MrX's Build (Started 03/01/2020)

The money purge has begun.

Ordered a bunch of stuff over the last two days to get going:

- Instant Ocean salt to get going
- Yoga mat for under the tank (to replace the one that is there now)
- Suction cup handles to lift/move the tank (to make it easier to put the new mat down)
- plumbing stuff from Aquarium Specialty to replace/rebuild what came with the setup (sticking with the black PVC)
- 5ft screen kit from BRS
- Refractometer w/LED from BRS (and calibration solution)

Need to clean out the overflow so I'm ready to put everything back together when the plumbing gets here this weekend.

Hoping my raffle luck kicks in this weekend when I visit FFM. :D
 
The money purge has begun.

Ordered a bunch of stuff over the last two days to get going:

- Instant Ocean salt to get going
- Yoga mat for under the tank (to replace the one that is there now)
- Suction cup handles to lift/move the tank (to make it easier to put the new mat down)
- plumbing stuff from Aquarium Specialty to replace/rebuild what came with the setup (sticking with the black PVC)
- 5ft screen kit from BRS
- Refractometer w/LED from BRS (and calibration solution)

Need to clean out the overflow so I'm ready to put everything back together when the plumbing gets here this weekend.

Hoping my raffle luck kicks in this weekend when I visit FFM. :D
wILL BE FLOLOWING. :cool:
 
Thanks. Will probably come visit you again at some point... need to get my corals back. *grin*

Kids want to know if you still have all the other animals at your house?
Besides all the cats, now I have a dog.
 
Suction cups and yoga mat arrived today. MrsX and DaughterX helped me with pulling in through.

If you can image this scenario:

1. I lift one side of tank
2. MrsX slides in a piece of Trex decking under the tank (sitting on the side rails of the stand)
3. Rinse and repeat for other side
4. Now with DaughterX's help we go back and forth slowly pulling the yoga mat through a little at a time. Me lifting tank, MrsX lifting Trex support, DaughterX inching the mat forward

NOTE: The yoga mat is about 2" wider than the area where the tank sits, so we couldn't just slide it straight under the Trex supports. I didn't want to cut it for fear of cutting to short/jagged/etc. This was the mat is completely under the tank and we can trim it when done.

Took a number of back and forths but the mat is in place. DaughterX wants to trim it with the Xacto knife now but I made her go do her homework. Told her playing with razor knives could be her reward. :D

When the plumbing comes in I'll cut the mat underneath so I can run the drains/returns.

Had to pull everything away from the wall anyways so I could get to the overflow and clean it out/remove some old silicone that was on the plumbing.

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When you can't get your arm more than halfway into the overflow to clean it you have to improvise. Couldn't get the silicone off the center hole from underneath, couldn't get my arm in because apparently I'm too buff (the euro-brace was in the way).

Let's check the score -

Silicone / Overflow: 0

My MacGyver-like Skills: +100

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Well that's a fun implement.

Must have taken a lot of shimmying to get the yoga mat just right. I can see the appeal of going at it with a blade.
 
Thanks, Do you still have it up and running? Do you have a thread with pics?
I ended up giving the whole set up to a friend a couple months later because I upgraded. He still has it up & running.
 
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When you can't get your arm more than halfway into the overflow to clean it you have to improvise. Couldn't get the silicone off the center hole from underneath, couldn't get my arm in because apparently I'm too buff (the euro-brace was in the way).

Let's check the score -

Silicone / Overflow: 0

My MacGyver-like Skills: +100

View attachment 135917

View attachment 135918

View attachment 135919
sometimes YOU HAVE TO DO WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO! lol
 
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Some updates:

- Bulk Reef screen kit came in. May put that together tomorrow.

- Refactometer and calibration fluid came in.

- Black acrylic sheet and a cutter came in. Going to make a cover for the overflow. Waiting on the Weld-on to arrive.

- Most of the plumbing won't ship out until probably Tuesday/Wednesday. The unions were on back-order (60+ days) so I had to find a different vendor for those. Amazon had them for like 3x the price, but seems to be out-of-stock everywhere else so I ordered them and they came today.

Went to the Frag Farmers Market today. Didn't buy any livestock but scored some stuff in the raffle. Didn't win any of the big ticket items but I made back my money.

SonX is already working on the rockscape.

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Put together the screen top today. Cut the side pieces a little short to expedite getting the screen in/out easier. When I put the screen on I didn't notice I pulled it so tight so the middles of the long side pull in a bit.

I like that you can't really see the screen because it sits on the ledge made by the euro-bracing.

If it ends up bugging me I have enough extra screen material to try 2, maybe 3, more times. I also have enough extra frame material to make the two side pieces longer if I wanted.

Edit to add: I added two tiny squares of Velcro to the front corners. Keeps the whole thing from moving and will keep corners flush for the most part. One side was pulling up a bit.

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SonX and I did some more rock-scaping today. DaughterX helped a little but wasn't really getting into it today. I threw together a really rough frame of PVC so we could stay in the general ballpark with positioning.

The main island on the left will probably angle from the back of the tank on the right towards the front of the tank on the left. Lots of ledges, caves, etc. Behind the main island there will be some sort of smaller island. The idea is that you'd be able to look from the left side of the tank and see it, along with the back-side of the main island which has more ledges for coral.

The right-side island will probably morph again.

Debating whether or not I should try and go higher anywhere. Tank is 20" tall and this only goes to like 15.5 at the mountain peak.

Front view:
IMG_20200308_164446.jpg


Front view, main island on the left:
IMG_20200308_164453.jpg


Front view, secondary island on the right (little island in back between the two):
IMG_20200308_164500.jpg


Looking from the left side of the "tank":
IMG_20200308_164508.jpg


Back side of the scape, angled from the left side:
IMG_20200308_164521.jpg


Back side of main island:
IMG_20200308_164530.jpg


Secondary island from the back, with little island:
IMG_20200308_164534.jpg


Angle view of the main island for the right/front:
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Closer views of the front:
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SonX and I did some more rock-scaping today. DaughterX helped a little but wasn't really getting into it today. I threw together a really rough frame of PVC so we could stay in the general ballpark with positioning.

The main island on the left will probably angle from the back of the tank on the right towards the front of the tank on the left. Lots of ledges, caves, etc. Behind the main island there will be some sort of smaller island. The idea is that you'd be able to look from the left side of the tank and see it, along with the back-side of the main island which has more ledges for coral.

The right-side island will probably morph again.

Debating whether or not I should try and go higher anywhere. Tank is 20" tall and this only goes to like 15.5 at the mountain peak.

Front view:
View attachment 136106

Front view, main island on the left:
View attachment 136107

Front view, secondary island on the right (little island in back between the two):
View attachment 136108

Looking from the left side of the "tank":
View attachment 136109

Back side of the scape, angled from the left side:
View attachment 136110

Back side of main island:
View attachment 136111

Secondary island from the back, with little island:
View attachment 136112

Angle view of the main island for the right/front:
View attachment 136113

Closer views of the front:
View attachment 136114

View attachment 136115
Very nice scape chief looking forward to seeing that.
 
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Got an email today, looks like the plumbing shipped.

Tonight I put together a black acrylic lid for the overflow box. Not bad for my first time cutting/gluing acrylic. Whether I can use this or not depends on my question below about the return plumbing and the split to the loc-line pieces.

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Just need to figure out how to go from the return pipe to the Y- or T- to the lock-line plumbing.

In the pics below you can see how the return plumbing was done in the overflow. Besides not using white PVC I need/want to be able to reduce the height of the middle piece some... it ends up sticking up over the top of the overflow ever so slightly (the T piece and the two reducers).

The width of the white plumbing is almost perfect to fit in the overflow, Then the loc-lines connect from the outside and screw in.

My question is, what options do I have to come up to the T portion and then go left and right to the loc-line connections, while keeping it all low enough that the overflow cover I just made will fit? (See my cheesy paint drawings below)

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Think I've solved my return line plumbing query. I'm going to go from the 1" return pipe, step it down to 1/2" using a reducing bushing, and then T from that using 1/2" pipe.

The 1/2" plumbing at that point in low enough to allow me to use the overflow cover I just made.

Got the "T" pieces cut to size and it all fits in the overflow with the cover on.

Once I get the rest of the plumbing in and size the center 1" piece correctly I'm thinking of spray painting the white PVC black with Krylon Fusion Flat Black for Plastic.

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Cut some 3/4" plywood to use as mounting boards under the stand for power strips, Apex (or something else, not liking the reviews of the new Apex), etc.

I need to put something behind them to kick them out a bit and then I'll screw some flat corner brackets on to hold them in place.

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