over. Next week I'll get the panels and the doors on the stand. 3 Quote Link to comment
5*Chris Posted June 5, 2020 Author Share Posted June 5, 2020 Longer process than expected. Everything has been transferred, still moving things around. Some of my corals didn't like the move and gave up on me 😫. Still a few things to do, but it's getting there. 3 1 Quote Link to comment
5*Chris Posted June 5, 2020 Author Share Posted June 5, 2020 Ive been working on a diy led bar. I think it turned out very nice, just need to finish up soldering and heat wrap power wires. 24" with 19 Luxeon ES leds. 1 2 Quote Link to comment
Chadicus Meridius Posted June 5, 2020 Share Posted June 5, 2020 Let’s go an update. The Led looks good 1 Quote Link to comment
Chadicus Meridius Posted June 5, 2020 Share Posted June 5, 2020 What fish do you plan on if any? Quote Link to comment
5*Chris Posted June 5, 2020 Author Share Posted June 5, 2020 I've been wanting to take pics, but they all just turn out blue. I'm going to pick up a lens kit today while I'm out trying to find a Galaxea🤞🏽 1 Quote Link to comment
Chadicus Meridius Posted June 5, 2020 Share Posted June 5, 2020 Bet I will wait to see. Hope you get the Galaxea Quote Link to comment
5*Chris Posted June 5, 2020 Author Share Posted June 5, 2020 2 minutes ago, Seea said: What fish do you plan on if any? I already had a Bangaii and blue Cromis. I just added a little yellow watchman goby and a Randalls assessor. I originally transferred a filefish but he ate my torch and started attacking my hammer, so I put him back in the old tank with a Randall's goby and pistol shrimp. Hopefully they'll get picked up this week sometime so I can get rid of the other tanks. 1 Quote Link to comment
Chadicus Meridius Posted June 5, 2020 Share Posted June 5, 2020 How many chromis? Because if there is enough to school that would be cool 😎 Quote Link to comment
5*Chris Posted June 5, 2020 Author Share Posted June 5, 2020 1 hour ago, Seea said: How many chromis? Because if there is enough to school that would be cool 😎 I tried lol. Only have 1 of 7 left. I would still like to add a nice pair of clowns and a yellow assessor. 1 Quote Link to comment
5*Chris Posted June 8, 2020 Author Share Posted June 8, 2020 Couple new things came in 😁😁. First my replacement skimmer. Thanks to Angie at Coralvue @Jeff@CoralVue . Originally purchased the Icecap K2-50 from Aquacave, once I got the tank together I realized there was a couple things wrong with the skimmer. Couple emails and pics later she sent me a replacement in the form of a K1-50🤙🏽. Only bad thing is the pump isn't working 🤦🏽♂️ on the new new skimmer. Was able to use the pump from the original skimmer, so it's up and running again 💪🏽. Very nice skimmer, extremely quiet. Second, ReefBreeders new blue/violet Lumenbar arrived. Beautiful led bar, I thought my diy led bar was nice, but I really like the size of this and the spectrum looks cherry. My diy bar uses better leds, but looks massive in comparison. Overall very pleased with this purchase. Don't mind my Kenya, it hangs out like that once in a while😂. Going to install my diy bar tomorrow night. About to order the Miro T5 retrofit kit, so hopefully in a week have my lighting done. I plan on par testing after it's all done. Hydra 26HD will be for sale after if any interests. 1 Quote Link to comment
5*Chris Posted June 8, 2020 Author Share Posted June 8, 2020 Nevermind, I couldn't wait. The spotlighting from the Hydra is gone. My diy bar is set at 450mA and the RB lumenbar is at 600mA and the Luxeons are a lot brighter than the LEDs in the Lumenbar, which I believe are Epileds. Very happy with both bars, but the smaller size of the RB is awesome. I'm starting to think I might skip the t5s, rebuild my diy bar to 36", center it and add a second RB to the otherside. 3 Quote Link to comment
mitten_reef Posted June 8, 2020 Share Posted June 8, 2020 Setup looks really good. I think the diy came out looking good as well. 1 Quote Link to comment
5*Chris Posted June 8, 2020 Author Share Posted June 8, 2020 51 minutes ago, mitten_reef said: Setup looks really good. I think the diy came out looking good as well. Thank you. Yeah I'm extremely happy how it turned out, went together super smooth too, icing on the cake was it only cost about $100 to build 1 Quote Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.